Izzy <3

what is the different connotation btwn telling ed to watch his step vs telling ed to watch his back

When you tell someone to watch their back, you are saying that they'd better be careful, because you're going to get them when they're not looking. Think of putting "a knife in someone's back" as a metaphor for betraying someone. It means, regardless of your behavior, once your guard is down, they're coming for you. It is proactively aggressive.

"Watch you step" means something closer to "don't mess with me". It means, "if you're going to interact with this person, be careful, because you don't want to get on their bad side."

For example, let's say you visit the Republic of Pirates, and someone says to "watch your step" around Spanish Jackie. That means they're telling you Spanish Jackie is a dangerous, powerful woman who can cause you harm, and you should not give her a reason to go after you. However, as long as you mind your business, you don't have to worry about her. This is just a piece of advice to help you navigate your way around without getting on the wrong side of the wrong people.

If someone tells you, however, that you should "watch your back" because of Spanish Jackie, that means Jackie is actively looking for an opportunity to hurt you, possibly with a knife in the back. Maybe you killed one of her husbands and she wants revenge. You should leave as soon as possible because she's going to cut off your nose the moment she gets the chance.

Three more important pieces of context for the situation between Izzy and Ed.

Ed is used to ordering Izzy around and having Izzy do what he says. he takes it for granted that he can mostly due what he wants and tell Izzy what to do and Izzy will go along with it. Izzy's various attempts to murder hs boyfriend were exceptions to this rule.

Ed just had his hand around Izzy's throat and threatened Izzy. He's using physical violence and intimidation to get Izzy to submit to him-the polar opposite of "watching his step".

Izzy contrasts "watch his fucking step" with "I serve Blackbeard".

The actual idea Izzy is trying to convey is something like, "I will be respectful and submissive to you while you're acting like Blackbeard, but while you're acting like Ed, you don't get to order me around; don't mess with me expect me to accept it. Treat me with the respect you would treat someone like Spanish Jackie instead of your servant."

Also, if you think about it, it doesn't make sense for Izzy to make any kind of sincere death threat toward Ed. Izzy wants Ed to be the dominant, strong leader so he can follow him. You can't respect a leader who is only leading because he thinks he has a knife to his back.

In short, if Izzy said, "watch his fucking back", it would mean, "If you don't act like Blackbeard, I'll kill you."

But Izzy said, "watch his fucking step", which means "If you're not going to act like Blackbeard around me, either treat me with respect or avoid me. If you treat me like you're treating me now (intimidating, ordering, choking), I will retaliate."

There are tons of events on twitter every month and I am sure some cross post here! Ppl would be happy to help set things up & advertise for it! We just did the 12 Days of Izzy Hands for Christmas and there is already events planned for Feb 😆

I genuinely think that we as a fandom should have an Izzy Hands Appreciation Week. Just as a fun fan community event. If this already exists, I would love to know about it!

Like with fic and art and prompts and different ships and things. I just think it'd be neat!

I just think it'd be fun to have a time of positivity and enjoyment over a character that gets a lot of hate.

I genuinely think that we as a fandom should have an Izzy Hands Appreciation Week. Just as a fun fan community event. If this already exists, I would love to know about it!

Like with fic and art and prompts and different ships and things. I just think it'd be neat!

I just think it'd be fun to have a time of positivity and enjoyment over a character that gets a lot of hate.

Once again thinking about Izzy Hands.

Izzy Hands, who loved a man with his whole being, his entire soul, only for him to suddenly realize that the man he loved was only an illusion.

Him thinking that he and Ed were forever intertwined, always relying on each other, needing each other, understanding each other as no one else ever could. Only to watch as a stranger becomes closer to him in a matter of days where it took him years. Watching new sides of Ed reveal themselves that he never even knew existed.

The hurt, the betrayal, the fear at the realization that everything he thought he knew about the man he loved might have all been a lie, a fuckery, a game. The denial of it, the rejection of the possibility that maybe he never knew Ed at all. No, it must be Stede's fault. No, Ed can't be this stranger that Izzy doesn't even recognize. This isn't his Ed. It can't be

Izzy Hands, so desperate for Ed to return to the man he knew, the man he loved. He just didn't want to lose him

But he never had him.

Izzy Hands, who realized that the man he'd been in a partnership with for years never viewed their relationship the same way. Izzy, who spent so long seeing Ed as his and himself as Ed's, thinking of the two of them as partners, as being each other's, only to realize Ed never saw him as his equal.

Realizing that Ed never loved him. That what he thought was love was something else entirely.

"What am I to you?"

One thing I've actually been thinking about for awhile is the parallel between Mary Bonnet and Izzy Hands and, more specifically, how Ed and Stede are treated in their abandonment of them.

Izzy and Mary are mirrors of each other. Izzy is to Ed as Mary is to Stede. The one the captain is duty-bound to. The one they made a promise to stand by. Stede and Ed fail to communicate with them and when they do, they choose the wrong times and method (Ed talking around his boredom with his way of life while they are under threat of death, Stede surprising Mary with the boat). They don't listen to their respective partners (Ed basically ignoring Izzy while Izzy begs for a plan on how to not die, Stede not remembering that Mary hates the ocean). And Izzy and Mary are the caretakers for the people they're responsible for, with Ed and Stede only giving them attention when it's time to play (Ed choosing to stay in his cabin and making Izzy do most of the actual managing of the crew until Ed finds something new to be excited about, Stede being shown to ignore his children until it's time to play pirates). They also both lie to their partners about their plans when confronted (Stede claiming he'll "have it stopped" when referring to the boat before lying about having it made at all, Ed claiming he's planning on killing Stede even though he never wanted to). They both abandon their partners' plans (Ed deciding not to kill Stede, Stede running out on Mary). Izzy and Mary are both shown to be unhappy with their respective partners, but stay with them out of a sense of duty or responsibility (Izzy's threat to resign comes after he's been struggling to manage the crew and his life for some time, Mary saying straight up that she knows this isn't the life she or Stede wanted). There's like a million other things, but other people have made better posts about that

The point is that Discomfort in a Married State is about both Stede and Mary being unhappily married, but also Ed and Izzy being unhappy in the same dynamic. As much as they try, no one in either party are actually HAPPY with the way things are. Ed is bored out of his mind and feels like life is flat and has nothing to look forward to. Stede feels the same way about his life with Mary. Mary is dealing with an impulsive husband while taking care of her children and struggling to manage Stede's mood while still living her life in a way that doesn't make her miserable. Izzy does the same. Even though Mary and Izzy are upholding the relationship and staying true to their bond, they are obviously unhappy too.

What I'm interested in discussing is the way both Stede and Ed are treated by the narrative as it regards their betrayal of their partners.

Stede is shown to be in the WRONG for abandoning Mary. She's happier without him, yes, but it's pretty clearly stated that him just up and leaving her and their children was a DICK MOVE and he has to deal with that. He's made to come back to a world that no longer has a place for him in it. His children have forgotten him or resent him, his wife has found actual love with someone else, and he's no longer fit for the life he abandoned (not that he ever was, really). Stede is shown the consequences of his actions, how he hurt people by leaving and also how people are better off without him. He's punished by the narrative, made to feel uncomfortable and guilty. This makes sense!

Stede being depressed in his life is not an excuse to just... run away from it. We're shown that him leaving was a good thing, but him playing with the emotions of the people in his life by deciding when and if he wants them to be in his life at all and trying to dictate that just isn't the responsible thing to do. It's not until he finally sits and has an actual conversation with Mary where he listens to her that they're both able to move on fully. They're able to agree on an outcome, they Talk It Through and are both happier for it.

Ed imo is never treated the same way as it concerns his betrayal of Izzy. He lied to Izzy and then went back on their plan, doesn't say a word when Izzy is banished from the ship (doesn't even try to stop him from dueling Stede in the first place), and emotionally abandons him pretty much immediately after meeting Stede. Izzy is shown looking for direction and guidance from a man he trusts and who is supposed to be looking out for his best interests, only to be dismissed and mocked. Izzy repeatedly goes to Ed for direction, asks him "what do we do" or "you told me you would do this, so let's follow through" only for Ed to turn around and do something completely different. And then with the Act of Grace, he plans on running away and leaving Izzy behind entirely. Ed's betrayal of Izzy SHOULD mirror Stede's abandonment of Mary.

But Ed is never punished for it. The way Stede goes back to Mary in a time of crisis and the way Ed goes back to the crew (and Izzy) is the same situation. But where Stede has to deal with the consequences for his selfishness, Ed just... doesn't. He has to deal with his breakup, yeah, but not how he really was just going to leave the crew behind. He tortures and hurts his crew and specifically Izzy, but he's allowed back on the ship as long as he wears a cat bell. He doesn't even appear bothered by it. He never has a moment like Stede and Mary get where a conversation is had and faults are acknowledged on both sides.

Where Stede had to recognize his mistakes and grow, Ed gets off with a slap on the wrist. Mary gets better without Stede dragging her down, but Izzy falls apart without purpose until the crew give him a new purpose in being their unicorn

I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing or even poor writing if it was explored more. It mostly just perplexes me. Why make these connections between these characters at all? It fascinates me

I really wish we could see Mary and Izzy interact. Just once. So Izzy could meet someone who understands

Izzy, Ed and Stede dynamic in s1 is basically hallmark movie plot, where Ed left Izzy for a guy he just met, because he show him how to enjoy Christmas life, and Izzy is that big city boyfriend who didn't do anything wrong dares to question Ed's sudden change of heart

Ed knows the scent of Izzy's rot because it is their rot.

The decay been growing in them both for decades, and finally, their sloughed hearts have mixed together into necrotic sludge.

💗

Ed starts sleep walking out of the shack at night. Sometimes, he walks down to the shore line, staring sightlessly out over the ocean while the waves lap at his toes. Usually, he goes to Izzy's grave and lays down on top of it.

Stede has given up on trying to wake Ed up or guide him back to bed. It only distresses Ed. He says with Ed, though, just in case.

As much as I love murder shack ideas and fic, I also love the idea of the Inn dream being tainted by melancholy and slow growing resentment over Izzy's death.

Like both Ed and Stede are trapped in the limbo of Ed's grief and poor mental health.

The Inn never really gets up and going. Ed can't let izzy go and is stuck on his grief. Stede resentful of a dead man and sacrificed dreams, distancing himself from Ed.

Both of them spiraling in their own issues, never talking it through. No community to share their struggles.

Absolutely obsessed with them man- thinking very hard about Calypso's birthday

No one is allowed to be angry at Izzy fans for writing dark/dead dove content anymore cuz it is canon. If you got a problem with Ed being violent, take it up with DJenks first.

izzzzzzzzzAAAAA

Izzy, the mythical creature 💜

Wide eyed and scared, but I know you can be saved.

“Don’t be chickenshit now, Jack. Dance with me.”

despair