#it’s a very progressive place but boy it ain’t got the influence and history that San Fran- or even New York or chicago- have

[seilon]

no like when I say any answer on the queerest city poll that’s not San Fran is wrong I mean it is factually and historically WRONG

[queer-crusader]

How do you think Silver & Flint's relationship would have evolved if things hadn't ended the way they did in S4? How do you think things would have progressed through time? I tend to think about the what ifs a lot. I'm just curious what your thoughts are on it.

OOFT. I mean i have many thoughts! It’s... very hard to say really. Because i think one thing Black Sails does incredibly well is the way it builds a story and a character. Many choices made in this show are so dependent on what the characters want and who they intrinsically are and how they influence each other (willingly/knowingly or not), and i feel like there are many very complex interwoven roads that led them to the conclusion they got to. Which is one of the many reasons the finale felt like such a tragedy; you know things are going to end badly because you kind of see it coming. And dear god it does hurt, even with Flint being reunited with Thomas.

So. I think there are two ways to answer this question, and you can sort of divide them into canon-ish versus fanon wish. These may not exactly be clearly indicated bc like i said i have Many Thoughts, and i apologise in advance 😅 Another thing i’ll be looking at here is something we had to lay out for our characters when i studied acting - the goals/objectives/motivations of the character, and their emotional/mental state. None of this is meant to be critical against any character. I simply adore analyising them and the paths of the story, and I love each and every character i talk about here deeply.

So, looking at that finale. There’s several things that i could take from what you say about things not ending the way they did - for now, i’m looking at the confrontation between Flint and Silver in the woods, where Silver forces Flint to quit his war and reunites him with Thomas.

Firstly, let’s analyse what we get from the canon, and what i believe motivates these characters to bring them to the point they end up at. There’s that famous line i think of Silver where he says he doesn’t know anymore where he ends and Flint begins - their thinking patterns have become so intertwined, they basically share a braincell. The tricky thing about this is, just because he and Flint think similarly, share tactics, and a knowledge of how to use people in their means, just because they understand each other well, doesn’t mean they share opinions and morals. Flint especially seems to forget this. He believes Silver is with him in his cause to end Imperial rule. But from Silver’s final actions, it’s clear Silver values his personal wants and needs above that of this abstract crowd of people. He’s not oppressed - or hasn’t felt the effects of Imperial/religious oppression (as far as we canonically know) like Flint and Madi have. And that means he doesn’t have the same drive. He’s driven by his personal connections to these people, i believe, purely from his own point of view. Like, i suspect he struggles to place himself in the shoes of Madi or Flint to feel their pain and motivation. He can see it, he just... doesn’t fully grasp it. (There’s also a question of whether he wishes to, but i feel nowhere NEAR qualified on answering that, nor do i think the canon gives us enough material to give a perfectly cut & dry answer.)

So you have this big miscommunication. Flint believes that, because he and Silver have basically become one shared braincell, they have the same goals, while Silver is still driven from a point of selfishness. (Side-note: there was a moment in the show he became selfless! He wouldn’t give up his crew when faced with torture from Vane’s quartermaster! But then he lost a leg over it and it seemed to dampen that selflessness. I think from there on, moments where he seems to be motivated by the good of the crew come instead from an internal need to belong and be loved more so than a genuine sense of brotherhood. That brotherhood may still have been there, but i think he might have suppressed that instinct a little and instead let the more selfish needs take more of a front seat. Understandable and not bad/evil, like that’s super valid of him. But my point is, he’s not exactly ready to fight for another man’s cause he doesn’t have as much of a personal emotional profit in, especially when he knows it’ll end in certain death for everyone he cares about and he knows cares about him.)

So that’s sort of where the characters are mentally in that climax. I may be skirting details and summarising a bit hastily, but it’s also been a GOOD while since i’ve watched season 4, so i apologise. Flint (and Madi as well - she plays an equally important role i think!) is fuelled by a mix of rage born from oppression/discrimination, and a protectiveness for others who may suffer the same fate. Silver meanwhile is fuelled by a need much closer to home - to be loved and to keep those he cares for and deems important to him alive and around. I’ve framed it as their emotional drive, but really it is also their goal, their objective in that finale. Flint and Madi are looking to burn down an oppressive system while Silver... isn’t. For him, their goals stand directly in the way of his. And by the end of the show, he’s gained enough power to prevail in his objective, cancelling out those of Flint and Madi.

So, could it have gone differently? I think, if we wanna play with canon and keep it as close to canon as possible... It seems almost impossible. These people’s goals just do not align. (There’s that sweet sweet tragedy again.) So what you need for it to go differently in short is for one of, if not several, of these people to change their goal. But we’re talking their MAIN objective, their main driving force at this point in the show - so like, the chances of that are slim. ESPECIALLY if we’re talking about the canon characters. After all, for that, the characters would need to look inside themselves and fucking face up to some of their issues and work on them. (This is something which these characters are not very prone to do, bc jesus it’s a mess in there and if that were me i’d preferably not turn introspective either and be forced to look at all that.)

So if we wanted Flint to change his goal, he’d need to come to terms with the Empire being untouchable - which is bullshit bc like my man has a POINT, just because they seem to be able to be brought down doesn’t mean they ain’t - and to accept the homophobia and oppression they treated him and Thomas with, which, yeah fuck that, absolutely not, his rage and his goals are valid as FUCK. If we wanted to change Madi’s - lmao like listen i understand wanting her and Silver happy together bc we ship EVERYTHING in this house, but she’s poc and proper royalty and wants to end slavery. We ain’t touching her goals. So that just leaves Silver. Silver would need to face a part of himself that keeps him from placing Flint’s goals, or Madi’s goals, over his own. (I suspect we circle back to that insecurity and need to be loved, which defo stems from whatever trauma he swears doesn’t affect who he is today.) So for that he’d uhh... need therapy. And a shit tonne of it. But then you still have the issue that Flint and Madi will likely fight their war (bc they DESERVE IT), which may lead to what Silver considers inevitable - that they will die early and horribly, and he ends up all alone.

So, looking at playing with the canon-ish to change things? It’s gonna end in tragedy. There’s doesn’t seem any other way about it, i fear; not with the way these characters were written, with who they are and what drives them and what they want. If it doesn’t end in tragedy in one way, then almost certainly in another.

So what are our other options? What if we look at the fanon wish - whether it’s silverflint, or silvermadi, or madisilverflint, or just to have these kids be fucking happy? Well, you know what? Maybe it DOESNT have to end up in tragedy. Maybe, if Silver does align himself with the goals of the people he loves - after learning to communicate and place himself in other people’s shoes and prioritise the needs of his loved ones and compromising and all that jazz (god this boy needs therapy that only the fanon can likely give him, rip) - he could join them in their war. And maybe, his genius and creativity and quick wit will in fact propel their cause forward and help so much, none of them dies an early gruesome death. It’s not impossible! It just requires that sweet sweet character growth he doesn’t get the opportunity for in canon.

Another option, and this one is perhaps a little more plausible if the show had no episode limit or a desire to end in tragedy and “align” itself with “history” (they’ve played fast and loose with real history i’ve learned, and like,, it’s a story about fictional characters so why did it have to align itself with history?? Okay fine, as a prequel to Treasure Island, it still needed to end in tragedy for Silver bc we know where he ends up. Were there no Treasure Island and no rules and we could do what we wanted with the show and write a new ending, then what?). This one is more popular, you see it in loads of fics and i like it a lot. Silver sends Flint to the plantation. Flint and Thomas break out and get their war anyway. They’re pissed at Silver for a bit for being a selfish dick shitting on Flint’s dreams, but like,, it’s not as if it stopped Flint. (We can even look at it like Silver knew they’d probably fight their war and have better odds with Thomas in the mix, giving them a better opportunity - but like, that’s just a fun headcanon to play with that i don’t think aligns with what he explicitly states to want in canon.) And then, after some years, everyone learns to communicate and talk things out and maybe, maybe, Silver grows a bit and things become healthier between him and Flint.

Listen, the moral of the story is this. I love all the ships in this show. I think they’re all neat, and i love the different iterations in which people bring them to life and try to align them with canon. Do i think that with the canon we’ve been given, silverflint could happen? Maybe. Would it be healthy?? I mean... Probably not 😅 but like, that doesn’t prevent me from shipping it. (That’s not the point of shipping - sometimes you just wanna see that sweet sweet chemistry pay off, even tho u know it ain’t healthy. The characters are fictional. It’s okay. No-one will get hurt - apart from maybe you if you end up romanticising it and taking that into real life but ooft that’s a whole other kettle of fish.) But god, that’s the fucking JOY of fanfics ya know?? It may also be why i enjoy writing my modern au so much xD therapy is an option, and canon means even less than usual. All im saying is, when it comes to the relation between silver and flint, the fan community are a fucking godsend. You want them to be friends?? We got fics for that! Want them to bone? SO many fics for that! Want a sort of father-son role?? Uhh nowhere near enough fics for that, but the fandom’s still active so you never know! Partners in crime?? Hell YEAH that has potential, even in canon i think if u just stretch out fan-written episodes far enough!! (God can you imagine the POTENTIAL?? Ignore the war, the grittiness, the drama. Get me some pirate hijinks where the stakes are low but they’re still sharing a braincell.)

(Hmm. Now i need to add another idea to my WIP list lmao xD)

Anywayyy, hope this satisfies ur curiosity anon!!

[its-the-fifth-horseman]

Chapter 2: Nun’s Garb

2:32 PM,

Sunday,

21st Oct 2007,

Route MC-103,

Maysteirn, Acordia Petra

“So what do you reckoned happened to him?”

[Chuckling sound]

Niko was slightly annoyed by Vader's response.

“[Imitating Novatian accent] I reckon that he be somewhere in the yonder over the rainbow..ain't that right pardner? [Laughing]..”

“Hilarious..”

“You do realize that we don't talk like that, right?”

“[Chuckling]..Relax, mate..ain't nothing but a good old poke, eh?..[Chuckling]..”

[Sighing sound]

Niko then took his attention elsewhere. Outside the moving vehicle, the desert seems to stretch infinitely towards the distant horizon. The heat was barely tolerable and they have been on the road for at least 2 hours with no civilization in sight. He continues to stare at nothing in particular.

“If you ask me..I think he might have faked the whole thing,” said Vader, suddenly taking a more serious tone.

“Oh good..captain goody two shoes' finally back..”

Niko turned towards him.

“Why do you think that?”

“Hmm..why..why indeed..I don't know..maybe because it's fake?”

“That's it? That's your take?”

“Ok..wait..wait..hear me out, mate..I'm not done yet..”

Niko took another deep breath.

“[Clearing throat]..As I was saying..fake..as in there's no way any of those videos could be real..”

“I see..he went into an abandoned asylum..captured a bunch crazy shit and stuff..barely escaped with his life..went missing..uploaded his videos and never even bothered to update his website since 2001?..Ok..” said Niko.

“Is that a hint of sarcasiz I heard, mate?”

“I don't know, you care to elaborate?” replied Niko, referring to Vader's vague statements.

[Sighing sound]

“Alright..alright..[Sighing]..I..I just don't think that any of it is real..it just looks like he might have staged the whole thing..now I don't know what his angles are but he's up to something..”

Jay was silently observing the conversation while Cass was still fast asleep at the front seat.

“And especially that thing at the end..a centipede wearing a nun's garb? How crazy was that? It might as well wear a bat suit..”

[Laughing sound]

“And if he didn't escape from that she-devil from hell, then who uploaded his videos? Come on! He's been trolling people since 2001!..But yeah..there was no proper explanation as to why he decided to quite the gig..for all we know he might have resurfaced elsewhere..at least that makes more sense..”

Niko smiled.

“Now that wasn't so hard now was it?” asked Niko, referring to his proper elaboration.

“Yeah..yeah..what evs..”

“[Chuckling]..Oh yeah..by the way..It's not a centipede wearing a nun's garb..it's a human-centipede hybrid who happens to be a nun..in a nun’s garb..obviously..”

“Yeah..yeah..you Novatians and your political correctness..and I thought you don't believe in these stuff. Why do you care so much whether it was real or not? What's it to you?”  said Vader while turning his head slightly to the left.

“Because that's what I do..bro..I challenge notions, thoughts, assumptions..I challenge the impossible until it was possible.”

“That's how you got your viewers right? Your gimmick being a non-believer who keeps looking for the unexplained and whether the mystery was unraveled or not, you'll just choose not to believe anyway, right?” Jay suddenly offered his piece to the ongoing conversation. Niko looks at him.

“An explanation is not necessarily the same as a logical deduction. People tend to go with the former just because it's easier and to some extent, more appealing,” explained Niko.

“Thank you professor Niko,” said Vader while still focusing on the road.

“Just for the record, what's your take on his videos?” asked Vader again.

Niko took a pause.

“I won't know until I go there and see it for myself.”

“Go there? You mean you haven't been there? Why?” asked Jay.

Niko looked stumped.

“Looks like someone 's afraid of a big bad holy centipede..[Laughing]..” said Vader.

“Shut up..[Chuckling]..I..I can't explain it..but I just have to go there to be sure..you know..not until I can logically explain how those videos were shot and made..someday..I guess..”

They drove for another 30 minutes or so before slowing down and pulling over beside the road. Niko was half asleep when realized that the vehicle has stopped moving.

“What..what's going on? Where are we?” asked Niko in a semi-dazed state.

“We're here,” said Vader.

In front of them was an unpaved path that lead away from the highway and into the desert. A few feet ahead was an old entrance arch with short wooden fences attached to either sides. Niko exited the vehicle before taking a closer look at the dilapidated signboard that was barely hanging below the arch.

“Welcome to Doonesberry Town”

3:17 PM,

Sunday,

21st Oct 2007,

Doonesberry Town,

Maysteirn, Acordia Petra

“Ghost town.” That was the first thing that went through Niko's mind as the van was slowly moving through the dusty road that had very few intersections in between. He unzips his bag and took out his Sony HDR-HC5 before recording an old rickety house that was right outside his window. The van then stops.

“Why don't you go right ahead and have a go at ye' olde' ghost town,” said Vader.

Without uttering a word, Niko went out of the vehicle and scans the remnants of a civilization that was left long ago. The structures around him has stood for at least a hundred years but it wasn't until the turn of the century that people began to leave the town, not just for a better life but out of fear as well. Ever since the disappearance of one the cleaners that was sent by the owner then, Mr Connors Shipp, no one else would dare to set foot in the mansion. Even looking at the black mansion was seen as a superstition. Grandmaster Lord Caligo, along with some of his followers were presumed dead eventhough their bodies were never found and the room that supposedly held his most unholy secrets was found empty. No secret exits were ever found either. Only a room with eight walls, eight red banners and 8 paintings. There was no logical explanation on how they manage to escape on that night when allegedly, one of his followers, strong of will as they would say, managed to break free from his influence before running away and seeking help from the town.

It was said that on that night, he was preparing for a ritual that would ensure his survival and that it will also be his most vulnerable moment. It was rumored that the town's mayor's son was involved. Before he was able to carry out the dark deed, an angry mob forced their way into the mansion. His guards managed to hold them off, long enough for the rest to escape into his private chamber. The mob soon outnumbered the guards before they make their way towards the upper floor, where the room resides. They started pounding and hitting on the door with what ever that can be used before a battering ram was brought forward. By the time they managed to break in, the room was already empty. Frustrated, they then proceed with an attempt to burn down the mansion but for some reason, a fire can never be properly lit inside the building no matter how many times they tried. Plans to bring down the mansion were immediately brought forward but no one had the slightest idea on how to demolish a structure that was made completely out of black marble, a material that was well known for its strength and above all, its price. With a heavy heart, the mayor, whose son was said to be missing as well, decided to just let the matter go but refused to back down without a fight.

The Black Mansion was soon auctioned off and surprisingly, there were many takers, especially with the fat cats from the city who heard of the mansion's reputation. The experience was said to be akin to staying and living in a house of a notorious murderer. That was when people started to disappear mysteriously inside the mansion and was never to be found again. This, however, didn't deter the property from being passed on to its next owner or “lord of the house” as they would call it back then. Thirty years later, the property would finally find its way into the hands of Mr Connors Shipp, who bought the property solely because of its extremely low market price. Unsurprisingly, he never stayed in the mansion and barely visited the place. It would take another 20 more years before he decided to sell off the property and therefore, sent 2 cleaners, a brother and a sister to clean it up. It wasn't because he cannot afford more cleaners, it was because no one else was up to the task. With a good pay for a 3 day job, the two find it hard to resist the offer, even though the task was almost impossible to be completed with limited resources and time. The rest is history. Just like before him, the boy was never found again. The sister frantically searched the mansion, unlocking and opening every single door she could find. She pleaded with Mr Shipp to aid in her search but her words fell on deaf ears. Not only did she lost her brother, but her income as well since she was no longer allowed to go inside the mansion seeing how she constantly begs for the owner to help with her case. No one knows what became of her or the rest of her family. A few years later, the residents began to leave until all that was left was a ghost town that Niko was looking and recording at the moment.

Niko made a quick sweep of the area. As much as the ghost town of Doonesberry was part of the exploration, he was more interested in the black mansion more than anything else.  They drove for another few more minutes through the town before reaching a hilly area. There was a path that led all the way up to the top of Quelptic Hill. Luckily for them, it wasn't steep enough to hinder their progress. The engine roars into life again as the van began to ascend the hill that has long been forgotten since its last encounter in 1985.

“The last person to disappear in that mansion was some guy from back in the 80s. A bunch of junkies or so I heard,” said Vader while driving carefully uphill.

“Junkies? Really? All the way out here? Why?” asked Niko.

“AP haven't always been this lax with drugs law. Back then, even the addicts get the hang. So by hook or by crook, they always find a way to get their fix.”

“So, what exactly happened? One guy went missing and the others just left?” asked Niko again.

“Don't really know the exact details but supposedly, just like the previous disappearances, they heard a scream. Someone went to have a look, can't find the lad, started panicking and they just dusted the scene.”

“I see...”

“And oh, get this, they actually said that the statues were attacking them..[Laughing]..Oh, God..”

“Yeah, that is some crazy shit,” replied Niko. The van then stopped near the top of the hill. Cass was finally awake. Vader went out and head for the tall black gates in front of them.

“Hey, Jay, this property is abandoned, right?” asked Niko.

“Uh, not sure fam, I mean the gates are still up..so..” There was a look of uncertainty on both of their faces. Vader then returned to the vehicle before they finally entered the mansion’s area.

“This property's abandoned right?”

“Abandoned? Oh hell no, mate, some poor sap still own this God-forsaken place, sad eh?”

“What! Are you being serious? You know I don't do trespassing, bro!”

[Chuckling sound]

“Hold on to your horses, cowboy..no worries..no one's coming to check on us..” The van stops. Vader then pulls the hand-brake before turning towards Niko.

“In fact, no one dares to come in here, not even the cops.”

“What?” Niko was left hanging with that thought as Vader exited the van.

[Yawning sound]

Cass was yawning as she went of the vehicle. Seconds later, everyone was out and about within the mansion's compound. Niko wasted no time continuing with his recording.

“Ok guys..we've passed the ghost town of Doonesberry..and now..now we're at the very heart of the..well not the heart..but still..the entrance to the notorious..and insidious..black mansion of Doonesberry..” narrated Niko as he started recording the black mansion’s exterior.

“Some call it the mansion of the eternal night,” said Cass before the camcorder was focused on her.

“Really? Wow, that is another revelation for the day..[Camcorder moving around near the steps towards the main entrance]..and uh..as you can see here..no surprises why they call it the black mansion..check this out..[Zooming in on the steps, pillars and eventually the double doors]..every..single one of them..black..black as the night..black as the black pearl..black as the black marble..[Jay then passes in front of him]..uh..yeah..that's it..black as the black marble..black marble..obviously..[Clearing throat]..uh..yeah..we're..we're going up the steps..[Vader was already at the door with Cass]..and..and..Vader and Cass will try to unlock..”

“It's not locked, mate..I'm just opening it..” Cass then laughs.

“Ok..ok..so he's opening it...Cass thinks that's funny..[Laughing]..and I think so too..[Vader opens the door]..ok guys..this is it..this is the moment we've all been waiting for..wait for it..wait for it..”

Niko momentarily put down his equipment.

“Holy, motherload..”

Just like most first-timers, Niko suddenly felt like he just stepped into a different “zone.”

“Where's the light switch?” asked Jay.

[Laughing sound]

“There is none,” answered Cass while looking at the windows high above the walls.

She then turned towards one of the statues that looks like a humanoid figure with the head of a vulture.

“What crazy S.O.B would ever..[Screaming]..” Everyone immediately turn towards her direction. Her boyfriend just grabbed her from behind before proceeding to “biting” her on the neck.

[Giggling sound]

“Oh get a room,” thought Niko while Jay just smiled wryly. He then returns to his recording again.

“Ok, guys..I'm gonna do a quick sweep of this area before we setup for the night..[Focusing the camera on each of the group member before moving further inward]..so..ok..thankfully it's still bright..though it's weird cause..[Focusing the on the black windows]..God, this weird..why is everything black?..Even the light in here is..is..uh..I dunno..blackish?..[Chuckling]..Anyway..let's go towards..[Moving towards the study room]..over here..we have a room..so I've never been in here before..and neither is the rest of the gang..but hey..a room is a room..how bad can it be, right?..[Grabs one of the door handles]..so here we go..[About to open the door]..and..holy shit! Fuck!..” Niko immediately backs away from the door.

“What? What’s the matter?” asked Jay who was the closest to him.

“Shit..shit..what the fuck was that!” cursed Niko. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

Someone or something was peering through the gap when Niko was opening the door. He kept his equipment focused on the door, nevertheless.