#not technically frenchy

[silliestofbilliest]

Finally catching up on season 2 😭😭💀

The first interview aka slagging off your ex for hours to your high friend who wanted to get railed by you in your coffin.

[thunderandsage]

from a soundtrack point of view watching the boys is especially so satisfying in the ways they cut the songs into the scenes—my favorites so far being the heist music when hughie infiltrates vought, used for comedic effect, and the way “ain’t no sunshine” is played when the viewer thinks the episode will end with kimiko’s death but instead, after a dead pause, ends on a tender note with frenchie calling her a miracle (and it’s also such a sweet moment between the two characters and i love them so much)

[serious-goose]

"men of science"

"btw roach don't forget to leave the leftovers out for the fairies..."

i was howling

[half-doomed-lover]

Yeah im not okay

I will not make any theories because I'm very bad at predictions

I fell things many things about this trailer and holyshit

Okay so apparently they will meet earlier than we thought and rather than the whole instant murder we will have some awkward closer yet distant thingy and shit this makes my heart burn

Also izzy seems to be less of a dipshit this season and yeah I can live with that

More of Blackbeards crew? Maybe? I want them

Frenchie Jim and fang look so cool I want to cry oh my God

Anyway good luck me trying to pay attention at work while rotating gay pirates ib my head

[gay-baby-brig]

Frenchie might not be left handed, but you know who will be later? Jimi Hendrix.

[age-of-moonknight]

“Blood Moon Rising,” Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #19.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Federico Sabbatini; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[corazondebeskar-reads]

perchance, to dream

Jackson!Joel Miller x f!reader

technically a you know you never stood a chance post-series drabble, but all you really need to know is that joel and reader are in an established relationship and living in Jackson.

series masterlist

words: 548

summary: this is straight up domestic fluff with a hint of smut at the end. i wrote this after hbo hurt our feelings this morning. dedicated to @milla-frenchy - because you said please and ily 🖤

warnings: technically tlou pt. ii spoilers but not really and the angsty events of the game never happen. established relationship. fluff and domesticity. just a little snapshot of what their life is like in jackson.

dividers by @saradika-graphics

“Oh my god,” you hip-check him. “Are we getting ready for bed at the same time?”

He rolls his eyes and scowls, patting his face dry with a faded peach hand towel before padding out of the room. You watch him blatantly as he goes, his sweatpants sagging below the soft curve of his bare stomach. 

“Rude,” you call after him. But it’s not long before you’re pulling back the covers and climbing in behind him, arm sliding around his side. 

“Hey,” you say with a softer smile. “We’re actually going to bed at the same time.”

“Yep,” he grunts. “Means I get to do this.”

You jump and shriek as he moves to stick his ice cold footsicles against your bare skin.

He grabs you by the waist. “Where d’you think you’re goin’, huh? You’re the one who always takes the late patrol. You owe me.”

You wriggle and laugh, pushing at him to get away. He nips at your neck, and you grin devilishly. 

You know how to win. All you have to do is turn, rub your ass against him “accidentally,” and he’ll quit fooling around. 

But he catches you by the hips, wise to your wily ways. “Not tonight. I’ve got an early one.”

“What? No, you're off tomorrow. We’re both off tomorrow!” 

He grimaces, rubbing his beard against your neck while he confesses that Tommy asked him to help out, trying and failing to distract you. 

“But we’re both going to bed at the same time.” The pout is unintentional, but you stand by it. 

“Yeah. We are. Going to bed, to sleep, at the same time. Ain’t it nice?”

“Nobody said anything about sleep,” you cross your arms, leaning against your pillow. 

“I did. I am. Go to sleep, sweetheart.” 

He leans in and you turn your head, meeting him halfway. No matter that you’re sulking; you’ll never miss out on this. The kiss is sweet but loaded, drawing a groan from you both. 

“Just can’t help yourself, can ya?” He says, shaking his head as he lies down and turns off his lamp. 

You lay down and roll over, back to back, pressed up close to one another. “Love you, Joel,” you whisper, heaving an overly dramatic sigh. 

“Love ya, sweetheart,” he mumbles. 

Damnit. Nearly asleep already. 

You scowl at the darkness. 

It doesn’t last long. He’s rolled you over before you know it, tugging his old tee up over your head. “Goddamnit,” he grumbles. “You’re right. We’re goin’ to bed at the same time.”

You smirk. “Hold on, now. You gotta get up early. I’m not gonna be the reason you’re like, Deluxe Cranky.”

He pinches your nipple in retaliation, but the only reaction he gets is a hitch of your breath and a soft “mmm” before you keep on with your schtick. 

“No way,” you shake your head like he’s a naughty dog, “I’m not giving you an excuse.”

By then, though, he’s got your panties down around your knees, and your playful denial disappears with them. 

“Oh yeah?” he grumbles, lining himself up and pushing into you slowly, just to watch you arch beneath him, gasping. 

“Y-yeah,” you say stubbornly. “You gotta waive the right to complain in the morning.”

He rolls his eyes above you, and you think never, you’ll never tire of that view.

[zepskies]

Break Me Down - Prologue

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x Female Reader

Summary: You’re a private investigator by trade, but now you happily sit at a desk — leading a surveillance team at Supe Affairs. After managing to end Homelander in New York, Soldier Boy escapes custody. You are recruited for the manhunt, joining Butcher’s team.

Truly, you joined the S.A. for the right reasons. But after you become his accidental hostage, Soldier Boy will break down every single one of them…

💚 Break Me Down Masterlist

AN: For those of you who enjoyed “Checkerboard,” here’s the requested prequel series! It’s going to be a long and bumpy road to get to that version of Soldier Boy. Technically this is an AU set post-season 3. [18+ only! This story is rated M.]

Song Inspo: For this story it's "All My Livin Time" by Radio Company! You'll notice it in some of the chapter titles.

Word Count: 2,800Warnings: Violence, character death, bondage (not in the good way).

Prologue:

Well, this fucking sucks.

The thought rattled through your mind as you were led down a hallway, across a cold expanse of tile floor.

You couldn’t see where you were going with this stuffy bag over your head, but you knew it was tile. Your bare feet all but scraped across it as they dragged you.

Whoever held your arms in a vice grip eventually forced you to sit in a rickety wooden chair. They pulled your wrists behind the chair and bound them together with a zip tie.

You felt the slit on your dress sliding open, so you crossed your legs, for whatever good that would do you. At the very least, it would give the impression that you were sitting here casually, and not (figuratively) shitting yourself with fear. 

“What the hell is this?” a deep, familiar voice asked.

“A gift.” You knew this voice as well. Neither one instilled you with calm.

Then the bag finally came off your head. The gag did not, however. You knew your red dress was in unfortunate tatters. You knew you were bruised and scratched, and overall worse for wear.

But when your gaze found your kidnapper, you glared up at him with a stubborn tilt to your chin.

Soldier Boy stared back at you with raised brows, and instant recognition in his eyes. His lips curved into a smirk.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

Three months ago…

You watched the footage in disbelief.

Soldier Boy managed to grapple Homelander long enough to blast him right out of Vought Tower.

The two of them tangled in a big ball of nuclear light, and the resulting impact into the ground created a tremor throughout New York City. You had felt it even from the Surveillance office of Supe Affairs.

But now, an hour later, you stood at the site of the crash landing. You still couldn’t believe that Homelander’s lifeless body (complete with two suspect bullet holes to the head) was already wrapped up by the CIA.

The body would be destroyed, if Grace Mallory had anything to say about it. Though you knew that Vought would try to claim custody.

They can try, you thought. Grace had briefed you of the situation: Soldier Boy’s strange new power had taken away Homelander’s in the blast. That had allowed Billy Butcher to finish the job.

But as enormous a win as that was for the S.A. (for the world, really), Soldier Boy had unfortunately escaped in the aftermath of the crash. 

You watched Butcher’s team being treated by paramedics. They all seemed to be in good spirits, considering. Talking and laughing through their bloody cuts and bruises. Butcher seemed the most contemplative, maybe because his nine-year vendetta had finally come to a close.

But you knew, even with this victory, their troubles were far from over.

Mother’s Milk snapped back at something Frenchie said, but when he looked up and caught you staring, you looked over pointedly at the massive crater in the ground. His lips thinned into a determined line.

Soldier Boy’s still out there.

You took a break from staring at the double surveillance screens at your work desk to answer your cell phone.

“Hey, Yvette. How’s it going?” you said, smiling.

“Oh, good. Just clinging to a sinking ship,” she said wryly. “My department’s down to two people.”

Your eyes widened. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. In customer service? Is Vought insane?”

Yvette was the only friend you still talked to from your time at Vought. Though the two of you had been in different departments, they’d been on the same floor in the tower.

“Company shares have dropped into the toilet after…well, Homelander,” she explained. “Somehow I made it through the preliminary mass layoffs. But they want us to operate on a damn skeleton crew with no support.”

You bit your lip in sympathy. “You’re looking for another job, right?”

“Of course,” said Yvette. Her tone was hushed, and you heard her underlying worry. “Chris and I can barely afford Devon’s private school as it is. We won’t be able to renew for next year if I lose my job.”

You frowned. Her son Devon was in elementary school, a bright kid. But unlike his wealthy classmates, he’d gotten into the school on a partial scholarship. That alone was enough to single him out among the other families (even the kids, unfortunately).

“Do you want me to see if there’s anything for you here at the S.A.?” you asked. “I make an excellent reference.”

As in, you’d track down whatever department was hiring and talk them around until they agreed to look at Yvette’s resume, if for no other reason than to shut you up.

“That would be great,” she said with a sigh. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course!” you agreed.

Yvette had been one of the few people to actually support you after you left Vought. After that, she’d cemented a place in your life from “work friend” to something real, and as honest as you’d let yourself be in a long time.

When the phone on your work desk started to ring, you let out a sigh.

“Sorry, Yvette. I’m getting another call.”

“No problem. Still coming for dinner on Friday? I finally talked Chris into making his arroz con gandules. And in honor of you, I’m making pain patate. My grandma's recipe, if I might add.”

“Oooh, excellent,” you said, already mentally rubbing your hands together. Yvette was Haitian, married to a Puerto Rican man. Both were ridiculously great cooks, and had been teaching you their ways in the kitchen for the past few years.

Before you became friends with Yvette, you could barely boil an egg. Your mother, bless her, wasn’t the best cook. So you and your sister had survived mainly on boxed meals growing up...mainly on Hamburger Helper and the like, if you were honest.

But you were a quick student, according to your friend. You could even make baked macaroni from scratch now.

“I’ll definitely be there,” you said. “See ya then!”

You hung up your cell and picked up your work phone just as it was about to stop ringing.

“Surveillance department,” you answered.

You positioned the phone between your ear and your shoulder and checked on the surveillance cameras you were monitoring. Nothing was amiss (yet), but you were watching in case a telekinetic went off the rails on her next drug bust.

There had been reports of this particular supe being too careless with her arrests, even putting a teenager into a full body cast after flinging him off a second-story building.

But you were only half-shaken out of your thoughts when a woman greeted you on the line.

“Can you come up to my office please?” she said.

“Who’s this?” you asked distractedly.

“Grace Mallory.”

You paused. Oh shit.

The head boss lady of this whole operation was on your phone, and she wanted to see you.

“Uh…yes, ma’am,” you said. “Right now?”

“…Yeah. Right now,” she said dryly. And she hung up on you.

You heaved a sigh as you also hung up the phone at your desk. Your manager (and the head of S.A. Surveillance) was already working your team over time.

And for some reason, Grace Mallory wanted to have a little chit chat.

You didn’t know why she singled you out, but you had a handful of guesses. All of them were making your stomach churn.

You popped your head out of your cubicle and leaned over to the one next to yours.

“Hey Jess, I need you to cover for me for a bit,” you told your coworker. Jess didn’t have as much experience as you, but she was solid at her job and you could count on her to handle things while you were gone for a bit. The blonde smiled and bobbed her head.

“Okie! No problem, friend,” she said.

Her bubbliness grated on your psyche a bit, but you couldn’t bring yourself to hate her either. It wasn’t her fault the world hadn’t kicked her in the ass yet.

You nodded and went up to Grace’s office, where she welcomed you in and asked you to sit down in the plush chair in front of her rather large mahogany desk.

It was leagues above your small, plain gray cubicle, but you supposed these were the kinds of things that came with being the head of the operation.

The S.A. was now strictly her domain, following the clusterfuck of Victoria Neuman departing the organization to join Robert Singer’s presidential campaign.

“What can I do for you, Grace?” you asked.

The other woman gave you a patient, if knowing look. “I think you know why I asked you here.”

“Can’t say that I do,” you replied, tight-lipped.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, the manhunt for Soldier Boy is now this organization’s top priority,” she began. “I’d like to recruit you, beyond surveillance. I want to put you in the field.”

You were already shaking your head before she’d finished speaking. You’d been happily sitting at a desk for a year now.

“I don’t think I’m qualified, ma’am.”

She gave a small huff of a laugh. “I beg to differ.”

You shifted in your seat, impatient and uncomfortable, as she folded her pale hands on her desk.

“Before you joined Supe Affairs last year, you were a private investigator…on Vought’s payroll,” she said. “I promise, you will have even more resources at your disposal. And my full support.”

“You’re CIA,” you said, hiding your nervousness. “Why do you need me?”

For a moment, Grace just stared at you. Her head tilted just so, lips pursing.

“Because this is an all-hands-on-fucking-deck situation. I need every single body I can throw at this,” she said, her blue eyes unyielding. “I’ve seen your track record. Here at the S.A., your years at Vought, and before. When you worked at your father’s firm.”

Your spine tightened at the mention of your father, but you forced yourself to relax.

“You get results,” Grace continued. “And I think you’ll do well working with Butcher’s team.”

Your eyes widened.

“Billy Butcher?” you repeated. “Oh, hell no. I’m not working with that crazy bastard…with all due respect, ma’am.”

You lowered your eyes in embarrassment.

You’d only worked in Surveillance for the past year, but you’d often heard Victoria Neuman’s bitching to Hughie Campbell down the hall—especially in the break room.

“I understand your reservations, believe me,” Grace said wryly. “But he’s the one who found Soldier Boy in Siberia, after forty years of him being presumed dead.”

“In part, thanks to you,” you couldn’t help pointing out…maybe a bit too petulantly to a high-ranking CIA agent.

Grace’s lips thinned even further, but after she considered you a moment longer, she relaxed with a slight smile.  

“I think you’ll fit in just fine,” she said.

You let out a deep breath. After Hughie clued you in on Victoria Neuman being an undercover supe, you’d laid low at the S.A., waiting for the right time to quit. After Neuman left the organization, and Homelander’s death, you’d actually thought it was safe enough to stay. 

You’d left Vought for several reasons, all of them good ones…

“What if I don’t want the job?” you asked.

Grace tapped a finger on her desk. “As I understand, you have a younger sister.”

Your lips pulled into a frown, your shoulders tightening. Your family had nothing to do with this. Was this the part where the CIA agent threatened you in order to get her way?

“Why do you ask?”

Grace raised a brow.

“I know exactly what Vought was paying you for your exclusivity clause. Which was then rescinded when you began working for Supe Affairs,” she said.

“They kept approximately six months of your backpay on ongoing assignments, and even tried to sue you for breach of contract when you gave Neuman your intel on their supes. Drugs, prostitutes, the whole gambit.”

You crossed your arms and leaned back in your chair; you saw her game now.

“You tried to fight back in the courts, but the earnings that once sustained you have since dried up," she added, and with a nod, "Yes, I checked your bank statements.”

You were affronted at the breach of your privacy, but you weren’t exactly surprised.

“Our American justice system at work,” you snipped. Grace smiled.

“I’m prepared to double their fee,” she said. “As I understand it, your sister Luisa is a gifted girl. First chair violinist. Auditions for Julliard lined up for next month. Tuition increases every year.”

And that was when you faltered. You still didn’t think hunting after the world’s most wanted ex-superhero was a smart decision. Not even for money…but damn this Mallory. Damn the CIA and Vought, Neuman, Stan Edgar, and everyone in between!

Julliard was your sister’s dream. For the entirety of her senior year, you’d been wracking your brain (and your pitiful savings) trying to find a way to give it to her.

Your mom was a hospital receptionist making barely enough to support herself. As it was, you were supporting Luisa financially.

Since the two of you were kids, you’d done your best to protect your sister. To be the one she could always count on when your mom just…couldn’t.

But still. Making this deal with Grace felt a bit too much like making that deal with Vought five years ago. And look at how that had come to bite you in the ass.

“I don’t think—” you started to say.

“Up front,” Mallory said.

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You’ll get double your fee, up front,” she said. “Then you’ll get triple if Soldier Boy is caught and brought back into U.S. custody, or eliminated in the field.”

Dead or alive…

You knew what this decision meant for you.

Grace Mallory was Don Corleone, making you an offer. Could you afford to refuse?

After a beat to think, you drummed your nails on the chair’s arm and looked up at Grace decisively.

“You mean when he’s caught.”

Somewhere in South America…

Soldier Boy was having a great fucking time.

Thoroughly debauched, he’d rented out an entire casino for his 101st birthday. Bottomless drinks, drugs, whores, and poker. Didn’t get much better than that, in his (literally) high opinion.

Until a bullet ripped through his champagne glass.

The fuck. He glanced up and watched the unit of military personnel line up around all four floors of the casino. If his nose was mistaken (and it never was), most of these guys were hopped up on V. It smelled like the temporary stuff.

Good fucking job, Wannabe President Singer, he thought.

The group of women that had been hanging out at his table had already fled, save for one cowering at his feet when the first shot rang out. She was a thin blonde with big Bette Davis eyes, but she was much easier on said eyes than that fucking broad had been.

Soldier Boy grabbed the girl up off the floor, like the dead weight she was, and gave her his room key.

“If you make it outta here, catch me at my place, would ya?” he told her, though his attention was on the guns surrounding him. She took the key with shaking hands and looked up at him. He spared her a glance.

“I’d go now, if I were you. Things are about to get fuckin' crispy.”

And that was when they tossed the tear gas.

The futile sniping began, tearing through his new silk suit but bouncing harmlessly off his skin. The girl screamed and cowered under the table.

Soldier Boy snapped off a roulette wheel from a nearby table and tossed it like a frisbee at the closest guns. The tear gas was just making him want to sneeze.

But he smirked and rolled his neck. Here we go...

By the end, Soldier Boy was the only one standing. And that included the casino. It was a mess of broken wood, overturned tables, and the blood and bodies of soldiers, staff, gambling patrons, and Bette Davis Eyes under the table.

Straightening his ruined blazer, he stepped out the back of the casino and disappeared into the dark.

On the only table left standing was a hand-written note, pinned down with a steak knife:

Try harder.

S. B.

AN: Well, then. 😂 I can say this is a very different story than I'm used to writing, but I couldn't not explore Soldier Boy. 😏

Let me know what you think of this little intro!

Keep Reading: PART 1

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @this-is-me19 @waynes-multiverse @pallographsunspot @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @spalady26 @spnwoman @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden @syrma-sensei @muhahaha303 @123passwort @xoxovienna @magnificentnightmarehadi @lollag0w0

[ladyjotei]

@unhingedpirates -

#can't believe frenchie was coping with it better than jim#and here i thought he would be the most traumatized baby on that ship

Frenchie's guide to deal with trauma:

[oprahwinfreyjrjr]

My Favorite Frenchie Looks

Completely subjective and in no particular order.

Bunny crop top? ✅ Knife harness? (Who is he stabbing???) ✅ Plaid pants and a little happy trail? ✅ I love that Frenchie is wanted by the FBI, holed up in a dank basement in Queens, and still has time to look hot and accessorize. This is also the first inkling we got that our boy has style.

I imagine Frenchie was on his way to bake madeleines with this girl he just met, looked in the mirror and thought, “Hmmm…this needs something…” And then he added a little bandanna because he wanted to look cute to impress Kimiko. The flour on the cheeks is a nice touch.

Bare ass naked, covered in blood, and rocking a bicycle lock statement necklace. Okay, technically he did not choose this ensemble but that doesn’t take away the fact that he looks amazing.

Naked and crying 😢

Look how cute and worried he is. I bet Kimiko steals this sweatshirt all the time.

Cute and sassy and prepared to do 8 to 10 in a maximum security prison. I like that he has different colored hair in the flashbacks. It’s a nice character note that Frenchie has always been a bit of a peacock. Also, I think they should let Frenchie wear more jewelry.

This season 4 hair and the sunglasses 🥵🔥

It seems like the Season 4 wardrobe got an upgrade too, possibly courtesy of a fat CIA salary? They knew what they were doing with this slow pan up. The boots are sick, as are the bondage pants. But I love that he’s still wearing this old army jacket that’s barely held together with safety pins and patches. Frenchie is loyal. He loves things, even when they are falling apart.

I love this ugly sweater and the fact that he always customizes his clothes—chopping off the hems, sewing on patches, cutting bigger necklines. (My personal head canon is that after working for Little Nina, Frenchie can’t stand anything tight around his neck.) Frenchie may be a reformed assassin, but he still takes pleasure in beauty.

Finally, I love how as their relationship has evolved, Kimiko and Frenchie’s styles seem to have subtly influenced the other. There are the his and hers ripped jeans, military jackets, and matching combat boots. They just make sense together. 🥰

[a-sassy-bench]

Overthinking: Frenchie & Cats

in s1 our crew is tasked with making a pirate flag which ends up serving as an interesting little insight into what they consider "scary". pretty much everyone makes something skeleton based, except frenchie and his cat flag.

s2 arrives and we see frenchie decked out in his new kraken-era outfit. we get these little glimpses and think, 'is that a cat?' it's hard to tell.

but then we get more cat. frenchie's new weapon of choice looks like a literal version of a cat with knives in their feet.

it honestly did not occur to me at first that frenchie sewed the cat onto his new outfit because his past sewing projects haven't been that spectacular in terms of their technical prowess.

but then we get the new flag of the revenge. and it's frenchie's cat.

so to weather the kraken-era, frenchie becomes his own worst nightmare, the embodiment of what he considers "evil" and "terrifying".

frenchie has made it clear for two seasons that his coping skill is simply not acknowledging the terrible things he experiences (bottle it up / put it in a box).

then the kraken-era ends. and instead of putting it in a box and never thinking about it again, he makes the cat the new symbol of the ship and we get to watch him happily unveil it while izzy whittles his wooden shark.

i'm feeling very normal about the pirate show, thanks for asking.

.

[gaypiratepropaganda]

Izzy's apology in the finale seems to have taken some people by surprise. During the break between seasons, I tried a few times to politely bring up the fact that Izzy was technically abusing Ed. Not because I wanted anyone to stop liking him (you can like a character who's doing abuse! it's not real. who cares), but because I was worried about the reaction when season two came out. I love this show very much and I know how tumblr can get. Most importantly, I love fucked up fictional relationships and cannot abide people making these two boring. So here we go. (I also love lists)

First. Emotional abuse can occur in intimate relationships, family relationships like father and son, or in the workplace (Ed/Izzy triple threat!). Second, it has to be an ongoing thing. Someone doing one of these things once is not abuse. Abuse is a pattern of cruel and frightening behavior in order to control the victim.

(Don't feel bad if you didn't notice this stuff! It's relatively subtle and we're kind of trained to ignore and forgive it, especially from characters like Izzy. I wasn't 100% sure I was right about this either until season two confirmed it. I think a lot of people don't even know what emotional abuse is, at least where I live.)

Below are some pretty solid warning signs (this said "criteria" before but I changed it to be more accurate) for emotional abuse, followed by examples:

•Monitoring and controlling a person’s behavior, such as who they spend time with or how they spend money.

One of Izzy's main motivations in season one was trying to force Ed to act more like his image of Blackbeard. To achieve that, he bullied, belittled, and threatened Ed. He attempted to kill Stede because Ed was spending too much time with him and he felt that Stede was a bad influence.

• Threats to a person’s safety, property, or loved ones

He tried to kill Stede (Ed's loved one) or get him killed several times. Once trying to get Ed to do it himself with the doggy heaven situation, once directly with the duel, and once by calling in the navy.

He didn't directly threaten Ed's safety until episode ten, but he did seem to have Ed convinced that the crew would kill him if Izzy wasn't there to protect him and then when Ed did things he didn't like, Izzy threatened to leave. It's indirect, but has the same result: Ed felt he was unsafe unless he did what Izzy wanted.

• Isolating a person from family, friends, and acquaintances

Izzy seemed to keep Ed isolated from the crew, act as a go-between, and control their perceptions of each other to a certain extent. In the first few episodes, Ed was always shown alone in his goth cabin with Izzy as his only contact. When he started to make new friends Izzy tried to make him kill them.

After Izzy was banished, he secretly sent Ed's ex in to manipulate him and get him away from his new community. Then he got them all arrested, culminating in the deal he made with the English that would have made Ed his prisoner. Not sure that was on purpose, but it was so fucked up I had to mention it.

The bit that really got me, for some reason, was when Frenchie asked after Ed and Izzy told the crew he was sick.

• Demeaning, shaming, or humiliating a person

Izzy is often shown berating Ed and yelling at him. The way Ed reacts suggests to me that he may be used to this kind of treatment from people in general, or from Izzy in particular. He never leaves or asks him to stop, he just takes it.

• Extreme jealousy, accusations, and paranoia

He was so jealous of Ed's relationship with Stede that he got the literal military involved. His explanation to for why Ed enjoys spending time with Stede was that he has "done something to [Ed's] brain." Like, what magic powers do you think he has, Izzy?

• Making acceptance or care conditional on a person’s choices

Izzy made it very clear that he would only support Ed if he conformed to the Blackbeard persona. He also seemed to have Ed convinced that there was no way he could survive without Izzy's support.

I just realized that if you subscribe to the headcanon that Izzy acts as a sort of caretaker to Ed (I do not) then all of this is way more fucked up.

• Constant criticism, ridicule, or teasing.

In season one he criticized everything Ed did, all his plans, even while telling him to come up with more plans. He ridiculed Ed and called him names pretty often: "twat, namby-pamby, insane." Even in season two when he's doing better, most of their interactions consist of Izzy teasing and making fun of Ed for being mopey or in love.

• Refusing to allow a person to spend time alone

I didn't think of this until now, but Izzy is often around when Ed thinks he's alone. He knows about things that happen in scenes he isn't in. Izzy's always sort of lurking, though? And he does it to everyone. So I'm not sure if we should count this one.

• Thwarting a person’s professional or personal goals

He's ok about piracy related goals, but as soon as Ed tried to do something other than that he got so weird about it. "This crew is so talented, why are we even being pirates?" is what got Izzy to threaten Ed. Which is interesting because he was fine with the retirement idea before, when he thought he'd get to be captain.

• Instilling feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness 

"insane unpleasant shell of a man merely posing as blackbeard." "I should have let the English kill you. This... whatever it is you've become is a fate worse than death."

• Gaslighting: making a person question their competence and even their basic perceptual experiences.

He called Ed insane and implied that the crew would mutiny if he wasn't there to stop them. This is clearly untrue, as we were already shown that his method of "massaging the crew" consisted of calling Ed half insane and pulling Fang's beard even though Fang hates that. The fact that he calls Ed insane more than once while at the same time trying to get him to act more insane seems like basic gaslighting to me. Then again, Izzy's definition of "insanity" may be like, depression, crying, showing emotions, loneliness, and enjoying softness.

[can't find a gif of this so just imagine Ed in the gravy basket with Hornigold saying "you're worried you're insane."]

Something that wasn't on this specific list but is generally considered part of emotional abuse is manipulation: the use of indirect tactics to change someone's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors in an attempt to influence them for personal gain.

I think Izzy often tries to be manipulative. He's not the greatest at it, but it's the thought that counts. He manages to be surprisingly successful through persistence and repetition.

He's got Ed convinced from the first time we see them that he is useless as a captain without Izzy. That's why Ed feels like he needs him. He tells him that the only thing standing between Ed and a crew constantly on the brink of mutiny is Izzy. Then he tells him that he will leave if he can't live up to his expectations.

He has a pattern of lying to Ed or not telling him the whole truth. He threatens him directly and indirectly in an attempt to influence him and control his behavior. He wants power, whether he gets it by becoming a captain when Ed retires or by making sure Ed remains powerful by any means necessary.

this is what he was apologizing for, along with the years of being terrible to Ed before Stede came into the picture. I never expected him to admit it so clearly like that. He fed Ed's "darkness," poked at his trauma for so long because he needed Blackbeard. It was something they did together, and he enjoyed Blackbeard's dominance and cruelty.

Of course there are other things that can be part of this kind of abuse, like infantilization, silence, and harassment. There are more examples of abusive behavior from Izzy at the start of season two, especially in the scene where Ed's asking Izzy to kill him. but I am not ready to get into that right now.

Anyway, Ed and Izzy's storylines in season two only make sense to me with this in mind. Ed is recovering from not only the suicide attempts but also this fucked up situation he was in, whether he realizes it or not. Izzy learns to stop being such a shitboy and admits he was wrong. ~growth~

if you interpret their relationship differently that's obviously fine. but I think this is the most interesting interpretation, as well as what was intended. It's no fun for me when people make them both equally awful to each other. I like it better as it is in the show: Ed fighting back against Izzy's emotional abuse with physical violence, which only ends up traumatizing him further. It's such a unique and fascinating story.

[piratesmyass]

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod

IT'S PERFECT. It's like it was literally tailored for me specifically, with Izzy and Frenchie being besties AND it's hurt/comfort AND it's fluff AND Stede has two hands AND it's written so beautifully, I'M IN LOVE❤️😭

Thank you so much<3333

might i but moor - tonight - in thee

Rated: T Word Count: 1,592 Chapters: 1/6 Pairing: Stede Bonnet/Izzy Hands

Summary:

“You said it yourself, Izzy,” Stede said while he tugged his boot on. “Captain’s got to know the conditions aboard the ship.” “And that includes the sleeping conditions, aye?” Izzy asked. The wood he whittled felt smooth in his hand, the knife handle worn and rough. “Sure. Why not.” “Giving up your comfy bed in your private room to sleep above deck ��” “You can sleep in my bed, then, since you’re so concerned.” Izzy snorted, applied too much pressure on his next push stroke. “Bonnet, I’ve gone years without sleeping on a fucking mattress. If I start now, my body’ll fucking kill me.” Stede shrugged and got up from the captain’s chair. “Suit yourself.”

inspired by this post by @piratesmyass. thanks for letting me write your idea, dude, hope this is enjoyable !!

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

hi i dont know if there is any meaning, but why didnt jim paint the eyes? they painted a beard, sure, but... i mean, with everybody else, it was around the eyes, right?

i hadn’t ever thought abt this before so at first i was like “man idk” BUT after thinking abt it for two seconds. it might have smthng to do with like… of all the ppl on the ship with ed, i think jim has the best grasp of what’s going on??? archie’s just like “yeah this is just normal pirate stuff,” izzy was putting up with everything up until ed said he’s replaceable, frenchie’s locking shit in a box and repressing all his negative emotions as hard as he can, and fang is too busy crying to really like, do much of anything. but jim is like, holding it together while also not accepting that this is how things need to be.

also there are two moments that really stick out to me that make me feel like jim might get what’s going on with ed in a way the other characters don’t. there’s the “he was your friend” line, which while technically i think jim is wrong about that (ed’s said it himself last season, he doesn’t have anyone he considers a friend), i feel like what jim is getting at there is the fact that this isn’t the ed they knew. ed never treated his crew members like this, and ed was someone who should’ve been saddened by ivan’s death instead of not even batting an eye. also just the fact that jim said something to ed’s face about how the shit he was doing was fucked up stands out to me.

the other moment is when the crew is hiding from ed in the one hallways and they’re like “is ed?? better??? he seems cheered up??” and jim is like “NO this is NOT better.” jim’s the only one who says something abt how ed’s whole cheery attitude that day was not ed being in a better place.

WAIT ANOTHER MOMENT. when jim decides they’re not gonna kill archie and ed’s like “awww guess we’re all gonna die” and jim’s like “YOU WERE GONNA DO IT ANYWAY!!!” and ed’s like. teehee yeah <3. something something jim seeing through ed’s bullshit something.

this is getting longer than i wanted it to so i’m not gonna get too deep into this point but since s1 i’ve thought that ed and jim feel very similar in terms of like, being raised with people expecting them to do violence and not actually wanting to live their lives that way. also they’re both badasses who have so much gender.

yeah so. something abt jim’s eyes not being painted and jim being the one on the ship who can see what’s going on and what ed’s doing better than any of the other characters. this could be nothing tho i’m just spitballing this. it maybe could just be that the costume dept decided vico looked better without the raccoon eyes idk

[ayashitetsuko]

I’m thinking of all the instances my favourite characters are dead on screen, and why Izzy Hands’s bothered me so much. For example, I saw Egon Spengler died on Ghostbusters Afterlife, and while it made me sad, it did not cause me pain. There was certainly no disappointment at the creators.

The difference lies in the existence of closure and mission fulfilment for these characters.

Egon died in a battle. We saw him being chased by the hounds, struggling with technical issues, before he calmly accepted his fate. Before that, he had spent a lifetime catching ghosts, and he never stopped. He worked for the cause until the very end, until he no longer able to. And the mission was carried on by his grandchild and former colleagues.

When I saw him died, there was this feeling of, ah, he lived a full life. He completed his journey. I am proud of him.

His death was handled in a respectful manner by the creator; one that gives audiences a sense of finality in his arc.

Izzy, on the other hand, did not get this.

The canon itself explicitly stated at the beginning of S2 that he was in an abusive relationship. He managed to get out of it; hurt and traumatised and disabled as a result. But then he found love in his community. He began to heal. We saw him bloom, standing proudly, learning to fight with his new prosthetic. He put on make up, sings. Most importantly, he opened himself up to people. Before this, life was all about Blackbeard. Then we saw him being physically close to Fang and Frenchie, flirty with Lucius. Being a trusted mentor for Stede. His new life had finally begun.

Then he died.

When so many questions remained. When so many potential are unexplored. Somehow the creator decided that Izzy had done his purpose as Ed’s father figure—a role that we had never seen in their relationship in the first place—and decided to kill him off.

Even the whole idea of “death is the only path available for older mentor figure” itself is questionable, if not offensive.

[deliciouskeys]

I’m sorry, but telling English bulldog Terror to fuck that toy is probably the most confirmation that Butchlander is real that the show has given us.

one of my favorite thing about butcher. and all of the boys really. is the casual pettiness of it all. like yes they want to avenge their lost dead ones by tearing down and murdering their killers. sure. a good old revenge plotline we’ve seen a hundred times. but they’re also so unbelievably PETTY about it its hilarious. butcher drinks from a homelander cup. mm and frenchie reunite in a lamplighter-themed van. the fact that they have not one but SEVERAL dartboards with supes taped on them everywhere in the flatiron building, and hughie putting a dart in the deep’s crotch. they’re so incredibly petty about it all i love them