Just realized something about Our Flag Means Death— it’s Peter Pan.
Stede is Wendy, telling bedtime stories to his ship of lost boys (and Jim). He’s bringing romanticized English domesticity to the high seas— and Blackbeard is enraptured by him, particularly by *that* part of him: the hidden closet of outfits, the cozy library full of books Stede has actually read, the sense of wonder and newness Stede brings to Ed’s old boring swashbuckling world.
Ed wants to become part of Stede’s world— trying out thimbles and kisses, or fine clothes in this case. They gather a crew of lost boys (and Jim) and Stede’s influence changes and softens them, while Ed challenges, endangers, and inspires them; their dream of the biggest, baddest, bestest lost boy there is. He’s immature, he’s fickle, he’s utterly captivating; he never grew up and he will always be the kraken on the dock.
Captain Hook, or the British empire, chases Peter Pan across the waves— for Ed’s legend but also for the harms he’s caused them— and then they eventually recognize Stede’s importance and use him against Ed, too.
And like with Peter Pan, Stede eventually leaves both Ed and the pirate life: Stede abandons Neverland to go home and “grow up”— returning to Mary. And here’s where he breaks the pattern: unlike Wendy, he comes back.
But even that is more complicated, and in interesting conversation with the original story: there is no “real world” to go back to, really. There is no correct way to grow up.
Stede cannot “go back” and “grow up”— because that path was always a lie. Mary, in his absence, has discovered a new path for herself into her own wondrous, adventurous world; she’s up-ended the fantasy of Growing Up, being serious, or a “normal” life and adulthood. It’s wonderful! I love Mary. He could go back, but their old life and marriage was fake— that was the real game of pretend.
Mary hollows out her life and their world in Stede’s absence and says: these parts were nonsense, and this worth keeping, and this worth building. It gives Stede the bravery to go back, but also the clarity and the context to see that neither world is more real than the other— that his love for Ed is real, too, and not something to be outgrown. He refuses the moral. Wendy goes back to Neverland to find the lost boys, to find Peter.
But most importantly: this means Izzy Hands is Tinkerbell
When you’re tired, stressed, burned out, depressed, or just busy, figuring out how to feed yourself multiple times a day can take more energy than you have to give. Here’s a resource I’ve been leaning on lately so that feeding myself is easier.
I’ve never been a meal prepper because I don’t like eating leftovers over and over, and taping a written list of snack ideas to the pantry hasn’t worked for me in the past. When I tried a visual method by saving a folder of photos on my phone, something clicked. I’m a visual person—of course I would benefit from seeing a personal menu of food in my own kitchen! (I haven’t tried it, but I imagine a visual menu would work for kids too.) Right now, my menu has a lot of appetizer-type finger foods on it because that’s what sounds good and doesn’t take long to make or reheat. Maybe I’ll change my menu out seasonally like a restaurant…
Anyway, I hope this sparks an idea for you if deciding what food to make is a struggle. If not this method exactly, experiment and see what makes the task easier for you! I’m all for saving energy on daily, routine tasks so that I can spend it where it’s really important.
Does everyone know a petulant child who hates being told what to do, but if they think it’s their idea, they’re all for it? That’s my inner child. For a long time, I tried forceful techniques to make my anxiety go away, thinking it would work if I was bossy enough. I’ve since learned that it’s far more effective to try gentle reframes of mind, like this one.
Today in fandom craft I have completed this afghan which featured in the back of a Masters of Sex promotional photo shoot!
Because I’m the sort of nerd who sees set dressing in the background and says “is anyone going to make that?” And not wait for an answer.
I started on this in February 2022. Now it is 68 x 38 inches and is made of 130 individual squares! It’s been a fun project and a good stash buster because I had some Weird colors lying around. The one drawback was that I learned about seaming granny squares with a continuous round AFTER I had already outlined half the squares in black so I could have saved myself some trouble but c'est la vie.
Next up I really want to make this throw from the corner of 221B!
!!! You need to update Resistance Mod!!! jeez i wonder who my favorite character is lmao this is only 84 files
What’s included?
Modified Textures for use with topless (works on default and modded body), also have option to turn on sweat for scientific purposes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Removers for Beard (pls don’t), Necklace and Holster
Detail Meshes for Eyebrows and Side hair (use side hair when using my textures)
13 types of Accessory (cloth, holster variation, scarves, sunglasses)
6 Gloves options
4 Hairstyles (i don’t like the Pagan hair, it was a request) + 4 types of short hair you can additionally add to his scalp
3 Full outfits (young one is supposed to be used with a hair option listed in the package, i could have hardcoded it but maybe you want another style)
12 Pants + Fix for default pants material
7 Shoe options
22 fucking shirts lol
2 weapon options
Known Issues and Notes:
If you use Shirtless option you need to use one of my Texture packs, otherwise it will show invisible.
Some parts will clip with others, if i attempt to prevent this we’ll be here all year.
Check descriptions in Mod Installer for info, esp regarding young version and Sledgehammer.
Should work fine with Coop, didn’t test every package though, so if there is a problem let me know and i will fix it.
I spent months on this, some of these items were my guinea pigs for testing…basically anything new I came up with. So I’d really appreciate if you don’t just edit or take from my packages without speaking to me.
Also tags appreciated ✌ (not required tho if you feel bad about it)
Chapters: 13/13 Fandom:Doctor Who (2005),Doctor Who,Doctor Who & Related Fandoms,Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio),Doctor Who (1963) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler Characters: Thirteenth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Tony Tyler, Original Characters, Yasmin Khan, Ryan Sinclair, Graham O'Brien Additional Tags: Pete’s World (Doctor Who), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Smut, Slash, Lesbian Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Telepathic Sex, Telepathic Bond, bondmates, Soulmates, Mutual Pining, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler (past), Femslash, Humor, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor Summary:
*Finished 5 April 2022*
“The drawer containing the intricate fob watch stands open like a trap, and Rose and the Doctor remain frozen in their places for several moments, looking back and forth from the ancient-looking timepiece, and then to each other.
It’s static, the fob watch. Still.
But it has momentum in itself— the quantum-level hum of its particle vibrations not the only thing giving it potentiality. It’s as if it’s dangling in space, swinging like a pendulum on a clock, dragging time—along with its event horizon—unrelentingly forward like a tidal wave.
Rose tentatively speaks first, voice breaking from frayed nerves.
“When…you touched the console, you left a handprint. It looked a lot like residual background radiation, like when I touched that Dalek way back in Van Statten’s museum—but it is clearly linked to your DNA only. I have come up here and touched that console many times over the last six years…it’s the only thing in this room I felt that I could touch.”
She swallows, her jaw flexing, mind racing at breakneck speed.
“What I’m trying to say is, that whatever is in that watch is meant for you alone, Doctor.”
The Doctor looks down at the watch, taking in a breath sharply, and nodding.
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
She takes the watch from its hiding place and holds it flat in her palm, and she studies it. It’s unremarkable at first— a simple, brushed metal pocket watch with a chain coming from a loop on the top, and a clasp to attach to one’s trousers. On the front surface, there are characters etched in Circular Gallifreyan. It’s still ticking, somehow, as though it had been powered by some other source for all these years.
But almost as soon as the timepiece makes contact with the Doctor’s skin, she stumbles back like she’s been struck, and there are voices heard, as though from a recording. To Rose they sound distant, like from an old phonograph.
However, she can tell by the look on the Doctor’s face, and by her eyes squeezing shut that she is actually experiencing these memories with all of her senses.
It’s his voice she hears next, all swaggery and dripping with overconfidence, as he pulls the vowels out through his bottom teeth in spot-on archetypical conformity with himself.
“Hello! I’m Doctor John Smith, and this is my wife, Doctor Rose Tyler-Smith. We are welllll aware that you are a Zygon so you might as well morph back into your big, red, rubbery self. On behalf of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, you are officially trespassing on this planet, and if you don’t bugger off we will be forced to toss you against a glass wall and see if you stick. Oh, I haven’t done that in yeeeeears!”
The voices become louder. The giggling of a child can be heard, along with footfalls and splashing noises.
“Oi! Tony, that’s far enough! Come on, your mother and sister will kill me if I let you go any further into that pond… oh look, a frog!! Be careful, it might be a Salarian from the planet Sur'Kesh! Alright I’m coming in—quick, zap it with your water pistol…er…laser!”
The Doctor presses her palm to the middle of her forehead, wincing in pain, and she leans against one of the trees for support.
Then they hear his voice again, it’s in Gallifreyan, and full of emotion as if he’s swallowed the moon. The words are silky and sublime and familiar and yet brand new in his mouth as he gleans them from his soul.
“I, the Doctor, take you Rose Tyler, to be my eternal partner and bondmate. I bind my consciousness to yours. You are the star of each night, you are the brightness of every morning. You are the face of my sun. We are one for all time, we are one for no time, our minds bound as well as our hearts. I promise to watch over you until the stars turn cold…until time unravels.“
The watch itself begins to glow, and the Doctor wrenches her eyes open long enough to tap the little button at the top, making the device spring open, and for even more light to escape. She quickly tosses the watch away, and pulls her hand back painfully as though it has burned her.
She crouches on the ground, clamping her hands onto her head, Rose rushing to her side. Rose’s own brain feels like it’s on fire, no doubt due to the telepathic bond, and when she is finally able to chisel her eyes open, she freezes.
Without warning, there is a massive explosion as the watch bursts open, sending gears and springs flying about, and Rose instinctively shields the Doctor from it.
After several moments, the pain in each of their heads subsides, and they slowly look up.
Out of the blast, behind one of the armchairs, a tall, lanky, spectral figure appears, standing up on very wobbly legs.
Long limbs, sticky-uppy hair, blue suit, and a manic grin to match the one the Time Lord Doctor currently has plastered on her face.”
One of the many things that Leverage does really well is the principle of Giving It A Face. It’s a bit of storytelling advice I’ve heard before that if you want the same emotional impact across of saying “six million people lost their homes and families” you’re more effective writing a scene where a lost kid stands in a ruined house crying for their parents, because then it has A Face. Almost every episode of Leverage does this; takes a systematic act of horror like for example the way the US military chews up vulnerable people, traumatise and permanently injures them, then throws them back into an even worse situation than they started from, and they focus on just one person. Give the issue a face, a family, loved ones and the kind of stakes you can hold in your hands. And once you understand it on a visceral level they pull back into act 3 and show you that this same exact horror is repeated a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times over. And then they get their fucking vengeance. It’s so effective and very, very well done and never loses its impact. My favourite is in the boiler room job with the final reveal but honestly it’s a feature of basically every episode to some extent and its SO good
