#the force awakens fanfiction

[cowboygenesis]

5: turpentine | kylo ren x reader

part 5 of the "bump it, cool it" series: masterlist. | buy me a coffee?

pairing: [modern!au] kylo ren x reader chapter warnings: explicit language, nudity, vague sexual imagery. word count: 3.9k series summary: when your roommate’s older brother needs a place to crash, you begrudgingly offer up your couch— only to realize he’s the most insufferable, entitled asshole you’ve ever met. the worst part? you can’t seem to stop thinking about him. notes: 1/3 of the way through already! i'm super happy with how the plot is coming along, let me know how you like it!

Now Playing: my kiss era - bar italia

“So does he just own the place now?” you huff, leaning your hip against the kitchen counter as you watch over a pot of oatmeal. Rey is sitting at the small dining table, legs crossed on the chair as she proofreads some documents.

“Before I say anything,” she pipes up, pointing a finger in declaration but never taking her eyes off her assignment. “I just want you to know that I’m not picking sides. By any means.”

You exhale humorlessly, withdrawing a wooden spoon from a drawer. “Should I prepare to sue?”

Her gaze finally rises to meet yours, eyebrow raised. “Funny,” she utters through a half-hearted smile before returning her attention to the table. “He wakes up real early. I mean, he’s in the shower before you even get to exit your bedroom! Do you expect him to just sit there and wait until you’re up?”

You purse your lips, momentarily focusing on the distant sound of falling water as you stir your oats. “…No. But it’d be nice.”

Rey scoffs, rolling her eyes before scribbling something on one of the pages. “See? Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s not just about the shower,” you sigh, shaking your head. You think it’s unwise to direct this anger toward Rey when it’s clearly meant for her brother, and being neutral in this specific situation doesn’t make her his accomplice. “We agreed on a system— he agreed on it. It’s about honoring our pact more than anything.”

“Pact?”

“You know what I mean,” you chuckle dryly, turning the electric stove off and reaching for your favorite bowl. “I just want him to respect my requests. I feel like he’s not even trying to fit in.”

You place a spoon into your oats, grab your bowl with one hand and your coffee mug with the other. As you take a seat next to Rey, she gives you a sympathetic look and drops her pen.

“He’s not the kind of person to change his ways,” she explains, placing her chin into her palm as you bite your lip. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not trying.”

“Is he?” you question over the rim of your mug. Your lilt is soft despite your frustration.

“Yeah,” she nods, watching as you take a bite of your breakfast. “…In his own, stubborn way. I guess.”

“And how exactly has that manifested so far?”

Rey furrows her eyebrows in thought, scanning your deadpan expression as she thinks of an example. You know she’s found one when her eyes brighten with mirth, the corners of her lips curling upwards as she meets your gaze. “Has he texted you recently?”

You stop chewing, eyes widening for a second as you think back to a few days ago. Your stomach twists at the banter you and Kylo had shared, and that damned pet name that’s been haunting you ever since. For a second, you think Rey might know about it, and your cheeks flush. “Yeah. For a second.”

She nods with a pleased hum, taking a sip of her tea. “Aren’t you curious how he got your number?”

Somehow, the question never crossed your mind, which only accelerates the frustration simmering in your belly. A part of you hates to imagine the possibility that you enjoyed his shitty antics, and so curiosity gave way to hedonism.

But as Rey tries to hide her grin behind her mug, it all becomes clear to you.

“Rey…” you trail, eyes squinting but not quite filled with the anger you thought you’d experience.

“What?” she replies softly, “You live under the same roof now, I thought it’d be practical.”

You shrug half-heartedly, cupping the mug between your hands to absorb the heat. The days have been getting warmer as March rolls in, but mornings still leave you cradled in a sweater.

You recall how once you had mistakenly grabbed a hoodie off the couch, thinking it to be yours. It was only when Kylo marched into the living room, eyes sparkling with mischief, that you realized your grave mistake. Even as you screeched your way out of the hoodie and threw it at his chest with a grimace, his sly grin plagued your memory for the rest of the day—along with that fresh smell of pine you had grown to enjoy despite yourself.

Now, the memory fills you with prickling guilt. Any ounce of sympathy or pleasure you accumulate for Kylo reminds you of why you could and should never like him in the first place. In a few weeks time, you’d part ways and forget him forever. And he’d forget you.

“I wish you had asked me first,” you mutter, mindlessly stirring your oatmeal. Then, you huff joylessly. “As expected, he’s an ass through text as well.”

“Really?” Rey quirks an eyebrow, scanning your face with intrigue. You match her gaze with your own, tilting your head in question before she continues through a soft, teasing smile. “He was the one to ask me for your contact.”

Your mouth hangs open for a second, urging your throat to speak but no noise comes out. Your fingers wrap around the handle of your mug, knuckles turning white for Rey to watch.

“He asks about you, too,” she continues, her smirk threatening to spill into a laugh. “When you’re away.”

“You’re fucking with me,” you shake your head, and she laughs, but you can’t match her joy with the way your chest thrums.

“It’s true,” she shrugs, leaning forward on her elbows. It’s like she’s watching for a reaction, and suddenly, you’re feeling hyper-aware of your body and the way it warms. “Even today.”

You swallow thickly, watching her eyes fill with mischief. When you speak again, you need to clear the dryness from your throat. “What?”

“You know,” she hums, eyes flickering over your face, “If you’re home, when you’ll be back…” She leans in ever further, lowering her voice as if Kylo could hear her over the thrum of the shower, “…If you’re still angry with him.”

Your stomach twists and you cross your arms over your chest. It shouldn’t matter, yet the idea still makes your heart skip a beat—you wonder if it’s out of anger or disbelief. “Sounds like he’s just trying to gauge if he’s gonna be yelled at.”

“Maybe,” she shrugs, hovering close for a beat. She studies your body language quietly, almost threateningly, before finally leaning back into her chair. She takes a languid sip of her tea before picking up her pen again. Her eyes meet yours, flickering with mirth. “Or maybe he’s just an idiot who doesn’t know how to show he cares.”

The quiet thrum in your chest fires up, reaching your head and leaving your ears ringing. Care. As if the bastard has any intentions of being cordial with you, let alone caring about your well-being. The idea alone sends you scoffing, reaching for your spoon again to stuff your mouth with more oats. You chew them with a certain spite as Rey goes back to checking her papers, a smile still hanging off her lips.

You hear a doorway in the hallway creak open. For a second, the implication doesn’t register in your thought-ridden mind before Rey pipes up at the figure entering the kitchen. “Speaking of idiots…”

You feel him hovering behind you for a second. If it wasn’t for the sunlit window he was facing, you’re sure his silhouette would cast long shadows over your head.

“Morning,” he speaks, the low baritone of his voice reverberating through your chest and prickling your skin.

When he moves to the fridge, you don’t dare look up. You can’t.

Your gaze glues to your breakfast as he moves to fix himself on his own. You hear him withdraw something from the fridge with a low hum, before reaching for a cabinet. A low clank against the counter followed by a pour. Then, unbeknownst to your flushed face, he leans against the counter, facing the table you’re sitting at.

Your head tilts, eyes spotting his towel-wrapped waist. It hangs low, taunting, framing the softness of his broad form. Like his face, the skin is speckled with little spots, inching up his legs and chest—the plane of it wide and slumped as he sips orange juice from his glass.

When you spot his eyes, they’re dark as ever, boring into you like the first time you met. His face has a soft glow from having just showered, dark tresses slicked back with moisture.

You know you’ve been staring when his lips curl into a trepidating smirk. He lowers the rim of his glass, head tilted with curiosity as you choke back a cry of embarrassment. “Still mad with me?”

The spoon in your hand stills, your lips pursed. Rey chuckles softly in the backdrop, nearly choking on her tea— would serve her well, you think. The absolute nerve of them both.

“Morning,” you grit through your teeth, rapping your fingers around the edge of the table before meeting Kylo’s gaze again.

As expected, he meets your anger with a bright grin. If it hadn’t been for the teasing in his eyes, you think the sight might have made you smile.

Instead, it only serves to fuel the simmering frustration in your gut.

Without another word, you push your chair away from the table and stand up. With a sharp inhale you return your dishes to the sink, pointedly avoiding Kylo’s towering frame as they clink against the surface.

When you turn toward the hallway, you feel his gaze burning into your back. Rey calls after you, her tone laced with laughter, but you ignore it all. Instead, you turn the corner and disappear into your room.

“Fuck him,” you grit, withdrawing a clean towel from your wardrobe before you catch sight of your windowsill. The morning light pours over your face, warming your cheeks and making you squint. The colorful tin sitting by the plant is open, reminding you of the night after you argued with Kylo. Ever since, you had made it a habit to smoke at this windowsill, looking to the streets below, but you never spotted him again.

You sigh, before heading for the hallway again.

When you reach the bathroom, you catch steam rolling near the ceiling, coating the mirror with a thin layer of moisture. You place your towels on a wooden stool by the shower, and inhale deeply. The familiar scent of pine fills your nose, and despite yourself, you feel your shoulders sag as you lock the door behind you.

As you undress, you try not to think about Kylo Ren. As you enter the shower, you try not to think about the tension coiling in your stomach.

You pull the small, metal lever, and exhale as the hot water hits your face. It rushes over your skin, loosening the tension in your muscles as you tip your head back with a sigh. The heat soaks into you, steaming away the frustration clinging to you, but your mind still buzzes, traitorous and restless.

You scowl, pressing your palms against your face. The image of him standing there—towel low on his hips, broad frame slouched against the counter, that smirk—burns behind your eyelids, making you groan.

With a sharp exhale, you reach for the shampoo. Your fingers find the bottle without thought, popping the cap open as you squeeze some into your palm. The scent drifts instantly, sharp and crisp, a deep woodsy scent softened with something warmer.

You freeze.

Your stomach twists, fingers stilling against your scalp.

It’s pine.

A rush of embarrassment flares in your chest. Your gaze flickers to the corner of the shower, searching for your usual bottle, but when you move to squeeze it, it whistles pathetically. You must have forgotten to replace it.

The sensible thing to do would be to rinse it out, or maybe brave the towel wrap and sneak back to your room for your own.

But instead, your fingers clench in your hair, tugging lightly as you bite your bottom lip.

The lather spreads easily, rich and foamy, and before you can stop yourself, you’re scrubbing it through, running your nails against your scalp. The scent fills the space around you, coating your skin and sinking into every quickened breath. It’s the same scent that clung to his hoodie when you’d mistakenly worn it. The same scent that lingers in the air whenever he brushes past you.

Your face burns with heat, and you worry about its source.

You stand there in silence as the water rinses the suds out your hair, fists squeezed by your sides. Despite the slickness of your skin, your choice has left you feeling dirty, enveloped by that crisp smell you suddenly wish you could wash off. You’d have to make it a point to avoid him until he leaves the apartment again, lest he notices your sinful deed.

A knock comes at the bathroom door, startling you to yelp. Before you can realize what’s going on, you’re already calling out. “Leave me be, Rey!”

“Wrong sibling,” comes a low voice, chilling your blood. Did you just manifest him with your thoughts, or had he miraculously heard them?

“What do you want?” you grit out, scrubbing your skin. Suddenly, you feel much more exposed than you should be, even as a locked door divides you two.

“I left my phone on the sink,” he replies flatly, knocking on the door again. “Let me in for a second.”

You turn around and look at the sink. Indeed, a sleek, black phone sits just on the surface. Your eyebrows furrow, sighing in frustration. “I’m in the shower, Kylo!”

You think you hear him huff over the thrum of cascading water, and for a second, there’s silence. You sigh in relief, going back to lathering your body before you hear his voice again. “Well?”

“You’re still here?”

“I need to make a call,” he explains and you roll your eyes, sighing. The phone screen stares back at you, coming to life with a soft glow. Surely enough, a string of texts pops up, too far for you to see the contents clearly.

The foam slides down your water-slick body and your eyebrows furrow. “Then wait,” you bark.

“I don’t mind,” he replies, and just as you’re about to bite back, he continues through what you imagine is a smirk, “but it’d be quicker for me to go in there and get it myself.”

Your stomach lurches. “You wouldn’t dare.”

A soft chuckle bellows from the hallway, and for a second, you think he’s being serious. “Wouldn’t I?”

Your skin prickles with heat as you rinse the remainder of soap and suds from your shoulders. His phone keeps buzzing with texts, and finally, you feel your resolve melt. “You’re insufferable.”

“I can be,” he chuckles again, though his lilt reveals a semblance of something more visceral. Momentarily, as you turn the overhead stream off, you feel like he might just be threatening you.

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” you grumble out, a little quieter now that the thrum of water has gone.

“Yeah?” he teases as you exit the shower, shuddering at a gust of coolness against your wet skin. Fuck, what a horror. You hadn’t even managed to use that conditioner you’ve been itching to try. “I really couldn’t tell.”

“Fuck off, Ren,” you scoff, haphazardly wiping down your body, wrapping your hair in a towel before putting on the tank top and sweatpants you brought with you. While the sweats keep you cozy, the thin, baby-pink tank top clings to your skin, puddling with moisture where you failed to dry properly. Your nipples firm at the coolness, lip caught between your teeth as you reach for his phone.

“As soon as you give me what I want,” he retorts, but you’re stilling at the sink. Your eyes widen slightly, fingers trembling against the red phone case as the screen flickers to life again.

Sienna, 02:35 I miss you. Please talk to me. Please.

Between the blocks of text, you spot seven missed calls in the early hours of the morning. Then, the texts continue.

Sienna, 6:58 Ben I know you’re upset. It didn’t mean anything. I told you it didn’t.

Your eyebrows furrow, grip tightening as you chew at your bottom lip. Ben. If your gut feeling was correct, this woman could have been the one you saw on—

“How much longer?” Kylo calls out, shaking you from your daydream— you flinch, nearly losing grip on his phone as you struggle to turn the screen off. Once that’s done, you take a deep breath, straightening your posture as you approach the door.

You grasp the metal knob, twisting it to the side until the hinges click. Your trembling fingers press down on the handle until the doorway gives way, pushing it forward until you catch a glimpse of Kylo’s dark hair peering through the gap.

You’re about to hand him the phone, when he pulls the door open wider. The gap is just enough for him to snake through and lean against the frame, arms crossed, and you unknowingly take the time to gawk at his chest; the softness of his pale skin, the scattering of moles, and the delicate lining of muscle down his arms. Despite his nude topside, the towel he had previously donned is now replaced by a pair of melange sweatpants.

“Are you staring?” he asks flatly, but when you meet his gaze, you catch the usual curl of his lips.

You roll your eyes, but his words are enough to coat your cheeks with a layer of rouge. “In your fucking dreams.”

“You’re blushing.”

“It’s from the shower,” you reply curtly, watching his head tilt downwards. The small smirk you’ve previously witnessed slowly falls as his gaze creeps down your thin tank top and fuck, you might as well be naked. Your lips press into a line just as his jaw tightens, eyes glazed with something you’ve not seen in them ever before—dark and stormy, like flickering pools threatening to pull you under at any given moment.

You feel your body prickle with heat, something tight pulling at your gut, but before you can respond, you catch his eyes flicker behind you. His nostrils flare, and when you catch his gaze again, he seems back to his usual self.

“Smells nice,” he quips, and your legs threaten to give out under you. He knows.

“What?” you utter through a scowl, urging the twist of anxiety down as he meets your sharp gaze with something teasing.

“You,” he continues, and you need to grab the doorframe to steady yourself from the shudder that runs down your spine. “What is that? Pine?”

You shake your head, willing a sharp exhale through your nose. His watchful gaze makes you feel vulnerable, and suddenly, a question leaves your mouth. “Is Rey home?”

“No,” he replies half-heartedly, giving you a shrug. When his eyes meet yours again, there’s a certain, teasing mirth in them. “Why?”

“Nothing,” you reply promptly, pressing your lips into a thin line.

He smirks down at you, head tilted as he probes for your reaction. “What did you think I’m gonna do?”

Your face tingles as the blood vessels in your cheeks expand, making you rub at your temple in a feeble attempt to hide it. When you look at him again he hums, slow and thoughtful. His gaze drags over you again, lingering on the damp fabric of your tank top. The corner of his mouth quirks up, amusement curling in his mein, forgetting about your response to continue his interrogation. “Didn’t take you for a little thief.”

Your pulse spikes. “I’m no thief.”

“No?” He leans in, just enough for your shared scent to creep into your space, except his is so much more divine— mingling with the natural musk of his skin, filling your nose and making you lose your fucking mind. His face dips lower. “Then why do you smell like me?”

Your breath hitches.

For a second, all you can do is stare, stomach twisting, your grip on his phone tightening. Kylo watches your reaction with quiet satisfaction, his amusement barely veiled behind the sharp cut of his jaw, the way his eyes flicker to your body and take in the scent of you.

But despite the intoxication, you refuse to give him the satisfaction. Not after everything he’s done and said to you, sending mixed signals and giving you a run for your money.

Huffing, you shove the phone against his chest, forcing him to take a step back. His hands briefly graze yours to grab the device from you, his warm digits making you swallow thickly.

“Just a lucky coincidence,” you grit, your tone urging the man to tilt his head curiously.

“Lucky for whom?” he challenges, taking a step closer. It’s almost imperceptible, but you can tell by the way his breath suddenly fills your hearing.

“Take a guess,” you hiss, puffing your chest just to make a point.

He assesses you quietly, his warm breath tickling your face when you realize your hands have been lingering on his chest. Swiftly, you withdraw, scoffing.

“You might not like my guess,” he counters through a soft chuckle, making you grab the door.

“Fuck off,” you utter through a scowl, swinging the door shut.

Before you can stop it, his hand is around your wrist. You’re too stunned to speak, the warmth enveloping your senses and causing your mouth to come ajar.

He leans in, gaze softening when he’s inches away. Your spine trickles with electricity, gaze stuck on his when he speaks. “Not so eager to get me out, after all?”

Your eyebrows furrow immediately. Your palm clenches as you release yourself from his grasp, moving a step back before giving him one last glare. “Bye.”

And then, the door shuts. You hear him chuckle behind it, making no move to leave. “Don’t miss me.”

“Bye, Ren!” you reiterate, voice sharp as you approach the mirror. And with a final laugh, you hear him retreat.

The silence that follows is deafening. You stand there, staring at your own reflection, heart thudding against your ribs like it’s trying to tell you something you don’t want to hear.

You exhale sharply, pressing your hands against the sink. The condensation on the mirror is beginning to fade, revealing the flush still painting your cheeks and your tragically blown-out pupils.

It’s all too much. The texts, Kylo’s taunts, Sienna. Ben. For a second, you think you might hurl at the nausea brewing in your gut.

With a sigh, you reach for your moisturizer and get to work. You wouldn’t let him be your plaything, especially when it’d mean you’re just a rebound.

Why are you even thinking this way?

There’s nothing binding you and Kylo Ren together—not friendship, not acquaintance, and especially not a palpable, explosive attraction. That much you’re certain of.

But as you dry your hair, do your skincare and finally head to your room, the ache between your legs threatens to betray your very understanding of the word ‘enemies.’ As your hand slides down your tummy and under the waistband of your panties, you listen to his muted conversation through the thin walls of your shared home and think about that hand grabbing your wrist, and how it’d feel running down your sides.

As you cum, the only name to fall from your lips is of the man you vowed to hate.

[crucifiedfaerie]

Sparring Sessions ༉₊˚✧

Kylo Ren x Fem!Reader

➴ Summary: When Snoke makes you his training partner against his wishes, Kylo vows to make your little sessions as nightmarish as possible. But it gets increasingly more difficult for him as his feelings for you grow.

➴ Word Count: 3.2k

➴ Warnings: no actual smut but lots of sexual tension and slightly implied smut so 18+ MDNI, slowburn ??, snoke in his matchmaker era ???, reader's AND kylo's POV, kylo ren is a mean emotionally stunted dickhead as always, mean!kylo to soft!kylo, so much tension and mutual pining, reader has some fire in her and doesn't take his bs, crylo ren, A LOT of angst, a little bit of fluff, swearing, typos and saint being illiterate probably.

➴ Taglist: ( @enviedear @capitanostella @teapartydreams )

A/N: guys i kinda hate how this turned out. but idk im chronically too hard on myself at all times so maybe im just in my head about it. nonetheless, i really hope you guys enjoy. theres no smut in this one, and it is a oneshot currently, but if you guys do actually like it and request a part two, i will definitely consider making a part two with smut. also adam driver is sooo sexy in that gif like... LOOK AT HIM !!

Kylo Ren was always a loner at heart, sparing little attention towards his peers, let alone attempting to seek out positive relationships with them. He simply preferred to be left alone, his hot-headedness couldn't handle a person even remotely getting in his way.

The day Snoke told him he would be getting a training partner, he retreated to his quarters and threw what can only be described as a temper tantrum. His lightsaber shrieked as he swung at the durasteel walls, shouting profanities with each hit.

The following morning when you enthusiastically offered your hand to shake, Kylo simply stared at you. His dark eyes narrowed as they flitted from your outstretched hand to your face in a deadly glare. "We are not, and will not be friends... let's make that very clear." He stated coldly.

However, with each passing day, his hatred for you turned into something different. Despite Kylo's annoyance, he couldn't deny how beautiful you looked and he was constantly catching himself lowering his gaze to your lips.

As the months passed, your relationship built on hate evolved into a strange competition of who could annoy each other the most. Your constant bickering had even started to piss off the Stormtroopers.

The two of you would spend the first ten minutes of your sessions arguing over who got the shittier, cracked training saber. Kylo's favorite excuse being "I won more matches yesterday so I should get the better one." He'd use that even if it weren't true, as if he were hoping you'd somehow forgotten you'd beaten him multiple times the day before.

Some mornings you would breeze past him as he walked down the hall to the training bay. You'd sprint through the doors and hear his footsteps quicken behind you. Your level of speed was something Kylo could never match, which always made him mad. By the time he would make it through the doors, you would already be holding the better training saber, twirling it around in your hand. "Too slow, Ren." You would sneer at him.

Other times, Kylo would arrive to the training bay early, knowing by now that being punctual wasn't necessarily your thing. When you would try to take it from him, he would raise the saber as far as he could in the air, smirking as he took pleasure in watching your futile attempts to jump up and reach it. If Kylo's speed was inferior to yours, your height was most certainly inferior to Kylo's.

He would tell himself he hated how physically close you were to him in those moments, but deep down he knew that wasn't true. Each brush of fabric or slight bump against his side made his heart race... made him feel... something. And whatever it was, he resented you for making him feel that way.

This morning you had woken up feeling different. Your feelings for Kylo had been slowly evolving as well, and you seemed to be unable to get his dark eyes and stupid smirk out of your head. Truth be told, you were beginning to grow tired of how he treated you like some nuisance he only found pleasure in tormenting. As you walked down the quiet halls of Starkiller, you decided you were in no mood for his games today.

"Ten minutes late." Kylo shook his head, "That has got to be a new personal record." He jeered.

You scoff at him and roll your eyes, ignoring his jab and walking past him to pick up the damaged training saber he left for you. With your feet planted firmly on the floor, you take a fighting stance, waiting for him to make the first move.

Kylo lunged at you and instinctively you ducked, catching his saber with your own before pushing it away from your body.

You blocked each other's attacks in silence, the only sounds that filled the room were yours and Kylo's breathing and the clicks of dull metal blades hitting each other.

Kylo watched you intently with a dark gaze, gritting his teeth. Your fiery attitude always amused him. It was something he secretly really liked about you, so your silence today was unnerving. The longer you ignored him, the more he wanted to catch your attention.

"Hey." He said in a low tone as he dodged another one of your attacks.

Your eyes snap to his, narrowing. "What?"

Kylo took in your annoyed expression as a smirk tugged at his lips. He stepped closer, attempting to take a swipe at your abdomen with his blade before answering.

"You're looking lovely today." He smirked, attempting to catch you off guard.

You jumped back from his attack, his blade mere inches from making contact with your skin. "Very funny, Ren." You rolled your eyes, emphasizing his name in a sneer.

Kylo slightly shrugged, still smirking. "Why's it funny? Am I not allowed to compliment you?" He challenged, his tone still teasing.

"Not when it's laced with sarcasm." You mock his tone, taking another hard swing at him.

Kylo's lips curled into a smug grin as he catches your blade with his, pausing his attacks to look down at you, blades still touching. "But what if it isn't sarcasm?" He mused. In reality, he did genuinely think you looked lovely, but in the moment he was being sarcastic to get a reaction from you.

You laughed, ignoring his question. "You know for someone who hates my guts, you sure do try to make quite a bit of conversation with me." You took the opportunity to use your saber to knock his from his hands, sending it to the floor with a clatter. "I'd even say you have a crush on me or something." You jabbed, smirking.

Kylo's jaw clenched at your words, his fists tightening as he watched his saber fall to the ground. He tried to hide that your words struck a nerve with him, and that you were completely right. He did hate you... once upon a time, but things were different now and he absolutely despised how easily you could call him on his bullshit.

"Fucking- shut up." He snapped.

You let out a small huff of a laugh. He was never good at hiding his anger.

"With pleasure." You dropped your saber to the floor and gave a sarcastic curtsy before walking past him, bumping shoulders with him on purpose as you made your way to the door.

Kylo's eye twitched. "You-" He was filled with an insurmountable amount of rage at your audacity. You had really gotten under his skin this time. "Where do you think you're going? Training doesn't end for another two hours." He demanded, his tone shifting dramatically towards cold authority.

You groaned in annoyance. "To my quarters to be alone... Away from you! I'm done for the day."

Kylo scoffed at you, his ego bruised. "Of course you're going to run off. You're too much of a baby to train with me." He stepped in front of you, blocking your straight path to the door as he crossed his arms.

"Asshole." You rolled your eyes and muttered under your breath before swiftly darting around him and out the door, leaving him alone in the training room.

His pride was hurt, and he wasn't going to let this go. He stood in the training bay doorway and shouted at you down the hall. "You know what? Don't bother coming back tomorrow! I'll tell Snoke having you as a training partner was a mistake, that you'll never be good enough to train with me."

"Fine!" You shouted back at him, waving your hand in the air behind you and not even turning to look in his direction. "I'm done being treated like scum by you anyways!" You turn the corner, leaving him standing at the end of the empty hall.

Panic and regret instantly washed over him as he watched you disappear around the corner. Kylo didn't actually want you gone, he only said it to get under your skin. He wasn't expecting you to so nonchalantly agree.

Why did I do that?

Kylo tried so hard to resist the thoughts and feelings he had for you that plagued his mind, how just the sight of you made him feel... funny. He always thought that maybe if he was mean enough to you, they would go away. But now with you gone completely, the feelings only rose to the surface.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself as he leaned on the doorframe, face in his hands.

When he looked up his expression hardened, noticing a Stormtrooper in the training bay staring at him. "What are you looking at!?" He yelled.

That night you laid on your bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the events in your head, which only made you angrier.

You massaged your temples in annoyance. "Stupid fucking man-child with his stupid fucking beautiful face and h-"

Your mumbling was interrupted by a light tapping at your door. It was pretty late, and most of the crew was asleep, so you were confused as to who would be knocking on your door at this hour. You were in no mood to talk to anyone though, so you just laid there, hoping whoever it was would go away.

After a few moments of silence, you heard Kylo's voice on the other side of the door.

"It's uh... It's me. I know you can hear me." The sound of his voice caught you off guard, his tone was one you'd never heard from him before. He sounded almost... sheepish.

"I'm sleeping." You shout back to him.

You thought you heard him let out a small laugh. "No you aren't. I just wanted to talk to you. Just- Can I come in? Please?" There was a slight whine to his voice.

You got up and swung the door open, glaring at him. "What?" You gestured for him to enter, your annoyance with him clear from your expression and hand movements.

Kylo stepped into your room, before you practically slammed it shut. He looked as if he were trying to look everywhere but directly at you. "I just... wanted you to know I'm..." He couldn't even finish his sentence. "I shouldn't have said what I said earlier."

You laughed, leaning against your door. "Are you in my room... apologizing to me right now? I'm sorry I just wanna make sure I'm not in some weird dream." You looked at him with a mixture of amusement and perplexity.

Kylo scoffed at you, trying to hide the slight strain in his voice. "I'm not apologizing. I'm just being... courteous... for once."

"..... Courteous?" You laughed, unable to hide how much enjoyment you were getting from this.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, shifting slightly. "Look, just because I'm here doesn't mean I'm not still pissed at you. I'm not saying I'm sorry. I do still despise you, after all."

"Oh, sure." You said sarcastically, nodding your head. "Because when I despise a person, I definitely feel the need to come to their room at midnight to explain myself."

Kylo's eye twitched as you called him out. "I do despise you! I just realized I may have gone too far, so don't be so full of yourself. Gods- I wouldn't have come here if I knew you'd be such a nightmare!"

You sighed, the amusement fading back into hurt and contempt. "If you only came here to insult me and make the situation worse, you can leave and never see me again. Which I'm sure you would love."

He took a step closer to you, pausing before speaking as a twinge of guilt crossed his expression. "Please stay." He tried to sound stern, but he knew he was in no position to give you any commands. "Look... just... come back to training tomorrow." He could feel the power slipping through his fingers.

You've gone soft, Ren. Lost your edge.

Your eyes narrowed as you glared at him. "I'll see you tomorrow." You said coldly, opening the door and gesturing for him to leave.

Kylo's brow furrowed, his ego bruised once again by your attitude towards him, but relieved that you agreed to stay. "Fine." He replied, a glint of anger returning to his eyes.

He went to storm out of your quarters, before stopping in his tracks just outside your door. "I... goodnight." He sounded pained.

What is wrong with me?

You laughed at him again, which only made him seethe. When he turned around to say something though, he realized you had already shut the door, leaving him in the dark emptiness of the hallway.

Kylo clenched his fists, his eyes burning with anger and want. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, trying to ignore the nagging thought of just... being honest with you about his feelings. Apologizing and asking you to come with him back to his chambers.

Don't be fucking stupid, Ren. She wouldn't want that. Just go now and save yourself the embarrassment.

He walked back towards his quarters, his head hung low, thoughts racing. When he entered his room, he slowly made his way to his bed before collapsing on the soft, dark sheets.

He attempted to rationalize the situation in his head, tried to brush off the entire interaction as nothing.

It's fine. This is just how we are. Tomorrow, we'll go back to normal.

Except none of it felt normal anymore.

Kylo was a mess. The entire ordeal had knocked him completely off balance, making him question himself for the first time. He took a deep breath, the anger in his heart fading to soul crushing emptiness.

Gods- Why am I like this? Every time I want to be kind, I end up going cold and pushing her even further away... I couldn't even say I was sorry and now she fucking hates me.

I dont even know why I want to be so nice to her, she constantly has an attitude and she acts like she's better than me.

His heart sank as he realized.

She is better than me.

He fought back tears, ashamed by his own weakness. Kylo laid completely still, taking a few more deep breaths before finally surrendering.

He shuddered as tears began to fall, and for the first time in his life, he wished he had someone there who he didn't have to hide his pain from.

You sat on the edge of your bed, knee bouncing and staring at the floor. Your mind was running a million light years a minute as you argued with yourself, your heartache and your anger having a moral battle.

I shouldn't have been so harsh, he seemed genuinely remorseful there for a moment... until I made fun of him.

Oh please. Ren is never remorseful about anything. He just enjoys tormenting me at training and was worried about losing that.

But there was an air about Kylo tonight... something different. Something softer that only a trained eye could have seen. And you saw it, you know you did. It was something you had never seen from him before.

I need to talk to him.

You quickly stood up and rushed out the door of your quarters. You didn't make it twenty feet down the hallway before you ran into something- someone.

You yelped at the sudden collision. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness of the quiet hallway you looked up and your eyes connected with Kylo's. Usually he had this perpetual expression of anger on his face, but now he looked... sad?

It's him.

It's her.

Kylo froze, his body tensing slightly once he realized you were mere inches from him. He had a second realization, and a small wave of excitement and nervousness washed over him.

Did she come to see me too?

"W-what are you doing here?" You whispered, not wanting to admit you were headed to see him.

"What are you doing here?" Kylo asked back, tilting his head. The truth was, he had just finished crying and he was fighting the urge to tell you how badly he needed you. How every time you're near him he finds himself gazing at your lips. How he absolutely adores your fiery attitude that always comes out the most during your sparring sessions, despite how much he pretended to hate it. It was a losing battle, he could only hide how he felt for so long.

"I asked first..." You attempt to retort, but trailing off as you notice his tear stained cheeks in the dim lighting of the hallway. Your expression softens. "Ren, have you been crying?"

Before you could even begin to process the foreign idea of someone as cold as Kylo crying, your face was in his hands and his lips were crashing into yours.

You froze initially, before melting into him. His kiss was full of need, months of tension snapping as your lips moved against his. He moved his hands down to wrap his arms around you. His grip on you was gentle but he held you tightly, as if he feared you would disappear at any moment.

Kylo pulled away just for a moment to breathe, pressing his forehead against yours. His heart raced with emotion, and his body felt entirely out of his control.

"I don't care if you hate me, I just couldn't survive much longer without telling you how much I need you." His voice was soft but there was a tinge of desperation to it.

Your fingers snaked their way through his dark locks. "I never hated you, I just thought you hated me." You smiled slightly, out of breath.

The energy from your touch and your words surged through Kylo's body, any remnants of the fear and contempt he felt just hours ago had now disappeared completely.

"I only ever hated myself for feeling something I didn't understand. But I understand now." He whispered before kissing you again, this time more urgently.

You were everything Kylo ever wanted. Your touch, your voice, your presence. Everything about you enchanted him and in that moment he felt like he had known you for far longer than he actually had. He couldn't stop kissing you, and he never wanted to stop.

Instinctively, you moaned against his mouth. The sound of the sweet noises he drew from you made his whole body feel like it was on fire. He pushed you against the durasteel wall, his lips sliding down your neck and then back up to your mouth. He smirked against your skin at your soft gasps of pleasure.

Kylo pulled away again for a moment, his dilated eyes locked on yours as he breathed heavily. He quickly took your hand into his own, gripping it tightly before taking a few steps back, pulling you away from the wall and leading you down the hallway to his quarters.

The sounds of your hushed laughter and shushing of each other filled the quiet of the hallway as you both practically ran hand in hand. If someone else had been in the halls, you would have looked like two school children running off to do something you shouldn't.

You knew you would both be late to training tomorrow morning, and so did he... but neither of you really cared.

[pirate-of-the-southern-isles]

Me with General Hux: Yiissss, yuusssss, give me more Feral Space Ginger, that one glimpse in a really small bit in a kid's comic book? ICONIC, canon 100%, loving it. Slay, my Emperor, you are doing amazing at destroying the galaxy, sweetie, I can't wait to see you committing more atrocities, say hi to Millicent for me

Me with prince Hans: <looking anxiously at Disney> pls leave him alone. Forget his existence. Forget he was ever there. He is invisible, literally, forever. No I don't want more Hans content, I am good, just don't make it worse pls

[rhea-of-kaylie]

moodboard aesthetic of my sequel rewrite. emphasis on reylo but more ships will pop up don’t y'all worry. now, the outlining commences...

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Dear sir or madam, I am General Hux of the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Finalizer. I was recently strong-armed by a colleague into joining an order of mystic knight-warriors and now they want me take part in their team-building orgies. Please advise.

Author: @kdazrael

Note from submitter: This fic is a spiritual experience. Wow!

[safaiagem]

Preserve and Get It Done - Series Masterpost

Before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I considered myself a casual Star Wars fan. I had seen all of the movies and really enjoyed them, but never really engaged in the fandom. However, that movie did what Disney wanted it to and brought me into the fandom. Unlike most people, I immediately jumped on the Rey/Finn/Poe bandwagon and wrote Like An Exposed Nerve in 2018. I also saw Rogue One, and to this day, that's my Star Wars movie, and I adore it. I got the idea for That Which Is Lost By Not Trying mere weeks after seeing the film, but it wasn't until the Fanfic Frenzy of 2020 that it finally got written. Then, I came up with a way to connect my two sequel trilogy fics with my Rogue One AU, and we went from there. Following the release of the last sequel trilogy film, I also added a one-shot after the events of Like An Exposed Nerve.

I've had an idea for a fifth story in this series for a long time, but it has felt too similar to previous entries, and I worry no one would be interested. Three out of the four fics in Preserve and Get It Done are multi-chapters and 25k+ with one one-shot, with the total for the series being 102,501 words. The three multi-chapter fics are R/M for Mature, while the one-shot is NC-17/E for Explicit. All links and story details are below.

"Persevere and get it done." - George Allen, Sr.

That Which Is Lost By Not Trying AO3 and Livejournal Rating: M Words: 26,116 Summary: Jyn is forced to relive the Battle on Scarif over and over again until she gets it right. And maybe she falls in love with Cassian on the way.

Hidden in the Shadows AO3 and Livejournal Words: 37,852 Rating: M Summary: After the events of Scarif, the Rogue One team has been dishonorably discharged from the Alliance to set an example and prevent any other soldiers from going rogue. They don't have any allies left, but they still want to fight; they have to fight another way to do it; from the shadows. They have blood on their hands; they aren't the heroes the Alliance can rally behind, but that doesn't mean they don't have a part to play in this war.

Image by @psychvamp25 who is an actual angel

Like An Exposed Nerve AO3 and Livejournal Words: 36,416 Rating: M Summary: Written Before The Last Jedi Came Out: With the Resistance running on fumes, Leia has to reluctantly send out Jedi’s-in-training Rey and Finn on a mission with Poe to investigate what they believe to be an abandoned base. What they find there is something even more dangerous than a lightsaber; obsession.

A Bond Between Souls AO3 and Livejournal Words: 2,117 Rating: E Summary: Poe returns from another mission exhausted when Rey and Finn give him some bad news. Then, they decide to use the oldest trick in the book when it comes to not dealing with your problems.

[daydream-cement]

The Road Trip Ch. 1

Larissa Weems, Captain Phasma, Miranda Hilmarson, and Brienne of Tarth are all stuck in a car together, headed towards a vacation none of them are prepared for.

this fic has been such a joy to write with my @bri-sonat !!! this was such a labor of love and i loved writing every bit of it :)

“So, you want to take a right up here and get on to the highway,” Brienne looked up from the map in her lap, pointing towards the turn coming up. She was sitting in the passenger seat beside Phasma, who was driving the car.

At Brienne’s direction, Phasma snapped her head toward the knight, giving her the usual glare, signaling that she was very much aware of where to go. “Yes, thank you, Brienne.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and with a sigh, the captain flicked on the car turn signal before steering the car down the ramp leading to the freeway. “Can you two shut up back there!?” Larissa and Miranda had taken their places in the backseat. The headmistress sitting behind Phasma, and the constable sitting behind Brienne. The shapeshifter had made a comment on how the chromed captain should’ve slowed down even more when turning, and Miranda had simply opened a bag of crisps.

“Sorry, Phasma…” Miranda would gladly admit that she found the captain a little intimidating if it meant she would keep her life. “I’ll open the snacks more silently next time.” She glanced at Larissa who was leaning slightly forward, only enough for her voice to reach Phasma’s ear, silently begging the headmistress to keep her mouth shut.

Phasma had warned them all in advance that in her car, her rules were final, and her rules were: ‘keep your mouth shut, or I will shut it for you.’ It was a simple one, the problem was, Larissa had no interest in simple things, not allowing herself to get bossed around considering she usually did the bossing.

“I’m just saying, you could’ve taken that turn a little bit more gracefully. It almost made Miranda spill her drink on me,” Larissa stated matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes at Phasma’s stubbornness. She thought she was offering ‘constructive suggestions’ on the captain’s driving, and that it would be appreciated. It was not.

“I’ll kill you a little bit more gracefully…” Phasma muttered under her breath, instantly questioning why she had agreed to go on this God-forsaken road trip knowing that if the entire ride was going to be anything like the first ten minutes had been, she would surely lose her sanity. She was starting to envy Lucifer’s choice, to not respond at all. She too wished she wasn’t in this car.

“What was that?” The shapeshifter hadn’t quite heard exactly what the captain had said, but she could draw her own conclusions about what it could’ve been if she based it on the very little she knew about the chromed trooper.

“I said, I’ll kill you a little bit more gracefully if you don’t sit your ass back, stop breathing into my ear, and shut your mouth.” Even if Phasma’s voice was at a normal volume, the threat, and anger in it did not go unnoticed, and Larissa decided that it was best to obey her for now if she wanted to get to her destination in one piece.

The silence in the car was deafening after Larissa had leaned back into her seat, Brienne sneaking occasional glances at Phasma, and Miranda had started munching on her snacks. Every once in a while offering the shapeshifter some by silently holding it out for the headmistress to take, which she did.

The sounds of classical music filled the car which helped in lulling Miranda to sleep who was now napping against the window, her head on a pillow that she brought from home. Larissa had opted to take her phone out, answered some emails, and was now playing Candy Crush on it, trying to pass the time, mindlessly snacking on the crisps the woman next to her had given her before falling asleep.

Brienne had her eyes fixed on the map in her lap, reading over the bookings again and again, ensuring that everything was as it should be. Sitting next to Phasma who relished in the silence, staring dead ahead at the winding road as she drove them closer to their destination, was proving to be an interesting experience.

The knight would not say that she was intimidated by Phasma, but there was definitely professional regard that played a part, wanting to respect the trooper's wishes for tranquility.

“Hey, Phasma?” The knight in the passenger seat spoke up, silent to avoid waking Miranda and to evade enraging the captain by making too much noise. She had contemplated saying anything for the past half hour but landed in having to swallow the fear of angering the scary woman next to her.

“Brienne.” Remaining focused on the road, Phasma’s mouth formed into a frown, a tiny bit annoyed at the disruption of her peace but grateful for her hushed voice. “Is something the matter?”

“Not really. I just wanted to bring it to the captain’s attention that once constable Hilmarson wakes up she will be... energetic, to say the least.” Brienne had been terrified of bringing this to Phasma’s attention, knowing it would not be liked by the driver. “I’d say we have another ten minutes of silence.”

Phasma grunted, “Thank you for the information, Lord Brienne.” To say that the chromed trooper would cherish the next ten minutes was an understatement. She already rued the seconds leading up to Miranda’s eventual rousing.

“You’re welcome,” Brienne went back to her activity of reading over the documents in her lap, every now and then looking out the window, observing the passing landscape.

As if she had an internal alarm clock, Miranda awoke ten minutes later on the dot with new-found energy, causing Larissa to put her phone away, realizing she had spent almost two hours playing that silly game. It did prove to be a successful way to pass the time, even if it felt like no time at all had passed.

“What did I miss?” Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Miranda took in the very quiet space, glancing to the rearview mirror where she met Phasma’s eyes that bore into hers, causing the constable to look away faster than she had intended.

“Not much,” Larissa mumbled next to her, answering her query. 

“Not much? Wha- Does this mean you’ve been sitting in silence this entire time?” Miranda couldn’t believe her ears, this was not how a road trip was supposed to be. There was supposed to be loud music, sing-alongs, and games. Apparently, there had been none of that during her slumber and she found that offensive.

“Yes. It is how our driver wishes for it to be.” Larissa had given up on defying Phasma long ago, succumbing to the captain’s will for serenity. The headmistress turned her head to look out the window as the comforting sounds of piano filled the car space once again.

Miranda frowned, almost pouting, at how boring her fellow travelers were being. This was not how she expected the trip to be even if she knew of Phasma’s rules beforehand, but she had hoped that the captain would be adaptable and abandon her regulations once she realized how fun they could have. This was too boring for her.

The constable started looking about the car, peeking over the passenger seat to see what Brienne was doing but grew bored of that the second she saw the large map. She switched her eyes to Phasma who did not rip her eyes away from the road for even a second, other than to stare at Miranda through the mirror after she had woken up.

Phasma was an interesting person to study but she was not stimulating enough to keep Miranda entertained so she moved her gaze again, landing on the headmistress’ turned head. She was staring intently at Larissa’s hair, hoping that the shapeshifter would notice her trying to get her attention.

Larissa could feel Miranda’s eyes on her as the shapeshifter stared out the window. The constable would want to have more interaction than the knight, captain, and principal were currently offering her. Finally, Miranda’s voice rang out once more, “Larissa, we should play a game.” 

“A game?” Larissa shifts back to stare at Miranda plainly; it had been years since she partook in a travel game. 

“Yeah! Have you played the alphabet game? Or twenty questions? Or maybe, maybe we could play eye spy?” Miranda’s excitement was contagious, causing Larissa to smirk. The constable’s demeanor reminded Larissa of her more energetic students, endearing Miranda to the shapeshifter. 

“Pick a game and I’ll try my best to learn.”

“Oh, let’s do the alphabet game! Brienne will be good at this! I can tell.” Miranda was talking a mile a minute, explaining all of the rules to her fellow passengers, “All you have to do is one of us will pick a category and then we go around in a circle, stating something that starts with the letter we are given. Like if the category is food, Larissa might say apple for the letter A and then Phas would say banana for B, and then Bri would say cake for C!” 

“Don’t drag me into this.” Brienne’s voice sounded from the front, her ears spiked after hearing her name, clearly uninterested in whatever the two women in the backseat were planning on doing to pass the time. She was content reading the map and had no need for games to keep her mind stimulated, finding occupation in the small things being something she had mastered over the years.

“Oh, please Brienne! It’s no fun with just two people!” Miranda begged, her hand coming up over the back of the seat to squeeze the knight's shoulder. 

Brienne sighed, rolling her head back and staring up at the car ceiling. “Fine. But if we miss our exit, that is on you.” The knight returned her head to its previous position, looking over at Phasma. She could practically see the frustration grow within her and decided to save the chromed trooper from this ‘irrelevant and childish game.’ “However, we should probably leave the captain here out of it, I have a feeling that she would not find it as enjoyable as you, Constable.”

“Okay, fine, but Phas if you wanna join in at any point, you just jump right in.” Miranda took charge of the game, knowing if she left it up to the other women, they might not end up playing the game. “I’ll make it easy on us and pick a category. We are gonna do ‘things you can find outside’ and Bri, you are gonna start okay?”

“Can’t you find anything outside?” Larissa asked, her brow furrowing.

“I was about to ask the same question.” Brienne followed Larissa’s statement, glancing at the map every now and then to make sure they did not miss their exit knowing Phasma would not be happy if they did.

“Nature-y things! You know what I’m talking about. Don’t play devil’s advocate. Luci doesn’t need your help.” Miranda gave Larissa a playful shove and then laughed at her own joke.

Phasma’s hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. “Just get on with the game already! Enough with the dilly-dallying, it’s annoying.” Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she found the three’s game slightly intriguing, she had never heard of anything like it before. She wouldn’t want to partake, of course, but there was that naturistic curiosity that she couldn’t shake, even if she tried.

“Bri!! Go!! Something nature-y that starts with A!” Miranda wasn’t interested in pissing off Phasma more than she already had, so she was more than happy to do what she was told. 

The suddenness of the beginning of the game caused Brienne’s mind to freeze for a second, scrambling to find an answer, “Uh, oh, umm, shit. I guess, apple?” She was unsure of her answer, but it was found in nature, after all.

“Good one! Bear!” Miranda partially shouted, regretting her decision when she watched Phasma tighten her grip on the steering wheel even more.

“Catkin.” Larissa had prepared ahead of time, already thinking about the letter she would get four turns from now. Miranda shot the shapeshifter a strange look, questioning the validity of her answer, “It’s found on a tree...”

“Oh, it’s me again. Deer? Yeah. Deer.” Brienne was growing more confident in her answers, getting the hand of the new game she had been introduced to minutes ago. She was used to being put on the spot as a knight, but this was entirely different. Her brain was working overtime trying to come up with responses fast enough.

“Elephant!”

“Frog.”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna do ‘G’, Phasma?” Miranda knew what the response would probably be, but she felt guilty for not trying to include her.

“Yes. I am sure,” Phasma responded through gritted teeth, Miranda’s game already transitioning from intriguing to exasperating. 

“Okay, then... Brienne, it's your turn.” Miranda rolled her eyes, frustrated that the chrome-clad captain wouldn’t participate in her game. 

“Grass.” Brienne smiled to herself, proud that this answer came to her much quicker than the others. Could’ve had something to do with the vast amount of greenery running along the asphalted road, there wasn’t much else to look at.

“Hill!” Miranda was on the edge of her seat, ready with her response when Brienne finished speaking. 

“Isopod.” Larissa wore a smug smirk with her answer, believing it showed off her diverse knowledge of many topics. In most situations, she stood out in a crowd due to her height, but this group simply made her blend in, so her intelligence was the only thing she could rely on to stand out.

“Jagu- Oh! Phasma, our exit is coming up.” Brienne interrupted herself when she noticed that the ramp to get off the freeway was closer than she thought. She had gotten so invested in the game that she completely forgot to check the map, thankfully there were signs along the road that reminded her. “Sorry, Hilmarson, Weems. We’re going to have to put a lid on the game for now.”

Miranda huffed in response, slouching back in her seat, her only source of entertainment gone for now. 

“This exit right here?” Phasma was satisfied with their incessant game finally ending, even more so that their destination was close. She would finally get out of this car. She lifted one hand of the steering wheel, pointing towards the ramp that was getting closer and closer.

“Aye.” Brienne nodded, looking up at what Phasma was pointing at, and then down at her map again, checking so it matched, checking so they didn’t take the wrong turn. The captain placed her hand on the steering wheel once again, using her other to switch on the turn signal, preparing to change lanes.

The shift of the car caused the pouting constable to dramatically slide over, her head landing on Larissa’s shoulder as she stared out the front windshield. The shapeshifter wanted to comment on the roughness of the steer, but refrained from it, not wanting to anger Phasma even more. She instead brought a hand to the back of Miranda’s head, running her fingers through her short hair and shaking her own head gently at the silliness of the Aussie woman.

“Are we there yet?” Miranda called out, keeping herself comfortably attached to Larissa’s side.

Phasma’s only response was to glare at Miranda through the rearview mirror, conveying her words very clearly through her piercing gaze: ‘ask again, and I will kick you out of this car.’

Brienne was much kinder than Phasma and decided to answer Miranda’s query, “No. I would say that we have another forty minutes in this car before we arrive.” After she had finished speaking, a calm filled the car and it remained for the duration of the drive.

Lucifer was waiting patiently at the destination when they arrived. Their expression contained a nearly undetectable smile as they were mildly surprised all of the women arrived in one piece. With Phasma in the car, they had expected at least an appendage to be missing. Lucifer’s voice twinged with the mischievous knowledge that they had been the sole cause of this silly little trip, “How was your journey?”

Phasma slammed the door shut, looking over at Lucifer with a scowl as she grumbled under her breath about how frustrating they all were. How rude they were for ignoring her very clear rules. Brienne emerged from the passenger side, closing it before answering the lightbringer’s inquiry, “For me? Fine. For the captain? Best not to ask.”

“I slept during most of it, but it was okay. A little boring for my taste, personally.” Miranda shrugged before stretching, trying to get rid of the rigidness and stiffness currently hounding her limbs.

“We are lucky someone isn’t dead,” Larissa huffed, gripping her purse to her as she took her place at the lightbringer’s side, not particularly interested in helping with the bags while Phasma was near the trunk. After their little spat at the beginning of the trip, Larissa was avoiding her at all costs.

Lucifer was amused with Phasma’s and Larissa’s answers. This was going to be very entertaining to the Lightbringer.

Brienne rounded the car, stopping in front of the trunk and opening it. She and Phasma, the strongest ones in the group, had been chosen to carry the heavier pieces of luggage that had been brought on the trip. This was quite obvious, and the two women had no issues with accepting the job, but they started to question just how much of this was needed for a week’s vacation.

As Phasma lugged the baggage toward the shared house they had rented, she realized she would have to sit through all those hours once again when it would be time to return home. It made her groan, knowing that she had barely stayed sane on the ride here. She did not know how she would survive. Less keep this week accident free. Her trigger finger was already twitching, and she just had to be grateful that they had separate rooms.

The trip back was going to suck, that she was sure of. 

[contactinfonotfound]

A Star Wars AU I'm workin on

In this AU, Rey is a 12 year old force sensitive orphan, with no idea of her past. The first thing she remembers is being left of Jakku. Rey doesn't understand she's force sensitive, she just believes she has unnaturally good luck. She is very sensitive to discovering metals, which people on Jakku exploit into slave labor. She's been living on Jakku for about 6 years on her own, finding shelter in a broken Pod ship she wishes to one day repair. In the pod she found many flight and repair manuals, and the former pilots helmet she wears to go into town, so no one knows what her race is.

Most importantly in this Au, she is Han and Leia's second child.

[Minor spoiler warning for the cannon movies?]

After Kylo gets attacked by Luke and flees with his First Order, he takes Rey, his 6 year old sister, as well. He leaves her behind on Jakku, in hopes of her being allowed to create her own future. He understands what he's doing is just as corrupt as the Jedi, and doesn't want to force her into his plans. He won't force her to either side out of his own ideals. He wants her to become her own person. And in a way, she does. He himself doesn't quite grasp the trauma he's creating for her, but he had good intentions.

After not only losing Kylo, but losing Rey as well, Han and Leia hit rock bottom. Blaming themselves for not being there for their own children. They split up. Leia continues her duties, while Han is a complete crash out.

Rey's biggest dream is to leave Jakku by any means. After discovering BB8 on her normal daily work routes, she feels herself be lucked into this adventure. She can't fight exactly, but she's gotten good at hiding. And she's never flown a ship of any kind, but with the most basic knowledge on the ins and outs of ship mechanics, and her unintentional amazing resonation with the force, she usually has a good idea on how to help the adults in the groups fly foreign ships.

Initially, all she wants is to find a more sustainable and more populated planet to live on, but after being roped into this adventure, she feels force sensitive to Han, Leia and Kylo, and yearns to seek them out. Kylo is ashamed to ever face Rey, and tries his best to hide from her. He tries his best not to allow any violent sith intervention to be near her. But once again, as far as she knows, the only reason she's not being attacked is because she has the luck of a million shooting stars. After they meet face to face, and force speak like how they did in the movies, all is revealed.

[venushasvixens]

Seeing this after the last episode of the mandalorian, it makes me so happy that we are finally tying in the sequels

[cowboygenesis]

4: baby, baby | kylo ren x reader

part 4 of the "bump it, cool it" series: masterlist. | buy me a coffee?

pairing: [modern!au] kylo ren x reader chapter warnings: explicit language. word count: 2.3k series summary: when your roommate’s older brother needs a place to crash, you begrudgingly offer up your couch— only to realize he’s the most insufferable, entitled asshole you’ve ever met. the worst part? you can’t seem to stop thinking about him. notes: we're going with shorter chapters for this fic! also, do you guys like the text part?? it's been so long since i've tried something similar lol but it's so charming! (also i rarely proofread what i post, i'm sorry if it's obvious i just get vertigo looking at the same text for hours on end)

Now Playing: Baby - Ariel Pink

You let out a loud yawn, suppressing it with the sleeve of your sweater. You feel your eyelids sticking, eyes glazed with sleep as you reach for your portable cup. As you take a sip, the rich aroma floods your nostrils, urging you to inhale slowly.

Your manicured finger taps away at the touchpad of your sleek laptop. You were supposed to be taking notes, but today feels pretty slow. Even your lecturer seems to be drooping down in her seat more than usual as the slides flicker across the projector ahead. You catch some information about Morrison… or maybe it was Melville? Regardless, you’d catch up on the reading over your long weekend— god knows you had nothing better to distract yourself from him.

It’s been over a week since Kylo’s arrival and your unfortunate argument, or fight, as Rey had insisted on calling it. You disagreed— it was merely a brief lapse in your patience, and you were ready to bounce back to your daily life soon after.

Except Kylo wasn’t. He made a point of ignoring you most days, disappearing from his couch-bed before you even managed to have your morning coffee. He’d be gone most of the day and come back late at night, usually with a box of takeout or a 4-pack of beer. His avoidance made you that much more upset, at some point making you consider throwing away the pack of cigarettes he’d leave in the kitchen every evening. You discarded the thought eventually, thinking it’d be juvenile to resort to his level of pettiness.

And as such you’ve been coexisting, sharing a home yet living completely separate lives. The few times he’d make a rare appearance, Rey was there to save you from awkwardness. Most recently, it was over breakfast.

Kylo had an annoying habit of completely disregarding your detailed shower schedule. This meant that most days you’d be forced to sit idly in your room until he finished his business, except one fateful Wednesday morning. You had made the foolish mistake of waiting in the kitchen that time, typing away at your laptop when you heard the shower turn off. It was only a matter of time before he emerged from the bathroom down the hall, hair pulled-back and pale skin slick with moisture.

“Hey,” you had greeted him out of courtesy, earning but a short nod in return.

You tried to keep your attention on the screen of your laptop, but his looming presence made it difficult. Despite his obvious spite toward you, his gaze seemed to stay glued to your idle form as you typed away on the keyboard. There were no words exchanged, just the brief instance of eye contact that made your spine prickle. Whenever you’d make the unfortunate mistake of meeting his gaze, he seemed to be making that same face— eyes narrowed, and that teasing fucking smirk painting his plush lips.

“Damn him,” you mutter under your breath, eyes rolling at the memory. “Damn him and his ugly mug.”

You tap open a new private page in your browser, fingers hovering over the keyboard as you worry your lip between your teeth. The thought has been biting at your curiosity for a few days now, but it never felt safe to make the call at home— you knew he could find you out at any moment, and you’d be screwed for the rest of his visit.

With one eyebrow quirked, you quickly type in your query: ‘Kylo Ren.’

As you press the ‘enter’ key, your eyes squint at the inflow of results onscreen. Without any pictures, you’re forced to click the first available result— a LinkedIn page.

Your heart skips a beat when the page loads in. You’re met with a picture of him in black and white, looking at the camera. His face is relaxed, almost stern, suiting his choice of clothing. You think you like him better in a t-shirt as opposed to the turtleneck he dons in the picture, but you brush the thought off quickly before it managed to settle in your gut.

You scroll, hands jittering slightly. Has researching someone online always felt so dirty?

Below, you catch sight of his professional resume. The technicalities make little sense to you for the most part, but indeed, he’s listed as owner of a company called ‘Solo Solutions’ specializing in IT-related services. You realize the name rings a bell, and quickly connect it with a purse of your lips: Rey Solo. You figure it must be their family name, except it wouldn’t match the ‘Ren’ listed on his profile.

You huff, quickly exiting the page and returning to your initial search list. Skipping the purple link, you instead opt for the second one that takes you to the familiar layout of the Facebook website.

“Oh, god,” you whisper under your breath, leaning toward the screen. Your little internet escapade evolves into something much more intimate as you spot Kylo’s profile. The picture here is much different to the professional version, depicting a candid photo of the man’s back as he stands at a bar. With his head tilted slightly, you spot the curve of a smile through the motion blur. You swallow thickly, glancing at the name.

‘Kylo Ren (Ben Solo)’ stares back at your rouged visage, taunting you with the mystery. Your first instinct tells you that the choice is simply stylistic, perhaps to maintain a certain mein in the unforgiving world of corporate, but even then— something doesn’t sit right with you. You’d like the puzzle pieces to snap together, but instead, you find yourself opening the photos section of the page.

Once it loads in, you feel an immediate thrum in your chest at what you see. Dozens of rows filled with various photos, each one depicting Kylo—Ben—on a different background, in a different situation. But it’s not what differs about these images that startles you, it’s what connects them.

His smile.

Across each photo, Kylo’s face greets you with a warm, earnest grin, eyes squinted and dimples showing. You never even knew he had them.

Your free hand squeezes the hem of your sweater as you keep browsing. You feel your gut twisting as you skip past each row, taking in the variety: pictures of his travels abroad, in office, at home… and finally, alongside a woman.

She looks to be about his age, with flaxen hair and bright eyes that squint into a smile as he kisses her cheek. The picture radiates with a joyful, chaotic energy that you’d never expect from Kylo, let alone him in interaction with another human being. But you know this is different.

The realization dawns on you like a sudden storm, surging in your veins and making you chew the inside of your cheek. As you continue down the timeline, you spot the pair again and again, kissing, touching, embracing. In each picture, Kylo smiles. He’s radiant alongside this beautiful woman, his gaze locked on her form like she’s the single most important thing in the world.

Your stomach sinks with something akin to dread, making you shake your head as you swiftly close the page. Your fingers jitter above the touchpad, making you reach for your coffee to quell the accompanying dryness in your throat. As the bitter liquid slicks down your throat and into your stomach, it settles into nausea.

Everything clicks into place. Or, at the very least, one reason for Kylo’s sudden move— and his recent anger toward you. The relationship seems picture perfect, so you’d feel sympathetic if the breakup was indeed a reality.

Except you don’t feel sympathy. Instead, your head thrums with a dull headache as you squeeze your fists, nails digging into your palms. A simmering frustration settles into your insides, stirring your leg into bouncing impatiently.

‘Why?’ you think, settling your cup down to rub at your aching temples, ‘Why would this ever be a subject of my cares?’

And then, something vibrates soundlessly at your hip. You exhale sharply, reaching into the pocket of your pants to withdraw the sleek figure of your phone. When the screen lights up, your tongue goes dry again.

Unknown, 13:57 how’s school

The text looks at your confusion-stricken face, glaring. Your unlock your phone, swiping to the app and letting your thumbs linger above the keyboard for a beat before replying.

Me, 13:58 who’s this?

A grey chat bubble appears after a second, indicating an approaching reply. You bite your bottom lip, fingers flexing and releasing in anticipation. Deep down, part of you knows who it is before the message even comes.

Unknown, 14:00 need wi-fi password. where’s the router

Your jaw almost drops. Surely enough, you were right about the mysterious correspondent, and surely enough, he’s just as annoying through text as he is in real life.

Your eyebrows furrow, and you sigh as your thumbs get to work again.

Me, 14:03 are you serious

Unknown, 14:03 dead serious signals shit in the living room

You scoff, head shaking as you cross your legs.

Me, 14:04 you haven’t talked to me in days and now you’re texting me for the wifi???

Unknown, 14:05 well yea. what else would i text you for

You feel that simmering frustration in your veins bubble into something greater beat by beat. Rolling your eyes, you send your last text message before making a promise to yourself to block the asshole before he completely ruins your day.

Me, 14:06 go fuck yourself

Unknown, 14:06 touchy

You place the device screen-down on your desk, scoffing. You hear it vibrate almost immediately, but do your best to ignore it as you turn your attention to the lecture. Your professor stands at the small podium, pointing to one of the white-boards with a green marker. Another vibration.

You shake your head, opening your Google Doc and typing some bullet points onto the blank page. “A binary opposite is a complete opposite and this is apparent in Brontë's Jane Eyre through the…” you mutter, before another vibration shakes your desk.

You groan in frustration, slapping your laptop closed before withdrawing your phone again.

Unknown, 14:10 so where is it cmon, dont leave me waiting you want me to grovel?

His text leaves you rolling your eyes again, lip caught between your teeth as you reply.

Me, 14:11 tempting

The grey bubble pops up for a beat, before disappearing again. Your thumbs tap against the edge of your phone in something akin to anticipation, but instead of shoving the feeling aside, your heart thrums at the response that comes.

Unknown, 14:13 didn’t know you liked me on my knees

Your jaw almost comes slack, looking around briefly as if checking the perimeter. Most of your colleagues are, like you, zoned out or mindlessly scrolling their devices. When you type again, your thumbs quiver.

Me, 14:14 not telling suffer :)

Unknown, 14:14 WAIT please

The small curve of your mouth comes unsolicited, making you purse your lips.

Me, 14:15 please what?

Unknown, 14:16 please, dear roomie where can i find the router?

The subtle curve bends into a smirk.

Me, 14:17 behind the TV.

Unknown, 14:17 did that kill you?

Me, 14:18 yes. writing from the afterlife hope the wifi sucks for u

You exhale slowly when the replies halt, clicking your phone off before placing it on the desk again. You cross your arms, biting down the grin forming on your lips. You know it stems from the satisfaction of getting Kylo to plead, but still— something about it feels wrong, like the fluttering in your chest shouldn’t be occurring regardless.

With another sigh, you open the lid of your laptop again and get back to mindless note-taking. The class concludes at half-past, and you’re already thinking of the hefty salad you’ll be having at the canteen once you’re out of this stuffy lecture hall.

Another vibration comes. Without second-guessing, you grab your phone within seconds.

Unknown, 14:21 too bad. signals great

You scoff, eyes rolling at the reply. Part of you feels like you should have extended your torture for a while longer, just to make him pay for ignoring you all week.

The grey bubble hovers over the text bar again before disappearing. You bite the inside of your cheek, waiting.

What appears onscreen next knocks the breath out of your lungs.

Unknown, 14:23 thanks baby

You inhale sharply, turning your phone off and dropping it into the depths of your bag. Your fingers tremble as they curl into the fabric of your jeans, but you ignore it, staring blankly at the lecture notes on your screen as the text echoes in your mind.

Baby.

You shake your head, jaw tightening as you force your focus back on the words before you. It means nothing. Kylo’s an asshole who throws words around just to get under your skin, you know this all too well. That’s all this is—another attempt to piss you off.

But the heat licking at the back of your neck tells a different story.

The professor dismisses the class. Chairs scrape against the floor, students shuffle out, conversations bubble up around you. You move on autopilot, shoving your laptop into your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. Your legs feel stiff as you push out of the lecture hall, into the busy corridor, then into the crisp air outside.

It’s chilly outside, but the sun is bright enough to make you shield your eyes with your forearm.

You exhale.

“Fuck him,” you mutter, head shaking as you begin walking down your campus. You square your shoulders, focusing on the rhythmic sound of your boots against the pavement. Students pass by in pairs and clusters, chattering about lectures and weekend plans.

He ignored you for days. That’s what matters—not the texts.

And definitely not the stupid baby.

Your breath fogs in the crisp air as you exhale again, slower this time.

You keep walking.

Your heart still thrums.

[helpinghanikan]

Star Wars: Kinktober 2023

Day 8: Marking (Kylo Ren)

Kinktober Masterlist

No one knows about what lies under all that black and brooding. Not even the supreme leader or the knights of Ren knew about the bite marks. That knowledge was only for two people to share; the one who got the bites and the one who gave them.

“It’s cold,” Kylo will mumble when he gets into bed.

He wasn’t wrong. It was a generally accepted fact that space was cold, no matter what ship you were on. Considering he wore head-to-toe covering every day it shouldn’t be surprising that Kylo felt a never-ending chill run through him. Sometimes it seemed that the only way to help was to get as close as possible. Hold him as tightly as you can and sink your teeth into the thick muscular neck and back.

It’s times like these, when you’re supposed to be sleeping, that you get the chance to really touch him. When he’s stripped bare before you and it’s not Kylo Ren that you are laying down with. He was just your man, and your man needed to be fucked.

“Come closer,” You practically beg against his mouth. Gently rolling back and forth on his cock, holding the back of his neck as though he might escape.

Your nails dig into his neck, scratching just enough to leave the impression of a scar. He doesn’t notice you doing this. He’s too busy feeling your lips leave his mouth, travel to his jaw, and suck at his neck with almost desperation.

Kylo never talked much while you had sex. He makes plenty of noise to make up for it. Smacking of strong thighs pumping upwards. His Groans from so deep in his chest that they could only be considered animalistic. His eyes, when you can see them, are half closed from how drunk on love he was.

“You taste so sweet,” you praise him, sucking to be sure your mark stays prominent.

He's trying to control himself from throwing you off and taking complete control. Being the apprentice to the dark side taught him a balance of power and submission. As the apprentice, he doesn’t have the right to force anyone to their knees just yet.

You weren’t an apprentice of the dark side, however. You were simply a woman he could take an order from.

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Teaser!

There was a story…if told could be thought of as myth or fantasy, adventures of far-off galaxies, a vast variety of creatures of different races and spoke many languages, good versus evil. Old warriors lost their planet but reclaimed their home reuniting their people a saying passed through every one of them. A creed to honor those that fought before them, beside them, and will fight for them in the coming of time.

“This is the Way.”

With armor that could handle the strongest of weapons and spirit that could never be weakened by their enemies. Formidable on the battlefield with one able to take down 20 men on their own. From foundling to apprentice to warrior trained and prepared to fight alongside their brothers and sisters in battle. To fight for their clan, their homeworld, their creed…

For Mandalore.

It’s said that the first Mand’alor harnessed a power that no other Mandalorian had, the essence of life that was in every living and non-living thing. The energy that binds and holds the universe and life itself together. The light with dark…the good with evil. Balance. It goes by many names of what this gift is but to many, it is known as the Force. While it resides in everyone some contain a significant amount that they could tap into.

Those who could wield it were known as Jedi, protectors of the peace and guardians of justice. But with good comes evil. Light and Dark. Jedi and Sith.

But the Jedi are gone, massacre many years ago the shift of Light and Dark to great for the few who survived to try to stop it. So those that did live stayed hidden, in desolate planets, or populated areas, and restrained their abilities, hiding the true nature of their being.

But with a rise in the Dark comes strength in Light, a savior, the chosen one…a hero.

Some may say they’ve witnessed this hero, standing tall while the others cowered a weapon of great power in them but also one they wield. Of hot plasma that could cut through any object, and deflect any bolt of blaster, the weapon of both the Jedi and the Sith.

In the past, they remember them, the brilliant blues, verdant greens, and royal purples, of their heroes.

When their heroes had fallen it was a farm boy from a desert planet wielding a blue saber brighter than the sky above and a green saber as rich as the grass on the most lush planets.

But that hero’s journey was over his duty complete, and soon a new hero would step up to take his place and start their journey.

Some say she was a farm girl as well…on the same desert planet as the past hero. A very strange almost enchanting girl with the courage of such a young child. With the blood of warriors and protectors in her. She had the same weapon but not a familiar hue. It shined like the dual suns that set on her home planet. A radiant orange that color rivals the richest of dyed skills and wools, and its hilt holds the powerful blade was the strongest of metals. The same metal that was from the warriors. It was said she traveled far with a warrior in silver armor that gleamed in the light and also a protector, though many assumed the small babe could be no threat its physical appearance deceiving to the years of training and power within its small body.

They say they wandered very far…over land and sea. Planets and its people remembered them how could they not. The three were noticeable and wherever they went trouble or danger followed. And those that got too close were involved and many didn’t survive this hero’s journey. A little shy and sad of eye…but very wise was she.

And then one day…it was a magic day she passed my way and while we spoke of many things. Of fools and kings. Fools that wished to learn more of this ever-growing galaxy naive to its dangers and kings that believed wealth and power let them truly be safe and content.

With weariness in her bones, a face haunted by grief and sorrow, and her companions were now gone. The man who trained her cared for her, protected her and the child that comforted her, and brought light and peace to the darkest of times. This is what she said to me,

“The greatest thing you'll ever learn…is just to love and be loved in return.”

But it was just a tale…a story to tell your children as they drifted to sleep, of warriors in shining armor and heroes with magic powers and laser swords.

To them, it was a tale. To that hero it was truth.

The story of a girl now a woman with no home..no love…no family...no clan of three.

There was no one else.

OBVIOUSLY, OUR STORY WITH THE CLAN OF THREE IS FAR FROM OVER!

Struggling with the trauma of their hardened youth and the threat of a new evil in the galaxy. A woman with powerful abilities and a unique bloodline joins in the fight once again.

IN THE WORKS: NO ONE ELSE SERIES

[i-smoke-chapstick]

Surrender - Rose Tico x General Hux (GingerRose)

Authors Note: Good lord….these two make my heart explode.

Warning: Kind of spicy! Nothing huge though.

——————————————————————————————

Air. Air was all Rose could feel and hear. Empty and warm air that surrounded her in this stupid cell. Only an hour ago were her and Finn on their knees infront of the pathetic First Order General. Only an hour ago did the bastard place his disgusting gloved hand under her chin- tilting her to look up at him. She’d debated biting it off- but thought against the better part of herself. It would do no good. No matter how much she wished to see the filth of his smirk wiped from his face.

Now- she was here. Dim lights of the cell flickering to life. She’d been alone. She was sure this wasn’t the end- someone would have to come to the rescue. They couldnt have just been…abandoned? Could they? Gods…she thought it had been only an hour. Her mind flashed with images of Finn. What could they be doing to him?

She was sat down- curled up against her knees as her hands were bound together. She could feel her heart beat- a mixture of fear and determination. She could feel her heart beating to the empty rythm of the air. It was horrid. It was all horrid.

She closed her eyes as she heard the clank of steps outside- heavy boots. They were frustratingly…gracefully getting closer.

As the cell door creaked open, Rose glanced up from her knees, meeting the General’s cold and calculating gaze. His uniform pristine, his demeanor stern, he exuded authority as he approached her with measured steps. The tension in the room was palpable, the unspoken animosity simmering between them like a coiled serpent.

"You're quite the thorn in my side, scum." Hux stated, his voice steady, yet laced with an underlying intensity. "Your resistance and tenacity are both impressive and vexing."

What the hell was he doing here? Rose didn't flinch, her gaze unwavering, a subtle defiance evident in her eyes. "I'll never stop fighting for what I believe in," she replied, her voice matching his own steadiness, refusing to let him see her vulnerability. Though it came out as more of a weak snarl.

Hux's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes narrowing as if relishing the challenge. "What did I say about rebel vermin?” A scowl nearly surfaced. “What you “believe” in is far below the First Order. The Republic is no more.” He spat the word “Republic”, looking at her with accomplishment. His eyebrows raised slightly, tantalizing half smile playing on his face.

Rose didn’t believe it. She knew. The Resistance would never give up, not now. Not ever. Someone would come find her and Finn- and when they did- they would keep fighting. As they had always done.

She didn’t grace him with a response- simply looking up at him in hatred. Her nostrils flared- eyes looking up at him from beneath her brows. Somehow- her lack of a response seemed to irk him. His smile slipped into the familiar scowl- raising his hand. Expecting a blow to the face like Finn got- she closed her eyes- ready to accept- but it never came.

When she opened her eyes- she found the General simply holding his hand up- lip curled. It was as though he had stopped himself- and in his own halt- confused himself as well. His brows furrowed onto her.

There was a moment of charged silence as their eyes locked, a silent battle of wills taking place between them. Rose felt the tension building like an electrical storm, unsure whether to brace herself for the strike or to succumb to the pull of…strange attraction she sensed emanating from Hux.

The General shook his head- as though to shake off his own failure to punish her.

Finally, Rose took her turn to speak- voice leveled. She remembered the feeling of his glove- tracing her cheek and down to her chin- forcing her head to look up at him. The touch…strangely gentle.

“What is it your doing here? If you’re not going to torture me?” Her voice shook- but still dripped with resistance- determination in her throat as she nodded to his hand- still raised.

He scoffed, presumably offended. As though the question was obvious. Hux took a step closer, his breath mingling with hers, their proximity igniting an undeniable spark. He had leaned down to her level on the floor.

Rose thought- this would be the perfect time. To kick or hit or scream or bite. Though…alike Hux’s own failure to hit her- she stood completely still. She attempted to convince herself it was of the fear. The consequences she would face for hitting the man. Thats why she didn’t do it….certainly not the way his eyes trained on her…or the feeling of his touch…or the way his lips curved in the flickering light of the cell.

“You bewilder me, scum,” His voice was suddenly akin to a whisper as neither took their eyes away from the other. It was like a confession- aggression still evident in his words. “…I can't tell if I want to argue with you… or do something else entirely."

Rose swallowed, mouth dry. His hand raised again- though Rose paid it no mind. She stared into his eyes- determined to not show any weakness. It slowly raised as it did when she was first on her knees for him…gloved finger coming down to her chin- then making his way down her jaw, before turning into a fist. He roughly wrapped his hand around into her hair, forcibly pulling her neck back in a sharp motion.

Rose let out a grunt at the action, causing her to finally stand up to his level as he pulled upwards. Her mouth dropped, not taking her eyes off him once. Heavy breaths sounded between the both of them- Hux’s own strangley shakey despite his power. It made her question what the hell was happening. Though it hit her- neither of them really knew.

“Your defiance fuels my desire to break you, yet I find myself….inexplicably…captivated.” His whispers sounded. He sure does talk…a lot. Rose thought to herself, gaze moving from his eyes to his lips. She hurriedly looked away- fighting her thoughts of his lips.

Another tug to her hair forced her to look at him. “Look at me,” he growled- eyes trained on her- emperial accent shaking at his own words. ”Nothing else.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, torn between her instincts to resist and the inexplicable allure he held over her. "I won't let you break me," she asserted, though her resolve seemed to waver as his intensity bore into her soul.

“I assure you…” A slight smile played on his lips- one that he was unsure of himself. He was letting himself go. His control was slipping- but in the moment he didn’t care. Nothing mattered. He dipped his head into her own neck, hand fisted into her hair pulling back. He was now fully pressed up against her- her own body against a cell wall. “…It would be quite…pleasurable for the both of us.”

His breath grazed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. He murmured the words against her neck, his admission catching them both off guard.

She felt her thighs clench together in reflex. She hated this.

Rose's heart raced, and she mustered the strength to meet his gaze with defiance. "I won't give you the satisfaction," she whispered, her voice filled with determination. "I won't let you see me weak."

A mix of frustration and intrigue flickered across Hux's features as he pulled away from her neck to observe her. The air between them crackled with a charged energy, a dangerous dance of power and attraction that neither of them could deny.

His grip on her hair loosened slightly, and his thumb brushed against her cheek, his touch strangely tender yet tinged with restraint.

"Your soul...” His voice grew more intense. He held on to her tighter, his affection evident in every caress.

“Your body…” Hux pulled at her hair and leaned close to her lips until he was practically speaking against them.

“Your thoughts…” He struggled to get the words out as he felt the sensation of her own body press against him.

“They already give me satisfaction,” He spat- harsh contrast to the reality of the words. “You are already weak. I can see you right now. A weak…pathetic little thing.”

Rose's breath hitched, her heart conflicted by the emotions coursing through her. She had come to see General Hux as nothing more than an enemy, a cruel and heartless leader of the First Order. But now, faced with this complexing…allure…she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of anger and attraction.

"Is this some kind of game to you?" she asked, her voice trembling, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer. "Toying with me like this?"

Hux's gaze bore into hers, and for a moment, the arrogance in his eyes faded, replaced by a raw honesty that surprised them both. "No," he said, his voice barely above a whisper- cracking in self-frustration and admission. "It's not a game…I don't know what it is, but it's something I can't explain."

The vulnerability in his confession resonated with Rose, and she found herself inching closer to him, drawn to the enigma before her. Despite everything, she couldn't deny the pull she felt, the strange connection that had formed between them from then to now.

Their faces were mere inches apart, the air thick with tension and unspoken words. Rose could feel the heat of his breath on her skin, and her heart pounded in her chest, torn between the desire to fight and the desire to surrender to his wants for her.

Hux closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, calming himself enough for his voice to return to normal. He opened his eyes and looked back into hers. His gaze was filled with the same confusion and conflict as when he spoke before. He knew what he was feeling, but he couldn't admit it, not here.

“Please.” He muttered- word gutteral in his throat. As if it was foreign to him to have to beg for anything. He was used to just getting what he wanted.

Rose felt a strange mixture of emotions swirling inside her as she looked into Hux's conflicted gaze. The General, known for his cold and ruthless demeanor, now appeared vulnerable, almost like a lost little boy searching for something he couldn't quite name.

His plea hung heavy in the air, and Rose could feel the weight of his desire- though not quite fully understanding just what he was asking. It was a dangerous proposition, and part of her wanted to resist, to hold onto her defiance and not give him the satisfaction he sought.

But another part of her, a part that she had never acknowledged before, was drawn to him in a way she couldn't explain. It was as if they were two halves of a whole, two souls entangled in a fate they couldn't escape.

As his lips hovered near hers, Rose felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her. She knew she should push him away, to remind herself of the pain and suffering he had caused. The people he’d killed. Tortured without a second glance. Yet, in this moment, none of it mattered. The lines between captor and captive blurred, and all she could focus on was the magnetic pull between them.

"Please what?" she mumured, her voice barely above a whisper, feeling her resolve melt away. The vulnerability in his eyes was mirrored in her own, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the galaxy.

"Surrender," Hux stated, his voice firmer now, as if trying to regain his composure. His voice was a bit louder- as if he was commanding her as he did with the troops. He had practice, Rose reminded herself. Practice in forcing people to do what he wanted. Practice in pain. “Surrender to me. Not to the First Order. To me. No one else.”

His words made her let go of a shakey breath, and Rose found herself finally unable to retort. It was a dangerous proposition, and part of her wanted to run, to deny the questionable aura between them.

But another part of her, a part that she had kept hidden deep inside her heart, yearned to give in, to let herself be consumed by the passion and desire that Hux had suddenly awakened in her.

In that moment, Rose made a choice that would change the course of their lives forever. And with that same mix of fear and determination she had in the begginning, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was electric, a collision of conflicting emotions and unspoken desires. It was as if the cell walls around them had crumbled, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to each other.

Hux responded with equal fervor, if not more. His free hand roughly grabbed her neck, shoving her even farther into the wall that trapped her. His touch was both offensive and passionate- and in that moment, they both surrendered, unbeknownst.

As they kissed, time seemed to stand still, and the weight of the war and their responsibilities falling away. In this small, secluded moment, they were just two individuals bound by fate, trying to find solace and understanding in each other.

When they finally pulled away, both were left breathless and bewildered by the intensity of the moment. Their gazes locked once more, and in that shared look, they saw the vulnerability and strength in each other. Hux looked…horrified- but hadn’t let go of her throat in his hands. Rose looked similarly.

Neither knew where this uncharted path would lead them, but they both knew that they were forever changed. The lines between love and hate had blurred, and they were left with a whirlwind of emotions that neither of them could fully comprehend.

In the dimly lit cell, they’d both stood as equals, despite the chains that held Rose in place.

And in that moment, they realized that sometimes, surrendering to the other….may not be all that bad.

——————————————————————————————

[io-lu-art]

just a looong ramble analysing and rethinking Rey's character and turning whatever conclusions I get to into my headcanon without changing any plot points in TFA because I don't have the energy for that....

First things first. With everything I write here and publish on my blog from now on I refuse to believe that TROS ever existed. Everyone is free to have their personal opinions as long as they don't harass or hate on anyone, and this is mine. Almost every choice in that movie has left me scarred, even up til now, 4 years after its release. I thought I can ignore it, like any other healthy human being, but - oh boy, I cannot. If you are interested in reading another ramble on that, here's the post.

Since I am writing my own take on what could happen after TLJ (you may call it a fanfiction, I'm gonna call it a fanscript since that's gonna be its format), this post serves the purpose of getting my head clear around what's the deal with Rey, analysing, and lying down a solid foundation for my WIP. The story I'm writing has barely reached the end of Act I (out of III) at the moment I am composing this commentary, and I constantly notice that I get stuck with Rey's character every time I have to think about her for different reasons I will address down below.

I will make some rewrites as I see fit and necessary along the way for her character to make sense to me. All rewrites are in Tumblr's

chat style

This post will be linked to my AO3 fancifction as a reference for people to understand how I treat her character as soon as that one will be finished... *clears her throat* ...ANYWAY-

Let's have a look at Rey, shall we?

Rey's introduction.

When we first meet Rey, there is already a lot we get to learn about her. She's a scavenger. On a pretty much deserted desert planet. Water and food are scarce. She gathers parts during the day to sell them in exchange for food rations.

She has no friends, no family. She's lonely. And has been for quite a while. And yet, though hard, it looks like a pretty peaceful and stable life. If it were significantly different, we would have gotten introduction scenes of her battling some gangs or other scavengers for parts or something. But instead we were provided with beautiful, peaceful cinematography and John Williams' incredible score.

She manages. She manages because she has to and has never known to do otherwise. This on its own is already a very solid introduction. And it becomes even more powerful as we are provided with additional context later on, as she tells BB-8 that she's waiting for her family.

We know who she is, what she does and what she wants. No more questions, right?

Well, this is where it gets confusing, at least for me: there's one shot in Rey's introduction which always leaves me puzzled about her actual wants. It's the moment she puts on the rebel pilot helmet.

Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it feels like it kinda wants to draw parallels to Luke Skywalker in ANH? What exactly is the purpose of this shot? Is she putting on the helmet just for fun? Is it to show that she is still a kid inside? She seems to enjoy herself. Is it to show us that she maybe wants to be a pilot...? The gesture on its own is too little information to imply that, let alone that she already is a very skilled one, so probably no. Then, is it, perhaps, to show us that she dreams of more? Like Luke, who wanted to get off the planet that is "farthest away from the bright center of the universe"?

The interpretations, especially when looking at it in context to the rest of the movie could go on and on and on.

Quick detour.

The reason it works so well with Luke's character is because from the very beginning, with everything he does and says, it is perfectly clear that he doesn't want to stay on Tatooine. It's his only want when we first meet him.

Luke has friends who tell him about the galaxy. He seeks adventure.

And he's very impatient about it.

Everything he says basically SCREAMS how much he hates it there.

Now back to Rey.

Am I expecting Rey to show the same interest in getting off Jakku with the same attitude and level of energy as Luke, should that have been what TFA was going for? No, of course not. They are (supposed to be) two different characters after all. But I do believe that, given the setup, that helmet scene leaves too much room for confusing and unnecessary interpretation. (More so because I am trying my best to avoid nostalgia bait wherever I can.)

I am not denying the fact that she wouldn't have heard about the wider galaxy, that she wouldn't wonder about what it would feel like, being out there. People travel. And with people traveling, so do stories. So if you want to hint at that, do it subtly, all the while keeping the focus on her biggest want.

I might really just be reading too much into it, but still, in my humble opinion, a way to solve this confusion is cutting out her interaction with the pilot helmet completely. Let me demonstrate.

Inside her home we already see this self-made rebel pilot puppet. Just like the puppet lying around, instead of having her pick it up and putting it on,

the helmet remains part of the environment, stuck in the sand. There could even be a close-up on it as Rey puts down her empty plate next to it when she has finished eating if you really want to show it. She then rests her arms on her knees and looks up into the sky, following the ship that has just departed from the far outpost into the high atmosphere until it disappears. Waiting.

What is achieved by changing the interaction with the helmet is that it keeps her wants just as clear as Luke's. Luke wants adventure. She wants her family back. Period.

...I rewatched this scene after writing these paragraphs and yes, I admit, in the end it happens so fast that one could probably just let it pass and interpret it as Rey being very bored and using it as entertainment to wait out the days. But even if it were just that, the effects this little tweak would have on the following scenes is quite interesting to look at nonetheless.

The tweak I am going with from now on: Having her not actively wonder about possible adventures at all. She doesn't believe those stories to actually be true, because she's never allowed herself to. She's never allowed herself to actually want to ever leave Jakku.

What would it mean for her characterisation? It would make her slightly more serious and grounded. And the movie (except for the helmet scene) actually already treats her that way. Notice how she, while fixing BB-8's antenna, takes a moment to look at him before asking:

She's never seen such a droid before. At least not in such good condition. So, of course, she's curious. But when BB-8 says it's classified, she only laughs about it. "Classified? Really? Me too. Big secret," as if to say, haha, yeah, right. She rejects that possibility. And she doesn't bother asking any further, because when she is confronted with the choice to go and explore, she is reminded of her promise to herself, which is that she will wait for her family until they return.

Now, here is where I insert some very subtle "rewriting". When Rey first meets Finn, she is suspicious of him...

...and should actually remain suspicious,

instead of admiring him and falling into this, let's call it, "excited, fangirly smile"...

She doesn't know him. She has no reason to trust him. Instead, the tone of this line should be one that reflects her emotions as it slowly gets to her that those stories she's been hearing about might actually have some truth to them, that there might actually be a wider world out there. So make her be gradually interested.

Huh. This man I just forcefully hit to the ground, a Resistance fighter, knows about BB-8 and his classified information. What are the odds of that?

"So you're with the Resistance?" Rey asks suspiciously, looking down at the man.

The man stands up, brushes the sand and dust off his jacket and answers, "Obviously. Yes, I am. I am with the Resistance."

Rey frowns, "I've never met a Resistance fighter before," scanning him with her eyes. Why would there be any on Jakku? Nothing ever happens here.

"Oh, this is what we look like, some of us. Others look different."

Rey cannot help a little smile at his strange attitude. She looks back to where BB-8 rolled off to. Puzzled, she tells him, "BB-8 says he's on a secret mission. He has to get back to your base..." Even hearing herself pronounce that out loud feels so surreal to her. None of this makes any sense. Why-

"Apparently he has a map that leads to Luke Skywalker and everyone's after it."

What? "Luke Skywalker?" she asks, confounded.

CUT TO ACTION.

Whether she wants it or not, the plot forces her into the stories she's been hearing of. You don't want to believe they are real? They're real, all right. She has no choice but to run and get along. And later, she does get more and more interested, specifically when she meets Han Solo, the legend himself. Her whole beliefs turn upside down. It's exciting and she embraces it. Why? She's made a promise to BB-8 that she will get him home, and those things kinda come hand in hand.

Rey's physicality.

Rey is very fast to jump into action. She doesn't think twice about what she's doing. She just acts. Because that's how she's learned to survive all this time on her own. When she but hears BB-8 struggling in the distant sand dunes the first time they meet, she immediately reacts and goes to help (which also shows how compassionate she is towards people - and droids - in need of help).

And she's incredibly stubborn about it. If I may even word it like this: it's something she carries with pride.

So she's a good fighter. And I have but one request: DO. NOT. FORGET. THAT. HER. FIGHTING. STYLE. IS. ROUGH. AND. DIRTY. AND. HAS. NO. TECHNIQUE. WHATSOEVER. WHILE. THE. STORY. PROGRESSES. OK? Ok. What else? Ah, yes. Piloting. I don't know which of the two aspects has brought more uproar in the SW community, with the addition of the Force to these 2 points making people call her a Mary Sue, her being overpowered and so on. Let's have a look at that.

Rey's piloting skills.

She obviously knows her way around the Falcon. And it's plausible. "This ship hasn't flown in years!" It's been there for quite a while. Maybe she has had the opportunity to sneak onto it once. What about her flying skills? Well, that takeoff definitely had me worried. At this point I am even amazed this ship is still all in one piece. Which has me thinking... just a thought...

While trying to get those TIEs off their tail, Rey damages a visibly big part of the Falcon's exterior. "Ups," she comments, hastily checking the controls. Ok... The ship still flies. All good.

"What was that?" Finn calls from the gunner position, seriously worried for their lives.

"Nothing to worry about!" Rey quickly shouts back. All in all, the flight is messy as hell, and the Falcon needs some heavy repairs. But they still manage to get out.

"Nice shooting!"

"That was some flying! How did you do that?"

"Thanks! I don't know! I've flown some ships, but I've never left the planet."

(This is me reacting to their dialogue in the new context:) Yeah, guys, good work! You've almost destroyed the Falcon in the process, but you're alive, so I guess it's fiiiiiine.

What am I going for here? Adding to their level of expectations, which are... pretty low, and hopefully Rey's likability.

And then, later, Han is horrified of the state his ship is in, "Who did that?" Rey doesn't answer his question, but instead immediately offers her help, "I can fix that for you," feeling a bit ashamed of handling the ship of a legend this carelessly. And Han is... well, Han about it.

When would the Falcon get those repairs, you might ask? Eh, *hand gesture* there's plenty of time on D'Quar for that while they discuss how to blow up the third Deathst- *clears her throat* Starkiller Base. And obviously it's not gonna be Rey doing those repairs.

This addition tones down her abilities, puts more focus on her skills as a scavenger and makes her more relatable. I'd also argue that it puts more weight to her decision to eventually decline Han's offer to join the crew because of her wants. You see, once immersed into the real thing, the stories becoming true, meeting the legends, she becomes genuinely curious. She asks questions. Why did Luke leave? What fight? She gets incredibly excited when Han offers her a job. And yet, despite all, she still wants to go back.

Nevertheless, Rey displays pretty amazing piloting skills under those stressful circumstances on Jakku. After all, flying the Falcon is....

Her instincts are implacable. One might even say that she*

She just isn't aware of it yet. It is not until some scenes with Han and the rathtars later that we get the first hint.

The Force.

Now I might be wrong, but I have a theory, which is that the piloting performance under high pressure on Jakku might have been it. The Awakening.

The Force calls to Rey through Luke's lightsaber. And she listens to it, not knowing what will follow. She experiences the Force vision, and is horrified.

"That lightsaber was Luke's, and his father's before him, and now, it calls to you!"

"I have to get back to Jakku." Again.

Even when Maz tells her, "You already know the truth. Whomever your waiting for on Jakku, they are never coming back,"

she still refuses to believe that.

Tears run down her cheeks

and she shakes her head. No.

"But there's someone who still could."

Rey frowns. What is Maz implying there? "Luke?" she asks and realises what it's leading up to, and doesn't like it. Her emotions are a mess. She gulps back and keeps shaking her head as Maz speaks.

"The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. [...] The light. Feel it. [...] The lightsaber. Take it."

Rey doesn't want to hear of it. Any of it.

"I am never touching that thing again!"

Rey just witnessed complete horror. She is in denial. Keep in mind her clear wants from the beginning of the movie. Ideally her want for her parents to come back should be replaced by the character fulfilling her needs at the end of her arc. But we're not nearly there yet. What Maz tells her about the Force completely contradicts Rey's experiences. She cannot just accept the truth. And how does she handle it? She runs away. She's terrified.

She wants to go back to the way things were before any of this mess started. But the plot doesn't let her run away that easily. It knows she has to face her fears, one being her fear of the Force and one the fear of perhaps never making it back to Jakku ever again.

It forces her further into these situations, making it impossible for her to get out of them. She's trapped. Literally and figuratively. And fighting her way out won't work this time, the one ability she always relied on to save herself. It's her darkest moment. And if that were not enough, Kylo Ren, this stranger, this man inside that mask, the man from her vision, shoves all her insecurities right into her face.

"And Han Solo." Rey jolts up. Either out of fear of possibly betraying Han and slipping, giving away a location, or out of rage that Kylo has gone too far into her personal space. Either way, this rage gives her some strength to oppose him. "You feel like he's the father you never had. He would have disappointed you."

"Get out of my head!" He backs away for his own reasons, not wanting to think any more of his father, but still holds onto her mind. Rey does all she can to withstand him, and the longer she does, the more time it gives her to understand what is going on.

And Kylo senses it. What he's trying to do here is not working. Concern washes over his face, which makes him lose control over the situation. The connection opens, inviting Rey to tap into his mind. She's inside his head. Now she understands. She understands she can use this power on him, too. So she does.

And there it is. She's strong with the Force.

And that's intentional. Why? For reasons we discover in TLJ and numerous other fanfictions. (TROS? w-what's that-)

She has found a way out of the situation. Now, has she ever heard of Jedi mind tricks? Maybe? But remember what she just discovered: She just tapped into Kylo's mind. So she tries that again on the stormtrooper. Because when she knows how to act, she just does. She's always been confident in her physical abilities and skills. Why would she have to treat this new power any different? And luckily it works, after 3 tries.

And that's fine. Let's move on. Kylo kills Han. Explosions.

Notice this. Even though she knows she now has these new powers, the same powers Kylo has, she still draws her blaster at him after calling him a monster. She acts on emotion and choses the quick, familiar way.

I actually like to believe that Rey really doesn't know what the Force is and how it works, at all. How would she? Yes, Maz did tell her about it, but how do Force-powers manifest in people? She's never seen anyone use it before, upon meeting Kylo Ren. So in every scene she does use it, she just copies Kylo. That's the only reference she has. Remember how proud she is of her physical abilities. And she is so naive that she just goes and tries it for herself, without thinking of whether it will work out or not. And it works out for her. Because, again, she is strong in the Force.

It's true that her flaw, her naivety, is not really addressed in TFA. It never really backlashes on her. And, to be completely honest, I have no idea how to make room for that without some heavier rewrites yet. But maybe it's not necessary. TLJ takes care of that. TFA just introduces us to Rey as a character after all.

Now, is the force-summoned lightsaber making her overpowered? If you interpret it as "Kylo couldn't get that thing out the snow but Rey could," then yes, yes it is. BUT, if you see it as "while Rey is observing the fight, she sees Kylo trying to summon it, so she copies him, the way she copied him with the mind-tapping, and reaches for it the moment Kylo conveniently gets it out of the snow for her," I don't think it is, though I do agree that in order for the second version to be true, the scene happens too fast with too little shots to explain it. *OP takes a breath* So, here is what I suggest:

Kylo reaches out for the lightsaber. SHOT of the lightsaber in the snow, fidgeting slightly. BACK TO Kylo, pulling anew. BACK TO the lightsaber. It gets free. CUT. Another shot of it flying through the air towards the camera.

SHOT on Rey witnessing that - she is already on her feet again - and immediately reaching for it as well, outstretching her arm towards it.

SHOT of Kylo as he feels the momentum of his pull shift and dodges out of the way. The lightsaber flies past him, into Rey's hand.

Rey has always been fast to react to action. So it would make sense for her to be able to do that. Ok. Now to the fight itself.

*sighs* I don't even know where to start. ...One thing's for sure. Kylo at this point is pretty much destroyed emotionally from having killed his father, but he's still big and strong and aggressive in his movements. Rey, on the other hand, kinda seamlessly knows how to handle a lightsaber, which... is definitely not believable at all.

Let's step back for a moment. Why do we have this fight? Rey needs to get Finn and herself out of there and Kylo is pretty much in the way, so she wants to eliminate the problem. And what does Kylo want? Sure, he is interested in Rey and her raw powers which eventually adds up to them being equals in the Force, so he doesn't want to kill her...

But he also wants that lightsaber, doesn't he?

(God, I am looking at this fight to find any clues and I'm just sitting here, elbows on the table, resting my head in my hands, massaging my temples, wondering, "why the hell are there so many cuts in that fight scene?") (I am no expert in fight choreography, so bare with me as I try to make this work.)

Rey is the one who draws first at him.

She has never wielded a lightsaber before, but knows how to handle a staff... so she treats the lightsaber like a staff within its limitations.

Because remember, HER. STYLE. OF. FIGHTING. IS. ROUGH. AND. DIRTY. AND. HAS. NO. TECHNIQUE. WHATSOEVER. So, pretend we have some well thought out choreography in this part.

Kylo blocks her with ease. Rey is frustrated. The lightsaber feels heavy and difficult to handle. It doesn't take long for Kylo to

get her cornered at the edge of the newly formed cliff.

"You need a teacher! I could show you the ways of the Force!" he exclaims.

Rey considers, out of breath, "The Force?" Rey takes a moment as her mind connects the dots. So that's what these new powers are? Kylo watches her, waits for her to make a move. No time for pondering about the Force any more. Rey moves. Kylo LETS her duck and free herself from his block. She runs, backs away from the crater. He follows her. He outstretches his arm. Rey is stuck. She's literally petrified. Again. Kylo draws nearer. He twirls his saber, now holding it backwards (you know, Ahsoka style). "No," she hisses through her teeth, struggling. Heavy breaths. She closes her eyes. When he almost touches her hand holding the lightsaber, "No!" she RESISTS his force-cage and GOES FREE.

Because, you see, even though Maz told her to "close her eyes" and "feel the light", Rey has never done that before, and when under stress, I do believe she would rather choose a quick, familiar way to get out of the situation. The only thing she knows how to do with the Force at this point is to copy or resist Kylo. She wouldn't know how to to draw power from the Force, yet. She'll have plenty of time to learn that from Luke later, should she survive this fight, so we better continue.

Kylo stumbles back as she draws at him. Rey goes for a swing to hit from above, which Kylo manages to block last second, bringing his lighsaber up from behind his back. As their lightsabers are crossed again he quickly reaches for her right hand, which is holding Luke's saber, with his left hand and moves it aside to his right towards the ground, using his crossguard for more momentum to force her down. He steps his left foot accordingly to keep himself stable. Rey cries out from the unexpected movement. They are kinda back to back. His left shoulder against her right one. The position is uncomfortable. He squeezes Rey's wrist. Rey cries out in pain. Then, she realises how close they are.

Time for some close combat, ladies and gentlemen.

She gives in and lets go of the lightsaber, lets it fall to the ground. Kylo releases her to reach for the fallen lightsaber. But before he can pick it up, Rey KICKS his left hand away with her right heel and PUNCHES his JAW with her right elbow from below. Kylo's head rocks back. He stumbles backwards from the harsh impact, causing him to turn his back to her in order to catch himself. Rey summons Luke's lightsaber back into her left hand, and ignites it. When Kylo turns back to his opponent, left and unprotected side first, Rey is ready to stab him in his left shoulder.

Kylo stumbles back some more, she brings her hands together for another strike leftwards, he barely blocks it, he stumbles back some more, it leaves his posture open, Rey strikes again, rightwards, lower this time, wounding his leg, he falls to his knee, leaving Rey the final blow to provide him with his scar.

The reason I started writing this entire ramble in the first place is a conversation I had with my friend which brought up the fact that Rey should be able to beat Kylo by using her rough, unpredictable moves. Shout out to my friend who, bless her, is willing to listen to and survives every one of my sw rants and who pointed this out in the first place!

Is this a good fightscene now? I have no idea. I hope so? I do have it very clear in my head now though, so I might go and have some fun storyboarding it in the nearest future.

You know the rest. The ground splits, she runs to Finn, Chewie picks them up. . . .

There are some more moments which I believe need some tweaks, like the meeting with Leia, which is just so unfair to Chewie, really, but if I go on and on about this, I would end up changing the entire movie, which I do not have the strength for atm. This ramble was supposed to be about Rey and her alone, so I am done here.

I guess in the end Rey does realise her needs and is able to let her wants aside for a bit longer and focus her hope on actually helping the Resistance and get Luke. Hope that, with finding Luke, she will get to understand these new powers. I do feel like the movie could have provided us with a more emotionally rich reactive scene to the fight and her abilities, and generally just more of those, but then, what am I expecting from a JJ Abrams film? We have Rian for that.

My conclusion? I'm bad with conclusions and summaries, so here you have it, my take on Rey by only adding to the existing dialogue, changing some attitudes here and there, adding a scene, and changing the fight sequence at the end and how she treats the Force.

I do have a clearer understanding of her character now, which was the entire purpose of this ramble, so I guess, mission accomplished. Congratulations on having made it till the end. It was a long ride. I did consider splitting this beast into 2 parts, but while writing this, at one point I just decided to fully commit to it.

You are totally free to, of course, agree with me and stay tuned for my WIP fanscript or disagree, never read through this thing ever again, ignore it and leave it to die on Tumblr's graveyard.

Before you ask, because I also considered doing that just for the sake of having fun with GIFs on Tumblr (all text gifs are taken from YARN btw), I will not do a post like this on TLJ, since I have no problems with Rey's character there at all. Props to Rian Johnson at this point, for managing to make sense of her with what TFA gave us.

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Hux has always had a plan for his life. It's going well. He's following in his father's footsteps with the College Republicans and writing for the prestigious "First Order" campus conservative magazine with his new friend Dopheld Mitaka. Until he meets Mitaka's roommate, Kylo Ren -- who is everything he shouldn't want. The college AU that nobody asked for, where Hux is a very closeted up-and-coming young Republican and Kylo is his polar opposite and greatest temptation. With lots of late-night texts, drunk sex, and Grand Moff Tarkin propaganda.

Author: zamwessell

Note from submitter: Hilarious fic 

[virtie333]

WIP Wednesday

Already? Again? Well, here's what I got.

Poe turned away to allow them their privacy. At least they weren’t yelling at each other; he had witnessed a couple of rousing arguments between them in the past, though he would always remember what his father had told him after one of those. “Two people as stubborn and strong-willed at those two are bound to have some vigorous disagreements,” Kes had said. “But fortunately, their making up is just as vigorous.” He had winked at Poe, who at the time was just old enough to get what his father was telling him. And that had always been the case between Leia Organa and Han Solo. They would fight, and they would make up, and they would carry on.

Until Ben had fallen.

Han’s leaving and not coming back had been a shock to everyone who had known them. While Leia had been focused on the Resistance before the break, she had turned her complete attention to it afterward. Poe, who was still with the Navy at the time, recognized the change in her when she had made her first offer to him to resign his commission and join her Resistance. He had refused that first time.

But then Muran had died and everything started to fall apart. His distrust of his superiors and his anger toward the government he had sworn to protect sent him packing, and Leia had been his first – and last – stop. The Resistance had been his home ever since.

He looked at Rey, who was still watching Leia and Han with worried eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, glancing over at the older couple.

“So much pain,” she said softly. “But so much love as well.”

Poe stared at her. “You can feel that?”

Rey nodded. “Leia’s not hiding much right now.”