And hopefully this is already clear but there's no right or wrong preference to have.

Meanwhile I'm sure someone else would find a fic where gb are childhood friends who date in high school (random example) to feel more like ofmd. Whereas I'd be like "this is great but it feels like original fiction".

And to me that is very faithful to canon! Because I just don't consider any particular ship to be Necessary for ofmd fics to feel like ofmd.

Like for my current WIP I'm trying to play on canon plot beats and capture the themes abd character arcs within a story where Stede and Izzy bond and fall in love before Ed and Stede even meet.

Because for some individuals it's just hard to understand that the parts of canon I want preseved in fics are just different but equally canon.

My impression is that for a substantial part of the fandom the Thing they need for a fic to feel like ofmd is "the canon ships are together". And that's part of "it's actually Wrong to like ed and stede with other people" hot takes come from.

Since fanfic by its nature is both transformative yet ties into a source material more throughly than a simple homage or influence.

I've read amazing fics that don't have those things! But there is an aspect of "yes BUT this isn't why I love ofmd or why I read ofmd fics". Curious what other people's things are.

Like for me for OFMD I would say that's:
- Stede having a character arc where he grows as an individual (or if this fic is shorter than at minimum feeling like that is stede and he is on that arc)
- the themes esp. "it's never too late to change"
- the sense of humor and workplace comedy vibes

yes all of my faves should get lovingly wrecked by a large monster or creature of some sort

izzy rlly is like Blackbeard is a genius that demands respect 😤 meanwhile Blackbeard is asking his best bro to whip his balls

I know this pisses izzy off

ed is so cringe and we need to accept that

I think sweet potato should be prepared in a savory fashion only but I gotta respect a beautiful pie

this looks so well executed I can't even jokingly fight you about it

it was CONTROVERSIAL to say that ed was violent or would become more violent and yet

ed pov when stede

I know in canon it's a metaphor for love or whatever but still