#Brasso is on my side with this one

[idkbishsss]

Back at it again

[antianakin]

My main problem with the idea of either non-Force sensitive people becoming Jedi or the whole "everyone is actually Force sensitive if you try hard enough" thing isn't that Force sensitivity is what makes the Jedi interesting, it's that this is what makes them JEDI.

There are TONS of characters in Star Wars who, if they were Force sensitive, would make excellent Jedi and I love quite a few of them. Just for a few quick examples off the top of my head: Bail and Breha Organa, Beru and Owen Lars, and Hera Syndulla (the Rebels version, not the Ahsoka show version). Sabine Wren, by the end of Rebels, would count on this list, as well (but not the Ahsoka show version). Jyn Erso and Bodhi Rook, especially by the end of Rogue One (Baze and Chirrut obviously would fit on this list, too, but they are already a part of their own religion that they might have chosen regardless of whether they were Force sensitive or not and I am choosing to respect that). Bix Calleen and Brasso from Andor. Greez from the Cal Kestis games maybe. And there's probably more that I am missing.

But the point I am making here is that none of these characters (bar Sabine in the Ahsoka show) are ever assumed to be Jedi. I don't think a SINGLE fan would ever try to argue with me that they ARE Jedi. And obviously it does not make any of them less interesting or enjoyable as characters to not be Jedi.

So if you're going to come at me with the accusation "How boring do you have to be to think the only reason the Jedi are interesting is because they're Force sensitive" then my rebuttal is this: Do you think all of the non-Jedi characters in Star Wars AREN'T interesting because they don't bear the title of Jedi? Does Sabine Wren suddenly become MORE interesting of a character when she's (theoretically) the exact same character, but now she gets to call herself a Jedi? Would Bodhi Rook or Brasso suddenly be more interesting characters if they called themselves Jedi but nothing else about them changed?

How boring do YOU have to be to think that the only interesting characters in Star Wars are those who call themselves Jedi? Personally, I really love that there are all of these characters out there with a bunch of different narrative paths open to them specifically because they AREN'T Jedi. Cassian Andor, Luthen Rael, Saw Gerrera, and Mon Mothma get to be REALLY intricate and morally ambiguous characters specifically because they are not Jedi at all. All the characters I listed above get to be these really lovely heroes for the little guy that showcase that you don't need to have cosmic powers and a laser sword and a fancy title to make a difference. There's a whole sort-of underlying side story within some of these stories about how the galaxy relied on the Jedi to solve all of their problems and how they're forced to step up and defend themselves for once after the Jedi are destroyed, leading to the introduction of all of these non-Force sensitive heroes, some more grey than others.

The Jedi are beacons of hope within the narrative, a model of selfless compassion to constantly strive towards. They are characters who consistently become their best selves through hard work and dedication. This is one of the MANY reasons I love them so much.

But I ALSO love that there are characters who AREN'T Jedi, characters who have no additional cosmic powers or knowledge, and have to figure out how to make the right choice instead of the easy choice ANYWAY, even when it's hard, even when it requires sacrifice. I love stories about the little people in the galaxy learning how to step up and emulate the Jedi when the Jedi are no longer there to be a bulwark between them and their own darkness. The beautiful tragedy of this entire side story lies in the galaxy learning the lessons the Jedi were trying so hard to teach them only after the Jedi themselves are gone due to the galaxy's selfishness. This is the bed the galaxy made for itself and now they have to lie in it. But they do! Eventually, person by person, they do.

And eventually, after many many years, just like their selfishness bore consequences, their selfless efforts also ultimately bring rewards in the form of the Jedi returning. And it's only once the Jedi and the people of the galaxy start fighting TOGETHER, the way they were always supposed to, that they're able to defeat the darkness. THAT'S the story. The Jedi and the people of the galaxy are in a symbiotic relationship with each other, a theme that doesn't work if you go for the concepts where everyone gets to be a Jedi. The Jedi are a specific group of people, they are the Force made manifest, they are beacons of hope, they are an ideal to work towards. This doesn't work with the "Jedi can also be people without Force sensitivity" or "everyone has Force sensitivity" concepts. It just doesn't.

So of course there are plenty of characters who aren't Force sensitive who follow Jedi philosophies or act in a way the Jedi would approve of. These people are the ones choosing to be in balance with the Jedi, which in turn is what brings balance to the entire galaxy.

If this interpretation of Star Wars and the Jedi comes off as boring to you, then, well, that sounds like a you problem and you're more than welcome to find a different corner of fandom to go spend time in and leave me to my corner.

[distressednoise]

Three sentence fic suggest: Brassian (obviously), and for the AU take your pick of previously discussed hockey scenarios, Arctic exploration, or, hmmm, extreme nature documentary filming of some sort.

I'm going to point you at this article re: the nature documentary AU because yes, YES. But I cannot pass up the opportunity to write a bit more goalie!cassian and his intimacy speedrun. Sure this isn't "three" "sentences", but it's tender, and ain't that enough?

They don't even bother to give him the tests; he pukes in the tunnel then starts crying in the locker room and when he tries to get his pads off nothing is in the right order. He thinks he might have yelled at Xanwan about it, or done something, because now they've herded him into one of the side rooms the PTs use for rubdowns and they're talking about him outside the door, unintelligible but far too loud.

It's Brasso who comes to get him. Cassian would be worried that he's being managed - that people have noticed he can be managed, if it's Brasso - but Brasso immediately shuts off the lights and lets Cassian tilt forward until his forehead meets Brasso's crinkled tracksuit, chill like he's just come from outside, so all he can muster is a kind of pathetic gratitude.

He can feel his pulse in his skull and he thinks he might be crying again, but none of that matters to Brasso, who hands him one of the polos the staff wear and says, "We'll get you changed and I'll drive you out. We'll go in my car, OK? No-one's watching for my car."

Cassian wants to object because they're in Canada now and someone's always fucking watching him, but Brasso's so sure. He's so sure and he's being so careful as he unhooks Cassian's gear; he came in and made everything quiet and dark. It'd be easy, Cassian thinks, to sink into a world where everything Brasso says is right.

[andorshitdaily]

Next up on Wandor Wednesday Wars......Mario Kart!!

What is up my good Wandor Wednesday Warriors? Today we are coming at you with something truly unhinged: Andor meets Mario Kart.

I have thrown 32 Andor characters into a hat. I have thrown 32 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe characters into a different hat (I have so many hats, y'all). I have pulled one of each out to pair them up for competition. The pairs will compete as a team throughout the bracket. It's really that simple.

For the 1v1 matchups, just picture the Andor characters sitting down with their Nintendo Switch controllers side by side and competing in a Versus battle. Whoever has the best finish in the race is the one to advance (they wouldn't necessarily have to win, just finish better).

And now what we've all been waiting for.....the pairing lineup:

Mario - Mon Mothma Luigi - Brasso Peach - Taramyn Barcona Daisy - Dedra Meero Rosalina - Linus Mosk Tanooki Mario - Lio Partagaz Cat Peach - Cassian Andor Yoshi - Wilmon Paak Toad - Time Grappler Koopa Troopa - Syril Karn Shy Guy - Cinta Kaz Lakitu - Timm Karlo Toadette - Perrin Fertha King Boo - Taga Baby Mario - B2EMO Baby Luigi - Leida Mothma Baby Peach - Ruescott Melshi Baby Daisy - Kino Loy Baby Rosalina - Saw Gerrera Metal Mario - Corv Pink Gold Peach - Lonni Jung Wario - Kleya Marki Waluigi - Karis Nemik Donkey Kong - Tay Kolma Bowser - Vel Sartha Dry Bones - Luthen Rael Bowser Jr. - Arvel Skeen Dry Bowser - Blevin Lemmy - Jezzi Larry - Gorn Wendy - Bix Caleen Ludwig - Eedy Karn

That list is already making this post really long so I won't list the Round one matchups but here is the bracket where you can see them for yourself (or just like, wait a bit and they'll be posted anyway):

What do you think? Who would you main? What track do you picture them racing on? Who's going all the way?

May the best racer win.

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

For the fic title game: lifeboats and love boats

Modern au - they all have summer jobs on a cruise ship. One of the really awful ones full of very rich old couples (or, possibly worse, a singles' cruise) with terribly cringey game afternoons and lounge singers in the evenings and bingo nights. It's a nice self-contained multichapter, relatively slow-burn with a lot of shenanigans like getting deeply competitve at bingo and/or chess out of nowhere when they play a round after the guests are gone, looking for lost children/pets/drunk guests together, getting hammered at the bar after hours... must include copious and ridiculous Titanic references!(I'm seeing this fic very clearly in my head and it's written by @moonprincess92. this needs your exact brand of humour Jordan)

I'm not feeling strongly about who has what job tbh, Cassian could maybe be a cook or a waiter or someone actually working the ship? I'm picturing Baze also in the kitchens - Jyn for maximum hilarity somewhere in the entertainment staff, where she would do TERRIBLY (just picture her arguing over Bingo rules with some old rich people). I keep making Bodhi a waiter in things and I don't really know why, but it always works. There's also an option for him to be a doctor on staff, which would also be a feasible place for Kay though? Chirrut is an absolute wild card, anywhere from lounge musician to a passenger who tagged along with his husband. Melshi and/or Bix and Brasso could definitely pop up as crew as well. (For added mayhem, Galen and/or Maarva could have tagged along with their respective kids, everyone involved just hating every minute of it).

This is too unserious for the lifeboats to come into play in earnest, but there's probably a running joke in the fic title about how there aren't enough life boats for everyone, or they keep joking they could just steal one of the boats and escape the cruise.

Optionally, one could turn this into a lighthearted Agatha-Christie-esque mystery on the side, as a treat.

send me a made-up fic title and i'll tell you what i would write to go with it!

[bikananjarrus]

Cassian Andor for the character game 🥰

hi sissi! cassian my belovedddd <3

how i feel about this character:

i just love cassian so much. i am such a lover of the rebellion era, and i think cassian embodies so much of what the rebellion is about. the grit and sacrifice. the hope. he's seen and done so much shit, but he's still holding onto that hope with every last bit of strength in his blood-soaked hands and OUGH.

all the people i ship romantically with this character:

of course our girl jyn!! like that's the love of his life! but leading up to meeting jyn, i think him and melshi have a fun dynamic. they can hook up a few times, as a treat <3

my non-romantic otp for this character:

i mean, it's gotta be k2! that's his bestie!! however, if i had to pick someone besides kay.... bodhi or brasso. i really like what we see of him and brasso in andor, and i think him and bodhi would've gotten really close if they'd both lived :(

my unpopular opinion about this character:

i'm struggling so bad to think of something right now lol. hmmm. oh. i know. i'm sure there are people out there that think him shooting the informant at the beginning of RO and the officers at the beginning of andor is problematic, but it's actually the opposite. it's actually super sexy that he did that, and he should, in fact, get to commit more murders if he wants <3

one thing i wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon:

i so so so badly want to know more about the fulcrum spy network. there's still plenty of opportunity to dig into this in andor s2, but i just love spies, i love knowing more about the inner workings of the rebellion.

i would also die for it to be confirmed that he and hera have met/worked together/etc. they're both such dedicated rebels and i think they would get along quite well tbh.

and ok ONE MORE, but i would have liked to know more about his relationship with clem. like clem and maarva are both complicit in kidnapping cassian, which is. hm. BAD. (that's also an unpopular opinion for some reason, but that more relates to maarva than cassian). but still! we've seen the maarva side of that situation. i want to know the clem side.

Give me a character; and i'll break their ass down

[faceofpoe]

Poe being left unattended with Andor again.

While in the shower contemplating a plot point for a potential fic I worked out some of my most enduring Andor puzzles which as it turns out are intricately interwoven: i.e. the question of why Bix isn’t a loose end worth a late night visit from Cinta and being disappeared into those retention ponds out in the wasteland, with a side of bafflement at “I don’t think many people know him” when the him is the son of a woman who seems to be something of a pillar of the community, with a side of how did Luthen never stop and consider Cassian might try and break Bix out of the hotel instead of taking it upon himself to thwack stormtroopers with Maarva’s brick when we all know Brasso can do it better.

But I’ve figured it out.

The clues are in the lines:

“Do you trust him?”

and

“I know Bix has her game”

and

“Either you’re an Imperial spy, you’re fronting for the person I really want to speak to…”

Bix has been lying her ass off the entire time about the fact that Cassian is anyone more than some sketchy dude who occasionally turns up who has something to sell (don’t we all?).

Maybe she’s giving the impression of a less personal relationship because Luthen is sketch as fuck and she doesn’t trust him; maybe she was just royally pissed at Cassian the time Luthen turned up and was like “Hey this is as good haul how’d you get it” and she was like “idk just some sketchy asshole who scams his way around Ferrix and once in a while I decide to humor/pity him and buy his shit” and Luthen was like hey sounds like Skeen I could use another one on this suicide mission now that I think about it.

And then Luthen wonders who else knows he’s from Kenari and she’s all “Ahh fuck me well I’m stuck in the lie now it probably doesn’t matter that Kenari is the community bicycle’s weirdly depressing but weirdly effective pity pickup line” so “Um well not many people know him” because he’s a sketchy asshole who scams his way around Ferrix and nothing else no sir.

And at the end of the day, the real trouble with Bix being a loose end is from a direction Luthen never seems to even see coming: tying the timing of Cassian’s disappearance and return to Aldhani.

Because even if Cassian popped back home for a spell, why the fuck would he drop in on the woman who sometimes humors/pities him and buys the shit he steals?

And why the fuck would that sketchy asshole risk taking on another garrison to sneak her out when he could be bashing stormtroopers heads in with his dead mother’s bricked ashes?

Unfortunately, I have now entirely forgotten whatever plot point I was on the verge of cracking.

[clonehub]

The first thing that stands out to me about this scene is that there are no adults around. the oldest person there must be in their late teens.

I feel like there might be something in the Kenarian children's main clothing color being yellow and one of Ferrix's main colors also being yellow.

Not maarva ripping into Cassian and she's not even in the room. Be relying all of this information though shows the fact that Cassian is a very central part of their community because this is three different people who have come to him and his mother's home specifically to look after/take care of them.

Bee needing a lot of power to lie is an interesting character quirk for him. I wonder where be source the bandages from and what the reaction would have been if he walked into the town and people saw the wounds on his fists.

"I can't come with you?" Precious

Just serious also has a good balance of background music because there haven't been any times where silence would have conveyed more than music would have and vice versa. Not every scene needs to be supported by an orchestra.

Yet another amazing environment in Andor. Ask Cassie and walks through his home we see how lived in it is, how many people are part of building the community, how populated the general area is, etc. Visually it's very grounded.

I wonder why one set of gloves was missing.

Yet another good display of dialogue here because rather than simply have cassian say "you need to lie for me, here's the story" he simply dives right in, and Brasso understands. But Cassian missed a spot; he's accounting for his alibi, but he's not accounting for the wound on his face, so Brasso feels that in by lying and saying Cassian fell.

Maarva might be too sick to notice how cold it is :(

Now that I think about it syril karn's fashion choices are constantly made a point throughout the series. What he tries to appear as versus what he actually is I think is Central to his character as a burgeoning fascist. He subtly went against regulation by modifying his uniform, but he'll go out of his way to follow regulation by pursuing Cassian even though he was explicitly told not to.

"a human with dark features" it's racial!

"let's make sure it's on the far side of the plaza. Let's get it out of the leisure zone." I guess it would have been difficult to garner sympathy for or support for a murder case of two cops if it looks like the two cops were killed over sex lol. This man that Karn is speaking too shows that he already has a lot more experience than Karn does and the fact that he was able to pull three pieces out of information out of a detailed but still lacking report (illegal brothel, illegal booze, neither of which they were meant to have there). Something something cop cover-ups (not that I'm upset about this one). I loved that scene.

Cassian and Bix find it so difficult to have a conversation.

EDIT: whoops this was from the start of my andor rewatch AGES ago

[notasapleasure]

Sunday sentences

In honour of being maybe finally at last satisfied enough with the draft of this to move forwards with my life (HUGE thanks to @stripedroseandsketchpads for the reassurance), here is the opening part of the 'what if that alibi and all it implied really happened' fic @r0b0tb0y cursed gifted me with

C: We decided we were thirsty, and you wanted to go to Cavo's. But I said that's no good because I owe too many people there money. So, Cavo's was out. But then you remembered you had a half bottle of nog stashed at home, so, we went there and drank ourselves to sleep.

B: You insulted my choice of beverage. As host and provider, I was offended by this. You failed to gauge the depth of my irritation. You rose to make your point more vocally. I was helping you back into your chair when you fell.

---

The trip to Morlana One had been uneventful. Frustrated to have found nothing but another empty locker on the rapidly cooling trail of a Kenari woman he may or may not have been related to, Cassian was glad to hear he'd had a visitor while out - a new lead to follow up, company to subsume himself and his own disappointment into. He couldn't go home like this and face Maarva and her questions; her cloying, well-intentioned, hypocritical worry. He'd only get into a fight, and Pegla wouldn't let him have the ship again for a few days so he'd be stuck on Ferrix, stewing in his own mess. He needed something to occupy him when he was like this, or he'd only provoke some trouble that would spiral out of control.

It was lucky then that Bee had told him Brasso had called round, and it hadn't been that long ago.

Brasso was a good distraction from the larger nuisances - steady, unmoved by grand schemes or galaxy-spanning consequences, he excelled at forcing perspective on Cassian, and doing so in a wry, good-humoured sort of way. Brasso could even be persuaded into brief flights of recklessness - heavy drinking or light criminal activity, whatever seemed most likely to mitigate the trail of destruction Cassian might leave in his wake when otherwise taking out his frustration on his home port.

Now, however, Cassian found himself stuck outside Cavo's bar, thwarted for the second time on as many planets that night. He could see the familiar mound of Brasso's hunched shoulders at the end of the counter in his usual dark cul-de-sac, seated on a stool from which he'd see anyone approaching him - and much more besides. He was chatting to Granik from the side of his mouth as the little alien reached up to take his order from Cavo. Granik was probably complaining about how much money Cassian owed him and Xanwan still.

Muttering a curse under his breath, but never one to give up on any course of action once he'd fixed on it, Cassian stalked around the outside of the building and hurried into the alley that ran parallel. He pulled himself up over the alley wall, boots finding purchase in the aurebesh crevices adorning funerary bricks, and mumbled a sorry sort of apology to the dead as he did so.

The little yard at the back of Cavo's was easy to get down into, and he didn't make a sound as he picked a way across the rows of empty barrels, canisters and crates. He let himself in through the back, casting a wary eye over the still surfaces of storage shelves and their contents.

At the door leading to the serving side of the bar, Cassian peered meaningfully through the grubby transparisteel porthole in the direction of Brasso's bowed head.

"You're going grey, old man," he hissed, willing Brasso to look up and see him.

Brasso had most of a cup of ale in front of him, and a chaser of nog.

In it for the long haul - good, thought Cassian. He was considering tapping the transparisteel on the porthole when he saw another familiar face approach the bar - he owed Nurchi money, too. Cassian dipped out of sight again and ran a speculative eye over the shelves of stock along the wall nearby. He could just help himself - Cavo ran a tight ship but he'd never know.

He swallowed and rubbed his mouth with rough fingertips, then reached up to liberate a bottle with only the dregs of its contents remaining. He sloshed the liquid round and grimaced, wondering whether to seek out a fuller bottle.

Then again, he didn't feel like drinking alone. He'd grown out of doing it in his childhood bedroom at Maarva's - especially when she was in and likely to be full of questions for him. Especially when he was feeling raw about his lost sister and lost home world. Moreover, the wreck of her and Clem's old ship seemed particularly unappealing tonight - a place that was haunted and charged with his final memories of Kenari.

He'd let himself get his hopes up about the lead on Morlana One, and in the wake of failure he felt keenly wounded by disappointment, guilt, and the dirty strata of shame that had built up over his actions that day and every day since. He didn't want to start boring down into its layers, but left to his own devices it would be inevitable - he'd be drinking to the things he could have done, the things he might have done, the futures that would never be...

He bit the stopper off the bottle in his hand and smelled Corellian whiskey. Without hesitating, he tipped his head back and flushed his mouth with its spicy, woody heat. The taste reminded him of loam and tree bark and he closed his eyes to imagine the landscape it conjured.

A moment later he heard Nurchi's laugh and an answering rumble from Brasso - some dry remark that Nurchi wouldn't notice was at his expense, Cassian imagined.

Nurchi's back was to the bar when Cassian popped his head above the parapet again. As Nurchi walked away Cassian wiggled his eyebrows determinedly at Brasso, sending a frantic semaphore.

Brasso - perceptive, careful Brasso - frowned in the way of a man sensing a rifle's sight on his chest. He peered around the bar over one shoulder, thick black brows drawn together in puzzlement, and then his gaze ran over the row of exotic revnog bottles behind Cavo only to discover Cassian's excited eyebrows in the porthole of the service door.

Brasso's frown deepened. "What?" he mouthed, as though he hadn't been the one looking for Cassian earlier.

Cassian mimed you, me, a drink? and Brasso's expression of doubtful puzzlement deepened. He gestured with his cup and rolled his eyes at the room, pointing out to Cassian that if he wanted a drink, he was in a bar.

Cassian shook his head, mimed losing a finger to a vibroblade, flapped his empty cred wallet, and then ducked like his life depended on it when Cavo turned to see what had caught Brasso's attention.

Cassian heard the low tones of Brasso's voice again, making some excuse, covering as he always did for Cassian, no questions asked. When he dared risk another peep through the window he saw Brasso knocking back the last of his ale in one long draught, followed quickly by a professional movement that emptied the tumbler of nog in a single gulp.

Cassian's chest warmed with some nostalgic cocktail of feeling - excitement and gratitude like he'd felt the first time Brasso had lied for him many, many years ago. The night wasn't necessarily going to be a bust after all… No need to stop moving and think about all that had been lost - Brasso would keep him entertained, whatever it took.

Cassian finished the mouthful of whiskey in the bottle then replaced it on the shelf, scurried back through the store, and clambered out of the yard the way he'd come. By the time he was at the front of the building again so was Brasso.

Hands in the pockets of his overalls - he'd come looking for Cassian right after his shift, Cassian guessed - expression carefully neutral and unruffled, he stared down at Cassian and waited for an explanation.

"You were looking for me," Cassian let a playfully indignant cadence take over his voice.

Brasso tucked his chin in and narrowed his eyes a little, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "That was before. Besides, you weren't home."

"Well here I am," Cassian shrugged his shoulders, hands flapping a little in the pockets of his long coat.

"Great. You want a drink?" Brasso cocked a thumb over his shoulder at the entrance to Cavo's and made to turn and go back in.

Cassian let out a rueful, admiring bark of something like laughter. "Stop it - I can't go in there. I owe too many people money."

Brasso gave the night sky above Cassian's head an exasperated look and let out a sigh. "Right. Of course. So what was your plan exactly?"

"Don't you have anything at yours?"

It was all part of the expected routine - Brasso gave Cassian another withering look and returned his hands to his pockets. Each intricate moment of silence was as familiar and fondly anticipated as the barbed retorts and eye rolls. This was just the distraction Cassian needed from his own failure, just the kind of game he wanted to play along with until he'd passed through his frustration and started working towards another plan that might help him track his sister down. The necessary pause that would give him perspective on his schemes. A personality strong and steady enough to counter Cassian's raging impatience at the galaxy and its vast corners and cruel tricks.

Brasso knew he played a vital role in the cycle of Cassian's plotting, he was too sharp not to know. That's why it worked so well - he acted out his role with good-natured, always understated loyalty each time.

"Hang on - I do have half a bottle of nog at home," Brasso mused on cue. "Might not be to your taste, though."

Cassian scoffed at the implication and shot Brasso a glare, but turned in the direction of Brasso's home and looked at him expectantly.

[chipthekeeper]

okay as promised, all my thoughts that no one asked for on the mario kart bracket. i know i picked mario kart deluxe characters but i actually see this as a competition happening on the wii (greatest console in history)

Kino as Baby Daisy vs. Wilmon as Yoshi -- this is very simple. you cannot beat a teenage boy at a video game unless you are a teenage girl. kino, famously not a teenage girl, quits halfway through

Nemik as Waluigi vs. Brasso as Luigi -- mario kart is the one fun, mindless thing that nemik does in his life. but even it is done with all his brainpower. he navigates that track like a boss. brasso, with the best mario kart driver luigi (non-biased opinion of course), does well and easily finishes second but is not mad at all to lose to this kid

Partagaz as Tanooki Mario vs. Leida as Baby Luigi -- leida has logged many hours on the mario kart track because perrin makes her play against him all the time and she has become by far the best player in her tradwife-to-be club. partagaz simply spends the whole race wondering why his avatar is a fox

Jezzi as Lemmy vs. Taga as King Boo -- taga is a nerd, i believe this in my bones. thus he is all over this chance to win a gaming competition. jezzi has better things to care about but tries her hardest

Bix as Wendy vs. Taramyn as Peach -- taramyn is unironically glad to have drawn peach in the draft. he goes all out because this is the most fun he's had in literal years. bix is just as invested though and leads almost the whole race until a blue shell takes her out with two turns to go and taramyn seizes the opportunity

Time Grappler as Toad vs. Mosk as Rosalina -- time grappler is just quietly perfect at this. mosk spends the whole time wanting to police anyone who "violates traffic laws" by going off-course

Syril as Koopa Troopa vs. Cassian as Cat Peach -- cassian races his heart out trying to blow away the competition, not because the competition is syril (who?) but because he got stuck with cat peach. meanwhile syril sees this as the most important competition of his life and spends the whole race thinking he is blowing everyone (especially andor) away....only to be told when it ends that he was looking at the wrong side of the screen and has been racing backwards the whole time

Corv as Metal Mario vs. Blevin as Dry Bowser -- this is a frequent competition in the ISB break room. chairs have been broken. other officers steer clear of the hallway when these two go at it. they go back and forth all the time and are very evenly matched. blevin wins this time by a hair but gloats about it for weeks

Luthen as Dry Bones vs. Gorn as Larry -- both say they do not care. gorn means it. luthen ends up caring SO MUCH. he gets strategic and bitchy with the items and wins, but gorn does better than anyone expects and comes in second

Lonni as Pink Gold Peach vs. Perrin as Toadette -- a matchup of two very different dads. lonni is happy to get pink gold peach because he has his daughter on his lap and she likes it. he ends up giving his controller to her to chew on and doesn't finish the race. perrin is a stay-at-home dad and gamer husband who lives on monster energy drinks sipped from champagne flutes. he would've won easily even if lonni hadn't stopped halfway through

Timm as Lakitu vs. Vel as Bowser -- vel is a giant tomboy who grows up wanting to be a racer of any kind and this is the closest she will ever get to doing that. she murders timm who is really just a turd out there

Saw as Baby Rosalina vs. Eedy as Ludwig -- saw wants to quit halfway through because this is a waste of his time but he sees that the controller is too big for eedy's hands somehow and cruises to victory

Skeen as Bowser Jr. vs. Melshi as Baby Peach -- skeen insists they play on rainbow road. melshi agrees because he's an agreeable guy. skeen is just ahead of him for most of the race but it's very close. ultimately skeen can't handle the pressure and falls off the track at the last turn, leaving melshi a clear track to victory. skeen's remote ends up buried in the drywall

Kleya as Wario vs. Cinta as Shy Guy -- cinta has never cared about anything less in her life. kleya, despite protests to the contrary, cares so much. she is ruthless with the items and bullies her way to victory

Dedra as Daisy vs. Bee as Baby Mario -- dedra spends much of her time in the race overcorrecting on the turns because the controls are too touchy. ultimately it doesn't matter because bee's processor and battery are too old to help him win on such technology as the wii

Tay as Donkey Kong vs. Mon as Mario -- tay is very happy to be donkey kong but even happier that mon is mario because she is nervous and not very good at this but he tells her that mario has an advantage because it's his game. this gives her confidence enough to do well and even though he could beat her if he wanted to, he lets her have the much needed dub

[raceispunk]

Going to post small chunks of my Brasso fic until people get interested:

The garden was small, enclosed by high walls. His mother's vines lined the walls, a vibrant green in the rainy season. The only brick not covered by small, creeping leaves was his grandmother's funerary stone, set into the back wall. The vegetable rows were on the right side of the space, but the left was a carpet of mud and moss. A light drizzle had been falling intermittently all day, leaving the light earth churned and marshy.

Except no one had been in the garden today. The ground should be untouched. Allas had been at school, Maman kept to the plants, and Neelan would have an aneurysm if he stepped in mud. His father rarely came downstairs before supper.

The careful stack of crates that had been leaning against the house were now in the mud.

Brasso investigated the turned up earth, regretting leaving his coat inside as the rain began pouring harder. There were definitely footprints in the mud. Small ones.

[saradika]

[masterlist]

This is the list of the incredible fics I’ve read and shared this month for the stardust reblog challenge! Includes ones read here and on my side blog, @eupheme (in case there’s any confusion!) 💖

STAR WARS

'tis the damn season by @maybege

Years after you last saw Boba Fett, Natalie invites you to spend Christmas with her family. | hot dad!boba x f!reader

ownership of mine. (part 2) & (part 3) by @amywritesthings

You have been in Narkina 5 for four months. The unit believes you are in a secret relationship with Kino Loy. (Are you?) | kino loy x f!reader

Before. When. After. by @littlemisspascal

There is a story before, when, and after Keef Girgo enters your life | ruescott melshi x f!eader

Zena Thamne (Cuyan Series) by @againstacecilia

Your fiance disappears two months before your wedding on a dangerous hunt. Fearing the worst and desperate to find him, you accept help from a reluctant Mandalorian and set off in search of your groom. | din djarin x f!reader

Take My Hand by @princessxkenobi

after a fresh snow has fallen over all the forest, you & your darling obi wan sneak away from the cottage for some ice skating; your hearts, all the while held within each other’s palms | obi-wan kenobi x f!reader

Patience by @oscarseyebrow

 “Show me how you caught him,” you request, eyes daring the bounty hunter as his chest heaves in the fluorescent lights of the Crest’s hull. “Show me how you took control.” | din djarin x female reader 

By Your Side by @princessxkenobi

In the softened afterglow of the fireplace, things take a heated turn between you and anakin, where all that you begin to sense there, is your shared waves of longing and intimacy, wanting just to be together | anakin x f!reader

Unwavering by @uwingdispatch

You are so precious to me,” he said. “Do you know that? I never…” he trailed off for a moment, closing his big hazel eyes, taking a deep breath. “I never had the courage to tell you how much I love you, but if something happens today and I never get to see you again—” | brasso x f!reader

A Touch of Peppermint by @princessxkenobi

hot chocolate doesn’t exist where Din Djarin is from, & thankfully you had been there just to show him what it’s all about; that is…if either one of you doesn’t get distracted for too long to enjoy it first ...❄️ | din djarin x f!reader

Flowers that Bloom in Winter by @psychedelic-ink

A spiteful coworker ruins the flower arrangements you had hoped to compete with. Not knowing what can be done, you entertain a young boy named Grogu who comes in at the same time wanting to buy a bouquet for his father. The next day, Din returns and offers to help you out with your work until a competition. | din djarin x f!reader

MARVEL / DC

A Cause For Celebration by @andrewrussgarfield

In which Peter Parker shows up at your front door with a slightly smashed cupcake and a whispered "Happy Birthday". | tasm!peter x afab!reader

Bitten by Fate by @stargirlfics

After a Halloween party at an abandoned mansion, you wake up to discover strange bites on your body and a note inviting you back | vampire!stucky x black f!reader

STARDEW VALLEY

Nothing Comes from Nothing by @hometownbard

All it took was a production of The Sound of Music for you to finally confront your feelings for Harvey, the show's leading man. | harvey x farmer

PEDRO PASCAL & OSCAR ISAAC

Live Fires & Low Lights by @wyn-n-tonic

“You're teasing me, sweetheart.” | javier peña x f!reader

frankie request by @softanon

A scoop of fluff with Dad!Frankie, with a bonus appearance of young Júlia Morales. | frankie morales x gn!reader

expectations by @pedrito-friskito

It was only supposed to be a job. | joel miller x f!reader

Did You Think I Had Forgotten? by @wyn-n-tonic

She’d fucking hate him if she could. | santiago x f!reader

VIOLENT NIGHT

All is Calm by @clydesducktape

Nicholas returns home looking battered and bruised. A reminder of a past life you’ve shared that leads to him needing your comfort and joy. | santa!harbour x f!reader

These fics are all so lovely - please check them out and please support these creators! 💖��

[purplefangirl42]

Keep You In Sight

Summary: Brasso wants you to stay safe, and stay where he can see you.

Pairing: Brasso/Fem!Reader

A/N: This is a birthday gift for my beloved friend @sherwood-forests 💜 A sequel to the other Brasso piece I wrote for her called "Port in the Storm". Takes place during the events of the Andor Season 1 Finale.

Tags/Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Fluff, Slight Angst

Divider by @saradika

The rain pattered against your roof, the sound echoing through your whole house as you sat by the window looking out into the street. You hoped it would let up soon and wouldn’t continue to be like this tomorrow. The last thing you all needed was to have to trudge through mud. This was going to be hard enough as it was.

Brasso had stopped by to let you know what the plan was going to be for the next day. The Empire had put all sorts of stipulations in place as to what could be done and what couldn’t. They had said only 40 people could be present, which you knew would never hold up. Anyone who knew Maarva, which was almost everyone, would be there. You were sure of it.

Before he had left, Brasso had given you a quick peck on the cheek before quickly escaping into the rain to head home. Things had been a bit awkward since the first time he had kissed you. Despite the feelings rushing through the two of you, despite the first step already having been taken, you were both at a loss about where you stood. All you knew for certain was that you cared about him so much that your heart ached in his absence. That single peck had sent a shock down to your toes that you could still feel hours later. 

You shivered and wrapped your arms around yourself, taking one final glance out at the rain before turning away from the window and walking towards your bedroom. You knew sleep wasn’t likely with how wired you felt, but the sooner you at least tried to sleep, the sooner tomorrow would come and you could all say a proper goodbye to Maarva and hopefully move on as a community.

A knock at your door the following morning grabbed your attention from where you were putting the finishing touches on your appearance for the day. You walked over and opened the door to reveal Brasso standing on the other side.

“Can I come in?” 

You stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. You were surprised that he wasn’t in his uniform yet, and even more surprised that Bee wasn’t with him. 

“Is something wrong?” you asked. “What’s going on?”

Brasso stopped, his gaze facing the interior of your place rather than you. You could see the tension rippling through his shoulders, even through his clothing. Moving around him to stand before him, you placed your hand on his arm gently.

“Brasso?”

“He came back.”

You felt your brow furrow in confusion as you tried to figure out what he meant. Who had come back? After a few moments of contemplation, you realized exactly who he was talking about.

Cassian.

He must have heard about his mother’s passing and come back to pay his respects, which was the last thing he should have done. Everyone would be better off if he stayed away and never came back, at least while the Empire had a presence on Ferrix.

“Is he insane? He’s going to get arrested, or even worse, killed. Did you meet with him?”

Brasso nodded, still avoiding your gaze. You felt anger and frustration bubbling up inside you at his confirmation. It was bad enough for Cassian to put himself at risk, but the fact that he continued to put others at risk was even worse. You bit your lip in an attempt to keep the angry words you wanted to shout from escaping.

“You’re upset, I can tell,” Brasso said, finally looking at you. “You always bite your lip like that when you get mad.”

Your glare must have been enough to confirm his suspicions. Brasso sighed and stepped towards you, taking your hand in his own and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“It’s alright. Nobody saw us.”

“You don’t know that,” you hissed, trying to pull your hand from his grip. “We still don’t know what’s happened to Bix. I don’t want to lose you too. Which is exactly what will happen if you do something stupid.”

Brasso refused to let go of your hand, tightening his grip and pulling you towards him. You struggled slightly, but eventually gave into his wishes and let him pull you to him. Once you were close enough, he released your hand and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against him.

The awkwardness was nowhere to be found, only the warmth that had always been there. You returned Brasso’s embrace, burying your face in his chest. You could hear his heart beating against your ear, a reassuring sound that you hoped wouldn’t go away anytime soon. The two of you stood together, wrapped in each other’s arms, for several minutes before Brasso finally pulled away from the embrace.

“I should go get ready. I came to get you so we could arrive together. I don’t want you out of my sight when all those Imperials are around.”

“That will be hard since you’ll be marching with the funerary stone. This ceremony is more important than watching me, Brasso. I won’t be in any danger.”

Brasso lifted a hand to caress the side of your face, his eyes boring into yours. His statement about not letting you out of his sight felt a bit more serious than you thought it had originally been intended to be. The feelings bubbling up inside you were overwhelming, forcing you to break away from his intense gaze. You lifted your hand to place it over his.

“We’ll stick together as much as we can, I promise. Now let’s go show these Imperials what Ferrixian loyalty is all about.”

It was early afternoon, much earlier than the time the Empire had allotted, when the first clang of the anvil rang through the town. Everyone had gathered in the streets, preparing for the march down Rix Road. The Daughters of Ferrix and the band stood in their uniforms, ready to begin their trek to the center of town. You stood amongst the other townsfolk, waiting for the signal to begin walking.

“It’s time,” Brasso’s voice said from beside you.

You felt his hand brush softly against yours as he passed, a simple reassuring touch. Remembering his request that you stay where he could see you, you took a place on the edge of the crowd as it began to move, keeping him nearby. 

The band began to play its mournful tune and the entire crowd of gathered people slowly moved down the street in an organized procession. Anyone that wasn’t marching themselves moved out of the way, allowing the crowd to pass unstopped. In the background, you could hear the clang of the anvil every so often, its deep resonating tone blending perfectly with the music of the band.

As the procession got closer to the center of town, you could see a line of troops clad in black blocking the street. The Empire was clearly unhappy with the change of plans and would not allow anything to go further than absolutely necessary. The crowd came to a stop, the music stopping along with it. Your eyes followed Brasso’s form as he walked through the crowd to the front, Bee wheeling along behind him.

Once he reached the front, the stone held in front of him, the band began to play again. Gone was the sorrowful tune they had been playing before, replaced by one much more upbeat. One that spoke of unity. The crowd began to move once again, walking straight towards the awaiting troops. Your voice joined the chant of “stone and sky”, repeating the words over and over with each step.

Just before reaching the wall of shields the Imperials had erected, the band began to turn, forming a circle around Brasso and Bee. Following the lead of the crowd, you line up outside the circle, never letting Brasso out of your sight. You felt his sentiment echo in your heart, feeling that need to keep him before you at all times. Once again, everyone came to a stop and the music came to an end. Those gathered, Ferrixian and Imperial alike, waited silently.

A soft whir sounded before a brilliant blue light shot up into the sky from the holoprojector on top of Bee. A giant image of Maarva Andor stood before the crowd. The sight was enough to pull your gaze from Brasso, wanting to honor the woman you had all gathered to remember, wanting to hear what final words she wanted to say.

You listened intently as the hologram of Maarva spoke. She spoke of the history of Ferrix, of how they had flourished. How everything had changed with the Empire. The fighting spirit you had always admired in her shone brightly in her expression as she told you all to stand firm and to fight against those that would push you down and trod upon you.

A shout pierced the crowd as an Imperial officer pushed his way past the shielded troops towards Bee, pulling his cloak from his shoulders to cover the projector, an attempt to silence Maarva’s call to action. He failed, however, to mute her final words.

Fight the Empire!

At those words, the officer shoved Bee over, knocking him on his side. You barely had time to react before you saw Brasso move forward, kicking the man in the chest and knocking him to the ground. You felt your heart stop as two troopers stepped forward to restrain him from attacking the man further. They didn’t get far before he swung Maarva’s brick at them, hitting one in the face. 

You felt more than heard the yell he let out, surging forward with the crowd towards the line of troops. You had no weapons, but you could feel the energy of the angry crowd pushing you forward, willing you to do something. Willing you to follow Maarva’s call. 

The troops fought back, keeping their shields up to prevent the crowd from getting too far. The loud tones of the anvil sounded above it all, encouraging the townspeople, rallying the fight. After some time had passed, you noticed Wilmon moving closer to the Imperials, his hand in his bag. Before you had a chance to react, he pulled something from it and threw it over the line of troops.

The first explosion nearly knocked you off your feet. The following ones from the grenades reacting did. Your ears rung, all sound around you disappearing. Smoke covered everything and you couldn’t see a thing. Including Brasso. A deep panic settled in your chest as you crawled across the ground, trying to get away from the center of the commotion. Eventually, you reached a wall and braced yourself against it.

Through the haze, you swore you could see a large red shape fighting off ones of white. You had no way of knowing who it was, no way of knowing if Brasso was safe or even if he was still alive. A figure appeared in your field of vision, one clad in red, but not the one you searched for.

“Come on, girl!” Jezzi shouted, pulling you to your feet. “We need to leave!”

You let her guide you into an alley, nearly running into another pair as you ascended the steps. You felt your knees give out and a sob of relief escaped your lips as you saw Brasso dragging Wilmon up alongside him by the collar. With his other hand, he tightly grabbed yours and the four of you ran as fast as you could to the edge of town.

When you reached the shipyard, you found Pegla waiting for you. He had pulled Bee from the chaos and placed him on a ship. Waving erratically, he ushered the rest of you aboard. Jezzi and Brasso worked together with Pegla to get the ship going as you guided Wilmon to sit on the floor of the cargo hold. It wasn’t long before another pair emerged from the edge of the shipyard, moving quickly towards the ship.

Cassian and Bix.

You helped Cassian maneuver the weakened Bix onto the ship and guided her down to sit beside Wilmon. You could hear shouting behind you, but paid no attention to it, hearing only “Gangi Moon” and Cassian’s shout to get you all out of there. Before you knew it, the ship was rising into the air and you, Wilmon, Bix, Jezzi, and Brasso were flying to Maker knows where.

Leaving the two on the floor, you moved towards where Brasso sat panting against the back of the ship. He looked up at you with the most relieved expression you had ever seen cross his face. He reached for you and pulled you down into a tight embrace.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered into your hair. “I saw you go flying when the second explosion hit and then you disappeared and I couldn’t find you.”

No words could express the relief you felt when you saw him on the stairs, likely the same he felt at that moment if he thought you were gone. Unable to find anything to say, you squeezed your eyes shut and rested against his chest as he rocked you back and forth. You could swear you heard him muttering something else, repeating over and over like a mantra, but you didn’t dare hope he was saying what you thought you heard reach your still ringing ears.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

A/N: Give this a like, comment, and reblog and let me know what you think!

[0liver-hope]

character ask game :) for cassian? (and whoever else you want): 4,8,17,23?

Ohh man thanks so much for asking!! :D

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Ooo, well, my other main obsession is Tolkien's legendarium, so I'd be very interested to see what Cassian would get up to in that world, lol! I think he might fit in surprisingly well, actually. Tolkien loves his scruffy, brooding, dark haired heroes, and Cassian absolutely fits that type.

Will put the rest under a cut for length :)

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I don't like how cynical people are about him, sometimes! Like, I've seen people come away from season one thinking that that's the last time he's ever gonna see Bix and the other Ferrix refugees, that he breaks his promise to her, and I completely disagree.

I think he's absolutely committed to finding them again, I don't think that was a promise he made lightly. A big part of his growth over the course of season one was learning to trust and take responsibility for other people's wellbeing, he learned that on Aldhani and again in Narkina. It might take him some time depending on whatever Luthen has him getting up to in season two, but he'll find them.

And I think I'll be proven right on this given that Adria Arjona is in season two!! I really hope we get some moments of Bix and everyone just on their own, that we keep checking in on them and get to see what they're up to independent of Cassian, but I have a very hard time believing that that reunion won't be happening given that they are in the season. If for some insane reason it doesn't happen, I WILL WRITE IT AND THAT IS A THREAT, TONY

17. What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with?

I know some folks ship Cassian with Brasso, as well as Nemik, and whilst I can understand the appeal of both ships for different reasons, I feel pretty strongly that what he has with both of them is platonic. I loooove his friendship with Brasso so much, I think he's very much like an older brother to Cassian, and feels very responsible for him.

If they'd had the chance, I think Cassian might have felt very similarly towards Nemik as Brasso does towards him.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

Agghh that's a hard question... I don't know if I can pick a single favorite.

Gotta love this one of him covered in goo, though!

Also, I forgot that I didn't have asks turned on for my Andor side blog, but I've done that now!

Thanks again for asking, this was fun!!

[mosylufanfic]

trick or treat! 🎃

You get a little piece of the modern Brixo AU that I wrote large chunks of last December and then set aside to focus on other things. But I still think about it a lot and might return to it. One thing to know is that Bix and Brasso haven't known each other all their lives, and in fact they've only had a couple of interactions at this point in the story.

-

The sopranos were kept after to go over a particularly tricky section, and everyone Bix hadn't talked to had already left. And probably so had her bus. So she really needed a ride now, unless she wanted to pay Uber, and with the state of her funds, she didn't. 

Brasso was sitting off to one side, reading a book. With those wire-framed glasses again, dammit. Was he waiting for her? Maybe she'd been right to freeze him out the other night. 

"Hey, Jezzi," she said casually as they all gathered up their coats. "Which way do you live?"

"South down Rix Road," Jezzi said. "You need a ride?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. I live by the mall.”

"Let me check with my driver. Hey, Brasso!"

He looked up from his book. "Yeah?"

"You think we have room for Bix, here? She’s about a mile and change farther than me."

He looked at her. Bix considered the merits of laying down underneath the chairs and quietly dying of awkwardness.

"Yeah, all right," he said, taking the glasses off and folding them into his shirt pocket. "We can all budge up."

[andorerso]

Hello, RCSS here! I think I've got some concrete plans for your gift now, very excited to get to work on it properly (I can't believe it's nearly December already!) Now that the Andor season's over, which would you say was your favourite episode? Favourite new character? Favourite quote?

I know right? Time just flies, and Andor ended so quickly as well... I miss Cassian already.

I think my favorite episode was 10 when they broke out of the prison. Seeing them all work together, Kino's speech, Cassian being an inspiration, Luthen's speech echoing Cassian's future... chef's kiss. But I also really liked episode 6 with the heist, it's a very close second. It also has the added bonus of having some of my favorite characters in the same place (Cassian ofc, Vel, Cinta, Nemik, I also really liked Gorn and Taramyn and wish we saw more of them), and it was just very very well done. The supporting characters on Narkina didn't stand out to me as much as on Aldhani (except for Kino) but something about that episode really got to me.

Favorite new character... hmm, that's so hard because I liked a lot of them. Even the ones I didn't like (such as Syril or Dedra), I still enjoyed their scenes and they were fascinating to watch (esp Dedra). I genuinely don't think any of the characters were written weakly (maybe except one, but I won't get into that rn), although I'm not a fan of what they did with Bix, but that's more about her storyline and not her personality. I have a very soft spot for Bee and Brasso, despite them being more side characters. I'm conflicted about Luthen because I liked him at first, and I guess I still do, he's a fascinating character, but some of the fandom treatment turns me off him a bit. Kleya was also really interesting, and I hope we see more of her, Nemik was very dear to my heart for the short time we got him, and Kino really grew on me in that last episode just before he died. But I think my favorite new character is a toss up between Vel and Cinta. I want to see more of Cinta, but I love her get shit done attitude so much, and Vel, you know, is a bet petulant, but I think that's what I like about her. I love a flawed character, especially women.

Favorite quote... the first one that comes to my mind is "power doesn't panic." There were a lot of others I liked, from Nemik's manifesto, Luthen's speech, Saw's speech, even some of Maarva's lines despite the fact that I'm not a fan of her, but I think the fact that this is the first quote that pops into my head every time says a lot. That comeback to Kino, everything it's saying, Diego's delivery, it just stood out to me. I love it.