#first mate

hee hee hee

here’s a folder with all of their super sons works i was able to turn into pdfs 🤠 (plus limitless and the cure from @ghostly-bat thanks bestie i love you)

drawings are missing from BDWW (and i think one or two others i don't remember lol) if you know where those are lmk and i'll add them

𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪☠︎︎⭑. roronoa zoro ; icons ༉‧𓊝˚.

Because Stede has every reason to end up with a similar First Mate as Ed. Ed’s story is extreme, but we shouldn’t diminish the abuse and trauma Stede went through at the hands of his father. How Buttons became Stede’s First Mate is never clear, but despite marching to a drum no one else can hear, he’s a good choice.

Buttons I don’t think has any ambition to be Captain. Not everyone can be ‘King’. Some people are ‘Priests’, and their strengths lie in the role of advisor and confidante. The great monarchs of England learned to listen to their Archbishops of Canterbury, and Stede seems to realise it’s the mark of a good leader to take advice. He manages to stave off a mutiny with Buttons’ support. Buttons isn’t correct in the long term - the crew don’t actually need more toxic masculinity - but he is right in the here and now. The immediate threat of mutiny needs to be dealt with before Stede’s long-game of helping the crew grow takes effect.

Buttons is mostly respectful and objective. He explains to Stede the mood of the crew in clear terms, and offers advice. Later, he knows the rules of a duel and is fundamental in clarifying Stede as ‘winning’. Buttons is a good judge of character, has little to do with Jack, and is pretty hostile (correctly) to him from the off, although he doesn’t interfere further until he has to.

In series two, Buttons takes control immediately as the crew retake the Revenge whilst Stede is still on the Red Flag. He doesn’t stand about asking about ‘the plan’, and knows when he needs to step-up. He supports Stede again once Ed returns, explaining the gravy basket, helping Stede to follow Ed when he seems in a state of emotional inertia. And he operates as an older, positive father-figure to Ed, using his transmogrification as a teachable moment for growth. His disappearance from the narrative is noticeable, allowing Izzy to work his way in to Stede’s vulnerabilities, showing Stede too is ripe for father-trauma exploitation given the opportunity.

It’s been suggested that the idea of Izzy wanting captaincy, and the power he perceives that comes with it, was meant to be more explicit than it is in season one. It’s still obvious though. Izzy signals twice he is happy to stay on the Revenge without Ed so long as he is Captain. If he can’t be, he will serve ultra-masculinity only, via Blackbeard.

I think there’s something in Izzy, a white man presenting as an ultra-masc Captain, getting mutinied against immediately, and being rescued by the mere returning presence of a brown man, beardless and broken, who then commands the crew’s respect effortlessly. Part of Izzy’s going off the deep end at Ed I feel is bruised ego. If you’re going to be Captain when I cannot, at least be a ‘proper man’ about it whom I can serve. Else what does it say about me…

After the Izzy-as-Captain scene, we soon get the mutiny discussion where Olu is chosen to lead. We notice Buttons isn’t an obvious choice, and again, it isn’t his strength, and I don’t think he wants it. But I do like his comment that ‘The only good captains are the ones that hate being captains’. Buttons has been round the block a few times, and has seen his fair share of captains. Those with the right attributes - having everyone’s interests in mind - who have greatness thrust upon them, make the best leaders. Buttons acts again in the capacity as advisor but to all this time, and leads the salute to Olu.

Neither Buttons nor Izzy’s fate is to be Captain, but for very different reasons. Buttons is a sort of Wiseman, Obi-Wan, Gandalf figure. He’s absolutely necessary, talented, and vital to success. He is needed as much as the Captain or King in any story. The King offers provision, the Priest offers vision. It’s a mutual co-existence even if the buck stops with only one. We see Ed having to offer both the provision and the vision. It should be Izzy reading those clouds…

The trouble with Izzy is he wants to be King, finds himself in the role of Priest, and doesn’t have the interpersonal skills for either. In fact, he’s inherently bad at both yet doesn’t know it. When certain people don’t understand their limitations, that’s when the trouble starts…

Happy pride have my AU yaoi and ship children... More to come

I’m rewatching the last two episodes of Skeleton Crew (for reasons 👀) and realized exactly how right Jod was when he “insulted” Brutus in episode 6 by saying “he’s a capable first mate.” The insinuation being that he’s only suited for the position of a first mate, but he makes a terrible captain.

And he’s honestly right. Brutus, while brutal in pirate levels of vengeance, and having an absolute right to distrust anything that comes out of Jod’s mouth, seems to be on the cynical/cautious/reserved side. He never does anything himself, he’s always ordering everyone else to do things for him. He has a distinct lack of imagination in how he treats the kids when pursuing them, how he treats his crew, and how he handles the obstacles they encounter when arriving at At Attin. He’s always ready to give up, take the path of least resistance, and push Jod out the airlock without actually checking to see if he might be correct.

Jod, both as himself and as Captain Silvo, is the one who sees a bigger picture, who pushes through difficulty no matter what comes his way (even though it’s out of sheer obstinate survival), and who while he may not trust people, is willing to meet them where they’re at if he can find a way to build a common bridge (until he’s ready to burn it, of course). He displays both manipulative and visionary leadership qualities that make people want to help him, want to follow him, even if it’s just to see the size of the explosion he’ll leave in his wake.

Brutus does make a very capable first mate. His job would be to take a step back, find the flaws in his captain’s plans, find practical ways to implement the vision, point out the dangers and be a voice of reason amongst the chaos. That is what he’s good at. And the crew agrees.

New OFMD design!

A little, sad unicorn trying to carve a tiny kraken