#our flag means GAY SEX

[little-fandom-dump]

going to try so hard to cohesively express all of my feelings about Thee israel basilica hands, so bear with me as i write a fuckin novella about this wet cat lad

(obvi spoilers for s2, e 1-7)

i am first and foremost. just incredibly impressed with his growth this season. last year, we had "he's done something to my boss's brain" and "this, whatever you've become...is a fate worse than death". last season, he had nothing but malice and spite for stede (for helping ed discover he can be soft and gentle) and ed (for letting himself change around stede) both. we know canonically now that it was all fueled by love- albeit a possessive and jealous love that hinged on his ideal perception of who ed was as blackbeard.

for years, he subjected himself to a cruel and unfulfilling affection. he allowed himself to be abused just to feel needed, to receive table scraps of attention and praise.

by all rights, he should fucking hate stede this season. after all, didn't he ruin blackbeard's pirating prowess, tarnish the version of the man he has fallen in love with? the crying in a soft velvet robe, the blanket fort and amateur poetry- these are coping mechanisms ed would never have indulged in before meeting stede.

but izzy doesn't hate stede, not really. like he says in episode 7, he understands that stede makes ed a better person- someone more loving to himself and those around him. how could he truly hate someone who does what he could not, who helps the man he loves grow into the best version of himself?

no, who izzy really hates is himself. in izzy's eyes, he's the one who pushed ed into becoming the kraken again after the breakup- he thinks he's responsible for all of the abuse and torture ed puts the crew through in the resulting weeks. the gun to jim's head, the apathy at ivan's death, the extreme psychological and physical abuse that ed inflicts onto the crew- izzy puts a lot of that blame on himself. we see this in his interaction with lucius about moving on- he dangled his leg above the shark, wasn't it really his fault when his leg was bitten off? he drinks himself half to death, begs for the crew to just kill him already, drives all of his pain inwards and inwards and inwards.

the thing about that, though? when a person engages in such self-destruction, they're bound to hurt those closest to them (ask me how i know). and he does. izzy's pain and guilt and self-hatred bleed into the lives of the crew, and it's only after he puts ed's gun to his temple and misses that he realizes it. so, what does he do? ever the unkillable bastard, izzy climbs his ragged way out onto the deck and turns the same gun back on ed. he may be a fucked-up self-loathing twat, but he can't allow (what he views as) his mistakes to hurt the crew-- or ed--anymore.

it is a testament to both the brilliant writing (and con's acting), however, that he doesn't suddenly heal after that. it wouldn't be a realistic expectation to have of him- after all, he's gone through incredible physical, emotional, and mental trauma for years now. izzy, he's not a functioning or emotionally healthy person. instead of suddenly being better and well-adjusted, he's angry and bitter and still so self-destructive. but he still tries to thank stede for the rescue. still tries to convince stede that ed didn't hate their breakup and do horrendous things to the crew and himself, still tries to keep him from knowing they (seemingly) killed him.

and when ed wakes up and stede finds himself the captain of their motley crew again, izzy is still hurting but izzy still tries. among so much hurt and devastation, he tries! and then the crew makes him a new leg, a literal embodiment of the trust and love they have for him- and he realizes that he deserves better! he deserves better for himself than to drink alone and spit venomous insults at his reflection. sure, he still drinks before noon and insults the crew-- but he also teaches stede new pirating skills, helps lucius out of his own traumatic funk, navigates the new ship dynamic as best he can. the insults are still there but there's no longer poisonous intent behind them. (the poison replaced with positivity)

the amount of grace and emotional maturity izzy is displaying in later episodes is incredible, considering what storms he's just weathered. his effort is admirable, especially towards ed and stede. he has every right to hate the two of them, to disavow them and leave the Revenge, but he doesn't. Instead, he takes time to reclaim parts of himself that were long hidden or never developed at all. chrissake, he lets himself be tender! he lets wee john help him with his makeup, sings a lilting love song to the crew, openly admits to stede that he loves ed, supports stede on the republic of pirates, allows himself to be more vulnerable than he's ever been before.

izzy sees now how good ed and stede are for each other, and he congratulates them on their, *ahem*, docking even while harboring his own jealousy and hurt. even if it's a bit of a joke, the sincerity is still there- he's willing to grin and tell stede he balances ed out, the two of them are good for each other. it's not even remotely hinted at, but i'm willing to bet izzy knew what the two of them were doing in the cabin while he was singing his soft and sweet requiem for the love he harbors for ed. and yet he still chooses to be kind and supportive to them both. to himself.

i know this post was a million paces long, but i'm just having so many feelings about izzy hands. and i'm so, so proud of him for admitting to himself that he deserves better, he deserves vulnerability, comfort, support, and the fullness of his identity as a queer person. it's a major change this season (one i honestly did not expect!), but one i love love love. great storytelling and great acting. i'm so looking forward to the future of izzy's character development.

TLDR: izzy's commitment to doing better for himself and others makes me emotional. i'm incredibly proud of him for trying to do/be better each passing moment.

[toastywindow]

i was like, i should take a shot for every cut to izzy about to cry. then after watching 3 epsiodes, i realized i would fucking die

[wouldgaysexfixthem]

would gay sex fix them?

[leincendiaire]

no but gentlehands really is great like you would think the two characters who hated and dueled and stabbed each other while crushing on the same guy the entire first season would have like. a really slowburn friendship but no. izzy's like ok well new captain hours i guess. I just hang out in this man's room 24/7 now and I watch him twirl around in his pretty coats and I spout ominous poetry at him and give him pirate lessons while making sure I touch his ass and I HAVE TO look softly and proudly at him when he is good at pirate captaining. this is just what I do now

[edscuntyeyeshadow]

remember when we collectively lost our minds at the mention of orgasms by ed, plus anne asking them if they’d had sex yet? remember how everyone was saying it was foreshadowing?

and then it fucking WAS!!!!!! it literally was foreshadowing and we correctly pointed it out!!!!

[bragginball-z]

Never getting over this actually

[thatdude-noah]

i think the physical and sexual relationship with stede and ed is actually so important. like so seriously, i think it is a great way to demonstrate them and their growth as characters.

immediately we can look at their first kiss. and yes, it's their first kiss, so it's not going to be perfect. but there's this unsureness there, this tentativeness. they don't know what they're doing. stede doesn't know what he's doing. it's all so much so fast, and it's just a kiss. stede doesn't know how to handle this, how to handle this relationship, how to handle this happiness. he leaves. he's scared. he can't handle this just yet.

then we get the scene where stede and ed are asked if they've had sex yet. and obviously it's played for laughs, but there's something there. there's a discomfort with the topic of sex being brought up, this shying away from it so quickly. they're both finding their footing in this relationship, and sex is so fast, it is so far ahead of where they're at. they can't even truly consider it yet.

then we have their next kiss. you wear fine things well. the way stede is clearly willing to do more, kissing ed deeper, grabbing at his hair. stede finally has ed back and he's desperate, desperate for anything he can get. he wants all of it, wants all of ed. but they stop. they stop because ed's not ready, and truly, stede isn't either. they're both prone to whims, but they both need to slow down. they need to get used to holding hands, to kissing, before they do anything more. they're not there yet. they need time. they need surety. they need to develop.

and then we have some snippets of scenes and some behind the scenes of them in future episodes. even from those little bits, it's clear that they're growing. their physical relationship seems to be advancing. to both of them, having sex is a big and important thing. it's not something they can just do. it has so many implications for them. stede has never had sex that he's enjoyed, has never had sex for fun. and not only would sex with ed be enjoyable, but it would be vulnerable. they love each other, and having sex would be so much more than just sex. it's some physical display of their love, of their vulnerability, of how they've grown, of all the ways they've changed. it's something they need to work up to. but they can. they can work up to it, they can reach that point of comfort and surety.

[themistymountainscold]

stede, when he went back to his wife: while you were caught up in your heterosexuality, i studied the way of the blade!

[themusesof75]

Shippity Love is the Reason

Toradeen: Bad girl/ noble nerd? Classic

Black Bonnet: Stede did wrong but I want Blackbeard and him to be happy again!

Harlivy: Ivy is a thinker, Harley is a jumper.

Queen& King of the Underworld: It's sweet how they talk about everything.

Otis& Ruby: The gorgeous popular girl was rejected by the stunted-nerd? Yes, but it makes sense in this series!

RudolphXTony: Rudolph is undead and it's Halloween so they're on my mind.

Cleuce: I accept that G3 is different, but they are my comfort ship and so fun to write fanfics.

[little-fandom-dump]

got in my feels and wrote a lil drabble about jim going to comfort izzy after the events of calypso's birthday. basically, everyone can tell ed and stede are fucking, and jim decides to check on izzy. romance between jim and izzy is not really intended, more of them building trust and friendship post-kraken trauma.

cw for alcohol abuse, mentions of manipulation/torture from blackbeard, spoilers for season 2 (up to e6). no explicit sexual content, just short offhand references to relationships between crew members. kind of an off handed homophobic comment from izzy? but he’s a repressed queer too so yk

-

it takes only four pints of rum and an old flagon of whiskey to bring israel hands back to the quiet contemplation that fits him as well as his time-softened leather glove. as trustworthy as the tide is izzy's penchant for isolation- whether skulking or simply lost in thought, it is hard to tell. but once again, he stands at the prow, face as distant and unmoving as the figurehead before him.

the moon hangs high in the sky, shedding her soft, even glow over the remnants of the night's festivities. flowers and old brandy alike are spilled over the deck of the revenge. there is no urgency to clean it-- lord knows that the captains have enough on their minds (and hands) not to make a fuss about it until tomorrow.

and so, the deck is empty. empty but for israel hands, lone sentinel at the head of the ship, makeup and melodies long since drained from the old man's bones. christ, he is tired. it is little surprise when the footsteps make their way softly towards him from behind. he knows their owner easily, and he holds no fear of their approach.

jim wordlessly takes the space next to him, the two standing in the shadow of silence. it isn't uncomfortable- both have been long accustomed to occupying a space without a need for words. tonight, though, something hangs heavy on izzy's mind. the sharpness of his breaths drawn-in, the hesitation every movement costs him. jim knows how to study people, and moreover, they know their ship's first mate. they've never been great with these kinds of things, admittedly, but izzy has made such an effort to provide for the crew lately; isn't it only fair that jim check on him too?

"the breeze came in cold tonight, eh?" they ask, noting the flask in his hand, and the waiting bottle of dark liquor beside it.

izzy says nothing. nods. takes another swig. almost mechanical in his rhythm.

"you, uh. you got a good voice on you, boss. never heard you sing like that before." even as they speak, jim follows izzy's half-vacant gaze to the waves breaking gently against the ship's starboard side. madre de dios, this was going to be harder than they thought.

"well, it was a special occasion," he finally drawls, lips taut with unspoken emotion. much as he wants to hide it, it pulls at the corners of his eyes, his lips. he takes another drink, then leans bodily against the railing.

a moment. then another.

"what is it you want, jim?" the words are cold, clear-cut-- but his tone is not. if anything, it is rank with weariness. the younger pirate feels a little pang in their chest, almost wanting to place their hand on his shoulder to comfort them. they do not.

"crew and i thought it would be best if someone, er-. well, we wanted to check on you." it is a clumsy sentence, but there's no expectation for great flowery prose between the two of them. honest truths, borne plain. that was something the two knew all too well.

"why? cause the captain and his twatty boyfriend finally grew balls enough to shag each other with?"

this time, the sentence is cold. bracing. jim winces, but not at the vulgarity. izz's words reek with exhaustion, or maybe something closer to desperation.

"uhm. yeah." that is the most fitting response that comes to mind. izzy would talk about how he felt or he wouldn't. or, more likely, he'd insult jim to their face like he had so many times before. they were intelligent enough to know it was less about them and more about the first mate's own feelings.

"you want to know how i'm feeling, is that it, jimenez?" izzy asks, finally meeting their gaze. jim holds steady but silently urges themself not to notice the dampness that threatens the edges of the first mate's eyes. they remain silent once again. a slight tilt of their head, an almost-nod.

"fuck you, that's how i'm doing." he scowls, but the venom is removed, has been removed since the new leg was offered at his door. they glance own at it now, gold paint casting a soft gleam in the moonlight.

"izzy," they say gently, a hand now actually reaching for his shoulder. to their half-surprise, the first mate lets it. as he does, tears well gently at his eyes, pushing and pushing and finally breaking over the surface of his cheeks. his gaze fixed on the mangled corpse of the ship's unicorn now.

"can't blame a dog for biting the handler who starves him, jim. y-you can't." he speaks softly, a low tremble moving throughout the hollow of his words. jim doesn't ask who is the dog, izzy or blackbeard. they don't wonder or read too deep into the words; they are for izzy to understand.

what they do do, however, is move their hand down his arm and past his wrist, gently cupping his fingers with theirs. a simple squeeze, just once. no implications behind the gesture, no secret alternative. just a small slice of comfort offered between two people who have weathered the storm of outrage and consequence together just a few weeks prior. izzy doesn't return the gesture, but he doesn't let go, either.

together, the two of them stand, taking in the brine-soaked breeze before them. hand returns to shoulder, and the old man passes his flask to his crew-mate. no, his friend. jim takes a slow swig and sets it back in izzy's palm. this, jim notes, is the most affection either of them have ever trusted each other with in the months of their acquaintance.

jim thinks for a moment on the rest of the crew: groups of bodies breathing lightly against each other, whether in rest or some other unspoken thing. jim thinks on olu and archie, waiting sleepily for their return to the shared room below deck. lucius and pete, no doubt still caught in the thrill of the days' events. frenchie and wee john, roach and fang. jim even recalls on the swede, and buttons, wherever those lunatics have made their own ways off to. finally, they think of stede and blackbeard, (no, not blackbeard, a voice that sounds too much like stede chides. ed), and the sounds of their pleasure heard halfway across the boat, those that prompted this conversation.

and jim thinks of izzy. the word love hasn't come up between the two of them when jim is able to approach him about his feelings for blackbeard, but it doesn't need to. jim believes in action, in tangible deeds they can see. and they know what lengths iz has gone to for years to get his captain's approval. his attention.

at last, izzy drains the last of the flask and tucks it into the black leather of his vest. slowly, he grabs the unopened bottle on the floor and presses it into jim's hand, the order clear: take this and keep me from drinking more than i need to. jim obeys and removes their hand from his shoulder with one last squeeze.

izzy once again meets their eyes and holds in his gaze a silent thank you. what comes out of his mouth, though, is a less-than-brash "now piss off." this turns the corners of jim's wry mouth into a slight smile, and they shrug.

"sure thing, boss." they turn and start to walk away as one last remark spills from their lips. "you should keep practicing, huh? maybe you could team up with frenchie, start a band."

izzy tosses the empty flask at them, but jim notices the small smile that holds itself in the corner of his eyes. "fuck off!" jim smiles too, then traces their steps back below deck.

tomorrow, izzy will enter the captain's quarters and report of the ship's passage to the republic of pirates. tomorrow, he will joke and try to shake off his jealousy like an old coat. it will stay, but the crew will be gracious to him.

for now, though. for now, israel basilica hands breathes in the damp wind that slides off the sea towards him. tonight, he sings the same sad lament to himself under his breath, and he finally lets himself mourn.

[chronicowboy]

all i'm going to say is ed stabbing a soldier in the neck whilst he reads stede's letter. that's gay sex.

[overqchiever]

"have you guys even had sex yet? you've not even given each other a handy?" MARY AND ANNE ASKING THE REAL QUESTIONS!!!!

[pickingbelovedoffthesofa]

Listen, y’all. He just wants Stede to top his cake.

[veryintricaterituals]

The amount of bad takes I've seen. Have you all forgotten what show we're watching? If I wanted happy and healthy and wholesome I'd rewatch Heartstopper. I'm here for unhinged and a little toxic, yes let them fuck nasty about Stede killing a man, it's what they deserve.

[bragginball-z]

THE FUCKING SNEAK PEEK OF NEXT EPISODE WHERE STEDE PUSHES ED AGAINST THE WALL?!? THIS IS INSANITY I CANT FUNCTION

[theloopus]

personally if i had a fucked up toxic ship and the creator came out and said the older one represented a sort of father figure for the daddy-issues-ridden younger one i'd go "fucking sweet!!! more issues!!! he's having sex with his dad!!!" but i guess some people are just terminally boring