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aprincessofdaxam · 5 years ago

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So here's the thing. When the Supergirl S3 finale aired, I absolutely hated it. And it took me nearly a year to be willing to watch it again. Because not only was I just flat-out upset because I ship Karamel and because my two favorite characters were written off the show (although at least they have each other - wait, do you hear that sound? It’s the sound of Imra screaming from the 31st century as Mon-El and Winn drive her nuts) ...

But Mon-El’s final scene? With the speech about how for a minute he thought maybe, just maybe, this was his place? Gutted me. Absolutely gutted me. We all get set off by different things, and I kid you not, that scene gave me a wicked surprise attack of homesickness and I literally cried until 4 a.m. (sometimes I hate you and your emotive acting, Chris Wood).

(complete gifset from @the-karamel-blob here)

But you know what, a year down the pike? I don't hate it. Don’t get me wrong. I'm still pretty bitter about the Karamel bait-and-switch, I still miss our outer space stray puppy terribly, and I call total BS on the "it was always a two-year arc" thing, but I actually think it was a really beautiful and meaningful send-off for Mon-El in that moment.

And anyway, it's been awhile since I've written a literal essay about Mon-El and our space puppies so LET'S CHAT. Novel on the S3 finale beneath the cut, for dash prettiness.

(also included: Why I still think Karamel is endgame, why I think Mon-El will be back, what I really think went down behind the scenes, and what Winn's appearance in S5 might mean)

Tagging @peggystormborn and @facepalming-since-chernobyl because why the heck not, you all like character/plot analysis

When Kara first creates her superhero identity, she spends a LOT of time comparing herself to Clark. And others also compare her to Clark - and she internalizes all of it.

"What, Metropolis gets him, and what does National City get? Some rookie superhero?"

"It's funny - that was the first thing he did. Save a plane, I mean."

"If she's anything like him, she's a hero."

"What are you waiting for? Superman would've blown it out by now!"

"Why do you keep criticizing Supergirl for trying to save the city? When Superman started, it was he, he, he. Him, him, him."

"My cousin didn't have a get-out-of-jail-free card when he first started. Neither should I!"

"I was supposed to be the one saving him, not the other way around. How am I supposed to really become a hero if Superman has to keep saving me?"

"If I was in Metropolis, Clark and I could protect the city and keep each other safe. And there's still so much I want to learn from him."

Now, this isn't about whether it's valid to compare Kara to Clark, or about the layers of problems that come in when you start comparing women to men - that's a whole other essay. It's about Kara's feelings, how Kara defines being a hero, and the standard she feels she needs to live up to as a hero. And since this show is built around Kara, Kara's standard for heroism become the show's definition of it, and the standards the other characters in the show should be held to in their various pursuits of goodness in the world, as well.

And that creates a very interesting comparison between Kara's arc through the first two seasons of the show (S1-S2) and Mon-El's arc in the two seasons he's appeared in thus far (S2-S3).

When Kara starts out in her journey, at the start of S1, she is in this headspace where she is constantly comparing herself to Clark. But she learns so much and accomplishes so much and shows so much strength, that by the end of S2, they have moved her to this point in her hero's journey where she is Clark's equal or superior - not only in terms of physical strength (when she defeats him after Rhea brainwashes him with silver K), but in emotional strength, as she chooses the greater good over her own personal self when she has to let Mon-El go. And her status at that point is by Clark's own admission - the person she was trying to live up to all that time.

"I think it goes far beyond 'the right thing.' I couldn't have done it, Kara. I'm humbled by you. Yeah, I'd like to think that if it came down to a choice between Lois and the world .... but I don't think I could."

So how does that relate to Mon-El's journey? Because there are a lot of parallels between Kara's hard decision at the end of S2, and his hard decision at the end of S3. And if, at the end of S2, we're supposed to see Kara as a fully-realized hero, a true champion, then that's how he's sent off as well (I'd definitely argue that Mon-El showed brave and heroic qualities even in S2, even while on a steep learning curve, but go with me here, because the parallel is really meaningful when you get to it)

Just as Kara held Clark up as her bar for being a hero, Mon-El holds Kara up as his ideal and his definition of a hero when he starts off on his journey - to the point where he eventually founds the Legion in her image.

"And whether we're together or not, being near her, it makes me a better person. It makes me the person that I want to be."

"I think we could all stand to be a little more like you. More optimistic and brave."

"I mean, you do that every day. I don't even understand it. You make it look so easy to do the right thing that you wouldn't even guess that it's that hard. But it's hard. You sacrifice a lot for everyone else, and I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here, but I admire you.

"I promise I'm going to be the man that you thought I could be. I promise."

You inspired me. So when I founded the Legion, I chose to use you as an example of what we could be. Of what we aspire to be."

"We base the entire philosophy of the Legion on Supergirl. Have you considered that she might have the right approach here?"

And just as Kara faces that harsh decision at the end of S2 that she needs to give Mon-El up for the greater good, Mon-El faces an identical decision at the end of S3. And, just like Kara (who made a decision Superman himself says he couldn't have made, who is a true champion), Mon-El makes that hard call.

And just as Clark told Kara when she made that hard call that he was humbled by her, validating her admiration of him, Kara gives Mon-El her hero's blessing of his decision, too. Now, I don't think these writers are particularly clever or good at continuity :P But they use the word "admire" so consistently between Karamel that I have to believe it's a deliberate choice. Mon-El tells Kara throughout S2, as he's learning, how much he admires her. And his journey takes him to a place where Kara is able to return that word to him, sincerely and meaningfully.

"There wasn't much to inspire me on Daxam." "What about the prince?" "He wasn't worth admiring. But I wanna be."

"I mean, you do that every day. I don't even understand it. You make it look so easy, to do the right thing that you wouldn't even guess that it's that hard. But it's hard. You sacrifice a lot for everyone else and I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here but I admire you."

"You wouldn't be the man you are, if you did. The man I admire so much."

(Tacking on to this because there’s plenty of other things to read and link to here - there was an excellent discussion we had a long time ago about Kara’s emotions and reactions during this scene where @emarasmoak and @i-am-aci01 had some great catches)

The other thing that strikes me as a parallel between Kara and Mon-El in those two season finales is the dissonance between the two of them, who have made the hard, heroic choices, and everyone else.

At the end of S2, everyone seems happy except Kara, who proceeds to isolate herself. Alex and Maggie get engaged. J'onn and M'gann are (temporarily) together. Winn and James are currently successful in their vigilante superhero forays. Clark goes home to Lois.

And at the end of S3? Mostly, our characters are happy. Kara says she's decided where her true home is, but knows her mother is safe. Winn is setting off to the future, where he knows he's important and needed. Imra has her sister back. Alex has her new role and plans to pursue parenthood. J'onn has lost his father, but is setting off on his new path. James reveals himself as Guardian. And Mon-El makes a decision out of duty that guts him. @sweeter-than put it very well: "Everyone else in this episode got an optimistic season’s end coda. Meanwhile, Mon-El is leaving the love of his life to go fight a dangerous war. ... [He] is the only character framed as being separated from his ideal destiny, where the destiny and the obligation have no middle ground."

Now we've talked about what this show wanted to tell us here. Are they saying you can't have it all - which, in Kara's case, is an inherently more complicated discussion because she's a woman? That heroes are always doomed to sacrifice? That work-life balance is a joke?

I think what's MORE IMPORTANT though, and the real message, is what Cat tells Kara (and hell, the title of the S2 finale itself). It applies in both cases. It really applies.

"You, my dear, are on a hero's journey. And yes, you have hit an obstacle, but you will soar right over it."

That's the message.

MOVING ON!

.....

I think that applying that statement to Mon-El is part of why I feel so strongly that his story isn't over yet. Because he's on a hero's journey. The story the show was telling with this character was someone evolving into a hero, someone who is a sympathetic character, someone we're supposed to root for. And how could the final picture of him we have at the moment, where he's so sad and so weighted down, be our final picture of that character? Yeah, the innermost cave, belly of the whale, whatever you want to call it, is part of the hero's journey. But just as Kara goes into those depths and then emerges to find triumph and happiness again, I have to believe they're not going to leave another character they spent so much time investing in that unhappy. We're going to see him again, and they'll give him a happy ending. Or, if they can't work out another appearance for him, because we're talking about real people with a lot of moving parts, we'll get some sort of confirmation he's happy (more on that in a second). They're not going to leave him at loose ends if they can help it.

Now when I talk about them investing in the character - think not just about the storytelling, with this slow burn they had going with Karamel throughout S3, but about the level of promotion during that season, especially the back half. They had Mon-El in the CW midseason sizzle reel, and in a number of promotional posters/photos. They built up to the red-and-blue suit SO MUCH, and why do all of that if it was something you were only going to use for a literal handful of episodes? Some of those pieces of evidence, plus the slow burn/abrupt shift storytelling, plus how open-ended they left things with the relationship, makes me call TOTAL BS on the "it was always a two-season arc thing," and makes me keep believing Karamel is still endgame.

IMHO, Karamel has always been written with that endgame-ish type of storytelling - enemies-to-lovers trope, true love's kiss, spending so much time re-building the relationship between them, etc, etc, etc. You all know what I'm talking about. ((And please note, even though this could be another essay entirely, just because I think they're endgame doesn't mean I think neither character should ever be in another relationship again. I think you LEARN things from every relationship you're in, and Mon-El and Kara were both relatively inexperienced relationship-wise when they got together - Mon-El came from a planet of hedonists where he had flings, not relationships, and Kara had crushes that she couldn't really act on because broken noses, amirite? There were things I genuinely loved about Mon-El and Imra. And I'm not freaked about the possibility of a midgame LI for Kara - it wouldn't lessen my feelings about this being endgame))

Anyway - the story they were telling throughout S3 pointed to Karamel reuniting. They really dialed it up through the final episodes with the robot-cockblocked conversation on Argo (actually everything on Argo - Mon-El with the kid and Kara's heart eyes, the double date, etc, etc, etc), Mon-El pulling out the necklace at opportune moments to remind the viewers he never forgot her, Kara’s multiple conversations with Alura about him (there’s a cut scene from the finale, as well, where Alura tells her that love stories are never simple), Mon-El’s conversation with Winn about not being able to lose her again. They point at it, and then do an abrupt about-face in the finale. I really think that they were heading toward a reunion. We’ll never know exactly what happened behind the scenes, and I know people have different theories, but my gut feeling is that they were discussing behind the scenes whether or not Chris would be back for S4, the writers headed toward their planned ending (a Karamel reunion and a relationship in S4) while hedging their bets with the slow burn, and Chris ultimately made the decision to leave late in the game, and so the writers threw the switch in the finale.

Again, this is entirely me speculating, but I think that Chris made the call to leave not only because he's a multifaceted person who had other behind-the-scenes things he wanted to pursue in the field, but because he walks the walk with his own mental health, and we all know there is a LOT of bullshit that flies around with this show on social media, etc. I'm reading a LOT between the lines here, but the S3 finale aired on June 18, 2018, so I'm assuming they were doing some editing and locking down of the things in May. Chris posted this the first week of May 2019. Excerpts -

"Well look at that: it’s Mental Health Month again! And what interesting timing for me, personally… let’s talk about it. This year has tested me in so many ways." "And while you’re at it, use this occasional toxic and negative platform for something positive and good." "Sending love and kindness to everyone, even the trolliest of trolls out there."

BUT ANYWAY.

Faced with the resources they had and the information they had, the writers still chose to leave things SO OPEN between Karamel. The original draft of the finale - which was shared by @emarasmoak + @snarkymonel ages ago, had a line from Mon-El, “Part of me will always mourn that our paths did not align … But I will always cherish knowing you.” That, to me, suggests a much more FINAL goodbye - and that line was cut, in favor of what we got - where there wasn't really a goodbye, because it might not be one. And the ring and the “In case you ever need me” is definitely a door left WIDE the hell open. The ring is a deus ex machina in case they ever want to use the character again.

My gut feeling - and again, with no inside information - is that Chris didn't want to be a regular anymore, for a number of reasons, but that he didn't leave on bad circumstances, and that he'd be happy to do a guest appearance because he wouldn't be walking into an ONGOING shitstorm (especially if it was something toward the end of the series run).

And regarding the other news we're starting to get about S5: I don't think the fact that Winn and Mon-El left together, and we've heard about Winn coming back but not Mon-El, means he WON'T be back. They could be dribbling out information a bit at a time to keep people interested as a marketing strategy - the Crisis crossover is the most ambitious thing they've EVER done, and you know they'll want to keep ramping up the excitement up all the way from now until December. They could have finished negotiating with Jeremy first while they're still working on Chris for that, or for another event down the line. Supergirl has a lot of "big event" potential coming up, between the crossover, the milestone 100th episode, Melissa's debut as a director, and they've got to be thinking ahead down the line to the eventual end of the series. All of those are things they'll want to really build up excitement for and maybe have some familiar faces around for.

I DO believe that Winn's appearance will tell us something about if, or how, they intend to use Mon-El again at any point, however. Look, the two of them are close. I wasn't that cranky when Brainy didn't mention Mon-El much last season - I got the impression they were more coworkers than friends, things were tense between them for a solid chunk of time over Brainy's role in Imra's secret plan, and then there was some SERIOUS snark thrown between them in the S3 finale in a cut scene (as for Brainy's one mention of Mon-El and his comment about "microagressions," we all dissected that here). I will be cranky if Winn, who has always been a close friend to Mon-El and is coming directly back to the story from working with Mon-El, doesn't mention him. But again, I think that mention will tell us a lot about the future of the character. He could tell the Superfriends (and thus, the audience) that Mon-El has reconciled with Imra, or has moved on to someone else (side note - in the comic canon, Mon-El's pet name for ShadowLass is "Shady" and I think that's adorable). He could even have some sort of tragic news about him, which seems less probable to me, because why go through the trouble of bringing him back from the dead in the S3 finale and then leaving things so open-ended if you were going to kill him offscreen? On the other hand, if Winn tells Kara Mon-El says hey, or he misses you (she misses him too!) or if they have some sort of heartfelt conversation about him, then that's obviously a positive sign.

I mean, who am I kidding, I have epic trust issues from their bait-and-switch with this story and I don’t trust any of the writers/showrunners as far as I can throw them and I am about three inches from FLIPPING OUT over this entire situation :P But I don’t feel so bad after some deep analysis.

#mon-el #mon-el defense squad #otp: comets #karamel #chris wood #supergirl #supergirl speculation #and all that jazz

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riftmeanewverse · 5 years ago

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* getting to know the mun :

name : Ana nickname : annachibi (my internet persona, essentially) faceclaim : uh heck idk, can I have Rufus Sewell be my mun fc too? lol pronouns : she/they height : 5′7″ birthday : April 22nd aesthetic : nonbinary cuteness in bisexual flag colors? last song you listened to : Deep Burn Blue by The Paper Kites (I’ve had it on repeat) favorite muse (s) you’ve written : Hopper is definitely a fave right now but Sorren and Russel are my actual babies ♥ They’re almost 8 or 9 years old now (Sorren older than Russel).

* getting to know the account :

what inspired you to take on this muse : For Hopper, it was the ending of season 3. I literally decided to play him because I thought they’d killed him off. I like playing characters once I know all their source material is out and won’t change. But in the course of setting up this blog, I discovered that he’s probably not dead... and decided to go with it anyway and just make him my own, canon be damned if I have to. Tbh I was like this (yes I made the meme previously to explain this lmao):

what are your favorite aspects of your current muse : I don’t play canons often, so I really love how Hopper comes with a myriad of connections to other muses already. It has really allowed me to jump right into things and play with people I might not otherwise convince to play with me. It also makes it easier to plot when people have a pretty good grasp of my character without me having to explain or link them a huge write-up. (And a nice side effect of all this is that people sometimes take notice of my OCs and end up wanting to play with them, too! My previous experiences RPing on tumblr were only with OCs and I found it pretty difficult to get off the ground.)

what’s your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing : Music is a big one like with just about anyone, I think. I often make playlists for characters or ships. But I also live for being randomly linked to gifsets and things from my RP partners or just riffing on headcanons and different dynamics and verses. Same characters, switch something up, see what happens! I love it. Sometimes I make weheartit image collections for verses, too, if I have a specific visual mood I want to convey.

favorite types of threads : Heckin anything! I feel like in order to have really satisfying fluff, you need some angst first, so I tend toward hurt/comfort a lot, though both may not come in the same thread. I also love comedy and the occasional crack, though the latter usually happens late at night when my filter is off and I think everything is hilarious. Otherwise, I feel like I’m not as funny as I think I am.

biggest struggle in regards to your current muse : Anxiety, honestly. I get really stuck in my own head about my portrayal on occasion and start overthinking things, like “oh shit, what if I forgot a detail that should be obvious? what if I wrote something that completely contradicts canon?” but I’m learning to just... not care, basically. And to trust my instincts more. There was one of those memes going around where you bold things that apply to your muse, and I remember putting “drinks milk out of the carton” because I was like “yeah he’d do that, but only on his own or if he thinks El won’t drink out of it after” completely forgetting (if I even noticed it at all) that there was a scene where HE DID THAT, and I saw it in a gifset later and was like yesss. This kind of stuff doesn’t just apply to canons for me, though. I’ve gone “wait what if I’m forgetting something I already established” about my own OCs! And I almost always end up going back and realizing I was right all along, so it’s just... yeah. Anxiety is stupid.

tagged by: both @downpaths and @astra11

Tagging: @mindslayed @therenegade-writer @themadzoomer @multifacet-ed @acercontego @hopalongjim @strangersouled @cheapedtricks @voidjane @janehopperr and the person reading this!

#ooc #meme replies

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nctaezen · 4 years ago

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Happy valentine day aka both the lovey dovey holiday and our bday bpy himself, I saw your gifset and 100/10!! Amazing work, please frame that gifset in a museum pronto!! It sounds like your valentine's day was fun ^_^

But yes I am from Chicago haha, it doesn't seem fancy to me being in Chicago with how expensive downtown can be at times (but then again, when is downtown in ANY big city not expensive?) But it is a lovely place nonetheless, granted don't come now because its cold like the northpole xD but very much recommended the spring time personally! I do hope you have the chance to come to Chicago when things calm down

Ooohh same lol, I can do my nails like a pro but eyeliner ??? I struggle lol. I watched videos on tips but I still can't figure how to not stop my hand from shaking =/ (if any of your followers know a trick do share! Help this noob anon out, i will pay with cookies!) I can do it decent line but its always thick for some odd reason lol. It starts off good in the beginning with a nice thin line but then I go full raccoon mode xD I have big eyes as well so technically not good for my eye shape but it is what it is haha. I do prefer pencil since its easier but I do enjoy the liquid eyeliner look. My current makeup look is eyeliner, mascara and some lip product. I do eyeshadow if I want to be fancy haha but for sure need to look into getting some better products. The ones I do have my eye on are nyx because we love a good mix of free of animal products and cheap, bare minerals is nice as well as well as color pop! For the pricier end fenty and rare beauty are on my list (especially rare omg the lipstick shades are so, so pretty! Especially the color you mentioned ^0^) but ooh we love pinks and orange shades! We love the soft, spring romantic vibes! For me. I like a bit of everything but i do find myself leaning into red, pink, orange shades with a mix of dark tones like a dark wine shade or even black djaksja. My favorite lippie i own is this beautiful orange/brown color? Idk if that is the right way to describe it but it is a pretty color! Jdkandks @ that large lipstick collection, respect haha. I enjoy the old school lip gloss look because i like pretending to feel like an Bratz doll lol.. bb creams are good and I may go with one in the future since it seems a good product to use if you don't want to dive into foundation and such c:

Now skin care wise, I agree! Not all pricey products are better. You can find good products for half the price that works for your skin! It is a trail and error sadly but eventually you will find something that works best for you c: and ooohh i think i have heard of those brands! I'll look at them later to see what they have so thank you for the suggestion!! Lol maybe that's a good thing the brand isn't around where you live xD but true, it is best to not continue with using the products so I will sadly throw them away. I feel bad since I did spend money but if it isn't doing me good skin wise well why ruin my skin more? Garnier is great for sure! I love their micellar water so I may invest in some of their other products! When I will do that, not sure because my parents are a bit strict when it comes to makeup/skin care stuff *sigh*

Oof I do feel like there have been alot of romance plots so we do need a break with some other plot ideas like a good mystery drama for example like let me feel like Sherlock when watching the episodes haha. But ahh it be like that xD sometimes you start off watching a video or two and then you are spending half the night watching funny edits of nct lol and idk how he can be calm like jaehyun is so calm in the most chaotic moments. Like he didn't even flinch when the boxes exploded in nct world!! Teach us your calm ways jaehyun. But I do love his dad ways from the humor he has or his dad sneeze (I will admit some fans do take the "jaehyun dad" narrative a bit too far sometimes or maybe its just me? Thoughts love?)

Oof until april!? Oh no D: I hope the numbers slow down during then, sending good vibes to your family as well during these times! You also stay safe! As for me, yeah just have been staying inside. Not much to do sadly but I'm being well fed with kpop so not complaining haha

Hey hey! How was your week/days so far since Valentines?

Well I had a lot to do and I was mainly busy with work (once again). I am remodelling/redecorating my room as well and I still have lots of plans on it, let’s see how the things end up because I will do it all alone (wish me luck).

Happy you loved that set and I hope you will anticipate my Ten set as well (it’s a secret, not secret anymore but I still haven’t started with it yet I have lots of notes and ideas saved, I just need the courage and time for it).

Oh yeah I knew it hehe as far as I know Chicago looks very modern and seems a bit luxurious, indeed should be a bit expensive in the downtown, but even in my country, downtown is something I usually avoid for hanging out because it’s super super pricy.

I came across a few fun videos on tiktok and there was a girl doing her eyeliner in one go, like less that 1 second and I was like?? she’s not from this world. I had the chance to try my new bb cream and corrector from nyx and so far I love it, it doesn’t feel heavy or itchy on my skin, also knowing it’s cruelty free, it’s something that stands on my top buy makeup brand list. I used to love lipgloss when I was a child/teen, but not anymore, I wear my hair down and if go out. Forget about it, especially since I live in a windy area. And now with masks I can only wear a no-transfer lipstick or simply lip balm. A brand I think I will try soon will be Cerave, I heard only good things about it and Wayv also promoted it in the past. At that time the brand wasn’t available in my country, now it become quite popular and if the lockdown ends next month, I’ll go to a pharmacy to test the products and (hopefully) buy some.

As for my drama experience, I started to watch Vincenzo since it’s on Netflix it’s much easier to watch but I didn’t expect the whole comedy twist, I thought that drama was based on a dark-crime-mafia plot, yet I was once again fooled by the trailers. Anyway he looks sooo good for his age, I thought he was in his twenties, just wow! We’re a decade apart, and man! he looks so young, maybe even younger, insane! I should drink more ginseng tea for infinite youth haha Anyway the drama is a stay because I love him so much, he is a very talented actor and hopefully the plot will change as the history will go on.

About Jaehyun and that dad narrative, well yes. Things go out of hand for everyone else not only for him, especially in cases when these words are shoved right into their faces, I would never dare to comment anything like that under their social media or even on personal-interactions, it just seems uncomfortable on many levels. If someone looks hot and sexy, this is what he is and this is what we call them for, magazines and articles describe idols a lot these days with these words and that is ok because it means they have an attractive image that everyone wishes to have or achieve, yes I do get jealous sometimes even if they are men so 😂 but those type of whatever role-playing words, no, niet, nein, não, non. Out of question.

Meanwhile a few comebacks happened and I was excited for it, Shinee’s title song is sooo good and I love the savage lyrics. The rest of the album is also amazing, I have like 3 top favorites. Now I am waiting for Wayv comeback that will happen soon, hope SM won’t disappoint with another low-budget MV, I know we are in a pandemic situation rn but even inside the box, a MV can look stunning. SM take notes from “Make a Wish”, that was simply beautiful and almost everything was shot indoor, stunning effects I want to see again.

And I don’t think I had the chance to ask you, how did you like 127′s Japanese album? I love all the songs and there is non I skip when I play the whole album. I love how different hits from their Korean albums, there is something alluring about it, well the lyrics also suggest that so- I couldn’t miss that huge album that looks like an A3 portfolio so I already ordered one, hopefully by the end of the March I’ll get my hands on it, I can’t wait because the pictures are simply stunning!

Hope so far you have been fine, stay healthy and take care of yourself, and hope to hear from you back soon ❤️

#anon #glitch anon #reply

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elviriel · 7 years ago

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Thanks for asking, @la-petite-fadette! I made a separate post for this, since it was getting kind of long, hope that’s okay.

And I was actually thinking of talking about this for Braven week when I saw the “when they became your otp” moment so, the question comes at a perfect time. It convinced me to actually type it out!

To answer that question adequately- because I'm very wordy and incapable of answering quickly, watch me get off-topic under the cut as I try to walk you through my history of shipping on The 100. This is all a lot of honest rambles about what I shipped and why I stopped.

Dear followers, if you ship B*llarke, don’t read this. It’s only going to upset you, so stay away :) Also, Braven shippers, this post talks about B*llarke a lot. and about Raven x W*ck a bit And about internalized bias and things like that. Just so you’re warned :) it does talk about braven though oF COURSE

So how did I get into Ravenbell? To get there, I have to start with B*llarke because.... well, you’ll see.

The thing is, like many others I think, I shipped B*llarke before even watching the show.

Gifsets of that season 2 hug were everywhere on my dash, and I was like: “oh my this is cute.” then I started watching the show, and while I fell in love with Raven at first sight, B*llarke had that enemies to lovers potential that kept me hooked.

They had fun chemistry in season 1. They started antagonistic then started liking each other more. They were the leads. It made... sense? And I genuinely liked them. So there I was, shipping it happily. Everyone shipped it, so it was on my dash all the time. It fueled my shipping, and I knew it was all leading to The Hug.

Ravenbell was.... well. not even a thing if you looked at the fandom, judging by the people I was following. It was either Fl*arke or B*llarke. L*nctavia too.

So Ravenbell flew past me. I enjoyed their interactions- definitely saw the sexual tension.

Hell, I will admit that when they hooked up in season 1, I felt lowkey threatened, as I think many B*llarke shippers did.

My threatening did not, however, transform into me hating Raven because I loved her a lot. She was my absolute favorite. People disliking her because of that thing honestly made me like her more out of spite- not that she needed it. My love for Raven Reyes knows no bounds.

And even then, I think I was kind of hoping something more would come from their hook-up- but I was still in B*llarke land then, so I both wanted it and I didn’t.

That’s the thing about me- honestly, I tend to pick a ship and it’s hard for me to get over it once I ship it. I’m less like this than I used to be, but yeah. I tended to hold on tight to ships

I did think, though, that maybe Ravenbell would go somewhere in season 2, after their late season 1 interactions. It kind of surprised me that it didn’t. So season 1 happened, and then season 2 rolled around. I loved season 2 in many ways, but Raven’s general storyline in season 2 was very unsatisfying to me. Raven x W*ck was nice, at first. I wanted Raven to have a love interest that wasn't Finn. I enjoyed the banter- but then when it progressed, I found myself grimacing at Wick putting pressure on her. I was like “really man? She just lost the boy she loved forever, her family, can you chill?” I saw everyone being all heart eyes at that ship in the B*llarke tag, and I was wondering if there was something I’d missed. Because I wasn’t really into it. I did notice, though, at the end of season 2, Bellamy saying “Is that Raven?” like he wanted to cry. It made my heart do a thing. But again, still in B*llarke land. I got a lot of feels at the end of the season. She kissed his cheek. I was crying. Still firmly into B*llarke at this point. Even if the possibility of Cl*xa then highly interested me.

But anyway. On to season 3.

Season 3 is when I stopped shipping B*llarke.

Mostly because season 3 started, iMO, sucking. I was angry at the Bell storyline. I was angry at how Cl*xa was handled, I was angry at the Lincoln death/Ricky Whittle on set drama... Season 3 nearly got me to quit the show tbh.

So my B*llarke shipping was sucked into my frustration with the show. And I didn’t like the idea that L*xa was killed off to make way for B*llarke- I now realize that it wasn’t the case, but the way the fandom framed it... It turned me off the show, the ship, all of it.

I also lost interest in Cl*rke as a character for many reasons that I won’t go into- my season 3 frustrations are never-ending tbh and somehow, when B*llarke reunited at the end of the season, it fell kind of flat to me? I was like: “but wait where’s that romantic chemistry I thought they had” (the answer was it probably wasn’t there in the first place but anyway i’m not here to throw shade)

anyway, my reaction was: “Huh. so I’m over b*llarke.”

Also, as I got more frustrated with the show in season 3, I started going into “anti tags” and found meta that talked about several aspects (I think some of them were even written by you? I know I’d seen your name in tags before I followed you for Braven joy) such as the show’s racist patterns, etc.- and also, I distinctly remember reading a great piece of meta about how the show rarely lets characters of color interact without a white character present, and that.... got me. I was like: fuck that’s true.

When I say season 3 sucked though, I want to make it clear that while it did IMO, it only... highlighted some of the problems that were here all along in the show. Honestly I’m really not proud of the way I missed - or ignored- some of the show’s patterns, and they really came to light in season 3. The fact that I missed those aspects is fully on me. A lot of viewers were aware of them before. Just not... me? Wow am I getting off-topic. The question was about Ravenbell. Okay. Focus, Audrey, focus.

I wasn’ t even going to watch season 4, at first, but my husband wanted to, so I knew I wouldn't be able to resist. I wasn’t really into the 100 then anymore tbh.

Before season 4 rolled around though, I visited the Ravenbell tag. The reason is ridiculously personal and has, at its basis, NOTHING to do with Ravenbell themselves. A happy accident, really.

To be completely honest, I started writing a book (wee!) where two main characters hook up and they look like Ravenbell a lot. Tall curly-haired boy, shorter dark-haired lady, both of them brown-skinned... so I wanted screenshots of them to make my own private edits for myself like the little goblin that I am- and looking for screenshots on google images led me to the Braven tag, and then I.... could not... get out.

Looking at the Ravenbell scenes in gifsets, looking at edits, honestly made me go: “........ huh. HUH. how come I don’t ship this more? They’re my favorite individually and usually, I ship my favorites together. Not always but often How come I broke my own pattern?”

The question to how come I broke my own pattern probably has an answer that’s both obvious and shameful tbh. The fact that I didn’t ship Raven with Bell even if she was my favorite character, over Cl*rke, says a lot about how much TV structure and internalized shit influence us. I’m a lot more conscious of that than I used to be. I know you’re familiar with candyumbrella’s tobin structure posts- and honestly, misreading B*llarke as Tobin?

That was me. Me 1000000%. I can admit it freely because I’m super over it but that was the case.

Probably the reasons the meta mentions- even if it wasn’t conscious on my part. I somehow- had this idea in my head that Bell*rke was the ship. That the romantic chemistry was there. That the storyline was going there. That they had the development, the attraction, etc.

As it turns out.... well. Nope?

Those Tobin metas also intensified my Braven shipping by 10000% since then but anyway

Really though, the braven tag and its contents - that I kept visiting for non-book-edit purposes- made me start shipping it. A lot. A lot-lot. Mostly because the more I looked at their pretty selves and thought about them, they made... sense?

The fact that I was super over B*llarke freed up the way for me to ship Braven. It sounds silly, really, but that's 1000% what happened.

Anyway, by the start of season 4, Braven interacted.

I squealed.

I wanted more of them.

I kept visiting the tags. More and more and more. I rewatched some of their scenes and saw things I’d missed. I remembered how really, in season 1, it looked like something more would come from their season 1 scenes- until that was mostly dropped in season 2. And the writing for season 4 was more satisfactory to me, for the most part. There was more Raven. A LOT MORE RAVEN. So between my renewed fondness for the show, my heart exploding with feels over Raven Reyes all the time, my little heart fluttering over Bellamy Blake constantly, I went from “oh that would be rly nice if the show went there again” to “help I ship it so hard I would die for them” and honestly there’s no going back for me now.

I realized that not only was Ravenbell super based in canon, they made sense. They bring out some passion in each other that lacks in their interactions with other characters IMO. And honestly, after all the shit they went through, I want them to be loved and protected and treated well- and if you look at the show’s canon, IMO, that’s with each other. I’m not nearly as skilled with Braven meta as the rest of the fandom is, so I won’t bother explaining why I love them because honestly, the fandom’s said it all. And I can feel it in my chest now- they evoke the kind of love that B*llarke used to evoke for me, only even deeper because (no shade to anyone who likes Cl*rke ) I’ve always loved Raven much, much more than I like Cl*rke, even when the latter was in my top 5 favorite characters. The admiration I have for Raven Reyes knows no bounds, and god, Bellamy Blake, don’t get me started. Loving him has been a ride, because he has been through so much and grown so much and you know that meta, Raven Reyes as the secret hero of his development? I think about that every goddamn day.

And honestly, back in B*llarke days, I was annoyed with some of the fandom’s tendency to... reduce Bell or Raven to Cl*rke. I never liked the trend of making Raven out to be some sort of B*llarke cheerleader- and I think starting in season 2, I was a bit annoyed by the idea that everything Bell did or said was directly related to his love for Cl*rke. Even if I shipped it, that was... irksome, even if it took me a while to realize what bothered me.

Honestly the cracks in my B*llarke shipping were probably there from the start but anyway. I still shipped for a loooooong time

I spent season 4 waiting for Braven to interact more, getting increasingly annoyed with Cl*rke, thirsting for Braven to interact ALONE- and then completely exploding when he offered to go get her and the hug and the scenes in the finale and gkljflkgjdlkjgdfkgjdflkjkldjflgjfdlgkjfdlkgjfdklgjfdklgjflgjd. Keysmash sums up my feelings efficiently.

Honestly, I think it’s the Ravenbell tag that made me get into it before season 4 rolled around, and increasingly through the season. The gifsets, the metas, the everything- mostly because the tag helped me realize a lot of things that had happened in the first three seasons and that I’d missed because I was into another ship. Complete and utter tunnel-vision.

And now, as I await season 5, I visit the tag all the time and read all the meta and look at their pretty faces and think daily about what a fool I was to miss that ship for such a long time. I honestly can’t believe myself Anyway, if you read all that, thank you? I hoped you enjoyed my ramblings. (Also, this may sound like a silly question, but am I the only one who went from B*llarke to Braven? I feel like I can’t be, but you know, if anyone else ship-jumped, let me know so I can feel less alone and we can cry together about the foolishness of our youth)

#dare I tag this as braven #well no I don't want to clog the tag but #I know people might find it anyway so hi everyone sorry about the rambles #Audrey speaks #Audrey screams about braven #braven #just for my own organization

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a-dead-starwars-account · 8 years ago

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@damereyevents summer exchange: for @strong-bottle-of-jyn

Aaaaand here it is!!!! Yoooo damerey buddy!!!!

You asked for a fic about scavenger!poe and pilot!rey (ooooohh)! lol and because I love all my damerey and my damerey buddies I also made a little gifset to go with it :D

I have to admit, it’s been years since I last wrote a serious fanfic so forgive me if my writing’s a bit rusty (and if the style feels childish it must be because while making the fic, I was reading the young kids’ version of ROTJ by Tom Angleberger — I highly recommend, it’s fun! hahaha). And this story has no title yet...hmm, would you like to do the honors? :) Hoping to hear from ya soon!!!

Summary: Poe Dameron has made a decent living as a scavenger on Yavin 4, but a chance encounter with two Resistance fighters may finally bring him to his destiny to fly with the greatest heroes of the galaxy. Maybe dreams do come true.

Words: 4,903 ( i kno it’s short :( )

Edit: the title for this fic is "You Need a Scavenger" lol!

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh no,” Finn gaped at the mess of a ship he just came out of, “This is bad. Real bad.”

“Damage report?” Rey, still stuck in her blue jumpsuit-sans-helmet, peered at the smoking wishbone ship before sharing a wince with her best friend.

Ordinary people would have accepted their death at the hands of an endless jungle.

But Rey and Finn weren't ordinary beings.

Running on instinct, the duo scouted the area for something useful (that wasn't another gigantic tree). Finding nothing but endless greens, they decided to to immediately set up camp by their downed vehicle.

“Another dinner of tasty rations,” Rey grumbled at her veg-meat as Finn chuckled, opting instead to take a nap on his sleeping mat.

“Good night, peanut.”

“Sleep tight, Finn.”

- -

The fourth moon of Yavin wasn't particularly a competitive market for junk and it suited Poe perfectly fine. Besides, the farm being tended by his father could sufficiently feed them both; his scavenging was nothing more than a hobby that happened to bring extra credits to the table.

After setting up his father’s breakfast, Poe and his droid BB-8, headed off on his self-constructed landspeeder for their next salvaging adventure.

“So, where are we off to today?” Poe turned to his round companion who beeped and chirped animatedly, “Hmm… yeah buddy maybe we should take a break from scouring the abandoned Rebel base and try our luck on something else. Scan around for unusual readings.”

The droid responded by making annoyed noises, “Yeah yeah, I know I'm too obsessed.”

Dee-deet! Dee-deet! Poe’s scanners were picking up a mass of potential scrap ahead of him. Slowing down his speeder, he pulled out his quadnocs to take a peek. He could see smoke lightly dissipating from a hidden cockpit. The magnified image made his heart leap. It was a real, functional Y-wing!

Never in his life did Poe drive his speeder with utmost urgency. It was one thing to stare at holoimages of fancy ships or pick around distended parts for selling. But to catch a whole, real (REAL!) starfighter? He felt like the luckiest man in history since Han Solo's legendary win in a game of Sabacc (of course Poe knows about Han Solo! Poe’s probably a walking encyclopedia of the Galactic Civil War). His mind raced with possibilities and ideas.

I should try the sublights on this thing.

Maybe I could bring home a nice helmet from this too.

Will BB-8 fit the astromech slot?

I can finally know the feeling of flying a bomber!

His imagination was cut short by a blaster bolt that almost singed his favorite jacket. Filled with panic, he didn’t realize that the pilot might still be alive!

“Who's there?!” screamed a bold, male voice. Poe could hear the rifle being prepped for another shot.

“I mean you no harm!” Poe quickly answered, hands up in the air, “I… uh… saw your ship! And I uh… came to offer my services!” His mind was nimbly threading a legitimate excuse, “You see, I run a small business of fixing stuff and selling parts. My house is just a few klicks away.”

The pilot must have been a little desperate as he lowered his blaster and moved closer to Poe's position.

Dark complexion, clean haircut, and very determined eyes. Complete trooping gear and a classy flight jacket.

The man, bearing a brawny build and an equally assertive stance, inspected Poe to ensure that he wasn't hiding any weapons. But what he wasn't counting on was the stinging electric shock delivered by BB-8 on his ankle, “Ow!” he stumbled and grunted.

“Hey buddy, it’s okay. I was about to score a job,” Poe intervened before his loyal companion could send another shock current on the man. The reassurance caused BB-8 to roll backwards and bow his domed head in apology, a light ‘dwoooo’ sound echoing his speakers.

Deciding to play friendly, Poe helped the stranger up, “I'm Poe. Poe Dameron.”

“Finn,” he responded, “You said you could fix our ship?” the man inquired.

“I gotta take a look at it first, of course,” Poe replied. True, he had to assess the damage. But his true motivation was the chance to see and touch a real Alliance vehicle. He just had to pull out all his tricks for this chance!

Finn, Poe, and BB-8 approached the Y-wing in haste. And as Poe was about to get his first touch of the ship, a gloved hand grabbed his forearm.

“What do you think you're doing?” growled a female voice this time, mezzo-soprano, (and obviously very angry).

Her air of authority placed Poe in a state of partial paralysis. He slowly looked up to see a fair and regal face, sprinkled with dust and slightly tanned. The upper part of her blue flightsuit was unzipped to reveal a worn, sleeveless, gray undershirt (and immaculately toned arms). Poe dared to look into her hazel eyes and gulped. If Finn felt like dealing with an elite shocktrooper, the girl was probably Lady Vader.

Nevermind that the girl’s gauntlets were dripping grease on his favorite jacket.

“I'm uh, Poe. Poe Dameron?”

“And?”

“He wants to help fix the ship,” Finn intervened, hoping to defuse his friend’s aggression.

“As you can see, I can handle it myself,” the girl replied, oozing with sass. She pointed a Pilex driver at Poe, “And no offense, but you look like a scruffy scavenger about to steal my ship.”

Damn, caught so fast. Maybe I should have listened to Dad and shaved.

“You'll need parts though,” Poe adroitly picked himself up from the girl’s tripping wits, “I sell! And, I can see that your coolant’s leaking. We could work on that.”

The scavenger’s right. She huffed, “I do need some more bonding tape.”

“Hey, I can get you some new parts for that instead!” Poe exclaimed, “My finds will fit well with an Alliance classic like your bomber.”

Of course the girl had her doubts, but after a silent deliberation within herself (actually, it was just one long sigh), she relented.

And they all got to work.

- -

For the next few days, Poe learned a couple of things from his new customers.

1. The girl's name was Rey - and she was probably ranked as high as Captain, based on how Finn addressed her.

2. Rey and Finn were probably Resistance agents, scouting around the sector until they got hit and landed here.

3. They were in a hurry to fix their long range comms. But so far, no luck.

4. Kes Dameron, Poe’s dad, came down to see what they were up to and offered some koyo melons from their homely ranch. A warm, ambient environment ensued.

5. Finn did most of the talking (he was a very friendly chap when you got to know him). Captain Rey on the other hand, was a quiet sort of buddy.

6. But Rey has a very special heart for machines. She bonded with BB-8 instantly while making a lot of technical remarks about Poe’s landspeeder. (Of course Poe took lots of notes! Had to learn more about this girl - I MEAN LEARN FROM A REAL PROFESSIONAL STARFIGHTER PILOT).

7. Also, this meant that Poe's sly attempts to sell his worthless junk (as he usually did with unknowing offworlders) didn't succeed under Rey’s watchful eye.

8. Nope, a shaved face didn't help his cause either.

“25,000 credits?! This is a rusty 30-year-old U-wing thrust engine!,” Rey frowned at the chunk of metal being put down by Finn and Poe from the landspeeder.

“On the contrary,” Poe began, shifting his gears into salesman-slash-Galactic Civil War expert mode, “I believe this lovely piece of vintage was part of Operation Fracture, which — ”

“ — was the mission to uncover and stop the Death Star,” Rey supplied, “and if my memory is intact, most of Blue Squadron’s U-wings met their grave on Scarif.”

Poe was flabbergasted. It was perhaps, the first time he was caught spindling a lie about history. Finn simply chuckled and patted BB-8, “Sorry Poe-my-good-man, but Rey is a hardcore geek when it comes to these things. Girl knows her stuff.”

“Look Poe, we’re not museum collectors. I need functional thrusters if we are to make it as far as Mandalore,” Rey explained.

BB-8 chirped something in response.

“You need the money for what?” Rey raised her eyebrows and began crossing her arms.

“Don't listen to him,” Poe panicked, realizing what his droid had just said, “Okay...look...we can go to my usual hauling areas and find another thrust engine.”

“You know if you were so bent on signing up for the New Republic Starfighter Corps, you could join us in the Resistance! I can gun for you if you like! I'm actually a big deal in the Resistance and I am pretty damn sure that I am one of the best gunners out there,” Finn grinned, pumped up with excitement.

But Poe nervously chuckled and cleared his throat, “Let's not get carried away guys. Now wanna go check out that old Rebel base?”

- -

Many would have thought that the Rebels took everything with them when they evacuated the Massassi temples on Yavin 4, and that graverobbers would have nothing left to salvage from the ancient rocks.

But Poe Dameron was a persistent one.

Driven by his deep desires to rediscover his deceased mother, an ace of the Rebel Alliance, he poured all his efforts on uncovering concealed caches, cracking codes, and absorbing whatever intel was left behind. What lacking information he needed, he sought through Holonet searches when he visited the main town. Sometimes a family friend, a retired veteran Duros pilot he fondly called Uncle L’ulo, shared what he could to the eager boy. Along with Kes Dameron, they reminisced Green Squadron’s finest moments when Lieutenant Shara Bey, Poe’s mom, did the wildest heroics in the name of freedom and justice.

The secret outposts found by Poe were stashed with enough supplies and parts to sustain a lost platoon for 5 standard years. Though they couldn’t find a good set of thrusters, Rey and Finn were admittedly impressed. BB-8 also helped set up temporary long range communications through an old terminal, so that Finn can report to Resistance High Command.

Meanwhile, Rey and Poe decided that they could build their own thrust engines from the spares. The two tinkerers were quiet for the duration of their work — Poe was determined to help his new friends get going while Rey began contemplating on the idea of acquiring another useful recruit. She knew that the Resistance needed more manpower, but at the same time their job required a deep sense of commitment and utmost loyalty, qualities Rey wasn't sure that Poe had (For one, Rey knew a lot of skilled people who were nothing more than mercenaries). Still, she decided that a little probing might help around.

“Why do you want to be a starfighter pilot?” Rey inquired while fiddling with her toolkit.

She could sense the emotions brewing beneath the scavenger.

Sentimentality.

Compassion.

Belongingness.

Poe tilted his head, scrunching up his face a bit as he continued to work, “Mostly because of my Ma, I guess,” he picked up a hydrospanner and inserted it into a damaged slot, “She flew for Green Squadron while my Dad served under the Pathfinders.”

Rey nodded in understanding. She also began installing some bolts.

“How ’bout you, Captain... uh, why did you want to be a Jedi?”

If Rey was surprised, she didn't show it. (Actually, she was. But of course she's better than that.)

“What makes you think I’m a Jedi?” she calmly challenged his query.

Poe shrugged, still engrossed in his work, “I saw your lightsaber clipped next to your belt. The only time I saw that kind of thing was on a holo of Luke Skywalker in his X-wing attire.”

Rey couldn't help but grin. He's an observant one. Good. “Let’s just say it's also tied to family.”

Poe nodded.

Silence ensued. But, it was comfortable kind, knowing that they stood on the same ground and were somehow, drawn to the same endless stars above them (How did assembling thrusters become such a dreamy setting?). Before they knew it, only a few couplings were left to be installed.

“Finn’s not done yet, is he?” Poe mused.

“I’ll tell you a secret — that boy has a rather colorful love life,” Rey mischievously replied and they shared laugh, “If I have to place a bet, it’ll be on one of those sisters he befriended on the maintenance crew…”

“Must be tough love.”

“Maybe if you join our ranks you'll give him some competition,” Rey joked.

“Nah. My old man needs me here,” Poe shook his head.

Rey was about to respond when Finn came back with BB-8. He seemed more relaxed after that long chat with the base.

“Hey Rey, General Organa wants to talk to you,” Finn bent down, positioning himself to take over her work. The captain quietly stood up and accompanied BB-8 back to the terminal.

“General,” Rey curtly greeted Leia Organa with a nod.

Leia on the other hand, continued to stare dotingly at Rey, as though her compassion could be transmitted all the way from D’Qar to Yavin 4.

“Rey, I wish I could tell you to take your time but — ”

“Time is of the essence, I know,” Rey sighed, rubbing her forehead, “I'm doing my best to fix the ship and I swear we’ll be on track to Mandalore before you know it.”

“No, that's not it,” Leia explained, “We're picking up First Order transmissions. They're in your area, trying to find a Force-sensitive tree. Several TIEs have been dispatched. They might also be the group who shot you down.”

“A Force-sensitive tree?”

“I know Luke had given one to the Dameron family. Finn says you've made contact with their son?” Leia asked.

“Yes.”

“Make sure the First Order doesn't find it,” came Leia's swift order.

“But what about the emissary to Mandalore? We have to coordinate with them soon,” Rey frowned, unconvinced by the tree’s importance.

“Finn says that Poe Dameron is seeking enlistment with us. And I know his parents well, especially his mother. Recruiting him is as good as finding our contact in Mandalore,” Leia replied, her voice driven by conviction. Rey could feel ripples of the Force flowing between them. Leia's natural intensity as a commander not only made her an effective leader, but also an undeniably strong presence in the Force.

Like Master Luke. Like Ben. And all those lost Jedi.

Memories of pain flushed her into a deep silence.

And Leia of course, was able to pick up on it, “I know it's so hard to place trust on people. Especially after what happened to your father…” her voice began drifting, her own emotional struggles reflecting that of Rey’s.

But unlike an amateur such as Rey, Leia was firm in resisting her grief. Decades of experience brought her that ability to endure, “I had once entrusted my life to Shara Bey and I did not regret it. And if Poe is anything like his mother — or even his father, you will not hesitate to seek his help.”

“Yes ma’am.” Rey, suddenly stoic, affirmed.

Leia sighed. At least she is trying, “May the Force be with you.”

- -

“So, you like our little scoundrel of a princess?” Finn jabbed at Poe.

“Wh-what?” Poe stuttered.

“Oh come on! The only time I saw that kind of look was when Rey got to fly the Falcon!” Finn continued to tease, “And believe me, I’ve been through a lot of fodder with that gruffy girl and it's definitely been an adventure of a lifetime.”

Poe frowned. They began to tow the newly-constructed thrusters back into the speeder.

“I know she likes to look tough. Have you seen how she likes to be scruffy and show off her guns and all? She wants folks to respect her. And I guess I can't blame her for trying to live up to an inherited reputation…” Finn began rambling, immersed in his discourse of his best friend.

“But I know, deep in my gut, that you’ll be good for her,” Finn continued, “I've seen her rip a gundark with her bare, muddy hands and I was there when she wore silvery garments and stole glances from everyone in a senator’s party. Of course the other pilots like Jess and Karé love her with all their being. But she needs another kind of friend, a relatable one. Someone who also memorizes all the skirmishes after the Battle of Hoth. And can re-wire a navicomputer with eyes closed. Someone who knows what it’s like to be a child of a legend. And if these docs are right, your Mama was one helluva pilot,” Finn wriggled his eyebrows, waving a datapad in front of Poe.

The scavenger just gaped at him. Somehow, Finn’s datapad had just downloaded all of Lieutenant Shara Bey’s Alliance records. Not just Shara’s but Kes Dameron’s files too.

“You know when Leia treats us all Resistance babies like her own children you get access to many amazing things,” Finn winked.

“Now if you’re trying to lure me to join — ” Poe began shaking his head.

“I don't know what’s stopping you either.”

“Dameron!” shouted Rey's voice. The young Jedi was jogging towards them with BB-8 rolling in the same quickened pace.

“The tree. Where is it?” Rey grabbed Poe’s collar.

That gesture must have terrified him because he froze in place.

“Whoa, calm down Cap. What did the General say?” Finn patted Rey’s shoulder.

“The First Order is here, looking for a tree that Master Luke gave to Shara Bey. We need to protect it at all costs,” Poe and Finn could feel the panic seeping among them.

The tree. From Luke Skywalker himself.

Poe's mind was running in circles, remembering how his parents revered the damn plant. How he was made to personally care for it when he accidentally burned it in a hurry to finish his chores, many years back.

He flicked his comlink, contacting his father.

Shhhhhhssssshhhh. Static.

If his comm was jammed, that meant the First Order was here. On this moon. On their backyard.

AND HIS FATHER.

The trio (plus BB-8) hurried back to the homestead.

- -

Kes knew that he'd never outgrow the instincts he’d bred as a SpecForce soldier. So, when he saw an indiscriminate man heading straight for the Force-sensitive tree, he immediately grabbed his old blaster from a hidden compartment. Setting up for a snipe shot, he quietly aimed at the thief.

Pffoooowpsh!!!

Ah, that satisfying hit meant that he was still a true Pathfinder.

Kes slowly moved towards the incapacitated man, inspecting the thief's gear. There were network sensor jammers in one pocket and other tools similar to former Imperial Security Bureau agents. He could also hear at least two speeders within his area, one he identified as Poe's and another that was probably the burglar’s reinforcements. Making a wild guess, he ducked before a second thief tried to shoot him, and then fired back.

He missed. And the second man accelerated his vehicle, retreating back into the forest.

“Dad!” Poe, along with BB-8, hurriedly approached his father.

Kes raised his thumb up before gesturing to Rey and Finn to catch the escaping intruder.

Rey immediately took over the controls of Poe's ride while Finn readied his rifle.

Poe glanced back at them, hoping that Rey would take care of his baby.

“I’m okay, son. I’m okay,” Kes grinned cockily. Sometimes his boy was such a worrier, like Shara secretly was back years ago.

“Was it the First Order, Dad?” Poe peered at the dead body.

“Definitely,” Kes nodded, “I knew they'd be after the tree one day. It was Skywalker’s last request from our family to keep it safe.”

“Dad…I...”

Kes couldn't help but give his son a rather wrinkly smile. He could read Poe and all his hopes and fears like plain Aurebesh.

And he knew exactly what he had to say to give his kid a final push. “Destiny calls us. The Force, even. That's why I wounded up serving under General Solo back on Endor, why your mother flew alongside Luke and Leia. We decided that we couldn't allow innocents to suffer. Now you have to make your choice. Will you help them too?”

“But what about you? Who's going to take care of you?”

Kes boisterous laughter filled the air, “I'm tougher than I look, son. Your old man still has that Pathfinder spirit,” he pounded his chest proudly. He shifted gears and mellowed the mood, “Poe, I know you’re worried for me but I'll be fine here. Shara used to think that way, too. Afraid that she couldn't stop flying once she got into her green flightsuit and left you behind.”

He held his son's face, looking into his eyes that was so much like his wife's — that same soul yearning to explore the heavens, “You'll know when to fight and you'll know when to back down. We've raised you to be smarter and tougher so that one day you could take your place in this universe,” he slipped a data chip into Poe's hand.

The launch codes for Shara’s old A-wing. An old ship, long hidden beneath a tarp, parked half a klick away.

A beauty waiting for its reawakening.

“I give you my blessing, son. It's been a long damn time and now you should quit holding yourself back!” Kes laughed again, “Who knows our small family might get one helluva pilot as daughter-in-law again!”

Poe palmed his face, recently cleaned of facial hair (also done to secretly impress the Y-wing captain). His dad was too quick of a thinker sometimes.

- -

With the infinite obstacle of trees, Rey can only steer the speeder so much. That was probably the seventh time she had to avoid the blaster bolts from hitting their borrowed ride.

“Are you ever going to fire back, peanut?!” Rey exasperatedly whined at Finn.

“I'm trying!” Finn grumbled back.

“What ever happened to the Resistance’s best gunner…” Rey muttered, slipping a grumpy joke as she usually did during troublesome times like this.

“I heard that!” Finn shot back, simultaneously hitting the thief's motivators.

The speeder in front of them was yanked out of the route, but the man luckily escaped. He continued running towards a pair of strange-looking TIE fighters (probably modified).

“He's going to fly out!” Finn pointed at him.

“I know that!” Rey screamed back. With a blink of an eye, she stopped the speeder and leapt in the air with her activated lightsaber.

Finn shook his head, but realizing that their Y-wing was only a junction away, he drove back to their campsite to re-install the new thrusters and maybe, get going.

He’d seen Rey make miracles and hopefully, they wouldn't need their dysfunctional ship to take chase on those pristine TIEs.

But being not much of a mechanic himself, he was probably the one who needed to make a miracle.

- -

Rey effortlessly deflected the blaster shots from the thief, who was backing away and nearing his ship.

This agent is crippled by his fear.

Rey threw her saber at his ship's twin ion engines, a smirk forming on her face.

You’ve got no escape this time.

Catching back her blade like a boomerang, she Force-pushed the thief into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

She turned to the other TIE fighter, not realizing that the pilot inside had prepped his ship for take-off and had began gunning her. She continued to deflect its strong bolts until one blast hit an enormous branch, which was about to topple her. Rey rolled out of the way and unfortunately, it allowed the TIE to escape.

Panting, she regretted her failure immediately.

Luckily though, Finn was able to pull a bit of a miracle. Their battered Y-wing was floating in front of her, cockpit opened.

“Let's test-ride this new thing!!!” Finn cheered. Rey smiled back and gracefully jumped to her seat. Following the TIE ahead of them, the Y-wing began to hit the skies.

Apparently, it was going to be harder than expected.

“You did not recalibrate this thing, did you?!” Rey groaned, the wishbone-shaped fighter jerking despite her focused controls. The TIE was now flying farther away.

“Well we were in a bit of a situation. I had to hurry!” Finn retorted.

Rey muttered a few things before resetting the guns and cannons. Finn, working in tandem, immediately tested his aim.

PPPANG!!! PPPANG!!!

Well, at least their guns are working.

Now it was a matter of reaching their target. But the TIE suddenly tumbled itself backwards.

“It’s behind us!” Finn warned.

“Deflector shields up!!!” Rey flicked a few buttons, wanting to pivot her stubborn fighter around to hit it and end the day.

The Y-wing whined in protest. Rey was trying her best to stabilize the gyroscopes. Finn knew that if she didn't do it fast enough, they'd be dead toast.

But suddenly, the sensors showed another ship approaching, hitting the TIE on their tail!

“Wooohooo!!!” Poe whooped, opening the comm channel to the Y-wing.

“Poe!!!” Rey and Finn exclaimed in relief. BB-8 was also beeping happily in the background. The droid was excited to be part of the adventure.

“I'll get him off your backs. And prepare to fire! His shield’s too strong for an old A-wing gun,” Poe advised.

The A-wing began baiting the TIE to follow him.

Poe yanked the controls and the old ship yielded to his maneuvers smoothly. A-wings were extremely nimble, and the TIE fighter (an unusually different model, Poe mused) had a hard time catching up with his swoops and barrel rolls. He dropped his ship too sharply, feeling the wild rush turning his insides. And then, he suddenly pushed his stick the opposite way.

No way could the jerk follow that crazy path.

Rey had somehow anticipated the path and soon, the Y-wing was onto the TIE’s trajectory.

“Clear shot, Finn!” Rey queued.

Her friend carried out the orders suavely and the TIE was swiftly blown to pieces.

The new friends hollered together. It was a memorable first victory.

“Now what?” Rey grinned at the comm, still hearing Poe’s laughter.

“I’ve brought some cargo with me and we can do repairs when we land on Mandalore,” Poe suggested.

“You sure?” Finn gasped excitedly, enjoying that their mission was going to proceed so instantly.

“Alright, sending coordinates to you,” Rey smiled to herself. Maybe the three of them were complete adrenaline junkies, after all.

The two rebel ships zoomed into hyperspace.

- -

The Resistance transport was up in their sights, already beginning its landing cycle.

“Hey, don't be nervous,” Finn patted Poe on the back.

How could he not be nervous?! Poe was finally meeting Leia Organa in the flesh. The Princess of Alderaan was a living legend among young dreamers like him. And Poe wanted to leave the best first impression for his long-time idol.

“Don’t worry. General Organa is like a mother to all of us,” Rey winked and Finn just rolled his eyes.

The door opened and the refined woman, despite wearing practical work clothes, was as elegant as the holoimages Poe had seen back home. The troops escorting her dispersed, giving the trio enough leeway to approach the General.

Poe finally understood what it was like to face an icon that seemed to innately exude strength from her mere appearance. It was a familiar feeling, one he had encountered back a few days ago when he tried to steal a Y-wing from a powerful Jedi and her fierce friend.

Leia immediately met eyes with Rey and embraced her warmly. Letting go, Leia looked at Finn and firmly gripped his arms with the same tenderness.

The duo ushered Poe towards Leia and the formerly confident junk dealer turned into a bashful boy.

Leia understood, gently placing her hands on his shoulders (and perhaps imparting some of her fortitude on the newcomer), “Welcome to the Resistance, Poe Dameron. I see that you take after your mother.”

She turned to her followers and said, “Now we have a lot to talk about and we already have jobs lined up.” Resistance personnel and other delegates began following General Organa towards the Sundari city proper.

And that left Rey and Poe alone. (For some reason, Finn was inside the empty transport, probably having his own errands to do with BB-8. )

Maybe Finn’s comming his girlfriend again, Rey thought to herself.

Poe was looking at his old, black-brown boots. The poor guy must still be in shock after meeting Leia. It wasn't uncommon for people to be starstruck after meeting the Princess-turned-General.

Rey grinned, deciding to do something. Besides, she hadn’t thank Dameron for saving their skins back in Yavin.

She slowly wrapped her arms around him. It still startled Poe, since he reflexively lifted his arms in defense. But he slowly relaxed when reality sank in.

Oh, but he's definitely blushing too.

Sometimes even Rey surprises herself (by tuning down her sulky attitude from time to time).

“I think your mom would have been proud of you,” she whispered softly.

A small smile formed on Poe’s lips.

And inside the Resistance transport’s compartments, Finn and BB-8 secretly shared a thumbs up.

END.

#prsummerexchange17 #damereyevents #strong-bottle-of-jyn #damerey

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formulakay · 4 years ago

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Tumblr Tag Game

Thank youuuuu :) to the lovely @jedivszombie for tagging me! I love talking about myself so here we go.

1. Why did you choose your url?

Formula 1 + Kayla = formulakay. I’ve considered changing it and have a few good urls saved but I feel like this is my brand now so I’ll likely stick with it!

2. Any side blogs?

Yarp!

Harry Styles (inactive) - @tpwkay

I also have a locked private side blog where I reblog resources and tutorials to save for later.

I’m considering making a Star Wars/Mandalorian side blog but idk if it’s worth it or not just yet.

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

Probably 13 years now? At least? I’ve been through the following fandoms: Supernatural -> NCIS -> Hunger Games (Josh Hutcherson) (spent A Lot of time here) -> WWE -> was an ~aesthetic~ blog for a while -> back to Supernatural -> hockey (also spent A Lot of time here) -> F1. I did most of that on one blog but started from scratch with this blog.

4. Do you have a queue tag?

Not yet, but I don’t queue things often enough to have one. I like posts to go back and tag/draft to post later most of the time. Unless I schedule a post (like a fic dropping), if I’m posting, I’m here!

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

This blog started because my sister @allgood-allways influenced me - I had been working in marketing for a couple years and when she got into F1 she said it could be a fun creative outlet that wasn’t my job.

Before, I think I had joined because it was the edgy, “cool” social media to use? Not many people that I knew irl had one and I liked it for that.

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

George is one of my favorite drivers and I think the picture is goofy and cute.

7. Why did you choose your header?

On desktop, I’ve got a few different images on my theme - I’ve got an icon of Toto on the phone which is an outright reference to my ongoing fic series Texts with Toto and then I have the main header which is the Williams FW43B, and my sidebar pic is another one of George! Is is obvious who I support each race weekend yet?

On mobile, my header is a gif I made as a part of an edit set!

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

I have two that are neck and neck!

George Russell as Michelangelo’s David

Intersection presents Daniel Ricciardo (just passed 700 which is insane!)

9. How many mutuals do you have?

A bunch - 75+. I haven’t updated my list in a while though.

10. How many followers do you have?

377 lovely lil beans! Idk why they’re all here but I love them for it.

11. How many people do you follow?

165 - I’d love to follow more though!

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

Just once! It was worth it. I should do it more often. I get scared to shit post cause I never know how it’s gonna be interpreted.

13. How often do you use tumblr a day?

Way more than I should. I work from home right now and we’re in a very slow period, so it’s near constant during the day.

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

Not that I’m aware of. I really try to stay out of drama - it doesn’t do great things for my anxiety so I just keep my mouth shut. I am, however, blocked by a few people I’ve never interacted with, which is interesting! (I block back 🤷🏻‍♀️)

15. How do you feel about the ‘you need to reblog�� posts?

As someone who creates content (edits, gifsets, fic), I’m enraged constantly by the like-to-reblog ratio on my own posts and on the posts of other creators in this community it’s. That’s not to mention the fad of saving/reposting/sharing without credit that a lot of people do (this will also get you blocked btw!) both here and on other social sites. If I make something and it doesn’t get notes, that’s fine, but if it gets a ton of likes and no reblogs, it’s incredibly discouraging. Reblogging is the only way to spread content - liking literally does nothing. I’ve seen people stop creating because of it - cause what’s the point? Yeah, the appreciation of getting a like is nice, but if you don’t enjoy something enough to share it with your followers, just don’t interact with it at all. I hate the ~aesthetic~ vibes that so many blogs tend to stick to - I can guarantee you that the percent of your followers that actually look at your blog as a whole is very, very low. We see what’s on our dashes for a very short period of time- if you don’t reblog it, and your followers don’t reblog it from you, people don’t see it. I want content creators to be selfish and reblog their work over and over again, to continue exposing their followers to it, especially if no one else is sharing it for them. They deserve the recognition and attention.

16. Do you like tag games?

I love them! I have some incredible friends that always tag me in them and I am so appreciative (like, someone Thought Of Me! I was On Their Mind!) each time it happens. Plus, I’m not a very openly ~sharing~ person most of the time so it’s nice to have an opportunity to do so that doesn’t feel awkward or forced.

17. Do you like ask games?

I love ask games too but I always end up feeling guilty for clogging my followers’ dashes with answers - I think that guilt of over-sharing is something I need to work on! It’s my blog and I can post what I want to!

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

I have mutuals that have a ton of followers and mutuals that don’t have many - I myself am definitely not tumblr famous so who am I to judge.

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

I have a lot of friend-crushes on mutuals - mutuals that I seriously would love to be friends with but I’m too shy/feel too annoying to reach out.

I think it can be hard sometimes on tumblr too to approach people that already seem to have a close-knit group of friends. It’s like wandering over to the popular table at lunch in the hopes that they won’t turn you away.

20. Tags!

Just a few! @race-me @mushroomlance @sunshine-ricciardo @p1tstop and @ricciardosmile

#thank you so much Mais!!! 💜💜#this was fun #about #c'est moi #tag game

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