#because - again - Izzy knowingly brings the toe thing upon himself

[starbuck]

The state of Ed and Izzy’s relationship is so depressing because Izzy is so used to being passively treated like shit (Ed expecting him to manage all the boring or difficult tasks he doesn’t feel like doing without a single ounce of gratitude) and so sick of it, that he sees being actively treated like shit (Ed force-feeding him his own toe) as not only acceptable but wildly preferable because at least it’s, for the first time in years probably, acknowledgement.

I mean, think about it, in the first conversation we see them have, Ed is facing away from Izzy the entire time. Doesn’t even look at him once. So Izzy’s at the point where ANY attention Ed pays him, however violent, feels like positive attention by default. I don’t think he’d even know how to process being treated with actual respect or compassion anymore.

#our flag means death #ofmd #because - again - Izzy knowingly brings the toe thing upon himself #i mean obviously he couldn’t know precisely what Ed would do to him but he absolutely knew what he was doing when he threatened him #because inciting Ed into violence against him is the only way Izzy can get his attention and get through to him #which is a terrible thing to say but - as things stand right now - it’s true #the first time we see Ed truly listen to Izzy is when his hand is around Izzy’s throat #they are so beyond the point of just having a normal human conversation #because Ed says ‘you know we share our feelings on this ship’ but that’s bullshit #Izzy has tried to explain his feelings and concerns to Ed and been ignored or dismissed every single time #it’s a pretty widely-held opinion that Izzy WANTS Ed to be violent towards him - but i don’t think that’s true #i don’t think that’s the attention Izzy *wants* from Ed at all (if his getting distracted by Ed’s lips in the midst of threatening him is #any indication) #but he’s resigned himself to violent attention being the only attention he’s going to get #and the only way he can get Ed to listen to him and (from his perspective) stop behaving self-destructively #he doesn’t believe he deserves better or that anything better is even possible #as long as it keeps them alive and as long as Ed needs him it’s FINE #but it ISN’T fine and they can’t keep going on like this #the situation as it stands right now is untenable… something has to give