#kinda ofmd inspired

[cndarts]

the crew stoping by a market to fill their supply, sirius is in awe since his life in the palace was very different

loved doing this after fighting with lack of motivation for so long 🤧

[googoogojob]

[stedefxckingbonnet]

So this is gonna be entirely too much info but like. I've fallen into reading your reader x Izzy fics and I LOVE them! I've been going through a hard time with it getting to Christmas and having no family, and the Izzy fics just make me feel lighter. So mostly just thank you thank you thank you!

Now the cheeky bit - is there any way we could get a Male reader x Izzy with a pride and prejudice element. My friend said something about Con O'Neil as Mr Darcy and I damn near swooned. Either like a Colin Firth wet white shirt scene or like anything like the Matthew Macfayden Darcy (The hands! The sopping wet pathetic man!)

If not, that's more than okay! I still love your work so much! And again, thank you so much for it!

Hi, anon! First of all, I completely understand how rough the holidays can be, especially without family around. My heart is truly with you during these times and I hope you can still find joy, peace, and love this winter. If you ever need anything, I am always in your corner. I know I'm just a random writer on Tumblr but I truly do care for you, each and every one of you, for that matter! I'm happy I could even bring you a sliver of joy with my work. Thank you endlessly for reading, and I am sending an abundance of my love your way <3 feel free to message me if you'd like, I'd love to be your friend! My messages are always open, everyone! But if not, that's okay too. I'm just happy to share this with you!

Anyhow, I absolutely lit up at this request—I love Pride & Prejudice! OFMD and P&P intertwining is honestly heavenly, I got so excited to write this that I put a pin on another x reader I was writing (never fear! You will all get this one by the end of the week if finals don't absolutely drain me!). This one is reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice and the vibes it emits, but more so, my own spin on it, as well as twists and turns. Like, Izzy honestly exhibits more of a Lizzie in this one but it's also very clear his actions parallel Darcy. I really, truly hope you enjoy this nonetheless!

Lastly, speaking of the holidays, I'm thinking of writing some holiday headcanons for Izzy or a few x readers regarding the holidays with Izzy! So stay tuned for that! Thank you everyone for your everlasting kind words, understanding, patience, and encouragement with my slight delay with writing in the past week.

My Gem | Izzy x Male Reader

Warnings: slight angst, some strong language, slight enemies to lovers, not so in depth research of 1700's aristocracy (even though I'm a damn dramaturg, but we'll look past that for now), made up my first non-canon canon character because just referring to her as "she" felt inhumane, brief mentions of fake suicide note, kissing

Word count: 2324

Thoughts of the first mate of The Revenge were absolutely consuming you. Devouring you alive, plaguing you—you truly couldn't get him out of your head no matter how hard you tried. Oh, yes, you tried. But there was no use. Daydreams would always swirl in your mind and they would only increase tenfold throughout the course of your days.

You were grateful that you at least didn't have to carry the burden of breathing the same air as Israel Hands anymore. You would even collapse being within ten feet of him, let alone seeing him every single day. Your chest ached even at the mere thought of the man.

To say you were confused by his last actions toward you was an understatement. Confused, embarrassed, miserable, even flattered...You couldn't get Izzy Hands out of your head. You couldn't get his hands out of your head...

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

"So you really are doing this, then."

"Yes," you nodded. "I am. I don't belong here—"

"You are a damn great pirate," Izzy almost seethed. "I'll be damned if I believe you really want to go back to that...lavish lifestyle."

You looked slightly frantically behind you in hopes that no one heard Izzy's dig at what was about to be your life again. You hesitantly looked back at Izzy, almost biting your lip in disbelief. "I just need to do this."

"Really? That's all you have to say?"

"What—what else am I supposed to say?"

Silence loomed between the two of you. He nervously fidgeted with the coat that Stede had lent him to disguise himself as an aristocrat. He couldn't wait to toss it back into Bonnet's arms, but he needed this in order to see you off safely, without any suspicions of what you had been up to in your absence from the life you were born into. He knew full well that you were making a mistake, but that you couldn't be convinced of this. His chest ached upon realizing that you wouldn't change your mind, that he wouldn't be able to change your mind.

"Goodbye, Israel."

Instead of responding, Izzy carefully intertwined his fingers with yours as you were about to step up into the carriage. You froze, yet began to melt into his touch, his warmth. You finally met his eyes just as he let go of you, and before you knew it, you were riding off into the distance, Izzy becoming a small speck fading from your sight. Before he began to fade out of view, you caught a glimpse of him flexing his hand by his side as he watched you depart.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

You scoffed as the yellow carnation was pinned to your coat.

"Is something wrong, sir?" one of your dressers inquired, concern washing over his expression.

You almost laughed at such a question, thinking back to all of the late nights you spent studying flowers and their meanings, dying to tell him how this marriage was going to be doomed if you had to wear a yellow carnation. At the last minute, you decided against it, holding your tongue. "Everything is perfect. Thank you."

He nodded, exiting the room as soon as he finished dressing you. You turned toward the mirror, a frown falling onto your lips upon seeing your reflection. You had never dreaded a coming day like you dreaded tomorrow. Before you could internally lament further, a rhythmic knock was heard from your door. Genevieve—future wife. How delightful. It's not like you dreaded it every time she walked into a room, let alone walked over to your side, and it's not like you could tell she dreaded you all the same.

"Yes. Come in," you sighed, plopping down onto your bed. Only, it wouldn't be your bed anymore—you would share it with her, come tomorrow. Your solitude would be interrupted and put on pause forever.

Genevieve quickly rushed in, making sure to shut and lock the door behind her. She fixed her hair a bit as she did so.

"What is it that you want?" you demanded softly, your brows furrowing.

"Hello to you too," she rolled her eyes. "I'm not looking forward to tomorrow—"

"That makes two of us, Genevieve! Finally, something we can agree upon," you laughed, falling backwards onto the bed.

"Will you let me finish?" she crossed her arms without realizing it. Once she had in fact realized, an expression of guilt overcame her as she untwisted herself. A guilt you had never once seen her bear. You sent an apologetic look her way. "I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, nor the rest of our lives together, but I just wanted to say that you are lovely. I don't hate you. I just hate this."

"I don't hate you either," you sat up carefully, your head sort of spinning as you did so. "Far from it. This is just an...unfortunate situation we've found ourselves in."

"Yes," she agreed, carefully placing herself beside you on the edge of the bed. "You know, I would love you, if you were...there's no way to dance around this. I would love you if you were not a man."

"Oh!" you realized, looking over at her, relief crashing over you. "And I would probably love you if you were not a woman, quite honestly."

Genevieve gasped in delight, wrapping her arms around you as she laughed happily. You couldn't help but smile upon her embrace.

"Who is the lucky woman?" you playfully smiled, nudging her shoulder. You watched intently as you watched the pigment of her face turn rosy.

"Well...we've known each other since we were babies," she sighed happily. "But our families have been dear friends since before we were even conceived. It would never work out."

"Take "never" out of your vocabulary this instant!" you exclaimed, shooting up off the bed and onto your two feet.

"What are you planning?" Genevieve tilted her head.

You rushed over to your desk, filing through all that had piled atop it until you found a quill, some ink, and some parchment.

"We can't say you've run away—no, that would give hope that you're still alive and then you would be seeing wanted posters with your face plastered across trees anywhere you go," you sighed. "No. We'll fake your death instead. And you'll run away tonight."

Genevieve bit her lip concernedly. "Are you sure this will work?"

"I'm certain," you assured her. "Are you able to communicate this plan to your love before midnight?"

"Yes, she is coming to the rehearsal dinner tonight and I'm sure we'll sneak off to the gardens," she nodded.

"Wait—is that why you and Alice go there every time—"

Genevieve's hands flew up to her face, covering it as she giggled.

"My goodness!" you couldn't help but share the laughter. "Wow. I am not surprised, honestly."

"What about you?"

"Have I ever snuck off to a garden to—"

"No!" Genevieve rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you love another?"

"I..." you sighed. "Well, it's complicated."

"I've got time."

"I'm kind of upset with him at the moment. And I'm not sure how he feels about me. And I didn't realize I love him until after I left—"

"One thing at a time!" Genevieve tilted her head back to laugh. She place a hand on your shoulder. "Why does he have you upset?

"He held my hand before I left." you admitted, staring out the window as you spoke. Most days, you would have the curtains closed in order to mask the view of the ocean, as it would only bring you feelings of sorrow and regret.

"And you really question how he feels for you?!"

"Well, he's not like us," you frowned. "Believe me, I'm glad he's not. Though I just don't think he understands what a touch of the hand means to someone like me."

"You may come from different worlds with different values and rules, but holding hands is still an expression of affection wherever you come from," Genevieve pointed out.

"He did wear a fancy ensemble just to see me off safely..."

Once again, Genevieve's laughter filled the room. "You are blind!"

"It's just hard to tell with him!" you protested, laughing along with her. "He's hard to read. He's...very easily irritated."

"Is he like that when he's with you?"

"Less so, but yes," you shrugged. "He is a complicated man."

"But his feelings for you are apparent."

"My god, I need to go!"

"Yes, you do!" she encouraged you, patting you on the back.

"I can't right away. I have to get in contact with someone first, and if both you and I are found missing or dead by morning, it's going to be terribly suspicious—"

"You will find a way. I know it," she assured you. "Let's go and oversee the menu for tonight. I'm starved."

You laughed as she jokingly linked arms with you, leading you out into what you were about to leave behind once again.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

All had gone according to plan—you saw Genevieve and Alice off safely, and falsely mourned your fiancée the next day, and for only a few days after before Stede caught wind of your message. As soon as he had, you scurried to the beach, only bothering to bring a few possessions with you. You hadn't even bothered to leave a note—nothing attached you to the aristocratic life anymore. For good this time.

"Captain!" you exclaimed, almost out of breath. "Thank you. I'm so, so sorry."

"No need to apologize to me," Stede assured you warmly. "Believe me, I get it."

"I wish you warned me—"

"Oh, you wouldn't have listened," he teased. "I do regret having done the same thing you had, but if I hadn't, I never would have gotten closure with Mary and bade farewell to that side of me fully. You had to do the same."

"And you and Blackbeard—he forgave you?"

"We're working on it," Stede laughed. "He has, mostly."

"Do you think Izzy will ever forgive me? How is he?"

"Go see for yourself," Stede suggested kindly. "He's on watch tonight. I'll be in my quarters should you need anything at all."

Before you could thank him again, he vanished into the darkness. You smiled, though you could have swore your heart stopped upon the sight of Izzy Hands. You almost choked on the breath you had taken before gaining the courage to waltz over to him. Before you knew it, you were beside him once again. Izzy jumped upon sensing your presence.

"Jesus fuck," Izzy mumbled.

"Hello to you too."

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Oh, Izzy, I'm happy to see you too!"

"I'm serious—what the fuck? You just up and leave and then you're back. Is this some sort of pattern? How long will your stay be this time, perhaps only a day, maybe two—"

Without much thought, you found your fingers laced between his once again. Izzy's train of thought stopped in its tracks and all he could focus on now was the feeling of warmth that had been yanked away from him ever since you left, and that now, it had been restored. A warmth he thought he would never get to experience again, nor experience at all. Whenever he spent countless days and hours reminiscing upon it, he scolded himself, convincing himself that he should be grateful he got to feel that at least once in his life. It was one more time than he ever expected he would feel it. It should have been enough, but it wasn't even close. His heart began beating out of his chest—what was this feeling he couldn't quite place? He knew it all too well and he was tired of pushing it down to drown. Eventually, you softly removed your hand, and you noticed Izzy's hand flex by his side once again.

"Did it mean something to you? When you held my hand before I left."

"I was giving you a boost onto your ride," he shrugged it off, turning away in hopes that the darkness would hide his smile.

"Right," you laughed. "Izzy, seriously. I have been going crazy. Every single day, wondering if you ever understood what such a gesture meant to me or if it meant absolutely nothing to you."

"Of course it meant something to me, dammit," Izzy sighed. "You are such a fool if you thought for a second that it didn't."

You laughed breathlessly, relief overcoming you instantly as you pressed your forehead against his. The way the moonlight shone upon his face made him even more breathtaking, even more earth-shatteringly beautiful. You couldn't believe what your eyes were allowing you to see, and you couldn't believe how warm you'd felt. You almost swore you'd never shiver once again. Your lips softly grazed his forehead before you pressed another kiss upon his cheek, before resting your forehead against his once again, your eyes fluttering shut, butterflies flying around in your stomach as you reached for his hands once again.

"Mark my words. I will never, ever leave again—"

"Shh," Izzy gently whispered against your lips. "We can talk about it later."

"Later," you nodded gently as finally, your lips collided. Your heart did pirouettes as your lips danced against one another's. In the darkness of your vision, you caught a glimpse of your future aboard The Revenge, with Izzy. You had never seen so clearly, until now, that you had finally found the place you were meant to be after denying it for so long. You had found your family and your lover, and they were all gathered in the same place. This was a luxury that would always beat the fancy balls you attended, the gold-laced coats you wore upon your back, the gems you were gifted often. Izzy was your gem, and he made your life shine brighter than it ever had.

[starrywangxian]

i do find it very interesting how stede has to be in the field to become a fierce pirate captain, like he has to put in that situation where someone is running at him with a knife or sneaking up behind him with a gun to do anything.

it's almost like he's whim prone or something??? i don't know, many that's too far fetched

[insteading]

I'm reading the most recent installment of "Calypso's Closet on the Caribbean Coast" by @celluloidbroomcloset and there's a moment where the person cuing the music up for rehearsal starts playing "The Wellerman," and Ed's thinking he's never stripped to a shanty before ...

and I started remembering having the person I was kinda-sorta dating back in 2003 over and, how his response to my putting on a Great Big Sea album was along the lines of "I've never made out to sea shanties before." And yeah he was totally judging me but also he was free to elect not to make out with me if it was too weird, so I reached down into what I now think of as my reservoir of Stede Bonnet and asked, "Well, what have you been doing with your life then?"

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @cuips-not-cute! cuips_not_cute has six fics in the Stranger Things fandom on AO3 and all of them are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @cuips-not-cute:

he could be brave

blood is an aphrodisiac

honeyed affection

blinking red light

cyclical

"cuips is a master of taking the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. The amount of times I've laughed and cried at the same time reading his fics have been too numerous to count. Especially the depth of the sex scenes and the character beats and growth they portray are gorgeous to read - and also very titillating. I love Steve and Eddie in every one of cuips stories, adore the little mannerisms they are given and the way they interact with each other and other characters. Besides the inspiring prose cuips can pull off a plot like few other people I've found so far - since blinking red light is still ongoing, I'll just point to cyclical for that. I'm very thankful to cuips for writing and posting these stories and for being a very active part of this lovely fandom." -- anonymous

Below the cut, @cuips-not-cute answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

i don’t even know. i was happily in the ofmd fandom when i watched season 4 almost three years ago now (oh god) and then the characters… they got me. i fear they’ll never leave.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

god, so many. they’re all kinda the same flavor though so i’ll list out what i’m always filtering for to find a new fic: bottom/sub eddie, creature/monster eddie, post s4, canon compliant, soft dom steve, sex pollen, spit kink, rimming (perhaps my FAVORITE ever thing to read), switch eddie/switch steve… the list goes on.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

probably also rimming. there’s just something so romantic about eating ass. and i really love to stick with post s4 canon compliant aus, too, i don’t think i’ve written an actual for real au yet, though i do have an idea for one after brl.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

i don’t know if i can pick!! my ao3 bookmarks host my many all-time faves, but if you wanna go by the fic i’ve reread the most it’s probably the affliction of the feeling. it’s so fucking good.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

YES!!! i have never written omegaverse!!! which is crazy, ‘cause i like it a LOT. i have a post-s4 omegaverse au kicking around in my head currently, and i cannot wait to sink my teeth into all the messy biology and politics that come with the omegaverse.

What is your writing process like?

chaotic, in a word. usually, i’ll get a fic idea while i’m balls-deep in writing another fic so i’ll shove it to the side and let it simmer while i finish that first one, then i’ll spend a good long while planning it out in ridiculous detail, and THEN i’ll start actually drafting. i like to have a fully fleshed out outline and a couple chapters written and edited before i start posting, and once posting begins i tend to deviate quite a bit from my outline but it’s all good fun.

Do you have any writing quirks?

definitely. i don’t like pointing them out for fear of other folks seeing them in everything i do, but they’re there. one that i don’t mind so much is my absolute abuse of the word “little.” everything is “a little” of this, “a little” of that, but i try to cut my usage down significantly while i’m editing.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

i always TRY to keep a schedule but… yeah. it never works. i’m far too busy for one, but attempts are made. i’d like to one day write a fic in full before posting it, because i think it’d be a whole lot better if i let it sit for that long but lord, i sure do like getting ao3 comments on every chapter. they make the writing motivation go WAY up.

Which fic are you most proud of?

brl, definitely. that fucker is LONG and i’m barely halfway through it. i think i’ve done a lot of cool things with it and i’m going to do some more cool things and i’ve made a lot of really awesome friends in the process of writing it so it’s got some pretty insane sentimental value to me. it’s definitely going to be a fic i’ll miss writing once i finish it, but that’s what the epilogue series is for!!!

How did you get the idea for blinking red light?

from another fic!!! @racketghost is the author of one of my favorite things i’ve ever read, which is the good omens zach and miri au, closed set (https://archiveofourown.org/works/23320960/chapters/55862155 <- hyperlinked), wherein crowley has been lying about the existence of some angelic sex tapes to all of hell, and then he and aziraphale have to actually make the tapes. it’s awesome. it’s gorgeous. brl is one big giant love letter to this fic, because it means so fucking much to me and i think about it ALL the time. 

When writing honeyed affection, what was something you didn’t expect?

hmm, i don’t know? ha is, i think, a pretty easygoing fic with lots and lots of porn stuffed inside it, and that was all i intended it to be so i cannot think of anything i was surprised by!!

What inspired blood is an aphrodisiac?

i just wanted to write vampire eddie. it was july ‘22, kas theories were everywhere, i had to try it. these days i think i would change a LOT about it because my ideas and hcs surrounding the characters have evolved significantly, but i’ll write vampire eddie again and “fix” everything i no longer like about biaa.

What was your favorite part to write from he could be brave?

…the fisting. i genuinely think some of my best writing is in that scene, and while i feel the same way about this fic as i do biaa, the fisting scene will always hold a special place in my heart. i’m very, very excited to write the fisting chapter in brl because of this scene. fisting rules.

How do/did you feel writing cyclical?

i wrote cyclical during a very weird few months of my life, so writing it was sort of my way of dealing with all the insane shit going on around me, and i think it shows. in a good way, though, because cyclical is a timeloop fic so it needed to be a little angsty and insane. i’m stupidly proud of that fic. @ryeallytired actually BOUND it into a PHYSICAL BOOK and SENT IT TO ME and when i tell you that is the singular most precious object i own, i mean it.

What was the most difficult part of writing blinking red light?

PLOTTING THAT BITCH. GOD. i’m so happy to be actually WRITING it now, the planning was genuinely so brutal. my issue was that i was sticking too close to the plot of closed set (<3) which just… did not work for steddie. closed set’s premise centers around crowley lying about making sex tapes, yes, but he lied about them to PROTECT aziraphale, which is the messiest, kindest, riskiest fucking thing ever. and it’s awesome. in the early planning stages of brl, i was trying to put eddie in the crowley role of lying about having made sex tapes with steve, but it reallyyy didn’t work. there was an oc and i absolutely hated him, plus i didn’t like what that premise was doing to eddie’s character… ugh. it was a MESS. it took several rubber duck-ing conversations with my brilliant friend @lollaika and a rewatch of zach and miri to finally realize that it had to be STEVE who brings up the idea of sex tapes so that he could protect eddie, rather than eddie bringing it up to save his own hide (yikes).

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

oooh, lots. reallyyyy loved chapter 8 of cyclical with all of the pov shifts, that was super fun to write. i also really enjoyed writing the dry humping/sex tape convo in the first chapter of brl, and i’m stupidly excited to write chapters 12, 13, 15, and 17, because of specific scenes that will happen in each.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

i do!! after brl is completed i’ll have to choose from two story ideas (because i cannot have two wips at once or i’ll get SO stressed), one being a semi-realistic steddie cowboy au based off my own experiences with growing up on a farm and featuring messy, earnest cowboys and not-fully-human eddie, and the other being the omegaverse au i want to write, which will have a very fun mix of vampire eddie, dubcon bitching, and accidental mating bites!!!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

i cannot think of anything!! this was super fun :D

Thank you to our author, @cuips-not-cute, and our anonymous nominator! See more of cuips_not_cute's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[ladyluscinia]

I know my last experience with a season ending on a note everyone hated and unanimously tore to fucking shreds for destroying the story on every level was... atypical. Lockdown. 6 month mass hysteria at minimum. Conspiracy theories that were, like, real things we had on camera. There was a Twitter wedding. Creative fervor that broke 100k fics on AO3.

Like. I know this is not a rational point of comparison and I'm not going to expect anything in my lifetime to match it 🤣

But.

If that was the highest high of post-season fandom engagement built on a cocktail of tasting everything you ever wanted AND the absolutely lethal levels of spite and swearing to eat showrunners' hearts in the marketplace, then whatever the fuck is going on after OFMD S2 is the opposite of that.

OFMD S1 was a huge fandom explosion. One silly little streaming show that had a gay kiss and then it skyrocketed. Fic numbers were soaring, high activity fic and meta engagement lasted for at least four months, it was constantly trending and flooding the dash... Like, fucking hell, over a year and a half after the immediate finale fervor it beat Stucky in the top ships bracket?!? To the point I was willing to give it what felt like due credit toward its potential as a future juggernaut ship. Not guaranteed, of course, but the potential was there.

In that context, new content should be a blow out party. Which it kinda was pulling off as it was airing, but looking back now? Not even quite a month later?

The effect of S2 on the fandom is like... a blip. Possibly over already.

New fic numbers started dropping off the moment the finale aired and have returned to deep hiatus levels. It's dropped off trending and streaming leaderboards... I'm very curious to see the first tumblr Week in Review since the finale, though we're still waiting due to the holiday.

Like, I've even popped on to scroll a few Izzy hater blogs that I know loved the finale out of morbid curiosity what they were up to, and I'm telling you... if I hadn't just watched the new season I'd think they were still over a year into hiatus. Saw some standard bitching about the izcourse / Edward takes (aka the one thing that kept them going all hiatus), they're currently passing around posts mocking one specific long OFMD version of TJLC I'm just hearing of, the same BTS gifsets everyone else is thrilled by... But barely any new meta or discussions. There's like 2 people posting actual analysis of S2 that's getting reblogged and they aren't even names I recognize from the hiatus. Nor is it particularly interesting to read. 🤷‍♀️

In July of 2022 I could pop onto a random OFMD blog and scroll through a dozen enthusiastic Stede or BlackBonnet metas about jacket colors or that moth from 1x07 or lighthouse symbolism or whatever. Now the new stuff has the same energy as posts from June 2023. It's borderline dead. And this is what it's like when there's an active campaign to engage fandom and Renew as a Crew?

(I will say fanartists are bringing some energy and there's some lovely pieces being passed around, which I do think the Renew as a Crew campaign is helping to boost?)

Even the hundreds of people saying it was a beautiful season and they loved it so much don't seem to be finding it a very engaging or inspiring season.

It's such a turn, like, what the fuck.

[triona-tribblescore]

Don’t force yourself to do anything you don’t want, but can we get a chapter 11 of A Ninjas Life for me?

I WANT TO SO BAD!! Im sorry, the motivation for it has just been super slow lately idk why. Im taking a small break from it for a little while, just so I can figure out how to approach it from an easier angle when I do get round to it. The way I saw drawing it before was needlessly tedious so I'm thinking ill probably do shorter and maybe messier updates when I get back to it, to get the story going and all.

Believe it or not I actually have the story all fleshed out!! Its just putting it to paper that's hard. I think the fact that its inspired by a show is kinda stumping me cause I wanna take it in a different route (which I will be, just sorry to ppl who expected it to be exactly like ofmd TwT <3 )

ANYWAY! Take this happy Usagi from the wip of chapter 11 in the meantime annon :3

[xoxoemynn]

Em!!

Hello lovely, I know I wrote you a lovely letter recently during your own love fest but I still wanted to pop in and say hi and spread some more love and give some hugs.

So, just to reiterate what I’ve said a million times before:

Thank you so much for sharing your work with us and for being so awesome and supportive. It’s so beautiful to have people like you in our fandom who do so much to help uplift others and stay positive. Honestly, idk how you do it sometimes, this world can be so nasty and whenever things kinda go sideways you’re always there with the just right thing to say to bring that little spark of hope back. For me at least.

Your post about the show yesterday really hit me hard bc I was feeling pretty low and it’s just nice to know that we have such passionate fans who are willing to stick around and keep this fandom running, even if we don’t get our show back.

Thank you again 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I hope you have a lovely rest of your sunday evening. 💜

Awwww lovely, this is so extremely kind of you to say. And I'm glad you found comfort in that post. Truthfully, I do still circle through all the stages of grief in losing OFMD. Some days are better than others. I know everyone handles it differently — some people go full clown, others prefer to accept that it's over for good. We've all got to do whatever is best for our mental health. For me, that does mean keeping a bit of hope alive. That spark, no matter how faint it may be at times, is what keeps me going. I lose hope, I'm just straight into the abyss.

But hope doesn't just happen. You do have to nurture it. I've gotten much more protective of my fandom space since the cancellation. We live in a reality where it's very likely we will never get more canonical content for this show. Fandom is the only guarantee we have left, and even that will only last so long as we tend to it with love.

Because of that, it's just not fun to me to be a hater, or to spend time dwelling on the parts of the show/fandom that I dislike or wish would be different. It's just not interesting to me and, frankly, I think nearly every round of discourse we get is just a weak rehash of discourse we've been through a dozen times already and that's very boring to me. So I just don't engage. I block and filter liberally. If shit starts getting to me, I log off and come back when I'm ready.

I prefer to spend my time celebrating all the art and fic and meta that comes out of this fandom, or sharing fun head canons, or laughing at shitposts. And I have very selfish reasons for doing that because usually that inspires people to do MORE of it, so I get to enjoy it even MORE, even when I'm busy or emotionally drained and can't offer much myself.

It's a common phrase that you get out of fandom what you put into it, and I do think that's true, but I also think it's only half of the equation. I think you also get out of fandom what you take out of it. And so that's why I spend my time in places and with people that spark joy and creativity and love, because that fuels my own, and that's what keeps my spark of hope burning. That's what encourages me to continue sharing my love for the show and all the fans, because I see it in so many others. And if anybody or anything gets in the way of that? Fuck'em. They serve no purpose to me and are in fact counterproductive to the reason I'm in this fandom at all. Fare thee well.

And so when I see you going around spreading kindness, and dropping these really thoughtful notes in people's inboxes, and reaching out to people who are struggling, and leaving really sweet replies on posts and the BEST comments on fics? That's IT. That's what fandom is. That's the whole heart of it. That's what gives me hope. That's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me out of the abyss.

So thank YOU for all that you do, thank you for showing your love for the show, thank you for showing your love to the fans. That's why we're still here. And that's the only way we'll continue to be here years upon years after the Revenge sets sail for the final time. 💕

[marbledwings]

Been learning how to embroider. Decided to attempt an OFMD inspired flag as my first canvas project. I kinda love it 🏴‍☠️❤️

[libroseitm]

I'm feeling kinda down lately, I'm sure I'm not the only one.

SO. Battle jackets on! I'm going to drum up some positivity for myself and pop it on here in case it helps anybody else too.

First I'm going to look at the last week of ofmd daily recaps from the wonderful and sensational @gentlebeardsbarngrill. I'd recommend looking back at these too, Abby does such an amazing job and they're great for a moral boost!

From these, I've seen in the last week alone:

.The trending tags we've caught: Rhys x3, Stede, Ed and Stede, #MerStedeMonday, #OurflagBBC, OurFlagMeansDeath x2, BOYFRIENDS.

.OFMD was mentioned or written about in 17 articles.

That's utterly insane and ya'll should be PROUD that we're still being so loud, and that we're still still being talked about. Articles don't get written for the lols, they get written for views. So clearly people think OFMD is still news worthy and that's hyping me the fuck up right now.

Next I'm looking at the simple things that I've done, and that I've seen other people do. These are things that help boost our numbers and moral, so if you've done any of these this week, give yourself a big ol' horse pat on the back:

.Watched OFMD

.Used the hashtags

.Talked to a friend

.Been silly in the Tumblr tags

.Made something (meme, fanart, crochet, fanfiction, a joke etc)

.Commenting on or kudosing a fanfiction

I've mostly been on twitter for campaign reasons. Here's some of the wonderful fanart I've seen that has been made in the last week alone:

Roach if he had stayed on the revenge in Kraken era

Mer!Ed finding a message in a bottle from Stede

Ed wearing the bird robe, lovingly smoochin' Stede

Ed cradling Stede's face inspired by the BTS underwater scene

Captain Frenchie updating Seagull!Buttons on the latest gos

As a last lil' boost, here are the gentlebeard fanfics I've recently read that I can highly recommend:

let me wash your worries away by anathxmadevice (checkmate)

.1,985 words .Mature

Stede is very overstimulated after a long weekend and unusre about what he wants. Ed helps him through in an intimate shower scene. The fic focusses on self-care and not fucking, for once in Ed and Stede's life. I'm obssessed with it.

Tooth Hurty by nomandsland

.2,538 words .Mature

Ed goes to the dentist with a cracked tooth. He's uncomfortable at the dentist's but get's horny about it this time around because his dentist is hot. I laughed all the way through this one :'D

but if I'm all dressed up (they might as well be looking at us) by mediocrepirate

.5,159 words .Explicit

This fic is delicious- plain and simple. Ed and Stede are at an awards event for Ed's music (yeah, he's a rockstar keep up). They're more than a little riled up and shenangans ensue. Mediocrepirate's writing is just exquisite and you are missing out if you haven't read at least one of their fics.

When life gives you lemons by anathxmadevice (checkmate)

.6,627 words .Explicit

Ed is enjoying, or at least trying to enjoy, retired life in the quiet town of Revenge. Life gets way more interesting when he discovers a lemonade stand, or rather, dicovers that lemonade stand kid has a hot dad. It's delightful, endearing and funny!

sunflowers in the kitchen by daydreamcrash

.7,2777 words .Explicit

Ed and Stede have a marriage kink. No seriously. Very funny, very hot, and gloriously domestic.

and the songbirds are singing like they know the score by mediocrepirate

.3,789 words .Teen and up

Stede takes care of Ed, focussing on non sexual intimacy. Did I mention that Mediocrepirates writing is wonderful already? Well I'm saying it again. This fic is so beautiful it HURTS.

[our-flag-means-yippee]

THESE ARE ALL THE MOST PROMINENT CHARACTERS OF WHAT ELSE WE DO IN THE SHADOWS!!! MOST ARE BASED OF ALREADY PRE-EXISTING OFMD CHARACTERS BUT THE REST ARE PURELY ORIGINAL!!!

What Else We Do In The Shadows is basically an autistic fever dream I came up with prior to Our Flag Means Death s2. It features original dumbasses that are heavily inspired by the dumbasses from Our Flag, and is set in the world of the original What We Do In The Shadows (I basically just added the word "Else" in there, lemme know if i should change it).

To get a general basis of the characters in this AU, think of Edward and Stede from Our Flag Means Death. Now think of Viago and Anton from What We Do In The Shadows. I basically just followed the same formula with the Revenge Crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the characters:

Rod Rodriguez - Rod is the swapped version of Jim Jimenez (see what I did there?) Rod is, in the best way possible, too nice to be a 310 year old vampire. They are often naive in their choices and easily get overwhelmed when things don’t go as planned. They try to find the silver lining in situations, even though that phrase has gotten them in trouble a few times.

Enzo Abebe - Enzo is the swapped version of Oluwande Boodhari, a werewolf in his mid-30’s who has a hard time enjoying pretty much anything. He tries to fit into human society the most out of anyone, but the problem is that he hates people. Has no trouble getting into trouble if it means he gets something out of it, but regardless of being only a fraction of the vampires age, he harbors the most wisdom about trying to survive life.

Horace Balassa - Horace is the swapped version of Black Pete, a seven century (plus 1 year) old vampire who has been sick of everyone’s shit since day one. As a former plague doctor and retired prostitute, he knows a thing or two about “taking care of people”. He serves as the grumpy old man anchor to Rod’s perpetual optimism, and tries to have as much carnal enjoyment as possible. Despite his promiscuous lifestyle, he yearns for any romantic connection with someone.

Finley Jones - Finley is the swapped version of Lucius Spriggs, a werewolf in his early 30’s who not only doesn’t know jack shit, he’s never even heard of him. He’s a repressed former frat guy who tries to prove that he’s the alpha but fails. Miserably. Every time. I’m not even sure if his frontal lobe is even developed at his big age. He’s the oc I shit on the most because he is that fucking stupid but it’s just bc I love him.

Lionel Garnier - Lionel is the swapped version of Frenchie, an energy vampire who never shows any emotion. I’m gonna be upfront and this may get me cancelled, but he is the servant to Finley’s family. I know it sounds very bad at surface level BUT I PROMISE THAT THERE IS NUANCE AND A PURPOSE TO THIS. Many other characters point this out, and it’s shown to be problematic even in canon. While showing little emotion in his inflections, he provides the gangs snide comments about the bullshit they go through, and does his absolute most to drain their energy. But he’s also very loyal and protective of them, especially to Finley, whom he’s known for years.

Princey Fluffernutter - He’s the swapped version of Izzy Hands… I don’t think I can defend myself on this one. He’s a strigoi who is kinda like the Petyr of the group. He mostly lives in their basement and feeds off Rod and Horace’s leftovers. No one knows how old this guy is. Despite his mind mostly being lost to time, he still retains some consciousness and probably has the most common sense out of the entire gang, and is the most technologically advanced. Would most likely be depicted as an iPad kid in fan works.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yeah, these are the main characters of my AU. I am currently in the middle of the fourth season and I plan on writing nine. Yeah.

This show at its core is a comedy that sometimes does deep dives on why my characters are the way they are, and challenge the status quo when it comes to the relationship between werewolves and vampires, and attempts to give more depth to the werewolf species of the wwdits universe.

It features an EXPLICITLY and UNASHAMEDLY queer cast of characters who learn how to go through life together as non-humans. Their identities don’t hinder on their arcs (except maybe one but only for a like a few episodes) and we get to see many different dynamics among the group ranging from friends, lovers, enemies, frenemies with benefits… and most important of all, family <3

All of the episodes are available on my ao3 (@our_flag_means_yippee) if you want to take a look! Just search up “What Else We Do In The Shadows” and you’ll be sure to find all seasons 1-4 on there!

Links to the seasons:

Season 1:

Season 2:

Season 3:

Season 4:

[waffles-xd]

Inspired by @rrainbowmagnet ‘s height and voice headcanon list, I shall be providing some of my own headcanons.

PresAux (plus Amena and Thiago)

Volescu: 5’10, mid/late sixties, a very sweet old man

Mensah: 5’8, late fifties, trans woman, soccer mom vibes, would probably own a minivan

Thiago: 5’9, early fifties, Izzy Hands OFMD season 1 vibes

Gurathin: 5’7, late forties/early fifties, trans masc, the energy of an overworked and underpaid IT guy, glasses, sounds kinda like Jon Hamm

Arada: 5’5, mid forties, very good at fixing things, basically the unofficial official PresAux handywoman, owns a ‘women love me, fish fear me’ hat

Overse: 6’2, mid forties, the introvert to Arada’s extrovert, looks kinda like Abby Mueller

Bharadwaj: 5’ll, late thirties/early forties, wears a lot of oversized sweaters and turtlenecks, loves books

Pin-Lee: 5’3, mid thirties, chihuahua vibes, just a feral little ball of energy, looks kinda like Andrea Macasaet (specifically from Six)

Ratthi- 6’4, early/mid thirties, wears glasses, sexy biologist moment, Phichit Chulanont vibes

Murderbot: 6’5, mid twenties, looks a lot like Vico Ortiz (specifically as Jim in OFMD season 2)

Amena: 5’6, sixteen, idk why but I feel like she’d be really into tennis

Perihelion + Crew:

Seth: 6’0, mid forties, looks kinda like Miles Morales’s dad in ITSV/ATSV, the fun dad

Martyn: 5’10, mid forties, the reasonable dad, the “you better have my daughter back at 9 sharp, young man” dad

Three: 6’6, late teens,

Kaede: 5’8, mid thirties, Mari Katsuki from YOI vibes, wine aunt (gn)

Matteo: 5’9, mid thirties, idk why but Ivan from OFMD vibes, would really like watching opera

Tarik: 5’4, early thirties, good friends with Matteo, a little bit of a know it all, also likes watching opera

Karime: 5’6, early twenties, has terrible taste in men, only rivaled by Ratthi

Turi: 5’5, eighteen, good friends with Iris

Iris: 5’9, seventeen, very good at karaoke, she and Peri were absolute MENACES as children, Anathema Device vibes

Perihelion: ~ 800x1250 ft, seventeen, its voice is not distinguishable as being masculine or feminine, it simply just IS, yellow PJs kid from Polar Express vibes

This took way too long to write lol

[sasakisniko]

Molly!!

Hello my darling, my faithful notifs buddy. I hope you’ve been enjoying your weekend. I just wanted to say hi and spread some love. Seeing you pop up in my notifs is always such a highlight. Your love for both of our cancelled (SOB) shows is such an inspiration and I hope to one day see the hard work pay off. I will be right there with you, fighting to see our lovely detectives and pirates again! In the meantime, I look forward to seeing more of your lovely gifs!

Also, Justice for Niko, because wwwhhhyyyy you do my girl like that 😭😭😭

PIPER!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING ME THIS!!!

I'm so happy that I didn't get around to reading this until today because today has been a day™.

You are so kind and such a positive light in fandom, so I'm always so happy to see you on my dash!!! I can't believe you spent so much time all weekend sending love to people on tumblr and in the comments of fic, even though I know you had a tough time. We need more people like you in fandom, people who put their energy into making the space kinder and more welcoming! I know I've felt that from you as someone who kinda stayed on the outskirts of the ofmd fandom until semi-recently.

I hope that one day we're squealing over new episodes of OFMD and DBDA together! And celebrating the return of Niko!

[blackbeardkitten]

Superluminal Entanglement - fic by @queenclio and art by @blackbeardautism

Steddyhands, Rated E, Complete.

Sci-fi AU, Action & Adventure/Drama/Romance, Astronauts, Aliens, Alien Sex, Monsterfucking, Soulmates (Kinda), Discussions of Free Will

Edward Teach is an astronaut famous for his long solo flights for NASA. Three years into his longest mission yet, he receives a strange transmission from an unknown source: a mysterious alien named Stede. Neither NASA nor the US Space Force is interested in tangling with an alien threat, so when Ed goes AWOL to find Stede, he’s suddenly at odds with a lot of powerful people. Ethnolinguist Izzy Hands—Ed’s old flame— and NASA’s rogue Mission Control crew are left scrambling to save them both.

or, a Steddyhands monsterfucking AU in space.

So excited to share my art at last for the @ofmd-reverse-bang 2023! Amelia @queenclio was an absolute joy, we were vibing from day one shooting inspo back and forth for dayssss. Her end product with this fic had me in tears several times and so inspired that I made a whopping 6 pieces of art by the end! Under the banner (second image) is the original piece that started it all. If you are at all into sci-fi, don’t miss this one!!

Super special behind the scenes alien design under the cut!

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight - June/July 2023

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!

Turtles

@lacilou -

Other fandoms? - Walker

Looking for in the Pond? - More Sam Winchester stories

Something to signal boost? - I have a TikTok! lulu_dances_with_moose

Pairings you read? - Sam Winchester x Reader

Genres you read? - All

Favorite writer(s)? - @uncouth-the-fifth @thinkinghardhardlythinking @deanwinchesterswitch

@sandwitch-of-solidarity -

Other SM names? - Discord: bean119

OTP? - Destiel, Samwena

Other fandoms? - Hannibal, Good Omens, OFMD

Looking for in the Pond? - Good fic recs!

Pairings you read? - Destiel, Samwena

Genres you read? - All, especially long fics

Favorite writer(s)? - @sobsicles, but it changes every week

@perpetualabsurdity -

Looking for in the Pond? - More Jensen/Dean content 😊

Pairings you read? - Jensen/reader, Jensen/OFC, Dean/reader, Dean/OFC

Genres you read? - Smut, mostly, but really all

Favorite writer(s)? - @luci-in-trenchcoats, @smol-and-grumpy, @supernatural-jackles

@fuiabarcelos -

Other SM names? - Discord: Fuiabarcelos, TikTok: princess_of.hell

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Yes! I really like Julie and the phantoms and Taylor Swift.

Looking for in the Pond? - After the show ended I felt that the brazilian fanfic writers (I'm from brazil) disappeared a little, that's when I met Tumblr and AO3. I usually write fanfics in portuguese, but I'm still learning english and I thought that Pond would be a great place to improve it and, more importantly, make writer friends.

Something to signal boost? - In my wattpad profile, there are many stories of the Supernatural (all in Portuguese), but I'll leave here the link to my favorite. I know there probably won't be anyone who understands Portuguese, but google chrome has an option to translate it, in case anyone is interested. Warrior. For fans of Taylor Swift, I made some Sam's wallpapers inspired by her albums.

Pairings you read? - Mostly reader inserts.

Genres you read? - I usually read smut, fuff, Angst. My favorites are Fluff and Angst. I also like Soulmates Au, stories where the reader is some magical being and, my favorite of all, stories inspired by songs.

Favorite writer(s)? - @thinkinghardhardlythinking @princessmisery666 @queen-of-deans-booty @impala-dreamer @holylulusworld and many more!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

@ladynightskye -

Other SM names? - Discord: LadyKnightSkye

OTP? - Multishipper with a preference for Dean/Lucifer & Lucifer/Castiel

Other fandoms? - Multiple, but Halo, Far Cry 5, and Fire Emblem currently

Looking for in the Pond? - Kinda just wanna hang out.

Something to signal boost? - Apple Pie and the Apocalypse

Pairings you read? - Most pairings including Lucifer or Dean

Genres you read? - Au, mostly, and smut.

What do you like to write? - Alternate universes are my jam. I admittedly like taking these characters and putting them into fantasy Situations. Also lately I’ve been very into genderbending Dean.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Fleur de feu

PurpleEdge (AO3 only) -

Other SM names? - Discord: PurpleEdge

Looking for in the Pond? - I would like to discuss writing stuff and SPN stuff with other fans/writers.

Pairings you read? - I'm not into romantic shipping, but I love the Winchesters family dynamics - Sam & Dean, and John & the boys.

Genres you read? - Mostly Discipline fics, whump, and angst, but I'll read whatever's good.

Favorite writer(s)? - ReaperTownUSA on AO3

What do you like to write? - Discipline fics, slavery tropes, angst, gen, family dynamics, family fluff. I've posted one smut fic, but I'm not sure if I'll do more.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - No Rest

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Currently I think I've tried at least once all the tropes/genres that I like. There may be things out there that I'm not aware of, and I hope that being in this community will help me discover them.

@ani-coolgirl -

Other SM names? - Discord: aniciel, AO3: ani_coolgirl

OTP? - Wincest

Looking for in the Pond? - I would just like to expand my readership and makes some friends to share ideas with.

Something to signal boost? - I'm currently working on writing a wincest fic for every episode of the show. I recently started season 5:I'm currently working on writing a wincest fic for every episode of the show. I recently started season 5: Every First Time on AO3.

Pairings you read? - Wincest

Genres you read? - Smut and angst (but I prefer a happy ending), but I enjoy me a good fluffy fic.

Favorite writer(s)? - @zmediaoutlet

What do you like to write? - Angst, plotty drama I'll never finish, smut

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Cuckoos in Glass Houses

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'm too nervous to post chapter fics because I have problems with follow through. I have epics in my brain that have yet to see the light of day because I never get past chapter 2!

@foxyjwls007 -

Other SM names? - It's the same for FB and IG

Looking for in the Pond? - To be a better writer and get help putting my work out for people to read.

Pairings you read? - Dean, Sam, Cas reader inserts

Genres you read? - All

Favorite writer(s)? - @lucidlivi, @zepskies, @spnexploration, @littlefreya, @sillyrabbit81, and many more

What do you like to write? - Fluff, smut, some angst, ofc, au

Masterlist? - I have no masterlist. Have only posted one work so far.

Most underappreciated fic? - Veggie Tale

@dawn-petrichor-world -

Other SM names? - Discord: Dawn-petrichor-world

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - I'm multi fandom, Pedro Pascal characters, marvel, Tolkien and more

Pairings you read? - Dean, Crowley, Castiel, & Sam reader inserts

Genres you read? - All

Favorite writer(s)? - @holylulusworld

What do you like to write? - Mostly angst and smut

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - The Story of my Life (series)

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I have a lot I haven't written yet and I'd love to write. Because I'm feeling stupid an idiot and not good. I think and hope join a group could boost or help me to write. I still don't know how.

@gloriousmooseman -

Other SM names? - Discord: taylorbeans

OTP? - Wincest

Other fandoms? - Doctor Who/Torchwood, Marvel, HP, some rpf

Looking for in the Pond? - Just to meet like minded people and make new friends!

Pairings you read? - Wincest, Drarry (HP)

Genres you read? - I love a bit of domestic fluff.

Favorite writer(s)? - @astolat is a classic!

What do you like to write? - Wincest

Masterlist!

@rominaszh -

Other SM names? - Discord: rominaszd.dis

OTP? - Destiel alongside many many others

Other fandoms? - Yes, a lot.

Looking for in the Pond? - Just to enjoy the fandom.

Pairings you read? - Destiel mostly, but anything Jensen Ackles related as well

Genres you read? - All

Favorite writer(s)? - I'm in love with everything I read, everyone is so talented!

What do you like to write? - I write mostly angst but fluff and humor is my favorite.

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I have never written any Destiel fics because I don't feel confident enough to write them accurately and in a way that they deserve, but someday I would love to.

@limeskye -

Other SM names? - Discord: limeskye Other: psmalcolmbright

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Prodigal Son

Looking for in the Pond? - To share the SPN love!

Pairings you read? - Destiel mostly, but also other slash pairings on occasion.

Genres you read? - Depends on my mood.

Favorite writer(s)? - @felisblanco

Masterlist? - I've only ever ficced for Prodigal Son before as have always felt the spn fandom is flooded with so many great writers. But who knows what the future holds. I've gifted for other stuff, mostly Prodigal Son and whump stuff.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @princessmisery666, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @katbratsupernaturalwhore and @heavenssexiestangel!