T H I E F

BLACK SAILS + horror

You know of me all I can bear to be known.

BLACK SAILS 4.09 “XXXVII.”

JAMES FLINT ▸ Black Sails, 1.5

“Silver finds himself with the dubious honor of being the one person who understands Flint.” — Co-Creator/Executive Producer Robert Levine

thinking about how silver is in every way a combination of all of flint’s partners: thomas, miranda and gates. 

he is gates because he’s the quartermaster, he is his second-in command, he speaks on behalf of flint, and he protects flint amongst the crew (from billy, from israel hands, etc) even though his duty is supposed to be for the good of the men, not for the good of the captain

he is miranda because flint lets himself be vulnerable with silver behind closed doors. conversations about life, loss, and love; conversations about the future, of peace, and of possibilities. he is flint’s tether, making sure to let him know there is a life beyond war and rage

he is thomas because flint props silver up, makes him feel invincible, and makes him king. they both have opposing opinions, but that’s exactly why they are good for each other; a good leader needs someone close enough to collide with because it ensures the best outcome of every decision silver makes. men like silver, need men like flint. and flint knows that silver is the best of all men, like thomas

but silver is not a “good” man like thomas, silver is not angered by the past like miranda because it is irrelevant to his story, and silver has followed flint's every word and every action without question unlike gates. he is all three of them combined, but at the same time, he is different from all of them

but what flint feels for all three of them is culminated within silver: he trusts him, he believes in him, and he loves him; that much is clear.

and silver predicted this from 3x10. so the moment silver steps out of that role as flint's ultimate partner, and began to defy him even after everything; it breaks flint's heart, and that ultimately became flint's undoing. 

silver is the point that makes flint at his most vulnerable

There’s always doubt, Billy. No sane man would deny that. No good captain would acknowledge it.

BLACK SAILS, V.

Silver & Max in XXXVI —

A couple of sketches for a His Dark Materials au I’ve been writing. Silver’s dæmon is called Theda and she’s never been able to settle, which everybody finds unnerving. Seen here in cacomistle and kingfisher form!

and so I think that gives you the ability to kind of walk around behind the walls of the house that everyone else thinks has solid walls…

—Jonathan E. Steinberg on Max

BLACK SAILS XVII.

The earl was no friend of yours, and yet he grants you gifts from his own home, why would he do that? All these years it never sat right with me how Alfred was able to turn the navy against James. He was far too admired by his superiors for his career to be dashed based solely on hearsay. Alfred would have known that. He wouldn’t have gone to them armed only with unfounded suspicions. He would have needed a witness. Someone who knew Thomas and James well enough to give the accusation credibility. Alfred came to you, didn’t he? Asked you to betray Thomas in exchange for which he’d… see you made a king in the New World.

I’ll call you, and we’ll light a fire, and drink some wine, and recognise each other in the place that is ours. Don’t wait. Don’t tell the story later.

Life is so short. This stretch of sea and sand, this walk on the shore, before the tide covers everything we have done.

I love you.

The three most difficult words in the world.

But what else can I say?

— Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson

that succession post was inspiring

That relationship is meaningful to both of them. It is singular, for both of them. […] I would argue that it’s not a contest, as to which of them felt it more deeply, but I think it was definitely meaningful. Personally, there wasn’t ulterior motives in their affinity for each other. It is genuine and it is complicated, in the way that it’s always complicated when you love someone. – Jonathan Steinberg

Black Sails x Richard Siken • (insp.)