#ed following stede around for months

[soapbubbles511]

Episode 1 takes place on June 3rd (according to Lucius' journal that was the day they raided the plant). Episode 4 takes place on September 1st. That's three months.

Ed was following the Revenge since some point before the start of episode 2. Ivan said he saw the hostages before they ran aground. In the scenes that end ep 2/begin ep 3, they were following close enough to see the Revenge (Izzy told Ed a few hundred yards).

So that means for potentially a couple months, Blackbeard's ship is just following the Revenge around. Did nobody on the Revenge notice? Did Buttons notice and just decide not to say anything? Blackbeard wasn't bothering them so he figured it was best to just let it be?

Is this why Stede survived as long as he did while being very much incompetent? Other pirates may have heard about the rich guy who ran away to be a pirate. But anyone who actually tracked him down saw Blackbeard's ship following and decided they weren't fucking with that.

#the potential timeline on this just makes it much funnier #ed following stede around for months #while stede is completely unaware he's being followed #despite ed's ship being close enough to see #idiot pirate boyfriends #ofmd #our flag means death #the revenge #edward teach #stede bonnet

[adickaboutspoons]

I object to the term "whim"

In episodes 4 and 5 of the second season, there's a lot of throwing around of the word "whim." Ed and Stede both argue that they were just a whim to the other, Stede concludes they they are both "whim-prone" and that whim-prone people shouldn't run off to China together, and Ed cites their "whim-prone"ness as a reason to take things slow as they start to rebuild their relationship.

And I know we all like to joke about U-Haul failboats in love, but they aren't whim-prone. That's not what's going on here.

The first time on the show that we hear the word "whim" is in s1e4, when Izzy says "For years, I've followed your every whim, I've managed your increasingly erratic moods, I've massaged this crew when they were worried about your judgment." But from what we see of Izzy's interactions with the crew, he's not a massager, he's a sledgehammer, and the crew respect Blackbeard a hell of a lot more than they respect Izzy. Ed's moods don't read as "erratic" at all if you pay attention to what he's responding to; he's an emotional guy, for sure, but mostly even-keeled until highly provoked. And as for "following [his] every whim," Izzy can barely follow orders as given - committing insubordination at least twice that we see; not telling Stede that it was Blackbeard that wanted to meet him in s1e3, and flat-out ignoring Ed's "we're not doing this" in s1e6 when he challenges Stede to the duel. So I don't see Izzy as a reliable narrator when he suggests Ed is "whim-prone" - it might look like that to him because he doesn't try to understand Ed on his own terms, but it is v. much a construction that Izzy is imposing on Ed; not an objective character trait Ed possesses. After all, you don't get a reputation for being "history's most brilliant tactician" if you're not, at the heart of it all, a planner.

Stede is also a planner. Mary accuses Stede of abandoning his family on a whim, but that's also inaccurate. Thanks to all the hard work @nicnacsnonsense did in her marvelous 1st season timeline video, we know that SIX MONTHS elapsed between Stede proposing with his model boat that they go to sea at the anniversary debacle and the night of Mary's apology when Stede had already committed to actually leaving. That's not a whim - that's plenty of time for serious deliberation. It LOOKED like a whim from the outside because of their disastrous communication failures, but that doesn't make it true. Unabandoning his family was not a whim either - Chauncy was the catalyst, but only because he created a high-pressure situation that validated all of the insecurities we'd seen Stede struggling with all season; guilt over abandoning his family, and his crater-bottom self-esteem that the people he loved were better off without him. Even in season 2, we see more of this long-game behavior, where Stede takes his drudge job in towels and elevates it by applying scent; a move that LOOKS whim-prone from the outside, but primes him for success when it comes time to escape, because it means he knows the guards are used to deeply inhaling the scent of the fresh towels he gives them, and is thus he is able to trick them into chloroforming themselves.

There are times in the 1st season where it might LOOK like they are being whim-prone, but for the most part, those things are mostly time-critical circumstances . The impulsive decision to go to the French Party Boat? The invitation was for that night, so it's not like another opportunity like that was just going to come along. Stede's impromptu Fuckery? He'd JUST been introduced to the concept that morning, and the ships on which he wanted to try it out were three days away. If you'll recall, Ed actually tries to talk him out of going through with it with such a short turn-around time, and likely would have succeeded if Izzy hadn't interveined to further his "Kill Stede Now" agenda. The Treasure hunt? Stede was anxiously scrabbling for ANYTHING to keep Ed's attention (AFTER he confirmed there were no oranges for sale, not even for ready money) because Ed said that his plans for the day included "planning for the next adventure" and leaving. Act of Grace? Signing away ten years of your life for a man you've known for a month IS a lot, but the alternative was letting Stede be executed. Running away together? I'll give you that China was quite the absurd swing, but they WERE in jail for all intents and purposes - no sense staying longer than absolutely necessary, and there theoretically could have been time for re-working the plan once they were just away had circumstances not arisen.

So while I think it's fair to call the boys whimsical with their love of dress-up and lovely perfumed things and theatrics and tasty sugary treats, I wouldn't say whim-prone is an accurate descriptor (and the fact that they are accepting that it is makes my heart crack wide open for them, because it's evidence that they're still both uncritically absorbing the labels applied to them by people who don't really understand them at all), nor the problem they need to address.

Their real problem is actually the exact opposite of flitting from whim to whim; that, once they've committed to something, they are all in, 100% ride-or-die. It's why Ed resigned himself to going down with the ship when it turned out he'd miscalculated the date instead of trying any evasive maneuvers with the fog to give them cover. It's why, when Stede didn't show at the docks, Ed went full pillow fort until Lucius was able to talk him around into life going on without Stede. It's why Stede threw himself into trying to be all the things he thought he'd failed to be as a husband and father when he came back to his family, and was committed to staying, even though it was making him miserable, until Mary tried to murder him.

Ultimately, the solution for both these conditions is the same - slowing down. But it's not a matter of making sure this is serious and not just a whim for either of them; it's a matter of taking the time to understand exactly what it is that you're committing to. So I object to the term "whim."

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd s2e4 #ofmd s2e5 #my modest contribution to fandom

[petrichorca]

Hello, I am slowly figuring out how to use tumblr effectively. I thought I'd give an update on fics I've written in 2024, but keep forgetting to talk about here in a meaningful way.

As We Go Hand in Hand (explicit, gentlebeard, 7100 words) follows Ed as he processes the past few months while living on the island with Stede, massively in love but struggling with himself. I wrote it while feeling a lot of delayed grief around the (confirmed) s2 cancellation, and while it's sad at points it's also quite romantic I think. I really love this story.

Behind Closed Eyes All I See is You (explicit, gentlebeard, 5300 words) is a smutty PWP my dear friend @chaoticturtleturtle invited me to write with her. Stede lets Ed take the lead in a scene with some sensory deprivation, pwp, and aftercare.

like sugar to my heart (mature, gentlebeard, 4200 words) is a silly fic I wrote for my Animorphs OFMD AU co-writer as a birthday gift. Our blue four-legged four-eyed mouthless alien Stedeth gets foiled by a vending machine (based on the tumblr art of the giraffe centaur), and Ed consoles him.

like a bird (teen, gentlebeard, 3700 words) with @ghostalservice gives some backstory about Stedeth's life prior to the events of our 177k fic and features some very cute art of Mary and Stede's children (as Andalites, of course) by @theogem

Stede’s Cursed Red Suit as a Metaphor for Grief and Moving On (teen, stede + izzy, 1717 words) explores the squishy time of season 2, episode 5, and the dynamic between Stede and Izzy in season 2 overall. I am also obsessed with how Stede acts in the cursed suit. I find their s2 relationship really interesting so this is me looking a bit at that via a missing scene starting with Stede yelling OH FUCK OFF.

Calypso’s Dawn (explicit, gentlebeard, 1800 words) centers around how Ed made his boyfriend blush the morning after Calypso's birthday and how Ed feels about it. I love this fic. I've been trying to challenge myself to write more self-contained, shorter stories and this one turned out really well imo.

Life as a Series of Forward Rolls (teen, gentlebeard, 9900 words) features Stede running into his teenhood crush, the gold medalist in men's gymnastics from the 1996 Olympics. This fic also centers around a Barbie doll in Ed Teach's likeness, which @swashbuckling-sweethearts made an INCREDIBLE art of (embedded at the end of the story), inspired by my own 1996 Olympics Barbie. Silly and light modern AU!

Did you mean to do that? (teen, gentlebeard, 700 words) explores Stede's grief around Ed dying, even when he knows Ed is alive. I had no idea I would be so interested in writing missing scenes, but long conversations with friends have really ignited me in exploring these. (The length - I was trying to channel @brigdh, whose ability to write devastatingly brilliant drabbles inspires me, and I'm pleased with this one!)

Perfectly Ordinary Tuesday (mature, gentlebeard, 4900 words) with @ferventrabbit follows Stede and Ed deciding to get married on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and drag their inn guest Dave along for the ride. We split up writing the vows, and I balled my eyes out writing mine and then reading em's. This story is fluffy and fun, and it was a great way to start 2024. :)

What's next: I'm working on or noodling a lot of projects, solo and with different collaborators. Imminently, I've got a fic with @veeagainsttheday coming for AUpril on April 1st. Hoping to get something else out in April for @ofmdjanuaury's AUpril 2024 event, which I highly encourage folks to check out - it's for all sorts of creators!

@ghostalservice and I continue to think about our blue alien Stede and his human boyfriend Ed. Wanna Fly Away was such an important project to me while we were writing, and it's become even more special as folks find it. WFA now has art embedded in most of the 15 chapters, so if you haven't seen those check it out. More to come in that space.

Where was I going with this? Well, I suppose I want to say I'm still here. OFMD changed my life, and the OFMD fandom community is deeply important to me. I still hold out hope for a third season, or a follow-up that brings us more closure, but no matter what I'm still thinking about our pirates and will for a long time. If you read this far, thanks for being part of my community. <3

#ofmd #our flag means death #gentlebeard #ofmd fanfic #my fanfic #stede bonnet #edward teach

[collinrobinsonsglasses]

Too Soft to Be a Pirate

Izzy Hands x Reader (GN)

Chapter 2: A Damned Man

Summary: Following the events of Season 1 Episode 2 of Our Flag Means Death. You've been on Blackbeard's crew for a year. You and Edward are secretly great friends. Izzy gets bested by Stede Fucking Bonnet and you try to cheer him up.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter}

{Next Chapter}

With his spyglass in hand, Izzy fixed his gaze upon the ship Ivan had spotted, now stranded on the shore. “Fucking idiots” he muttered to himself lowering the telescope from his eye. Standing on the quarterdeck, he surveyed the crew, and his eyes locked onto you. You were helping Ivan prepare the dinghy for the trip ashore.

Izzy was surprised you had lasted a year on Queen Anne’s Revenge. You proved to be a hardworking deckhand, effortlessly completing your tasks around the ship. However, what set you apart from the rest of the little shits on the crew was your respectfulness. Unlike the pirates Izzy was accustomed to leading, you never talked back, obediently followed orders and treated him with kindness. That was the problem. You were too fucking soft to be a pirate and you made the rest of the crew weak. 

Izzy had observed that during raids, Ivan always positioned himself closer to you, acting as a protective shield against the stray swipe of an enemy's sword should they get too close. You returned the favor by assisting him in collecting gold teeth from the fallen enemies. On shore leave, if the crew went out together and you drank too much, Fang would carry you on his back to the ship. You were constantly doing favors for the rest of the crew, and even Izzy himself. The crew loved you, and were protective of you. There was no room for love on a pirate ship. Even though Izzy consistently recommended dropping you off at the nearest port, Blackbeard insisted on keeping you on the crew.

Blackbeard joined Izzy on the quarterdeck, his eyes following the same direction as Izzy's — towards you. "How's our little mouse doing, Iz?" Blackbeard asked with a smug grin.

Izzy’s demeanor hardened, feeling embarrassed that he had been caught staring at you. He grimaced at the nickname he had inadvertently given you the first day he discovered you aboard the Queen Anne. Ed now used the nickname fondly whenever asking about your progress. Surprisingly, it turned out to be an appropriate nickname for you. You were quiet and quick, very challenging to catch in a swordfight. Most of the time, you were relatively gentle unless the situation demanded you to be aggressive. 

"They're doing fine, Edward," Izzy grumbled to his Captain, rolling his eyes. "I don't know why you insist on keeping them on this crew. They aren't a pirate."

"They look like a pirate to me," Edward insisted, gazing down at you, dressed in all black. "They’ve made it this long, which I think is pretty impressive."

"They’ve made it this long because you ordered me to keep them alive, Captain," Izzy shot back, glaring at Blackbeard.

"You're right, and that's a standing order, Iz," Blackbeard whispered with a smirk, inches away from Izzy. He condescendingly patted Izzy's face before giving the order, "Go get us some hostages," and then headed back to his cabin.

You watched the dinghy as Izzy, Ivan, and Fang drifted farther away from your ship toward the shore. Then you began making your way to the Captain’s quarters — a routine you were accustomed to when Izzy wasn’t on the ship or when he was attending to other matters. 

In the initial few months of your time on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, your conversations with Blackbeard were infrequent, typically happening on deck during the quiet nights when you were on watch and no one else was around. You felt at ease around him, and it was evident that he was comfortable in your presence as well. As your interactions became more frequent, he invited you to drop by his cabin whenever you had the time to talk. You kept your interactions with Ed between the two of you, recognizing that this level of kindness wasn't extended to the rest of the crew. 

You knocked before letting yourself in. "Hey, Cap," you said sweetly, then settled cross-legged on your usual chair across from Blackbeard’s desk. He lounged with his legs up on his desk, occupied with the task of sharpening his knife. 

"Whose ship is that stuck on shore?" you asked curiously. "They have like four different pirate flags, and I don’t recognize a single one. I actually like their cat flag. We should consider stealing it.”, you said with a grin. 

"You would like that flag, wouldn't you?" Edward chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I actually don't know who they are. They have English hostages though, which wouldn't be a bad profit for us."

You observed as Ed’s eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. You watched him fondly, and tried to guess the thought that was on his mind. “They have English hostages, but they also ran their ship aground?”, you asked, raising your eyebrows.  

"Pretty fucking intriguing, don't you think?" he exclaimed, excitement gleaming in his eyes. He stuck his knife sharply into his desk, leaving it standing upright, before continuing. "What kind of pirate has four different flags flying on their ship? That’s insane. It makes no sense."

You offered a nonchalant shrug, finding amusement in your Captain’s curiosity in this other ship. Over the past year, it was very rare to see Blackbeard captivated by anything. It was clear to you that the pirate lifestyle was growing stale for him. “Pretty fucking intriguing” you echoed with a smile. “I reckon that’s worth a closer look”. 

“See”, Blackbeard remarked with a grin, playfully wagging his finger at you, “This is why I like having you here. You don’t have all these irritating opinions about what a pirate should be. Pirates have no fucking imagination” he finished harshly. He got lost in thought again before mumbling “Izzy should take a page from your book.” 

“He’s just doing what he thinks is right”, you countered gently, “He’s only looking out for you and the rest of the crew... Mostly you.”

A mischievous glint appeared in your Captain's eye, a look typically reserved for moments when you stood up for Izzy. "How's it going with you and our first mate?" he mocked playfully, leaning forward in his chair. This was Edward’s favorite topic of conversation. 

After spending about six months on the Queen Anne's Revenge, against your better judgment, you found yourself harboring an undeniable crush on Izzy Hands. You were terrible at hiding your feelings, a trait that Blackbeard, Ivan, and Fang took great pleasure in teasing you about. Thankfully, Izzy seemed oblivious, likely preoccupied with the challenging task of navigating Ed’s ever-changing moods. 

After Edward discovered your feelings for his first mate, he seemed to find every excuse to force you and Izzy to spend time together. He ordered Izzy to teach you sword fighting and wouldn't accept no for an answer. While you appreciated the lessons, given that Izzy was an exceptional fighter, you couldn't shake the feeling that Ed was relishing in the chaos. You imagined these frequent lessons were only serving to increase Izzy's annoyance with your presence on the ship.

You playfully glared at Blackbeard, the lack of real anger evident in your eyes. "You're well aware of how it’s going," you muttered, "He hates me. And even if he didn't, he only has eyes for one person on this ship”. 

He rolled his eyes at your statement before playfully continuing with his teasing, “You've got weird taste in men. To be fair though, I shouldn't be surprised. The last guy you liked threw you off a ship.”

You shot him the middle finger, accompanied by a sarcastic smile. Deciding to leave before the teasing could intensify, you stood up to go. “I’m going to sneak back later to hear more about this mysterious ship stuck on the beach.” you declared. You left his cabin quickly, but popped your head back in. "I think we really should consider flying a flag with a cat on it," you suggested.

"Fuck off," he responded with a playful shake of his head.

When your three crew mates returned later that afternoon with an English hostage in their custody, you noticed Ivan with a hand over his nose, blood staining his fingers. Fang escorted the English officer into the brig, while Izzy headed straight to the Captain’s quarters. 

You rushed toward Ivan, concern painted across your face. "What happened?" you exclaimed.

"Some bastard hurled a massive rock at my nose," Ivan growled with anger.

You guided him below deck to help assess the damage. Ivan leaned his head on your lap, recounting the events of his afternoon as you cleaned the blood from his face with a rag and warm water. You listened attentively, as you always did when Ivan talked with you about his day. "Think it's broken?" Ivan asked after recounting his story.

“I don’t think so,” you replied, examining Ivan's face, “but I am not an expert in medicine or noses.” 

"That's fair," Ivan mumbled, appreciating your honesty. "I'll survive. It's not the first time I've taken a hit, and it won't be the last."

You and Ivan returned to the deck to join Fang. The three of you watched the distant ship slowly move off the beach.

“Well there go those fancy boys”, Fang huffed. 

“Shame we couldn’t murder ‘em”, Ivan grumbled, “Even a little bit of murder would’ve been nice.” 

You squeezed Ivan’s arm gently and offered him an apologetic smile.

Izzy walked up to join the three of you, eyeing the distant vessel. “Captain says follow that ship”, Izzy stated with a hint of exasperation.

“Oh, really, why?” Fang whined. 

“How should I know, the man’s half insane. Just do it”, Izzy snapped, yanking Fang’s beard closer to his face. “No one asked you to fuckin’ think”. 

“I hate it when he does that. It really hurts”, Fang complained, quickly moving away from Izzy. 

“You should say something about it”, Ivan whispered as the three of you headed to the opposite side of the ship, away from the seething first mate.

“Ah, What’s the point? I can’t believe that Blackbeard wants to meet that ponce”, Fang muttered angrily. 

“What a knob”, Ivan replied. 

You subtly smiled to yourself, fully aware of why Edward wanted to meet the man who had gotten the upper hand on his first mate. You playfully reached up to scratch Fang's beard gently, mimicking Izzy’s previous action but with a loving touch. “I’m sorry you all had a shit day”, you expressed sympathetically. 

You watched Izzy silently fume, glaring into the ocean, and cast a concerned glance his way. "What if I asked him to practice sword fighting tonight?" you suggested quietly, directing your question to Ivan and Fang.

“He might just decide to skewer you,” Ivan remarked with certainty.

"Oh very nice," you replied sarcastically, rolling your eyes. "Maybe a sword fight is just what he needs to blow off some steam. He’ll knock me on my ass like he always does and it’ll take his mind off of today". 

"It's your funeral," Fang added with a sly grin.

"Well, if Izzy turns me into a human pin cushion, I demand a burial at sea,” you joked, sealing the comment with a kiss on Fang's cheek. Then, you walked toward Izzy apprehensively. 

"Izzy, sir?" you asked in a calm tone, positioning yourself next to him against the ship's railing. His expression stiffened as he turned to face you upon hearing your voice. 

"Did those twats send you to mock me for losing to that fancy fucker at swordplay?" Izzy spat with venom in his voice. "I won't tolerate insults from a second-rate pirate like yourself, especially one who's shit with a sword."

“No,” you replied quietly. It was clear why Izzy would be defensive; you had witnessed the satisfaction Edward and the rest of the crew took in teasing him. “Considering what Ivan told me, It sounded more like an ambush, very unprofessional of them. If it was a real fight, I know you would have won”, you offered with a genuine but shy smile in response. 

For a brief moment, before catching himself, it appeared as if Izzy might return the smile. Izzy examined you curiously, attempting to figure out the game you were playing. "What do you want, then?" he asked, his tone softer than before. 

"Well, speaking of me being a second-rate pirate who's shit at swordplay… I was wondering if you'd be up for another lesson," you asked, your tone a mix of nervousness and humor.

“Fine”, Izzy responded curtly. 

As Izzy and you sparred with your swords, the scene was charged with intensity and focus. Izzy, confident and skilled, moved with precision and control. His eyes gleamed with sharpness, and every motion carried the fluidity of someone well-versed in the art of combat. In contrast, you were determined but less polished. You met Izzy’s moves with a mix of nervousness and eagerness. The rhythmic clashing of swords echoed through the air, the sound of steel on steel resonating across the ship’s deck. 

As you headed below deck to meet Ivan and Fang after the lesson, Izzy's voice called out to you, "You're improving." You felt your heart skip a beat. Turning around, you offered him a grateful smile before rushing off to join your mates.

Izzy watched you departing, a smile unintentionally forming on his face before he quickly composed himself. “Fuck,” he muttered, his thoughts circling back to what had been on his mind earlier that morning. While Izzy would never admit it, he had begun growing quite fond of your company. You seemed to possess the ability to see through people’s facades and give them what they needed in the moment. He had long understood why Ivan and Fang were so protective of you and why they treated you differently from everyone else on the crew. You could break down people’s defenses and make them feel safe. That’s why he knew he needed you off this ship as soon as possible – you were a liability.

{Next Chapter}

#izzy hands x reader #izzy hands #ofmd x reader #ofmd #Too soft to be a pirate #ofmd fanfic

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Our Flag Means Death Season 2: Exclusive First Look

Vanity Fair joins Stede, Blackbeard, and the rest of the cast on set in New Zealand for an exclusive early look at the second season, debuting on Max in October.

BY SARAH CATHERALL (AUGUST 24, 2023)

Only the fans of Our Flag Means Death can determine whether they’ll be satisfied with the show’s second season, which debuts on Max in October. But if you ask Fernando Frias, who directed three of the season’s episodes, he sounds pretty confident: “If my life depended on saying whether it’s yes or no, I would say yes.’’

It’s December 8, 2022, and the principal actors on Our Flag Means Death as well as the 800-plus extras and crew members have three days left of their three-month shoot for season two. Things are starting to get emotional. “You’ve been the most amazing crew I’ve ever worked with,” says one actor as he wraps his final scene. Frias says it’s like leaving “a long summer camp,” adding, “it’s like a family.”

Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The series created by David Jenkins was a surprise breakout hit when it debuted in the spring of 2022, building a fiercely devoted fan base with its silly yet emotional deadpan, and defiantly queer take on the adventures of real 18th-century pirates. Everyone involved in Our Flag Means Death is eager to preserve the surprises in store for season two, which kicks off with gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and softhearted bad boy Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) ruefully separated after finally realizing their love for each other at the end of season one.

It’s “going to be unexpected and surprising, but also very pleasurable and satisfying for those who like the show,” promises executive producer Garrett Basch. It “doesn’t follow the expected route,” teases Con O’Neill, who plays Blackbeard’s devoted enforcer, Izzy. All that means is we’re not at liberty to share too much about what happened on set that day, which included emotional conversations, new cast members, banter with the Kiwi crew, and some seriously killer costumes.

But these exclusive new images give a hint of what is in store. There are fresh faces—Minnie Driver will guest-star as the real-life Irish pirate Anne Bonny, and Ruibo Qian joins the cast as the mysterious merchant Susan—and a lot of New Zealand actors and locations, now that the production has decamped across the Pacific.

“The viewers will see the scope of their world has expanded based on the fact we’re able to get to these amazing locations within a short travel time,” says executive producer Antoine Douaihy. “You will notice a marked difference between the two seasons in terms of the scope and the scale.’’

Minnie Driver joins the cast this season as Anne Bonny. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

There will be plenty of familiar faces too, of course. On set that day in Kumeu, New Zealand, a rural area about 20 miles outside of Auckland, are Waititi and Darby along their fellow returning cast members O’Neill, Vico Ortiz (Jim), Kristian Nairn (Wee John), Joel Fry (Frenchie), Matthew Maher (Black Pete), Leslie Jones (Spanish Jackie), Samson Kayo (Oluwande), Ewen Bremner (Nathaniel Buttons), Samba Schutte (Roach), and more. New onboard are two Kiwi actors, Madeleine Sami (most recently of the Australian mystery-comedy Deadloch), and Samoan-born Anapela Polataivao. And there’s one returning figure impossible to miss on the soundstage: The Revenge, the stately ship that Blackbeard—a.k.a. Ed—commandeered at the end of season one. In real life it was carefully transported across the Pacific Ocean from the show’s original Los Angeles soundstages.

The Revenge is vast and impressive, much larger in real life than it appears onscreen. But it’s not the only stunning scenery in store. There are around 50 sets involved in the production of season two, including the 30-acre forest behind the Kumeu Film Studio, Piha Beach, and the wild, black-sand Bethells Beach.

Waititi, who also executive produces the series, was part of the push to film season two in his native New Zealand. “Taika is an extraordinary talent and what’s really great about him with his international success is he’s remained very committed to New Zealand and very loyal to our industry,” says Annie Murray, the CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission. “The beauty of filming in New Zealand is that you can find incredible varied locations within a very short driving distance. [And] when you get to those locations you can turn your camera in any direction.’’

Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, filming at New Zealand’s Bethells Beach. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The scope of the season is very evident back on set, as well. There’s a whole other pirate ship in addition to The Revenge, plus sets for a floating market, Stede’s cabin (empty when we visit), and the Republic of Pirates first glimpsed in season one. Behind the scenes it’s a maze of wardrobe, wig rooms, and dressing rooms. In another facility, props are stacked on shelves, ready to be taken away to storage as soon as filming wraps—vases, plates, antique furniture, and piles of mannequins replicating dead bodies which were used in one of the battle scenes.

Costume designer Gypsy Taylor joined the production this season and has designed hundreds of costumes, checking with everyone on set that day to make sure everything is in place before cameras roll. Taylor says each of the principals have six to eight looks in this season, and that every item—every leather belt, wig, bit of jewelry, even a mermaid tail—has been made by her 60-strong workshop. The costumes this season have a “Mad Max, ‘streets of New York’ feel,” says Taylor. “David Jenkins was keen to give the series a cool rock-and-roll vibe…so we had these rock-and-roll elements with an 18th-century twist.’’ As is evidenced in the image below, even Stede’s crew winds up with some unexpected new looks over the course of the season.

Wherever it is these Revenge crew members have found themselves, there’s something that surprised them. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

Two armies are part of the action in season two, all of them needing elaborate costumes—around 150 Chinese pirates and a fleet of 100 navy officers. Even the breeches are in studded black leather, and punkified. Says Taylor, “The theory behind their costumes is they would’ve stolen from other pirates…. Although our Wee John has started to become quite the seamstress, so he’s knitting this season.’’ True enough: Nairn is wearing what looks like a hand-knit sweater on set that day.

Wee John isn’t the only pirate getting into crafts. Nancy Hennah, who has managed the hair and makeup for both seasons, points to Blackbeard’s wig—made in London—and tattoos as Waititi works on set. With 14 tattoos on his right arm and 10 on the left, plus plenty of scars, he needs at least an hour in the makeup chair. “Taika wanted most of the tattoos to look like he’d done them himself,” Hennah says. “Like on slow days on the boat when there’s nothing much to do, they sit around and give each other tattoos.”

She gives a hint of a storm in one episode: “One of the hardest days here in makeup was when they were caught in a storm on the back of the boat. [The cast] were saturated for a whole day, which caused havoc with things like tattoos and hair, wigs and beards.’’

Taika Waititi as Blackbeard, who begins the season with a broken heart. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

By mid afternoon, Con O’Neill is taking a break in his trailer. He pulls his slim, leather trousered legs up to a corner seat. A candle blazes on the kitchen bench as the veteran actor talks about the physical endurance required during the shoot. “It’s been frantic,’’ he says. His signature gray hair barely moves, frozen by the team of hair stylists who arrived on set around sunrise. (All interviews with actors in this story took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike). 

Izzy “goes on a remarkable journey” this season, says O’Neill. “He understands what love is and whom he’s in love with.’’ On a series featuring a variety of joyful queer relationships—not just Stede and Blackbeard, but Black Pete and Lucius (Nathan Foad), Jim and Oluwande, and Spanish Jackie and her many husbands—Izzy’s unyieldingly straitlaced devotion makes him an odd man out. By the end of season one many fans speculated that Izzy was driven by something at the intersection of love and obsession. This season, according to O’Neill, Izzy gets even deeper into that dynamic. “Physically it’s been quite demanding, and also emotionally it’s been quite demanding to be playing a man enraged by unrequited love, who’s basically a hopeless romantic, and to be able to play all that and also remember that this is fundamentally a comedy.’’

Though the show is often warm and fuzzy when it comes to feelings—one of Stede’s mottos in season one is that when faced with challenges, “we talk it through as a crew”—Izzy represents the darker, more violent side of pirate life, which the show doesn’t shy away from either. “What I love about this show is it does allow itself to swing between the two,” O’Neill says. “We’re almost operatic in our darkness at times, and then we swing back to the sweetness of the simplicity of the love of our two guys. It’s been challenging just to get the tone right.”

“We’ve gone further this season than we did last season with those tones,” he continues. “So sometimes it’s quite interesting to remind yourself that you have to take your foot out of the tragedy—literally, your foot—and put it back into the comedy.”

With a season behind them to build the dynamics between the characters and the actors alike, on set there’s been “a lot more spontaneity and script revisions based on what’s happening day-to-day,” says Douaihy. “The cast are so comfortable with one another and their characters, that they move through it naturally.’’

Leslie Jones as Spanish Jackie and Taika Waititi as Ed a.k.a. Blackbeard. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The way O’Neill puts it, they’ve also built trust with Jenkins, their showrunner, to follow some bigger swings. “I don’t think David Jenkins is ever going to follow an expected route. I’d hate to drive in a car with him.” Thinking of the fans who will greet the series when the show returns in October, O’Neill continues, “I think they’re going to appreciate what [Jenkins] wants. Season two does stick to the original premise that we created in season one, which is take it on to other levels.’’

One character leveling up in a major way this season is Jim, the quiet badass (there are knives involved) played by the nonbinary actor and activist Vico Ortiz. “Jim really evolves in season two,” they say. “They’re a bit more chatty and a bit more conversational…. Most of the first season you see Jim in disguise, hiding, but in this one you see them a bit more [thinking,] Oh, this is my chosen family, and I feel good. There’s a bit more zaniness and a bit more softness.’’

Like O’Neill and several other castmates, Oritz had attended their share of fan events by the time season two began filming, and the entire cast and crew returned to the high seas with a strong sense that their show had taken on a life of its own. “It’s so beautiful to see that people are finding community within the fan base. It’s about creating spaces where we feel safe and seen, and it’s so great to see that so many people watch the show and feel validated in their experiences, whatever that may be,” says Ortiz. “A lot of people that watch the show are like, “Yeah, I’m a guy and it’s good to see all these dudes being vulnerable.’ We can just shake up [ideas about gender].’’

Ruibo Qian joins the cast this season as Susan, a merchant with secrets of her own. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

Basch admits the fan following surprised some of the team, “but it made a lot of sense” too. After years of television shows and movies that built up the potential of queer romance only to stop short, Basch thinks the fervor for Our Flag Means Death “says that shows in the mainstream aren’t delivering that promise or that setup, and we have. That’s really why the fans have gone wild for it.”

That promise, it’s safe to say, is kept in season two, and then some. On set that day in December, for example, there was a major romantic moment between two key characters. But we’d risk Ed Teach’s wrath if we told you any more.

Source: Vanity Fair

#rhys darby #taika waititi #minnie driver #samba schutte #kristian nairn #matthew maher #ofmd #our flag means death #vanity fair #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoiler alert

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

Ok so apparently there's a new Ed is abusive argument cropping up that's like taking us arguing that Ed's not a domestic abuser in a vacuum and arguing "but he abused his crew" as if that was the take that people were arguing with but I do actually want to address that take because it's also straight up not true either.

Like we have been repeatedly told you what business as usual for a pirate ship looks like, and it's not what Ed is doing. Stede opens the show with floggings and keelhaulings mentioned as standard practice. His crew doesn't take him seriously at least partially because he doesn't do those things. In 1.08 we get the first mention of captain Hornigold as having stabbed and beaten down Jack and Ed and having treated them worse than dogs. Episode 9 we get captain Izzy and what's the first thing he does? Threatened to withhold food for a whole week. Then we meet Hornigold who reveals that a punishment on his ship was a crab clawing through your stomach and that a standard threat was skinning a person and feeding it back to them.

And what does Ed do? Cuts off his abuser's toes. Shoots him in the leg for having the most gaslighting audacity I've ever seen. But aside from Izzy, in regards to whom I have cell block tango cued up for Ed, what did he actually do?

The first time someone expresses discontent is after the wedding raid which I think is probably towards the end of the 89 raids given that Izzy has his breakdown immediately after Ed throws them a cake party, in fact I would guess that it's raid number 88, they do raid 89 in between Izzy getting shot and Ed telling Frenchie they're never going back to land, and then Ed decides to kill himself that night. So anyway, raid 88, they've been doing this for 3 months, and Jim says "Is it just me or was the wedding thing a bit over the line?" to which Archie responds "IDK I've never really been to a wedding before so I have nothing to compare it to." as if she's just happy to be there, and then Fang says "I've never seen Blackbeard like this before," Which establishes that what we're going through right now, the 88 soon to be 89 raids are atypical of Ed's behavior, and then follows it up with "He didn't bat an eye when Ivan got killed" which establishes both why Ivan isn't around and why Fang is so sad, but also might establish that Ed would be upset with crewmembers dying, which is consistent with episode 4 when he yells at Stede that the crew dying is going to be his fault to show him what it's like being Blackbeard.

Then we have the scene where the crew defy Ed. Ed orders them to dump the treasure overboard, because it's fucking treasure. What's Ed's response? To take another one of Izzy's toes so that he looks like he cares about enforcing rules on his ship while not punishing the people actually going against him but instead punishing the guy who low key ruined his life. Then Izzy does his "you can cut off my toes but I need to know that this is a sexual thing for you too" bit and Ed doesn't take the bait until he says a Stedeism. And then he goes out to threaten everyone with a gun, which, you know. Not great but he ends it like this so

you know. something to consider.

and then he doesn't really do anything to the crew until the murder-suicide.

so his list of crimes currently is:

not really giving a fuck about Ivan dying where Fang can see it

Dismembering his abuser where people who don't have the full context can see it (not a crime just a based action that has side effects for the people who have to see it)

waving a gun around in a way that makes you wonder if he's about to shoot himself in the head

trying so so so so so so hard to get people to kill him because he's addicted to outsourcing the big job

Demanding the crew dump treasure overboard (standard practice if Zheng Yi Sao is to be believed)

Overworking the crew a little bit.

When we measure this against the stick of every non Stede pirate captain we've seen so far I think what these crimes amount to is hurting your friends in the process of hurting yourself. And that using the term abuse which calls to mind a very specific phenomenon is one of two things: Melodramatic moralizing (which is the internet's fav thing to do so you know what sure) or demonizing the brown guy in the midst of a mental health crisis.

I honestly think that outside of the murder suicide the only reason anyone had a problem with any of it was because Stede showed them what piracy could be like, that's the whole narrative point right. Stede's doing things differently, in a way that doesn't hurt everyone involved, and nobody wants to go back to the old way, because they're healing from that and Ed stopped healing because Someone told him that if he didn't there would be a fucking problem(wonder who it could have been). Like he's not even flogging anyone be serious.

#ofmd meta #ofmd #our flag means death #edward teach #blackbeard #ed teach

[canonizzyhours]

Whenever I see "fix it fics" that involve Izzy being alive (or even being a ghost) and living happily ever after with Ed and Stede at the Inn, I'm just like, "Wow! Congrats on not understanding ANY of those characters."

Ed doesn't want Izzy to come live with him and Stede. Like, I think it's completely fair (and actually very much factual in canon) to say that Ed didn't want Izzy to die. They had more or less made amends with each other prior to the final episode, and Ed did consider Izzy to be family. But Ed considering someone to be family still comes with a lot of baggage for Ed. Izzy was the other half of Blackbeard and Ed wanted to put Blackbeard completely behind him. We know that Ed was different when he was with Stede on the Revenge. We know that he was different when he had support and friendships with the crew. We know that he was different when he had Stede. We know that Ed could have been himself on the Revenge, but he still chose to be an innkeeper. He still chose to leave all that behind, and if Izzy was still alive, Ed would have chosen to leave him behind too. He wanted a clean break with Piracy. The only thing he bothered to take with him after that break was Stede - the guy who made him believe that he could be more than just Blackbeard.

And Stede also doesn't want Izzy there. Sure, they had managed to find some common ground this season, but Stede just left everything behind to be with the love of his life, the man he has been single mindedly searching for for months. He wants to spend his time with Ed. He's not going to want a third wheel. I don't care if they managed to strike up the bitchiest of friendships in the end. You don't want your bitchy friend to tag along on your honeymoon.

And of course, if Izzy had survived, he wouldn't want to be there either. Did none of these people listen to the speech he gave to Ricky? Izzy had finally figured out how to make a crew into a family. He finally figured out how to find meaning in the crew instead of just obsessively following around a reputation. Season 2 finally allowed Izzy to find a purpose for his life that wasn't Ed, so why the hell would he want to leave that new purpose to follow Ed around all over again? Izzy likes being a pirate. After everything he went through, he still sees value there. He still sees a new path towards happiness in that life. He has no reason to want to leave it.

I get people wanting a situational comedy and dropping all 3 characters into those circumstances, and I'm sure there's good, comedic fics out there that accomplish that. But to claim that this scenario would be a happy ending for any of them just seems so completely divorced from reality.

#353.

#ofmd #izzy hands #edward teach #stede bonnet #blackbonnet #steddyhands #canonizzyhours

[indestructiblelittlefuckers]

@vocesofmd (cont)

It was perhaps the first time in his life that Ed didn't feel anything at all (or wasn't that how he felt in days like these, always as if it was for the first time. some days, when he got like that, he didn't want to do anything that but stare at nothing. others, he wanted to see the world burn, just like now). It was easier that way. Not caring who died, or who lived. Just the end goal. Destroy the Navy. Not just Ricky, he wasn't enough, he knew that. Every goddamn man that represented a threat to piracy. They had all heard stories of Blackbeard, even when he was the Kraken. But they had never seen him like this.

He wondered why the crew joined him. They could see who he was, what he was about to do. Maybe they wanted revenge as much as he did, maybe they wanted to stand for something for the first time in their fucking lives. Did they regret it? Did they want to leave, to plan another mutiny? Honestly, he didn't give a fuck. There were people in his crew, that were loyal to him, seeing the world as Blackbeard did. Even if the old crew didn't see it his way, they wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it.

Stede was the only one that made Ed pause sometimes, made him Ed again. And god, sometimes he fucking hated him for it. The past was in the past and there he was, giving Ed glimpses of what once was. Of a completely different life. One that he had retired, opened an Inn, never killed again. One that... he was in it.

At first they fought a lot, Ed snapping at him, throwing things next to him. Stede holding his tongue at first until he didn't. Now they barely talked to each other. Maybe Stede didn't stay for Ed at all, not anymore. Maybe he stayed for his crew, for the life he wanted to lead. Maybe he wanted to make Ricky pay for what he did.

They hadn't been on land for months. Ed had only stayed a week at the cottage and then one day, he just left. Now, he was back at Nassau, to get supplies, to find new people that would join him — one bad thing about not caring who died at a raid, was that these people had to be replaced later. And Jim, weirdly not that angry at him as others were, had suggested that Blackbeard should recruit them. Who could say no to him?

As he was headed to a tavern that were supposed to be some fans of his work, Ed saw... him. He froze. Blinked to make the vision go away. It wasn't in his head. It was him. No, not him. Just someone that looked like him.

Ed followed him, wanting to kill that man for daring to look like him. He knocked the door — the polite man that he was — but when the other man did not open it right away, Ed shrugged and knocked it down. He pointed a gun at the man that... no, not the one thought he was, he kept telling himself.  

❝Alright, mate. 'gonna give ya a chance to save yourself. ❞ Poor guy, not knowing why he was even threatened by Blackbeard. Did he even know he was Blackbeard? He had the black paint around his eyes, the leathers, new scars on his bare arm, one across his collarbone.  But that fucker looked so much like the one that he wasn't supposed to, he even had one leg. If he was going for the look, he was certainly committed, Blackbeard had to give him that. ❝Tell me who the fuck are ya and why I shouldn't kill ya right now.❞

#vocesofmd (izzy) #vocesofmd #muse (edward) #look at him izzy he is thriving without you #jshakjhd #he doesn't even /think/ of izzy's name #''thank you for coming to the third part of the series 'how to cope with your ex husband's/friend's death''' #by edw.ard teach #(anyway I hope this okay)

[itsclydebitches]

How fucking funny would it be if post-reunion, after everyone has settled down on The Revenge and accepted their weird found family, Izzy still pulled out the “I’m resigning, Ed!” speech every few months, like a kid marching down the end of their driveway to “run away forever, I’m definitely leaving this time, Dad!” Because he’s a supremely repressed gremlin of a man who doesn’t know how to receive validation unless he’s made a dramatic production of it via this intricate ritual. So everyone just accepts that on occasion Izzy will throw a hissy fit, passive aggressively pack up the dinghy, and Ed’s gotta go down there all, “Nooo, mate, we totally need you, don’t leave, what the fuck am I gonna do without my fearsome First Mate?🙄” Really laying it on thick so Izzy can soak up enough Toxically Approved Praise to survive another couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the crew is just watching this sad production, exchanging knowing glances. They’ve TRIED to be nice to Izzy—the whole mutiny thing was so last year, dude!—but outside of The Ritual he will straight up bite off anyone’s head who so much as tries to smile at him.

“Oh, you think I’ve got a flight or bite response? Mr. Hands earned his last name for a reason, laddie,” Buttons says while staring pointedly at Lucius’ finger. That’s obviously bullshit, but Buttons likes fucking with them on occasion. It’s great fun.

Stede’s place in The Ritual varies depending on everyone’s mood. Usually, he treats it like another fuckery production, making a big ta-do about how if Izzy really insists on leaving them—and wouldn't that be terrible? Simply terrible... right, everyone?—then he must take plenty of supplies with him and a bottle of the good brandy and this warm coat because it can get quite chilly at night, don’t you know? This allows Izzy to fly into a very cathartic rage about real pirates vs. gentry twats, leading to him oh so magnanimously deciding to stick around, if only to continue saving Ed from this dithering fool. Sometimes though Izzy has legit pissed Stede off, just like in the old days, and the crew has to run damage control to keep another duel from starting, Izzy having entirely forgotten his desire to leave under the allure of skewering Stede. That too is cathartic, but Ed tends to get tetchy when Stede stabs or is stabbed by anyone other than him.

Every once in a while Izzy will dig his heels in and actually launch the dinghy, heading towards… nothing, because we’re nowhere near land, you idiot, are we really doing this today? So the crew has got to drop everything else they’ve got going on and just… follow him. Izzy spends a couple hours angrily trying to out-row a top of the line ship while the others watch from the deck, occasionally yelling out corrections to his form: “Keep your shoulders steady—you’ll get farther away if you improve your posture.” “I know that!” They let him wear himself out and then tow him in for dinner.

One time Lucius and Pete are ~distracted~ while on the night watch and Izzy is actually able to slip away unnoticed. He's so pissed about it that he leaves in a true huff, that anger taking him all the way to the Republic. Two days later Buttons gets a seagull from Spanish Jackie basically saying that their wayward First Mate is stinking up her bar, you’d better pick him up before I kill a bitch. Ed and Stede arrive like fussy dads whose darling sent the playdate into turmoil; come along, Israel, that’s enough fun for one weekend.

Sometimes Jim is already hiding in the dinghy when Izzy tries to “escape” and the two of them spend a day talking shit, The Revenge floating nearby. Sometimes other pirates will find Izzy in random places and sternly steer him back towards the ship: “Do your parents Captains know you’re out here?” Once Izzy made the mistake of loading his get-away bag with half the strawberries put aside for a new cake and Roach very nearly took a limb in vengeance. Frenchie has a couple tunes that he only plays during The Ritual, to set the mood and all. Lucius has immortalized a number of the attempts in sketch form and slips them underneath Izzy’s door when he’s sure he’s not there to retaliate.

Years later, when all the crew have a lot more gray in their hair, Izzy flips them off and starts packing his things, same old, same old. Ed sidles up to Pete on the quarterdeck, sighing down at the display.

“Can you believe he’s still doing this?” he asks, shaking his head. “I thought he got it out of his system back on the Queen Anne.”

“Remember that time the rope broke and he lost us that dinghy?”

“Ha! I was ready to flog the bastard.”

And that’s how the crew learns that yes, Black Pete really did serve under Blackbeard holy shit.

#OFMD #Our Flag Means Death #Izzy #Izzy Hands #OFMD Fic

[ritalacochona]

So I watched The Other Woman (2014), and it is not a good movie, but it gave me an idea for a light-hearted Steddyhands AU I might start writing:

Izzy has been dating Jack for 6 months. He had known Jack in college. Had followed around Ed and Jack. They were stars even back then. Izzy never felt like he fit in with these tall, handsome athletes. Izzy was small, hard working, studious and sullen. Back then Izzy only had eyes for Edward. Not that he ever let Ed see it. Even if Jack could.

When Jack walked into his law firm 6 months ago Izzy was brought right back to his college days. Devilish and more handsome than ever, they fell in to bed together immediately. Izzy had grown a lot since college, yet he was still swept up by the feeling of being the nerdy kid who captured the quarterbacks attention. Izzy was lost on him so fast. He didn't do relationships, yet here he was holding hands with Jack at a work function. He didn't do love, and yet he felt a deep well of affection boardering on something more.

Stede had met Jack 10 years ago. Freshly divorced and out of the closet, he couldn't believe his luck when Jack approached him at Spanish Jackie's. He was so grateful when a one night stand became 1 and then 2 years. When Stede's dad died Jack was there for him. Being his presence at a company he had never wanted to inherit. Jack had proposed. They had gotten married in the bahamas. Louis in a blue bowtie, Alma with chrysanthemums in her hair.

Ed hadnt seen Jack since college. He was a musician travelling around the world trying to find himself. Running into Jack at that fundraiser had been like, meeting his old self again. He had always rejected Jack's advances in the past. Jack had matured, had tempered that fun enthusiasm into success and it looked good on him. Ed had always liked fine things, Jack had developed taste in the last years if the gifts were any indication.

When Lucius suggested surprising Jack after their fight, Izzy had ignored his gut feeling. He wanted to have fun, to relax his shoulders and live a little. Coming face to face with Stede Bonnet-Rackham had not been part of his plan.

#ofmd #izzy hands #our flag means death #fanfiction idea #is this anything? #edward teach ofmd #edward teach #stede bonnet #calico jack #steddyhands #stizzy #edizzy #Calico Jack x Stede #Calico Jack x Ed #Calico Jack x Izzy Hands

[crowleychild]

Stede sees Ed's "Trust no one" tattoo

When Ed nodded, Stede got lost. He got lost into his sweet brown eyes, into his touch, into his lips, those he had dreamed of kissing for so long.

The months they were apart, Stede knows they weren't kind to Ed, and now he only wants to love him in every way he knows to assure Edward that he was loved, he is loved, and that that wouldn't dessapear in an instant. To assure him that he means it.

Carefully, he started kissing Ed's neck, always waiting a bit in case he wanted to stop him, but he just let out a shaky breath of surprise and pleasure. While being kissed, Edward himself started untying Stede's shirt, to get rid of it. Any piece of clothing was far to much for him.

Predicting his intentions, Stede moaned on his neck and got rid of the shirt roughly, so he could continue with what he was doing. Slowly, he began to move both of them across his quarters, heading towards the bed. With a heavy groan, they both fell over it, Ed below Stede. Gazing into eachothers eyes, amazed and full with love, they kissed in the mouth, slower this time. Enjoying it. Stede put his hand on Ed's cheek, and, with a smile, he got up. Ed let out an angry grumble, wanting the blonde over him again, following his body until he was sitting on the bed, but Stede put a hand on his chest for stopping him. Then, he just closed the courtains to give them more privacy. Ed could only look at him with calm, waiting. He knew what was about to happen and he wanted Stede, all of him.

Again by his side, it was Ed's turn to make the first move. He kissed the blond eagerly, while his hands went all over Stede's torso. He then moved his lips towards his chest, kissing his shoulders, and he couldn't resist to kiss the burn scar from before. Stede let out a shaky breath, and Ed look at him. Stede nodded and Edward started to kiss the hell out of his chest, no longer refraining himself. Both of them gasped, already really excited between their legs.

-Ed - Stede managed to say- Your shirt. Out.

With no question and in no time, the shirt was on the floor and while Ed explored Stede's collar bone, he began to touch Edward's abs and chest. He wanted to feel it all, to feel conected to him, to have him right now.

Since things where already hot, Stede felt comfortable turning Ed around and almost jumping over him. He was starting to loosen Ed's pants when something caught his attention on his back.

A huge tattoo, all over his lower back. A huge skull with the words "Trust no one" written just below it.

Ed, meanwhile, was feeling impatient by the lack of kisses or some touch on his back. He let out an angry groan again, while trying to recover his breath. Only when Stede talked, he froze.

-Oh Ed... - he whispered.

"Fuck" he thought "the tattoo". Inmediately, he turned around to face Stede, who stepped aside to face him as well. They looked into eachothers eyes, waiting for one of them to say something.

-I am so sorry Ed- the blond speaked- I hurted you pretty bad.

-Yeah- he responded, whispering- but you are here, now. Please, forget about it for now. I don't want to think about those days...

His voice broke, and Stede kissed his cheeks, mouth, eyes and forehead, gently.

-I'll never leave again. Promise- it was all he could say. He couldn't make those terrible months disappear, he couldn't pretend like he hadn't left, but he was here and he wanted to fix things. He was ready for whatever happen.

-Promise- he repeated.

Soon he was over Ed again, kissing him non stop. When he turned him around again, he trailed kisses all over his back, lovingly.

-I'll never leave you, Ed

They made love that night, slow and gently, and then they both laid down, cathing their breaths. Ed hugged Stede and buried his face on his neck. Stede kissed him on his head and they fall asleep. Ed trusted Stede, Stede trusted Ed an that's all that mattered.

#our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofms s2 fanfic #ed x stede #gentlebeard fanfic #crowleychild fanfic #angst with comfort #gentlebeard #trust no one tattoo #ed's tattoo #edward x stede #ofmd stede #ofmd ed teach

[adzeisval]

Safety Net

Happy Whumptober everybody!

A quick note, for the OFMD whumptober fics , all were written before season two comes out, but there might be some correct guesses for things that happen. There may be on that's season two specific later in the month and I'll let you know which one. On to the whump!

Izzy narrowed his eyes and frowned at the sight of Stede Bonnet rowing back to the Revenge alone. Exactly three hours ago Edward had been captured by pirate hunters and taken to a small abandoned fortress on an equally abandoned island. 

Pirate hunters were annoying but they usually had a price and Bonnet had gone to the negotiation willing to give anything to them for Ed’s safe return. In fact Bonnet had taken an obscene amount of loot which Izzy could make out in the bottom of the dinghy as it got closer. Not enough loot apparently. Maybe someone had already made another offer to buy Ed. They would figure it out, everyone had their price. 

Bonnet and Fang hopped back on the Revenge.

“We need to talk, Izzy,” Stede said and Izzy followed the man to the Captain’s cabin without a word. 

“How much do the bastards want, and did they let you see Ed?”

“He’s alright, they let me see him briefly. And they named a price, and if they don’t get it they are going to sell Ed to the English.” 

“We can’t let that happen the fucking English will hang him,” Izzy said. 

“I know.” 

“So? What do they want?” 

“You. They want you Izzy. Their leader Higgins, you killed his father apparently. And maimed his brother.”

Izzy shrugged, “Probably did.” 

Bonnet was looking at Izzy strangely and Izzy couldn’t figure out what he was missing. Should be an easy set up, get Ed back then rescue Izzy and slaughter all the pirate hunters. 

“What are you not telling me?” 

“Well. Higgins expects a trap, and he doesn’t believe I have the guts to do what he asks…” 

“Which is?” Izzy was starting to get very annoyed. 

“He wants me to kill you and bring him the body,” Bonnet said. 

Izzy froze. He looked carefully at Bonnet, the man appeared to be unarmed and there was no one else in the cabin. Izzy was armed and Bonnet knew that. He wouldn’t blame Bonnet for killing him to save Ed, but it didn’t look like Bonnet was willing to make a move. 

“I’m not doing it myself,” Izzy snarled.

“I’m not sure we have to kill you at all, just make it look like you’re dead,” Bonnet said. 

“He might not fall for it.” 

“I think we can make it look convincing, but it will be risky,” Bonnet said. Before Izzy could ask Bonnet to stop beating around the fucking bush and tell him what the fuck was going on Roach entered the cabin. 

“Captain?” 

“Ah good Roach,” Bonnet said. 

Now it was two against one and Izzy still didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t like it.

“We need to make Izzy look as dead as possible without actually killing him. We can do make up of course but is there any way we can slow his breathing or something to make it look like he’s dead?”

“I…actually do think I have something like that,” Roach said. 

Of course. No matter what off the wall crazy plan Bonnet had they would somehow have exactly what they needed. 

“So here’s the plan. We make Izzy look dead, take his body to trade for Edward. Once we can get Edward away we grab him and Izzy and go.” 

“We’ll have to be careful, I won’t be able to wake Izzy up in an instant.” 

Izzy swallowed. He was going to be helpless. He was going to be unconscious and unable to fight or defend himself. He was going to have to trust that Roach knew what he was doing and didn’t overdose him on whatever it was. He was going to have to trust that they weren’t going to just overdose him on purpose, kill him, but make it easy on everyone by making Izzy believe he was going to wake up. They knew him well enough to know he’d give his life for Edward. They could even make it look like an accident. Every survival instinct that Izzy had was screaming at him that this was a bad idea, that he shouldn’t trust Bonnet and Roach. 

But…

Edward was in danger, they needed to get him back. And Izzy had been on the Revenge for years now and no one had tried to kill him. Roach had treated Izzy’s wounds and illnesses several times without killing him or hurting him. He was safe on the Revenge and had been for years. 

“So what do you say Izzy? Are you in?” 

“Yes,” Izzy said. 

“Right, we’d better get going, meetings in two hours.” 

“Fuck,” Izzy cursed under his breath then turned to Roach, “Can you explain to me what exactly you’re going to do to me?” 

“Follow me to the galley, we’ll get you ready,” Roach said. Izzy nodded and followed and thought he was completely insane. 

“How safe is this?” Izzy asked as Roach gathered herbs and ingredients. 

“I’ll take good care of you.” 

“I know you will Roach you always have, but…I’m nervous and I’d like details please. How do you know this will work? And how much to use?”

“It can make surgery easier, slow bleeding enough to save someone. It’ll slow your heart, your breathing will get shallow. It’ll be hard to notice that you’re breathing, if someone tries to check your pulse quickly they won’t feel anything.”

“It’s not dangerous?”

“It can be. Too much will kill you. But I won’t let you leave this ship without making sure you’re stable. I’ll have the antidote with me. You might feel a bit hungover for a bit after but that’s all.” 

Izzy nodded. He was still nervous. Roach knew what he was doing but there was still a risk. And then there was the chance that something would happen during the exchange. What if Higgins decided to shoot Izzy in the head to make sure? 

Bonnet and Jim came into the galley and Izzy tried to not look as nervous as he felt. 

“Don’t worry I’ll stab anyone who tries to hurt you,” Jim said. 

“I’d appreciate that,” Izzy said. 

“We won’t let anyone hurt you Izzy,” Bonnet said, “Now I’m going to make it look like you got shot in the chest. I’ll have you change into a white shirt so they can see the blood.” 

“Alright,” Izzy said, “Make sure to put a little blood by my lips.” He couldn’t believe he was going along with this insanity, “Do you have a plan to signal to Edward that this is fake?” 

“Yes. I figure Higgins doesn’t know about your prosthetic leg so I’m going to make it look like I chopped that off too. Ed will know the truth.” 

“You are fucking nuts, I’m fucking nuts,” Izzy said putting his head in his hands for a few moments. 

“Are you up to this Izzy?” Bonnet asked. 

“Yes, I can do this.” 

Izzy changed into a bloody white shirt and an old pair of leather pants and let Stede, Frenchie, and Wee John do the make up. He sat on the edge of a cot. Stede Frenchie and Wee John left to get ready. 

“Alright, ready Izzy?” Roach asked, handing Izzy a cup.

“Not really,” Izzy said but tipped the cup into his mouth and swallowed the foul tasting liquid in one go. He laid down on the cot and waited. 

“You’re going to feel sleepy and maybe a little dizzy. Let me know if you feel anything odd.” 

At first Izzy felt nothing and he wondered if it wasn’t going to work. Then he felt suddenly weak and very dizzy. 

“Oh…” 

“You’re alright Izzy,” Roach said. 

Izzy tried to let it happen, he was just falling asleep, but he also had the urge to fight it. He had the fear that it was killing him, that once he was asleep he wouldn’t wake up. Izzy had been close to death before and it felt a lot like this. 

Izzy started to cry. 

“You’re alright Izzy,” Roach repeated, “You don’t have to fight it.” 

“Sorry,” Izzy said. It felt wrong. It felt like he was dying. He didn’t know if he was going to wake up. 

“We’ve got you Izzy,” Jim said, taking his hand.

Izzy’s brain spiraled into anxiety. He was dying. They were lying to him. They were killing him. But then Jim squeezed his hand and Roach took his other hand. 

“We’re not going to let anyone hurt you Izzy,” Jim said. 

They weren’t killing him. They would take care of him. Izzy trusted the crew; he trusted Jim and Roach. They had to save Edward. Izzy let himself slip away and trusted that he was going to wake again. 

***** 

Stede walked back into the galley and stopped short. Izzy was lying on the cot, completely still and bloody. Jim was kneeling by the cot and holding Izzy’s hand. It was clear Izzy had been crying. Roach was checking for a pulse. Stede felt a little ill. Did…did it not work? Had his plan gotten Izzy killed?

“Roach?” Stede asked. 

“He’s stable, he’s doing well.” 

“If he was dead I would have knifed you the second you came in,” Jim said. 

“Jim, can you help me turn him on his side,” Roach said. Jim did so without letting go of Izzy’s hand. Stede knew that Izzy had been nervous but the fact that Izzy was nervous enough to cry and hold Jim’s hand made him sad. 

“Was he scared?”

“Very,” Jim said.

“We won’t let him down, and on that note, we need to keep him on his side like this as much as possible. With how shallow and slow he’s breathing if he’s on his back too long he might stop breathing,” Roach said, “We should get going, I’d like to bring him out of this as soon as possible.” 

“We’re ready to go,” Stede said. 

They wrapped Izzy in a piece of sail and carried him carefully to the dinghy. Stede was a little nervous about the whole thing; but he had the best people with him. Jim wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Izzy. Roach was there to help. Stede was nervous about how Ed was going to react. Hopefully he would see through the fuckery and know that Izzy was alive, that Stede would never hurt Izzy. 

Higgins was waiting for them in the courtyard of the old fort. He saw Roach and Jim and the sail they were carrying and he smiled. 

Roach and Jim dropped Izzy as carefully as they could opening the sail to make sure Izzy fell on his side. 

Higgins laughed, “Holy shit. You actually fucking did it.” Higgins took a step forward. 

“None of that,” Stede said, “You release Blackbeard to me and we leave you the corpse.” 

Higgins looked again at Izzy, “I’m going to have my surgeon check him.” 

“Very well,” Stede said and hoped that Roach’s potion did the trick. The surgeon came forward and kicked Izzy onto his back before kneeling. Jim was pretending not to care but Stede knew them well enough to know Jim was second from reaching for a knife. 

The surgeon knelt and put both his hands on Izzy’s neck to check for a pulse. 

“He’s dead,” the man announced and stepped back beside Higgins. 

“Bring him out!” Higgins yelled. 

Stede tried not to look over at Izzy. Izzy was supposed to be dead so it shouldn’t matter what position the body was in. But of course Izzy wasn’t dead and he shouldn’t be on his back. They couldn’t move him until they safely had Ed. Stede hoped that Izzy was still able to breathe. 

Two men dragged Ed out. Ed looked alright, more bored than anything, he was still tied up. Until he saw Izzy. Then he gasped. 

“Ha! Didn’t think he’d do it, did you Blackbeard.” 

Ed looked betrayed and looked at Stede who wished he could tell Ed that Izzy was alright. That it was all a fuckery. 

“Even cut his fucking leg off, what didn’t think shooting him in the chest was showy enough Bonnet?,” Higgins said. 

“Something like that,” Stede said. 

Ed blinked and looked at Izzy’s leg. He looked at Roach and Jim and for just a split second there was a quirk of a smile on Ed’s lips. 

“What did you do?” Ed asked. 

“Saved you,” Stede said. 

Higgins laughed but didn’t make a move to release Ed. Stede glanced over at Izzy and hoped that he was alright. 

“Well are you going to return him and hold up your end of the bargain Higgins. I’ve given you your corpse.” 

“In a hurry are you?” Higgins asked. 

“Yes. I’d rather get going,” Stede said. 

“You know what Captain Bonnet?” 

“I’m losing patience with you Higgins,” Stede said. 

“I know that you and Blackbeard are insane and I know for a fact that Izzy Hands lost his left leg years ago. He’s not dead. Not yet. I’ll see to that later then sell you all.” 

The fight didn’t last long, Higgins and his men were much more competent than Stede had made out. In a matter of minutes he and the others were tossed in a cell beneath the old fort.

Stede took stock, none of them were badly wounded in the fight and Ed looked alright. 

“Fuck,” Roach cursed as he knelt by Izzy’s body. Stede’s blood ran cold. Had Izzy stopped breathing? Was he truly gone?

“What’s going on?” Ed asked. 

“I gave Izzy some herbs to make it seem like he was dead. I brought the antidote to bring him out, but the bottle broke,” Roach said. 

“Is he going to die?” Ed asked. 

“Probably not, but I’d rather get him out of this sooner, he’ll come out on his own, but it’ll be harder on him,” Roach said. 

“I’m sorry love, I thought Higgins was an idiot, I thought he’d buy Izzy being dead,” Stede said. 

“I thought he was an idiot too,” Ed said with a sigh, “Who did you leave in charge back at the ship?” 

“Oluwande,” Stede said. 

“Oh good. He’ll be coming up with a rescue plan when he realizes things have gone wrong,” Ed said. 

Stede knew it was true. There was no way that Olu would leave without rescuing Jim and the others as well. Stede still felt horrible for fucking everything up and getting them all captured and putting Izzy in greater danger. 

Ed was staring at Izzy, “Fuck, he really does look dead, you did a good job there.” 

“It was disturbing to come in and see him like that,” Stede said. 

“Was hard watching him go under too,” Jim said, “He fought it for a bit.” 

“We won’t let him down,” Stede said, “How long before he wakes up?”

“Another hour maybe,” Roach said. 

They group sat in silence for a while. Stede tried to remain hopeful and ignore the nagging anxiety in his gut. He was the most nervous about the Izzy situation. While Roach seemed calm it didn’t escape Stede’s notice that he was checking Izzy’s vitals more and more frequently. 

At last Stede couldn’t keep silent, “Roach?”

Roach sighed, “His pulse is a little irregular, but he’s hanging in there.” 

“Is there anything we can do?” Ed asked. 

“Maybe,” Roach said, “Holding him might help. Someone who taught me swore by it.” 

Ed moved quickly to scoop Izzy up in his arms, “It’s alright Izzy, we’re all with you. I’ve got you, just stay with us mate.” 

Minutes ticked by slower than hours as they waited for Izzy to come out of his stupor. Ed spoke to Izzy often, urging him to wake up and telling him it was alright. Ed was pleading with Izzy to wake when Izzy suddenly jerked in his arms. 

“Izzy?”

Stede could hear the panic in Ed’s voice. 

Roach moved in to check on the situation and Stede thought he might be sick. Please. Please let Izzy be alright. 

“You can do it Izzy, come back,” Ed pleaded. 

A moment later Izzy gasped and coughed. 

“That’s it Iz, just breathe mate, we’ve got you,” Ed said. 

Stede sighed in relief. He hadn’t gotten Izzy killed, at least not yet. 

*****

Izzy’s head was pounding and his throat was parched and he wished he was back on the Revenge. Things had gone wrong but at least he hadn’t been killed. 

“I’m sorry Izzy,” Stede said. 

“It’s alright,” Izzy shrugged. He knew that the rest of the crew would be coming to their rescue soon enough. Oluwande wouldn’t leave Jim. 

Izzy was still going to have to rely on everyone else to keep him protected, he didn’t have his prosthetic so he couldn’t even stand on his own much less fight. He didn’t like being so helpless even if he did trust the others to protect him. 

When rescue came it was chaos and somehow Izzy ended up being carried by Ed out of the prison cell. Izzy’s head was still pounding and everything was too loud and too much and his brain couldn’t process what was going on. 

They made it back to the ship. 

“Alright Izzy?” Ed asked after setting him down on deck. 

“Head hurts,” he said, “Thirsty.” 

“Alright I’ll get you something to drink and get your prosthetic, then we can get you cleaned up.” 

“Thanks Ed.” 

Stede sat down beside Izzy, “I am really sorry Izzy.” 

“It’s alright Stede, it really is. It all worked out and you kept your word and kept me safe.” 

“Thank you Izzy for being willing to trust us to protect you. That was very brave.” 

Izzy snorted, “Thanks.” 

Ed came back with the prosthetic and then lead Izzy into the galley were Roach had drinks and snacks. Izzy was feeling better already.

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #safety net #ofmd #fic #izzy hands #stede bonnet #edward teach #whump

[wittywallflower]

Steddyhand modern AU where they oops themselves into a throuple.

Ed and Izzy are roommates who run a business together. They are kind of an on-again-off-again, open-ish polyam sorta-couple that has never once had even a second of healthy communication about their relationship in the twenty years they’ve known each other. 

Izzy meets Stede first because he actually attends the meetings for the local business owners association or whatever. Technically Stede should be competition but Izzy quickly decides he is an idiot and will probably go under soon. He’s weird as hell though, Ed would love that. 

Ed does love that. He is delighted by the crazy shit he hears about the new guy and wants to meet him. The two hit it off because of course they do. That wouldn’t even bother Izzy all that much except between their flirting and their dumb dates, Ed and Stede want to talk about cooperative business ventures. And the business, that’s Ed and Izzy’s thing. They’ve worked hard to build it, together, and Izzy works hard still to protect it. he doesnt want to risk it on some crazy scheme these two come up with just because Ed is bored. So yeah he hates Bonnet, but its not romantic jealousy (or is it?)

The tension between Stede and Izzy comes to a head one evening when they are both drunk and still seething over an argument they had earlier in the day. Drinking turns to shouting. Shouting turns to shoving. Only a couple punches are thrown but there;s a lot of undignified scuffling around on the floor. 

Izzy isn’t really sure later when wanting to rip Stede’s head off had turned into yanking that golden hair to pull him closer. Or who hungrily took whose lips first. He remembers a soft handkerchief cleaning his bloody nose on the short trip to the bedroom, remembers checking Stede’s split lip to assess if it could withstand further kissing. He doesnt remember how Edward inserted himself into the situation, but he does recall the man giggling as they tried to arrange the three of them on the bed and he nearly fell off the mattress. 

He remembers everything after that too. Every touch, every kiss, every gasp and moan and sigh. The shock of twenty fingertips softly exploring him was a sensation burned into his brain forever now. He remembered it all. And he didn’t regret a second of it, even if it would be easier to. 

No one says anything about it because thats just how Ed and Izzy are (emotionally incompetent) and Stede like just came out two months ago. He hasn’t dated since university and he’s certainly never had a threesome. He is completely unequipped to handle all this. So he just follows their lead.

So things mostly go on as normal with Stede and Ed spending time together and Izzy’s often around when they do. But Stede is a sweetheart, and a gentleman, and he also cannot stop thinking about how enjoyable that night was. It seems rude to not express that, but one doesn’t just say “thanks for that phenomenal sex”, do they? How does one, err, request a repeat?

Stede spots a gift he thinks Izzy might like and gives it to him. A short while later he notices the bag Izzy carries is nearly falling apart and replaces it with a nice satchel. Black leather, very cool, very much Izzy’s aesthetic, very much designer label and expensive as hell. 

Stede has to cancel a date with Ed one night, but orders an absolutely ludicrous amount of takeout delivered to their place anyway. A lot of it is Izzy’s favorites. 

Then there’s the concert tickets. He and Ed had given up hope of affording even nosebleed seats as soon as the tour had been announced, but Stede gets VIP, backstage passes, the works for all of them. Stede doesnt even like the band!

Izzy can’t take it anymore and has to ask Stede what the fuck. Why the gifts and the gestures and all this stuff? Is it just to butter Izzy up so he’ll agree to whatever dumb business idea the other two have? 

“I didn’t think I needed a reason to do nice things for my boyfriend!”

“...boyfriend?” Izzy asks, just utterly shocked. He’s echoed by Ed, who sounds less surprised and more… considering.

“Um. Yes?” Stede, to his credit, does immediately read the room and start to realize he may have misstepped. 

Izzy can’t even speak. 

“Are you.. is it wrong to call you that? I just thought.. i mean, after that night..” Stede blushes fiercely. “I call Ed my boyfriend, after all, and i care about you just as much as I do him…

Stede trails off with both men staring at him. 

Finally Ed chuckles. Izzy turns to scowl at him. 

“What? Don’t look at me, mate. I thought you two already had a totally different arrangement sorted out. I didn’t say anything about it because I figured you’d be embarrassed about having a sugar daddy.”

#steddyhands #this was literally just supposed to be Ed's sugar dadd tease and it turned into a fucking novel #omfd modern au #idk why but i rly want Izzy as a sugar baby and so damn mad about it because Stede didnt work for his money or struggle like izzy did #he wants to hate the nice things stede gives him but he also wants to own them to prove he is just as good as the rich fucks #just as deserving. #but he wouldnt seek them for himself because being happy feels like hedonism to izzy hands #and he knows he doesnt need Stede to survive. stede doesnt pay his bills or settle his debts. so he's conflicted about accepting it on a lot #of levels. but... he LIKES it. #Meanwhile Stede Bonnet who has never looked at a price tag in his life because the cost has never been beyond his means #is barely even aware of the term 'sugar daddy' and walking around thinking #'my smol angry boyfriend is such a cutie'

[sonnet57]

Hear me out: Izzy with extreme religious guilt, especially in terms of wanting.

When he became a pirate, that was his first instance of wanting. He felt powerful. He felt free. He felt selfish because he didn’t do it for others. He did it for him.

“Thou shalt not covet.” So he doesn’t keep the things he loots. He puts them back in the stores to be traded, gives them to Ed. He keeps nothing but the clothes on his back, the rapier at his side.

When they leave Hornigold’s ship, when Ed is captain, when they’re grown, Ed starts to give him things. The ring on his cravat, a hoop for his ear, an ‘x’ under his eye. Ed’s thumb runs rough over the tattoo. Izzy wants to be kissed, to kiss, to hold, wants that sharp pain always, as a reminder that he is wanted, but that he cannot want.

“Thou shalt not covet, Israel,” he remembers, “thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

He kneels before the altar of Edward Teach anyway. He does not want, but it’s a near thing.

Then there’s Stede Bonnet. Good thing there is no commandment saying thou shalt not hate. Because Izzy hates. And he finds himself wanting. Wanting to leave this forsaken ship. Wanting Edward’s attention returned to him. Wants Stede Bonnet dead.

In the third instance of Izzy Hands wanting, he tracks down Calico Jack, has him do the dirty work. He sells his soul to the English, barters Ed’s safety.

It almost goes to plan. He almost gets what he wanted.

Ed is gone, and then he’s back. Stede Bonnet is nowhere to be found but Edward is changed.

Izzy wants Blackbeard back. So he pushes. He yells, gnashes and grits his teeth, grips tight to forsaken books and makes Ed see. They are better than this. They want more than this.

With Ed’s hand around his throat, he wonders if Ed remembers giving him the ring that sits just under his skin.

He wants him to remember.

“Thou shalt not covet,” Izzy thinks as he limps across the deck, cane tight in his hand, balance offset by the loss of a toe.

He got what he wanted, and then some.

*

Everything is a whirlwind when Stede returns. The crew is reunited and Ed is pulled back from the dangerous ledge he’s toeing. The ledge Izzy pushed him to.

He spends moments outside the door to the captains’ quarters, listening to the hushed voices of the men inside, listens to Stede Bonnet do what he never could: put Ed back together.

Izzy pretends not to want as he walks away.

*

Months pass. Ed is comfortable again, pulling Izzy close to his side as before. They haven’t spoken about it, but by the way Bonnet looks at him, the one man who should hate Izzy more than anything, he can tell all is forgiven.

Eventually, it’s Stede who figures it all out, follows Izzy with his eyes, catch him looking both Ed’s way and his.

The night is quiet and balmy when Stede approaches him.

“Thank you,” he says carefully, placing a hand on Izzy’s shoulder. His skin alights.

“For what?”

“For keeping him alive.”

Izzy scoffs. “I didn’t. The man can be a pit of spite and rage. He kept himself alive.”

Stede laughs, “That’s a fair assessment. Could I share some wisdom with you, Israel? I feel I’ve come to know you a bit better through speaking with Ed.”

“Could never stop you before. Go ahead.” Izzy finds himself curious what this man could tell him about himself. Finds himself leaning into the hand on his shoulder.

Which is clearly the invitation needed for Stede to reach up to his face, draw his eyes. “It is not a sin, not out here, to want. Tell me, what do you want, Israel?”

“I want… I want…” and it all comes flowing forth. He wants Edward, he wants the praise, the recognition, the glory. He wants the man in any way he’d allow, wants Stede in a way he never thought possible. He wants this, right here in this moment, to not only be heard but listened to, held like something meaningful, to be seen.

Stede waits, listens, and smiles. He takes Izzy by the hand and says, “That is exactly what we hoped for.”

Izzy is led to the captains’ quarters.

He never comes up wanting again.

#this… got a little out of hand #corry writes #steddy hands #izzy hands #our flag means death #ofmd

[kookaburra-laugh]

I read that in 2022 - OFMD Edition

2022 brought a new fandom to fall into, and fall i did. on this second day of 2023 i bring recs for our favorite gay disaster pirates

the knife and the throat by darcylindbergh @forpiratereasons rated E | 35k+ words (ongoing)

Red sky at morning, sailor's warning.

Blackbeard hadn’t been lying when he'd said he didn’t feel fear. Fear was about having something to lose, and Blackbeard always wins.

Turning Tides by Fyre @amuseoffyre rated M | 81k words

My speculative S2 of Our Flag Means Death. Featuring everyone :)

the undersell of the century. perfectly captures the vibe of the show. season 2 while we wait for season 2

Storm Surge by Fyre @amuseoffyre rated M | 62k words

A speculative S3 of Our Flag Means Death, following on directly from the events of Turning Tides, my speculative S2.

kept me on the seat of my chair the whole way though. what an amazing follow up

inhale (exhale) by the_moonmoth @themoonmothwrites rated E | 898 words

"You've seriously never?" he asks, subtly guiding Stede back towards his bed.

"Well it's not exactly the kind of thing respectable people get up to," Stede explains, abashed.

"Not exactly respectable anymore, are you?"

The Art of Buggery by summerofspock @summerofspock rated E | 1k words

“Just fucking–” Ed wriggles around on the small mattress in the captain’s quarters and tries to grab Stede’s hand but somehow grabs a tit. Stede squeaks and slaps him away. “Just fucking put it in.”  

Ed and Stede give it a go.

a silly bit of buggery

in the margins by weatheredlaw @weatheredlaw rated T | 3k words

At this stage of his life, it’s important for him to realize nothing exciting will ever happen to him. That he is too old for spontaneity, but too young still to die. He reads a book about pirates. His namesake occasionally appears. Stede feels a kinship with him that goes beyond the name and the page, grips him like a vise and won’t let go.

or: Ed and Stede choose each other in this life. And the next. And the next. And the next.

on the bed of this blue ocean by kirkaut @kirkaut rate T | 9.5k words

Ed’s made up his mind: if he ever lays eyes on Stede fucking Bonnet again, he’s a dead man.

Ed’s had six months of Stedeless-ness, and six months of thinking about all the terrible things he’d do to him when they saw each other again.

Somehow, it never occurred to him to think that they’d never have the chance.

love a good chartreuse by FortinbrasFTW @fortinbrasftw rate G | 3k words

In which Stede has a pitbull named Venny, Ed has a terrier named Cat, and it's a lovely spring day in Washington Square Park for falling in love with strangers.

in the emerald green by darcylindbergh @forpiratereasons rated E | 3k words

And Stede likes Ed, here and now, with the fresh smell of the wind and the salt in his hair, stripped down to nothing but an emerald green banyan and the ink in his skin, climbing back into the bed.

a soft morning together in bed, pondering a tattoo

A Night At Blackbeards's Bar and Grill by soft_october @soft-october-night rated T | 5.5k words

The manager at the new restaurant Stede is trying to review is being kind of a dick. A certain member of the waitstaff, however, takes a bit of a liking to him.

O happy living things by tiptory rated E | 4.5k words

“When I wake,” Stede said, quite conversationally, “from such dreams, I feel like I really am that slug, and that it’s a great injustice I lived to destroy so many beautiful gardens and never even had the decency to feed myself to a hungry bird. And my whole crew knows it, and you as well, and the only reason for anyone to stay aboard is sheer hopelessness, some deep and primordial longing for death. That at least my buffoonery might entertain them while together we dig our own watery grave.”

He sipped his tea, primly. Edward opened his mouth and closed it again, then reached, dizzily, for his own cup.

“But it’s not true,” said Stede.

put me back together by ShowMeAHero @andillwriteyouatragedy rated T | 4k words

or: lucius accidentally gives stede a flesh wound, and ed loses his mind like they're not all pirates.

Bit of a Clothes Horse by Aivelin, Fyre @aivelin @amuseoffyre rated E | 9k words

Stede tossed down the invitation card on the couch. “On the contrary!” He scrambled to his feet “You’re not wearing anything that beastly man owned. You deserve something far better, especially for your first time out. If we’re going to a party, you’re getting all the luxury you deserve.”

Cabin Pressure by entanglednow @entanglednow rated E | 6k words

Contrary to Stede's insistence there was not enough space for two in the bed, not unless they wanted to get very close indeed.

Domestic by Ark @et-in-arkadia rated E | 33k words

Or: Ed and Stede leave the island together, and they don’t look back.

an absolute treat. building a life together, nice and slow

Buttercup by mia_ugly @mia-ugly rated E | 13.5k words

The thing is, when you’re Blackbeard you’ve got kind of a reputation to uphold. When you captain a ship, when you lead a crew, when people look up to you, tell stories, build a legend – parts of that legend are always more accurate than others.

Clean Slated State by Justkeeptrekkin @justkeeptrekkin rated E | 42.5k words

Stede is ready to 'get back out there' after his divorce, but he's more than a little bit intimidated by the concept of online dating. After a series of truly terrible first dates, he's close to giving up on love altogether. Perhaps he's too old for all this Grindr nonsense.

And then, along comes a bartender called Edward Teach.

incredibly hot and funny and middle age romance

Revenge by feriowind @feriowind rated T 

An offering to the Kraken goes awry.-- Multi-page comic set post S1.

if you get the time, the number is still mine by one_more_page @one-more-page rated M | 24.5k words

A series of phone calls as Stede and Ed go from childhood friends, to adults who can't connect, to something more.

Room People S02E01: Roommates to Husbands to ??? by nightbloomingcereus @moondawntreader rated T | 1.5k words

Frenchie and Wee John are the hosts of the popular Room People podcast.  Someone named Steve-with-a-V (definitely his real name and not a cunning alias) calls in with a thrilling tale of marriage fraud.  

Based on that one Marriage Fraud tiktok.

your name like a boat by mia_ugly, soft_october @mia-ugly @soft-october-night rated E | 39k words

Sailors call them watermarks. A gift from the sea, a name or symbol written on your chest, meant to guide you to your own true love.

But Stede Bonnet's mark doesn't look like anything at all. Not really. And it certainly doesn't look like 'Edward' or 'Teach' or 'Blackbeard' or a black beard and that's fine. Completely fine.

Ed's absolutely fine with it.

#ofmd #our flag means death #fic rec #thanks for losing your minds at sea with me

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Our Flag Means Death Costume Designer Breaks Down Season 2's Punk-Pirate Looks

Gypsy Taylor explains the surprising historical details that influenced the 'rule-bending' comedy's costumes

Rhys Darby, Our Flag Means Death (Nicola Dove/Max)

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of Our Flag Means Death.]

Packing a ton of plot twists and emotional upheaval into a tightly paced eight episodes, Our Flag Means Death just concluded its tumultuous second season. Season 2 ends on a heartwarming note, with Ed "Blackbeard" Teach (Taika Waititi) and Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) settling down to open an inn together. This gives fans a satisfying happily-ever-after if the show ends here — although showrunner David Jenkins intentionally left things open for a potential third and final season, teasing a team-up between Stede, Blackbeard, and pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian).

Along the way, Our Flag Means Death continued to deliver its unique brand of historical storytelling, offering a chaotic mash-up of 18th century sources and modern themes. Working in tandem with theatrical visual effects and a soundtrack featuring Kate Bush and Nina Simone, costumes play a key role.

To cap off the season, TV Guide spoke with costume designer Gypsy Taylor. Among other topics, we discussed Stede and Blackbeard's evolving wardrobe, the historical research behind characters like Zheng Yi Sao, and Taylor's favorite unsung costuming details among the supporting cast.

This season there's a lot of journey to the costumes. Characters are experimenting with self-expression. I'd like to talk first about Stede, who starts as a caricature of a foppish aristocrat, but looks a lot more practical this season. What was the vision for that look?

Gypsy Taylor: The story is that he's lost everything. Blackbeard's gone on a heartbroken rampage and he's destroyed everything that looks like Stede on the ship — which would include that wonderful wardrobe. You know, like how you'd throw your boyfriend's clothes in a box out the window.

Stede was on his boat heading to the island at the end of Season 1, just wearing this one outfit. We see him in a filthy version, he's been living in it for two or three months. Rhys [Darby] was a little bit disappointed because he was like, "Do I get to wear any rings?" And I was like, "No! You've lost them all!" Then as the season starts to go on, he starts stealing some other pirate clothes and he starts to get really sexy and come into his own gorgeous pirate self.

And he gets that cursed suit.

Taylor: The cursed suit was so much fun! That's the first time in months that he's seen something beautiful like what he used to own. It's on this Spanish ship, so we went with a dandy matador look. Rhys put the calico version of that on in the fitting room and instantly embodied this character. He was flicking the tails and spinning around and he stood up straighter and his butt clenched… It was magic to watch.

I love that dandy side of him. There's a lot going on in terms of gender presentation with the main guys. They're both trying to escape toxic masculinity, but Stede's also chasing this idea of being a badass, and then Ed is doing the opposite because he abandons his leathers. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that, and how Ed is for half the season wearing things like sackcloth and linen.

Taylor: The leather is very constraining, and it's very much his persona of Blackbeard. To lose all of that means he's lost his toughness, and that exterior that's sort of like armor. So we went straight for the opposite end and just put him in a rice sack that he'd made into a jumpsuit. The idea behind it was that Wee John had sewn it because he'd started to learn to sew and knit — the concept being that there [were] rice sacks below the decks, which was very common in pirate ships.

Once Buttons turns into a seagull, his clothes were left behind on the ship. So Blackbeard takes those linen clothes, and he's like, "This feels right, this is kind of light."

I don't know if you're able to speculate about Season 3, but given the symbolism of Ed's leathers, do you think we've seen the end of that outfit, or is it going to stick around?

Taylor: I can't say anything to Season 3, but I do know that in the finale the leathers magically come back. I had a conversation with [showrunner] David Jenkins because he says, "Well, we have to end the show with him wearing his Blackbeard leathers, that's what we all know of him." And I was like, "How the hell has he gotten them?" You know he's thrown them off the boat, into the ocean, never to be seen again. And David just turned to me and went, "He's Blackbeard, he can do anything." I thought that was pretty funny.

Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death (Nicola Dove/Max)

That's exactly the kind of fairy-tale logic the show thrives on.

Taylor: We often refer to it as Looney Tunes. It's not exactly historically correct. Funny sh-- happens and we all sort of took on that Looney Tunes theory of like, episodes change and something appears and then it doesn't.

The good thing with costume and pirates is that the way they get their outfits is they just steal them. So whatever we came up with, I was like, "Oh well, they run into a French ship and they've stolen a great leather jacket." Costume elements could appear based on that rule that pirates steal anything.

I'd love to hear a bit about the crew's looks. The show does a really good job of illustrating their personalities, but this season a lot of them also have this makeover where they start out wearing Blackbeard's goth/punk outfits, then change into something more comfortable.

Taylor: Characters like Izzy and Fang were already established in the Blackbeard gang, so we didn't change them too much. With Fang I added extra sperm whale teeth and extra studs. I got rid of his shirt and we covered him in tattoos. Time had passed and he'd evolved a bit. Izzy was very classic, so we didn't need to change him at all. He was pretty adamant not to be evolved as the other guys had been.

Frenchie and Jim, which are the biggest transformations we see, they've spent months at sea with Blackbeard, who is a tyrant. He's made them wear head-to-toe black, and they've had to piece together outfits from around the ship. So Jim is covered in all these ropes to make them look tougher, and their belt is a giant fish hook. Frenchie's an artist, and he's stolen a beautiful leather jacket — he's brought the little flag element into the back of his jacket with some embellishment. Then Archie just looks like she's picked out of a crowd of pirates from the Republic of Pirates.

As far as the other characters go, we continued on from Season 1 and just kept their same outfits, but three months later. They were stuck on an island, so I gave Wee John a little necklace that he'd tied out of old rings that he'd found. And we gave Olu some shells and pieces that they could've crafted on the island.

Once we see them all go to Zheng's ship, I wanted to keep elements of the Zheng uniform. So you see with Black Pete, he kept the shirt but ripped off the sleeves and got some new pants, and Roach kept the pants. It starts to become like a mesh of all the little adventures that they've gone through, or the trauma that they've gone through.

Our Flag Means Death (Nicola Dove/Max)

I love the contrast you mentioned between Izzy and the others. All the other characters are having fun experimenting with their looks, and Izzy is so static. Do you think he's more sure of his identity?

Taylor: Definitely sure of his identity, you nailed it there. He's also very sentimental, like he's got his mother's ring around his little scarf. You know his glove on his hand, he wanted to keep it on that hand and I was like, "Shall we add some studs to it?" And he was like, "No no, keep it as it is." He's just very much about routine and rules and sentimentality.

Even for Calypso's party, I was like, "How far do we wanna go?" Everybody's dressing up and covering themselves in flowers. Once we learned that he was singing La Vie En Rose I was like, "I think we should keep it classic." Just put a little rose here, and Wee John's done your makeup, and you'll look classic and beautiful.

This show has a really fun relationship with historical accuracy. I was interested to read that you do a lot of historical research, maybe more than other members of the creative team. How do you decide which characters should look more historical and which ones are more anachronistic?

Taylor: I always started with the historical first. I actually didn't know much about Captain Zheng, so I got really into the history of pirates. I would always start there, with that 18th century historical moodboard of the paintings that were done of them, or the etchings. Then I'd add our rule-bending concept, which was to make everything a bit more rock 'n' roll and a bit more streets of New York in the '80s.

I was able to push completely out of the historical, and put things like safety pins and screen-printing and bleach. You know, zips and studs, and all these things that are very 20th century costume elements, but on an 18th century silhouette.

Is Zheng based on a specific 18th century outfit?

Taylor: There's one really specific [etching], she's wearing those Chinese pants. I looked at a lot of 18th century Chinese work uniforms as well, I looked at one from a collection from a museum. We copied that exact neckline of an 18th century Chinese smock. The same with the shoes. I looked at some workers' shoes from the 18th century, and they had those kind of black ballet flats with a woven bottom and little white socks.

I was using beautiful Chinese silks and Japanese embroidery techniques that were used in the 18th century, and sort of mish-mashing it all together because she would travel the Silk Road through Egypt and Morocco, and collect all these fabrics.

Same with Anne Bonny. Again, there's some etchings of the real Anne Bonny — quite a famous one with her gun and her pants. I was like, "Oh yeah, I wanna start there and then I wanna sex her up a lot," because her and her girlfriend have a really great S&M relationship, really sadistic. I wanted to bring that fetish element into her. That's where the corset came from. We based that on an 18th century corset, but made it leather because it was more pirate-y.

The twist on her was that David Jenkins came to me and said, "This episode is basically Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" And I was like, "Great, I love that movie!" So I went home and watched that movie, and noticed that Elizabeth Taylor has this beautiful necklace and this patterned blouse. I was like, "Let's recreate this pattern on Elizabeth Taylor's blouse," which is set in the early 1960s. So we recreated it and then made an 18th century blouse.

Driver Minnie and Rachel House Our Flag Means Death (Nicola Dove/Max)

I feel like this season the villains are the most historically accurate. There's this contrast: Ned Low and Prince Ricky have a formal look, like with the British naval uniforms, and then the good guys have this anarchic vibe.

Taylor: Yeah, I never really wanted to mess with the uniforms. That was actually a really fun one to get historically correct. We had the proper frock coats and the heavy wools, and the heavy brocade. Ned Low and Ricky were very much straight out of an 18th century historical book. But then with Ricky, I gave him the one black lace Madonna-meets-Michael Jackson glove, just to mess with it a little bit.

With Ned Low, once we had his beautiful Paganini-inspired 18th century suit on, David Jenkins was like, "I just picture him being silver." We painted his suit silver, and then art department and props came up with a silver violin, and makeup put these silver teeth in. So he's instantly turned into a rock star.

Finally, are there any little details that you'd like to highlight for viewers?

Taylor: One of the background characters that I love the most is one of these pirates when Stede is the maitre d' at Spanish Jackie's. His first encounter with a customer is this horrible swearing pirate. I'd been listening to a pirate podcast that morning on the way to work, and I was learning all about how many rats were on board. I was like, "I reckon that pirate should just have a whole jacket made out of rats." That's what you'd do with all the dead rats, right? You'd have a little fur bolero.

I asked one of my team members to make me like a hundred little fur rats. She'd hand-sewn all the tails and little feet and ears. Then we built this vest and they covered it in blood and dirt, and made it all like wet rats that had been living at sea for a hundred years.

That's the kind of thing you might see a fan wearing at a convention, a really specific background character.

Taylor: God, I hope so. You'd have to get in real close to see there's actually little tails all over the whole thing.

I'm trying to think of another really sweet thing. That whole Silk Road thing was really interesting to me. I found this museum piece of a necklace that was all these little leather satchels that collected little pieces along their travels. We started making this beautiful piece, and we ended up giving it to Auntie. It's these little trinkets from Japan and Egypt and Morocco; she wears all her souvenirs around her neck close to her heart. There's a lot of little things like that where we go into great detail and I give a little backstory, but maybe no one will ever notice. Or they might! You never know!

Our Flag Means Death Season 2 is now streaming on Max.

Source: TV Guide

#rhys darby #ofmd #our flag means death #taika waititi #behind the scenes #gypsy taylor #costumes #tv guide #ofmd s2 spoilers