#hohw if

[plantsjustwannahavefun]

Rereading Hell Or High Water and can't get over how Izzy's first reaction to meeting John is "how DARE he sit there looking like that, has he no decency not to be such a hunk, oh my god he's the size and hotness of five men combined, this is so unfair, why can't he just be a normal amount of good-looking, no one needs to be THAT hot, it's too much, I can't bear it"

No really, I can't do it justice so here's the actual quote, just look at this magnificent string of sentences. It's killing me.

Fuck. John Bryce still exists. He's still red-haired and bearded and built like a shire horse, and frankly there's no reason for it—how much the man is, in every possible way. He's too tall, too big. His hair is too red and his beard is too thick. It's apparently not enough for him to be fairly well-built with a touch of copper in his hair. He has to sit there, flaming like a bonfire, with enough beard for five other people and shoulders as broad as a stable door. It's just unnecessary. (Hell Or High Water by Mottlemoth, ch. 6)

... why are you so worked up about this, Israel? Hmm? 😏

[inkedmoth]

STORY TIME!

So a few years back I found a song that I absolutely loved, it really resonated with me and a story I was writing for my own world. It was called "Hell or High Water" by the Rescuers. It fit the storyline perfectly, and I was quick to slap it into a playlist for that story, liked it on youtube, all those usual things you do with a new song you like!

But I didn't buy it.

I never buy music, I listen to spotify and youtube and that's all I need. But it was a mistake not to buy this song, because out of the blue a few months ago, that band deleted and removed ALL their songs from the internet.

Gone. Scrubbed overnight and without a word to their social media.

Needless to say that was a little upsetting but after So. Much. Digging. I found an acoustic version of the song from when they'd performed at a small venue. It wasn't the same, didn't have the same resonance or weight, but it was the same tune and lyrics so it would do. I accepted that the song was gone and that I probably wouldn't listen to it in full again.

Until last night.

Last night I decided to google Hell or High Water. It had been on my mind a lot recently, and maybe it was a last ditch attempt to see if there was any news or updates from the band. It had been a few months, maybe there was a development, an explanation as to the lost music, or maybe there was nothing. I wasn't really holding out hope for any changes, but I thought I'd check their socials at least.

I didn't get that far, because the first result was a reddit page.

A group of users were ALSO asking the same question, wondering the same things, discussing the removal in preparation of a musical coming out. The Lost Boys Musical.

BUT a user had found a copy of my missing song, tucked away in the middle of a pirate themed playlist on youtube. It existed! It was real! I'd not dreamt the whole thing up! There was a copy and while it had rigging creaking and water sloshing overlaid, it was THERE!

Now remember it's midnight I'm in bed, with my phone's speaker pressed to my ear grinning like a lunatic. While I'd love to leave a comment there and then, I decided to leave it till morning.

I needn't have bothered.

Because all tucked up in bed, I decided to scroll down to read the comments and to see if any of the reddit users had commented, I found they had! In fact, one had specifically asked the maker of the playlist if they had heard of this songs removal, if they knew anything about the band. Or if they had a copy.

Not only did the playlist maker have a copy, they immediately slapped it into a google drive and posted a PUBLIC LINK!

I've never hit a download link so quickly or so recklessly in. my. life.

But I have it back! I have a copy on my phone and my laptop and now this atmospheric-slightly-too-much-sound-effect playlist, but you know what that is great! Its fantastic! This song was utterly lost and gone but now I have a copy and I'm SO SO HAPPY. I've been listening to it on repeat all morning because I've missed it so much.

BUT WAIT there's more!

The reason this song has been plaguing me so much recently, is because it's a perfect fit to one of my fic plans. The fic, which I intend to call "Hell or High Water", is named for the song. The lyrics fit perfectly to various scenes, the vibe of desperation and determination is a perfect fit. The fic is made for the song and the song is made for the fic, to the point where I couldn't write this without the song, and I'm legitimately considering sneaking the lyrics in here and there to the story. The acoustic version was okay, but it wasn't right, but now I have the original and everything is perfect.

So I'm taking this as a sign, and I'm going to start plotting this fic. And since I'm in such a great mood, I'm also going to share a big chunk of a scene I've already written for it.

I'm so happy.

I'm so looking forwards to writing this, and I can't wait to share it with you guys.

[victory-candescence]

Some thoughts:

1. I’ve been thinking about the scene at Anne and Mary’s where they make fun of Stede and Ed for not having had sex yet, and While Ed is defensive of their privacy, Stede seems more confused than anything

which got me thinking, like

if we get any inkling of a scenario that feels like my favorite scene in HoHW, where they spend the night together for the first time, I WILL TRANSCEND THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE

also

2. I hope they talk it through more, I want Ed to know the extent of what Stede went through to get back to him.

3. Since Lucius proposed to Pete, everyone (including me ofc) is gunning for Stede and Ed to get wedding fever, and then I want Olu, Archie and Jim to go “oh, we want that, too. One for us, please.”

4. Fuzzy Izzy is living rent-free in my head.

[dd-is-my-guiltypleasure]

Lyrics booklet

[canonedhours]

OH IM WITH #9 SOOOOOO MUCH!!! HOHW does ed so dirty!!!! it makes him so much angrier and quick to violence than he is in canon. like we barely ever see ed be violent in canon and it takes him a LOT to be pushed to it, but in HOHW he almost strangles stede to death at one point (which ed's anger was pretty justified in that scene, but his response was NOT, s2 went out of its way to talk about how stede isn't afraid of ed hurting him and he's correct to have that sort of faith!! canon ed puts up a fucker of a threatening figure to avoid having to actually be violent as much as possible and then it's like HOHW (and half the fandom tbh) fell for ed's fake hyperviolent persona even tho the show does so much to show that ed is not a particularly violent person, compared to other pirates. like yes he CAN be violent if he needs to, especially when its in defense of the people he loves like his mom and stede. but ed would N E V E R try and strangle stede like that!!! reading that part of HOHW made me genuinely nauseous.

and another thing! HOHW also made ed very emotionally immature in a way that he isn't in canon. not that canon ed is the pinnacle of emotional maturity but like, there was all this stuff abt how izzy was ready to move on from their drama but ed was still holding onto anger at izzy and the fic was portraying ed as so emotionally immature for that. like stede and izzy were both like "let's try and talk about it so we can move past it" and they had to work sooooo hard to get ed to agree to talk and it was like, hmmmm so two white men are ready for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution and it's the brown man who is being stubborn and immature and refusing to let go of anger??? and then s2 came out and when izzy finally apologized to ed we saw ed say "i should be the one apologizing" like canon ed never even ended up being mad at izzy, he never held a grudge about it, he blamed himself for things being so toxic between them.

the author got a lot of harassment for that fic and that's very unfortunate and they dont deserve that but i really really wish it hadn't become as popular as it had bc like 9 said, i wonder how much HOHW affected the general fandom's perception of ed

9 for reference.

15.

[plexxaglass]

I know I’m late to the chatter, but I am gutted to find out about how @mottlemoth was treated in this fandom. HoHW was the first ofmd fic I read and it was clear from the start that they are unbelievably talented. The fact that they shared that with us for fucking free!!?? It’s unfathomable that anyone would actually have the gal to complain about that.

I personally never saw any hate or criticism surrounding this fic, and I’m open to be given some context, but I also believe that nothing in this fic warrants the bullying they received.

Bottom line, Crew— please can we stop yucking yums? I’m the first person to call out that, I’m not a self-proclaimed Izzy stan/apologist, especially when it comes to the canon. But Christ, yall, this is a work of fiction. I can be weary of a character for the behavior they have canonically show us thus far, but also be open and curious to see how that might manage to be redeemed. Moth expanded upon this with flawless execution.

I think it’s possible to strike a healthy balance of, being aware of the reality of a character, and be able to enjoy fantasy created about them. Whether that be through fic or fan art. There are certainly those who I think take it too far, not keeping the reality in mind, but I don’t see HoHW as doing that.

This wasn’t an Izzy apologist piece and it wasn’t an Ed erasure piece. It was a redemption for both of these men, it was a story of love in all forms— toxic, complex— and how, when we allow people to sit in accountability for their poor actions, beautiful growth can happen.

HoHW had something for everyone in this fandom imo. I think there’s always a place for discussion surrounding Izzy’s canon homophobia/racism (see: white supremacy)/toxic masculinity. There’s also a place for discussion about Stede’s racism, privilege, sexism— his poor treatment of his ex-wife and the abandonment of his children. And no matter how much I love Ed, this “babygirl” persona that has been placed on him, while fun, had bred some really toxic mentalities and just flat out amnesia about who he is and what he’s done.

I don’t see anyone as blameless, although some hold more blame than others. I think Moth spoke to that. It felt healthy. It felt healing. For us as fans, and for the potential of the canon and wherever it takes us.

I firmly believe that the reason this show has blown up so big, so quickly is because of how flawed these characters are. We can see parts of ourselves in everyone, truly. That’s what makes good writing. It shows us parts of ourselves, even the painful parts that feel intimate and wrong.

I don’t know, I’m just sad. Grateful that we were given a synopsis to (so expertly) bring this story to a satisfying conclusion, but sad/angry that someone was run out of this fandom this way.

[five-bi-five-mind]

could we please have a sneak peek at HoHW?

Okay first I'm sorry it took me forever to answer, things have been a bit busy.

Second it is super hard to give a sneak peek without a spoiler but I'll try to give something.

“How is she?” Emily broke the silence of the room. JJ was currently hunched over in a chair she pulled up next to your bed, her head hanging low. Emily had just gotten there with food, knowing that her friend wasn’t going to leave your side easily, even to take care of herself.

“No change,” JJ mumbled, her eyes locked on the linoleum floor, refusing to look up at Emily. She knew she’d find a look of sadness and pity, she couldn’t stomach that right now. 

“She’s a fighter,” Emily said, coming up to JJ and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

I want to give such a better one but like... I wanna be mysterious. At least I can say I actually haven't deleted this draft and have been making progress on it! What are we on 3rd draft? 4th maybe?

[ginadora]

.

[marionedde]

HAPPY DASHCON BIRTHDAY

[justahumanmachine]

Hi there!

For the orange ask game, how about Tangerine and Bronze for Azure :^)

Hi, thank you for the ask! Azure is the protagonist of the novel I'm currently working on, an urban fantasy mystery about three outcasts forced to work together to clear their names and discover the truth of who framed them for murder.

TANGERINE - Describe them! Azure is a fighter at heart, a bitter loner with a checkered past and a strong sense of justice, no matter how much she hates her more idealistic side. She made a name for herself with her rage and overwhelming strength, along with an electric power she won't use unless her life is on the line, and now seeks nothing more than to live a quiet life, no matter how much that fate is denied her. She's actually doing a good job of leaving her criminal past behind her until she gets framed for murder and the plot starts.

BRONZE - What do they do when they lose? Do they lose often?

Azure loses a lot. You'd think a woman with the power of a summer storm wouldn't get her ass kicked quite as much as she does, but there are a lot of problems brute strength can't solve. But when she gets knocked down, she always gets back up, so unless someone actually kills her Azure will eventually beat them.

Yeah! So I think I'm going to start tagging stuff related to this story with "hohw project" since the draft is named Hell or High Water right now. I probably won't be posting much about it since sharing my work online makes me nervous but maybe that'll change.

[xianjaneway]

It's time for my yearly reminder that John Bryce exists, & was better than anything in OFMD season 2. @mottlemoth

[inkedmoth]

gently throws shade at Strider (its fine he can take it)

[dizzyizzyhands]

i’m gonna die if i can’t livetweet my reading of hell or high water

[mottlemoth]

Re: recent posts. A few people have asked what actually happened - enough time has now passed that I feel safer talking about it. In short I was targeted by a group who started out by harassing Rhys Darby's wife and Con O'Neill on Twitter. When Con and Rhys left, they moved onto fanwriters and artists instead. Eventually I got dogpiled. Some of the worst offenders found their way to my wife's Twitter account and started following her. I genuinely feared for our safety at one point. It was insane.

I'm still grieving the friends who didn't dare to be associated with me anymore. It kills me that I didn't get to write John and Izzy's wedding. It kills me that people who labelled me and other fans as problematic are now reblogging GIF sets of S2 Ed and tagging them 'go commit your atrocities, babygirl'.

I'm angry about what I lost, and what HoHW readers lost, and there are apologies I know I won't ever receive. But I'm working through it and I'm getting there. Season 2 has helped.

[dd-is-my-guiltypleasure]

Six years ago I embarked on an incredible adventure. Me, little French lady landing in Asbury Park, exhausted from jet-lag, knowing hardly anyone, and feeling in my bones those vibrations of this club where Bruce Springsteen began his career. I will never forget this evening and David, sexy as hell, singing Because the Night.

[canonedhours]

(Re: #9 and #15) So I kind of have mixed feelings about HOHW... I loved the Brizzy part, but I hate how it handled Gentlebeard. I didn't even mind Ed's violence that much. A lot of fans seem weirdly against the idea of Ed being violent because they somehow keep connecting it to race, like PoC characters shouldn't be allowed to be violent because that's somehow demeaning to them in a way that isn't to white characters, and I just don't get it. He's one of history's most famous pirates. Pirates were violent. No, scratch that, the Navy was really fucking violent too, and most pirates weren't actually much more violent than them.

But HOHW had a completely different Gentlebeard dynamic that didn't work for me at all, and like the other two anons I believe it contributed to the birth of Fanon Ed. HOHW Ed was like 50% violence and 50% angst and depression. For most of the fic he was literally either violently lashing out or super angsty and depressed. And yes, canon Ed frequently swung between those two extremes too, but he was also creative, and intelligent, and fun-loving, and funny, and just fun. He had a pretty equal relationship with Stede because they were on the same level. They truly balanced each other out, like Izzy said.

But HOHW literally turned Stede into a completely different character, and with that it also completely changed the nature of their relationship and by extension Ed's character too. HOHW Stede somehow became this 100% rational, serious, enlightened character who had it all figured out (except sex). He too got stripped of everything "fun" about him - his trademark bitchiness, his hypocrisy, pettiness, lust for adventure, etc. He was practically an insert for a therapist, and that's exactly what their relationship was like: Ed was constantly acting out and being difficult and Stede had to constantly "manage" him and be the mature, experienced, endlessly patient adult in their relationship - something he was decidedly not in canon. HOHW Ed definitely felt like a damsel in distress because Stede had to keep saving him from himself, and also protecting him from other characters' antagonism.

9 for reference

15 for reference

42 (I hope you know where your towel is)