#it's taking everything not to share the one snippet written of the bounty hunter au just so you know LMAO

[alrightbuckaroo]

hi ada <3 for the fanfic writer ask game: a, d, f (for the time loop au) and n! <3 —maddie/reyesstrand

Hi Maddie!! Hope the start of week has been kind <3

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

So I answered this one here, but I'm going to cheat and pick a second favorite.

summer slipped us underneath her tongue will always have a special place in my heart, for sure. I call it my own Giovanni's Room, though nowhere as sad so how much like Giovanni's Room really is it hahah.

It was the first fully finished multi-chapter story I wrote for this fandom, and gosh I'm glad it was that one.

D: What’s the most personal fanfic you’ve written?

Oh it's got to be tender eyes that shine, the Carlos character study. Getting into the head-space of a character that hasn't truly allowed himself to cry was an adventure, and probably one I won't go on ever again. Not that I regret it, but it definitely left me in a weird head-space for a few months!

That said, I had so much fun playing around with the structure and wordplay. One of my favorite lines is said by one of my favorite OCs, Carlos' therapist, Dr. María Ortiz:

“Carlos, you died,” Dr. Ortiz is blunt with her phrasing. “Unless you’re Jesus Christ himself, that’s not something you can just walk back from.”

F: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with love can pull you out of yesterday?

I feel like saying Carole King's So Far Away is too easy and John Gorka's Love Is Our Cross to Bear is too much of layup since that's where the title comes from, so I'm going to go with Leaves by Charlie Dée.

I often say it sounds like the kind of music they play at the end of a bittersweet police procedural episode and those vibes are what helped me write the first two chapters I'm 100% serious.

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

Oh I've always got dozens, but as of today, I plan to start writing an AU (an AU, what a shock!) where TK is a con-man on the run and Carlos is a bounty hunter chasing after him.

It's primarily just smut and at the moment, there's a little tinge of gun play, because why not?

ask me about fanfic <3

[fialleril]

Hi! It's my birthday and I am full of Shmi Skywalker feels. I am absolutely fascinated by her role in Anabasis. Is there any snippet you'd be willing to share featuring her? If not, can you just spec about what she would be like as a mother-in-law/grandma? Feel free to ignore, of course, it's just that content with her is so sparse, especially with her actually alive.

Hi, anon! And happy birthday!

Although Shmi is a pretty important character in Anabasis, all of the bits I have written with her so far are...pretty bleak, tbh. At this point in the story, Anakin kind of hates her (because she sent him with Palpatine as a child, believing Palpatine to be a Jedi). It’s awful. I promise that they will reconcile and eventually have a very good relationship, but all of the snippets I could share right now would basically be nothing but pain.

I do, however, have a number of happier Shmi snippets from the Jedi Reformation AU to offer, if that interests you? I’m gonna take a risk and assume it does, so here’s the reunion scene between Anakin and Shmi in this universe’s version of AOTC. (With a bonus introduction to Theed’s Little Tatooine district, and some extra Threepio feels on the side.)

Padmé is eager to go home, but their first stop on landingis a visit with Queen Jamillia, who expresses her dismay at the threats againstPadmé, and offers her the use of the Varykino lake retreat for the duration ofher time in hiding, if she wants it. Padmé thanks her, but she hasn’t fullydecided yet. Varykino would certainly be more secure, but it’s also more remotefrom communication with Coruscant. And there’s so much she wants to do here inTheed.

And it seems that, during their three days of travel whenthey were on radio silence, another transport from Tatooine has arrived.Jamillia is watching Anakin closely as she tells them about it, and then sheadds, “There probably won’t be anyone looking for the Senator from Naboo in LittleTatooine.”

Anakin’s entire face lights up like he’s never wantedanything so desperately in his life, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, heturns to her.

Here’s something that hasn’t changed, at least, Padméthinks. She never could resist that hopeful look of his.

Little Tatooine is a rapidly growing enclave in the heart ofTheed. The buildings here are old, intricate and graceful constructions ofstone, the streets still cobbled and dotted with countless fountains andgardens and historical markers of Naboo’s past.

The architecture is purely Naboo, but everything else isTatooine. The air is rich with the warm, spicy smells of amee and laara andpikot. Woven tapestries in deep reds and browns, blacks and tans hang frombalconies and windows. Vendors fill the streets, offering Tatooine staples andNaboo produce cooked Tatooine style, along with the specialties of a dozenother worlds.

Anakin stops and stares, and Padmé stops to watch him.There’s an unadulterated wonder in his face that makes something in her ache.

“This is – Padmé, this is amazing,” he breathes. “I’ve readyour descriptions, but this – it feels like –” He doesn’t say home, but hedoesn’t need to.

He’s gazing rapidly from side to side, even turning in placeto take everything in, like a child on his first trip to the market, and he’sbeaming as bright as the twin suns. Padmé’s visited Little Tatooine herself manytimes before, but everything feels new and exhilarating seen through Anakin’seyes.

Artoo seems every bit as excited, spinning in circles aroundAni’s legs and trilling out a string of binary too fast for Padmé to catch allof it. Anakin laughs in response, though Padmé can’t tell if he understoodeverything himself or if he’s just happy.

It’s good to see him happy.

She watches as his eyes flick back and forth between her andone of the food stalls, and she just manages to hold back a laugh when heblushes and stutters, “Can we –”

“Lunch sounds amazing, actually,” she says, taking pity onhim. “But not here. I know the best place in Little Tatooine. Come on.”

He looks bemused, but he follows her without question,through the market district with all its wonderful smells, through a park witha small pond, into what’s clearly a residential neighborhood. Now he looksdownright puzzled, but he doesn’t say anything until they stop in front of asmall stone house with a red wooden door.

“Padmé, what –” he begins, but at that moment the door opensand a woman steps out, followed by a young man.

Anakin’s face goes still. “Mom,” he breathes.

Shmi lets out a soft cry. “Ani!” she says, and then they’vecrossed the few short steps separating them, and Anakin’s forehead is pressedagainst his mother’s, their eyes closed, speaking secret words in a soft litanynot meant for anyone else.

Padmé steps to one side, letting them have a private moment,and catches Kitster’s eye. He shoots her a wide grin and mouths, “Thank you.”

Shmi pulls back and eyes her child critically. “You’re allgrown up, Ani,” she says, and if there’s something wistful in her voice, itdoesn’t show in her smile. “Look at you. You’ve gotten so tall!”

Anakin groans. “Everyone keeps saying that,” he mutters, buthe’s still smiling.

“Well, I for one feel cheated,” Kitster says, steppingforward for a hug of his own. “I distinctly remember us agreeing that I wasgoing to be the tall one.”

Padmé and Shmi exchange a laughing glance. Kitster can’t beany more than a few centimeters shorter than Ani.

Shmi invites them all in for lunch. Artoo follows afterPadmé, until he spots Threepio studying a datapad and speeds across the room toblurt something horribly rude at the protocol droid. Anakin follows rapidlyafter him, grinning and exclaiming, “Threepio! You look amazing!”

That at least distracts Threepio from Artoo’s ongoinginvective, and he turns to preen at Anakin. “Oh, the Maker!” he says.“Goodness, Artoo, you didn’t tell me you were travelling with Ani. And MissPadmé! I am delighted to see you again!”

Padmé watches as Anakin’s smile fades in surprise, and thenreturns a hundredfold. “Threepio?” he says, beaming, and then turns to Shmi.“Mom, you did it! You did it!”

“Did what, Ani?” Threepio asks.

Anakin laughs in delight, grabbing Threepio by the arms andspinning him around while the droid exclaims, “Goodness me!” and Artoo trillsin fond derision.

“You didn’t call me Master,” Anakin says, still grinninglike he’s received the best present imaginable. “Mom fixed your programming!”He steps back and gives Threepio a quick once over. “And you’ve got coveringsnow. Very stylish.”

“Oh, thank you!” Threepio says, sounding distinctly pleased.“They are rather nice, aren’t they?”

Artoo lets out a derisive-sounding blatt, and Threepio turnson him in affront. “Well, I never! How very rude!”

Artoo’s answer sounds very much like a snicker.

“I most certainly do not!” Threepio huffs as Artoo beginswheeling away. “Get back here, you bucket of bolts!”

Shmi looks as resigned as Padmé feels, but Anakin giggles asthe two droids disappear into a back room, apparently to continue theirargument in peace.

Shmi serves her famed tarmish, and Ani consumes it like he’snever tasted food before. They all laugh at him, but he just grimaces and says,“If you’d ever experienced the Temple refectory, you’d understand.” Shmi giveshim a wry smile and another helping.

She’s just returned to Naboo herself only yesterday,bringing with her another eighteen people from Mos Espa. There’s a fresh redscar across her left forearm, hidden by her sleeve until she insists on washingthe dishes. “Mom,” Ani breathes, catching at her hand, and Shmi places herright hand over his and whispers, “Hush, akku.”Padmé slips quietly out of the kitchen.

When the dishes are done, they really talk.

Padmé’s never been able to determine if heavy conversationover a meal is a taboo in Tatooine society, or simply something Shmi discourages,but when the tzai is served, when everyone becomes family in the sharing of thedrink, then there are no taboos.

“There was a bounty hunter,” Shmi says, and Padmé thinks ofexplosions and venomous creatures in the night, and Cordé lying twisted up onthe duracrete. “One of the Hutts’ people. Beru took care of it, and we didn’t loseanyone.”

Anakin’s jaw is tight as he says, “That’s good.”

Beru and her boyfriend Owen aren’t there right now. Owen hada scare with the bounty hunter and he’s finally managed to drag Beru off on avacation to the lake country like he’s been threatening for months, Kitstersays, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “They’ll probably come back married,”he says with a grin.

“If they do, I hope we’ll still be on planet,” Anakin says,shooting an almost shy glance at Padmé. “I’d like to actually meet my sisterand her husband.”

“How are you here,Ani?” Shmi asks. “Have the Jedi changed their minds about visiting?”

“Have the Hutts declared universal emancipation?” Anakinsays with a snort, and then looks startled and a little embarrassed at theimmediacy of his reaction. But he doesn’t apologize. “No. I’m on assignment,actually. I’m…not sure how long it will last.”

He’s pointedly not looking at Padmé, and she appreciates hisattempt at discretion, but it isn’t needed here. Not with Shmi and Kitster.“He’s my bodyguard,” she says.

Kitster lets out a low whistle. Shmi leans forward inconcern. “The Hutts?” she asks.

“We don’t know,” Padmé says, almost at the same time thatAnakin says, “Obi-Wan is investigating.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Kitster says, verydeliberately, “You missed my graduation, Ani.”

“I know,” Anakin says. “You’d better have holos.”

There are holos, and quite a lot of them. Shmi insists onshowing them all, even the ones Kitster would plainly rather not have Anakinsee. The Kitster in the holos is dressed in the formal regalia of a Queen’sPoet, the highest distinction conferred in the dramatic arts. And there’s alovely dark-skinned woman with a thick cloud of dark hair standing beside himin most of the images and beaming widely.

“So,” says Anakin, his eyebrows waggling in an obviousimitation of Kitster himself. “Who’s this?”

Kitster gives him a scowl that’s somehow still a smile. “Hername’s Imer Moonspinner, and don’t you start.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Anakin snickers. Kitster is in formonths of teasing and he clearly knows it.

“I see you haven’tgraduated yet,” Kitster says, giving Anakin’s padawan braid a laughing tug. Butthen his face goes oddly serious as he says, “Still got the dep, huh?”

“Still got the dep,”Anakin says, and for once Padmé can’t read his expression at all.

Later, after they’ve left Shmi’s house and are heading forPadmé’s family home, she asks him what that word means.

He looks away and mutters to the cobblestones, “It means achain.”

Dep, Padmé thinks.The root of depur. Master.

“Does it bother you?” she asks in a whisper of her own.“Calling the Jedi ‘master,’ I mean.”

Anakin hesitates for a moment. Then he says, “It’s not thesame. Master means something different, for the Jedi.”

“That’s not really an answer,” Padmé says.

He looks up and offers her a smile she can’t decipher. “It’sa Jedi answer,” he says.

*

Owen and Beru do indeed come back married. You can read that snippet, complete with Shmi presiding over a Tatooine marriage celebration, here.