#Lando and his dog complex

[zellaspinna]

saw that video of zak saying “we love dogs” and Lando starts smiling, blushing and nodding

[girldriveroscar]

Parasocial Oscar and Landoscar analysis ahead u have been warned.

Contextually, 2020 Oscar was finally pushing open the door to the world of F1 as a potential driver (Mark Webber management, Renault Sport Academy, Eurocup Championship, etc.) and that fact combined with still being a schoolboy, surrounded by mates who actively followed his career and were his personal hypemen definitely made Oscar a bit of a hotshot to gossip about. Sure, he's kinda a nerd who games and races but also he's got great grades and a pretty girlfriend and he's coworkers with max fewtrell, best friend of emerging F1 heartthrob, lando norris, so really the cards were lining up in his favor. And yet none of that success (both socially, as it appeared to his peers, and personally, career-wise) went to Oscars head. Rather, he oozed this dorky endearing confidence that planted the seed of cool self-certainty that'd follow him into his F1 career. I mean from the very start, we can witness how Oscar took everything in stride, building a strong sense of self over easily inflating his ego.

This got kinda long so the rest goes under the cut for organizing sake!

Then, observing his Prema years, Oscar was newly thrust into a whole new team vibe. And in response, he outwardly tried time and time again to be a team player with the hazing/embarrassing bits (insert multiple clips of him dancing and singing despite initial hesitation, easily accepting very personal race vlogging into his daily regime, making hundreds of silly gifs for every occasion (heavily encourage everyone to take a look bc there's genuinely so many))

NGL watching Prema vids was what initially helped me understand Oscar better/made me like him bc we get the most clear display of his lack of ego. There seemed to be a general understanding coming out of this content: the media took an exorbitant amount of energy and wasn't at all conducive to developing his racecraft. buuuuuut regardless Oscar maintained an attitude of these people are my closest thing to family out here, they care about my wellbeing and my success and god damn it if they wanna take photos in matching Christmas PJs then hand over the damn PJs. And that was all of course bolstered by his growing success and notoriety on twitter. Just as he'd established a strong sense of self from the very start, now his public identity took it's shape in a way that felt honest and lifelike <Insert Clip of Angelina pointing out his messy clothes and Piastri Shrug>. He managed to carve out a niche amongst the Prema cast and it's not that he needed to be funny but if people memed him and laughed then hey if it gets me popularity I'm all for it. 

Honestly when people dog on Oscar, saying he's got no personality it makes me crazy because it's the total opposite! I think the charm in observing his growth from Renault Academy to Prema to F1 is catching how quickly he established an unchanging confidence in not only his racecraft and wheel knowledge but also in his personality- and how that personality shines through in subtle ways. When Lando does his negging, everyone just heard Oscar sing for the first time in McLaren, am I a funny teammate, Oscar takes it in stride. He doesn't blush, nor take insult, because he has no complex - he's confident about who he is, even if people don't find it amusing. Oscar knows he's not too shy to burst into song, it's just that there isn't anyone who needs him to, so why should he? He knows Lando doesn't think he's funny, but it's not like he was trying to be anyways, so what's it matter? On the flip side too, the rare times we get an outward expression of his confidence are GEMS. The Pool Promo, where he *unprompted* shows off with a trickshot and wins, THIS VIDEO where he eggs on Lando to call lies on his confidence, calling out Carlos/Lance when they interfere with his driving, does it please you greatly that you've won before Lando, is max the best driver on the grid, the whole cricket video, etc etc.

(LOL because I write about fashion outside of this blog and someone might appreciate the connection, in my brain I kinda liken Lando and Oscar's respective confidence to loud/quiet luxury. Lando's a OOAK Hot Pink Birkin and Oscar is a Helmut Lang black slack lolol) (Not a diss btw both items have social connotations/importance that we could unpack for hours but I digress. this point is additionally funnier because id trust lando to know loewe while gucci and supreme are definitely the limits of oscars fashion insight)

I digress I digress I digress. Going back to the Prema assigned humiliation rituals. In a way I think Oscar's ethos regarding embarrassment/lack of ego heavily simplifies down to this story. His mom goes on to explain how after winning an award she gave him a big kiss in front of the whole school and, contrary to how most kids would be embarrassed or angry at the sudden loud affection, Oscar just brushed it off like no matter! "He's just resigned to it" <- literally the most OP81 psychoanalysis of all time thank you Nicole Piastri. For Oscar, the implied embarrassment he should be feeling does not register, as he simply receives love without any grievances, and hasn't the mind to worry how everyone else perceives this exchange. I swear I have a point pls stick with me. So, reiterating, this is the Prema treatment, sitting in front of the camera, Oscar resigns to producing content that's at least moderately enthusing because at the end of the day, the love for his team and the people he's working with is what's worth sacrificing mystery or "cool-ness" for. And even that's a bit of a misstep because I don't think he views it as a sacrifice so much as 'being perceived' doesn't fall on his radar of important things at all. Which! is what makes Oscar SO effortlessly nonchalant in an objectively cool way! (like this is where the more surface-level likening to Kimi Raikkonen <certified Ice Man> comes from) (The real Oscar freaks know he's not any cooler than his indifference and he's actually an incredibly endearingly awkward guy. He just doesn't take himself too serious, idk you get it.)

Now continuing down this timeline, F1 Oscar, who's got exponentially more eyes on him and a humongous team of people who's names he is still learning- comparatively, who is the one guy he can definitely remember the name of. In this transfer of teams and people, all this “I love you even if its kinda objectively embarrassing for me” energy Has to go somewhere and where else would it go than the one guy who’s name he can remember; the one guy in the same exact position as him; the one guy who he’s followed and idolized since 14! YEAH YEAH. And now Lando himself is hardly an extrovert like Oscar’s old prema friends/coworkers, so instead of yes I'll do a stupid dance so you can have good content and make your job easier Oscar -Acts of Service- Piastri has kinda got the most easy job in the world of loving Lando —I just want to make eye contact and know you hate/love this as much as I do— Norris. Like they genuinely match each others freaks in the sweetest introverted mutually beneficial way.

When you really dissect Oscar's Prema content, he’s equally expressive to everyone! He stares holes in the heads of Fred/Logan, doubles over laughing at Arthur/Robert, blushes over Angelina's teasing; it's a sanction of his care and attention divulged to each person in his sphere, one slice of the Oscar cake. Now take Lando? He's been treated to the whole Oscar Cake with a side of ice cream and a cherry on top. Like imagine if you had 10 glasses of water and you poured all of that water into one glass. Suddenly it’s overflowing and there’s water all over the table and the mess is apparent to everyone and the waiter is bringing over towels and someone's grandma just fucking slipped in the puddle and there's a baby crying and- right? right. Oscar’s love language that was distributed across an entire team of people now has nowhere to go but Lando. And not only is it love in respect to the game, it's I've known you years before you knew me, I fell asleep to your voice, watched you grow into the man you are today type love. Oscar is folded at the waist drowning Lando, staring at him with the force of 10x one man's ration of love and we are all god's honest witnesses! Yea no wonder he want that cookie so effing bad tf!!!!!

And it’s such a compelling dynamic because Oscar has been ready to transfer that quiet affection since the very beginning (had old pics of Lando on his phone up through his first year of F1 rightttt right) and since the start of it all, we just get front row seats to Lando reacting to this unconditional respect/love. WHICH IS EVEN GREATER FOR THE FREAKS AND THE WEIRDOS BC LANDO IS SUCH A WEIRDO AND HIS COMPLEXES TOWARDS OSCAR ARE SO COMPLICATED. Basically like. idk. I love when they beef bc Oscar is like I love u I love u I love u and landos like idgaf I’m cheating on u actually no I’m sorry come here I will give u silly nicknames reserved for only me to call u, but actually fuck u and ur talent I’m not spraying u w champange but also oh my god I’m a mess come be freaky w me about it,,,,, the put Lando Norris in a scenario versus his own mind agenda is great. (Bringing back the og tag to just say not ln4 hate, i just like to observe him like a bug in a jar and shake the jar hard bc he is a millionaire and my silly wabbit who I experiment on) anyways. Yea. Lando is complex. Oscar is cool bc he doesn’t care if he is cool and yet simultaneously he's so uncool bc having a crush on a guy for 8 years before being his mclaren arranged failhusband has never been easier nor sexier. OKAY. NO MORE. for now.

[orgasming-caterpillar]

F1 Drivers As Desi Boys

A.K.A. The F1 grid as Indian guys

Also, I will be writing an entire chatfic about this AU on ao3, so stay tuned ;)

Charles Leclerc — “Charlie”

I think he would be from Mumbai. But like, he lived in the very high-end part of it so it's very hard to know right off the bat.

I just KNOW he studied abroad, okay? Italy or Canada I think. Look at his face— you just know he's the kinda guy people see on the street and think “angrej”

Speaks Hindi with a subtle but insufferable white guy accent. He can't even help it, that's just how he speaks. He once called Max “bhenchod” with the most authentic, desi accent when he was mad and they have all beaches in that high ever since.

Dropped out of university in his last year and came back to India to handle his dad's business after his dad's death.

Fell in love with the hot employee and made him the manager. Everyone knows Carlos got the position by sleeping with the new young hot boss but they stay silent to avoid getting fired.

Now lives in the same complex in Mumbai as Carlos, Max, Lando and others. Lives with his mother, two brothers and a dog.

Leo is a recurring guest in every society event no matter what. Shanta aunty ki kitty party? He's invited. Children playing cricket below? He is the referee. Security guard's dad died? Arthi Leo hi utha raha hai.

Best friends with Pierre. went to the same school as him in his childhood.

Not friendly at ALL with Max.

Carlos Sainz— “Mirchi”

Marathi Mulga for sure

Maula Mere Maula king of guy

His ass should be in a TV serial

Was a regular office worker before he fucked down his boss and now he's the manager. And, well, a win is a win, right?

His parents were kind of homophobic before he became the manager. It's hilarious, actually.

He has such a good voice. If you catch him singing one of the old bollywood songs of Lata Mangeshkar or Muhammad Rafi, consider yourself blessed by the gods.

Knows how to cook since he lives alone

Literally the guy every aunty dreams of marrying their daughter to. Manager of his office. Cooks. Cleans. Respects his elders. Funny. Charming. Every time he and Charles go out at least one middle aged person has asked Carlos if he's married yet and frankly, as his boyfriend who's Right There, Charles is pretty offended.

Have y'all seen the pictures of him in those button up shirts and trousers? The eyes that make Rahat Fateh Ali Khan songs play in your ear every time you look into them? So desi husband material

Best friends with Lando, basically brothers with his they are with each other

Like any best friend, he does NOT like Lando's boyfriend

Max Verstappen— “JATT DON'T CARE 💪🔥💯”

From Haryana

The M in Max stands for Mharo Balam Thanedar Chalawe Gypsy— jkjk

Some say he's aggressive, hot headed, quick tempered; some say he's just Haryanvi.

Is in a psychosexual homoerotic rivalry with Charles and is in denial because of his internalised homophobia.

His dad and Charles’ dad were business partners and now they're always wanting to one up another in the family businesses.

Talking about his father— his dad is very rich and also a typical Haryanvi dad. Bapu sehat ke liye haanikarak type shit.

His father made him do kushti when he was younger and Charles still teases him about it

Will randomly infodump about his father whenever the opportunity presents itself

Married

With how he usually is and what his childhood was like, you'd think he'd be a horrible father but you're WRONG

Everyone loves his daughter Prithvi, or P, for short.

They love spoiling her. Every year on her birthday she gets so many gifts it takes her two days just to open them.

Funnily enough, she once “betrayed” him by saying her favourite was Charlie Uncle.

I just think it would be so funny if he drove a Toyota Fortuner.

Lando Norris— “Lassan 🧄”

From Bangalore

Youtuber. Makes videos for every one of his channels religiously. Has a channel for gaming, another for vlogs, another for shorts and somehow manages them all while uploading reels and posting on Instagram???

He's a university student but nobody knows it because he's always posting videos so they just think he's a full time youtuber

“Shares a room” with Oscar, who is his boyfriend, by the way. You'd never guess. (that is a fucking lie. If you watch even one of his livestreams you'd know that they have explored each other's bodies. He's always “dekho guys Oscar aa gaya 😄😄😄” bro you're not fooling anyone)

Has his own merchandise. His designs are always so cool that they sell out before they're properly out.

Will probably make his own content team when he graduates

He once slipped on the desi toilet while travelling and Carlos made a reel about it. It is one of his most famous reels and Lando will absolutely ignore you if you talk about it.

Kinda fuckboyish???? Like he gives off the vibes of the kinda boy that only texts you past midnight and says shit like “what are you wearing? ;)” Like thank god he has a boyfriend or he would single handedly destroy the faith in love of every girl in a 5 kilometre radius

Oscar Piastri— “gora pakora”

From Goa

Frequently shows up on Lando's videos and livestreams

Studying engineering and living with Lando, basically taking care of him because of course he is

Regular victim of Lando's youtube shenanigans. Gets pranked one too many times every other day.

Has this kind of dead stare where he's just 😐 until Lando comes and annoys (see: kisses or pranks) him

Gets asked “bhai tu kabhi kuch bolta kyu nahi hai” so frequently he should just write “pata nahi yaar” on his face.

Has strong beef with Carlos. Do not talk about that man in front of him. Now this is really inconvenient because Carlos is Lando's bEsT FrIeNd iN tHe WoRlD

There beef started when Lando cried because he missed Oscar and Carlos showed up to Oscar's parents house asking him to square the fuck up. His parents —poor them they don't even know their son is gay— were left to wonder why their son was on a video call with his roommate OUTSIDE in the middle of winter vacation while a strange man cussed him the fuck out.

Lando can and will and DOES make him do silly dance trends with him on Instagram reels

Best friend is Logan, who studies engineering with him. You don't know how much you can depend on someone else until you're an IISER student and they're the only good friend you have.

Daniel Ricciardo— “Paaji”

From Chandigarh

Y'all remember Sodhi from Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma? Yeah. Him.

No one knows how he's able to control Max. Literally his best friend. Max will always have a resting bitch face but when Danny paaji is there he's all “😆😆😂😂🤣🤣” like bro 😐

I just know he would randomly say “oye balle balle balle balle balle” for no reason other than to annoy people. I just know it.

Actually works very hard and always helps people, but he's such a troll that people just think he's some unemployed youtuber with a prank channel

Absolute party animal. Do not ever in front of him mention that you're free that night.

George Russell— “nazuk kali”

From Delhi

Graphic designer. Edits Lando's videos for nim. Studies computer science.

Shared a room with Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant. Their relationship status is very complex. I'm not saying that they're a throuple, I'm not saying that they're friends. What I'm saying is that they're so dependent on each other I don't think they could function alone anymore. These three idiots make a full functional human being together. George cleans the house, Alex does the cooking and Logan does the laundry and the dishes. They manage, thanks.

George Russell is the type of guy to say “ghar pe maa behen nahi hai kya?” When he sees a girl getting catcalled.

George Russell is the type of guy to say “aapko kahin lagi to nahin?” When he bumps into someone.

George Russell is the type of guy to cover his mouth and say “uff” when he eats something spicy on accident.

On that note, George absolutely cannot handle his spice. Never bit into a raw green chilli willingly in his entire life.

You just know he eats the meethi pani puri with the red chutney and all.

Thinks momos are better than pani puri (he's wrong).

Closes his eyes and covers his ears when a condom ad or a spicy movie scene comes on the TV

Very pale because he rarely leaves his room (which— he's a computer science major, come on)

Lewis Hamilton— “dac saab”

From Kozhikode (Kerala)

Fashion influencer, gets brand deals all the time. Always promoting this brand or that.

Also actually a veterinary doctor with his own dog clinic.

Has a youtube channel where heostly makes affordable fashion tips etc but also posts the dogs at his clinic from time to time.

Spent a lot of years in South Delhi where he fell in love with a guy when he was a teenager but when he eventually moved back to Kozhikode they fell out of contact. Now he’s moved to Mumbai as he opened up a new clinic there and doesn't even know that he actually lives in the same goddamn building as the guy he fell in love with 20 years ago back in South Delhi.

I think y'all can already guess who the guy was, but if you can't (shame on you) it's Nico Rosberg.

Had a wife but she cheated so they divorced or something idk how do you justify a 40 year old guy being unmarried in India?

Loves his dogs more than anything, if there's a dog at his clinic that he can't save he will be sad for days.

Speaks Hindi in a voice that's like three octaves lower than his usual voice. Thinks he sounds bad but he sounds so damn hot.

Nico Rosberg— “thi ek.”

From South Delhi

News anchor for sure. Has a sadness in his eyes that makes you wonder if he ever got over the heartbreak he had at 19 (he did not)

Most people think his hair is dyed (it is not) because he's a chapri (he might be)

Legends say that the only time he has been seen with a smile on his face on TV was when he was talking about his childhood best friend.

The reason he doesn't anchor for any of the big or daresay political news channels is because they don't like how he compares international disputes to the fight he had with his best friend when he was 19.

Regularly travels to other metropolitan cities for news coverings (mainly sports) but lives in Mumbai for majority of the time.

In fact, lives in the same building as Lewis. The fact that they haven't run into each other in the elevator yet is a miracle (or a curse).

Will talk about love and heartbreak to anyone who would listen. You know those boys who say “thi ek” whenever someone tries to talk to them about love? Yeah that's him.

Married and has two daughters that he loves very much.

No pets because they remind him too much of Lewis.

Sebastian Vettel— “Chacha”

From Delhi

Lives in Mumbai with his wife.

Best friends with Lewis, knows everything about him and Nico.

Kind of a father figure to Charles.

The beloved colony uncle that always has the wildest stories ever. Catch him at the tea stall and just get him talking— you will be a changed man when he is done.

“Aur phir uska accident ho gaya aur usne apna haath kho diya, to uski manghetar ki family ne unse rishta tudwa liya. Jiske baad uski manghetar ki sagai mujhse hui aur phir hamari shaadi hui or shayad aaj bhi wo akela hi ek haath se apna hila raha hai bechara”

“...”

You would think considering how sweet he is, he was always this sweet but NO, this man was a MENACE.

Everyone who knew him before he got married wants him dead even now after all the years.

Fernando Alonso— "Kaka"

From Jaipur

The exact opposite of Sebastian.

The old man you see on the side of the road with paan in his mouth and a gaali on his lips

Also tells you stories from his youth and they're just as interesting but he's so arrogant about it that you're no longer interested in listening five minutes in no matter how interesting the story is

The kind of old man who sees children playing in the streets and starts acting like an overly invested referee for no reason.

Goes to the park in the morning at the same time as Sebastian but unlike him, Fernando does not let the joy and whimsy of life have any effect on him making you wonder why he's there at all

Lance Stroll— “vegan wali diet almond wala ghee 😌💅”

From South Bombay

Ameer baap ki bigri aulad

“What do you mean I can't buy the whole store?”

Y'all remember that “Mawn, terew paaw ki jewtie maawwww” girl??? Yeah

Sonam Kapoor is jealous of how much better he is at being a nepo baby

Logan Sargeant— “ye bhi thik hai”

Lives with George and Alex

From Goa

Thank god he does because he would not be surviving otherwise

Might have feelings for his roommates but all he knows how to do is wash the dishes and the clothes and he doesn't wanna die of hunger so he's silent.

Except maybe in front of Oscar but that's his best friendddd

Studying computer science too

Alex Albon— “dhokla4lifer”

From Gujarat

I might be projecting a bit but as someone who fucking LOVES dhokla, I don't see any reason as to why Alex should not.

Cooks for his two roommates, and always cooks so good.

Dhokla on Sundays and a tiffin box full of thepla and aam ka aachar whenever one of them is travelling home

Studying history and geography

Yuki Tsunoda— “momo wale bhaiya”

From Dehradun

Do not call him momo wale bhaiya. He can and will kill you.

Actually does love cooking

Has his own restaurant near the university campus

Pierre Gasly— “tantar mantar”

From West Bengal

Tired of everyone's “kaala jaadu” jokes.

Charles’ best friend and confidante.

Gossip girls. They have all the tea on everyone in the uni.

“Bokachoda”

Does sports.

Final year law student

Esteban Ocon— “Pierre's ex (he is NOT)”

From Odisha

Has beef with Pierre.

Will argue about anything from the origin of roshogulla to the state's contribution in the fight for freedom of the country.

Also final year law student

Extras—

Sergio Perez from Bihar

K Mag from Kashmir (haha get it? Because he's a track terroris—)

Nico Hulkenburg from Kashmir too

Valtteri Bottas from The Andaman Nicobar islands or something idk he shows so much ass it's unreal

Zhou Guanyu from Meghalaya

[oscarpiastriwdc]

albums i would play for each driver on the 2024 F1 grid to expand their music taste

Max Verstappen: Graceland by Paul Simon - As a fan of classic and folk rock, I'd imagine Max has been exposed to Simon and Garfunkel and I think he'd enjoy the sprawling, detailed, careful expanse of Simon's solo masterpiece. Angels in the architecture spinning in infinity, etc etc

Checo Perez: Ramomex by Rebel'd Punk - One of the Mexican bands who pioneered punk music in the country, but Checo probably missed this release because he was too busy karting and moving to europe as a teen. It's never too late to have a proper angry punk phase, though.

Charles Leclerc: Ten Love Songs by Susanne Sundfør - Groundbreaking, life-altering pop music that pushes every boundary. This hits the sad songs craving and I think would interest him as a musician and burgeoning songwriter.

Carlos Sainz: Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey - daddy issues. I just know he'd vibe out to Brooklyn Baby.

Lando Norris: Destiny by DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - I dream of sitting him down and exposing him to actually good, interesting, fun contemporary dj music.

Oscar Piastri: Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads - He has that certain David Byrne swag and demeanor of someone who'd love the Talking Heads if only given the chance.

Fernando Alonso: 10,000 gecs by 100 gecs - At first the old man would be extremely confused but once he was on board he would be blasting The Most Wanted Person In The United States all day every day.

Lance Stroll: Talon of the Hawk by The Front Bottoms - that post that's like the problem is men are making podcasts instead of forming midwest emo bands. but it's men are becoming f1 drivers instead of forming midwest emo bands. I think some TFB exposure could be the spark of inspiration for a great career pivot.

Lewis Hamilton: Maps by billy woods and Kenny Segal - I fear Lewis might have been too worried about Merc's performance last year to have checked out this fantastic collaboration that was one of 2023's best albums.

George Russell: Contra by Vampire Weekend - I just saw Vampire Weekend live following the release of the new album and at the show there was a guy a few feet ahead of me in the merch line who had the exact same energy as GR. The mix of prep vibes and world music would work into his taste while expanding his listening beyond coldplay.

Yuki Tsunoda: GLOW ON by Turnstile - 100% a selfish pick, I want to mosh with Yuki in the pit of a Turnstile pit.

Daniel Ricciardo: The Panhandlers by The Panhandlers - A country supergroup I return to time and again, wistful and nostalgic, making you yearn for West Texas no matter where in the world you are.

Alex Albon: Pelican West by Haircut 100 - Funky British jazz pop, perfect for dancing and vibing.

Logan Sargeant: Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling by Slaughter Beach, Dog - I fear Logie might be too young or too norm core to have had a proper Modern Baseball phase (it's never too late logie! listen to Intersection!) but Ewald's 2023 offering seems like something he missed last year that's perfectly up his alley.

Valtteri Bottas: Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective - Weird and complex, I think he should throw it on while on a long bike ride and let his mullet fly in the breeze.

Zhou Guanyu: God Save the Animals by Alex G - no you don't understand i need him to listen to Alex G he would love it

Kevin Magnussen: Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins - Ethereal music he can feel and let wash over him in a wave to relax and transcend the horrors of driving for Haas.

Nico Hulkenberg: Supernatural by Santana - dad music but make it funky and good

Pierre Gasly: Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans by Uffie - A perfect twist on early 2000s French electronic music, I think it'd remind him of the club while sounding entirely new and make him want to pick up a side dj gig of his own.

Esteban Ocon: Lescop by Lescop - French indie pop-rock! His most recent album is fantastic, but Este should check out Lescop's 2013 debut first.

following a conversation with @liamlawsonlesbian and her definitive book rec list i'm doing something similar for music (she bullied me into posting this sorry). large range in popularity/mainstream-ness of artists depending on the driver and what i think they're already listening to.

[nayziiz]

Shadows | LN4

Summary: [Mafia] In the face of dire financial troubles, Lando receives a desperate plea from his father to unearth a lucrative solution within the family business. Fueled by the pressure to rescue his family from ruin, Lando stumbles upon a seemingly perfect venture—using luxury cars as a facade for the clandestine world of drug trafficking. With the unexpected partnership of Amelia Rossi, his father's best friend's daughter, Lando believes he has found the ideal accomplice. However, as the Norris family collides with the ambitious Russells in a ruthless bid to establish their dominance, the perilous path Lando has chosen places not only his newfound enterprise at stake but also entangles Amelia in the dangerous crossfire that unfolds.

Warning: Violence, drugs, blood, smut, fluff, guns

Pairing: Lando Norris x OC (Amelia Rossi) - appearances from other drivers

Masterlist

Chapter 3

From an early age, Amelia had grown accustomed to the protective cocoon created by her father's men, a presence that had surrounded her throughout her childhood. However, as she reached her twenty-first birthday, her desire for independence clashed with her father's protective instincts. In an attempt to break free from the stifling security, she insisted on enjoying her celebration without the constant surveillance. Unbeknownst to her, this decision would lead to unforeseen consequences.

During her birthday celebration, things took a sinister turn as gunmen entered the club, and her father's men had to intervene, ruining what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. This incident left a bitter taste in Amelia's mouth, prompting her to assert her independence even more vehemently. She demanded space to live her life without constant interference, blissfully unaware that this newfound freedom would come at a high cost.

As Amelia and Lando ventured into their risky business collaboration, the exportation of luxury vehicles from her showroom became a subject of scrutiny, especially for keen observers like the Russells. The patriarch of the Russell family, a fervent antique vehicle collector, had an extensive knowledge of cars in the London area. Their family operated like vigilant police dogs, adept at sniffing out anything suspicious and often open to being persuaded into silence through bribes.

The shift in Amelia's business activities did not go unnoticed, and the Russells were the first to raise an eyebrow. They were astute and methodical, always keeping a watchful eye on the activities within their realm of interest. The luxury vehicles, once displayed as previously owned gems in Amelia's showroom, now caught their attention, setting off alarm bells in the meticulous mind of the patriarch.

The Russells' modus operandi involved uncovering anything unusual and then leveraging that information to their advantage. In this case, they sensed an opportunity to exploit the situation, fully aware that Amelia's sudden shift in business practices could be used to their benefit. Their penchant for detecting irregularities made them formidable adversaries, skilled at navigating the intricate underworld of deals and secrets.

Adding to the complexity of the situation was George, the Russells’ son, a figure from their high school days whose unsettling crush on Amelia cast a lingering discomfort over their interactions. Despite his older age, George had consistently hovered around Lando and Amelia's social circle during their school years. His presence, coupled with his family’s reputation, added an element of personal tension to the already precarious business dealings.

As George Russell strode into the showroom, his imposing presence seemed to fill the space with an air of tension and unease. His eyes scanned the rows of luxury vehicles with a predatory gleam, his gaze lingering on each car as if assessing its worth.

Amelia's heart sank as she watched George move through the showroom, his every step sending a ripple of apprehension through her. She knew that his interest in the vehicles was more than just casual curiosity; it was a calculated move, designed to probe for weaknesses and exploit any vulnerabilities he might find.

Summoning all her courage, Amelia made her way down to where George was. As George inspected the vehicles on display, his attention was immediately drawn to a sleek and aerodynamic Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. Its polished silver exterior gleamed under the showroom lights, exuding an air of sophistication and power. She forced a smile onto her face, hoping to conceal the unease that churned in the pit of her stomach.

“George, it's been a while.” She greeted him, her voice strained with forced cheerfulness. George turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

“Amelia.” He replied, his tone cool and measured.

As they stood face to face, the tension between them was palpable, a silent undercurrent that threatened to pull them under. George's presence was a reminder of a past that Amelia would rather forget, a time when his unwelcome advances made her skin crawl with discomfort.

But now, faced with the reality of George's scrutiny, Amelia knew that she couldn't afford to let her personal feelings cloud her judgement. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand, determined to navigate this encounter with as much grace and composure as she could muster.

“So, what brings you to the showroom today?” She asked, her voice carefully neutral. George's lips curled into a sly smile.

“Oh, just thought I'd stop by and see what treasures you have hidden away here. I had my heart set on a Mercedes.” He replied, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

Amelia couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her at George's response, though his tone still sent a shiver down her spine.

“Well, we have some exquisite Mercedes models as well. Let me show you.” She replied, forcing a smile to hide her growing discomfort.

Leading George away from the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, Amelia guided him towards a row of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, each one a testament to German engineering and luxury craftsmanship. As they approached a gleaming Mercedes-AMG GT R, its vibrant red paint catching the light, Amelia couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. The GT R was a performance powerhouse, with a handcrafted V8 engine and precision-tuned handling that promised an exhilarating driving experience.

“This is our newest addition.” Amelia said, gesturing towards the Mercedes-AMG GT R. “It's a masterpiece of engineering, with unparalleled performance and luxury.”

George's eyes lit up with interest as he examined the car, his earlier air of mockery replaced by genuine intrigue.

“Impressive.” He admitted, running a hand along the smooth lines of the bodywork. “I must say, you have quite the selection here.”

“Thank you. We take pride in offering only the finest vehicles to our clients.” Amelia nodded, her smile growing more genuine.

As George continued to inspect the Mercedes-AMG GT R, Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his visit than just a casual interest in luxury cars. She knew that she would need to tread carefully if she hoped to navigate this encounter without revealing too much about their illicit business dealings.

“And, how would I go about getting one of these to my property in Dubai?” George wondered, his eyes glancing up to study Amelia.

Amelia's heart skipped a beat at George's question, knowing that transporting a luxury vehicle like the Mercedes-AMG GT R to Dubai would require careful planning and discretion.

“We have reputable shipping partners who specialise in transporting vehicles internationally. They handle all the logistics and ensure that your car arrives safely and discreetly at your property in Dubai.” She paused for a moment, gauging George's reaction before continuing. “Of course, we understand the importance of privacy and confidentiality in these matters. Our shipping partners operate with the utmost discretion, ensuring that your purchase remains confidential every step of the way.”

Amelia's words were carefully chosen, designed to reassure George while subtly reminding him of the need for secrecy. She knew that their business dealings could not afford any unnecessary attention, especially from someone as astute and perceptive as George Russell. George nodded thoughtfully, seemingly satisfied with her response.

“Excellent.” He said, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. “I'll need to consider my options.”

He suddenly stood upright and watched her intently as he circled around the car back to her.

“If I'm being honest, Amelia. I'm not really here for a car.” He admitted.

Amelia's heart skipped a beat as George's words hung heavy in the air, her instincts screaming at her to tread carefully. She maintained her composure, though her mind raced with apprehension as she met George's intense gaze.

“Oh?” She replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil churning within her. “Then what brings you to the showroom, George?”

George's lips curled into a sly smile, a predatory gleam dancing in his eyes.

“I've heard whispers, Amelia. Whispers of a different kind of treasure hidden away here.” He said, his voice low and conspiratorial.

Amelia's pulse quickened at his words, her mind racing to comprehend the implications of his revelation. She knew that their secret dealings had drawn attention from all corners, but to have George standing before her, openly acknowledging their illicit activities, sent a chill down her spine.

She forced herself to maintain her composure, though her nerves threatened to betray her. 

“I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.” She replied, her voice tinged with a hint of unease. George chuckled softly, his gaze never wavering from hers.

“Oh, I think you do, Amelia. And I must say, I'm intrigued, especially with little Lando Norris involved.” He said, his tone dripping with menace.

Amelia's breath caught in her throat at George's ominous words, her heart pounding in her chest as a chill raced down her spine. The mention of Lando's name sent a surge of fear coursing through her veins.

“You should be very careful about the company you keep. Lando’s changed since high school.” He whispered, his eyes glittering with malice as he leaned in closer, his presence suffocating.

“George, I truly have no idea what you’re talking about.” She replied, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to sound confident.

“Just know we are on your trail, Rossi. This won’t end well. Not for you and certainly not for Lando and his family.” George added.

Amelia's heart sank as George's ominous words hung heavy in the air, her mind reeling with the implications of his threat. But George's cold stare bore into her, his eyes flashing with a dangerous intensity. As he turned to leave, leaving her alone in the showroom with her thoughts and the looming threat of his scrutiny, Amelia couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding wash over her. She knew that their encounter with George had  raised the stakes to a whole new level, and that they would need to proceed with caution if they hoped to emerge from the ordeal unscathed.

She slowly made her way back up to her office, shutting the door behind her as she entered her safe space. With trembling hands, Amelia retrieved the burner phone from the depths of her bag, her heart pounding in her chest as she carefully avoided using her own phone for any communication with Lando. There was a possibility her phone had been tapped.

As she stared at the screen of the burner phone, her mind raced with the urgency of the situation. She knew that every moment counted, that they had to act swiftly and decisively if they hoped to stay one step ahead of George and his relentless pursuit of the truth.

With a steadying breath, Amelia began to type out a message to Lando, her fingers flying over the keys in a desperate bid to convey the gravity of their predicament. “Meet me at home after work tonight. Urgent.” She wrote, her words, a silent plea for help in the face of impending danger.

As she hit send, a wave of relief washed over her, knowing that she had taken the first step towards securing their safety. But even as she waited for Lando's response, a sense of unease gnawed at her, reminding her that their troubles were far from over.

As Lando's phone buzzed with the incoming message from Amelia, he felt a surge of apprehension wash over him. The urgency in her words had sent a chill down his spine, and he knew instinctively that something was terribly wrong.

Lando's heart raced as he stepped into the familiar confines of the Rossi estate, his mind swirling with a thousand questions and fears. The urgency of Amelia's message had spurred him into action, driving him to her side without a moment's hesitation. He found her waiting for him in the modest living room. The tension in the air was palpable as he took a seat opposite her, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.

“Amelia.” Lando began, his voice filled with concern. “What's going on? What's so urgent?”

Amelia's expression was grave as she met his gaze, her eyes reflecting the turmoil swirling within her.

“Does the name George Russell ring any bells?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No fucking way.” Lando huffed, already adding up the pieces in his mind.

“He knows, Lando. He knows about our... dealings.” Amelia added.

“How?” Lando asked, his mind racing with possibilities. “How could he possibly know?”

“I don't know.” She admitted.

“Please tell me he didn’t approach you at the showroom.” Lando quipped, worry etched on his face.

“He did. He threatened us, Lando. He threatened you and your family.” Amelia shook her head, her brow furrowed with worry.

Feeling the weight of Amelia's worries pressing down on them both, Lando rose from his seat and moved to sit beside her, his instinct guiding him to offer comfort in the face of uncertainty. With a gentle touch, he pulled her into his embrace, enveloping her in warmth and reassurance.

Amelia leaned into him, seeking solace in the strength of his embrace. The tension that had gripped her began to melt away in the comfort of his arms, replaced by a sense of safety and security that only Lando could provide.

For a moment, they sat in silence, drawing strength from each other's presence as they faced the daunting challenges that lay ahead. In that moment, the world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them together, united in their determination to overcome whatever obstacles stood in their way.

“We need to be smart about this.” Lando said, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging around them. “We can't let George intimidate us. We need to stay one step ahead of him, no matter what it takes.”

As they held each other close, Lando gently brushed his fingers through Amelia's hair, his touch tender and comforting. He whispered words of encouragement into her ear, his voice a soothing melody that calmed the tumultuous storm raging within her heart.

Feeling the warmth of his breath against her skin, Amelia closed her eyes and let herself be enveloped by his embrace, finding solace in the strength of his arms. His words washed over her like a healing balm, easing the knots of worry and fear that had gripped her. In that moment, she felt a sense of peace wash over her, knowing that no matter what trials lay ahead, they would face them together just like the many other times they had done so previously.

[valyrfia]

Yeah see the reason I dislike Carlos is not because of his driving. It's purely his attitude about his results.

I can say that I think he is a great driver. However, he always makes himself out to be the victim when he has a bad weekend, and likes to gloat and overstate his talent and put others down when he does well.

I'm not surprised his fans are the same. I can't be a Carlos fan simply because that attitude irritates me. But I guess if you are like that too, you don't mind it, or you even welcome it.

My personal dilemma is that in interviews or podcasts or PR I genuinely like Carlos. I think he's personable AND I do think he's a good driver too! Singapore is a sore spot for me, but his DRS move with Lando showed good racing IQ. His victim complex irks me sure, but half the grid has one. A lot of my dislike of Carlos comes from his need to try and establish top dog status in a team that essentially raised Charles and is being built around Charles, and again, I think this is down to Carlos's expectations not being managed properly when he signed with Ferrari (when I catch you Mattia Binotto). His family is a piece of work (lest we forget the whole "Leclerc has no honour" debacle), but again, so are the families of half the grid. I genuinely think I will probably enjoy Carlos once he's out of Ferrari, he'll never be an absolute favourite of mine, but I think I'll look out for 55 in the races. My current issue with Carlos mainly stems from the narrative trying to downplay Charles in order to boost Carlos, a narrative that most big F1 media orgs seems all too keen to play into, and one that's literally untrue but people seem a little too gleeful to spread.

[scuderlia]

hi i love your blog, i was wondering if you have any fic recs???

(i got a few asks about this so i'm just gonna put all of my recommendations here)

i've been really into non-fiction as of late and haven't been consuming as much fanfic as i typically do as a result, but here's a few i loved and read semi-recently:

lemniscate by weiwuxian (BreathOfDream) | E, 28k, lestappen | College/University AU

~ for fans of the complexities of young friendships, relationships, and the grey-areas in between... who also like to have their hearts stomped on (chussy featured god bless)

here in procession by fromnowhere (concalma) | T, 2k, piarles | canonverse

~ catholic imagery, 'miracles', and charles' weird relationship to religion. what more could a girl want... (this gutted me bad)

floatin' but i'm heavy by quietrumblings (whisperedwords) | E, 5k, piarles | canonverse

~ if you fuck with dog motifs and are horny you're gonna love this (also... chussy... for those with taste)

be your temporary fix by steviethenarwhal | M, 5k, lando/george | girl!George AU

~ lando could never work at a suicide hotline and george has given up on self-care... a post-Singapore 2023 hookup story

strange new worlds by Anonymous | E, 14k (chapters/ongoing), lestappen | Venom AU

~ required reading. literally just read this idc. xoxo, monsterfuckers.

give me that fire by Lady_Something | E, 40k (chapters), lestappen | Chef/Restaurant AU

~ everyone lied... you should fuck your coworkers. featuring lots of love and grief and deliciously flawed characters.

Braised by Anonymous | E, 18k (chapters/ongoing), maxiel | The Bear AU

~ i could gush about this all day but the writing is just addictive... the pacing's fantastic, simulates how working in a restaurant can feel like one long panic attack.

not f1-related, but this fic literally changed my life. it’s a haikyuu rare pair and so insanely good. i go crazy whenever I read it. would highly recommend.

the contest between by batman | E, 75k (chapters), osaaka | Chef's Table AU

~ akaashi makes documentaries and osamu is a chef ten years older than him... [crying heard off-screen]

[lowtaxsa]

Review: Star Wars Episode IX (2019)

Star Wars: Episode 9 - A Galaxy Far, Far Away from Originality

From the moment the opening crawl rolls onto the screen, Star Wars: Episode 9 hits you like a freight train of disappointment. It's an unoriginal, uninspired, and utterly predictable end to a series that's been running on fumes since the prequels. Oh, the prequels, the golden age of Star Wars – when the fanbase was actually unhappy and the world made sense.

Disney, the bloated corporate beast that it is, has managed to take a once-beloved franchise and turn it into a soulless, never-ending parade of merchandise and spin-offs. I can't help but imagine Mickey Mouse laughing maniacally as he counts his piles of cash and rolls around in a sea of action figures and themed lunch boxes.

But let's dive into the movie itself, shall we? Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Palpatine's Petting Zoo (not the real title, but it might as well be).

0:00 - Ah, the classic opening crawl. Does anyone even read these anymore? Spoiler alert: the galaxy is in peril, and our heroes must save it. Groundbreaking stuff.

10:23 - Look, it's a new desert planet! Because we definitely needed more of those in Star Wars.

15:45 - Rey is doing some intense Jedi training by... levitating rocks? Yeah, that'll show the First Order who's boss.

21:17 - Surprise, surprise, Kylo Ren is still emo and conflicted. This guy makes Anakin look like a well-adjusted adult.

27:34 - Poe and Finn bicker like an old married couple. If only Disney had the guts to make them an actual couple. But no, can't risk upsetting the masses.

33:12 - "Hey guys, remember the Death Star? Here it is... AGAIN!" Originality is dead, and Disney killed it.

40:03 - A wild Emperor Palpatine appears! Didn't this guy die in Episode 6? Well, never mind, continuity is for chumps.

49:30 - Cue the space dogfight with excessive lens flares. My retinas are burning, but at least it looks pretty.

57:22 - The obligatory cantina scene with bizarre aliens, because we haven't seen that before.

1:05:15 - Rey and Kylo Ren have yet another dramatic lightsaber battle on top of some wreckage. I'm getting whiplash from all the reused plot points.

1:14:32 - Look, it's Lando Calrissian! Remember him? Yeah, Disney sure hopes you do.

1:20:08 - A touching moment with CGI Leia, because nothing says "emotional" like a computer-generated performance.

1:31:47 - The "epic" space battle begins, but it's basically just a game of "spot the reference" at this point.

1:42:28 - Oh look, our heroes are miraculously saved at the last minute by a fleet of ships from across the galaxy. How... predictable.

1:52:15 - The final showdown between Rey and Palpatine. Is it just me, or is anyone else getting déjà vu?

1:58:40 - The power of friendship (and shameless nostalgia) saves the day! Hooray! Who needs a coherent plot when you have the Force?

2:01:22 - Roll credits. Another Star Wars film in the bag. Disney's cash cow continues to graze, and the fans keep lining up for their next helping of reheated leftovers.

Episode 9 brings us yet another rehash of the same plotlines we've seen a thousand times before, like a tired old dog performing tricks for treats. It's as if Disney said, "Hey, remember that thing you liked in the original trilogy? Here it is again, but this time with more lens flares and CGI!"

The characters, once complex and interesting, have been reduced to caricatures of themselves, spewing cheesy one-liners and participating in painfully forced emotional moments. And of course, there's the fan service – oh, the fan service. It's like Disney is trying to shove as many nostalgic references down our throats as possible, hoping we'll be too busy choking on our own childhood memories to notice the glaring lack of substance.

But the most tragic part of all this is the fanbase. Star Wars fans, once united in their hatred for the prequels, are now so brainwashed that they'll happily guzzle down whatever Disney serves up, no matter how watered-down and bland. They've become a collective of blind followers, easily manipulated by the promise of more lightsaber battles and space dogfights.

And don't even get me started on the YouTube shills. These so-called "critics" are nothing more than glorified commercials for Disney, raking in the big bucks for regurgitating the same tired opinions and theories. They're like a never-ending echo chamber of corporate-sponsored praise, ensuring that the masses keep lining up to buy their tickets and merchandise.

In the end, Star Wars: Episode 9 is a movie that exists solely to make money and pander to an audience that's grown numb to the taste of mediocrity. It's a fitting end to a series that was once a shining beacon of creativity and innovation but has since become a shadow of its former self.

But hey, at least we have the prequels to remind us of a time when Star Wars was still capable of eliciting genuine emotion – even if that emotion was pure, unadulterated rage.

[thewriterowl]

Owl, I'm asking you some random headcannon about our favorite subject: Luke.

They could be about everything, his favorite colour, his childhood, if he prefer coffee or tea...

Everything.

Ooooh boy!! Baby Luke hours!

Luke is fine with tea, meh to coffee (unless it has a lot of cream and milk and sugar and caramel and whatnot), can drink liquor like a horse, but prefers hot chocolate and soda (if it exists in space). The boy likes sugar.

Favorite color is blue. He feels like it is cheating though since that's the color of his eyes. He liked green a lot before he found his crystal but he found he really loved the color once it really became part of him like that. He really loves anything in association with nature since he grew up in the desert. So water, forests, snow capped mountains...those are amazing to him. And, yeah, he likes black a lot.

Luke likes anything dog. If it is like a dog, he adores it.

He is also a massive fan of droids. He just finds them lovely and is able to make friends with almost any droid easily.

Luke is not as connected to food as he is to drinks. Put a cake in front of him and he will inhale it. Dessert is something he won't deny.

Luke will take any and every dare given to him (it drives his loved ones crazy). He is not as competitive as Leia (the perfectionist princess) but he needs to take on any challenge that comes his way.

He loves all things water and is actually very fond of snow. He had a poor experience at Hoth, but before that he was actually enjoying the time and had to touch the snow whenever he could. He had to get dragged back inside often because he can't control himself. He just wants to roll in it.

Luke has terrible self-esteem and has both a martyr and guilt complex.

Even with that, he is a sassy guy who would almost flirt with danger. not Kenobi level, Kenobi flirted with anything that moved after all, but so friendly and cheerful and ready to throw snark that it makes most unsure if he's being a flirt or not.

He doesn't seem to think about it. He just wants to be a brat. He likes being a brat.

Luke may be bi, I do see him like that, but I mostly see him as gay. But he drinks respect women juice and find them amazing. So before he understood his sexuality, he probably thought he was bi. Cause women of any species are so pretty! And they wore the best clothing. They were soft and strong and just wow! But apparently, he just really likes women but is not sexually attracted to them. It also helps that a lot of women seem to take a liking to him and he becomes their baby brother (even if he's older) instantly.

He also knew Han liked Leia but Leia chose to kiss him so it was more about bothering Han and earning this badge of honor from Leia than it was anything sexual (even before they realized they're twins--maybe it doesn't bother Luke as much as Leia cause she wanted to seduce him on some level to make Han jealous and get him to stop being so arrogant)

If there are memes in space, he would be chest deep into them. He'd send stuff to his friends all the time. Lando loves it, Leia just sends back something like "ha", and Han does his best to ignore it but laughs every time.

He was so the type to believe in ghosts before he realized Force Ghosts exist. He would be super interested in scary supernatural things but would also be so terrified. He might've needed to have a flashlight or something to chase away shadows when he was ten.

He would also be into yoga.

Don't ask him to do anything academic. He'll shut down. But he's super smart, he just didn't learn a lot from his school like other kids might've. So instead of asking Luke, "hey what's 2+2" ask, "man I only have two screws and I need four, can you go get me the rest?" and he'll get it. He can fix any droid, repair most any ship, learn controls quicker than any pilot, pick up techniques and wisdom and share it...just don't ask him something like "what's 2+2"

He's been kidnapped or attempted to be kidnapped so often he is for of apathetic to it.

Luke is also very apathetic to his own safety. This drives so many of his loved ones insane. "oh yeah, just crashed my ship, have a few broken bones, maybe internal bleeding, and fake hand is all messed up...how are you guys?"

He has lots of nightmare. He was able to keep this hidden until he and Din got together romantically. He tried to hide this by just meditating when they slept together and then just stayed awake once Din fell asleep. Din figures it out within the first week that Luke wasn't sleeping.

Luke loves hard. He wants to please the people he loves. he tends to worry he isn't enough and has to make sure everyone is happy and make up for them being around him.

It's easy for cruel senators to use Luke's kindness and guilt-complex against him. It works a few times. Then Din and Leia get word of it. It doesn't take long for it to stop. They try maybe one or two more times but Luke is always nabbed and thrown over Din's shoulder and taken away from his ship. Once they overhear how they get Luke to take these missions...well, they take care of it and no senator approaches Luke again.

Luke is unconsciously romantic. He just runs on instinct and just provides things. He compliments Din all the time, gives him really thoughtful and sweet gifts, tries to learn Mando'a, finds what he can about Din's culture and the one he left behind when the war, figures out Din's childhood meals and makes it for them, even figures out some of Din's hobbies and provides him things for it. He also rarely handed them straight over. Din gets overwhelmed and he doesn't want to risk insulting him or making him upset. So he just leaves the items in his room with a letter of "for Din" or even something awkward like "here ya go!"

Luke has Din wrapped around his little finger.

[cooltrainererika]

A Star Wars Noob’s ideas for fixing the Disney sequels

Okay so just to get this out there, because it won’t leave my mind.

So I’ve been binging on SW lately and the sequels only annoy me more and more by the day. So just wanted to throw my character ideas out into the world. Focusing on characters because I like writing characters way more than plot. Hopefully if I ever actually write this thing, or even somehow pitch it to someone with the right connections to animate it with the actors as voice actors, this wouldn’t have gone viral. But since no one looks at my blog it probably won’t lol. Hopefully.

But just in case, I’ll say that this will probably contain spoilers for a story which may or may not exist by the time you read this.

I’ve deliberately been trying to avoid as much emotional spoilers and normal spoilers as I can before the sequels despite the temptation, so sorry if some stuff is a bit off. Augh I hope I can get the time to watch the full OT and PT soon. I was too tired from hiking when I watched SW4 and I now really wish my dad didn’t show me when I was half-asleep.

Rey: Rainbow of possibilities; Cynical Scavenger, Adventure-seeking Audience Surtogate Geek, or Lawful Good to the core Paladin Padawan with a personal grudge, and may be descended from a family line, maybe not, but currently most likely a Skywalker by blood. Story and other character arcs change dramatically depending on which route chosen.

Finn: Stoic soldier man learns power of friendship, finds meaning of life, causes Stormtrooper mutiny, probably becomes a Jedi and second main character and hooks up with Rey. “What‘s a joke?”. Awkward dork and stunted socially but doing his best. May instinctively find it hard to disobey orders. He may be the one wanting to find his family; but that’s dropped soon enough to focus on what’s ahead. 

(Alternatively: Proud warrior guy who acts like a stereotypical North Korean soldier who finds himself outside the First Order, learns power of friendship etc. The rest is the same)

Poe Dameron: What we Japanese people call The Aniki. The funny charismatic ace pilot who keeps everyone sane, overall bro. Wholesome but a bit rough, that guy you would want to share a beer with. But within that easygoing nature burns a hotblooded, determined, dutiful streak, and an even stronger snarky streak. The one with the social skills. Loves his droid like his son though Cynical!Rey and Finn find that initially kind of stupid/strange. 

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo: Appears to be yet another quietly imposing Star Wars villain with added edgelord factor, but actually a mentally unstable, borderline yandere berserker of a man crushed under the weight of a legacy, with a horrifying inferiority complex, identity issues, and an unhealthy obsession with familial honor, constantly stuck between Dark and Light. Despite his high rank, basically the First Order’s attack dog. Usually has the emotional maturity of a 16-year-old, if not younger. If anyone is, he’s the damsel in distress of this story.

Luke Skywalker: Cuddly sunshine headmaster sage doing his best, has been on many adventures before that are hidden ads to future Lucasfilm projects. May have gone to search for answers as to what is causing recent events, or is still present at the beginning. May survive at the end. He could be anywhere from kind of jaded but at his core still that sweet optimist, to Basically Uncle Iroh, to can-literally-summon-Porgs-by-whistling/Space Sage Mr. Rogers.

Han Solo: General of the Republic Armed Forces or courier who decided military life just wasn’t for him and now delivers important messages through still unstable areas of the New Republic, a war hero, and a dad doing his best. Wants to hold hope but may have at least outwardly given up on Ben, with Poe filling in the void. Has gone clean from his life of crime and still married 30+ years strong with Leia. He would be the one who is the closest to Poe if he’s still in the military and Leia is a Jedi, with Poe being seen as his likely successor. He might die at the end of 8? Maybe Hamill and Carrie would somehow talk him into sticking around past 7? He might still die in 7?

(Side note: I wish we could have seen Old Harrison Ford in a military casual coat-cape. He would have looked awesome in it. I mean no one would really complain that he plays fast and loose with the dress code if there even is one, he’s Han freakin’ Solo and he gives no f*cks.)

Leia Organa-Solo: Preferably a Jedi Knight, leader while he’s away if he’s away as well as their tactician, or senator considering her personality; maybe have basically what Colin Trevorrow planned for her (I mean… why not just use CGI at this point? They’ve done it before. I’m sure Carrie wouldn’t have wanted her swan song to be such a passive role either), with her bond with Luke being a major factor and us actually being able to see it in practice. May have outwardly given up on her son as well, but still is at the end of the day a mom doing her best. Basically a strong, smart lady like how she’s always been.

Chewbacca: How he always is, but he plays more of a role than basically the guy bussing the cast around, an active combat role definitely. Han’s second in command and maybe fellow dad. Possibly the part-time chaperone of the mess that is the new main duo. Also was Ben’s first friend, and you bet there will be drama here.

Lando Calrissian: Business mogul who probably helps the heroes out, maybe by selling them stuff and using his many connections to get information. And/or he’s basically an economic diplomat for the Republic. Has known Ben since he was a child and may have snuck him on too many joyrides without telling Leia, to her chagrin and Han’s amusement. 

Grand Admiral Armitage Hux: Basically how he was in SW7. Calculating, manipulative, coldhearted, intelligent, and ruthless, the brains to Kylo’s brawn. Son of former Imperial officers, killed his own father to get where he is. Gives no f*cks, except when he goes full ham. Maybe even he goes cold and pale if Kylo starts getting angry, just to show how terrifying he can be, but I also like the idea of him being one of two people who can manipulate Kylo out of a tantrum and not end up a pile of flesh or choked to death. 

Captain Phasma: How she is in supplemental material probably. A walking chrome machine of merciless death. Probably not very talkative, and probably does not take defectors lightly. She may defect at the end or not depending on how truly evil she’s portrayed to be, but I’m thinking she’s likely this cruel disciplinarian who expects complete and utter, machine-like obedience to the end, and Finn flinches at the mere mention of her, though she herself is equally as extremely loyal to the cause.

Snoke: A mysterious being, the likes of which are not of this galaxy. Probably some kind of ancient eldritch abomination who can torment vulnerable minds with an untraceable curse. Not your average Sith, and despite how it may seem it may not be connected to them at all… Or perhaps it is. Or perhaps it itself serves a larger master. It wants to use Kylo Ren for… something. Just what it is is what Luke has been trying to find out for years.

Knights of Ren: Idea borrowed from Thor Skywalker (check him out on YouTube!); possibly a military cult of Sith/Vader worshippers who see Ben as the second coming of Vader, and have aligned themselves with Snoke. Probably basically Kylo’s personal guard and troops. Or possibly directly liked to whatever otherworldly entit(ies?) Snoke is, not being of this galaxy themselves.

Anakin Skywalker: Determined grandpa doing his best for his kids, grandkid(s), and the galaxy. Doesn’t appear often, but plays a major role in the story; maybe he’s the one who led Rey to his lightsaber, and maybe he advises Luke while training Rey, or secretly follows Kylo, trying to speak to him but unable to be seen or heard by him. He’d be the one who ultimately convinces Ben to return to the light, and to, in an echo of the words Ben heard when he was being impersonated, “finish what I started”.

Rose Tico: A probably relatively new, wide-eyed young recruit in the Republic Military, and maybe seeks revenge on First Order for killing or kidnapping her sister. Not sure if she will be needed, but if there’s room for her she might be interesting. Maybe she’s one of Poe’s friends or part of his squad. She could also be the resident girly girl because there aren’t many of those here. 

Vice-Admiral Amberlyn Holdo: She’s in the Aftermath books, and those seem pretty good, so she’s probably how she is there. A quirky mostly background character that is probably at most there for Han and/or Leia and Ackbar to give commands to and salute back, but most importantly she actually does her job properly, even if she’s still a bit of an odd person. Also Poe knows her and they have a way more amicable work relationship. Also give her something which actually looks like something military personnel would wear. She could even be a legitimately good tactician who comes up with off-the-wall tactics.

(Side note: I heard that she basically has the Star Wars version of Autism, and while I’d appreciate that as an Aspie myself, I’ll also have to say that Autistic people would probably be terrible military leaders due to us not being able to adjust to sudden changes well and our bad communication skills. So yeah, sorry, unless she’s recast to something like, say, a mechanic or logistics or medic or any other more Autistic-friendly job, that’s going to have to go)

Maz Kanada: …Admittedly not sure what to do with her. But she’s more likely to be an acquaintance of Lando before Han, if she doesn’t know both. In fact, Lando may be introduced early alongside her. But she would still have the important role of keeping Anakin’s saber; how she has it, either Lando found it, or basically what was cut from TFA showing that she’s indeed pretty awesome. 

BB-8: BB-8 doesn’t have to change. He’s perfect as he is. Maybe what he can do should be more consistent though. Poe and him are basically Ash and Pikachu, they stick together whenever possible. If Rey or Finn need a droid to tag along and Poe isn’t in the party at the moment, R2 is right there. I once read a fanfic in which BB-8 was actually a droid Luke made for Ben and I liked the idea… though it probably would be a bit of an unnecessary detail in practice.

R2-D2 and C3P0: They’re basically business as usual. They would still have that boke-tsukkomi dynamic they had going on, sometimes with the added childlike cuteness of BB-8 in the mix. If there’s any extra time left for comic relief scenes, or if they’re sent on some kind of mission together, I can see these three messing around doing their thing (or rather, BB being childlike, cute and curious, Threepio being overly nervous, and Artoo being too old for this sh*t and/or BB’s cool uncle/older brother) being both cute and hilarious.

Also Worldbuilding stuff will be featured at the bottom

Elaboration on the “big four” of the sequel cast:

Rey: Aged 19, speaks with Daisy Ridley’s normal accent, not RP (I mean really, her accent isn’t that hard to understand). A whole rainbow of possibilities with this lady, though many don’t realize it. I might be leaning towards her being Luke’s daughter, though her being Just Rey may also be interesting, and her still being a descendant of Palpatine or the main villain could also have potential, though if Finn is a Jedi I don’t think there’s any need for her parents to be nobody. But the three main routes I can think of for her are these three: Cynical!Rey, a Rey with a backstory identical to the canon Rey from her abandonment onwards, Fangirl!Rey, a sort of estimation of a dorky female Star Wars nerd in-universe and the most lighthearted start out of the three, and Padawan!Rey, a Rey who is already Luke’s Padawan at his academy. Maybe making her starting point less crushingly bleak and Fangirl!Rey could work, but it might dilute both ideas, and that characterization might be a bit too similar to ANH Luke. 

As is apparent, Cynical!Rey, is, well, cynical. She’s strong and independent, but extremely distrusting, on-edge, and not used to friendly interaction. Think Female SW4 Han Solo but even more antisocial and probably not even bothering with the bravado, and basically with Anakin’s upbringing except she doesn’t even have a loving mother like Anakin did. Fangirl!Rey was my initial idea but I’m starting to become less partial to it because of the aforementioned similarity to ANH Luke, but my idea was she’s basically Harry Potter, living with stepparents who hate her, or she’s still used as basically child labor but her conditions are nowhere near as bad as Cynical Rey’s, and she would have grown up on stories about the Rebels and the Jedi and everything else in the past movies, collecting every single bit of memorabilia she can get her hands on. If one wants to go for very lighthearted and slightly meta for SW7 this is the route. Padawan!Rey could go anywhere, but I’m thinking she would basically be our D&D Paladin; ever since Ben Solo went berserk and ran off to join the First Order, she’s become very protective of her fellow students and has a really understandable personal grudge against him. She might be the strongest pupil left after the Second Jedi Massacre, and by the end maybe she becomes the successor to headmaster of the academy. It is possible that she was found abandoned on Jakku or Luke’s doorstep, however, so the theme of growing up lonely is there, and because being a Jedi is what has given her meaning in life it means a lot to her. But while I don’t want her parentage to be revealed early if it is Luke, it does raise the massive plot hole of why this was never disclosed to her or to Ben. 

And yes, I did say fellow students and academy. Wiping the new Jedi Order feels really cheap and it makes the whole hopeful Jedi Starting Anew implication that I’m 90% sure the OT ended on feel very pointless. I’d prefer them still being there, though their inclusion would be obviously way more natural in the Padawan Route. This also has tons of marketing potential for Disney, because I wanted to take IRL realism into account; what’s in it for Disney? Maybe potential to expand on other students and Luke’s academy? It could be like a smaller Jedi Hogwarts/Xavier Institute basically. Though the survivors wouldn’t be too numerous; just, like, four at most. Maybe there would be elements of an Avengers/Infinity War/Endgame-esque team movie, even if the rest are a bit out of focus.

I did think maybe the heroes would still go to Ahch-To after SW7 where Luke would have been hiding with his students researching the new threat, but maybe I could have him stay and sort of take a few cues from Harry Potter by introducing the heroes to the world of the Jedi early and giving them a break in the action as they settle in their new homes, so there’s more time to develop the padawan side characters, what the academy is like, and Luke gets to appear in SW7 as well so there can be a OT trio “reunion” (not a reunion in-universe). Though that kind of messes with other parts I want to include like Rey and Finn having to take on Kylo and getting completely whipped because he’s a rampaging madman before having to be saved by Luke. Also Rey getting kidnapped has potential for developing her trust in others, and her and Finn getting a breather moment at the Republic after the heroes and Han regroup would kind of remove a point where that could be easily slotted in the story. It would also require everything before this to be crammed in the first act. 

(Newer edit 5/27/21)  I also like her getting a golden double-bladed saber like many fans depict her. It’s not only awesome looking (because she only gets her own saber at the end of TROS… Why?), but it’s more toys for the moichendise! It fits her starting with a staff, it has more reach, and it would fit Cynical Rey especially for her to have a style centered around keeping as much of herself defended as possible. Watching Battlefront 2 footage has made me think about fighting styles a bit, and if she and Finn are a duo how their styles of combat might compliment each other, especially as their relationship develops (coincidentally she and Finn apparently are a very good combination in BF2). A Cynical Rey would probably contrast the most, with a fighting style based on keeping enemies away, trickery, and defense (a good choice for a blade made of light), maybe a bit wild at first but initially her goal in fighting would be to hold out until there is an opening to get the hell out, only staying to fight if she has no other option. Fangirl Rey wouldn’t really have a fighting style initially, and it’s gonna be very dependent on where her arc goes. Padawan Rey would have the most Prequel Jedi-esque, choreographed style, showing a lot of skill though not quite mastering it and with tons of openings at first. A Cynical Rey may have an uncanny skill to detect suspicious people, which would make her trusting the heroes easier, and though this ability isn’t super strong and is more “a slight gut feeling but it could be nothing” than “human lie detector” it could maybe be honed more. And while not quite wall vision like in BF2 (because wat? Where do they come up with this stuff?), maybe she’s good at detecting people’s presences too. These are very apt ambient skills for someone in her position. Meanwhile, Fangirl!Rey would have probably suspected she had the Force already, and her ambient abilities could be whatever, just rather passive abilities unless trained. 

If she is Luke’s daughter though, that would open up the can of worms of who her mother is. Just making it so that she died before the events of SW7 might seem a bit… unfortunate? I kind of want Luke to have found love sometime (and seriously with how much of a bombshell young Luke was, in addition to him being such a hero, I’m shocked that he never got one. I can see why Mara Jade wanted a piece of that. *wolf whistle*), but then I’d have to figure out how to incorporate her in this already character-dense story without her having cheaply died offscreen. I might be able to think of something? I could always go digging in the dusty pile of old fan theories, I might find something good. Thor Skywalker did hint at her but his story stopped at the end of where SW8 would have. If I do name her Mara there’s probably going to be extra pressure to do something with her. …But I can’t be the only one who thinks that Daisy Ridley kind of looks like Natalie Portman. Then again I’m pretty face-blind. I guess blond hair and blue eye color genes are also recessive traits for Star Wars humans. Though it seems the height genes skipped a generation because she’s actually pretty tall for a woman at 170 cm - I’m sorry what. That’s as tall as the average Japanese man! Holy sh*t Daisy! She only looks a bit small because she’s often depicted with Kylo and Kylo makes everyone not Phasma look diminutive. I guess Ben would get it from Anakin and Han (though he’s still taller than both of them…), so maybe a taller actress would be cast as Mara (?). And despite Rey’s malnourishment in the Cynical route, this actually isn’t that implausible, because stunted growth apparently only happens if children are deprived from gestation to about 2 years of age. 

And again, why wouldn’t Ben know about this? But if this isn’t the Padawan!Rey route (the hardest to incorporate Rey The Actual Skywalker into), maybe Ben took Rey’s assumed death as even more of a reason to burden himself with the entire Skywalker legacy? This would give him a reason to already care about her.

Further edits: According to the Aftermath books, Jakku was a “Lightside Nexus” planet. Maybe this has to do with her powers? (Perhaps she was kept sane by the Force speaking to her on occasion, in dreams or as she lies staring at the ceiling after a long day, showing her the loving life she used to live and unknown to her she will return to someday). Or why she was dropped there? Maybe she was supposed to be living with Lor San Tekka (the old guy Kylo kills at the beginning of TFA), but got lost one day or was kidnapped by bandits to be a scavenger because her small size would have been perfect for getting loot from small spaces? Why not take her back then? This probably is one of the biggest plot knots in the Cynical Rey Skywalker route, alongside who her mother is.  

Small detail lightning round before moving on: I once read a Japanese fic, and in it she mentioned she hates alcohol because she saw how it turned people into monsters. I actually kind of liked this headcanon, and maybe a bit unexpected. Though there’s also the route of her just being too used to it, setting her apart from previous more wholesome protagonists even more.  Also Daisy would have to start hitting the gym and protein shakes because I think her character design evolving from her thin build to a very athletic, Wonder Woman-esque body type would be pretty good in representing her growth as a character, and combined with her height she would be so very badass looking. 

Finn: Probably around 23? Infamous for lost potential, so his backstory is the same. However, I’m thinking that due to his dehumanizing upbringing, he’s a bit robotic and pretty stoic initially, a total opposite to Poe. He doesn’t understand jokes or sarcasm, and now that he’s completely left the life he’s always known, he feels pretty lost. He would basically act like a male Rei Ayanami, though I was going more for Drax at first. Alternatively, he’s a proud warrior type, imagine a stereotypical North Korean/Prussian soldier. He’d be a bit more emotional and probably less cartoonish here (I mean I have compared Star Wars to anime but full-on anime tropes in live action probably looks super corny), and he’s a massive hardass who also doesn’t get sarcasm or jokes and fanatical and would have thought of his fellow soldiers as a collective as his band of brothers and comrades, collectively serving the FO like a smoothly running machine. My initial thought was that after a life of war crimes and the influence a certain pilot whose cell he was guarding who gave him his name, and maybe witnessing the death of a comrade, he had defected from the FO, but I started thinking it would be plausible if he defected from the FO probably by accident. Highly likely to be the second protagonist, if not POV character, and if so I think it’s logical that it’s Finnrey that becomes the canon ship here. In the Padawan!Rey route, he’s the newcomer protagonist, not Rey. If they’re shipped, or even as friends, they may bond over their dehumanizing, harsh backgrounds and the feeling of being lost in the world. Also he likely starts a mutiny. Like it was such an obvious plot point but they never use it for some bizarre reason. It’s like the DM didn’t read his character sheet at all. Actually one didn’t and the other kept forgetting it in the third campaign.

There’s two ways I think his arc could go; first would be a focus mainly on his search for identity and becoming his own person. Second, his guilt about having done the First Order’s bidding for so long. Probably a combination of the two, though I’m not sure how to address them both. He also wants to see his colleagues free from slavery. But I am sure about I’d that he’d have to overcome his conditioning, learning to regain his humanity.

Especially if Rey is a Skywalker and he becomes a Jedi, he’d be the one who the movie makes a point about being from nowhere. He has no idea who his parents are, but it would not even matter in the end, it’s what he makes of his life from here on out. And if he and Rey end up together, which is extremely likely in this scenario, he not only finds his family in the figurative sense with the other Jedi and his new friends plus girlfriend, but in the literal sense as well, going from nameless Stormtrooper FN-2187, to just Finn the ex-Stormtrooper, to Finn the Padawan and then Jedi Knight, to finally, Finn Skywalker, Jedi Knight; maybe the last movie ends with one of them proposing to the other, with SW8 having previously ended with the climactic big damn kiss that cemented that they are a thing now. (Cue Luke jokingly asking when he’s getting grandchildren and How It Should Have Ended!Anakin squeeing over him getting great-grandchildren lol) His name would have this real symbolic value to it with how it changes as he goes from nobody to somebody. Not to mention “Finn Skywalker” is just a freakin’ awesome name. If they make up the leading duo, he and Rey may have some kind of inherent connection, or they progress into two parts of the same whole, even attaining something like a Dyad.

I thought an interesting thing to do if Rey is a Skywalker, and this is Cynical Rey, is a twist on the expected pattern by making him the one who sees the good in Kylo, not Rey. Because while Rey might be his cousin, she’s also a very distrustful person who couldn’t afford to think deeply about people act the way they do when she was growing up and fighting to survive. Meanwhile, Finn knows Kylo, and he also knows what it’s like to be determined to be a killing machine from a very young age, and if he has to forgive himself, or if he’s able to see the light, that Kylo deserves a chance as well. It would be the ultimate show of kindness from him, to show him forgiving the man who works so loyally under the same organization that enslaved him. I can also see Kylo being angry at himself for being unable to sense the Force-Sensitive in their midst. 

Maybe he was born on a “Lightside nexus” planet too so that it makes sense that he can keep up with other characters? Presuming he’s in his early 20s, I don’t think him being raised by the Order since he was a baby is that plausible, so maybe he was already an orphan? I can see the First Order spinning their Stormtrooper program kidnapping street orphans as “rehabilitating” them, which combined with good old Victorian style citizen apathy to street children allows them to get away with it. But if he was, say, around 6 years old when he was taken away, it would make sense why he was able to break out of his programming. Perhaps Poe showing him friendship awoke the humanity long dormant in him. But on the other hand, the younger, adolescent soldiers may be beyond saving, and I can see that being absolutely heartbreaking. 

I can see his fighting style with a saber being direct, forceful, and pragmatic, but unlike Rey the emphasis would be on engaging and keeping up the fight, and be very disciplined, calculated, and controlled in contrast to Cynical Rey. At least he’d attempt it while he gets used to the properties of a lightsaber, before there would probably be a lot of awkwardness as John is directed to swing this weightless prop blade with a weighted hilt like he would a club or sword. If he isn’t a Force Sensitive, he’s a good sniper just like in BF2, in fact this would be his primary combat ability, though still able to hold his own in melee combat. Though even as a Jedi he’d probably still use a gun as a sidearm, and his good aim would also translate to him being very good at spotting openings and spotting danger from a distance, as well as enhanced ability to dodge. 

Poe Dameron: Age 29 (?). A total bro. I’ve kind of come to think of him as this embodiment of the good, wholesome side of traditional masculinity. I can best describe him as the guy you expect to think of when you think of the guy who takes the boys to the bar for beers on the house and hosts Super Bowl night (for the Americans out there). Basically just that big bro/cool uncle everyone likes. I think he’s the least changed from how he is in SW7; he’s a laid-back pilot with no special powers, and while he’s probably the most static and admittedly flat character (and unfortunately more minor than the other two) he has tons of charisma and optimism to compensate, though being the one who keeps everyone sane definitely helps. Not to mention his piloting skills; which, note, are never eclipsed by Rey, because that’s dumb. His skills are a bit more downplayed here, but he’s still extremely good, especially for his age. Despite being the pilot he’s the most down-to-earth, and may be the only one of the big four with any social skills, even if he’s a bit dorky, especially regarding BB-8. 

Son of Rebel pilots, graduated top of his class in the Republic Flight Academy, and his background is squeaky clean, no drug trading involved, though he spent a lot of his adolescence and his adulthood in the Academy or in the military, just like in pre-TROS supplementary material. He’s the main source of jokes and wisecracks out of the trio in all but the most dorky of Fangirl!Rey routes probably, teaching Cynical!Rey and Finn what it’s like to smile and laugh. He still has a close relationship with Leia and Han; possibly closer to the latter due to the latter being a pilot and likely still a General. Not sure about him keeping his rank because him starting and staying at the top might mesh awkwardly with the rest of the trio, but maybe he’s still a Commander; whichever makes his inclusion in the main cast most plausible. Due to an adorable Pixiv comic I found he may have been inspired to become a pilot by Luke or Han. I’d like to think that he breaks the hotshot pilot cliché a bit by not being too overly arrogant, immediately setting himself apart from Han by being a wholesome guy there for his buddies from the start, even if he is fond of wisecracking and snarkiness (probably from hanging around Han and Leia), and inside that laid-back personality lies a hotblooded, passionate, unwavering core. Like, he’s not exactly hotheaded like a Latin stereotype (*ahem*), but he’s got this more subtle, but still apparent, underlying fiery hotbloodedness to him, something that especially makes itself apparent in high-stress situations and when it comes to his loved ones. He’d also be Rey and Finn’s mentor of sorts in stuff that doesn’t involve the Force, being their role model for what a functional member of society is. He may make some self-depreciating jokes about being “normal”, but I think mostly he’ll take it in stride. Though I can see him and Han having a chat about this in a more quiet scene. 

Ironically, out of the trio he could maybe be said to be the most suited to be a Jedi personality-wise, despite the fact that he has no Force Sensitivity whatsoever; he goes with the flow, he isn’t troubled, he’s happy with the simple pleasures in life, he’s just a good, genuine guy who does good things, passionate but not obsessive, and he’s forgiving, willing to give even an enemy soldier a chance, appealing to the humanity in him. The last one is particularly Luke-like, don’t you think? Oh, to elaborate on the escape; I still like the idea of him giving Finn his name (though another idea I love is a fallen friend giving Finn his name, that would change stuff around a lot from what I am thinking at this moment). I also think that perhaps supplemental material or some flashbacks, or even an animated short could be made showing just how Poe broke Finn’s programming; by showing him genuine kindness, because somehow, despite his lack of Force Sensitivity, he saw that FN-2187 could be talked out of his programming if he was constantly nice to him, befriending him, starting up casual chatter with him, and after a while the trooper starts opening up to this pilot. …Yeah, Luke-like indeed. Though since there is the plot hole of why Finn could be convinced in mere days and why he’s the only one guarding such a high-profile prisoner, a more realistic idea may be that they talk to each other this way a few times, then Poe escapes and Finn goes after him before they both crash on Jakku and have to work together, with Poe immediately being friendly with Finn and later Rey, to his (and her) confusion. (I can just imagine Poe being all chipper and trying to engage Finn in conversation, or telling him “Good job, sport!” after they fight off bandits or something, and Finn just is all deadpan and “We are enemies, we have no reason to fraternize” and I find that kind of cute).

He may ultimately be the most static of the main cast, but I can see him having a huge impact in more subtle ways; like maybe Rey and Finn think of what Poe might do in a given situation in their training, and he could be the catalyst behind why Finn thinks that Kylo can be redeemed, just like how Poe was able to light another way when it felt like there was only one path for him. He also definitely wouldn’t be the type to be so reckless with his men like he was in TLJ, if he’s still a Commander; he cares about his men a lot, and in fact they may be the reason why he tends to act like an older brother. I can imagine a pretty poignant scene with Finn where Finn sees Poe by himself and BB-8 paying respects to his fallen comrades by this handmade cenotaph, as he sets some flowers down and pours a drink to them, and Finn once again is able to see how different the culture outside the First Order is, as he would have never been mourned like that if he died on the battlefield, nor can he imagine he ever would have done so himself. Or maybe Rey is there too, because if this is Cynical Rey she’s only known a life where people exploited each other. Maybe other characters like Jessika (who he’s already close to I think? Did she show up in the movies though?) or Rose would have the opportunity to be more than background characters by being part of his crew, and we’d get some charming scenes about the bond he has with his squadron.

Again, admittedly he’d be the least deep character out of the big four, with his feelings not being explored nearly as much. But he probably doesn’t really hide his feelings much anyway. For any supplementary shorts involving him, they would be mainly lighter stories about his relationship with the OT cast and their families and his friendship with BB-8 and his crew, or action-y ones about missions he’s gone on; as opposed to, say, Finn, which would show his life as an expendable trooper who knew nothing but war, Cynical!Rey and her crushing loneliness and growing disillusionment to the world as she struggles to survive, or Padawan!Rey and her anguish and grappling with the Dark Side in the aftermath of the Jedi Massacre. 

I can also imagine him being this adorable Shipper On Deck for Finnrey lol. Just looking at his two friends, all proud, maybe even tearing up like “*sniff* I’m not crying Buddy, you’re crying!” when the inevitable big kiss scene happens. I can also imagine him being the one to tell Finn that “Hey Finn, what you’re feeling is love!”…And then he has to spend hours trying to explain what love even is to him lol. He always has his friends’ back after all. Again, he’s most likely the one guy who isn’t completely socially inept among these dorks. I’ve also had the potential idea that he could maybe be a good cook, and he’d be the one who introduces Rey and Finn to actually good food. Some fics I’ve noticed tend to show him cooking stuff probably for that reason. It’s just kind of cute, and it sets a good example if despite his traditionally masculine, salt-of-the-earth character, he likes some less “manly” stuff like such and sees no shame in it.

He may sacrifice himself in a blaze of glory towards the end, especially because quite frankly he may lose his plot relevance as the story goes on, though it would definitely be way more respectful than a lot of deaths were treated in the sequels. But I also want him to stick around because I want to imagine him being all proud of Rey and Finn after they propose to each other and giddily planning their wedding, and I feel he could have some very good interactions with Ben to build on for any spinoffs taking place after the trilogy. Speaking of…

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo: AKA Yet Another Ball Of Lost Potential: Anti-Villain Addition. This is gonna be a doozy, so strap in. He was probably the most developed character here but that just makes his lost potential stick out even more, so I have so much to say about him.

About 27 probably. While people complain about it, I actually like him being a manchild. It makes him a bit unique in this series. It’s kind of like Vader if he didn’t get stuck in that suit and kept acting like Anakin. In fact, that could make him even more terrifying if that feeds into how destructive he can be; at first he seems like your typical intimidating SW villain, not even that bad a leader with a seemingly calm if tense, imposing air, but it eventually becomes clear he’s this terrifying, volatile berserker who can throw some of the most destructive tantrums ever, and is ultimately a pathetic, broken, pitiful shell of a man. …He just happens to be a very powerful shell of a man. Maybe if he becomes emotional or angry enough, he can unleash powerful shockwaves that basically blow up everything around him, or cause mini Force Storms, or cause any number of unpredictable effects. Though he’s not quite constantly raging either; these berserk states are indeed triggered by anger, but I’m thinking that they are also basically weaponized panic attacks, there’s a sense that it’s also a self-defense mechanism that he lapses into when emotions overwhelm him or when he otherwise feels threatened (though whether it’s necessarily involuntary all the time I’m not so sure; but while he’d definitely want to be able to trigger them voluntarily, there will always be some sense that he doesn’t have full control over it). Also a lot of his rage is directed inwards as well, much like with his grandfather. I thought that maybe his unpredictability in these rages would be the key to his destructiveness, though I can see how someone who is out of control would also pose a problem, no matter how powerful; so maybe this is when he becomes the most focused, becoming locked onto the elimination of the perceived threat at all costs, and/or he can be controlled by his Master more directly like some kind of attack animal. 

Luke’s first padawan, or at least after Leia or Grogu (I might make him show up as Luke’s first knighted pupil and allude to this, providing more exposition on Kylo, and being one of the Jedi who help fight in the final battle as the Skywalkers go on to take on the final boss (and Grogu’s name being revealed would be a massive hype moment in The Mandalorian)). Due to his storied family, plus the name of his uncle and grandfather’s own master, he had heavy expectations on his (at the time) small shoulders from an early age. However, he had long been tormented by the Dark Side due to an untraceable curse placed upon him by Snoke, and probably a pre-existing anxious personality. The expectations placed on him, or maybe perhaps just self-imposed expectations, only worsened his turmoil, resulting in a festering mess of self-hatred, extreme perfectionism, and an obsession with familial honor and obsessive attachment to his family, especially Luke, that is a nasty combination of hero-worship and the abovementioned complexes and may border on almost incestuous.

There’s three ways for his backstory to go; “Underachiever Ben”, where Ben is either mediocre as a Jedi or still good but outperformed by others, or “Elsa Ben”, where he’s basically like Elsa from Frozen, possessing an extreme amount of power but barely able to control it, possibly due to Snoke’s curse, and a sort of middle ground, where Ben was super strong and a quick learner, but the dark side in him made Luke feel mixed about Ben’s increasing power, which Ben sensed. If the former, Ben becomes increasingly frustrated at himself for being such a “failure”. If “Elsa Ben”, there’s that, and also the added pain of him growing up terrified of himself and able to sense the terror he causes to those around him, so he was taken in by Luke so hopefully Luke could figure something out; he could have been destructive from the start, or maybe he started to become increasingly destructive despite his training. If the middle ground route, he takes Luke’s mixed emotions to mean that he doesn’t think he’s good enough. How severe Snoke’s curse would have been I’m not fully sure on; he could have voices in his head and nightmares keeping him up for days, chipping away at his sanity, tempting him to accept the darkness, or it may have just been an amplifying of his already unstable emotions. They could have even started as the latter and escalated to the former. But I’m thinking that to best explain his behavior I’m leaning towards the Elsa route. Eventually, his nightmares morphed into repeated visits by Darth Vader, his grandfather, who told him about the truth of his lineage and how he became Vader, slandering everything and everyone he ever admired or loved, telling him of his “true” destiny, and how he should give up and embrace it; unable to hear the real Anakin’s ghost screaming at him to not repeat his mistake. This extended campaign of mental torment stunted his emotional growth in many aspects, and at times he may seem to regress even more. Maybe other padawans were afraid of him because of this dark side presence, avoiding him, and/or were jealous of him because of his lineage and relation to Luke. He often felt entitled to be Luke’s right hand, getting jealous at other students and taking any reprimanding, no matter how gentle, extremely personally. Luke would have needed to struggle between not seeming to be biased towards his nephew and giving him the attention he needed, especially because Ben would feel like Han and Leia abandoned him because they weren’t able to help him, but considering how attached he is to Luke this would hurt him. So when Luke went to speak to him one night, or rushed in sensing an overwhelming dark side presence in his room, and was suddenly attacked by Snoke with a vision of what his nephew would become and making him go into fighting mode for a split second, drawing his weapon to protect Ben, and/or earlier admitted in anguish that he had no idea what was tormenting him despite his efforts, the straw broke the pedestal and he resigned himself to his “destiny”. Ironically he’s just exchanging one sky-high ideal for another, but he’s too emotionally immature to realize this, nor does he fully realize the fact that Snoke merely sees him as a malleable, gullible means to an end. Yet he still feels that pesky pull to the light, and he becomes increasingly frustrated with himself that even as a Dark side user, he still can’t be “perfect” or “worth” anything, not even able to sink himself into the darkness and finally rid himself of his pain. For all the privilege and power he has, or because of it, he always feels worthless. 

Basically I want to break him down and make his pitifulness obvious, but that’s what makes him sympathetic. He’s nowhere as far gone as Vader, even if he wants to be, kind of like a reverse Jekyll and Hyde situation where the Hyde is dominant but Jekyll hangs on, so to speak? Maybe? Is that the right analogy? Or I guess it is kind of like Anakin but sort of not, but he’s rapidly going down the same route of hurting his family like his grandfather. 

From researching a bit, his proposed behavior seems pretty close to the symptoms of BPD, which is actually pretty fitting because I was thinking Luke’s philosophy on the Force would be influenced by a more modern understanding of psychology, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy actually seems pretty in tune with what I understand to be how the Light Side of the Force works (I mean it even has basis in religious meditation…). Perhaps a mystical version of DBT was one of the things Luke was studying in exile. Though obviously it isn’t exactly BPD; portraying an actual, named mental illness not only has way too much baggage behind it, but it breaks immersion. And with him a lot of it will be the influence of the curse, though I think I would rather him have a personality that made him vulnerable to it from the start, so the curse had something to latch onto. 

Going with the “Elsa Ben” scenario, his “real” personality is anxious and even a bit shy. While I like the idea of him being cheerful when he was very little, the shyness always being there is also a characterization I like. Combined with his lumbering physique from his teenage years onwards, this made him a kid who gave off an impression of being extremely dorky (an act that would probably be very natural for Adam Driver to pull off lol) and/or withdrawn and aloof, the latter of which may have made some other padawans think he thought highly of himself and start to resent him. Unlike Anakin he’d be probably a dutiful student, almost creepily obedient, probably actively distancing himself from rebellious behavior, though his way of speaking isn’t exactly super formal either because of the influence of the adults around him. In his obsessions lies a genuine love, even if twisted, of his “favorite person” so to speak. He was also a genuinely sweet kid who wanted to please these special people in his life. He could be said to be actually really selfless in a weird way, because ultimately he values familial honor and being “good enough” for whatever higher purpose more than he values himself. TROS implied some sassiness with that Han-like shrug, and while I can maybe see some of Han rubbing off on him like that, that might be something that started from him trying to copy his parents’ air of confidence, and another coping mechanism. He might, like Vader, have a 501st legion 2.0 which Phasma is in charge of and Finn is part of, and show a more nicer side to them. Perhaps he opened up one or two times to Finn specifically; I can see this image of him venting to him while Finn stands still like how someone might vent to their dog, not really expecting Finn to be listening (also sarcasm might help Kylo obscure his true anguish from Finn, because FO troopers don’t understand sarcasm probably).  

He will be redeemed at the end… and live. Even if not necessarily paired with Rey. I’m neutral on Reylo (though admittedly I have a weak spot for pairs involving a strong woman and a troubled guy, so it’s kind of growing on me), but I really think this ship, or even centering the story strongly around a platonic relationship between these two, could have worked if it was built up strongly (Though if I were to go this route Finn would have to be established as a secondary character from the start, with Rey as the definitive main character, to focus on this). But either way, he’s definitely going to have to face the consequences of what he’s done, make up for his atrocities at least somewhat, and think about what he truly wants to do from now on. I can imagine him quietly reading stories to younglings as Rey, Finn, and Luke train some other pupils outside, or thanklessly working behind the scenes in other ways. For his haters out there, I could make the pill easier to swallow not just by making the reasons for his fall and how he was slowly and meticulously gaslit more clear, but also making him not as awful. Yes, he’s extremely destructive, but he could show more reluctance, or pause after his berserker rages, staring at the destruction he’s caused as the weight of what he’s done sinks in. He’d of course resent that he still has mercy left in him though. I don’t think that there will be a Starkiller Base, but even if there was he might argue with Hux a bit over whether it’s really necessary, until Hux sneers at him for having mercy, saying that Vader never hesitated when blowing up Alderaan, and Kylo reluctantly backs off.

…Actually, what about making him and Rey cousins? On one hand, if Rey is a Skywalker by blood, a direct daughter of the Master himself no less, Ben is now suddenly freed from carrying the weight of the family legacy on his own. On the other hand… He basically loses the thing he has spent his entire life building his identity around; since his fall would have partially been because of his obsession with Luke, he may become jealous and extremely resentful of her, and/or take this as even more reason for Luke to not “need” him anymore. Or perhaps, he pulls a reverse of “I sense the conflict in you” with her, wanting to “save” her from embracing the Light and wanting her to embrace the “true” Skywalker destiny with him. He could even be overjoyed that he could have someone else alongside him to carry on the legacy with; in this scenario he could have an unhealthy obsession with her that might also start crossing into “are you sure this isn’t incest?” territory. Yeah it’s a “join me and we can rule together” scenario again, but it would be done differently. Or perhaps it’s a mix of some of those. Exploring that and how he chooses to take it could be extremely interesting. Maybe it’s resolved when Anakin tells him to “finish what he started”… not just by saving the galaxy, but by also living the rest of his life loving his family not as an ideal, but as family, like Anakin wasn’t allowed to. And platonic Reylo sounds nice too. Though that’s going to make all that shipping fanart so awkward lol. Well it’s not as if Star Wars shippers haven’t been cockblocked by incest before (though his obsession with family and extremely questionable mental state would probably make such shippers go nuts anyway…). 

And going off of Poe being close to his parents, while the main interactions with Kylo from the heroes would be Rey, Finn if he’s the second protagonist, Luke, and his parents, I can see potential for an interesting dynamic and some interesting conversations between them too. Much like how he might react to Rey being Luke’s daughter, I can see him being jealous of Poe and resenting him for being his “replacement”, but after his redemption I can see potential for seeing the start of a friendship between them in epilogue comics, novels, or a mini-series. It would be pretty in-character for my version of Poe to want to help rehabilitate his sort-of stepbrother. Also I now have the adorable mental image of Ben quietly helping Poe (and maybe the rest of his squad) decorate and arrange Rey and Finn’s wedding, or the two surprising Finn with a very elaborate bachelor party, though I’m not sure if those exist in this universe. And because of a certain Inside Llewyn Davis scene I’m also imagining Poe getting Ben to sing with him and BB-8. It’s adorable. 

Also if both Rey and Finn are the main heroes, he might have some kind of link with both of them, and the main duo would both contrast him in their own way (lonely scavenger who no one expected anything of and nameless trooper who defected from the First Order vs. someone who grew up in greatness but seemingly threw it away and chose to be in the First Order; and much like Kylo Finn in particular has been manipulated from childhood to do heinous things, so he may sympathize with his situation). Maybe he’s the missing piece needed for both him and the leading duo to reach their full potential, or the main duo are the last piece needed to finally break Snoke’s curse on him, or something. Or it could simply just be Finn showing his growth and strength of character by understanding and forgiving Kylo, despite him now understanding just how badly the First Order treated him, which makes Rey (who, again, might start as this super cynical scavenger or may have seen Kylo go berserk and massacre her friends and betray her Master) come around to the idea. In this scenario it may actually be even more important to emphasize that Rey and Finn are two making up a whole, so as not to bog stuff down. It’s possible to ship Finnrey and want Kylo to have a better ending, what a shock! 

Maybe Rey and Kylo could switch places, and he comes back to the light in SW8, which is an idea I’ve seen floated and is something that would make the story truly unique. He would seem like basically a less stable Vader 2.0 at the start, but over SW8 he could be seen breaking more and more out of his own terrible mindset, coming to a head in a cathartic realization that bring him back into the arms of his beloved family. It would also add an interesting dynamic that he and Finn have to be equals now. But that may mean that Rey would have to be killed off and I’m not so sure about that. 

Though speaking of her, since in all these scenarios a common thread is that she understandably doesn’t like him, it would be a bit of a twist if Finn sees the good in him but Rey, if she’s a Skywalker, his cousin, doesn’t. 

And to bring up Poe again, I also really like the idea of them having been childhood friends and thus knowing each other before the events of SW7; after all, they’re around similar age, it isn’t that far-fetched to think that former Rebel families would be still pretty close to each other, and I’ve seen some adorable fanfics with the concept. It also adds connection between them and adds even more tragedy, even if this relationship may have to be elaborated more in supplementary material due to time. I can definitely Poe speaking like an old friend to Kylo and constantly calling him “Ben”, to his irritation. The abovementioned feeling of being replaced could be what caused Ben to suddenly break off the friendship. And making the main cast kind of tight-knit like this might also help make the cast easier to manage. 

Granted, there is the possibility of killing him off, though. I heard that one of the initial ideas for TFA was apparently that Kylo would be a reverse Vader, falling deeper and deeper into the Dark Side as the trilogy goes on. In fact, this may have been where Kylo killing Han may have been leading to. This actually sounded like a super cool idea, but considering the backstory I laid out I thought it would be way too bittersweet for the concluding movie of the saga, and if one were to say Kylo basically has BPD… That might lead to some unfortunate implications. I mean nothing is stopping me from not using the Elsa backstory, and if I didn’t use it maybe this route would be pretty viable, but I’m kind of starting to get attached to it. 

—

Other characters:

Hux: I’ve never really been a villain person. I mean I liked sympathetic villains, yeah (but even then I preferred anti-heroes for a while; I’m talking like nothing beyond N from Pokémon levels of “evil”), but straight-up villains I just have merely seen as obstacles. Like back in my Smash fic days I was often like “Eh… They’re there… Because they want to take over the world I guess?”. It’s why I’m having trouble with Snoke probably lol. But for some reason Hux interests me. If I take a guess it’s probably because of the potential he had as an actual foil to Kylo in his own faction. He had so much potential as a villain, and in having this tense dynamic play out. In fact he does seem to have been set up that way in SW7. But yeah, I imagine him as one coldhearted bastard. His backstory, though not elaborated on in the movies, would be much like TFA supplementary material set him up; he’d still have killed his father, but while yes, Brendol was abusive and strict, Armitage didn’t kill him completely because he was a young man who wanted to break free from his strict father, but also genuinely because he knew doing so would be good for his standing. Unlike Kylo when he (most likely) kills Han, he doesn’t regret killing Brendol at all. While he might have a tragic backstory kind of explaining his behavior, it doesn’t bother him at all, while Kylo, who considering what happened to him and how he’s literally under a curse you’d think would have a much steeper fall into unabashed evil, is constantly conflicted. It’s a very Sith Lord-like backstory funnily enough… In fact I’m pretty sure that Palpatine had a backstory very similar to this with his parents.  

He’s a very logical, analytical, brutally pragmatic person, and he looks upon Kylo’s emotional state with condescension. I’m increasingly starting to like the idea that he’s somehow able to talk Kylo down, while still being hardly nice. Perhaps he preys upon Kylo’s constant need for approval from others, even if he doesn’t like the person in question (this may also be why Kylo reacts so strongly to Finn escaping as well, in fact. He genuinely cares about people’s loyalty, even from literal no-name soldiers). Though I can’t decide whether he’s this deceptively charming snake or basically an evil Spock. I also can’t decide between him being in this constant state of “Why do I have to babysit this manchild” or giving absolutely no visible f*cks around Kylo no matter what happens, or even straight-up trolling him often, toying with his emotions because it amuses him; preferably two or a bit of all somehow? I can see him using having met Vader as a child to mock Kylo for how much of a pale, childish imitation he is, or reminding Kylo of how much better he is as a leader objectively; perhaps that’s what he holds over Kylo’s head. Or him explaining to Kylo how he was raised by less than stellar parenting and tried so hard to live up to his strict father too… So he brutally murdered Brendol in cold blood (possibly with Phasma’s help), became a better admiral than he ever was, and got over it “Like an adult. Unlike you.”. They’d be in this constant state of delicate, tense equality; Kylo can easily overpower Hux if he pisses him off a bit too much, but Hux is able to walk that fine edge seemingly without much effort. 

But when he realizes whatever grand cosmic plot he and the entire First Order has been participating in this whole time is when, ironically, there would probably be a really dramatic villainous breakdown from him. It’s kind of a Zuko and Azula situation with Kylo and Hux perhaps? Or is this Hux more a mix of Azula and Zhao’s roles rather?

——

Worldbuilding stuff: Since I’m more a character person, there isn’t much here, but because the worldbuilding was another issue in the movies I’ll also be adding these.

The New Republic isn’t nuked in the first movie. In fact it stays there for the duration of the trilogy and the hero faction is now its armed forces, not The Resistance (Also that name makes no sense. Seriously. At least name them The Peacekeeper Corps or Vigilantes or something, or since they’re basically Leia’s personal military maybe the Organa Free Army or Organa Corps or something of that sort. No wonder people mistakenly call them The Rebels sometimes. It’s a similar setup to Chrom’s Shepherds in Fire Emblem Awakening, albeit with a better relationship with the kingdom; it would be downright strange if the Shepherds called themselves The Resistance despite literally existing with the queen’s permission, and it still is here. Hell, Leia’s Shepherds is a better name). There would be elaboration on the political stuff going on behind the scenes, and if Leia isn’t a Jedi that’s her plotline probably, though a big part of me wants her to be part of the action instead of being stuck on the homeworld. 

Meanwhile, The First Order is made up of Imperial Remnants and people and planets who were unsatisfied with the democratic but still new and fragile New Republic. Basically think White Russians if the Soviets weren’t also awful. It happens a lot in history. While it may have some mining planets in its orbit (not literally, you know what I mean) so it can plausibly refurbish anything Kylo wrecks with his tantrums, Starkiller Base is probably a bit much, and a lot of their equipment might be old Imperial or Rebel stuff, or stolen from the New Republic, with new stuff being produced but not in overly high quantity. Some of the equipment deemed less important might even be kind of crappy due to how old they are. They’d probably be at most an equally powerful faction to the Republic, if not smaller than them, seeming more like a terrorist cell. I don’t have much of an idea why Snoke would want to be involved in it yet though. 

But while the First Order might be smaller, the New Republic is hindered by it just now finally gaining its footing, and the military previously only having been used for peacekeeping and sniping stray Imperial remnants. Because it’s peacetime, it might have been kept pretty small, and also the military academies are literally not even 30 years old at this point, so new that it’s possible Poe, despite his youth, was one of the earliest graduates; one of the military’s most high-ranking officers is literally a scoundrel with no formal training - even if he is good at his job - it isn’t exactly a well-oiled machine, though its less rigid, casual structure also does benefit it in some aspects. Also the FO can easily use Kylo as intimidation, and its upper staff is nothing if not driven and motivated as well as ruthless. They may engage in more underhanded actions like sabotage and suicide bombers, or rely on small elite units like the Knights of Ren or small companies of troopers, to poke holes in the enemy just as much as open combat. And maybe if all else fails Snoke causes something really bad to happen seemingly out of nowhere. 

While I do think that making the baddies an Empire 2.0 is an… uncreative decision, I want to keep Finn’s backstory, plus it fits Kylo’s story too so blah, I kind of have to keep it. Plus I want to do Phasma and Hux justice. Maybe Snoke or whatever it serves turns into a giant Eldritch abomination and have no use for the FO anymore. And again, reactionary forces are a thing that have existed throughout early modern history. But as already mentioned, due to the nature of the First Order’s existence, maybe the Stormtroopers aren’t kidnapped, but they were orphans picked off the streets, and/or some more dedicated Imperial parents gave them their children? I had the idea that Troopers like Finn are “Junior Troopers”, the child slave type, while older members, “Senior Troopers”, would be legit Imperial revanchists and former troopers. Maybe there’s a separate company of Juniors who think they’re cool by fighting for the First Order, but generally Juniors would be the lowest on the social rung, though some might make it into higher positions, and don’t know any other life than what they have now. Though I also like the idea that Finn was part of an elite unit directly connected to Kylo Ren like the 501st, so he has a reason to be particularly hurt by his betrayal (but that could throw a wrench in the whole Finn was a faceless cog in the machine thing). They’re pretty Prussian in command structure; officers work under mission-tactics, but the rank-and-file are machine-like in their discipline, more than even some actual droids. The Republic’s forces also probably engage in mission-tactics a lot, except how far it is acceptable goes way further down the chain of command, so stuff like the Holdo situation doesn’t happen. If that situation were to happen when mission-tactics were to be expected Poe’s independent action would be seen as reasonable. This would have potential for very interesting battles and tactics, though I’d need a lot of help with those because I’m the furthest thing from a tactician you can find (but even I can tell the bomber scene from TLJ was dumb, which should say something).

I kind of realized that it’s possible that the four OT legacy characters may end up basically representing four major aspects of the New Republic; the Jedi (Luke), law and justice (Leia, if she’s a senator), the military (Han, if he’s a general), and economics (Lando). I think some worldbuilding into how the republic functions should be explored through these characters as they move the story forward, except for the Jedi since they’re obviously a central focus, and Luke might very well be introduced after them, and the military will also get focus for obvious reasons, and Poe exists. The information definitely needs to be conveyed as efficiently and organically as possible through the story, because there’s two, likely three, equally important main characters and an unholy amount of secondary characters who aren’t exactly minor. 

May write more later idk. I need to be doing other stuff…

[proserpineisback]

TROS

If the only problem with TROS was the death of Ben and the rest of the movie was a masterpiece, then maybe I could forgive them. But the serious problem here is that the ENTIRE FILM is an absurdity on its own. You kinda feel like gathering all the facts across the trilogy and distribute them proportionally in each of the films so it all feels cohesive. But that couldn´t be done because Lucasfilm obviously didn´t map this project as a trilogy which it´s absolutely embarrassing. It wouldn´t have costed much for the board writers to sit for a week and write ONE STORY and divide them in three acts just like every writer does when making a book or an independent film or a short film or a documentary, Jesus there are so many people out there writing way better stuff than this with almost nothing of a budget. Having to use different directors is no excuse. The team behind the Mandalorian proves that, they obviously work as a team and so far they seem to treat the Star Wars legacy with respect taking old facts and carefully placing them where they´re needed.

Now, what pisses me off the most about this film is definitely the irrationality of Rey´s arc. The Rey who stood in front of Palpatine and told him “You want me to hate you but I won´t, not even you” is the same Rey who spent THE WHOLE MOVIE attacking Kylo over and over again out of nothing. I´ve spent this whole year wondering why they were fighting in the rain, only to find out that it was for nothing other than Rey´s sudden rage. Wondering why was Kylo flying his TIE towards her and why was she backflipping over it, only to find out it was for nothing too, were they trying to kill each other? Just after Kylo told her that he didn´t want to kill her? Did the conversations in TLJ were all for nothing and they´re back to zero? It´s like all JJ wanted was to retcon TLJ and have cool shots, which they are. The fights are very well choreographed and performed, and they´re visually beautiful and majestically scored, but that doesn´t take away the fact that plot-wise they´re absolutely pointless. When Kylo starts to talk about her past, she again attacks him in a way that for someone who believes in the good side and the Jedi and the light and repulses everything that has to do with the dark side, seems pretty infuriated and aggressive. If she was pissed off about everything the First Order did during the Allegiance comics, it would have made sense for her to mention it at least, because as it was presented it all seems pretty illogical and only for show. Again, they make her look as a person who it´s not enough informed about anything and can´t use her words to stop being one. She didn´t even think in taking advantage of Kylo´s second offering of joining him to defeat Palpatine, then if she didn´t want the throne and was so worried about Kylo becoming emperor, she just could have TALKED and tried to bring him back to the light. But that didn´t even crossed her mind, she just wanted him dead until she actually killed him and didn´t want him dead anymore just because she felt Leia dying, and I can´t believe Chris Terrio has repeated the same also pointless fight between Batman and Superman where Batman remembers his mother and suddenly decides to not kill Superman after beating him badly. I absolutely hated that movie and I was hoping he wouldn´t bring any of it into this. Saddly, I was wrong.

You can´t just link Rey to Palpatine out of nothing. You either connect her to him from the very beginning throwing hints of it or you don´t link her with anyone from the past at all. And you can´t just bring Palpatine with absolutely no excuse, it makes it obvious no one planned to have him behind it all from the start. The concept of Rey Nobody settled by Rian Johnson was a good idea so all kids around the world could relate to her, giving an important message that you don´t need to come from something important to be someone. But if the idea here was to prove that someone who comes from the dark side can choose to be light side, then DEVELOP it through the entire trilogy.

Bringing new supporting characters in the last two films has resulted in a crowded mess when everyone gets to say a line with no purpose, wasting the film´s time. When they presented Rey, Kylo, Finn and Poe as the main characters in TFA, it was understood that the story would be told through their eyes. Then why the hell bring new characters to do the job that they could do. It just makes Finn and Poe look like a pair of extras with nothing relevant to do, just being a burden to Rey when she clearly could have done everything on her own. It would have be them two going to the core worlds and convincing the people to join the cause, so they can truly be heroes in this story. Instead of having everyone joining at last minute because they think Lando is dope and decided that somehow they´re not scared anymore even now that a massive imperial fleet has appeared out of nowhere. And why having so many ships to fight the final battle when they´re gonna waste it by not showing too much of it. I mean it´s called Star Wars for a reason, but somehow they´ve wasted more time having Rey and Kylo fight than investing in the action on air. If all those fights between the two of them had place in TLJ and the talking force bonds had place in TROS, then maybe it would make a bit more sense and the story would seem to have a proportional pace in each film and a better structure. Instead, this movie seems like rushing scramble of events awkwardly mixed with all the trivia they could find from the Star Wars lore while spitting in your face absurd facts about the characters you have known for 5 years and having to believe each of them.

I wouldn´t have problems with Hux being the spy if he was suspect from the beginning. You can´t make a character to be a cold blood mass murderer and devoted to the First Order to the point of fanaticism and then turn him into a softy who reveals he is the spy and traitor of the very thing he loved, in a stupidly parodic way, and who can also be gotten rid off quite easily. And all without any character development whatsoever. I mean, fanfics make a better job with Hux as a villain.

Why create the knights of Ren if you´re gonna have them like silent dogs and get them easily killed when they´re also force users? I mean, I´m not saying that Ben is not powerful enough to finish them but apparently in the comics HE AND LUKE have fought them before and they made it out alive. It would have been a lot more interesting to have the KOR since TFA and make one of them suspect so he can be the one to bring Palpatine back to life in TROS. It would have been better to have Ben and Rey fighting them in TLJ throne room instead of the shitty praetorian guards that are killed in one second in episode III.

Why presenting new characters in Resistance Reborn if we´re not going to see them not even on the background during the resistance base scenes? It´s such a lucrative and deceitful game to have books, comics, etc. and not include them in the films in any way. I can picture them saying to the writers “Yeah, do whatever you want”.

And finally, why create such a good concept like “dyad in the force” if you´re gonna have just one of them fighting against Palpatine while the other one is in a hole. It obviously should have been them BOTH fighting Palpatine and defeating him since when they´re together they have the balance of the force. I mean, I thought that was what Star Wars was all about. It should have been all the generations of Jedi helping them BOTH since Ben Solo had already gone back to the light. Why create such a compelling complex character if they were going to make him have the exact same fate that Darth Vader had. It´s so frustrating the lack of imagination for a conclusion, it makes you cringe. The ultimate message here is that the Skywalker family was cursed and they all deserved to die.

I applaud the astonishly good performances of the actors, the realism they brought makes it all more believable and painful so we don´t forget this film actually happened. The entire movie pains me so much because I´ve grown to love Star Wars and I´ve had deep love for each of the films, yes even the prequels. I´ve defended every movie from the haters and I never thought it would come the day that I would say the saga has been completely destroyed.

[esandcasg]

B Dog’s Ranking of Star Wars Films

Some months ago Big A challenged me to list my order of Star Wars films, from worst to best. Having re-watched a number now in recent months I felt it time to get this down on paper. Admittedly I haven’t watched all of them, so this might need updating in the months to come.

Let me know your thoughts or add a similar blog!

11. The Last Jedi

It is something of a tribute to Disney that it took me some time to decide my least favourite Star Wars film. There were two obvious candidates but in the end I went with the Last Jedi. Admittedly, I feel that The Rise of Skywalker is a worse film, but I give the honour of the shittest Star Wars film to this steaming pile of crap because it set the precedent for what was to follow. The whole film is based around the idea of doing something different with the force and the Jedi, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was done in such a bad way. I’ve recently re-watched it and it felt like 90% of the film is treading water whilst they develop the Reylo relationship. “What shall we do with the other characters?” I don’t know, stick them on a spaceship being chased by a Star Destroyer? “Fuck me, that’s brilliant.”  I recently read that Rhian Johnson’s biggest regret with this film was not being able to do his usual private showing to close friends before it came out due to security issues. I regret that too, cos they’d have told him what a big pile of crap it was.

10. The Rise of Skywalker

The true level of shittiness of this film has been discussed a lot; it was so bad that it even inspired a B Dog film rant blog. The first ever, if I am not mistaken? The fact that they have had to release information intermittently to explain the gaps in the story says it all really. A total turd. 

Don’t worry, my swearing will ease now along with my hatred.

9. Attack of the Clones

My ninth favourite (or perhaps more accurately, the third worst) Star Wars film introduces the prequels into the story with Attack of the Clones. I don’t hate this film like I do The Rise of Skywalker and The Last Jedi, so we start to move out of “hate” and more into “meh” with AotC. I don’t hate it, I don’t particularly like it. I nothing it (nod to #BigAsFilmReviews).

This film has a few things going for it, namely it features a young Hayden Christensen, who of course has a strong resemblance to a young B Dog, and it includes Anakin and Padme’s brilliantly written, acted and directed romance scenes. “You are in my very soul, tormenting me.” Beautiful. I jest of course, it was total cringe. But the issue that I have with this film is that it doesn’t feel like Star Wars. At least with The Phantom Menace there are elements that align with the prequels like the scenes of Tattoine. AotC just feels like a bit of a misfit. I wonder whether it was where George began to get a raging hard-on for green screen and prioritising wanky graphics above, you know, a decent storyline, and that impacts things? Or maybe he started flirting with the darkside long before this? But generally it is an entertaining enough film, just a bit shit.

8. The Phantom Menace

I struggled for a while with the order of Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace but in the end decided I preferred this one. But it’s a close one.

The issue that I have with this film – even above Jar Jar and the awful dialogue – is that I don’t get the target audience. There is loads of content for kids such as (the aforementioned) Jar Jar and the pod race, yet it is effectively a film about politics and features things like trade blockades. I mean, the opening crawl features gems such as “The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute... While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events.” 

I watched it with Sebastian and he didn’t have a clue what was going on, but he sat there patiently waiting for the arrival of arguably my favourite Star Wars character in Darth Maul. But as I mentioned above, TPM still feels like Star Wars and the lightsabre fight sequence at the end is enough to get it into 8th place. But we are still very much in “meh”.

7. Solo

But not for long as we start moving into “like” territory. I like this film. But the issue that I have is that it’s not really Star Wars. It’s a decent sci-fi film but I can’t associate Alden Whatshisface’s portrayal of Han to the original. It is largely forgettable mind; I have watched Solo once and couldn’t really tell you what it was about. Something to do with Solo and Chewie and Lando, and they went through an asteroid field, and Emilia Clarke got sold or became a slave, and the Falcon got wrecked. That’s all I remember. But I do remember feeling like the whole “Kessel Run” idea was totally different to what I had in my mind – I figured it was a famous smuggling run - and if they really had to do a backstory on Han then they could have come up with something better.

6. Revenge of the Sith

Probably the only prequel that I will stand behind. It is flawed, largely because of the overuse of green screen which can’t be easy for actors/actresses (exhibit A: Natalie Portman who is pretty wooden yet claimed an Oscar a few years later in Black Swan), but I feel like RotS is actually a fairly decent addition to the Star Wars portfolio with the actors starting to get used to the methods of Lucas or perhaps even pushing back a bit helping the script flow better. Hayden Christensen seemed a bit more comfortable playing a more complex and evil character than a loved up teenager, for example. However, there is still a large amount of Lucas “style over substance” going on still and the Darth Vadar “Noooooo” bit at the end is like something from an 80’s Arnie film. “I’ll be back, Kenobi.”

5. Rogue 1

I really enjoyed this film right up until the last few minutes when the arrival of Leia almost ruined it. I don’t quite know why, I think it just felt shoe-horned and unnecessary. There are other flaws that don’t align with the start of A New Hope and the characters lack any real depth, but overall I’ll let all this slide as it was a pretty exciting and well-made film. With Rogue 1 I am sensing stronger feelings… there is good in these films. I can sense it.

4. The Force Awakens

The first time I watched this film I didn’t like it. I think because I just expected too much – or something different - and I didn’t particularly like the way they killed off Han without the film or trilogy really getting going. What was the point? I thought Rey was totally wooden too. But I’ve watched it three times now and the last time – just before TRoS came out – I actually really enjoyed it, bordering on feeling that it was brilliant. I admit it is a fanboy tribute, but… if the cap or evil sith mask fits and all that.

3. A New Hope

It will come as no surprise that the podium spots are reserved for the original trilogy, and we move into love – of course - with A New Hope. It is slightly controversial to have this one in third place as I know a lot of people see ANH as the best of the lot, but I just prefer the other originals being honest. Whilst it is undoubtedly a great film, I find it more of a setting the scene kind of film: it’s a bit slow going in places and even as a kid I don’t feel it had the same levels of excitement as the other two. The toys that I played with weren’t the X-Wing and Tie Fighter from the Death Star scene, it was the AT-AT (I had two) and snow speeders from Hoth, for example. And re-watching them recently with Sebastian it has been the one that I struggled to sit through the most. I guess ultimately it is laying the foundations for the whole Luke vs. Vadar/good vs. evil element, which is what drew me into Star Wars as a kid.

2. Return of the Jedi

I know this film has flaws, but I love it. Well, the old version before Ol’ George started adding shit like the band in Jabba’s palace and another Vadar “Nooooooo”. But the whole film is great: the sequence at the start concluding with the fight over the pit of sarlaac through to the three phased fight sequence at the end. As I have said to you both, I have recently watched the original trilogy with Sebastian and he told me that he was exhausted at the end of the film, and I guess it’s that sort of excitement that I still associate with RotJ. One interesting thing is that watching the recently has opened my eyes to how hot Carrie Fisher was back then. I never really got it. No wonder my dad used to pop in for the Jabba’s Palace bit.

1. The Empire Strikes Back

And therefore the winner goes to the masterpiece that is The Empire Strikes Back. I don’t have anything negative to say about this film, and for me is in a league of its own compared to the other ten films, and up there with one of my favourite films ever. The Hoth fight scene, Yoda training Luke and the cave scene, Cloud City and then Vadar and Luke crossing swords for the first time. From start to finish it is exciting and so well made. But it’s also interesting to have a good vs. evil film finish on such a dark note, with the good guys going off to lick their wounds. In a lot of ways that is also what appeals about this film; it’s not just a straight up good guys win type of scenario.

[austinonymous]

Film Critique- Is Rey A Mary Sue? (Based on The Force Awakens)

A question that many have asked and have answered to various degrees of ‘yes’ and ‘no’- here’s my take on it. Please contain your desire to burn me until I finish giving my reasoning. Maybe?

Firstly, What is the definition of a Mary Sue?

While there’s no concrete definition, a fair way to define a Mary Sue is: “A Mary Sue is an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character. Often, this character is recognized as an author insert or wish fulfillment. They can usually perform better at tasks than should be possible given the amount of training or experience.” 

Yes that was pulled from Wikipedia but I think its a fair way to describe the concept.

So really the question we are asking is whether or not Rey is better at being Rey than she should be based on her background and how the universe of Star Wars works.

Well, to start off, we need to know her training based on what the movie tells us and base what we can reasonably expect from her off that. So, what do we know about Rey before the events of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

1)      She’s lived on more or less on her own for most of her life.

2)      She’s a scavenger and has spent a long time picking through the wreckage of Jakku

3)      She has some mechanic skill and can drive a repulsorlift vehicle

4)      She has not been off planet and presumably never flown a starcraft before

5)      She has experience using a staff as a weapon

6)      She has no experience with the Force outside legends about the Original Trilogy

So, what does she do over the course of the Force Awakens?

Well, the first event that causes red flags is the fact that she single handedly pilots the Millennium Falcon after jumping into it for the first time ever- not only does she pilot it, she then engages in a dogfight with TIE fighters, piloted by trained pilots.

This is more than slightly problematic. The Millennium Falcon is an odd ship, jury rigged and modified in many ways. Indeed, the base ship shouldn’t be able to engage in dog fights at all given its sheer size in comparison to other fighters like the X-Wing or the TIE Fighter. Its just under three times the length of a X-Wing ; for comparision, America’s famous b-17 Bomber was only about twice the length of America’s most iconic fighter at the time (the p-51 Mustang), and one was obviously more suited to dogfights than the other. Its only through the Falcon’s heavy modification of its engines and adding beefed up weapons that give it fire power on par or better than larger ships. Its dual quad-turbolasers alone gave it more fire-power than the larger corvette used by Princess Leia in A New Hope, ignoring the torpedo tubes it also had.

Suffice to say, the Millennium Falcon is not something you can just walk onto and pilot. Maybe you can operate the guns (as Luke shows in A New Hope) but to pull off the advanced maneuvers we see Rey manage by herself with no training in the escape from Jakku? Like how she sent the Falcon into a free-fall, flipping it over to just the right angle for Finn to shoot the TIE fighter with his stuck-in-place turbolaser? And this is a girl who ahs never personally flown a starship before?

Luke was a great X-Wing Pilot, maybe not the best in the Star Wars continuity but still great. This is established as believable because the movie mentions details that explain his abilities. It mentions in A New Hope that he flew a Skyhopper growing up, a ship of similar size to the x-wing and made by the same company as the X-Wing, meaning the control schemes were similar and he didn't have to adjust to the cockpit or control setup. He also is mentioned to have used this ship to shoot womp rats, attesting to his skills at shooting and his connection to the Force- as we see later in A New Hope, his instincts, guided by the Force, are highly precise, honed over years of practice.

Rey has none of that. She’s poor and has never owned anything the size of a X-Wing, let alone the Millennium Falcon. Nowhere in the movie are we given even a single line about her learning to pilot ships through simulations (which yes, is the canon reason why she could pilot). In the context of the movie, without outside lore helping the movie out, she should have crashed the Millennium Falcon many, many times.

Now I’ll give her a pass on knowing the Millennium Falcon and how to repair it better than Han freaking Solo, if only because the movie does give the explanation in the way that she, as a scavenger, knew what parts were universally useful in a way that a smuggler/fighter like Han might not. So maybe she had some way to fix the Falcon he wouldn’t have thought about immediately.

Rey doesn’t have any really bad ‘what’ moments that I can remember until later in the film when she not only resists Kylo’s force mind torture, proceeds to turn it back on him and then mind tricks a stormtrooper immediately afterwards. This is probably the most prickly one to tackle as the Force is purposely set up by Lucas to be as vague as possible more or less- it brings you to places or helps you do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do because its what the universe needs.

Basically it can be used if needed as a giant excuse for convenience and the plot armor of its characters.

But its important to realize that while the Force does set up events or tries to guide the universe back to a state of balance (which is another whole subject to talk about), one’s usage of the Force is never portrayed like that in the films. The Force itself may be more or less an excuse for plot convenience, however the way the Jedi use it is fairly consistent.

The first rule is that the Light Side is the hard path, and the Dark Side is the easy path. The second rule you generally see followed throughout the films is that the force has different difficulties depending on its application. Using it on one’s self is the easiest (intuition or enhancing reflexes). Effecting material objects like rocks or pushing people is slightly harder, while effecting other people’s minds is the hardest to do. This is why some species’ are immune to the Mind Trick- its so complex that it just doesn't work sometimes, as opposed to shoving them, which almost always works.

Obi-Wan is shown to use the Mind Trick from the beginning (which makes sense, as he is a master) but it is not until the Return of the Jedi, a full year or so after his training with Yoda, that Luke is shown to use the jedi Mind Trick. This is despite being able to move objects or summon his lightsaber telekinetically as early as the Empire Strikes Back. In a New Hope, with essentially the same amount of exposure to the Force as Rey, Luke only manages to tap into the Force via his intuition, such as his training with the training droid on the Falcon in A New Hope and then his later success in blowing up the Death Star.

Rey on the other hand is able to survive a direct mental attack by a Dark Side user, and then mind trick a stormtrooper on only her second attempt. Remember, this is her first ever intentional use of the force and she can pull off one of the more tricky aspects of the Force. She’s so much more ridiculously “in tune” with the Force despite the previously mentioned zero real exposure to Force that its absurd. Even Anakin, who has such over-the-top power with the Force that he is able to pilot a podracer as a child with zero training in the Force solely based on his Force-guided intuition (and podracing is a sport that no non-force sensitive human can compete in due to not being able to react fast enough, remember), never shows the ability to even so much as move a rock with the Force prior to training.

Even though yes, you can give the in-universe explanation that Rey is just that much more powerful in the Force than any of her predecessors, or she managed to do a mind trick in a burst of desperation, that still does not excuse the fact that it is ultimately the writer’s decision for her to be able to pull this off. Instead of using any of the other ways they could have let Rey escape her imprisonment (friends save her, more defectors, chaos from the attack somehow lets her out, etc), the creators decided to let her have this incredible power in the force.

You may say that there is an explanation given to us, albeit indirectly- the Force. That would solve the whole issue with being a Mary Sue, which is having more competency than you should based on what we know about the character, right? We have an explanation, right?

But the problem is that, as said before, the Force is essentially a writing crutch- why did the characters all happen to end up here? The Force wills it. 

The reason why Lucas got away with it though is because he rarely used it in that sense. The Force was a supplement to Luke’s or, for instance, even Vader’s skills. The fought mostly with lightsabers or star-fighters. Their piloting/fighting was bolstered by the Force of course, but it was never the way Luke escaped from a bad situation. Half the time he relied on his friends (Han saved him at the end of A New Hope, Chewy and Leia saved him at the end of the Empire Strikes Back, and Lando, R2 and Chewy were all instrumental to saving Han in Return of the Jedi ).

This is the real issue with Rey- no matter how well portrayed she may be (honestly her and Kylo’s development in The Last Jedi was probably the best part of that movie in my opinion), she has skills so categorically superior to previous protagonists without clear in-movie explanations as to why.

Could she grow out of being a Mary Sue? Sure, of course (I’ll detail whether I think they managed that in the Last Jedi at a later date). But I think that we can pretty clearly say that in the Force Awakens, she fits the definition of a Mary Sue.

(Also to clarify I do like her character in concept and Daisy Ridley can be a pretty great actress for the role. I just have issues with the writing of her character.)

[bcnn4youth]

'They're Killing the Children': 16 and 17-Year-Old Chicago Boys Reported Missing Found Shot to Death in Far South Side Field

Something compelled Adrienne Lando to stay outside and watch police working a scene in her Far South Side neighborhood, even before she learned that two teen boys had been found shot dead in the field or that she'd once provided a home to one of them.

She usually wouldn't stay out so late. Her daughter told her to go to sleep. But she remained standing on the sidewalk south of the field, looking across the yellow crime tape police had stretched across her block.

"I couldn't go in the house for some reason," Lando said. "And then to find out it's someone that you knew, someone that stayed in your house, slept in your bed, ate your food... It's very scary."

Raysaun Turner, 16, and Darnelle Flowers, 17, were found dead with gunshot wounds shortly before midnight Sunday near 131st Street and Rhodes Avenue in the Golden Gate neighborhood. Their bodies had started to decompose, a police source said.

"No parent should have to go through that," Lando said. "To have to identify their child in some grass."

Police taped a rectangle around the field between 130th and 131st Streets and Eberhart and Rhodes Avenues, later expanding the crime scene several yards farther south on Rhodes and east on 131st. A few family members, including Flowers' mom, parked their cars on Rhodes, facing the scene. She started to walk underneath the yellow tape, but police told her she had to stay out of the crime scene. A man who she arrived with hugged her as she began to cry and helped her back to their black sedan, where she sat in the passenger seat and stared blankly ahead.

More people gathered on Eberhart, on the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park. Among them, Turner's mother said she needed time to process what had happened to her son.

Family members said the boys went to Christian Fenger Academy High School, where Turner's family said he earned good grades and played team sports, including basketball.

Both teens had been reported missing in alerts sent out by Chicago police on Friday, a source said.

Turner had been last been near 10100 S. Indiana Ave. wearing dark denim jeans, a dark shirt and hoodie and was known to frequent the Golden Gates apartment complex and Palmer Park.

Flowers had been last seen in the 11300 block of South Stewart Ave. wearing a red hoodie, army green pants and black striped gym shoes. He was known to frequent the areas of Palmer Park and Altgeld Gardens. He had his nickname, "Bibby," tattooed on his lower right arm.

Their families started getting tips stemming from social media: The boys could be found in the grass near "G." A group of four teens were seen walking into the field and only two walked out, they were told.

Family members scoured the nearby Golden Gate Park, but said they hadn't thought to look so deep in the overgrown field across the street.

In the 13100 block of South Rhodes Avenue, several neighbors said they heard gunshots Friday evening, around 7 or 8 p.m. But they said that wasn't unusual and none of them saw anything.

Residents use the field as a shortcut to the neighborhood store, and a footpath is worn into the dirt. Some neighbors had walked through the field since Friday. One woman had crossed it earlier on Sunday.

One man who heard the gunshots said he has lived on the block, on and off, since 1967 when the young trees were taped to stakes and the sidewalks weren't paved yet.

He most recently moved back in 2014. It's still one of the nicest blocks around, he said, but the neighborhood has only gone downhill since the rise of crack cocaine in the 1980s.

He's used to teenagers running around the block and set a basketball hoop in front of his house for them to use. He didn't know all their names but would greet them when he saw them, say what's up and tell them to stay out of trouble.

Lando just moved into the neighborhood about a month ago and hasn't finished unpacking. She doesn't think she will, she said. Her neighbors are kind but the violence is too much.

When she first noticed police at the north end of her block, she didn't know anything about what had happened. As she stood and watched, one of her daughters rode up on a bicycle and said she'd heard someone had been killed.

Hours later, when one of Turner's relatives came to the scene, Lando put her arm around the woman as she started to cry. They'd never met before but instantly connected.

"Not Ray Ray," the relative said. "I feel like I'm in a dream. I don't feel like it's real. It can't be real. They're killing the children."

"Nobody fights no more," Lando said, resorting to gunfire instead of fist fights.

"We don't even know what this is about," the relative said.

Until early Monday, Turner's family had hoped he was still alive, they said. Though it wasn't like him to run away.

The relative told Lando she'd heard the other boy went by Bibby, but his real name was Darnell.

Lando' gasped.

"You know him? Lil Bibby?"

Lando started crying, but she wanted to be sure. "Short, dark-skinned?"

"Yes," the relative said, "that's who he's in the field with."

Lando took a few steps away and sat down in the grass with her legs spread out in front of her.

"I took him into my home last year. He rough around the edges," Lando said. "Oh my god. Oh, oh, oh, Bibby."

"They over there together, baby," the relative repeated.

"I tried to help that baby," Lando said. "I tried to help him. I tried to help him. Oh my god.... my boys are going to be devastated."

Flowers stayed with her family for a few months last summer when she had a house on 117th, she said. He'd been having a rough time, and her sons, a few years older, took him under their wing. He gave her no problems, did chores with the rest of the kids, and seemed earnest about turning his life in the right direction, she said.

When he left, he thanked her and told her he was going home.

"You could tell there was something on his mind, something haunted him from the past or something," Lando said.

Only people who knew him well would be able to pick up on it, and even then, it was hard to tell exactly what it was, she said. And most of the time, he was a fun kid who loved music, loved his phone and would sit on the porch with her teenage daughter telling jokes.

She'd heard about him getting into trouble on the streets, but he was always respectful and well-mannered under her roof, she said. Once, when she was planning to barbecue but got sick, he told her to lie down and he'd finish. He burned all the hot dogs, but it was a fun moment, she said.

"He just wanted to change his life," Lando said, blinking back a tear. "He tried. I tried."

Credit Source: The Chicago Tribune Hannah Leone

[bestnewsmag-blog]

New Post has been published on Bestnewsmag

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Fans to the Front: How Internet Fandoms Are Gaming the Music Industry

How Does Online Gaming Work?

  On line gaming affords spirited or supportive video games on laptop with diverse customers, via Net or a nearby vicinity network. Now, a query arises, why it’s miles required to play in opposition to a PC as soon as you have choice to play with a individual? The solution for this question is that On-line gaming hyperlinks you with various gamers of the globe and creates such an ecosystem for you in which you could take care of every other and experience like a actual scenario.

through On-line gaming, you may subjugate a rival of this sort of nature who would not yet live in this world. The action among players is controlled through servers in internet games whilst pictures and sound are handled along with your pc. There are mass styles of Net games to pick out with. you can play complex video games directly with the assist of a rapid Net connection.

On-line gaming requires a network that includes solitary or more computer systems to paintings as servers fandoms. The computer systems of the gamers are termed as customers. clients link to the server via the Internet or a nearby community.

The server acts like a company of the internet gaming that keeps tune with selected game of the player, keeps statistics of a participant and additionally provides gossip between players.

The server acts like a company of the internet gaming that keeps tune with selected game of the player, keeps statistics of a participant and additionally provides gossip between players.

At the time of playing recreation, the server helps the movements of every participant. As members shift, play a card or blaze a weapon, the “country of the world” messages is despatched to the server by way of their computer systems then after receiving the signals server transmits these alerts to the alternative patron computer systems without delay. Any movements which you make At the time of recreation emerge on different customers’ computers. The consumer laptop then transmits the sounds and graphics hence affords the visual results for all players.

Net video games may be categorised into organizations. One organization this is on hand via centralized servers even as different group that runs through disbursed servers. Federal servers typically host the games that permit variety of customers to play simultaneously At the same time as is required in huge players video games like Ever Quest. The significant server enclosed with numerous information regarding the state of affairs for those games. the arena of game runs non-prevent around the clock, subsequently the sport keeps both you play or now not. Internet video games by no means sincerely ends, you may preserve play as in line with your choice. To start play person desires to open the patron software that connects to the grasp server of the sport.

even as in a distributed device, server software stores several excited recreation servers on clients’ Desktops. Immediately approach is utilized in video games inclusive of Fable and 3D shooters like Quake III Area and many others. these video games want very set off updates referred to as “state of the arena”. distributed servers increase the % of communique out; a solitary server hardly ever maintains up with numerous Quake players.

the game servers talk alerts to grasp server in each minute and the master server shows the addresses of each dynamic game servers. In case you need to play then you want to get the listing of lively recreation servers to be had with the grasp server. gamers can inquiry individual servers, from the records listing, regarding the category of sport exist on that server; the “ding time” and what number of players are gambling or length calls for for communicating of commands between the server and the player. players commonly choose a server of the much less ping time before they link straight to the sport server.

Top Ten List of Fandom Hottness

    This text is going out especially for my fellow female gamers, geeks, and nerds. I have taken it upon myself to make my first Top Ten Listing of Fandom Hotness. However, this List isn’t always only for the chicks. No, the boys can take a lesson from it as nicely. (Trace: that is what we say we like our men.)

Now, before I even without a doubt gets commenced, allow me to say that understand I left off you’re all time favorite. I, and also you, have to accept that. But that is my Listing. You may make your own, However, it may not be as correct, or humorous, as mine, so apprehend and read on.

To start, I have consulted several assets in the studies section of this task, and in doing so found out that there had to be some type of criteria by way of which I needed to then be capable of fairly weigh and stability my selections.

Rule One: No Limits. It’s right, aside from film and Tv indicates, I’m including some ebook and video game characters. I am now not ashamed to admit that my first real crush was on Jason from War of the Planets.

Rule Two: No actor names. It is unfair that during movies Antonio Banderas is a hottie, But in real life, he’s a gitty performing twit. And the way is it viable that the same guy who is the silky easy and dreamy voice of Puss is likewise the voice of the bee in the Nasonex advertisements? There has to be some separation, a line desires to be drawn. And except, I have no idea what humans’ names are. I know Jason Bourne, now not the actor’s name, what’s-his-face.

Rule Three: Chatter. There must be a certain amount of swooning when the call become stated to my gal friends. If eyes didn’t roll returned, the knees buckle, and a grin slide across their face at the same time as pronouncing “Oh Lord” (or there about) the man did not make the Listing.

Rule 4: The go-phase. To be as equitable as viable, and utilizing the sources and the time I had to be had, I pooled as the fairly extensive style of girls as I had access to.

Ages: from 22 to 78

Marital Status: Complete variety – Dating, Engaged, Married, Divorced (one amiable and a pair of sour), and Widowed

Orientation: This is not the Navy, I requested. 3 “Complete time” bi’s (their phrases), one “energetic” bi-curious (whatever the hell meaning), Two lesbians, Three homosexual men; and an easy dozen instantly girls rounding out the organization. 21 wonderful minds in overall, if my math is right. Optimistically, I wouldn’t believe it, upload it up once more for your self.

Rule 5: Most critical rule of all, each and each one of the ladies whose responses were considered is fans of the genera we adore and keep dear. Our fandom maybe is random, But we like our men.

However just to get you warmed up, here’s a List entitled “Additionally Ran.” There were in all likelihood 100 of them on the start, However I wittled it down taking into consideration time ans area. once more, in case your imaginary boyfriend did not make the Listing, e-me his stats and he’s going to be eligible for my next Listing of Fandom Hotness. So, without in addition ado, right here is But a sampling of quality men who for what ever motives 21 chicks could not unanimously agree on their making the Pinnacle 10:

Angel (David Boreanaz) from the Tv indicates Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)from the film Lord of the Rings

Boromir (Sean Bean) from the movie Lord of the Rings

Davey Rice from the novels and the film Jumper (Hayden Christensen)

Dr. Yuri Zhivago from the movie Dr. Zhivago (Omar Sharif)

Hector from the film Troy (Eric Bana)

Henry”Indiana” Jones from the Indian Jones film franchise (Harrison Ford)

J.D. Of the film Thelma and Louise (Brad Pitt)

James Bond from the film Casino Royal (Daniel Craig)

Jason Bourne from novels and movie franchise (Matt Damion)

King Leonidas from the photo novel and the movie 300 (Gerard Butler)

Package “the Phantom” Walker from the movie The Phantom (Billy Zane)

Lando from the movie Star Wars: The Empire Strikes returned (Billy Dee Williams)

Logan, aka Wolverine of comedian e book, cool animated film, video game, and the X-guys film franchise (Hugh Jackman)

Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe from the film Remaining of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis)

Nick Freeman from the film Silver Dream Racer (David Essex)

Odysseus from the made for Tv movie The Odyssey (Armand Assante)

Ouncesfrom Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seth Inexperienced)

Private Ride from the film Glory (Denzel Washington)

Riley from the film Land of the Lifeless (Simon Baker)

Robert “Rob” Roy Mac Greggeror from the film Rob Roy (Liam Neeson

Sir William Thatcher, aka Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland from the film A Knight’s Tale (Heath Ledger)

Sky Captain from the film Sky Captain and the world of The next day (Jude Regulation)

Uncas, from the film Last of the Mohicans (Eric Schweig)

Wesley, aka The Dread Pirate Roberts from the e-book and movie The Princess Bride (Cary Elwes)

Winchester Brothers, Sam and Dean from the Tv display Supernatural (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles)

Now which you saw who did not make the Listing, here are the real winners, those lucky warm dogs who made it to the Listing entitled:

Pinnacle Ten List of Fandom Hotness 10. Lacroix, from the Forever Knight Tv collection (Nigel Bennett). He was our first study a real platinum blond vampire, and truly, who has finished it better considering that? He was a devilish cad, unreliable, unpredictable, and changed into down right evil. But we girls love his velvety clean voice that he used at his job as a radio disk jockey to send threats, bits of recommendation, or the occasional caution out to whomever turned into listening. Viva Lacroix!

nine. Richard D. Riddick, from the books, cool animated film, video video games, and the movies (Vin Disel). The bald horrific boy we like regardless of how he is supplied to us! Is there any media that this hunk of “dare now not to like me or you may get hurt like all the rest” has not yet conquered? he’s got a rock tough frame and a deep, attractive, gravely voice. He is a man looking for simplest his non-public freedom, However by no means on the cost of others. He’s alone and the Ultimate of his type, However unwilling to wallow in his unhappiness or accept your pity. He fears nothing and will press on irrespective of the risk concerned. excellent to have as a pal, no in which is safe if he is you’re enemy. Bonus Points, actor Vin Disel is a die tough, antique college, conventional pen and paper gamer.

eight. Raistlin, from the Dragonlance e-book collection and currently of an adequate lively for directly to DVD film. As a traveling associate, he became no longer the nice, who prefer to be alone and examine his spell book instead of speak at the nightly camp fireplace. His temperament ran hot and bloodless and he was continually short to factor out the failings in the whole thing. His fitness turned into chronically bad and he turned into not capable of travel rapid, pressure march, or fight lengthy. But he changed into really effective and really worth gaining knowledge of if you can hack your manner to his heart. He became devoted to his brothers and went above and beyond for his or her sake. Unlike Elrick, Raistlin is a keeper. Regrettably, authors Wise and Hickman will now not ever bring our dearly cherished lower back to life, But we are able to usually dream and hope the financial system turns in this sort of way that they really want the cash.

7. Richard “Rick” O’Connell of the mummy film franchise (Brandon Fraiser). A die difficult adventurer with a tuff as nails outside, Rick has a smooth, romantic, gooie middle. He has a boyish face and starlight in his smile. He’s taking to strain in a realistic and prudent style, screaming while empting his clip at the problem or charging it blindly with a slashing sword. Rick’s basically no longer a criminal, even though he has devoted some questionalbe acts. However, once he’s committed to a project, he’s locked heading in the right direction until the activity is completed. From lovable scamp, to committed husband, to defensive father, Rick O’Connell is a win win deal!

6. Ahmad ibn Fadlan ibn al-Abbas ibn Rashid ibn Hamad, or undeniable vintage “Ibn” to his newfound Viking companions, this darkish eyed Arab Pupil is Top drawer (Antonio Banderas). He turned into a poet with the aid of career who became banished from the lady he cherished handiest to find himself taking part in a completely real and really risky journey. He is among human beings he can not relate to, customs he can not recognize, slightly speaking a language He is forced to examine-all this in a land absolutely In contrast to any he has ever traveled to. despite the fact that the book (Eater’s of the Flesh) is superb in its own proper, seeing our main man up there on the massive screen (thirteenth Warrior), struggling via adversity and making his very own manner against the odds adhears his gentle and prone soul to us all the extra.

five. Roy Batty, from the film Blade Runner and the e-book Do Androids Dream Of electrical Sheep? (Rutger Hauer) He changed into younger, platinum blond, cleanly bare cheated, and so Complete of heat and desire and a lust for lifestyles that not anything turned into going to preserve him returned. He cared deeply for his female, Pris, and wanted for his kind, replicates, what every person wishes: a chance to live. He turned into a freedom fighter, and prefer such a lot of others, died for what he believed in. However he knew that going into it, did not he?

four. Tyr Anasazi, from the Tv show Gene Rodenberry’s: Andromada (Keith Hamilton Cobb). O.M.G. “warm” does not even begin to cowl it. he’s stoic, passionate, a brooder, and has a hard and fast of powerfully constructed fingers that wouldn’t hug you a lot as they they could envelope your quivering frame. Mmmmmm.

3. Spike, from the Tv display Buffy the Vampire Slayer (James Marsters). Josh Wheaton did “darkish” justice. He’s quite notable simply in meting out the ache on the characters you like. Spike has had extra than his truthful percentage of pain and heart ache. A poet and doting mamma’s boy in existence, negative William have become “William the Bloody” whilst he have become a vampire, and then later earned himself the nickname “Spike.” he’s got a tapered British accent, swept returned platinum blond hair, devilish Green eyes, and a smirk greater than a grin whilst he flashes his pearly whites. Spike was a piece in progress, a attempted and real unique terrible guy who over the direction of years have become now not most effective a relied on friend and allie However lover to the very lady otherwise sworn to spoil his kind. He’s the dwelling example that the terrible boy can alternate and still hold his horrific ass Status. Even when left bloodless by the girl he cherished, the very identical girl he set out to be a better guy for, he stood his ground, did now not slink back into his past, But as an alternative rose above it all and have become a better character for it.

2. Leon Scott Kennedy, of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, video games. This dreamy, perfectly drawn hunk become simply short of becoming the unanimous hands down favored. poor, cute Leon he does not get the hazard to talk often in this first person shooter, But his voice is as intimate because the russle of bedsheets. In RE: 2 he has simply joind the Raccoon Metropolis’s Police Branch. It’s his first day at the job and moments after he clock’s in there is an infectious zombi breakout that is going from horrific to worse rather fast. Later in RE: four Leon returns as a hardened veteran authorities agent now operating in a Top secret, excessive paying, authorities role. First day in this task He’s despatched off to rescue the Presiden’t daughter who turned into Remaining visible in some far off Latavian usa. And son-of-a-gun, wouldn’t ya know it, zombies and worse are roaming the hills right here too. Fortunatly Leon is nothing if not driven, devoted, and working off an limitless reserve of patience. Makes you surprise exactly how unlimitless that patience of his his really is.

And finally, the Freshest of the new, the Most Perfect and wanted guy in all of Fandom is:

1. Thomas Wraith, of the Dresden Documents series of books. Thomas started off as a walk on character who worked his manner into the hearts of the fanatics of the books. In recent times Thomas is now about as popular as the main person, Harry Dresden. Thomas is a Vampire of the White Court docket, or extra essentially, an Incubus. However as opposed to gaining his sustenance off of hapless sufferers he mindlessly pleasures to loss of life, he’s accountable. See, Thomas is in love with a girl he can not be with and yet remains devoted too. rather than draining lady after woman dry of their lifestyles giving essences through acts of mind bending ardour, He is taking only a nip right here and there as a hairdresser in which He’s called the eccentric, adorable homosexual Frenchman, Toe’mass. whilst now not washing women’s hair or LARPing as a vampire in a vampire LARP, Thomas is out with brother Harry Dresden thwarting the forces of evil. And when not combating again the encroaching tied of darkness with Harry, he is out on his personal, fighting in a Shadow Conflict against an entire ‘nuther layer of evil. An upcoming novella explains all and with a bit of luck it will be the catalyst for an upcoming spin-off of his very own ebook series. (permit’s get that letter writing marketing campaign commenced women!)

well, That’s it, my Top Ten Selections of Fandom Hotness. I have noticed a startling fashion in what we fan girls pass for – the Vampiric, Byronic Movement Hero, essentially blond, properly muscled, a little dangerous, But in the end dedicated to his woman love.

The Best Internet Business

  What’s the Best Net Commercial enterprise?

There are several Web Host giants on the Internet that offer non-public label rebranding to small Business owners. This might be the Fine opportunity to “piggyback” on properly-set up agencies if you are just beginning out in Net advertising. This gateway for unlimited wealth is made viable due to the growing demand for virtual advertising in areas which might be outside the scope of these large corporations.

On the way to gain a share of the marketplace, those corporate Web groups provide reseller plans to small businesses which take their services and products, rebrand them and sell to Enterprise owners at an income. these merchandises consist of area name offerings, Web web hosting, online garage, Business productiveness software program, and gear.

There’s pretty an advantage in being a small Commercial enterprise store due to the fact one is capable of customizing their Commercial enterprise at the nearby degree and meet the demands in their developing market on the arena Extensive Internet. Let’s look at the definition of virtual marketing to understand why the call for has grown drastically over the past many years.

What is digital advertising

digital marketing involves all features that are geared towards promoting on line Business sports. This includes but isn’t restricted to services and products in subcategories along with area name registration, Net web hosting, email marketing, Internet layout and development, software program applications, sales and advertising, social media marketing and session, and all medium thru which companies and individuals put it on the market and market their products on-line.

Retail advertising and marketing

Retail advertising refers to sports geared towards stop customers of a web-based totally Commercial enterprise solution which include domain names registration, Net design offerings, software apps for Enterprise and personal use, social media control, Net website hosting and other activities that promote on-line conversation.

As the need for Business answers intensifies, Enterprise persons come to be more and more worried about meeting the needs of the web industry, and consequently, the pros and Cons of the Internet Enterprise come to be relevant.

The Cons of virtual advertising and marketing

One might assume that the extra clients you have got, is the more earnings you are in all likelihood to acquire however the truth be informed, the extra the Commercial enterprise turns into greater challenged because of competition, need for online bandwidth, Net creativity, specialty, and need for customer support because of growth in client queries and the need for technical aid.

the professionals of digital marketing

Luckily, a few Web hosting reseller marketing strategy come with unbiased customer support crew that manages issues and queries of customers on their behalf. Another effective element approximately being a website reseller is the dealing with of bills and processing of income. As an internet hosting reseller, you’re given the opportunity to re-price your products to earn commissions from your personal Commercial enterprise.

Any other seasoned for being a reseller is the fact that beginning your virtual marketing Enterprise does no longer require an exorbitant startup price nor excessive overhead fees to perform successfully, nor initial products, compared to different on-line ventures. merchandise are sold through the distributors but your non-public label is displayed discreetly inside the income operation and therefore your Enterprise receives the credit!