Long hair Izzy hands my beloved-

Finally sating my Izzy obsession with copious amounts of fanart.

I saw @favouritefi’s long haired Izzy and that post has been shaking me back and forth in it’s teeth like a dog.

My brain has rotted out.

“I think I found a way to kill the sun”

uselessheretic:

oh one of the main reasons i’m like pretty sure izzy’s gonna get positive character development actually is that he shows a capacity to change throughout the show. a very very limited ability, but it is there. there’s a few times in the show where he either apologizes or admits that he was wrong. he’s earnest when he apologizes to ed in episode 4 which is the only straight example with no caveats, but it’s during the episode that defines his character and relationship to edward.

when ed punches him he does go “that’s fair that’s fair” which is not an apology and he immediately excuses his actions I promise I do not need to be informed of this oh my god. but it’s another example where he admits that he is at fault at least partially. it’s more so that he understands that the way he went about getting rid of stede was wrong, but that the end justifies the means.

and then when he’s being tossed overboard lmaoooo he is trying to save his own ass there, but I’m talking abt this from a writing position to be clear. either way, izzy was going to be saved by edward last minute, and instead of telling the crew that he was too harsh and that he can ease up, they could’ve easily had him double down on his methods. that’s the writing I would expect from a straight villain where they’re often defined by their inability to see why they’ve done wrong.

basically, I think he’s gonna get some sort of positive arc. we are starting from all the way down at the bottom, but I think the show demonstrates that the capacity to change is there and that it would fit within the show’s themes of growth.

also again, this doesn’t mean izzy is right. he’s wrong about almost everything. these aren’t “good” moments, but from a writing pov it seems like it’s laying the base for chara development

Yes.

Also, Izzy’s motivations are rooted I’m fear. That puts him I’m a different place (with regard to positive character development) than if he was driven by avarice or lust for power.

The way sections of the Our Flag Means Death fandom treat Izzy reminds me a bit of how sections of the Harry Potter fandom responded to Peter Pettigrew post book 5.

Now, to be clear, Izzy isn’t the same type of character as Peter, and Our Flag Means Death isn’t the same type of story as Harry Potter. This post is comparing them only to the goal of looking at similarities in fandom response.

In both cases, you’ve got an antagonistic character who’s supposed to be unlikable (Izzy, Peter) but also likeable characters who nevertheless are deeply flawed and sometimes behave badly (Edward & Stede, James & Sirius).

And in both cases, the response from part of the fandom is the wholesale rejection of the idea that beloved characters could be flawed in any way, even if this means completely misreading what’s plainly there in canon.

Iggy Feet

OFMD Arranged Marriage AU, An Act of Grace

“By the king’s Act of Grace, you Edward Teach renounce your pirating says and agree to become a part of upstanding society. Is this true Mr. Teach?”

The situation was not ideal. By all means, Blackbeard if he had lived up to his reputation would have gone down with his ship fighting. But Edward Teach was not Blackbeard. He hadn’t been for quite some time. Instead he was just a husk of a great man who had a death wish but couldn’t even bring himself to end it all like most of his ilk. He claimed an Act of Grace. His crew were all aghast, especially his first mate Izzy.

“You can’t fucking do this.” The man hissed to his captain. “You’re Blackbeard.” But Edward just shook his head.

“Mr. Teach, are you listening to me?” The judge asked, snapping the now former pirate back to the present.

“Er yes of of course. I agree with all that stuff.” He’d only been paying half attention during the whole process. They’d brought him back to the Barbados to process his claim. The judge and all of the other naval men around him stared at the man, eyes barring into the former legend. Just like Izzy and everyone else he met they were disappointed by the man who couldn’t possibly live up to the stories about him.

“Now you have two choices. Either you will join the naval academy and hunt down your own kind.”

Edward almost scoffed. So basically a pirate for the state but with more paperwork and white wigs?

“Or you can marry into better society and pursue a stable job under the eye of the government.”

That…actually sounded kind of nice. Not the government watching you but the settling down and getting married. Something he could have only hoped to do in the past. Technically he had been married once before but they were both teenagers and it had been annulled by the end of the next year.

“Well when you phrase it like that, I’ll have to go with the latter.”

Now the man had to wonder who would be stuck marrying him.

youth and joy ❤️

Izzy Hands is this one toxic friend we all have, who’s cool but sometimes is also being a dick, lowkey hates your other friends and often brings up the worst in you. You’ve been through a lot together, had a great time and you cherish your friendship but more and more feel like it’s time to part ways

POV: you done fucked up

love this throuple . so much. too much

forest-sprites:

forest-sprites:

Orpheus and Eurydice

There are some very Orpheus and Eurydice themes in the narrative of Ed and Stede that do indeed make me feel many things. For the record, I’m using one specific take on the myth here (specifically notthe one in Symposium), but as is standard for myths, there are many different opinions on the nuances- this is merely one of them.

First and foremost, we need death. Stede endures this in a more literal sense- legally, he is now dead. An act of devotion, perhaps, as he seeks to cultivate a fresh start with his love. Equally, however, Ed himself undergoes a death. Not only does he gift Stede a disordered burial at sea, but he invokes one for himself, too. In episode ten, he lets the red silk representing his heart sail steadfast across the ocean. Anyone who’s familiar with the ending of Orpheus’ life will know that upon his death, his head and dutiful lyre were sent floating down the Hebrus River, straight out to sea. While Ed is alive both literally and legally, he sacrificed his heart- washed to the ocean much like Orpheus himself.

Next up, we travel to the crux of the myth. The quintessential theme of mournful love. The deep and burning sort, the kind that drives you to the underworld in an attempt to rectify what was so tragically lost. In OFMD we need to backtrack to episode nine, to Edward and his act of grace declaration; a show of all he’d lose, all he would risk, to keep his love safe. He accepts the journey, perils and all! Stede mirrors this in episode ten by not simply closing the door on his past, but by going so far as killing himself off, playing with death, in order to truly live life alongside his love. Much like Orpheus, this poignantly speaks to the boundaries that need to be crossed- both that metaphorical death and journey, but also the literal treck he’ll be undertaking as he pursues his lost love.

Orpheus finds himself underground because of this simple, grief-driven hope that death cannot be final- it must be negotiable. He brings his lyre, performing a most dismal tune, and the gods presiding over the Underworld are so utterly moved by his performance that a glimmer of hope is provided. Go on then, find Eurydice, but here is your caveat: have trust, have faith, know that she is there and do not allow your eyes to wander. It’s the backbone of all relationships epitomized to the highest stakes. You need to trust in yourself that your partner will be there, to have that faith that when you make it to the Overworld, they’ll be right behind you.

For Ed and Stede, this is episode nine. Edward returns from the Underworld, preparing for a new life- for them to enter the Overworld together- but his love is not there. This doesn’t follow the myth’s narrative to a T- but it does bring us back to the idea of trust and faith- both in your partner and moreso, in yourself. It’s the nagging fear that this is too good to be true- that the excitement can snap back to grave reality in a heartbeat. Both Edward and Orpheus turn around with buoyant hope, and in doing so, they are instead faced with their worst fear.

(One possible reading of the myth could be that in season two, Stede will be making his journey to the Underworld, seeking out his lost love. All the while, Ed has already made his trip downstairs, lost his love, and had his heart utterly grief-stricken in the process. There are so many ways to slice up this myth, but the themes are wonderfully applicable!)

AND IN ADDITION,

If we are going to view the symbolism of Orpheus’ lyre as comparable to Edward’s red silk, then we find ourselves with a very interesting concept indeed. A myth regarding Orpheus’ death also comes to explain the constellation Lyra. Following his death, Orpheus’ head and harp eventually came to rest on a beach- the waves having carried them ashore. Here, his remains were found and through various passing-alongs, ended up in the hands of the gods. As many important objects often are, it was placed in the sky to create the constellation Lyra- symbolic of Orpheus and his ceaseless, joyous music.

If we take that, and we say that Ed’s silk is his lyre, then we come to the conclusion that this item will wash up ashore, be found with reverence, and placed with pride in the sky; much like a flag that one may fly from a ship.

So, in that context, are the Maenads represented by Izzy who, in wanting Ed to engage with life rather than (celibate) mourning, kills him, sending head and lyre (red silk) floating downstream? He very much wanted to stop the music of his collaboration with the crew/ channeling of Stede.