#he was very approving of Rey's hairstyle

[cheery-space-lizz]

Qui Gon Jinn from my May the Fourth post!

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Cassandra Jackson Character Bio

Basics

Full Name: Cassandra Jackson

Superhero Alias: N/A

Age: 30 during Daredevil, Season 1

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Powers: Can see into the future, proficient is other minor forms of magic relying on potions and elixirs as well as use of her staff

Appearance

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Skin Tone: Pale with freckles along her nose

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Blonde

Hairstyle: Long and wildly curly

Makeup: Generally natural, but likes to have fun with eyeshadow

Build: Still fit, but on the curvy side

Height: 5’3”

Style: Has a love of big sweaters, skirts, and leggings; hardly ever seen in jeans unless it’s really cold outside

Personality

General Personality Traits: Loving, Practical, Melancholic

Strengths: Tenacious, Charming, Sensitive

Flaws: Stubborn, Insecure, Overprotective

Habits And Mannerisms: Always says her please and thank yous, doesn’t really swear, never leaves the house without her special bag

Secrets: Ellie’s father being a demon

Regrets: Not bothering to ask where her family’s power truly came from when she was younger.

Skills/Talents: Flexible with a strong sense of balance, cooking, has a good eye for fashion

Likes: Sunsets, Strong coffee, A crackling fire

Dislikes: The rain, Bro country, Rats

Sense of Humor: Kinda dark and sometimes childish

Guilty Pleasure: Erotic novels she keeps hidden under her bed

Defining Moment: Running away from her family with her daughter.

Relationships

Friends: Claire Temple, Matt Murdock, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, Wong, Stephen Strange

Family: Ellie Jackson (daughter)

Affiliation: The Defenders

Enemies: Damien, The Hand, most other demons from other dimensions

Lovers: Damien (formally), Stephen Strange (eventually)

Relationship Status: It’s complicated

Reputation: Very easy to like, but hard to get close to

Miscellaneous

Current Residence: Hell’s Kitchen, New York, New York

Collections: Assortment of different potion bottles and ingredients

Accent: Standard American, for the most part, but some of her Louisiana accent comes through on occasion

Voice: Sweet and smooth

Signature Quote: TBA

Song: Season of the Witch by Lana Del Rey

Backstory

Cassandra was born to an affluent and powerful magical family in the south. Magical gifts had been passed down through the generations with each member having their own specialty while still having proficiency in general magic. Cassandra developed the gift of prophecy when she was twelve, allowing her brief glimpses into the future at a whim.

She never questioned where her family got her powers or how they maintained it. She just knew her family prayed to a different deity than those of her classmates. She was taught to keep it a family matter and if someone new in town went missing…well, they were probably just passing through. Even when she got older, and the reality of who her family was became more obvious, she willfully turned a blind eye. She wasn’t doing anything wrong after all.

With in her family, she was highly praised for her gifts and was given vigorous study from an early age while balancing a formal education. She was by all accounts a golden child, until her senior year of highschool.

She met Damien, the new transfer student, on the first day after summer break and was instantly smitten. He was effortlessly charming, intelligent, and with a bad boy persona that made her swoon. He was all a romantic seventeen-year-old could dream of and he seemed just as taken with her too. They started dating not long after, keeping it hidden from her parents as she assumed they would never approve. She was completely in love by spring break and by graduation, she discovered she was pregnant.

To her shock, when she told her parents, they were nothing but supportive. Even after they met Damien, they promised to stick by her. Damien swore he’d stick around as well and he did, all through the length of her pregnancy. It was only when she finally gave birth did she realize the truth; Damien wasn’t human.

Damien was a demon. Her parents had made a deal, offering her as a vessel for his child, one that would bring hell on Earth.

Upon learning the truth, Cassandra made a run for it, but was quickly caught and locked away, separating her from new born daughter. She was convinced they would kill her, now she had achieved her purpose. It was her only thought when Damien came into her room with a knife in his hands.

Instead of killing her, he cut her bonds telling her to go. He told her he did love her and he would not allow her parents to find her or their daughter.

Cassandra wasn’t sure if she believed him, but did as he asked. She took her daughter and ran all the way to New York.

She named her daughter Ellie and for twelve years they lived quietly in the big city, just trying to get by. Cassandra opened a small fortune telling business/novelty shop, reading tarot cards and palms to whoever asked and eventually finding a home in the small magical community.

Nobody else knew about Ellie’s father, not even her. Whenever she’d ask Cassandra, she’d just say her father was complicated and a far away.

It was good, for a time. But on Ellie’s twelfth birthday her powers began to emerge and trouble found them once again.

[qforqazaq]

Ninety One – Men Emes

Okaaaay, people, here comes a long-awaited comeback from Ninety One that screamed, no, shouted so much culturally significant meta at me I could barely handle it. Ironically, when I was watching reactions to this MV, most people were so bloody oblivious to anything that was happening on the screen that I was painfully restraining myself not to slam my head on the table, but then remembered "oh, right, that's why I'm running this blog in the first place."

Okay, let's start with the video, shall we?

The opening scene is obviously with Alem because if 91's song doesn't start with Alem there's something definitely wrong with it.

Anyway, we have Alem looking like a mo-fo mafia boss, a Kazakh Don, if you like, in an office that's practically littered with KZ references. First, your eyes might catch those weird looking symbols on the desk, which are actually Orkhon-Yenisei runes - a script of Old Turkic tribes aka one of the direct ancestors of Kazakhs - that I was going to talk about for ages, but didn't have a good excuse to. So thank you Ninety One for bringing that up, I can unleash my inner linguistics nerd upon people regarding the subject in a separate post. The runes are actually read from right-to-left (because that's how it works) as "l" and "r", although I'm not sure of their implied meaning here. My theory that means just that: "left" and "right", for whatever deep reason.

So, while you're admiring Alem's outfit and hairstyle as he's showing off his results of perfecting The Stare™ (I had a theory his stares are so intent because his contact lenses keep drying up and it's his attempts not to blink much when cameras are on), you notice not only that Samsung is the main sponsor of this production (is it surprising?), but also that there's a picture of random people on the background, and a funny-looking statue next to the window. Except for that is not a picture of random people, that is actually a photo of the leaders of the Kazakh national movement/autonomy against Communists in the 1910s - Alash Orda, which I'm probably going to elaborate on in another post. For now, I'll just say that these were the writers, poets, social and political activists, the Kazakh Intelligentsia™, who were later prosecuted and repressed by the Soviet regime. Very important addition to the set if you ask me, and very deliberately chosen.

As for the funny-looking statue, that is a miniature "Balbal" of Kültegin or Kül Tigin, who was the General of the Second Turkic Khanate of the same Old Turkic people who used to write in the aforementioned Orkhon-Yenisei runic script. We can talk about it later on, for now, I can only say that 10 seconds into the video and my inner history nerd was screaming very much delightedly at these references. Didn't expect that much meta in such a short amount of time, eh? And we didn't even mention how cigars are allowed now, along with the whiskey-looking tea in a tumbler.

Anyway, then we are abruptly cut to AZ and, shortly after, ZAQ with an eagle. And no, it's not just a "lol, look, a bird", that's the Golden Eagle, a species that was trained and used for eagle hunting by the Kazakh nomads for centuries. Which is why we have it on our flag too. Btw, extra kudos to ZAQ for delivering his lines while having an eagle on his arm without its hood. I would have been more than slightly concerned if I were him.

If you don't know much about that aspect of nomadic life in Central Asia, I recommend watching the critically acclaimed documentary film The Eagle Huntress about Aisholpan - a 13 y.o. Kazakh girl from Mongolia being the first female mastering the art. FYI, it is narrated by Daisey Ridley aka Rey from Star Wars. Watch it.

The scene is black and white, and AZ and ZAQ are wearing suits which look very agreeable.

Then, we have the bridge that is delivered by very blond Bala, which isn't the best look on him in my opinion, but he's wearing a suit too, which is always a good idea. Bala, you must know, has perfected his camera acting and now successfully flirting with it without so much as breaking a sweat. Good job Juz, you know what you're doing.

Now, when we're done sharing niceties, can we, please, focus on the background - which is, of course, all lofty and fiery - specifically, on those symbols carved on the wall? And what are they? Yes, you guessed right: the Orkhon-Yenisei runes, yay. FYI, it says "QAZAQ", in its very palindromic fashion - the meaning here, I assume, is quite self-explanatory.

In one of the cuts we see that Bala is actually there with a dog. And, guess what, it's not just a dog, it's actually a Tazy - the Kazakh national hunting breed, of which, quite frankly, I did not know anything before researching for this MV. See, even I'm being educated here, I feel so enlightened.

After that, we have the chorus, and all five of them are first standing and then walking like a bloody band of gangsters, all suited and effortlessly cool, as if towards an important tét-a-tét with a competing band. My immediate association was Crows: Zero (I'm sure, my fellow Japanese weeboos get what I mean) - lots of shonen swag and badassery. I approve.

In the meanwhile, Bala is showing off his moves, again, very at ease, chill and relaxed.

Chorus moves to the second part of the song with another rap verse from ZAQ. Do you remember that set in the previous black-and-white scene with the rappers? This one is that same set i.e. a carcass and insides of a Yurt - a traditional nomadic portable house used by Kazakhs for centuries. We see ZAQ sitting in what looks like a Khan's throne with battle spears and fur skins of wild animals. And no, nobody is trying to offend animal rights activists and humanists, just trying to showcase the culture here, alright? As you've noticed hunting has always had cultural significance for Kazakhs, and, well, it's survival in the bloody Eurasian steppes we're talking about here, with windy -50°C in the winters you've got to wear something to protect from freezing over, you know.

ZAQ delivers his lines in his usual very efficient fashion, and we cut to Ace walking over to the race track, very stylishly so that it might as well be a car commercial, to a parked Ford Mustang (and, yay, we've got a budget for a nice car now!) that's drifting its tires out in the shots in-between. Did I mention Ace's wearing a suit? I'm telling you, a car commercial.

I have a feeling that a Mustang was chosen deliberately, a subtle shoutout to horses as another culturally significant symbol and animal for Kazakhs. They could've gone for a Ferrari for the sheer visual effect of it, but I suppose Samsung is generous, but not that much.

And then, we have a chorus with a dance break. Interestingly, despite the numerous cuts and camera angles, and even blinding background lights that obscure the view, I did not mind how the dance was shot. The choreography itself is nothing short of cool: very laid-back, effortless, with easy open moves and a masterfully feigned nonchalance. I know I'm using cool and effortless a lot, but what can I do, they are the keywords for this MV. I like those claps btw, remind me of hilarious dances in Kazakh weddings lol. Very ironic. In either case, my compliments to Asiya for her work, bravo.

While you're still getting over the choreography, you're introduced to AZ casually lying among many ladies in night gowns, and yes, we now are allowing this too along with cigars and whiskey-looking teas in tumblers. Don't get me wrong, AZ is wearing a modest pair of black silk shirt with black trousers (can't say the same about his wild tricoloured mess of hair), and evidently still can't take his hands off his nose (he does keep rubbing it), but the whole scene, the wide shot of it, looks so unapologetically hedonistic that it might as well be a Gucci Guilty commercial. Well, Ninety One definitely went all Gucci in this MV, so associations are unsurprising. Scrumptious.

The only cultural reference we've got here is the neon rune "r" on the background when AZ is sitting up.

Then, it goes back to the chorus with the guys standing with more fire in the background. There are other cuts from previous scene including the one with Alem throwing off 10000 Tenge bills with that photo on the back while staring into the camera.

Conclusion? A+ to the production team, especially set designers, Bibotta for the styling, and Yerbolat for knowing what looks good and what doesn't.

All and all, it was a good MV, a good break from artificially colourful secluded studio sets.

Now let's move to the music.

The song starts with, what I thought, those weird sounds from some Japanese instruments, but upon hearing the chorus my immediate reaction was "wait, is it a hip-hop beat from the early 2000s?"

Honestly, it isn't a very pop song. It screams hip-hop, and I dare say, this song was meant to be performed by the rappers only, which was somewhat proven true given that AZ and ZAQ were both writers and composers of Men Emes. Its hip-hop nature shows even in the structure: there are no vocal verses, only a bridge and a chorus performed by the vocalists, and everything else is just rap. And oh my, that's some rap, indeed.

First, can we just address, that once again the rappers of 91 managed to sneak up another controversial line bordering with vulgarity? I am talking about the first two lines of AZ's rap here, those who don't know what I am talking about, ask me about it later. The audacity though, huh. In either case, that got an incredulous chuckle out of me upon realisation. Congratulations, boys, mischief's managed.

AZ was his extravagant self in general, wouldn't say he brought a lot of literary value in this track, to be honest. Well, especially compared to ZAQ (and it is always difficult to compete with ZAQ's lyrics), who's just unleashed the study of "how many words and rhymes with "u" and "ü" sounds I can shove into one rap verse while making it sound intelligible and meaningful." And did so successfully, I must say. Personally was always astonished how masterfully he manages to use the vowel harmony - one of the linguistic traits of the Kazakh language - weaving syllables to the whole other level of wordplay. Lyrically, all cultural references in the MV seem justified, given how ZAQ is lamenting over how "his nation is moving with a snail speed" and such. With this, he is brushing the socio-political problems in the country, it seems. And it is very promising, as in this country high profile artists don't risk doing that.

(Btw, a mention of Surtur was another delightful nod to my inner nerd who loves Norse Mythology, and a reference to Cthulhu was rather amusing. Lovecraft wouldn't've minded.)

I had many problems with voices in this track. For some reason, I couldn't recognise half of them. I only clearly heard Bala, Ace's voice became obvious only when he moved to an octave higher, and I didn't even realise it was Alem singing in the beginning. Was very shocked to know that it was ZAQ, not AZ, rapping with that higher voice in the second part before switching to his usual old school style. We're trying different things, I see, though I wouldn't mind them toning down their tuner game a bit. I know who's singing what now only thanks to the MV.

To sum up, it's a very different 91 song. Not that it's very astounding in its originality with blending different genres in one as you'd expect, but it's probably refreshing to hear something bold, audacious, yet simple, very hip-hopesque circa 2001 from them. It seems they're deliberately trying to diversify their audience throwing a track like that. Which isn't bad at all, I rather enjoyed it. (By the way, those drums in the bridge section sounded almost tribal. Just saying.)

Despite the MV and song screaming "WEALTH", "SWAG", "COOL" and "SUAVE", I do not actually think it was only about showing off. Well, of course, a part of the message was a la "look what I've got in the end, despite all your judgement" with "you're not me" and all that. However, I think it was also targeting and mocking the spoiled kids of corrupt government officials or just corrupt rich "bosses" in general who always act as if rules and law are not made for them. "Yeah, you're cool, but not the coolest, might be rich, but not the richest, and even good-looking but not really. Don't be so full of yourself, you're not the centre of the universe" kind of message. And that imagery of Alem as a mafia boss in his office is juxtaposed with all those cultural artifacts hinting on what is actually more important and valuable, especially with the Kazakh cultural leaders of the 20th century watching from the picture on the wall. And Alem throws those bills as if saying "yes, I'm doing that, but it's just money, so what." Even AZ looks somewhat lost and empty-eyed lying there among girls when he's not trying to convince you how envious you should be right now.

Probably it's me reading too much into this, I don't know, but the MV only amplified the feeling that you've got to read between the lines, it isn't all about bragging.

For now I'll give the MV 9 out of 10, and the song is a solid 7.

Peace out ✌️

[cosplayinamerica]

So I was checking out a vendor who sold Dungeons and Dragons themed shirts because I wanted to get one for my boyfriend who DM’s our campaign and while I was looking around I heard, “Rey! I’ve found him, look I’ve found him!” And it was Captain America pointing at Luke!! I dropped what I was doing and ran over to them and started getting pictures! Then, Luke asked me if I could “hypothetically carry a 200 pound man on my back, could I do it?” I said yes! He jumped on and just assumed I would stand there for the picture, but instead I started running around the Star Wars area, passing the Rebel Legion, with Luke on my back pointing me to wear the training was! He even called after Kylo saying, “Hey Kylo, top this!!! I knew that I wanted to do Rey for AwesomeCon because Rey is perhaps one my my favorite characters ever! I actually hadn’t ever cosplayed at a con before, so I wanted this one to be very special. I love Star Wars like crazy so I knew that Star Wars had to be a part of my first real con experience. I also cosplayed as Starfire from Teen Titans! My Rey costume was put together with an eclectic mix of things, and while it isn’t Legion approved, it was Robin approved so I didn’t mind! Some pieces I purchased myself and styled them according to the character, and other pieces were acquired from The Jedi Outfitters on Instagram. My hair for this cosplay is also my natural hair! I actually cut it last December because I wanted my hairstyle to resemble Daisy Ridley’s. From the second I checked in I had started getting compliments of my cosplay which felt so good to hear because even though I wasn’t screen accurate, it meant that my cosplay was reading as Rey. I wore my costume the first day of the con, and surprisingly, there wasn’t very many Reys there that day. Plus, it got me noticed by a very awesome Captain America, (Colorado Captain) who was hanging out with Luke and told me where to find him! Cosplay has impacted my life in a huge way. I’m a theatre major so getting into character is something I love to do, so being a character that I really look up to and admire was such an amazing experience. I actually have a YouTube channel that has a vlog from the day of that con where you can see me carrying Luke around! Check it out!! (I also got to talk to John Boyega, Finn from Star Wars!!) https://youtu.be/XwXpn3eY94Y ---- https://www.instagram.com/robinmcgrath/ Photo : https://www.instagram.com/jcomic857/

Support Cosplay in America by shopping on Amazon https://amzn.to/2HadPW3

[starforged]

finnrey: finn interrupting the force skype calls

The door had served well as a metaphor, something that Rey felt Luke Skywalker would have approved of. The door, however, was simply a metaphor. Because it did nothing to stop the occasional appearance of Kylo Ren when it was inconvenient for her even more than it had been in the beginning. And it wasn’t because of hatred, like before. She had let that go, watched it blow like the sands of Jakku to sit in the past where it needed to be. 

There were many reasons to hate him. The people of the Resistance had made that very clear. 

She couldn’t.

And maybe that was why the door was a metaphor, and maybe that was why she had this eternal migraine whenever their connection hummed to life and brought them together again. 

“Another day of silence?”

“Another day of silence,” she agreed. 

Which wasn’t silence at all. 

“Who are you talking to?” Finn came into the room, just his head peeking from around a corner to stare at her and the otherwise empty space. 

She had told him almost everything.

She had not told him this part.

“Nobody,” she said with a weak smile, relieved to find that Kylo Ren had cut the several minutes of not-silence short today. 

“They don’t treat you the way you should be treated,” he told her. 

“And how should I be treated?”

He wore her down, little by little. Not because he was too strong or because she was too weak. It was because she had glimpsed the angry and lonely boy beneath the mantle of the Supreme Leader and she knew him. How did she compartmentalize who she knew and who he was? 

Rey finally allowed herself a glance at him, his stony face that betrayed the storm of emotions that crackled beneath the skin, the dark hair that had been pulled back from his face as if echoing her own hairstyle, the endlessly black outfit that seemed to drown him. He was everything the Resistance needed in a villain. 

“With fear? Anger?”

“Awe.”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t want to be a legend.” She knew what legends did to people. 

Where Kylo Ren stood, Finn stood as well, as if the two of them had merged. He made a face, rolling his shoulders as he batted the air around him. Batted the figure of Kylo Ren from a galaxy away.

“There is a crazy chill crawling up my spine,” Finn told her. 

She pressed her lips together now to hold in a laugh as Kylo Ren threw her a disgusted look and vanished again. Finn, on the other hand, watched her with mild concern. 

“I think we might end up being legends regardless of what we feel. It kind of goes with epic wars, I’m learning. And also - you know - not being nameless and faceless and doing something.”

“But I thought you were a big deal, Finn,” Rey said. Her grin was perhaps more forced than she meant for it to be, but it softened out around the edges when he reached out to her and took her hand.

“Well, funny thing. I think I am now.”

She threaded her fingers through his so easily that it almost made her pull her hand away. She had almost held Ben’s hand once, before his dark path opened up.

“There’s something wrong,” Finn said.

“Not today, there isn’t.”

Five more times, Kylo Ren had come to talk.

Five more times, Finn had interrupted.

He chatted about dark clouds and how he had missed Rey and took her to see things he thought she wanted to see.

She felt the rush of anger through the Force, between their connection, for the former stormtrooper that had impeccable timing. 

They sat with their backs to a wall, legs splayed out in front of them. Between them, Rey lifted a few pebbles, swirling them around in interesting patterns. It was no feat of strength for her, no uncovering of a cave entrance. The way Finn’s eyes lit up, she might as well have been juggling mountains.

“I can feel it, I think. It’s like an electricity,” Finn told her. 

She looked at him in surprise, eyes widening. Was he like her? She wasn’t sure. But before she could begin to launch a million questions at him, he was already launching a million at her. 

“I feel it a lot when you’re talking to yourself. Which is a very strange thing, Rey. I know you’ve been through a lot, so I haven’t been trying to bug you, but is that normal? Is that a Force thing? You get quiet and uneasy and there’s this chill in the air and it–”

Rey slapped a hand over Finn’s mouth gently, a laugh on her lips. “It’s kind of a Force thing.”

He peeled off one finger, then two, just enough to talk around her hand. His lips tickled her skin when they moved against her. “I wouldn’t call that an explanation.”

What could she say? She wasn’t sure if she was ready to tell him the whole truth just yet, as if this was something too much for anyone else to share. Maybe, a little, she wanted to keep that part of Ben Solo that belonged to her. Maybe, a little, she wanted to keep Finn separate from that part so that he didn’t get hurt. It was a selfish trait, but that was okay. When she was ready, she knew Finn would understand.

For now, though: “I know. Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then whenever you feel that, please keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Barging in on you?”

“It’s not barging if I give you permission.”

He mulled it over, pulling her hand away from his mouth entirely now, before nodding. “Is it dangerous?”

“A little,” she confirmed. 

“Then I’ll do what I can.” There was so much promise and hope in that statement, she thought her chest might explode, a star of happiness that settled inside of her.

It was easy enough, then, to ignore Kylo Ren appearing, as if drawn to its creation.

[marybeatriceofmodena]

chance may crown me - a story for the 2017 reylo fanfiction anthology: celebrate the waking

chapter I (AO3/Tumblr) | chapter II (AO3/Tumblr) | chapter III | chapter IV | chapter V | chapter VI | chapter VII | chapter VIII

“I still think this is a bad idea,” muttered Rey from behind the screen.

“Well, I thought you were the reckless one,” whispered Finn.

“I’m not reckless! I just happen to know when I’m able to handle something. I can’t go around pretending to be a lady. The dress you got me is too long. I’ll trip on the skirt or something.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted a nice dress at some point? Like, all the time?”

“I didn’t mean it that way!”

“You always want us to keep dresses when we scavenge them!”

“I just like their colors! And silk is so soft! Finn, can you ask Maz if we can keep the dress after that? I could use the fabric to make myself a cushion. It’s so pretty.”

“Rey!”

“Fine.” Rey stayed silent for a few minutes, focusing and making sure that she was putting her head and her arms in the right holes of the dress. She thankfully didn’t have to ask Finn for help to tie up the gown, since the closure was on the side instead of the back. She pulled down the skirt to make sure the edges fell on the ground properly, and she swung it around, mesmerized for a second by its swish. The dress was simple, but to Rey, it was something worthy of the Queen of Naboo’s wardrobe. The fabric was an emerald green, her favorite color, and she couldn’t help but run her hands on the embroidery and the pearls.

“Are you sure I should have a different hairstyle?” asked Rey.

“Yep,” replied Finn. “You’re the only person I know who wears three little buns in their hair. You don’t want to be recognized.”

Rey sighed, hesitating slightly before undoing her buns at the bottom and the middle. She quickly combed her loose hair with her fingers, letting it fall freely on her shoulders. She hesitated for a moment, as her right hand lingered on the last bun, on top of her head. She decided to leave it there so she wouldn’t look too much like a stranger to herself.

She shook her boots off her feet and slipped on the slippers that had come with the rest of her disguise. Their green color and the small pearls at their tip matched the gown, and they were comfortable. Rey was grateful Maz hadn’t given her those high-heeled horrors she’d see ladies wear sometimes. She couldn’t understand how they even managed to walk with them.

“Are you done yet?” asked Finn. “You’re taking forever!”

“Almost! Be patient!” Rey wished that there was a mirror nearby, so she could see herself and be certain she didn’t look ridiculous. Finn would be her only judge.

She took a deep breath, ignoring her heart beating in her ears and deafening all the other sounds, and came out from behind the screen.

As Finn’s eyes widened, she winced and turned away. She didn’t hear BB-8 beeping in approval. “I look terrible,” she complained.

“No! No, you really don’t. You look… nice. Really nice.” Rey jolted back to Finn in surprise. He was smiling softly. “I don’t know, Rey… I’m just… You really look like a lady. I’m proud of you.”

Rey beamed at him, trying not to laugh. “It’s not my wedding day, mom.”

Finn shrugged. “Well… I’ve been wanting to give you a better life for years, but I never could. I guess that for a moment, I could almost imagine—”

He was interrupted by Rey walking towards him, hugging him tightly. “You took good care of me during all those years, Finn,” murmured Rey. “Even if I can take care of myself.”

For the first time since Finn had come up with the plan, Rey felt confident.

Everything would be just fine.

When Rey, Finn and BB-8 arrived at the limit between the lower and upper cities, they quickly searched for a spot where no one would see them, permitting Rey to change clothes, walk around the upper city and get into the royal palace unnoticed.

As she changed clothes, folding her usual beige apparel neatly, Rey recalled all the recommendations Finn had given her. Stand straight. Always look people right in the eye. Speak like you’re used to giving orders, but do it with a smile. And don’t wipe your mouth with your sleeve.

As she recalled that last recommendation, Rey was unable to stifle a laugh. “I’m ready,” she said, but it came more as a murmur, and not quite as confidently as she would have wanted to.

Finn squeezed her shoulders. “Everything will be fine. BB-8 will only make you look more believable as a lady. The rest is going to be a piece of cake. Just make sure Plutt isn’t be anywhere near his room. I’ll wait for you until you come back.”

Rey took a deep breath, and smiled shyly. “Promise you’ll stay here?”

“Hey, I don’t want to go back home and have you bursting in and yelling at me for leaving,” Finn chuckled. “Don’t forget the bag,” added Finn as he handed it to her. “And don’t forget the story we’ve made up for when you come out of the elevator. The guards are going to wonder what a lady like you was doing in the lower city.”

Rey nodded and stepped into the elevator, BB-8 in tow, her eyes not moving away from Finn’s until the doors closed.

The various social classes weren’t forbidden from going into the different parts of the capital. However, it was rather unheard of: the lower city, and especially the undercity, had a bad reputation, earned ever since the days of the Empire. Thirty years later, the restoration efforts had been massive, but this remnant of the Empire was still existing. Inhabitants of the lower levels could go in the upper city, but of course, security guards would keep a sharp eye on them, always suspecting them of being thieves looking for something valuable. It was impossible for them to enter the palace, or even come anywhere near it.

It wouldn’t be a problem for Rey. Not with her disguise.

She forced herself to breathe evenly as she got out of the elevator and two guards came towards her, their brows raised. She smiled at them, while she reminded herself to keep her chin high.

“I was in the lower city doing a bit of charity work,” she said, and she mentally congratulated herself for being a far more convincing actress than she thought she was. “Everything went fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

The two guards nodded, reassured, and bowed respectfully before walking away. Rey tried her best to ignore the excitement tickling her stomach, but she was unable to. She had to admit she liked having people bow to her as if she was a lady.

She turned to BB-8, sighed in contentment and couldn’t stop herself from beaming. No, this would definitely be easier than she thought.

From the upper city, the palace was hard to miss, and Rey was grateful she maintained her credibility by not having to ask directions. A few gentlemen stopped to greet her, bowing their heads, and Rey became thankful that Finn and Maz had forced her to rehearse the curtsies every lady at the Naboo court should know since childhood. She didn’t trip once. Her skirt was gently caressing her legs from time to time, and Rey liked its silken feel as she walked.

Despite the purpose of it all, it was hard to deny that she was enjoying herself.

The Queen was getting married the following week, and the Festival of Light was starting its festivities tomorrow night. The palace gates were opened, and Rey only had to follow the crowd in order to get in.

As she managed to spot a servant, Rey took a deep breath as she headed towards him. For this small moment, he wasn’t a superior, but someone who would have to bow to her and call her a lady: more than anything else, Rey was terrified that he’d see right through her disguise and reveal her identity to everyone.

Hold your head up high. Smile.

“Excuse me—” The servant’s eyes widened in surprise, and Rey tried not to show her embarrassment. A lady never apologized for asking any servant to work. She took a deep breath. She was almost there. “I’m looking for Lord Unkar Plutt’s room. Do you happen to know where I can find it?”

The servant nodded with a smile, searching for the necessary information on his datapad. “Of course, my lady. However, I see that Lord Plutt has left a few hours ago. Would you simply prefer to give me whatever message you might want to leave him?”

“No! That will be unnecessary. I would appreciate if you showed me the way. I’ll know where to find him, and I’ll return later.”

The servant nodded, and guided Rey through a maze of corridors. Thankfully, she was used to finding her way through the city, and mentally took note of the path she had to follow when she would come back later.

A few minutes later, they arrived in a corridor, with many doors flanking them.

“The door to Lord Plutt’s room would be the seventh one on the left,” said the servant. “Is there anything else you need, my lady?”

“Nothing at all,” grinned Rey. “Thank you very much.” Without thinking, Rey found herself curtsying to the servant. She scolded herself, more than ever, trying her best not to tremble. Now that would blow her cover!

The servant gasped, but a shy, almost frightened smile drew itself on his lips. “You—you are very kind, my lady. Thank you.”

He turned away, leaving Rey relieved, but perplexed.

She shook her head, heading towards the door the servant had indicated. It would probably be locked: thankfully, after years of scavenging, she had become an expert at slicing through any security systems.

But the door wasn’t locked: it was opened.

Rey trembled, worrying that Plutt would be there after all, and would recognize her, and have her arrested. She slowly walked towards the door, lifting her skirt to make sure the noise of the fabric brushing the floor wouldn’t betray her. She finally came close enough to see the inside of the room.

There was a tall black silhouette, searching for something in a footlocker, until it grabbed a krayt dragon pearl necklace.

The same one Rey had scavenged the day before.

She rushed and jumped on the dark figure, unable to totally muffle what sounded like a battle cry.

Perhaps she was a thief, but she wouldn’t let someone else steal her quarry!

Finn wasn’t the only one loitering in that corner of the city. Thankfully, he stayed far away from the gates separating the lower city from the upper parts: people trying to sneak in while security wasn’t watching were, according to the guards, obviously up to no good.

Finn was up to no good, but at least he was smart about it. He was used to running away from the security’s attention: what truly preoccupied his mind at that moment was Rey. She always claimed that she never needed help, but it was the first time that they were doing something big without being together. Finn tried reassuring himself by repeating that it was all his plan, and that everything would go along just fine… until it occurred to him that if something happened to Rey, he would have no one else but himself to blame.

All right. Breathe in, breathe out. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm—

Something crashed into his back, and he almost tripped forward, letting out a cry. But after years of living in the streets, Finn was quick on his feet, and it took a split second before he turned around to see what – or who – had collapsed unto him.

It was a girl, around his age, her jet-black hair pulled back in a bun, her cheeks reddened by her wild running. Two dark brown eyes were staring at him, widened in surprise, but with an obvious glimmer of intelligence. Despite her tenseness, she smiled at Finn, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but think that her dimples were… nice. Even cute.

“Hi! Sorry to bump into you. Have a nice day!” the girl quickly muttered, before starting to run again. Finn was quicker than she was, and managed to grab her by the arm before she was out of reach. She tried to yank it away, but it was no use.

“Hey!” shouted Finn. “What’s going on?”

The girl quickly glanced left, and Finn, as he looked that way as well in curiosity, noticed guards coming straight towards them. And not just any guards: royal guards.

“Great, they think we’re accomplices now,” grumbled the girl. “Let’s go!”

Finn didn’t need to get told to run: his instincts had taught him years ago to fear any royal guard more than any other security figure. Thankfully, he knew the lower city better than anyone and how to get into the undercity from there without running across any patrol that might have been sent after him. It didn’t seem to be the case with the girl, considering he soon realized she was letting him guide (or rather drag) her around.

When they finally sneaked into the undercity, they stopped in an alley for a moment, catching their breath.

“All right,” Finn managed to let out. “What on Mustafar have you done?”

The girl swiftly looked away, gulping in embarrassment. Finn rolled his eyes. “Hey, no time for little secrets, miss!”

She didn’t appear to be the slightest bit annoyed by his interjection. Instead, she turned her gaze towards him, staring at him in the eye. “You… you don’t recognize me?” she asked.

Finn frowned, perplex. “Should I?” he asked.

The girl sighed, in what appeared to be relief. “Good,” she whispered, and before Finn could ask other questions, she raised her hand. The gesture, along with her seriousness and the way her gaze froze him into place, discouraged him from arguing any more. It took Finn a few seconds to realize his mouth was wide-open in surprise. “We don’t have time to lose,” she said, her voice quiet, but clear. “We may have escaped the guards, but next thing they’ll send after me will probably be bounty hunters. And assassins.”

“What?”

The day was just getting better and better, and Finn could already hear Rey saying: “I told you this was a bad idea.”

Author’s note: for those of you wondering what Rey’s dress looks like, this is the closest I could find, because LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT GREEN DRESS IS HARD. 

[captainsongstress-blog]

Chocolate Box 2017

Hi! Welcome into my little world. I will love whatever you write or draw for me. :) 

General pointers about my taste and some things that are bulletproof likes:

Pointers:

I am a fluff person, not a grimdark person. Homophobia, sexism, racism, etc., are not things I enjoy.

I like porn, and I like handholding and shy kisses, and I like friendly shenanigans and banter. Any and all ratings are great. PWP is not really my thing, though.

Casual, organic worldbuilding is really fun. For example, I’d love to know what date night options are available for couples on a Resistance base, or how Padmé deals with the bureaucracy of being a Senator, or the idiosyncrasies of the Millennium Falcon that Leia slowly learns to navigate.

Bulletproof likes:

Friendship, found family, leisurely kisses, secretly holding hands, sex in semi-public places (but not actually being caught or having someone watching, sorry, I’m finicky), very different personalities appreciating each other and becoming friends, flyboys and flygirls being hotshots, bridging upbringings/countries/planets/etc., sarcastic banter (if in character for that character), awesome hair and hairstyles, cross-generational bonding, stolen peaceful moments in the midst of war, relationships that are full of laughter.

General Note 1: I am not a fan of Kylo Ren, any ships involving Kylo Ren, any heavy angst involving Kylo Ren, or fics set during the period in which he turned. Obviously fic involving Leia or Han can totally mention him, but dwelling on him wouldn’t be great for me. (Baby/toddler/kid Ben Solo is fine.)

General Note 2 – feel free to mix and match ideas and pairings between sections, if they fit your story/artwork. If you want to write a fic in which Chewbacca holes up in the cockpit playing loud Wookie death metal to drown out the sounds of Han & Leia boning all over the rest of the Falcon, and then cut to twenty years later when he comforts Leia after the events on Starkiller Base, go for it. Or a sketch of Rey/Jessika and Poe/Finn on a double date. Etc.

Specifics after the cut.

Fandom sections:

i. Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

Breha Organa & Leia Organa Bail Organa & Leia Organa

Breha, Bail, or both, on the day Leia enters their lives. 

Raising Leia and hiding her in plain sight.

What it means to raise Darth Vader’s daughter.

Teaching Leia the things she needs to know, both for now (to keep her safe) and for later (when she takes up her heritage).

The day that Leia demands to be part of the rebellion.

How much of Leia is nature (Padmé and Anakin) and how much is nurture (Breha & Bail)?

Breha Organa & Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala & Obi-Wan Kenobi Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi

Bail was Padmé’s closest ally in the Senate, but Breha was her friend.

After Padmé is gone and Breha is raising Leia, Breha can sometimes see her departed friend so strongly in the way Leia holds her head, or the way Leia demands justice for small childhood wrongs.

Padmé and Obi-Wan have such chemistry in the movies. Whether you go with friendship or romance, tell me more!

During the clandestine marriage, Padmé struggles with the necessity of deceiving Obi-Wan.

It’s Obi-Wan and Padmé who fall in love, not Anakin and Padmé. How does this change the course of the galaxy?

Padmé survives, and she, Obi-Wan, and the twins go on the run together.

Padmé Amidala & Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker

Padmé survives and goes on the run with the twins.

Padmé survives and goes into hiding with one of the twins, separating the twins to keep them safer, and much later is reunited with the twin she gave up.

Obi-Wan shows up in the Force Afterlife and tells Padmé about Luke and his life on Tatooine. Later he brings her news as his Force ghost goes traipsing around during the Original Trilogy.

ii. Rogue One - A Star Wars Story

Bail Organa & Leia Organa

It’s time at last for Bail to bring Leia out of hiding. He’s not just sending Obi-Wan the plans - he’s sending Obi-Wan Leia.

Saying goodbye to Leia before going to Alderaan, knowing that the next time he sees her she’ll be on the way to becoming a Jedi, and she won’t ever be quite the same woman again.

Seeing Padmé in Leia more strongly with every passing year.

Bringing up a young firebrand and being so proud of her; sparing her what hardship and darkness he can, while knowing that he can’t spare her forever.

Jyn Erso/Leia Organa Jyn Erso & Leia Organa Jyn Erso/Luke Skywalker

The “Jyn meets the twins” ships! Setting it either before the events of Rogue One (a chance meeting while Jyn was on her own after leaving Saw, perhaps?), during the events of Rogue One (while Jyn’s on the rebel base), or afterwards (an AU in which Jyn lives) are all great. 

Leia’s an 18-year-old Senator in a galaxy falling more to shreds with every passing year. She meets another young woman somewhere (Coruscant? A fact-finding mission on some planet? Whatever you like), and chats with her/flirts with her/falls into bed with her.

With the Rebellion starting up in earnest, it’s ‘live for today’. Leia kisses Jyn in the hours leading up to the departure of Rogue One, just to establish a human connection and ground all the sick adrenaline racing through her veins. K-2SO observes and does not approve.

After relaying the plans, Jyn is captured by the Empire and taken off-planet before it’s blown up. Later she’s thrown in the same prison block as Leia and rescued at the same time. Cue any of these three relationships while New Hope happenings are happenin’.

Cassian Andor & K-2SO Jyn Erso & K-2SO Jyn Erso/Bodhi Rook Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus 

a) I’m equally a fan of the real ending and of AUs where some or all of them live. b) I do not ship Bodhi/Galen, sorry, so please no implication of that. (I read Bodhi more along the lines of Galen’s surrogate son.) 

I love Cassian and Jyn’s relationships with K-2SO and am very interested in fic or drawings involving either pair. (Or all three of them.)

Jyn and Bodhi are both exceptionally pretty and I am very shallow and would enjoy stress-relief ‘we’re gonna die’ kisses/sex. 

Jyn and Bodhi become an item after the events of Rogue One (obviously a they-live!AU).

Chirrut and Baze are awesome and I would love any romance fic about them. What were their adventures like before the events of Rogue One?

iii. Star Wars Original Trilogy

Leia Organa/Han Solo

Interstitial adventures.

Alllll the banter.

Post-RotJ happiness and adventures and laughter.

Quiet moments when nothing needs to be said.

They have amazing sex, all the time and everywhere. They nearly get caught many times, but somehow they never quite do.

Luke Skywalker/Han Solo

AU in which Han and Luke are the ones to fall in love instead of Han & Leia. What changes?

Luke plays peacemaker between his boyfriend and his sister, because Han & Leia may not be together, but they still spar all the time.

Han coming back to save Luke’s ass in A New Hope because he can’t quite bear to have Luke blown to smithereens.

Han getting teased by old hardened smuggler buddies about his wide-eyed quiet boyfriend, only for Luke to surprise them a bit.

Lando Calrissian/Han Solo

Smugglers who keep running into each other on different worlds, and falling into bed on a kinda regular basis.

What is Chewie’s POV on this?

When the Milennium Falcon’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.

Lando makes it up to Han for betraying him to Vader.

Han makes it up to Lando for stealing the Falcon.

I’m also interested in a threesome with Leia involved if you like! Or Luke, for that matter, but I think Lando was more interested in Leia. ;)

iv. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Force Awakens

Finn & Chewbacca Rey & Chewbacca

Chewbacca bonding with Finn or Rey (or both), either during the movie or afterwards. (Particularly Rey if ‘afterwards’.)

Chewbacca and Rey becoming best buddies in an alternate universe in which she does get to cruise around the galaxy as a Falcon crewmember. Han says they’re ganging up on him.

Chewbacca comforting Rey after Han’s death.

Leia Organa & Rey Finn & Leia Organa

Leia bonding with Finn or Rey (or both), either during the movie or afterwards.

Leia telling Rey what she can about the Force, answering questions about Rey’s powers, etc. (Without a Kylo Ren focus, please.)

Leia telling Rey about Luke and what she can expect from him. Humor is great.

Finn’s heard Imperial stories about Leia. She’s a legend to him. Getting to know a legend is daunting!

Finn & Rey

Finn and Rey, best friends for life.

Finn and Rey have adventures. 

Finn gets to come with Chewie once to visit Rey during her training.

Rey and Luke arrive at the Resistance base and the first person she wants to go see is Finn. They share all the stories about what’s been happening to them. 

Finn & Rey & Poe Dameron

More of the above! I am totally here for platonic bromances and found family and all the awesome space adventures.

Finn/Rey Jessika Pava/Rey Poe Dameron/Finn & Jessika Pava/Rey Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey

The ships! Tell me a story or draw me a picture of finding love during a time of war.

Having sex in a X-wing doesn’t sound like a good idea but you know Poe’s done it.

Porny threesome fic is always a great choice. Especially if it’s funny as well as hot.

One of them is a matchmaker.

Everybody sleeps with everybody on the Resistance base, because hey, it’s wartime and you’re only young once and you might die tomorrow. 

Alternate additional option to the last prompt: and sometimes people catch feelings for each other. :)

Leia Organa/Han Solo Poe Dameron/Leia Organa Poe Dameron/Leia Organa/Han Solo

Please no dubcon power-dynamics with Poe; I love these pairings only when Poe is 100% on board (and not in Leia’s direct line of command).

Leia misses Han, whether during the AWOL years or after Starkiller Base.

Leia and Han meet during the AWOL years. 

Please tell me there’s a missing ‘reunited’ scene in Force Awakens.

Han is gone for years at a time. Leia’s never been someone to pine away forlornly. And she’s always had a weak spot for flyboys...

After a long day fighting with the Republic for more funding and worrying over intelligence reports, it’s pretty great to come back to her quarters and lay it all aside. Poe gives great massages.

Poe sings in the shower, hums while he’s making breakfast, and traces poetry on her skin. Leia’s not sure if she likes it or not, but she’s coming around.

Han, Leia, and Poe all in bed together would definitely blow my mind a bit with the sheer hotness level. Anything would be fantastic; one particular image that sticks in my head is Han fucking Poe while Poe goes down on Leia.

v. Star Wars RPF

Carrie Fisher/Mark Hamill Carrie Fisher & Mark Hamill

I read The Princess Diarist, and during her difficult fling with Harrison (in which she was constantly insecure, he never talked to her or seemed to like her very much except one time that she did an impression of him, and she was so young and inexperienced), Carrie explicitly told her diary at one point something along the lines of “why couldn’t it have been Mark?!” So of course I thought - what if it HAD been Mark? I bet that relationship would have worked much better, because Mark seems like a total sweetheart.

Alternatively, Carrie & Mark’s friendship over the years.

Carrie Fisher & Daisy Ridley Harrison Ford/Oscar Isaac Mark Hamill & Daisy Ridley Mark Hamill/Oscar Isaac

Carrie giving Daisy advice about entering the Star Wars universe. Canonically the only advice I’ve heard is that she told her to fight for her haircut and her outfit more generally (e.g. no buns or metal bikinis).

Mark and Daisy bonding during filming and developing a father-daughter or older brother-younger sister type of relationship. (I love that picture of her carrying him on her back like he carried Yoda!)

Oscar and either of his older counterparts have a torrid one-night stand. This is a very shallow request, I admit it. It’d be super hot either way but especially hot if Oscar was topping, for some reason. IDK. (I am not good at giving porny prompts. I get all blushy, lmao.)

John Boyega & Oscar Isaac & Daisy Ridley John Boyega/Oscar Isaac John Boyega/Daisy Ridley

The new trio bonding! Becoming friends during filming and marketing and watching the whole world going apeshit over you.

John Boyega falling in love with either one of his costars. <3 Romance or porn are both great. (Or both.)

Felicity Jones/Daisy Ridley Oscar Isaac/Diego Luna Riz Ahmed/Oscar Isaac

Crossover pairings! Romance, porn, or a combo are all great. 

Oscar Isaac is in a lot of these pairings, I’m noticing now. But he is really hot. Sob.

Also, this is of course totally totally optional but I just saw the Golden Globes and damn damn damn I’ve fallen in love with Oscar Isaac/Gael García Bernal, soooo if that appealed to you and you felt like writing them, be my guest.

Riz Ahmed/Diego Luna Riz Ahmed/Diego Luna/Alan Tudyk

And finally, the Rogue One pairings! Whether you go with just Riz & Diego or with the full threesome, I think it’d be really hot. :) You could also go Riz/Diego & Alan if that dynamic appeals to you than Riz/Diego/Alan.