#anakin has 2 hands for a reason lmao
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phoneycam · 4 months ago
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(brainrot 5(?))))
Soulmates experience the same nervous or involuntary tics at the same time.
It all starts as an innocent inside joke from the 212 troopers. How their high officer where the best and one of the key proves of it was how in tune they are with eachother. That thought slowly evolved with every interaction they were able to witness until it turned into a kind of game, trying to understand just how deep the synchrony went. Space bingo if you will.
1.
Ever since he decided to have a beard, he touches it. at first it was because of the new sensation, later to show it of as one should do, then to display knowledge in hopes to seem more wise and finally evolving in his "in deep thoughts" pose.
It was on the early battles when it first happened. The clones weren't comfortable enough yet to being openly without their buckets and so, the moment both officers moved to rest their chin on their hand, Cody hit his helmet causing him to make an aborted movement pretending that he was trying to adjust it when the general turns to look at him. There is a pregnant pause around the holotable before Obi-Wan turns back to the holotable and the commander has to survive the rest of the meeting with the constant snickers from his brothers inside his helmet.
2.
In times of high stress situations he tends to scratch the back of his head, particularly the place where his padawan braid was, an unconscious tick he picked first from his time in Melidaan. He got to overcome it over the years when he came back to the temple, only to pick it back up after Qui-Gon died and he became a knight.
The first time the troopers note it is in Christophsis. Anakin is being he's usual reckless self causing Obi-Wan the go grey early with his invisible ship against a hole separatist fleet, and he doesn't even realize he's hand moving up to pass it over the back of his head, nor that his commander repeated the exact same movement at the exact same time, too distracted with the fight in sight. The other troopers on the bridge however? they did notice.
3.
This one happened before they where about to land in a highly unknown planet with an astonishing lake of information. They were walking into a trap, not that they knew at the time that.. or well.. not until both General and Commander deepened their frowns and mumbled quietly "I have a bad feeling about this". This time they did notice it tho and turned to look at eachother with a surprised look while the soldiers around them are gapping with a collective thought of "Oh kark we are so doomed" and "lmao check another one for the team."
4.
A defect of using a helmet for so long, is that you start forgetting how to keep a straight face and our dear commander, starts slipping his controlled mask especially when faced with stupid decisions. This is one of the main reasons him and Anakin do not get allong well. Because one of the first times they were all reunited strategizing their next move, Anakin decided to offer his brilliant idea and almost cried when faced with the pure power of the combined disgust Obi and Cody were inadvertently showing.
Ahsoka and Rex thought it was hilarious, Obi-Wan had to apologies multiple times before his formed padawan stopped sulking and demanding Obi-Wan to spend less time with his commander and the rest of the troopers just checked another mark.
5.
Kamino has never and will never be an easy place to live in. The facility was a nightmare and no one knew this better than the clones themselfs, between the kaminioan, the trainers and the Alpha batch, life was a challenge and any little quirk can be a dead sentence if you're not careful enough. Cody knows this and learns to deal with it.
It's in the middle of a peace negotiation with the local authority when they noticed it.
It was a small group for this mission, just Cody, Obi-Wan, Boil and Waxer accompanying a Coruscant team of negotiators. The prime minister of the planet was being unpleasant during the whole meeting, with nasty comments, senseless demands and baseless accusations towards eveyone. All bark, no bite.
The jedi was leading the negotiations putting him in front of everyone with the commander by his side; Waxer and Boil standing just behind them notice a pattern pretty quickly. Everytime the minister said something bad about the jedi or the clones, both of their officers would each start drumbeating their fingers with their thumb. A small thing that no one else could notice because their hands were behind their backs, but remarkable enough for the troopers witnessing it as a checkable tic.
6.
Dex notice the next one.
Obi-Wan likes to take every clone he can to visit Dex's reastaurant at least once, but the most regular companion is always the cammander. Not that it bothers him, in fact, he is rather fond of the good commander, but he can't help but notice how everytime the principal door opens a little bit harder than needed, they both will tense up and inmediatelly look at eachother.
And yeah idk, i just think it's neat as an idea. I can imagine a lot more of little scenes like these. Maybe some time latter both realize, maybe they know, maybe they will purposely start doing some to just mess with the troops, maybe it would save the galaxy somehow... just saying..
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todorroki · 5 months ago
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HEY GIRLS........ I'M DEAD (love sea ep 2 thoughts)
do you think mame watched kp and nodded to herself like "yes... exactly..." while rubbing her hands together because that's the only reasoning i can come up with for what we got today. anyways nothing too coherent will be said this week sorry. my mind is still [metal bar crash] [car siren] [truck horn] [glass shattering]
let's just say when i started this ep i was sitting upright on the sofa and by the 8 minute mark i was sliding down my seat, and by the time they got to the SHOWER? clutching the armrest, practically parallel to the seat cushion, scandalized as though i haven't been filtering by E on ao3 for years now. MY EYES! no warning full on horny beam blast to the brain. and i was wondering how they were going to measure up to their nc scenes in LITA. me to my past self: u know nothing. fool.
first line in is rak wondering about sex with mut like LMAO talk about setting the tone. i love this episode because the direction said absolutely no nonsense we're gonna dial up the horny right away and they're so valid for that. the tension was Chef's Kiss. when rak just went ahead and sucked on mut's finger i screamed (silently). mut's expression here is ME
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tongrak's resistance is weaker than wet paper! what happened to don't go for him LMAO even the cockblocking seashell wound was forgotten by the time mut started sucking on his arm.
and MY GOD there was so much Tongue. OPEN YOUR MOUTH?????? HELLO??????? as someone who has greater-than-anakin levels of hatred for sand, i was not even CLOSE to thinking about the sand in this scene so hats off to fortpeat. drove the surrounding setting completely out of my mind. then the nc back in rak's room afterwards?? i was mentally screaming HEELLP! shooting terrified glances at the closed door by the tv hoping no one else in the house was awake because jesus peat was Moaning.. tongrak took ride dick bicycle SERIOUSLY! and fort's low "im expensive" and "woof" line delivery is PEEAK I SAY. SO GOOD. they've truly outdone themselves with this one. im practically speechless. and BEST BELIEVE IM REWINDING IT LIKE A MADMAN!!
this is Not the horny speaking btw, peat's face is so cute here. when his eyes go a little wide ↓
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nc aside, the motorcycle ride is so cute. rak clinging onto mut with both arms like OKAY!! I SEE! mhm mhm olivia wilde nod
tiny break from our main couple- we get vimook this week!! even a forehead kiss and the preview for next week asking mook out?? wow we're moving fast!! side note: are those chanya's real tattoos? because the small flower one on her arm is pretty. also enjoying palm just popping up constantly out of nowhere. he's simply a chill dude.
i liked that scene at the restaurant a lot. both the scenery And the food on the table looked great. i think that was the first time mutrak actually have a nice, proper conversation with each other. and they were very sweet! we get mut's backstory, and a bit of rak's thoughts on his job.
now i have No idea if anyone else has this error, but when i watched ep2 on the iq app on my tv, there was a line of subtitle here right before rak says because it's fun, though there was no actual dialogue:
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it was something along the lines of 'actually, it's an escape' which would match rak's line of thought in the book. but it doesn't show when i watch the episode on the iq website. not sure if they forgot to put the audio into the scene or what.
similarly, when mut texts kom in the scene afterwards, the iq site only has the punctuation while the tv app showed the texts' translation. same thing with some of tongrak's flashbacks at the end. i don't know if it's just on my end or anyone else has this problem! not surprised tho the eye kew site n tv app both operate terribly imo :-) why are the subs placed so high on the website :-) ui and ux nightmare :-)
my hatred for this corp aside, WE GET DIVING AGAIN THIS WEEK!!!!! i'm so excited to see the behind the scenes for this part. i love seeing the logistics of filming underwater. and because this one involves a panic almost-drowning scene, it must've been hell to film, especially if they had to do it more than once. really looking forward to it. the visuals so far in both episodes are killing it.
shoutout to fort in the wetsuit... he's so hot
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i really like how they're slowly dropping rak's trauma in bits and pieces in these 2 eps. (and i know we're supposed to focus on the trauma, but my brain went 'omg peat with his hair down so cute' during that scene with rak's sister sorry). compared to mut, who spells out his past with ease because he's made peace with it, rak outright avoids talking about his problems.
also, i LOVE mut's character when he's being serious. any time fort's tone drops to talk lowly or softly, i ASCEND. please give fort more serious roles!!! he deserves them!!
and we end with the title drop tongrak mahasamut!
the ending song changing from rak by himself in the first ep to mut sitting with him in this ep is a nice touch! it's the little details.
overall, pacing for this ep was good. i love it more than ep1, though idk if my opinion is influenced by the nc frying my brain. also, the boy next world poster!! just in time for their workshop starting this week whoop whoop
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as always, if you found this post and read til this point, thank you so much for your time! anyways, if you'll excuse me, i have to rewatch some uh parts of this episode again haha. my screenshot folder is um. quite filled. just like tongrak. alright im out.
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beck-a-leck · 9 months ago
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20 Questions for Fic Writers...
Tagged by @thychesters this was super fun to do winding down after work. Thank you!
How many works do you have on Ao3?
83. But good luck finding all of them
2. What's your total Ao3 word count?
1,102,340 posted over my entire time on AO3
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Historically and primarily, Star Wars, Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, and Rune Factory. but recently I've been posting a Hobbit story.
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
This is about to be the most boring list because in order it's:
[Redacted Fic] (posted under a separate account,by an absolutely huge margin of over 1500 kudos)
Aggressive Negotiations (SW fic with adorable baby Skywalker Twins, at just under 400 kudos)
Wells of Silence (SW fic retelling late Clone Wars and ROTS with a female Anakin Skywalker)
[Redacted Fic] (the one fic I wrote for a certain fandom that was getting super huge, but I was a weenie and posted anonymously)
and [Redacted Fic] (another anonymous story)
If we want to include the top 5 non-redacted, then well tack these ones onto the list:
Among Scuttled Ships and Scrap (SW/TBB fic in which Omega meets Cal Kestis on Bracca)
Better Left Unsaid (A SW Obi-Wam/Satine fic about duty and sacrifice)
Weekend Guests (A jarring reminder that I wrote, and did not finish a Voltron fic lmao)
5. Do you respond to comments?
I do! I love getting comments and getting to potentially engage in conversations with my readers and fandom friends. So I try to respond to every comment I get.
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I mean, it's the one I always bring up when people ask what the angstiest fic in my kinda expansive angst repertoire is, but it's Hello Darkness. You don't get much angstier than major characters deaths, thousands of other deaths, and infanticide so... (It's an Order 66 fic, what can even be expected with that right?)
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Oh gosh, I don't know. I do have quite a bit of fluff and I think they all have very happy endings full of all the warm fuzzies. The most recent one might be Operation: Save the Magic. It's your quintessential Christmas Special in a fic, and naturally it has the picture perfect happy ending.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Statistically, I'm sure there are people out there who do hate my fics, for whatever reason. But none of it has made it to me, and I'm perfectly content with that.
9. Do you write smut?
I have made one (1) foray into smut writing, and I think I overcompensated with angst, which says everything about me you need to know lmao. Smut's not really on my radar as a reader or a writer, but when it fits a situation, it fits, ya know?
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?
Not really. A handful of times when I was goofing around with friends we might have done a silly crossover or two. But beyond doing in-universe crossovers of different installments of the same universe, I don't really write them.
I'm more of an AU person. I'd rather take characters from Media A and drop them into the universe of Media B without any characters from Media B making an appearance. Someone might count that as a crossover, but I think they're more of an AU.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I know of.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Nope
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I've done a couple collaborations for fandom events, not sure of those really count, as I was the one doing most of the writing. And there was one cracky-story I did with a friend back in high school, but beyond that, no I haven't.
14. What's your all time favorite ship?
I don't really have favorite ships. I tend to think of myself as a fluid shipper, meaning I'll write or read just about anything if the mood strikes, so I don't really glom onto favorites for the long term. With ship things it's less about the actual characters and more about the way they're interacting with each other.
15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
I have a lot of long-abandoned and unfinished WIPs sitting both on my hard drive and on AO3. Throw a stick and you'll probably hit one of them. Probably anything started pre-2018 and not updated since then is likely never going to be finished.
16. What are your writing strengths?
I think I do a good job capturing emotions and working with the complexities of human relationships (and just being human). And I think I do quite well with my descriptive scenes too.
17. What are you writing weaknesses?
Action scenes are the bane of my existence, and I think just actions in general. I tend to over-describe what everyone is doing and every little move they make in scenes that don't need that level of description.
Also sticking to a consistent writing schedule and keeping a muse wrangled long enough to finish a story.
18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?
I'd like to have some familiarity with the language before I would do that, because I don't want to force people who speak that language to read my google-translate results. So I don't do it as much with real languages.
Fictional languages though, I'll be much more liberal with the rate in which I toss in those words. might not be whole sentences, particularly if there aren't key phrases for me to use, but I'll use individual words freely.
19. First Fandom you wrote for?
If we're talking first fandom I ever wrote a fanfic for, that would be Jak and Daxter.
If we're talking first fandom I ever did any creative writing for, it would be Warrior Cats RPs
20. Favorite fic you have written?
Asking me to pick a favorite is unfair, because there's genuinely something I like about every story I've written. I've my primary audience and I'm writing the stories I want to read. So I can't say I have a favorite favorite. But the one I've been most recently and fervently working on, so it's at the forefront is How Far Ahead The Road Has Gone my Hobbit fic.
Okay, now it's late and I need to be getting to bed bc I've gotta work tonight. So I know I'm gonna miss people if I try and tag folks. So this is the blanket statement of If you wanna play along, feel free to say I tagged you.
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powerpolyculeshowdown · 2 years ago
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You said I could rambles about Rexanidala @ you so here we are, i hope you won't regret your choice ❤️
OKAY SO FIRST OF ALL you have the characters aka the canon couple (Anakin Skywalker & Padmé Amidala that i think most people know at least from names?) and then you have Rex aka Captain Rex aka Anakin's right hand man during the Clones Wars and LISTEN in general i love their relationship but if you add poly to it??? -chefkiss-
Like listen you have one of the most powerful Jedi, one of the most badass & kindest Senator & one of the best Clones Officer around there, you put them in a room together, and they lost all their braincell and something ends up in fire. There's so much raw chaos in them. They're so competent but they forget everything when you put them together. They just go and cause so many problem, they're probably the reason why Mace Windu decided to stay bald and why Obi-Wan Kenobi ended up grey that young.
Various exemple of their chaotic energy: the very classic "someone is trying to assassinate me so I'm gonna go into the lion's den and almost get killed, i mean i did take my Jedi bodyguard with me after all—" from one Padmé Amidala; "one of my friends got killed so I'm gonna resolve his murder even if it's not my job" from the same Padmé Amidala; "imma gonna crash this ship on the enemies bc why not" by Anakin Skywalker (self-proclamed best pilot of the Galaxy); "imma gonna give my lightsaber to my very secret wife to prove to her how much i love her and oooops there's a hostage situation and i don't have my weapon anymore" by, again, Anakin; "I'm gonna shot point blank at a clone bc he was acting suspicious and I'm not telling anyone and especially not my superior officer why i did that — hey look it was a droid i was right lol" by Rex; "you know what since droids want to pretend they're us I'm gonna pretend I'm a droid in clone armor" by Rex AGAIN; and, obviously, the whole "Padmé & Anakin are married but it's a secret so obviously we're gonna kiss everywhere, give lovesick at each other all the time, acting all lovey-dovey and/or jealous when with each other, to the point that even our enemies know we have something going on", to the "Rex for some reasons knows about their relationship and is trying to cover for them but he's really not any better than them in the art of lying and/or pretending he has no idea what's going on". They're disasters and i love them <3
ALSO Re: the last part, there's a whole scene where 1) Anakin is like "hey Rex come on we have something to do -wink wink wink-" IN FRONT OF SOME OF THEIR MEN 2) Rex is like "srly, rn now??" And Anakin insists and i swear when you watch this scene without context........ so gay 3) Anakin uses Rex's helmet to call Padmé "in secret" (re: they're so bad at keeping it a secret) and Rex is keeping guard 4) while they are talking, and despite the fact that they haven't seen each other in months and haven't been able to talk to each other a lot, Anakin asks advices to Padmé bc he's worried about Rex and wants to help him 4) Padmé knows Rex & the way he think enough to reassure Anakin and she's also worried about Rex but trusts him 5) LISTEN THEY'RE IN LOVE I DON'T MAKE THE RULES.
Anakin/Padmé is pretty much established but it's like,,,, so easy to add Rex to their couple??? Like, ofc Anakin is close with him, he's his most trusted man and his right hand man!! He knows him & cares for him & trusts him everything and everyone he hold dear!!! But also Rex & Padmé bonded in their own way!! Like, mainly, they got infected by a dead virus together and almost died, which, u know, is always a good way to bond with your future wife <3 And they're obviously friends!! And i absolutely believe they team-up to stop Anakin from doing his most stupid ideas lmao (at least when it's not their brand of chaos and thus they enable him ofc).
ALSO there's Ahsoka!!! She's Anakin's Padawan so obviously she's close to him, and bc she goes to war with him she's also close to Rex (and the rest of their men, tbh it always kills me a little how they all care for each other)!! He gives her advices and takes care of her and supports her!!! And they obviously love each other a lot!!! Rex's love for Ahsoka literally saved her life during Order 66 idkdjdj I'm so normal about it. BUT ALSO she's close to Padmé!!! Padmé is her friend!! She follows Padmé on stupid mission she decided to do herself and uses as justification "Anakin told me to stay with her to learn politic :D" kdjdjdjdj anyway she's at the same time their little sister and their kid and i LOVE IT.
Also there's so much angst potential. Like, Rex survived the end of the war but neither did Anakin nor Padmé. Rex didn't know Luke & Leia were their children. He was robbed of his kids' whole life!!! Rex didn't know about Anakin being Darth Vader either!! (He had a suspicion but no real answer.) How do you want me to be normal about it???
And in a Palpatine-slips-on-a-banana-peel-and-dies au, they can just raise the twins together and they would be even more chaotic that they already are in canon <3 but also i think they deserve it. As a treat.
Anyway i love them so much and we're like five out there shipping them but IT'S FINE. MY LIVE WILL NOT DIE.
thank you <3
(sponsored by the show Star Wars: the Clones War)
Thank you so luch for rambling @ me about ur blorbos i love when ppl are sonpassionate about stuff they love
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whetstonefires · 3 months ago
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Unfortunately I think George Lucas did a very bad job of balancing his twin introductions of 'the Jedi being a monastic order' and 'the Jedi recruiting typically below the age of nine.'
Both of these are interesting additions to the narrative, that work interestingly with the material already present!
But together they serve to introduce conflict in a way that Lucas was not at all prepared to resolve, because his storytelling goal with them was in fact to create conflict, because the prequel trilogy was a tragic narrative of decline and fall.
If the worldbuilding were done more thoughtfully, there would maybe have been an existing off-ramp from the Order, where you chose at each level of 'promotion' to padawan knight etc whether to take on the more serious vows and bind yourself further to the Order or step back, or stay still, or something like that; some point where a choice is actually presented that isn't 'burn down your entire life and all your relationships, or keep going on the path selected for you as a small child, due to an accident of biology.'
(Generally religious orders either make it very easy to back out up until the last minute, or kind of tacitly accept with varying levels of awareness that they are going to be corrupt as fuck due to all the people in them who don't really want to be there, and don't really care about their religion, and intend to get away with as much as they can, but were in a position where making any other choice was more difficult than going ahead with being monks. Usually some combination of these tbh depending on the contingencies of the historical moment.
No real order afaik has had the issue of controlling people with superpowers in the balance ofc.)
More thoughtful worldbuilding that made the 'monks' element easier to compass would also have put a little more effort into conveying the underlying tenets of their religion. Clearly they're more about practice than doctrine, but they do have dogmas, and with millennia as an organized religion, a full millennium in its current form, they must have quite an elaborate discourse wrt theology and cosmology, which have been made up incoherently in all directions by various writers due to their near total absence from the films.
But if the worldbuilding were done more elegantly, it would not be Star Wars lmao.
And there was no obvious reason, going in, from Lucas' perspective, to expend valuable screen time on blunting the force of these monastic strictures and their inherent injustice, and the way they seem to fall like an inexorable hammer. Because the goal of this element of the Jedi was specifically to get Anakin, as dramatically as possible, into a position where he felt his only two choices were to 1) burn his own life down or 2) keep on as he had been, and then squish him between the situation at hand and his traumas until he felt he couldn't go on this way, and opted for the burning.
Which results in the Jedi system coming off on casual viewing as coercive and inflexible, because Anakin needed to experience it that way to make his arc work. So then you leave the viewers feeling they have to either lower their opinion of the Jedi, for having institutions that could fail a person this badly and persistently, or be unable to engage with Anakin's downfall as genuinely tragic.
And because this is a frustrating choice, it's easier and more satisfying to swing really hard to the side you choose.
Lucas simply did not think things through on this one. If you as a writer focus entirely on building up as many elements as possible to tilt things in the direction you're aiming at, you can get smacked real hard by the second-order implications of the scenario you set up. Always ask the next question, if only to know what it is.
...also ngl Lucas was trying to have his cake and eat it too by mashing allllll the kinds of sects and monastic orders from asian film and tv up with the Jesuits and Templars and Hospitallers and all those other catholic knightly orders, and putting it in space attached to an also rather vague space government, and mostly not committing to a side on any of the resulting thematic and structural conflicts.
This was so much more complex a scenario than anything in the original films. It was not going to go flawlessly.
Oh man now I want to draft out a sort of Templar AU where the Jedi Order was collectively the Republic's most prominent bank, and the Chancellor framed them for heresy and treason and killed them all, not for Sith reasons but so he could take the money.
Anyway. My thoughts on why this discourse springs eternal.
I feel like a solid 75% of discourse around the Jedi wouldn’t exist if people just factored in that they’re monks.
It feels like half of y’all don’t consider that maybe being a Jedi really is just incompatible with a lot of things that are a normal part of other people’s lives… Because they are monks.
We had a whole trilogy showing how Anakin wanting to have his cake and eat it too led to disaster and people really came out thinking, “the Jedi should’ve just let Anakin be married,” not, “Anakin was a selfish moron who ruined literally everyone’s lives because he couldn’t accept that he had to make a choice.”
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starwarsshippings · 2 years ago
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honestly watching kenobi has stirred up a lot of my obikin feelings tbh lol
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writingonsaturn · 3 years ago
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Better Unsaid
a/n okay this has been all over the place!! it was originally going to be a blurb and darker and closer to smutty (so keep your eyes out for that??? lol), but then I made it softer and the concept got away from me and it got soooo much longer than expected lmao and i still dont love where it ended so maybe part 2?? i have the idea i just dont know lol 
summary: Reader is a princess and Anakin has been her guard during the most public season for the past two years (not the most logical thing but just go with it lol, it gets explained better in the fic) and after a near death experience the two are conveniently forced into a....
ONE BED TROPE ONE BED TROPE *cough cough* ONE BED TROPE WITH ONE PERSON HAVING TO WAKE UP THE OTHER BC THEYRE HAVING A NIGHTMARE,, :)))))))
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His smugness is the only thing about him I can consider ��ugly’. And because I am so desperate to not have feeling for Anakin, the Jedi who has been assigned to protect me through coronation season (which lasts for most of winter), for the last two coronation seasons, I hold onto my distaste for that side of him. Which is why I suppress my laugh as he waits for my reaction with that confident smile. 
“Come on, that was funny.” 
Rolling my eyes, I let myself sit on my bed. I can’t tell if he’s actually funny or if my evening has been so boring that his sense of humor has started to become appealing to me due to comparison. In short, the suitor I was forced to spend an entire evening with lacked personality so much I’m starting to find Anakin funny.
“You’re much more entertaining than this evening’s suitor.” 
Anakin’s expression shifts slightly, his assured grin dropping slightly. “Another miss?” 
“You have no idea.” I relax slightly, taking a moment to be glad that I completed my father’s request and now I can just enjoy the time I have with Anakin. “I know my father’s desperate to make sure my marriage is useful for our people and that he worries about this selection process because he always thought my mother would be here to help, but sometimes I wish he wouldn’t rush it so much. It feels like all he wants me for is to marry me off in exchange of finance or weaponry or something diplomatic.” 
“You’re more than that.” His response is so soft I think I might have missed it if I needed it less. I curse myself for feeling so validated by him. His words shouldn’t mean anything to me. After all, he could easily just be saying that because agreeing with my father will just make me more unpleasant to be around. 
I smile politely while avoiding his eyes. I keep my hands on either side of me, fighting the urge to fidget. “Thank you, Anakin.” My words sound weak in my own ears, so I’m sure he notices my shift in mood. “I’m tired today, I think I’m going to go to bed early.” Normally, I’d be able to shrug off these kinds of things, but the beginning of Coronation Season makes me irritable. The anniversary of my mother’s death hits me harder each year. 
“Y/n.” My name comes out so velvety I can’t find it in myself to interrupt him. “You are more than someone meant to be used as some kind of royal currency, and I mean that as more than just a...friend.” 
I let his last word linger. We’ve tried so many titles that never seem to fit right. He’s the chosen one, one of the most powerful Jedi to exist, and the Jedi assigned to protect me each Coronation Season because that’s when my mother was assassinated. He’s my guard, but we’ve spent too many nights laughing together and talking about everything and anything. And I guess now he’s my friend, even though sometimes when he looks at me in a certain way or sits too close to me or reaches for my hand to guide me somewhere I can’t breathe right. 
“Anakin, you know I love when you’re here, even though sometimes you drive me insane. And I appreciate your kindness, but your words can’t change the truth. That’s how my father sees me and he’s not exactly wrong. I’m not a son, I haven’t been raised to lead an army or lead much, and--” 
“I’ve seen you in meeting after meeting, convention after convention. I’ve witnessed the way you handle real problems and I know how you care about your people. You’d make a great leader, you don’t need a husband to be valuable.” 
My chest swells, feelings I never let myself think about mixing with thoughts of Anakin that I’ve spent so long trying to avoid. “That settles it, you’re my favorite person.” 
He grins, the look warm enough to melt the odd lump in my throat. I fight down a smile as he steps forward. “And I wasn’t before?” 
“I take it back--your head’s big enough without the additional praise.” 
Rolling my eyes, I lean back slightly in order to recreate the distance he so easily destroyed. “And I thought you had finally warmed up to me, princess.” 
The use of my title makes me skeptical. The last time Anakin used it was when he was trying to ease me so that I’d walk around the palace garden so he had an excuse to do the same. It was beyond late and I was half asleep, but he had os much energy he was desperate and just needed to do one more thing. I felt bad that his schedule revolved so heavily around mine (and when he softens his eyes and says please, I’m left incapable of saying the word ‘no’) so I agreed. 
“What do you want?” 
Anakin dramatically clutches a hand over his heart. He throws his head back slightly as if he’s just taken a fatal blow. “When did you turn so cynical? I’ve been back for three days and I’m starting to believe you’re a different person now.” 
Yeah...he’s definitely getting ready to ask for something that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Then again, everything with him seems to be worth it in some capacity. Even if it’s just that one smile he gets when he’s truly content and doesn’t think anyone’s looking. 
“Mhm,” I mumble, still fighting a grin, “so you’re not going to ask me anything?” 
His lips part slightly as he exhales. I watch the way his eyes narrow at my victorious expression. “I don’t have anything to ask of you, but I do have a small request. A request so small you won’t have to do anything but say yes.”
Suspicious. Too easy. “You’re unbelievable.” 
“You just said I was your favorite person. Remember that.” 
I’m too tired for his coyness. I’d rather him make his ridiculous request now so that I can be in bed within the hour. Though I can’t pretend I don’t normally feel better after letting him drag me along on whatever ‘adventure’ he just needed to complete while also not letting me out of his sight. I used to tell him that I wouldn’t tell anyone if I wasn’t under supervision for an hour or two a day, but he dismissed the idea immediately. That’s been the cornerstone of everything. 
“What is it?” 
He sighs once, tilting his head slightly. The way his eyes soften tells me he’s already won at least half the battle. “They still haven’t caught the attempted--” Anakin pauses, something behind his eyes darkening. I know what he’s remembering. Last night, an assassin had gotten closer than they ever had. I had almost been shot in the garden, Anakin had barely pushed me to the ground in time. A fact he’s been beating himself up for since, especially considering that no one has been able to find my attempted killer yet. “They were so close to you. They were within palace limits and they disappeared like they never existed. Who’s to say they don’t work here and are waiting for the next moment you’re exposed? Who’s to say they aren’t here tonight, waiting for me to retire for the night?” 
I didn’t realize how my near death experience had been so personal to him. He, like everyone else, was beyond frantic after it happened. But my father put an end to verbal worry before it could truly begin. He said the best thing we could do was act like everything was fine as the assailant was searched for. Anakin hadn’t been particularly cheery after my father instructed the guards to focus their search on known enemies instead of prioritizing venting the staff closest to me. I comforted him as best as I could, but he didn’t feel like speaking about it and I had to worry about the suitor meeting my father wouldn’t let me cancel. 
“Anakin, you’re right next door to me.” I have to fight the urge to reach for him. “I was fine because of you, and I will be fine because of you.” 
He sighs once, his expression not easing. “And if the person is silent? The attacker could easily work in the palace, but no one wanted to direct the search inwards.” His words are more strained than I’ve ever heard them be. “I think it’d be smart for me to stay in here. I know you’ve refused having a guard stay in your room or outside your door, but...” Anakin sighs. “Your safety would be more assured.” 
Him staying in my room? The only line I’ve ever been allowed to draw, and I’m actually considering letting that go. If he seemed even slightly less sad, I wouldn’t even consider it. It’s not a good idea. I’m already too attached to him. “Anakin--” 
“I’d feel more assured.” 
Damn him. Stupid, extremely sweet Anakin who makes saying no to him impossible. I stretch my arm forward, letting my hand squeezes his forearm gently. “There’s no reason to not feel assured.” He doesn’t ease, the cloudiness behind his eyes remains stubborn. “You’re still worried.” No reaction, the haze that’s taken him isn’t letting go. “Fine--but tell no one or my father is going to take to posting guards at my door every night.” 
...I guess there are worse ways to spend a night. Which is kind of a problem since I’m trying to...enjoy Anakin less. Ugh, I even sound dumb in my head. “I promise, princess.” 
Ugh, he’s adorable. “You’re intolerable.” I stand from he foot of my bed and pull back the covers on my bed. He doesn’t reply, something dark still playing for him. I watch him move to face the door. Wait--is he doing what I think he’s doing? “No, you’re not going to stand there all night. You need sleep.” He has the audacity to give me an annoyed look. “I already didn’t want to do this so now you have to listen to my conditions.” 
He raises an eyebrow, his lips pressing together oddly. He’s trying to gauge something from my expression, perhaps he’s looking for buttons to press to get his way. I guess I look as stubborn as I feel because instead of arguing he just sits on the floor. What? I watch him cautiously, trying to figure out if this is some weird argument trick. 
“What are you doing?” 
“What you asked.”
And just like that I’ve put myself in a position that I will no doubt regret terribly the second common sense returns to me. There’s no way to deny that Anakin and I are closer than we probably should be. We’ve felt like friends first since the day we first met. I can’t think of any reason to not offer to let him sleep in my bed except those stupid budding feelings I refuse to label. 
It’s not like I actually like him. I can’t--I’m going to be married to some nobleman and he’s prohibited from ever forming attachments. I’m not even sure if we’re allowed to be friends. Having actual feelings for him would be so, so pointless. It would just lead to heartache and the ruining of the one genuine relationship I have. I’m just a tiny bit confused right now because he’s objectively really attractive and he’s always there for me. Always there to make a joke after a particularly rough meeting. Always there to offer me a supportive smile. Always there to humble me when I teeter on acting like my father. 
Anyone’s heart would flutter at that, so it doesn’t mean anything. And if it does, I need to squash any budding feelings now before I mess things up. Which is why I should keep him at arm’s length until I get it together. But is that fair to him? And what if doing that is making things worse? What if it’s just reinforcing the idea of having feelings? 
This is ridiculous. I’m going to get over this if it kills me. It’s just a bed and it’s only sleeping. I’m meant to be able to lead an entire union and I can’t sleep next to someone and act normal?” “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” 
The second the words leave my mouth I regret it all. What’s wrong with me? Did I seriously think I’d be okay?
I hear his soft exhale, “I’ll be fine. I’ve slept in worse places than on your marble floor.” 
His voice sounds so weighted I can’t help but feel bad for not noticing that he’s still bothered. Whether he’s upset about his near miss or the fact that my father didn’t take his advice, I don’t know. But something’s wrong. The easy thing to do would be to just let him sleep it off. The smart thing to do would be to leave him alone until tomorrow. 
I think of all the times that I’ve been upset and Anakin had refused to let me go to sleep angry or sad or overwhelmed. “I know, but it’s really not a big deal. It’s not like we don’t know each other. I mean, last Coronation Season you buttoned me into more gowns than my handmaid. And I owe you for saving me from one of the worst suitors I’ve ever had.” 
“I’m starting to think we need to develop some kind of signal.” 
The tiny bit of lightness that’s returned to his voice makes all of my internal struggle feel worth it. “You always seem to know.” 
“That’s because when you’re reaching your limit, that one line appears between your eyebrows.”
I didn’t realize I had such a tell. I try to remember the way that the suitor drawled on and on about how amazing he was and how he couldn’t wait for the day he had a bride to bear his children and plan (tedious) social events. My hand moves to my forehead, trying to feel the crease Anakin mentioned. Can everyone tell when I’m growing tired? Am I that transparent? 
Anakin’s slight laugh steals my attention. He’s facing me again, his elbow holding his head up on the foot of my bed. “What are you doing?” 
“I don’t--I don’t think i get a crease between my eyebrows when I’m irritated.” 
I hear him stand. I don’t realize he’s approaching me until he’s so close I could touch him without even needing. to stretch. “No, when you’re irritated you raise your eyebrows slightly, because that’s when you’re at your most sarcastic.” 
“Really?” 
The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. “Just like that.” I force myself to keep my expression blank. “When you’re reaching your limit, your eyebrows crease here.” His finger taps the space between my brows so gently I almost don’t realize what he’s doing. “And when you’re trying not to laugh--which is often, because you refuse to admit that I’m funny--you press your lips together in a way that forms a dimple here.” The knuckle of his pointer finger brushes against the bottom of my cheek. 
I bite my tongue to fight the warmth spreading across my face. “I didn’t realize i was so transparent.”
“I can’t always tell what you’re thinking.” 
“I’ll take it.” Maybe if I was less tired, I’d argue a little more. “You know you’re not that difficult to read either.” 
“Really?” 
“Yes, I can tell when you’re just being stubborn for the sake of it. I can see it in your eyes and you’re doing it right now.” 
His expression harshens slightly before softening. “Y/n--” 
“I’m not wrong.” 
He sighs once, stepping back. I watch him pace around my bed before taking a seat on the edge of my other side of the bed. “Are you happy now?” 
“Happy that I won? Absolutely.” 
Anakin halfheartedly glares at me. “Careful, add a crown and a robe that trails down a throne and I’d feel like I was speaking to your father.” 
“Careful, another side comment like that and I’ll ‘accidentally’ kick you off the bed in the middle of the night.” 
“Not if I kick you off the bed first.” 
I trace a thoughtless pattern on the fabric of my bedsheets. “What are you? Twelve?” 
“I’m older than you.” 
“Barely.” I continue the thoughtless pattern tracing as I fight the sleep from my eyes. “Your comebacks are usually more creative than that.” 
He exhales, relaxing slightly as he rests his back against a pillow. “I’m tired, like you claimed to be.” His eyes flutter slightly, a bit of his exhaustion showing. “Go to sleep.” 
I should. I’m too old to think I can put off a tomorrow I don’t want by just staying up. This is stupid. I’m too old to think I can put off the anniversary of my mother’s death by going to bed. She had been taken from us on castle grounds, killed by a revolutionist who viewed my mother as a class traitor. I still remember the way she slumped to the ground, her blood staining the snow beneath her. I remember the way the guards were so busy chasing her killer no one thought to keep me away from the body. 
“Y/n?” 
I scratch the back of my arm in hopes of banishing my thoughts. “Yes?” 
“You’re being quiet.” 
“You said to go to sleep, that tends to be a quiet thing.” 
I can feel his eyes on me. “Since when do you listen to me?” Not trusting myself to actually reply, I only offer him a hum of acknowledgement. “I know you’re not half asleep.” 
Folding my hands on my lap, I avoid his gaze. “It’s tomorrow.” 
I don’t know why I trust him to understand my vague response, but I do. His silence stretches over us like a thin blanket on a cold night. Maybe he doesn’t understand what I’m implying. I can always correct him tomorrow, when my eyelids are no longer as heavy as my heart. The more seconds that pass in total silence, the more I think that maybe he’s fallen asleep. 
I wouldn’t be surprised, Anakin has seemed tired recently, like some additional weight he won’t share with anyone has been thrust onto his shoulders. A small part of me rolls in guilt. I need to be a better friend, just because I’m suddenly a little too aware of him doesn’t mean I can shrug him off and ignore him. 
My hand almost flinches away from the feeling of something surprisingly warm touching my pinky. When I realize that it’s just Anakin and that the contact was probably accidental, I force myself to ease. It’s not like we’ve never touched before, I don’t understand why I’m making it weird. Sitting in my bed in the dark doesn’t change anything. His hand turns slightly, pressing into mine a little more assuredly. Biting my tongue, I turn my hand slightly, exposing my palm. And just like that, our fingers intertwine. 
“She would have been proud of you.” His voice comes out so low I barely register the words. 
The words shouldn’t mean much to me--he never knew my mother and has no way to know what she wanted me to be.--and yet I find comfort in them. I smile, turning my head towards him. “You didn’t even know her.” 
He rolls his eyes slightly, relaxing further before squeezing my hand once. “Who wouldn’t be proud of you? You’re kind and smart and decent to be around when you’re not telling me what to do.” 
My heart swells in my chest so much I’m surprised it doesn’t burst. Could he be cuter? “Yeah...now I’m sure you’re my favorite person.” 
“Now you’re sure?” 
The smugness in his voice has me rolling my eyes. “Don’t make me regret saying that.” 
“Maybe in the morning,” he says easily, “now go to sleep. There’s nothing worse than escorting you from meeting to meeting while you’re tired.” 
“I’m not that bad.” Even in this darkness, I can make out the way he raises an eyebrow. “Shut up--I’m going to sleep, but not because of you.” 
He lets out a slight huff. “You’re impossible.” 
The desire to respond to his comment is not enough for me to win the fight against the weight of my eyelids. The moment my eyes shut, I feel powerless to anything that isn’t sleep. I let myself fall into a weightless sleep, my only tether being the Anakin’s fingers around mine. 
--
A distant noise yanks me from my sleep. I’m too drowsy to do anything but register the sound. I hear another similar...whine? cry? I can’t tell and I’m too asleep to figure it out. I almost fall asleep again, but a third distressed sound keeps me from it. I wipe my eyes lazily with the back of my hand as I try to sit up. 
Squinting, I make out a figure on my bed. It takes me a moment to remember Anakin and how I fell asleep. Our hands are still together and no light is peering through my window so it can’t be that long since I fell asleep. Another disgruntled sound carries itself throughout the room. I shift slightly, leaning over Anakin cautiously. 
Golden brown curls are beginning to stick to his forehead and his eyebrows are drawn together sharply. He’s having a nightmare.  I shift even further forward before cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder before squeezing him gently. 
“Anakin,” I whisper, “it’s not--it’s not real.” His eyebrows draw together even more harshly. I shake him a little more stubbornly. “Anakin, wake up--you’re having a ni--”
 My forearm is grabbed so suddenly I barely register it before I feel my back shoved into my mattress. I blink twice. His dark eyes are frantic and the look on his face is far from the gentle, easygoing expression I’m used to. He’s breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling from above me. I swallow a slight panic and something I don’t understand as I try to keep my eyes on his face and my thoughts away from how close he is. Anakin pries his fingers from my forearm one by one until only his palm is touching me. 
“Y/n, I--” 
“It’s okay.” Honestly, I’m more worried about his uneven breathing than the way he grabbed me. I can’t imagine everything he’s been through or how justified his nightmares are. Anakin moves his hand away from me. I don’t sit up until he’s off of me and sitting with his back against my headboard. “It’s okay--I just--you were having a nightmare and I thought I should wake you.” He doesn’t react. I turn my body further, keeping my back straight. Anakin doesn’t move, and the longer he stays still, the more I feel like I should say something else. “Do you want talk about it? Or do--do you want to talk about something else? Or go to sleep? Or get some water? Or--” The far off look behind his eyes silences me. I scoot forward slightly. “You’re okay, Anakin, I promise.” 
His head turns at that, his eyes searching mine for something I don’t understand. “I thought...” He cuts himself off by swallowing once. 
I shift a little more, trying to find anything normal in his expression. “Thought what?” 
Anakin’s hand is on my arm so quickly I don’t even register his movement. I let his fingers press into my skin. He’s holding onto me like I’m a figment of a dream and he’s beginning to wake up. “I thought I’d failed.” He exhales, the sound heavy. “Failed you and that you’d--I  thought I had lost you.” 
A lump rises in my throat, thick and unmoving. Cautiously, I place my hand over the one still gripping my shoulder like a lifeline. “You didn’t. Nothing happened, it was just a dream.” 
His gaze falls to the ground before he repeats the last of my words. “Just a dream.” There’s a hollowness to his voice I don’t understand. 
I exhale, carefully running my thumb over his knuckles. “Yes.” He doesn’t say anything but his expression hardens again. I let us sit there like that for a long minute. “I promise.” 
“You can’t promise things like that.”
I sigh, unsure of where to go from here. “Bad dreams are only bad dreams.” He doesn’t reply. “I think you should try to get some more sleep.” 
Anakin is unresponsive. I shift back, but before I can transition from almost being on top of him to just sitting next to him, he pulls on my arm to keep in place. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” 
“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” 
“You almost died today, y/n. I was right there and if I had been a second later--” 
“But you weren’t.” He doesn’t ease. “You were there and I was fine. Don’t torment yourself over what could have been. You’ll drive yourself crazy.” 
“If anything ever happened to y--” 
“It’s not going to,” I whisper, ignoring the way his hold on my arm tightens even further, “Especially this time a year when I have a pretty good gau--” 
He tilts his head slightly, eyebrows drawing together and a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Pretty good? Really?” 
“Someone needs to watch your ego, chosen one.” This time when he tries for a smile, the look has some strength behind it. Relief pools in my stomach. “Now get some sleep, tomorrow’s a busy day and when you’re sleepy you’re beyond irritable.”  
Anakin lets me pull away enough to lay down, but he doesn’t follow. Not for a long second. When he does, his movements are impossibly rigid. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as carefully as I can manage. 
“Y/n?” 
I regret turning my head immediately. I didn’t realize how close he was. It would take no effort from me to make our lips meet. Wait--why am I thinking of that? I’m not allowed to think of stuff like that...especially not about him. 
“Yes?”
He lets out a breath before moving his hand. I don’t understand his hesitation until I feel his hand cupping my cheek gently. “What if next time I’m not enough? What if next time I lose you because I’m not strong enough?” 
I never thought my death would be such a personal thing to him. Sure, I knew that we had some kind of bond, some kind of friendship, and that my death would bring sadness. But I never imagined I’d matter enough to him that thoughts of my death would be frightening enough to slip into his subconscious and become a thing of nightmares. 
“You are enough. Nothing is going to happen to me and if it does it’s not going to be because of you.” Anakin’s lips press together in a way that implies serious uncertainty. His thumb brushes across my cheek so unexpectedly I almost ask him what he’s doing. The intensity behind his eyes is enough to burn me. “Was your dream really that bad?” 
He lets out an uncertain breath as his eyebrows draw together. I don’t miss the way his jaw clenches. “It’s more than the dream. I...y/n, princess,” he tacts on, a hint of humor returning to him, “you’re more than a mission to me.” 
The admission is so soft I can’t help but smile. “I know, Anakin, we’re--” 
“You’re more than a friend to me.” I don’t know if my blood freezes in my veins or if my lungs don’t contract when they should or if my heart literally skips a beat, but I know something in me completely stops at his words. “I--” 
“Don’t say it.” I don’t know how I managed to cut him off so sharply and I’m a little disappointed when I do, but it’s the right thing to do. Thought of the code that’s so important to him have clouded half the immense shock and joy swelling in my chest. “What you’re trying to say...I um, I want to say the same.” I try to drop my gaze but he tilts my head up slightly with his hand. “But we shouldn’t, you know that.” 
"You want to us to pretend that nothing’s different? You want me to escort you from meetings with one suitor to the next every Coronation Season until you’re married off?” 
“No, I’m not saying that. The point is that I’m not saying anything.” His eyebrows draw together in uncertainty. “Isn’t it enough for now, for both of us to just know? If we say it...that could mean bad things for you. And I don’t want to be a bad thing for you.” 
“You could never be.”
It’d be so easy to believe him. To believe him and to let him say what I never imagined I’d be able to hear and damn the consequences of tomorrow. “Can we just refrain from verbally saying anything until you’re sure?” 
“I’m sure right now. I’ve been sure since the first time we ever walked in the garden together. The night after the first Coronation Ball I escorted you to.” 
I remember that night well. The way he hadn’t scolded me for needing air or taking off my uncomfortably high heels to walk in the grass. “If you mean it, you won’t say it yet. I refuse to get in the way of what you’re meant for.”
His thumb runs my cheek entirely, stopping at the corner of my mouth. “Are you capable of not disagreeing with me?” 
Rolling my eyes slightly, I place my hand over his. “Probably not.” 
Anakin exhales, his playful irritation clear in the sound. “You’re impossible when you’re tired.” 
“I am not tired.” 
“I can see the sleep in your eyes.” 
“I can see it in yours too.” 
He pauses, eyebrows drawn together cautiously. “I’ll go to sleep if you do.”
He must be more tired than I thought if he’s compromising with me so quickly. “Deal.” 
Neither of us close our eyes for a long second, we just watch each other with wide eyes. It still doesn’t feel like he’s eased, but he’s come back to me so much more than he was earlier. I’ll make sure to check how he’s feeling in the morning. The first morning after we’ve...I don’t know. 
I’m trying really hard not to get excited because anything that’s been not said could be taken back so easily. That’s the point--but it’s hard not to let my heart get ahead of my rationality. I’ll just take the good for what it is for now and tomorrow we can figure out the rest. Even though he’s not allowed to form attachments and my father really wants to marry me off to foreign royalty.
Tomorrow. This can begin to be solved tomorrow. My eyes shut and I let myself roll fully onto my back. The second I’m comfortably settled, I feel Anakin shift against the bed. I’m too tired to open my eyes until I feel a weight placed against my chest. 
I open my eyes on instinct, less surprised than I should be when I see Anakin’s head resting against my chest. Before I can speak, I feel his arm rest against my side. “Anakin,” I breathe, my hand moving to smooth his hair out of his face the way I’ve wanted to for so long. “What did we just talk about?” 
“You said not to say anything,” he mumbles comfortably, “I’m not saying anything.” ...It is kind of the ideal compromise. Especially since I’m too tired to find reason and he feels so warm. “I can feel you overthinking. Go back to smoothing my hair before I have to rise and stand at your door so that your handmaid comes to wake you. Something tells me she’d be glad for the excuse to get rid of me.” 
That might be the most dramatic thing I’ve ever heard him say. Selma is the most patient woman in the palace. “Selma would never report anything involving me, I can’t believe you don’t like her. She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”  
“She’s the one that doesn’t like me,” he says, “she always watches me like she’s trying to figure out if I’m planning on stealing you away.” 
Too tired to fight my smile, I go back to smoothing his hair out with my fingers. After a moment, he lets out an exhale that relaxes his entire body. “Goodnight, princess.” 
“Goodnight.” The word is barely a mumble as I feel sleep tug against me for the second time tonight. 
It’s strange, but my excitement doesn’t diminish my tiredness, it just makes the prospect of rest feel so much fuller. Safer. Because there’s so much to sort out and grieve but it’s okay, because we have the time and everything feels okay because Anakin is here, right beneath my fingertips. 
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makeste · 4 years ago
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BnHA Chapter 302: As the Todoroki Turns
Previously on BnHA: 
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Today on BnHA: We have a very fun chapter in which (1) Shouto grows up lonely on account of his parents being worried that his siblings will literally try to kill him, (2) Natsu and Fuyu grow up neglected on account of not being special and/or self-destructive enough to attract attention, (3) we get to revisit all of that exciting spousal abuse from chapter 39, and (4) Touya burns to death right on cue, pretty much exactly like we expected it to happen. Thankfully since this is a shounen manga, Horikoshi finds some hope in all this misery as the Todoroki family rallies together, with Shouto getting his long-overdue credit for being a perfect sweet angel who put up with all of this shit for sixteen years and somehow came out of it strong and kind and empathetic and determined. Anyway, so that flashback was a barrel of laughs. But now that it’s over, we can put all of that angst behind us, and move on to... well I guess, probably, more angst. Look, we’re short on variety at the moment. Bear with it.
ouch. we knew this was coming, but still
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A+ parenting move there. “ho boy, our eldest just tried to murder our youngest, now what? hmm how about we isolate our youngest from all human contact”
though in their defense, we probably shouldn’t have expected this rabidly strength-obsessed fire man and his wife who was groomed since childhood to obey her family’s whims to have any idea of how to raise stable, well-adjusted offspring
SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS
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this is a perfect example of Enji’s tragically self-revolving viewpoint right here. just because being a hero is your entire world doesn’t mean you can just excuse yourself from anything outside of that and act like it’s out of your control. “alas, all I care about is hero stuff and my son can’t be a hero, we are doomed to inhabit two different worlds” no you jackass, it’s called having more than one hobby?? figuring out how to spend some time with your son that doesn’t involve training?? the same exact thing you were telling him to do last week, while ignoring that you’ve never done that yourself in your life??
that said, yet again we have that complexity though because it’s obvious that Enji at least on some level is aware of his own flaws, even though he seems unwilling or unable to confront them. honestly, from what we’ve seen so far, Enji’s obsession with surpassing All Might might be more accurately called an addiction. he literally can’t let go of it even though he’s fully aware of how it’s slowly destroying his life. and so in the same way that a lifelong smoker or alcoholic might tell their child to stay away from cigarettes and booze, Enji tells Touya not to follow down the same path as him, even though he himself doesn’t know how to leave that path. so yes, it’s hypocritical as fuck, but there’s also an element of helplessness there as well because Enji literally doesn’t know how not to be like this
though all the same he sure could stand to put in more than just a token effort. but it is what it is, and we already know how much he’ll come to regret it
and meanwhile Baby Shouto has frozen his sleep bubble with his quirk lmao. so I guess his quirk did come in early. that’s a recipe for chaos right there
once again Shouto is ruining every single dramatic panel in this flashback
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this was so dark and intense... and then I spotted the lil bubs in the corner. Horikoshi please control yourself
“some hero you are, running away” and then all of a sudden, “FIVE YEARS LATER” lol what. OKAY THEN
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(ETA: love the confirmation that eight-year-old Natsu comes from the Iida school of puberty and is basically a fully grown man, and meanwhile Touya comes from the hobbit school of puberty and has been perpetually eight for the past five years.)
“HEY BIG BRO WANNA COME RECREATE AN ICONIC FLASHBACK SCENE WITH US. WE’VE GOT THE SOCCER BALL RIGHT HERE, BUT HURRY UP OR WE’LL BE TOO LATE FOR SHOUTO TO WALK ON BY AND STOP TO LOOK”
lol and that’s literally the next three panels. but Horikoshi did add this extra bit after Endeavor starts to drag Shouto away
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seriously Enji what the hell did you expect was going to happen here. “Touya went nuts and tried to kill his little brother out of jealousy, so let’s make it clearer than ever that Shouto is the important child and all the other children are just rejects. this will definitely not make the problem 100x worse, and will surely lead to Touya giving up and living a happy life, having been emotionally abandoned by the person he admired more than anyone.” good for you pal you figured it all out. no need for that plan b, “we all just go to therapy”
anyway so he’s telling Shouto he can’t play because he needs more endurance training. and meanwhile Touya’s patented Todoroki Drama Genes are going through puberty as well
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definitely the face of a happy, emotionally stable child who’s not still plotting to murder his younger brother in his sleep
“WELL ACTUALLY MAKESTE” lol I stand corrected??
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apparently during the five year interim Touya actually stopped blaming Shouto and realized Enji was the one at fault. good for him! a bit inconsistent, given what we know happens later, but I assume we’ll get to that in good time
anyway. “yeah man I agree that dad sucks, but it’s the middle of the night and I’m only eight and you’ve been monologuing for the past two hours bro”
LMAO
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the manga is making my jokes for me, only better. fine then
looks like someone’s still miffed about that disagreement he had with his baby sister back when she was like four
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“Fuyu doesn’t get properly riled up like I want her to so ranting to her is annoying.” okay but having been in Fuyu’s shoes, it really is just a different way of coping, and I can guarantee she’s not as fine with the whole situation as Touya might think. but making your peace with something is often a decision that’s made for emotional self-preservation reasons. and I sure as hell don’t fault her for trying to shut out a situation that she had no control over, and trying to make the best of it, and scrape together as normal a childhood as she could manage
and now in Touya’s defense as well, that is of course easier said than done, and I’m sure if there was a “push this button and instantly get over all of the trauma in your life” switch readily available for Touya then he would have pushed it too. unfortunately it’s not always that simple
so now Rei is pleading with Touya not to go train up on his little emo hill again, but it doesn’t seem like much has changed since he was eight
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I don’t think he gives two figs about being a hero; he just wants his father to look at him again with pride. fucking hell, stop doing this to me you damn Todorokis
guh, they keep telling him the same thing over and over again
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even if we hadn’t already known he was gonna go melt his jawbone off soon, I wouldn’t have expected a line like that to go over well
yep. fuck
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that Todoroki puberty angst, though. nothing else quite like it
“you have a part in this too, Mom” ooooooh man
okay but look, he’s not entirely wrong. like, I’m not saying any of this is Rei’s fault at all! she’s in an impossible situation where she’s afraid to stand up to Enji (who by this point has shown that he’s willing to physically attack her if things get too heated, which is terrifying), and doesn’t really have anywhere to turn for support. her parents aren’t helping much if at all, and Japan in general is just a terrible country to be in when you’re in a domestic abuse situation. everyone’s expected to put on a brave face and deal with their problems all on their own in private. Rei is basically completely isolated at this point, and she doesn’t know what else to do, and so she’s just trying to keep the situation as stable as possible for the kids
but on the other hand, “for the kids” is also where that argument starts to break down a bit, because at this point Shouto is also being physically abused by his father, and the other kids are continuing to be neglected (emotionally if not physically), as they have been for years. so the situation really isn’t stable at all for them. and as a kid, what you end up learning in that type of situation is that you can’t rely on either parent. not the abusive one, certainly, but also not the other one who can’t protect you from any of it. even if they love you and they’re trying, they’re just as helpless as you. Rei is struggling to deal with all of this with one hand tied behind her back, and I get it, and I’m not blaming her at all. but all the same, particularly given that she’s (understandably) putting almost all her focus on Shouto, the end result is that the other kids have basically been left to fend for themselves
so yeah! a shitty situation all around. and one of those cases where it’s not really anyone’s fault (aside from Enji’s), but I can understand the resentment Touya is feeling all the same. and I’m so glad Horikoshi is acknowledging this, because it’s something I probably would have been too uncomfortable to bring up otherwise. as it is it’s still an incredibly heavy subject, and one that I probably have too many personal feelings about
anyway, so once again the whole “we’ll try talking to him and then just shrug our shoulders when it doesn’t work” parenting strategy doesn’t really pan out for the Todoroki fam
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sob this boy is Anakin Skywalkering before our very eyes. all that’s missing is AFO to come and start whispering in his ear. any minute now...
“anyway so then he got taller and his fire changed from red to blue”
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guess we’re getting pretty close then huh. this is the part of the flashback that I really don’t want to see, but also unfortunately the part that I’m most curious about :/
oh for fuck’s --
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“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IGNORING HIM FOR FIVE YEARS DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM” sob. back to the drawing board I guess
I thought he got taller, why is he still only like a third of Enji’s height here
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oh fuck me these are armor-piercing feels. this is the heavy artillery right here
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ENJI I’M BEGGING YOU PLEASE STOP AND THINK FOR ONE MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE DOING SOMETHING YOU’LL REGRET FOR THE REST OF ALL TIME. your child just told you that he still thinks beating All Might is the only thing you care about, and that he believes his existence is a mistake unless he finds some way of doing that for you. please stop for a moment to contemplate that and choose your next words with care and grace and oh who the hell am I kidding
-- OR WE COULD JUST BLAME REI
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go on and blame everyone but yourself then!! that’s a great solution!! jesus christ man I know this is Endeavor at his literal worst but still this is fucking hard to watch
POOR BABY SHOUTO IS YELLING AT HIS DAD NOT TO HIT HIS MOMMY THIS LITTLE BRAVE BOY NEEDS SO MANY HUGS OH MY GOD
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AND MEANWHILE THE OTHERS ARE HUDDLED IN THE NEXT ROOM TRYING NOT TO CRY AH FUCK
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(ETA: Fuyu covering Natsu’s ears cuts RIGHT TO THE CORE OF ME. Horikoshi if you’re really not gonna get these kids some therapy then at least consider giving your readers some. what is this.)
you know it’s bad when you’re starting to think the part where the kid burns to death might actually be a less traumatic thing to cut to right now
holy shit, actual Rei thoughts
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“I was the one who ultimately made that choice” well there we go, wonder if that’ll put that whole argument to bed at last. I doubt it, but you never know. actually who am I kidding it’s not gonna settle jack shit lol
oh thank god, they decided it was getting too intense and cut away back to the present to narrate this next (final?) part
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get ready to cue up that Alicia Keys. THIS BOY IS ON FIREEEEEEE
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yeah I think that’s one thing we can mostly all agree on. neither of them had any clue what the fuck they were doing pretty much at any point. though I will say that the hypocrisy of him being all “WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP HIM” followed by him IMMEDIATELY DOING THE EXACT SAME THING is a bit rich
(ETA: and he still has this problem, doesn’t he? he froze up when Ending snatched Natsuo, and again when Dabi was attacking Shouto. he’s so afraid of doing the wrong thing that he ends up not doing anything, which of course is exactly what led to Touya’s death. damn Enji I guess you’ve still got some additional character development to unlock.)
and of course neither of them could possibly have known how badly it was going to turn out. like, the consequences here were WAY disproportionate even for the shittiest of parenting. no one expects “I didn’t know how to talk to my son” to snowball into “my son burned to death and then somehow came back as a villain and murdered thirty people”
ohhhhhhhh fuck me
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LITERALLY INCINERATED THE ENTIRE HILLSIDE. fuck. and I am so not ready for the scene of Enji finding the remains of his jawbone afterwards. at least we were spared anything super-graphic (for now at least)
I feel like the timeline here is off, btw?? wasn’t Touya’s death supposed to happen after Rei got hospitalized? this might be the first actual retcon of the entire flashback. although I think it makes more sense this way tbh
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I do appreciate that ten years later Enji is finally reflecting on the fact that if he’d just given up his stupid obsession he could have stopped his family from crumbling apart. that probably sounds sarcastic as fuck, but it’s not. there are countless jerks out there who would have still managed to find a way to blame literally everyone and everything under the sun except for themselves. at least he finally figured out how to take responsibility, even if it came too late to stop his son from dying and being radicalized into a villain terrorist organization
and speaking of, it seems to me we’re missing a third and final part to this little tale of woe, and one which only Touya himself will be able to shed any light on. so we’ll see how that goes
oh man seeing the other kids blaming themselves even though none of it was their fault hits hard af. Rei wasn’t kidding when she said they’d been bearing that burden of guilt far longer than Enji
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SHOUTO I SWEAR TO GOD IF THE NEXT PANEL IS YOU APOLOGIZING FOR BEING BORN, I WILL... WELL I’LL BE VERY SAD, I GUESS. SO DON’T DO IT
oh good he’s just being quiet. good. it absolutely is not your fault lil bean. it’s not theirs either, but feeling guilty about things that aren’t your fault is a time-honored shounen tradition
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goddammit I braced myself for the angsty Shouto panel a page too early. gotta do it all over again now lol. okay here goes
;_;
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well well well would you look at that
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imagine that. talking things out with your child before they make a rash decision. looks like the Todorokis’ parenting skills are finally leveling up
OH MY GOD
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holy shit. this is the most quintessential moment of father/son Todoroki bonding in the entire series. for me it even tops the “nice scar” scene lol. Enji sobbing at the fact that he still has a chance to set things right. and Shouto offering his hand in what is actually the most mature and selfless gesture I’ve ever seen, and being all “we’ll stop him together” to his dad who he hates, but also doesn’t really entirely hate anymore. and all of that is incredibly moving... BUT ALSO HE STILL REFUSES TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH HIM AND HE WOULD LIKE HIM TO STOP BEING SO FUCKING DRAMATIC ALREADY IF YOU DON’T MIND. “WHEN YOU’RE DONE CRYING...” fkjldsk
OH MY FUCKING LORD
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(ETA: wouldn’t be a Todoroki drama fest if there wasn’t somebody listening in on the whole thing in secret just around the corner lmao.)
“you think we should have waited somewhere else?” “yeah, probably.” “are you feeling a lot of secondhand embarrassment too?” “god, you have no idea.” STFU HAWKS IT’S NOT EMBARASSING TO BE MOVED TO TEARS BY YOUR FAMILY ALL COMING TOGETHER IN YOUR DARKEST HOUR TO GIVE YOU HOPE THAT YOU PROBABLY DON’T DESERVE BUT ARE NONETHELESS INDESCRIBABLY GRATEFUL FOR
and anyway you chose these guys as your found family, bucko. too late to back out now. next time go get yourself adopted by the Iidas then
AND MEANWHILE NO WORD ON THE WHOLE “HOW DID A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD SURVIVE A FIRE THAT COVERED HIS BODY WITH HORRIFIC SCARS AND MELTED HIS JAW OFF, AND HOW DID HE SOMEHOW THEN MANAGE TO GO INTO HIDING FOR TEN WHOLE YEARS, AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT INTERIM TO CHANGE HIS GOAL FROM ‘SURPASS ALL MIGHT TO IMPRESS MY DAD’ TO ‘KILL ALL HEROES TO MAKE MY DAD SUFFER’.” as if we don’t know the answer to that. but still, would it kill Horikoshi to just confirm AFO’s involvement in all of this already. at this point it’s basically just a formality
so here’s hoping next week we’ll either get that, or more Hawks action, or (DARE I EVEN SUGGEST, I’M AFRAID TO JINX IT) finally cut back to Bakugou and Deku and All Might omg. either way I’m hyped
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calyssmarviss · 2 years ago
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Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi part I
Ok let’s go
Yeah, let’s put in a recap just in case the Prequel Trilogy doesn’t haunt you
“Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi,”
featured in “the top ten sentences that break my heart”
So Hayden being hyped for this was just preparing me for how this is All About Anakin Again
God they were both so hot in RotS
Pun non intended for once
HAAAAA LETS GO
show Order 66 as many time as possible challenge
Yeah those kids are dead
Bye kids
SAND TITLE CARD you’re so sexy
Wait i have a great idea: every opening should be another Order 66 scene i want to see all over that Temple as it falls down
SPACE SHIP SHADOW my beloved
Idk why space ships, especially big ones, make me incredibly excited and a not insignificant part of why I’m a fan of this franchise comes from the fuck you big ships it has. Yes i did like the Last Jedi a lot. ‘cause it had the biggest ship.
Inquisitor Squad! I spent like 2 hours earning them all in GoH a couple weeks ago now I’m gonna see if their attacks are accurate lmao
Another reason why I’m a fan of star wars is that the villains know how to dress
Yeah my dudes, you get why the dark side is fun
“You know who we are.”
“Yeah bro, you’re all dressed like an evil elite force and not the ones wearing red.”
Hehehehe evil monologue let’s go
LOL
THIS FIXATION WITH KENOBI WELCOME TO THE CLUB THIRD SISTER
What is that.
I don’t wanna say Krayt because i don’t know much about them besides that they’re dragons on tatooine and at least some of them are black but Krayt? 👀 (please it’s important to me because of themes)
ARE THEY PROCESSING IT
That meat looks good tho
HE’S HERE
HELLO THERE
OH I MISSED YOU SO
you look good with a knife ngl
scratch that he just looks good in general oh my god i need to find a pirate version of this i want to take all the screenshots
The Obi-Wan Show Episode1: Obi-Wan starts an union
Meat Wars reborn but this time it’s Meat Workers War
No i not will elaborate, know your crack
He’s so beautiful i missed him so much i wanna die
@forcearama i know your pain
SAD MAN IN A CAVE TIME
SMELLY MAN IN A CAVE 😂
Jawas are the best actually. Love how they talk.
They sound like sped up anime characters
“I’ve heard the Jedi are all but extinct.
Courtesy of my best friend.”
Anakin is so bad for business.
Welcome to the stinky wizard club Obes.
He’s still dreaming about him 10 years later no one touches me.
*makes miserable noise at Anakin laughing in the speeder and then the i hate you*
LISTEN
I KNOW ALL THAT ALREADY
WHY IS IT HITTING ME SO HARD
Part of me is like “answer the phone Qui-Gon” the other is like “no that’s good i don’t want to see him anyway and also Obi-Wan needs to be alone and miserable because i love angst”.
Baby Luke!
Oh that’s hitting him hard
*claps gleefully* yes more pain
It’s like he’s paying for child maintenance after his divorce
Oooooh he called him master of course he knew him everyone knew him
“You were once a great Jedi”
Yeah 😭
Is that Alderaan?
Yes!
Tiny Leia!
“Try to not make anyone cry”
lmao that’s daddy Vader’s girl
And that is Anakin and Padmé’s girl <3
Do they have binary classes or did she just learn to interpret by having a droid around from a young age
I’ve got to read up on that it’s important for fanfic reasons
Leia and Lola
Don’t give promises you can’t keep babygirl
You know when we used to talk about a Kenobi movie all i wanted from it was seeing Obi-Wan be sad in the desert and today I’m being finally fed.
Owen vs Ben
“Like you trained his father? Anakin is dead, Ben. I won’t let you make the same mistake twice.”
Might as well stab him in the heart it would hurt less.
Cut off hand count: 1
Is Reva’s Force sense tingling?
Hate to break it to you Reva but Owen’s not dying for nine more years.
Today in Everyone Hates Tatooine
Today in Everyone Wants Obi-Wan
What did he do to her lol
“What I’m owed.”
Like what? Revenge? (Cause her name is Reva) Loads of credits? A promotion? Darth Vader’s attention?
“I didn’t do it for you.”
I knew you would say that you dumb fucking farmer (affectionate) guess what he was probably not saying thank you for himself either
“I didn’t come here to end slavery”,
said most people in Star Wars.
“Then i guess i don’t need manners when I’m talking to you” nice burn.
“You’re not even a real Organa” nah she’s a Skywalker, which is worse
She’s reading your mind cuz
“You have to rise above Leia”
wait til the third trilogy she’ll rise alright
She’s so dramatic i love her
I wonder if her cousin gets blown up with the planet
See, promises she can’t keep
“I know who she’s like”
me too
Bounty hunters?
Who you gonna call?
He’s our only hoe after all 😌
“I’m not who i used to be”
why, because you lost your sparring partner?
Great now i have to go and look up the travel time between Alderaan and Tatooine to know how long it takes for Bail to arrive
Yeah it’s something like 4 days give or take
“You couldn’t save Anakin”
here’s your daily reminder
“There is no one i trust more with my child than you”
hey that’s a sentence I’m sensitive about
Funny how it doesn’t hit the same at all tho 🙃
Ewan has really pretty eyes
A whole army no but I’ll do you one better
Is he
IS HE
digging for his lightsaber?
Did he find it by pinging the kyber?
Oh man i keep pausing on shots of Ewan looking hot that’s not good for my psyche
I’m going to have so much fun drawing him in something else than beige.
I mean come on he has LEATHER GLOVES i love drawing that shit
Ah shit no he was digging for his Jedi robes i hate this show
Bro do you actually wanna get arrested
They really do be hunting themselves
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blxckmccn · 3 years ago
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𓂃 𖣔 ࣪ ˖ Obikin 𝒙 Modern & Musical ! AU 𖥔 ˖࣪ ࿐
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Anakin is a rock star, singer of a band called "The Siths" (and yes, I would reuse MCR's songs because they really fit him and because in fics you can do that, lmao).
He's 24/25 years old and recently divorced Padmé, so the twins (or just one of them) is already 2 or 3 years old.
He uses the divorce as inspiration for the songs on the band's new album, but releasing that album would mean going through another problem with Sheev Palpatine, who is the owner of a very famous record company; he imposed a contract with an unfair percentage of pay, and being such a famous record company, if the band decides to terminate the contract because of that problem and go somewhere else, Palpatine would make the band go bankrupt.
And he doesn't want Rex, Aayla and Owen (his bandmates) to suffer for that again.
On the other hand, there's Obi-Wan, who is a lawyer and Ahsoka's adoptive father; he's long divorced from Satine, and it turns out that Soka is a big fan of "Vader" (Anakin's stage name) and his band.
Because of the problems caused by Palpatine, Anakin is advised to seek out "Obi-Wan Kenobi" as a lawyer, as he is one of the best.
Kenobi, when he crosses paths with Skywalker, realises that for some strange reason he knows his voice; and it is not the feeling of a famous voice, but rather a familiar one, as if he has heard it for a long time.
SO WHEN OBI-WAN REALIZES THAT AHSOKA IS AN ANAKIN FAN- help.
He would start listening to The Siths' songs when he is alone, because he used to tell Ahsoka that the songs of that band were too "sad".
And, and, and,,, I need this, I have to write it down.
btw, a special mention to one of my best friends, Chris, for doing the edit. 💕
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marshthat · 4 years ago
Note
I'm here for the 16-pages essay about Mace and Eeth :)
LMAO well you asked for that yourself hshsjhsjj *cracks knuckles*
It’s almoust 16 pages long in my google docs, I’m not kidding, so I’m gonna make a little intro and then hide the rest under the “keep reading” thing (also I’m going to shorten it a bit, but nothing significant will be left out, I promise)
Uhm so yes three things for the intro:
1. These takes are based mainly on my ship interpretation of the canon things, so yeah if you don’t want to see the ship material in them they can be easily disagreed with in terms of how correct I see the intentions of the characters behind their words and actions, but BUT you’re here for macekoth aren’t you? So for a macekoth shipper this is a list of totally canon endless happiness and we’ll go with that :)
2. LEGENDS CANON IS CANON (in my heart there is no decanonising of the EU, nooo, I pretend disney didn’t hurt me qwq)
3. I'm not a native speaker and my english is far from perfect so if you think I’m talking strange - yes I am, I’m sorry, but yeah, that’s how we’re rolling here.
And now - moving on to the essay. I will take random pieces of media one by one and explain why exactly I see Mace/Eeth there.
As I call this, “Fantastic MaceKoth hints and interactions, and where to find them”
Star Wars 13: Emissaries to Malastare, Part 1 
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So, what do we see here? Oooooh, the Concordance of Fealty. In general, the exchange of lightsabers is a very interesting phenomenon in the Jedi Order, and not only because no one remembered it existing before Macekoth decided to engage in one (because there are not known participants in the timeline BEFORE Mace and Eeth, while there are some AFTER) , but also because of its significance. The Concordance of Fealty is said to establish a “master-less learning relationship” between the two Jedi, i.e., a Force-bond that, if not superior, is equally as close and strong as the bond of a master and a padawan, which is said to be the closest bond possible in the Order.
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As you see, this ritual required deep mutual trust from both its participants, and here's why: the exchange. of. the lightsabers. I will repeat it once more and even emphasise: THE EXCHANGE. OF. THE LIGHTSABERS.
As Anakin Skywalker said in “The Clone Wars” and Obi-Wan Kenobi said in the “Attack of the Clones”, a lightsaber is a Jedi's life, a thing that one should not part with under any circumstances. And what is the Concordance requiring? Exactly this. Giving away your lightsaber. A voluntary action of entrusting your saber, a product of your own hands, a part of yourself, to another sentient. This act of trust can have a very deep meaning, deep subtext to it, if you want it to.
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I’m not saying the Concordance has a romantic subtext to it in general, no - but once again, I’m insisting that if someone wanted it to have a romantic subtext, he had the full freedom to pull a hecking legal jedi WEDDING under the cover story of this ritual. Why a wedding? Let’s dig a bit more in the comic page above. How it is depicted, such an exchange of the lightsabers looks suspiciously similar to the exchange of the wedding rings between the spouses. So making a guess that probably by engaging in the Concordance Mace and Eeth tried to pull off a legal wedding within the walls of the Temple in this disguised way seems like a fairly logical assumption. In addition, given that this ritual is stated to be very ancient and therefore long-forgotten, it is not surprising that a very bold plan like that in fact worked right in front of Yoda’s salad.
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In addition, you should pay attention to the form in which these vows of the Concordance sound. Especially this "until one or both of us becomes One with the Force." line. Very very much like the real wedding vows that spouses say before the altar, huh?))) (For example, I’ll leave this link to the site with some sample wedding vows)
Besides, the fact that Mace had made actual EFFORT to find this Concordance ritual is so priceless by itself. However, here I tend to think that it was master T'ra Saa who suggested to Mace to search for the ritual and its details, and here are the reasons why. Master Saa: 1) was in the age of about a thousand of years by the time of TPM because of being a neti (i.e. realistically could be the only one in the Order left who could have remembered this Concordance of Fealty) 2) had her own experience of a romantic relationship, with master Tholme (i.e. she understood the issue of new feelings born between the two Jedi more than the most) 3) T'ra looked after Mace a lot when he was young, so she was literally his mother figure, and  to whom can a poor confused with his romantic feelings jedi master go, if not to his tree mom? :З
Shatterpoint (novel) — M. Stover
Here I want to go back to what I said about “the lightsaber is part of the Jedi.” In Stover's novel, there is an episode where Mace looks at Depa Billaba's saber and speculates about whether she could have given it to Nick Rostu voluntarily.
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Mace is mentioning the Concordance of Fealty in this novel too!
The curious thing is that Mace asks “Would she give away part of herself?" So, firstly, by this he is confirming that the Concordance implies exactly this act of mutual trust (what I talked about in the previous part), and secondly, he is hinting that since he did perform this ritual with Eeth Koth, it means that he, Mace Windu, willingly entrusted a part of himself to the hands of the zabrak. (and this is HIS interpretation of what the Concordance means to HIM) Isn't that an act of true love?)
Jedi Council: Acts of War, Part 3
Here is a peculiar moment in the comic - when the two groups of the Jedi join together in the final battle to confront the enemy yinchorri army, both Mace and Eeth separate each other's names from the rest of the group when talking about several fellow Jedi at once. And if Eeth can have a reason for this, because Mace was the leader of this whole mission in the first place, Mace himself still doesn’t have any rational reasons to underline exactly Eeth’s name (and in the background of the second frame you can see that the first one to run in the battlefield is also not Eeth, which excludes the possibility of identifying Koth as just running the first).
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What I want to say by this is that they just subconsciously separate each other's names, because their first thoughts, of course, focus on their dear beloved, and only then they add “and others”. Also I want to say that consider that MASTER MACE WINDU, the man of the “less talking, more doing” standarts, in the middle of the battle actually FOUND some time to stop and ask how his dear Eeth is doing.
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Republic 65: Show of Force, Part 1
In this comic there is not an interaction, but a hint, but even if it's not the most obvious and outstanding, it is still worth mentioning.
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Mace returns T'ra her lightsaber, which she lost during the previous battle, and a curious dialogue happens between them.
Master Saa says that the saber is just a tool that one shouldn’t get attached to. And that Mace SHOULD know that. Personally, I see this here as a direct reference to the Concordance of Fealty (which by the time of this comic has been already completed ten years earlier), and as a confirmation that T'ra Saa knows about the nature of the relationship between master Windu and master Koth.
What I think Mace’s tree mom is saying between the lines here: “you shouldn't get attached to a lightsaber. You once owned Eeth Koth’s saber, Mace, so you understand that by "lightsaber" I mean Eeth Koth himself. And you remember that attachments are still forbidden in the Jedi Order, so be careful there with your little horned husband, son."
Given that the events of this comic take place during the Clone Wars, this means that there has already happened the battle on the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis, where Eeth’s LAAT/i exploded in front of Mace’s eyes. ( This thing blowing up in aotc is the LAAT/i on which were Eeth Koth, Sora Bulq and Tarados Gon )
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And perhaps he did spend too much time near the zabrak’s bacta tank afterwards and it gave birth to some rumors or concerns - and that is what T'ra Saa hints at. (also, the timeline of this comic is listed as 21 bby, which does not exclude the possibility of also the battle of Korriban already happened, where Eeth nearly died again, and even the torture of Eeth in Grievous’s hands too, which only gives Mace more reasons to go over his usual reserved boundaries in his wish to comfort and protect his beloved)
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
A very interesting thing is in one of the deleted scenes of " Attack of the Clones”. And yes, another hint, but wait, some more interaction are coming later. And for now... I'm of course talking about this scene of the conversation between Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi before the latter's departure to Kamino. In this scene, Kenobi expresses his concern that Anakin has a strong attachment to the senator from Naboo, and this attachment may cause some troubles for him when serving his duty as a Jedi and as her guardian. And let’s try to think about the reaction of Windu himself to this statement and how we can interpretate it: 1) He is not surprised by the news on Anakin's attachment, and accepts it very calmly. 2) In this scene, it is actually Windu who calms down panicking Obi-Wan with the words "you must believe that he will make the right choice”, and not vice versa.
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What can this mean?
This can mean that Mace is not only not at all shocked by Skywalker's forbidden attachment, but on the contrary, supports Anakin and gives him a chance to make the right choice. I mean, Mace doesn't judge Anakin, Mace sympathizes with the young man in love and he trusts him. It’s a fair assumption that Windu himself most likely has an experience of such a situation, to which he compares the Skywalker’s issue and makes his conclusion, isn’t it?
To sum up? In this scene, Windu may be probably recalling his own special bond with _someone_, and, drawing from it the conclusion that a Jedi CAN perfectly fulfil his duties even if he has romantic feelings, advises Obi-Wan to trust his padawan with this.
Grievous Intrigue  — Star Wars: the Clone Wars 2x09
A small, but very a cute detail: in the episode when a hologram is shown to the Jedi Council, on which general Grievous tortures Eeth Koth and promises the zabrak jedi master "endless suffering” Mace Windu clenches his fists in the background.
And how much was said about the Jedi acceptance, the fortitude, the “letting go of emotions in the Force”… But what acceptance could be here when your small tender husband is being cruelly tortured with the electrostaff???
Before the holotransmition / / after the holotransmition
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Star Wars: Zam Wesell
Here is a moment I spotted in this comics: when masters Rancisis and Koth both speak up during a Council meeting, Eeth is the first one Mace answers to. I know that this can seem a little bit weak as an argument but add to this THAT stare Koth gives Windu when applying for being the Alderaan guard.
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Yes, exactly. THAT kind of stare right here ( ͡ ° ͜ʖ ͡ ° )
I mean, seriously, man, stop flirting with your Master of the Order husband right in the middle of the meeting! We know that on Alderaan they make one of the best sorts of wine in the whole galaxy, and you want to offer a date, but calm down a bit please, okay? You don’t want to get caught, right?)))
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
No, well, but there is no excuse for the fact that in the background during the scene of the Council meeting before sending Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi to Naboo as an escort for queen Amidala, Eeth is sitting in exactly the same way in which you could see Windu sitting himself on some of the TPM photos. That's all, that’s like the final proof that Eeth is a stupid husband and in love with his partner. Because one of the forms of love language? Yes, the one with interest copying, when a person is copying the gestures, the stature and the movements of whom he’s interested in, u-hum.
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Eeth really have no, NO excuse for that, I swear
Bonus: The seats on the High Council
As one very wise person on twitter had once said,
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This person was referring to Plo Koon and Kit Fisto tho, but I tell you what, this also applies very much to Mace Windu and Eeth Koth.  So here is Mace and Eeth on the Council staring at each other after a holotransmition!
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americankimchi · 4 years ago
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ok and I GET the concept of attachments leading to vulnerability and therefore weakness but to impose that on a CHILD who so desperately needs a family, someone he could bond with, its honestly tragic. and since qui gon isnt there to do it anymore it falls on obi wan, whos basically a kid himself, whos dealt with rejection his whole life, and how can you expect him to provide anything, much less mentor a padawan?? idk i just have so many FEELINGS abt this and can’t put it into proper words lol
okay you know what i think that’s on qui gon because why!!! would you make the decision to rip a child away from his home like that so quickly!!! i get that they were making a movie and thus needed to speed things along for pacing reasons but COME ONNNNN
i feel like if it wasn’t restricted for movie reasons it would have gone down very differently. difference being: hey, maybe we don’t rip anakin away from his mom and leave not only his mom still in slavery but also punt a tiny child directly into a warzone.
hear me out
so assuming qui gon decides not to take anakin with him (at that moment in time because anakin is still going to be heading to the order just in a more meticulous fashion) right after meeting the skywalkers on tattooine, he still needs to get off planet. so he does the whole race thing yadda yadda he gets the engine and they take off
so here’s where it diverges: anakin stays on tattooine and never goes to naboo.
(bro this got so long i had to put it under a cut omfg)
but cindy!! you might say, leaving anakin on tattoine??? stuck in slavery??? how could you!!!
YES, but this is a temporary thing, just stay with me for a second
padme disagrees but relents because qui gon says he’ll come back for the boy when he’s not, you know, neck deep in the middle of tense wartime negotiations that could trigger a full scale onslaught at any moment. that’s no place to bring a small child into no matter how powerful in the force he is.
qui gon heads back to the council, gives his report, and then mentions anakin. mentions his fuckin. midichlorian count. which is still so ridiculous to me oh my god the midichlorian is the powerhouse of the force i GUESS
anyways
the council still disapproves, but qui gon makes the case that even if they don’t believe him about the chosen one thing it’s still dangerous to leave such a powerful force user out there untrained and vulnerable to the stresses and traumas of slavery. what if he turns to the dark side??? he’ll have ample reasons to if he’s stuck there, and the amount of destruction he could unleash by being untrained and powerful is unspeakable!! qui gon, being the master diplomat he is, even if he is constantly butting heads with the council, could probably convince them of the importance of at least meeting the child. hell, it’s not as if they haven’t broken people free from slavery before it’s honestly jedi basic training at this point
so the council agrees on the condition that qui gon is not allowed to personally mentor the boy because as it stands now he’s too close to the situation, too eager which honestly??? might have been a good chunk of the reason why the council was so against it in the first place. qui gon pushed for it too hard and for no real solid reason. and for fuck’s sake qui gon your padawan is right there
obi wan, awkwardly shuffling on his feet like..... yeah i’m here too master
SPEAKING OF OBI WAN
imagine how gutting it must be to hear that your master wants to get rid of you for the newer, younger model. like at this point obi wan is so used to this shit. abandonment? by qui gon??? it’s more likely than you think,
and obi wan’s ALLL ready to be like “yeah okay. i’ll just. go over here then i guess. fuck me for thinking that you respected me as a person or anything lmao right”
and qui gon’s just “ah fuck. i can’t believe i’ve done this”
anyways hand waves qui gon explaining his reasoning to obi wan and saying that he just wants to ensure that the boy gets the training he needs and obi wan understanding but asking if he really thinks he’s ready to be a knight genuinely or if he’s just saying that to get him out of the way and wow that thought actually hurt a bit lol!!! no problem though qui gon whatever you want haha i’ll just... be in pain. over here. ((:
and qui gon being like, “honestly obi wan the only reason you’re not actually knighted is because i cherish your companionship and i don’t want to let you go” because ANAKIN ISN’T THE ONLY ONE WITH ATTACHMENT ISSUES CASE IN POINT: MY MANS JINN
let’s be honest obi wan could’ve been knighted ages ago. the only reason he hasn’t been is because the master dictates when that step should be taken and qui gon wasn’t ready to let his surrogate son go.
anyways RECONCILIATION WHOO kicks that insecurity off of obi wan’s already weary shoulders because that gnarly bit of tension could’ve been avoided so easily with just a simple conversation!! wow!!! communication can do wondrous things who! would! have! known!!!!!
anyways
they get to naboo. how do they beat the trade federation without anakin? the force works in mysterious ways alright it happens they win boom.
now, onto qui gon. in this au qui gon lives because of that healthy bit of communication up there that went down. see that conversation? where they affirm how important they (qui gon and obi wan) are to each other? and how that bond was repaired and confirmed between their leaving coruscant and fighting maul on naboo and thus their harmonious fighting wasn’t impaired by that underlying resentment and betrayal and tension??? TELLING YOUR KIDS THAT YOU LOVE AND RESPECT THEM CAN DO AMAZING THINGS WITH YOUR ABILITY TO COORDINATE WITH THEM IN THE FIELD IMAGINE THAT
coughs
so they fight maul and maul gets turned into maul 1 and maul 2 and qui gon almost gets got but is saved just in time by his padawan who is!! right there with him!!! because qui gon WAITS 5 SECONDS FOR HIM TO CATCH UP so they can F I G H T  T O G E T H E R. qui gon has a permanent limp and an ache in his spine that never really goes away but he’s ALIVE TO SEE THE NEXT SUNRISE BABEY
celebrations happen. and the most important bit of all here: palpatine never meets anakin on naboo.
why would he? anakin’s not fuckin there mate!!! maul wouldn’t even know anything about anakin because qui gon never bothered to take him with them to coruscant and maul was chasing the delegation from naboo, not going hunting for babies in the tatooinian sands
/kicks the palpatine was anakin’s experimental force daddy theory to the curb because. i don’t like it that’s why. suck it dickpatine.
ANAKIN NEVER MEETS PALPATINE!! ripples in the fucking pond babey
qui gon and obi wan ask a boon of padme, that boon being “hey can you give us truly disgusting amounts of money so we can go free those delightful people we had to leave behind on tatooine due to the fact that we were on a time crunch and also ripping people away from a familiar environment without a stable plan of action to provide them a better quality of life is actually called, as the professionals say, a dick move.”
and padme’s like “um fuck yeah here’s some cash let me know how this goes and give anakin and shmi my love”
SO OFF THEY GO TO TATOOINE TO FREE THE SKYWALKERS. shmi tags along to the temple because why wouldn’t she. she wants to see where her son is going to be going. she also pesters qui gon and obi wan constantly about the order and its philosophies and etc. etc. and subsequently gets a crash course in jedi doctrine that anakin also gets to sit in on and you know, educate himself on.
“we want you to know that being a jedi is a choice. being a jedi is a religion unto itself.” they say
“but it’s a set of philosophies that are meant to at its core help others live happy and free lives?” anakin (and shmi) ask
“that’s a very very very large generalization but i guess for the purposes of this conversation that could be seen as true. from a certain point of view,” they respond. qui gon then lets obi wan loose on his musings about the code because the code is simple, and complex in its simplicity, and how the beliefs of the jedi should be taken very seriously because it reflects their connection to the force and by extension the world around them etc. etc.
anakin makes it to the temple. anakin knows (at least a little) what it means to be a jedi. it’s not all light sabers and noble battles and fighting the good fight. it’s about sacrifice and humility and nobility and above all kindness and empathy and loving all things, great and small, and not letting your personal hatreds cloud your judgement even if it takes all your strength to do so
and most importantly to anakin: no attachments.
and that’s what anakin struggles with the most. that never changes. but this time shmi is there to explain it to him, and coming from shmi, the most important person in the world, makes it stick
“it doesn’t mean you love me less,” shmi explains. “it just means you don’t love everyone else less because you love me. it means not loving me to the exclusion of all else. it means love, but for everyone. for everything.”
and then the two jedi reaffirm that it’s a choice. it’s always about choice. you can’t be a jedi without choosing to be one, it’s not something that can be forced. either you believe in the lifestyle, or you don’t. simple as that.
“can i leave if i want to” anakin asks.
“yes. of course you can, any time.” qui gon responds.
“not sure why you would want to though, being a jedi is kind of super cool” obi wan adds, with a wink.
but anakin isn’t a jedi yet. he’s not even an initiate. he doesn’t want to leave his mom, not until he knows she’s safe. he wants to be a jedi he burns with the need to be a jedi, but he’s not sure if he can be a jedi. not the way that was explained to him anyways. but that’s okay because he has the time to decide!!! there are no sith lords breathing down his neck!!! he has two (2) in the flesh examples of what jedi can do, what jedi are, what they can accomplish in the world!!! most of all he has his mother there, supporting him either way!!!
maybe he does go into the order. maybe he does ultimately choose that life for himself. maybe he does manage to untangle himself from the snarls of attachment and apply himself wholeheartedly to the ways of the jedi. he might even succeed this time since palpatine has no fucking CLUE anakin’s even there!!! he’s not nine years old and freshly braided and attached at the hip to a mourning brand new knight, he’s nine years old and trying to figure out how the fuck you levitate off the ground with your legs crossed under you while his crechemates balance things onto his nose!!!
and you know what!! maybe he chooses to leave the order because it’s not for him, but this time he’s got enough stability in his life, in the way that he manages and examines his feelings, that he’s not a threat to himself and those he loves. maybe he becomes a mechanic and lives a nice, simple life with his aging mother and becomes penpals with a pretty girl from naboo. WHO KNOWWWSSS
and that’s important for anakin: knowing that it’s always a choice always his choice and that he never has to have anyone tell him who he can and cannot be because he is his own master now he has full autonomy and the jedi cannot and will not take that away from him
this got so long oh my god i just have so many THOUGHTS
qui gon taking anakin like that in tpm was such a rushed decision my man can you CHILL AND THINK
anyways,,,,, that’s all thank u for coming with me on this journey,,,,,,,
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loriane-elmuerto · 3 years ago
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bc i’m obsessed with them 💕 aminata and me 😌 oops i meant obi wan 🥺
ship asks
Who’s the first to wake up in the morning: Obi-Wan! The man has pretty much gotten used to early waking up thanks to his training and work as a General. Mina needs more time to get her bearings.
Who’s the one to make breakfast: Since it's canon that Obi-Wan cannot cook (THE KENOBI NOVEL IS CANON IN MY HEART), Mina does all the cooking in the kitchen. She has picked up a couple of simple recipes from the Temple kitchen and other places, so she dares to experiment once in a while.
Who’s the one to serve the other breakfast in bed: Both of them would do that! This is especially common if the other had a hard and long day before, and they need cheering up. Though Obi-Wan is more likely to do it on a casual basis.
Who would suggest a quickie in the morning before work: ...Mina. She claims it'll help them with dealing with stress and set them up for a good mood for the rest of the day (she's just a horny bastard who can't keep her hands to herself)
Who suggests they both ditch work to lay around all day: Neither! They're both too busy and responsible to do so! Obi-Wan had to participate in a Council meeting once even though he was hungover. Mace was too tired to say anything.
Who chooses the movies: I think it would be both of them! While Obi-Wan has the taste for the actual quality movies which make you THINK, Mina has the scent for "fun". Depending on the mood, either one of them chooses!
Who initiates kissing during the moving, thus distracting the other from the movie all together: Aminata! She does this if the movie gets too boring for both of them and they still need to pass the time somehow. Obi-Wan likes to tease that she's still stuck in her Padawan years, but he secretly enjoys it.
Who orders lunch: Both of them! Usually this depends on how busy they are and where are they currently located, since both of them have knowledge over certain cultures and dishes that the other one might not.
Who steals food from the other’s plate without asking: Aminata, though she does this not because she's hungry, but because she likes to tease Kenobes.
Who curls up next to the other and falls asleep due to a full tummy: I believe that would be Obi-Wan. Mina likes to choose meals that can feed an army lmao
Who distracts the other from trying to work at home: Neither, their work is too important for them both, especially out in the field. However, if it starts to go overboard, both of them will talk to the other.
Who asks to go get ice cream like a five year old: I was tempted to say Mina, but it's actually more Anakin's style, so neither!
Who takes pictures of their partner eating ice cream: Mina! Because she needs something to look at when they're separated (and bc Anakin begged her to do it)
Who makes a sexual joke about the dripping ice cream on their partner’s face: AMINATA. The girl is shameless with her words.
Who cooks dinner: Once again, Mina! For the same reasons stated above, Obi-Wan cannot do that.
Who cleans up the kitchen afterwards: Obi-Wan! Because they have a mutual agreement that if Mina does the cooking, Kenobes does the cleaning. Plus he's grateful for her effort and he wants to return it.
Who stays up until 2 reading: Also Obi-Wan. Aminata just values sleep more, while he claims that he'll be fine with the few hours of shuteye that he'll have.
Who stares at their partner while their sleeping: Mina! During those moments she likes to look at Obi-Wan, feeling both pride and regret over his life, and think how much he did not deserve any of the tragedies that had hit him.
Who kisses their partner while they sleep: Obi-Wan. At these moments, he likes to show his love the most, while they are hidden from prying eyes.
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lueminous · 5 years ago
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so we know that rey, finn and poe go on a quest together. we also see c3po with them at one point. so what if the macguffin they are looking for is somehow connected to palps. there is an “evil” c3po in the trailer suggesting he might be reprogrammed or,,, possessed??? what if palpatine kind of invades the good guys ala The Thing? He starts off with a harmless creature first, in this case one of our oldest and most favourite droids, but ofc this being sheev he is looking for a stronger host. somehow he gets to rey???
i dont think he will ever possess ben bc sheev has had a very bad experience with a skywalker in the past and that ended with him thrown down a shaft. to add to that, ben has already killed his master this early into his dark side career and i know anakin stans will hate to hear this but ben is stronger and i dont think sheev is gonna trust trying to pull some shit with him. 
thats how i think dark!rey will be a real thing in the movie. not willingly bc rey’s moral compass unlike anakin’s is way too solid to actually become Evil. and while i wouldnt have been against her going deliberately dark i dont think tfa or tlj have developed her character into that direction nor do i think that tros has enough time to believably do that. hence we will be getting dark!rey via possession by the emperor.
i know a lot of people assume dark!rey is going to be a vision, which is definitely possible but i think she will be a real tangible thing one way or another and here is why:
1. people can say all they want that it’s a misdirection but previous trailers were not full of fakeouts either no matter what some grumpy people claim. Finn was shown with the lightsaber in tfa trailer and while he was not force sensitive he definitely fought against and stood up to kylo ren in a very epic moment. the tlj trailer had rey saying “i need someone to show me my place in all of this” and then the cut to kylo ren holding out his hand to her. In the movie rey says this to luke, but that still doesnt mean the trailer was a misdirection bc in the movie proper ben solo was still the one to provide her with guidance more than luke. the trailer was telling us something regardless of the way it was cut it still showed us what was going to happen in the movie.
2. JJ said (thanks to rian) that he approached tros far more bravely and boldly than he did tfa. That’s why i think JJ is actually going to go there.
3. Daisy was shocked that they showed the dark!rey moment in the trailer. idk it seems like there is more going on than just a lame vision. it sounds like a very important part of the movie.
4. Rey did have her personal conflict in tlj but she has yet to have a moment with the dark side like anakin and luke. we all know how anakin’s confrontation with the dark side went, luke had his vision in the cave in dagobah and eventually when he confronted his father.
5. i dont want to put that much stock into the teaser poster but i do find the constellation of ben and rey fighting in the foreground while palps is hovering in the background very striking. he is the big evil looming above the both of them, connected to them by lightning like the strings of puppets like he is the one to stoke the conflict and to make them fight even tho rey and kylo ren have plenty of reason to fight each other already without sheev’s involvement.
6. i have a feeling that rey struggling with the dark side will not only serve her character development where she will be fighting her inner demons but also influence ben solo’s own development. he thought that’s what he wanted only to see rey being tortured and hurt by the same force that fucked him up.
7. palps used anakin’s love for padme to manipulate him and he’ll try to do the same here imo but this time he will fail bc love will prevail.
8. it would be really cool lmao
anyway i could definitely be totally wrong but i got my clown makeup ready in that case 
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thevagueambition · 5 years ago
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I was tagged by @antirococoreaction to talk about five male characters I love
(God, only five? However will I choose between my boys >_< ?!)
This is most certainly not going to be a literary as your offerings, lmao. When it comes to literary fiction I mostly like Kafka and Kafka, by the nature of his writing, writes thoroughly unlikable characters.
This got way too long bc I’m incapable of not gushing about my faves when given the chance lol 
Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender
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It is my enduring opinion that if you want to see a redemption arc done right, look at Zuko’s arc in The Last Airbender. He’s a scared, abused kid who managed to build up personal morals in a system that discouraged them, and was harshly punished for daring to voice them. He’s someone who always wanted to be good, but struggles with defining what good is, given that his culture and upbringing has taught him one thing, but his heart (and his uncle) tells him another, and his new experiences reinforces that. After he figures out what “good” looks like, he’s always held accountable for his past actions. He makes amends, and he accepts it, for the most part, when people aren’t ready to receive them. His anger issues, as well as how he sees himself as someone who had to be hardworking because he isn’t talented (however far from the truth that may or may not be in reality) are also aspects of him that appeal to me and indeed that I relate to. 
Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars
My love for Anakin is not dissimilar to my love for Zuko, though the quality of the writing in question certainly is. I love an edgy boy, is what I’m getting at, I guess :’D More seriously, Anakin’s story is ultimately one about control, which is a subject that interests me quite a bit. Anakin is never, at any point, really in control of his own life. He’s never really truly free. He’s born a slave, he joins the Jedi Order and he becomes Palpatine’s apprentice. He always exists within rigid systems of control, until his very lasts moments with Luke before he dies. With how Palpatine essentially groomed him, thinking of Anakin as equally a victim of Palpatine and a perpetuator of his (metaphorically speaking) abuse is also interesting to me. Certainly his clearly distorted thinking (eg convincing himself he can’t trust Obi-Wan, for instance) is also hugely important to his appeal to me. Also? He’s SO EXTRA I can’t with him lol 
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(That’s your LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM you turned off, Anakin!!! I know you’re depressed and dissociated and also The Drama but damn!!!!!!)
Nicodemus Ravens from The Shamer Chronicles (Skammerens børn)
The Shamer Chronicles is a series of Danish fantasy books for kids, and probably the most popular books of that type (particularly the first book, The Shamer’s Daughter). Nico is a major character, though never a POV one. 
Nico was, essentially, abused by his father for not living up to the male gender role. He didn’t want to learn to use a sword, he didn’t want to kill, and his father hated him for it. As a result, he’s a teenage alcoholic and profoundly at war with himself. He constantly have other people telling him narratives about who he is/should be: first, he’s the younger son who should bring his father glory, then he’s the heir unfit for the throne, then he’s, depending on the political position of the character in question, either a monstrous murderer who must be killed by the glorious leader or the rightful heir to throne, a hero ready to bring war to his enemy and liberate his people, then rule them in benevolence.
Nico doesn’t want to be any of those things. He knows who he is, is stubborn about it, but also can’t shake the belief that his relative pacifism is really just cowardice. I’m just going to quote one of my favourite scenes here (forgive the translation, it’s my own, I don’t have the official one at hand):
“[...] They want a hero, I think.”
“Is that so bad? It’s better than being a monster, at any rate.”
“You think? Have you noticed how often heroes die in battle? Of course everyone mourns them afterwards and write beautiful ballads about them, but the heroes remain dead. Stone-dead. And I’m in no hurry to get on my white steed and start slaughtering people until someone better or luckier than I sticks a sword in me. No, thank you.”
He looked both obstinate and shameful, as if he thought he really should get on his white steed and all of that. I could understand why he didn’t want to die, and yet… Well, I think I’d always expected him to return to the Lowlands to fight Drakan at some point.
“What do you want, then?” [...]
“I just want to be me,” he whispered. “Is that so terrible? I just want to be Nico and not a lot of other people’s hero or monster.”
Anyway there are Two Crimes when it comes to Nico: the fact he isn’t gay in canon and how so many adaptations turns him into the Generic Fantasy Hero he’s a very conscious subversion of in the books (the other principle male character is essentially someone who’s hurt by toxic masculinity as someone who buys into it, while Nico ofc is hurt by it because he doesn’t/can’t, so the series certainly had an opinion about it). 
Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
Dumbledore is, to me, someone who chose what was good for the world over his own happiness. He chose to be the one to dirty his hands, the one two make the terrible decisions, do the terrible things, that were necessary in the battle against facism. There is something very brave and admirable about that to me. It’s not that he never did anything wrong, he certainly did, but again, I think he was very aware of the terrible things he was doing, and part of the reason he keeps everything so close to his chest is because he doesn’t want anyone else to have to make those decisions, to have to feel that blood stain their hands. Dumbledore loves the people in his care profoundly, he loves Harry profoundly. And it kills him to have, as Snape puts it, “brought him up like a pig for slaughter”. 
Whether something is morally justified and whether it’s necessary to prevent evil are two different questions, and I don’t think Dumbledore feels particularly justified, but I do think he does what he perceives to be necessary to prevent facism. And hates himself for the decisions he takes along the way. And all of that comes back to, to some extent, his survivor’s guilt over the death of Arianna and the profound wake up call that was Grindelwald 1) turning on his family 2) being a very violent fascist, rather than just a theoretical one like teenage!Dumbledore was. In his mind, Dumbledore is already condemned for what happened when he was 18, so it’s better that it be he who takes the terrible things upon himself than an “innocent.” It’s better that he try to atone. Dumbledore is working towards a redemption he never (to his mind) arrives at. 
In regards to his sexuality, Dumbledore was certainly written with the trope of a “tragic old closeted gay” in mind, but of course JKR never made anything much canon aside from his “flamboyant” sense of style (that the movies have ROBBED us of >:( ) and hobbies, so to a certain extent, I get to ignore that homophobic intent. In the books themselves, the only thing you can really read between the lines is that Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, not whether it was 1) reciprocated 2) acted upon, so with only the canon, we also get to mitigate some of the Implications of “Dumbledore dated Wizard Hitler for a while”.... 
I mean I do Love Mess(tm) so Dumbledore having that terrible wake up call is certainly also part of the appeal for me. Personally I enjoy the interpretation that Grindelwald deliberately manipulated Dumbledore’s feelings. 
Captain Flint/James McGraw from Black Sails
BE GAY DO CRIME BE GAY DO CRIME BE GAY DO CRIME BE-- *coughs*
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As you might guess from my description of Dumbledore, a lot of the reasons I love Flint are similar to why I love Dumbledore (and Solas, but we won’t go in to Solas rn lol). Flint is also someone who chooses to do the terrible, necessary things, who chooses the fight over his personal moral cleanliness. In a more obvious and extreme way than Dumbledore, certainly, but the principle is essentially the same. Of course, Flint’s fight is personal in a completely different way from how Dumbledore’s is. Flint’s fight is simoultaneously his revenge, a fight against the corrupt system that ruined his life and a fight for something better. Dumbledore is defensive, Flint is offensive. 
The self-integrity he has is truly amazing. He’s cast aside by everyone but Miranda, and yet he never starts thinking he has anything to apologise for. To ask for a pardon would be to ask for forgiveness, and he doesn’t think he needs to be forgiven. Not for loving Thomas, not for anything he did while he was still English. He perceives the reality of the situation, he sees what is right and what is wrong, and he knows that he is the wronged party. He stares at the behemoth of the entire social structure of his world and says: No. You move. I am not in the wrong. England should apologise to me.
Flint is my angry gay dad and I love him. 
I tag (as always, completely optional ^^ ): @teddy-stonehill​ @thebearmuse​ @andvaka​ @solitarelee​ @gallifreyanathearts​ @sinni-ok-sessi​ @melle93​ @papanden​ @seimsisk​
I feel a bit dishonest leaving Grantaire off of this list, lmao, but I talk about him enough as it is. 
Other honorables mentions go to: Enjolras (Les Mis), Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood), Solas (Dragon Age), Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Kim Kitsuragi (Disco Elysium), Harry Potter, Remus Lupin (Harry Potter) and my soap boys Robert Sugden (Emmerdale), Richard “Ringo” Beckmann (Unter Uns) and Ben Mitchell (Eastenders). 
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forcefuried · 4 years ago
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OVERVIEW.
just a few quick headcanons before i begin--i hc faunus have more than one animal trait since the reason why they don’t have more than one is literally because the rooster teeth team didn’t want to/couldn’t animate full-fledged furries anthropomorphic animals and those restrictions don’t have to exist in RP. also, i hc that faunus can shapeshift into their animal forms, and retain some behaviors/characteristics of their animal forms…because why the fuck not >:3
anakin is an orphaned eagle faunus who started his life in atlas. he was taken from his parents while he was still an egg, so he never knew them and never even managed to find them before they died. while it is illegal in all the known countries of remnant to keep a faunus as a pet, many of the elites of those countries get away with it anyway and do it because they think it’s cool/exotic--and that’s what happened to poor ani.  anakin was owned by a high-ranking atlesian officer named krokus blume who trained him in falconry (why do falconry with a falcon when you can do it with an eagle) and mechanics (why hire a grown-ass human when you have a faunus boy genius that you can sucker into working for free). he was shown off and treated like a trophy to all of that assjacket’s friends, including jacques schnee, until one day at age 9, anakin flipped out on his master by taking out one of his eyes and then shapeshifting into half-human form during a public falconry demonstration--revealing to all of atlas that he was being held illegally. this was in response to a previous altercation in which krokus fucking cut off his wings for “disappointing him” in a falconry display and forced him to build himself new ones that “worked better.”
afterward he was placed into foster care. foster care in remnant is as nasty as it is in the real world, often littered with abusive parents or parents who only take on the kids for the money--and what’s more, when it comes to faunus kids, systems often refuse to place them with faunus parents. nobody wanted to adopt anakin because he was a physically disabled faunus who had begun to show signs of ADHD and bipolar disorder, and who had the dubious reputation of having slashed out the eye of a high-ranking military official--he was not given any penalty due to having been enslaved, but many people thought he should have been. so he was shunted around several human households who took him on for the money at best.
he went to school to train as a hunter, where he quickly became top of the class in terms of battle performance--but bottom of the class in terms of written work, and not to mention, he had a lot of behavioral problems stemming from his tough home situation. he eventually dropped out by pulling a prank on the level of fred and george leaving hogwarts, ran away from the school and atlas and moved to vacuo because it’s a lot more chaotic, unpredictable + adventurous which he’d love. he eventually became a vigilante.
i’m not sure where to have him go from here but he’s around the same age as the main cast, maybe 2 - 3 years older. he probably never attended shade academy because he never got treatment for his ADHD and for that reason gave up on school entirely. he would have learned how to fight and be a hunter from various mentors, possibly in criminal organizations, but he wouldn’t want to tie himself down to any of them because due to his upbringing he hates the idea of having any sort of master. anakin is a morally grey hero in this verse like he is in basically all of his verses, but i don’t think i’ll ever have him go full-on evil because this boi needs a verse where he doesn’t go vader lmao.
WEAPON, SEMBLANCE, STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES.
his semblance is called flow, and it allows him to create effects in the world based on his emotions. emotions such as anger, hatred, fear, and an adrenaline rush while fighting will harm and destroy, whereas emotions such as happiness and love will help and heal. he is much better at the former than the latter, to the point that he isn’t even aware that he can heal people with positive emotions because he’s an angry bitter bastard who deals primarily in destruction. the weaknesses of this ability are the following:
the ability can sometimes send his feelings out of control to the point that he passes out. sometimes what really sucks is that he just gets super emotional and faints before he can actually do anything because his power level increases too fast for him to handle.
chemicals. if he’s captured and drugged he is basically useless, because as long as the chemicals are in effect, he won’t have emotions strong enough to get himself out of the mess.
he can summon his power by trying to make himself angry or cheer himself up, but feeling the emotion he needs while prompted by external factors produces far better results.
when he does learn how to repair/heal with positive emotions, he will still have significant trouble with it due to his default state being an angry bastard, and this will not change unless he has significant personal growth. 
not a weakness but just wanted to add: i called it “flow” as a reference to palpatine’s quote, “let the hate flow through you.” >:3
his weapon is a lightsaber, or as it is known in this verse, a kyber blade. these weapons are either swords or knives that have blades made of the aura contained in rare kyber crystals, energy that can melt bullets, slice through almost anything like sw canon lightsabers, and retract its blade to fire energy at others like a blaster. they are the favored weapons of the atlesian upper class--but anakin got his own by stealing from krokus.
he sabotaged his master’s sword, and when krokus demanded he fix it, he bullshat some explanation that it was broken beyond repair. krokus, who didn’t know a damn thing about mechanics, threw it away, after which anakin retrieved it and made it his own. he got one of his hands chopped off for failing to repair the blade. but not only did he find it worth it even then, he lost that entire forearm in his teens anyway, so he honestly doesn’t care.
due to their cybernetics, kyber blades are mildly sentient, like wands in harry potter. they have preferences for certain masters, they always work best in the hands of their preferred people, and to those they especially dislike, they won’t work unless forced/reprogrammed. when anakin contrived the plot to steal krokus’ sword and succeeded, he won its allegiance--which is how he managed to keep it, seeing as it’s frowned upon in atlesian culture to disrespect a blade’s wishes.
most kyber blades are green, blue or light blue since those are the most common types of crystal, followed by purple, white and yellow as those are the other sw light side saber colors. red is actually more common of a color than purple, white and yellow, but nobody uses it due to superstition: that they are bad luck, that they corrupt their owners, that they are hard to get along with and the blades they’re in become disloyal, or even that a red kyber crystal only responds to those who are inherently evil/take pleasure in harming others. however, when anakin got krokus’ blue-crystaled saber, he eventually found a red crystal to replace it with because 1) it worked better with his semblance and 2) he just wanted to be edgy as fuck.
just as in mainverse he is a quadruple amputee, as well as having artificial wings in both humanoid and eagle form. the artificial limbs which he built himself give him more physical strength, but they are also weak to electrical attacks, especially the neural interface--if you shock him real good, he won’t be able to move at all.
he is an amazing flier while he is in eagle form and knows a bit about piloting ships, but he’s much better flying on his own than flying ships, as it’s what he grew up with doing falconry and fancy flying tricks, and he finds it more natural. 
oh and another thing: as a child he was proven a genius in terms of IQ and he is great with his hands, but due to giving up on formal education at age 13 and due to never having been given proper resources to handle his disabilities, his literacy as well as his understanding of anything he doesn’t hyperfixate on is still stuck at a ~5th grade level. he knows a lot of mechanical science and vocabulary because he has been given hands-on experience with it, but don’t ask him to read a scientific journal on the matter because he’d get lost on the first page. he is aware that there is so much more he could learn if he got his reading up to college level, and he wants to. but he hasn’t sought help for it yet because he has internalized the notion that his ADHD will prevent him from achieving this, and he’s too proud, stubborn and afraid of judgment to admit it to anyone.
due to being an eagle faunus, he is also extremely farsighted. he can spot something as small as a rabbit from a mile away, but he needs special glasses to be able to carry out daily human tasks such as reading the text on his scroll.
last thing i want to list: it is important for the development of faunus that during ages 0 - 10 they spend a relatively equal amount of time shifting between humanoid and animal form, lest they have trouble shifting between one or the other. due to being someone’s pet, anakin spent too much time in eagle form during this critical phase of development and so he will ALWAYS have trouble staying humanoid. while he is an eagle he can’t use his weapon, and he can’t be understood by anyone who isn’t a faunus or a mind reader.
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