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theyoungeragrippina · 5 months

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✨ 15 gentlebeard fic recs ✨

i have spent the last month trawling the pages of ao3 for you, dear reader, to find the best ofmd fics. all the works on this list:

are longer-form (generally 40k+)

have no steddyhands (simply not my thing)

are generally, all around brilliant (well-written, had me kicking my feet and giggling, laughing, or crying)

are complete!

part 2 and part 3

A Heart Unsated by roughwinds

48k, explicit

"Stede Bonnet has just moved into Orange Crescent. There’s a house on the corner, opposite Stede’s own, with a garden full of flowers and a gleaming motorbike on the driveway. He’s forgotten to buy sugar.

Edward Teach has his morning disturbed by his new neighbour. Enamoured at first sight, he invites Stede round for a chat, and then another, and then another.

This is the story of them."

man i normally avoid fics with lots of alma and louis in them because its just not for me, but literally every second of the family bonding in this was so wholesome i was forced to change my entire mind.

all you left me was a pearl by @sightofsea

88k, mature

"1717. The Golden Age of Piracy. Stede Bonnet sets about wooing the love of his life through any means necessary.

Things do not go as planned."

every day i wish for a precise memory erasing potion to be invented so i can read this again for the first time. i would devour like 2000k more words of this if it was offered to me. brilliant.

forgive & forget by @fool-for-luv

44k, mature

"It hits him then, like a wave breaking on sand, loud as thunder when it crashes, then trickling away into little rivulets flowing back home, murmuring one word over and over and over. Ed.

The problem is, Stede doesn’t recall ever having met anyone named Ed."

so sweet and wonderful, and i wish there was more.

#gentlebeard is trending! by regional_catastrophe

41k, teen

"In which Stede accidentally convinces the pirating world that Gentlebeard (or Blackbonnet or Stedward; there's a poll) is canon, reunites his crew, and gets his boyfriend back."

hilarious & silly & great, but also the most compelling notes of any fic i've ever read. a proper learning experience.

if music be the food of love (then darling, you're a feast) by @fool-for-luv

107k, unrated

"“Hey, so, those two, right, they get together in the end?” Ed asks.

“I would protest spoiling it, but I think it's rather obvious, isn't it?” Stede says. His nose wrinkles as he smiles. “The tension is certainly there from the beginning. It just takes them a while to get there.”

“Good. Would have been a shit story otherwise.""

i love sassy stede and i love ed who is a grump and i love that they share one single braincell at any given time.

If You Were Mine to Keep by @mysterybees

162k, explicit

"Caught between the gallows and the end of an English sword, Ed accepts the Act of Grace: marry into the aristocracy, leave the English ships alone, and live to sail another day. But who in their right mind would ever agree to marry the mad devil pirate Blackbeard?"

Worth every second of tiredness I felt after pulling an all nighter to finish reading.

It's Only Right by hexuponye

53k, explicit

"A modern AU based on Imagine Me & You, in which Edward is a florist who does the flowers for Stede's wedding."

mary gets to be a little silly sometimes too as a treat.

pliocene by unfortunatelyobsessed

75k, mature

""man, it's just ocean for miles.” Ed motions out to the waves, where there is no sign of any sort of ship, their small dinghy pulled far up on the sand. “I told you when the clouds look like seagulls you take fuckin' cover. Goddamn ocean mutinied me.”"

william golding wishes he did something this brilliant and significant when he wrote Lord of the Flies. the best deserted island story.

quite a career shift by @stedesparasol

157k, explicit

"Stede's been posting book reviews on Youtube for two months now. It's taken him that long to finally get a comment, and the person it comes from is rather unexpected."

rip stede you would've LOVED booktube. furious i can never really watch his content.

Semaphore by komodobits

124k, explicit

"Talking things through as a crew is easier said than done, and honest communication has never really been Stede’s strong suit. When it comes to Ed, he is willing to try."

so good that i was properly and truly laughing and gasping and 'oh no-ing' out loud while i read it.

Such Joie de Vivre by @louciferish

94k, explicit

"Professional thief Edward Teach is tired of hole in the wall apartments, shitty pub food, and skipping town every few months to keep the cops off their tail. He’s well past the age he meant to flee the country and retire, and all he needs is One Last Job to set him up for life. When he hears that some rich bastard outside of town has just the sort of treasure he’d trade his good knee for, Ed sets out in disguise to get the lay of the land."

i (so so foolishly) avoided reading this for a while because i simply didn't think i was one for nanny aus. i was so, terribly wrong. don't make the same mistakes i did. showstopping. incredible stuff.

The Chains of Flowers are Fragile Things by @grandmastattoo

62k, explicit

"Stede can't see the shop he's inherited from his late father as anything other than a burden, another insult added to a life that's going nowhere fast. Then he meets the charismatic man who owns the tattoo studio next door, and Stede finds himself forced to consider the idea of home."

maybe i love tattoo shop owner ed fics, sue me. i love this stede and i love his embarrassing mistake tattoo.

The Love Experiment by karawrites

65k, mature

a married at first sight (aus) au. i didn't know i needed it until i read it.

Water/line by @the-gentleman-mermaid

60k, teen

"During a raid on a smuggler ship, Ed finds a merman named Stede locked in the hold."

So good that I would actually pay the author real person money to do a similar story but where Ed is the mermaid.

Where the Daylight Begins by @xoxoemynn

116k words, explicit

"Modern day AU slow burn featuring a pining Ed, a clueless Stede, found family, roughly a million animals, and a very magical house."

This one sort of gave me House on the Cerulean Sea vibes; it was so much fun and genuinely necessitates a proper use of the word whimsical.

#i will add more as i keep reading!!#pls send me recs too i have brainrot so all the media i consume has to be about pirates rn #hopefully there is at least one thing in here you haven't read before!#thanks for listening #if your fic is on this list know that i love you #our flag means death #ofmd #gentlebeard #gentlebeard fic recs #gentlebeard fanfic #blackbonnet #blackbonnet fic recs #blackbonnet fanfic

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cozage · 1 year

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The Meaning of Justice

The Meaning of Justice: Nanohana (Alabasta part 1)

You’re a Marine who’s always been taught to trust the process. And you always have, until you meet a certain pirate who won’t stop pestering you to join his crew.

Loguetown < | > Alabasta pt 2 | All Chapters

Characters: female reader, Strawhat crew, Smoker, Tashigi, Portgas D. Ace, Vivi

Word count: 5.2k

Cw: Alabasta Spoilers, kind of Ace x reader a bit but it’s meant more as platonic

A/N: Alabasta became VERY long VERY fast, so I’m breaking this up into two or three parts. Part Two will be released next week. Also – this storyline will be going along with the anime, so Ace is with the Strawhats while they travel through the desert, rather than leaving them after destroying the Baroque ships. (I’m sorry you guys I just love Ace so much)

You didn’t meet Luffy again for three weeks. The Strawhats were quite good at evading the Navy when it came down to it. Once it became clear they were heading for Alabasta, your ship took a more direct route and managed to beat them to the island. Now, it was just a waiting game.

You spent your free time studying the wanted posters for Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, as well as going over all the notes and reports of their known accomplices. The tangerine-haired firecracker Nami, the blonde cook Sanji, and the long-nosed liar Ussop were the individuals who made up the Strawhat Pirate Crew. If you ever got the chance to meet him again, you would shackle those sea prism stone cuffs around his wrist and send him straight to Impel Down to pay for his crimes of piracy, destruction of property, and several other offenses that seemed to grow by the day. Justice would be served.

Tashigi and Smoker had gone onto the island to do more reconnaissance with about half of the navy crew. Apparently there were rumors of an even larger bountied pirate on Alabasta, and Smoker had wanted to sniff out fact from fiction. You had stayed aboard the boat, having the men watch for any sign of other potential problems in the port or at sea.

A young man rushed in, startling you. He looked frantic and nervous, which made your skin tingle with alertness. “There’s a report in! Strawhat was seen leaving Nanohana on a ship heading west.”

You muttered out a few curses in frustration. That crew was so damn slippery. “Get ready to set sail. Let’s follow them.” You led him out, ready to give the command to the other members, when you realized that you could see the Strawhat ship sailing past you. It was cruising at an alarmingly quick speed, and you knew you would never catch it with a clunky old ship like this one. Whoever their navigator was must be exceptionally skilled.

“Change of plans,” you told the kid next to you. “I’m taking the Wind Viper solo to track them. Let Tashigi and Smoker know when they return. Have them follow my vivre card.”

You could hear the kid start to object, but you jumped over the side of the ship and landed on the single person boat before he could say much. You knew you were probably making a decision that would end in a demotion at best, but you refused to lose Monkey D. Luffy again. You had sailed solo boats like this since you could walk, and with some luck, you’d be nimble enough to catch them and follow them without them ever being any wiser. You quickly unknotted the Wind Viper, freeing it from the mothership, and grabbed the ropes to adjust the sails.

The wind was in your favor today, you could feel it in the tension on the ropes. The Strawhats capture was inevitable with this kind of luck. You would just have to hope that Smoker would be able to look past you abandoning your post once you were able to lead him directly to the Strawhats.

You managed to catch the wind perfectly and close the gap between you and the sloop the Strawhats were on. You remained a practical distance away from them, enough to watch the ship but not be noticed by its crew.

You had to keep reminding yourself that your goal was to follow and track them, so that your crew could capture them together. It would be highly unlikely any one person could capture all the Strawhats at once. Even Smoker would have difficulty with that. But if you could lead the fifty members aboard your ship to the Strawhats, you estimated your chances were closer to 95% success.

Suddenly a fleet of ships appeared on the ocean from behind a haze, blocking the Strawhats from advancing any further. Unsure if they were friend or foe, you pulled out your spare set of binoculars to look for identifying information.

You barely have time to make out the “BAROQUE” wording across the sails before a giant flame pierced and splintered the ships into pieces, crumbling into the sea.

Your heart sank and you instantly put slack on the ropes to the sail, letting your speed die down. You knew you needed to keep as much distance between yourself and the Strawhats without letting them get away. You knew of only one person who could make devastation that quick. The rumors of his presence in Alabasta were true. Whitebeard’s second division commander was here, and he seemed to be allied with the Strawhat pirates for some reason. Questions spun in your head as you tried to process the information you just received. Was Fire Fist recruiting them? How and why did the Strawhats already trust him enough to have him on board their ship and sail out to sea?

You were broken from your thoughts when the Strawhat ship turned into the mouth of a river and headed up stream. You waited a few moments, and then continued to follow them cautiously. By the time you found their ship, it appeared to be docked and, after a stealthy sweep, you realized it had been abandoned by the crew. You considered waiting by the ship for backup, but an empty ship wasn’t really something worth getting demoted over. You grabbed a few snacks and water from the kitchen area and jumped onto land to try and track the missing pirates.

Is it really stealing if you're stealing from pirates? You could feel the internal battle of taking food that doesn’t belong to you begin in your mind. They probably stole it anyway, so it’s fine. When you found them, you would ask. After they were in handcuffs, of course.

Amid your internal war, you almost failed to notice the kung-fu dugongs that were now charging at you, fists raised and ready to fight. They were squeaking at you, pointing between you and the ship, and a few of them had various items they were holding onto.

“No, no! Stop! It’s okay!” You were trying desperately to get the dugongs to stop threatening you, but they just kept shaking their fists and pointing between you and the ship.

“You know the Strawhats, right? Luffy?” His name seemed to calm them down slightly, but you could tell they were still angry. “Hey wait! Luffy, I know him! We’re friends!”

You hated to ally yourself with a pirate, even if it wasn’t true and the only witnesses were these animals. “We got separated a while back.” That wasn’t necessarily a lie. “I’m looking for him! Can you tell me which way he went?”

The dugongs exchanged glances and chattering noises, and then one member came out and pointed in the direction of the endless desert. Of course. Leave it to the Strawhats to take a daunting excursion through the desert for no reason. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” You gave him a spare rice ball you stole off Strawhat’s ship and started walking in the direction the creature pointed.

After only a few minutes of walking, you looked around and realized you had probably made a fatal mistake. You couldn’t see or hear any sign of life around you, and the wind had covered your tracks. The only thing you have to guide you is the sun, which is still beating down harshly on your uncovered skin. You didn’t exactly plan for a trip to the desert. You didn’t even have a hat to shade your eyes, just a short-sleeved shirt and flowing pants, paired with your closed toed shoes.

You resisted the urge to take a drink of water, knowing your resources were extremely limited. But you couldn’t turn back now. This would be an even greater failure than the boat. You recalculated the trajectory of the sun and the direction the dugong pointed you, and kept trekking forward, certain this was the only path you could take now. For better or worse.

After an hour or two, you noticed the first sign of life that you’ve seen since you left Nanohana. Buildings, now turned to rubble, lay strewn throughout the sand, and you found the first piece of shade that you’ve seen since you entered the desert. You laid down in it, curling up so no part of you was touched by the harsh sunlight. You’d stay here until Captain Smoker found you. Perhaps it was better to be dishonorably discharged than to be dead. You dozed off, exhausted from the walking, and decided you’d be content with either outcome at this point.

“I think she’s still alive!” The feminine voice was hushed and urgent, laced with concern.

“Chopper! There’s someone here! She needs help!” The second voice was louder, unbothered by the possibility of you waking up.

Your eyes flicked open, searching for Smoker’s signature look of disapproval. But he wasn’t there. “Smoker,” you started, assuming he must have been behind you. “I’m sorry about this-” You sat up abruptly, still searching, and your sudden movement caused the two girls close to you to scream out in fear. Their screams prompted other bodies to appear around you almost instantly.

“What is it, Nami?” The familiar voice sent ice through your veins, despite the heat in the air. “Did you find something good to eat?”

A small animal approached you holding a medical kit, and he reached out his hoof to you. He looked concerned, and when he spoke, you could tell it’s genuine. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. How are you feeling?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to respond. Your head was pounding from dehydration, and the world seemed to be tilted at the wrong angle. You couldn’t help but feel an equal amount of excitement and dread from the whole situation. You were surrounded by the Strawhats, all of them were right here with you. And yet, you had no way of letting your captain know he’d be walking straight into a trap when he finally found you.

You did a quick headcount. Nami, Sanji, Zoro, Ussop, Luffy. They were all here. Plus a blue-haired girl and the…was he a reindeer or a raccoon? Neither of them were in any reports you had read. Perhaps they were hostages, or new crew members.

“Hey wait…” You caught Luffy eying you curiously from afar, studying your face. “Don’t I know you?”

The girl named Nami spoke up before you could respond. “Luffy! How the hell would you know her? Vivi would be more likely to know this person, given that it's her kingdom!”

Vivi. You recognized that name. She was the princess of Alabasta who hasn’t been seen in a few years. And now that you looked at her, you could see the similarities from the photos of her as a child. The princess must’ve been held captive or formed an alliance with the Strawhats. Based on the group's demeanor, you’d guess the latter of the two.

“Nuh-uh. I know her” Luffy shook his head in stubbornness, addressing you now. “Hey, how do I know you?”

“Whoever she is, she’s gorgeous!!!” The blonde man’s eyes practically became hearts looking at you. “Is there anything I can get you, my dear?”

This definitely wasn’t how you imagined a crew of such notoriety to act. It almost pissed you off how carefree they were acting.

“Don’t help her.” A deep voice came from above you, and you could see a figure perched on some rubble. You hadn’t realized anyone else was in the vicinity. “I don’t know how you know her, Luffy. But she’s a marine.”

You felt a shiver down your spine. You had forgotten about the Baroque ships, forgotten about Fire Fist. You feel the tension in the air skyrocket, the various sounds of each member shifting into a fighting stance.

Luffy smacked his hands together and shook them in triumph. “Direction girl!” He proclaimed. He either hadn’t heard Whitebeard’s commander or was electing to ignore him. “You gave me directions to Gol Roger’s execution platform in Loguetown!”

Luffy jumped over to you without a care in the world, extending a hand to help you to your feet. “You know, if you wanted to join my crew, you could’ve just asked in Loguetown. You didn’t have to follow us all the way here!”

His complete obliviousness took you by surprise, and your mouth opened in shock. “Wha-”

Nami interjected before you could even finish the word. “YOU IDIOT!!!” She screamed, knocking him on the head. “She’s here to capture us! Not to join the crew!”

“Ouch, Nami! That hurt...” Luffy rubbed his head and looked down at you, scowling. “Are you sure you’re a marine? No offense, but you don’t exactly look like one.”

“She’s been following us since we left Nanohana.” Fire First jumped down behind you, and you could feel his warmth from a few feet away. The rest of the crew exchanged glances with each other, shocked by the information.

Nami was the first to recover from the news. “Nanohana? And you’re just now telling us this, Ace?”

So, the Strawhats were on a first-name basis with the fire user. You would have to put that in your report. If you made it out alive.

“Sorry,” Fire Fist shrugged. “I just really didn’t think she’d make it this far.”

Everyone stood where they were for a long while, nobody sure what to do. You couldn’t help but feel like they were all waiting for a decision to be made. A decision to let you live or to kill you. But nobody was making the final call.

“Well?” Luffy was looking at you expectantly, as if he were waiting for you to act.

You stared back at him. “Well, what?”

He had the audacity to look at you as if you were the stupid one. “Are you gonna try to capture us?”

You hesitated and looked around at the members you faced. Roronoa Zoro had his grip on one sword, ready to unsheathe it at any moment. Usopp was holding a loading slingshot, and you got the feeling he wouldn’t be missing. Nami and Vivi were keeping their distance, but were staring daggers into your soul. Sanji was lighting a cigarette, sitting on some rocks nearby. The small creature that helped you earlier was attempting to hide behind some rocks behind the cook. You could feel heat radiating from behind you, indicating that Fire Fist would blast you before you even got a chance to move. And Luffy, that idiot pirate was staring at you with his big, curious eyes.

“No.” You finally answered, and you hated yourself for being a coward, for not fighting until the bitter end like a true marine should. “No, I’m not going to capture you.”

A grin spread across Luffy’s face, his eyes lighting up. “So you did come to join my crew!”

“Also no!” You spat out the words at him, and you heard a few people chuckle. “I just want to get out of this damn desert!”

It was partially true, but if the Strawhats kept you around as a hostage, Smoker and the others would be able to find you. You’d just have to trust that Smoker could evaluate the situation and make the right decision when it came down to that.

Luffy laughed, and you found yourself smiling along with him. He had a laugh that was full of warmth and kindness, one that was contagious to those around him. You didn’t want to admit it, but you could see why someone like Luffy had amassed so many crewmembers in such a short amount of time.

“I wouldn’t trust her, Luffy.” The others had relaxed with their captain, but you could feel Fire Fist’s eyes on you from behind. “We should tie her up if she’s going to travel with us.”

“Nah, it’s fine Ace. If she said she’s not gonna capture us, then she’s not gonna capture us.” Luffy turned his attention away from you and towards Sanji. “Hey Sanji, when’s lunch?”

“Tch. You’re too trusting, Luffy.” But the heat from behind you receded, and Fire Fist passed you to regroup with the Strawhats. His Captain’s jolly roger displayed proudly on his back made your eyes widen at the site, but you said nothing.

Sanji blew out a puff of smoke before answering his captain. “Lunch isn’t for a while, we still have a lot of distance to cover.”

“Awwww,” Luffy moaned. “But I’m hungry now!”

You pulled out your small stash of rations, picking out a rice ball and holding it out for him. “You can have this, if you’d like.” Technically, it was the Strawhats food anyway. It’s not like you were losing out on much.

Everyone’s eyes widened in panic, but before anyone could object, Luffy was next to you.

“Wai-” Zoro reached out to his captain, knowing it was already too late.

You could see that his lips were around your arm, and you could feel the wetness of his tongue against your fingers, but it still took you a second to process exactly what was happening.

“DON’T EAT ME, YOU MORON!” You kicked him in the stomach, which caused the rubber man to cough, and you pulled your hand out of his mouth as he fell to the ground. You scrambled backwards and pressed yourself against a rock, desperately trying to get distance from the boy who just tried to eat you.

Ace and Zoro rushed toward Luffy, who was still recovering from being kicked in the stomach. “Hey Luffy, spit that out!” The two pirates fell to their knees next to the strawhat boy. “Spit it out!”

“No…way.” Luffy was on his hands and knees, still coughing from your blow. “It's all…mine.”

“It could be poisoned, you idiot!” Zoro slapped his captain’s back, trying to help him catch his breath.

“I wouldn’t be so dishonorable that I’d poison food.” You wiped the slobber off your hand and finally stood up. “I didn’t even kick you that hard, Strawhat. Don’t be dramatic.” Fire Fist and Zoro both shot you irritated glances, but they seemed to relax a little bit.

By the time you finished repacking your supplies, Luffy had finally recovered from your stomach kick. Luffy stood next to you again, eyeing your pack. “Those were really good! Do you have more?”

“Not for you.” He frowned at you and sulked away. You felt a twinge of guilt at the harshness of your words, but you quickly shoved it from your mind.

“If you’re going to be traveling together,” Nami said, looking at you unenthusiastically. “We should probably all know each other’s names.”

“Right! I’m Luffy! That’s Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Vivi, Chopper, and Ace!” Luffy pointed at each member of the circle as he introduced them, but you had already known everyone’s name except the raccoon.

“And I’m a reindeer!” Chopper shouted, as if he had heard your thoughts.

“Got it. Chopper the reindeer.” You see the small reindeer blush as you say that, and he ran to hide behind Zoro as you introduced yourself to the crew.

“We really should get moving.” The Princess’s words were laced with concern as she looked out to the horizon. "We're running out of time.”

Her words hold the weight of a country, and you can feel the heavy burden she’s carrying for just a moment, though you’re not sure why the weight is so heavy.

“Princess Vivi,” You began walking alongside her after a little while of walking. “If I may ask. What exactly is going on? Why have you allied yourself with the Strawhat Pirates and Fire Fist?”

Her words were full of bitterness as she replied. “Because they actually want to help me save this country, unlike the Navy!” The harshness of her tone startled you, but she regained her composure after a moment. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not your fault. It’s just…” she searched for the right words.

“It’s what I’m a part of.” You could feel the others listening in on the conversation, a mixture of caution and curiosity.

“What you’re a part of,” she echoed. Her eyes stared intensely at the ground below her as she searched for the words to say next. “The Navy has known about the issues in Alabasta for years, and they’ve never done anything to help its people. They claim it’s not their business to get involved in country affairs, but...” she paused, and you could hear her voice starting to become thick with tears and frustration. “It hasn’t rained here in three years. It’s not a natural phenomenon. Someone is sabotaging Alabasta! Someone is hurting my people! And the Navy won’t even lift a finger to help! The only reason they’re even here right now is because of Luffy and Ace!”

You knew you weren’t the one who made any of these calls. You knew that decisions like these came from far above you or Tashigi or even Smoker. Decisions like these come from people who have been in the Navy for far longer than you’ve been alive. Yet, you can’t help but feel shameful on its behalf. Because Vivi was right. The only reason you were in Alabasta in the first place was because you were tracking down Strawhat Luffy. You hadn’t even known that Aaabasta was on the verge of a war.

You had no words to give her, and you knew even if you did say anything, it wouldn’t sound genuine anyway. The silence was as thick as the desert air, and you could see Vivi wiping furiously at her face to dry her eyes. You decided the best thing to do was gather information instead of making empty promises. Your voice came out gentle, showing you were asking out of curiosity rather than hostility. “So what led you to join up with the Strawhats and Fire Fist?”

She was silent for a while, trying to regain her composure. You thought that she hadn’t heard you, or was too ashamed for her reasoning, and you left the question hanging in the air.

“Because they wanted to help me.”

It was such a powerful answer in such a few words. Her voice was so small, and you knew the princess trusted these pirates with her life. And the Strawhats trusted the princess too. You could feel the winds shift, seeing the Strawhats and their captain in a new light.

“Yeahhhhh!” Luffy raised his arms and shouted into the sky. “We’re gonna beat your ass, Crocodile!!!!”

“Crocodile? What does he have anything to do with Alabasta?” Confusion set in once again. You felt like every time this group answered a question, you had another three questions rise. Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, sanctioned by the World Government. Technically, you were supposed to assist, even protect, the warlords when it came down to it, but you never cared much for that system. It didn’t make much sense for the government to sanction some of the worst criminals on the sea just for the appearance of authority. A pirate is still a pirate, as Smoker always said.

You heard Fire Fist laugh dryly and mutter something indistinctly behind you. You couldn’t make out what he said, but you could tell from his tone that he’s criticizing you in some way.

Even Vivi looked disappointed that you had asked such a question. “He’s the one who’s behind all of this. The drought, the rebellion, Baroque Works. Everything that’s happening in Alabasta can be linked back to him.”

Her answer has once again brought more questions to your mind. But there’s one that comes to the forefront and quite literally stops you in your tracks. Vivi stopped too, looking back at you curiously.

Your voice came out pained when you spoke. “Why haven’t we helped you?”

Your question made her eyes well up with tears again, and she was about to answer when Fire Fist interjected. “Because the Navy doesn’t care about Alabasta.” He walked past you, unfazed by the whole thing. “Think about it. The Navy sanctioned Crocodile. If they stop him now, they’ll have to admit they were wrong making him a Warlord in the first place. You’d rather save face and let a country burn than admit you were wrong.”

You flinched when the hate in his voice switched from being directed at the Navy to you. You realized the words he spoke stung so badly because he’s right. Maybe not about you personally, but he had accurately described all the things that were famously flawed about the Navy as an overall system.

“Hang on, Ace,” Luffy scowled in confusion at the fire user. It was clear the captain’s brain was working overtime trying to process this entire conversation. “Don’t blame Y/N for this, she didn’t make any of those decisions.”

Fire Fist sighed and chucked at the naive young captain. “I suppose you’re right, Luffy. Still,” his eyes flicked back to you, his tone becoming serious again. “If you’re going to stand for something, you better know what you’re standing for.”

You sat alone, watching the Strawhats fight over Chopper’s warmth from a distance. The night air was chilled, and millions of stars shone in the sky. Vivi said you all had made good time, but you still had a long way to go. You weren’t sure how Vivi knew exactly where you were, but you trusted her and her navigation skills within the desert.

The cool air and sand brushed over your skin, sending a shiver up your body. You sat curled up into a ball, trying to retain any warmth you could. You weren’t sure how you were going to be able to sleep, or if it was wise to even attempt to do so, surrounded by a group of notorious pirates.

Fire Fist sat down next to you, breaking you away from your thoughts. He was still shirtless, his warmth radiating out from him. Whitebeard’s symbol displayed prominently on his back had shocked you at first, but you had grown used to the sight since this morning. “Must be nice to be warm like that all the time,” you muttered, jealous of his ability.

He laughed at your comment, watching the Strawhats engage in their shenanigans. “You know, I forget what it’s like to be cold. Or hot. Even in the Alabasta desert during the day, the heat isn’t intolerable. It’s just warm and bright.”

“Like you,” you teased, and he looked at you inquisitively. He grinned as he watched your face fall at the realization of what you had just said. You had meant it as a joke to his devil fruit power, and your face turned red when you realized how it could be interpreted.

“Well, if a lady of the Marines says so, then it must be true!”

“That’s not what I-”

“Too late to take it back now,” he retorted, puffing out his chest. “A Marine called me ‘warm and bright’! Pops is gonna love that.”

Your eyes widened. “You have no proof I said that!”

“Just my word.”

“A pirate’s word is-” You stopped mid-sentence when you caught his eye, his face beginning to fall with anticipation of how you would finish that sentence.

“A pirate’s word is what?” He goaded, suddenly defensive. His freckled smile was gone, replaced by a pained grimace. “Trash? Scum? Dishonorable?” He put more spite into every new word.

“Not as good as mine.” You corrected, and you saw his face flicker with surprise. It wasn’t the sentence you grew up saying, but you liked this new answer better.

Your response caused Ace to laugh. A good, hearty laugh, paired with a few slaps on his knee. You couldn’t help but smile while watching him. It reminded you of Luffy’s, contagious and full of complete genuine emotion. The others looked over, briefly pausing their fight over the reindeer before starting back up again.

Ace wiped tears away from his eyes once he calmed down. “Your word is that good, huh? Better than any pirate?”

“Yep.”

Ace hummed in response. You could tell he was weighing a decision, but you didn’t press it any further. The two of you sat in silence for a long while, and you realized you were enjoying both his company and his warmth. You both watched the Strawhats all curl up and slowly fall asleep one by one.

“Since your word is so good, can I have it on something?” Ace’s voice was low and serious, and you knew he had finally made a decision on whatever he was thinking about earlier.

“That depends on what you’re asking me to do, Ace.” It’s the first time you had called him by his name rather than his title. You liked him more as Ace anyway.

Ace chuckled lightly, recognizing that your response was a valid one. “You see, Luffy’s my brother.” You stifled back a shocked gasp, trying not to react, but you could see a smile dance over his lips at your response. “I want you to protect him. Make sure he doesn’t die.”

You stared at him, unsure how to respond. Ace had just given you a treasure trove of information and had simultaneously asked you to do the very thing you vowed against.

“I know that’s a very non-marine thing to do,” he said, reading your mind. “But Luffy’s special. He’s going to be King of the Pirates.”

“I think that proves even more that I shouldn’t protect him.”

“Oh, right!” He smacked his forehead. “Ignore what I said then. Everyone wants to be King of the Pirates. Luffy isn’t special.”

You laughed at his back pedaling, and then sighed. “I’m sorry, Ace.” And you really were. You wanted to promise him and help make him feel more at ease. But it would be going against your direct principles. Against everything you knew and fought for. “I can’t give you my word on that. I’m a Marine, and I’m not abandoning my post to become Luffy’s lacky.”

“No, no, I’m not asking you to!” Ace quickly corrected. “You can still be a Marine! You seem like you might actually be one of the few good ones left.” The compliment made you blush, his words in such stark contrast to what he was saying earlier.

“Just, whenever your paths cross,” he continued. “Make sure he doesn’t do something so stupid that it gets him killed, if you can manage it. Please?”

There was a saying amongst the Navy women about the man sitting next to you. “Better watch out, Fire Fist Ace can melt hearts in more ways than one!” It was a joke, a silly warning they used whenever people went out on missions involving pirates, but now you were beginning to see the truth in the sentiment.

“I’ll…” You hesitated. You wanted to say yes, but for the sake of duty, the sake of justice, you couldn’t bring yourself to agree. “Can I think about it?”

Ace smiled at you and nodded once, satisfied with your response. He looked like he’s about to add something, but he changed his mind. “You should turn in for the night.” His eyes scanned the horizon. “I’ll keep watch for a while.”

You laughed at the thought of him keeping watch alone. “Ace, how am I supposed to trust you with my life when you fall asleep at completely random times?”

Those dark eyes flicked back to yours once again, and he tilted his hat back so you could see his face better. “Is that the only reason you don’t trust me, Miss Marine?”

You rolled your eyes and laid down without answering him. In truth, you actually did trust him to keep watch. If he had wanted to kill you, he certainly would’ve done it by now. Plus, with a heat source this close, you might actually manage to fall asleep in these conditions.

It was some of the best sleep you’ve had in a while.

#one piece #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #one piece x reader #monkey d. luffy #portgas d ace #arabasta #alabasta #cozage

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lunar-system · 4 months

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ofmd s3 and the impossibility of predictions

I don't tend to speculate what happens in any show's future seasons other than the broadest strokes, like if it's gonna be a happy ending or not. I love being surprised by the plots. I mean, who could have EVER predicted mermaid-stede or izzy in drag?

So I don't also really know what I would have expected of OFMD s3. The big plot would have been about the end of piracy, I think. The crew fighting for their place in the world. Pirates vs empire. I don't know how that would have played out, because in history, the pirates lost. Could OFMD sailed to a happily-ever-after if they went through that plot? I don't know.

More than that, I don't know what would have happened with Stede and Ed. They were in a peaceful place now. Would we just have gotten to see them live together, happily getting to know each other better and better? That would have been revolutionary in a way. How ofter do we see couples actually get to BE together instead of just getting together? But I think more likely they would also be swept in an adventure with the Revenge. There would have been dramatic fight scenes, maybe a proposal... There would have been exploring their roles as pirates and not pirates. Is Stede okay leaving piracy behind already? Can Ed truly leave it behind after a lifetime as a Blackbeard? I don't know.

And my personal biggest questionmark is about Izzy. "There is no version of the show without Izzy Hands." Would they truly have pulled a gravy basket and brought him back? Personally I would have loved to see them do it, it would have been so ballsy and the whimsiest thing the show ever did, truly a fuck you to all TV rules. Would they have given Izzy more time? Or was he truly dead? I don't know.

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

AND NOW I WILL NEVER NOW.

There was no predicting what happened in s2. Mermaids and drag. I am equally unable to predict anything about s3 other than the very broadest strokes. Because there would have been its own equivalents to mermaid-stede and izzy in drag, just totally unhinged batshit crazy and ballsy moves that no-one could have predicted.

But they are gone. Never to be found out.

Fucking devastating.

#i am pissed i am pissed i am pissed at max hbo #ofmd #our flag means death #i hex yee hbo i hex yee #izzy hands #stede bonnet #ed teach #gentlebeard

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a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives · 1 year

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Black Sails: 13 Facts About The Starz Hit Worth More Than Stolen Treasure

BY ERICH B. ANDERSON/DEC. 31, 2022 1:15 PM EST

With contemporary series like "Vikings" and "Game of Thrones," "Black Sails" may often be overlooked when compared to other epic dramas of the 2010s, which makes it one of the most underrated shows of the decade. Not only is the scale of the pirate adventure immense with many scenes taking place upon impressive naval vessels, but the political intrigue and intimate interactions of the characters make it an entertaining watch for several different audiences.

The show as a whole does a brilliant job of mixing fiction with historical figures like the notorious pirate captains Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson) and Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) whose lives were so legendary that they verge on fantasy. But at its core, the story centers on the complicated friendship between its two main characters, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his deviously clever quartermaster, Long John Silver, in the years before their sagas are continued in the later tale of "Treasure Island." For a series devoted to such larger-than-life individuals, the making of it also had its fair share of epic details and moments as well, which you can enjoy reading below.

The series is an unofficial prequel to Treasure Island

Although "Black Sails" is its own story for the most part, from the very beginning it was always meant to show the events building up to the classic work of fiction "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. More than anything, the creators of the series wanted to tie up loose ends to the famous tale and give their explanation to who the characters were up to in the years before, as showrunner Jonathan Steinberg explained to Entertainment Weekly: "At the end of the book, it's recounted by other people that Captain Flint died in Savannah alone, which begs a lot of questions."

Flint's origin is certainly not the only one covered with both Long John Silver's and Billy Bones' backstories explained thoroughly as well. For Billy especially, his situation in the finale of the series gives all new meaning to what happens to him later in the novel. Steinberg added: "It is clear we are suggesting he is on 'Treasure Island,' which I think has a number of implications if you go back and read the book."

After four seasons, it is clear the showrunner was pleased with how the series handled the continuity, saying: "It felt like we had finished the argument a little bit, in terms of connecting it not just to 'Treasure Island,' but to our contemporary understanding of what piracy was, about what Caribbean piracy was."

2. The opening credits features the hurdy-gurdy

Several aspects of "Black Sails" make it stand out as a particularly fascinating TV series, with one of the top being its unique theme music in the opening credits. Not only is the memorable tune composed by the talented Bear McCreary who is well known for his work on "The Walking Dead" and "Battlestar Galactica," but it also features quite an unusual instrument known as a hurdy-gurdy, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Also known as a wheel fiddle, the hurdy-gurdy is a folk instrument that has existed for around 1,000 years and is played to this day all over Western Europe, from Italy to England. In a 2010 TED Talk, musician Caroline Phillips explained that the complex and bulky device originally required two people to operate it until the design was improved a few centuries later, so it could be used by a single performer. Although a fundamental part of the instrument is the strings, akin to a violin, the sound produced can also be compared to bagpipes.

3. The show was filmed in South Africa

While "Black Sails" takes place predominantly in the Caribbean, that was not the place chosen to film the epic pirate drama. Instead, the Starz network went with the fairly new Cape Town Studios for the production, and needless to say that the South African-based company was ecstatic over the decision. Ahead of filming Season 1, Film Afrika producer Vlokkie Gordon said: "We are delighted to have been awarded ['Black Sails'] and it is further proof of South Africa's international reputation for outstanding production skill and expertise" (via The Location Guide). Gordon continued: "A production of this scope provides not only employment for South Africans, but also skills transfer which is in line with Film Afrika's policy of supporting growth and development of the South African film and television industry."

The swashbuckling series was then added to the growing list of productions shot out of Cape Town, including "Safe House," "Chronicle," and "Mad Max: Fury Road," as per the Cape Town Film Studios website. Plus, another Starz series benefited greatly from the elaborate ship sets built there, with "Outlander" using the Jamaican landscapes in its third season, according to Entertainment Weekly.

4. 300 people worked on the pirate ship

The impressive sailing vessels featured in "Black Sails" are almost as important to the story as the characters themselves. Therefore, a ton of work was put into the construction of the sets in order to make the maritime setting feel real for the cast, and more importantly, the audience. In a behind-the-scenes clip shared by Starz, senior rigger Joel Yates explained: "The carpenters building the boat it took them, I think, four or five months. They want it to look as authentic as possible because what we've built is a very accurate replica of a sailing ship."

The end product, called The Walrus in the show, was massive as well, as Yates revealed that the full ship is approximately 140 feet long. And to pull off such an incredible feat, it took a gigantic crew with various skill sets, as construction coordinator Clive Pollack shared: "There are 300 people working on the boat. There are carpenters, sculptors, painters, riggers, sailmakers."

5. There were no bathrooms for cast and crew on the ship

For as grand as the prominent pirate ship is in "Black Sails," it does have its faults as it also serves as the set of a modern TV production. In a 2016 interview with Den of Geek, actor Zach McGowan revealed the biggest problem for the cast and crew on set: "The hardest thing about the ships, most people don't realize, is just when you're on the ship at the top of the deck somewhere, it's very far to the nearest bathroom. There's no bathroom on the ships."

Even with that minor complaint, McGowan went on to stress that being on the deck of the ship at sea was such a great experience that the actor wished he had more of those scenes. It's also his opinion that most of the cast felt the same way, except possibly the ones who spent the most time on board, such as Toby Stephens.

6. The actors went through pirate boot camp

Like most epic dramas featured on premium channels, "Black Sails" is filled with massive battle sequences, in this case often between rival pirate clans, or against the relentless forces of the British and Spanish empires. While the nature of naval warfare means that a good amount of these conflicts are long distance, yet devastating, as cannonballs attempt to rip enemy vessels apart, much of the brutal combat is at close quarters.

All of the fight scenes in the series are quite impressive, so it makes sense that many cast members received special training. In a Q&A with a few of the main actors, shared by Starz in 2015, Luke Arnold revealed: "We all went through a three-week pirate boot camp. Well, the pirates of the crew did at the beginning of shooting." And it was a good thing that they did because when asked if they could survive the rough conditions of the time period, the general consensus was an adamant no. Toby Stephens then elaborated with a laugh: "The real trouble, I'd be ok on Nasau, it was as soon as I'd get on a boat and I had to sail anywhere."

7. Clara Paget came up with Anne Bonny's distinctive look

From Charles Vane, Edward Teach, and Jack Rackham to Captain Flint, Long John Silver, and Billy Bones, "Black Sails" has all sorts of characters based on either historic people or from the famous fictional tale, "Treasure Island." Therefore, both the writers of the show and the actors who portrayed these popular figures had to work with what was already known about them. But at the same time, there was a lot of creative freedom as well.

A somewhat minor, though fascinating aspect of another one of these real characters in the series, Anne Bonny, was thought up by actress Clara Paget. In a 2016 interview with Den of Geek, when asked what she contributed to the role, the actress replied: "I suppose the hat. That came completely organically. I tried on this hat and then I was pulling it down in an almost jokey way, like an old-school Western. Then it became who she is, hiding behind this hat. It really works for the character because, as I said, it shows this vulnerable side at the same time as being a badass through one side or the other. Like schizophrenic, bipolar."

8. Zack McGowan broke a stuntman's jaw by accident

A major reason that the fight scenes in "Black Sails" are so good is because of the enthusiasm of the cast and crew when filming, yet there was one time that may have gone a little too far. When a stuntman on set named Daryl was to be hit with the butt of a rifle by Zach McGowan, the dedicated performer showed no fear and encouraged the actor to strike him square in the face. The veteran stuntman figured it was no big deal since the thing was only made of rubber. Since Daryl seemed more than fine with the idea, McGowan went along with the idea.

In a 2017 interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Toby Stephens recalled the disastrous, though somewhat funny result: "Zach, who's brilliant at this kind of thing, whacked him straight in the jaw, as the guy asked, and totally broke his jaw. It looks fantastic, it actually made the cut, and it looked absolutely brilliant. At the end of it, I just remember Daryl going, 'No, it's fine. It's okay, don't worry about it.'" Fortunately, the stuntman was not seriously harmed, so they were able to joke about it a bit.

9. Zack McGowan climbed the balconies of a building to get rum

"Black Sails" is filled with many incredible exploits of pirate warriors as they battle on the high seas, but a behind-the-scenes achievement by one of the actors was almost as impressive as what was shown on screen. During a break in filming, the cast was having a good time together but needed some rum, so Zach McGowan went to rather extreme lengths to remedy the situation.

In order to gain access to the prized liquor in a room several floors up, the actor literally scaled the side of the building all on his own. When talking with Rotten Tomatoes, cast member Hannah New described the amazing sight, saying: "He did this like Spider-Man kind of thing where he climbed up these balconies … it's incredible, he does like, God knows how many chin-ups every day. So, he can just chin up these balconies."

After McGowan successfully got the rum and then made the way back down with it in his front pocket, the cast waiting down below were too awestruck to do anything but tensely watch. Fellow actress Jessica Parker Kennedy added: "And none of us videotaped it. I think we were all in such shock, it was so scary, I thought he was going to fall and break his neck and we would have to explain it to our producers the next day."

10. It took all season to film Luke Arnold's underwater scene

In the fourth season of "Black Sails," Long John Silver nearly perishes in the sea as he struggles to escape his sinking ship. Actor Luke Arnold must have been pleased that his character ultimately survived the harrowing experience, but filming the scenes was definitely not easy for the actor. Even though he was confident in the comprehensive training he received beforehand, Arnold still had to overcome a major fear of performing in those conditions.

When asked specifically about those tense underwater moments, he told Collider in a 2017 interview: "That was the beginning of hell that kept getting crazier as it went along. That took all season to shoot. We were in the water tank, from the beginning of the season, stuck underwater, all day." To his dismay, Arnold was right when he assumed it would take longer to finish than the filmmakers first thought, yet it was all worth it, as he added: "Right until the last couple of weeks, I was doing bits of the underwater stuff to make that whole sequence as spectacular as it is."

11. Luke Arnold received a special gift from a producer

Luke Arnold was one of several major cast members of "Black Sails" who was in the show from the very beginning all the way through to the climactic finale. The actor very much enjoyed his time filming the series, so when he found a cherished memento from the early days, it was a big deal. In the same interview with Collider, he revealed: "We were shooting a scene in Season 4 that was back in Eleanor's office, and I found the piece of paper that I was writing the directions to find the Urca de Lima on, which was the very first scene we shot in Episode 103. Nina Jack, who was one of our producers on Season 4, got it framed and gave it to me as a gift, so I've gone away with that. That was amazing!"

On the other hand, there were parts of the series that Arnold did not remember so fondly, mostly from the difficulties that arose in pretending to have lost a leg. In this endeavor, he was able to use a crutch on screen, but the prop caused him so much discomfort that he grew to despise it.

12. Luke Arnold had a legless stunt double

Once Long John Silver tragically loses his leg in "Black Sails," Luke Arnold had some difficulty filming scenes as the character, so he was grateful to have help from a stuntman named Ben de Jager who is also missing the limb. The actor told Collider: "It was great to have somebody who's gone through the experience of losing a leg. He did step in for a lot of stuff, mainly because it was so much easier to have him there. If you're shooting from behind or you're focusing on the foot, it's easier to have someone in who's missing the leg than to do it with me and spend a fortune on visual effects to change things."

Though Arnold certainly got along with de Jager, there also seemed to have been a little jealousy in sharing screen time for the role. The actor admitted that a downside for him was his absence in some major Long John Silver moments of the show.

13. The writers gradually decided to bring back Flint's lover, Thomas

For as dark as "Black Sails" can be throughout the series, it ended on a fairly happy note as the main character, Captain Flint, is finally reunited with the love of his life, Thomas Hamilton (Rupert Penry-Jones). Both men are sentenced to imprisonment on a plantation, yet all that matters to the pair is that they are together again. Viewers may have been somewhat surprised that Thomas had returned to the show given the fact that he was thought to be dead, but over time the writers decided that was not going to be his fate.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Jonathan Steinberg explained: "We had a sense in Season 2 when he died off-screen, that any character who dies off-screen, you're taking the word of the messenger as to whether or not it actually happened. We knew we weren't finished with him. And then at some point in Season 3, we realized it would be reasonably late in the series when he came back, so in Season 4 it felt right."

Source: Looper

#luke arnold #zach mcgowan #clara paget #black sails #lovely article

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constant-and-immovable · 10 months

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What are your thoughts about the PoTC cast in Back Sails?

AHAHAHAHHA! I kept meaning to do this!

this ended up INCREDIBLY long...

Elizabeth is either killed early on, or makes it to the end, there's no in between. I imagine she would be good friends with eleanor but eventually they'd see they're in this game on different sides and there's a dramatic moment where Elizabeth betrays her. Its framed as a "see she's not purely good either" moment, meant to reflect that everyone here is technically a criminal, but the fandom hated Eleanor enough by then that Lizzie becomes part of a bunch of annoying Girl Boss memes .

I'm gay, so I want a scene where Anne teaches Elizabeth how to use a knife. Also a scene of her and Will sparring, since we're told he taught her how to sword fight, but NEVER SAW IT...

Will does okay! He survives most of the way through, and really would have gone longer, but gets killed off for Elizabeth's character development. Most of his involvement was with finding the treasure and assisting in the defense of Nassau. OR he ends up opening a blacksmith shop on the island. There's an emotional moment where Flint applauds his fine work, but tells him it's all fucking worthless. They need strength and quantity, not high art. Will doesn't get to show off his artistry again for a while. Billy and Will remain the Token Straight Men of the series, and even though they never speak and only share one frame, there are hundreds of fics about them.

Jack...depends on which one. The guy who played comic relief and court jester throughout the other films? He's shot in a brawl he didn't even start his first time in Nassau. The guy who carried around a pistol with one shot on a mission of cold revenge? The guy who didn't even flinch at the idea of trading souls for his own? The guy that laughed at his own hanging? Yeah, he would make it at least as far as Charles Vane did. He gets killed, naturally, because he ends up a fan favorite. He gets on Silver's nerves immensely, despite the fact that they have a weird chemistry. Flint only exchanges a few words with him, one of them being essentially "Get the fuck off my ship and if I see you on it again I will shoot you."

Either that, or they end up with a Picard/Q dynaimic.

Tia Dalma kicks ass and takes names. She's given a weapon. If she has supernatural powers in this, that becomes a major plot point to convince her onto their side. She outright (violently, graphically) gets people killed by some kind of magic trap trying to get to her island, or else we just see their bodies mangled on display leading up to her cabin. Madi becomes the person to suggest going in from behind the main entrance to the island where the traps are, and gets in alone, and convinces her to assist--but only if they can deliver to her the heart of Davy Jones, which becomes the main collateral of the series instead of the Urca gold. Idk, Jones buried instructions for her release in it or something.

Barbossa does extremely well, and while he's at the forefront of most of the battles, he somehow survives to the end, he, like Anne & Rackham, sails under the black still despite the supposed end of piracy on Nassau OR his epilogue piece is him sitting in an office above the tavern on Tortuga, establishing a second pirate base there. He doesn't get the Pearl in this version, but manages to sail off with The Fucking Warship. He, Flint, and Blackbeard hate each other, deeply, but also have the most experience and end up collaborating throughout the show for a few of the major battles.

Anna-Maria almost gets involved with Anne, but doesn't. She doesn't like how much they have in common, a rough past, a shaky relationship with a Jack (I assume we unfortunately have to see pretty much everyone fucking someone at some point, since it's Starz, and there's no way the writers wouldn't have gone the easy route of her and Jack), but she does save Anne's life at one point. Max thanks for her it, upset that she wasn't there, and post break up with Anne, Max finds her again, offers her a position on the new Nassau which she says she'll consider. In typical fashion of the show, we're never given a definite as to whether or not the two women ever get together. She survives but only because I said so, otherwise she's a minor character and therefore easy cannon-fodder (possibly literally) for an early series death.

Norrington ends up playing a major role in the early season, betrays the English at one point for Elizabeth's protection (he tells them that he's doing it to doublecross her, he tells her he's double crossing them, he doesn't know what he's doing). Will and Elizabeth were fighting Because Drama and This is Starz, so at some point she marries him, but it cements him onto their side (opposite of Eleanor and Woodes in the later seasons). He's good with strategy until it's personal (remember in his own canon he's the one who chased Jack around the world, got his crew killed), but a personal stake in things is what makes Elizabeth hone in on her best ideas, and they level each other out.

Season two finale he's killed by a random English spy on the island who was sent to be sure Norrington was doing what he said he would. With Eleanor's approval, Elizabeth tortures the spy for information, but after he gives up with little useless nonsense he knows, she still kills him, dumps the body, lies and says their information source escaped. When he washes in with the tide, Will claims it was his actions. He and Norrington were not close, but they were from the same town, and (he lies) he respected him. He knows Elizabeth did it, but also knows that he'll get much less flack for it, if any; and Elizabeth nods a thank you. It's the start of them communicating again.

Gibbs, as a storyteller, is given protection by the narrative, as it knows that it needs him alive to exist, and therefore he lives.

#potc #black sails

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oldshrewsburyian · 2 years

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I finished s1 of OFMD, and I have Thoughts. I am, of course, not going to inflict them all on you, but I do want to point out one place where my reading/reception of the show and its characters diverged wildly from other reception I’ve seen. And it’s here: I think Stede spends much (most) of the first season as a terrible person who hasn’t unlearned the toxic masculinity of the patriarchal structures he’s steeped in and benefited from. Moreover, I think this makes the show better and more interesting than it would be with the Naive and Sanguine Gay Man Runs Away To Sea narrative. Polysemy is cool and all, and this show is obviously into that, but here’s my case, put briefly in a series of responses to examined objections. [Spoilers, obviously, ahead.]

“He abolishes the plunder system in order to establish a kindlier, gentler piracy!” ...He abolishes the plunder system and reestablishes the salary system of the British Navy. I’m not saying he’s being disingenuous when he tells the crew what he wants to do. But what it amounts to is also replicating the only system he’s used to.

“He tells the pirates bedtime stories!” Hmm yeah. Put another way, he runs away from the patriarchal system in which he is such a signal failure, and from which he has been shown to be voluntarily disengaged, to recreate another patriarchal system in which he can have (or at least playact) absolute control. On the Revenge, in contrast to his household, he can be the patriarch who has supreme authority and who shows care (in ways of his choosing) to be rewarded with love in return. The fact that he recreates a gentleman’s sanctum (library, wardrobe, pantry) is also significant, I think.

“He likes marmalade, aww!” He’s not Winnie the Pooh. He increased the entire crew’s risk of starvation because he likes Seville marmalade on his toast. Here and elsewhere, he is shown to be stunningly self-centered (though not self-aware.)

“He just doesn’t understand how to cope with society!” Oh, I think he understands perfectly well; he just doesn’t want to. After all, he understands both the mores of the aristocratic class and how to manipulate them, as illustrated at the party. When he decides to unleash “passive aggression,” moreover, he does so in ways that are strikingly vicious. It’s a scene played successfully for comedy, of course; these are terrible, exploitative people who are a hairsbreadth away from tearing out each other’s throats in order to preserve respectability. But also: Stede is ready to destroy their lives and like it.

“He just likes drama and wants to make Ed happy!” He does want to make Ed happy, yes. He is dangerously, incorrectly confident that he knows what that means. The art of fuckery, for instance, is achieved despite Stede, with the crew on their own initiative using ideas he vetoed in his authoritarian snit.

For all these reasons, I think that the end of e7, where Blackbeard suggests co-captaining, is a really important moment in Stede’s character development. He is -- finally! -- relinquishing his need for absolute control. It is only in partnership with Blackbeard, in other words, that he can actually start moving towards a less hierarchical, less authoritarian, even queered (ahem) model of piracy and life.

After e7, in a non-linear fashion (!), we see Stede making progress. But it still seems entirely plausible to me that Blackbeard would decide that, when it came to a moment of crisis, Stede would decide on the comfort zone of familiar patterns rather than a high-risk sailing into the great unknown. There’s enough truth in Badminton’s nocturnal monologue to make it sting. (After all, it is Ed who is equated with Peter Pan, who thinks that even Death will be an awfully big adventure. Stede is equated with Pinocchio, who just wants to be accepted as normal in/by society.)

In a very satisfyingly classic dramatic move, Stede literally descends to the brink of death, in ways that are hilariously overkill: first Badminton tries to shoot him, then Mary tries to Jael-and-Sisera him (I support her), and then he finally does “perish” ...in a coup de theâtre that requires him to receive help from people he has previously ignored or despised or both. This, not e6, shows him as a full participant in collaborative fuckery. So Stede, having gone like Gilgamesh and Odysseus and Aeneas to the land of the dead, can finally return and start being a hero on the model he (with a kindly assist from the crew) previously deluded himself into believing he was. That’s what I call a season finale.

#ofmd #chock full of queer pirates #pirates #stede bonnet #this show is so silly and so smart and i like it so much

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gooeyyeehaw · 6 months

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ofmd s2 spoilers !!

so two things i wanted to talk about that basically everyone is talking about, now that ive properly processed everything and need to officially get out of my system

i really really really wish the season had better, slower pacing. so much would happen before anyone could process anything and it took a loooot of thinking to truly understand some shit. i really really hope there's a season 3 with the proper amount of episodes as intended.

izzy's death - it truly felt so rushed. to be honest, i didn't even see him get shot at first, my eyes were on something else at the time, i think, but that's my fault. nevertheless, it felt so rushed, and i'm not mad, nor do i disagree with his death, but i wish it was executed better than it was. it felt brushed over, rushed, and he was too great a character to receive a death like that. it had me saying "what the fuck??" because his death was over in about two minutes. i'm not mad about how and when it took place, because it's just like real life, you don't get to choose when you get to live or die, especially in their business.

i did warm up to him and felt sad that he could finally recognize and declare his understanding of family and what it meant to be a part of the crew and never got to experience the warmth and joy of life; however, i think its okay that he died. con is a fantastic actor and his performance was astounding every scene. i think he deserved a better sending off and lucius and pete's wedding could have waited til season three, cuz that felt brushed over too.

stede and ed's inn - i used to not love this idea, more for a personal reason, the desire to have adventure in life. to not settle down and have fun all the time, to not conform to the normality and monotony of life. i get the emphasis about the brutality and harsh reality of the violence and mentality that comes with piracy, but it felt bittersweet especially with izzy's speech about what it meant to be a pirate and zys' offer to team up. it sounded fun. fun to be at sea with your found family, (on top of stede's long term love for the sea) and they were leaving that behind and it would just be then.

i later realized that them living together wouldnt necessarily mean theyre completely abandoning their old lifestyles. theyre just taking a break from the rough and tough shit they had just gone through, and they need it to work out their relationship and find themselves. to have some time alone. they might rejoin the crew and have fun sailing and shit, who knows. but it doesn't have to be that end forever. plus i like all the fun/funny ideas the fandom has come up with for the inn.

and ive seen the theories that if buttons can turn into a seagull, he'll turn izzy into a seagull OR izzy will come back as a ghost and haunt their inn OR they'll bring him back to life with magic.

just saying, the fandom was wrong about lucius living within the secret passages of the ship, please let them be wrong about that one.

#our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd season two spoilers #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd spoilers #stede bonnet #pirates #ed teach #blackbeard #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #edward teach

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greatwyrmgold · 1 month

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A Thematic Analysis of Starship Velociraptor

Those familiar with Galactikraken's debut album might think thematic analysis of Starship Velociraptor is pointless. Its songs are quite obviously about whatever the band members thought was rad, and I won't disagree with that conclusion.

But that conclusion is incomplete. I've listened to most of the album over and over, and there are patterns in what Galactikraken considers rad. There are three recurring points that I'd like to draw attention to: Anti-authoritarianism, wealth, and piracy.

A couple quick points. First, I will use "Galactikraken" to refer to the metaphorical narrator of these songs and the collective voice of Johnathan Young and his band members. Second, I'm mostly discussing the songs, and will bring up the animated music videos when they compliment or contrast the songs' narrative in some interesting way.

Now, let's start where the album does.

Glory or Gold

What's rad? Piracy Pirates mentioned? Obviously

Appropriately, the first song in the album clearly establishes its primary themes and focuses on the recurring motif of piracy. Its chorus clarifies the thesis:

So hoist up the Jolly Roger, we're taking a ride. Take back the life that they denied. For glory or gold, we sail across the galaxy, Our sovereign starship flying free. Forever, our treasure taken from plutocracy. We've all got mouths to fuckin' feed. So it's a pirate's life for me!

Relevant conjecture: Any sentence containing a word ending with either "-archy" or "-cracy" will make a political statement.

In this case, Galactikraken seems critical of plutocracy. They don't adopt a pirate's life because they want to be rich and famous; they do it because their lives were denied by the wealthy elites, and they still have mouths to feed.

Verse 1 hones this criticism beyond the vague concept of plutocracy to what I can only call capitalism.

All of my crew and I are wanted for the highest form of treason: For questioning authority demanding we sweat and bleed and slave our lives away, then call it freedom.

I don't know what Galactikraken's real-world political beliefs are. But I know what they wrote, and this? Profiting off the sweat and blood of an underclass, and claiming that that underclass is free? That's capitalism, baby.

"Glory or Gold" isn't a detailed or nuanced critique of capitalism; it's a sail-by broadside against its worst excesses. But it's there, and it's worth examining. Practically every line of this song is condemning the "plutocracy," holding it responsible for everything that drove them to piracy.

I also feel it's worth pointing out that this song mixes "authority," "plutocracy," and "the crown". Part of this is presumably because those lines sound good with those specific words, but it also means that we can't assume every king in one of these songs is a literal king. That's just how symbolism works—especially in music, where the words you use are limited by rhyme, meter, and whether the word's sounds sound good with the other songs in that line.

Best Band in the Universe

What's rad? Music, hubris, profanity Pirates mentioned? Only if you assume all songs in the album are about the same group of pirates, in which case pirates are mentioned in all songs

I don't have much to say about this song, because I personally don't like it, because of reasons that are completely irrelevant to this post.

What is relevant to this post is that one of the reasons Galactikraken declares itself "super cool" is that they "break the rules". That anti-authoritarian streak is present.

Settle it With a Swordfight

What's rad? Swordfights, especially ideological ones Pirates mentioned? Yes

This song is the second-most-obvious example of Galactikraken just writing songs about cool stuff. Which isn't a criticism, it's a statement of fact. I like "Settle it With a Swordfight," but beyond being cool, it's kinda dissonant with the rest of the album.

Well, if you roll with us and you’re not seeing eye to eye, A problem on the crew you know that words just won’t revise. When there’s nothing left to say, you’ve got to let your blade reply. Someone’s gonna die. (Settle it with a swordfight!) If we can’t tell just who’s right, (Settle it with a swordfight!)

Anyone who watches shonen anime knows the kind of fight this song is about. Two characters disagree, and they come to blows over it. The resulting fight challenges both characters' conviction and ideals as much as it challenges their strength and skill. It's undeniably cool!

It's also pretty much the only time a song in Starship Velociraptor praises violence against pirates. And it's absolutely praised, "Cold steel can justify your sins" and all that. Other songs in the album praise violence of various kinds, but violence against authorities, not fellow pirates.

Hyperspeed

What's rad? Speed, starships Pirates mentioned? No

This song is pretty straightforward. The first line tells you what to expect:

The only thing that gets me high is going faster than the light.

There are some love-song undertones in there, but this is mostly a song about going fast and why going fast is cool.

If you sail away with me, we'd escape reality. So accelerate in one, two, three!

Speed and flight are common symbols for freedom, a theme which is pretty prominent in this album. "Hyperspeed" fits this reading like a glove, and its music video even more so. (In my opinion, "Hyperspeed"'s music video fits it better than any of the other animated music videos.)

Army of Tigers

What's rad? Tigers, armies Pirates mentioned? No

"Army of Tigers" poses a bit of a problem for this analysis.

On one hand, the tiger general attacking the Sun could be symbolic. The Sun might represent an unjust authority, a world order most people see as natural and benevolent, even as it "sends us cataclysmic cancers" and stuff.

On the other hand...

Quench the final fire, extinguish heaven's light! I command an army of tigers. Defeat the Sun tonight!

That's a hell of a chorus, and that might be reason enough for Galactikraken to assault that castle in the void.

Storm the Castle

What's rad? Regicide Pirates mentioned? Not really

We will not be prisoners in a kingdom taken hostage by her crown.

Is a kingdom really mighty when for a sick and starving child it doesn’t care?

Storm the castle, kill the king!

Even if the word "monarchy" isn't technically used here, my prior conjecture seems pretty relevant. Whatever the king represents, Galactikraken hates it. And we've talked about how fluid symbolism can be.

But why does Galactikraken want to kill the king? I'd quote relevant lines, but that's like half the song. The king deserves death because of how the kingdom suffers under his rule. He says that he's protecting the kingdom, when he's the greatest threat to the people.

The hypocrisy is part of the problem, but for the most part "Storm the Castle" focuses on the "countrymen...drowning in despair". The king isn't bad because of some abstract notion of freedom, or because he's an ugly pig monster, or even because he's a liar. He's bad because his wealth starves the common people.

(Which is part of why I think "Storm the Castle" has the worst animated music video. It focuses on the cruelty of the wolves and the malice of the secret pig demon thing, making the evil more individualized and less systemic. Yeah, the fat pig monster in throne armor makes a cooler fight scene than a cowering aristocrat surrounded by elite guards, but trying to make that part cool undermines the song the video is supposed to support!)

Anyways. The song is literally a call to action, albeit against a fictional/allegorical king. The peasantry (proletariat) need to put aside their petty concerns and unite against the crown (against authority, against plutocracy). This isn't just a matter of political philosophy; we've all got mouths to fucking feed.

The obvious thematic resonance between "Storm the Castle" and "Glory or Gold" is the whole reason this post exists.

Starship Velociraptor

What's rad? Luxury starships Pirates mentioned? Surprisingly not

This song is the most obvious example of Galactikraken just writing songs about cool stuff. Which isn't a criticism, but it's absolutely impossible to ignore after writing about symbolic regicide.

To be balanced: "Starship Velociraptor" is, in part, expressing the same kind of fantasy as "Hyperspeed". The fantasy of zooming around the galaxy in a super-fast starship is a key part of the song.

But the titular starship has comfort, speed, and style; moreover, comfort gets more focus than speed and style more than comfort. The starship isn't "the finest ship in the galaxy" because it's practical, but because it's opulent.

Practically every description we get of the starship focuses on pointless opulence. "Hardwood floors instead of tile," "leather seats," "a fridge that's full of meat," "that holographic suite". Sure, that stuff was written because it rhymes, but most of it rhymes with itself. Galactikraken picked a bunch of cool-sounding stuff that rhymes to describe their cool starship, and most of that stuff is opulence.

I don't want to shame anyone for wanting opulent stuff, but the focus on opulence is remarkable, considering most of the album's more negative perspective on wealth.

His keep ship could shelter hundreds, His gold meat could feed far more. I have just one last question: What are you waiting for?!

It would be one thing if the song was about a bunch of pirates stealing some plutocrat's yacht from under his nose and using it as their flagship, but it's not. It's basically a car ad?

You've got to get it You can buy on credit Our payment plan, you won't regret it, yeah

The song feels deeply consumerist, like an ad manufacturing desire for pointless luxuries. And this consumerism is played straight. I don't like "Best Band in the Universe," but I recognize that Galactikraken was trying to make its hubris the butt of the joke. I don't get that sense from "Starship Velociraptor". It's just an earnest luxury car ad.

The music video is a bit different—perhaps the biggest gap between music and video on the album. Part of that is aesthetic; the animated starship looks practical, tile floors instead of hardwood. But it also plays up the escapism potential of a starship.

Part of this is because the video's central character is an ordinary Earthling who literally escapes her boring office job to board the starship, but part of it is because we see the starship doing stuff. We spend some time focusing on the interior, matching the lyrics; most of the rest of the video is focused on 90's sci-fi anime action. The starship zooms through space, it gets into battles, the central character hangs out with space people on and off the ship. The animation focuses less on the starship as an object than as a place where cool things happen.

Man the Cannons

What's rad? Wooden ships and iron men Pirates mentioned? Kinda

I mean, pirates and pirate iconography aren't mentioned, but who else on the high seas has cannons and swords and boarding actions? Marines, I guess, but that doesn't fit the treasure focus or the anti-authority vibes of the rest of the album.

Anyways. "Man the Cannons" doesn't introduce much new thematic stuff. Ambiguous piracy as a path to freedom, rad treasure, rad swordfights, teamwork makes the dreamwork. ("And if we band together, so it shall be.") And anti-authoritarianism, of course!

Defying law and nation, defying god and king. Through trial and tribulation, we smile and sing.

It works, I don't dislike the song, but after going through most of the album, I have nothing new to say about this song.

Jetpack Race

What's rad? Jetpacks, flight, escapism Pirates mentioned?

You know how I've talked about speed and flight being symbols of freedom? This song all but turns that into text.

A cog in some machine, you're chasing after dopamine, you wish that you could find a way to fly

Despite the upbeat melody and tempo, "Jetpack Race" has the second-bleakest lyrics of any song in Starship Velociraptor. The verses and half of the chorus are talking about the dreary mundane life that the jetpack races are supposed to let you escape from!

You didn't ask for this, but ignorance is bliss. You wish that you were just content to be a drone. You know we're all the same, the world's a joke and life's a game, And even all together, we're alone.

It's easy to miss behind the three-digit BPM and C♯ major key, but that's cynical. Especially that last line, which asserts that the solidarity praised in the rest of the song is an illusion.

For me, the most meaningful line is "Running a race that can't be won, you'll feel like you came in last." The ordinary life that Authority wants you to live is a scam that can't be run, that does its best to make you feel responsible for your failures, no matter how untrue that is. That's why we hoist up the Jolly Roger...or put on a jetpack, I guess.

10,000 Light Years

What's rad? I dunno, pining? Pirates mentioned? Via synonyms like "outlaw" and "privateer". (Bah, privateers are pirate sell-outs.)

If "Hyperspeed" is a spaceship song with love song undertones, "10,000 Light Years" is a love song with spaceship undertones. Being aromantic, I do not understand why all y'all allos would like being lonely and wishing you weren't light-millennia from the stranger you got a crush on.

But I do understand themes, and some of the familiar ones pop up through the romantic(?) longing. Like the bit where Galactikraken mentions "sign[ing] my life away off-world". Ultimately, the conflict in this song is caused by the same thing as in most Starship Velociraptor songs.

Our own enemy within, drowning us in despair. The crown, authority, plutocracy. The forces demanding that we sweat and bleed, then call it freedom.

It's also worth noting that the tempo and key are more mournful than most of the album, which makes the last song feel less aberrant.

Final Frontier

What's rad? Not. Us. Pirates mentioned? No

For our home we destroyed, so we sail onto the void For an undiscovered system far from here. If the wind takes our sails, if we live to tell the tale, For the end of Mother Earth is drawing near.

To wherever the wind may take us, Lady Luck, just don't forsake us. If we're ready or not, this is our judgement day.

But who can trust us once they learn why we're adrift, If we can't even trust ourselves? We are but insects, undeserving of their gifts. We all deserve to burn in hell.

Yeah, that beats "Jetpack Race".

"Final Frontier" is a powerful song, and it's stronger for the obvious contrast with the rest of the album. The worst emotions the other songs tried to evoke were romantic nostalgia and righteous fury. "Final Frontier" is nothing but despair and shame.

Does it fit with the themes of Starship Velociraptor?

Well, it has nautical metaphors and space as escapism (of a sort), so there's some recurring motifs.

Our greed and vanity have brought this final shame...

Ah, yes. Plutocracy.

The "burning bed our fathers made" is global warming, pollution, mining runoff, the Holocene extinction, a thousand other little ways that "the crown" fucks over the planet to extract every nugget of gold, literal and metaphorical.

This is what happens if we obey authority, if we don't defy law or nation, if we just chase after dopamine until it's too late. This is the future if we don't kill the king.

Exiled humanity and all of us to blame

We all deserve to burn in hell

I don't know how I feel about this.

Is "Final Frontier" condemning every man and woman on this planet, holding them all responsible for what we've done, because it's ignorant of humanity's power dynamics? Because it doesn't notice or care about parts of the "burning bed" that only burn marginalized humans and not forests?

Or is it holding us responsible for the king's greed and vanity because we didn't stop him? Because we didn't rise, stand, and fight? Because we didn't work hard and persevere? Because we rejected the pirate's life?

Is that right? Is it wrong? I don't know. But that's what the song says.

Weaving the Threads

Let's start with the symbol I've referenced the most. The crown, the sun(?), authority, law and nation, god and king, plutocracy. The bourgeoisie, the men who control the world's wealth and power, using that control to profit off the blood, sweat, and tears of the proletariat.

And then there are pirates. They're only directly mentioned in a fraction of songs, way fewer than I assumed before I actually counted. What do the pirates represent? They're the highest form of treason: Questioning authority. The pirates first seek their own freedom against the tyranny of authority, and then rise in rebellion share that freedom with others. It's all very One Piece.

When you realize what the pirates represent—freedom and rebellion—you start to hear it in all but one of the album's songs. They are speed, they are escapism, they are space itself. They get you off the brakes, they storm the castle, they defeat the sun. You even hear it through the consumerist haze of "Starship Velocity," in the freedom of owning a starship.

This political purity is marred a bit by idolizing the space pirate lifestyle alongside what it represents, idolizing the violence of swordfights and the luxury of space travel and the individualism of whatever's going on in "Jetpack Race".

But the pirate's life is consistently framed as cool because it breaks the rules, because it resists authority. Everything the album frames as rad is connected to anti-authority pirates, directly or through association. And it's everywhere in Starship Velociraptor...

...except "Final Frontier".

The entire album builds up the symbol of the pirate, of freedom and revolution. And then it shows us the world where the pirates lost, or where they never existed. A world where the king ruled until the world was no more.

...

Maybe I'm just projecting my own political beliefs onto an abstract text. Maybe a Nazi or Libertarian could interpret these songs in a way that fits their worldviews. But this is what Starship Velociraptor means to me.

It's a lonely night in hell above this broken privateer, Running a race that can't be won, you'll feel like you came in last. Is a kingdom really mighty when for a sick and starving child it doesn't care? They ask us why we must reply with violence. So let me take you for a ride. 'Cause you clearly have good taste Nothing that we can't achieve, if we only just believe. Your eyes can tell you know you need Takе your freedom, claim your right, For the end of Mother Earth is drawing near. Man the cannons, draw your sword. You're gonna kill that fuckin' guy! Defeat the sun tonight!

#galactikraken #jonathan young #starship velociraptor #themes #music

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deskgirl · 6 months

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I may as well write up my other AU idea. I’ve been sitting on this one for a while; I knew the foundation but not the direction it should go. I think I have it now.

It’s a time travel AU, but I haven’t seen this specific angle: a young man named Izzy finds himself thrown 300 years into the past and, whether he likes it or not, on course to become the historical figure he grew up reading about as a child—the infamous Izzy Hands. Can he escape his fate?

—

The idea is Izzy is a young man in present time. He grew up reading about pirates. He knows all their tales. He loves pirates and stories of adventure at sea.

The golden age of piracy is slightly less appealing when a freak storm dumps you 300 years in the past, though.

Izzy struggles to survive. He has nothing. His family is gone. He’s no one. Well no, that’s not quite right. Because he knows full well there’s a historical figure with his name and he knows almost everything that will happen to him. Which means he must, under any circumstances, avoid it.

He finds work, is enlisted or press-ganged into the navy, deserts and has to turn to crime, and finds himself in the company of the one man he feared running into: Edward Teach. Well that’s fine, so long as Ed never becomes Blackbeard, so long as Izzy doesn’t become his first mate, so long as they don’t become friends and sail together, maybe Izzy can circumvent fate.

Except they do become friends, he does help Ed become Blackbeard, and by the time Ed makes him first mate, he decides he can’t escape his future because it’s already set in stone. Or rather, ink.

Knowing what his future holds, Izzy leans into it. He lets the story play out. He accepts that this is just the way it’s going to go and it’s kind of nice to not wonder.

But then Stede enters the picture. He knows about this, too. Knows there’s no fighting it and yet he suddenly isn’t ready. He doesn’t want to lose Ed. He doesn’t want to see them all die. Maybe he can save them all from their fate if he can just get rid of Stede. Maybe the historians got some things wrong. Maybe there’s some fuckery involved. Right?

But the more Izzy fights his fate, the more he ensures it.

Here’s where things change a bit. I had the idea pre-season 2, before I knew the alternate history the show would create, so I went by the real accounts. Which means as far as Izzy knew, Stede Bonnet never catches up. He never finds Ed. So when he does show up, it flips everything Izzy believed on its ear, and he has to accept that either things can change or the historical accounts were wrong. Which means there’s hope. He can save himself. He can save them. That’s his turning point.

The idea ended with him taking Stede and Ed aside and explaining everything to them and telling them how they all die, and they realize it all sounds an awful lot like a fuckery (Blackbeard’s headless body swimming laps around the ship? Come on!) so they proceed to fake their deaths. It’s endcapped by Lucius becoming “Captain Charles Johnson” the author of “A General History of Pirates” and revealing to us that he intentionally wrote the accounts to support the fuckery and this is the “fate written in stone” that Izzy grew up reading.

That’s changed now that I’ve seen season 2, so here’s where my idea goes now:

By the time Ed is waving a gun around threatening the crew, Izzy is tired. He wants it to be over. He tries to circumvent fate one last time and end things on his terms. But that doesn’t take either so fuck it, he’s living. And so does Ed because he can’t die yet either can he? They’re going to be dragged kicking and screaming to the end of their final chapters. So. Whatever fate has planned, Izzy will take the path ahead of him one step at a time without worrying about what comes next. His fate is sealed, but the little things can change. The people whose lives he never read about in books can be spared. He can choose to live with what time he has left in the way he wants to.

He keeps that mantra up until he’s facing down Prince Ricky. He gives his speech as his own eulogy because he knows it is. He doesn’t know quite how it’ll happen, but Izzy Hands vanishes from history after this day and is declared dead by an author writing under a pseudonym (true facts, there’s still debate over Captain Charles Johnson’s identity), so he knows this is the day he dies.

And it happens. But he’s all right with it because he always knew, and he prefers going out on his feet while fucking over the British Empire with his family around him. Beats some cold, damp London gutter, right?

I could leave it there, and that wouldn’t be a terrible end, at least no worse than the show, but as a treat to myself, that’s not where it ends.

Because there’s a storm brewing overhead, not a clear sky like just hours ago. Purple lightning, echoing thunder, the sky starting to let loose just as Izzy says his last words. It’s familiar. Izzy welcomes the rain like an old friend and remembers the first time he was caught in a storm at sea in a little sailboat while daydreaming about pirates.

Then he’s in the forest. Again. He knows what’s about to happen. He knows Ricky is about to turn, to draw, to fire. There’s hardly any time at all. He shifts his weight to the right. The bullet catches a little farther to the left. The pain feels different.

He reaches out for Ed right away. They limp to the ship together. He’s laid down in the spot where he died—will die—may die again. He doesn’t know if he says all the right words in the right order this time, but he tries. He still wants Ed to hear them.

The thunder of his heart is different in his ears and it’s distracting. Stede is there this time, pressing on the wound and cursing him out, telling him that he doesn’t get to go out this way (parallels to Stede’s dream anyone?). Izzy grins through the pain and calls him a twat.

It all slips away again.

The crew is gathered around a pile of earth. They’re quiet and solemn. Stede plants a marker made of drift wood.

“Did we really have to have a funeral for the fuckin’ figurehead?” an irritable voice calls.

“It’s the spirit of the thing,” Stede objects. “He deserves a proper burial. And the Revenge can’t be the Revenge anymore, not if we’re going to avoid the navy. A headless unicorn kind of stands out, don’t you think?”

“Oh good, you do have a basic grasp of being inconspicuous,” Izzy calls from the back of a small cart, laid up against some sacks of food that need to be taken to “The Royal James,” as the ship has been renamed. “Just hurry up before the tide goes out. Or did you plan on running the ship aground yet again?”

“That was one time!”

As an epilogue, we skip ahead five years where we find Lucius in London, selling freshly printed copies of “Captain Charles Johnson’s” new book, “a General History of Pirates” and reassuring a customer that it’s all true from first-hand accounts while sharing a knowing look with Pete from across the print shop.

#ofmd #our flag means death #Izzy hands #ofmd au #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death spoilers #time travel au #our flag means death au #drabble #Deskgirl’s writing

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thesoftdumbass · 11 months

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lost in your current like a priceless wine

Ezra (Prospect) x reader, pirate AU

Word count: 2,200~

Warnings: piracy, mentions of death and murder (because pirates), swearing in general, no Y/N

Summary: When the crew of The Queen's Lair boards and dispatches the crew of The Harvester, there is one person on deck that Captain Ezra hadn't accounted for, a teenage girl. It takes some convincing, but the fiery Cee comes along as the crew sail onward.

Just some things to mention: The reader is pretty much neutral, I don't describe her, but she does have a backstory and a nickname (Moony). I took heavy influence from both Black Sails and Our Flag Means Death, so you might see little pieces (or characters) from both of these shows. I just...I love pirates and I love Ezra. Something like this was bound to happen.

my masterlist

Below deck, The Queen’s Lair is quiet as you use your unoccupied time to take stock of meal reserves for you and your shipmates, writing the inventory on a spare piece of parchment to share with your captain. Supplies are on the low side and you note that the crew will soon need to make a stop to gather more. Since the evening meal isn’t due for a while, your hammock looks pretty appealing, and just as you decide to take an afternoon nap you hear the call go up.

“Sails!”

There goes your chance for rest, you sigh to yourself as you open the door of the large pantry below deck and make your way up the stairs and onto the bow. You encounter the captain and quartermaster, the two passing a long glass between them as they determine a course of action.

“-merchant ship will have plenty of valuable cargo, and any profitable items that we do not use for ourselves will be passed along the trading route through Nassau.” At the tail end of his sentence the captain meets your eye, and with one nod to his partner, dismisses them silently to begin preparations.

As the captain turns to face you, his eyes squint against the overhead sun but he meets your gaze all the same. “This is your chance, Moony, what do you think of joining the raiding crew?

A huff of a laugh escapes you and you give the captain a sarcastic look before replying. “Not today, Cap. Maybe I’ll join next time.”

He shakes his head at you, one side of his mouth lifting in amusement. “That’s what you said when we were facing the French merchants. And the English freighter before that, and so on...I’m beginning to think that your heart is just not in a place for wanting wealth and adventure.”

“Say what you will, Captain, but I get my share whether I’m swinging a sword or making supper. And you don’t keep me on board for the former.”

“I don’t only keep you on for the latter,” Ezra murmurs and your brow furrows at the possible deeper meaning, but before you can ask he’s being called away by the sailing master.

You squint your eyes against the sun to take a look at the ship sailing nearer into view, its flags clearly displaying a supply ship. At least your worry about supplies running low can go unvoiced for now, as you have no doubts that your captain and crew can’t capture the ship and its cargo. Leaving the men above board to their respective roles, you make your way below to secure and arrange your existing crates in the pantry, sending up hopes that your crew is successful, and that the other ship’s crew makes the smart move of surrendering.

Ezra watches through a haze of gunsmoke as his men dispatch the crew of The Harvester, effectively taking over the supply ship. When the crew of the Queen’s Lair had raised the black, their target hadn’t tried to run, letting the pirates board their ship without a fight. It had turned to shit when their captain, a rapacious man named Damon, tried turning the tables on Ezra, his threats of counterattack for recompense negating the attempted peaceful acquisition. Along with a square refusal, Damon earned himself a dagger to the gut and his crew lost the chance to join Ezra’s, each one of them meeting a similar fate as their captain.

He’s not proud of it, the violence that haunts his days and unconscious visions. Most days, he spends drafting travel routes and relaxing with his crew until the next big grab. But sometimes, this type of brutality is necessary. Ezra’s men depend on him to provide for themselves and their families. That knowledge, as well as the fact that most captures actually go without bloodshed, keep Ezra’s head up as he continues to do what he’s good at.

A cough near his feet brings Ezra’s mind back to the present and his unfocused gaze turns from his crew taking stock of the ship to the captain at his feet, the man’s glassy eyes blinking up at him. “Captain,” the man croaks. Getting the impression that he’s going to say more, Ezra squats down to be closer to him, an assessing eye on how much blood has pooled around his abdomen and is now starting to weep from his mouth and down his chin. Damon won’t last but minutes more.

“Please,” he coughs out, glazed eyes meeting Ezra’s umber ones. “Please don’t let them hurt her.”

Confusion sweeps over Ezra, his brow furrowing as he tries to determine the implications behind Damon’s words, but the other man doesn’t give him much time. A hand wraps around the lapels of his coat and pulls him forward, his face drawing nearer to Damon’s, the other man’s voice as grave as his outlook. “Promise me.”

He finds himself nodding, a solemn expression sent towards his fallen adversary. “I promise.”

This time when Ezra’s blade meets Damon’s skin, it is with mercy, the light going from behind the other captain’s eyes before he can suffer any longer.

Ezra wipes off his blade, standing from his crouched position and mulling over Damon’s words. Perhaps by “her”, he meant the ship. Not a real beauty by most standards. Instead of setting the vessel aflame like normal procedure, he supposed he could tow it back to Nassau with him and make a profit off it, though the blood staining the wooden deck wouldn’t be much of a selling point. The captain shakes himself of that thought but decides to ponder on the other man’s words before taking action.

The ship echoes with Ezra’s footsteps as he makes his way across the deck and through the stairwell leading down, his intended destination the captain’s quarters on the aft. Passing the kitchen and the crew’s communal quarters, he finds the only remaining entryway that must be what he’s looking for.

As soon as the handle twists in his grip and he opens the door wide enough to step through, something whistles above his head as he ducks, and shatters into pieces on the wall behind him. Ezra finds shards of broken glass on the ground and tracks its trajectory across the captain’s quarters to behind the heavy desk, where his eyes pick out...a girl. An adolescent by the looks of it, and despite the fierce scowl on her face and the arm drawn back aiming another vase at his head, she’s terrified.

“Hold on now, birdie,” Ezra placates the girl with two hands raised to show a truce. “I��m not here to hurt you.”

The girl’s mouth pinches disbelievingly, one eyebrow raised in defiance. “Oh?” Ezra hears footsteps as a portion of his crew makes their way to his location, the commotion drawing a small crowd. “And how would I know that?”

Several pirates pile into the hallway outside of the room, wanting to assist the captain but keeping their distance as he gives them a meaningful look, one of the captain’s hands cautioning them to move with care, while the other stays in place as a show of peace.

“Well, you don’t,” Ezra finally answers the girl, but as his eyes meet hers across the room he pours all the sincerity he can find into them. “But I suppose that you’re the one who Damon has entrusted me to protect.”

The girl’s eyes drop to the floor, the vase she had intended to use as a projectile weapon in her hands resting at her side in resignation. Ezra takes this as a sign of progress, moving his eyes back to the crew around him and nodding to his man closest to the door. A serious expression takes over the captain’s face as he doles out this task. “I need Moony here”

“You need to come with me,” Billy tells you when he finds you below deck. When all you do is look up from your book with a raised eyebrow, the man huffs impatiently. “Captain asked for you specifically, he wants you over on the Harvester.”

“Why, did he find some cargo he couldn’t wait to show me? Or maybe he’s just trying to get me in on the action again,” you mutter, turning the page in your book.

Billy’s response is flat but urgent when he replies. “There’s a girl on board.”

“Fuck,” you mutter, marking your page before jumping out of your hammock and reaching for your coat, pulling it on as you rush out the door. “Why didn’t you say that first, Bones?!”

Billy fills you in as he follows you up and over the boards to the other ship’s deck, taking the lead once you’re across until you arrive at a doorway surrounded by men on one side. A few steps inside the room is the captain, and as you make your way around the corner you can see the girl that Billy told you about. She’s a skinny thing in traditional boy’s clothes, blonde hair pulled back from her face to allow for less distraction, keen eyes twitching toward every sound and sign of movement.

Ezra watches as you take in the girl’s appearance, and her fearful suspicion of the men surrounding her. He gestures his head toward the door and his men take the cue to leave, heading back to the tasks they were previously drawn from. As he clears his throat and you meet his eyes, an understanding passes that the girl would be coming back to the Queen’s Lair with you, and he’d rather it be on her terms. At the nod of your head, he leaves, closing the door behind him and you hear his footsteps stop just down the short hallway.

Unsure where to start, you bring your hands together in front of you, fidgeting with the cuff on your coat, the girl’s eyes following your movements. “So I hear you made quite the impression on my captain,” you settle on.

Her eyes narrow and a noncommittal hum travels to you, but she says nothing.

Deciding on a different approach, one less casual, you clear your throat. “I assume you know that the crew of the ship-”

“They’re all dead,” she cuts you off, her no-nonsense tone a bit of a surprise, but you welcome a change to the silence.

“That’s right,” you murmur, your voice coming out small and the girl notices, her head tilting to the side as she observes you closer. You move past it, hoping that she will as well.

“I’m also assuming you know what happens to a ship that has been ransacked by pirates, and no longer has a crew to pilot it.”

Her brow furrows as she thinks for a moment, “I’ve heard rumors, but I don’t know for certain.”

You nod, taking a step further into the room, and you notice it’s the captain’s quarters of the ship. “It gets left behind.” You reach a bookshelf taking the space up along one wall of the room and bring one hand up to run along the titles there. Ezra already has most of them on board, and he lets you raid his collection when you’re inclined to do so. “That is, until the fire that the pirate crew sets eats up the sails and everything under them.”

The room is filled only with tension for a moment as you let your words sink in. “It would be best if you’re not aboard when that happens.”

The girl meets your eyes then, and briefly, you can see through her hard mask to the sadness setting up home underneath. “Dad says that a ship is no place for a girl. He says that he wouldn’t risk bringing me with him if I had another place to go. Well, he…said.” Her eyes meet the floor at the realization that her father no longer exists in the present tense.

“You don’t have another place to go. Not anymore. Not until we can get you back to land and figure out what you want to do next.”

Her shoulders are tight, her nod uncomfortable in the stifling silence of the room. You continue to look around, walking slowly about the floor for a few minutes. You find a copy of a book on the desk that you’ve not heard of, tilting your head as you open the front cover to read for a moment. The girl watches the entire time, wondering what you will do next. It’s no wonder that she’s apprehensive. She’s just had her ship attacked by pirates and lost her father in one swoop. You can guess what she’s dealing with, meanwhile you parade around her father’s office as casually as if you’re browsing a shop at home.

You want to make her comfortable around you, or at least as close to it as she can get. A small sigh leaves your lips, talking to people has never been your strong suit, even before you were surrounded by pirates whose emotional vulnerability couldn’t always fill a room. Turning your gaze once more to meet that of the girl, you soften your expression, the corners of your mouth even lifting into a gentle smile.

“Well since we’ll be traveling together for a while until we get back to land, we’ll have to get to know each other a little better. They call me Moony,” you offer your hand and your given name as well.

“My name is Cee,” she returns, not accepting your handshake but meeting you halfway with a nod.

“It’s nice to meet you, Cee.”

So, I haven't flushed out everything that happens yet in this fic, but I have about 16 pages of this universe in a google doc I've been sitting on for over a year! Plus, @fuckyeahdindjarin posted a Jack Daniels pirate drabble this morning that pushed me over the edge.

If you like my fic so far, please leave a comment or reblog and let me know what you liked about it to give me inspiration to continue. Thank you so much for reading!

Everything tags: @greeneyedblondie44 @kickingitwithkirk @mad-girl-without-a-box @feelmyroarrrr @rosie-posie08

Pedro Pascal Character tags: @aficwhore @annathewitch @trickstersp8

Lost in Your Current tags: @fuckyeahdindjarin

#ezra prospect #ezra prospect x reader #prospect fanfic #pedro pascal characters #prospect cee #prospect au #piracy au

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remypat · 6 months

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Finale Predictions...

Please don't not read if you want to avoid spoilers...

Going into the S2 Finale of OFMD...I'm a writer myself and am quite afraid of which direction they will be tackling the ending. They've proven to us that a cookie-cutter version of a happy ever after isn't as easy as it seems, especially with two characters with such different dreams. And yet with the looming threat of not receiving a third season, I know that they still want to deliver some sort of closure. My thinking is...

-Ed will finally give up on piracy. We see in the sneak peeks of the finale that Ed is back in his leathers but we all know that the man is only doing it to save Stede and the crew, but after that? My man is dipping and probably into that crappy lil shack we've seen in the stills. Maybe Ed is gonna repair it, turn it into a home, or an inn or a fishing equipment shop. Who knows? Ed sure as hell doesn't but one thing is for certain. Ed needs to step away from everything to find himself and find out what he wants to do for the rest his life. A nice parallel that I'd like to see is for Ed to be the one that has to plan his own death. The world needs to think that Blackbeard is no more. Mary's last words in the final episode of Season 1 always manage to make me tear up, 'To Stede Bonnet, complicated , hard-headed, really quite irritating at times and now free. Long may he roam.'

It's Ed's turn to be free, time for him to roam and find himself.

-Stede will not be joining him. Unlike Ed, Stede knows what he wants. He wants to be a pirate captain! To sail the seas and go on fun adventures! His love of Ed aside, Stede does not want a monotonous life. At least not any time soon. I have an inkling that the image of the two merman holding a heart and a spear is the new jolly roger of Stede's ship. Why else would the two merman be making out the word 'Ed' with their fingers? It's a proclamation of love for him, a promise that Stede will return to Ed and wherever he goes, he carries Ed in his heart.

-I dont think that Izzy is going to die. (BITCH THEY BETTER NOT KILL HIM OFF, I JUST STARTED LIKING IZZY)i know that its typical in film that when a character goes on their heart-wrenching redemption arc, they are often killed and become a sort of martyr. Izzy's death makes the most sense but he deserves a jab at happiness and a life aside from Blackbeard. Izzy deserves silly adventures and to be loved. I just hope that the writers keep Izzy alive and make him Stede's first mate, but....its probably not likely....Some silly things I'd like to see are -when Ed finds Stede's letter I want us to find out that Stede did some silly shit like sign off on his letters with 'Sincerely, Your Stede' or to write 'P.S, I love you and always will'. i just cant wait to see Ed's reaction to the letter!

-How much of a fucking gag would it be if a seagull is perched on top of one if Stede's bottles, because literally no one BUT Ed knows for a fact that Buttons is a bird now, so he'd definitely take the seagull as a sign or something, so that's how he finds Stede's messages.

- If Izzy does die....they name the ship 'Izzy's Revenge' , a lil call back to when he took over after Ed and Stede left but this time, its to honor his memory and continue with his legacy. -Black Pete and Lucius wedding?? I mean, what better way to close off the show? We've been getting a lot of parallels with Stede and Ed's relationship vs Black Pete and Lucius's relationship. As Ed and Stede's relationship has sort of bittersweet ending, Black Pete and Lucius get the truly happy ending.

Gosh, I don't know what else to expect from the finale, its only 25 mins and weve got so much ground to cover. its literally driving me insane.

#ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 spoilers #our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd spoilers

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vinceviralfreak · 6 months

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Title: The Pirate Queen

Genre: Adventure

Chapter 1: The Call of the Sea

In the small coastal village of Port Haven, nestled between towering cliffs and crashing waves, lived a young woman named Isabella. She possessed a spirit as wild and untamed as the ocean itself. From a young age, Isabella had been captivated by tales of adventure and the lure of the open sea. Her heart yearned for a life beyond the confines of her humble village.

Isabella's father, a retired sailor, had regaled her with stories of far-off lands, hidden treasures, and the daring exploits of pirates. These tales ignited a fire within her, and she dreamed of becoming a pirate herself, sailing the seven seas and commanding her own ship.

But in a world dominated by men, Isabella's dreams seemed impossible. Women were expected to be proper and demure, confined to the roles society had assigned them. Yet, Isabella refused to accept her fate. She longed for freedom, adventure, and the chance to prove herself.

Chapter 2: The Forbidden Voyage

One fateful night, as the moon cast its silvery glow upon the restless sea, Isabella stumbled upon a hidden cove. There, she discovered a weathered map, its edges frayed and its parchment yellowed with age. The map revealed the location of a legendary treasure, said to be guarded by a fearsome sea serpent.

With her heart pounding, Isabella knew that this was her chance to embark on the adventure she had always dreamed of. She gathered a small crew of misfits and outcasts, each with their own reasons for seeking a life of piracy. Together, they set sail under the banner of the Pirate Queen.

Chapter 3: The Trials of the Sea

As the Pirate Queen, Isabella faced countless challenges and dangers. She battled rival pirates, navigated treacherous storms, and outwitted cunning adversaries. Her crew, initially skeptical of a woman leading them, soon came to respect and admire her unwavering determination and fierce loyalty.

Isabella's reputation spread across the seas, striking fear into the hearts of those who dared to cross her path. She became known as a formidable adversary, a force to be reckoned with. But beneath her tough exterior, Isabella carried a burden. She yearned for a place to call home, a sanctuary where she could find solace from the relentless pursuit of fortune and glory.

Chapter 4: The Quest for Redemption

In her quest for the legendary treasure, Isabella encountered a mysterious figure known as the Oracle. The Oracle revealed a prophecy that would forever change the course of Isabella's life. To find the treasure, she would have to confront her past, face her deepest fears, and make amends for the mistakes she had made.

With newfound determination, Isabella set out on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, she encountered allies and enemies, each teaching her valuable lessons about trust, forgiveness, and the true meaning of freedom. As she delved deeper into her own soul, Isabella discovered that the greatest treasure of all was not gold or jewels but the love and acceptance she had been searching for all along.

Chapter 5: The Legacy of the Pirate Queen

In the end, Isabella's journey led her back to Port Haven, where she had first dreamed of a life at sea. She realized that her true purpose was not just to be a pirate but to inspire others to follow their dreams, regardless of societal expectations. Isabella became a symbol of hope and empowerment, a legend whispered among sailors and dreamers alike.

The Pirate Queen's legacy lived on, her story passed down through generations. She became a symbol of courage, resilience, and the indomitable spirit that resides within each of us. Isabella's tale serves as a reminder that sometimes, the greatest adventures are found not in the vastness of the ocean but within the depths of our own hearts.

And so, the legend of the Pirate Queen continues to inspire those who dare to dream, reminding them that the call of the sea is not just a longing for adventure but a call to embrace the untamed spirit within us all.

#Advance

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figonas · 2 years

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kaitlyn! can you sell me on black sails? I’ve been trying to figure out if I should watch it for ages

CAN I SELL YOU ON BLACK SAILS?!

It would be my honor 😈

The short: Black Sails is a prequel to Treasure Island chronicling how Captain Flint & Long John Silver met and where they got the treasure that is the focus of Treasure Island. Don’t worry if you’ve never read Treasure Island or seen an adaptation, it won’t make a difference.

**There are trigger warnings for nudity, violence, gore, and specifically for Max’s character in episode 3 there is a storyline involving sexual assault & rape. Essentially if you watched Game of Thrones (derogatory) and had no issue with the nudity, violence, and gore in that show Black sails will be absolutely no issue for you.**

First off, Black Sails is beautiful. The sets, the scenery, the actors, the acting, the music, everything.

Second, this show is lousy with queer representation. I don’t just mean there are a lot of queer characters. There are alot, I can think of at least 5 main characters off the top of my head, but it’s also queer people in a variety of relationships both good and bad.

Third, it’s nice and compact just 4 seasons with a set, discreet storyline that isn’t dragged on for 80 million terrible seasons.

Fourth it’s just good. I don’t know how I can explain that everything about this show works in its favor and makes it a worthwhile experience.

Essentially Black Sails is an action packed queer pirate drama that gorgeous toe to tip.

If you need more of an endorsement or want to watch me lose my mind over this show, I have expanded on my points under the cut;

If you’ve braved your way under the cut, welcome and buckle up.

Black Sails is full of amazing music, absolutely beautiful scenery, filled to the brim with a cast of phenomenal actors. I don’t really think this bullet point needs any additional explanation but have some screen caps and listen to the opening theme in case you don’t believe me.

Everyone in this show is hot…like everyone..everyone

When I say this show is lousy with queer people I don’t just mean there are queer people in this show; they are the focus of this show. I can’t really elaborate for spoiler related reasons but trust me, you’ve never watched an action drama like Black Sails. Have you ever watched a show with one, let alone TWO canon polycules?? How about an implied third?? Yeah I didn’t think so. The queer people in Black Sails are allowed to be people in relationships just like anyone else. Meaning they can make bad relationship choices. They can fuck up and break up and move on to someone else and none of that is written in a way that makes the viewer pass judgement on their sexuality.

The storyline in this show will blow you away. I really thought I understood Captain James Flint you know? I got him. Former British Naval Officer who’s been disgraced and turned to piracy. Fits in a nice little box of “characters with clear motivations that lead them from point A to point B”. HA HA WRONG, wrong wrong wrong. Black Sails took the version of Flint I boxed up as “interesting but ultimately a pirate cliché” and slapped me full in the face with his backstory. Flint’s motivations and backstory hit me so hard my Irish ancestors are wondering why their teeth hurt.

At the end of all this Black Sails is just good. The story is compact and complete. The characters all have depth; strengths and weaknesses, powerful motivations, their own brand of intelligence, etc. Relationships are complex and complicated, loyalties change, people die, love and trust are broken only to be rebuilt with someone else. What really sets Black Sails apart is this dark, gritty, straight-bait, action drama about pirates and treasure and rebellion has a beautiful, hopeful ending that leaves you satisfied. The people in Black Sails are people it’s real, and raw, and beautiful, and it will haunt you forever.

I’ll leave you with some of my favorite out of context quotes from the series;

“I am so sorry for working so hard to protect the wrong things. For failing to see that there is nothing important that doesn’t include you.”

“Everyone is a monster to someone, since you are so convinced that I am yours I will be it”

“Eleanor this place is just sand, it cannot love you back”

Goodbye, good luck, god speed, Black Sails will take over your brain forever!! You will never forget about it as long as you live!! Abandon all hope ye who enter here!!

#watch this show I’m begging you #I am wasting away to nothing carrying this torch alone #black sails

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noknowshame · 3 years

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hi I know we haven't talked before but I was wondering what you thought about legacy in black sails? you may have covered this before and I'm sorry if I've missed it, but you always have such interesting meta. I'm trying to write a fanfic set post canon but I'm struggling with this aspect. you don't have to answer if you aren't comfortable with it. sorry to bother you. :)

Hello!! Yes I can absolutely talk about legacy

There is honestly so much to unpack with just with that one word but I’ll do my best to keep this relatively coherent.

1. Nassau and the War Black Sails, however much of it is literature and mythology, is also historical fiction. What makes this interesting going in is that we already know that 1) the Pirate Republic will fail and Nassau will return to civilization*, 2) there is not going to be a massive pirate-slave rebellion that topples the English Empire, and 3) piracy will be almost entirely quelled by the 1720s. While on the small scale the show plays around with historical accuracy, these larger events are predetermined. This is a major contributing factor to the tragedy of Black Sails: the pirates are doomed to lose from the very beginning and will be remembered as the villains. The legacy that Flint in particular worked so hard to make possible is killed in its cradle. Flint understands this perfectly well, hence the “all of this will have been for nothing…” speech. *On a side note, in a dark twist of legacy, Thomas technically does get exactly what he hoped for in 1705. Through universal pardons the Bahamas Territories are restored to peaceful colonial rule. Good… right? Let that one ruminate.

2. Perceptions of Piracy So yes, pirates will never be remembered as the revolutionaries who showed the world that there is freedom in the dark. They will be remembered as violent, lawless criminals. However, this so far has ignored one key point about their legacy: everybody fucking loves pirates. Sure they’re villains, but they’re villains in the fun way that we envy. If other characters don’t get the legacy they hoped for, Jack Rackham sure does. Think for a moment about how amazing it is that 300 years after he was alive, millions of people all over the world fly his flag. Piracy has been permanently cemented in popular culture in a positive light - representing nonconformity and freedom especially to groups that perceive themselves as outsiders (ex: the queer community). So, the pirates have won after all, haven’t they? I suppose that begs the questions: what does it mean to be remembered as the monsters in the stories they tell their children, if the monsters are the most beloved part?

2. The Narrative Alright. We’ve covered historical legacies, but as we all know, first and foremost Black Sails is a prequel to Treasure Island. It’s a predetermined legacy of an entirely different kind, but actually does relate to quite a lot of the history covered. One of the main reasons we’ve come to love pirates is because of Treasure Island and other stories inspired by it. Long John Silver is one of the most famous and recognizable names in literature - contributing as much if not more to our modern conceptions of piracy as the “real” pirates. Silver struggles throughout the series with his views on legacy. His growing popularity and role as King are intoxicating, but at the same time the idea of being Known and tied down to a single identity is deeply unsettling to him. When he betrays Flint, he claims he doesn’t care if he’ll be remembered. Regardless of whether that’s true, he absolutely will be remembered. Because he’s Long John Silver. And because Flint is right: he left the proof that he mattered buried on that island, and although at the end of the book he doesn’t get the treasure, by participating in the story he leaves (whether he realizes it or not) with something else: his legacy.

Obviously there is so much more to discuss here, but for now I’ll leave it at that.

#i hope this is at least tangential to what you wanted me to talk about #i feel like a teacher getting emails about a book i assigned and i love it #black sails meta #black sails

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bring-it-all-down · 3 years

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I’d like to talk about something that I think is central to Black Sails but often gets glossed over in discussions of Silver: his relationship with the systemic violence of empire.

One thing the show does particularly well is demonstrating the ways in which the violence of empire manifests itself both within England and in England’s colonies. We see this with just about all of the main characters, and this encounter with violence informs their subsequent relationships with imperial England. While Silver’s disability would surely result in his marginalization, his encounter with marginalization differs to that of every other character.

James encounters this violence in England in the form of Alfred imprisoning Thomas and the combination of Alfred and Admiral Hennessy banishing him from the country, in light of which he chooses to become a pirate. Jack falls victim to capitalism when his family’s tailoring business is forced to close, plunging his father into alcoholism and death, and holding Jack, a child, responsible for his father’s debts. Jack then becomes a pirate as a means of escaping indentured servitude. Billy, too, becomes a pirate as a means of escaping indentured servitude (and the violence he commits as a result––killing his enslaver––that would have seen him punished had he returned to England). Likewise, Vane turns to piracy after escaping from his enslavers (though it’s unclear how Vane became enslaved to begin with). Finally, we learn that Anne becomes a pirate after Jack murdered her abusive husband to whom she was married at the age of 13. For all of these people, piracy offered freedom from violence and oppression meted out by England.

We rather deliberately never learn about SIlver’s backstory, and for purposes of this post, I’m going to avoid theorizing about it and stick to what the show tells us about him. We first meet him when he’s aboard a merchant ship that Flint’s crew attacks. Out of self-preservation to avoid being killed by the crew, he fashions a lie, killing the cook and assuming his place, in order to join the Walrus. Thus, the first act of violence he encounters and commits is a result of pirates, not England. He becomes disabled as a result of Vane’s crew, not England. His only encounter with somebody mocking his disability is when Dufresne calls him “half a man” and an “invalid” (3.07). Finally, he tells Madi that he must look strong, not for England, but because he cannot allow his fellow pirates to see him as weak. All of Silver’s encounters with violence and marginalization occur with his fellow pirates, not with any stand-in for English colonialism/empire.

At this point, I’d like to compare Silver to Miranda, as they were the two people depicted to know James the best (as Thomas never knew Captain Flint) and were the two to try and convince him to give up his fight against England. When we first meet Miranda, she is desperate to return to civilization, telling James, “there is no life here” in Nassau, but they could have “a life in Boston...There is joy there and music and peace” (1.07). Her conception of civilization differs from James’ because she was never its direct target. Though she was a woman and was aware of the danger James and Thomas were in, her class privilege insulated her from experiencing England’s violence.

This all changes for her when she and James finally make it to Charlestown and she learns of Peter Ashe’s betrayal. This realization finally spurs her to understand the systemic nature of England’s colonial violence and the reality that she and James could never re-assimilate. Her final conversation with Peter here is crucial to understanding her newfound conception of colonialism:

Miranda: All these years it never sat right with me how Alfred was able to turn the navy against James. He was far too admired by his superiors for his career to be dashed solely on hearsay. Alfred would have known that. He wouldn't have gone to them armed only with unfounded suspicions. He would have needed a witness, someone who knew Thomas and James well enough to give the accusation credibility. Alfred came to you, didn't he? Asked you to betray Thomas in exchange for which he'd see you made a king in the New World.

Peter: Perhaps this is an opportunity for us all to find a little forgiveness.

Miranda: Forgiveness? What forgiveness are you entitled to while you stand back in the shadows pushing James out in front of the world to be laid bear for the sake of the truth? Tell me, sir, when does the truth about your sins come to light?

Peter: You know nothing of my sins. Were you there when Alfred Hamilton threatened my family's standing, my daughter's future if I failed to cooperate? Were you there when I visited Thomas at the hospital to confess my sins and heard him offer his full and true forgiveness? He knew I had no choice in the matter.

Miranda: No choice?

Peter: A hard choice. Made under great duress, but with the intent to achieve the least awful outcome. You wish to return to civilization. That is what civilization is. I am so very sorry for what you have suffered and for any part I may have played in it. Please believe that. But at this point, the most important thing is what comes next, what we make of this.

Miranda: You destroyed our lives!

Peter: Miranda.

Miranda: You caused our exile!

Peter: I am sorry for what I did.

Miranda: Thomas died in a cold, dark place...

Peter: I am trying to help you. What more do you want from me?

Miranda: What do I want? I want to see this whole goddamn city, this city that you purchased with our misery, burn. I want to see you hanged on the very gallows you've used to hang men for crimes far slighter than this. I want to see that noose around your neck and I want to pull the fucking lever with my own two hands! (2.09)

Through this conversation, Miranda receives confirmation of Peter’s betrayal, and more importantly, that this betrayal is central to the existence of civilization. It’s how people like Alfred Hamilton retain power in England and how people like Peter Ashe obtain power over England’s colonies. In other words, the entire colonial project is one of betrayal, of exchanging lives for power, of the oppressor doing anything and everything to retain that power. When Miranda finally realizes how deeply personal and all-encompassing colonial violence is and reacts with righteous anger, she is murdered. Even voicing the desire to execute some aspect of justice is enough for the empire to silence her forever.

Silver, on the other hand, has no such encounter. All he knows of England’s systemic cruelty is what James and Madi describe to him second-hand. Thus, the war for liberation from empire is never his war, only Flint’s war and Madi’s war that Flint draws her into. In his final conversation with James, he tells him, “this isn’t about England,” calling the war “a fucking nightmare”, “your nightmare” (4.10). The “darkness” which he continuously ascribes to James is one born of a desire to do violence for the sake of violence. Because he has no personal experience with systemic violence, he doesn’t conceive of the war as a means to an end, but rather an end in itself; for Silver, the violence––specifically the violence of Flint, of pirates, of himself––is the point.

The show’s thesis that the fight for liberation is a deeply personal fight is one that Silver dodges. Unlike James, Vane, Jack, Billy, Anne, Max, and Madi, violence enters Silver’s life as a result of piracy, specifically as a result of meeting Flint, and thus he believes that separating himself from Flint will end that violence. At the end of it all, every other character understands that the “freedom” they won is temporary and can be potentially revoked at any time, but Silver understands it to be more permanent. He tells Madi that in ending the war, he returned James “to the world as it existed before he first closed his eyes”, ensuring her that he is “not the villain you fear I am. I’m not him” and that he will wait “forever” for her to come to this realization (4.10). His experiences with violence prevent him from understanding something that every other main character understands: that Flint was a reaction to violence and not the sole cause of it.

#black sails #john silver #james flint #I will never not be mad at Silver for thinking Madi would forgive him for robbing her of her agency #Anyway #Read some theory. Understand revolution as both a personal and a systemic movement.

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