#bond villain kylo

[hrizantemy]

Writing this as a postscript the hot take about Amarantha, but also this — in a far better-written book, one that was actually interested in Feyre on her terms and about her surviving her trauma, it would have ended with her rejecting both Tamlin and Rhysand. That Rhysand is the person that Feyre could end up becoming, her dark-mirror, her worst-case scenario — someone so consumed by their own suffering, that they use it to justify their own horrific actions. A better book would depict Rhysand as an actually flawed character, as someone who clings to manipulation and control due to his own feelings of powerlessness and due to his trauma — Rhysand as a tragic villain who ends up facing the consequences of his actions, who actually NEEDS to face the consequences and take accountability, who ends realising that in the end, he became his own abuser (Amarantha) in his desire to never potentially become a victim again (which would require SJM to depict his actions as horrific and morally wrong regardless of intent, which of course, SJM would never do).

In a better story, Feyre would get to a place where she can reject Rhysand and his world-view — that, no, her suffering does not give her permission to do whatever she wants; that no one has the right to decide who is ‘evil’ and deserves to be punished (like the Court of Nightmares, like Nesta). To realise that Tamlin and Rhysand, while both present differently, are just two faces to the same coin — that both of them are controlling abusers, both are only interested in how she recovers on *their* terms and not on her own. That Rhysand is only interested in empowering her because she was born to be his mate, and that’s it — if he wasn’t, I bet he wouldn’t care about her at all, he would care for her as much as he cared for Clare Beddors. Really, he’s one of the Justin Baldoni’s and Neil Gaimans of this world — someone who can speak about empowering women all he wants, but his actions say everything else. SJM clearly never heard that it’s best to judge a man by how he treats women that challenge him and that he doesn’t find attractive — we know that, because we see that in how Rhysand treats Nesta. We should have gotten a story where Feyre gets to a point where she realises that she deserves better, that she all she’s destined to do is run from one abuser to another, where Feyre goes from being Feyre Cursebreaker to Feyre Fatebreaker, and fights for her own destiny and her own life independent of the two.

‘Thew, I had a lot on my chest. Admittedly, the potential Feyre-Rhysand dynamic is the main thrust of my own original story (particularly with fighting against an unjust mating bond and fighting against the story written for you). It just annoys me that SJM had the potential to say something interesting and original — and she wrecked it.

Oh my god. First of all—thank you. This postscript is honestly one of the most powerful, clear-sighted, and emotionally resonant critiques of ACOTAR I’ve seen, and the way you articulated Feyre’s arc (and what it could have been) hit me like a thunderclap. This isn’t just literary analysis—it’s grief. Grief for a story that could have mattered, could have broken genre boundaries, could have told the truth about abuse and survival and female rage and love on women’s terms. And instead, it chose… aesthetics and safety.

Let’s break it down, because everything you said is so layered.

Rhysand as Feyre’s Shadow Self: The Wasted Potential

This is such a rich idea—that Rhysand isn’t just a love interest, but a narrative reflection of Feyre’s own trauma, her own worst-case scenario. That in another life, in another story, she could’ve become him: someone so warped by pain, so desperate to never be powerless again, that they become the very thing they were trying to escape.

This? This is the kind of mirroring that makes stories timeless. The way Kylo Ren works for Rey in Star Wars. The way Azula is a dark-mirror for Zuko in Avatar. The way Rin in The Poppy War becomes a monstrous version of the very hero she wanted to be.

But ACOTAR never lets Feyre look at Rhys with that clarity. Never lets her say, “I could become this, and I choose not to.” Because that would require Rhysand to be flawed in a real way, not just tragically misunderstood or morally grey when it’s convenient.

Rhysand, the Abuser Who Speaks in Therapy-Talk

You’re so right—SJM frames Rhysand as the good kind of power. But power that goes unquestioned is never good. And he does everything an abuser does:

• Lies to Feyre.

• Withholds life-threatening information.

• Controls access to knowledge.

• Decides who she sees, when, how.

• Frames all her trauma healing through his lens.

• Turns her pain into a justification for his own behavior.

But because he’s hot, wears black, and tells her she’s strong while still manipulating her behind the scenes? He’s considered “supportive.”

And that line—“Rhysand is only interested in empowering her because she was born to be his mate”—YES. That’s it. If she hadn’t been his, she would’ve been another Clare Beddor. Another pawn. Another body.

He doesn’t care about empowering women. He cares about owning the ones he finds worthy.

The Truth About Tamlin and Rhys: Same Coin, Different Aesthetic

You completely nailed this: Tamlin and Rhysand are both abusers. One is overt, possessive, violent. The other is insidious, charming, manipulative. The fandom treats them like opposites—but they are not. They’re a spectrum of the same sickness: male control repackaged as love.

A better story would’ve had Feyre look at both and go, “I don’t want either of you. I don’t need to be anyone’s savior, or project, or prize. I want my own life.”

Feyre Fatebreaker: The Arc We Were Denied

That name. Feyre Fatebreaker. That’s the story that should’ve been told.

Not Feyre the Lover. Not Feyre the Mate. Not Feyre the Girl Who Picked the Right Man. But Feyre the Rewriter. The girl who looked at the gods, the cauldron, the mating bond, the story told to her by men and by fate—and said, “No.”

You know what this reminds me of? Moiraine in Wheel of Time saying, “We make the wheel weave as we will.”

It’s Yona in Yona of the Dawn casting off her royal title and deciding to become a warrior.

It’s Kelsier from Mistborn, who says the world is broken by design and must be burned to build anew.

This isn’t even about shipping anymore. It’s about narrative sovereignty.

Feyre never got to break free. She just changed cages.

[mrspettyferr]

Sauron Redemption?

A wild thought, right? But what's interesting about S2 is this heavy theme of healing, that paths are not certain, you can choose good, etc.

"There’s another life waiting for you. You just have to turn toward it." -- "Then why wear it?" "As a reminder that our fates are never certain. That fortunes can turn, for even the most powerful." "A grim reminder." "Or a hopeful one. A sure path may crumble, but...there's always another. Often, it can lead us someplace better. Someplace good." -- "Please. You think too much of me. The road goes ever winding. Not even I can see all its paths." -- "It would seem, even wounds that have endured an age, can sometimes yet be healed." -- "I wish to heal...all Middle-earth." -- "Heal yourself."

I made a post about this earlier, but if "you bind me to the light, and I bind you to power" actually happened when Sauron stabbed Galadriel with Morgoth's Crown, as the evidence suggests, that goes both ways. If Galadriel inherits some of his power, did Sauron inherit some of her light?

If so, what will that mean for him in the future?

"If I could just hold onto that feeling, keep it with me always, bind it to my very being, then I..."

We know Sauron is going to fall deeper into his evil doings for a long time, of course. But the show is taking quite a few creative liberties and deviations already. Can this bond potentially shift his path way down the road? Could Galadriel's light and their bond be the one thing that keeps him tethered after the One Ring is destroyed? And could he find redemption if they explore this concept of Dagor Dagorath, and he returns to fight against Morgoth?

Villain redemptions, frankly, sell very well. Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, Loki, Prince Zuko, etc. It's a formula that works, not to mention bringing Morgoth to screen? Setting up some Avengers: Endgame style huge battle?

"And I knew if I was ever to be forgiven, that I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin."

It could be a very compelling concept for Amazon to explore.

[clonerightsagenda]

Darth Talon for International Women's Day! I love her :)

I have never heard of her, so this post is going to be me going on a journey of discovery by looking at her wiki page.

She tried to seduce him to the dark side along with sleeping with him to form a bond and stronger connection to the dark side. She aided his training in the ways of the dark side of the Force, until her apprentice renounced the One Sith when he stabbed her with his father’s lightsaber.

ok there's a lot to unpack here, Freud-wise

George Lucas originally planned to feature the duo of Darth Maul and Darth Talon as the main villains of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, an idea he developed while preparing the films in 2012 before selling Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company. Talon was written as the aged Maul's apprentice, with Lucas later saying "She was the new Darth Vader, and most of the action was with her." Early story treatments had her corrupting the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, but after J. J. Abrams started to work on the project, her character later evolved into a "Jedi Killer" that ultimately became the character of Kylo Ren.

furious now that instead of Reylo we could have had people writing enemies to lovers fanfic of Rey and a lady alien with tentacles. J J Abrams you have so much to answer for.

Anyway since the wiki page for her species says they're "often used as slaves or dancers due to their beauty" I think she's allowed to be evil. Blow up a rich perv for me ma'am

[writingquestionsanswered]

Tricky Enemies to Lovers Situation

[Note from WQA: I answered a question yesterday that went missing after it was queued, so this is my best effort to recreate the original question and my answer efficiently...]

Anonymous asked: I have an enemies to lovers story where there's no opportunity for the characters to get together where they wouldn't immediately fight one another. How can I give them the opportunity to get to know each other and fall in love in a way that's believable?

The Abandoned Mission: the first thing you have to establish--which you probably have since you mentioned (in the lost ask) that you had their arcs fleshed out, knew why they fell in love, etc.--is what allows this love to flourish despite starting on opposite sides, because what you don't want to do is have one say, "I know you're trying to destroy my village, but I love you, so heckin' go for it!"

-- one starts to come around, realizes their side is wrong, and switches sides

-- both sides unite against a common/far worse enemy

-- both realize that the fight is pointless/futile/both sides wrong

This will be part of their character arcs... or at least the arc of whoever changes sides... as they start to see the truth through getting to know the other one, start questioning their beliefs, and begin to change their mind.

Accessibility: Your first challenge is finding a non-combat way to get them together, or at least get them talking if not face-to-face. It all depends on your story and what makes sense within it, but some ideas:

Supernatural Communication - Is there a supernatural way for them to be face-to-face or at least communicate? Think of the mental connection between Alina and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone, or the force bond betwen Rey and Kylo Ren in the Star Wars movies. It could be a telepathic connection, a magical connection, or even a magical object that allows them to be in the same place or simply communicate.

Technological Communication - Or, maybe your story takes place in our world, in the recent past or near future. Or perhaps in a far-future sci-fi world. Is there some sort of technology that could allow them to be in the same place or easily communicate? Something like a hologram projector, "holodeck" type area that can be accessed by people in two different places, or even simply video calls or text messages?

Old School Communication - Even if a supernatural or technological form of communication doesn't work in your story, you can always rely on good old-fashioned handwritten letters.

Stuck Together - Another option is for them to somehow get stuck together in some situation where they're both vulnerable. Like, maybe there's some disaster when they're both in the same place and end up in a survival struggle together. Or, maybe they're both abducted by an even worse third party, and have to work together to escape. Maybe the villain's resolve is weakening, so they're overthrown by someone within their organization, imprisoned, and then it's this faction who imprisons your character (and not the love interest villain), forcing them to work together to escape.

All you have to do in any of the above scenarios is figure out how and why they start communicating in the first place. Maybe the villain reaches out to the MC thinking they're a weak link that will spill information, or maybe the MC intercepts a courier carrying a letter from the villain to an ally--and the MC decides to write back. Maybe the villain is a little extravagant and holds a party via their version of a holodeck and your MC sneaks in and is caught... but this opens up the door for them to continue meeting this way. Even if they just meet once out in the woods, bathing in a lake and caught totally off-guard, there are always ways to get these two characters "in the same room" outside of a combative context. You just need to brainstorm a little.

The Ice Breaker: once you get them face-to-face or communicating in whatever way, there needs to be some sort of ice breaker to get them talking about something other than the conflict at hand. This could be one noticing and commenting about something they have in common... like noticing the other is wearing a cultural bracelet and realizing they have that culture in common. Or one realizing the other is fluent in their language, and coming to learn they were born there or their parent was born their. It could be one observing the other experiencing a red flag from their side and pointing it out with commentary. (Like: "See the way they lie to you? That's what they do to my people...") It could be one making a joke, a snarky quip, or illustrating some knowledge or skill that intrigues the other. It could even be a rendering of aid... maybe one catches the other when they trip, one patches up the other's injury, or one provides a translation or other nonsensitive data. Again, it just all depends on the situation in your story and what's believable.

The first version of this ask was so, so much better. I'm hoping against hope that I inadvertently replied privately instead of sending it to the queue. But I wanted to do my best to recreate it in case it really did get eaten by the Tumblr goblins.

I hope this version is still helpful!

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[darklinaforever]

So, I don't deny that Ohsmir is his own ship different from Reylo. This is definitely the case. Acolyte knew how to create his own story for this relationship.

But as I said, beyond being a bit the same archetype of couple and therefore having inevitable similarities, what I mean is that just like Reylo exists thanks to Bastila & Revan while being his own thing, Oshmir exists thanks to Reylo while being his own thing (although for me, they should stop using the Kylo Ren / Ben Solo theme song for Qimir and just create one especially for him...)

Do you understand ?

People complain about the comparison to Reylo, but it's pretty inevitable in the end with this context.

Especially with those who allow themselves to continue to spit on Reylo to put Oshmir on a false footing.

Disliking Reylo and liking Oshmir is completely valid.

But consciously spitting on Reylo to raise Oshmir, when without Reylo, this ship would probably not exist as such, that cannot be done. It's inappropriate.

And again, I have not spoken of those who now allow themselves to spit again on the physique of Adam Driver and prize that of Massy Jacinto.

It's simply disgusting.

Also, I maintain, for me the Star Wars postlogy was very good written until the Rise of Skywalker where they decided to screw up all the character arcs built / set up in the other 2 movies.

Honestly, I'm disappointed, I thought Oshmir would be an opportunity to bring the Reylo stans and other Star Wars fans together again, and in the end, some Oshmir stans are still waging war with the Reylo stans, and I don't understand why.

In the end, we are all in the same side.

Literally I already see antis emerging with the same arguments as for Reylo, and let's not talk about those who object to the swimming scene just as was the case for the shirtless force bond scene of Kylo Ren / Ben Solo in The Last Jedi... (It's crazy to see how angry people get over nothing... 🙄)

[piglet26]

Reylo Scenes: TLJ

Rian Johnson gets loud vocal dislike for trying to make part 2 to JJ Adams film and his treatment of Luke Skywalker. Now I'm going to be honest..... Star Wars fans complain. That's part of the passion of it all. I guess. One area that he did succeed in was Reylo. He dealt with it with complete mastery. His invention of the forceskype or forcetime which allowed the protagonist and antagonist to actually talk was genius.

To add, I read the novelization which does expand on the story overall and it's great to read. There are comics as well. All which expand on the story.

Rian Johnson also is due a thank you for this moment.

We'll call this no-more-daddies-Ren. That face should not be covered up.

Romance has always been apart of Star Wars. Yet, in the sequel trilogy there was this hyper paranoia of anything feminine and so anyone who sensed a romance happening I guess was just an unhealthy fool.

From a pure storytelling stand point, the dynamic between the hero and the villain is genuinely interesting. The fact that they are Ying Yang, alike but different, bonded yet on opposing sides and they attracted to one another only adds to the drama. It's the richest dynamic of the sequel trilogy.

So to all the Reylo haters

In the first forcetime scene the rules of the forcetime get established. Rey can't hurt him physically (yet) and Ren can't jedi mind trick her.

The production team continued to show their balance yet opposition. When Rey wakes up the warm sunlight is on her face and her smooth cheek. In Ren's scene the light on his cheek is mechanical and the skin is scarred. Rey is surrounded by nature. Ren is surrounded by technology. They both have a childlike innocence to them. Something is happening to them that had never happened before. Something unique even amongst force users. Ren is curious. Rey is just pissed off.

Ren is a man who feels very let down/betrayed by everyone in his life so by the time we meet him in The Force Awakens he doesn't want or need anybody. Within his comic Ben Solo is described as someone that everyone, including his peers, watched for signs of darkness. He's a bitter, hurt and jaded young man.

Rey is the denial queen. She has a childlike way of thinking that is purely optimistic. She latches onto people very quickly Finn, Han Solo, Chewie, Leia, Luke on and on. She understand the stories of the resistance, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but doesn't understand any of the complexities. She's a very 'this is the truth as I know it so it must be the truth' kind of person.

When we arrive at the second Forcetime.

Rey overlooking the ocean. Ren overlooking the first order. Ren begins hearing the ocean waves. Rey begins to hear the snap of electricity. Ren sensing her turns and Rey, sensing him, adjusts and there they are.

Rey, understand that she can't physically act out her anger against, verbalizes it. She's angry, but she wants the anger to be simple and it's not. He is tied to her in a way in some way.

What's interesting is Ren is very open to her in wondering why the force is connecting them. In the book Rey describes his eyes as hungry. Also, Ren wants to be understood by her. He uses this moment to reach her and get someone to understand a portion of how he became the man he is. The audience sees him approach her, get into her space, challenging her emotionally, physically and her ideas about him.

"ah, you do" if it's possible to verbally create a orgasm....Adam driver accomplished it for women. It doesn't hurt that these two seem to always be eye fucking each other. The intensity in which they lock onto each other and don't pay much around them any mind. The actors writers dream of.

The scenes serves a purpose though. Kylo is once again shift from simple bad guy to complicated bad guy/human being. She doesn't know everything. In the mix of all of this is her experience with Luke. She disillusioned and she's disappointed with Luke. Her experience is shifting her to understand Kylo's position more.

Which leads to their third forceskype aka shirtless Ben

Rey, girl, you're not asexual. It's the first where we see she does have a reaction to him physically. She opens herself to understanding. She wants to know if he had a good reason for killing his father. She also expresses her jealousy of him. He has a family, he had a father who loved him. She would give anything for that. Kylo is also expressing his pain and how relates to her. They both feel abandoned by their parents. Kylo wasn't abandoned in the way Rey was, but he feels abandoned. Kylo looks at Rey like 'hey you don't see the similarities between us?". You also being to understand Kylo Ren's need to embrace the dark side because everyone on the light side failed him.

Part of her journey in The Last Jedi is about embracing her womanhood. After the force bond with the shirtless Kylo Ren. She goes to the dark sided vagina cave. She jumps in and when she emerges her childhood hair buns are gone. Rey enters in this vision and looks for answers as to who/where her parents are. Nothing is revealed to her. She didn't find the answers she was looking for and the hope that she will find them goes out of her. In this moment she's desperately lonely. Here our hero spiritually seeks out through the force bond the one individual she feels will relate to her, our villain.

Why do people call this scene "The Finger Touch Love Scene"

Cause the level of intimacy these characters reach without many words and without being lewd. Rian Johnson, bravo!

The way Kylo Ren is just present, reassuring and nurturing as Rey relays her trip into the dark cave. This is a moment where he could stoke her negative emotions to the dark side. He doesn't though. He's completely emotionally present for her. Kylo Ren sits within his ship in a area that's lit with a soft blue light as he reaches towards her he's in the warm of the firelight. Now he is physically present for her.

Rey is completely raw. She's allowing herself to be seen emotionally naked. This is the first scene where she gives him something with free will. She gives him union.

She reaches out from underneath the blanket. He takes his glove off and they slowly, innocently, reach for each other. The eye contact they maintain as the force theme begins, we as the audience understand something profound is happening. Within them, in this moment, there is a balance in the force.

They both have a vision of one another. Ren sees her past. Rey sees a glimpse of his future. This is the moment for Reylo, they both said to themselves "we're never letting this go". Rian Johnson confirmed it's from this moment that Ren decides to kill Snoke because that's the only way to protect Rey from him. Rey shift her belief system to complete Team Ben. She doesn't have a plan when she goes to meet Ben within the First Order. She just has complete faith in him that when the moment matters he'll stand by her.

We arrive at the elevator scene and just prior when she arrive onboard the supreme in a coffin from the Falcon that has his calligraphy on it. It's their first interaction after that intense force bond.

She expresses her faith in him and the possibility of a future. This is the first scene where she walks up on him. She wants that closeness and connection now. He's closed off we come to understand later, he's become he's protecting his mind from Snoke understanding his true intentions. They both express what they saw in their vision and conviction that one will join the other. It's canon that in this moment Kylo Ren wanted to kiss Rey.

Snoke - It's not his story. Kylo Ren looked like a badass killing him. That's all we needed you for boo. However, I did enjoy the internal dialogue of Snoke that the novelization affords. Through the force Snoke can feel Kylo Ren's need for approval which is something that frustrates him. He can feel his conflicted nature for Rey and for the light. He can feel his pain and confusion when Snoke says he bridged their minds (he didn't). That was enlightening.

My favorite moment is right after Kylo kills Snoke and Rey and Kylo looks at each like

"You with me?"

"Yeah, I'm with you"

And they turn to face the pretorian guards. They are with each other, but they do have a misunderstanding on what that means.

The fight scene is great and beautiful. Kylo Ren is a supportive partner to her and she to him. Kylo support her body with his and he takes on the majority of the Pretorian guards. He has a moment when he checks in on her, she get's hurt, he's upset and scared but then centers himself. When he's in trouble she supports him. It's described in the novel that they can feel each other's emotions through the force.

(Couldn't find the gif of her getting cut)

[the1northlanderprincess]

Reylo and Oshamir: So similar, so different

Hello, fellow Reylos and Oshamirs! Man, it feels so nice to have an active ship tag on Tumblr again (it's been a while).

Anyway, so everyone seems to be saying that Reylo and Oshamir share many of the same qualities, for lack of a better term. I completely agree, and that's what's great about them. However, I would like to take the time to discuss my thoughts on how they're different, mainly with their emotions.

Rey: She seems to be a little naive, having been sheltered and stuck on the same planet for most of her life. She is also a loner, and has had little human contact. She seems very expressive, and upon meeting Kylo in his mask, she is absolutely terrified. When it comes to other things related to him, to me, I don't think she had been around a boy or seen one in an intimate situation; or perhaps she had and it was not a pleasant experience. Therefore, when she saw been with no shirt on, it embarrassed her. As for her views on Ben, she was incredibly hostile towards him during the first bonding. It isn't only until their third that she begins to let her guard down.

Osha: Osha, it appears, is a bit more worldly, having been trained as a jedi, and has gone on missions (probably) as a padawan with her master to all sorts of planets. She is more open among her peers and those around her. Now, as far as her emotions, she has them reigned in, because that is the way of a jedi. It really isn't until Qimir pushes her that she has an outburst of any kind. Speaking of, when Osha is confronted by The Stranger in his mask, she seems entranced after the primary fear passes. On the island, once she starts talking to him, she isn't as fiery as Rey was, and they fall into civil conversation almost immediately. Now for the important stuff...Osha was curious about her "captor", and followed him to see what he was doing. When she did, Osha didn't leave. Instead, she looked even more fascinated. So we all know that Jedi are supposed to be celibate, but what isn't certain is how Osha acted after leaving the order. But, in my opinion, she is completely acting like she has never seen a man's body before. In the least, she is probably wondering who this man is who is doing normal, simple human things.

The Men:

Ben: Okay, Ben's character is a study in the dichotomy of personalities. In TFA, and parts of TLJ, he has forgone all Jedi teachings of not being emotional. With Rey, he is more calm. When she denies him, he regresses and doesn't have control of his emotions until he faces some home truths, and is able to find inner peace. In terms of sensuality, Ben is like the model Jedi, and it doesn't even faze him when the bond opens the first time while he's in a state of undress.

Qimir: our main man is an interesting character, to say the least. He says he is a Sith, but doesn't exhibit the visible signs. Instead, he is, in most appearances, a normal man whose knowledge is vast. His emotions are pretty much in check. The only anger he truly exhibits is towards Sol, if you can even call it that; he's fighting someone who attacked him first. Next, we don't know enough about him to pin down whether or not he has a true moral code. It's evident that he was going to kill Mae for failing him, which is typical villain with a sidekick attitude. However, he showcases somewhat of a gentlemanly heart when he spots an unconscious Osha. He refrains from touching her wound, though he clearly wants to. Instead, he carefully places his robe over her and then places his hand softly on her covered arm. We know he cleans her wound later, but right then he probably thinks it wasn't the right time to give in. However, he grabs her arm later, twice. His love language is obviously touch 😄

Finally, the juicy part.....Unlike Ben, Qimir is very much in tune with his sensuality. Dude is shameless as he walks out of the water. He has a smolder, even. Yet he knows she is unlikely to cave. Thus, when she shoves him against the rock wall, he is genuinely taken aback a little, and his expression is delicious. Man, I can't wait until these two will no doubt spar. 😍😏🥵

All that said, I honestly can't believe this is a thing! I've been missing posting about Reylo, and had become nearly apathetic. So, I'm very thankful for Oshamir, and I hope to goodness we get more in both remaining episodes.

[bumblingbeezzz]

What If…? Season 1 Episode 3 Discussion

“What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?”

This has got to be one of my favorite episodes of the whole What If series. It is just such a chilling experience, watching the heroes we’ve seen face countless threats of inordinate magnitude to the point where they start to feel almost invincible, one by one, falling like flies, and all the while we have no idea who this “invisible” assassin is. But when the mightiest fall, their absence makes way for the more precise (Fury, Natasha, Clint) espionage agents who would normally have been otherwise essentially sidelined in a great cosmic battle where their specific skill-set is simply wasted, thus flipping the script. Now the spies are the major pieces at play, as they try to get to expose the mysterious serial killer and avoid being targeted themselves.

And it’s not just the concept behind the episode that drives the story, but the consistency of the characters, the fact that every line counts, it’s seeing the dynamics between different characters, and the severity of the situation they are in (they are the only ones left, the only ones who can avenge the avengers) serving to demonstrate how they clearly value each other as more than simply people who work together. We see the bonds of trust between the keepers of secrets who learned never to trust anyone, even when circumstances would arguably warrant questioning that trust.

It really is just intriguing to see how the mystery plays out, even if the reveal is something pretty bizarre, I don’t see it as a disappointment. They succeeded in making the villain of this story (unnamed because I don’t want to spoil anything) unexpected enough, but not entirely too random or out of place. They also managed to inject an element of eerie instability in him which makes for a pretty intimidating image; something which I’ve complained other stories failed to accomplish with villains such as Kylo Ren.

[babbushka]

Sindays Are Back, Baby!

Hi friends, I missed you all and hope you’ve been well! I am happy to say that prompts are now open for Sinday. 

If you’re new here, hi! I’m Zannah and on Sundays back in the day I had a prompt event called Sinday where I wrote up 1k word fics based on prompts you guys send in! They can be smutty, fluffy, angsty, or somewhere in between! 

Here’s how it works: prompts are open all week, and then close Saturday evening at midnight. On Sunday, I post as many as I can for everyone to enjoy throughout the following days, and we do it all again! 

I reblog some fun prompt lists but you do not have to use them. As long as you follow some basic rules, you can send in whatever you’d like! (I do withhold the right to ignore/delete requests, please don’t be upset if your prompt isn’t chosen!) 

The rules: Please don’t ask for reylo, and please don’t ask for anything that includes violence against the reader character. 

As a quick reminder, I write for the following characters:

Kylo Ren in a variety of AUs such as:

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Any ‘canon’ Kylo Ren content is from a Canon Divergent!AU that I have, where Kylo has crushed the Resistance and reigns as Supreme Leader with his Empress (You))

Mob!Au

Medieval!AU

Edwardian AU aka BB!Kylo aka Titanic!AU

Biker Gang!AU

Ancient Emperor!AU 

Bond Villain!AU

Criminal Prosecutor!AU

Flip Zimmerman 

Pale (from Burn This on Broadway)

Clyde Logan

Charlie Barber 

Paterson &, and/or Paul Sevier aka Sevier Twins AU

BUT I am always down to come up with fun new AUs and headcanons -- I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!!

[boasamishipper]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

you're so prolific I want to make you pick 5 😈

how can you ask me to choose Only Five.......this is like asking me to choose a favorite child.......

The Stars Walk Backward (Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Finn/Rey)

this fic contains everything i wish the sequel trilogy had given me: luke training finn and rey, reysky, endgame finnrey, queer poe dameron (as well as a plethora of other queer characters), kylo ren actually being a villain, a finn-centric main storyline, a stormtrooper rebellion, etc etc etc. it remains one of my more complicated multi-chaps (see: all the plot points i made myself juggle), and though i will forever be angry about the direction the sequel trilogy took, this fic will always have a special place in my heart.

Make A Wrong One Right (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Maverick&Goose)

[stefon snl voice] this fic has everything. time travel. magical realism. heavy angst. gratuitous back to the future references. ice and mav's conversation in ch2 remains my all-time favorite scene i have ever written for them.

Word on the Street (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Outsider POV)

in which a handsome navy pilot moves into the neighborhood and the real housewives of fallon, nevada, promptly go feral - even more so when none of them can seem to agree on what the handsome navy pilot looks like. this was my first time writing outsider pov, and i had an absolute blast doing so. sharon markowe my short jewish queen 2kforever.

You Had Me At Aloe (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, pre-Rooster/Phoenix/Fritz)

fritz may have gotten exactly Zero lines in top gun: maverick which is sad but Also that means that my headcanon of him as amy santiago trapped in the body of jason mendoza is not jossed!! hurray!! while i loved writing fritz being a Mess and the number one iceman kazansky stan on base and playing off bradley and phoenix (as well as sick!mav confusing bradley for goose), this fic makes the top five faves list solely because of this exchange:

Fritz buries his face into a wad of toilet paper and wails. “I told my hero he looked like a plant!” There’s a long pause. Fritz can hear Phoenix whispering part of an explanation. “Well,” Bradley says at last. “In your defense, he kind of does.” “That doesn’t make it better!”

For A Minute There I Lost Myself (Ted Lasso, Nate Shelley-centric)

you know, during the hiatus i was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this version of nate's s3 arc, and after s3 dropped i was even more proud of myself because Boy Howdy is 'nate grows into himself as a coach for west ham, bonds with his players, stands up to rupert, and mends fences with ted, who also apologizes to him' a more compelling storyline than whatever the fuck jason sudeikis and co gave us. goddamn.

bonus 5 faves because i can:

When I See Your Light Shine (Ted Lasso) - In which Sam matches with Dani on Bantr instead of Rebecca, and the rom-com of the ages ensues. Part 1 of a series.

Austin Alone (9-1-1: Lone Star) - In which Owen and Billy become friends with benefits after the reopening of the 126. Co-written with my bestie @lilalbatross.

and it was not your fault but mine (Ted Lasso) - In which Jamie learns that forgiveness is not the same thing as trust, and Sam gets some agency back.

Many Happy Returns (No Exchanges or Refunds) (What We Do In The Shadows TV) - In which it is Colin Robinson's birthday.

'cause a cat's the only cat (who knows where it's at) (Top Gun, Captain Marvel) - In which Maverick and Iceman's alien cat has alien kittens. Part 8 of my TG Captain Marvel AU series.

[my-last-brain-cell-is-socrates]

Hello there! Thanks for reblogging my ask game! I'll ask you #s 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 16 😁 May the Force be with you!

Thanks for creating it! 😁

6. Fav arc/story element

Is it valid if I just say... the entirety of the Original Trilogy? 😂

If I have to stray further away from the OT, I really really appreciate the way the Yuuzhan Vong were handled as a whole in the New Jedi Order. How their arc began as that of fully inhumane villains with seemingly few actual redeeming or even sentient qualities... to the gradual development of individual Yuuzhan Vong characters until finally a case could be made about culture vs biology and even about how their very culture was just dictated by their leaders and as such could be changed with the help of the lower castes.

I generally also have so so many individual character arcs that I love, which also answers the question of what my fav story element is... character arcs. Character development. Interpersonal relationships. Seeing characters interact and form bonds with each other is like 90% of the charm in sw for me

8. Favorite meme

To be honest the first one I can think of this one. It's a Greek one, making a reference to orthodox Easter.

I also like this one

I don't know if it counts as a meme, but I love the running joke of identifying Ezra as Jabba the Hutt

9. Favorite piece of content

Return of the Jedi is my absolute favorite. I love it with my entire heart.

12. Comfort character

Hmm... Luke probably. I find his perseverance endearing. I just like to believe that it really is possible to remain kind even when faced with hardship and sorrow. And that having hope is not a foolish or childish notion to have but something that can be rewarded and bring about change.

13. Hot take on the sequels

Weeeell... probably the fact that I love every single one of the new characters?? (Except from Kylo he can choke) And I mourn their potential every day. I just... really wish the sequels were better. Really really...

16. What made me fall in love with Star Wars

I honestly... don't remember. I was very young. I watched the movies for the first time when I was 2 (the originals at least, the prequels weren't all out yet), and I got more seriously into it when I was 12. So if I have to be honest... probably the lightsabers lol I remember being obsessed with the Jedi, used to have a Padawan braid and all.

But I also remember analyzing individual characters and relationships very early on, as a young teen. So I guess... what kept me into it were indeed... once again... the interpersonal relationships. The dynamics of the entire Skywalker family especially.

[perrydowning]

Sorry to be anon but I’m shy! I’ve followed you for years for Reylo. I hope this isn’t offensive but I pray for you nightly.

For questions: when did you start shipping Reylo? I’m sure you’ve said but 💜

Hello, sweet anon. Prayer doesn't offend me in any way. That you think of me, put your energy into expressing your care for me is truly beautiful. It is a pure gift, and I am grateful.

As to shipping Reylo, I loooooove answering this question, so I never mind reliving it!

The first time I saw TFA I didn't ship them immediately. However, looking back I see that it was inevitable because when Sir Floof took off his helmet I thought, "Crap, he looks like a young Snape."

When I saw TFA again the next day, it grabbed me by the throat when I noticed how he looked at her when she called the saber to her. Villainous crush? Sure. But that look, I just knew that boy was a goner--he was in deep. So, obviously, the only logical thing to do was fling myself into the internet.

I hadn't written a word of fiction until February 2016, then my absolute feels-murdering-demon of a muse made her presence known when she whispered, "What if they are bonded, but Rey doesn't recognize the signs and Kylo hides it from her as much as he can while lurking in her head, falling ever more deeply in love with her ..."

And that was that. Thank you so much for asking!

[spiders-hth-is-an-outlier]

Look, I don't have any strong desire to stand up for Kylo Ren fans -- primarily because I am personally incapable of experiencing strong fan emotions about anything in the Star Wars sequels, on account of them being embarrassingly inept films from an embarrassingly inept filmmaker (not you, Rian, you're doing amazing sweetie) -- but it is low-key annoying how far off base all those posts are that are like, but Finn and Poe are right there, are you stupid or something? Like, what's not clicking here? Obviously Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are traditionally handsome movie star men, and obviously Adam Driver is -- not exactly that. People aren't really disagreeing there.

It shouldn't take some kind of fan studies scholar to understand that Kylo Ren stans are reacting to story elements -- to whatever combo of soul bonds and fall-and-redemption tragedy and just plain villain kink turns their particular crank. It's so weird to see people scornfully be like, why can't you like the hot ones like a normal person? Because the hot ones weren't as interesting, is why! Nothing in the movies is all that deep, but whatever meat there is on the bone at all is entirely about the love-hate relationship Rey and Luke and Han and Leia all have with Kylo Ren, there are not emotional arcs anywhere else that matter very much to the story. The only other character who has anything resembling a personal journey is Finn, and all that's ever going to be said about that is said in the first 20 minutes, really.

Not everyone gets turned on by someone getting an interesting storyline, but if you've been in fandom for more than five seconds, it shouldn't be weird to discover that plenty of fans do pick their faves for story-related reasons, and not just because they're the most handsome actor on the screen. It's why we call half of our faves scraggly wet cats and that kind of thing!

[kylo-wrecked]

sooooooouuuuuu...Spider Ren AU? c: Tell us more about whats going through your mind, pleae? c:<

sooooouuu... there's not a lot going through my mind. butter-brained here. LOL.

edit- 'not a lot':

i like to think spider-ren would retain most of kylo ren's story with a few caveats. there being no (and being no need for) jedi/sith/knight equivalents. there would be the inspideying incident, though i have a soup of vague ideas about how that happens. is he bit by a radioactive spider? maybe. but how does that spider get there? he's obviously not going to visit an entomologist's lab on a school trip. it would have to happen to him while he was doing something he was not supposed to be doing, or it'd have to be unleashed on him. maybe snoke is a bond-style villain who keeps radioactive aminals as pets. he hangs out in a gold robe in his tiger king mansion.

ren's more vigilante at first. he'd probably be a lot like (year one) batman. in his head he's the hero but his idea of justice falls outside the law. and unlike batman (the ones who make sense, not all-star batman or batfleck (bless him)) is brutal. the death of his father, which he causes either directly or indirectly, idk, would be the event that leads him to change his approach. his uncle ben moment, but instead of 'with great power comes...' it's 'don't ever let the other guy shoot first.' (han, dying: 'at least the kid's light on his feet.')

*as for why he chooses to punish 'bad people...' that's another mysterious soup. maybe he goes to uncle luke (living and well) because he can't approach his parents about the white stuff and the fur—IT ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK—and luke convinces him to do something meaningful with his new abilities. this could be the 'with great power...' moment. but then luke lives and becomes spider-ren's secret familial compatriot. (leia: 'you knew about this and you ENCOURAGED IT?? my son's getting shot at by a police militia with LASER BEAMS.')

the setting? new york. futuristic new york, a coruscanti new york. very batman beyond, very johnny mnemonic. no flying cars but sky-high interstates. very fun to swing around.

there are definitely lizard people in spider-ren's new york (possibly the real one too). one of them might be curt connors.

[piglet26]

Reylo Scene: TLJ Part 2

Kylo Ren and Rey go through this intense, exhilarating experience with one another. The fight for each other and he's find a way to save her by winging this shit. Solo style. Her belief in him is awarded. He kills his master and becomes a traitor to the First Order for her.

Then it falls apart as soon as they break each contact with each. Why?

Rey rushes to the telescope and wants to save the resistance (her friends). A resistance Kylo Ren, not Ben, wants to die.

Rey may have been right in putting her faith in Ben, but her mistake is that she does not understand that ultimately this is a damaged man she's falling for. He's an abused, complicated and damaged man. She's been inside of his head and still doesn't understand this. He just killed his abuser and he's in shock. He's still in pain over what he did to his father.

Ren is lonely. It's one of his defining traits. Ben Solo was probably very lonely. For the first time he has someone who can meet him on his level. He has a person who put her life on the line for him.... he wants this person by his side. Which is why he goes to such manipulative lengths to get her there.

The reality of their force bond is while they can't hide from one another, everything is open to inspection, but because of that they feel seen and then accepted. It's a painful and fulfilling gift.

Even the room. Where the fire in the hut was warm, safe and nurturing. The fire in this scene represent chaos and destruction.

Ren is being harsh, but he's giving her what she needs which is to free herself from the denial about her parents. She needs to step out of her childhood and embrace her womanhood. She needs to begin to leave elements of her past behind. Rey also served to free Ren/Ben. Her belief in him and her conviction that there is good in him allows him to free himself from a part of his childhood, He kills Snoke and step into his adulthood.

While the Reylo connection isn't all flowers and rainbows it does say something that Ben/Ren connection to Rey strengthened him in a way his connections to his parents and Luke just didn't.

Ren and Rey, our hero and villain, want this connection so badly, but both are frustrated by others way of thinking. Ren wants to burn it all down and forget. Rey wants somebody he's not ready to be yet. It's important to mention that while he's being manipulative - he wants her to believe that he's all she has, like in this moment she is all he has.

Most people missed the finesse of this scene. "You're nothing, but not to me." He's manipulative and he's something very raw to a woman already in a raw state, but he's not being abusive. He wants her to believe that he's all she has, like in this moment she is all he has. What he's saying in the later part of his speech is “What other people would think of you isn't important and I don't care about your background. I can see how amazing you are and you are the most important person in the galaxy to me." Ben Solo would say that. Not Kylo Ren.

Just because Kylo Ren sucks at expressing himself does not mean Rey should accept it. She doesn't.

It's actually a sad scene to watch. Ren and Rey want this connection so badly, but both are frustrated by the others way of thinking. Ren wants to burn it all down and forget. Rey wants somebody he's not ready to be yet.

Kylo understands Rey in a way no one ever has or will. He just doesn't understand her healthy attachments or the way she's chosen to cope with her abandonment. Women fear the lost of connections. Women will be hurt on a deeper level losing a close friend than we will ever be hurt by breaking up with a romantic partner. The hardest thing for Rey to admit to herself was the truth about her partners, but she coped with denial and then finally acceptance. While Rey had a good connection with Han and good ones within the resistance her healthiest connection is with Finn. Finn and Rey believe in one another, they fight for one another and find themselves within a true supportive friendship. Temped to join him as she might be she won't join him like this. She won't abandon her friends. More importantly she won't enable him like Padme did. Kylo needs healthy boundaries and consequences.

Rey is also just not ready. She has some growing up to do and she needs to become a more fully developed person. She doesn't fully understand the his path yet. In the novelization she comes to that awareness like, "I thought this would be simpler for him, it's not, and that's my mistake."

Another cookie for Rian Johnson is the scene above. Most writers would have had her refuse his proposal verbally and they would've argued. Instead we see her reach for the lightsaber and he reaches for it back and it get's stuck between them. There was so much symbolism in this scene without a word of dialogue. Literally they are at an impasse. Their powers within the force are equal to one another so they're stuck. It's a great visual. They actually slide further from one another. The saber breaking is literally their nature, once so powerful in harmony is equally powerful in disharmony.

They both are knocked out. She wakes before him, takes a moment to contemplate him and then sneaks off with the lightsaber. He wakes wondered why she left him alive but then trails off the Crete to kick resistance ass, now the boss and salty as hell.

He feels rejected and he has a right to be angry. He put it all on he line for Rey. He killed his master, he betrayed the first order and he made an emotional plea. She turned him down.

Kylo Ren is now the most powerful person in the galaxy, he achieved a level of freedom not even Darth Vader knew. He is the son of legends (might not be happy about) He looks miserable in the scene when he goes into the resistance bunker. It's bad enough that he got played by Luke, but he lost the girl.

In their final forceskype, he's looking up at her as she's kneeling holding his father's dice while she's onboard the falcon helping get away. He's not happy and despite the anger he expressed about her in front of Luke....... he looks at her longing and with sadness. He's not happy about where they are. She's not happy either. She's disappointed in him so there back to a confusion.

While she's disappointment in Ben she's also melancholy. The passing of Luke, the pitiful state of the resistance and she's sad she broke up with Ben. She closes in the door on that matter, for now, it's a pause. It's actually growth for Rey.

"I wanna be with you, but not like this so until you're I'll wait over here."

I love this film. Haters be damned. Also, finding GIFs, damn. Also found the one I needed when I was looking for it. Spent two minutes trying to find the gif I needed when I was looking for it.

Random Reylo gif for the hell of it. Ren looking for his girl and thigh grab.

[redrascal1]

Disney now truly 'a decaying mouse'.

The above comment was coined by a disgruntled Marvel comics fan who cancelled all of his considerable conscriptions to the comic firm when they sold to Disney.

And ...how very right he was. Because that is a perfect description for Disney, a company which for all its faults was nevertheless guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of viewers and created a starry wonderland for children. Its animated films were classics and Beauty and the Beast (original version) was Oscar nominated.

Fast forward to the 21st century.

Adam Driver has confirmed what I suspected; that originally Disney never intended Ben Solo to return, or for his character to be redeemed at all. He was hired to play the villain.

It was Rian Johnson who recognised both his potential as a character and Adam's talent for expressing emotions just with his face. Rian Johnson who saw the chemistry between Adam and Daisy. Rian who removed the mask, Rian who coaxed superb performances from Adam and career best Mark Hamill. Rian who continued with the message of hope that was the heart and soul of SW.

Rian whose film was practically erased so Ridley could strut around like Captain Marvel - another odious man hating Disney 'heroine'.

And so DLF could continue with their ultimate goal; the erasure of the Skywaker/Solo family and their replacement with a character seen as vastly superior ...simply for having the right genitalia.

The JCF will be delighted. Their insistence that Finn is meant to be Rey's love interest - if she has one, I seriously doubt that - has been confirmed. They will revel in their smug hate of Kylo - and Adam, who has committed the ultimate sin in being a white male.

Looking back at TFA, all the signs were there. Rey's origins and costume - similar to Luke's. Rey claiming the legacy sabre to the theme of binary sunset. Her instant bond with Han. The hug she got from Leia. Accompanying Chewie on the Falcon. Even her ability to speak Shiriwook!

Rey was created as Ben's replacement, the 'good girl' opposed to the 'bad boy.'

But, I ask: why?

Why did Disney want to kill off ALL of the Skywalkers and replace them with a nobody? Why not make Rey Han and Leia's long lost child?

Why erase Lucas's legacy family?

The only explanation I can have is they wanted to create their own characters. Free from everything Lucas, whose franchise they desired, but not his characters.

Ironically, Finn fans who accused reylos and Kylo fans of 'racism' choose to ignore that the real victim of racism in this trilogy is Loan Tran. Her treatment in TROS was a disgrace - but you didn't see Kelly whining on social media, unlike their hero. Even more ironic, Disney are the 'champions of woke' yet remained curiously silent post Boyega's revoltingly misogynist comments on social media.

Oh, how I hate being right. Right that DLF wanted SW but not the Skywalkers. They believe firmly that the franchise will continue to be a huge success without the Skywalkers, thank you very much.

Maybe it will. Maybe there are enough Finn and Rey fans out there who will make her forthcoming film a hit. But two things make me ponder...

The box office takings for The Little Mermaid, Indy 5, and of course TROS.....were not as huge as they thought they'd be. And there is a LOT of controversy already surrounding the live action Snow White - and it hasn't been released yet!

And....remember the poll? Kylo winning the popularity contest by a landslide?

I do.

Good luck, DLF. You're going to need it.