Izi🪽

▪︎ she/her ▪︎ 18+ ▪︎ lesbian ▪︎ AO3: ineffableizi ▪︎

[dalliancekay]

Aziraphale or Crowley kinnie?

Somebody posed an interesting question on twitter so I am asking you too. Pick the husband you like/identify with/admire/etc just a bit more and tell me if you liked or disliked the finale.

I understand both these things are complicated but work with me here.

Pick one please:

Aziraphale kinnie - Dislike Finale

Aziraphale kinnie - Like Finale

Crowley kinnie - Dislike Finale

Crowley kinnie - Like Finale

Voting ended onJun 3

Explain in the comments if you feel like it.

Please share if you find the question interesting. Thank you!

[dustbunniees]

tbh my biggest problem with go3 is that aziraphale and crowley do stuff that affects the plot and actually makes a difference in the story #notmygoodomens. my ineffables do NOT save the world, they are there while the world is saved

you’ve taken the two most useless beings in existence and you made them make a decision. look at them. they’re suicidal now

[fuckyeahisawthat]

The thing about Good Omens is that it wasn't just at its core about humanity in a vague general sense, but about human agency. Adam was able to defy his destiny because he was human. War, Pollution and Famine were created by humans and a bunch of human children were powerful enough to tell them to fuck off. A prophecy written by a human gave an angel and a demon the clue they needed to survive the wrath of their own kind. They were willing to risk their lives for Earth and humans, and in the end it was humanity that saved and protected them. Their happy ending was tied to the fate of the world, not a trade-off for it.

So it's wild that in the finale not only were human characters pretty much removed entirely from the story, but the choice of erasing and rewriting the entire universe was handed over to a couple of immortal beings to make on behalf of humans. (And also every other angel and demon who might have had an opinion about getting snapped out of existence.) These guys who started out as supporting characters among a human ensemble, whose relative narrative insignificance was a running joke, got elevated in the end to having godlike powers over all creation, and humanity became not the subject of the story but an object used to say something about their character. Sacrificing themselves for humanity became not about humanity but about their sacrifice; the final narrative beat in their story. That's what feels so ass backwards about the finale to me.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

I think they really jumped the shark with the Book of Life. Once you introduce a nuclear option like that you have to have a justification for why it hasn't been used before now. (For example, why haven't Aziraphale and Crowley been written out if they're so much trouble?)

The Book of Life is not secret (at least not after s2 when it was retconned in); it's not particularly well-guarded; it's targeted; the cost associated with using it is low (you might go crazy but not before you have time to do a lot of damage); there's no danger of mutually assured destruction as long as you hang onto it. It's the kind of unlimited power that automatically makes things less interesting.

One thing that was really intriguing at the end of s1 was the suggestion that other angels and demons were kind of afraid of Aziraphale and Crowley because they didn't know what they were anymore. (And I was really hoping for a payoff moment that revealed that, bodyswap ruse aside, they actually had becomes immune to hellfire and holy water because they'd been on Earth so long they really had "gone native" and become a little bit human, in the way that Adam Young was human and also a little bit something else.)

And then when they did the accidental 25 lazari miracle I thought what was being set up was the revelation that angels and demons are super powerful when they're able to team up and do joint miracles together, but no one's ever figured it out before because sides, etc. And that this was going to be used in the story either to protect the entire Earth from the meddling of angels and demons, and/or to somehow break down the division between Heaven and Hell.

But alas.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

I know there are people who are going to decide now that only s1 is canon, and hey, don't let me stop you. But fwiw I actually liked a lot about s2 and I LOVED the Final Fifteen. Because what it did is take the conflict between Aziraphale and Crowley's worldviews that had been lingering under the surface the whole time and force it out into the open.

Even, after everything, Aziraphale at the end of s2 still believes there is a good side and a bad side. If Heaven doesn't look like the good guys it's because it's being run by the wrong people, by "bad angels"; it's not being run in the way God intended. Aziraphale still separates the bureaucracy of Heaven from the will of God; that's why he's able to come up with "are you sure this is God's ineffable plan?" in s1. I think Crowley sees them as one and the same. Crowley believes the system is working exactly as intended, the whole thing is rotten and will never change, and the only difference between the sides is who got the nice offices. He just doesn't have an alternative other than fleeing.

And, whether he's conscious of it or not, at the end of s2 I think Aziraphale still loves Crowley as the angel he was, not the demon he is. He sees Crowley as good because he was an angel once, not because he's a person with his own moral compass independent of both Heaven and Hell.

They've had these differences in worldview the whole time. The tension has been the source of all the serious fights we see. And it finally breaks them.

And hey that is a fine and good and actually very juicy place to leave a second-act breakup! And then in s3 they were supposed to find their way back to each other, realize the ways they'd hurt each other and reconcile.

And it kept almost happening. I could tolerate Aziraphale being kind of an unrepentant asshole in the beginning of the episode, because he was hurt and he still didn't fully understand why Crowley had been so upset. And he did get to defend himself a little, saying what we all knew to be true, that Crowley wouldn't have been happy just bouncing and leaving the world to whatever fate Heaven had in store for it. There were a lot of false starts and little moments and them talking about the right thing but not to each other and it all could have built into a really satisfying payoff scene and then it just...didn't.

Partially the problem was that the stuff with Heaven as a sociopolitical metaphor that I find so juicy was pretty much absent in s3. GO Heaven has elements of an abusive family, a cult, and an oppressive state, and in the show in particular, the mixture of these metaphors was a central pillar of the queer allegory that resonated with a lot of people. Heaven was the family who kicked you out and the church who said God doesn't love you if you're like that and the state that takes pictures of you sitting on a bench with the wrong person and presents them as damning evidence.

And if you're writing a story that deals with what happens when you try to reform such an institution, well, you have to have something to say about that. Is it possible? Does the reformer get swallowed by the system or forced out? What is the alternative if change from within is not possible? How you resolve the political metaphor of Heaven-and-Hell-as-states has a lot to do with whether you can leave the characters feeling safe at the end, and how you resolve the metaphor of God as an abusive parent has a lot to do with whether Crowley and Aziraphale end the show really understanding each other.

I really desperately wanted a conversation where they hashed out why they both felt like they'd been betrayed by each other. They started to get there with the "you chose Heaven instead of me/I chose Heaven because of you" bit, but then they got interrupted. I wanted to know that Aziraphale understood why Crowley would have never gone back to Heaven, and that Crowley understood why Aziraphale had to try. And I wanted JUST ONCE for Aziraphale to refer to Crowley as a demon with love.

[ineffableizi]

izzy hands to dancin' thru the dark because I am SO in love with con o'neill

[wondersmith-and-sons]

‘Our Flag Means Death’ Renewed for Season 2 at HBO Max

[kissingcullens]

I wanna talk about the Fandom idea of Izzy Hands as a “manipulator,” and common ideas around Ed “performing” Blackbeard. I’ve just been kicking around a lot of thoughts about the topic after seeing a lot of meta that feels not-quite-right to me.

First; I admire the writing in Our Flag Means Death SO MUCH. I think that it stands up really well to endless different analyses and has a lot of nuance!  So I’m not trying to say like, “all XYZ meta is wrong.” But I’m REALLY starting to balk at the popular fandom notion that Izzy is a devious manipulator and that Ed is just “performing” depending on who he’s with in order to have love and acceptance— in a way that I feel needlessly victimizes Ed and discounts his agency and power as a character.   First of all, Izzy isn’t manipulative; he’s a blunt fucking instrument.

Keep reading

[itsclydebitches]

I’m on my second viewing of Our Flag Means Death and something that’s struck me this time around is how Izzy doesn’t just hold Blackbeard in high regard (obviously) but piracy as a whole. He has a couple of lines throughout the season where he references “real” pirates — “You are simply here to observe how real pirates function in the real world!” (E05) — but since this is always in reference to Stede and his crew, it’s easy to read Izzy’s criticism as specific to them and them alone. And yeah, I think that is mostly the case. Real pirates are more adept at dishing out violence, real pirates know how to sail properly, real pirates engage in hard labor rather than talking about their feelings, etc. — all the ways in which Izzy embodies toxic masculinity and that cycle of abuse. But if being a real pirate to him was simply about becoming a testosterone-exuding violence machine, you’d think that Izzy himself would reflect that better. Instead — despite the characterization that’s already pervading the fandom (of which I myself am guilty!) — Izzy is more dutiful to not just Ed, but piracy as a whole, than he is outright sadistic.

Take his duels, for example. Izzy isn’t just skilled with a sword, he’s very particular about how he conducts himself while using one. He could have easily killed Stede the moment they met, but instead he slashes up his shirt first to demonstrate how good he is and then announces, “This is how you die.” It’s more the setup for a duel, with Izzy allowing his opponent time to see what he’s up against and realize that the real duel starts from here on out. Izzy certainly doesn’t expect Stede to manage anything with the reprieve, but that’s not the point. Real pirates don’t just run a guy through, even if he is after your captives. (Which, interestingly, he bought from the elders rather than taking them by force: “Yeah, we sold ‘em to some guys.”) There are rules that real pirates follow and a certain respectability with which they conduct themselves, the irony of that aside.

This is seen even more clearly in his duel with Stede later in the season. He didn’t need to formally challenge Stede and then wait for him to accept before starting. He didn’t need to start with a couple of easy (for him) attacks and a pointed, “That was your warning.” When Izzy has his eyes full of gunpowder Olu is screaming for Stede to stab him while he’s temporarily blind because yeah, why wouldn’t you take any advantage you could get? Yet in contrast, right before this, Izzy corners Stede and instead of finishing him off, offers him surrender: “Yield or die.” Even Izzy’s loss feels odd to me when pit against all the other lengths he’s willing to go to, like working with the British Navy. He knocked Stede’s weapon out of his hand, stabbed him and pinned him to the mast… Stede has, by any measure involving a fight to the death, 100% lost. It’s just so, so obvious he’s lost. Yet because Izzy broke the handle of his sword while the duel was still technically underway, he looses instead, the logic of that be damned. Why can’t he just pick up Stede’s dropped sword to finish the job? Because that’s not how this works. There are rules and Izzy will not break them. He’s pissed as hell leaving the ship, but he’ll do it because that’s what was agreed upon. For Izzy, it’s one thing to completely betray Ed in an effort to “help” him by joining with their enemy and recruiting an old friend to play distraction, but it’s something else entirely to go against “dueling tradition.” It’s just not done. The fact that Izzy doesn’t kill Stede anyway to provide that same “help” speaks volumes about what a pirate’s honor means to him.

Keep reading

[ladyluscinia]

I’ve been thinking about whether Izzy is manipulative - yes and no, still pondering - and that led to how Izzy interacts with others, and then trying to suss out how Izzy functioned as a First Mate at all. So thoughts I’ve had:

First and foremost, in command Izzy functions as part of the Edward-and-Izzy unit (aka Blackbeard). He’s not equipped to function on his own, but neither is Edward. The difference is that Edward can hide that fact for longer because he’s the one with the instant charisma whose issues trip him up later, while Izzy cannot take control of a situation for the life of him but probably doesn’t suck once he has it and a clear goal. This is, I think, the root of why Izzy struggles so much on the Revenge. Edward effectively abdicates his role as unquestioned top of the hierarchy, which cuts Izzy off from the source of his authority.

And while Edward can keep riding charisma / the Blackbeard mythos / his relationship with Stede to stay on top anyway, Izzy is left to fend for himself in his personal hell.

Keep reading

[ladyluscinia]

I think I also want to be clear… Edward likes this about Izzy.

Edward knows full well that his crew thinks Izzy is a dick they tolerate and that Izzy’s leadership skills are lacking. It doesn’t bother him, and he wouldn’t change it. It’s partially why he picked Izzy.

We have to get into some toxic codependency here.

Edward cannot lead on his own. Whatever you define his neurodivergence as, the end result is that he needs someone to lean on. Hard. His First Mate above all has to be someone who can manage him. Follow his whims, inject practicality into his plans, lift his moods, conceal his struggles, etc. Otherwise his crew is going to lose all respect and probably kill him the first time he spirals. And that’s dangerous.

Izzy gets a front row seat to all of Edward’s ugliest and softest parts, and he gets it in a way that Edward cannot control by nature. Izzy can’t be sold the myth of Blackbeard. He knows it’s fake. He can’t even be sold the myth of perfectly functional Edward Teach. Promoting Izzy requires showing Izzy exactly how to gut him and then handing him the knife.

I’m sure Edward could find someone “better” than Izzy who could also learn to work with his issues. Someone who the crew would happily follow, and who could smoothly step in to lead when Edward couldn’t. Someone with a little charisma of his own.

But why would that guy need Edward?

How long before that guy weighs Edward’s moments of brilliance against the difficulties of his low points and decides it’s not worth it? How long before he convinces the crew they can be perfectly capable pirates under him instead? How long before he uses Edward’s trust to slit his throat?

Izzy needs Edward in charge, desperately, which makes it safe for Edward to need Izzy right back.

[realisaonum]

#edward also likes izzy for the things other people consider *weak* about izzy izzy has a sense of honor and duty that is very atypical for a pirate. he’s ‘sentimental’ and edward likes that a lot! he likes that izzy isn’t a sadist. he likes that izzy has a little businessman getup and cares about chores and he really likes that izzy respects him for the kind of shit about himself that he actually likes. the *real* him like it is very telling that izzy must know edward doesn’t kill people and really does not care their relationship is toxic but it’s very *mutual* - good and bad. they both encourage this dependency (via @ladyluscinia​ )

[ed-edward-blackbeard]

Izzy Hands is a victim of his own success.  And not just in his construction of Blackbeard, which we’ll get to… later.  Probably in another post.  But he’s a victim of his own success in that he has created his own persona and nobody ever takes him for anything but surface value.  

Izzy’s created himself as a capable, suave, smart individual who can handle anything that comes at him.  And, in a general sense, it’s true.  He’s helped Edward Teach create the Blackbeard myth, he’s an obviously talented fencer and fighter, and he’s reasonably (more in a minute) sure of his place in the world and what his responsibilities are.

And here’s the thing.

Izzy’s place in the world is just, “Blackbeard.”  I mean, yes, you could expand that to “Blackbeard’s right arm,” because Izzy is Blackbeard’s first mate, given that position by Blackbeard himself.  But I’d make the argument that it wasn’t really because Izzy did anything exceptional; it’s because Izzy was there, he helped construct Blackbeard, of course it makes sense that the next step would be making him first mate to help keep Blackbeard shored up.

And being first mate comes with a certain set of duties, like keeping the crew in line, basically being the captain when the captain isn’t around.  And as long as he’s doing it in Blackbeard’s name, there’s not that much required out of him; the fear of Blackbeard does most of the job for him, and he can fill in the rest.  And the crewmembers like Ivan and Fang (I love Fang so much) have probably figured this out.  I mean, they have zero respect for Izzy; consider the sketching in “The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well”.  Wee John comes in and tells Lucius and Fang that “the boss” is back, and Fang literally shits himself thinking Blackbeard is back and hurries to get up, but John tells him, “it’s just that angry fecker, Izzy” and the INSTANT reaction is laughter and “let him look.”  And then he proceeds to spill the tea to Lucius about Izzy’s misadventures at sea, which was meant only to humiliate Izzy.

Which brings us to the Revenge crew.

Absolutely none of them have respect for Izzy.  You’d think they would, because of who he purports to be (Blackbeard’s First Mate), but their first experience with Izzy is… they run rings around him and Stede steals back one of their prisoners.  Given what we know about the crew’s opinion of Stede at that point, if Izzy can be beaten by Stede, why would they have any respect for Izzy?  And then he shows up on the Revenge and Blackbeard “takes” the ship, but it’s not like any other ship they’ve encountered.  

They don’t know how to be invaded, they don’t know how to be prisoners, and Edward is totally enthralled with everybody and everything, including being ass over teakettle for Stede Bonnet.  There is no fear of Edward or of Blackbeard–only respect, and only for Edward.  Izzy gets dragged along, yes, but he’s such a fish out of water.  He has no idea how to actually handle people; even Ivan and Fang ultimately agree to mutiny against him.  Lucius blackmails him–and let’s marvel at that for a moment.  *Lucius* blackmails Izzy.  And not only does he blackmail Izzy in a beautifully benign way–“It’d be a shame if your nickname got out, Dizzy Izzy”–but he also shows Izzy that he is out of his depths.  Izzy tries to blackmail in return, with Lucius’ sexual history, and Lucius basically defangs him.  He proves that Izzy really doesn’t know how to manage people outside of fear, and that sets him back.  

Then, we have the heartbreaking moment of Izzy and Fang and Ivan in “The Art of Fuckery.”  not just the opening monologue, but the moment of, “I guess we’re not killing this guy” and Izzy’s determination of, “The plan is very much alive. He promised me.”  That’s not the voice of a man who is happy, but of a man who is expecting disappointment.  He knows he’s going to have to be the one to kill Stede Bonnet, and he’s going to have to be the bad guy, again, and push Edward into something Edward doesn’t want to do.  Izzy doesn’t care that it’d break Edward’s heart, or possibly break Edward himself, he just wants Stede and these other idiots gone and be back with the real Blackbeard.

But there’s also like, maybe 1% of Izzy that is… well, not rancid.  He has actual feelings; Con O'Neill is utterly brilliant at using his face to show what Izzy is feeling, even when his mouth is saying something different.  He’s chastising himself when he lets Stede get away with one of the hostages; he’s petulant when he whines “Can’t I just send the boys, Ed?” and Edward insists that Izzy do it to make a good impression on the “Gentleman Pirate.”  Somewhere under all the bullshit that Izzy has constructed for himself, there’s a person.  

And that person has some kind of love for Edward.  It’s not healthy, for either of them, it’s not even spoken of, hell, maybe it doesn’t even have a name outside of “weird” or “toxic.”  But he’s capable of it, and the fact that nobody sees that is what makes me love Izzy the way I do.  Nobody sees beyond this shell that Izzy built for himself–which is exactly the thing that’s happening with Edward.  Nobody sees beyond the shell that Edward has built for himself–except when he meets Stede.  

Izzy doesn’t have a Stede; in fact, if there were someone willing, I don’t know that Izzy would even accept it.  But I also think, of course he would if that someone was Edward.  

My hope is that eventually, Stede and Edward break through with each other, and then Edward can look at Izzy and say, “Shit, man, I’ve been wrong to look at you like this.  You’re my friend, mate, and you need help.”

[hellotailor]

“Perpetually fizzing with rage, actor Con O’Neill injects an extra frisson of horniness into his scenes with Lucius. Izzy is both repulsed and fascinated by Lucius’ sex life. He leans into Lucius’ personal space, relishing his own malice. When he realizes the rest of the crew isn’t on his side, he’s shocked—not because he craves their support, but because he can’t comprehend their casual, friendly worldview. “We don’t own each other” is an alien sentiment, not least because Izzy himself wants to be owned.”

— This dick joke highlights everything great about Our Flag Means Death

[neverswungonswingingstars]

More of the best cast ever 💕

[mpregalecki]

for the girlies looking to lose their fucking minds over con o’neill’s voice in their ear laughing and berating them and talking about thirsting for blood i’m-

[notebooks-and-laptops]

You know what I really appreciate about the way they did Lucius?

In episodes 7, 8 and 10 Lucius steps into the role of 'let's help these disaster gay pirates get their shit together'. He's the first person who 'sees' what's going on between them (oh my god this is happening). He confronts Ed about the way he's treating Stede in episode 7 ('i said you don't have to be such a dick about it...that bizzare little man likes you very much'), is the one to help with the 'break up' in episode 8 ('do we think this is more of a spat or a rupture with Blackbeard'...'He really liked you, you know'), and is Ed's confidant about the 'break up' in episode 10 ('and this fictional character...he's going through a hard time?'). He props up the navigation of their romance from flirting to Actually Something, filling the narrative role of supportive friend.

But Lucius isn't reduced to that role like his sort of character might be in some shows/romcoms (particularly romcoms that use the effeminate 'experienced in heartbreak' gay man as a prop up for the straight protagonists to rest their heads on)! Because before he steps into it they give him not one but two episodes where the subplot revolves around him and HIS life and HIS relationship. He's fleshed out!

Episode 5 we have Lucius vs. Izzy and the GLORIOUSNESS that is that. In this episode we learn that Lucius can stand up for himself, has a growing romantic connection of his own, is manipulative through kindness, can sketch! And has in fact sketched MOST OF THE CREW NAKED (...including Stede...no? Yes....no). He's badass in this episode and I think this episode is probably the start of most people's obsession with this guy

Then episode 6 we get another sub plot and this time he's not the badass - this time he's hurt! Oh no! But that allows the plot to flesh out his relationship with Pete and give us that glorious kiss scene for them both at the end of the episode.

Add to that the smaller roles he plays in the first few episodes (keeping Jim's secret, 'do these outfits maybe feel like a lapse in judgement', he's a pick pocket and an excellent one who steals from Spanish Jackie of all people!) and before we get to episode 7 Lucius is perhaps one of the most fully fleshed out members of the original crew (next to Oluwande, Jim and Frenchie).

And this is so good! Because it means he's NOT just the 'sassy gay best friend' that he would be in some other TV show with straight leads. He's got a whole personality, his own strong and healthy relationship that's been well developed and an audience that loves him already for everything HE is. He's not just a plot device for the furthering of Ed/Stede, or a stereotype or a stock character, he's a character we care about! So when he's interacting with Ed/Stede and helping them, it's heartwarming and lovely - he's their friend! He's doing it on his own terms!

Idk I really love that. I love that they did that. I love that Lucius takes on this role late in the narrative for him and so it WORKS so well and I believe that he's doing it because he cares for Stede as his captain (and by episode 10 Ed too)

[archiveoftragedies]

Ed thinks that Stede will only love him if he's the Edward Teach version of himself, the one who folds laundry and is okay with licking king George's boots. That's why he says "you were always gonna realize what I am" in the Calico Jack episode. He's saying "I'm not this soft, vulnerable, happy version of myself that I'm with you, I'm Blackie, I'm Blackbeard, I'm the Kraken". And he was so afraid of Stede finally realizing that and being horrified and unable to love him anymore, that he leaves first. Only to immediately come back when he realizes Stede is in danger. And in that moment, he gives everything up, he signs everything away. To save Stede he becomes Edward Teach, a version of himself he hadn’t been since he was a child.

Ed is never himself, he doesn't even know who that is, in fact. He's a chameleon, he adopts a different personality depending on who he's with or what he's trying to pretend to be in that moment. This is made obvious in that scene in which they're having breakfast and Calico tells that grim tale of Blackbeard burning that ship with everyone trapped inside, screaming. Stede is taken aback because "I thought you'd given up the killing", because that's what Ed told him in that vulnerable "that's why I have no friends" moment in the bathtub. And he tries to justify it "technically the fire killed those guys, not me". But I'm sure he didn't try to justify himself to Jack when he did it, because that's what he expected of him, although it wasn't what Stede expected.

This scene has such an awkward energy, not just because Stede feels out of place, but because it's one of those moments in which character A has lied to character B and character C is about to reveal it by accident so character A tries to stop them by saying something like "no, Stede doesn't wanna hear about that" to make them stop.

Ed hasn't exactly lied to either of them, but he hasn't told the truth either.

He has killed people, indirectly, but Stede can't know that. He hasn't been able to kill anyone with his own hands since his father, but Jack can't know that. (Izzy does but that's another topic).

The thing, then, is. The real Ed is none of these people. You can see glimpses of him in all, because all of them are a part of him, but all of them are masks. He has needed them to survive. Edward couldn't have survived in Hornigold's ship, so he became someone else. Blackbeard couldn't have survived at the pirate academy, so he became someone else.

What I can say for sure is that he has allowed himself to be a bit truer to himself with Stede than with anyone else (in the show). Not fully himself, he was still trying to cover up his murders, trying to be softer and good enough for Stede. But he allowed him to see him crying, because that's a thing you can do around Stede, yes, but also because he trusted him. With Stede he wasn't Edward, or Blackbeard, he was Ed. And Ed is the name I think he'll end up choosing for himself. But, in the end, he was still trying to be a different version of himself, one that Stede could love. One that didn't have space for the things about Blackbeard and the Kraken that are still very much parts of Ed. All of them have pieces of him, but none of them allows him to just be, they were all carefully curated for other people, not for himself. That's what needs to change.

Now (you know...... in season 2) Stede needs to prove that he loves him, all of him, every version, everything. I've seen people talking about Stede cleaning Ed's makeup, washing the Kraken away, but that's not what I think needs to happen. Stede would love the Kraken, because it's a part of Ed, full stop.

It's Ed who needs to wash his own face. He needs to learn what parts of himself he needs to let go off, and what parts he likes. And learn to love himself, all of him, every version, even the ones that no longer serve him, but especially the ones that do. I don't think either of them could have grown as people alone on a ship to China, as much as it pains me to admit. Stede needed to make peace with his old life and say goodbye, and now Ed needs to face the Kraken.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

The choice should not be Ed or the Kraken. Just as the choice shouldn’t be Stede or Izzy. 

OFMD is about self actualisation through the love and support of community. Characters are rewarded for doing things which allow them to be themselves, and (generally speaking) when they cage away parts of who they are or repress themselves the narrative throws negative consequences at them. 

This is why is can’t be Ed or the Kraken. Because both are Edward Teach. It’s also why the choice can’t be Stede or Izzy as epitomised by Stede brings out ‘soft Ed’ and Izzy brings out ‘harsh Kraken’. 

Because if Stede is going to be the love interest Ed needs (and this is a love story, so he’s going to be) then he cannot be just an opposite version of Izzy. He cannot be a person who brings out one side of Ed and punishes or ignores or berates Ed for the other side. It won’t work. That’s Izzy’s role, as an antagonist who is fighting against letting Edward self-actualise. Stede can’t be in that boat too. 

No, Stede needs to fall in love with all the parts of Ed, if Ed is going to be able to chose him in the end. And no, this doesn’t mean Stede should forgive him for the whole…crew thing, because like I said, another very strong theme is about love and support through community and Ed was destroying his own community in his heartbreak. But like. Stede can’t be Izzy 2.0. It won’t work. It won’t be suitable. 

Ed is violent, he does love a good maim. He also cries in bathtubs and fancies a fine fabric. He likes fuckery, and can make friends easily, he’s charismatic as fuck - but he’s also scary enough that he managed to build up a legend where people see him and immediately surrender or throw themselves overboard rather than deal with him. He is both. 

And I think this also comes back to why we love Stede/Ed in the first place. Ed ADORES all these things everyone else in his life has belittled him for, the secret wardrobes and books and the fanciness. He’s immediately interested in pretty much anything Stede has to say, listens to him, laughs with him. And he shares his own life with Stede; fuckery, raids and yes, that soft part and Stede loves all of that too. But Stede has to give him that in return! He has to! He has to love all the pieces that don’t fit right in everyone else’s books which includes the Kraken and Blackbeard. AND I feel if Ed finally does feel accepted for both, he’ll no longer be so liable to these intense swings because he’ll stop seeing himself as fragmented pieces. Like. Stede leaves him and the last conversation they had Stede said ‘yuck’ about making people eat toes - so Ed IMMEDIATELY makes someone eat a toe when he ‘switches back’ to his old persona because he’s trying to PROVE SOMETHING instead of just like. Being himself.

IDK man, I just. I think it’s way more complex than some people are making it out to be with an Ed vs. Kraken, Izzy vs. Stede thing with Ed’s identity. It’s very similar to what the Dragon Age fandom does with Iron Bull vs. Hissrad actually. But Ed is both. And for their love story to work, Stede should accept him that way. 

The choice should not be Ed or the Kraken. Just as the choice shouldn’t be Stede or Izzy. There isn’t a choice. It’s just Ed, and who is gonna accept Ed enough for him to be who he actually is, all of it, not just a few pieces.