#ask pacificwanderer

[pacificwanderer]

Soooooo what are your thoughts on the Rey film?

Hey Nonnie,

I have a lot of feelings LOL. None of my ire is directed at you, and I'm trying not to get too worked up given that we know who the director will be and that Daisy will be in it (everything is meant in a general sense, and it's just my feelings on the matter so whatever). Also, given their track record with directors and writers.... we'll see how it all ends up going!

As far as story, well...

So this is such a coincidence, given that I just saw Su//zume and was thinking that if anything that follows up TRoS ISN'T at least thematically similar to that movie, I don't want it. It still holds.

This is my interpretation, and if others don't agree. That's fine. I'm not really looking to argue with anyone or win anyone over lol. People are allowed to have different interpretations of media, but for me, TRoS didn't work. Both as a fan of the ST and as a lifelong fan of SW. And I don't know how they plan on moving forward with that fucking albatross weighing them down! I really don't!

My problem was and remains that TRoS IS NOT REY'S STORY or really any of the ST characters, it's all focused on the past and that's not a great way to build a point to go forward from. Hell, it's not really even a story so much as characters moving from one set piece to another in an effort to disguise how it's a movie that's basically serving one purpose: address and make up for prior criticism (mostly from re//ddit and prolific you//tubers).

I could go point by point about how that film was set up to make up for "disappointing" certain fans with how TLJ went, but I don't have the time rn for that (I have a lot of work to do in the next few days and not much time, but here i am on tumblr lol). I'm sure it's been done to death, anyway, but people far more eloquent than I.

That film is and was and ever will be is a reactionary film that was made to be an answer to very specific criticism from a very specific subset of the fandom, and it failed. Not only to address their criticisms but to stand on its own as a film. That story takes Rey, takes her character and her story, and reskins her to be Luke 2.0.

But they didn't want that. Those fans didn't want her to be a stand-in for Luke. They didn't want her to symbolically be a Sky//walker, they wanted her to BE one via BIRTH (Luke's daughter or whatever). What we got was insulting to those fans and to fans of TLJ. It's one of the more blatant examples of pandering that I can think of (even if it's badly done), and I really don't know if I'm ever gonna get over it entirely lol. Like I've mostly moved on because there are storytellers out there busting their ass telling stories that deserve to be told, so I have other things to focus on.

Rey's story needs to be her own, and I don't know how they're going to accomplish that given what's happened in TRoS. She's not her own character anymore. She's just... a vessel. Fuck I hate that. I hate saying that! I HATE IT! But that comes from the creators themselves! I love Rey! I wouldn't have written like three-quarters of a million words of fanfic about her world otherwise! AND THEY DID NOT. AND IT SHOWS.

And it's personally offensive to me that they took a character that I loved THE WAY SHE WAS and tried to make her fit for people who were committed to hating her from the start!!!! How dare they! And not just her, but what they did with the rest of the ST characters makes me so fucking angry i have a hard time being chill about it lol.

Anyway, I have some reservations about their ability to craft a tale that's going to honor her character and not just be some sort of way for Luke to jump in and take over the narrative again. As he's done before and will do again (hi there, man//do, nice luke you got there for no fucking reason).

Anyway, I very much try to keep to my own corner of the fandom because I just don't have the energy for much these days, so I'm sure other people have different feelings about it all. I hope it goes well! I doubt it will! Like Andor was great, but Tony is a great storyteller, and I don't think the person they've tacked on to finish the Rey script is capable of doing her justice (sorry bro, PB is good, but it's tragic, do I want that for Rey??? no).

Storytelling should be the first and foremost thing they're focusing on, and... I don't really trust them in that regard anymore. The SW ip is too all over the place, and there's a certain note of cynicism that just seems to infect everything these days. I'm fucking tired of the american monomyth, i'm tired of campbell redux (with no deeper thought or criticism of the aforementioned, just shallow retelling to tick of fucking plot points and NOTHING MORE).

It just... feels like they're trying to find their way without really thinking about what got them to this point. I hope it doesn't suck, but if it does, then there's always fanfic.

PERSONALLY idgaf about rebuilding the gd jedi temple, so i hope THAT changes because it's been done and they fucked up REPEATEDLY like how many movies do we really need of that!!!?? God, there's a whole wide sw universe out there, and they make it feel so small.

So fucking small. What a waste.

TLDR:

Anyway! Hope it works out for anyone who's interested. If anyone's really interested in how I'd like a post-tros narrative to go, please go see su//zume. i fucking adore it to bits and pieces.

Cheers, Nonne!

[tarzelladraws]

Hi!! My name is Jenna! I just saw your amazing art and edits! Thanks for sharing your talent! I was very curious after seeing your AU artwork if you have any fanfiction written or a fic rec list you could share?

Aw thank you, i'm so happy you like my art! Sorry for the delayed response, I was on vacation. Here’s a list of some of my favorites in no particular order, just my oldest bookmarks to more recent. My all time favs are marked with **

Links are attached in the titles and i hope you like them! I have so many more!

** Mitan, Midi by animal rated E (Rey inherits a home in France, angst)

**Code of Honor by c_ike rated E (my favorite Rey background)

Forbidden by koderenn rated E (Jedi Rey x Senator Ben)

we could plant a house, we could build a tree by Like_A_Dove rated E (Ben and Rey grow up together, heavy angst)

** All Our Days by voicedimplosivesrated E (cannonverse Persuasion AU)

** Good Day, Professor by faequeentitania rated E (College student Rey x professor Ben)

A Royal Mistake by reyofdarkness (mitslits) rated E (Mechanic Rey x Prince Ben)

Compatible by AttackoftheDarkCurses rated E (friends to lovers, sexy vacation)

give you my wild (give you a child) by lizzysbennett rated E (babysitter rey x single dad Ben)

Mistranslations by MissCoppelia rated E (BDSM, Japanese mafia)

** stuck in colder weather by redbelles rated E (More college student Rey x professor Ben)

Ruby Woo Red by HeartSabers rated E (Celebrity Ben x MUA Rey)

set me on fire by no_loose_wire_jokes Rated E (roommates, rey is turned on by him swearing lol)

Good Fences by quamquam20 rated E (Witch Rey x Vampire Ben neighbors)

And Your Kingdom Too by vuas rated E (fantasy royalty au, arranged marriage, single chapter)

Olive and an Arrow by sadboykylo rated E (bodyguard Ben x president's daughter Rey)

Sunshine After a Storm by enloeddmedia rated E (modern cowboy au)

**A Royal Mix-Up by AttackoftheDarkCurses rated E (Ben x rey have a one night stand, he forgets to tell her he's a prince)

Awards Season by gracediamondsfear rated E (actor Ben x personal chef Rey)

**It's Just Us Now by KyloZen rated E (cannon divergent Kylo and Rey are stuck on Hoth together)

**Lifeblood by ebongawk (makeshiftcandy) rated E (modern au vampire ben)

**rumor has it by dachenabritta rated E (spoiled rich girl rey asks ben to sleep with her)

He's got them bad boy blues by Blueyedgurl rated E (high school au)

Three by JenfysNest rated E (an ode to three finger fingering)

**Soup from my Mouth by v_for_verona rated E (HEA TROS, food as a love language, this one speaks to the food insecurity i had growing up)

**D Major by star_pilots rated E (Ben fingers rey on a school bus lol)

**Show Me Your Teeth (i'll show you mine) by KnightFalling rated E (gentle vampire Ben x Rey who has vampire related trauma)

Shadow Song by SageMcMae rated E (ben is in a coma/also a shadow being protecting foster kid rey)

**Diet Coke by Pacificwanderer (CNichole) rated E (Ben is a hot construction worker that rey watches from her office window)

Dog Day Open Hydrant by LinearA rated E (firefighter ben is called to shut off a hydrant that Rey opened)

**Leave It All, Lock to the Tide by alantieislander rated E (Rey lives on a remote island, soldier Ben washes up on the shore)

**Don't Feed It (It Will Come Back) by Aaveena rated E (Rey works at a diner for the supernatural, Ben is a newly turned vampire)

you're the tall kingdom I surround (think I better follow you around) by havingaheavy rated E (Rey stalks Ben, Ben is obsessed with Rey)

To Have and to Hold by bunilicious rated E (historical AU, arranged marriage)

[onewomancitadel]

I posted 1,927 times in 2022

That's 680 more posts than 2021!

1,454 posts created (75%)

473 posts reblogged (25%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@onewomancitadel

@pacificwanderer

@corseque

@scintilliation

@anomalous-fox

I tagged 1,926 of my posts in 2022

#seraphina's asks - 460 posts

#knightfall - 296 posts

#user: anonymouse - 212 posts

#stirring the pot - 156 posts

#cindemption - 137 posts

#whingeing and whining and moaning - 131 posts

#the distance which fools the skimming eye - 124 posts

#cinder fall sadsack tag - 79 posts

#seraphina's replies - 78 posts

#user: redhoodhungergames - 74 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#ok wtf came back to edit: the automatic dropdown of tags to pick sometimes really fucks with stuff. it tagged something completely randomly

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

These are like blink and you'll miss it shots (I only skipped to it by accident, and it plays for like, less than a second). I think her sexy performance persona is funny, because easily her most sexy shots are when she's not trying to be like that.

77 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

#4

Cinder Fall is a good character you guys are just boring

80 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

#3

General wreck of TROS notwithstanding.

90 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

#2

The last time I tried to give a video essay a chance which was rather recently I fucking snapped when the essayist had the gall to ground his criticism in 'and why does everything happen to the protagonists?' the fucking state of narrative criticism, good grief.

134 notes - Posted November 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I was just musing on how Reylo was argued against for years: 'it's gross,' or 'it's problematic,' or 'he killed Han', or 'it's incest' (that was the funniest one). Reylo is a good comparison of a ship because alike to Knightfall it's a mythic romance, it has a lot of similar motivating themes along with monomythic storytelling. It was also canon.

The issue with Reylo is that not once have I ever seen Reylo argued against on the grounds of monomythic interpretation or anything decently textually and thematically relevant. Because it was essentially impenetrable.

You couldn't argue with it on the terms of the text or the Original Trilogy because the Original Trilogy had a central redemption predicated on love, and in the context of a young man who is the evidence of Vader once being flesh-and-blood, a familial relationship was natural; between Rey and Kylo, who were both young and shared similar wounds, romance was the natural answer (particularly for picking up where Padme/Anakin left off).

The narrative reasoning that motivated Reylo is Star Wars. It's inseparable. It's mythic. It was the only planned canon detail of the Sequel Trilogy. It's evident in the concept art. They sought out Adam Driver to play Kylo and had a particular Romantic vision of Kylo. Eddie Redmayne auditioned for Kylo with the Pride & Prejudice script:

With films that top secret, they don’t give you the actual lines. So they give you a scene from Pride and Prejudice, but then they tell you you’re auditioning for the baddie. If you’re me, you then put some ridiculous voice on.

Pride & Prejudice is one of the most notable romance novels ever written and presumably this is referencing the 2005 film adaptation.

The Reylo dynamic was planned to be romantic.

The point I'm trying to make here is that you can't argue on these textual grounds and that's why you weaponise personal taste or anti bullshit. It's part of why it became so militant (and it was wrong place wrong time as a part of a broader shift of fandom) and to this day I still encounter people who try to explain to me that it's regressive for a female character to 'fix' a male character completely misunderstanding the thematic point of it or relationship of the characters that was reciprocal and grounded in the ethos of SW. They just keep repeating it because it's all they know and it makes them feel special and contrarian.

Sort of the point I'm trying to get at (as I have made a few posts about this already) is that the grounds on which someone is arguing something matters just as much as what the substantial content is. Reylo's refutation was personal taste. That was it. Because there was no other refutation.

Food for thought.

136 notes - Posted November 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[pacificwanderer]

if daniel jose wrote dathan's life

No thanks :)

[pacificwanderer]

do you read shadow of the sith?

Hey Nonnie,

I didn't. I'm kind of uninterested in any lore outside of the man series atm (unless it's written by Claudia Gray lol). Basically, felt a little bit shit on for loving what they were doing with the SW canon pre and post TLJ, only for it to basically be completely ignored post tros.

I do vaguely remember seeing this one come up on the TL (probably because it features young Ben Solo and Rey with her parents, s/o to the comics for finally giving her mom a name, good job guys), and discussing it when it came out. Also vaguely reminds me of one of the arcs in the comics where the same sort of thing happens? (Vader discovers a Sith mask (Lord Momin's) and it tries to influence him??? it's been a while). I always really liked the idea of transference (or transferring a being's essence, I guess) as a plot device.

Also, deeply. DEEPLY uninterested in Ochi lol. Just very resentful (still) of how shoddy everything was in tros (to me), and how the canon is working (still) to try to make sense of that quagmire. I mean, what else can they do, I guess. Still pretty hurt by how spitefully and carelessly they threw it all away in their attempt to negate any of the meaning of tlj. Anyway LOL.

Hope that answers your question! Sorry if I sound cranky, it's not directed at you at all. I love talking about sw and i don't mind the qustion at all, but it's a pretty mixed bag for me these days because anything I did enjoy is so tied to what came afterwards and those feelings of being made to feel stupid for caring as much as it did.

Also, fuck bob iger for good measure. I KNOW he's at the root of lots of my problems with modern media and I wish he'd fucking RETIRE or fuck off to billionaire island and stop trying to create the world in his own image or whatever the fuck it is these assholes seem to be doing these days (also not directed at you, i just gotta get that off of my chest lol).

Cheers :) Have a good one!

[pacificwanderer]

👻  trick or treat 🍬

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard decision, Nonnie.

let's do treat, because it's been a real shit one lately lol (but if the trick is fun, that's fine too)

Happy Halloween, all!

[pacificwanderer]

What are your thoughts on the Rey film?

Hey Nonnie,

You can see my thoughts on the potential Rey movie here :)

Cheers!

[pacificwanderer]

what you think on yashahime

Hey Nonnie,

I haven't watched it. Inuyasha is one of those things that I got into from fanart/fic LOL, so all my ships aren't canon (except Sango x Miroku??? I think that's canon?). No ship hate, but I'm good with how the series ended, and if I want to spend time in that world, I go back and read my favorite fics. Actually, that reminds me, I should download/save them, just in case.

Anime I am watching includes Apothecary Diaries and Spy x Family (and watching JJK through gifs and with my hands in front of my eyes as EVERYONE GD DIES the end).

Cheers!

[pacificwanderer]

if Claudia Gray wrote on miramir's family novel?

Would I be interested? Maybe! Depends on what it covers, I guess. I'm disinclined to engage much with the current canon/supplementary material (Andor aside lol. Hoping Acolyte doesn't suck, because I'd love for that to be good too.) as I really haven't been rewarded for doing that in the past (thanks, Jjerio). But Claudia is a great writer, and I enjoy her worldbuilding and characters, in general.

Honestly, if they just handed the current canon over to her, I'd be relieved. Personally, I'd love a sequel to Lost Stars (sigh), but I doubt I'll be getting that any time soon despite it being fucking fantastic.

OHHHH BACK WHEN I HAD HOPES AND DREAMS (and thought they were building to something, thanks Iger!).

Anyway, if one person could make me a believer, it's probably Claudia!

Cheers!

[pacificwanderer]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you. ❤️🍀

Thanks, Nonnie!

Let's spread some happiness today.

Music

Books

Concerts (I guess this also counts as music, but whatever)

Vincent Valentine (and other sad, tired pple)

CATS (the animal, never seen the musical)

[pacificwanderer]

Absolutely loved Interlude (spy x family fic) Loved how you wrote them as I totally head cannon that’s how their first time would go!!!!!

Aww, thanks so much, Nonnie!

I appreciate you taking the time to send this message, and for reading my lil Loid x Yor fic! And I'm so glad it reads how you headcanon them, as well!

I love those two (and Anya, and Bond, and everyone haha) so much. I honestly am so glad I finally sat down to watch/read it. It's not something that I'd generally think I'd be into, but I'm so into it. I love it so much!

Loid and Yor are just constantly hopping around in my head. I hope to have the time/energy to write some more fic featuring and those two. Work's been nuts, so I just haven't been able to, but here's hoping soon!

I love getting into both of their heads and thinking though their hang-ups, plus the fact that neither knows the truth about the other (despite the fact that they're obviously 'flirting' and care about each other), is just so much fun! PLUS I just really want them to kiss (etc) and I know that I'm not getting much of that with a shonen anime/manga haha. Gonna have to do it myself/rely on fandom for that!

Anyway, thanks again!

[pacificwanderer]

Any darkfic recommend? Or really good (normal) ones? 🤣🤣🤣 I love your fics✨

Hmmmmmm!

Do you mean for Reylo or SW in general, or another fandom or pairing? I haven't read much dark fic, but I can point you in the directions of a few people. I also have some kind of more classic favs that I re-read because I've mostly been reading like super niche fics for otomes haha and then some pubbed novels (Jennette McCurdy's autobiography and then Stephanie Garber's The Ballad of Never After, both of which I'm enjoying for wildly different reasons. Also, recently read The Unseelie Prince, which was fun). Work has been nuts and I'm in a bit of a reading rut, so haven't been keeping current with what's out there.

Lemme know in the comments and I'll see if I can give you some more specific recs.

Cheers and thanks so much for reading my work! So glad you enjoy it 💖💖💖

[pacificwanderer]

I loved Night Work!!!!!!!!

Aww, thanks so much, Nonnie!

I'm super sick (headcold, regular variety lol) and this absolutely brightened up my day. Hope to have more of those two up for you soon :)

Work has also been crazy, but it should be a little more balanced in the coming weeks, leaving more room for fun writing.

And it is super fun writing my bratty, stubborn!Rey with definitely channeling some 2016!Kylo/Ben + domineering boss vibes. Kinktober prompts are always so much fun haha.

Thanks again for reaching out and for reading!

[pacificwanderer]

OTP/Shipping positivity post! 💖:

Being as it’s That Time of Year, how would your OTP help each other through the seasonal blahs?

Hey Nonnie!

What a nice ask :) It sure is That Time of Year, whew. Weather's been pretty nutso where I'm at, so it's nice to think of things that aren't that.

OTP I write the most about is Reylo, so I imagine that Rey'd have a pretty hard time with things being dark at like 4 p.m. (depending on the seasonal patterns of wherever they live, let's say Naboo, which I'm gonna imagine is like Italy, so it's coldish rn lol).

Defintely think Ben would be super aware of this, though he's mostly okay with the weather given that he spent a lot of time on Chandrila and Naboo, both are fairly mild when it comes to weather. Nothing like Jakku. The sun is endless in Jakku and, at first, Rey's okay with the darkness. The stars are stunning in the winter cold, but it does get kind of draining.

Long post. More under the cut:

Ben encourages her to wake up earlier in the day, which isn't really her preference now that she doesn't have to scrape by, but she does it. And it helps a little. He also grabs some fancy sun-lamps to help with the SAD, and those are also nice. Fortunately, the ancestral home on Naboo is equipped with a great sauna/heated pools, so even in the winter, they can enjoy a swim.

Getting to bed earlier leaves more room for *other* activities, which helps lift both of their moods. For them, it's a gift to just be in each other's presence after feeling alone for so long. There's nothing like being able to reach out and feel the other one laying there, sleeping softly.

For so long, the voices in Ben's head told him he wasn't good enough. Wasn't worth loving unless he could prove himself. But they're silent since she came into his life. Now, the only voices he hears are hers and his. Sometimes, their voices blend together as their thoughts become one. Sometimes, it's just an energy, a feeling of contentment that helps buoy the other as the days go on.

Rey thought she'd gotten used to being alone. Even when she was with the Resistance, it didn't fee like she had anyone who truly knew her--someone that accepted the light and the dark within her. But Ben knows. Somehow, he's always known. And that's made all the difference.

In the end, small moments add up and bloom into happy memories, so even when the darkness is at its peak, they both know that they're never far from dawn.

Cheers, Nonnie!

[pacificwanderer]

please please please tell me you know where the video is of a (now former) disney cast member telling a hilarious story about trying to get an unruly crowd of guests at disney world in order for the star tours ride a few days after TFA came out, and threatening to spoil han dying if they didn't listen but having to do so for this one woman anyway lmao I cannot find it and it keeps me up at night

Hey Nonnie,

I don't remember a video, but I do vaguely remember seeing a written anecdote that was similar to this? Maybe someone wrote it out on Reddit or tumblr back in the day?

Anyone who's still around remember a story/video like this for nonnie?

If I remember/find/get tagged in anything, I'll reblog this.

Good luck!

[pacificwanderer]

What are your thoughts on m*ndalorian fans dragging ben into their theory that baby yoda will be killed by ben at luke's temple? I really hate it because they obviously didn't read the comics where it revealed that ben didn't destroy luke's temple. Even the article from esquire that debunked it had iffy wording which just made me more angry. I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy anything SW again.

Hey Nonnie,

I'm pretty pissed off about most things sw related (no hate to anyone who's enjoying, I'm just not there. Still having fun with Reylo though, so I guess I have that).

Anyway, I have a lot of pple and shit blocked on Twitter, but I saw plenty of people going out of their way to correct people about that. When it comes down to it, people either already hate Kylo/Ben or love him. But they know that either way he's popular (and gets clicks), so he, much like Reylo, gets thrown around to attract attention for articles and tweets. So yeah, it pissed me off lol.

Ultimately, we know how the story goes and what really happened at Luke's school. I have no idea what their plans are wrt Ben and the future (or Gr*gu for that matter, they're stupid for separating him and D*n and the sooner they get those two back together, the better. If that's even their plan. A year ago, I'd have thought they knew wtf they're doing, but lol. They might be stupid enough to think that show will stand on its own without that core dynamic, and it sure tf won't). Here's hoping they wise the fuck up regarding Ben's character, because they are literally pushing away money with both hands while trying to bend over backwards to make an impossible to please fandom happy instead of letting it grow and enticing a new audience. But what do I know lol.

I'm excited to see that Rayne Roberts is working with Leslye on The Acolyte, but dlf is gonna have to turn itself into a pretzel and kiss my ass before I'll trust anything they put out. So far, seems like content for old OT men who don't wanna grow up, and I'm just not interested in pew pew pew and nostalgia bait. Make it weird, make it romantic or keep it, ya know? Characterization or bust. So, this whole season of the M*ndo fell flat for me because it felt like a marketing tool for other projects, instead of the bb and dad show that we'd been sold.

ANYWAY. Still big angry and big sad about sw, but trying not to dwell. Happy holidays, Nonnie, and hope you find plenty of fun things to enjoy in the new year (and hope that the new year is better in general lol).

Cheers!