#and stede will be like: no ♥

[bevydev]

This is how their reunion is going to go, right?

[mwagneto]

ppl that thought the wall shove was gonna be them fighting

[sevensugars]

HOW ABOUT some sort of meet cute au?? Like I spilled my coffee all over you but you bumped me first? Or something to that vein 👀

stede bonnet gets the guy 3.3k / teen and up / meet cute

Stede Bonnet is a hopeless romantic who is, coincidentally, hopeless when it comes to getting a date. Until one faithful morning when he spills his hazelnut latte (extra sugar and cream) all over the grumpiest, hottest, and big-eyed softie with a black beard.

send me a prompt ♥

[heartsmadeofbooks]

Fic writer 20 questions

I was tagged by the lovely @bitbybitwrites ♥

Not tagging anyone because I'm pretty sure she tagged everyone I follow lol. So if anyone sees this and feels like doing it, consider yourself tagged.

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

19 on AO3. Still need to move a couple from Fanfiction.net

2. whats your ao3 word count?

Right now, it's 1.756.021 (holy shit)

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Only Glee.

4. top 5 fics by kudos

Solid Gold.

Clear Skies.

Flowers in the Window.

Underneath it All.

Sing to me Instead.

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I try to answer them every week. It's nice to interact with the readers and a really great way to show your appreciation that they take time to read and comment after every chapter.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Flowers in the Window, probably?

7. whats the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All my fics have happy endings, so this one is hard to answer... probably Syrup and Honey or Clear Skies?

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not often, but it's happened.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes, I write smut. At least a few scenes in every fic. I try to give it a purpose in each story, because I'm not exactly a fan of PWP, though I've made an exception once or twice lol. I like loving sex scenes the most, ones where it's obvious the characters are making a real connection.

10. do you write crossovers? whats the craziest one youve ever written?

I don't write crossovers. Never liked them, of any sort. Not even on actual TV shows (when I used to watch the DC shows and they blended Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, it was actually one of the reasons I stopped watching).

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Too many times lol.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, several times with my permission. It was really nice :)

13. have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No. I only ever worked with fanart artists for collabs before, but never with other writers.

14. fave all time ship?

I think it's pretty clear that it's Klaine :)

(But god, I love Stede and Ed, Lucius and Black Pete, and Carlos and TK)

15. wip you want to finish but doubt you will?

I never start a story I don't intend to finish.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Probably angst, I guess. I just love writing it, because it's what elicits the most feelings while I'm working on it (and readers react most strongly to it, too!)

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I still struggle with some grammar or spelling. Thank goodness I have @christinejaneanderson ♥

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I don't mind but it has to be perfectly written - I always cringe when I hear Spanish spoken in TV shows and it's completely inaccurate (Glee did that a few times, and a few others). How hard it is to check?

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Maybe Lord of the Rings? But Glee is the only fandom I wrote seriously for.

20. fave fic youve written?

This changes all the time, honestly. My current favorite is Cause and Effect. But there are many I have a lot of love for.

[ash-mcj]

First Lines ~ tag

Rules: Post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to AO3

Thank you for thinking of me to tag @amatchinwater ♥ 

The soft buzzing of Peter Hale’s cell phone on his nightstand stirred him awake. | From the Darkness Comes a Spark | Pack-centric, Petopher, Sterek

Theo often wondered if it was life in general, or specifically his presence in his own, that was so unbearably complicated. | complicated | Thiam

Derek tensed as he heard a faint pop behind him—and quickly spun around at the sound of a stick breaking under someone’s foot. | Always Waiting For You | Sterek

“After careful and extensive consideration, I’ve decided that I’m running away,” Stede announced in the doorway of his parents’ reading nook, his chin held high and his hands perched boldly on his hips. | When the Sunlight Paints Us Gold | BlackBonnet

Stede Bonnet loved the ocean. | infinitely better than gloves | BlackBonnet

As the bus grew closer to the enlistment office with every passing streetlight, Liam Dunbar couldn’t drag his eyes away from his phone screen for more than a few seconds at a time. | pull me out of the darkness, guide me by your beating heart | Thiam

Isaac didn’t hate clubs, per se—but the list of ways he’d rather be spending his Saturday night was longer than the list of reasons why he had PTSD, which was really saying a lot more than it should have for a twenty-two year old. | glitter under club lights | Jisaac

It was lazy days like these, that Theo loved the most. | like a remedy | Thiam

Considering the heaviness in his muscles and the dull ache throbbing in the back of his head, Theo figured he couldn’t have been asleep longer than an hour or two, when someone tapped sharply on the window of his truck. | Sunflowers in the Sober Light of Dawn | Thiam

Theo wasn’t entirely sure how he’d envisioned his life going, but he could easily say that loading a cardboard box full of dead rabbits into the backseat of his truck was not it. | an annoying hitchhiker | Thiam

tagging @nutellarghh @asarcasticwitch @edge0fmydesiree @fairytales-and-folklore @tails89 @princecharmingwinks

[prettybluelites]

Thoughts: The Curse of the Seafaring Life

Okay, fine, I'll watch Episode 5 one more time.

I have watched this half a dozen times by now and I have straight up howled every time Ed says "this here is a ship, and it's a space ship." The delivery combined with the hand gestures - I'm dead. I'm finished. Fucking genius.

A couple posts down I expounded on the fact that Ed is literally wearing sackcloth, still fascinated by that. Also wondering how much trouble he's having making the change from the infamous leathers to a loose-fitting linen onesie :P

That awkward position of, Do I clap, do I do nothing, or do I give the finger - so real

Does the mad cat on the new flag remind anyone else of the union rat inflatables that striking unions use?

Izzy got a new leg and it turned him into a right little sass pot

"I'm your captain! Wait, I can do it better." This whole scene is awesome and "That's the captain's chair" makes me laugh almost as hard as the space ship bit

Thinking a lot about Ed offering to let Lucius push him off the ship when it soon becomes clear that that isn't exactly what Lucius needs - I guess I'll just leave it at, I love how neatly the show illustrates that everyone heals differently

The shot of Izzy training on the gundeck is gorgeous and I'm not just saying that because of the Pecs of Death. And I love that he took himself down there and set all that up and took up his training his own self, idk, it feeds a lot of my headcanon about what sort of person Izzy is outside the context of Blackbeard - disciplined and fastidious

Love a good training montage, especially one that involves ass-slapping. And I love this new normal where Stede and Izzy, like, hang out and converse.

Will never grow tired of the fact that not one but both of Ed's shoes fly off

Really into geometry, lol. One of those superstitious bitches would have known what a pentagram was

Every girl loves an outfit she can twirl in

Third reliable lol of the episode: "draw me as, like, a steely...lord"

I was so busy thinking about Lucius and Pete each reckoning separately with Ed that I forgot to think about Lucius and Pete reckoning with each other. So glad this is a part of the storyline.

There really is nothing like a peanut butter sandwich. And then to be there when they were invented? Wow. :D

The scene with Ed and Fang in the boat is like Lucius recounting his horrors a couple episodes ago, shouldn't be funny, but...it's funny

Lucius is a man of some learning, he should know that Izzy's shark story is not, strictly speaking, fiction: A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.  (Thanks, Grammarly!) Izzy's not covering up shit with that story, he's explaining an idea.

STG if Izzy and Lucius don't make out by the end of this series...

Roach's comment about Frenchie's beautiful body, lmao

Anyone ever see Northern Exposure? There was a great scene in an early episode of that show where Joel was trying to figure out how Marilyn could sit still and quiet on her shifts as his receptionist and he was just boggled that she could, as Fang puts it, sit with herself. I'm not sure if this quote was from that episode, but I know it's a Marilyn quote: Words are heavy like rocks … they weigh you down. If birds could talk, they wouldn't be able to fly. That has stuck with me for a looong time. Anyway, sorry to blather, that's what this bit of Fang and Ed's conversation reminds me of.

Obvs the shirt needed to stay for plot reasons but also glad Stede got to keep it because he looks fine AF

Awwww Lucius and Pete, I love their love. I laughed and cried.

That feeling when someone reacts in all the right ways to all the right parts of your stories ♥

So much to love about this scene, obviously. Much has already been written about the kiss (THAT KISS!!) and Ed asking to go slow and Stede meeting him where he's at, but I am obsessed with the way Ed looks down, ever so slightly surprised, when Stede takes his hand. When, in Ed's adult life, has someone held his hand in a romantic context? It really is perfect.

And all that is to say nothing of Sometimes it's nice to be patient and wait. Jesus H Christ. When those two finally fuck, brains are going to melt and run out of the ears of fans all over the world.

Okay, phew! That was a lot, thank you for reading!

As a reward for your perseverance, here's a bonus quote I found while I was looking up Marilyn's bird quote:

"We are all pirates at heart. There is not one of us who hasn't had a little larceny in his soul. And which one of us wouldn't soar if God had thought there was merit in the idea? So, when we see one of those great widespread pirates soaring across the grain of sea winds we thrill, and we long, and, if we are honest, we curse that we must be men every day. Why not one day a bird!  There's an idea, now, one day out of seven a pirate in the sky. What puny power a man can attain by comparison. Compare a 747 with a bird and blush!"

Roger Caras, Birds and Flight, 1971.

[missnobodymadness]

Welcome to my place, any similarities with an asylum are pure coincidence.

────────⋅✩✩✩☾☽✩✩✩⋅────────

I'm Miss Nobody, a 32 years old person who loves creating, sharing and read about original characters, with a strong preference for fan characters. English is not my first language and I am far from having a perfect grammar, I feel like this is important information considering that I write a lot about my characters. I consider myself a non-binary person and I feel comfortable with any pronouns.

⚠️ This blog may contain mature content occasionally and while never visually explicit I still feel like this deserves a warning, especially if you don't like cussing, I cuss a lot! Proceed with caution, you have been warned.⚠️

✔ Things I like ✔

❥ Art ❥ Anime ❥ TV shows ❥ Music ❥ Wajas ❥ Sharks and orcas

✪ Fandoms ✪

They are too many to list but I'm listing the main ones here, no order of preference.

➤ Attack On Titan* Favorites: Hange, Reiner, Pieck, Gabi ➤ Naruto* Favorites: Madara, Obito, Shikamaru, Jiraiya ➤ Spy x Family Favorites: Yor, Anya, Sylvia, Twilight/Loid ➤ Chainsaw Man Favorites: Makima, Himeno, Power, Kobeni ➤ Jujutsu Kaisen Favorites: Suguru Geto, Maki, Toji, Mahito ➤ Pokémon Favorites: Cynthia, N, Team Rocket, Gary ➤ Berserk (Manga only) Favorites: Serpico, Skull Knight, Guts, Farnese ➤ The Walking Dead Favorites: Michonne, Ezekiel, Tara, Alpha ➤ Game Of Thrones Favorites: Tyrion, Daenerys, Sam, Arya ➤ MCU Favorites: Loki, Tony Stark, Hela, Jessica Jones ➤ The Lion King* Favorites: Zira, Scar, Vitani, Nuka * = Main obsessions.

♥ My ships ♥

I enjoy shipping a lot and think it is an important part of my blog as I reblog these a lot, before following, please, check this list, I don't have time for drama and I won't start any over ships I don't like either, I'm here to have fun.

❥ Levi x Hange (Attack on Titan)* ❥ Levi x Hange x Erwin (Attack On Titan) ❥ Ymir x Historia (Attack On Titan) ❥ Loid x Yor (Spy x Family)* ❥ Hashirama x Madara (Naruto) ❥ Nami x Vivi (One Piece) ❥ Re-L x Vincent (Ergo Proxy) ❥ Jiraiya x Tsunade (Naruto) ❥ Kazuki x Rei (Buddy Daddies) ❥ Haruka x Michiru (Sailor Moon) ❥ Cara x Kahlan (Legend Of The Seeker) ❥ Jon Snow x Sam (Game Of Thrones) ❥ Daenerys x Tyrion (Game Of Thrones) ❥ Sam x Eileen (Supernatural) ❥ Linda x Mazikeen (Lucifer) ❥ Jesus x Aaron (The Walking Dead) ❥ Tara x Denise (The Walking Dead) ❥ Abraham x Eugene (The Walking Dead) ❥ Alicent x Rhaenyra (House Of The Dragon) ❥ Stede x Black Beard (Our Flag Means Death)

* = Currently obsessed with

♥ My OC X Canon ships ♥

Warning: This blog contains OC x Canon ships and loves these, if you don't like these, don't follow.

❥ Myline x Itachi Uchiha (Naruto) ❥ Evelyn x Reiner Braun (Attack On Titan)* ❥ Evelyn x Pieck Finger (Attack On Titan) ❥ Aisha x Tony Stark (MCU) ❥ Jiyū x Suguru Geto (Jujutsu Kaisen)*

* = Unrequited love, I have a thing for tragic love stories. :C

────────⋅✩✩✩☾☽✩✩✩⋅────────

✎ My characters ✎

I have lots of original characters, from original stories to fandoms, all of my humanoids are fan characters, while all of my ferals are from my original story called "Cursed Scars".

I've listed most of my characters on this page and each one of them has a hashtag on my blog where you can see and find out more about each individual character of mine, I tried my best to make it easy to navigate!

────────⋅✩✩✩☾☽✩✩✩⋅────────

Important notes:

• No DNI as I find these very useless, at most they will make you an easy target for suspicious people.

• I do not answer private messages, these make me extremely uncomfortable as I suffer from social anxiety.

• I don't draw often as drawing makes my mental health decline a lot, I don't consider myself an artist, I draw very occasionally only.

• Some of my fan fics and original stories have very sensitive topics, it does NOT mean that I am okay or support any of these in real life, I'm not a murderer for writing about a murderer.

• I don't support or tolerate any kind of bullying or harassment over fictional ships, I couldn't care less if you ship the opposite of what I ship, you are free to and no one should be treated like shit for that, I have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and I'd probably kick your face if I could. I ship Levihan but I ain't getting mad at Eruri, it's that simple, thank you.

────────⋅✩✩✩☾☽✩✩✩⋅────────

Working on a page for my characters, I shall edit this post to add the link to it once I am done.

[chocolatepot]

☀ 💡 ♥

Has anyone ever left you a comment that made your day? What did it say?

In general, whenever someone comments to say they're rereading my fic - I'm just like, omg, there are so many fics out there and you're choosing to read mine instead even though the novelty's worn off? 😍

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve been inspired by?

I keep getting inspired to work on Mary Marchbanks's story when I handle early 19th century hand tools at the museum during inventory. Not that she or really anyone in the story uses the kind of carpentry or farm tools we have! But something about the handmade-ness of them reflects the early Industrial Revolution material culture and makes me hanker to write those characters and that setting. (And then I don't, unfortunately.)

Who is your favorite character to write for and why?

As much as I like to write Stede and Aziraphale because I relate to them so much, I have a lot more fun writing Ed and Crowley. It's like Stede and Aziraphale POV pieces are me putting myself out there, but Ed and Crowley POV pieces are me putting on a costume and having fun playing a totally different character. (The Ed and Crowley POVs also give me the opportunity to vocally love and dote on, well, myself or at least certain of my traits, which is ... nice.)

[trustiskingandqueen]

♥♥♥

Hi y'all! Since I have some followers now and I've started being more active and creating things again after years of not really writing or drawing or editing for any fandom, here is a little pinned post.

I'm Shawn, I'm a 30yo they/them. Like everyone else who sees this I'm sure, OFMD is absolutely my fav show and I love it with my whole heart ♥ Also the quality of the fanart and fic for this show is absolutely off the charts incredible, I love everything!

I make fanart, edits, and I've started playing with fic as well! Here's a little preview of my first forays into the fanart world:

My tag for edits and fanart

As for writing, so far I've posted a little missing scene Wee John/Izzy fic, and a co-captains era canon divergence Stede/Ed fic that's very sweet and smutty. I have many ideas... I'm rotating them all in my mind...

My inbox is open! I've just been giving myself prompts for edits and stuff lmao but I'd happily take suggestions for stuff you'd like to see! I am sooooooo open to anything at this point.

Cheers, m'dears ♥

[mxmollusca]

IFWTS is a masterpiece, but what really gets me every fucking time is when ND folks write adhd and autistic characters so beautifully, that's why I get obsessed, it feels like this is for me, about me, capturing what I actually care about. thank you thank you thank you ♥♥♥

I'm so glad this resonates with my fellow ND folks. There's a lot of myself in both Ed and Stede, and it's been so wonderful to learn that I'm not alone. ♥️

[stedesbonnets]

Three months before the divorce, Stede, the owner of a three years old cafe called "The Revenge", reserved a table for him and Mary at the most famous restaurant of their city, "Blackbeard's Bar and Grill". After Mary asks for divorce, Stede is forced to go alone.

Chapter 20: Epilogue

We’ve come to an end ♥

 TWO YEARS LATER

 The lights of the great building blared from a distance, bright against the dark cover of the night. Silhouettes danced in each window, and even if the noise of the inside couldn’t be heard, Stede and Ed spotted the whirlpool of people as they stood outside the entrance, on the sidewalk. The building, like many others, hadn’t changed much since the last time they had visited, five years ago; Stede couldn’t comprehend why they hosted the same event in the same hall in the same city, every single year. Tradition, he supposed, yet drawing new people every single year.

 They were, once again, at the doors of the fancy chef party.

Continue reading on ao3

[isrighthand]

𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 ♥   //   @blackflcgs​

♥ - roll on top of your muse and kiss them.

Izzy wakes up when Stede tries to slip out of bed unheard. Which might‘ve been possible if Izzy hadn't been sprawled practically on top of him - as soon as Stede shifts just a bit too much, Izzy's eyes fly open, his hand clutched around the hilt of a dagger.

But it's just Stede and Izzy relaxes once more, letting Stede slip up and away. They whisper good mornings to each other and Stede kisses him before he leaves to go out on deck and wake the crew.

Izzy is left awake, and he turns his head to look at Edward. He stays like that, for at least ten minutes, watching his captain and lover sleep, memorizing his features and basking in how gentle and soft he looks like this.

Eventually, Izzy shifts - rolls over to straddle Edward, slowly, so as not to wake him too harshly. With only his underwear and Edward's sleep pants between them, it's not too hard to feel him, to gently roll his hips and slide his hands up Edward's chest until he can lean forward enough to press kisses to all over his jawline, encouraging him to join the land of the living.

" Morning, "   Izzy greets as soon as he thinks Edward is beginning to wake, his voice a low rumble, sounding like gravel this early. His lips make a slow journey to finally meet Edward's own, giving a slow, lazy sort of kiss. He's still a little sleepy himself, to be honest.   " I ever tell you how pretty you are, Edward? "

[srapsodia]

ACK this is the anon from like 2 minutes ago i didn't see that ur not that jazzed about witcher stuff anymore <3 i come to you with a humble apology and a different prompt for the current blorbos -

#10 - stede and ed having a nice lil tiny romantic dance / stede teaching ed how to waltz?

10: Dancing together

Dancing lessons part 2! Ed's a natural and they're having fun with it now ♥

[ash-mcj]

For the Steede x Ed practice, could I request #38?

definitely! thanks for the request ♥

prompt requests from this list are OPEN

#38_letting them warm their cold hands under your shirt | AO3

“You don’t have any gloves in your massive closet?” Ed looked down at where Stede was wringing his hands in a failing attempt to warm them. “Two massive closets, actually.”

Stede huffed a bit dejectedly. “Afraid not. Some more poor planning on my part, it seems.”

“Here,” —Ed took one of Stede’s wrists and pulled his hand under his own shirt, placing it against his side— “it’s warmer in there.”

“M-mhm,” Stede stammered in a rather pitchy tone, his eyes wide and his lips pressed together in a line.

Stede Bonnet loved the ocean. The calm rocking of the ship with the waves, the blinding reflection of the sun on the water, the refreshing salty spray in the air—it all made him excited about being alive in a way he’d never felt before. He could confidently and enthusiastically say that he enjoyed most aspects of life at sea. However, one of the few things he didn’t particularly love was just how cold the nights could get sometimes, with the air wafting up from the frigid waves below. Despite his rather impressive layering, his clothes failed to keep him warm enough on nights like these.

Somehow, Ed didn’t seem to share this struggle. There were many reasons why he was the most impressive badass Stede had ever had the pleasure of meeting—but the fact that he was able to stand there in the cold breeze in only a thin silk robe and his usual one-armed ensemble, without so much as the barest hint of a shiver, had to be somewhere near the top of the list.

“It’s a bit chilly tonight, no?” Stede commented, opening and closing his fists to flex his stiff fingers. The biting chill had numbed them a bit—but it was nothing a pirate, such as himself, couldn’t handle.

“Eh, it’s not too bad,” Ed said, his voice distant and monotonous as his attention was consumed by the sky.

Another aspect of the seafaring lifestyle that Stede loved: the stars were brighter than they appeared in civilization.  It was much dimmer without all the lights that cities provided—in fact, the moon was typically the only salvation from the darkness out on the ocean. Fickle thing, though, moonlight. It fluctuated with the lunar cycle and the weather, and it hardly did everyone equal aesthetic favors. To Stede’s mild annoyance, no matter what state the moon was in, it always cast a rather unflattering, bluish tint on his already-pale skin, making him appear almost ghastly. 

This was another affliction that Ed did not struggle with. His darker complexion managed to retain a decent amount of color and warmth, and the gray streaks throughout his mess of hair shined a brilliant silver as they caught the moonlight’s glow. It was the type of innate beauty that was reserved only for those created for long nights under the stars.

“If you’re cold, you don’t have to stay out here,” Ed told him. “I’ll probably turn in soon, anyway.”

“Oh, no—I couldn’t just leave you out here,” Stede dismissed the notion. “I’ll stay, if that’s alright with you.”

Ed shrugged, and Stede caught the slight crinkle around his eyes that meant he was likely grinning under that beard of his. “It’s your ship, mate.”

“That, it is,” Stede confirmed. “I should probably invest in some warm gloves.”

“You don’t have any gloves in your massive closet?” Ed looked down at where Stede was wringing his hands in a failing attempt to warm them. “Two massive closets, actually.”

Stede huffed a bit dejectedly. “Afraid not. Some more poor planning on my part, it seems.”

“Here,” —Ed took one of Stede’s wrists and pulled his hand under his own shirt, placing it against his side— “it’s warmer in there.”

“M-mhm,” Stede stammered in a rather pitchy tone, his eyes wide and his lips pressed together in a line. He was in Ed’s clothes.

“Fuck, man—you really are freezing,” Ed hissed, pinning his arm tightly against his side to hold Stede’s hand against him.

If Stede was a better man, he would’ve tried to pull away and save Ed from his icy fingers. He would go inside his cabin and bury himself in the mound of blankets that would surely warm him up just fine—and allow Ed to keep his own body heat for himself. Though, as the relieving warmth of heat trapped by the leather began to seep into his skin, melting away the tension in his muscles and soothed the ache in his joints, he decided he was not a better man.

“Oh, that’s nice,” he heard himself moan. Surely, he’d be embarrassed later—but he couldn’t bring himself to feel any sort of shame while the heat was climbing up his arm.

Ed held the other side of his jacket and robe open expectantly, and the movement shifted his shirt a bit to reveal a few inches of his belly. Stede’s eyes zeroed in on the exposed skin of their own accord—but it was a conscious decision to let the attention linger. Stede hadn’t spent much time in his life paying much thought to navels, but he thought Ed had a rather nice one. An intrusive thought flitted through his mind, of dipping his tongue into Ed’s navel as he licked down the faint trail of hair below—and a sudden jolt of arousal shooting towards his groin gave him the strength to avert his gaze. 

On an embarrassing—yet positive, given the situation—note, his face was warming up a bit.

“Are you gonna put your other hand in, or are you waiting for it to fall off?”

Stede cleared his throat in hopes of steadying it, before teasing, “A hook hand might be neat.”

“Neat,” Ed laughed, shaking his head. “C’mon already—the fuckin’ cold’s getting in.”

After Ed shook his jacket flap a bit more impatiently, Stede garnered up the courage to reach his free hand towards the hem of Ed’s shirt. He hesitated for a brief second, then slipped his fingertips under the fabric. Whatever reservations he may have had about it quickly ebbed away, as he slid his hand fully into the inviting warmth and splayed his fingers out over Ed’s side.

“A hook hand wouldn’t be too gentlemanly,” Ed reasoned, pinning his arm down the way he had done with the other.

“No?”

“Nah. Gotta keep up the image—it’s everything out here.”

“Is it, really?” Stede’s eyes roamed over the floral print robe draped over Ed’s body—a garment he would’ve expected the ruthless Blackbeard to mock him over owning, rather than wanting to don it himself. “Everything, I mean.”

Ed’s eyebrows twitched—a flickering between a furrow and a raise, yet not quite either. Following Stede’s sightline, he looked down at the silk—then slowly smoothed his hands down his torso. When he reached Stede’s arms protruding from the fabric, he trailed his fingers almost timidly up his sleeves, until he was loosely holding his elbows. 

“Fuck if I know, anymore,” Ed mumbled. “I mean, I’m fuckin’ Blackbeard, and here I am, wearing silk. And—and cashmere, and fuckin’ linens.”

“It’s not very Blackbeard,” Ed agreed, then carefully suggested, “but, I reckon it might be Ed?”

Ed nodded slowly, his eyes finding Stede’s again. “Yeah, it might be Ed.”

Stede gently moved his thumbs side to side, caressing him. It wasn’t what he’d imagined the torso of the dreaded pirate to be like—it was softer. He wasn’t quite as firm, with a healthy, plush layer over his ribs, and his skin was far smoother than he’d have guessed. Stede had assumed he’d be covered in scars over every inch of his skin, considering his complete disregard for bodily harm, but there were none under his hands. He was sure they were littered about elsewhere, though—even Stede himself had picked up a few. 

He had the odd thought that he could’ve been holding an accountant, or a baker in his hands—rather than a pirate. For someone who seemed so built for sea, Ed’s body could’ve been anything.

“Well, I think you’re lovely,” Stede said breathily, and he wasn’t sure he’d meant anything more in his life. 

“You really—” Ed cleared his throat, whatever he’d tried to say having caught in his throat. “I mean, you don’t have to say that.”

“I mean it,” Stede assured him. “And it’s not just because you’re saving me from frostbite, though I do appreciate this.”

Ed chuckled—perhaps a bit sad, or maybe tinted by some other strong emotion that he’d unpack in time—and Stede joined him.

“You know, I feel like we’re dancing,” Ed voiced, once they’d calmed.

“I thought it was more like a hug—but dancing is plausible, as well,” Stede said, pulling Ed slightly closer. “Do you dance?”

Ed scoffed. “Psh, ‘course not. Never had a reason to learn.”

“Oh, well, you don’t need a reason! I could teach you.”

“My knee’s acting up ‘cause of the cold, but… another night?”

“I’d like that,” Stede said, smiling.

“Me, too.” Ed squeezed Stede’s elbows, and Stede was fairly certain he was rubbing his arms with his thumbs, as well.

They stood in silence for a long moment—not looking at each other, but still fully present with one another. Stede’s eyes lingered absently on Ed’s infamous beard, while he focused on the feeling of Ed’s ribs rhythmically expanding with each inhale under his palms. He’d never done this before, felt someone breathing. It was curiously intimate, like he was feeling Ed living. He couldn’t help but wonder—and maybe a small part of him hoped the answer was no—if anyone else had taken the opportunity to feel Ed this way.

“You’re really… something, Stede Bonnet,” Ed broke the silence.

Stede raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that good or bad?”

“It’s…” Ed paused, then softer—almost reverently—he said, “it’s real.”

“Well, Edward Teach, you’re quite something, as well.”

Ed’s mouth silently opened and closed a few times, before he let out a slightly strangled, “Fuck it.”

Before Stede could question it, Ed’s hands surged up to tenderly hold Stede’s head, his large palms pressing heat into his cheeks and his fingers fitting themselves under and behind his ears, before he leaned in to close the distance between their bodies and—

Ed was kissing him.

Stede’s hands moved down to Ed’s waist as he pulled him flush against his body, and he allowed Ed’s prodding tongue to part his lips. Ed licked into his mouth almost lazily, as if he wanted to memorize every detail he could with his tongue, and had limitless time to do so. As his fingers slipped further back to gently card through Stede’s curls, it seemed impossible to Stede that Ed’s hands could’ve ever executed any of the maiming or destruction he knew Blackbeard had done.

[sixstepsaway]

You do realize that Izzy is THE series villain, right? He's not sticking around post-reunion. He's not part of Stede's crew, he's not Team Revenge, he was actively gleeful about them being marooned and left for dead. He's not a good guy. He's not a protagonist. He's not going to be around being a toxic abusive piece of shit forever. Quit trying to normalize & downplay the horrible way he treats other characters. I know as a fetishizer you're predisposed to abusive white men, but this is idiotic.

(Since tumblr cuts this off from what I can see; this turned into a big Izzy Hands meta! So read on if you want!)

Let me try and word this in a way you might understand, nonny, since you clearly have some issues with the definition of things, and while I'm here I'm going to turn this into another meta post, this time about your favorite character: Izzy Hands ♥, rather than just posting this as a mean anon or deleting it outright.

(That said, anon, I really think this is the second message you've sent me now. The first time it was because I mentioned Izzy during a meta about Ed, and the second time is because I mentioned Izzy (and Lucius, and Jim, and Fang) during a post about Ed and Stede gettin' it on in season 2. If you really hate Izzy this much, I truly recommend blocking those of us who enjoy him, and using the blacklist feature to remove any posts mentioning him. I think your fandom experience will be truly improved if you do that, and at the end of the day that's what we all want here, isn't it? A good fandom experience.)

Firstly, Izzy is the singular Real Pirate trapped in a muppet comedy, which makes him hilarious and fascinating.

Secondly, as the only Real Pirate, he's the only one that can see the dangers of being weak and not being a proper pirate. Do you think that the English are going to let Ed just walk away? He signed his life over to them for ten years then bailed the first night. Do you truly believe the English aren't currently looking for Blackbeard specifically to finish him off or take him to Charlestown to make an example of him? Do you think they aren't currently tying nooses in his honor to say, "Look what happens if you take our offer of an Act of Grace then bail out"?

They absolutely are.

Now, ask yourself; what happens if the English rock up on the Revenge, crewed by a group of terribly bad pirates who couldn't defend themselves against the Spanish, or the English, or-- actually, any battle they've had so far. Jim is the only truly competent pirate on that crew, from what I've seen.

So what do you think Izzy is imagining when he sees Edward return from bailing out on the Act of Grace and not only once again letting the ship return to Muppet Comedy, but also actively trying to stop them being pirates?

I think back to what Oluwande said in the first episode, being not only a man of color like Edward is, but potentially being an outlaw for more than just the color of his skin: him and Jim aren't being pirates because they just woke up one day with a fun little idea and more money than they can shake a stick at, him and Jim are pirates because neither of them have any other choices. Do you think even if Ed hadn't taken the Act of Grace, he would've had other choices? Do you think the man who murdered his own father in what would likely have been seen as cold blood (not a defense of himself and, primarily, his mother; especially since he and his mother are not white and his father was) ever had any other choices?

So what happens to them when the English come? What happens to Edward when they board the ship and he's wearing the breakup robe and singing songs? Do you think they'd look at him and go, "Oh, no, he's so sad. Let's let him go."

(I mean, they might, in the context of muppet comedy, but as previously stated, Izzy's world is not a muppet comedy. In Izzy's world, when you get stabbed you die. In Izzy's world, when you duel a pirate with thirty years of experience on you, you lose.)

Now I want to run down the list of what Izzy Hands has done over the course of the 10 episodes to make him horrible and abusive. I'm not going back to reference the episodes because I don't have the time to sift through every one, but I'm pretty sure I remember it well enough. Replies can totally correct me with extra citations if I miss stuff.

Episode 1: Wasn't in it

Episode 2: Ignored the vulnerable crew on the beach, cut Stede's shirt open, stole a hostage.

Episode 3: Suggested the 'normal' course of action to be murdering the inept pirates and slinging them to the sharks, implying that's what they usually do. Went to Spanish Jackie's and invited Stede aboard, but didn't mention his boss by name. Told Ed what happened, but didn't say he didn't name him by name. (Open to interpretation as it's possible everyone worth their salt knows Izzy is Edward's right hand man, it doesn't need speaking). Helps Edward save Stede and co.

Episode 4: Asks if they're going to kill the crew 'as usual' (Edward doesn't say no). Calls Edward a twat and yells at him for being completely erratic, wearing Stede's clothes and pretending to be someone else. Says he's leaving. Follows through on leaving until Edward coaxes him back. Apologizes sincerely for all of the things he said. He may not have said, "I'm sorry," but I said some things I regret, I don't think you're a twat etc is definitely an apology. Not all apologies have to include the word sorry to be an apology.

Episode 5: Spends the whole episode trying to get the Revenge crew to actually be a crew. Gets mad at Lucius and Pete for actively not doing their jobs when he tells them to do their jobs. He wasn't pissed they were fucking, he was pissed they weren't working. Tried to get Lucius to do actual work. Got pissed when Lucius seemed like he was potentially cheating on Pete and hitting on all the crew. (Which is why "We don't own each other." disarmed that attempt to control him.)

Episode 6: Demands that Edward follows through on his promise to kill Stede, referencing Edward's own rules (that he's made Fang follow through on in the past) re: killing/not having pets as a reason why. Offers to do it himself if Edward can't. Tries to make it easier for him, knowing how hard Edward finds it to do any killing himself. Challenges Stede to a dual after Edward seemingly chickens out of doing the kill himself (and usually outsources the kill, presumably to Izzy himself). Leaves the ship angrily when he loses.

Episode 7: He's not in this episode until the end, where he's ranting at Spanish Jackie and works with the English to deal with Stede and solely Stede.

Episode 8: He isn't in this episode.

Episode 9: He does a lil wavey-wave. He also specifically fought for Edward to not be killed alongside Stede. He makes sure Edward has his freedom with Izzy. He's still following through on the plan from Episode 6 (which... fascinatingly, I don't think Edward ever actually told him the plan was actively off, just that Izzy wasn't dueling Stede? I- Communication, people!) because that plan makes the most sense to him: kill the pet. Is an actual Captain telling the crew to actually do their jobs and run an actual pirate ship. I do not know how the Revenge ever sails the rest of the episodes. Nearly gets flung overboard tied to an anchor for it.

Episode 10: Sends Lucius to look after Edward, or at least try. Messes up the deck so the crew (who have actually done all their work) has something to do. Has the group do their jobs, again. Finally snaps and calls out Edward for no longer being the fierce pirate Blackbeard or a pirate at all and calls him a namby-pamby still using Blackbeard's name. I've seen people say 'namby-pamby? they might as well have just used the f slur' but Izzy has proved time and again that he's not homo or queerphobic (using Jim's correct pronouns, not, idk, having Lucius's balls cut off for partaking in gay sex just trying to get him to actually work, sending Calico Jack (aka Ed's old lover) to retrieve Ed), the implication of his words here is, as the dictionary describes, "lacking energy, strength, or courage; weak or ineffectual". Yes, it's a term used against gay men, but that isn't all he's saying there. He's basically accusing Edward of being the equivalent of a whiny teenage girl on the phone with her friends because her crush didn't text her back.

I would now like to list what Edward has done to Izzy (and others, where applicable to this conversation):

Episode 3: Not much to say here aside from bossing him around, but he is his boss.

Episode 4: Manipulates him. Lies to him, mocks him and then manipulates him into staying by promising him a dead Stede (with no real intention of following through) and a ship of his own.

Episode 8: Unrelated to Izzy, Edward is a complete tosser in this episode lmao. He wrecks Stede's shit (it's Stede's ship), he lets Jack run roughshod all over the crew, take Stede's seat at breakfast. He's pretty awful in this episode, as much as I love him. But he does come back, so I give him that one.

Episode 9: Izzy tries to talk to Edward and Edward punches him in the face. Izzy says that's fair.

Episode 10: He choke slams Izzy into a wall, cuts off his toe and forcibly feeds it to him, then forces him to get back to work without any kind of first aid etc.

So, the tally here:

Violence against Izzy: Punched, choked, toe cut off, nearly thrown overboard and drowned.

Violence from Izzy: Cut Stede's shirt, told the crew to actually do their jobs as pirates, stabbed Stede during a fair duel, ???? turned them over to the English, with very careful safeguards in place so only Stede is going to die (none of the crew were harmed. Only Stede. He didn't even turn all of them over!)

Violence from other characters for the sake of contrast: Jim's entire arc is murder and knives, either Fang or Ivan knocks over a hostage and laughs in episode 2 (I don't remember which), Roach expresses a desire to torture the hostages for fun, the entire crew leaves two human men tied to a mast to marinade in the sun for days on end, Edward throws Lucius overboard (presumably killing him, though I believe muppet comedy laws will win out and he will likely be fine), Stede sets fire to an entire ship with his words, presumably killing everyone on board, the entire crew go off in episode 1 murdering and stabbing everyone in the first episode. Oh! And Edward tells one of his crew to skin someone alive with a snail fork, which we can only assume is followed through on off-screen as we never see that guy again and it seems likely.

Following on from this, you say he seemed gleeful that the crew were marooned and left for dead and sure, yeah, I can see that. I don't disagree. But, uh... do you think that was Izzy's idea? 😅 He might have been pleased by it, but it was absolutely Edward who did that. Once Blackbeard came back, Izzy is following all of Edward's orders, not making up his own on the fly. Edward has everything thrown out (in fact, that starts before Izzy even makes it back from tending to his toe, I think), Edward has the crew marooned.

That is all Edward's doing.

I mean, sure, Izzy is the driving force behind Edward reverting to the Blackbeard Kraken, but if you tell me I'm a little twerp and I need to go be a boss and I go become a boss and abuse all my employees and fire a bunch and basically be awful, that's all me. Just because you called me a twerp, that doesn't mean I'm not the one doing those things.

So, following on from this, I want to answer a few points here:

He's not a good guy.

No one on this show except maybe Oluwande and Lucius is a Good Guy. No one. Stede sets fire to a ship. Roach wants to go torture someone just because he can. Frenchie does murders. Jim does murders. Pete wants to kill people. Buttons is a cannibal waiting to happen. Edward does horrible things all the fucking time. Spanish Jackie collects noses. Mary was going to kill Stede until he woke up.

You are absolutely correct that Izzy is not a good guy. You got that right.

He's not a protagonist.

He's an important part of the show and is, currently, in an antagonist position. That's just as important as a protagonist, actually. It helps push the plot along. We wouldn't have any of this plot without Izzy. None of it.

He's not going to be around being a toxic abusive piece of shit forever.

Correct, I think he's going to be redeemed! But we'll see.

Quit trying to normalize & downplay the horrible way he treats other characters.

I'm not downplaying how he treats anyone, but I'm also not exaggerating it like you are. And also please look at your own faves, before casting stones from a glass house.

I know as a fetishizer you're predisposed to abusive white men, but this is idiotic.

Again, as I said above, I think you're a) in the wrong askbox considering this is a response to me mentioning him in passing while gushing about Blackbonnet and b) using a word you don't fully understand. I get it. It's a good buzzword.

Edward is much, much worse (though he is actively trying to be better, which is what I hope for Izzy's future once he too finds a reason to be) and I love him too with every fiber of my being.

Izzy is only the antagonist because he isn't the one in love with Stede Fookin Bonnet. If Edward and Izzy's roles had been reversed in episode 1?

Stede would be long-dead and god knows what would've happened to Izzy in the process. Edward would've gone to town on him for being weak and having a pet. He would've forced him to kill Stede, if he didn't do it himself, and the worst part is Izzy might have done it where Edward faltered.

thanks for coming to my TED talk

[perkynurples]

I WELCOME THE GOSPEL, FRIEND. I concur, it will be as you said in the beginning until Stede wises up (or someone, Lucius I'm looking at you, helps him along). I mean, Stede has already been taking care of Ed, hasn't he? He got him tea, he got him delicious jam for breakfast, he humored him about going to the party. Very acts-of-service like. God, the aftercare is gonna be great. And the during is gonna be amazing, too! Ed will submit to the mortifying ordeal of being well loved ♥

listen Ed needs so much caretaking he needs so much gentleness he also needs to GENTLY be told to get over himself because Stede loves him no matter what version of himself he currently is

and you're so right the aftercare is going to be the name of the fic is going to be INSANE. Stede will be SO GOOD at it it'll be wild