#maz hawke

[breninarthur]

WIP Whenever

Thank you for the tag @theluckywizard! ^^

I'm working on a few things at the moment, but I feel like I've shared most of them already... so here's something from a DA2 fic I'm keeping a little more secretive than usual o-o

- - - - -

"Anders."

He shifted; lifting his head just an inch to peer at her through red-rimmed eyes from across the room. Ribbons of moonlight tumbled in from above, casting him in a stark, white glow. He was so pale. 

At least it was him.

"Hawke," he croaked, thick and hoarse.

For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then, his face crumpled, and she was at his side as quick as a fox.

She gently shushed him as he cried, stroking a cool hand through his hair. He was burning up, his shaking fingers searing through to her skin from where he desperately clutched at her robes.

"It's okay," she said quietly, but her voice cracked on the lie. "It'll be okay."

"I killed her, Hawke. I did that," Anders rasped.

"It wasn't your fault–"

"It was," he cut across, emphatic. "For all that I criticise Merrill, I…"

He couldn't finish, and Hawke let him soak his tears into her arms. They stayed that way, gently rocking, squeezing each other tightly until the sobs didn't rack through his body so much.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered eventually. "Not just… with me. In Kirkwall. A noble and an apostate. You're a good face for the mages. Better than I could ever hope to be."

He pulled away a little, searching her face with frantic, wild eyes.

"I need you," he continued, barely above a hiss. "We need you. You could do it, you could change it, all of it. For everyone."

There was any number of things she could say. She could endear herself to him, lie and say there was no part of her that was doing it for herself. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't deny that her own freedom was her driving motivation; not after everything her family had been through. Even if others stood to gain.

And the way Anders looked at her. With wide, shining eyes. The way his hands still clung to her, a vice around her arm. All she wanted was to protect him.

No. I'll break your heart. That would kill me.

Her heart had already broken ten times that night.

And Maz Hawke was not arrogant enough to think her love could heal him.

[high-voltage-rat]

Quotes from tonight's dragonfable conspiracy theory-style discussion while playing adventurefriends and the end of magic with my sibling:

"Did Big Daddy seriously see that the first potion made things weird and reality-bend-y and decide to stick some god juice in the mix?" "Yeah he's a mechquest fan like us. He did what he had to for the cause."

"Is bacon the imaginary number of elements? And is it the opposite of fear?" "Would that make fear a negative element, or just extra positive?" "Don't make me explain imaginary and real numbers to you to theorize about elemental bacon right now."

"So the best way I can describe it is, the shadowscythe are like the sugar daddies of doom in this timeline."

"The hawk tries to figure out why, the raven tries to solve it, the wolf goes to find the source, and the dragon was never seen again. But the dragons were the only ones to come out of the fissure, so what are we even doing, here?" "Tairy Fale." "What." "Reverse Fairy Tale."

"So maybe Valen and Maz touched Akanthus' nasty little chest orb and met Sk'aar!"

"You're really not supposed to touch across a capacitor. They're gonna get the magical equivalent of an electrocution."

"OH WAIT I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE COFFEE!"

"Oh my god, Korin is just bacon."

"Sk'aar either has a head the shadowscythe logo was based on, or he's the victim of a coincidence that probably got him bullied on aequillibria playground."

"THE BLINDING WHITE LIGHT, BRO, THIS IS JUST LIGEIA ALL OVER AGAIN???"

"Secundus more like Sugondese." "Leave."

"Look, I agree that friendship and breakfast both feel cosy, but the bacon theories are crossing over into crackpot 'bad game theory videos' territory now."

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 3): Cross-continuity overflow

Sav Malagan | Identity: bisexual | Media: The High Republic

Sav Malagan is the main protagonist of the 2022 run of The High Republic Adventures, where she is an adventurous Jedi Padawan who temporarily abandons the Jedi path to join Maz Kanata’s pirate crew. To save Maz from the ragtag gang of darksiders known as Dank Graks, Sav pretends to join them. With them, she began to grow (romantically) close with Saya Keem. She fought beside Saya in the chaos of the Battle of Jedha. Despite their closeness, Saya betrayed Sav when her desire to free Maz was revealed. Feeling guilty about how she hurt Saya, she returned to Maz’s pirate crew to join them in freeing Takodana from the control of the Dank Graks. That adventure made her realize she did actually want to be a Jedi, especially since she now had the more suitable Tera Sinube as her master.

In Phase II, she is the wise and badass Marshal of the Jedi Temple on Takodana, a friend of Maz Kanata. There she single handedly defeated most of the Nihil attacking Takodana, although the temple was lost in the process. Then she traveled to Branchii, where she became a mentor to the young Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi. After the Temple there was destroyed by a Nihil attack, she joined Lily in ignoring the Council’s “return to Coruscant” order to protect the sector from Nihil stragglers.

Juhani | Identity: lesbian | Media: Knights of the Old Republic

Juhani from 2003’s Knights of the Old Republic was the first ever queer character in Star Wars. The Mandalorian Wars rendered Juhani’s family refugees on Taris after the destruction of their homeplanet of Cathar. Juhani was enslaved due to her mother’s debts, but was liberated by the Revanchists when they freed Taris from Mandalorian rule. This inspired her to travel to Dantooine to train as a Jedi, where she fell in love with her fellow padawan Belaya. For her final trial, she was tricked into believing she killed her master when consumed by the Dark Side. She fled into the wilds of Dantooine, her turmoil agitating the wildlife. Dealing with Juhani is the player’s final trial as a Jedi, and they can either kill Juhani or handle the situation diplomatically and return her to the light. She then joins the player as a companion.

Traveling together, Juhani grows close to Revan and can be romanced by female Revans (the game shipped with the gender flag for romance bugged, but she is intended to be a lesbian). She takes the player turning out to be Revan very well, as she never truly accepted that Revan turned to the Dark Side due to how the Revanchists saved her. If the Dark Side ending is chosen, the player must kill Juhani.

Juhani strives to be a good Jedi, strongly believing in their principles. However, she struggles with the in-born aggression and heightened anger of her species, which with her perfectionism creates a vicious cycle that drives her towards the Dark Side. Other than Revan, she kept herself separate from the rest of the crew of the Ebon Hawk, especially Canderous Ordo due to the Mandalorian’s genocide of her people. She was also full of bitterness regarding the racism she faced on Taris, and struggled not to lash out against all humans because of it. 

[nerds-yearbook]

The Guardians of the Galaxy were formed in the anthology comic Marvel Super-Heroes Presents 18 with a cover date of January, 1969. The issue introduced Charlie-27, Major Vance Astro, Martinex, Yondu, Maz, Maul, Muer, Yur, Drang, Betina Marsh, the Badoons, the Eastern Zone Council, and Hound-Hawks who were created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan. ("Earth Shall Over Come!", "Courage!", Marvel Super-Heroes Presents 18#, Marvel Comic Event)

[scenesandscreens]

The Guilty (2021)

Director - Antoine Fuqua, Cinematography - Maz Makhani

"Broken people save broken people."

[cinesludge]

Movie #41 of 2021: The Guilty

[princess-peregrine]

SheZow Happens

SheZow Intro so after getting a higher quality way of watching this i can finally make out some more of the words in the intro and it's not the worst but it's still pretty hard to make out and goes a bit faster than i would expect

SheZow Happens things i liked- Guy and Maz are voiced by the same people who voice Aerrow and Finn from Storm Hawks which makes me feel at home in a way A main character is named Guy "OH MY GODDESS!" I say that all the time The show wastes no time boring you with set up and gets right into the superhero stuff, which, build up is nice, but it's hard trying to rewatch superhero shows when you've already watched them once before, I dread restarting Ben 10 bc there's so much boring junk first screaming as a power Guy is almost totally down with being SheZow the moment the car comes into play, cars get the girls I guess Kelly says, "You know what girlfriend." I like the heels

Things I Disliked- Guy is named Guy but his sisters isn't named Girl Aunt Agnis is dead that that's a total nonstarter for any conversation even though she was Shezow? The show just totally glosses over that part SheZow is suddenly a child and not a fully grown woman and no one bats an eye not even as a joke Guy starts transforming before he actually says "you go girl" The ears look weird The computers name is Sheila and not Shel-ai, missed opportunity Computer is rooting for the cop Dad's a cop Sheila says something like, "Holy ship of fools." and I don't know how that's a joke "Oh great, SheCow coming to steal all the glory again." rude af come on man. "clean up after ShePlow."

Puns That I Noticed- "A guy thing." 2/10 "I'm right in the middle of a very important Board meeting." 7/10 "She-hicle." 5/10 "Fem-tastic take off." 8/10 She-SP as a whole. 4/10 "Such a bARRRgain." 7/10 "This is She-larious." 4/10 "It's incon-She-vable." 3/10 "She-rific." 4/10

Final Thoughts- Good for a first episode, can't say the opener was very great. When I first saw this episode I thought there might be a bit of a superman thing or a Miraculous Ladybug thing about identities and such but alas. I think it's entertaining, but there wasn't much to get out of the first episode.

[whatmack]

Andrew and Jean ending up on the same team when they go pro. But a former raven is also on their team, specifically, one of the ravens that Riko had once sicced on Jean. The raven torments, taunts, says things to Jean. Jean isn't okay, but he tries to hide it. But Andrew eventually picks up. Because Andrew knows. And he sure as hell won't let anything of that sort slide.... I dunno. Andrew standing up for Jean and their solidarity just makes me feel things.

Andrew and Jean being forced together --> reluctant allies --> friends --> ride or die is SO GOOD I think about it LOTS The ravens have a reputation for being blunt and cruel, but they learn more sneakiness about the really terrible things, and the team kind of assumes Jean and the other Raven will bond over having been in Edgar Allan (”hey what did you guys do in the Nest for this?” “Hey ask the other Raven about--”) so maybe they don’t pick up that Jean’s stiff silence is something other than normal But Andrew sees the unnatural stillness that is Jean supressing a flinch and he can taste stomach acid because he knows what that’s like He trails after Jean for an entire week, without giving an explanation, no matter what the other teammates say or how much Jean bitches at him. It happens when they’re in the court parking lot, Jean pointedly ignoring Andrew and Andrew leaning against the Maz where it’s parked two spots down, smoking, not even trying to pretend he isn’t watching like a hawk the ex-Raven (but nobody is ever really an ex-Raven, except for Kevin and Jean) corners Jean against the side of his car when he opens the door to throw his sport bag in. Andrew can’t hear what he’s saying, but he doesn’t have to. He recognizes the cringe of Jean’s shoulders, the too-confident spread of the Raven’s arms. He stalks over and maybe he doesn’t have his knives anymore but he jabs the lit end of the cigarette into the back of the Raven’s arm and uses the distraction to shove him aside Andrew of Yore may have stayed to beat the Raven into a bloody pulp but he’s an Andrew who has been trying, who has figured out tiers of importance, and so instead once he has room he drags Jean away, closes and locks Jean’s car door, and forces Jean into the front seat of the Maserati. Jean doesn’t say anything until he’s sat at Andrew’s kitchen table, scarred hands clutching a glass of water, eyes sunken so deep into his head he looks like a skeleton He says, how did you know Andrew could say, Kevin. That’s mostly the truth. But it’s not why Andrew wanted to tear that Raven limb from limb Instead he gets a glass of water for himself as well and sits across from Jean, staring emotionlessly into his face. Jean is friends with Neil, and-- slowly-- making up with Kevin. He’ll put two or two together, or he won’t. That’s not Andrew’s concern. What matters is that Andrew will not let any Raven, ex or otherwise, hurt Jean again

[hdawg1995]

Scalla and Ajax Route for Adventure Friends 2

You have been accepted into your dream school- Edelia, school of weaving! Its time to meet your class mates! Theres the Wolf group, Hawk, Raven- oh, and it seems Dragon as well!

Day 1

Dr.Secundus glares off into the distance as you look around at your classmates. With Tomix missing, you're all alone in this classroom with eight other students- apparently you and the missing student were supposed to be in a different class all together, but with the disappearances happening this class was all thats left.

You were Excited to meet everyone and Tomix being missing has you worried- Scalla and Ajax also seemed very worried that something bad has happened to the student. After falling asleep in class and being too embarrassed to say anything and staying Silent, you think maybe sitting with Dragon would be the best idea. You seem to have annoyed Alex, startled Fae and Vaal with your energy, and these two seem to vibe well with it.

"Cool!" Scalla cheers as you approach, her bandana getting messy from her excitement.

"Welcome to Dragon, Hero!" Ajax throws his arms out and you feel like he wants to hug you but he reigns himself in.

Dr.Secundus leaves and all the students turn to each other as Valen speaks up about the teachers not being up to snuff. Scalla comments on Maz, confirming she would have liked Tomix which gets a strange look from Alex and Ajax tries to reassure Fae as she quietly mutters to herself. You think The Teachers Need Help and being the odd one out, you don't really mind the idea of getting involved to save your would be classmate. Alex seems to like the idea, as does Valen, Scalla, and Ajax. As class ends you gather your things and find Ajax waiting at the door.

"Hey Hero, don't mind me." He says, adjusting his head band. "I'm just waiting for Scalla."

"Are you two friends?" you ask. "You two seem to have already met before everyone else showed up."

He nods, his smile growing wider. "Yea! She's my-"

Scalla approaches and looks you over carefully.

"Hey Scalla." Ajax starts. "I was just telling Hero-"

"Do you two mind if we walk together? to the dorms?" She says, interrupting Ajax again.

"Sure, i don't mind." You say.

The walk is silent for a while until Scalla speaks up, apologizing for interrupting Ajax twice back there.

"I just don't trust that classroom." Scalla glances back before turning towards you. "Anyway, I figured since we're going to try and help the teachers, we should figure out what we can bring to the table."

"Oh, thats a good idea. What do you think you can do to help?" you ask because you're not sure what you can offer just yet.

"Scalla is my mentor." Ajax finishes his statement from earlier. "She can be a great leader and has a lot of wisdom."

Scalla gaps like a fish before taking the bandana on her head and flipping it to cover her face.

"Ajax is very determined. He also has a positive view of a lot of things. He would be good for moral." Scalla explains.

You nod along and it takes Ajax a moment to realize she just said he contributes emotional support for the situation. You jokingly call him the class's emotional support Ajax and although he looks embarrassed, he takes the title with stride.

Day 2

You fell asleep in class again. Scalla assured you you didn't have to be sorry- she admits to suffering from nightmares and often taking naps herself. Ajax was worried when you suggested you were getting sick- he almost reached out to check your temperature but reigned himself in.

When the students decided to split off to figure out what to do, you and the two dragon members decide its best to figure out a way to keep everyone together. Hawk is going to learn from the past, Wolf is going to hunt down the creature, and Raven is going to trap it.

"We should have everyone stay in one dorm." Ajax suggests. "Its... actually, that won't work. The dorms are just big enough for one person to really live in comfortably. And we would have to cram nine people into one room..."

"Some way to stay in touch should be the plan. Tek is good with gadgets, Valen seems to want to protect everyone and keep things in order, and Fae is good at writing. We could make a code or system-" Scalla is ramblings.

"Umm..." you try to interupt.

"Oh, we should all stay in the library! Theres enough space for everyone in there!... but the staff might not let us stay over night..." Ajax mutters to himself.

"Alex and Maz might know a way to scavenge for materials to give to Tek. If not maybe Vaal can lend us materials. If we get the stuff and everyone working together, we could-"

you quickly realize neither Scalla nor Ajax are aware of you or the other. What to do?

"Maybe we should stick with staying in the dorms-" you start, getting Ajax's attention. "-And just talk to the other groups and find out what they all need." Scalla glances up.

"Yea thats a good idea." Ajax says.

"Maybe we can get a communication system set up between the dorms." Scalla adds.

the three of you are able to bring the ideas to the other groups. It seems the idea was well received, but Tek is too busy, Alex and Maz don't want anything to do with each other, and Fae was too nervous about the idea. Vaal and Valen actually had some advice and thoughts on it that you took notes on. You feel a step closer to keeping everyone together.

Day 3

You fell asleep again. you tried so hard not to this time. you're awoke by someone shaking you, calling out your name. When you wake up, Ajax's hand is on your shoulder, the two looking at you with concern.

"There you are!" Scalla smiles. "You were making weird noises and I thought you were having a nightmare."

"Yeah." Ajax adds. "She tried a lot of tricks to wake you. In the end i just shook you as hard as i could."

you take stock of the room and see that its empty. when you ask why Scalla explains everyone else had left... and that you have homework. its to get to know each other. that doesn't seem so bad.

"Whats your story, Ajax?"

Ajax looks at you a little startled but them rubs the back of his head.

"well..." he starts and then frowns. he takes a breath and starts a bit more confidently.

"you know how me and scalla know each other already right? well... we also knew Tomix. Scalla is my mentor for just about everything, but Tomix showed me weaving. me and him... we didn't have good pasts. we both did something that ruined our lives for our own reasons. Maybe thats why we were drawn to each other-"

Ajax is interrupted but Scalla making a small laugh.

"s-shut up." Ajax looks away.

"I'm sorry." Scalla smiles. "I'll stop interrupting you one day."

Ajax clears his throat and starts again.

"Anyway yea. Tomix showed me weaving. The plan was we would both get into Edelia, learn how to weave, and then fight our demons together. It was the only thing that kept me from thinking about my past. It eventually got easier because of my positive attitude, but Tomix really helped."

Ajax looks down at his desk and frowns deeply.

"If i'm honest, Hero- and no offense Scalla, but. If Tomix is gone. If we can't help the teachers find him. I... don't really see myself attending this school anymore."

"Ajax..." Scalla looks lost for words.

"The only reason i got into weaving was because of Tomix. He was my friend. I'll have to face my demons eventually and if i can't face them with Tomix... I preferred if i faced them alone."

Ajax grows silent any Scalla looks at him... not hurt, but unsure of how to comfort him.

"I won't let you." You say sternly. it startles Ajax.

"I won't be able to replace Tomix- no one can replace a friend. But i won't let you face your demons alone, and i won't let you abandon weaving." you say.

"Hero- Listen-" Ajax struggles for words. he seems very caught off guard.

"Tomix helped you cope. Do you think he would want you to give up?" you say.

"I... No. You're right. Tomix wouldn't want me to give up. Even if he is gone... he would want me to keep going." Ajax looks close to crying, the tears in his eyes reflect the setting sun, his smile bright and determined.

"You may not have known Tomix, but you sound a lot like him." Scalla smiles at you while Ajax goes to the other side of the room to hide his face while wipes away the tears.

"What about you Scalla?" you ask.

"M-Me?" Scalla says. "Oh well, okay." She quietly thinks for a moment before moving her bandana over her face.

"Well, i got into weaving because of a mutual friend. Tomix. As you know me and Ajax are friends. i'm a mentor to him. but if i'm honest i'm just grasping at straws. I try my best and it ends well, but recently it hasn't."

She looks down at her hands and nervously fiddles with her fingers.

"Its okay." Ajax returns and sets a hand on her shoulder. "Take your time."

"Right." She nods and continues.

"I suffer from nightmares. Chronic night terrors really. Because of them I'm always in a fight or flight mind set. Everything frightens me and it makes being positive difficult when you're so tired you have a doctor's note for why you sleep in class. But after Ajax introduced me to Tomix, Tomix showed me weaving. He knew more about it than either of us and showed me how to make the basic stuff. I made this bandana myself!"

"Really?" you ask.

"Yup! It helps keep me calm. Helps me focus. Keeps the nightmares away. Now i want to learn more and hopefully find a way to help me sleep."

Ajax is smiling like he is proud and from how nervous she was, you think you know why.

"You haven't had a lot of friends because of your nightmares, huh?" you ask.

Scalla nervously nods. "I would spend more time sleeping than making friends."

"I'm glad I met you." you say. "I hope we're friends."

Scalla stares at you oddly and Ajax laughs.

"You startled her right into silence." Ajax smiles and pats Scalla on the shoulder. "This is Scalla's way of saying "i'm glad i met you too!""

Its time to leave and the two of you talk about your own reasons for attending the school. Its clear Ajax is trying very hard not to cry again and Scalla goes quiet inadvertently, but you understand its because of how close they've gotten with you.

Day 4

Your blood runs cold as you look around and find only Hawk, half of Wolf, and Dragon. Ajax seems to be struggling as Valen talks him down from a panic attack. Scalla is staring off into the distance. You get her attention and she helps Valen calm Ajax down. Fae and Alex inform you that Raven and Maz aren't here, and the reason why Ajax is in such a panic is because he had seen all three before arriving in class.

"They're gone- I saw them and i couldn't- I couldn't-" Ajax is muttering to himself.

"Breath Ajax. If you lose your head we won't be able to help anyone." Scalla soothes and it works for the most part.

When the headmaster comes in it's Scalla's turn it seems to break. Her and Fae are almost incoherent but with someone other than himself to worry about, Ajax helps Fae and you help Scalla.

"Everyone stay calm." Valen offers. "Alex, you and Fae have been looking into why this is happening, right?"

"Y-Yea. w-we found something i-interesting." Fae says.

"Alright. Dragon. you said you had a plan to keep communications with the others, right?" Valen turns calmly to the slightly off hinged pair.

"Yes sir. I had actually left Tek with the blue prints for a prototype to help her since she was so busy." Scalla explains. She seems to steel herself and walks in front of everyone.

"Here's the plan. Hawk, continue your research and be prepared to start hunting down what ever is causing this. If you find out why this is happening, reversing it, catching it, or pacifying it will be easy." Scalla nods once Alex and Fae agree.

"Ajax, you and I will go to Tek's room and see if she made the proto type or left a mechanism we can use to track down the culprit." Ajax nods and also steels himself.

"Valen. I don't like you being alone. Wolf was planning to actively look right? Maybe Hero can help you with that." she offers.

"If not i can help Hawk. Once they know the why they can point me in the direction of the what or who."

"Alright." she turns to you. "Hero, where do you think you'll be the most helpful?"

"Working with you too. Valen will be more useful with Hawk and if i'm honest i don't think i'm good at tracking. Find objects maybe but not monsters or people." you explain.

You all break and split off, Fae wishing you luck and Valen giving you a half hearted smile. you arrive at Tek's door and Scalla finds it locked.

"hmm... did not think about that." she says.

You lean against the door as the other two try and figure out how to get in, but the door swing open for you. This startles Scalla and Ajax who help you up after falling into Tek's room. Looking inside, the three of you find the room is gone. Its a dark void...

"Thats..." Scalla starts.

"...Not good." Ajax finishes.

Ajax puts his hand in and it seems to fade into the void. Before he can draw his hand back something grabs him.

You and Scalla try and pull Ajax back. Its a true tug-o-war. you're not sure how long you can hold onto-

"Hero!" Scalla shouts. "Grab Ajax but the torso. I'll grab the both of you."

"That doesn't sound like it'll work! Thats not how leverage works!" you point out.

"T-Trust her!" Ajax shouts. "I can feel my shoulder dislocating, hurry!"

As you grab Ajax by the torso, to your surprise the void holding Ajax lets go as soon as you touch it. The three of you fall to the ground as Scalla give you both a tug. Making sure you haven't hit your head, you look up at Tek's room.

"how did you know what would work?" you ask.

"...." Scalla doesn't answer.

"Scalla?" Ajax prompts.

"...Hero. You remind me of my nightmares." Scalla says. "When you're sleeping... what are you seeing?"

"What?"

"My nightmares are things trying to control me. There are eyes and a voice that says it needs me." she explains.

"I... I've had similar dreams." you explain your nightmares and Scalla slowly seems to piece something together.

"Hero, you're the reason people are disappearing." she says. "Its hard to explain, but its similar to my situation. I tend to be the reason bad things happen. There is something causing your dreams and if they're anything like mine, they're doing it cause its trying to get to you."

you're not sure how to handle that.

"Well. what do we do?" you ask.

"Lay a trap. Like raven wanted to do." ajax says. "And beat it up like Wolf wanted!"

Day ???

you and the dragon stare into the void. Scalls takes your hand and with the other she takes Ajax's.

"I'll pull you out and Ajax will punch what ever comes out with you." Scalla assures you.

"And once i get it's attention we'll lead it to the library and meet up with Hawk and Valen." Ajax gives you a thumbs up.

taking a deep breath you stick your hand into the void. at first nothing happens, but then a wave of fatigue washes over you. you almost fall asleep-

"Hero!" Scalla shouts. "Hang on!"

You're awoken with a start as Scalla yanks you out of the void. Ajax shouts and there is a sound of something colliding with something. looking up you see Ajax standing defensively between you, scalla, and-

it's name is Sk'aar. It says this is all a dream. And although you're convinced it can't be-

"If we're not real then neither are you!" Scalla growls. "You want to consume something? How about a knuckle sandwich?"

"If this is a dream, and you're threatening to make it a nightmare, i'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's our job to keep you from doing that."

Scalla and Ajax stand steadfast trying to protect you. As they fight off the nightmare your mind feels hazy. Sk'aar is fighting but it can't quit win. If this is a dream...then-

-ajax

"AJAX!" You shout. "I Believe in you!"

Ajax looks at you with a smile and winds up a punch. "Hero. If this is a dream... Thanks for imagining me. It was fun meeting Tomix, Scalla, and you. The best one for last, right?"

Ajax swings and everything goes white. You're not sure what happened...

-scalla

"SCALLA!" you shout. "you're stronger than this nightmare! Fight fire with fire!"

Scalla stares at you blankly and then brings her bandana over her face. "You're going to wake up safe and sound, Hero. I Promise."

the words echo and she turns to Sk'aar and bursts into darkness and monsters. She seems to be fear itself... but you feel safe as everything goes white...

-ajax

When you wake up you hear the sound of water. its soothing. calming.

"Waky waky!" Ajax says. "Your dreams over sleepy head."

Ajax looks down at you as you're laying on a dock. "what..."

"How are you feeling? Get enough sleep?"

"I uhh guess. what... what happened?"

"You've been asleep. You dreamt me up and believe in me enough to beat up a nightmare." Ajax's smile is bright and wide. his eyes shine with tears.

"I may be imaginary, but i'm glad you thought of me." Ajax smiles and closes his eyes, tears falling softly.

The two of you watch the water softly lap at the dock. you open your arms up to your imaginary friend and he looks at you bewildered.

"Bring it in big guy."

"Hero!" Ajax laughs as he hugs you. He is warm and although you know it can't be real... it feels real.

-Scalla

You wake up looking over a ocean. you're in soft grass and the sun is warm. You look around and see Scalla.

"Oh hey you're up." She smiles at you. "like the view? I don't remember the last time i dreamed of it."

"Yeah... its beautiful." you say.

you both stare out at the ocean, watching the sun reflect off it's waves.

"I got the feeling i won't have nightmares anymore." Scalla says.

"Scalla..." you're not sure what to say. You get the feeling this might be the last you see her.

"I'll do my best to keep your dreams safe. Its only fair, right?"

you don't get the chance to answer her as you wake.

[breninarthur]

first kisses

[midnightartemis]

Chapter Five 

Read Me on AO3

Dun Mhuir, The Isle of Skye, Mid-1700s

Two Days Since the Stones...

The castle awoke as we dismounted from our horses. I was so sore and chaffed that I could barely walk without grimacing. And it seemed that Kylo was in no better shape.

“We need to get that wound patched up better.” I rush to steady him, but he shoos me away.

“I’m fine, lass. Away with ye.” His mood had darkened considerably the moment we passed through the gates of the castle. The soft looks of appreciation I sometimes had gotten from him were vanished and replaced with a stony exterior and hard, uncaring eyes. I watched as he limped away with our horse and made plans to check on him later.

“Dinnae fash about him. He’s a strong lad.”

“Even strong lads can die of infection.”

“Aye.” The giant stops to stand beside me, looking me over with suspicion. “I suppose I owe you a debt for saving mo mhac.”

Mo mhac? The word was familiar, but I had to think hard for it. It was difficult enough to understand the modern mix of Scottish Gaelic and English. “Son. He’s your son?”

“Nae, but he’s the closest I’ll ever have. Family, ye ken.”

“Do I get your name for my debt?” I ask.

“No need to throw away a debt for a name, lass. Cù Buchan. Chewie, if ye will.” He offers me his hand and I take it.

“Rey Niima.” Every step I take feels like a test here.

“Where come you from?”

“London.” I was still trying my best to stick as close to the truth as possible.

“And how did you come to the Highlands?”

“With my husband.” I had the whole trip here to come up with a plausible story and yet I had failed to do so. I had been too preoccupied with escaping and making sure my captor didn’t die.

“And where is ye husband now?”

“He’s gone. Dead,” I say quietly. In a way, that was the truth as well.

The men around me are all dealing with horses and speaking in Gaelic as they had been the whole trip. Probably so that I would not understand them.

“My apologies.”

I shrug half-heartedly. He wasn’t even dead, yet... Born, yet. I close my eyes and try to wrap my mind around my adventure.

“Ye werenae fond of him?”

“I barely knew him. But he was my husband. And I loved him.” I tried to formulate my story quickly. Something that would explain what I was doing out in the middle of nowhere. “We were attacked on our way back to Inverness. He died and I ran and I kept running until I ran into Captain Snoke and his men and they mistook me for a whore.”

“It doesnae take much for a Sassenach to mistake.” The way he calls Captain Snoke a Sassenach is much different than when the men refer to me. There’s a bite to it, more like a curse. “Though yer claes are peculiar.”

I look down at my clothes which are barely dry and covered in mud. I’m thankful for stopping to change, as the thick pants and my trusty bomber jacket have likely saved me from freezing in the Highlands once more. “They’re… French.”

“Aye. French.” He eyes me like he doesn’t believe me, but he understands the strange habits of the French. Some things never change.

The horses have all been lead to stables and the courtyard is beginning to wake. A door opens near us and a small woman with sharp eyes steps out. She instantly spies us. “Mo m' eudail! Good to see ye. Who’s the lass?”

“Rey Niima. Sassenach we picked up near Inverness. Laird will want to speak wi’ her.” Chewie claps a hand on my shoulder. “She’s a guest of Clan Adharled.”

I scoff. A guest. It was a strange way of saying prisoner. But if it kept me from being locked up in a cell, I would begrudgingly accept the position. The woman seemed to come to the same conclusion so she reached out a hand and I took it. “Cannae ‘ave ye goin’ to the Laird lookin’ like that.”

She introduced herself to me as Mavis Kent-Amos, the keeper of the house. “Though if ye call me anything but Maz, I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug!”

I didn’t quite know what that meant, but I was sure it involved a good knock to the head. I let Maz drag me through the kitchens which were already filled with a flurry of activities. She shouted orders at the maids as we passed by and they hurried off. We left the kitchen for stone passageways lined with tapestries and flickering candles. There were doors leading to different rooms and a set of turning stone stairs that took us to the floor above to another passageway. This time, we went through a door and I found myself in a small bed-chamber. There was a tub on the floor, just barely big enough for someone to stand in, and a warm fire already crackling in the fireplace. I quickly knelt beside it and held my hands out to feel the warmth as Maz fussed with the bedsheets.

“There’s a man that was shot on the way here. I stopped the bleeding, but he’ll be needing fresh bandages and something to help with the infection. Kylo, he said his name was?”

“Kylo?” Maz gives me a strange look.

“Er… Large, broad shoulders, very tall. Black hair. Big ears.”

“Och aye, ye mean Benjamin. A send him some things. Can hardly get tha lad to tak broth wi’ a cauld.” She finishes with the bed and moves on to stoke the fire beside me. “Ye ken medicine?”

“Some,” I say, and she waits for me to explain further. “My husband… My late husband was a physician. In London. I used to help him some.”

Lies. More and more lies. It was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with for my medical knowledge. Before Maz can ask any more questions, there’s a soft knock on the door and a group of women comes hurrying in shortly after. Two of them carry what seem to be large pots of water and place them near the fire. The other two are handling a large chest, which they leave at the foot of the bed. Maz inspects their work with her hawk-like eyes and nods tersely. “Verra well. Rose, stay to help.”

One girl stays and the sight of her confuses me. She looked to be of Asian descent, which stood out in the sea of Scottish faces I had seen recently. She quickly fell into helping Maz with the water and I could tell that she was trying to not look at me and gape. We were two strange features of this place, I was far from my time, and she was far from her home. I gave her a little smile as she caught me watching her and she smiled back.

The tub was filled with water, some cold, some boiling so that when it all came together, it was a pleasant steaming temperature. I had expected the women to leave me to bathe, instead, Rose stood in front of me with her arms out to take my jacket. I slowly remove it, along with the rest of my clothes, feeling slightly uncomfortable as I stand naked in front of them. Neither of them seems to care, and I had shared enough powder rooms with women that I shouldn’t be embarrassed, but this was the first time that all the attention in the room was on me.

I climb quickly into the tub and have but a moment to sigh at the relief of the hot water before Rose and Maz were scrubbing my skin clean. The hot water quickly turned a muddy brown. Rose set upon my hair, pulling the pins out and staring at them curiously.

“They’re French.” I almost cringe at my own excuse.

The girl pulls out the rest of my pins that held my hair in place in the two victory rolls that I had perfected during my time in the army. My hair falls against my shoulders. “Are the gals in France wearing their hair short now? With strange waves?”

“Er…” I really needed to stop using that excuse. “No. Just personal preference.”

“Ye have bonnie hair, miss.”

“Rey.” I smile at her just as a bucket of water is dumped over my head.

“A kent the English hated the French, no?”

More tests. It seemed that Maz was in on Chewie’s plan to find my true intentions as a spy as well. “My husband was French.”

“Ah… A French Physician?” Maz chuckled, though I wasn’t sure what the joke was. “Weel, the Scots are friends of the French, lass.”

“Bonnie Prince Charlie.” The thought occurred to me suddenly.

“Wheesht!” Maz hisses. “A wull have none of that Jacobite talk here.”

How close were we to the Battle of Prestonpans? Culloden? Were there people here who were buried beneath my feet only just a few days ago? Did they know that the end to life as they knew it was coming?

Maz stood and grabbed a robe to dry me with. I guess my bath was over. I stood and let her wrap me up in the cloth. Already I felt a hundred times better than before.

In the rush of maids bringing the trunk and water, I hadn’t noticed that there was also a plate of food waiting for me. I dug in eagerly as the two women unpacked the trunk. For the most part, all I could make out was a pile of tartan cloth and cream-yellow undergarments. Maz noticed me watching. “Old dresses of Lady Leia’s. They should suit ye, with a few adjustments.”

I finished my food and stood for them to dress me, suddenly thankful that I was not alone. I was sure to make some sort of dressing blunder that would make them more suspicious of me than they already were. A shift was pulled over my head, then stockings tied below my knees. A surprisingly comfortable front lacing set of stays was tied on to me next, not too tight, but enough to give support. Two layers of woolen petticoats, followed by the tartan skirt that kept out the chill. I slipped my arms through a matching jacket that covered the rest of my stays. The sleeves only came down to my elbows, so Rose added woolen arm warmers. I sat for shoes that were soft and worn from their previous owner. Though I would have preferred my own boots, they were still soaked from the mud and rain.

Rose worked with my hair, pinning and tying it up into what must have been an acceptable hairstyle for me. And when I was done, they stood back to admire their work, nodding their approval. I felt incredibly silly like I was playing a dress-up part.

“Rose, go see if the Laird is ready to see her.”

“Yes, Maz.” The young girl ducked her head and hurried out of the room. I sat down stiffly in the bed, trying to control my breathing. I knew little about the hierarchy of the clansmen, but I knew enough to understand that the Laird was the most important figure in a clan. He made all the decisions, solved all of the problems. I was determined to not be a problem. He needed to decide to send me back to Inverness, and I had to be the one to convince him. I had to play the part of an Englishwoman married to a Doctor who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rose returned, and I was carted off through the halls once more. I hoped that this would be my final round of questioning, though I knew that my hopes were far too high.

The room I was led to looked to be an office more than anything, though unlike any I’d seen. Books and papers and trinkets and items from around the words were scattered everywhere. Tapestries and grand paintings hung from the walls. The entire room and its contents dripped with history and I could only imagine what my husband would be saying if he were here right now. My heart breaks at the thought of him.

I had to get back.

Even if I had to fight tooth and nail to get there.

A throat clears and I jump, suddenly noticing the ghost among the ancient items of the room. The man is greying, with a long beard and blue eyes that have seen ages pass before him. He looks as though he has become part of the room itself, a specter against the grey stone.

I bow my head. “My apologies. I did not see you there.”

He grunts a laugh, “Yes, well, I’ve been told I would make a wonderful hermit.”

He’s been carefully tutored, but I can still hear an echo of Scottish brogue in his words. I fold my hands in front of me, trying to look far more relaxed than I felt. I was unsure if I should speak, or if I should let him continue. He gestures to an empty chair in front of a large wooden desk. “Please, Miss Niima.”

So, he’s already spoken to Chewie. I sit, and the moment I do, tea arrives. I graciously take a cup and breathe in the rich scent. I hadn’t known how much I wanted a good cuppa.

“I hope that my men were not too rough with ye. I would like to formally offer the apologies of Clan Adharled and extend our heartiest welcome to our guest.”

Stay awhile, so that we can watch you.  

“Thank you, Laird Adharled. I would like to ask you about finding transportation back to Inverness.”

“Do you have family there?”

“No. I assumed that I would be able to find transportation to London from there.”

“Yes, that is where Chewie said you were from. We can write to any family you may have there to assure them of your safety.” The Laird raises an eyebrow.

“I have no family. I was an orphan. And Henry, my late husband, has no family either. I would be returning to our home in London.”

“Henry?” Adharled drew out the last symbol, looking for a last name. It caught in my throat as the flash of Henry’s eyes that were not his own watched me from the darkness.

“Deschamps. Doctor Henry Deschamps.” Deschamps was the name of my commanding officer, the first French name that came to mind. I refused to give into filling the silence between us.

“I am sorry for your loss, milady.”

“Thank you.” I took a deep breath. “And I would like to thank your men as well, for finding me and saving me from the Englishmen. They were nothing but gentlemen to me. And I would like to thank you for your hospitality. My only wish is to return home to mourn my husband in peace and take care of his affairs.”

My eyes meet his and I find that we’re in a battle of the wills. I’m toeing around politics that I have no knowledge or understanding of. After a minute of considering, he nods. “Who am I to keep a grieving widow from laying her husband to rest? I am afraid that there aren’t many going from here to Inverness at the moment, nor straight to London. I believe that a merchant usually passes through here on his way to London. He should arrive in a month or so.”

All the air rushes from my lungs.

A month.

It’s already been a few days in this lifetime, and I’m longing to grasp a hold of anything to make sense of this all. I force myself to take a deep breath and smile. “Of course. Thank you, Laird Adharled.”

“Please, my guests may call me Luke.”

Read Chapters 1-5 On AO3

[gffa]

Every single time I do this, I keep thinking, “I’ll just add one or two more to the list, because they’re so good and that’ll be it, surely fandom won’t post anything else that I need to immediately read and yell about my feelings over!” And then every single time I’m wrong about that and STAR WARS fandom puts out more fic or, I don’t know, creates and Obi-Ken genfic exchange and I suddenly have a whole new pile of fic to read and crying about it. It’s the best worst problem to have because there are some absolutely stellarfics here and so many talented people and I need to yell a lot and shove them allat everyone who will listen! STAR WARS FIC RECS: TIME TRAVEL RECS: ✦ The Unreliability of Chronology by Felilla, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & rex & cast, time travel, 7.5k wip    No. His Padawan died on Mortis six months ago and he was left without even a body to mourn. This was a trick. She hadn’t returned to him and she most definitely was not a decade older. ✦ Blades of Grass by zarabithia, obi-wan & shmi, time travel, ~1k    Shmi is not yet five years old when the strange man falls out of the sky. ✦ A Future in Crisis by WolfMarauder, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & cast, time travel, 45.3k wip    Ahsoka has a vision that may change the course of the future. She just needs to keep her master from falling, keep his wife from dying, and the Jedi Order from dying out… That’s all. The first step is returning the the Jedi Order and she finds she has more friends than she thought. ✦ Warmth by Tomatosoupful, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & xanatos & tahl & shmi & cast, child endangerment, time travel, 59.8k wip    Time Travel AU. Anakin has woken up in the past. Time to say hello to past friends, right? Only problem, Anakin is a walking talking human disaster and makes a lot of stupid decisions. Stealing a Jedi baby from the temple certainly isn’t the smartest thing he���s done. PREQUELS RECS: ✦ Trust by SingManyFaces, anakin & ahsoka, 1.2k    Three moments when Ahsoka recognized Anakin in the Force. ✦ Room Arrangements by skatzaa, obi-wan & anakin, 2.2k    Anakin has some concerns about room arrangements at the Temple. Obi-Wan does his best to reassure him. ✦ When Darkness Seems to Hide This Place by IllyanaA, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & kanan & ocs & cast, 94.9k wip    After killing three of the Jedi Order’s best and brightest, Palpatine’s fight with Jedi Master Mace Windu goes shorter than expected. Afraid he’s lost his chance at recruiting a new apprentice, Sidious unleashes Order 66 across the galaxy, but, per their programming, the Clone Army is not to harm Anakin Skywalker. After witnessing the most painful loss he’s ever experienced and injured at the hands of his captors, Anakin is ready to die like the rest of the Jedi, though not before getting his vengeance. ✦ Waiting and Learning by otherhawk, obi-wan & ahsoka & cody & waxer & boil & cast, 2.9k    During a brief period of time when Ahsoka Tano is working with the 212th under Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka takes part in a mission to obtain separatist codes. Unfortunately the mission involves a lot of downtime without much entertainment as they wait for an ambush. Along the way Ahsoka gets to know her grandmaster better and makes some new friends. ✦ Out of the Desert Storm by LazarusII, obi-wan & owen & luke & beru, 2.1k    One day, a harsh desert storm suddenly kicks up, stranding Owen Lars and a young Luke Skywalker in the Jundland Wastes. Obi-Wan saves the day, takes them back to his home, and a friendship begins. ✦ And the Void Answered Back by Ghost_Owl, obi-wan & anakin & rey & finn & poe & ben & yoda & maz & han & cast, force ghosts, 110.6k    (Follows the Force ghosts of Anakin, Obi Wan, and friends getting dragged kicking and screaming through the events of The Force Awakens) ✦ you’re safe within by stonefreeak, obi-wan & anakin, ~1k    Anakin wakes from nightmares tinted red. The darkness of his bedroom seems oppressive, and no matter how many times he blinks red seems to seep into the edges of his vision. He wants to feel safe. He wants Obi-Wan. ✦ Imperfect Resolution by Nny11, ahsoka/barriss, 11k    When Ahsoka Tano heard there was a possible Jedi living in the Outer Rim she could recruit, she didn’t expect to find Barriss Offee. She didn’t expect her stupid heart to bleed over this. It’s so much easier to forgive someone when you thought they were dead. ✦ The Spire by skatzaa, obi-wan & ocs, 2.4k    The galaxy was on the brink of war, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been assigned a new room. ✦ We Push Away the Unimaginable by KeeperofSeeds, obi-wan & padme, 5.2k    RotS AU: Padme survives. Weak from her injuries on Mustafar and healing after giving birth, she and the twins are taken into hiding by Obi Wan. Now they are on the run from the Empire and dealing with each other’s trauma, as they try to figure out what to do after your world falls apart. ✦ Swimming Lessons by devilinthedetails, obi-wan & anakin, 2.1k    Obi-Wan decides Anakin must learn how to swim. ✦ In Pursuit by zinjadu, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & rex & padme & adi & cast, 40k    AU - The Jedi Who Knew Too Much. Rex decides to stay “in pursuit” of his Commander; he jumps. Now, with backup, Ahsoka navigates the lower levels and deals with Ventress. Meanwhile, Anakin takes the Order to task, finds a little more support, and things turn out a little differently for everyone. ✦ Of Progress and Promises by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & bant & yoda & cast, 6.2k    Not long after joining the Jedi Order, Anakin Skywalker teams up with some of his Master’s friends for a very important mission: to get Obi-Wan Kenobi to smile and laugh again. ✦ Accidental Baby Acquisition: The Obi-Wan Kenobi Way by kitkatkaylie, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & cast, 9.9k wip    Obi-Wan Kenobi was just browsing the market, he has no idea how the baby ended up in his robe, honest. ✦ The Bad Day (Trademark Pending) by skatzaa, obi-wan & anakin & bant, 2k    Obi-Wan is having one of his Bad Days. Anakin helps. ✦ Old Sins Cast Long Shadows by zarabithia, ahsoka & obi-wan/padme & anakin & cast, 16.6k    In this universe, when Palpatine asks if Anakin is going to kill him, Anakin does. While Anakin ultimately wins, it costs him his life. In this universe, the twins are raised by Ahsoka, Padmé, and Obi-Wan. ✦ Voices in the Dark by otherhawk, obi-wan & cody, 6.9k wip    In the middle of the war Obi-Wan and Cody find themselves stranded behind enemy lines, deep in the old tunnels of a hostile world. Injured, alone and in complete darkness they have to rely on each other’s skill and strength. Fortunately there’s plenty to go around. ✦ Abducted by devilinthedetails, obi-wan & qui-gon, 1.6k    In trying to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a planetary leader, Qui-Gon finds himself abducted and in need of Obi-Wan’s rescue. ✦ Wellspring by skatzaa, obi-wan & shmi, 1.9k    Ben meditates, and meets a ghost. She’s just not the ghost he’s been expecting. ✦ Farewell There by DestielsDestiny, obi-wan & mace & cast, 1.4k    It was a routine mission. In so much as anything was routine since the war began. Which was to say, it was a disaster from the word go. ✦ A Burning Why by Icarus_is_flying, jocasta & anakin, 1.1k    Jocasta Nu understood many things–all valuable, obscure, interesting, well-known, and useless in turn–knowledge earned over decades. Some questions were easy to answer. Others take generations to decipher. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, anakin & ahsoka & mace & rig & vokara, 1k    Anakin Skywalker walks through the halls of the Jedi Temple, his padawan by his side. ✦ playing yourself like a red three by EclipseMidnight (EternalEclipse), obi-wan & xanatos & qui-gon, 7.7k    As usual, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s mission has gone spectacularly sideways, this time before they even reach the planet they are meant to be helping. Luckily for them, they get some help from an unexpected source. ✦ Obitine Week 2019 by sunshineisdelicious, obi-wan/satine & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & korkie, 12.6k    A little celebration of Obi-Wan and Satine. ✦ I Know: Or, How Ahsoka Tano Saved the Skywalkers by SianShanya, obi-wan & anakin/padme & ahsoka & cast, 12.5k    In a galaxy where Ahsoka learns of her master’s marriage before leaving(because come on, Anakin is the least subtle person ever), Evil Plans are thwarted left and right. ✦ Rebirth by Emmeebee, obi-wan & padme & cast, 12.3k    Padmé has never been one to run from danger, but it’s different when it’s her children at stake. A rewrite of the ending of Revenge of the Sith. ✦ Flash Flash Fashion Baby by Nny11, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & cast, ~1k    Anakin wears a crop top to show solidarity with his Padawan’s fashion choices and because Padme wears one. He didn’t mean to start a galaxy wide trend! ✦ Aliit ori'shya tal'din by TexasDreamer01, obi-wan & anakin & cody & waxer & boil & ahsoka & cast, 5.3k    Reconnaissance missions are never easy. On a far-flung planet in the Outer Rim, Obi-Wan thinks, is not much better. His troops and friends, however, can make his work downright pleasant. ✦ Perpetual Parents & Padawans by BigFatBumblebee, obi-wan & anakin & mace & yoda & cast, 2.4k    As is the case with all children, Jedi Padawans grow up. And as with all parents, Jedi Masters occasionally find this a rather difficult concept to get to grips with, and no matter how old, Padawan’s need their Masters. ✦ Force Ex Machina by BookGirlFan, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & ahsoka, 4.3k    Qui-Gon appears in the middle of the Clone Wars, and Anakin discovers some uncomfortable truths about his master’s past. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, jocasta & yoda & cast, 1.1k    Jocasta Nu has been the Head Librarian of the Jedi Temple for many years now. There is no one who knows the Temple library and its different ways of searching for information better than she does. ✦ Escapade by Shadaras, obi-wan & anakin, 1.3k    Obi-Wan helps Anakin rescue himself from hawk-bats beneath the Jedi Temple. OBI-WAN/ANAKIN RECS: ✦ untitled by imperialvader, obi-wan/anakin, 1k    Kenobi and Skywalker. Anakin and Obi-Wan. They’re a team. They’re the team. And they happen in every universe. ✦ This time we’ll fall together by liv_k, obi-wan/anakin & anakin/padme & yoda & bail & cast, 13.5k wip    In the aftermath of Order 66, Anakin Skywalker’s miraculous survival after his confrontation with the new Sith Apprentice Darth Vader ignites a sparkle of hope in the remaining Jedi, in the fledgling rebellion and, above all, in his former Master, who had thought he had lost everything to darkness. But darkness is generous, and it is patient. ✦ The Missing Part by Nightstar269, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & palpatine, NSFW, modern au (of sorts), suicide ideation, switching in the final chapter, 151.1k    Anakin Skywalker, a student of mechanical engineering, has always felt that his life was lacking something, a feeling that was made much worse with the deaths of his mother first, and of the woman he loved some time later. Still haunted by the pain and heartbreak, he tries to go on with his life as well as he can. When an initiative of the director of the university has the students attending the classes of another degree so as to enrich their knowledge, he will meet someone that will turn his world upside down. ✦ Upfall by bell (belldreams), obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & satine(/obi-wan background) & padme & cast, NSFW, 41.5k wip    Anakin is doing just about everything he can to hold himself together; it won’t last. ✦ The Devil’s Own by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin & cast, regency au, 16.2k wip    Some whisper the Skywalker family is the devil’s own, and no tutors in the area will take on the orphaned Lord, a young man famous for his excessive drinking, riding, and dueling. The townspeople shake their heads at the arrival of the latest tutor, a London scholar out of money and other options, wondering how long it will be before this Kenobi is run out like all the rest. ✦ Mutual Acquaintances by Ghost_Owl, obi-wan/anakin & obi-wan/satine & anakin/padme & padme/satine & cast, 11k wip    In which Satine’s distress call puts Obi Wan under Council scrutiny, Anakin offers to save her for him as a Totally Platonic Favor, Satine would like one good day, please, Padmé has everything under control, and Maul manages to cause an even bigger problem than before. ✦ The Garden by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin & rex & cody, a/b/o, 4.8k wip    Nothing is ever simple with Anakin Skywalker. ✦ Tell Me Yes by SingManyFaces, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, mild d/s, 2.7k    Anakin gets too worked up, Obi-Wan talks him down. ✦ Montreschere by Ralph_E_Silvering, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & dooku & cast, 9.4k wip    Reckless, brilliant Anakin Skywalker is being hailed as the greatest swordsman of his age. In a city where the nobles hire swordsmen in their never-ending political games against one another, Anakin is always assured of a job and is beholden to no one and nothing except the sword. Until the day he meets the handsome, reclusive Duke of Montreschere, whose idealism threatens the very foundations of the city’s most powerful players, and Anakin learns the true meaning of living, and dying, by the sword. ✦ Beard by bell (belldreams), obi-wan/anakin, ~1k    It’s the beard, Anakin thinks sometimes. But he knows better; the beard is just a symbol, a visual shortcut for something far more complex. ✦ For Everything by Diminution, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, 10.8k wip    In which Obi-Wan owns a coffee shop and Anakin stumbles in early one morning after an especially terrible nightmare. ✦ not too particular, not too precise by AozoraNoShita, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & padme, modern au, 4.1k    Obi-Wan and Anakin both run food blogs and they have Opinions about each other’s recipes. Then it turns out they live in the same apartment building and they have the same friends and when they finally meet? It’s like a cooking competition meets a rom-com. Kind of. ✦ The Seduction of Anakin Skywalker by DontCallMeShirley, obi-wan/anakin & anakin/padme & obi-wan/anakin/padme & cast, 16.5k wip    Anakin is falling to the dark side. Obi Wan and Padme concoct a scheme to bring him back. ✦ Red Shift by Burning_Nightingale, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, fem!anakin, 4.2k    Obi-Wan and Anakin decide to go undercover as a husband and wife bounty hunting team at a Black Sun casino to try and find crucial information about their ties to the Separatists. But when their host gives them a “gift” of aphrodisiac purri root, they get a little more than they bargained for. ✦ Would you teach me? by blurred_lines, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 3.8k wip    Obi-Wan was… well, meditating, probably, but this was most definitely a form of meditation Anakin wasn’t acquainted with. Like, not at all. ✦ So I Love You Because I Know No Other Way by DontCallMeShirley, obi-wan/anakin, 3.3k    Anakin and Obi Wan just need a little push to admit their feelings. ORIGINAL TRILOGY RECS: ✦ Binary by skatzaa, obi-wan & r2-d2, ~1k    Old Ben has a talk with a familiar astromech. ✦ Challenge or Manipulation by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & luke & yoda, 1.3k    Before going to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker visits the abandoned home of Ben Kenobi in the Jundland Wastes. ✦ a crown upon my head by skatzaa, leia & poe & rey, 1.7k    Poe finds her the morning after they escape from Crait at the dejarik table, though it she isn’t hard to find, with the Falcon as full as it is. ✦ Wizard by ASadHermitStory, obi-wan & owen & beru, ~1k    Owen worries that Obi-Wan is lurking too close to the farm and will attract unwanted attention to them. With Beru’s help, he proposes a solution. ✦ Inviolable by glorious_clio, leia & deara & bail/breha, 4.1k    Deara has a new niece to love and spoil, and teach how to smash things with hammers. Meanwhile, the Galaxy has gone to hell. REBELS RECS: ✦ The Starry Crown by bedlamsbard, ezra & kanan & sabine & zeb & chopper & cast, 17.4k wip    Months after Ezra Bridger vanished into the depths of the mysterious Jedi temple on Lothal, he reappears – with Kanan Jarrus in tow. All Hera Syndulla and the other surviving members of the Ghost crew want is to retrieve their missing teammates, but a Jedi who can raise the dead is a prize too great for the Empire to pass up. Palpatine will do anything to get Ezra and the secrets he carries – secrets that may allow the Emperor to control reality itself. FULL DETAILS + RECS HERE!

[wardenari]

February Fic Recs

Day 11  - Please reblog if you like something. The point is to bring some attention to lesser known fics.

The Luck of the Law by queenofkadara, Schoute for Schoute ( @pikapeppa, @schoute)

Pairing: Modern AU F!Lavellan/Cullen

Maybe you’ve seen some of Schoute’s amazing artwork of her Rowdy Piper Lavellan. If so, hopefully you’ve read some of the fics that go along with it written by queenofkadara (pikapeppa). If not, and based on the # of Kudos, I’m guessing not because the fics are so so good. This one is actually part of a series. Check out the Fenris/F!Hawke companion, but the one I’m recommending today is a modern AU. Piper is a bartender (along with Hawke and the two of them are way cooler than me and make me wish I was a bartender so I could hang out with them). In walks Lawyer, Cullen Rutherford, straight laced and just about everything opposite of Piper.

Ok, let me back up --- Piper gets screwed over, big time by people she trusted. That makes her wary, but she learns to get back to her happy self with help from her friends. And the sweet, adorkable lawyer she crosses paths with doesn’t hurt either. He helps settle her and she helps him loosen up. It’s a perfect match and I could probably write pages and pages about how much I love queenofkadara’s writing. It all has some A-MAZ-ING art from schoute. Give it a read, I promise you’ll fall in love. I’ll stop gushing now.

@curiousartemis, @kagetsukai, @paraparadigm

Reminder if something I share is yours let me know, I don’t always match AO3 with Tumblr names even when I should because we talk! :D I promise it’s nothing personal my brain just sucks Also please let me know via PM if I recommend anyone that’s racist, antiLGBTQ+ etc and I’ll remove the post recommending them. I don’t want association with that.

[benperorsolo]

Am I the only one thinking TROS made all the Skywalkers except Han seem really callous/uncaring about Ben? Like it felt like the message of the movie was “Throw away the child you and your legacy messed up, pluck a fresh unaffected-by-trauma kid and make them your replacement hope and legacy”.

Nope. You are very much not alone.

@greyjedireylo and I talked about this a lot after we saw the movie, but the worst part is that it genuinely doesn’t feel like JJ and Chris meant it like that. It feels like they are such thoughtless, insubstantial writers that the implications of their own writing genuinely didn’t occur to them.

Because– Leia does die, for Ben. She sacrifices herself to reach out to Ben one last time, and this is supposed to be a genuinely emotional moment, or at least from the cues I assume it is; we get Maz saying solemnly that it will take all of her energy to reach out to her son one last time, and then Chewie mourning for her, etc etc. The confluence of Leia’s death, Rey healing Ben and telling him that she wants him and not his false persona, and his conversation with Han all conspire to finally push Ben towards his turning point of redemption. Basically, the three people Ben loves most in the world came together to redeem him. 

But all of this sentiment is totally demolished by the fact that Leia apparently trained as a Jedi (but fuck Ben I guess), knew Rey came from a “dark” lineage but didn’t fear her and trained her anyway (but fuck Ben I guess), and appeared to Rey on Tatooine to greenlight her hawking the Skywalker legacy name onto a person who was never targeted by dark entities since the innocence of the womb for bearing that very name (but fuck Ben I guess). 

Because we have to remember that Chris and JJ still wrote Ben’s redemption, and the Han/Ben scene, and the Rey healing Ben scene (the terrible stabbing thing aside), and the kiss (I won’t go so far as to say they wrote the redeemed Ben stuff except in skeleton form, because without dialogue I would bet a lot that Adam’s creative choices were really what brought the character to such vivid life there). They fucking killed Ben, but they let him be a genuinely happy, selfless, good person first. And that was a choice. The obvious, completely telegraphed and foreshadowed choice– but in a movie as ridden with retcons as TROS, it is truly a small miracle.

What it really seems like is that C/JJ are so vapid and obsessed with spectacle and empty signifiers that they just…didn’t think about it. Ben got redeemed, what’s the deal? He kissed Rey, what’s the deal? Leia has a lightsaber!! That’s so cool!! So what’s your problem??

This really feels like the depth to which they thought about this problem. The TROS screenplay is a demonstration of a fundamental failure to understand that objects are merely metaphor for themes. People don’t react to the thing itself. They react to what the thing means. And so what we get in TROS is a series of empty place holders, of things, of objects (and this is so especially glaring in light of how the first act and a half is just endless macguffins), instead of the emotion that thing is supposed to evoke.

[charmerquilled-aa]

Charmerquilled ANSWERED: 

@personifiedchaosx​ : “ i’m not going to fight you. “

    "What! You won’t fi-...!” The corrupted guardian couldn’t finish PARROTING the words, as he had to bend over and LAUGH at the utter ridiculousness of the statement. Hands was on his knees, but his gaze jerked up from where he tried to catch his breath and a sharp GRIN slashed across his features. “You hear that everyone!” He straightened up and lifted powerful arms into the air to gesture down at himself in an extreme fashion.  “Snow nerd is too afraid to fight me! I mean, I can’t blame you! I am the best battle dancer around. A spindly, angsty loser like you would be no match for me!” 

    Of course, there wasn’t anyone around to hear but Jack Frost himself. Rakan had always been one for the dramatics, so this monologue would be seen as NORMAL to most who knew him. He was always quite the chatty one in fights. 

     But Rakan was highly aware that he was once friends with the Guardian of Fun. Close friends in fact. There was a part of him that HOPED that Jack would use this time as an opportunity to flee. He can easily blame being too distracted. He can easily blame that he lost the ice loser in the woods, and everyone would think it was NORMAL. He would get chewed out, but at least his friend would be okay. 

   But if the boy stuck around, Rakan would have no choice but to attack to remain on Pitch’s good side, and thus, stay closer to Xayah. To protect her. But despite his good intentions, there was also a dreaded desire that clawed at him. It was cold. It was deep inside his gut. He HATED what it told his head, it scratched against his head like dark nightmare sandpaper.  

    He hated the THRILL that he was getting from this. He hated that he enjoyed watching the FEAR in the boy’s eyes. The nightmare sand still SWIRLED inside him despite him keeping it under control, and it wanted to see FEAR. He wanted to be everyone’s best nightmare. 

    “I don’t see why you don’t want to join the dark side, Jacky boy!” Fly away! Run!  “It’s so much COOLER than whatever the man in the moon promised you. I can’t remember, but I’m sure whatever Pitch could offer you will be hundred percent better! ” Rakan’s ear twitched as he started to circle around the boy like a hawk circling its prey. “And you get to look totally a-maz-ing too. I don’t get why I didn’t turn to into a nightmare earlier, the darkness really brought out my feathers.” 

[cedargrovehq]

Hey guys can you list some most wanted characters? I'm thinking about joining but stuck on a muse to choose!

 finn, anakin skywalker, emperor palpatine, bail organa, bb-8, captain phasma, maz kanata, breha organa, & obi wan kenobi (star wars) cora, henry, lucy, hook, rumple, baelfire, gideon, zelena, snow white, peter pan, charming, hades, & august (once upon a time)  jasper, emmett, carlisle, jessica, aro, beau, edward, jacob, royal, archie, victoria, james, paul, caius, carine, leah, earnest, eleanor, & sam (life and death & twilight) james potter, sirius black, tom riddle, helga hufflepuff, queenie goldstein, marlene mckinnon, rodolphus lestrange, albus dumbledore, jacob kowalski, dorcas meadowes, peter pettigrew, bertha jorkins, lucinda talkalot, emma vanity, kendra dumbledore, petunia dursley, milicent bulstrode, hannah abbott, susan bones, seamus finnigan, dean thomas, daphne greengrass, lavender brown, rose granger-weasley, molly weasley ii, albus severus potter, bellatrix black, & vernon dursley (harry potter) mr. crocker, poof, chester mcbadbat, cosmo, the crimson chin, foop, a.j, mark chang, adam west, elmer, fracis, chip skylark, & jorgen von strangle (the fairyodd parents) tina cohen-chang, quinn fabray, shelby corcoran, noah puckerman, hunter clarington, kurt hummel, mercedes jones, ryder lynn, sugar mota, santana lopez, brittany pierce, artie abrams, sam evans, sue sylvester, emma pillsbury, unique adams, dani, & jane hayward !! (glee) doctor strange, ultron, jane foster, vision, odin, nova, sif, mantis, okoye, drax, cull obsidian, ebony maw, proxima midnight, frigga, cassy, erik selvig, harley keener, m'baku, laura barton, t’challa, wolverine, bucky barnes, ramonda, thanos, thor, iron man, clint barton, nick fury, star-lord, nebula, valkyrie, pepper potts, janes foster, maria hill, daisy johnson, wasp, mikasa ackerman, natasha romanoff, emma frost, scott summers, & jack rollins !! (marvel) lydia branwell, heidi mckenzie, kaelie, camille belcourt, cleophas graymark, dorothea rollins, maureen, morgan young, olivia wilson, gretel monro, rebecca lewsi, imogen herondale, iris rouse, elodie verlac, sebastian verlac, jonathan morgenstern, lucian graymark, will herondale, maryse lightwood, jordan kyle, emma carstairs, amatis herondale, alaric rodriguez, azazek, lorenzo rey, malachi dieudonne, brother enoch, brother jeremiah, cain, charlie cooper, raziel, rober lightwood, rufus, russell, leen, elias, elliot nourse, hodge starkweather, jeremy, joshue, taito, & victor aldertree !! (shadowhunters) zevon, lonnie, belle, adam, maleficent, doug, anxelin, ruby, ally, jordan, artie, celia, claudine, clay, desiree, ginny gothel, squeaky, squirmy, sleepy jr., & li shang jr. (descendants)  caroline, bonnie, stefan, isobel, damon, matt, enzo, jeremy, , tyler, lexi, vicki, jenna, anna, sybil, kol, elijah, freya, finn, marcel, esther, mikael, aurora, sophie, monique roman, vincent, dahlia, josephine, genevieve, agnes, jane-anne, mrs. claire, dorian, ryan clarke, malivore, dana, kaleb, jo laughlin, the necromancer, & rafael. (tvd/the originals/legacies) bow, flutterina, princess glimmer, princess frosta, light hope, princess mermista, princess perfuma, sea hawk, hordak, catra, princess scorpia, and shadow weaver ( she-ra ).  tommy & dill pickles, chucky finster, susie carmichael, and phil deville ( rugrats ).  daphne, sky, brandon, helia, timmy, riven, and stormy ( winx club ).   mojo jojo, professor utonium, brick, and butch ( powerpuff girls ).  aang katara sokka toph zuko, azula, firelord ozai, zhae, mai, suki, korra, asami, mako, and bolin ( avatar ). . steven unvierse, sadie miller, garnet, pearl, amethyst, greg universe, blue diamond, yellow diamond, yellow pearl, blue pearl, white diamond, white pearl, “rose quartz”, rhodonite, padparadscha, the rutile twins, fluorite, bismuth ( steven universe ). ralph, vanellope von schweetz, fix-it felix, yes, sergeant calhoun, shank’s crew ( fix it ralph  ).fred jonas,shaggy rogers, scooby doo (scooby doo)