And it paints all future interactions with them with a completely different brush because one of them is consciously aware of the VIBEZ and one of them is only subconsciously aware. Ed thinks Stede knows what's up so he is purposefully flirting in all their little moments but hesitates to do anything outright because he's getting mixed signals from Stede, he just doesn't know the mixed signals are because Stede doesn't know that Ed knows that he's feeling a vibe and Stede himself doesn't even know what the vibe even means for himself.

It just really subverts the power dynamic that you would expect from this naive sunshine man meeting his broody hero. Stede holds all the power here and he has NO idea that he has Ed wrapped around his finger. Ed wants to leave bc he's afraid of the intensity of his feelings and the mixed signals from Stede and Stede is like "no <3" and puts on a cute outfit and takes him on a walk and makes Ed stay. Stede says he doesn't like Ed's personality around CJ and Ed is so gutted he leaves FOR STEDE not for himself but to spare Stede from himself. While they're being arrested Stede literally just SMILES at ed and ed signs his entire life away for him. 

I just think keeping all of this in mind is so important to understanding why their break up is SO melodramatic. Stede has unknowingly taken Ed on this emotional rollercoaster and he's been at following around Stede at his feet like a puppy dog just WAITING for a sign that this is real and Stede isn't toying with him so on the beach everything finally falls into place for the first time and Ed can finally just RELAX he isn't crazy and the power dynamic has shifted so that they are finally on the same page, he doesn't have to feel like he's just pining anymore, they are equally in love and that is so reassuring and validating. AND THEN HE LEAVES. That is such insane emotional whiplash and he was wrong the whole time and he feels like a fucking idiot and he must be SO FUCKING CONFUSED. Because the moonlight scene it seems like Stede is being so fucking crystal clear about his intentions and how could he have possibly got all of this wrong, and he ws right the whole time because Stede kisses him back and agrees to run away but actually no he was WRONG the whole time but how??? and yet it also goes back to that exact same scene where Ed tries to kiss him and Stede doesnt return the energy where this dynamic becomes so unbalanced and murky

Legally Binding Mateys

The Glove symbolism, or the glove interpretations for Ed and Izzy are so cool to me. It shows how far and near these characters keep themselves from other people.

Izzy hands has a gigantic emphasis on his hands.

He famously wears one leather glove to cover one hand and no glove on the other. The hand with the glove is his dominate hand, he draws his sword with his right, so, the non-dominate hand is covered.

He burns his hand with candle flames and seems unbothered by it. The reason he does it is unanswered, barley noted. The hand he keeps uncovered he injuries.. almost like this hand is a metaphorical doorway to his heart and his brain. This hand never touches a person or really anything other than a flame or himself… he doesn’t lets himself close to anyone except for Ed..but when Ed is around he still keeps this gloves distance.

Now Ed’s gloves metaphors has been spoken about much more often but I still thoroughly enjoy it.

Ed is first introduced with these Fingerless gloves. (he also wears this jacket with only one long sleeve which i think is a fun wardrobe Parallel to Izzy) These fingerless gloves let’s him closer to the world, he’s taking a chance here and there’s a balance of him distancing himself from the world and letting it in just a little.

When he meets Stede, these gloves go off, even for just a second. He lets himself really be near someone. For the first time, tests the waters. And one he truly feels comfortable he gives Stede himself completely ..

Then through pressure from Izzy and his own state, when he feels abandoned, humiliated, and hurt he closes himself off once again. This time not even letting his fingers feel the sand. Hick black leather keeps him out of touch with reality as best as they can. He doesn’t want to be hurt so he protects himself and these gloves show his state.

stede built a ship where people who would otherwise be subjected to homophobia and racism can just be a safe little supportive community and talk about their problems, be gay, not worry about being discriminated, love each other and just be their weird soft selves. they jump to defend stede against the english, they follow him in his stupid little adventures, olu sleeps in stede’s cabin, wee john and frenchie are roomies, they all share blankets and sometimes even cuddle while stede reads them stories, they’re supportive of buttons and sad when karl dies because they know he cared about him, they ask each other for advice, they’re unapologically queer.