#Dark Crystal Prequel

[heyclickadee]

One fun thing about The Dark Crystal is that it’s not exactly the evil skeksis and the good mystics. It’s the cruel skeksis and the gentle mystics. It’s the mystics, who study and ponder and chant and don’t really do any harm, but don’t do any good, either, because all the drive to do anything got ripped out of them; and then the skeksis, who are all drive and hunger and probably can’t stop themselves because all their impulse control is off meditating on the other side of the planet.

[sunderedandundone]

In which UrSkeks are actually very dramatic

So fam, I’ve been working really hard on the Twice-Nine, and it’s winding up being less of a survey of their crimes against UrSkekdom than it is a survey of UrSkekdom’s crimes against them. XD

SoSu the Philosopher: Was an incredibly psychically-strong and headstrong (probably not unrelated) young UrSkek whose passions often got the better of them, and while this was generally more disruptive than harmful, as we know, UrSkek society tends to consider disruption itself a form of harm. So at an unconscionably young age, they were forced to choose between Exile and Purgation (the editing of their personality and erasure of ‘problem’ memories), and while the therapy certainly seemed to have took, it must not’ve took that well, because they continued over their career (which was in all other aspects illustrious) to maintain a suspect interest in the reconciliation of their society with its discontents, which theories eventually developed into their infamous Heresy…and the Heresy itself committed the incredibly awful crime of proving attractive to a number of UrSkeks, particularly the young ones. Whom SoSu was accused of deliberately corrupting. Oops.

ZokZah the Presbyter: Their ‘crime’ was coming out of the Chorion (the UrSkek-spawning chamber, basically) with a natural tendency toward sadism [with a touch of masochism included] -- which a more tolerant society might have been able to help them better sublimate into their spiritual work, and/or channel into safe/sane/consensual activities; but Homeworld was not that society. As a result, their entire life story was one of ice-cold self-repression and flawless hypocrisy. They thought the Heresy might be their compassionate answer at long last. And it might have been, but obviously we can’t have that.

SilSol the Musician: Wasn’t spawned with anything especially wrong with them, except for being astonishingly talented which arguably is a bit of a flaw; but somewhere along the way they twigged to the fact that their perfect classless harmonious society that totally didn’t have power relations, totally DID have them. So they started studying this interestingly contradictory phenomenon the way most very intelligent people would have, with comparative sociology, which unfortunately involved a lot of consumption of ::whispers:: foreign cultural material from more primitive societies. And while yes we do study primitive societies, we’re not supposed to do it like THAT, and we’re definitely not supposed to put stuff we’re learning from them about how to influence and persuade other people into PRACTICE. And Crystal itself help you if you turn out to be good at it…even when you’re doing it for what you consider the best cause ever, like OH SAY A REVOLUTIONARY HERESY. (SilSol also had quite a fan base as a composer and performing artist, which did kind of the opposite of helping their case when trial time rolled around.)

GraGoh the Explorer: Was an unfortunate case of incorrigible juvenile delinquency, and Crystal knows the Eldest did what they could. When the young former Rigger from the outer colonies proved to be too rough-hewn and jostling for the refined precincts of Homeworld (they thought practical jokes were actually funny, for one thing), the Council decided to spare the rod and try to educate them in the graces by sending them to the Academy, where they were supposed to finally learn to be a proper UrSkek. And what did they learn instead? Heresy! Honestly. They didn’t even try to resist the slide into depravity; indeed, quite the contrary, they decided to become one of SoSu’s most prominent and enthusiastic disciples. So really, what else was there to do?

AyukAmaj and EktUtt: Fell in love. This may seem fearfully pedestrian to the savage likes of the Gelfling (and let’s not even talk humans), but in UrSkek society this is both an incredibly alien, hard-to-imagine aberration, and a crime against the ironclad obligation to love all one’s fellow UrSkeks fairly and equally. Like…absolutely fairly and equally. No matter what. No playing favorites. Yes OF COURSE love and friendship are high virtues among UrSkek, but again -- just not like -- that. What do you two think you’re doing, seriously, you don’t even have physical bodies to conventionally sin with but I guess where there’s a will, etc?

NaNol the Botanist: Was a spy. Not that they knew they were a spy, mind: UrSkeks don’t have spies, and if they did have them, what they were doing would not be spying. In fact the Botanist’s whole problem was they didn’t have any actual name or conceptual box to put the thing in that a few naughty Eldest were making them do -- especially to the plant-stored planetary-memory records they were supposed to be nurturing and protecting. I mean, it must be all right somehow, because it was Eldest asking; but then why did it have to be such a secret; but then why was it even their business, since it was records about stuff that happened eons before anyone they knew was spawned; but then if it didn’t really matter because it was all so long ago, why were they still being asked to -- **melts into quiet gibbering noises** But in any case…such a pity that it was their fellow Heretics that they eventually decided to confess their nameless burning sins to. More normal UrSkeks would have known enough to just shut up and do what they were told.

HakHom the Architect and YiYa the Builder: Didn’t know that the technical term for what they were was frenemies; they thought they were just friends. Who competed for the same non-virtual architectural gigs, which HakHom just happened to win more often than YiYa, which was also why HakHom ended up outranking YiYa. But of course there was never any trouble putting that behind them when it came time for them to work together hand-in-glove on the winning projects; Homeworld is a place of harmony after all, with architecture being one of a very, very few fields where there even was still anything resembling competition. Nor did YiYa carry any grudges against HakHom for dragging them out to these crazy salons and forums this weird Professor SoSu kept holding. As a friend, they were simply looking out for their friend’s mental and spiritual cultivation, and after all these were merely dialogues about how everyone, even the most erring UrSkek, could better be brought back to the bosom of the Crystal and the collective soul of their people through the transforming power of compassion and honesty. What was there to object to? And later, when the Eldest were investigating because apparently there was something to object to -- and they needed someone to infiltrate and report on the increasingly worryingly Heretical gatherings -- who would blame YiYa for assisting them with that high-minded work? Certainly not HakHom, who understood and deeply regretted their grievous sin in doing…well, there must have been something terribly wrong with the whole thing. Even if Professor SoSu did have both a sterling reputation and the high permissions as a Councilmember needed to access the Crystal for experimental rites if they deemed fit! And just because even after giving the Council all that help, YiYa still found themselves exiled right alongside all the unrepentant criminals, that was no reason to take out any frustrations on their old partner, who hadn’t exactly been in control of the proceedings either after all. Surely the Eldest had their good reasons…so…yeah. Definitely nothing there for either the Architect or the Builder to hold against one another in the immediate aftermath of their souls being torn asunder to set all the Twice-Nine’s ids free.

LachSen the Gnostic: Was an ex-cultist. No, I’m not joking. Although they’re scattered and vanishingly few, there are places even yet on Homeworld where some UrSkeks practice Heresies in the much more old-fashioned sense -- that is to say, disapproved spiritual rites and disciplines, which are generally holdovers from pre-Ascension cultures. Young LachSen’s group was no exception: indeed, it dated from that supremely turbulent era just pre-Ascension, when some UrSkeks fervently believed that through the practice of radical enough asceticism and self-lessness, their kind could attain a permanent ecstatic group consciousness, such as they had heard group minds from other worlds speak of with such reverence and serenity. (No wonder SkekLach wasn’t so keen on the Ascendancy…) This belief turned out to be more a denial of the UrSkeks’ own nature than even the ancestors of the Council of Eldest could tolerate. But LachSen’s group still stubbornly clung to this more-or-less impossible ideal, and to an ancient sub-Crystal of their own which gave barely enough energy for them to subsist on; but since privation was what they craved, that was fine. As they matured, LachSen found themselves questioning the group’s ways and eventually ran far away to Crystalgate City on the great peninsula, blending in with the other UrSkeks as best they could. But it was more difficult than they could ever have imagined, blending in with people from so different a worldview -- and they remained always torn in their feelings toward their old kin, their penitent, self-denying monkish side and their newly-discovered love of plenty and peace among the Crystalgaters. Thus, they were prime and easy ‘prey’ for a new Heresy, particularly one that claimed to embrace the lost and lonely, even the strangest of Deviancies…

ShodYod the Mathematician: TBD

SaSan the Marine Biologist: TBD. I’m not sure that Heresy was something she came into in the course of her work. She’s just such a strong personality at base. I expect her to be tricky.

VarMa the Seal-Bearer: TBD, but however they came to it, they definitely they would have been SoSu’s #1 fan and most loyal acolyte.

MalVa the Guide: TBD, although they would have been exposed to a lot of ‘foreign ideas’ in the course of their work, so that may be how they first got into trouble. :-) I have a tiny inkling they may even have been a bit of an anti-colonialist, which would be a problem for other UrSkeks even though other UrSkeks will swear up and down that they’re not even sort of colonialists. ;oP

TekTih the Inventor: TBD. TekTih was an Inventor, which kind of by definition meant they were a bit more ‘interferey’ than the average UrSkek, but that in itself isn’t quite enough to push a sib into Heresy, so I’m going to have to think about it some more.

UngIm the Restorer: TBD. However, there wouldn’t be much call for actual restoring work on other UrSkeks on Homeworld, the species having long since left death, disease and war behind. Therefore, they were likely either more of a veterinarian, or else had a history of traveling around on colony worlds, where again as noted, an UrSkek can run not only into disturbing concepts, but into disturbing events of the sort that flesh-and-blood beings are all too easily prey to. Which provides restoring work, of course, but not only that.

OkAc the Scholar: TBD, though it’s harder to think of places a Scholar couldn’t get themselves into doctrinal trouble than places they could. XD

LiLii: TBD. But – yanno – I mean, it’s LiLii. I have a feeling that like GraGoh, they may just have an unfortunate habit of annoying others, particularly with blurted-out inconvenient truths, and certainly they had a mischievous turn for an UrSkek.

[reyturnofbensolo]

😬

[jaywings]

My own comic / graphic novel recs:

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson- if you haven't read these, what are you doing with your life? Go pick up a copy now

Mouse Guard by David Petersen- Mice with swords protect their way of life. There are three main volumes so far and some side material, and it's great stuff

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol- This is a standalone graphic novel about a girl who befriends a ghost

Bone by Jeff Smith- Cartoons meet fantasy. There are dragons and a big cow race. I have the whole thing as a full volume and it's like a cinderblock

[undeadmartian]

I need yoda and mother aughra to fist fight, one Frank Oz puppet versus another

[barbieaemond]

And I dream of a grave

Header by the lovely @ewanmitchellcrumbs 💕💕

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x wife!reader

Warnings: angst (!), smut, too many references to graves/burying, mentions of Blood & Cheese, miscommunication, Aemond's coping mechanism is violence and sex, in this order (good for him)

Word count: 3.8k

Author's note: the gif is self explanatory. This is a prequel to A Curse for a Curse, but can be read as a standalone. Big thank you to @irenadel for giving me the idea and being one of the most supportive souls <3

Taglist: @ladystarksneedle @arcielee @multyfangirl

MASTERLIST | English is not my first language

This is more than tempting the Gods. This is forsaking and impudently turning their backs on them.

As she sits down at the banquet, her mother’s words echo through her mind like the vexing sound of the wind on a storm’s night. It sets an unpleasant weight on her lungs, the close and yet shapeless feel of something dreadful. She’s almost grateful, looking around, to ascertain she’s not the only fool dreading this whole act.

The Dowager Queen sits at the table, barely able to contain a grimace. Queen Helaena, she is certain, has never looked so pale, her eyes so vacuous and yet so full of something unknown, elusive, smoke clouding and clearing her unnatural stare. The Hand has conveniently made himself absent. She can’t blame him. Actually, she envies him. If only she too could have been spared such a farce. But as the wife of the King’s brother, the very one they’re all supposed to celebrate tonight, she cannot do that, can she?

To cheers and the blaring of trumpets, the King enters shoulder to shoulder with his brother, tall and proud in his stride, wearing dark green velvet for such a special occasion, and such a special title.

“Do you know how they’re going to call you from now on?” the Queen Mother had asked when he came back from Storm’s end, dripping rain and mud and war.

“I do, Mother.” Aegon had answered, twisting a knife from his seat at the head of the table; she had never caught that glint of satisfaction in his eyes, not like that; it wasn’t dimmed by wine or flesh, but sharp as the blade in his hand. “A title he should be proud of.”

Pride was ever the easiest thing to wear for Aemond, the softest glove gliding on his skin, born out of a pit so deep and full of insecurities and negligence that that same endless depth had grown out of proportion in order to fill itself. To even try scratching his pride was like trying to climb the highest mountain with bare hands. She had cut her palms open to do so.

“What happened, Aemond?” she had asked once alone in their chambers.

“You know what happened.”

“What really happened?”

His good eye had pierced her as if she were made of crystal, but his jaw was too set, on the verge of breaking his own teeth if he carried on keeping the guilt, and truth, trapped inside.

“I didn’t want to.” He whispered, coming down from the peak, “I didn’t want to kill him. I only wanted—”

“Revenge? Well, you had it. Did it make you feel good? Did you bring that boy peace at last?”

It took him a lifetime to say no; a whispered sound, choked even, as if he had bitten off his tongue to get it out of that pit where he had never looked again.

He was biting his tongue in the council, the faintest clench in his jaw but here, here in the council, here in the world, he had to keep that pit buried and stand straight on the highest peak, looking up and up, never down, never back. How could he, how could he admit he had lost control. It was easier, safer, to let them think of him a monster, rather than just human.

“I salute you, brother.” The King had said, raising his cup “True blood of the dragon! We shall have a feast in your honor!" Otto had merely lowered his head in defiance, going unnoticed in the eyes of his King and grandson, drunk with power and finally free of his mother's leash, unaware that a golden noose now held him in check.

He had summoned jesters, musicians, even some dancers to coddle his brother, and raise him higher and higher. She imagined she just had to wait for the fall. Or perhaps pray to the Seven to overlook the insult, to keep a mortal up there with them for a little more. But then again, they shouldn’t ask the Gods for mercy. Someone more unforgiving, more bloodthirsty. Someone who, just as her husband and his brother and each one of their cursed dynasty, did not listen to either Gods or men.

“A toast!” the King says at one point, turning to his left. “To my brother Aemond and a long overdue justice, is it not?”

Out of courtesy and duty, she grabs her cup and raises it, but as everyone at the table sips their wine, all she tastes is contempt, and the cup hits the surface untouched. But not unseen.

“Brother, wine may cloud my judgment, but it seems to me that your beloved wife does not share the sentiment of this fine evening. I wonder why.”

She holds the King’s demanding stare with a firm one, aware of Aemond looking at her even if his eye is fixed on the table. He has ignored her for the whole night, not sparing her a single glance. Because she owns the truth, doesn’t she, and it’s a knife pointed at his back.  

“May I speak my mind, your Grace?”

There’s the slightest shift in Alicent’s posture, as if she were desperately waiting for her, or anyone, to cease all of this, to say this isn’t right.

Aegon pulls a thin, lazy smile and tilts his silver head, swirling his cup. “Why, of course, Princess. My brother tells me you have a habit of doing so.”

“Did he, now?” she resists the urge to scoff; such a despicable habit for a woman in this world.

“Fret not, good sister, I’m certain he holds no grudges against you for your silver tongue.”

“Oh, I’m quite certain too, your Grace. I know for a fact that he likes it.”

A few lords can do very little to hold their snickering, Aegon himself does not hide his malicious smirk, petty at the edges. It must run in the blood.

“Careful though, you don’t want to spend too much time talking, lest you leave my poor brother without any heir! It’s been a while since you two lovebirds tied the knot, isn’t that right?”

She glances beside her, surely Aemond won’t let that slight insult pass, but he stays still and silent like a statue. She can’t quite believe what she’s witnessing. This is the same man who would call the crowned head at the table wastrel, depraved, disgrace.

So much for a disgrace, now that he fosters your pride and lies.

“I can assure you, good brother, that the talking is well outweighed by other activities that involve very few words.”

Aegon plasters a big grin on his face, yet she’s not finished. “But perhaps the Gods are sparing me the burden of bringing a child in such troubled times. A realm at war is not the best place to live in, is it not?”

“It depends on which side you’re on, Princess.”

There’s suspicion in his tone, but she just blinks at him. “My apologies, I was not aware that my loyalty to your House, and my husband’s, was to be questioned.”

“Come now. We are bound by what if not words?”

“I was under the impression that the Crown should fear his own kin more than a simple foreign girl from the West.”

At that, Helaena lets out a strange noise, something close to a wince, and silence falls all over. It is only now that Aemond undoes the stone he walled himself in and acts as he always does when he feels belittled, or worse, threatened. He shuts her out.

“I’m afraid my wife is growing tired, brother. ’Tis best for her to retire.”

She bites her tongue and turns her head. There’s no mistake in his tone, that is an order. She stares at him and he stares back, blankly, and then, just as it is expected of her, she obeys.

She goes without saying a word, aware of Aemond’s eye on her, of Aegon’s little victorious giggle. He snaps his fingers and two dancing girls flock to his brother. She knows this because she can’t resist but turning before disappearing. The girls are said to come from Lys, no less. But he’s not sparing them a single glance. His eye follows her out of the hall, and even after.

Candles almost extinguished, casting a soft glow in the bedchamber, dim but enough to make the shape of her body visible under the covers.

“I know you’re pretending to be asleep.” He says, placing his dagger and eyepatch on the nightstand.

She doesn’t bother to wait a single moment to fly her eyes open. “Was I not supposed to pretend I was tired?”

When she gets no answer, she turns to face him, finding him on his feet near the bed, undoing the buttons of his doublet. His eye is on her, though, wide, as someone ready to hunt but seeing traps everywhere.

“Did you enjoy your feast?” she asks with piqued interest. “Such a shame that I missed most of it. I was eager to watch the girls from Lys dance. How were they?”

“Enough. You should thank me for dismissing you. You were bordering on high treason.”

“Since when telling the truth is considered high treason?”

“Is that what you were going to say? The truth? To make me look like a fool in front of the whole court?”

“I was only going to say that the feast was an insult and a challenge to the Gods or any common sense. And I know that beneath all the pats on the shoulder and the endorsement on your brother’s part, you are of the same mind.” she hopes to see the barest glimpse of validation on his face, at least here, where he can leave behind his pride and admit he made a mistake. Is that what you call starting a war?

But his expression is as closed as ever, wary.

She wishes it would hurt less than it does. “Of all the people ready to betray you, how quick you are to assume I’d be the first.”

“We’re bound by words, are we not?”

“Take your brother off your mouth.” She says absentmindedly; she tries to not let it sting, but it does anyway. It is a low blow, and she knows he does not believe it. He has raised the walls, coiling like a snake, and there’s no point trying to climb and risk cracking her skull open on the ground. She will have to wait for him to come down. “Then perhaps I should consider my father’s proposal.”

She leaves the bed and grabs a letter lying open on the desk. “He wrote me this letter. That is why my mother came all the way here, apparently to see how her daughter was faring.”

Aemond eyes it with the barest twitch in his lips, then looks up into her eyes and, with a sigh, she clears her throat.

“My dearest daughter,

It is with great concern and sadness that I write you this letter.

Words have reached me about the recent events involving Storm’s End and young Prince Lucerys’ demise. My spirits are low when thinking of the fate you’re enduring. But I want you to think carefully of this: annulments are rare but possible. Even more so since you bore no heirs yet. You cannot remain married to a Kinslayer, it is the highest of sins. I only need a word from you, daughter, and I shall hastily consult with a High Septon.”

She can barely register his arm moving, only sees his hand snatching the letter out of her grip, crumpling the paper between his fingers. Nostrils flaring, eye widening, she reads insult all over his face. About time.

“Is that it, Aemond? Is that the reason you’d think I would betray you? Because I didn’t bleed on a birthing bed yet? Is that how you measure my loyalty? What of all the times I drew your bath, washed your hair, pulled the boots off your feet? What about that curtain—“ she adds, pointing to the windows “and the fact that I told the maid to keep that side always closed so the sun will not bother your eye? Do you think I did all of this because of some empty words?”

He looks as if she has just slapped him. Mistrust and bewilderment run together all over his sharp features, trying to win one another, and she waits and waits, and she begs as all the purest things must be pleaded, wordlessly.

Come down. Come down. Lay down with me. In our bed, a grave, it matters not. I'll take the shovel and do the burying.

But he stands still on his high and cursed perch, the grip on the letter loosens, his shoulders slump a little, because this, this comes so easily. Violence. It’s the other glove he wears like second skin.

“You will write to your father and tell him if I hear another word about annulments, I will have his head for treason. And as for you… you tell a living soul what you know, and you shall join the Silent Sisters. You won’t even have to vow your silence, for I shall take your sharp tongue first.”

She watches him go, standing in the middle of the room like a fool; her hands bleeding still and a plea, unheard, choking to death in her chest.

Her hands heal, stay whole for so long. She feels she cannot reach him this time, no matter how hard she tries to climb. She finds no footholds, no inlets, until she stops looking for any.

She finds she has no strength to do it anymore. They’re all dead anyway, each of them in their own way, their own burial.

The king drinks and rages and drinks and rages. Helaena rocks on herself all day long, chasing the highs and lows of her laments. Jaehaera stares at her mother with her small lips sewn, her eyes wide and the Queen Mother weeps and weeps, wondering if the little girl is watching her mother go mad with grief or yet again her twin brother’s head rolling on the ground like one of her toys.

And Aemond…she does not know where Aemond chose to bury himself. He spends the day out, trying to escape the smothering grip of the Stranger’s claws, his curse…or is it only retribution?

Sometimes he’s in the training yard, sometimes that same yard becomes theater for revenge. He kills whoever helped Blood and Cheese enter the Keep, man or woman, he doesn’t care. He tortures them, and she wants to beg him to stop, to tell him that torturing one, two, or one hundred men won’t stop guilt from torturing him.

So, he wanders restlessly, basks in small and big cruelties, until the sun sets and she’s aware, as the bed dips under his weight, that she is his own burial. He takes her at any time, in any place, be it the bed, the desk, or bent over the vanity, she cannot do anything to stop him. She doesn’t want to and yet she aches to do it. Because it’s always sudden, and harsh and hurtful when he pulls her hair, when he spares no time to stoke her desire, when he keeps her bent with her back turned and a firm hand on her neck like some kind of punishment.

It never used to be like this. It had been playful, teasing, painfully slow as if he were separating salt from water, and then fast, urgent, unraveling for two inexperienced newlyweds.

But it had never been like that. There was no joy in it. Only a duty to be fulfilled. Some twisted way to gain control, while anyone else kept slipping from his hands. Just as Vhagar slipped out of his control on that fateful night of storm.

He remembered that dark thrill pounding in his veins, the laughter gushing out of his throat like poison. He couldn’t bring himself to stop. He didn’t know whether Vhagar was fueling his fire or the other way around, perhaps both. Just a little more, he’d thought, as Arrax batted his wings frantically, desperate, mirroring his young rider, to escape the gaping jaws of the Queen of All Dragons.

That’s what he wanted. He wanted to relish in his nephew’s dread, he wanted to drink it. He wanted him alone, desperate, hopeless, just as he had been.

And then he felt it, the shift in the ancient fire pit he was riding, like a boat tipping over and there was no helm to grab onto and bring it back to land. He had sunk his own family into the bleak abyss of Daemon Targaryen’s soul.

He had come to collect, thoroughly. A son for a son, yes, but he had taken much more than Jaehaerys. He’d taken Helaena as well. Even Jaehaera.

Will she ever be able to speak again?

Will my Mother ever forgive me?

Words never spoken, stuck on his tongue and then gagged and swallowed. He cannot look down, cannot look back. He must look up and forward, like soldiers do. To the next battle, to war.

But there’s this woman. And the sight of her in his bed that makes his breath hitch and for two reasons entirely opposite to one another. The first is the most ancient one. But she’s also a thorn in his side, for she knows. She knows everything. She knows all his peaks and depths, every brick in his walls and how to dismantle them; she knows he’s strong and weak, that he’s scared and guilty and worthy of his mother’s contempt, but he cannot bear any of this in front of her.

He flees her presence during the day, only to impose himself on her for the whole night. She cannot refuse him. And he cannot have her prying and dismantling his well-crafted walls and lies, so he takes her and takes her and takes her until he works themselves up to exhaustion and she’s a rag doll in his hands. It serves the purpose, though. As long as she has his cock in her mouth, as long as he harshly pounds into her, cutting her breath from the inside, she cannot ask questions. As long as he keeps chasing his pleasure, and his rugged breaths muffle his own ears, he cannot think straight.  

He's close now and it’s the second time already. The sheets are damp beneath their bodies, his back glints with sweat, damps his forehead as he thrusts inside her one more time. They’re lying on their side, but he keeps her caged against him, his arm has slipped on the mattress and under her neck to keep her still, with her back to him. With his cheek glued to hers, he croons praises in her ear, falling mindlessly from his lips but like drops in the ocean. Once, she would redden, smile blissfully, or challenge him, to go deeper, or harder, or both, but she’s a limp thing now. A mere body panting upon being fucked by another, that’s all.

This is possession. Or a desperate attempt to. Each night, he holds her as if it’s the last time and she could slip away from him at any moment, turning her back on him. She can feel it now, in the way he’s gripping her shoulder, the way his nails dig in her skin, carving into her bones: stay with me. Please. Don’t leave. Please, don’t leave.

But it’s him keeping her away, turning her own back on him.

Don’t you know, she wishes to tell him, that I won’t, ever. I won’t. No matter how cursed you are. I won’t. I won’t.

He grabs her thigh, resting it on his hip, spreading his long fingers on her skin, spreading her legs so he can find the perfect angle and picks up the pace. She shudders with every thrust, gasping with her throat dry, feeling the long bridge of his nose sinking in her cheek, his grunts growing rougher and deeper; some strange choked sound at the back of his throat.

He comes quietly, panting shallowly against the damp fabric of her nightgown. And he stays there, claw gripping her shoulder, head sunk between her neck and collarbone, and deep to the hilt buried in her.

A tear rolls down her cheek. She doesn’t know where it comes from, who she is mourning, she can’t tell these days. Perhaps she’s mourning him, who he was, who he is now and who he is forcing himself to be. She doesn’t know where the deception lies anymore. She wishes she could push it back in, prays that it goes unnoticed, swallowed along with all the others, but she should know by now, the Gods are not in her favor anymore, if they ever had been.

“Why are you crying?”

She turns her head, and her breath hitches. The gemstone glints, yes, but she’s too struck by his eye to even notice the sapphire. There’s something raw there, bare, more than his very skin now. It’s the first time she sees that look on him, torn, heavy lidded and not by pleasure.

This is the burden of grief.

She wonders if that’s the reason he’s so keen on fucking her with her back turned, so she can’t see him. Perhaps she didn’t look hard enough. She thought he had risen too high, out of her reach, of anyone’s. She thought he would never fall, not in every sense of the word.

Hence, she’s at a loss for words, slightly pulling herself up, when he slowly comes down; he curls into himself, into her lap, resting his head there like a child. No Kinslayer, no Dragon Prince, no son, no brother. No husband. Just a human, bare in the skin and soul.

Aemond wraps his hand around her knee, gently, and then tighter and tighter, shutting his eye. He’s on land now, but the room is spinning, the whole world is spinning and he doesn’t know how to stop it. He feels he started it all, he threw a spinning top and got sucked into it. And she’s the only firm thing he can hold onto.

“Do you think I’m cursed?” he whispers, the barest flutter of his long eyelashes against his cheekbone.

But she has no answer. All she has are her hands, sliding on his naked skin, through his loose hair, gently, as if touching the thinnest glass, sealing the cracks. Her palms slice open again.  

“Aren’t we all?”

And I dream of a grave, deep and narrow, where we could clasp each other in our arms as with clamps, and I would hide my face in you and you would hide your face in me, and nobody would ever see us any more."

- The Castle, Franz Kafka.

[gffa]

"We walk into the light, acknowledge the dark, and find balance in ourselves, because the Force is strong." [Star Wars: The High Republic 2024, #8] Anyway, I'm starting a collection to show that this is also what the prequels Jedi and the High Republic Jedi taught and practiced. That the dark side was in all of them, that it was a lifelong struggle to overcome it within themselves, and find balance in the light within themselves.

And, of course, The Clone Wars episode "The Gathering" is structured around the central test of sending the younglings to Ilum to get their first kyber crystal--which involves them having to face fears that are unique to them. That's the whole point, to overcome the dark side that's inside all of them, to free themselves of that prison. This is reflected in every Jedi's path--from the Jedi younglings of the prequels to Ezra in the Jedi Temple on Lothal to Luke in the dark side cave on Dagobah to Rey in the dark side cave on Ahch-To--that to move forward on their path, they must confront the darkness within themselves, the Jedi knew this and built their culture around it, their Temples around it, and never forgot it. No one was beyond it, not even Master Yoda, no matter how much they all admired and respected him, even they knew that Yoda was not beyond the reach of the dark side.

It was not a one-time thing. It was not a faucet they could turn off. It was a lifelong struggle to overcome it. It was the destiny of a Jedi to confront this fear within themselves. To acknowledge the dark and walk into the light to find balance.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives: Fic Recs

My latest hyperfixation is Dead Boy Detectives, so oc I've been reading and commenting on a ton of fic. And it's been really nice because the response of the authors has been so warm. I don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so quickly! Also, the fandom has inspired me to actually start writing again for the first time in two years and I've got a great idea for a fanvid. (Any tips on how to make one would be appreciated! 😅)

So in tribute to the lovely fandom, here's a fic rec post (nearly all payneland):

in this city there's a thousand things I want to say to you by laiqualaurelote

Edwin has a sexual awakening and it blows Charles' mind. And other things. Very funny and well written. Also features minor Edwin/Cat King and Edwardian flirting.

I also highly recommend the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned by the same author, which is a kind of multiverse!Edwin fic? Featuring Edwin dying? And Niko time travelling? Trying to save time? Anyway, interesting to see Edwin alive, ageing and in different periods of time/his life.

For the First Time Twice by LikeMmmCookies

Amnesia fic! Charles loses his memories and thinks he and Edwin are married. Very cute (tandem bike date!) and well written, though Edwin's point of view still manages to be angsty. Also, the yearning is off the charts and the most recent chapter turned up the heat.

I guess you're stuck with me by Punny_Puck

AU in which Edwin and Charles actually got married pre-show. Funny, cute with a sweet marriage proposal prequel. Instant comfort fic.

Dance the Night by Gruoch

The gang are hunting an energy-sucking vampire that targets beautiful people, so naturally Edwin MUST disguise himself as the hottest girl in London. This one starts out fun and campy then takes a hard left turn into Serious Business. Prepare yourself for emotional moments, worldbuilding and some really excellent horror.

Long Past Time by sanctuary_for_all

Charles proposes to Edwin post canon. It's a short and sweet established relationship fic with some cool worldbuilding about ghosts and their ability to shape their clothing/appearances.

lay my hands on heaven by Opossum_Subatomic

I had to include a PWP and this is a great one. Extremely well written, in character and romantic. And explicit, obviously.

Data Points by Asidian

Edwin learns to cuddle. It's a production and completely adorable. I love a fic that explores the difference between the boys' physicality and this one's really on point. The writing and characterisation are great and it's nice to see Edwin taking care of Charles.

I also recommend Lanterns In the Dark, which sets the scene for Charles and Edwin's first meeting with some gut-wrenching details about Charles' homelife and Edwin's escape from Hell.

When I Was a Young Boy by flowerbritts

A Good Omens crossover and AU in which Aziraphale is Edwin's adopted father. Family reunions and revelations abound. Also, Edwin gets to be a teenager and slam doors while shouting, as he deserves.

The author has also written Wait, I'm Coming Too, which is a very sweet post canon 'Charles Worries About Edwin and Realises His Feelings' fic inspired by that 'Edwin reading Heartstopper' fanart. Both fics deserve more love!

A Slight Miscalculation by kantigone

Idiots in Love and Didn't Know They Were Dating. Crystal and Niko are the real MVPs, for real. A treat.

Terrible at Keeping Secrets (5+1) by ASingularSadSoggyPringle

Interesting demon!Edwin AU. Charles is a precious cupcake in this fic and Edwin is mostly the same with some Darker moments. I loved the concept and the author adds in some great, creepy details.

somaesthesia by perexcri

Edwin's journey from being touch-averse to touch-starved... at least when it comes to Charles. Palmistry is involved. I loved Edwin's characterisation and the unresolved sexual/romantic tension was on point.

And possibly I like the thrill (of under me you quite so new) by Leandra

Edwin explores his sexuality and re-negotiates his relationship with Charles. Meanwhile, the gang take on the case of a ghost who wants them to matchmake his still-living lover. Crosses over with The Sandman. And Edwin gets to be confident and flirty as a treat.

Always by How You Doing (FancyMeetingYouHere)

Hurt/Comfort fic in which Edwin has a traumatic flashback to the doll-head demon spider and Charles looks after him. Charles reading Good Omens to Edwin is a nice, meta touch.

Made You Look by Baby_Spinach

The agency are hunting an incubus that decides to take on Edwin's appearance. A repression explosion ensues. Fun fic.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

This one's actually a character study of Charles and his mixed race Indian heritage (so no Edwin) and it's so well done. It's also part of a series in progress about Charles growing up in the 80s with all the racism and homophobia that that entails. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

The Most Tender Place In My Heart by coloursflyaway

Edwin shares memories of how he fell in love with Charles, who figures out his own feelings in the process. It's super sweet and involves fun pre-show flashbacks and defintely deserves more attention!

I also loved Won't Fear Love by the same author, in which Charles takes Edwin out on dates and breaks the cuteness scales. And shout out to Good Enough which is the first fic I bookmarked for this fandom! 🥳

Anyway, thank you to all these amazing writers for making this fandom so special! 🥰

[snowflaketale12]

A Brief Timeline Guide to Frozen Books (Part 1) ❄️

One of my followers on Instagram asked me about which Frozen books are related to the movies, which ones are connected to Frozen 1 and Frozen 2. They also wanted to know if there are any books that answer questions from the movies, like details about Agnarr and Iduna's past. So I decided to make this post to answer these questions 😁

Note: - It's been a while since I last read some of these books, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. - Also, my photos aren't very aesthetic since some were taken in a rush. - I only covered the books I've read, but you can check out Arendelle Archive's Frozenverse for a more detailed book list within the Frozen universe, and Annals of Frozen for a more detailed chronicle timeline in Frozen universe.

1. Novels

There are twelve novels in total in the Frozen universe. Four of them are junior novelizations, one is an alternate universe (AU) story, and the rest are sequels or prequels to the movies.

Pre-Frozen 1:

Dangerous Secrets (covers the full timeline from the day Agnarr and Iduna met until the day their ship sank).

Fixer Upper (covers the full timeline from the day Kristoff met ice harvester until the day he became one of them).

During Frozen 1:

A Frozen Heart (Frozen 1 story retelling with Anna and Hans' perspective).

Conceal Don’t Feel (AU).

Post-Frozen 1 & Pre-Frozen 2:

Journey to the Lights.

Forest of Shadows (takes place one month before Frozen 2).

Post-Frozen 2:

Polar Nights (takes place two months after Frozen 2)

Well, All Is Found contains ten stories:

Pre-Frozen 1:

Call of the Cuckoo.

During Frozen 1:

Anna of Arendelle and the Silver Stakes (take places after the incident happened).

Anna and the King (Anna's flashback about young self with Agnarr).

Post-Frozen 1 & Pre-Frozen 2:

Elsa and the Frost Monster (takes place one month after Frozen 1).

Post-Frozen 2:

Engaging Anna and Kristoff.

Cold Secrets Deep Down.

A Midsummer's Song and Dance.

Wandering Oaken and the Not-So-Hygge Day (honestly I'm not so sure the timeline for this story).

The Next Right Things.

Coronation Day (Kinda like an AU story).

Note: - Excluding Conceal, Don't Feel & All Is Found, timeline in order, are: Dangerous Secrets -> Fixer Upper -> Frozen 1 Junior Novelization & A Frozen Heart -> Journey to the Lights & Olaf's Frozen Adventure Junior Novelization & Frozen Fever Junior Novelization -> Forest of Shadows -> Frozen 2 Junior Novelization -> Polar Nights. - Dangerous Secrets mentions Anna and Elsa's grandmother, Queen Rita, and explains how she left Agnarr when he was five years old. Sir Jorgenbjorgen originally belonged to her. This book provides the most details related to the movies and is highly recommended! - Polar Nights covers Anna's life as queen and describes how Elsa transforms water into a memory she saw in Ahtohallan to share it with Anna. - Forest of Shadows explores Elsa's life as queen and delves into the emotional aftermath for Anna and Elsa following the events of Frozen (spoiler ahead: nightmares attack). - Journey to the Lights explains how the trolls' crystals work and what it takes to earn them. - All Is Found contains many details related to the movies, such as Anna and Elsa's childhood after the incident, Elsa's feelings following the events of Frozen, and Anna's life as queen after her coronation.

2. Dark Horse Comics + Disney Comics

The top two books are retellings of Frozen and Frozen 2, while the rest are sequels to Frozen 1 and prequels to Frozen 2.

Note: - The middle three Adventures comics cover hundreds of short stories. - The bottom four books, timeline in order, are: Breaking Boundaries -> Reunion Road -> The Hero Within -> True Treasure. - The Hero Within mentioned Kai's brother and his hometown. - True Treasure mentioned how Iduna comfort Elsa after she accidentally struck Anna's head.

3. Anna & Elsa Storybook Series

There are nine books in total for this series, all of them are sequels to Frozen 1 and prequels to Frozen 2.

Note: - Most of the stories are also included in the Adventures series comics but longer version. - Timeline in order, are: All Hail to Queen -> Memory of Magic -> A Warm Welcome -> The Great Ice Engine -> The Polar Bear Piper -> The Arendelle Cup -> The Secret Admirer -> Return to the Ice Palace -> Anna Takes Charge. - Memory of Magic mentioned that Anna’s memories which were altered by Grand Pabbie, were never fully restored. - The Great Ice Engine mentioned how Oaken is passionate and expert in invention.

4. Short Stories

Elsa's Icy Rescue takes place before the incident occurred, while Anna Finds a Friend is set after the incident. And Stories From Arendelle are sequels to Frozen 1 and prequels to Frozen 2.

Note: - In Elsa's Icy Rescue, it is mentioned how the Arendelle royal family lived happily and how Elsa learned to be a queen. - In Anna Finds a Friend, it is noted how bored Anna's life became after Elsa locked herself in her room. - Two stories are covered in Stories From Arendelle, which are Phantoms of Arendelle and Olaf & Sven on Thin Ice.

5. Frozen and Frozen 2 Retelling Storybooks

All of these books are Frozen and Frozen 2 retelling storybooks, featuring amazing illustrations.

6. Others Storybooks and Graphic Novel

All of these books are sequels to Frozen 1 and prequels to Frozen 2, except for Anna, Elsa, and the Enchanting Holiday, Anna and the Mystery of the Mountains and some of the stories in 5-mins & storybook collection are sequels to Frozen 2.

They are all short, beautiful stories.

Note: - Most of the stories in the 2nd and 3rd (Advent Calendar storybooks) are repetitive compared to the Adventure comics, and some of the stories are retellings of Frozen 1 and Frozen 2. - Anna and the Mystery of the Mountains discusses how Anna deals with challenges as the Queen of Arendelle (including a beautiful scene of Elsa with her hair down in her sleepwear). - Anna, Elsa, and the Secret River is a book that introduces the four spirits. - Sisters and Snowmen covered three stories, A Frozen Adventure (Frozen 1 retelling), A Sister More Like Me and An Amazing Snowman.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on anything.

I'll make another post for additional books such as the diaries, art books, and guidebooks! 💙

Edited: Part 2 is here!

[essjujutsu]

PROLOGUE : THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

masterlist | next " i myself am , strange and unusual . "

a month later ...

you let out a deep sigh, stretching your arms overhead as you looked around the small one-bedroom apartment that you were renting. the air was still and quiet, a contrast to the lively bustle of your old place. being in the middle of nowhere, it lacked the charm and familiarity you had once known. as you took a moment to absorb your surroundings, the reality of your new life began to settle in.

you had hung up most of your decor from your old place, crystals lining up on a shelf hanging next to your bed—your posters and tapestries making the bedroom feel at least slightly more homey.

a buzz broke the calmness as your phone vibrated on the bedside table beside you.  you picked it up, seeing a text from your soon-to-be boss.

you set your phone down once more after sending a quick reminder to update your cousin after work tomorrow. you felt grateful as you thought of shoko, the one who had introduced you to this opportunity. even though she was nearly seven years older, she had always been more than just a cousin, she was a close friend, a constant person in your life as you both grew up.

while walking to the small kitchen, you thought on the co-worker you would have. nanami mentioned he was around the same age as you, which was nice you supposed. still, a hint of anxiety tugged at you; making friends had never come easily.

you decided you would try your best, after all now that you were living in the countryside it would be harder to meet new people. honestly, you hadn’t had many friends in the city—if any at all. if shoko was here, she would tell you that you had to branch out of the small comfort zone you always found yourself living in.

after you ate, you went back to your bedroom, turning off the lights as a calming darkness took over the space. laying down in bed, you set an alarm for the next morning, then turning on some music and drifting to sleep.

notes / extras :

i mentioned this in the tags, but yn & yuji are around 19-20, shoko & nanami are 27-28

in later chapters yn's backstory will be described more, but her and shoko grew up very close and she was staying with her a lot when she was in hs

shoko lives farther away now in a town an hour away from the city where yn lived, but now she lives around 3 hours away

yn was definitely playing cocteau twins (favorite band plug in) to sleep but i didn't know if i should've added it in so its here!

nanami texts wayyy to formally for an almost 30 yr LMFAO hes lowkey unc

sorry this chapters short its just cause its the prequel, the next chapters will be longer fs

taglist : ( ask/comment to be added ) @brideads @stillnotherapy @solaqes @chososcamgirl @yuu-via @mikikkoo @gumims @hel-lhound

[ericmhe]

I had some lineart left over from the time of Netflix's Dark Crystal prequel series, so I decided to go ahead and finish that.

[highfantasy-soul]

So my friend saw a meme about Osha's saber turning red so quickly despite Anakin's remaining blue all through killing the younglings, choking Padme, and fighting Obi-Wan and as I talked through it with him, the more I realized why the prequels never showed Anakin with a red saber.

To keep with canon, Luke gets Anakin's old saber and the kyber is BLUE not red. The writers probably didn't want to open another canon of worms by then having to retroactively explain 'so Vader's red saber isn't his original red saber and Obi-Wan somehow purified the kyber and made it blue again for Luke' rather than just....not doing that and having the saber remain blue

A red lightsaber on Mustafar? Visiually would have been a terrible choice for that battle, so blue it remained

Vader bleeding his crystal deserves its own story - just like Osha bleeding hers had it's own story. I really liked the comic where Vader bleeds his crystal [not giving more detail as spoilers in case everyone hasn't read the comics - and if you haven't, I really recommend Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, it's only a 4 volume run and I thought it was great]

Anakin had a LOT going on through that entire movie - it wasn't a situation where he'd been repressing his emotions for so long and then was able to point to a singular cause of so much of his pain - his trauma was spread out so it makes sense that one singular act wouldn't be focused enough to bleed his crystal right then and there - Osha, on the other hand, had the singular cause of so many of her emotions right there in that courtyard, and the one who fostered her unjust hate toward her sister is standing right there revealing the truth.

Maybe there is a whole thing where the kyber has to be exposed, not fully in a lightsaber, in order to properly bleed it - in Jedi: Survivor [spoilers] Dagan pulled his crystal out with the force and bled it right in front of us (just as quickly as Osha, I might add), in the comics, Vader holds the crystal and bleeds it, and in The Acolyte, the saber is busted to the point where the crystal was literally touching Osha's hand - as Anakin is a little busy at the moment, he didn't really take the time to take apart his saber to bleed the crystal in the moment.

So idk, people complaining that 'so sabers are like mood rings now and just change that quickly? Guess Anakin wasn't actually all that upset at the end of episode 3!!' just seem so silly to me.

The entirety of The Acolyte's story was Osha dealing with her emotions she had been repressing for 16 years - and the reveal that what she thought was true (which led to the emotions she was told she needed to repress) had always been a lie. The bleeding of her crystal wasn't a quick, easy thing, it took literally the whole season to build up to that point.

And the aftermath when she's collapsed on the ground shaking - holy hell, I love when intense emotions are shown in 'unconventional' ways. Not all of us feel intense emotions and show it through huge, loud, and expansive displays. Some of us collapse in on ourselves and experience it in 'quieter' ways that are still just as intense as screaming.

Anyways, The Acolyte is really good.

[the-solar-system52]

NEWS ON THE SKEKGRA PREQUEL COMIC!!

So for those who don't know, BOOM! studios is releasing a comic series titled 'Jim Hensons Presents' which is said to include a collection of short stories from various Jim Henson properties, written and illustrated by various writers and artists. It will have four issues, with the first one releasing in January.

And in a trailer for the series, they revealed that we will get a Dark Crystal story focusing on Skekgra's backstory!

And since I'm incredibly hyperfixated on The Heretic and The Wanderer rn, I've been following the updates for this comic very closely. And, as I expressed in this post, I was very confused as to which issue the Skekgra story will be featured in, since different sources seemed to be implying different things.

But now, I've figured out why there was so much confusion, and the explanation is pretty exciting!

We aren't just getting ONE Skekgra short story, but a longer story spread out between multiple issues!

In an Instagram post by BOOM! studios, they revealed the short stories that will appear in Issue 1.

And as you can see, we got a Dark Crystal story titled 'The Wanderer' (obviously referring to Urgoh) that will be written by Seanan Mcquire and illustrated by Countandra. I assumed that was the Skekgra story.

BUT! The website League of Comic Geeks (as well as a few other websites) put this as the description of Issue 2.

At first, I thought this might've been a mistake, and maybe this description was actually meant for Issue 1 and the website just added it to Issue 2 by mistake.

BUT THEN! This website (https://majorspoilers.com/2024/12/21/boom-studios-for-march-2025/) released the synposis for Issue 3!

The fact that the description actually says 'CONTINUE' confirms that this will be a multi-part story!

This is great news because, although I tend to be as optimistic as possible about this kinda stuff, I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to satisfyingly cover Skekgra's backstory in a short story. But now that we have a longer story confirmed, I believe that this comic will do our boys justice!

(Also multiple releases helps to keep the fandom alive for longer.)

The first 'chapter' will probably focus on Urgoh's perspective before he met Skekgra, since its titled 'The Wanderer'.

Although I had my doubts about Issue 2 since it doesn't directly mention Skekgra in its description, cuz its in-between Issue 1 and 3 and is written by the same writer, I'd say it probably does follow on from The Wanderer. And may focus on the other skeksis as well as Skekgra.

Since Issue 3's description refers to Skekgra as 'The Heretic' I wonder if this is the chapter where he gets banished? Or just shown signs of heresy? Or maybe that's just what his character is more commonly known as in the fandom.

We don't have any information regarding the fourth issue, but I think it's likely this issue will contain the finale to the Skekgra arc since its the final issue.

Anyway, I am horrifically excited for this and I will keep you guys updated!

[david-talks-sw]

An allergy to the Prequels

While I'm putting together a post about the evolution Lucasfilm's transmedia strategies, this part kinda turned into its own thing!

So I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but, uh... there hasn't been that much Prequel content since the Disney sale, right?

'Couple novels and comics, some episodes... but nothing meaningful.

The more I look into it, the more it feels like a deliberate avoidance to touch on anything Prequel-related - beyond the required quota, that is - to a point where they'd rather tell stories set during periods that are Prequel-adjacent (Dark Times, High Republic) than something set around Episodes I, II and III.

On-screen policy: "pretend they never happened"

I mean, this one's no secret. When The Force Awakens had been announced, with J.J. Abrams at the helm, everyone sighed in relief. "Finally, George Lucas won't keep ruining the franchise."

When Abrams had been announced as the director of Episode VII, I remember this cringey animated video started circulating online, titled "4 Rules To Make Star Wars Great Again" or "Dear JJ Abrams":

“Star Wars isn’t shiny and clean... Star Wars is a western.”

If you ask me, those two things are not mutually exclusive.

'Cause Star Wars has always been both, for many Prequel kids. Both clean and dusty, Coruscant and Tatooine. There was never a disconnect between the Original Trilogy (OT) and the Prequel Trilogy.

Even the documentary The People vs George Lucas shows Prequel-hating fans begrudgingly admit their kids felt all six episodes tied seamlessly.

Abrams, on the other hand, said: "I think [the "Dear JJ" video] was right on." Later on, he also said:

he considered "putting Jar Jar Binks's bones in the desert" on Jakku, somewhere, and

he intentionally made the lightsaber fights "rougher", "primitive" and "more powerful" unlike the fast-paced ones in the Prequels.

Later, we found out he wanted to blow up Coruscant.

It's clear he wasn't a big fan of the Prequels.

But y'know what? Not many fans over 20 were, at the time. And when The Force Awakens came out, most them celebrated it as a wonderful love letter to the OT.

Star Wars is cool again. Mission accomplished 🙌 !

However movies keep coming out, and references to the Prequels - if there are any - are literally just that... references.

Sometimes in the shape of a cameo ("hey look, Genevieve O'Reilly from the Ep. III deleted scenes is playing Mon Mothma again!")

Sometimes in a name (Luke name-dropped "Darth Sidious"!)

But nothing set during the Prequel era, and nothing treating the events that happened in that period as relevant or impactful, beyond subtextual nods.

In fact, the trend of avoiding anything Prequel-related continues as the final film in the Skywalker Saga comes out:

The Rise of Skywalker has a secret Sith society that chants the name "Palpatine" instead of his Sith name "Darth Sidious",

the film pretends the Kaminoans never existed,

and neither TROS nor Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script even try to bring Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker back on screen. Let that sink in, we're talking about the Chosen One, Skywalker Senior, whose sins caused this whole mess... and his name isn't even uttered once in the final chapter of what Disney dubbed the *Skywalker* Saga (or the entire Sequel trilogy, for that matter).

But hey, The Clone Wars got renewed for one last Season! That's cool right? So many stories had gone unfinished and somehow the animation looks even better than befo--

-- oh. It's not 22 episodes? Only 12?

Four of which had already been shown to us, but hey! We need to set-up the Bad Batch series, so let's shoehorn those episodes in there, and forget Son of Dathomir, Dark Disciple or Crystal Crisis.

*sigh* Better than nothing, I guess.

In other mediums: "just not a priority"

Now this is something that I'll explore more in the transmedia post (and purely my interpretation), but the noticeable change between Lucasfilm's transmedia strategy *post-ROTS* and the one post-Disney sale is that:

Before, the games, comics and novels were the main content. After all, Revenge of the Sith had been released, so that was it, for the movies. Thus, a variety of other content was being cranked out to keep the Star Wars franchise relevant. There were comics set 100 years after Episode 6, comics set 25,000 years prior, games set in the Old Republic era, other stories in the New Republic era, novels galore, a couple of parody films and an animated show, The Clone Wars, which sometimes received its own tie-in comics, novels and games.

After the sale and ever since, most of the transmedia products have had only one goal: promoting the films & streaming shows.

So while in 2015 you won't see an abundance of Prequel content... you'll see an avalanche of OT books and comics come out.

Why? Because the heroes of that era will be in the Sequel Trilogy movies. It provided context to the kids who hadn't seen the OT yet, and reintroduced those films to a new generation of fans, while priming them for the Sequels.

A multimedia marketing strategy that ultimately proved successful.

However, it continued even after The Force Awakens came out.

Don't believe me? Compare how many comics there have been set during the Prequel era vs the OT era.

If they make comics about the Prequels, they're limited runs.

Case in point: before the current Yoda series, the best any Disney Prequel-set comic series ever got was 6 issues.

Note: it's worth pointing out that the frequency of mini-series aren't just a Star Wars-specific thing, it's a comic book industry thing. The readership for comics is dwindling, many people are reading scans online, and so no publisher wants to commit to a story that lasts more than 4-6 issues. My problem is: there absolutely would be readership for a Prequel comic series to warrant an extended run instead of a mini-series.

Let's talk books. There have been give or 64 canon novels published since the Disney sale.

Only 11 of them are set during the Prequel era. And even those stories only came out when the planets were aligned.

Almost half of them were released while being a part of some bigger multimedia push.

Example:

Before the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was being released on Disney Plus, we'd had one novel and like two comic stories about him during the Prequels... released between 2012 and end 2021. That's about three pieces of content in almost ten years.

Clearly a low frequency.

Then, when the series is around the corner, two books and a comic story comes out in the space of months, plus an anthology book with an alt cover with his face on it and a comic with a story of him and Anakin in the first issue, all in 2022.

My takeaway: short of there being a film or series that needs to be promoted, you'll rarely get any Prequel comics or books.

And this is OBI-WAN we're talking about. The character who even the Prequel haters love. Imagine how little attention the other ones get.

Gaming-wise, Battlefront had no Prequel content at all (again, 2015 was the year where OT content was shoved down the consumer's throats to prep them for Episode VII), and Battlefront 2 only released Prequel content a full year later.

All that being said, we did seen some Prequel elements here and there. After all, some actors got to reprise their roles, books and comics came out featuring Prequel characters... but there's a catch.

The stories they appear in are set in-between Episodes III and IV, a time-period known as "the Dark Times" or the "Imperial era".

"Dark Times" being used instead of the Prequel era

It's easy to see the appeal of this era. You keep the same threat from the Original Trilogy - the Empire - but redress it with Prequel elements... while also cherry-picking the best characters of both the OT and the Prequels and giving them a chance to shine again.

The situation is more clear cut, as opposed to the complex one in the Prequels. Bad guys are stormtroopers, good guys are anyone else. And the stories no longer take place in the shiny capital, you're back on the frontier.

But at this point... it feels like a cop-out.

When you consider how much content has been set during the Dark Times, it's nothing to sneeze at. Since the sale, we've had:

2 movies (Solo, Rogue One)

4 series set in that time-period (namely The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and Star Wars: Rebels).

2 video-games (Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor).

17 novels (such as Ahsoka, Lords of the Sith, the new Thrawn books, etc)

And just a whole bunch of comic book series & mini-series (like Kanan, Princess Leia, various Vader-centric comics including Darth Vader: Lord of the Sith, many tie-in mini-series promoting Rogue One, Jedi: Fallen Order, Obi-Wan Kenobi, etc).

There's been so much content made for this time-period that it feels like an unwillingness to do the work and create something set something during the Prequel era, let alone something that follows its Jedi.

After all, why make a story set in the Prequels (disliked by vocal fans) when you can just take the characters in that story and put them in an OT setting (which will appease the Prequel-haters)?

Maybe these stories get relegated to the Dark Times because:

there seems to be a perception that anything set in the Prequel era won't sell?

or maybe the current SW writers weren't fond of Episodes I, II and III, and don't find those Jedi characters likable, thinking they're too righteous and dogmatic which makes it hard to craft a story around them.

Or maybe it's because they're under the impression that the Prequel Jedi are bad. Like, canonically, in the narrative. Not just in a "I don't like them" sense, but also in a "the story is all about them becoming corrupted" sense.

Let's expand on that last point.

Retconning the Prequels as the "Fall of the Jedi" era

Somehow the rare stories set during the Prequels that we do get seem to automatically be about how "the Jedi lost their way/failed".

The series Tales of the Jedi is explicit about it...

... and I already explained why it contradicts what George Lucas established here and here.

You also see it in Rebels and the new season of The Clone Wars...

... in comics...

... in games...

It gets to a point where the Prequels era has now been redubbed the "Fall of the Jedi" era by Lucasfilm.

You wanna know what that period was referred to before the Disney sale? The "Rise of the Empire" Era.

Because - and I'll never get tired of saying this cuz it's factual - the Prequels aren't about the fall of the Jedi, they're about the fall of the Republic and Anakin, and rise of the Empire and Vader.

So in addition to being overdone, the "Jedi lost their way" is not even the intended narrative of the Prequels (if one puts any stock in Lucas' words). It's a minor subplot at best, hardly the focus of the films, let alone a whole time period.

But dubbing it "Fall of the Jedi" implies that there's another era in which the Jedi were in their heyday.

Because Star Wars authors are in luck! Yet another alternative has presented itself in the shape of a new transmedia initiative, and it's even better than the "let's set it during the Dark Times" solution:

A new transmedia initiative: The High Republic

You wanna deal with the Jedi before the Empire, but for some reason you wanna avoid dealing with the ones seen in the Prequels?

Look no further. Meet the Jedi of the High Republic.

Noble, adventurous, inspired by the Knights of the Round Table, they're everything the OT kids dreamed about when they heard ol' Ben Kenobi talk about the Knights of the Old Republic.

That's more like it!

Note: the High Republic was created for other reasons and has many more upsides than the ones mentioned above. Namely, a fresh new spot in the timeline that allows for creative freedom and a beautifully-coordinated transmedia storytelling effort where retcons are non-existent. However it does seem evident that not having to deal with the 'unlikable' Prequel Jedi and their "fall" is one of those upsides.

Another perk that the High Republic era offers is more freedom in terms of storytelling compared to the Prequels.

In 2016, Pablo Hidalgo tweeted he still quotes to authors the following excerpt of West End Games' guide for aspiring Star Wars writers, from 1994.

You can't write "this was the best day in Luke Skywalker's life", for example, because another author may want to write a better day than the one you just wrote.

My guess is that a similar approach applies to how all characters from the movies are treated. They're massively iconic. So you can't write a book that drastically changes how Mace or Yoda or Obi-Wan are perceived overall.

The stories need to be self-contained, disregardable if necessary, because you'll have dozens of writers coming up with new stories for those same characters, and you need to leave them some room.

Examples:

Notice how in the book Dooku: Jedi Lost we never see how Dooku turns to the Dark Side and joins the Sith.

Same goes for crossover comic book arcs of the Star Wars issues, like Vader Down or Crimson Reign... the characters don't really change by much in those comics. You could stick to just watching the movies and you wouldn't really miss anything.

But with The High Republic, you indeed can develop these characters as much as you want.

All stories featuring Avar Kriss leave an impact on her, you can nail down who she is perfectly in one book or one comic arc, both being just as meaningful to her character.

The fact that she's not as iconic/famous a character as Mace Windu means that authors can go to town on crafting an interesting and nuanced character arc for her that'll have a beginning, middle and end... something Mace will never really get.

CONCLUSION:

Back in 2015... let's not kid ourselves. The Prequels were unpopular and Disney is a multi-billion dollar corporation. Opting to make as much money as possible is what they do.

It's the same reason they decided not to go with George Lucas' original plans for the Sequels, in 2012.

I mean, imagine you're Disney. You just dropped 4 billion dollars, with a B, on this franchise. Your next Star Wars movie needs to be worth the price tag. Now, you can pick between two options:

Option #1 is uncharted territory and it explores the midi-chlorians (the cursed word…!) and the guy who presented you with this option also openly admits that a big chunk of customers won’t like it, but he wants this to be done because it’s his vision.

Option #2 is very simple: a soft reboot, that plays on nostalgia that the same chunk of customers (aka the 'boomer and Gen-X fans who grew up with the Original Trilogy and now have kids, grandkids and MONEY) will like.

It's a no-brainer. They gave the customers what they wanted.

But time has passed, the fans who were children when the Prequels first came out have grown up, and grew up with characters like Yoda, Mace, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto and other Jedi as their heroes, aside from main characters like Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

Can we maybe expand on them, flesh them out more?

No, let's either ignoring the storytelling potential of these characters or reducing it to them being "righteous, arrogant and dogmatic".

God forbid we get a story showing the Prequel Jedi in a *gasp* more positive light? One where their POV is more understandable, instead of the same old "we brought this on ourselves" storyline.

There's a whole decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones... you're telling me there's no space to show us Anakin's training and how he formed bonds with the Jedi we later see in The Clone Wars? I tried my hand at it here:

Interesting or fun Prequel-set ideas from other pro-Jedi fans on Tumblr can be found here, here and here.

And y'know, part of the Star Wars intent is for fans to take the ideas in the movies and come up with their own stories. You're supposed to create headcanons.

What I'm saying is fans of the Prequels are being given less "imagination food" than the rest, and many of us who like the Jedi in particular are forced to rely on headcanons only. "Better than nothing" is no longer an acceptable standard.

There's a range of recognizable Jedi characters that have already been established in films and TCW, can we maybe expand on them, flesh them out more, instead of whole new ones?

[strawberrypimpsimp]

I just fell in the rabbit hole of the dark crystal, I already joined a community on reddit for it today, and now I'm here, looking at fanart. Uh huh. This is fine.

(send help).

so i finally watched the original dark crystal movie last night and got to have that satisfactory ending I didn't get from the Netflix prequel

you see i watched it first and didn't realize it was a prequel until I saw the 1982 film. But it makes sense because I was already theorizing about it while watching and that Rian is most likely Jen's father ahhh sjahdueuwiw

quite frankly i never thought I'd get into it this much but I decided to give it another try and I'm glad I did. (and definitely not only because the guy I like introduced it to me shwjwwuw I'm not responsible for this).

Credits to @hungfaerie for the image! ♡

[theguywithaplan]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island