#qui-gons tree fascination

[threebea]

I like the idea the moment Padawan Qui-Gon got to a world with forests that was it. The biggest tree would be climbed. Dooku would turn his back for two seconds and his Padawan would already be stuck. Sure he can get up there, but can he get down? No, his Master dignified Master Dooku who is a great orator, negotiator, and duelist has to climb the tree himself to retrieve his teenage tree happy apprentice.

See also Anakin dipping into all the water the moment he can solidly swim and Obi-Wan having to dive in and fish him out.

[gizkalord]

COUNT DOOKU and THE GREAT TREE in “The Sith Lord”

I used to bring Qui-Gon here as a boy. He was fascinated with this tree, having been born here on Coruscant, a planet of steel and stone. He knew nothing like it.

Qui-Gon Jinn has become one with the Force. It is time to let him go.

[bluetoothschizophrenic]

I was just reminded that the Jedi cremate their fallen members and you know what? That’s stupid. What better way would there be than for an order of beings devoted to the protection of life to give back to the universe they serve one last time than to be laid to rest in nature? To feed, in whatever way they can, the natural world, and with it, the living force they spent their lives in service to.

During the clone wars, fine, yeah, we saw a Jedi corpse get misused at least once and it is wartime, things get a bit hectic. But during peacetime? Like Qui-Gon, yes it was much more impactful as a scene to have a cremation and in some cases it does definitely fit the character or the circumstances, like Evan Piell, Obi-Wan’s fake out, and Anakin’s funeral, but on the whole, Jedi should be laid to rest naturally, Qui-Gon especially. “He was always fascinated by this tree” Dooku said. So what better way to memorialize him than to have his remains become the bedrock for another tree?

The Jedi being on Coruscant is one of a near endless list of signs that they’ve lost touch with who they should be, but it’s also one that on a purely observational level, shouldn’t have happened. Coruscant is a planet filled with life, yes. Billions upon billions of beings, but the Jedi weren’t integrated with any of it. This isn’t the Eden that was Tython or Ossus, or even Dantooine, where the temple was humble, in pretty close proximity to the surrounding lands and farms. No, the Coruscant temple had one tree. No gardens, no plants or vines littering the halls. No Jedi working with the galactic biologists to breed species close to extinction in what could be the safest wildlife refuge in the galaxy. Not teaching younglings to value all life by surrounding them in its myriad forms. Just steel and stone.

The only way I could see the cremation concept being redeemed would be if it were mentioned that the ashes of cremated Jedi are the fertilizer used to keep the tree alive, but I doubt they’d ever do that, since that would mean Jedi would be having to die pretty frequently to keep the thing in good condition

[thegreenlizard]

Middle Earth AU

Idk, either this is the plot of The Hobbit but in a galaxy far, far away or the Star Wars gang dropped in Middle Earth. Either?

Obi-Wan, thirteen Mandalorians and a little green wizard go on a quest to reclaim Mandalore. On the way there, Obi-Wan stumbles upon an ancient Sith artefact…

Plus:

- Obi-Wan’s totally platonic appreciation for a certain Mandalorian and his, ahem, blasters.

- I think Yoda would be great in the role of the annoyingly mystical wizard, but it could be Qui-Gon as well.

- Saruman’s role is obviously taken by Dooku, doh.

- The Darksaber as the Arkenstone.

- Confusing Mandalorian family trees & Obi-Wan trying to figure out how everyone is related.

- “There are no female Mandalorians,” which Mandalorians find terribly funny. It’s the armour, see?

- Mandalorian culture & Obi-Wan’s culture shock and/or absolute fascination by it. Ditto for the Mandalorian language.

- Obi-Wan as a burglar… or as a negotiator/diplomat?

[galadhir]

Tagged by @aintgonnatakethis and @judgeverse

Thank you! :)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

88

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

802,066

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I'm a serial monogamist as far as fandoms go, concentrating on one at a time until I move on to the next. Over the past 15 years I've written

Star Wars (Prequel trilogy - all about Qui-Gon Jinn)

Tolkien fandom (all about Celeborn)

Pirates of the Caribbean (started off with Commodore Norrington/Jack Sparrow, couldn't make it work for me and jumped sideways into Norrington and Lt. Gillette)

Marvel - (the Thor movies reactivated a nascent fascination with Loki, so I dragged a whole bunch of mythology into the MCU fandom.)

Stargate Universe (all about Colonel Young)

Star Wars (Sequel trilogy - all about General Hux)

The Untamed (all about Jin Guangyao)

I've also done a couple of little shorts for Torchwood, Motive and Talented Mr Ripley

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Kindness Repaid - in which Loki and Captain America become friends

Supervillain Honeymoon - someone wrote a fic in response to A Kindness Repaid in which Loki and Steve got married, so I had to write a fic in response to that, in which I figured out how the Asgardians and the Avengers would take the news

The Same Last Name and the Same Coloured Eyes - in which Jin Zixuan decides to be a good big brother to Jin Guangyao, and averts most of the tragedy of The Untamed as a result

Defying His Doom - in which Doctor Doom inspires Loki to improve his public image, and they end up winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

Stepping Stones - an epic Stargate Universe fic I wrote with @seekingidlewild, in which an accident with the communication stones leaves Rush and Young bodyswapped and all communication from Earth cut off

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Of course I do! I've met all my best fandom friends by chatting with them in the comments of fic (mine and theirs.) Also who doesn't love talking to people about their writing?

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I tend to avoid angsty endings if I can. That said, it's probably Battle of the Golden Wood which ends with Galadriel and Celeborn saying goodbye, as she leaves Middle-earth and he refuses to follow.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hard to say - I tend to make them all as happy as possible. If I can save the world at the same time, I'll do that too. Maybe Seeds of Old Trees, which gets Celeborn and Galadriel back together and sets Tolkien's elves on a path towards a future of exploring outer space.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have had some rude and entitled comments. People trying to convince me that my blorbo is actually a terrible person who should be locked up (SGU) or that my understanding of the lore is faulty (Tolkien) and therefore I should have written a different story from the one I actually wrote. But I wouldn't really call that hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Heh, it's funny. I came into fanfic repressed and writing gen. Then I unpacked the repression, had about ten years writing slash, during which I discovered the queer community, wrestled with God and came out as an asexual queer Christian. Then I leaned into the asexuality and ended up writing gen again.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

In general I don't, but the craziest one is also the only one I've written - Strange Meetings in which Qui-Gon crash lands in Middle-earth and meets Legolas. They were going to go to the drowned ruins of Doriath and recover a Silmaril, but I lost interest after a couple of chapters.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

The same last name and the same coloured eyes has been translated into Russian, and I think one of my Tolkien fics was translated into Chinese, but that was on a non-Ao3 site.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Absolutely! I wrote a number of Elu Thingol/Celeborn fics in the Tolkien fandom with Mirien, and Stepping Stones (where Rush and Young are bodyswapped, and Skipping Stones (where Young is age-regressed into a child) with @seekingidlewild

I loved it! It's a great experience writing with someone whose writing you already enjoy. Lots of bouncing ideas off each other and excitement - and of course it's half as hard and twice as fast as doing it all yourself.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I don't think I have one. I'm honestly a single blorbo at a time writer, and I will read and write fics in which that blorbo is paired with just about anyone. I'm not particularly bothered which ship they're in.

I do have a soft spot for Rush/Young though, because they have such in-your- face dysfunctional obsessional chemistry on the show. And in contrast I also love Xiyao (Lan Xichen/Jin Guangyao) because they are so obviously in such a gentle, radiant sort of love, that I choose to believe would have survived the revelation of Jin Guangyao's multiple murders.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I would have said Do Not Bear Grudges, which was going to be my JGY resurrection fic, but it fought me so hard that I ended up deleting what I'd already written and I'm glad to have it gone.

I still vaguely wish that I had finished The Stolen Ones however, which was about Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and was jossed by the Jedi Apprentice books. (I still think mine was better.)

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty good at description/settings/worldbuilding, and I often have an unusual take on things due to my non-neurotypicalness.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not great at giving each character their own unique voice, so my dialogue can get a bit samey. Also I forget that characters can lie - all my characters pretty much tell the truth all the time, which makes it difficult writing the kind of sneaky characters I so love, like Loki, JGY later movies!Hux and even Rush.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I could not do it. Massive respect and kudos to anyone who writes in a second language. It is beyond me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when it first came out. The internet was on dial-up and fandom was on yahoo groups. It was the first time in my life I'd ever been able to speak to other sci-fi geeks like myself. An amazing experience, and good times!

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I know it's cheating a bit to choose more than one, but these three hang together as a series, telling the story of Celeborn and Galadriel from first meeting, to tragic parting and final reunion Oak and Willow, Battle of the Golden Wood, and Seeds of Old Trees. At about 140,000 words, it's a good size novel. And of all the characters I've stanned over the years I still feel Celeborn needed me the most. (Though Colonel Young comes a close second there.)

tagging @seekingidlewild @darthlenaplant @darthnostra @wyomingnot @gamebird

and anyone else who wants to have a go! :)

[thecrescentsuns]

About the Great Tree Scene from Tales of the Jedi - The Sith Lord

I think George Lucas is really good at making emotional scenes with little dialogue or absence of it, and passed on that ability to Dave. He has proven it many times, like the Clone Wars epilogue, were even there is absolutely no dialogue, the image and the music combination is enough to feel the pain and suffering of the moment.

Two years later, I have felt the same again, with this scene.

"I used to bring Qui-Gon here... as a boy. He was fascinated with this tree. Having been born here on Coruscant, a planet of steel and stone... he knew nothing like it".

That scene and that line.

We really don't know much about Dooku's past. Of course, we have Dooku: Jedi Lost from Cavan Scott. I'm really glad that this short doesn't interfere with the events from the book, but also adds one more reason to Dooku's fall to the dark side. Yes, it was mainly a jedi council serving an increasingly corrupt Republic, a jedi council that didn't want to listen. But losing Qui-Gon because of it... Of course it was the last thing that pushed him to his fall. Qui-Gon's death not only determined the destiny of Anakin, but also Dooku's. I never thought about it until now, but maybe, if Qui-Gon would have survived, Dooku could have redeemed himself, and take a different path. We'll unfortunately never know.

The entire scene speaks for itself, just with the image and the music.

Only the area where the Great Tree is reaches the light. The rest of the temple stays in shadow. The Uneti Tree represents Qui-Gon, who was the last beacon of hope for Dooku.

"Qui-Gon Jinn has become one with the force... It is time to let him go". That's what Dooku says, while he's walking away from the tree, and a storm is coming.

This entire scene is accompanied with the first part of the track "Dooku's Fall" from Kevin Kiner. Just a vocal part without lyrics, and an accompaniment of a harmony always in the same chord. In general, vocal music in Star Wars is related to the dark side and grief (Duel of the Fates, Battle of the Heroes, Qui-Gon's funeral...) The music is telling us the entire time that Dooku's about to fall. It reminds me a lot of that scene from RotS with no dialogue where Anakin is debating between light and dark, and Padmé's not knowing what to do, while a vocal theme with no lyrics, Padmé's ruminations, is playing.

I think is a beautifully well-written scene. Just with the scenery and the music combination it's enough for you as the viewer to feel the grief and hopelessness of the moment. Hope is the symbol of Star Wars, it's biggest representation, and yet, their characters are wrapped in pain, grief, suffering.

[zoeykallus]

Hihi! Did you see Tales of the Jedi! 🤩😭 It was so good! Loved seeing a certain group cameo 🥰❤️😩 Gawd! The animation was phenomenal!

If you saw it, Do you have a fave part/episode?

Aloha! Yes indeed, I watched Tales of the Jedi :)) I agree it was wonderful in most regards, but I wish there was a bit more of it.

Possible Spoilers ahead:

Everything about Dooku, was fascinating for me. To see that his frustration and anger with the republic wasn't just out of spite. There were actual more than enough reasons for him to be upset with how the political apparatus was working, or in some cases, not working.

I have to admit, I mostly sympathized with him, at least until he killed Yaddle. And I'm not a fan of the fact that he actually got corrupted, but we knew that before. The first episode with him visiting this planet, seeing the poverty that is possible within the republic, the injustice and cruelty, I have to say I would have done the same in his shoes. I wouldn't be a good Jedi, I would lose my shit way too often when seeing bs happening around me.

We see how he actually erases Kamino from the Jedi library, which kind of gave me goosebumps, because, even if it was just such a simple action, we all knew the impact, watching this. I really felt the loss of Qui-Gon much more than I did in the movie for some reason, I guess because we see his mentor telling Yaddle about him, about him as a boy coming to that tree outside the halls of the Jedi temple. Again, a simple thing, but it has somehow much more impact on me than Obi-Wan's scream had, watching his Master die.

And of course, we see Rex and the 501st. Such a sweet rush for a moment. A bitter-sweet rush. Cute Jesse apologizing for stunning Ahsoka had me smiling with tears in my eyes, yes, I'm that soft for our clone boys. I was thrilled and in awe at the same time, realizing that in that same episode, Anakin actually trained Ahsoka for Order 66 without knowing it yet. And then in the end, when Rex mentions the training before they face all his brothers, practically confirming my thoughts, I felt so damn smart lol - I also almost cried again, because I knew there was Jesse with the clone boys waiting, and he wouldn't survive, just like so many others. Doesn't matter how often I see this whole arch, it always chokes me.

[mathmusic8]

Tales of the Jedi Reaction

Y'all, it was SO

GOOD

<3 <3 <3

Spoilers under the cut

Episode 1

Pav-ti (Ahsoka's mom) is beautiful 

And she has a gun :D

Also her dad is a lovable dork <3

I appreciate how they have 1-year-old Ahsoka acting appropriately for her age

This is quite the ritual for one so young. But I appreciate it, in a way. 

Ohhhh no big bad monster

Hghhhhhhhhhhh very big bad monster!!

Is this gonna be a Grogu-with-the-mud-horn moment?

Nope, guess not--opE, THIS BRINGS ME DISTRESS NOT GOOD

I mean we know how this ends but STILL

THAT SCREENSHOT THO with baby soka patting the tiger's nose <3 <3 <3

(How on earth did she get on top of that thing?? XD)

Gosh dangit y'all I need to sleep but I now don't WANT TO

Episode 2

Young Dooku!! Is that young Qui-Gon? Can't really tell. I don't see a padawan braid

That's the most actual dog-looking dog I've ever seen in star wars

Dooku's so dramatic with that cape XD

Y'all are leaving your backs wide open

Ohhhhkaaay this is sinister

Mmmmmm this does not look like it's going to end well

His lightsaber was blue <3

Why? Just... why, senator dude?

OH SNAP THERE'S THE DARKNESS

GOOD JOB KIDs FOR DEESCALATING 

BUT YIKES

Heeheeheehee it is Qui-Gon <3

Good golly gracious I'm gonna cry Qui-Gon was so sweet

(Noooooo why is this show SO GOOD I WAS GONNA SLEEP BUT I GUESS NOT)

Episode 3

I can see why Dooku is getting very fed up with the system. I would be, too.

What are those GLOVES? Like, are they just for show or are these people only near-human? (I lowkey want a pair)

Hmmm the senator's nervous. He'll do ANYTHING for his people, huh?

Disaster lineage rebellion didn't start with Qui-Gon XD

Thhaaaat's a lightsaber mark in that tree

Ope, LOTS of lightsaber marks

Well this went downhill very quickly

This guy's got mismatched eyes. Neat

Semage. Is that a name I should know?

(As interesting and genuinely fascinating as Dooku's backstory is, I hope we don't spend a whole of time on his fall. It's depressing.)

Episode 4

At least one more Dooku episode. Alrighty, that's fine. I just kinda hope this is the last one.

Ooooooooh I like this inner view of the archives :D

There goes Kamino :'D

Ohhhhhhhhh this is DURING Episode I

"an active imagination", honey--Master Nu--that is NOT the right response to a report of Sith appearing--

YADDLE!!

SPEAKS NORMALLY???

WHAT????

Was NOT expecting that

So Yoda's just weird I guess

Dropping hints, are we, Dooku?

"I will not be there to protect you, my old Padawan" "You need not worry, Master. Obi-Wan fills that role now."

SHRIIIIIEEEEEK

"He acquits himself quite well."

*shrieking continues"

Dooku still hasn't met Obi-Wan?? Even though he and Qui-Gon apparently still get along? 

Is that the last time they saw each other? D':

Here we go. I sense a climax coming. Yaddle's not having it.

Ohhhhh they just got the news about Qui-Gon's death. Oww.

Yeah, I bet this is Dooku's last episode

Yaddle doing some sneaky sneak sneaking

(Ahsoka canonically never knew Yaddle. This is going to be bad)

Ah, so Dooku's already been in contact with Sidious.

"You lost an apprentice and so did I. All in service of our greater goals."

Hrk--

That was a gut punch if I ever felt one

This REALLY hurts, watching Dooku voice all his regrets for his lost honor, as if he's having second thoughts, but we as the audience already know he's only going to fall further

Yaddle... you... okay, mad respect for giving your full and honest best effort to help this man. But this is an absolute tragedy.

Yaddle, I wish you'd've run. I get that you're still trying to save him, but---

HOLY--

Ohhhh that was unpleasant death

OPE JUST KIDDING

But this still can't end well

....I don't know which moment was worse.

Episode 5

Okay, there's only 6 of these, so better enjoy these last two

(Will there be any more? I don't think so...)

Anakin! During clone wars--baby face! LOOK AT THAT BABY FACE ANAKIN

OBI-WAN MULLET

AHSOKA almost HAS SLEEVES!

CALEBBBBBBBBB 

AIIIIEEEEEEEEE THat WaS sO CuTE

Oh myGOSH HE CANONICALLY KNOWS AHSOKA DURING THE WAR

Seriously, like, not very many people were in there. That super implies they're close friends

Of course Anakin thinks the training remotes are sub-par XD

Troopers! My boys! 

REXXXX <3 <3

"Don't worry Rex, she'll wake up"

Awwwww

IT WAS JESSE!!!

*he waves* "Sorry Commander!"

SQUEAAAAAL

THAT WAS SO CUTE JESSE XD

also, super helpful to know stun blasts work for a whole hour. And that you can "get used to it". And that she's dizzy afterwards

Jeeze Anakin how long were you doing this?

So yeah, she does start waking up faster

THIS HURTS MY HEART

THIS IS WHY SHE SURVIVED

IT HURTS

awww she's still training later in the war

OWWW SHE USES THAT EXACT MOVE IN THE--YES, IN THIS EPISODE EXACTLY WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME LIKE THIS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Episode 6

gaaaaaasp is this how Ahsoka gets her white lightsabers?? So excited

Gah the funeral tho (cries)

Bail absolutely saw her

Ah, there he is

Ahsoka's face--she's just... so broken right now

These poor troopers are like "we picked up a weeeirdo"

Ahsoka got the message, tho :D

REX IS STILL WITH HER

GAH SO MANY LITTLE DETAILS FOR THE FANFICS

Yeeee! Cut Lawquane and the Fam!

Orrrr just farmers, okay thay's fine

Aaaaand there goes Ahsoka's cover

ASHLA IS CANONICALLY HER UNDER COVER NAME!! Yeee!

Yeeeeaaah, kid, you better skip town. Like. Pronto.

Ah, but that's what attracted the Inquisitor. Got it.

Oh.

Oh dear.

That is NOT how I expected this to go

Ohhh mmmaaan this is tense

Awww I'm almost sad that we didn't get to see this super cool/dangerous Inquisitor in Rebels. But nah, it just makes this little mini-episode epic

Eeeeheeehehe, there's where Organa's comm came in handy :D

It's implied that a significant chunk of time passed. And Rex wasn't with her.

HMMM

But that was the last episode

Maybe we'll learn more in the Bad Batch

I'm going to bed soooooo late y'all

But was it worth it?

YES

ALL OF THEM WERE SO GOOD

[affcgato-archived]

Qui-Gon Jinn, self care

from the dev server self care deep dive, 863 words

Qui Gon is actually very on top of prioritizing self care. his mentality towards it is that he can't look after those around him adequately if he doesn't look after his own needs (physical, mental, emotional) first - sort of like oxygen mask theory. this doesn't really mean he's the best at actually doing it properly, but it's definitely on the forefront of his mind more-so than it gets left by the wayside, so to speak.

it's actually something that was inherently ingrained in him before he came into the Order - being born on Coruscant, he learned pretty damn quickly that it's incredibly easy to wear yourself down & out, & run the risk of actually running yourself ragged with bordering on fatal results, so he at the bare minimum takes time to self-reflect & learn from his own actions to make a better path forward, as well as rest & recuperate.

I think being an active member of the Order, it goes either way - in some respects, self-reflection for the purpose of growth is definitely encouraged but too much self reflection & questioning things too deeply, as he's very much want to do when he gets into this headspace, really isn't -- which naturally makes him even more stubbornly inclined to keep doing exactly that.

it’s a very strange headspace to live in, because the internal work comes reasonably easily to him. he does the fun stuff? but it's more of an afterthought because he tends to be so inquisitive/chase knowledge, & anything else feels like a distraction. I think a lot of Qui Gon's tendency to self-reflect & gravitate to internal work also comes from the fact his own Master developed a tendency towards isolation from the other younglings as a Padawan himself.

his tendency to get lost in introspection to the point of unintentional near-asceticism is definitely a weakness for him, which isn't just limited to self care. he tends to miss the forest for the very immediate trees in that he's mentally so many steps ahead, he can very easily get tripped up when the pieces on the proverbial chessboard change themselves up or move in a different order than anticipated. 

Ultimately, I feel strongly this is what lead to his canon death, so you can see how it being a factor in how he approaches self care is definitely a symptom of a wider problem for him

when he’s not deep in self-reflection or studying the holocron containing the Jedi prophecy, another form of self care he indulges in is visiting the arboretum. it's a place of great peace for him, & one of the first places his master took him while he was still a Padawan. also learning new small skills. he doesn't have the time for hobbies, but he can learn small skills like calligraphy or how to identify cultural cues based on artwork + vice versa. he & Thrawn would likely find each other maddening or heavily fascinating.  

Qui Gon discovered a lot of his self care through the Jedi practices. while he definitely had his inquisitive nature before he even moved into the younglings' crèche when he was three, his intense self-awareness was definitely cultivated after that - so much so that Dooku actually commented on it upon meeting him at age 12. he didn't especially learn to loosen up & have fun until much later due to personal anxiety about being a failure or not being worthy of the position he was in as a then-Padawan. 

A lot of his time with Dooku after that would involves aspects of self care in that he had to learn how to reflect & quiet that voice in his mind so that he could move forward & shape his path in a way that suited him, & therefore a lot of those tactics came not just from training in the Temple, but from Dooku. 

One such thing he picked up from his Master was setting aside designated decompression time specifically for self-reflection, typically with some immediacy upon his return to the Temple after missions. this is one of the few instances he will willingly seek out time for meditation, but also to update what amounts to a journal under the guise of field notes & observations with margin-notes related to emotional regulation & self-reflection.

in a modern verse, he retains virtually all of this development. The biggest expansion is that he journals a little more prolifically, & his journaling habit itself tends to be far more balanced. the journals themselves tend to be leather bound books instead of a data pad of any sort, as well. he does tend to make notes on his phone occasionally instead of solely relying on memory as he would in canon, however.

He also tends to be more open to therapy. Not that he'd call it therapy - it's more of a meeting of the minds where he bounces ideas off of qualified friends in a non-professional setting, but it functions much the same in that it helps ground & redirect him as needed.

[nanagoswife]

Alone Together

Summary: Obi-Wan comes back from a mission only for you to find out something terrible happened.

W/C: 1.9k

Warnings: Major character death, lightsaber combat, angst

- - -

“Obi?” you said in surprise. Although you were happy he was here, you had thought that he was supposed to be off world. Something where he had to go back to Naboo, if you remembered correctly.

When your eyes meet his, you don’t think you’ve seen the man in front of you look so tired. Sure, you knew of his sleepless nights. The nights where he doubted his capabilities and he felt he was failing his master. Those nights never left him looking as mentally and physically drained as he did now.

As soon as the thought crossed your mind, Obi-Wan was taking quick steps towards you, enveloping you in his arms as his head dipped down to the crook of your neck. He squeezes you tight. It was almost as if he thought that was the only thing keeping him in reality and not falling apart; like his life depended on it.

Despite his wordless actions, you knew something was wrong. Although you didn’t know what, you just knew that there was.

Sure, Obi-Wan coming to you after missions was a regular occurrence. It helped that your rooms were only a few away. Still, he was usually energetic, happy to tell you everything that happened while he was away. He always told you whenever there was some sort of beautiful landscape. Usually he would try and get a holo of it. On a rare occasion, and he only does this for the most special, he sneaks off and manages to get an artist to draw it or paint it.

“So it can remind me where I need to take you if we ever get the chance,” he had told you once. You may have never been upset about the gifts, but you had once asked why he did this, especially when the first drawing came.

At that moment, you were flattered. Obi-Wan, unlike you, did a lot more travelling with his master. You, on the other hand, didn’t leave the temple as often. Sometimes you would be lucky to even leave the temple once in a standard month. It’s hard when your master is a healer when your saber colour directs you in the exact opposite direction.

Still, that gave you and Obi-Wan lots of time together both in and out of the temple. Since the two of you were close, the council would often assign you with Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan so that you could get proper field experience. That, or you would simply join them for training at the temple.

You were close with your master but she said that she’d rather have you gain experience than have none at all in your field. When it came to saber techniques, that’s where the two of you spent a lot of time together. That and your shared love of the Jedi Order during the Old Republic. The stories of when there were nearly as many Sith as Jedi always contained fascinating stories.

Either way, that’s not what brought you here at the moment. What brought you here was a completely different situation entirely. In fact, it was during a mission that first started Obi-Wan’s collection of landscapes he gave to you.

It was during one of the missions where you joined your friend and his master. At this time, you had realized that you liked Obi-Wan more than what was allowed. Even so, you stayed quiet.

So, when the two of you had some downtime, Qui-Gon let the two of you go explore. The two of you ended up sitting in a field where there was a small clearing in the tall grass. The field was lined with amazingly green trees except for a small area that led back towards the city the three of you were staying in.

You and Obi-Wan talked for hours. The two of you talked so long that you hardly noticed that the sun was going down. You only noticed when the oranges and pinks added an amazing hue to his features. His eyes seemed as if they were amplified as the cerulean blues sparkled.

What you didn’t know was that he was looking at you in the same way. You didn’t know that he had grown to like you far more than just a friend as well.

After the two of you confessed these feelings, he had noted when you mentioned the beautiful scenery and how you wished you could see more. Although this wasn’t the first time the two of you kissed, it was a special moment. Though, at the time, the two of you still wanted to follow the code with being a few years away from your trials. No, this kiss came much later than that.

Ever since, he had always been extremely eager to talk to you. Obi-Wan always wanted to tell you how amazing a planet was, how sketchy it was, or whatever way he could describe it. It was more often than not accompanied by a holo that he would send to you. He never sent them to you until he got back.

So, now as he had hid himself in the safe places of your arms, you were slightly taken aback.

“Would you like to talk about it?” you softly whispered into his ear. For a moment, he made no movement. Just the slow rise and fall of his shoulders as he relaxed into you. You could feel his force signature brush up against yours, gently asking permission to mix his with yours to revel in the bond you had.

After a small chuckle, you let him in. There was no hesitation as his force blended with yours. You could feel as he relaxed even further when the two of you were truly together once again.

Even though he was still hiding his true emotions from you, he couldn’t entirely keep them from you. Not when he’s so desperately using your presence in the force to find comfort.

What he couldn’t hide was the overwhelming sense of sorrow. What happened in the last few days? Last time you saw him the two of you were saying goodbye once again before he left once again with the queen of Naboo. The little boy, Anakin, had tagged along with Master Jinn and Obi-Wan. You had heard that there was some sort of news spreading throughout the temple, but you had been helping your master and learning what you could about force healing.

It was long moments before you felt the skin on your neck dampen, noticing the small convulsions in his shoulders. Your heart broke when you realized he was trying to hide the fact he was crying.

When you went to stroke his hair in comfort, you finally noticed the lack of padawan braid. Confusion filled you. To your knowledge, he wasn’t planning for his trials yet.

Obi-Wan, without moving his head from your neck, managed to pull you even closer.

“It’s alright,” you whispered softly. “I’m here.”

As this went on, you started to puzzle things together. Obi-Wan was distraught, there was news going around the temple, Obi-Wan had mentioned something about the Sith returning, he went back to Naboo… Oh no.

“Oh, my love, I’m so sorry,” you whispered as the weight of the situation crashed down on you. Yet, there was still a chance that his master was still alive. At the same time, though, there’s no one else you could think of that would cause a reaction like this for Obi-Wan. It couldn’t be because of Anakin. He hadn’t known the little boy for long.

It wasn’t only Obi-Wan who now despaired in this moment. No tears were shed from you, however. Right now it was about the man you loved and he didn’t need to be worrying about you.

You felt Obi-Wan lift the slightest bit from his hiding place. Although he still relatively stayed there, you were glad to see he was doing this on his own. There was no need to rush him. Patience was what he needed from you. Patience and comfort.

“Y/N,” he muttered, his voice still uneven. Slowly, he brought his head up, his red, puffy eyes meeting yours.

Softly, you pressed your lips to his before resting your head against his. You felt him relax further into you. Using the sleeve of your cloak, you gently wiped his face dry.

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t know. I should’ve been with you,” you whispered. You didn’t need to clarify what you meant. Obi-Wan knew that you meant the funeral.

“It’s my fault. I didn’t tell you,” he whispered, his eyes closing when you grazed your fingers along his cheek.

You slowly shook your head against his. “It’s not your fault.”

What you said was meant for more. You may not know what happened, but you knew what he would be thinking.

“Can I… Can I show you?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes opened. The cerulean pools swirled with sorrow as they searched yours. Instead of giving him a verbal or physical answer, you gently nudged his force with your own.

In an instant, the images flooded into your mind. A zabrak, menacing yellow eyes, master and padawan fighting a Sith side by side. Then, Obi-Wan getting knocked down, hanging as he watches his master fight the Sith.

Then, he’s running, getting cut off as he watches his master meditate. The barriers opened, Obi-Wan getting cut off, watching as his master fought then… a lightsaber piercing him. The chilling cry from Obi-Wan as he watched Qui-Gon be struck down.

Then, flashes of light, hanging as the Sith kicked his lightsaber over the edge, Obi-Wan cutting the zabrak in half. Lastly, the padawan promising his master to train the little boy from Tatooine as the last of Qui-Gon’s life force fades away.

When the vision fades from the scene of the funeral, your eyes open. You weren’t even aware they were closed. All you knew was that you were fighting to breathe. The stabs of pain in your chest were overwhelming. He was dealing with this all alone? you thought to yourself.

“I was,” Obi-Wan said, pressing a kiss to your lips, “but not anymore.”

“What of Anakin. Did the council agree?”

He nodded. “Reluctantly. Even if they didn’t, I would’ve still trained him. He deserves more than a broken dream.”

Your heart warmed with his words. Although he may not have seemed like it, he had a gift when it came to children. You had no doubt that the little boy couldn’t be in better hands.

“You won’t be alone,” you told him when you sensed doubt growing in him. “You’ll have me, Obi.

He may not have answered, but he pushed his feelings of gratitude through the bond. You let one of your hands drift down to the small area of exposed skin of his chest. Letting your fingers drift just under his robes, you gently massaged the area.

“We’ll get through this. Together.”

Obi-Wan nodded, letting his forehead rest against yours again. Now he had the reassurance he needed. The two of you would train Anakin. Obi-Wan wouldn’t be alone. He would never be alone.

- - -

@stardancerluv @where-fantasy-meets-reality @jaydenwoo @madmax2003 @mackycat11 @generousrunawaydonut @imabeautifulbutterfly @animalgirl05 @blondekel77 @thereluctantherosrose @cosmicsierra @badbatch-simp24

[symphoniesoutofsilence]

ALRIGHT FELLAS, MACE WINDU CRACK HEADCANON TIME BECAUSE I LOVE HIM: I don't see Mace as being super romantically inclined when we see him in canon material, but I like to think that he had quite a few fleeting yet crippling crushes when he was a padawan.

It always got under his skin as a teenager because even when he tried rationalizing his own behavior, he couldn't ever see them coming. They'd appear like a sudden downpour, completely unforseen and intense, and for the next week or two, Mace's senses would be in overdrive, taking in every detail about his latest fascination: their laugh, what they seem to like to eat the most, how they smell, whenever they got anywhere near touching him, everything. And then, as quickly as it would come, it'd disappear. Mace would still value them as a friend, of course, as he often did before the crush hit, but the strange, restless, butterflies-in-his-stomach feeling would be gone.

A particularly funny example of this would be Qui-Gon. (Note: I don't know canon ages, but I hc that these two were agemates, and therefore spent a lot of time together as padawans!). Usually Mace found him funny and intuitive (if not quite odd) at best and annoyingly flighty at worst, but during a certain training exercise in which Qui-Gon was at his flightiest, something shifts.

Qui shows up at the designated meeting spot half an hour late. Mace, furious at the loss of time and how worried he'd been, goes to tell him off, but before he can, Qui-Gon excitedly explains that no, Mace doesn't get it, he found a whole nest of baby chicks while scouting up a tree, he had to stick around for a little!! Mace is about to retort, but then he notices in detail for the first time Qui's ruffled hair, his overly bright eyes, that charmingly crooked grin--no, not this, not now--!

And suddenly Mace can't even breathe, let alone fill Qui-Gon in on what he missed.

...needless to say, their group did not win that challenge.

[legobiwan]

rewatched AotC a while ago, and upon further analysis of Anidala interaction…good. LORD is it unhealthy!!! Not exactly in a cringe-y way, it just makes me feel more bad for Anakin, if anything. I don’t know what else to say beyond that, honestly…

like, I know we're dealing with movie-romance, which is debatable on the best of days, but...

It's not even the cringe! Anakin's 19 in AotC and has lived either as a slave or with the Jedi. His game is not going to be good, even with his exposure to Obi-wan's flirtatious tendencies. (Boy, did the apple fall real far from the tree on that one). And geeze, Padmé's 24 and has lived a wholly different kind of sheltered life, at least in terms of personal relationships. Anakin gets a lot of (deserved) flak for his actions in AotC, but let's be honest here...Padmé is right along for the ride. And at this point, it's not like Anakin is unconsciously manipulating her (he gets there in TCW, for certain, when Padmé comes back at least a little bit to reality after their whirlwind romance admist violence and imminent death), they're just totally on-board with (presumably) boning and then taking it way, waaaaaay too far.

I guess what slays me (aside from the whole Tusken massacre, which is just...wow) is how they went from a 3-day romp to getting married.. And I think what would be interesting to dig into is what kind of stories and culture they had grown up with as it concerned love and marriage. Because to my mind, what they had wasn't love, it was desperation, possession, and escapism. And I can get that from Anakin's point of view, considering Shmi's death, his childhood, the enormous weight on his shoulders, and Obi-wan's seemingly cold-ish relationship with him (not that this excuses Anakin's behavior, but I get it. And Obi-wan, you know, I get, too, because he's dealing with the mess Qui-gon left him and everything that that means which is another post for another time).

But you have to wonder what Padmé was thinking - what pressures she grew up under, what she expected from romance, what stories she was told - to jump to marriage that fast is an act of rebellion more than anything else, and I suppose in that light, it does make a little sense. (And you have to wonder if that tendency kind of trickled down through the genetic profile to Leia and by extension, Han, in a way. Their relationship fits a similar profile, being forged in battle, royalty versus commoner, etc. Actually, that would be a fascinating analysis - to compare Anakin/Padmé to Leia/Han).

So yeah, the entire thing is an unhealthy mess. A fascinating mess, and you have to wonder how much better they'd both had been off if they'd just had a three-night stand and left it at that.

[sheepfulsheepyardinspace]

Do you have any Star Wars fanfic recommendations, or have a link to someone else's list? I really wanna veg out.

oh my god, DO I. this may have been the best ask in the world. i’m not really sure what u want a feel for, so i threw together some of my favorite longfics for maximum veg time from the ot/pt and links for swr and swtcw recs. they’re pretty much all luke-anakin/vader centric, since that’s kinda my bread and butter.

let’s start with frodogenic, who wrote the first longfic i ever read in sw and might be one of the funniest authors ever. they once reviewed my fanfic & i nearly cried from joy. anyway. 

The Father, 284k+, complete. “Ten years after ROTS, tormenting nightmares of his unborn child drive Darth Vader to extraordinary measures with unexpectedly drastic consequences. Clearly, experience has taught Darth Vader nothing...” 

this is my og star wars fic and boy oh boy is it amazing. i will never get over this. i don’t want to spoil anything but when i say the final chapters are great? i mean they’re legendary. sometimes i still think about them & wish upon a star that i could be such a great writer. vader’s amazing, han is spectacular, and the ocs are fantastic.

Far More Than Rubies, 70k+, complete. “Nine years after AOTC, tragedy revisits the Lars Homestead. Little Luke Skywalker is suddenly plunged into chaos as the rebel movements discover a secret military project that may make a crucial difference in the war with the Empire.”

the spiritual twin of The Father, FMTR takes a look at padmé’s character and relationship with both luke and anakin/vader that’s hard to beat. it’s darker and heavier than The Father, but it hits those same sweet, sweet emotional beats while raising the age-old question: if padmé had lived, what would she have done?

The Family Tree, 12k, complete. “In which Luke Skywalker is stranded in a tree waiting for a flash flood to recede. Too bad he's got company...”

okay, i admit, this isn’t a longfic, but it is a longshot, and it’s amazing. the imagery and description always blow me away, and the interaction (canon-compliant) between luke and vader just [chef’s kiss] get me. vader’s in full, glorious form, and it makes it all the harder when luke wrestles with the knowledge that vader is his father.

Sibling Revelry, 25k, complete. “After Bespin and before Endor, Darth Vader is shocked to discover that Luke and Leia are twins. He's even more shocked when Imperial Intelligence reports that Organa and Skywalker are, erm, a tad closer than previously suspected.”

this is complete crack and humor in the best way possible. it’s crack treated entirely seriously, and you will be in stitches, i promise. no matter how many times i’ve read this i break down.

KittandChips (@kittandchips) writes what i can only describe as food for the soul. the luke-vader interaction is insanely amazing, the world building of daily imperial life and imperial governance is amazing, and vader just has a special je ne sais quoi that u must read to understand––tragic, funny, and so, so fatherly. they’re currently rewriting the Force Bond Series to fit in with newer canon, so i will joyously binge reread the entire again (including the new Force Bond: Mustafar Weekend).

Force Bond 1: Orphan, 47k, complete. “After Owen and Beru are killed by a mysterious stranger, young Luke ends up as an orphan on Coruscant. It's a race against time as Obi-Wan struggles to find Luke before Vader realizes the boy is his son.”

Orphan kicks off the series, which tracks vader and luke’s relationship through the perils of luke’s teenagerhood while growing up under the eye of the emperor and imperial court. it’s filled with slow growth, struggle and misunderstandings as darth vader tries to single parent, and pay off in every installment. the entire series clocks in around 777k+ and is the most joyful, fulfilling reading you’ll ever have. promise.

darth-nickels (@darth--nickels) writes darker, twistier, and terribly, terribly heartwrenching aus. they’ve got a whole host, but let me introduce to my two favorites. also, check out their faux-academia on vader. it’s amazing and i love it, but i admit i am an academia hoe.

Dooku Captured, Pt 2, 16k, complete. “Dooku is taken alive onboard the Invisible Hand, and Sidious' web is torn. The Sith Lord wonders if death might have been preferable to clumsy interrogation by Anakin Skywalker.”

Dooku Captured is a longshot au told from Dooku’s pov which takes the beginning of ROTS and throws it on its head. it’s a fascinating outside perspective of anakin and obi-wan’s relationship and such and interesting examination of dooku’s psyche and especially his complex relationship with the jedi order, qui-gon, yoda, and palpatine. i cannot rec this one enough.

Black Mirror, 90k, incomplete. “The Ghost crew returns to the Lothal when they hear the Empire is investigating the Jedi Temple there. They learn Vader is alone and decide to take him out-- but what they find could change the course of Galactic history.”

Black Mirror diverges into swr territory, but make no mistake: this is entirely an examination of vader and, later, obi-wan as well as ahsoka. luke makes his appearance later in the game, and boy oh boy will you love luke’s portrayal is a microcosm of luke and vader’s relationship within canon. heed the tags, though.

jerseydevious ( @jerseydevious ) is, first and foremost, one of my favorite people on earth. secondly, though, she’s an amazing writer with a deep understanding of vader’s character and psyche, a flair for beautiful depictions, and the true ability to wring every emotion out of your body.

Two and a Half Men (with a baby), 13k, incomplete. “After a long day of bargaining with Hutts and attempting to ignore his past, Darth Vader is nearing the end of his rope. When he discovers his two-year-old son, it's the straw that breaks the semi-rational Sith Lord's back; in a rash act worthy of the Skywalker name, he scoops his son into his arms, steals a shuttle from his own fleet, and punches in random hyperspace coordinates to a destination on the other side of the galaxy. Unfortunately, father and son are not the only ones on the ship.”

Two and a Half Men will stick with you, dude. like no other. i promise. it’s a whirlwind ride with obi-wan, vader, and piett and as funny as it is heartbreaking. it touches on some heavy issues and doesn’t shy away from looking at the damage done to vader––again, heed the tags.

Helioseismology, 4k, complete. “Luke gets shot down on a supply run and caught in an ice storm. It's extremely lucky that his father followed him there.“

i’ll admit. im completely biased about this one because it was a birthday gift to me and i am sucker for litcherally anything when jd puts pen to paper, but believe me when i say you will be awed by the depth and tangled relationships between these luke and vader that jersey can illustrate in a stroke of the paintbrush. im love. always.

izzythehutt ( @izzythehutt ) i am blown away by the intricate dialogue and characterization, always. and the latin puns? im sold. im also a sucker for latin puns, but that’s a story for a different time.

In Loco Pirates, 34k, complete. “A down-on-his-luck Hondo Ohnaka manages to capture the unicorn of all bounties--Luke Skywalker, which sends Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, on a painfully familiar trip to the planet Florrum to collect his prize. The failed negotiations leave Vader in the awkward position of being stuck in a besieged pirate bunker, trying to balance keeping his wayward child safe (and in his custody) with controlling the tongue of a loose-lipped pirate who--to the surprise of no one--has a bad habit of telling 'amusing' anecdotes from the Clone Wars.”

hondo, aka the best character of swtcw, is brought to life just as vividly on paper as on screen. his entire personality brings luke and vader’s difficulties in a sort of incredulous light, which makes it as funny as it is vulnerable and tragic. the sequel, Palpatine Ad Portas, brings piett into the spotlight, and oh man do his interactions with palpatine and vader bring u all the uncomfortable vibes. relish in it.

sparklight ( @littlesparklight ) man. lemme introduce u to an amazing prolific and detailed writer. i will never get over the series they’ve written & neither will u.

Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn’t Get Away, 122k, incomplete. “One-shots surrounding either AU situations of canon/legends works where Luke would normally have gotten away (or Vader is simply inserted into the action to come pick his child up) but in these instances doesn't, or completely new scenarios of the same. There are no deep ruminations on consequences of the situations here, just our awful Sith dad picking his son up when he'd rather not be.”

exactly what it says on the tin. u know those glorious moments of fanfic where luke’s gotten captured and ur on pins and needles, waiting for vader to show up in a moment of dark glory? here’s the moment. here’s all the moments.

Space Race, 122k, incomplete. “Owen gives in to Luke's wish to attend the Imperial Academy and Obi-Wan is too late to avert it, though he's not too late to make sure Luke leaves Arkanis before Vader can gets his hands on him. Luke spends over a month running around the galaxy before his father gets him, and from there...”

this story relishes in chase and boy is it fun. it will keep you on the edge of your seat and it’s an amazing ride.

The Suns of Tatooine, 85k, complete. “Luke ends up on a moon swamped in dark side energy after a mission goes wrong, then his father appears... and then they go on a bit of a learning experience. This could've been the only thing that would come of getting through a Sith complex with his father, but thanks to going to free Han earlier than the gang did otherwise, more revelations are had. Will that change anything?”

this series is a thoughtful, contemplative piece examining the nature of the force and the relationship the skywalkers have with tatooine. the descriptions are beautiful, the inventiveness is amazing, and you’ll be thinking about it for long afterwards.

an additional few…

Between Flight and Longing; 34k, complete. “Luke Skywalker and Han Solo journey to the planet Balen'ar on a desperate mission and find more than they'd bargained for.”

a classic and it is for a reason. the interaction between han, luke, and vader is so spectacular and the slow trudge of going through the forest with your greatest enemy and best friend is something hilarious. the end is bittersweet and fantastic.

The Sith Who Brought Life Day, 13k, complete. “An Imperial officer loses a bet and has to get Darth Vader a present for Life Day.”

somewhere between terrifying and dull, this fic presents a canon-compliant look at the hunt for luke and the grinding wheels of the empire. the oc is amazing and it echoes in true star wars spirit: sometimes it’s just some dude who can change the galaxy.

Quintessence, 5k, complete. ‘“Well, Master, I think I’ve found the one positive aspect of this situation.” “Which is?” “The Temple won’t have to pay the costs for our funeral pyres.”’

pure hilarity and shenanigans abound in pre-aotc obi-wan and anakin hijink goodness. lemme tell u––u will deeply sympathize with mace windu afterwards. additionally, check out the rest of the author’s oneshots! they’re deeply thoughtful and the interactions the author writes between obi-wan and anakin are always gold.

some extras & shameless self-promotion

here’s a full list of recommendations for star wars rebels fanfic in case this is what you’re looking for (remember when this used to be a swr blog, lmao)

i’ve also written sw fanfic, both swr and luke-vader centric. drop by and tell me if it’s any good!

[fallenqueen2]

I posted 773 times in 2021

12 posts created (2%)

761 posts reblogged (98%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 63.4 posts.

I added 68 tags in 2021

#the untamed - 14 posts

#mdzs - 8 posts

#yu yu hakusho - 8 posts

#loki spoilers - 6 posts

#word of honor - 6 posts

#zhou zishu - 6 posts

#wei wuxian - 6 posts

#spiritshipping - 5 posts

#shikanaru - 5 posts

#katekyo hitman reborn - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 53 characters

#take a shot for each time lan zhan catches wei wuxian

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

I love your part 11 of Rare Kinks with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, please make stories like it ?

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it! I’ll try to get around to making more Tony/Bruce fic’s in the future, let’s just hope the muse for them strikes me this year! 

3 notes • Posted 2021-01-26 05:53:20 GMT

#4

5 Works Tag Game

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!  

I was tagged by @takaraphoenix so let’s see what I actually wrote in 2020! Oh yeahhh, I forgot I did Kinktober2020 lol

1. You’re My Anchor, So Steady Me Now [Naruto- Shikamaru Nara/Naruto Uzumaki Dom/sub AU-18+] 

2. You & I Are Burning Up Tonight [ The Walking Dead- Daryl Dixon/Paul ‘Jesus’ Rovia/Rick Grimes - Alpha/Beta/Omega AU-18+] 

3. Choice Of My Fascination [ The Flash - Barry Allen/Leonard Snart - BDSM AU-18+]

4. I’ll Throw Away My Faith [Just To Keep You Safe] [Star Wars Clone Wars Era- Cody/Female Obi-Wan- Sith Qui-Gon AU] 

5. Batfamily Week 2020 [ Batman, Titans, AU’s everywhere, General rating]

I tag @stellecraft @lat479

3 notes • Posted 2021-01-21 21:39:51 GMT

#3

ShikaNaru Week 2021 Day 3 [Jinchuriki Shikamaru]

ShikaNaru Week 2021

@shikanaruevent

Day 3 - Jinchuriki Shikamaru AU | Dom/sub

Read On Ao3 

“Naruto, be careful. Something is wrong here.” Kurama warned Naruto as he and his team landed in a destroyed and smouldering clearing with the half-melted bodies all of them had slashed through Hidden Mist headbands scattered around them.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked mentally as he knelt next to one of the bodies.

“This reeks of the Two Tail, Matatabi. Something is wrong here, be careful and get the Monkton user ready,” Kurama said ominously.

“Yamato-Tachio, Kurama says it may be the Two Tails, but something is wrong,” Naruto reported and Yamato nodded and straightened up as Sai and Sakura looked more on edge than before.

“The Two Tails? I thought we found where Shikamaru had been taken.” Sakura frowned as she stamped a small puddle of flames out with her foot to vent her anger at not finding their friend.

“What if the two are related…” Sai trailed off with the idea that had all of them stiffening as the thought fully set in.

“We’ll find out soon enough, the Two Tails chakra is this way.” Naruto swallowed as he prayed that Shikamaru was nowhere near the Two Tails.

The group moved through the trees in unison as they neared where the Two Tail’s chakra was flaring up. Naruto arrived first, urged on by bursts of Kurama’s chakra. Naruto held up his fist as his stomach flipped at the sight and the trees rustled as the rest of his team settled on branches around him.

“Shit,” Yamato swore, eyes widening.

Shikamaru was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing that was merely burning around him, but not penetrating the blue and black chakra cloak that was engulfing his body and two tails lazily swayed behind him.

“What do we do?” Sai asked curiously, fingers itching to capture the sight that somehow looked so serene and tranquil in the middle of so much chaos.

“We wait, he’s talking with the Two Tails. If anyone can do it, Shikamaru can.” Naruto said confidently and Kurama hummed in his mind.

“I’ll be on standby in case things get out of control,” Yamato promised as wood began to creep out of his arm as he kept a firm eye on the chakra cloak that was covering Shikamaru.

“Good plan, I remember how hard it was to keep control in the beginning. I can only imagine that it is worse for Shikamaru.” Naruto whispered, his eyes never once leaving Shikamaru and he kept his chakra low and even Kurama was quiet knowing better than to interrupt.

“Why would it be worse?” Sakura asked, silently jumping to Naruto’s branch.

“We know he was kidnapped, by those rouge Hidden Mist Nin. They must have torn the seal apart on the previous Two Tail’s Jinchuriki and forced it into Shikamaru. The brutality of it and the anger I’m sure both of them were feeling must have fed them to react in the way we saw…Not to mention most of us Jinchuriki’s had our beasts sealed into us when we were born, so they grew with us. This could be complicated if Shikamaru doesn’t figure this out.” Naruto explained in a hushed voice, but every muscle in his body was tensed and ready to move in case something went wrong.

“I understand,” Sakura clenched her fists as she looked down at Shikamaru with worry clear on his face.

“He’s going to need our support,” Naruto reminded and Sakura nodded firmly, eyes shining with determination and Naruto knew that Shikamaru would have his friends in his corner and Naruto would be the most supportive one. He would not allow his friend, his crush to be cast off and labelled a demon or used for political gain.

“Look,” Yamato caught their attention as Shikamaru drew his feet up under himself and rose gracefully to his feet. The chakra cloak melding to his limbs like a second limb instead of a bubbling mass of chakra.

“We’re okay, we have control. You can come down now.” Shikamaru called out, his eyes a soft glowing yellow as the chakra cloak faded away. Naruto was by Shikamaru’s side in a flash and was able to catch the Nara as he stumbled and collapsed into his arms.

“What you guessed is what happened, but our anger is gone. We avenged Yugito and she is now at peace.” Shikamaru said, sounding exhausted as he allowed Naruto to hold him close.

“Did you work something out with the Two Tail?” Naruto asked worriedly, determined to make sure the Two Tail wasn’t going to take control of Shikamaru and make him a vessel of destruction and murder.

“Matatabi and I are good, we came to an agreement as you and Kurama did. It’ll take some time for us both to adjust and get used to our new rhythm but she is already calling me kitten so I think we’ll be fine.” Shikamaru explained and Naruto laughed as Kurama echoed his laughter inside of the seal.

“Yeah, the shadow user will be fine if Matatabi is already calling him kitten,” Kurama assured Naruto.

“I was so worried for you,” Naruto ducked his head to hide his face against Shikamaru’s head, letting out a shaky exhale as the realization that while Shikamaru was safe now, he was a Jinchuriki just like him and as selfish as it sounded… Naruto was glad not to be alone anymore. Kurama didn’t voice his agreement but his satisfaction at having one of his more tolerable siblings nearby.

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4 notes • Posted 2021-05-11 16:21:10 GMT

#2

Far More Precious [The Untamed]

Title: Far More Precious

Author: FallenQueen2

Fandom: The Untamed

Pairing: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/ Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian

Status: Complete, 1/1

Challenge: Bad Things Happen Bingo - BLACKOUT CARD-

Square: Defeated and Trophified

@badthingshappenbingo​

Main Tags: badthingshappenbingo, defeated and trophified, Prisoner of War, collared and shackled, canon level violence, Yiling Patriarch Wei Ying

Wen Ruohan was hiding inside his palace with his stolen pieces of Yin Iron and something far more precious to Wei Wuxian than anyone could ever fathom.

Read On Ao3

Wei Wuxian’s fingers tightened around Chenqing, the black and red flute creaking under the pressure of his grip. Resentful energy swirled around him, clinging to his robes and plastering itself to any bit of free skin it could find as Wei Wuxian stood on top of the roof of the palace in the Nightless city taking in the large scale battle that was happening in the courtyard below. Colourful dots fought against the bright red of the Wen clan, but his target was not among them. Wen Ruohan was hiding inside his palace with his stolen pieces of Yin Iron and something far more precious to Wei Wuxian than anyone could ever fathom.

During his time hunting and haunting Wen Chao, he had learned what had happened the three months he had spent in the Burial Mounds. Nothing good of course, the Sunshot campaign was in full swing and ever so slowly the Wen Clan was losing. Yet they seemed confident and Wei Wuxian had found out why.

A few weeks before Wei Wuxian left the Burial Mounds, there had been an ambush and Hanguang Jun had been taken. Now he resided in the Nightless City by Wen Ruohan’s feet, chained like a slave under the guise of him being a prisoner of war.

Resentful energy lashed out around Wei Wuxian as his hatred grew at the mere thought of Lan Zhan being collared at that monster’s feet like a dog. The screaming voices in his mind called out to him, urged him to take back what was his and ruin all those who stood in his path.

Wei Wuxian wanted nothing more than to that, to see Wen Ruohan’s head on a spike and whisk Lan Zhan away from the horror that no doubt he was enduring however, he was smarter than that. Wei Wuxian had stayed away from the other sect’s, even when he spotted Jiang Cheng and Shijie in one of the camps below. It took everything he had not to run to them and break apart in their arms, but the resentful energy tugged him away reminding him of Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian turned his back on his sworn siblings and moved on.

Now the battle turned against the gathered sect members in the courtyard below as the Yin Iron turned the dead into puppets and Wei Wuxian twirled Chenqing, itching to begin his plan and turn the power of the Yin Iron against Wen Ruohan with his Stygian Tiger Seal and show that dictator the true meaning of power. The resentful energy writhed and screeched in their approval and a smirk appeared on his lips as the sound of the large doors of the palace opening echoed out and the seal burned from its place in a hidden and warded pocket above his heart.

Showtime.

Wei Wuxian coated himself in resentful energy and leapt above the courtyard to land silently on the top of the archway leading into the courtyard so he could see the palace entrance clearly. What he witnessed had him snarling as the resentful energy shrieked in outrage on his behalf.

Wen Ruohan was out in the open now with a vicious smile on his haggard face, a thick chain was held in his hand and attached to the other end was Lan Zhan, clad in what could only be described as courtesan robes in Wen red baring far more skin that Lan Zhan ever would and every inch of revealed skin was marred with some sort of wound fresh or old. A chunky collar was tight around his bloodied neck, the shackles were obvious around his wrists and ankles as he was forced to kneel by Wen Ruohan’s side like a dog.

Wei Wuxian brought Chenqing to his lips, eyes turning red as he took in the brutal-looking muzzle that was locked over Lan Zhan’s mouth and his forehead ribbon was gone. Yet Lan Zhan’s eyes looked the same, there was fire within the deadly gaze that made Wei Wuxian smile against his flute.

Wei Wuxian listened to the screams of outrage from the gathered sect members below when they caught sight of Hanguang Jun at Wen Ruohan’s feet and the three pieces of Yin Iron hovering above his hand. Wei Wuxian began to play and haunting flute music spread around the Nightless City.

One by one the puppets under Wen Ruohan’s control turned on each, leaving the still alive sect members alive and Wei Wuxian spotted Lan Xichen flying up the grand staircase towards where Wen Ruohan was keeping his brother hostage, Nie Mingjue was on his heels with Baxia held high.

Wei Wuxian allowed the resentful energy to propel him over to where Lan Zhan was still held captive as he played intently. Wen Ruohan was bellowing nonsense, asking the other sect leader’s who were taking up their battle stances to kill the Wen dictator and rescue Lan Zhan who was yanking at the collar and muzzle in an attempt to escape but it only was causing his fingernails to tear apart and bleed what they had done to his Yin Iron.

Lan Zhan spotted the cloud of resentful energy first and made a muffled noise behind the muzzle and his eyes went wide as the black mist receded to wave and writhe behind Wei Wuxian’s back.

“Wei Wuxian?” Lan Xichen’s voice was coloured with shock and disbelief as his appearance caught the group’s attention.

Wei Wuxian simply smiled as he played Chenqing and tendrils of resentful energy shot out, breaking apart the collar, muzzle and shackles that bound Lan Zhan before the energy twisted around Lan Zhan, dragging him away from Wen Ruohan until he was safely behind Wei Wuxian.

“You! You’re the one who had been killing my men and now you’re interfering with my Yin Iron!” Wen Ruohan howled in anger, pointing his sword at Wei Wuxian. The man was distracted and angry, allowing Nie Mingjue to lunge forward and shoving Baxia through the man’s chest.

Wen Ruohan coughed up blood as he stared down at the thick blade that was sticking out of his chest before it was ripped out and he collapsed to the ground, bleeding out instantly.

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6 notes • Posted 2021-02-03 03:48:46 GMT

#1

ShikaNaruWeek 2021 Day 5 [Genderbend AU]

ShikaNaru Week 2021

@shikanaruevent

Day 5 - Mafia AU | Genderbend

Read On Ao3

Naruto poked at the lumpy sandcastle he had tried to make in the sandbox, feeling utterly alone as he stared longingly at the groups of kids playing on the other side of the park. He had tried to play with them once upon a time, but their parents always pulled them away and shot Naruto disgusted, hateful looks, calling him a demon. Naruto had grown used to being called that even if he didn’t understand what he did to be called a demon or to be hated so much.

“That’s an interesting castle,” A soft, high-pitched voice commented causing Naruto’s head to whip over to the side. He stared open-mouthed at a girl his age and she was pretty. She had long, night sky dark hair that flowed down her back with expensive-looking silver clips holding her bangs back. Her skin was pale and contrasted with the extremely expensive forest green kimono she was wearing with an odd circle symbol on the sleeves. Her brown eyes were narrow but full of interest as she looked at him as he patted his lumpy castle awkwardly.

“In-ter-esting?” Naruto sounded out the new word and she tilted her head to the side but she didn’t look annoyed with him, which was new and… Nice.

“Yeah,” The girl said simply and Naruto swallowed hard as he took a chance, what was one more rejection anyways?

“Do you want to help me make another one?” Naruto asked trusting not to feel too hopeful.

“Sure,” The girl shrugged her shoulder and Naruto could just stare at her as she picked up the hem of her kimono and dropped into the sandbox across from him and dug her fingers into the sand.

“If we made a solid base we can add towers!” The girl suggested and together the two began to push and mould the sand. Naruto couldn’t stop smiling as he was guided by her small hands into making a solid base. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto!” Naruto blurted out as he realized about five minutes later that he hadn’t introduced himself.

“Nara Shikamaru,” Shikamaru looked up at him with sand smeared over her high cheekbone and gave him a soft smile. Naruto decided right then that he had never seen anything so beautiful and highly doubted he ever would again.

“We’re going to make the best castle together Shika-Chan!” Naruto announced determined to make his words come true before she had to leave. He knew that he would never be able to play with Shikamaru again so he wanted to make this memorable.

“Okay!” Shikamaru nodded and the two tackled making the best castle yet.

Naruto realized as the sun started to set, casting shadows around the two that they seemed to gravitate towards Shikamaru who either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Shikamaru looked up and then turned her eyes towards the shadows that seemed to wave at her and she sighed dramatically, which made Naruto giggle before it faded away as she stood up and tried to dust the sand off of her kimono.

“I have to head home or my Tou-san will come after me,” Shikamaru said, real regret in her voice as she stared at the almost completed castle.

“Oh… I understand Shika-Chan! Thank you for playing with me!” Naruto plastered on a fake smile before flinching when she flicked his forehead with a scowl on her lips.

“Don’t smile unless you mean it, I don’t like seeing that fake smile on you. It doesn’t suit you Naruto,” Shikamaru stated firmly as Naruto touched his forehead and stared at her wide-eyed before his fake smile faded into a true smile and she nodded in approval.

“Much better, oh can you hold this for a moment?” Shikamaru pulled one of the silver clips out of her hair and shoved it into Naruto’s sandy hands. Naruto gasped at the heavy metal that he carefully held, he didn’t want to break it and watched as she pulled her hair into a messy bun.

“Good night Naruto.” Shikamaru leaned forward and pressed her lips shyly to his whiskered cheek before picking up the bottom of her kimono and she ran away, her pale cheeks pink.

Naruto held his cheek and beamed stupidly. He would never forget Shika-Chan, the most beautiful and kindest girl he had ever seen. Naruto clutched the silver clip she had left behind and hoped against all hope that he would see Shikamaru again.

~~/~~

Shikamaru winced as she tried to rub the sand off of her cheek and out of her hair, but she knew that once her Kaa-San saw the mess she and her kimono were in plus how late she was, she is going to be in real trouble.

Shikamaru couldn’t help but relax a bit when she spotted her Tou-San waiting for her at the gates of the Nara compound.

“There you are little fawn, you were out late,” Shikaku commented as he swept his daughter into his arms, taking in the sand and her missing clip. She yawned and settled her cheek against the fur on her Tou-San’s vest.

“I was making a sandcastle with a boy who had hair like gold,” Shikamaru admitted as she allowed her Tou-San to carry her inside.

“Like gold huh?” Shikaku only knew of one person in the village who would match that description.

“His real smile was like the sun, not his fake one. That one hurt to look at, he was nice Tou-San.” Shikamaru yawned again as her father took her hair out of its bun and smoothed her long black hair down as he walked towards her room.

“How did you find him little fawn?” Shikaku asked curiously and Shikamaru blinked sleepily up at her Tou-San as he lowered her onto her bed, tucking her blanket up to her chin. Usually, she would have gotten in trouble or at least scolded by her Kaa-San, yet he was tucking her into bed and looking at her with sadness hidden in his eyes. She may be exhausted but she was still a Nara and something didn’t add up.

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29 notes • Posted 2021-05-13 16:11:29 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[gffa]

You have great taste, so I was wondering if you have any fic recs for the OT trilogy? Specifically with Vader? Your recs are the reason that I no longer eat or sleep and exist entirely of off Ao3.

Thank you, that’s very sweet of you!  I’m glad to help with the “I should be sleeping but who am I if I’m not staying up way too late to read just twenty more chapters before finally collapsing into unconsciousness, like, WHO AM I AS A PERSON if I’m not doing that?” because I don’t want to be the only one!So, here, HAVE SOME VADER FEELINGS.  And some occasional post-Vader feelings, but that were meant to take place near the end of the OT.  This is specifically for Vader fics, but if you want other OT-era stuff, like with Luke and Leia, just let me know.  ♥VADER & LEIA FIC:✦ Just a Little Bit of History Repeating by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & leia, 3.7k    “I’m in charge of security, Your Highness,” Vader said, haughty and automatic, and had to shove away a sudden onslaught of memories. It was this building, he thought, and the presence of a small brunette senator with a smart mouth. That was all.✦ Father’s Heart by FernWithy, anakin & leia & ocs, 38.8k   During Princess Leia’s teenage years, she discovers a friend in an unlikely – and disturbing – person: Lord Vader. ✦ Leave Me, Oh Love by AceQueenKing, han/leia + anakin & leia, 3.2k    “No offense,” she said, “but I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.” “Leia-” Vader said, but she held up her hand. “Of all the dead people in my life, you really are the one I least want to see right now.” ✦ The Tyranny of Kinship by amarielah, anakin & leia & luke & han & obi-wan & rex & ahsoka & cast, 23.6k wip    The presence of an Alliance mole aboard the Death Star leads to Bail Organa learning quickly of his daughter’s capture. With the dissolution of the Senate, only one option remains for him to save her life: telling Vader the truth of her parentage.✦ on the day… by victoria_p, anakin & leia & obi-wan & bail/breha & cast, 6.4k    Darth Vader eavesdrops on a very interesting conversation.✦ which grows higher than soul can hope by victoria_p, anakin & leia & luke & han & cast, 8.6k    “If Vader captures you, if he threatens to torture or kill you, you tell him you’re Padmé Amidala’s daughter.”✦ Everything That Rises Must Converge by victoria_p (musesfool), obi-wan & anakin & luke & leia, 5.1k   In which Leia makes it to Tatooine’s surface after the Tantive IV is boarded, and nobody is prepared for this particular family reunion.✦ I Won’t Disturb the Slumber of Feelings That Have Died by Darkmagyk, anakin & leia, 1.6k   Leia Organa is no angel. ✦ Clarity by Orange_Clown, anakin & leia, 1k   By the time that the Imperial Forces landed on Hoth, Leia was the only one left on the base. ✦ Flesh of My Flesh by igrockspock, anakin & leia, 3.6k   Leia was not adopted. She was stolen in the middle of the night and registered to House Organa with forged papers. This was kidnapping, a class one felony, and her parents could be executed – unless she returned voluntarily to her rightful father. Immediately. A man called Grand Moff Tarkin explained this to Leia when she was eleven years old.✦ Carmine by AceQueenKing, anakin & leia, 2.7k   The Princess stirs, waking; her eyes catch him at her door and her face darkens, ready for a fight. ✦ The Trick is to Keep Breathing by AceQueenKing, anakin & leia, 3.3k    She’s older now, and so is he. Far older now. She wonders: will he have lost any power with his age? Will he be shorter, weaker? An old man on a ventilator?It’s hard to imagine that he won’t still be dangerous. But then, that’s exactly what she’s counting on.✦ Hear Me by crowleyshouseplant, anakin & leia & luke & cast, 3.2k   Leia struggles to reconcile Luke’s experience with his father and hers with Darth Vader.✦ In Which Vader Discovers He is a Father by glompcat, anakin & luke & leia & cast, 27.7k   A collection of (mostly self-contained) AUs where Vader learns about his kids earlier than he did in the canon timeline. Exploring both that moment of initial discovery, and the way the story unfolds after Vader finds Leia and/or Luke. ✦ deep as a secret nobody knows by victoria_p (musesfool), leia & anakin & obi-wan & luke & han & bail & cast, 6.3k   “If Vader captures you, if he threatens to torture or kill you, you tell him you’re Padmé Amidala’s daughter.”✦ daughter of mountains (the flesh and bone remix) by darlingargents, anakin & leia, 1.4k   Vader was Leia’s father, too. To die by his side would be the greatest honour.✦ The Gifted Child by AceQueenKing, anakin & leia & bail, 2.3k    Bail Organa watches his daughter navigate Coruscant society.  So does Darth Vader.✦ Siren Song by madame_alexandra, anakin & leia, 1.8k    Lord Vader has a crippling headache, and the source of it fascinates him.✦ The War at Home by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & leia, 1.4k   He’s been there for all her other losses, so it feels right for him to be here for this one, too.VADER & LUKE FIC:✦ Sibling Revelry by frodogenic, anakin & luke & leia & cast & ocs, 25.5k   After Bespin and before Endor, Darth Vader is shocked to discover that Luke and Leia are twins. He’s even more shocked when Imperial Intelligence reports that Organa and Skywalker are, erm, a tad closer than previously suspected. ✦ Limpet AU byfrodogenic, anakin & luke & mara & piett & cast, 69.8k   AU. Darth Vader, having survived the Battle of Endor, proceeds to get himself and his ship lost in the Unknown Regions for twenty-five years. When he returns, he finds the Empire has fallen, the New Republic is in force, and he himself has a new role to play…Grandpa. If you have ever wanted to see Vader vs. toddler, this is your story. Fluffily humorous.✦ a walk on part in the war by victoria_p, anakin & luke & leia & ahsoka & cast, 10.3k    Luke considers this family reunion far more successful than the one in Cloud City. At least this time, no one loses a hand.✦ In Loco Pirates by izzythehutt, anakin & luke & cast, 34.9k   A down-on-his-luck Hondo Ohnaka manages to capture the unicorn of all bounties–Luke Skywalker, which sends Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, on a painfully familiar trip to the planet Florrum to collect his prize. The failed negotiations leave Vader in the awkward position of being stuck in a besieged pirate bunker, trying to balance keeping his wayward child safe (and in his custody) with controlling the tongue of a loose-lipped pirate who–to the surprise of no one–has a bad habit of telling ‘amusing’ anecdotes from the Clone Wars.✦ Deja Vu by SkippingSteppingStones, obi-wan & anakin & luke, 2k   When Darth Vader is roused from sleep by a sob he feels strangely connected to, he is compelled to find its source.✦ Two and a Half Men (with a baby) by jerseydevious, obi-wan & anakin & luke & piett, 5.5k wip   After a long day of bargaining with Hutts and attempting to ignore his past, Darth Vader is nearing the end of his rope. When he discovers his two-year-old son, it’s the straw that breaks the semi-rational Sith Lord’s back; in a rash act worthy of the Skywalker name, he scoops his son into his arms, steals a shuttle from his own fleet, and punches in random hyperspace coordinates to a destination on the other side of the galaxy. Unfortunately, father and son are not the only ones on the ship.✦ The Family Tree by frodogenic, vader & luke, 12k   In which Luke Skywalker is stranded in a tree waiting for a flash flood to recede. Too bad he’s got company… Post-ESB oneshot, can be read as canon-compliant.✦ Out of the Darkness and Into the Sun by Spongyllama, anakin & luke & leia, 2.7k   Luke is desperate to keep his father alive after Endor, but he’s the only one who thinks Vader should be allowed to live.VADER & AHSOKA FIC:✦ trade your heroes for ghosts by victoria_p (musesfool), vader & ahsoka, 1.5k    Vader presents Ahsoka with an ultimatum. ✦ memories like ashes at our feet by ambiguously, anakin & ahsoka, 4.2k   Darth Vader was gravely injured in the explosion of the Sith Temple. Now Anakin Skywalker has no memory of what he’s doing here with Ahsoka.✦  the stillness of remembering by darlingargents, anakin & ahsoka, 2.3k   A few years after the rise of the Empire, Ahsoka starts to have a recurring dream ✦ Balance Point by Vinyarie, anakin & ahsoka, 34.3k   Ahsoka wakes up trapped beneath the rubble of the Sith temple on Malachor with the man currently known as Darth Vader. He’s a Sith lord who has done some truly awful things, but she’s certain that some part of him is still Anakin Skywalker, and she’s going to convince him of that. No matter how many times he tries to kill her for it.✦all the words i once believed by darlingargents, anakin & ahsoka, 6.8k    Anakin Skywalker wakes up after fifteen years with a body that isn’t his.✦ Precious Illusions by amarielah, anakin & ahsoka, 2.4k    In the aftermath of their confrontation on Malachor, Ahsoka pays Vader a visit. From a certain point of view.OTHER OT/VADER FIC:✦ Not Placid Stars But Singularities by iceplanet, anakin & cast (obi-wan & luminara & ahsoka & darth plagueis), 6.2k    In the weeks after Mustafar, Vader must come to terms with his new body and the remnants of his past. In the process, he has a few conversations that he does not expect. ✦ Salvage by SharpestRose, obi-wan & anakin & luke & padme & shmi & qui-gon, 4.6k    Obi-Wan thought he’d seen the worst of what Anakin was capable of. Obi-Wan’s not entirely right about that.✦ Wrong Number by Siamesa, obi-wan & anakin & luke & yoda & owen/beru, 3.4k   In hiding on Dagobah, the Lars family aquires a holocom. Things go horribly wrong.✦ Surrender to the Light by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & anakin & luke & qui-gon, 1.1k   Ben Kenobi knew exactly what he was doing when he saw Luke watching his duel with Darth Vader.✦ Domo Arigato, Mr Roboto by amarielah, anakin & sam & dean & cast, crossover, 16k wip   When Sam and Dean investigate a spate of Vader sightings in a remote Wyoming town, they discover that – this time – they’re hunting the real deal. Vader, meanwhile, has to adjust to a world that seems designed to piss him off. All while trying his best not to strangle the Winchesters.OBI-WAN & VADER FIC:✦ Cold by Yesac, obi-wan & anakin, 5.4k    Luke wasn’t the only one that Obi-Wan visited after he died. ✦ Betrayal: A Love Story by Shiny_n_new, obi-wan/anakin, 2.7k wip    A week after he kills Obi-wan Kenobi, Vader realizes he is being haunted. ✦ untitled by phosphorescent-naidheachd, obi-wan & anakin, ~1k    All you really need to know is that Obi-Wan’s ghost is in the slow process of haunting Vaderkin back into the Light during the original trilogy. ✦ Until Their Dying Breath by Down the Rabbit Hole, obi-wan & anakin, 1.1k    Vader’s ghosts are complicated. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. ✦ You Can’t Front on That by victoria_p (musesfool), obi-wan & anakin, 3.9k    When he hears Kenobi’s voice again months after killing him, Vader wonders if perhaps he’s begun to go mad.✦ Replaceable by amarielah, obi-wan/anakin, mildly nsfw, ~1k    He buries hands of flesh in thick, auburn-colored hair. He knows this is a dream. ✦ World Come Undone by crazyundeadfairy, obi-wan/anakin & luke + background anakin/padme, 68.3k wip    Unexpected things happen when ObiWan takes Luke to Tatooine. ✦ Second Chances by Driverpicksthemooseic (Ratkinzluver33), obi-wan/anakin & han/luke & leia + cast, de-aged fic, 106.3k wip    Leia wasn’t convinced inviting evil incarnate to join them in fighting the Empire was exactly one of Obi-Wan’s brightest ideas. ✦ Everything You Wanted by obaona, obi-wan & anakin + background anakin/padme, 11.3k    A RotS AU. Anakin is now Emperor and has captured ObiWan. But things are never that simple …✦ Back Drifting by puts foot in mouth, obi-wan & anakin, de-aged!obi-wan, 20.4k wip    After falling on Mustafar, Obi-Wan awakens to the dubious reality of being trapped in the cloned body of his child self, and now has to cope with the reversed father/son relationship fostered upon him by the new Sith Lord.Darth Vader redemption story. ✦ Disjointed by Ha_neul, obi-wan/anakin & luke, 2.1k    Returning to Tatooine to erase his past, Vader reunites with his old lover and their son. ✦ closing in by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin, 1k   Anakin and Obi-Wan were already long gone at that point, as their souls had perished together in the lava and amidst the acrid smoke; and all there was left was their shells, empty, remembering fragments of happier times that had long since passed. ✦ Obikin Drabble by fn_6969, obi-wan/anakin, ~1k   Anonymous prompt: “fic idea- darth vader thinking about obi-wan oh no”✦ we were born for better days by FireflysLove, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka, 3.6k wip   Obi-Wan attempts to save Vader from the Dark Side, but the Rebellion, especially Bail Organa and Ahsoka Tano, are not going to believe that after a decade of terrorizing the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker can possibly be saved.✦ Sear me pale sun by liv_k, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, bittersweet themes, 9.8k   “So here we are, a failed Jedi, a Sith, and our imminent deaths. I leave it to you to choose how we will meet our demise, whether fighting or doing something else entirely.”✦ my heart is an echo chamber by Burning_Nightingale, obi-wan/anakin, 3.4k   Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader don’t meet again until their final confrontation on the Death Star. Not in person, at least.✦ They rhyme by liv_k, obi-wan & anakin, 5.2k   Past and future, darkness and light, despair and hope meet one last time.FORCE GHOST ANAKIN FIC:✦ can’t carry it with you by irnan, obi-wan & anakin, 2.2k    So oneness with the Force is found in a field now? ✦ The Moment You Know by tricksterity, obi-wan/anakin & luke & leia, ~1k    A short, alternative ending to Return of the Jedi and the appearance of certain Force ghosts on Endor. ✦ The Last Temptation of Anakin Skywalker by theascetic, obi-wan/anakin, 4.9k wip    Obi Wan gives, and Anakin takes. ✦ Ghosts Can Become One by Lilly_Thoo, obi-wan/anakin, 1.3k    Anakin and Obi-Wan bicker a little bit. ✦ Complexities of Love by agentjedi, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, 7.5k    Anakin comes to terms with his new existence, and learns new lessons in the Force in a most unusual way. ✦ Salvation by Spongyllama, obi-wan & anakin & cast, 6.8k    Following his death, Anakin isn’t quite sure if he’s in heaven or hell. Not that he’s ever really believed in either. ✦ i wake up more awake than i’ve ever been before by ShakyHades, obi-wan/anakin, 1.1k    He missed their bond and camaraderie, the times they trusted each other with their lives. It hurt, seeing Obi-Wan and remembering how Anakin was the one to destroy everything the other had held dear, including himself. ✦ Dig the Grave and Let Me Lie by de_corporis, obi-wan & anakin, 1k    “Anakin,” says Obi-Wan again, and slides one hand up to cradle Anakin’s cheek. “I am so very proud of you.” Obi-Wan welcomes Anakin home. ✦ Died last night in my dreams by SquaresAreNotCircles, obi-wan/anakin & qui-gon & yoda, force ghosts, 2.2k    Obi-Wan sipped his tea and stared morosely out into nothing. “Become a force ghost, he said. It’ll be for the good of the universe, he said.” ✦ Strange Meetings by gilestel, luke & ahsoka & anakin, 2.9k    Luke almost didn’t notice the figure cloaked in white who stood before the charred remnants of the pyre in which he had cremated his father’s empty armor.✦I Never Knew You by Ibelin, anakin & kylo ren, 3.8k   After the defeat at Starkiller, Kylo Ren is on his way to Snoke to complete his training and, during meditation, he gets a visit from someone he’d always wanted to meet. It doesn’t go as well as he’d hoped. Be careful what you wish for - especially when what you wish for involves Darth Vader.✦ I Never Knew You by Ibelin, anakin & kylo, 3.8k   After the defeat at Starkiller, Kylo Ren gets a visit from someone he’d always wanted to meet. It doesn’t go as well as he’d hoped. Be careful what you wish for - especially when what you wish for involves Darth Vader. ✦ Let the Past Die by Ibelin, anakin & leia, 2k   Anakin’s Force ghost has scared Kylo Ren. When he visits Leia next, it’s his turn to be scared.✦ we are here and it is now by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & rey & luke, 3.5k   “So either you’re not here or you’re not living,” she says. “I’m definitely here,” he replies, and there’s amusement in his voice.✦ And There Shall I Find by ambiguously, anakin & leia, 5.6k    After her shuttle crashes on a desolate world, Leia has only one person to keep her company. ✦ Drowned in Moonlight by scarletjedi, anakin & leia & cast, 3k    Leia Dies. What, like that was going to stop her?✦ learn to live with what you can’t rise above by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & leia, 1.9k     Leia doesn’t have time for the ghost of her dead father, except when she does.

[atamascolily]

Lily reads Star Wars: Red Harvest, part five

This book summed up in one sentence: "Hello, naughty children, it's murder time.... specifically, YOUR murder!” *evil laughter*

In which the students at Sith Hogwarts meet something that’s even creepier than they are... and they like it. Some of them. For a bit. 

(If you’re just joining me, check out the “Red Harvest” tag on my blog for previous posts)

Cut to not!Qui-Gon, his cloak billowing in the wind. 

“You landed on the wrong world, Jedi.”

Trace turned and faced him directly. The man was a Sith Master; that much was readily apparent—perhaps an instructor at the academy.

Okay, fine, but how do you know that, Trace?? What does a Sith Master even look like? Is their a dress code? Is it his presence?? This explains nothing. But that’s totally in character, because Rojo Trace is a Jedi of few words and never explains anything.

“I am Shak’Weth, Blademaster here on Odacer-Faustin. I can only assume that you came here seeking humiliation and an unpleasant death.”

“I’m here on other matters.”

“Ah?” The Blademaster cocked his head slightly, looking marginally intrigued. “But you’ve found me instead.”

Their duel is interrupted by a zombie attack, allowing not!Qui-Gon to escape and the Blademaster to die a horrible death.

In case we needed the reminder, the Whiphid bounty hunter is also a horrible person, as Zo learns when she tries to read his mind:

Normally her telepathic abilities weren’t particularly strong when it came to non-plant life-forms, but the Whiphid was what she thought of as a relatively easy read. In fact, from within, his mind resembled nothing so much as the trophy room aboard his ship where she’d first awakened: a place of death, a de facto display space for grotesque trophies and old kills. Some were alien species that she’d never seen before. Others were human. All were brought together in universal expressions of pain, desperation, and helplessness that they’d worn as the bounty hunter had delivered the coup de grâce. His mind had become a storehouse of their dying moments. This crypt of suffering, this reliquary, wasn’t just what he carried around in his head every day—it was his head.

He does not take kindly to Zo poking around in his mind. Zo is freaked out because she saw Scabrous watching her in there, too. They take shelter in the Tauntaun stables (because this is set on not!Hoth), and it turns out that the bounty hunter is a softie for them. Then the animals start screaming and the lights go out.

It turns out the Sith students love being zombies. Who would have ever guessed.  

He saw it with two sets of eyes: the ones he’d had when he’d been alive, and the strange new vision that the Sickness had given him. On some intuitive level he understood that the first set was fading, going blind, and that was fine with him, absolutely fine. The Sickness had given him everything he’d hoped for, everything he wanted, power and strength beyond all imagining. It had altered the midi-chlorians in his bloodstream, telescoping his natural abilities, enhancing them exponentially.

...The newly dead were rising slowly, shuffling to their feet. Rising up with them, Lussk stared into their faces, faces that he recognized from the academy, now contorted into something utterly new. He felt no fear at the sight of them, no sense of foreboding—only a slick dark fascination.

I’m looking at my future, he thought, and shivered with anticipation. It was a good future, he realized, an endless future, a place of unfathomable possibility.

But there's a price. Of course there is.

The Sickness wanted his soul.

No, Lussk told it. It’s too much. Even for what you offer, even for immortality itself, the price is too high.

A Sith with standards? Say it ain't so!  

I will make you the last one, the Sickness promised. Of all the others, you alone shall endure. That is what I have to offer you.

No.

The Sickness paused within him, considering. That is too bad, it said finally, because you no longer have a choice in the matter.

Yeah, it doesn't go well.

Also, turns out the zombies have a hive mind because the Sickness is controlling them all. So that's creepy, too. I’m not sure how all this works because this isn’t the sort of book to go in for explanations and world-building mechanics, so we’re just gonna roll with it.

The remaining students find the inevitable secret Sith weapon stash. The one female Sith, Kindra, is about to murder the asshole of the group, who's trying to off her in a power struggle because she won't give him a lightsaber, when they get interrupted and... you know what, I'm on her side here (inasmuch as I sympathize with any of these characters).

The Big Bad orders the tree librarian to use Psychic Plant Power to pretend to be the orchid and lure Zo to the library and bites him when he doesn't immediately comply. Zo and the bounty hunter fight zombies, and it all seems hopeless, but Zo hears her big brother's voice in her memory, and it powers her up for a big fight scene in bullet-time.

The tree librarian goes mad and sets the library on fire because the bite is infected with the Sickness. It's super metal.

Old fool, it had said, foolish old creature, your life has been wasted here among your books.

The Neti had tried to respond, to tell it no, that these scrolls and texts were his life, but the Sickness hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in that. It had more to say, and the Neti realized that he was a captive audience.

It’s not too late, the Sickness said. I have given you new life, and a new purpose, and you will know it if you seek my face. Will you, old tree? Will you seek my face?

What is it? the Neti asked. What is your face?

Mine is the face of blood and fire.

... The flesh is our fuel, the Sickness counseled, and its voice was like thunder now, and the books are our fuel, and this planet is our fuel, all things are fuel, they exist only so that they can be consumed by us.

Yes, yes—

They are meat for the beast.

Yes.

And the beast is you.

Yes.

This is literally how the virus thinks about everybody and everything and that's absolutely terrifying.

The Sith students get attacked, again. Interesting tidbit:

only Sith Masters can use Force lightning, how—

A bunch of zombies get electrocuted by Force lightning when a Sith Master shows up to "help". One of the students get injured, and turns into a zombie and gets electrocuted by the master.

The bounty hunter abandons Zo because she wants to go to the library because she thinks she hears the orchid calling her (we know it’s the now-evil Tree Librarian under Scabrous’s orders). So he goes exploring on his own instead.

The students must have used this place, he thought—some wit had left a handmade sign painted over the entranceway. It read:

WELCOME TO THE PAIN PIPE

Tulkh looked around. It appeared to be some kind of training simulation chamber, a wide, high space full of elaborately machined devices that protruded from the floor and walls, even down from the ceiling—pillars, pinions, retracted coils, and battering rams. But that quick impression was all that Tulkh was able to absorb before the hatch burst open behind him, allowing the flood of bodies to come spewing into the space with him.

Not without a sense of the absurd, thought:

Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought—how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose.

UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR. Especially ironic since none of this would have happened if Tulkh hadn’t brought the orchid here, but I guess he’s not in a position to appreciate that.

Anyway, he finds Scabrous's droid:

“You’re an HK model.”

“Confirm: A Czerka Corp HK series, yes, sir, but—”

“You know what HK stands for?”

“Response: It’s an industry term, sir, but—”

“Hunter-killer.”

The droid made a scandalized chirp. “Correction: Respectfully, you’re mistaken, sir. I am a protocol droid. Proficient in millions of galactic languages and—”

“Czerka built you special to get around local laws banning assassin droids.” Tulkh was gritting his teeth now. “Those flip shields over your eyes—that’s a combat modification. When Scabrous brought you here, he put a restraining bolt on you, but if I do this—”

He yanked the bolt off. There was a brief, hissing sizzle as the HK’s processor muzzle shorted out. Tulkh felt his skin tighten, his fur standing on end. He cast a grim look at the droid. “Remember now?”

Wait, so the HK droid didn't realize it was an assassin, it thought it was a protocol droid? OH MY GOODNESS, THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH, and I totally didn't catch that earlier. Okay, this is gonna be good, and by good, I mean, incredibly violent and probably full of explosions. 

The asshole student wants to kill the one female student because he's an asshole. They make her strip naked to prove she's not infected, because they're assholes--only for the master to reveal he's been infected the whole time. The asshole dies, Kindra survives, and shanks the one other survivor so the zombies will get him and not her. #PowerMove. Zo is going to be the Final Girl, but Kindra's made it surprisingly far. I bet the librarian is going to kill her, though, because of that conversation they had earlier.

Meanwhile, Zo is looking for the orchid:

Tulkh had refused to follow her here, leaving her to go alone. When she’d confronted him about it and said, Let me get this straight, you’ll walk into a Sith Lord’s tower, but you won’t go into a library, he’d merely nodded and planted his feet, telling her that he knew a trap when he saw one.

#accurate, since Darth Scabrous is waiting for her in the library. He's a medical monstrosity, because his face is still falling apart, but the Sith alchemy is keeping the Sickness at bay--for now. (Or is it?)