#i just really like the idea of him being like a very charismatic otherworldly being but using his powers to charm without the sex so like

[the-kipsabian]

hi crow!! i (unfortunately) have not had the chance to read your writing yet (its on my to do list i swear) but!! was wondering if you have a favorite AU w kip and orange? (whether that's an AU you came up with / wrote yourself or like, the idea of ____ au is smth you love!)

hiiii milo 💜

yo youre all good, theres no rush, we are all busy with life sometomes, dont worry about it! they arent going anywhere so you're all good ~

ooooh aus you say.. i mean. technically the belt corruption arc is an au cause its technically a canon divergence fic and its very beloved to me, buuut i think i have. a single au on my list of things i want to write. that being the vampire au LOL (its like oc/best friends as vampires but also its a very ace!oc so. double au woo)

i would love to do more au stuff honestly but brain do be going brrr with what i have right now so we'll see. eventually maybe!!

[darknetneopets]

New Eden profile and info 🖤

Yes I’m obsessed with my little grey idiot and keep tweaking stuff about them heheee

Eden H. Grey (He/They)

My Twisted Wonderland MC aka the Ramshackle Dorm prefect!

While he doesn’t have magic I like to headcanon there is something to Dire calling him a ‘beast tamer’ and that he can hear and feel the stuff we see in game during a character’s overblot 🖤

He's very loosely based on Chernabog from Fantasia!

They are obviously a very self indulgent oc and I project on them a lot hehee

At first glance Eden is, well, a little plain. At most he might come off a bit ‘quirky’ (read: nurodivergent) and he’s just not what you would call flashy or charismatic. He’s also queer and has only recently come to terms with being nonbinary so he’s still working on how he wants to present himself.

Mostly he's just kind of a nerd. His interests include computer games, fantasy books, and obscure discontinued toys. He likes scary movies and spooky music and prefers to dress in all black. He likes drawing, used to go ghost hunting, and if you call something a ‘dragon’ when it is CLEARLY a wyvern or worse yet a wyrm you're never going to hear the end of it.

Eden tries to be friendly and approachable and others often come to him for help and advice. He's always happy to help, even if he’s not particularly well suited for the job. Eden is a chronic people-pleaser and if you make him feel useful (or suggest he’s somehow been a burden) he’s guaranteed to give your request his absolute best (even if it means compromising his own well-being.)

He also does his best to appear calm and easygoing even when terribly overwhelmed and prefers to keep the focus off himself in social situations. If he finds himself in the spotlight for too long he ends up extremely flustered and the reaction is doubled when it comes to praise or romantic affection. The fact that NRC is full of cute guys with cool magic powers really doesn't do him any favors as a shy stumbling mess or as a bit of a pushover.

Occasionally Eden’s pleasant aura will give way to a sarcastic edge and he has an impressive knack for cutting someone perfectly down to size once they’ve agitated him (particularly when it’s delivering a hard truth the person needs to confront for their own good. Well, mostly anyway…) Also while he can be quite sensitive and a bit of a pushover he has a heightened sense of justice and will often jump into the fray in the heat of the moment if others are in danger. It’s 100% adrenaline fueled and he often thinks better of his past decisions while being hauled to the nurse’s office.

Despite being a pretty good judge of character Eden tries his hardest to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt (this unsurprisingly backfires on him frequently while at NRC) and thinks everyone has the capability to grow and change. Plus it often takes a while for him to process his feelings so sometimes he doesn't realize someone is acting shady until it’s far too late.

While Eden might have “all the magical talent of a box of crayons” (thanks, Ace) he’s clearly a pretty good mediator and he seems to have a curious effect on ‘otherworldly’ creatures (such as ghosts and monsters like Grim) that makes them a little more agreeable than normal. There’s also the visions and prophetic dreams he regularly experiences after being exposed to others' intense emotions, magic, or overblot states… he’s just gonna keep that to himself though…

Although obviously shaken, Eden seemed to take his arrival to Twisted Wonderland in stride. He had been in a pretty dark place in his life and if he was going to have to go around feeling lost or out of place somewhere, at least things in TW were…different? Interesting? Look, there was suddenly a whole weird new world to discover where magic is real, ghosts are commonplace and dragons might exist?!

Sure, his first instinct was to want to get home but as his stay keeps extending the idea of leaving TW seems to grow a little less attractive everyday… Not that he’s ready to admit that of course, not even to himself. Still, maybe if he learned enough, stayed useful enough, got comfortable enough… Maybe he could convince himself to leave his old life behind.

——————

Assorted hcs of various seriousness:

-Eden may not be fully human or lack magic entirely- it’s possibly something tied to Bald Mountain and the demon who rules it

-Eden comes from our universe more or less but with slight differences (mostly because I think it’s funny if there was no Disney in their universe)

-Eden is goth in both his fashion and music tastes

-has been obsessed with dragons since childhood

-Not really a hc but I have an AU idea where Eden is the dorm leader for an 8th dorm based on Chernabog :3 I’ll probably finish art of it at some point~

Character Relationship Hcs:

(I edit/update these as I play more of the game!)

Grim:

In full denial about how much he likes Eden even though they’re the first person he would run to for literally anything. They’re a particularly weird and funny human but they have a kinda nice vibe that puts Grim at ease. Not that It's gonna fully stop him from being a nuisance but at least he doesn’t set things on fire QUITE so frequently! Besides if Eden hadn't vouched for Grim to Crowley he wouldn’t have gotten into NRC at all!

As frustrating as the little monster can be, Eden can’t stay mad at Grim. Mostly because, well… Kitty cat!!! Grim is like some sort of funny little real life Pokémon and Eden can’t help but be charmed by him.

Riddle:

He often tolerates Eden’s missteps seeing as they’re new to literally everything in TW. He also appreciates how kind and supportive they are towards him even after his past behavior. Eden is just so?? Patient?? They rarely get angry even when Ace and Grim cause them all manor of grief. Sure, sometimes they’re a little too eager to work around rules rather than upholding them but where it counts Eden always seems willing to listen to Riddle.

Eden honestly really likes Riddle and would absolutely consider him a friend. After Riddle’s overblot Eden became quite protective of him, though they make sure Riddle doesn’t get wise to it! Riddle is a housewarden after all! He doesn’t need any help (he does of course but Eden tries to spare his ego.) They’re also extremely grateful for how welcoming he is, allowing them and Grim access to the Heartslabyul dorm when Ramshackle starts to feel a bit cold and lonely.

Ace:

He tries so hard to be nonchalant about their friendship that it’s honestly kind of embarrassing. He loves Eden so much they feel like a sibling to him and the two are always affectionately bullying each other. He knows he was a total jerk to them when they first met and he’s made good in private but around their other friends he’s always gonna give them shit. If some rando has anything to say about Eden though Ace will absolutely start swinging.

There are times Eden could strangle Ace, but they really do appreciate his high energy. Ace just says what’s on his mind and Eden appreciates his honesty even if he’s still kind of a jerk about it. They consider him a close friend but they're a little oblivious when it comes to just how much Ace really cares.

Deuce:

How could he not like Eden? They’re so genuinely supportive of him! Ace isn’t really a bad guy but he can be a total ass and Grim is a menace no matter how cute you think he is- Yet Eden rarely ever loses their cool when the two cause trouble for them. Deuce appreciates their attempts to de-escalate fights between students and tries to emulate that energy as he works on mending his own delinquent ways. Still he would be right there with Ace ready to brawl with anyone who thinks they can pick on Eden! Look, that's a special exception fight! Even honor students should be defending their friends, right?!

Deuce absolutely delights Eden. They get so tickled over the fact that such a tough seeming guy would get so stressed over making his mom proud or how the hell eggs work. They wish nothing but the best for him and if they can help they will! Eden and Duce like to tease each other a little but they both go even harder on Ace. Eden is also fully convinced Duce has a crush on Ace and is always tempted to try and set the two up.

Cater:

Eden is #adorbs just like all his fave freshies! They always agree to a quick photo op and like all his Magicam posts! Plus they're so adorably easy to embarrass! One time Cater called an outing they had planned a ‘date’ and Eden started stumbling over their words and turning pink! He also thinks they're really pretty despite them refusing to post pics of themself. He keeps trying to talk them into doing a lil photo shoot with Ramshackle dorm as the backdrop so he can post some serious #spooky realness! The only problem he has with Eden is that he’s scared just how much they see through him. They always read him so well and sometimes a little too deeply for Cater’s comfort…

Honestly, they find Cater kind of intimidating. He’s super extroverted, animated and very cool but he can be kind of /a lot/. However in the right doses, Eden seriously enjoys hanging out with Cater. They appreciate his willingness to come to a classmate's rescue in a pinch and they believe that under all that shallow social media talk is a solidly good guy. They actually worry about him a lot and will always try to make an effort to reach out although so far they’ve had little luck getting past his defenses.

Trey:

Look, anyone willing to help keep Ace and Deuce out of major trouble is okay in Trey’s book! He’s secretly still a little wounded from how harshly Eden set him straight about enabling Riddle and how it contributed to the whole overblot catastrophe (he knows Eden meant it with love but man it was brutal!) It’s clear to Trey that Eden cares about his well-being just as much as Riddle’s and their other Heartslabyul friends. Trey realizes that they both seem to find it worlds easier to look after others than take care of themselves so he does his best to return all of Eden’s kindness on the sly, usually in the form of food as they never seem to eat as often as they should (a mix of absentmindedness and being broke most of the time.)

Eden kinda always wanted a big brother and Trey fits the bill quite well. They often catch themself being surprisingly open with Trey and the two have had some pretty deep chats. They also like pestering him to show them how to bake and they never miss a chance to swing by the Heartslabyul kitchen when Trey’s there (plus he always makes them awesome snacks?? He's so nice!!) They admittedly get a bit frustrated with how distant Trey can be and much like with Cater Eden is convinced there’s far more under the surface than he lets on.

Leona:

Genuinely wants to hate Eden because wherever they go there's bound to be some awful racket following them and it’s infringing on Leona’s damn beauty sleep. However the sheer determination the magic-poor herbivore exhibits in the face of all manner of nonsense on campus has earned Eden a few points in Leona’s book. Still they’re /pity points/ okay? He doesn’t think of Eden as a friend or anything and he certainly doesn’t like how friendly they are with him despite all the shit he pulled during the Spelldrive tournament…

Big Kitty Man!!! Eden is perpetually fascinated with the beast men students on campus but especially Leona! The fact that there’s a guy at NRC with cat (lion) ears and he won’t even let Eden scratch them a little is practically torture. Jokes aside, Eden finds Leona a bit frustrating as they’re convinced he’s actually a really good person yet Leona seems absolutely bent on trying to prove them wrong. They consider him a friend (despite the lion's vocal protests) and they even sometimes take advantage of knowing Leona’s nap hideaways to go sit with him and hang out for a little while he’s half asleep (then book it the moment Leona gets wise!)

Jack:

All of his attempts at trying to ‘play it cool’ were no match for Eden. They’re just so honest and positive that they earned friend status with Jack in no time flat. Plus they always cheer him on in sporting events despite having little to no clue what’s going on most of the time. Their flimsy build and lack of coordination concern Jack and he’s always trying to get them to work out with him (plus they're really nice to talk to so can you blame him for wanting some one on one time? Don’t you judge him…) He would absolutely be right there with Ace and Deuce to defend Eden if push came to shove.

Jack is such a good, good wolf boy of course Eden thinks the world of him! In the sea of bullies and slime balls at NRC it was a serious relief meeting someone as honest and hardworking as Jack! His lone wolf act when they first met him was almost embarrassingly easy to see through and it’s a big relief for them to see him with friends now. They have a love/hate relationship with the trips to the gym (being sweaty is a grade A bad sensory experience) but are they gonna say no to those wolf puppy eyes? Nope no chance (they WILL try to hide though.)

Ruggie:

Look, a couple of broke errand runners like him and Eden gotta look out for each other, alright? He’s not going to go out of his way to help the guy all the time but he’s not about to try and screw them over either. If Eden was ever reallyyy in a pinch Ruggie would probably try and lend a hand, mostly because he figures they would try and do the same for him. He keeps cool about it, but it honestly shocks him how giving and considerate Eden is. Sometimes he thinks about trying to coach them to be a little bit more focused on their own wellbeing but it kinda feels like it would be spoiling a good thing.

Ruggie kinda keeps Eden on their toes. Like he’s alright where it counts but he does come off as a bit of a scoundrel sometimes. Not that they mind, it’s part of what makes him fun to be around. They find his devious snicker infectious and find his survival kills beyond impressive. They try to be helpful to him even if Ruggie seems a bit resistant to it- to be honest they just like the look on his face when they insist he doesn't owe them anything for their aid.

Azul:

How could such an opportunistic businessman like Azul not like such an absolute pushover- er- considerate individual! Plus Eden is always willing to at least hear out Azul’s current scam, sorry, venture, and even if they don’t buy in they offer (admittedly bad) advice. They always say things like ‘I just like hanging out and talking to you, Azul’ but certainly they’ve actually just been waiting on the right deal to make with him, right? If he ever seems to be angling extra hard to get Eden into another contract or something it’s because they’re an easy mark okay? It’s not like he just really wants them to think he’s cool and smart! It’s also not like he’s trying to save face after the whole Monstro Lounge expansion deal went horribly awry! Stop it with the sympathetic looks, Mr. Grey, I am trying to scam you!!

Eden gets quite exasperated with Azul’s slimy antics but they try really hard to be a friend after all the rough stuff Azul has been through. Honestly they also feel kinda bad about doing him dirty and getting all of his contracts destroyed, even if it was for the better. They always encourage him to better himself in healthier ways to pretty mixed results and they do their best to be patient with the guy (even when he regularly takes advantage of their kindness.) Eden admittedly also finds it amusing the lengths Azul goes to rope them into owing him things they would have done anyway (I would have done you a favor just because, man. Can you just ask next time?) Plus sometimes Azul lets them work shifts at the lounge so they can buy craft supplies so that’s a win.

Jade:

Jade thinks Eden is very…interesting. It was pretty clear to him early on that despite the way Eden insists on assuming the best of others, they are also very perceptive at reading a person’s deeper feelings. So he tends to keep a sizable distance so they can’t get too good of a read on him, unfortunately it’s also become something of a game to him. Now and then he likes to chat with them when they show up at the Monstro lounge to work or for a boba fix and see how mysterious he can keep himself. Besides, it's fun to speak to someone who shows such genuine interest in his species and his mountain based hobbies. (Autism to Autism communication)

Eden tries their best not to show just how much Jade intimidates them. Like the whole creepy eel man thing is fun- they were honestly so stunned to meet a real life merman that the first dozen times they spoke to him they made an absolute fool of themself. Still there’s something behind that smile they just can’t place…like he’s playing some bizarre one sided high stakes game with them. It’s way more unsettling than whatever Azul or Floyd have going on. Still they do their best to always say hi to him and ask about his cool terrarium projects…also secretly really curious about what makes the guy tick.

Floyd:

Little grey Shrimpy!! They’re so funny when they give him a hug and then they try to wiggle out of his arms when he won’t stop squeezing! Sometimes if he teases them enough they even turn into a bright pink shrimpy! Eden is fun to talk to because they never seem to mind Floyd’s sudden shift in interest and will just roll with whatever new topic he’s onto (ADHD to ADHD communication) Floyd is absolutely on Team Beat Down™️ if anyone else tries to pick on HIS Shrimpy (plus he just wants an excuse to fight people…)

He might not be as scary as Jade but Floyd has his moments and they always catch Eden by surprise. Fortunately they don’t seem to last long and even the worst of his squeezes have ended before they lost consciousness or anything. They had considered just not hugging him anymore but Floyd is their friend and he seemed pretty disappointed when they tried to skip out on a hug. So now they’ve just decided to just take their chances because hey, free pressure therapy! Something about Floyd’s smile and happy voice just appeals to Eden (to the confusion of most of their classmates) and they honestly like hanging out with him.

Kalim:

Kalim super duper appreciates having someone else around who just wants everyone to get along! He had practically made the decision on sight that he and Eden were going to be besties and Eden just rolled with it. He was extra mindful of them after Jamil’s overblot, feeling partly responsible for the whole debacle. Some people might be salty over how brutally honest Eden gets in the heat of the moment (Trey) but Kalim happily insists that they were a much needed wakeup call while facing Jamil’s overblot despite everyone else’s reaction. He particularly likes that Eden likes hugs and always accepts his invitations to things if they have time.

Eden is far from immune to Kalim’s boundless energy and literal sunshine personality even if they do find him a bit overwhelming at times. They often find themself bouncing between “It's okay, Kalim means well!” and “Oh man am I glad I’m not Jamil!” Still it’s quite nice to bask in Kalim’s constant positive energy even with his occasional out of touch rich person moments.

Jamil:

Despite being someone who is very mindful of how he presents himself Jamil has a hard time gauging how well he has fooled Eden. Even after his overblot he’s unsure of his standing with the other. They were always too kind for their own good but after everything he put them through they still go out of their way on occasion to help him? He has no clue what to make of it and has chosen to just steer clear of them, something made difficult when they keep making a point to talk to him… he does kind of enjoy the weird little interactions they have in a way, especially because they don’t tend to ask things of him.

Eden has absolutely edited the epic handshake meme to be about Jamil, Ruggie, and them. Looking after their respective problem-people has absolutely become an unspoken bond of comradery, mostly manifesting as knowing looks and slow nods. They admittedly think Jamil is kind of a jerk, but they also feel like he’s kind of earned the right to be. Even if they’re not close, Eden worries about Jamil and he’s oddly enough the one they came closest to telling about their visions during his overblot.

Vil:

Waaay more tolerant of the drab little prefect than he really should be (In Vil measurements at least) because even if they’re one of the least graceful potatoes he’s ever seen, they never fail to compliment him when the two cross paths (like just competing his makeup or hair out of nowhere? Without even a hint of irony or an ulterior motive of any kind??) He has developed a habit of scolding Eden for wearing their blazer off their shoulders or not taking better care of their skin and hair. “You’re never going to be on the level of a /Pomefiore/ student but at the very least try and show a little decorum for the school’s sake! My word is this DUST all over you? Ughh you’re going to bring the very property value of the school down like this!!”

Vil is way too fucking pretty, like it gives Eden pangs of anxiety and serious gender envy. They get so nervous when he approaches them that they panic and stutter out some silly compliments every time. They would love to ask him for makeup tips or talk about fashion but they’re way too intimidated. At first they thought they had hit the jackpot when Vil started aggressively rearranging them on sight and suggesting products for them to use (all of which are WAY too expensive upon researching) but as it’s gone on they can’t seem to figure out whether it’s actually intended to be helpful or if it’s some sort of weird new advanced form of bullying…

Epel:

Eden is refreshingly regular in Epel’s opinion and is a welcome break from the freaks in his own dorm. If he had his druthers he would probably be tempted to transfer to Ramshackle if Savanaclaw was off the table. It would be a breath of fresh air having someone like Eden to answer to after dealing with Vil’s tyranny. He catches himself feeling a little giddy when he gets the chance to hang out with Eden and their first year friends, it’s just nice to act a bit more like himself without fear of judgment.

Epel is SO CUTE AAAA! Not that Eden would ever say that to his face because they know it would embarrass him, but still! Cutie!! They always make a point of cheering him on when he’s excited or proud about something while making a point not to just pick him up and squeeze him no matter how badly they want to.

Rook:

Ah yes the lovely Mx nuage d'orage is a most curious little thing indeed! While they are a bit plain, Rook of all people can of course admire their subtle beauty and is convinced that with a bit of work they could be an ‘ethereal vision of genderfluid beauty!’ Certainly a little makeover by the magnificent Vil Schoenheit would work wonders towards this goal if Eden would only accept Rook’s invitation to stop by the Pomefiore dorm for a visit and sit still for a few- oh? Where are you off to my little storm cloud?? I will gladly give chase but rest assured I most certainly WILL catch you!! :)

Rook is a freak. Grade A, high quality weirdo. And that’s great! Eden loves a good old fashioned oddball to talk to but Rook is…kinda intense. Like he fits in the same category as Jade of “guys who absolutely have a plan to kill everyone they meet, should the need arise’. Also every other thing he says has the tone of someone about to declare he’s madly in love with whoever he’s talking to. Eden can’t tell if he’s putting the moves on them just to make them go red in the face like Cater and Floyd do or if that's just? How Rook talks? (Probably the latter) They do their best to keep chats with Rook light and short, skirting around his makeover invitations as they would really hate to clutter Vil’s certainly already packed schedule! Still it seems like that particular anxiety nightmare becomes more of an inevitability every time it’s brought up, Rook doesn’t really seem like he’s going to take ‘no thank you’ as a valid answer…

Idia:

Idia claims he just ‘doesn’t get’ Eden, but honestly he’s a little envious that they manage themself so well in pvp mode with the school's biggest extroverts. Like Eden seems cool or whatever but it’s kinda cringe how nice they still are to everyone even after all the shit some of those guys have put them through. It is pretty cool the way they always seem ready to let him infodump tho and never shame him for some of his ‘eccentricities’ the way the other Housewardens do….Okay, maybe if Eden asks about that new game he’s playing one more time he miiight break down and teach them how to play- he’s gonna be short a healer for the upcoming raid next month anyway… (Autism to Autism communication part 2)

Eden likes Idia!! Sure he’s fucking awkward but so are they!! They would actually really like to get to know him better (they seem to share some of the same interests) but Idia makes it pretty difficult. Eden sort of just keeps trying to get him to come around and open up a bit.

Ortho:

Eden is so cool!! When Ortho first met them they were SUPER NICE!! And they asked a lot of questions about him and thought that all of his brother’s handiwork was amazing!! And they’re the first person he’s ever met that called themself nonbinary so Ortho looked up a bunch of stuff about gender identity and then rushed to explain it to everyone so they knew all of Eden’s pronouns and stuff!! Seriously Eden is so awesome they always have time to talk to him and even Idia thinks they’re kinda cool so they should definitely be friends with Idia and maybe rub off on him a little bit!

Eden was blown away by Ortho on sight and thinks he’s absolutely adorable! Normally such an energetic kid would overwhelm them but Ortho was quick to learn when he needed to dial things back a bit for Eden’s comfort like he does for his brother. Seriously, Eden’s mood picks up the moment he sees Ortho, that kid rocks!

Malleus:

It’s easy to imagine that the great Malleus Draconia wouldn’t have looked twice at someone like Eden, but after stumbling upon them occupying his favorite (previously) abandoned building on campus he found himself instantly fascinated with them. First of all they had no idea who he was, second they didn’t seem to find him particularly frightening in the least. Eden seemed so warm, so happy to meet him, coming close and addressing him in the sort of informal tone they would have used for any other student at NRC. It was all so charmingly novel, down to the silly little name they devised for him when he chose to withhold his real name.

Malleus has come to cherish any time spent with Eden and he seeks them out any chance he can get (away from other students at least). Eden seems to take a real interest in him, they even seem to enjoy joining him on his tours of the school's various architectural features (it’s so fun having someone new to share these interests with!) and they’ll even sit right next to him and talk the evening away. Sometimes Eden will even touch Malleus on the arm or pat his shoulder with ease and never recoils from Malleus’s own touches (it’s just nice that they aren’t afraid of him is all! It’s not like he thinks about touching them constantly...) Even Malleus’s features that a human might find frightening seem to charm his sweet child of man! Eden really likes his horns and thinks his eyes are pretty (your eyes are pretty too, child of man… what? I’m just being friendly!) and even his teeth seem to fascinate them. The way Eden makes him feel is just so curious, as if there’s something fluttering about in his stomach. Is this just what friendship feels like? (The gay thoughts can’t get you if don’t acknowledge them, right?) Perhaps he should ask Lilia about that… Regardless, he’s become quite attached to Eden and very protective of them. If anything or anyone threatened them or his relationship with them, the culprit would very quickly regret it!

For the first month or so of their friendship with Hornton Eden was almost convinced they were dreaming him up. Some gorgeous eccentric fairy man appearing from thin air outside the dorm with dragon horns and a smoky voice talking like he just stumbled out of a fantasy novel? Riiight. Plus they never seemed to spot him in the halls or during the school day! Yeah, they were pretty sure he was just their subconscious having some fun with their new surroundings. But Hornton is very real and so…strange! Not bad or mean of course, actually he seems really sweet. He’s a bit awkward but lovably so, and so gentle; he almost acts as if Eden is made of tissue paper or something. More than anything Hornton seems to fret about scaring them, which is beyond silly. Sure he's a tad spooky, but Eden loves spooky things! They do worry about Hornton a bit though, he seems a bit lonely and they fear they might be his only friend so they do their best to invite him to things when they can (he always looks so surprised and happy, even though he seldom accepts) and when that fails they just make a point to spend more time alone with him at the very least (what constitutes something as a date rather that just a hangout, by the way? No reason, just curious~)

Silver:

If you asked Silver about Eden he would say they hadn’t formally met beyond exchangeing a few words here and there but that he found them quite a pleasant presence to have on campus. Most of what he knows of them is through Malleus, Lillia, and Sebek.

At first Eden found Silver super serious and kind of intimidating until they realized he was actually a perfect gentleman who was just kinda sleepy. They often spot him asleep around campus and will check to make sure he’s somewhere safe or sit with him a while to make sure he’s okay. They’ve formed a pretty warm regard for him because of this, even if Silver has no idea.

Sebek:

Not the least bit interested in Eden, perhaps even a little bit annoyed that some no-magic mortal is allowed to roam about the same prestigious campus that his lord, The Great Malleus Draconia, gracees with his presence! Sure they’re patient and thoughtful and go out of their way to be friendly but that doesn't mean he has to like them! He doesn't like them okay!!

Eden’s main opinion of Sebek is that he needs to make better use of his inside voice. His constant loud bursts set Eden a bit on edge but they do their best to keep their irritation to themself since he doesn't seem to do it on purpose. The constant fuss about this high and mighty ‘Malleus’ guy is admittedly a particularly grating feature of Sebek for Eden- like who would want people to talk about them like that? In any case they’re glad to have steered clear of the prince so far. Still they nod along and ask questions in autistic solidarity when Sebek gets going.

Lilia:

Oooh Eden is a curious little thing, that’s for sure. Lillia has had quite a few chances to chat with Eden as they often get roped into helping the pop music club with things. Plus he’s often offered his ear to Malleus’s love sick whining er- passionate retellings of his visits with them. Malleus often says there’s something special about them, and Lillia agrees although for different reasons. Eden is from another world and while they don’t seem to have magic in the traditional sense they do have certain curious features that Lillia can’t quite place. So far he’s just shrugged it off and watches them curiously, choosing to ask them strange questions on occasion and resisting the urge to wingman on Malleus’s behalf (although boy is it tempting!)

Eden initially responded to Lilia the way they did to Vil- he’s way too pretty and an object of intense gender envy. However Lillia quickly proved to be way more approachable and friendly, even if he’s odd. Eden likes odd and chalks up most of the fae man’s quirks to cultural differences. They’re still a bit intimidated, but their fascination with the fae usually wins out over their anxieties.

Crowley:

Being the very kind and generous man that he is, Dire’s heart was positively breaking at the sight of poor Eden, lost and alone in a strange new world! That’s why he so very kindly allowed them a place at the school, making special concessions for their ‘unique’ learning and housing situations! Certainly no one could blame him for accepting their gracious offers to help him out here and there- it’s a good thing for Eden to feel useful, right? Honestly under all his slimy antics Dire is genuinely concerned with Eden’s well-being. He checks on them often without their knowledge and really does try to keep them in mind. It’s not a lot but enough information has slipped for him to understand that Eden didn’t exactly grow up in a good situation and while he’s really bad at it not exactly suited for it he wants to be a sort of dad figure to them if he can. He knows he often takes advantage of Eden’s willingness to earn their keep but he does actually feel conflicted about, it at least…

Eden has a pretty big blind spot when it comes to Dire and if he ever really seriously screwed them over it would be particularly painful. Sure he’s a little shady but hey, most people at NRC are. They really don’t begrudge him for all the nonsense he saddles them with (they like to give him shit but that’s because it’s fun), after all he didn’t have to take them in like he did. As much as anyone at NRC has taken advantage of Eden’s kindness, Dire could probably get away with even more. He’s a bit of an ass but he was ‘kind’ to them during a time they hadn’t seen much kindness. They had been at their most helpless and scared there in his office, near tears as they nervously explained that Eden wasn’t their legal name back in their world to Dire who had asked for spelling on the paperwork. All it took was for Dire to just smile and pat their shoulder, assuring them it didn’t matter. As far as he was concerned they could be whoever they liked and insisted there was no need for a deadname on documents he was starting from scratch.

Crewel:

The new no-magic puppy had seemed like a guaranteed headache at first. Eden was clumsy, awkward, and trouble seemed to be magnetically drawn to them. However they were (almost frustratingly at fIrst) dedicated to learning how to make potions. Their enthusiasm almost makes up for their lack of magic.

Eden was absolutely terrified of Divius at first, and they still kind of are, but they’ve come to really admire him and they have the most embarrassing desire to impress him. Potions is something they actually can participate in and they’re not about to squander anything Divius teaches them.

Trein:

As far as Mozus is concerned Eden is no different from any other student in his class. They don’t need magic to learn magic history so he was firm from day one on them receiving no special treatment. To his surprise (maybe even delight?) Eden was perfectly fine with his assertions and has been more or less a model student, save for occasionally wrangling their rowdy friends.

Eden found they quite like Trein. Sure he’s strict and dry but he’s not at all mean or unfair. Plus he brings a cat to class? You expect Eden to not look forward to a class that has a kitty?? Besides magic history beats their world’s history no contest! It’s like listening to someone earnestly lecture about Dungeons and Dragons lore for two hours.

Vargas:

Vargas is fully convinced Eden is capable of magic if they just listened to him and shaped up their noodly little body!

Eden was not built for intense physical exertion and Vargas’s class regularly reminds them of that fact. They’re also still pretty salty about how the coach conducted the survival camping trip…

Sam:

Eden is a good little imp, a bit shy but nothing a little friendly banter can’t fix! Sam is actually one of the most openly sympathetic faculty members when it comes to Eden’s situation and he’s often working to find products and snacks analogous to one’s Eden misses from their home world.

Sam has seen some of Eden’s darkest moments (having an out of body experience in front to the soft drinks at 2am) and their strangest quirks (buying the same three unhealthy instant meals for weeks on end because it was the only thing their senses could tolerate) and he does so without judgment and only a little concern, so he’s a winner in Eden’s book.

[therealvinelle]

You or The Muffin made a post on your dream cast(s), but I’m not really familiar with those references/actors (with the exception of Bowie and Jean Claude Van Damme and Clint Eastwood I think you mentioned). Is there anyone you would choose that’s a little more recent (80s-present)?

Our dream cast.

Our dream voice cast, for those interested.

Fun fact, both those posts were composed together, so yeah we share these opinions. We composed this one together as well.

Keep in mind that this list is... well it's for Twilight as I would make it. Which means that of course we’re casting a Didyme, nevermind that she’s been dead for thousands of years, but Denali who?

And once again we’re disrupting the time-space continuum and casting big name actors you’ve definitely heard about as they were ten, twenty, or thirty years ago.

Alright, so newer and shinier Twilight fancast, this time with a few alternatives because decisions are hard:

Alice: ... Audrey Hepburn.

I'm sorry. I tried. I tried to be modern, but I got to Alice and originally we thought Saoirse Ronan, appearances be damned because Ronan is a great actress, only to realize Ronan should be Renesmée.

So we're back to the dream cast. Audrey Hepburn was a tiny, pixie-like, yet ridiculously beautiful woman. Like Alice, her growth was stunted due to prolonged starvation during the War, so she's the perfect casting in a way no modern Western actress is going to be. She was also an amazing actress, just absolutely magnetic each time she graced the screen. She would be a fantastic Alice.

Aro: A young Tom Cruise.

Cruise is an absurdly beautiful man, and at 173 cm he is the right stature as I could never cast a tall actor for Aro. He's a very good actor, so I'm sure he'd be up for it. Also, he'd look great with chalky petrified vampire makeup on. He'd pull it off. I want to see this.

Optionally: Cate Blanchett

Yes, she's a woman. But that's what acting is all about, you play someone you're not. It's more a thing in theatre than in film that men can play women and women can play men, but I say fuck the rules, we're doing it theatre style. And Blanchett absolutely have that enigmatic, ethereal, otherworldly quality I'd want for Aro.

Bella: A young Sarah Michelle Gellar

Gellar is a petite beauty, she is spunky yet adorable, and very charming, the people of Forks and the Cullens would very believably gravitate towards her. Most importantly she has the acting chops to pull it off. She would portray an amazing Bella.

Caius: Daniel Craig

The man is the right age, he's someone you don't mess with. Craig has perhaps a touch too charismatic, but he's good enough that I'm hopeful he could tune it down.

Carlisle: A young Leonardo DiCaprio

DiCaprio is ridiculously attractive and has a bad case of The Babyface™. Watching him try to convince people that he’s 30 years old and has adult kids would be absolutely hilarious, and very faithful to the books. He’s a talented actor, too, very versatile.

Optionally: David Tennant

Tennant doesn't look the part, he is handsome but handsome in that particular way when flawed features come together handsomely. He does however have the perfect charm, gravitas, and energy for the character, so I think he could make a great Carlisle. 

This is where the magic of movie adaptions come in - you’re not going to be able to translate directly from text to screen, that’s impossible. If you embrace that and make some bold choices, you stand to make a truly spectacular adaption. One of the reasons why the Twilight films failed is that they were too faithful to the books while failing to understand the spirit of them, whereas the TV miniseries adaption of His Dark Materials switched a lot of things up and is absolutely amazing for it.

Demetri: Robert Downey Jr.

Ridiculously charismatic and talented actors cast in bit parts and making them shine is a passion of mine.

Didyme: Cate Blanchett

Look, Blanchett had to be in this somehow, and we could think of no one more appropriate. She has too much enigma for Esme, is too womanly for Alice, and once the idea for Didyme was had it was hard to weasel out of. 

Cate Blanchett would be convincing as Aro's sister, as a woman who haunts her lover and brother even thousands of years after her passing, an enigmatic and divine woman who can never be forgotten.

Also she's my fancast for her brother, so this works out quite nicely. Why cast someone who merely looks like Aro’s actor when you can just cast the same actor.

Edward: A young Johnny Depp

Very few men are otherworldly beautiful. There are countless handsome men, yes, and many beautiful ones, but Depp has extreme and symmetrical features that come together beautifully. Robert Pattinson does too, for the record, so what makes me prefer Depp is the fact that he is an incredible actor. Pattinson is good, but Depp is the kind of talent who can power through even the worst scripts, give him nothing and he will give you the world. He’s on Al Pacino’s level, this man can salvage anything.

Emmett: Terry Crews

Terry Crews is a mountain of a man, he's massive. He'd nail Emmett's infectious cheer, too. He has a very symmetrical and attractive face that follows the golden ratio beautifully, so I could buy him being a vampire.

Esme: Anne Hathaway ten years ago. Ref one, ref two.

She’s out of this world beautiful and has the perfect Esme aesthetic. Hands down best Esme. The fact that she’s a very good actress helps.

Felix: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

He’s got the physique for the part and would be absolutely menacing.

James: Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is a character actor who tragically got lost in the blockbuster scene. He’s good, he deserves cool parts. So yeah, Pitt as James. I think he’d be absolutely amazing for the part, it’d be the kind of performance where you can tell the actor was enjoying every second on set.

Jane and Alec: Child Dakota Fanning

Fanning was a good choice for Jane, it's just that she was slightly too old when she was cast (and they made her look even older!) and the screenwriters had written a different character than the one in the books (and not for the better - I’m all for changing things in an adaption! But, well, she was Marvel levels of bad villain). And as Alec is a bit part and supposed to be nearly identical to her, I’d just have Fanning play him as well.

Jasper: Clint Eastwood, every time.

Optionally: feels like blasphemy to even have an “optionally”, but here we are. If you somehow haven’t heard of the guy, then… er. No, sorry, I’ve got nothing. Know that I tried, though.

Marcus: Tom Holland

The man has such babyface, which fits since Marcus is 19.

Just Tom Holland, sitting around, looking young and depressed.

Renata: A young Natalie Portman

Yes, yes, Renata is a bit part, I know that, but this is my Twilight we're casting for so I do what I want.

Portman fits the physical description for Renata, and I find that description to be relevant to her character. She's a teeny tiny woman charged with protecting the most important man in the world, and gifted with intouchability. Portman looks is beautiful enough to fit the bill for a Twilight vampire, and tiny enough to stress the absurdity of this 5′0″ woman being anybody’s bodyguard, nevermind Aro’s.

Renesmée: Child Saoirse Ronan (Though Adult Ronan works too, she’s my cast for the hybrid gremlin period.)

She was an extraordinarily talented child actress, and she’s beautiful while odd-looking. I could absolutely believe I was looking at an otherworldly hybrid when looking at her.

Mostly I think Renesmée is going to be a very hard part for anybody, as the given actor will be portraying one of the most ridiculed characters in recent pop culture. It’ll take major talent to get the audience to care about Renesmée, but I think Ronan, if anybody, could do it.

Rosalie: Margot Robbie ten years ago

She’s out of this world beautiful, and more importantly she’s an incredible actress. She would be incredible for the part.

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O'Brien - NME Magazine Interview

Dylan O’Brien: “I was in this transitional phase – close to a quarter-life crisis”

From YA heartthrob to legitimate leading man – how the 'Maze Runner' star hit his stride after a whirlwind decade

Definitely!” hoots Dylan O’Brien when NME asks if he still has to audition. “I’m not Tom fucking Hanks, bro.” He’s clearly amused by our question, but forgive us for thinking the 29-year-old actor gets cast on reputation alone. A decade into his career, and he’s making an impressive transition from teen TV star and YA franchise hero to charismatic leading man.

New York-born O’Brien cut his teeth on MTV’s hit Teen Wolf series, before landing the lead in the Maze Runner film trilogy based on James Dashner’s hugely popular novels. Leading a band of bright young things that included ex-Skins tearaway Kaya Scodelario, Game Of Thrones’ Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Will Poulter, he honed his craft while racking up nearly a billion dollars at the box office. “My career is a constant acting class,” says O’Brien. “To be able to do the Maze Runner movies simultaneously with Teen Wolf was amazing in terms of getting in reps and working my [acting] muscle.”

Now for the sometimes tricky bit. Many actors struggle with the post-breakout period, but O’Brien is making it look easy so far. This year’s Netflix hit Love and Monsters proved he can carry an old-school family adventure, and new film Flashback (out next week) reveals an appetite for weirder, more cerebral work. He stars as Fred Fitzell, a young man reluctant to buckle down to life as a nine-to-fiver with a boring corporate job and a long-term girlfriend (Mindhunter‘s Hannah Gross). When he runs into a freaky-looking acquaintance from his teenage years, Fred becomes obsessed with finding an old high-school friend he used to drop a mind-bending experimental drug called Mercury with. It’s difficult to say any more without entering spoiler territory, but Flashback is a wild ride underpinned by the idea that we can exist in several realities at once. Even if you follow every plot twist, you might not fully understand the end. “Oh, it’s definitely a headfuck,” O’Brien agrees. “There’s not totally an answer to figure out. There’s a lot of different things that people can take from it.”

Speaking over Zoom from his LA home, O’Brien is bright, thoughtful and really good fun to talk to, especially when he relaxes into the interview, but he clearly knows where his line between public and private lies. When he first read the Flashback script, written by the film’s director Christopher MacBride, his “mind was blown” by just how much he related to Fred. “I felt like I was in this transitional phase of my life that was, you know, sort of close to a quarter-life crisis type thing,” he says. “For whatever reason, it was like me and this script were meant to be. I remember reading it and thinking: ‘I am this guy right now.'”

“There were a lot of things in my personal life that were neglected for a while”

When we ask why O’Brien felt as though he had reached a “transitional phase”, he gives an answer that’s vague but not exactly evasive. For understandable reasons, he doesn’t mention the incredibly traumatic motorcycle accident he sustained while shooting the final Maze Runner film in March 2016. O’Brien suffered severe trauma to the brain and said in 2017 that he underwent extensive facial reconstructive surgery after the accident “broke most of the right side of my face”. Tellingly, he’s never really revealed what happened on set or how it affected him.

Today, O’Brien dances around the details of the accident and other issues he was dealing with at the time, but doesn’t shy away from discussing his inner conflict. “You know, it was a lot of personal things combined with at-a-point-in-my-career things,” he says after a brief pause. He says he’d have been going through some of this stuff anyway, simply because of his age, but it sounds as though success intensified it all. “It was like this whole fucking storm of shit,” he continues. “I was simultaneously so fulfilled and happy about these, like, otherworldly and surreal things that I had experienced in terms of where my career had brought me. I had all this confidence and fulfilment and beautiful people [in my life] – such amazing things to experience at a young age. But at the same time, there were a lot of things in my personal life that were unchecked and sort of neglected for a while.”

O’Brien says that in time, he realised he had to “stop for a second” and “re-explore how I wanted my life to look going forward”. In fairness, you can see why he needed a breather: his career took off while he was still a teenager. After his family moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles County when he was 12, O’Brien contemplated a career as a sports broadcaster – his Twitter bio still bills him as a “no longer suffering Mets fan” – then began posting YouTube videos as moviekidd826. A funny, slickly edited skit titled ‘How to Prepare for the SAT in 45 seconds’, shared when he was just 17, shows he was a born performer and storyteller. YouTube success led to him getting a manager, but his breakthrough role in Teen Wolf still came out of the blue. At the time, he was treading water at a local community college and taking auditions on the side.

Still, he has since taken a rather fatalistic view of this career-making moment. “It’s totally weird because, when I think about it now, I don’t see how it could have happened any other way. I can’t picture myself doing anything else now,” he told Collider in 2011. “It was really sudden and a little random, and not provoked by anything. It was just out of nowhere. It wasn’t my intentional doing.” Today, O’Brien summarises his skyscraper career trajectory succinctly. “I guess I just graduated high school and started acting,” he says. “And then I felt like I was just flying by the seat of my pants and never got a chance to stop.” Thankfully, straight-out-the-blocks Hollywood success hasn’t taken away his sense of perspective. When I say how easy social media makes it to compare yourself unfavourably to others, O’Brien jumps in: “Yeah, that’s very true. I was watching the Billie Eilish doc the other day, and I was like, I’ve done nothing. I’m not an artist at all!”

“No one thought ‘Love and Monsters’ was going to be good!”

O’Brien is also self-deprecating when he talks about being cast in Flashback, suggesting it happened because he had such an intense connection with Fred. “I was honestly like, ‘Who is watching me right now?’ That is the best way I can describe how I was feeling when I came across this script,” he says. “Chris [MacBride, director] and I had this conversation that went so well in terms of [my] understanding this script that I think he’d sent around a lot and [that] very commonly wasn’t understood. I think Chris has even said that the night before shooting, he suddenly had this thought, like, ‘Wait, do I even think he’s a good actor?'”

Though O’Brien has firmly ring-fenced elements of his private life, he’s actually pretty frank about his acting vehicles. He readily admits he was expecting a snobbish response to Love and Monsters, a CGI-heavy hybrid of post-apocalyptic action and romcom that dropped on Netflix in April and topped the streamer’s daily most-watched list. “It means so much that Love and Monsters has gotten the response that it’s gotten,” O’Brien says. “No one thought this movie was going to be good.” His blunt honesty makes me laugh out loud. “No one did though!” he says in response. “And so, fuck that. You know, most of the people who say something to me about the movie, they’re like: ‘I watched Love and Monsters, and it was… good?’ And honestly, that just cracks me up.” For obvious reasons, we hastily decide not to share our response to the film – namely, that it was a whole lot better than expected.

In Love and Monsters, O’Brien plays Joel, a survivor of a so-called “monsterpocalypse” that has bumped humans to the bottom of the food chain. Though he’s known in his colony as a bit of a coward, Joel sets off on a treacherous 80-mile journey to find his high school sweetheart Aimee (Iron Fist‘s Jessica Henwick), which means evading the hungry clutches of various supersize grizzlies including a giant monster-frog hiding in a suburban pond. It’s a simple but pretty out-there premise that wouldn’t work if O’Brien’s performance was even slightly condescending. Instead, his unselfconscious sincerity really sells a film that has as much in common with the family-oriented Robin Williams movie Night at the Museum as darker fare like The Walking Dead.

His obvious affection for the project really comes across during our interview today. “When I read the script, I just thought it was so sweet and funny and smart and unique, but at the same time reminiscent of all these movies that don’t really get made any more,” he says. That’s a fair point: Love and Monsters is neither a fail-safe superhero movie nor a slice of classy Oscar bait. “And when they were talking about how to market this movie, it was so funny hearing all these conversations like, ‘How do we actually get people to watch it?'” he adds. “But that’s a big part of the reason I wanted to do this movie: because it felt like something I missed seeing.”

“I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who want to make something out of love”

So in a way, Love and Monsters was a risk for an actor seeking to establish himself outside of a bankable movie franchise and a hit TV show. O’Brien has only made four films since his final Maze Runner outing in 2018, and insists he hasn’t been tactical with his choices. “I don’t have anyone saying, ‘We need to get you in an Oscar vehicle’, or any of that kind of shit,” he says. “I’m really lucky to be surrounded by people who think like me: that you should do what you’re drawn to, and make something out of love.”

He’s recently finished shooting a mysterious crime thriller called The Outfit in London with Mark Rylance. Directed and co-written by Graham Moore, who won an Oscar for his screenplay to Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game, O’Brien calls it “quite possibly one of the most special pieces of writing I’ve ever experienced”. He first read the script on a plane and says he “actually stood up and clapped” when he got to the end. Considering O’Brien probably wasn’t flying Ryanair, this reaction presumably attracted a few baffled glances.

Anyway, it must be pretty intimidating walking onto set with Rylance, a multi-award-winning actor revered by his peers – Al Pacino once said he “speaks Shakespeare as if it was written for him the night before” – but it sounds as though O’Brien took it all in stride. He says he’s confident in his abilities, but admits to having a slight wobble whenever he begins a new project. “I’m always sort of re-questioning everything – like, ‘Can I even act?'” he says. “But I think there’s something very natural about that. I think even Rylance could relate to that feeling. Acting is like starting a new year at school every single time.”

At this point in his career, O’Brien has made peace with the fact that some people will have preconceptions about him based on what he’s known for: Maze Runner and Teen Wolf. “People will put you in a box no matter what,” he says. “There was definitely a time when that would get to me, especially when it felt like somebody had a perspective on me that in my soul, I just felt wasn’t accurate.” Still, there’s no doubt he wants to show us what’s really in his soul with more films like Flashback. “If anything,” he adds bullishly, “it just makes me think: ‘Right, I’m really gonna show them now’.”

‘Flashback’ is out on digital platforms from June 4

[sparrowsabre7]

Black Adam Review

Much like “Aquaman” before it, “Black Adam” manages to be a thoroughly mediocre movie, elevated by some really nice visuals and solid action sequences. Unfortunately, it suffers from being considerably more derivative than the King of Atlantis’s film, but does boast stronger performances from its cast, with one major exception. 

I’ll start off by saying I have the most cursory knowledge of most of the characters in this film. Besides the fact Black Adam is Bad Shazam (Captain Marvel as was) and what we get in the “Injustice” games, I know next to nothing about him. Nonetheless, he is portrayed with some competence by Dwayne Johnson here, who I think manages to avoid just playing “The Rock”, an unfair criticism levelled at this film by many. Without wishing to over-praise, he does bring a sense of sobriety to the role and while his delivery is deliberately archaic, Johnson manages to make it work without feeling too silly. Sarah Shahi plays Adrianna Tomaz  (who I only realised on reading the cast list was based on “Isis” from the comics, the same source as Zari from “Legends of Tomorrow”) with plenty of pathos as the female lead and makes for a sympathetic but tough character, without devolving into action girl or damsel clichés. 

Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan also bring a great deal of life into their respective characters. Frankly it’s mad that Brosnan has rarely been used in the Obi-Wan mentor role before, he sells it here incredibly well as a time-worn and world-weary Doctor Fate. His suit is also a visual treat, looking deliberately over-CGI’d to evoke an otherworldly quality that makes sense for the character. Hodge similarly manages to make Hawkman’s stick-up-his-ass dogma still feel earnest enough to avoid coming off like a complete dick. They are the glue holding the Justice Society together, which is a good thing because the other two members barely contribute to the plot or action scenes at all. Indeed one of them is a negative influence. 

Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone is a breath of fresh air, and despite very VERY minimal screen time or plot purpose manages to light up the scene whenever she’s on screen. A talented and charismatic actor who deserves more time to shine. On the other, deeply unfunny hand, is Noah Centineo, whose role as Atom Smasher fails to excite any kind of emotion other than irritation. His role is reduced to comic relief and flirting with Cyclone with zero payoff. His super suit also has a Deadpool mask that’s painted blue. I say that without exaggeration, it’s not just similar, it literally has the black diamonds where Deadpool’s eyes go, it’s just all blue. He doesn’t do anything cool action wise and all of his jokes fall flat.

That’s sadly not something reserved for Atom Smasher though. Pretty much every attempt at humour in the film, with maybe one or two exceptions based on Teth-Adam’s flippant attitude towards murder, dies on its arse. It’s common for people to mock “millennial humour” and MCU movies use of it these days, but I can safely say this film is the only one where I’ve seen these stereotypes actually be true. It’s all so awkward or out of place, or just incredibly tired. It’s one of the few things I genuinely disliked about the movie. 

Back to positives, I do enjoy that it manages to gently caress the idea of superheroes being concerned with predominantly white, “first world” problems, as opposed to actually fighting for injustice worldwide. It’s mostly paid lip service without being dug into, but it manages to touch on a subject many other comic book films would be reluctant to. Equally the notion of the citizens being the heroes, not the superpowered beings does work for me here, albeit another overly used trope. Indeed much of this movie is painfully derivative: Doctor Fate fights very similarly to Doctor Strange, Black Adam fights like a Man of Steel Kryptonian, and the big bad is the laziest most generic looking demon I’ve seen in my life. All that aside, the action sequences are still a lot of fun. There’s not been enough lately of heroes just going ham on each other, even in the actual “Man of Steel” so to have so much of the run time taken up with Black Adam pinging about the place zapping and smacking baddies makes for an entertaining romp. It’s also fun to see action sequences set to songs once in a while. I know “Guardians” and more recently the two Taika “Thors” did it too, but there’s something about the way it’s done here that feels so delightfully 00′s that it transported me back to that time when super hero movies were a rarity. Back then a film like this would have blown people’s tits off, as it stands it’s a decent enough Sunday afternoon film. Forgettable but fun.

[cooltrainererika]

A Star Wars Noob’s ideas for fixing the Disney sequels

Okay so just to get this out there, because it won’t leave my mind.

So I’ve been binging on SW lately and the sequels only annoy me more and more by the day. So just wanted to throw my character ideas out into the world. Focusing on characters because I like writing characters way more than plot. Hopefully if I ever actually write this thing, or even somehow pitch it to someone with the right connections to animate it with the actors as voice actors, this wouldn’t have gone viral. But since no one looks at my blog it probably won’t lol. Hopefully.

But just in case, I’ll say that this will probably contain spoilers for a story which may or may not exist by the time you read this.

I’ve deliberately been trying to avoid as much emotional spoilers and normal spoilers as I can before the sequels despite the temptation, so sorry if some stuff is a bit off. Augh I hope I can get the time to watch the full OT and PT soon. I was too tired from hiking when I watched SW4 and I now really wish my dad didn’t show me when I was half-asleep.

Rey: Rainbow of possibilities; Cynical Scavenger, Adventure-seeking Audience Surtogate Geek, or Lawful Good to the core Paladin Padawan with a personal grudge, and may be descended from a family line, maybe not, but currently most likely a Skywalker by blood. Story and other character arcs change dramatically depending on which route chosen.

Finn: Stoic soldier man learns power of friendship, finds meaning of life, causes Stormtrooper mutiny, probably becomes a Jedi and second main character and hooks up with Rey. “What‘s a joke?”. Awkward dork and stunted socially but doing his best. May instinctively find it hard to disobey orders. He may be the one wanting to find his family; but that’s dropped soon enough to focus on what’s ahead. 

(Alternatively: Proud warrior guy who acts like a stereotypical North Korean soldier who finds himself outside the First Order, learns power of friendship etc. The rest is the same)

Poe Dameron: What we Japanese people call The Aniki. The funny charismatic ace pilot who keeps everyone sane, overall bro. Wholesome but a bit rough, that guy you would want to share a beer with. But within that easygoing nature burns a hotblooded, determined, dutiful streak, and an even stronger snarky streak. The one with the social skills. Loves his droid like his son though Cynical!Rey and Finn find that initially kind of stupid/strange. 

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo: Appears to be yet another quietly imposing Star Wars villain with added edgelord factor, but actually a mentally unstable, borderline yandere berserker of a man crushed under the weight of a legacy, with a horrifying inferiority complex, identity issues, and an unhealthy obsession with familial honor, constantly stuck between Dark and Light. Despite his high rank, basically the First Order’s attack dog. Usually has the emotional maturity of a 16-year-old, if not younger. If anyone is, he’s the damsel in distress of this story.

Luke Skywalker: Cuddly sunshine headmaster sage doing his best, has been on many adventures before that are hidden ads to future Lucasfilm projects. May have gone to search for answers as to what is causing recent events, or is still present at the beginning. May survive at the end. He could be anywhere from kind of jaded but at his core still that sweet optimist, to Basically Uncle Iroh, to can-literally-summon-Porgs-by-whistling/Space Sage Mr. Rogers.

Han Solo: General of the Republic Armed Forces or courier who decided military life just wasn’t for him and now delivers important messages through still unstable areas of the New Republic, a war hero, and a dad doing his best. Wants to hold hope but may have at least outwardly given up on Ben, with Poe filling in the void. Has gone clean from his life of crime and still married 30+ years strong with Leia. He would be the one who is the closest to Poe if he’s still in the military and Leia is a Jedi, with Poe being seen as his likely successor. He might die at the end of 8? Maybe Hamill and Carrie would somehow talk him into sticking around past 7? He might still die in 7?

(Side note: I wish we could have seen Old Harrison Ford in a military casual coat-cape. He would have looked awesome in it. I mean no one would really complain that he plays fast and loose with the dress code if there even is one, he’s Han freakin’ Solo and he gives no f*cks.)

Leia Organa-Solo: Preferably a Jedi Knight, leader while he’s away if he’s away as well as their tactician, or senator considering her personality; maybe have basically what Colin Trevorrow planned for her (I mean… why not just use CGI at this point? They’ve done it before. I’m sure Carrie wouldn’t have wanted her swan song to be such a passive role either), with her bond with Luke being a major factor and us actually being able to see it in practice. May have outwardly given up on her son as well, but still is at the end of the day a mom doing her best. Basically a strong, smart lady like how she’s always been.

Chewbacca: How he always is, but he plays more of a role than basically the guy bussing the cast around, an active combat role definitely. Han’s second in command and maybe fellow dad. Possibly the part-time chaperone of the mess that is the new main duo. Also was Ben’s first friend, and you bet there will be drama here.

Lando Calrissian: Business mogul who probably helps the heroes out, maybe by selling them stuff and using his many connections to get information. And/or he’s basically an economic diplomat for the Republic. Has known Ben since he was a child and may have snuck him on too many joyrides without telling Leia, to her chagrin and Han’s amusement. 

Grand Admiral Armitage Hux: Basically how he was in SW7. Calculating, manipulative, coldhearted, intelligent, and ruthless, the brains to Kylo’s brawn. Son of former Imperial officers, killed his own father to get where he is. Gives no f*cks, except when he goes full ham. Maybe even he goes cold and pale if Kylo starts getting angry, just to show how terrifying he can be, but I also like the idea of him being one of two people who can manipulate Kylo out of a tantrum and not end up a pile of flesh or choked to death. 

Captain Phasma: How she is in supplemental material probably. A walking chrome machine of merciless death. Probably not very talkative, and probably does not take defectors lightly. She may defect at the end or not depending on how truly evil she’s portrayed to be, but I’m thinking she’s likely this cruel disciplinarian who expects complete and utter, machine-like obedience to the end, and Finn flinches at the mere mention of her, though she herself is equally as extremely loyal to the cause.

Snoke: A mysterious being, the likes of which are not of this galaxy. Probably some kind of ancient eldritch abomination who can torment vulnerable minds with an untraceable curse. Not your average Sith, and despite how it may seem it may not be connected to them at all… Or perhaps it is. Or perhaps it itself serves a larger master. It wants to use Kylo Ren for… something. Just what it is is what Luke has been trying to find out for years.

Knights of Ren: Idea borrowed from Thor Skywalker (check him out on YouTube!); possibly a military cult of Sith/Vader worshippers who see Ben as the second coming of Vader, and have aligned themselves with Snoke. Probably basically Kylo’s personal guard and troops. Or possibly directly liked to whatever otherworldly entit(ies?) Snoke is, not being of this galaxy themselves.

Anakin Skywalker: Determined grandpa doing his best for his kids, grandkid(s), and the galaxy. Doesn’t appear often, but plays a major role in the story; maybe he’s the one who led Rey to his lightsaber, and maybe he advises Luke while training Rey, or secretly follows Kylo, trying to speak to him but unable to be seen or heard by him. He’d be the one who ultimately convinces Ben to return to the light, and to, in an echo of the words Ben heard when he was being impersonated, “finish what I started”.

Rose Tico: A probably relatively new, wide-eyed young recruit in the Republic Military, and maybe seeks revenge on First Order for killing or kidnapping her sister. Not sure if she will be needed, but if there’s room for her she might be interesting. Maybe she’s one of Poe’s friends or part of his squad. She could also be the resident girly girl because there aren’t many of those here. 

Vice-Admiral Amberlyn Holdo: She’s in the Aftermath books, and those seem pretty good, so she’s probably how she is there. A quirky mostly background character that is probably at most there for Han and/or Leia and Ackbar to give commands to and salute back, but most importantly she actually does her job properly, even if she’s still a bit of an odd person. Also Poe knows her and they have a way more amicable work relationship. Also give her something which actually looks like something military personnel would wear. She could even be a legitimately good tactician who comes up with off-the-wall tactics.

(Side note: I heard that she basically has the Star Wars version of Autism, and while I’d appreciate that as an Aspie myself, I’ll also have to say that Autistic people would probably be terrible military leaders due to us not being able to adjust to sudden changes well and our bad communication skills. So yeah, sorry, unless she’s recast to something like, say, a mechanic or logistics or medic or any other more Autistic-friendly job, that’s going to have to go)

Maz Kanada: …Admittedly not sure what to do with her. But she’s more likely to be an acquaintance of Lando before Han, if she doesn’t know both. In fact, Lando may be introduced early alongside her. But she would still have the important role of keeping Anakin’s saber; how she has it, either Lando found it, or basically what was cut from TFA showing that she’s indeed pretty awesome. 

BB-8: BB-8 doesn’t have to change. He’s perfect as he is. Maybe what he can do should be more consistent though. Poe and him are basically Ash and Pikachu, they stick together whenever possible. If Rey or Finn need a droid to tag along and Poe isn’t in the party at the moment, R2 is right there. I once read a fanfic in which BB-8 was actually a droid Luke made for Ben and I liked the idea… though it probably would be a bit of an unnecessary detail in practice.

R2-D2 and C3P0: They’re basically business as usual. They would still have that boke-tsukkomi dynamic they had going on, sometimes with the added childlike cuteness of BB-8 in the mix. If there’s any extra time left for comic relief scenes, or if they’re sent on some kind of mission together, I can see these three messing around doing their thing (or rather, BB being childlike, cute and curious, Threepio being overly nervous, and Artoo being too old for this sh*t and/or BB’s cool uncle/older brother) being both cute and hilarious.

Also Worldbuilding stuff will be featured at the bottom

Elaboration on the “big four” of the sequel cast:

Rey: Aged 19, speaks with Daisy Ridley’s normal accent, not RP (I mean really, her accent isn’t that hard to understand). A whole rainbow of possibilities with this lady, though many don’t realize it. I might be leaning towards her being Luke’s daughter, though her being Just Rey may also be interesting, and her still being a descendant of Palpatine or the main villain could also have potential, though if Finn is a Jedi I don’t think there’s any need for her parents to be nobody. But the three main routes I can think of for her are these three: Cynical!Rey, a Rey with a backstory identical to the canon Rey from her abandonment onwards, Fangirl!Rey, a sort of estimation of a dorky female Star Wars nerd in-universe and the most lighthearted start out of the three, and Padawan!Rey, a Rey who is already Luke’s Padawan at his academy. Maybe making her starting point less crushingly bleak and Fangirl!Rey could work, but it might dilute both ideas, and that characterization might be a bit too similar to ANH Luke. 

As is apparent, Cynical!Rey, is, well, cynical. She’s strong and independent, but extremely distrusting, on-edge, and not used to friendly interaction. Think Female SW4 Han Solo but even more antisocial and probably not even bothering with the bravado, and basically with Anakin’s upbringing except she doesn’t even have a loving mother like Anakin did. Fangirl!Rey was my initial idea but I’m starting to become less partial to it because of the aforementioned similarity to ANH Luke, but my idea was she’s basically Harry Potter, living with stepparents who hate her, or she’s still used as basically child labor but her conditions are nowhere near as bad as Cynical Rey’s, and she would have grown up on stories about the Rebels and the Jedi and everything else in the past movies, collecting every single bit of memorabilia she can get her hands on. If one wants to go for very lighthearted and slightly meta for SW7 this is the route. Padawan!Rey could go anywhere, but I’m thinking she would basically be our D&D Paladin; ever since Ben Solo went berserk and ran off to join the First Order, she’s become very protective of her fellow students and has a really understandable personal grudge against him. She might be the strongest pupil left after the Second Jedi Massacre, and by the end maybe she becomes the successor to headmaster of the academy. It is possible that she was found abandoned on Jakku or Luke’s doorstep, however, so the theme of growing up lonely is there, and because being a Jedi is what has given her meaning in life it means a lot to her. But while I don’t want her parentage to be revealed early if it is Luke, it does raise the massive plot hole of why this was never disclosed to her or to Ben. 

And yes, I did say fellow students and academy. Wiping the new Jedi Order feels really cheap and it makes the whole hopeful Jedi Starting Anew implication that I’m 90% sure the OT ended on feel very pointless. I’d prefer them still being there, though their inclusion would be obviously way more natural in the Padawan Route. This also has tons of marketing potential for Disney, because I wanted to take IRL realism into account; what’s in it for Disney? Maybe potential to expand on other students and Luke’s academy? It could be like a smaller Jedi Hogwarts/Xavier Institute basically. Though the survivors wouldn’t be too numerous; just, like, four at most. Maybe there would be elements of an Avengers/Infinity War/Endgame-esque team movie, even if the rest are a bit out of focus.

I did think maybe the heroes would still go to Ahch-To after SW7 where Luke would have been hiding with his students researching the new threat, but maybe I could have him stay and sort of take a few cues from Harry Potter by introducing the heroes to the world of the Jedi early and giving them a break in the action as they settle in their new homes, so there’s more time to develop the padawan side characters, what the academy is like, and Luke gets to appear in SW7 as well so there can be a OT trio “reunion” (not a reunion in-universe). Though that kind of messes with other parts I want to include like Rey and Finn having to take on Kylo and getting completely whipped because he’s a rampaging madman before having to be saved by Luke. Also Rey getting kidnapped has potential for developing her trust in others, and her and Finn getting a breather moment at the Republic after the heroes and Han regroup would kind of remove a point where that could be easily slotted in the story. It would also require everything before this to be crammed in the first act. 

(Newer edit 5/27/21)  I also like her getting a golden double-bladed saber like many fans depict her. It’s not only awesome looking (because she only gets her own saber at the end of TROS… Why?), but it’s more toys for the moichendise! It fits her starting with a staff, it has more reach, and it would fit Cynical Rey especially for her to have a style centered around keeping as much of herself defended as possible. Watching Battlefront 2 footage has made me think about fighting styles a bit, and if she and Finn are a duo how their styles of combat might compliment each other, especially as their relationship develops (coincidentally she and Finn apparently are a very good combination in BF2). A Cynical Rey would probably contrast the most, with a fighting style based on keeping enemies away, trickery, and defense (a good choice for a blade made of light), maybe a bit wild at first but initially her goal in fighting would be to hold out until there is an opening to get the hell out, only staying to fight if she has no other option. Fangirl Rey wouldn’t really have a fighting style initially, and it’s gonna be very dependent on where her arc goes. Padawan Rey would have the most Prequel Jedi-esque, choreographed style, showing a lot of skill though not quite mastering it and with tons of openings at first. A Cynical Rey may have an uncanny skill to detect suspicious people, which would make her trusting the heroes easier, and though this ability isn’t super strong and is more “a slight gut feeling but it could be nothing” than “human lie detector” it could maybe be honed more. And while not quite wall vision like in BF2 (because wat? Where do they come up with this stuff?), maybe she’s good at detecting people’s presences too. These are very apt ambient skills for someone in her position. Meanwhile, Fangirl!Rey would have probably suspected she had the Force already, and her ambient abilities could be whatever, just rather passive abilities unless trained. 

If she is Luke’s daughter though, that would open up the can of worms of who her mother is. Just making it so that she died before the events of SW7 might seem a bit… unfortunate? I kind of want Luke to have found love sometime (and seriously with how much of a bombshell young Luke was, in addition to him being such a hero, I’m shocked that he never got one. I can see why Mara Jade wanted a piece of that. *wolf whistle*), but then I’d have to figure out how to incorporate her in this already character-dense story without her having cheaply died offscreen. I might be able to think of something? I could always go digging in the dusty pile of old fan theories, I might find something good. Thor Skywalker did hint at her but his story stopped at the end of where SW8 would have. If I do name her Mara there’s probably going to be extra pressure to do something with her. …But I can’t be the only one who thinks that Daisy Ridley kind of looks like Natalie Portman. Then again I’m pretty face-blind. I guess blond hair and blue eye color genes are also recessive traits for Star Wars humans. Though it seems the height genes skipped a generation because she’s actually pretty tall for a woman at 170 cm - I’m sorry what. That’s as tall as the average Japanese man! Holy sh*t Daisy! She only looks a bit small because she’s often depicted with Kylo and Kylo makes everyone not Phasma look diminutive. I guess Ben would get it from Anakin and Han (though he’s still taller than both of them…), so maybe a taller actress would be cast as Mara (?). And despite Rey’s malnourishment in the Cynical route, this actually isn’t that implausible, because stunted growth apparently only happens if children are deprived from gestation to about 2 years of age. 

And again, why wouldn’t Ben know about this? But if this isn’t the Padawan!Rey route (the hardest to incorporate Rey The Actual Skywalker into), maybe Ben took Rey’s assumed death as even more of a reason to burden himself with the entire Skywalker legacy? This would give him a reason to already care about her.

Further edits: According to the Aftermath books, Jakku was a “Lightside Nexus” planet. Maybe this has to do with her powers? (Perhaps she was kept sane by the Force speaking to her on occasion, in dreams or as she lies staring at the ceiling after a long day, showing her the loving life she used to live and unknown to her she will return to someday). Or why she was dropped there? Maybe she was supposed to be living with Lor San Tekka (the old guy Kylo kills at the beginning of TFA), but got lost one day or was kidnapped by bandits to be a scavenger because her small size would have been perfect for getting loot from small spaces? Why not take her back then? This probably is one of the biggest plot knots in the Cynical Rey Skywalker route, alongside who her mother is.  

Small detail lightning round before moving on: I once read a Japanese fic, and in it she mentioned she hates alcohol because she saw how it turned people into monsters. I actually kind of liked this headcanon, and maybe a bit unexpected. Though there’s also the route of her just being too used to it, setting her apart from previous more wholesome protagonists even more.  Also Daisy would have to start hitting the gym and protein shakes because I think her character design evolving from her thin build to a very athletic, Wonder Woman-esque body type would be pretty good in representing her growth as a character, and combined with her height she would be so very badass looking. 

Finn: Probably around 23? Infamous for lost potential, so his backstory is the same. However, I’m thinking that due to his dehumanizing upbringing, he’s a bit robotic and pretty stoic initially, a total opposite to Poe. He doesn’t understand jokes or sarcasm, and now that he’s completely left the life he’s always known, he feels pretty lost. He would basically act like a male Rei Ayanami, though I was going more for Drax at first. Alternatively, he’s a proud warrior type, imagine a stereotypical North Korean/Prussian soldier. He’d be a bit more emotional and probably less cartoonish here (I mean I have compared Star Wars to anime but full-on anime tropes in live action probably looks super corny), and he’s a massive hardass who also doesn’t get sarcasm or jokes and fanatical and would have thought of his fellow soldiers as a collective as his band of brothers and comrades, collectively serving the FO like a smoothly running machine. My initial thought was that after a life of war crimes and the influence a certain pilot whose cell he was guarding who gave him his name, and maybe witnessing the death of a comrade, he had defected from the FO, but I started thinking it would be plausible if he defected from the FO probably by accident. Highly likely to be the second protagonist, if not POV character, and if so I think it’s logical that it’s Finnrey that becomes the canon ship here. In the Padawan!Rey route, he’s the newcomer protagonist, not Rey. If they’re shipped, or even as friends, they may bond over their dehumanizing, harsh backgrounds and the feeling of being lost in the world. Also he likely starts a mutiny. Like it was such an obvious plot point but they never use it for some bizarre reason. It’s like the DM didn’t read his character sheet at all. Actually one didn’t and the other kept forgetting it in the third campaign.

There’s two ways I think his arc could go; first would be a focus mainly on his search for identity and becoming his own person. Second, his guilt about having done the First Order’s bidding for so long. Probably a combination of the two, though I’m not sure how to address them both. He also wants to see his colleagues free from slavery. But I am sure about I’d that he’d have to overcome his conditioning, learning to regain his humanity.

Especially if Rey is a Skywalker and he becomes a Jedi, he’d be the one who the movie makes a point about being from nowhere. He has no idea who his parents are, but it would not even matter in the end, it’s what he makes of his life from here on out. And if he and Rey end up together, which is extremely likely in this scenario, he not only finds his family in the figurative sense with the other Jedi and his new friends plus girlfriend, but in the literal sense as well, going from nameless Stormtrooper FN-2187, to just Finn the ex-Stormtrooper, to Finn the Padawan and then Jedi Knight, to finally, Finn Skywalker, Jedi Knight; maybe the last movie ends with one of them proposing to the other, with SW8 having previously ended with the climactic big damn kiss that cemented that they are a thing now. (Cue Luke jokingly asking when he’s getting grandchildren and How It Should Have Ended!Anakin squeeing over him getting great-grandchildren lol) His name would have this real symbolic value to it with how it changes as he goes from nobody to somebody. Not to mention “Finn Skywalker” is just a freakin’ awesome name. If they make up the leading duo, he and Rey may have some kind of inherent connection, or they progress into two parts of the same whole, even attaining something like a Dyad.

I thought an interesting thing to do if Rey is a Skywalker, and this is Cynical Rey, is a twist on the expected pattern by making him the one who sees the good in Kylo, not Rey. Because while Rey might be his cousin, she’s also a very distrustful person who couldn’t afford to think deeply about people act the way they do when she was growing up and fighting to survive. Meanwhile, Finn knows Kylo, and he also knows what it’s like to be determined to be a killing machine from a very young age, and if he has to forgive himself, or if he’s able to see the light, that Kylo deserves a chance as well. It would be the ultimate show of kindness from him, to show him forgiving the man who works so loyally under the same organization that enslaved him. I can also see Kylo being angry at himself for being unable to sense the Force-Sensitive in their midst. 

Maybe he was born on a “Lightside nexus” planet too so that it makes sense that he can keep up with other characters? Presuming he’s in his early 20s, I don’t think him being raised by the Order since he was a baby is that plausible, so maybe he was already an orphan? I can see the First Order spinning their Stormtrooper program kidnapping street orphans as “rehabilitating” them, which combined with good old Victorian style citizen apathy to street children allows them to get away with it. But if he was, say, around 6 years old when he was taken away, it would make sense why he was able to break out of his programming. Perhaps Poe showing him friendship awoke the humanity long dormant in him. But on the other hand, the younger, adolescent soldiers may be beyond saving, and I can see that being absolutely heartbreaking. 

I can see his fighting style with a saber being direct, forceful, and pragmatic, but unlike Rey the emphasis would be on engaging and keeping up the fight, and be very disciplined, calculated, and controlled in contrast to Cynical Rey. At least he’d attempt it while he gets used to the properties of a lightsaber, before there would probably be a lot of awkwardness as John is directed to swing this weightless prop blade with a weighted hilt like he would a club or sword. If he isn’t a Force Sensitive, he’s a good sniper just like in BF2, in fact this would be his primary combat ability, though still able to hold his own in melee combat. Though even as a Jedi he’d probably still use a gun as a sidearm, and his good aim would also translate to him being very good at spotting openings and spotting danger from a distance, as well as enhanced ability to dodge. 

Poe Dameron: Age 29 (?). A total bro. I’ve kind of come to think of him as this embodiment of the good, wholesome side of traditional masculinity. I can best describe him as the guy you expect to think of when you think of the guy who takes the boys to the bar for beers on the house and hosts Super Bowl night (for the Americans out there). Basically just that big bro/cool uncle everyone likes. I think he’s the least changed from how he is in SW7; he’s a laid-back pilot with no special powers, and while he’s probably the most static and admittedly flat character (and unfortunately more minor than the other two) he has tons of charisma and optimism to compensate, though being the one who keeps everyone sane definitely helps. Not to mention his piloting skills; which, note, are never eclipsed by Rey, because that’s dumb. His skills are a bit more downplayed here, but he’s still extremely good, especially for his age. Despite being the pilot he’s the most down-to-earth, and may be the only one of the big four with any social skills, even if he’s a bit dorky, especially regarding BB-8. 

Son of Rebel pilots, graduated top of his class in the Republic Flight Academy, and his background is squeaky clean, no drug trading involved, though he spent a lot of his adolescence and his adulthood in the Academy or in the military, just like in pre-TROS supplementary material. He’s the main source of jokes and wisecracks out of the trio in all but the most dorky of Fangirl!Rey routes probably, teaching Cynical!Rey and Finn what it’s like to smile and laugh. He still has a close relationship with Leia and Han; possibly closer to the latter due to the latter being a pilot and likely still a General. Not sure about him keeping his rank because him starting and staying at the top might mesh awkwardly with the rest of the trio, but maybe he’s still a Commander; whichever makes his inclusion in the main cast most plausible. Due to an adorable Pixiv comic I found he may have been inspired to become a pilot by Luke or Han. I’d like to think that he breaks the hotshot pilot cliché a bit by not being too overly arrogant, immediately setting himself apart from Han by being a wholesome guy there for his buddies from the start, even if he is fond of wisecracking and snarkiness (probably from hanging around Han and Leia), and inside that laid-back personality lies a hotblooded, passionate, unwavering core. Like, he’s not exactly hotheaded like a Latin stereotype (*ahem*), but he’s got this more subtle, but still apparent, underlying fiery hotbloodedness to him, something that especially makes itself apparent in high-stress situations and when it comes to his loved ones. He’d also be Rey and Finn’s mentor of sorts in stuff that doesn’t involve the Force, being their role model for what a functional member of society is. He may make some self-depreciating jokes about being “normal”, but I think mostly he’ll take it in stride. Though I can see him and Han having a chat about this in a more quiet scene. 

Ironically, out of the trio he could maybe be said to be the most suited to be a Jedi personality-wise, despite the fact that he has no Force Sensitivity whatsoever; he goes with the flow, he isn’t troubled, he’s happy with the simple pleasures in life, he’s just a good, genuine guy who does good things, passionate but not obsessive, and he’s forgiving, willing to give even an enemy soldier a chance, appealing to the humanity in him. The last one is particularly Luke-like, don’t you think? Oh, to elaborate on the escape; I still like the idea of him giving Finn his name (though another idea I love is a fallen friend giving Finn his name, that would change stuff around a lot from what I am thinking at this moment). I also think that perhaps supplemental material or some flashbacks, or even an animated short could be made showing just how Poe broke Finn’s programming; by showing him genuine kindness, because somehow, despite his lack of Force Sensitivity, he saw that FN-2187 could be talked out of his programming if he was constantly nice to him, befriending him, starting up casual chatter with him, and after a while the trooper starts opening up to this pilot. …Yeah, Luke-like indeed. Though since there is the plot hole of why Finn could be convinced in mere days and why he’s the only one guarding such a high-profile prisoner, a more realistic idea may be that they talk to each other this way a few times, then Poe escapes and Finn goes after him before they both crash on Jakku and have to work together, with Poe immediately being friendly with Finn and later Rey, to his (and her) confusion. (I can just imagine Poe being all chipper and trying to engage Finn in conversation, or telling him “Good job, sport!” after they fight off bandits or something, and Finn just is all deadpan and “We are enemies, we have no reason to fraternize” and I find that kind of cute).

He may ultimately be the most static of the main cast, but I can see him having a huge impact in more subtle ways; like maybe Rey and Finn think of what Poe might do in a given situation in their training, and he could be the catalyst behind why Finn thinks that Kylo can be redeemed, just like how Poe was able to light another way when it felt like there was only one path for him. He also definitely wouldn’t be the type to be so reckless with his men like he was in TLJ, if he’s still a Commander; he cares about his men a lot, and in fact they may be the reason why he tends to act like an older brother. I can imagine a pretty poignant scene with Finn where Finn sees Poe by himself and BB-8 paying respects to his fallen comrades by this handmade cenotaph, as he sets some flowers down and pours a drink to them, and Finn once again is able to see how different the culture outside the First Order is, as he would have never been mourned like that if he died on the battlefield, nor can he imagine he ever would have done so himself. Or maybe Rey is there too, because if this is Cynical Rey she’s only known a life where people exploited each other. Maybe other characters like Jessika (who he’s already close to I think? Did she show up in the movies though?) or Rose would have the opportunity to be more than background characters by being part of his crew, and we’d get some charming scenes about the bond he has with his squadron.

Again, admittedly he’d be the least deep character out of the big four, with his feelings not being explored nearly as much. But he probably doesn’t really hide his feelings much anyway. For any supplementary shorts involving him, they would be mainly lighter stories about his relationship with the OT cast and their families and his friendship with BB-8 and his crew, or action-y ones about missions he’s gone on; as opposed to, say, Finn, which would show his life as an expendable trooper who knew nothing but war, Cynical!Rey and her crushing loneliness and growing disillusionment to the world as she struggles to survive, or Padawan!Rey and her anguish and grappling with the Dark Side in the aftermath of the Jedi Massacre. 

I can also imagine him being this adorable Shipper On Deck for Finnrey lol. Just looking at his two friends, all proud, maybe even tearing up like “*sniff* I’m not crying Buddy, you’re crying!” when the inevitable big kiss scene happens. I can also imagine him being the one to tell Finn that “Hey Finn, what you’re feeling is love!”…And then he has to spend hours trying to explain what love even is to him lol. He always has his friends’ back after all. Again, he’s most likely the one guy who isn’t completely socially inept among these dorks. I’ve also had the potential idea that he could maybe be a good cook, and he’d be the one who introduces Rey and Finn to actually good food. Some fics I’ve noticed tend to show him cooking stuff probably for that reason. It’s just kind of cute, and it sets a good example if despite his traditionally masculine, salt-of-the-earth character, he likes some less “manly” stuff like such and sees no shame in it.

He may sacrifice himself in a blaze of glory towards the end, especially because quite frankly he may lose his plot relevance as the story goes on, though it would definitely be way more respectful than a lot of deaths were treated in the sequels. But I also want him to stick around because I want to imagine him being all proud of Rey and Finn after they propose to each other and giddily planning their wedding, and I feel he could have some very good interactions with Ben to build on for any spinoffs taking place after the trilogy. Speaking of…

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo: AKA Yet Another Ball Of Lost Potential: Anti-Villain Addition. This is gonna be a doozy, so strap in. He was probably the most developed character here but that just makes his lost potential stick out even more, so I have so much to say about him.

About 27 probably. While people complain about it, I actually like him being a manchild. It makes him a bit unique in this series. It’s kind of like Vader if he didn’t get stuck in that suit and kept acting like Anakin. In fact, that could make him even more terrifying if that feeds into how destructive he can be; at first he seems like your typical intimidating SW villain, not even that bad a leader with a seemingly calm if tense, imposing air, but it eventually becomes clear he’s this terrifying, volatile berserker who can throw some of the most destructive tantrums ever, and is ultimately a pathetic, broken, pitiful shell of a man. …He just happens to be a very powerful shell of a man. Maybe if he becomes emotional or angry enough, he can unleash powerful shockwaves that basically blow up everything around him, or cause mini Force Storms, or cause any number of unpredictable effects. Though he’s not quite constantly raging either; these berserk states are indeed triggered by anger, but I’m thinking that they are also basically weaponized panic attacks, there’s a sense that it’s also a self-defense mechanism that he lapses into when emotions overwhelm him or when he otherwise feels threatened (though whether it’s necessarily involuntary all the time I’m not so sure; but while he’d definitely want to be able to trigger them voluntarily, there will always be some sense that he doesn’t have full control over it). Also a lot of his rage is directed inwards as well, much like with his grandfather. I thought that maybe his unpredictability in these rages would be the key to his destructiveness, though I can see how someone who is out of control would also pose a problem, no matter how powerful; so maybe this is when he becomes the most focused, becoming locked onto the elimination of the perceived threat at all costs, and/or he can be controlled by his Master more directly like some kind of attack animal. 

Luke’s first padawan, or at least after Leia or Grogu (I might make him show up as Luke’s first knighted pupil and allude to this, providing more exposition on Kylo, and being one of the Jedi who help fight in the final battle as the Skywalkers go on to take on the final boss (and Grogu’s name being revealed would be a massive hype moment in The Mandalorian)). Due to his storied family, plus the name of his uncle and grandfather’s own master, he had heavy expectations on his (at the time) small shoulders from an early age. However, he had long been tormented by the Dark Side due to an untraceable curse placed upon him by Snoke, and probably a pre-existing anxious personality. The expectations placed on him, or maybe perhaps just self-imposed expectations, only worsened his turmoil, resulting in a festering mess of self-hatred, extreme perfectionism, and an obsession with familial honor and obsessive attachment to his family, especially Luke, that is a nasty combination of hero-worship and the abovementioned complexes and may border on almost incestuous.

There’s three ways for his backstory to go; “Underachiever Ben”, where Ben is either mediocre as a Jedi or still good but outperformed by others, or “Elsa Ben”, where he’s basically like Elsa from Frozen, possessing an extreme amount of power but barely able to control it, possibly due to Snoke’s curse, and a sort of middle ground, where Ben was super strong and a quick learner, but the dark side in him made Luke feel mixed about Ben’s increasing power, which Ben sensed. If the former, Ben becomes increasingly frustrated at himself for being such a “failure”. If “Elsa Ben”, there’s that, and also the added pain of him growing up terrified of himself and able to sense the terror he causes to those around him, so he was taken in by Luke so hopefully Luke could figure something out; he could have been destructive from the start, or maybe he started to become increasingly destructive despite his training. If the middle ground route, he takes Luke’s mixed emotions to mean that he doesn’t think he’s good enough. How severe Snoke’s curse would have been I’m not fully sure on; he could have voices in his head and nightmares keeping him up for days, chipping away at his sanity, tempting him to accept the darkness, or it may have just been an amplifying of his already unstable emotions. They could have even started as the latter and escalated to the former. But I’m thinking that to best explain his behavior I’m leaning towards the Elsa route. Eventually, his nightmares morphed into repeated visits by Darth Vader, his grandfather, who told him about the truth of his lineage and how he became Vader, slandering everything and everyone he ever admired or loved, telling him of his “true” destiny, and how he should give up and embrace it; unable to hear the real Anakin’s ghost screaming at him to not repeat his mistake. This extended campaign of mental torment stunted his emotional growth in many aspects, and at times he may seem to regress even more. Maybe other padawans were afraid of him because of this dark side presence, avoiding him, and/or were jealous of him because of his lineage and relation to Luke. He often felt entitled to be Luke’s right hand, getting jealous at other students and taking any reprimanding, no matter how gentle, extremely personally. Luke would have needed to struggle between not seeming to be biased towards his nephew and giving him the attention he needed, especially because Ben would feel like Han and Leia abandoned him because they weren’t able to help him, but considering how attached he is to Luke this would hurt him. So when Luke went to speak to him one night, or rushed in sensing an overwhelming dark side presence in his room, and was suddenly attacked by Snoke with a vision of what his nephew would become and making him go into fighting mode for a split second, drawing his weapon to protect Ben, and/or earlier admitted in anguish that he had no idea what was tormenting him despite his efforts, the straw broke the pedestal and he resigned himself to his “destiny”. Ironically he’s just exchanging one sky-high ideal for another, but he’s too emotionally immature to realize this, nor does he fully realize the fact that Snoke merely sees him as a malleable, gullible means to an end. Yet he still feels that pesky pull to the light, and he becomes increasingly frustrated with himself that even as a Dark side user, he still can’t be “perfect” or “worth” anything, not even able to sink himself into the darkness and finally rid himself of his pain. For all the privilege and power he has, or because of it, he always feels worthless. 

Basically I want to break him down and make his pitifulness obvious, but that’s what makes him sympathetic. He’s nowhere as far gone as Vader, even if he wants to be, kind of like a reverse Jekyll and Hyde situation where the Hyde is dominant but Jekyll hangs on, so to speak? Maybe? Is that the right analogy? Or I guess it is kind of like Anakin but sort of not, but he’s rapidly going down the same route of hurting his family like his grandfather. 

From researching a bit, his proposed behavior seems pretty close to the symptoms of BPD, which is actually pretty fitting because I was thinking Luke’s philosophy on the Force would be influenced by a more modern understanding of psychology, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy actually seems pretty in tune with what I understand to be how the Light Side of the Force works (I mean it even has basis in religious meditation…). Perhaps a mystical version of DBT was one of the things Luke was studying in exile. Though obviously it isn’t exactly BPD; portraying an actual, named mental illness not only has way too much baggage behind it, but it breaks immersion. And with him a lot of it will be the influence of the curse, though I think I would rather him have a personality that made him vulnerable to it from the start, so the curse had something to latch onto. 

Going with the “Elsa Ben” scenario, his “real” personality is anxious and even a bit shy. While I like the idea of him being cheerful when he was very little, the shyness always being there is also a characterization I like. Combined with his lumbering physique from his teenage years onwards, this made him a kid who gave off an impression of being extremely dorky (an act that would probably be very natural for Adam Driver to pull off lol) and/or withdrawn and aloof, the latter of which may have made some other padawans think he thought highly of himself and start to resent him. Unlike Anakin he’d be probably a dutiful student, almost creepily obedient, probably actively distancing himself from rebellious behavior, though his way of speaking isn’t exactly super formal either because of the influence of the adults around him. In his obsessions lies a genuine love, even if twisted, of his “favorite person” so to speak. He was also a genuinely sweet kid who wanted to please these special people in his life. He could be said to be actually really selfless in a weird way, because ultimately he values familial honor and being “good enough” for whatever higher purpose more than he values himself. TROS implied some sassiness with that Han-like shrug, and while I can maybe see some of Han rubbing off on him like that, that might be something that started from him trying to copy his parents’ air of confidence, and another coping mechanism. He might, like Vader, have a 501st legion 2.0 which Phasma is in charge of and Finn is part of, and show a more nicer side to them. Perhaps he opened up one or two times to Finn specifically; I can see this image of him venting to him while Finn stands still like how someone might vent to their dog, not really expecting Finn to be listening (also sarcasm might help Kylo obscure his true anguish from Finn, because FO troopers don’t understand sarcasm probably).  

He will be redeemed at the end… and live. Even if not necessarily paired with Rey. I’m neutral on Reylo (though admittedly I have a weak spot for pairs involving a strong woman and a troubled guy, so it’s kind of growing on me), but I really think this ship, or even centering the story strongly around a platonic relationship between these two, could have worked if it was built up strongly (Though if I were to go this route Finn would have to be established as a secondary character from the start, with Rey as the definitive main character, to focus on this). But either way, he’s definitely going to have to face the consequences of what he’s done, make up for his atrocities at least somewhat, and think about what he truly wants to do from now on. I can imagine him quietly reading stories to younglings as Rey, Finn, and Luke train some other pupils outside, or thanklessly working behind the scenes in other ways. For his haters out there, I could make the pill easier to swallow not just by making the reasons for his fall and how he was slowly and meticulously gaslit more clear, but also making him not as awful. Yes, he’s extremely destructive, but he could show more reluctance, or pause after his berserker rages, staring at the destruction he’s caused as the weight of what he’s done sinks in. He’d of course resent that he still has mercy left in him though. I don’t think that there will be a Starkiller Base, but even if there was he might argue with Hux a bit over whether it’s really necessary, until Hux sneers at him for having mercy, saying that Vader never hesitated when blowing up Alderaan, and Kylo reluctantly backs off.

…Actually, what about making him and Rey cousins? On one hand, if Rey is a Skywalker by blood, a direct daughter of the Master himself no less, Ben is now suddenly freed from carrying the weight of the family legacy on his own. On the other hand… He basically loses the thing he has spent his entire life building his identity around; since his fall would have partially been because of his obsession with Luke, he may become jealous and extremely resentful of her, and/or take this as even more reason for Luke to not “need” him anymore. Or perhaps, he pulls a reverse of “I sense the conflict in you” with her, wanting to “save” her from embracing the Light and wanting her to embrace the “true” Skywalker destiny with him. He could even be overjoyed that he could have someone else alongside him to carry on the legacy with; in this scenario he could have an unhealthy obsession with her that might also start crossing into “are you sure this isn’t incest?” territory. Yeah it’s a “join me and we can rule together” scenario again, but it would be done differently. Or perhaps it’s a mix of some of those. Exploring that and how he chooses to take it could be extremely interesting. Maybe it’s resolved when Anakin tells him to “finish what he started”… not just by saving the galaxy, but by also living the rest of his life loving his family not as an ideal, but as family, like Anakin wasn’t allowed to. And platonic Reylo sounds nice too. Though that’s going to make all that shipping fanart so awkward lol. Well it’s not as if Star Wars shippers haven’t been cockblocked by incest before (though his obsession with family and extremely questionable mental state would probably make such shippers go nuts anyway…). 

And going off of Poe being close to his parents, while the main interactions with Kylo from the heroes would be Rey, Finn if he’s the second protagonist, Luke, and his parents, I can see potential for an interesting dynamic and some interesting conversations between them too. Much like how he might react to Rey being Luke’s daughter, I can see him being jealous of Poe and resenting him for being his “replacement”, but after his redemption I can see potential for seeing the start of a friendship between them in epilogue comics, novels, or a mini-series. It would be pretty in-character for my version of Poe to want to help rehabilitate his sort-of stepbrother. Also I now have the adorable mental image of Ben quietly helping Poe (and maybe the rest of his squad) decorate and arrange Rey and Finn’s wedding, or the two surprising Finn with a very elaborate bachelor party, though I’m not sure if those exist in this universe. And because of a certain Inside Llewyn Davis scene I’m also imagining Poe getting Ben to sing with him and BB-8. It’s adorable. 

Also if both Rey and Finn are the main heroes, he might have some kind of link with both of them, and the main duo would both contrast him in their own way (lonely scavenger who no one expected anything of and nameless trooper who defected from the First Order vs. someone who grew up in greatness but seemingly threw it away and chose to be in the First Order; and much like Kylo Finn in particular has been manipulated from childhood to do heinous things, so he may sympathize with his situation). Maybe he’s the missing piece needed for both him and the leading duo to reach their full potential, or the main duo are the last piece needed to finally break Snoke’s curse on him, or something. Or it could simply just be Finn showing his growth and strength of character by understanding and forgiving Kylo, despite him now understanding just how badly the First Order treated him, which makes Rey (who, again, might start as this super cynical scavenger or may have seen Kylo go berserk and massacre her friends and betray her Master) come around to the idea. In this scenario it may actually be even more important to emphasize that Rey and Finn are two making up a whole, so as not to bog stuff down. It’s possible to ship Finnrey and want Kylo to have a better ending, what a shock! 

Maybe Rey and Kylo could switch places, and he comes back to the light in SW8, which is an idea I’ve seen floated and is something that would make the story truly unique. He would seem like basically a less stable Vader 2.0 at the start, but over SW8 he could be seen breaking more and more out of his own terrible mindset, coming to a head in a cathartic realization that bring him back into the arms of his beloved family. It would also add an interesting dynamic that he and Finn have to be equals now. But that may mean that Rey would have to be killed off and I’m not so sure about that. 

Though speaking of her, since in all these scenarios a common thread is that she understandably doesn’t like him, it would be a bit of a twist if Finn sees the good in him but Rey, if she’s a Skywalker, his cousin, doesn’t. 

And to bring up Poe again, I also really like the idea of them having been childhood friends and thus knowing each other before the events of SW7; after all, they’re around similar age, it isn’t that far-fetched to think that former Rebel families would be still pretty close to each other, and I’ve seen some adorable fanfics with the concept. It also adds connection between them and adds even more tragedy, even if this relationship may have to be elaborated more in supplementary material due to time. I can definitely Poe speaking like an old friend to Kylo and constantly calling him “Ben”, to his irritation. The abovementioned feeling of being replaced could be what caused Ben to suddenly break off the friendship. And making the main cast kind of tight-knit like this might also help make the cast easier to manage. 

Granted, there is the possibility of killing him off, though. I heard that one of the initial ideas for TFA was apparently that Kylo would be a reverse Vader, falling deeper and deeper into the Dark Side as the trilogy goes on. In fact, this may have been where Kylo killing Han may have been leading to. This actually sounded like a super cool idea, but considering the backstory I laid out I thought it would be way too bittersweet for the concluding movie of the saga, and if one were to say Kylo basically has BPD… That might lead to some unfortunate implications. I mean nothing is stopping me from not using the Elsa backstory, and if I didn’t use it maybe this route would be pretty viable, but I’m kind of starting to get attached to it. 

—

Other characters:

Hux: I’ve never really been a villain person. I mean I liked sympathetic villains, yeah (but even then I preferred anti-heroes for a while; I’m talking like nothing beyond N from Pokémon levels of “evil”), but straight-up villains I just have merely seen as obstacles. Like back in my Smash fic days I was often like “Eh… They’re there… Because they want to take over the world I guess?”. It’s why I’m having trouble with Snoke probably lol. But for some reason Hux interests me. If I take a guess it’s probably because of the potential he had as an actual foil to Kylo in his own faction. He had so much potential as a villain, and in having this tense dynamic play out. In fact he does seem to have been set up that way in SW7. But yeah, I imagine him as one coldhearted bastard. His backstory, though not elaborated on in the movies, would be much like TFA supplementary material set him up; he’d still have killed his father, but while yes, Brendol was abusive and strict, Armitage didn’t kill him completely because he was a young man who wanted to break free from his strict father, but also genuinely because he knew doing so would be good for his standing. Unlike Kylo when he (most likely) kills Han, he doesn’t regret killing Brendol at all. While he might have a tragic backstory kind of explaining his behavior, it doesn’t bother him at all, while Kylo, who considering what happened to him and how he’s literally under a curse you’d think would have a much steeper fall into unabashed evil, is constantly conflicted. It’s a very Sith Lord-like backstory funnily enough… In fact I’m pretty sure that Palpatine had a backstory very similar to this with his parents.  

He’s a very logical, analytical, brutally pragmatic person, and he looks upon Kylo’s emotional state with condescension. I’m increasingly starting to like the idea that he’s somehow able to talk Kylo down, while still being hardly nice. Perhaps he preys upon Kylo’s constant need for approval from others, even if he doesn’t like the person in question (this may also be why Kylo reacts so strongly to Finn escaping as well, in fact. He genuinely cares about people’s loyalty, even from literal no-name soldiers). Though I can’t decide whether he’s this deceptively charming snake or basically an evil Spock. I also can’t decide between him being in this constant state of “Why do I have to babysit this manchild” or giving absolutely no visible f*cks around Kylo no matter what happens, or even straight-up trolling him often, toying with his emotions because it amuses him; preferably two or a bit of all somehow? I can see him using having met Vader as a child to mock Kylo for how much of a pale, childish imitation he is, or reminding Kylo of how much better he is as a leader objectively; perhaps that’s what he holds over Kylo’s head. Or him explaining to Kylo how he was raised by less than stellar parenting and tried so hard to live up to his strict father too… So he brutally murdered Brendol in cold blood (possibly with Phasma’s help), became a better admiral than he ever was, and got over it “Like an adult. Unlike you.”. They’d be in this constant state of delicate, tense equality; Kylo can easily overpower Hux if he pisses him off a bit too much, but Hux is able to walk that fine edge seemingly without much effort. 

But when he realizes whatever grand cosmic plot he and the entire First Order has been participating in this whole time is when, ironically, there would probably be a really dramatic villainous breakdown from him. It’s kind of a Zuko and Azula situation with Kylo and Hux perhaps? Or is this Hux more a mix of Azula and Zhao’s roles rather?

——

Worldbuilding stuff: Since I’m more a character person, there isn’t much here, but because the worldbuilding was another issue in the movies I’ll also be adding these.

The New Republic isn’t nuked in the first movie. In fact it stays there for the duration of the trilogy and the hero faction is now its armed forces, not The Resistance (Also that name makes no sense. Seriously. At least name them The Peacekeeper Corps or Vigilantes or something, or since they’re basically Leia’s personal military maybe the Organa Free Army or Organa Corps or something of that sort. No wonder people mistakenly call them The Rebels sometimes. It’s a similar setup to Chrom’s Shepherds in Fire Emblem Awakening, albeit with a better relationship with the kingdom; it would be downright strange if the Shepherds called themselves The Resistance despite literally existing with the queen’s permission, and it still is here. Hell, Leia’s Shepherds is a better name). There would be elaboration on the political stuff going on behind the scenes, and if Leia isn’t a Jedi that’s her plotline probably, though a big part of me wants her to be part of the action instead of being stuck on the homeworld. 

Meanwhile, The First Order is made up of Imperial Remnants and people and planets who were unsatisfied with the democratic but still new and fragile New Republic. Basically think White Russians if the Soviets weren’t also awful. It happens a lot in history. While it may have some mining planets in its orbit (not literally, you know what I mean) so it can plausibly refurbish anything Kylo wrecks with his tantrums, Starkiller Base is probably a bit much, and a lot of their equipment might be old Imperial or Rebel stuff, or stolen from the New Republic, with new stuff being produced but not in overly high quantity. Some of the equipment deemed less important might even be kind of crappy due to how old they are. They’d probably be at most an equally powerful faction to the Republic, if not smaller than them, seeming more like a terrorist cell. I don’t have much of an idea why Snoke would want to be involved in it yet though. 

But while the First Order might be smaller, the New Republic is hindered by it just now finally gaining its footing, and the military previously only having been used for peacekeeping and sniping stray Imperial remnants. Because it’s peacetime, it might have been kept pretty small, and also the military academies are literally not even 30 years old at this point, so new that it’s possible Poe, despite his youth, was one of the earliest graduates; one of the military’s most high-ranking officers is literally a scoundrel with no formal training - even if he is good at his job - it isn’t exactly a well-oiled machine, though its less rigid, casual structure also does benefit it in some aspects. Also the FO can easily use Kylo as intimidation, and its upper staff is nothing if not driven and motivated as well as ruthless. They may engage in more underhanded actions like sabotage and suicide bombers, or rely on small elite units like the Knights of Ren or small companies of troopers, to poke holes in the enemy just as much as open combat. And maybe if all else fails Snoke causes something really bad to happen seemingly out of nowhere. 

While I do think that making the baddies an Empire 2.0 is an… uncreative decision, I want to keep Finn’s backstory, plus it fits Kylo’s story too so blah, I kind of have to keep it. Plus I want to do Phasma and Hux justice. Maybe Snoke or whatever it serves turns into a giant Eldritch abomination and have no use for the FO anymore. And again, reactionary forces are a thing that have existed throughout early modern history. But as already mentioned, due to the nature of the First Order’s existence, maybe the Stormtroopers aren’t kidnapped, but they were orphans picked off the streets, and/or some more dedicated Imperial parents gave them their children? I had the idea that Troopers like Finn are “Junior Troopers”, the child slave type, while older members, “Senior Troopers”, would be legit Imperial revanchists and former troopers. Maybe there’s a separate company of Juniors who think they’re cool by fighting for the First Order, but generally Juniors would be the lowest on the social rung, though some might make it into higher positions, and don’t know any other life than what they have now. Though I also like the idea that Finn was part of an elite unit directly connected to Kylo Ren like the 501st, so he has a reason to be particularly hurt by his betrayal (but that could throw a wrench in the whole Finn was a faceless cog in the machine thing). They’re pretty Prussian in command structure; officers work under mission-tactics, but the rank-and-file are machine-like in their discipline, more than even some actual droids. The Republic’s forces also probably engage in mission-tactics a lot, except how far it is acceptable goes way further down the chain of command, so stuff like the Holdo situation doesn’t happen. If that situation were to happen when mission-tactics were to be expected Poe’s independent action would be seen as reasonable. This would have potential for very interesting battles and tactics, though I’d need a lot of help with those because I’m the furthest thing from a tactician you can find (but even I can tell the bomber scene from TLJ was dumb, which should say something).

I kind of realized that it’s possible that the four OT legacy characters may end up basically representing four major aspects of the New Republic; the Jedi (Luke), law and justice (Leia, if she’s a senator), the military (Han, if he’s a general), and economics (Lando). I think some worldbuilding into how the republic functions should be explored through these characters as they move the story forward, except for the Jedi since they’re obviously a central focus, and Luke might very well be introduced after them, and the military will also get focus for obvious reasons, and Poe exists. The information definitely needs to be conveyed as efficiently and organically as possible through the story, because there’s two, likely three, equally important main characters and an unholy amount of secondary characters who aren’t exactly minor. 

May write more later idk. I need to be doing other stuff…

[likesomekindofcheese]

Because the ship you wrote for me inspired me: What kind of characters do you think the Queen boys would play in a campaign with Reader as the DM? What race, class, and backstory aspects would they choose?

Hi there! I only have basic knowledge of DND and have played only One (1) campaign in my life. So take what I say with a grain of salt. I will also be basing these characters more off of the boys themselves rather than trying to think of a character they would make up (my fanfic boys writing fanfics!?)

And hey, if y'all disagree, tell me!

For Freddie...

Definitely a bard. I mean, a great musician who is charming and charismatic? and wants to seduce everything? That’s Freddie to a T! I also think he would want to be aTiefling- to not be an ordinary creature or being, but something really special that makes people stop and stare! He would want a backstory of being royalty of some sort and just mingling in adventures for fun! That’s very Freddie!

For Brian...

Brian would be a wizard without question (I mean, current! Brian DOES look like a wizard!). Anyways, he would like the idea of relying on intelligence to get through a situation. He would use that a lot on a campaign. I also think he would be an elf (they’re tall) for the charisma and the grace of the race would appeal to him. As well as their otherworldliness. He would give a depressing backstory of the elf losing everything before the campaign since he is drawn to more melancholy stories.

For Roger...

I see Roger as a rogue. Sly, tricky, quick, smart. Always on the tips of his feet and ready to strike (hey! like playing the drums!). As for the race, he would like the gnomes. They may be small in stature, but they have so much energy they are bouncing off the walls and full of the same joie de vivre that Roger has. As for backstory, he would try and make him the charming rascal rogue who then agreed to do the quest because it was the right thing to do.

For Deaky...

I see him as a ranger. On the outskirts of civilization. He is more prone to do his own thing and operate well on his own terms. He is still able to defeat any enemy with the bad luck to cross his path doing the wrong thing. As for race, Deaky would want to be human, I think. Nothing too fancy or extraordinary...or so it seems. But actuallly very talented and useful once you get to them. As for backstory, Deaky would make the ranger an apprentice, learning over a more talented ranger. As the old ranger died, he took over his place. Feeling unready and ready for adventure and glory.

Anyways, what do you guys think? Agree or disagree? Let me know?

[positively--speculative]

If you think Harley Quinn is not a victim of abuse just because she “willingly” went with Joker who showed her who she “truly was,” then you probably haven’t watched any documentaries about cult survivors or have personally witnessed someone you know get swept away by a toxic person.

In many accounts of cult survivors, there’s a consistency that stands out: The leader of said cult was incredibly charismatic and told their victims what they wanted to hear. Many of these survivors were down on their luck and all it took to get swept in was someone who almost seemed otherworldly convince them that they were, in fact, special and part of some “plan” to save the world. Or maybe this person told them that they were “chosen” by some divine being. In any case, you have a lot of very smart and decent people getting swept in, and what ends up happening is these people end up changing every aspect of their lives for the “cause.” However, when and if common sense starts seeping back into their brains, they often keep quiet. They’re in too deep. If they start questioning anything, they are subject to all sorts of abuse at the hands of their leaders.

And sometimes it’s not something as extreme as joining a cult. Sometimes it’s just a single person who is able to manipulate another single person. I, personally, have witnessed this happen to someone I really care about in the last year or so. My friend changed every aspect of their life for this one person even to the point of cutting off his entire family. Everyone else recognizes that this person is toxic, but she tells him everything he wants to hear and builds on his ego, so he’s completely blind to it. Unfortunately, there is nothing anyone can do, because he is making the choice to choose her. I want to point out that he’s always been a good person, never lied, was always financially responsible, etc. However, he was always a bit insecure. When it came to dating, he rarely even tried, but would feel lonely and devalue himself over not being in a relationship. Imagine the power someone could have by making him feel special. It only took a year or so for him to start lying to his family (and because he’s never been a liar, he’s not good at it) and become less financially responsible. He practically throws away his money for her. It’s sad, but the hard truth is, if and when he realizes he’s being manipulated, he’ll be in too deep and it will be very difficult for him to get out.

That’s why I’m a bit bothered by the idea that Joker showed Harley who she “truly was.” There are so many people out there who are at least halfway decent who are easy targets of master manipulators. These people aren’t showing them who they “truly are.” They’re just really good at what they do.

Like, from a storytelling perspective, I get the appeal of Joker and Harley as a couple, but I feel like some people get very defensive when people point out its toxicity and try to rewrite canon to feel justified.

[redteabaron]

bran stark - shield that guards the realms of men (king of the gods, bringer of summer)

I ended up posting some things separately without editing them because, well, I’m bad at planning things and didn’t think I’d actually sit down and type all this out or work out in a somewhat coherent manner. These are just theories that I’ve had regarding the books and where they may end up and I’ve just jotted them down. I see, as the fandom sees, a lot of inspiration in asoiaf in Norse and Greek mythology, so it’s kind of fun to hold it up to the light and pick out what picture is on the other side. 

In a previous meta, I said I believe that Bran’s ending will be with him as a king, but I don’t believe it will necessarily be to the same throne we saw in the show. 

I think one way to interpret Bran’s journey might be one of an ascension to godhood - he’s going to be the deciding factor in this eternal conflict between R’hllor and the Great Other. Yet while I think magic is definitely going to be balanced, I don’t think it’s going to go away or die - but fire dragons and the Others are definitely what are causing this cosmic unbalance so they can’t just stay. I don’t believe we’re seeing magic itself being the cause, but manmade magic created for the purpose of destruction (and whatever the Children of the Forest did to create the Others since I doubt the showrunners of GOT were able to come up with that on their own) is what this imbalance is really about (coming full circle to grrm comparing the dragons to nukes and writing a series that shows us that war is hell and there are no good wars). 

The Great Other (probably the original Child of the Forest who came up with the Others, maybe still rules over them) and R’hllor are likely similar; a mortal, or someone who once walked the earth and became a god - maybe the Great Other/the COTF who became the Great Other is a god for the Others/their progenitor. Perhaps R’hllor is the polar opposite - maybe the original creator of fire breathing dragons.  Yet if both are ended, done away with - is that balance? Is eliminating fire (R’hllor) and ice (The Great Other) completely balanced? I’m personally not so sure; balance doesn’t just mean doing away with something imbalanced wholesale. It means compromise. (Bringing an end to the Others and fire dragons, their “nukes” sounds like it could be a way to find that balance though)

Anyway. They represent antithetical beings apparently warring over the world. R’hllor is presented as the god of light, fire, and life - all things associated with passion. The Great Other is ice, death, dispassion. Either way the gods present a great imbalance if one ‘rules’ over the realms of men. Bran, imo, could be being set up as the one who not only ushers in spring, or brings balance to the world, but must continue to do so in a way that doesn’t necessarily allow him to intervene in mortal affairs. (It could also account for the way Bran ended in the show, being a king yet removed from the process; I’ll explain down lower)

Bran is going to be a king - king of the gods, maybe, but certainly the king of summer, and the protector of the realm (of mankind). 

Parallels to Baldr: that rambling mess of a meta I mentioned previously takes this apart more, but the gist is: Baldr is a beloved god of the court, representing spring and renewal. His death brings about the cataclysmic downfall of the gods and the war (Bran’s ‘death’, similarly topples Westeros, is a beloved child, indirectly ushers in the beginning of the end of the current status quo). Yet he returns and brings with him life, renewal, change. 

To: Apollo

Apollo is the Greek god of light, truth and prophecy, healing, and knowledge. He, like Baldr, is seen as a beautiful god and the opposite of evil; actually seen as a protector from shadow and evil things. He is mostly recognized as an oracle god. 

Bran has some pretty obvious traits in common with Apollo. He’s going to be the one to figure out the truth behind the Others, the Great Other, R’hllor, Azor Ahai, the Wall, Bloodraven, etc - all these mystical, magical pieces of the world. If he is the Keeper of History, then this is likely part of his journey to (godhood) being a king. He has to be the one to remember on behalf of mankind because the Great Other and R’hllor do not care about balance; Bran will have to be the one who does. His character arc is about healing (of himself, realizing he is whole no matter what had happened to him and coming to terms with himself which will in turn set him free) and finding out the truth of magic, gods, and balance, history of mankind.  

Where Bloodraven, I believe, is playing the part of Loki masquerading in the disguise of an Odin-like figure (or at the very least sharing some of Odin’s traits and past), Bran is being developed not just as Baldr, a beloved god who represents renewal and resurrection, or Apollo, the god of prophecy and knowledge as well as the protector of mortals, but also of Heimdallr. 

Heimdallr is, as with Baldr and Apollo, a well liked god. He’s the Norse god of clairvoyance, having keen eyesight and hearing, and is considered a guardian of the realms and is associated with boundaries. He’s the owner of Gjallarhorn, a magical horn, which can be heard all across the Nine Realms. When Heimdallr blows this horn in warning, Ragnarok begins. In asoiaf, there’s a horn once owned by a King-Beyond-The-Wall, Horn of Joramun, that the free folk believe has the ability to bring down the Wall. 

“The Horn of Joramun? No. Call it the Horn of Darkness. If the Wall falls, night falls as well, the long night that never ends. It must not happen, will not happen!” - Melisandre, Jon III ADWD

But with Jon Snow being built up as the one who sounds the alarm about the Others/the Long Night to everyone south, it could be that Jon Snow will act, in a way, as Bran’s Gjallarhorn. It would also tie into the twist that Jon’s battleground won’t be found in the north, but in the south (and so may his endgame) - he won’t technically be the shield that guards the realm of men (Bran will be); but he will act as the horn that wakes the sleepers (re: he will indirectly be Bran’s mouthpiece in spreading the warning about winter and the Long Night in the south). 

Bran’s journey has always included boundaries - not the boundaries that Sansa, Arya, and Jon must navigate; his transcends that. He’s not stripped of his humanity, but I think he will be stripped of his mortality (in a sense). His boundaries are tied directly into the otherworldly, whereas all the Starks may have a magical ability they are tied directly to their direwolves. Bran’s abilities aren’t; they include Summer, but he himself is in another category from the other Starks.

While Bran’s journey to becoming king (of the gods and protector of mankind, and the bringer of summer) makes him tied to Baldr, I think he does have an enormous part to play in what’s to come - it just won’t be regulated to mortal affairs. Bran’s powers of prophecy, greenseeing, and eventual knowledge under the tutelage of BR are slowly building him as a mythical figure, the origin of how a god may come to be, even if they aren’t literally a god. There’s a possibility he isn’t going to be given a mortal crown, because in the scope of what he is capable of, surpassing even BR, that seems like an anticlimactic ending that throws away all of what he can do. He might literally be the king, protector of the realm (of all of mankind, king of the gods). 

The show’s ending showing him as the king of the 6 kingdoms, in an elective monarchy (which is just such an awful idea) with that godawful small council should’ve at least shown him as a well-loved king, or an anticipated one, but he’s shown to be dispassionate about mortal affairs. It could be, that with these really general brushstrokes and bullet points given by grrm to the show, that Bran is indeed meant to be king (but because the showrunners thought Bran was boring and hated magic were only left with one choice to make him king of) but not the one who presides over mortals directly. Kingship has to be more than just about who has a good story, who is charismatic, who won a throne, etc (we are shown that time and time again) it has to include not desiring power for power’s sake, compromise, realizing the value of the lives you may preside over, etc. Bran is the only one who could/would be able to navigate a compromise between the “warring” factions of the Great Other and R’hllor, of magic’s place in the world, and the COTF. Maybe his show ending is less literal and more in spirit; he is the king (of the gods), he is the deciding factor of fire and ice (he must compromise and preside over the Great Other, R’hllor), he doesn’t (cannot) care about the 6/5 kingdoms (because he can’t intervene in mortal affairs as the Great Other and R’hllor have/will try to and he has to protect mankind from those that have become more/transcended). 

Most importantly, he won’t be Bran the Broken are you fucking kidding me

Bran wanted to be a knight, a protector like in his songs and stories, but gave up on it because of his disability. He will be a protector and he will have songs and stories (maybe as the king of the gods, bringer of Summer, protector of mankind). 

[laughingpinecone]

ToT letter 2021

I am laughingpineapple on AO3

Hello dear author! I hope you’ll have fun with our match. Feel free to draw from general or fandom-specific likes, past letters, and/or follow your heart.

Art likes: characters doing something, even something very simple, illustrating a moment rather than abstractly posing. I also enjoy seeing them wear different clothes, getting a feel of what their fashion sense is like beyond their canon outfit(s). Or dressing them up for some outlandish AU!

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (especially if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and similar formats, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, magical realism, established relationships, future fic, hurt/comfort or just comfort from the ample canon hurt, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic, dreams and memories and identities, canon-adjacent tropey plots, outsider POV, UST, resolved UST, exploration of secondary bits of canon, leaning on the uniqueness of the canon setting/mood, found families, characters reuniting after a long and/or harrowing time, friends-to-lovers, road trips, maps, mutual pining, cuddling, wintry moods, the feeling of flannel and other fabrics, ridiculous concepts played straight, sensory details, sickfic, places being haunted, people being haunted, the mystery of the woods, small hopes in bleak worlds, electricity, places that don’t quite add up, mismatched memories, caves and deep places, distant city lights at night, emphasis on non-human traits of non-human characters (gen-wise, but also a hearty yes xeno for applicable ships), emphasis on inhuman traits of characters who were human once and have sort of shed it all behind

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, focus on children, unrequested ships (background established canon couples are okay, mentions of parents are okay!), canon retellings

All requests are for both fic and art!

Death Crown: Death, trick

(I haven't played the DLC yet so, alas, no demons, or no spoilers for the demons, at least) I am absolutely charmed by the overall mood of this game and would like to see something more in that vein! Anything! Got more sacred (or unholy?) geometrical architecture for Death to interact with, maybe in greater detail than just wrecking it? What else feels like a contemporary take on a Bosch painting? Can Death get lost?

Ghost Trick: Jowd, Cabanela, trick, treat

Anything focused on Cabanela being an unstoppable force (confident, untiring, sparkling, stubborn, dexterous, loyal to the bitter end, legs) and/or Jowd being an immovable object (sarcastic, strong, depressed, self-deprecating but knowing he's hot stuff, also stubborn, clever but an emotional dumbass, round). Figuring out stuff? Something in the new timeline is linked to the old timeline? Coat? Dancing? Scarves? Halloween costumes?

I like Cabanela/Jowd and Cabanela/Alma/Jowd and Cabanela/Alma in scenarios where Jowd isn't around and Alma/Jowd in general (REALLY like all these, okay. like this is the one request where I'd love the most self-indulgent shippy takes as well), and dig Lynne/Memry. Yomiel/fianSissel and Emma/JM also cool!

Hylics: any, trick, treat

(I have only played the first game so far so please no overt spoilers for Hylics 2. Feel free to include stuff from it but... stealthily, I guess?) This is an "anything that feels somewhat like canon, please" sort of request! Love the mood, love the cast, love the little added details in their menu screen. Those can be prompts? Or the oddball stats? How do ToT's trick and treat freeforms apply to Hylics' overall... hylicsness, what would those guys think constitutes a "creepy" moment or a "fluffy" one?

Not into ships for this one, however I WILL say that Dedusmuln has all the proverbial curves in the right places. mostly their face.

Kentucky Route Zero: Weaver

Math, debt, the liminal state of almost being a ghost, seeing the world with a strange clarity... just anything Weaver, please! How'd she make her way to the town? What was it like for her to be working on Xanadu for a time? What about the community broadcast! Does she have an opinion on Carrington's oeuvre? You know... things... stuff. Weaver things. and stuff.

I love the whole cast and Weaver... wove... her story through most of them so feel free to bring in whomever. Not interested in ships here though.

Paradise Killer: Lady Love Dies, trick

A post-canon glimpse of life on '''''perfect''''' 25? That's not QUITE enough class consciousness to make the whole thing work, you guys. What does 'normal' life feel like to LD now? After following Henry's case and talking to Shinji so much, can she see that it's doomed to fail again, and then what? What IS Island 25 like, anyway? (what comes after Island 25, even?)

I liked the choice of canon romances - if it has to be just one I'd prefer it to be Crimson, but I'd also be interested in seeing what a V or triad with Doom Jazz would look like. They're all so chill about stuff

Pyre: Volfred, trick, treat

Pragmatic idealist, charismatic and bad at people, pacifist, activist, physiologically incapable of shutting up for a hot second, what's there not to love... I am very into either of the following: C. Volfred Sandalwood has a fantastic day; C. Volfred Sandalwood has a terrible no good day. Everything is great! Pre-exile antiestablishmentarian antics, maybe with Bertrude? Political gambits? The very physical dangers of the Downside which may or may not catch a scholar by surprise (who saves him?)? Tree problems? Meeting Oralech for the first time and Volfred thinks he himself is hot stuff but out of the two, Oralech is clearly the VIP? Feeling like he should live up to Lu Sclorian's legacy but he feels much closer to other Scribes (and what does Lu have to say about it, one way or another?)? The thrilling intimacy of Reading? The thrilling intimacy of lowercase reading also, maybe reading old manuscripts found in the Downside?

I very much ship him with Tariq and/or Oralech. The only canon ship I like is Hedwyn/Fikani. I also like Soliam/Gol, Bertrude/Pamitha and Celeste/Jodariel. Love all the Nightwings + Dalbert (+Deluge...?); love to dunk on Manley, Brighton and Lendel (I don't enjoy flat-out bashing, more like... I enjoy the way they are portrayed as horrible gremlins in canon and if they turn up in fic I'm not interested in more positive portrayals)

Signs of the Sojourner: Rhea, Elias, trick, treat

Once again pretty much an "anything in the style of canon" request. I love this setting, its themes and all the little lives that fill it. I am interested in a wide range of postcanon scenarios and love the whole cast - does Rhea come back to $town any number of years down the line and find $character? How'd their storyline end up in the medium-long term? What the hell is up with the Stranger (seriously, three runs and I never managed to speak with them, I have no idea)? What's life like for Elias back home, or in a new home if they can't keep the store, or if Rhea landed the Oscar ending or whatever (just, please, not dead Rhea. I love that ending but can't stand to consider what it'd do to Elias)? Or does he join the caravan just once? Who did Rhea grow to really like and can't wait to see every time? Any ghost stories or creepy encounters on the caravan's route? Does Thunder help?

I'm neutral on ships here - good with Rhea&Elias, good with background Rhea/Elias but I wouldn't like a romantic focus.

Totally Normal Wizard Apprentice: apprentice, wizard, master, trick, treat

(conflict of interest disclaimer, I illustrated this but didn't write nor nominate it) What awaits the apprentice outside the wizard's tower? It sounds like a pretty wild moon out there, I loved all the worldbuilding hints of the bigger setting. Does the wizard keep track of the apprentice, with her telescope or otherwise, and how does she take care of her ruined parlor? Was this all some sort of 5d chess on the master's part, and if so to what end? And what kind of otherworldly patience does this man possess, anyway, to handle the apprentice on a daily basis?

Twin Peaks: Margaret, Diane, Lucy, Tammy, trick, treat

(bass-boosted ethereal whooshing) For tricks, I would like to see any of these characters face the woods, the mystery of the woods, and/or a new symbol of your liking. Or: Margaret in the city, Diane and the moon, Lucy and the color blue, Tammy incognito.

For treats, a happy meeting. I love the whole cast and I'm always thrilled by gonzo "&" pairings, bring in whomever! Coffee and pie? The Bookhouse Boys? A kinder aspect of the woods?

Fandom-specific notes: love s3, love the books too. I like Lucy/Andy, Margaret/Sam fwiw, and rarepairs Tammy/Cynthia and Diane/Constance. Please no Fireman's-house-is-the-white-lodge, no Twin Perfect, no Judy-was-destroyed (nor is destroyable).

Arcade Spirits: Percy, Teo, treat

More than anything, I love the sense of group and camaraderie among the arcade's staff and regulars, and I'd love to see some more of it. I picked Percy and Teo 'cause they're my faves but anyone you may want to add, up to and including Sue, is very very welcome. Is there any aspect of gaming that feels like it could be adapted to this strange world of contemporary arcades? Cosplay shenanigans for everyone courtesy of Ashley? Any other activity that could show how Percy and/or Teo get along with the others, like they were all forming little groups during the beach chapter? It's such a feel-good canon, any feel-good situation would be great!

My Ari is with Percy but I'm not really interested in shipping here. All sorts of friendships though!

[4dorks-1windmage-1shadow]

The Links as D&D Characters, Part 2: Red Link

Inspired by a question I saw on @hauntinghyrule ‘s blog. My character analysis and thoughts on what character class the boys would be if they were D&D characters, and why.

@atinybitweird drew her interpretation of D&D Red! You can find it here

Green / Blue / Vio / Shadow / Vaati / FS Zelda

As a preface, there won’t be any doubles on classes except in the case of dual-classing, and in those cases the first class I talk about my justifications for will be the primary class (i.e. the class they would have chosen at level one). My choices will be based on the character theming and personalities, even though at a base level it would be easy to say “they’re all paladins, duh” because of the implied “holy knight chosen by the gods to eradicate evil” concept. Red’s class is actually kind of a tough one. Although its still an option for a dual-class, paladin is already taken as a primary class, and even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be my first pick for Red. Red has _oodles_ of charisma, and so he’s more fit for charisma centric classes like Bard, Warlock or Sorcerer. Bard could be a good fit, since he’s the metaphorical “heart” of the team- keeps morale up, always cheerful, always optimistic, but I’m having trouble finding a WOTC Bard College that works. As a result, bard could be a good secondary class for him, but that still leaves finding a primary class. I’ve ruled out sorcerer because sorcerers get their magic innately, meaning that they’re born with it. And although I really like the idea of Red being a draconic sorcerer (because of the connection to his Minish Cap element, Fire) I don’t want to contribute to the “weakest Link” idea by making him a class with the least amount of health (Sorcerers only get a d6 for health die). So that leaves us with Warlock. Which. . .actually works pretty well for a couple of reasons. Warlock is a high Charisma, high Constitution class. Like I said before, Red is very charismatic, so it makes sense to pick a class for him that uses that charisma in a more attack-based way- also, he’s so energetic and upbeat that I can’t imagine him not  being healthy enough to have high constitution. I also think it coincides with is personal journey in the manga- becoming more confident in himself, and standing up for himself when it matters seems like a fitting story for a warlock. Warlock spellcasting is more limited than the other full casters like wizards, sorcerers, and bards; warlocks only ever learn four cantrips, and only ever have four spell slots, and can only learn up to 5th level spells. Through Mystic Arcanum at 11th level and up, they can learn one spell of 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th level each, casting them at will without using spell slots, but most of their attacking and buff spells are 5th level and lower. Red is only shown using magic through a fire rod and ice rod, so his spell set is technically limited in the manga as well. However, the main reason boils down to the Otherworldly Patron. Warlocks are magic users that gain their magic through a pact with a super-natural being, and there are two viable options for subclasses here: the Archfey patron from the Player’s Handbook, and the Celestial patron from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Red as a Celestial warlock would be fitting from the point of view of his role in the Four Swords story. Like Green, he’s trying to save a princess from a demon, and celestial patrons usually make their warlocks hunt down fiends and undead. Celestial warlocks are very much like more spellcasting oriented paladins or clerics (that last one is kind of redundant b/c clerics are spellcasting oriented but you get my point). They offer access to the Light cantrip and spells like Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Flaming Sphere, Lesser Restoration, as well as a pool of d6 dice to heal allies, the ability to give temporary HP to allies (effectively giving them an HP boost), and bonus radiant damage at high levels. This sounds pretty good for him, until you think: man, that kind of treads on Green’s territory with the paladin class. You’d be right- most of the spells granted with Celestial Warlock are also on the Paladin’s list. Furthermore, we have less of an emphasis on arcane magic, like Red uses via the fire/ice rod, and more on divine magic.  On the other hand (the stronger hand IMO), Archfey patron has a tangible link to the manga. Throughout the mid-story, Red travels around looking for his friends with a fairy- and if we pretend that the D&D story is separate from the manga story and Miss Fairy isn’t a product of the Blue Maiden’s magic, that would make her a pretty good patron (interesting even, that she travels around with him). Fey are known to be charming, beguiling, whimsical and mischievous, traits that Red shares with them. Archfey Warlocks gain access to spells like Faerie Fire, Sleep, Calm Emotions, Plant Growth, Dominate Beast and Dominate Person; they can make creatures within a ten-foot cube charmed or frightened of them, can turn invisible and teleport upon taking damage, and can become immune to being charmed themselves, reflecting enchantment magic on the caster. At the highest level, they can even plunge creatures into illusory realms. This doesn’t seem like a very Red thing to do at first glance, but he’s been shown to be vindictive at times (lighting Blue’s ass on fire, everyone?), and when the going gets tough he can and does stand up for himself. And the choice of a Pact Boon is much easier with this subclass: Pact of the Chain gives him Find Familiar as a spell and lets him get a pet to use for attacking and spellcasting. But there’s still one more thing I’m not really sure about. . . Red is an inspiring force on the team- while he doesn’t fall into the role of a natural leader, like Green, he’s undeniably a positive and optimistic force to behold. He cares so goddamn much for the others and inspires them to keep their spirits up, and that’s like the entire purpose of a Bard. But the problem I ran into- Bard subclasses not really fitting his character- puts a damper on that being his primary class. The great thing about multi-classing is that you can take what levels you want, when you want. . .and you only need to be a 1st level Bard to get Bardic Inspiration. I want this feature for Red because of his role as the “heart” of the party. Bardic Inspiration allows him to give his allies a d6 dice that they can use to bolster their attacks, defenses, reflexes, even their normal skill sets (like just being smart or acrobatic and shit). With a high Charisma stat, Red would have plenty to go around, and dual-classing one level in Bard would give him one skill of his choice (i would go with Persuasion for him, personally) and one musical instrument proficiency (ocarina ocarina ocarina-) His Warlock spell-casting doesn’t really get effected, and he’s got access to 1st level bard spells and bard cantrips- meaning he gets to roast bad guys until they DIE  with Vicious Mockery. So my conclusion is this: Red is an Archfey Warlock with a Pact of the Chain familiar, and he has one level in Bard for access to Bardic Inspiration.

[sternenteile]

★*･ lovely ooc meme.

TAGGED BY:  y’all i stole it from multiple ppl on my dash TAGGING:  idk just take it from me and let the thief train continue

NAME:  nikki NICKNAME:  nikkibun, bun, assturd AGE:  26 weeps......... FACE CLAIM:  my bunsona!! my bunsona’s icons are so old and crusty tho so i’ve just. been using geno’s. rip. PRONOUNS:  she / her, but they / them is fine, too! HEIGHT:  5′3″ i am berry tinie BIRTHDAY:  april 4th

AESTHETIC:  cute animals (namely bunnies and cats), a basic n64 with a purple controller, pastels, piles of tasty chicken wings, and. and. more terribly charismatic buns.

LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO:  y’all listen the lavender town theme from pokemon lgpe is absolutely destroying me and it was absolutely the last thing i listened to. i love it.

FAVORITE MUSE ( S ) YOU’VE WRITTEN:  my boy papyrus ( @outbraves ) was easily one of my favorites ever. i just had... so much fun with him and had a lot of development for him, and just. i have such fond memories of rping him. i love my bone boy, even though his muse has long gone.

tbh, tho? geno is climbing up there, too. in so short a time, i’ve already got so many ideas and so much development plotting going on. given how expansive the mario universe is, too (esp. compared to undertale’s), there is just... so much room for different things to do with him?! i’m really excited. the potential is bananas.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE ON YOUR CURRENT MUSE ( THAT YOU ARE POSTING THIS ON ):  ok i’m not going to lie. this is a bit of a story, and it starts off in a very interesting way. at first, i actually... didn’t really give a single floppy titty for geno? seriously. i didn’t care. i played smrpg and i just fell for mallow that much more. i was like, gee, i wonder what people see in him. he’s cool and cute, but mallow has all this development and stuff! basically, based on my memories of smrpg and how ‘overrated’ i felt he was, i just didn’t really give geno much of a chance.

now, rosalina is my favorite mario character. ever. i used to rp her a long time ago. i absolutely adore her. thanks to smash speculation really bringing geno to the forefront of peoples’ minds again, i was like, huh. i wonder what kind of lore could come from her and geno? a lot of stuff i saw was implicating ship stuff, and i was... not impressed LMAO. i was like, naw, i see them being like mother and son. he’s a star spirit, after all, very similar to a luma. she’d totally be his superior + mom figure.

and then i started headcanoning more between them, which... via causation, started the headcanon train going for geno in general? i was like, no, i’m not going to get attached to this dumb doll, he’s overrated, blah blah. then i started thinking of him more, started doodling him, seeing why people liked him so much, and i was like... fuck. shit. damn. i used to have a weird disdain for you, you fuck puppet, why are you wiggling your way into my heart. no. get out.

needless to say, he didn’t get out, and i had to unleash my creativity with him. i missed rping, too, and i was like... this, this will do. voila. here we are.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS OF YOUR CURRENT MUSE:  where do i even begin omg... ok. let’s see.

first, his design in general is just? really great. he’s a design that fits in the mario universe while also feeling so unlike it. mallow feels more integrated, yet geno feels... so... otherworldly? so different? his design philosophy hinges on round, soft familiarity while also being colorful, complimentarily so, and encapsulating it in a way that comes off as both cute and mysterious. i just love his design. even in all of my disdain for him initially, i’m pretty sure i always liked his design.

with that shallower bit out of the way, let me tell you about the virtues this boi has that i love (or, at least, in terms of my version, most of it not being canon oops). i love how courageous and forward he is, even if at times, it results in some fumbling. he’s fascinated in the world around him and has an innate desire to explore, to experiment, to experience. he gets pretty into it, but it does result in some very silly moments where his cultural differences play a large factor. he’s so distant from the modern world in a lot of ways, and it shows. between this and his curious nature, he’s just... god, he’s just a dork. he’s just a huge dork.

but boy, his vices. he doesn’t have much of... any at all in canon, but it’s clear how attached to his duty he is, even in what little we see. building flaws off of that has been a blast. i love how he feels so tied to his purpose that he feels branching out isn’t an option, yet it conflicts with his desire to break free and just be. he’s still figuring out how to be his own person, how to be geno and not just ♡♪!?, the protector of star road. even then, he’s trying not to fail his most precious person, rosalina, and those who depend on him. it’s a lot of conflict that pulls his heart in a lot of directions at once. chances are that he’ll progress and then harshly regress multiple times, going through a bunch of shit before he finally manages to find a happy medium. it’ll be a long road ahead, and what can stem from this has me soooo excited.

also he’s just rly cute. did i mention he’s cute? he’s so cute. he’s literally a doll and i need to cuddle him.

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING:  honestly? steven universe and undertale have played huge inspiration into the way i write. undertale is obviously because i love it (and deltarune) and have written a muse from it. it’s just kind of integrated into my writing to the point that it feels natural. it’s... it’s something that’s just there now, lmao.

steven universe, however, is more particular. it hasn’t really influenced how i write in general, per se, but some aspects have inspired my geno, actually. garnet’s cool demeanor with inner conflict and a goofiness that she often shows? yeah, that definitely inspired a good chunk of my geno’s exterior personality. 

in terms of his inner self, those bits of garnet, plus the pearl + rose and steven + rose conflicts, pretty much shaped that up in my head. pearl + rose on its base level minus the romantic aspect definitely touches stone on how geno feels about his duty, his dedication to rosalina, and how he’s trying to become his own person, not just a star spirit in servitude. steven + rose more represents the mother + son aspect, the way geno wants to live up to her and what she wants, the way he views her as a parental figure that’s just unattainable (even if in a more figurative sense than steven and rose). there’s also a tiny, tiny bit of lapis in there, solely the tendency to flip a switch and bail if he thinks it’s best, just for less selfish reasons and more dutiful reasons. it’s. it’s very minuscule and very base-level, but it’s there.

in terms of geno himself, those two have to be my biggest inspirations at this point. ye.

FAVORITE TYPES OF THREADS:  god. anything is great, but these two are especially important:

slice-of-life. given geno’s distance from earth traditions, customs, and general livelihood, slice-of-life threads are immediately that much more interesting and even a bit crazy. being able to show how much of a curious little nerd he is and Hecking Things Up is always a good time.

finally, anything that draws out his insecurities. something that conflicts with his view on his purpose in life, that stirs his longing for parental recognition, that turns his beliefs on their heads... things like that. just. yes. gimme that.

BIGGEST STRUGGLE IN REGARDS TO YOUR CURRENT MUSE:  honestly, the fact that he’s such an old character that nintendo and square doesn’t care for is easily the worst part of playing him. it’s rough knowing that, even with all of the fan demand, he’ll likely never get a revival. he’ll just fade out of a lot of peoples’ memories more and more, and he’ll be even more irrelevant than ever. every time someone so much as knows who geno is, it just makes me giddy. i want that to stay alive, even if nintendo and square won’t do anything with him. the fan base keeping him going makes me feel so warm.

[darknetneopets]

Twisted Wonderland Oc/Mc

Eden H. Grey (He/They) 

My Twisted Wonderland MC aka the Ramshackle Dorm prefect! (Oouughh my little scrunkly!! My gay little blorbo!!!) 

He's very loosely based on Chernabog from Fantasia! 

At first glance Eden is, well, a little plain. At most he might come off a bit ‘quirky’ (read: nurodivergent) and he’s just not what you would call flashy or charismatic. He’s also queer and has only recently come to terms with being nonbinary so he’s still working on how he wants to present himself.

Mostly he's just kind of a nerd. His interests include computer games, fantasy books, and obscure discontinued toys. He likes scary movies and spooky music and prefers to dress in all black. He likes drawing, used to go ghost hunting, and if you call something a ‘dragon’ when it is CLEARLY a wyvern or worse yet a wyrm you're never going to hear the end of it. 

Eden is pretty friendly and approachable and others often come to him for help and advice. He's always happy to help, even if he’s not particularly well suited for the job. Eden is a chronic people-pleaser and if you make him feel useful (or suggest he’s somehow been a burden) he’s guaranteed to give your request his absolute best (even if it means compromising his own well-being.) 

He does his best to appear calm and easygoing even when terribly overwhelmed and prefers to keep the focus off himself in social situations. A bit awkward and bad at small talk, he would much rather jump straight into talking about things he and others have a genuine interest in.

If he finds himself in the spotlight for too long he ends up extremely flustered and the reaction is doubled when it comes to praise or romantic affection. The fact that NRC is full of cute guys with cool magic powers really doesn't do him any favors as a shy stumbling mess or as a bit of a pushover. 

Occasionally Eden’s pleasant aura will give way to a sarcastic edge and he has an impressive knack for cutting someone down to size once they’ve agitated him (usually some hard truth the person needs to confront for their own good. Well, mostly anyway…) 

Despite being a pretty good judge of character Eden tries his hardest to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt (this unsurprisingly backfires on him frequently while at NRC.) 

While Eden might have “all the magical talent of a box of crayons” (thanks, Ace) he’s clearly a pretty good mediator and he seems to have a curious effect on ‘otherworldly’ creatures (such as ghosts and monsters like Grim) that makes them a little more agreeable than normal. 

Although obviously shaken, Eden seemed to take his arrival to Twisted Wonderland in stride (once he realized it was all really happening and not just a particularly wild dream, that is.) His life hadn’t exactly been in a great place and if he was going to have to go around feeling lost or out of place somewhere, at least things in TW were…different? Interesting? Look, there was suddenly a whole weird new world to discover where magic is real, ghosts are commonplace and dragons might exist?!

Sure, his first instinct was to want to get home- the devil you know etc etc, but as his stay keeps extending the idea of leaving TW seems to grow a little less attractive everyday… Not that he’s ready to admit that of course, not even to himself. Still, maybe if he learned enough, stayed useful enough, got comfortable enough… Maybe he could convince himself to leave his old life behind. 

Oh and I ship him with Malleus because of coarse I do ashdkagdj

[aion-rsa]

How The Sopranos Changed TV Analysis Forever

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When The Sopranos first aired over 20 years ago, audiences had never before seen that type of complex storytelling on the small screen. The program was acclaimed for its otherworldly acting and intricate attention to detail, but there were individuals outside of the Sopranos set that helped audiences understand a show that was much more dense and rich than anything that had ever come before it. Without widespread Internet access and with social media not even a mere thought in anybody’s imagination, it was up to pioneering TV analysts to make sense of this new type of prestige television that HBO was letting into our homes.

There is arguably no journalist who has covered The Sopranos in greater depth for the last two decades than Alan Sepinwall. Now Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic, Sepinwall helped shape the narrative of television discourse just as Sopranos creator David Chase forged a revolutionary subject to evaluate. The New Jersey native started his career writing at the Newark Star-Ledger, putting him in an intimate position to cover The Sopranos close to the show’s setting. He went on to write The Sopranos Sessions with Matt Zoller Seitz, a collection of episodic analyses and interviews with show creators that is now viewed as one of the definitive documents covering the series. Due to these resume highlights, his presence covering The Many Saints of Newark is a must heading into the theater to see the film. 

Den of Geek spoke with Sepinwall via email for a wide-ranging discussion on his personal ties to the New Jersey area, how TV journalism was shaped by HBO’s megahit and vice versa, and how the analysis landscape has evolved in the last 20 years. 

You famously got your start writing for the same paper Tony Soprano picked up from his driveway each morning on The Sopranos. How much did this personal connection to the Jersey universe in the show affect your career trajectory and do you think you would have become the same type of critic without these ties?

Oh, I was incredibly lucky. Right place, right time. It’s a bit like being the music writer for the Liverpool Daily Post when The Beatles started playing at the Cavern Club in 1962. Not only did the show reach out to The Star-Ledger for help designing those fake newspapers, but one of my editors had gone to Rutgers with Jim Gandolfini, and I grew up one town over (and a few decades later) from David Chase. So there were all these connections that gave me better access and a broader base of knowledge. And then the morning after the show ended, David liked and trusted me enough to very reluctantly give me the only interview he gave about the finale for a long, long time. The show put me on the map, and my focus on it over those later seasons made me a better critic. 

We’ve always wondered how you are able to separate what your favorite shows are from what you think the best shows are. Is it hard to not show bias towards The Sopranos in your writing because of your longstanding history with it?

I’ve criticized plenty of episodes of the show, and even whole seasons at times. (Though revisiting the show when I co-wrote The Sopranos Sessions made me look more fondly on, say, season four.) I think there’s a degree to which I know the show so well at this point that I probably look at it differently from more casual viewers, but I’ve never felt in the tank for it. 

Do you think David Chase waited too long to make The Many Saints of Newark? There is a good amount of interest in the film, but could there have been more if it was made more recently after the series finale?

I think the movie is actually coming along at a very good time. Sopranos had a huge moment during the pandemic when it seemed like everyone was using the quarantine as an excuse to either watch the show for the first time or rewatch it for the first time in years. A whole new generation discovered the show and will appreciate Many Saints in a way they wouldn’t have if the movie had come, say, 5 or 6 years ago. And also, it allowed Michael Gandolfini to mature into an actor capable of playing the young Tony as well as he does in the film. 

Do you think Tony Soprano’s template for anti-heroes was ultimately a good thing for society at large? Bad men being depicted as badasses on TV was almost too abundant in the years after The Sopranos, but did the ones who actually got it right pay off at large in your opinion?

I think there is definitely a degree to which our lauding of bad guys like Tony or Walter White helped make more recent political developments possible. Sopranos and the shows it inspired encouraged people to root for assholes provided they were interesting or charismatic enough. 

Do you think The Sopranos, in general, has aged well? Do you think it has been surpassed in any way by more modern storytelling, or are the elements that made it special in 1999 still going as strong as ever? Will the film prove in any way that this universe is timeless?

When Matt Seitz and I started working on The Sopranos Sessions, I was terrified that the show would feel dated, and/or like an inferior copy of the many series that copied it over the last two decades. Instead, the opposite happened. Not only did the show hold up, but I wound up enjoying a lot of it even more than I did the first time around. (Again, see season four.) My appreciation for Jim Gandolfini in particular went way up, to where I stopped considering him on the same level with Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, et al, and felt comfortable saying he was head and shoulders above any other dramatic performance in TV history. Sopranos was so far ahead of the curve, and so many of its imitators only copied the superficial aspects of it, that when you get exposed to the real deal, it’s still incredible. 

What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed in your readers’ reception to your Many Saints of Newark writing compared to your Sopranos stuff back in the day? Have audiences grown more intelligent through the years which allows you to dive deeper in your analysis, or is the market oversaturated now which makes it harder for striking criticism to stand out?

The big difference so far is that the movie’s not out yet. Over time, The Sopranos became a show where my most notable writing appeared after individual episodes were available. I’m planning to do something similar about Many Saints when it comes out. But audiences are definitely expecting deeper analysis of television — or, in this case, of films based on TV shows — than what the media was doing when Sopranos debuted. 

The Sopranos was a landmark series for countless reasons, with one of the more important ones being that the depth of the material allowed for TV criticism to really capitalize on its unique qualities and expand exponentially as a medium. But perhaps journalists like yourself don’t get enough credit in making audiences understand that what they were watching was important. How bidirectional was the relationship between the show’s popularity and the analysis of it?

Over the years, the best compliment my writing has gotten has been when someone tells me they didn’t fully appreciate everything a show or episode was doing until they read my take on it. I think shows like Sopranos or Breaking Bad or The Wire are so obviously great that they don’t need analysis from me or anyone else. But I feel like the explosion in TV criticism inspired by shows like them wound up enhancing the experience for viewers who wanted to dig deeper than what they got from watching alone. 

What is the biggest difference you have noticed in your job requirements between covering shows for Rolling Stone now and reporting on them back in New Jersey for the Star-Ledger? Has covering The Many Saints of Newark brought back nostalgia for earlier in your career?

Leaving aside the very seismic economic changes to the media business in general, the biggest difference is expectations. People want more coverage, and they want it to be more in-depth and thoughtful than what was happening at the start of my career in the mid-’90s. The very idea of writing about shows and movies for people to read after they watched felt largely alien back then. Now it’s a huge part of how people cover and consume media. 

It was also really exciting and surprising to be back in Sopranos country again after so long. (David) Chase is always a fascinating — if challenging — interview subject, and I got to do the kind of in-depth interview with Michael Gandolfini that I never got the chance to with his press-shy dad. It’s been wonderful. 

Do people go to you for Sopranos stuff in ways that they wouldn’t for other reporters in the industry? Has this helped you career-wise, like when you get to do big features for Rolling Stone for the Many Saints of Newark? Do cast and creators on the show view you as an authority on the show the way readers do?

Rolling Stone has a fantastic group of movie writers, but they asked me to handle a lot of their Many Saints coverage. And I’ve been happy to function as a human Sopranos Wiki for friends and fellow critics who have been boning up on the show to prep for the movie. There were even a few times conducting interviews with the Many Saints creative team where someone like (director) Alan Taylor would joke that I knew parts of the show better than they did. As areas of expertise go, it’s not a bad one to have. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Who is your favorite person from the show to interview throughout the years? Do you have a favorite interview you have done with someone from The Sopranos universe?

The Michael Gandolfini profile I did for Rolling Stone is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written in my whole career. But Chase is the best interview, in part because he’s so tough that it forces me to sharpen every question to a razor point, in part because he has just thought so deeply about every aspect of the show, and now of the movie. I always feel like I’ve gone ten rounds in the ring with David, but it always feels worth the effort. 

The post How The Sopranos Changed TV Analysis Forever appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3D5vKuL

[an-ambivalent]

Broken Beings [Oikawa Tooru] [Soulmate AU]

soulmate au: where the world is black and white but you start to see colour when you meet your soulmate

I belong to you, but you belong to him…

With destined partners and promised love, where joy existed more than sorrow, the world was almost perfect. But alas, the idea of attaining perfection itself is a flaw, because for everyone that got their ‘happily ever after,’ there were those who got nothing. They were the ‘flaws’ who ruined the chance of obtaining perfection, and so, they were treated like anyone else who is different from the norm is treated: like trash; they were outcasted.

Oikawa Tooru, they said was the embodiment of perfection. He had everything: the looks, the talent, the charismatic personality, and anything else one could ever want.

“His soulmate is so lucky!”

“I'm jealous! If I could choose my own soul mate it would definitely be Oikawa-senpai.”

“I wish he was my soulmate,” and so on. These were the things he often heard behind his back as he would walk through the school corridors. In forms of whispers and gossip, he heard other’s perception of his perfection. Needless to say, it boasted his ego a little too much, and then he began to thought that as well; yes, his soulmate was indeed lucky to have someone like him.

But fate works in the most twisted and cruelest ways, and perfection can never exist.

He ended up being one of the ones they labelled as ‘trash.’

It was almost comedic really.

Almost as if this was an anime where the new school year which initiated during spring, promised signs of a dramatic but a destined love story; the skies were a bright baby blue, the sun shone brightly, the cherry blossoms were bloomed, and some of the already dead petals littered the footpath beneath them; Oikawa had found the one.

Her hair strands flowed gracefully with the rhythm of the wind as if her hair was a dancer and the wind was the music which guided the strands’ movements; her glossy eyes shone with an unspoken and endearing innocence that enhanced her beauty. They were etched with concern and confusion because they were running late on the first day of their final school year and as the new transferred student, she was clueless about the whereabouts of her classes. Her clothes were slightly creased and her breath heaved; she was a sight to see.

Her beauty had only magnified when the dark and bleak world around him had started to take on colour.

“I found you,” He said, his eyes widening in genuine joy and amazement, as magnificent and rich hues of greens, pinks, blues, yellows, and everything more entered his sight. “You’re my soulmate,” He finished, and gave her a grin which stretched from one ear to the other.  

Although a new world of colours had entered his life physically, the next few moments had morphed his colourful mind in an almost dead and bleak one.

“I beg your pardon?” She said, her glossy eyes widening in surprise, and an expression which was too similar to his was evident on her face. However, her gaze was fixated on anywhere but him.  

Her confusion at his statement made thousand of bells ring simultaneously in Oikawa’s mind. The light started to fade away as he reached his hand out in last desperate hopes to claim it. His legs ached as he ran and ran towards the light, but there was only darkness now.

Of course, this imagery only existed metaphorically. In last desperate hopes, Oikawa was completely in denial. But alas, the harsh reality was inevitable. With trembling legs and fingers, and a dry mouth caused by his anxiety to match, Oikawa spoke with a broken voice and an evident facade of confidence.

“Y-You are my--”

“Soulmate,”  She finished, and her face lit up with an unexplainable expression of pure joy. Her response caused Oikawa’s eyes to widen impossibly huge, and his eyes followed the direction of her lovesick gaze.

He felt his heart drop and only one word repeated itself continuously in his mind like a mantra.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It can’t be-- Anyone but him.

With destined partners and promised love, where joy existed more than sorrow, the world was almost perfect. But alas, the idea of attaining perfection itself is a flaw, because for everyone that got their ‘happily ever after,’ there were those who got nothing. They were the ‘flaws’ who ruined the chance of obtaining perfection, and so, they were treated like anyone else who is different from the norm is treated: like trash; they were outcasted.

[Name] [Surname] was a slight above average type of person. She was pretty enough that she received her fair and share of admiration once in awhile. But, she was not overwhelmingly beautiful that people would willing kiss the floor she walked on. She was smart enough that she passed her classes with grades which weren’t the best, but not the worst either. She was in the middle and slightly above, nothing extraordinary.

However, there were two aspects of her which separated her as an individual from the crowd. These aspects were her eyes and her heart.

She viewed the world with eyes that held a certain curiosity towards everything and anything. They held an impossible amount of honesty that when one made eye-contact with her, her eyes seemed to be the window to her very soul. It was as if she was an innocent child who was ignorant to the sickness of the world, and with that ignorance, came a bliss and she wore her heart on her sleeve.

[Name] [Surname], they said was the proof that angels without wings actually existed. She was utterly kind and sweet.

“Your soulmate will be so lucky to have someone as sweet as you by their side.”

“You’re such a nice person, I don’t see how you could ever disappoint your soulmate. You shouldn’t worry so much.”

“You know, if somewhere out there, a world without soulmates existed and we could choose who we loved, I’d definitely pick you [Last Name],” and so on. These were the things that [Name] often heard from her friends and her classmates. Needless to say, hearing such sweet and nice words from the people around her provided her with the reassurance she needed for the insecurities that plagued her. Such insecurities were:  what if I’m not pretty enough for them? What if I disappoint them? What if I make a bad impression?

Out of all the insecurities and ‘what could go wrong’ scenario, the one she had not even anticipated, became the reality.

Almost as if this was an anime where the new school year which initiated during spring, promised signs of a dramatic but a destined love story; the skies were a bright baby blue, the sun shone brightly, the cherry blossoms were bloomed, and some of the already dead petals littered the footpath beneath them; [Name] had found the one.

His short and dark spiky hair was swayed gently by the wind as it brushed through them. He stood tall with a stoic expression on his face. However, simultaneously, he carried a certain level of seriousness and maturity which made him so damn attractive. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, small beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his breathing was slightly ragged. This was probably because he had ran here, just like her, to be on time on the first day of their final school year.

Instantly, [Name] felt a sensation, as if an otherworldly power beyond her control was pulling her towards him; she was smittened.

And in that moment, the black and white world she had known her entire life, started to morph into a new world of colours, causing her eyes to widen in awe, and she gasped in surprise.

She was oblivious to the love-filled gaze the brunet next to her soulmate was directing at her.

Although she saw and heard everything around her, she was tuned out, focusing only on the handsome man before her. That’s why, when she noticed the brunet next to him speak to her, his words fell on deaf ears. And after her, ‘I beg your pardon?’ he repeated himself. But, once again, his words did not register in her mind. Sp, she spoke without thinking, and interrupted him.

“Soulmate,” She began, and her words captured both of the male’s attention.

[Name] felt her cheeks redden when her soulmate, Iwaizumi Hajime, looked at her.

“Y-You’re my soulmate,” She stammered shyly, as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

There were two reactions: one from Oikawa, who froze in surprise, and the other from Iwaizumi, whom’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What?” Iwaizumi said, with an extreme puzzled look on his face.

His lack of enthusiasm towards meeting his soulmate, and the clear confusion, caused [Name] to freeze. Her heart began to beat faster and suddenly, she was aware of the reality which was much, much, MUCH more terrifying than the nightmares that haunted her.

She gulped and her fingers twitched in anxiousness.

“D-Don’t you see the colours?” She asked, giving him a strained smile.

“I, um… No?” Iwaizumi replied, as he tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His response caused Oikawa’s mouth to open in surprise, and [Name]’s breath get stuck in her throat.

Then slowly, [Name] turned her head towards the brunet who had attempted to speak to her.

[E/c] eyes met chocolate brown ones, and the emotions that they conveyed were completely identical.

Finally, Oikawa’s words rung in [Name]’s mind.

“I found you,” He said, his eyes widening as if he had just discovered the best part of his life. “You’re my soulmate.”

And just like that, realization sunk in and [Name] realized what she was.

Just like Oikawa Tooru, who she seemingly belonged to but did not belong to her, she was a piece of trash.

I belong to you, but you belong to him…

With destined partners and promised love, where joy existed more than sorrow, the world was almost perfect. But alas, the idea of attaining perfection itself is a flaw, because for everyone that got their ‘happily ever after,’ there were those who got nothing. They were the ‘flaws’ who ruined the chance of obtaining perfection, and so, they were treated like anyone else who is different from the norm is treated: like trash; they were outcasted. And although they were perceived as broken beings by the rest of the world, to each other, they were an impeccable imperfections.

And although fate works in the most twisted and cruelest ways, sometimes, these most twisted and cruelest ways create the path with the best outcome.

As [Name] and Oikawa walked through the hallways of Aoba Jousai High, they heard themselves in forms of whispers and gossip.

“Isn’t Iwaizumi her soulmate though?”

“I heard that she’s a piece of trash and Oikawa took pity on her.”

“Really? I swore that it’s the other way around.” and so on.

Insecurities plagued her, and [Name] loosened her grip on Oikawa’s hands, ready to withdraw it. However, as soon as her grip had loosened, Oikawa’s grip had tightened, which would not only prevent her from withdrawing her hand, but also snapped her out her thoughts, and she turned her head to him.

[E/c] eyes met chocolate brown ones, and without the need of words, they conversed.

Ignore them, their words don’t matter, He seemed to be saying, and his grip tightened. You belong to me and nothing can change that. I know it hurts, we are the same, but our love cannot be defined by them. The only ones who get a say in this matter is You & I. So, please, for your sake and mine, don’t let go.

[Name]’s lips quivered and she blinked away the tears which threatened to fall down her face.

Then, with at much strength as she could muster, she returned Oikawa’s tight grip on her hand, with her own.

I won’t, Her eyes replied, and she gave him a smile which was filled with love, the love she had only for him.

                                  ...He belongs to someone else, so with nowhere to go,

                                                 we, the broken beings, belong to each other.

Masterpost |  Request Rules

[purplemonkeyemi]

exit, or, how i spent 2 evenings

Okay. I love writing my thoughts down. I used to do it all the time in my mid-teens, but life being as it is, I didn’t even dream of keeping that up. I don’t really know entirely why I’m writing this all down, but, I have a lot of free time and maybe one day I’ll find it amusing. I do think it’s important to discipline oneself to at least get one’s thoughts in order about things. So, this was my latest, intentional, grappling with a piece of art.

So, why “Exit”? Why did I spend, what, 3 hours or so watching about 15 different performances, in about 20 different videos, of one song from U2’s 2017 Joshua Tree tour? I’m not sure. And that’s probably why I did it. In hindsight, I feel like that’s the point in the U2 concert a couple weeks ago that I could have yelled at my husband, “Just shoot heroin in my arm next time!”… but, really, I think that had started about 8 songs earlier. Whatever the reason, I have not been able to get that performance out of my mind. I was admittedly enraptured by Bono as a performer that night, but this was different. And I couldn’t get it out of my head, like a ghost, or a shadow. Or a koan that I have to solve. I needed to interpret it to exorcise myself of it.

In a burst of girlish enthusiasm the other day, I decided I was going to find all of the high quality videos from the tour of Exit that I could find and watch them until I understood that performance. By this time I had figured out enough of my personal fascination with it—it’s very theatrical and it relies on several layers of “acting.” [I guess this requires a brief diversion into my general fascination with performers who become other people, including characters of themselves, especially relating to stage names.] BEGIN DIVERSION: Obviously, Bono is a stage name, one he’s carried for nearly (or exactly as?) long as he’s been in U2, over 40 years; it’s what everyone calls him, even his wife. But Bono, stage-Bono, like stage-the Edge, stage-Adam, and stage-Larry, like all musical artists, are, really, actors putting on a stage show. Each night, the same “costumes,” same lines, same set, same characters—they have to “be” themselves. A concert is an eleborate play. Sure, there’s some ad-lib, adapting for different audiences, etc. But those guys are “concert” versions of themselves for those 3 hours. Using Bono again, I’m 100% sure that stage-Bono, as earnest and genuine as he appears up there, is not the same Bono that his wife Ali lives with. Is the Bono that appears in public the same as Bono-at-home? Who knows, but I imagine unlikely. I can’t imagine how larger-than-life people maintain any sense of identity. I’m fascinated by all four members in this regard because they got together as 14/15 year olds and were rock gods by 20. What does that do to a person? :END DIVERSION So, one element: the performer—immersed in a multi-layered act which ends in a character created to protect himself from the darkness of the song (citation--one of several interviews I read). Bono as a real, everyday, married-with-kids-human, performing “Bono” for the audience (as much as he appears in-the-moment, and, often, utterly possessed by frenzied “in the zone”-ness), who is additionally portraying a character-- the Shadow Man—who exists only for this one song on this one tour. It’s an act, on an act, (conceivably on an act. I can’t imagine how public figures with alternate names maintain their sense of self after decades..). I bring this up, because the layers of the performance affect the interpretation. Next element: political commentary in which the song is set The lead-in to Exit (as well as the time-allowed for a significant costume change, it is theater after all), is a brief excerpt of an old television show. An enigmatic charlatan comes to an old West town claiming the only way to protect oneself and one’s home is to a build a wall. Another character calls him a liar, and the charlatan says he is the only one who can save them. Sounds familiar, right? Oh yeah, the charlatan’s name is Trump. An excellent find on the part of whoever unearthed it. Next element: song lyrics. I include them below. The song is about a wise, esoteric holy man who starts with good intentions, becomes obsessed with this idea of “the hands of love” and goes crazy (I can’t remember the details. Again, from an interview.)

And on this tour, there are two additional lyrical bits inserted at the end, which I’ll just do from memory. First, I believe, is a poem excerpt, “Where you’ve come from is gone, where you are is no good, and where you’re going was never really there.” Then a purposefully used version of “Eeeny Meeny Miny Moe,” chosen explicitly for its occasional racist uses (again, according to an interview, somewhere).

Final element: the stage—regular stage front, and a catwalk. I think the only way for me to do this is to annotate the lyrics. It should also be noted that variations occurred. BEGIN DIGRESSION: Watching this performance so many times from different concerts, it was obvious what was scripted. What was also obvious from this experiment, interviews, general observations, and such, is that during performances Bono exists in a very altered state of mind, becomes subject to his otherworldly soul, and turns into a performance artist, making choices (or being led by) based on said otherworldly soul. Clearly he can see through the haze, handling technical issues and such, but, from time to time, he seems to exist purely in the moment and interprets at will. Short version: each performance was a little different because Bono is a very free, uninhibited, one-of-a-kind spirit, especially on stage. It’s part of what makes him a fascinating human. :END DIGRESSION

So, let’s start interpreting this thing. I would like to note that, like interpreting literature, this does not always assume authorial intent. I imagine that artists of all types work as much by intuition as by purpose. Whether some of the choices made for this particular piece were logical or intuitive are irrelevant. “You know he got the cure But then he went astray He used to stay awake To drive the dreams he had away. He wanted to believe In the hands of love.”

-- Shadow Man walks with a slow saunter and swagger (rather than Bono’s charismatic, confident stride) to the mic stand; there’s some hand motions here, most importantly on “hands of love,” he rubs them together in front of his chest. Shadow Man is beginning his journey. He is intrigued, a little haunted, but earnest. He stands still at the mic stand. Sometimes, instead of sharply grabbing the mic, he pulls it, like an arrow, into his chest, in some sort of symbolic gesture. Then begins his descent. BEGIN DIGRESSION: I am/was really fascinated with how Bono interacted/interacts with his mic stand. It’s extremely physical, intimate, and borders on sexually aggressive (imagine Mad Men’s Don Draper and how he speaks to women). He stands very close, sings with his mouth basically on the mic, and takes the wireless mic with excessive force. This observation is one of performance and physical use of space. A similar energy also emerged with him and the camera.

I often try to figure out if stage/screen presence and charisma are tied to body language (conscious or unconscious); in Bono’s case, absolutely. His physical presence was inextricable from his bearing, demeanor, and his use of space/physicality. I think some of it is the learned artifice of a seasoned performer, while some of it, perhaps some of the mic dynamic, is natural and intangible charisma. I bring this up partly because Shadow Man does not have the same physical presence Bono did in the rest of the numbers—through purposeful artifice. This is a distinct character. :END DIGRESSION “His head it felt heavy As he came across the land A dog started cryin' Like a broken-hearted man At the howling wind”

--- Shadow Man begins his descent into darkness and confusion, portrayed by movement around the mic stand (yes, somewhat reminiscent of a stripper. I’ll address the song’s occasional increased sexuality in the next verse), visually representing a vortex. Now we get away from the stationary mic…

 “He went deeper into black Deeper into white. He could see the stars shine Like nails in the night.

 A hand in the pocket Fingering the steel The pistol weighed heavy And his heart he could feel was beating. Oh my love, oh my love” 

--- Shadow Man touches violence and approaches his breakdown in the frenzied beat and lighting; also, in about half of the performances, this also has very sexualized choreography and vocalizations (ours did not), which I don’t need to detail; now, I don’t know for sure, but I’m fairly certain this is part of Shadow Man’s characterization. It could also be just “In the moment” performance-artist Bono taking over his body. But since it happened as many times as it didn’t, I think it’s purposeful and thus requires reckoning. The Shadow Man has progressed another step away from himself. “So hands that build Can also pull down. The hands of love.”

-- Shadow Man walks across the stage to the catwalk, where, on repeated refrains of “hands of love” he clearly has some conversion experience as conveyed by the choreography (AKA, basically just Bono going crazy, as he does do from time to time), also occasionally sexualized. This is Shadow Man’s transformation from which he emerges as a demagogue, using his mystical fascination as a tool to control rather than build or heal. After this, Shadow Man saunters dramatically down the catwalk, exhorting the crowd to put out their hands (or put their hands to the screen, as if he were a politician of TV evangelist). Of course, the audience does extend their hands—because, of course, it’s the appropriate thing to do when a rockstar tells you to. Except, this isn’t Bono, this is the Shadow Man. This is where the performance layer comes in. The audience is taken for a ride, just like the Shadow Man’s dupes are. U2’s audience becomes the Shadow Man’s audience. This is blatantly analogous to how the “dupes” who support the man who wants to build a wall respond to and believe that charlatan (remember the video this number was introduced by). The “hands of love” could just as easily be the hands of power. They both can build up or tear down, as the lyrics state. Of course, this US presidential administration is tearing down, and this song (among others, of course) is a rebuke. Also, it’s important to note that Bono’s a charlatan too, as all performers are to a greater or lesser degree (performing Shadow Man, and performing himself as a rockstar, of course).  One could also add that he acts as a contrast to the Shadow Man, someone who has the ear of the people who tries to build up, to use his power, and hands, well. It’s perfectly constructed meta-commentary.

Next, Shadow Man gives his impassioned, broken-voiced, “Where you’ve come from is gone, and where you are is no good, and where you’re going was never really there” speech to his (U2’s) audience (all still with their hands out, as instructed). This sounds like, to me, the emotional appeal of the political right, or used on the political right. Shadow Man sounds, again, like a televangelist…or a politician. Then he approaches the camera arm, usually right up in it (sexually aggressive again), to give a crescendoing rendition of Eeny Meeny Miny Moe—working himself and the audience into a frenzy the louder, faster, and more frantic he gets. Remember, this snippet was included for its racist uses (though the traditional lyrics are used) and that the Shadow Man is a demagogue. Now he’s learned to manipulate his followers, and he’s led them to the realm of hate. (Hmmm…) The followers again are implored to put their hands “against the screen.” In one performance (perhaps the earliest one I found?) they’re even reminded to send him ten dollars, like a huckster, televangelist, or a politician. There’s a price for being swept up by the Shadow Man. The music then abruptly ends, and, during most of the performances, this happens as the Shadow Man is starting to saunter back towards the stage, and the moment it ends, he turns arounds (or stays forward, it varies), looking malicious of victorious (or is it Bono, with a look of condemnation?). Following this, Shadow Man strips of his jacket (if after one of the sexualized performances, this is still “in character” and it’s done sexually, like a striptease). Then he’s Bono again, who takes off the hat and moves into the next song as himself. Did I mention that the jacket covers a beautiful black vest embroidered (in black) of part of the US Constitution? Analyze that one. The narrative arc and political metaphor is clear and beautifully portrayed as a theatrical performance art piece, scripted yet also subject to the whims of (or forces acting upon) the artist.

It’s weird, and gorgeous, and bizarre. It’s far too layered to absorb in the moment. And I really enjoyed watching it, in various permutations, over a dozen times. When I could afford it, I remember seeing local community plays and musical repeatedly so I could see the subtle differences between performances. This was just like that. In this one Bono had to switch out his mic and remove/replace his earpieces right before the frenzied climax, interrupting the flow and breaking character, or in that one a verse was spoken more than sung, or in this one this choreography was a little different, etc. etc. Theater is alive and this piece of it caught me and would not let me go. Maybe now it will.