#keep us together

[sadghostgirl14]

[ptera-novaeangliae]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapter 3 of my blackbonnet fic is here, delving into both of their pasts knowing each other as children and how that reflects on their current situation. Said situation being the events of episode 5 with some slight canon divergences and extra scenes! Sorry for the long wait, but it’s another 14k so hopefully that makes up for it!

[deepinmysoul25]

[ptera-novaeangliae]

For anyone who followed me for pirate fic updates- hola! Unfortunately I have been sick (again) this week so progress has been slow, right now the second chapter sits at about 7k. I’m currently trying to mix backstory segments that fit the AU with expanding canon through the lens of the AU, and I’m still on episode 4. 

So I was considering splitting it up and separating it out into 3 chapters- one covering eps 4 and 5, another for 6 and 7, then another for the final 3, all including extra backstory scenes. They’ll still likely end up above 10k per chapter, and it allows me to shift POVs in the middle so it doesn’t get too Ed heavy. I know not a lot of people on here have read it, but I hope this is understandable, and it allows me to update with something faster (otherwise it will be a LONG time). Thank you! 💙

[ptera-novaeangliae]

I’m the anon who sent the ask about Izzy and Ed’s relationship. It was not my intention to make you feel like you had to rewrite. I love your story! I was curious about your reading of their relationship because it was different from mine. However I do appreciate you taking my feedback.

Hey! No worries, it's something I'd seen a lot of discussion about on twitter recently so I was already reevaluating my stance on it. You provided me with a wonderful opportunity to explain why I'd written it that way, and a great in to think about how important it is to include those changes in the work. Thank you! 💙

[ptera-novaeangliae]

I was reading Keep Us Together and I don’t think it makes a ton of sense for Izzy to know Ed before he was Blackbeard? Because he doesn’t care about Ed- only Blackbeard. But I’m interested in your thinking on that.

Hey anon! Thank you so much for coming here to address your concerns! Cut below because this got long.

So, my initial intention was to look into the relationship between Ed and Izzy, particularly Ed keeping Izzy around on the Revenge even though he's outwardly hateful towards Stede (who Ed has fewer reservations about in this fic because of their past). That and the power he holds over Ed to be able to keep making these suggestions for Ed to let go of Stede and how Stede is going to die, without Izzy getting kicked off the ship (or even gaining distance from Ed's inner circle, because in this fic there's no scheme to make Ed try to kill Stede ofc, Izzy has to do everything on his own volition). I've always been curious about how Ed wants to keep Izzy around and seems to let him get away with suggesting the violent solution so often. I wanted to engage with that, but I know the position I've taken on it in my fic is wrong now.

My original plan was to delve into Ed's backstory in chapter 6 and have Izzy know Ed from Hornigold's ship, how he'd noticed him gaining power and attention among the crew alongside his capabilities as a sailor and a leader, and had thrown his weight into supporting 'Blackbeard' early on (before he'd taken his own captaincy). For it to have been a way that Izzy had moved up the ranks and gained more status because he's an observant man (if not a particularly skilled or well-liked first mate- which should have been important as the go-to man between the captain and the crew).

The intent was to make Ed feel like he owed Izzy something to keep him as his First Mate, that he'd received good council and support from him before that makes him feel like he needs Izzy close at hand rather than sending him off with his ship. That the breaking point in this fic needed to be bigger because the relationships go back further.

Though I now understand that writing this isn't the way their relationship functions at all, and is more harmful to Ed, to give Izzy even more power over him, when he already has plenty in the show. My intention was to still have him entirely invested in 'Blackbeard', with Blackbeard being a character he helped to create to further his position/power. Though again, that's harmful and inaccurate to the characterization in the show.

I'm incredibly sorry for this mischaracterization and the problems that arise from it. Izzy isn't a character I tend to spend a lot of time analyzing when it comes to the show, and this has caused so many problems in my fic. Please be reassured that I'm striving to do some big rewrites to amend this, though I'm very busy at the moment and it might take some time.

And thank you so much for coming to me to address your concern. I really appreciate it! 💙

[ptera-novaeangliae]

Almost finished chapter 3 of my ofmd fic but I’m going to see MCR so will be delayed... the old emo urges return... but yes more gay pirates in the coming days

[ptera-novaeangliae]

Little pirate fic update: it’s definitely going to become a multichapter thing now, I’m very sorry for the delay while I was finishing my patho fic. Right now it’s at about 7k words but it’ll be longer than chapter 2 for sure (but not as long as 1). It might still be a while before it’s done and I apologise for that, I have a lot I want to do with exploring Ed’s thoughts in regard to episode 5 and how his upbringing has shifted slightly in this AU. And yes, I am absolutely going to do the moonlight scene, with a few changes.