#the one were jyn kicks ass

[jojobaaaa]

Jedha.

[emetophiliax]

part 1?!??!

as stormclouds were pooling in the sky, so was the saliva in Jyn’s mouth. Jyn had been feeling a stirring in her stomach since that morning. She had an away game for Lodgewood high’s varsity volleyball. Jyn had always played under many conditions, but she had never stepped up to the net with such queasiness.

The bus ride to Wolf Creek was brutal, Jyn had been staring out the window for the whole first 10 minutes with a mindless hand on her stomach. She had hoped that seeing the nature of the rainstorm outside would distract her from the smell of Doritos that were being passed around the bus by some others on the team. With every swerve and turn of the bus, her stomach had twisted a little. And a contortion of her face would follow. One turn specifically had her stomach flip nearly upside down, having Jyn swallow hard and grip her stomach tighter, she lurched forwards slightly. Raising Arias eyebrow, a close friend of Jyn, whom would be seated next to her.

Aria put a hand on Jyn’s shoulder, tilting her head. “Is, is everything okay? What’s up with you, fool?”

Jyn immediately caught herself, and trying to maintain her image of perseverance and her reputation of always breaking through, she answered. Perking up her head and removing her hand from her belly. “Oh yeah, I’m just about to fucking piss myself. How much more time till we get there anyways?”

“about 30 minutes, we’re only like 10 minutes in Jyn.” With a closer look at Jyn, Aria knew something was.. different about her. “You look kind of weird today. Maybe a little.. yellow. Greenish?”

“Okay the schizophrenia is acting up I see you.” Jyn responded with a tease, her face masking the war going on in her stomach. “I’m great, and we’re gonna kick the Wolves asses.” “Alright then panther.” Aria raised hands above her shoulders.

this was about to be an excruciating 30 minutes.

The bus had eventually come to a stop at Wolf Creek high, and the team was instructed to get off.

When Jyn had stood, she felt her head spin. She leaned slightly forwards, gripping the seat in front of her and taking slow breaths through her mouth. Her face went slightly paler. Lucky for Jyn, Aria had already joined the line that was walking down the aisle of the bus, and she had missed that. Once everyone was off the bus, they had made their way to the gymnasiums locker room. They had 10 minutes to get themselves situated before they had started warm ups. So Jyn had 10 minutes to compose herself. Jyn was seated on the bench that had lied right outside of the lockers, below where the doors had ended. She was slouched over, her head resting on her palms, which were resting on her legs. Aria walked over again. “Yo, panther.” There was a certain tone in her voice that indicated clear concern. “Talk to me, what’s up with you? You’re not okay. I can see that.” Aria spoke softly to make sure nobody else was listening. Jyn’s head stayed resting where it was, the sides of her head were pounding and despite all the sitting around and doing nothing, she was still sweating. She spoke. “Mmh, just fucking tired.”

Aria wanted to acknowledge the fact that her friend was clearly not okay, but the stubbornness had slightly pissed her off. She sighed through her nose, and gave Jyn a pat on the back. “Suit yourself, panther.”.

10 minutes had gone by unbearably slowly for Jyn, and eventually they were out on the gym with homes varsity team. Jyn’s girlfriend, Rhea, was up on the bleachers. And she had ran down to go and greet her lover.

“Hi my love.” Rhea had pulled Jyn into an embrace, but she knew something was up.

“You’re, you’re a bit warm. Is that me?”. Jyn knew better than to lie to Rhea, Rhea was always able to see through Jyn. “I’ve been feeling so off since this morning.”, Jyn had informed Rhea. “Oh baby, why didn’t you just come home?” Rhea asked Jyn, with a softness in her voice. “It’s varsity, I’m not trying to miss so many games.”. “..This would be your first one, dove.”. Rhea responded.

“I just, I don’t want the coaches to think I can’t handle this.”

“Why would they even think that?”

“I don’t, I don’t fuckin know. I just- I’ll be fine. I’ll push through it.” Jyn tripped a bit on her words, but after that she had walked away. Rhea had a sort of lost look in her eyes, but she didn’t want to question so hard. She went back up on the bleachers.

After lineups, and a few concerned looks from both Rhea and Aria both, they were up against the Wolves. The whole team and the coach had agreed to let Jyn have first serve, for Jyn would usually ace with her serves. And so the ball was in her hands.

the whistle rang out.

Jyn’s vision was out of whack, blurry, and her head was spinning.

She had confidence in herself.

“Just hit the ball, Jyn.” She found herself repeating in her head.

She threw the ball up,

and with her overhand serve

She had hit the ball with the side of her palm, not only hurting her hand,

but resulting in an error.

“Fuck.” Jyn had stared down at her feet for a second, embarrassed. The ball was passed back to her, the other team didn’t get a point yet.

She decided to underhand this time, and this time more effectively got the ball over the net. The game was in full swing now. Jyn had decided to stay back and try and keep interactions with the ball to a minimum. And only using bumps.

Throughout the game her condition began to deteriorate, and after an intense rally that had kept her on her feet, but didn’t go too south, the next was not easier for her.

a few rotations had took place, and she was up in front. As the setter.

The opposing team had served the ball, up it went, to Jyn, and unfortunately.

An error.

Point went to the other team.

another serve, At this point, Jyn was swaying slightly due to her utter dizziness. And sweat was dripping down her back.

another error.

Her team sighed, but made sure not to be overly bitter. Aria was staring at Jyn, and Rhea was watching her lover. It was hard to watch Jyn in the state that she was in. But she knew that yelling encouraging words over the bleachers only embarrassed her. She knew that from the last few times.

“You’re out!” Followed by a whistle from a referee.

Jyn took a deep breath, and went over to the bench. Her nausea ripping at her insides. A substitute had gone up, and Coach Rychee had gone up to her.

“you doing okay, Jyn? You’re not being as sharp up there.”

Jyn was clearly shivering, her cheeks had gone flushed and red, and she was constantly swallowing. Out of breath, she had forced out a reply.

“Mm’fine. Just, need a minute.”

“Panther, you’re really not looking good kid. You understand that in games like these your health is always your responsibility.”

Coach Rylee spoke sternly, making sure to get her point across to Jyn.

“If you’re not feeling right, then tell me. You’ll only stunt the team and hurt yourself more.”

Jyn, in all her stubbornness, had turned down the chance to go home. She waved a dismissive wave to her coach, and Coach Rylee had gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking back up next to the ref.

Jyn’s stomach had tugged a familiar tug. She shuddered. And nauseously hiccuped.

She had felt something rising in her throat, and quickly clasped a hand to her mouth as she retched. She got up, and with her adrenaline rooting from her not wanted to be humiliated, she ran to the locker room, and into the toilets.

She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and began retching and heaving into the porcelain. Her stomach contents were forcefully squeezed out of her stomach and swirled into the toilet bowl.

She heard a door open to the locker room, but she wasn’t sure. Her ears were ringing out far too loud to comprehend properly what she was truly hearing.

She felt two hands tying her hair back, before a hand slithered down to rub circles on her back.

She continued to retch less and less productively into the toilet, before eventually faltering. Her arm was resting on the toilet seat and her head was just below the bowl.

The toilet flushed, and her ears had stopped ringing.

“I knew something was up, fool.”. She heard Aria speak, her tone hard.

“Mmshutheffuhckuph..”, Jyn slurred. “You okay now, Panther?” Aria softened her voice.

“mmhm..” Jyn was shaking under Arias touch. “You’ve gotta go home, I already talked to Coach R. You’re good to go.”

“mmokauy.. hhelp me hup?”. Then Aria had put supporting hands under her arms. And lifted her up before throwing Jyn’s arm over her shoulder, and bringing her through the other door of the locker room. Not leading to the gym, but this time to the hallway. Aria took her through the blue doors to go outside, and sat her on a bench right outside. “You have a ride?”, Aria asked Jyn. “Phones in pocket.. text Rhea..”

And Aria did what she was told. As the phone was in her hands, Jyn had whined, and doubled over in her seat, before she began to vomit again. “Fucking hell, Jyn. You’re not well at all fool.”. Aria put a hand on Jyn’s back while she continued to retch, and eventually Rhea was running to the bench that they were at. “Oh, oh baby, why do you do this to yourself?”. Aria sighed. Rhea looked at her, “Thank you so much, I’ll take her home right this fucking instant.”.

“It’s no problem, really.” Aria looked to Jyn, who had just finished her second bout of getting violently sick all over the pavement. “You, get better. I’ll see you soon panther.”.

“My poor baby, I wish you would have stayed home. You’re not well at all my love.” Rhea ran her fingers through Jyn’s hair. “Mmhsorry. Im so sorry.”. Jyn had spoke through tears, she felt so shitty that she didn’t care to be humiliated anymore. “Please don’t apologize dove, let’s go home. okay baby?”

“okhay..”

———————————————————

I used to play volleyball back in middle school, and my stupid ass really doesn’t remember much about it. So I’m so sorry if this is inaccurate. I absolutely have zero knowledge on any varsity teams. And this is my first sick fic, <3

[femmefighter]

Hey, hope you're doing alright. For the ask game here are my questions 15, 18, 36.

Hey lovely! I've been a bit overwhelmed with The HorrorsTM of late, but I'm surviving! Finally getting a bit of writing in (yay, deadlines for the Rarepair Exchange approaching, kicking my ass into gear), and catching up on my inbox! Sorry it's taken so long. I do love getting these asks though.

Writer Asks:

15. Which fic of your would you most like to rewrite?

An interesting question. TBH, none, really. I regularly go over certain fics and edit when I find spelling or grammar mistakes, but to completely rewrite them? I don't think I want to. Not that I think they're all perfect, they certainly aren't! But they're a map of my journey as a fanfic writer, as a new-into-fandom fan, and new into embracing my geeky, silly, inner child that's in need of reparenting and validating. They're all reflections of where I was in that time of life when I wrote them, and I'm not ashamed of any of it. It's all just part of me, for better or worse.

18. What trope have you not written yet, but want to?

I think a big, obvious one I need to lean into is a canon-divergent one. I love writing stories that you can read and go, "okay, none of that is proven wrong by canon!" And I think that came from writing such a small, judged rarepair not liked by most of fandom, that it's been my armour to validate my ship. But I think I'm ready to start having some fun with canon divergence and AUs etc when I find the freaking time. I'd particularly love to do a canon-divergence story of my Hera Syndulla/Jyn Erso fic, A Mouthful of Jyn, where Hera manages to rescue Jyn and Cassian before the Death Star fires on Scarif. The good ol' 'if they got there five minutes earlier' kind of thing.

36. Have you ever written a fic because you were inspired by a song?

Stares at fic list, racking my brain. I think the only fic that a song kind of inspired was Howl. It was written to a prompt (Waking/Dawn), and with all the wolf references for Shin's namesake, Florence and the Machine's song of the same title infiltrated my brain again. The image of Shin howling at the moon in the agony/emotional turmoil of being abandoned by Baylan and stranded on a planet in another galaxy became glued in my brain and I had to get it out.

She's My Comfort, my current Herasoka WIP, was also kind of inspired by Mary Lambert's "She Keeps Me Warm", which is probably why I focus so much on Ahsoka's warmth throughout it. I love the song so much, but it was my first dance song at my wedding (divorced now), and I really wanted the song to reclaim its place back in my heart. And who better to do that with, than the wonderful Hera Syndulla and my beloved Ahsoka Tano?

Thanks for the ask hun!

[marashi96art]

Since I laughed at you for not having the anon asks on, I'll ask you a question. :P

Aside from Titanic, what other movies inspire you when drawing Cleon?

I love Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock so much that I want them to be my celebrity parents. But they are just best friends and always have been this way since they worked on the film Speed (1994), and The Lake House (2006) 12 years later.

When I first got into Cleon, they were the only "couple" in my mind and I have been preaching this ever since. I think they are my core of Cleon, and I rewatch Speed every month lmao.

I've also mentioned a few movies on my AO3 log, and here are MORE honorable mentions:

Action Movies:

Point Break (1991) Someone recommended me to watch Fast & Furious series for RE AU(and I have), but this movie is the OG of F&F series.

The Gray Man (2022) Kickass power couple saving a little girl, together. I use it for RE4 era ref, and I kinda have a reverse AU of Claire being trained to be an FBI agent to follow her brother's steps and Leon is just a random college boy.

Mission Impossible series I was talking with my friend about how Hollywood cliche Capcom can be.

RED (2010) & RED 2 (2013) If RE9 is about the OG team reunion like DI, they will be exactly like these movies, grandpas & grandmas still kicking ass.

Fantasy & Rom-com:

One Day (2011) Friends to lovers…The drama. In fact, my newest art has used this for ref, and you will see it in 2 days.

Now and Then (1995) Teenage Cleon. Childhood neighbors, enemies to friends to crushes lmao.

What Maisie Knew (2012) Spoiler alert I'm planning to draw a series of this. I'm not into Cleon having children but if they are, I'll do it my way ;)

Life as We Know It (2010) Enemies to friends to lovers again. And raising a baby together.

No Strings Attached (2011), Friends with Benefits (2011) Not really into FWB Cleon but you writers kinda like to write this? So I rewatch them recently, well, it could work.

The Mummy (1999) You cannot tell me Rick O'Connell didn't reference Leon's design. Again, gonna draw this soon.

The Huntsman: Winter's War(2016) Pretty average, I only use ref for outfit design but Jessica Chastain is so beautiful in this. (But my ideal live-action Claire is Rebecca Ferguson, just FYI)

Far and Away (1992) LMAO I've always thought of this movie as the prequel of Titanic.

Angst:

Drive (2011) My favorite movie of all time. And I saw someone already draw it, I reblog it to my main account a few days ago. I will draw another one soon, my fav scene is not the elevator scene so, no worries.

Marriage Story (2019) Literally just rewatched it last night. I love the arguing/fighting scene so much, and it kinda suits my idea of how Claire will leave Leon for his drinking problem.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) I don't know why this movie got so much hate, but I think the part when Steve came back and later Diana has to let him go…Inspired me to draw Cleon.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Directed by David Fincher. It's more for Claire honestly. But the Scandinavian scenery is something I long for.

Sci-fi:

Oblivion(2013), Edge of Tomorrow(2014) Both staring Tom Cruise. And I regret that I didn't go to the theater for both of them, at the time I thought the posters were boring, but they turned out to be really good, at least for my taste.

Not gonna put Romeo and Juliet (1996) on the list bc I don't use Leonardo DiCaprio for my Leon when drawing, I use Brad Pitt more, for he has a better fashion sense haha. Claire Danes is already perfect.

Some TV shows as well:

Full House (1987-1995) Uncle Jesse & Aunt Becky, just search them on Pinterest.

My So-Called Life (1994-1995) Angela Chase & Jordan Catalano. I Only use Jared Leto's appearance for ref; characteristically speaking, Leon is more like Brian in this show.

Peaky Blinders (2013-2022) For Noir outfit or Mob AU cuz why not?

Rougue One (2016 movie), Andor (2022) I love Star Wars and fuck…Cassian and Jyn are so Cleon-coded! I'm mostly into SW fashion, they have some dope jackets in Andor. Seriously go watch, Andor is as good as The Last of Us.

Ride with Norman Reedus (2016-) They got some cool bikes in the first season and Cleon bike date on PCH…My beach Cleon is inspired by this show actually.

I didn't even try hard to think about these and can still go on for days…Still, I think it's good enough for one ask for now hehe.

[andorerso]

tell me your every errant thought on survivor pretty pretty please

OKAY everything that comes to mind in no particular order (and under a cut for spoilers)

the whole thing with Bode was so heartbreaking 😭 I saw the betrayal coming when he started acting weird, but I did not expect him to be a Jedi, and I definitely let out a gasp when he used the force against Cal

I understand what they were going for with him, but I'm not sure I was a fan of it. I think he genuinely cared about Cal, and the fact that he didn't even pause for a second in the end, even when his actions were actively putting Kata at risk... like yeah, I get that was the point but I just kinda wish he had a moment of clarity or something.

I have to say though, Kata putting her doll on his burning body was the saddest damn thing I ever saw. I also loved her lullaby (but that ending was unsatisfying I'm sorry)

okay, moving on from all that mess, fuck. the. force tears. seriously. ESPECIALLY the parkour ones. fuck them! there was no reason to make them so difficult 😭 I've finished the main storyline and all of the planets besides Jedha, so I'm dreading what more force tears I'll have to deal with because some of the ones on Koboh were already kicking my ass. I mean I finished them all in the end, but holy hell, the one with all the ziplines made me turn off the game without saving

I can't believe they didn't let BD jump into chests anymore!! outrageous

okay, enough negatives, I DID like this game. the semi open-world was nice, I'm glad they didn't go full open-world with this but having a little space to explore Koboh freely was definitely fun

the outfits. no notes, 10/10. Cal Kestis, fashion king (right after Cassian of course) I loved designing different outfits for every planet, and then matching BD to it <3

so I mentioned previously that I didn't really connect to Greez in Fallen Order (no hate, I was just kinda neutral) but I actually really liked him in this one! idk what changed, if it was just a growing fondness after spending more time with him or what, but I'm glad I was able to appreciate him more

I also loved Merrical. that first kiss moment was really nice <3

Cameron Monaghan is honestly so incredible in this role. couldn't have asked for a better Cal.

live slug reaction. gay. incredible.

when Cal embraces his dark side, and the level up menu goes all red instead of blue.... oof. that did hit me a bit, it was a nice touch.

the fact that Cere was so close to beating Vader 😭😭 that whole fight was so great, and lmao at him being set on fire again afdsgfdsgf

I love that they gave us so many different lightsaber stances and even a blaster! I mean I locked down on my favorite at the beginning and didn't use anything else lmao, but still, I love having the choice

Cal working with Saw!! and Saw being impressed by him, I know that's right. also here's my thesis on Cal meeting Jyn -

[imogenkol]

I’m curious about your thoughts on Bix in that leaked teaser because I’m VERY worried about her storyline 😞

!!!!! thank you for asking!!! I am hella stressed about it too and I've got some long winded scrambled thots under the cut here:

As we know, she obviously isn't in/never mentioned in Rogue One and sometimes that implies a prequel character is doomed by the narrative so my main fear is that her story is going to end in her death. There's also a few lines from Cass in RO that could reinforce that theory (ie: him telling Jyn she isn't the only one who lost everything). Apart from me being totally biased, I do think it'd be a waste of her character, especially since she was criminally underutilized in s1 imo

anywho, from the poor quality clips/screencaps I've seen (I will admit that it can be kinda tough to tell who is who and some scenes flash by so quickly) it looks like Bix might be struggling a lot with feeling like her life is out of her control, even after at least a year time jump from s1. I do think it looks like she is the one who goes after Gorst either as revenge or to regain the control she lost or both. Then that shot of her in bed with the blaster could be the aftermath of that encounter, whether she succeeded or failed. If that's true then it doesn't look like it made her feel any better. But I imagine she'll be a very broken version of herself from when she first appeared in ep 1 because she basically did lose everything and was tortured to near insanity

All of this must have radicalized her, but it's hard to say what kind of rebel she'll be. I hope her storyline is centered mostly on herself, her healing, and the kind of person she wants to be in the war against the Empire. Based on the trailer and some set pictures I've seen, it looks like she’ll thankfully be taking on a more active role and I'd really enjoy seeing her kick some ass. At least for herself considering she had to get rescued a couple of times in s1.

It also very much looks like they're putting her back with Cass and, my own personal ship biases aside, I don't really like that at all. I really love the history and dynamic they share and I thought they made it pretty explicit that any romantic ties between them were cut. I've seen people theorize that she isn't in the right state of mind and might be grasping for any physical connection that makes her feel safe - which can make sense given the trauma she went through - but idk I wish we could explore more of a nuanced friend/familial relationship between her and Cass. I know it’s his show, but I really don’t want to see her be reduced to a romantic prop for him or god forbid she’s that and he loses her to further fuel his storyline. Either way, Bix is in a very vulnerable emotional state and I'm not sure any love interest would be necessary for her (yes I know how ironic that is coming from me and my many oc x canon google docs lmao) at least not until she's had the proper time to heal.

All this to say that it looks like they're setting her up for another pretty tragic arc next season and I hope the payoff doesn't end in complete emotional devastation, but this is one of, if not THE darkest star wars stories out there 🙃

These thoughts of course are just based off a grainy one minute teaser trailer that could very well be purposefully deceptive considering the show hasn't even finished filming yet. But I'd love to hear other people's thoughts too!

[david-talks-sw]

Do you think the Star Wars universe could handle a story with gray morality, where good and evil aren't easily defined?

If the story doesn't have Force users?

Easily.

Solo, Book of Boba Fett, Rogue One, these are all stories where I think there was an opportunity to really make the characters morally "gray".

If you want my opinion, in Solo & Fett, they barely scratched the surface. In Rogue One, they explored it with Cassian Andor, but also offset it by changing Jyn Erso from this kick-ass rebel into this starry-eyed girl who says "hope" every other scene.

But in each of the above-mentioned movies, there's a danger about it not feeling like Star Wars anymore.

Solo is "Star Wars meets the heist subgenre",

Fett might've been "Star Wars meets the crime show subgenre",

Rogue One is "Star Wars meets the war movie subgenre".

So it's Star Wars... with something else that - some would argue - dilutes it. At it's core, Star Wars is fundamentally about Good vs Evil. As a result, these various genres are never explored quite to my personal satisfaction.

I'm part of the crowd that thinks the Star Wars movie franchise should expand it's genres exponentially.

I wanna see a romcom that starts in the Jedi Temple and ends with a passionate speech in Cloud City,

I wanna see a buddy-cop movie between Quinlan Vos and Vilmar Grarhk/Mace and Anakin/Yoda and Maz Kanata,

I wanna see a horror film where the monster is a Sith Lord,

I wanna see a zombie movie with Doctor Evazan as the mastermind villain,

a detective noir film set between Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 featuring Rael Averross investigating the disappearance of some Kaleesh warlord and eventually finding out about Dooku's turn to the Dark Side

and a slice-of-life comedy about the entire disaster lineage. Seriously I just need this whole thread to be canon.

But I'm not holding my breath because I know that there'd be a big chunk of people who'd go "this doesn't feel like Star Wars" and "you're hurting the brand".

It's why George Lucas & Seth Green's Star Wars Detours was cancelled.

It's why Lord and Miller left Solo.

The brand can't change too much, apparently. As cheesy as it is, it has to be about Good vs Evil, it has to be about hope, etc.

So it gets relegated to other mediums. Qira and the Crimson Reign comic come to mind. She’s awesome, the whole Crimson Reign series is amazing... but I don’t think we’re gonna see anything like that in a movie.

If the story does have Force users?

On the one hand...

I think we already got it, and it's the majority of the Star Wars fandom who just couldn't handle it.

The Jedi in the Clone War are caught between a rock and a hard place. There's no morally right choices, there's only "less morally wrong" choices. They've been drafted into a war where they have to choose between the minor of two evils every day.

They're usually the guys who'll be the closest thing to perfection, but now they're gradually being sullied by the Republic's exploitation of their own compassion and sense of duty. Every morally right choice they make also comes with a morally wrong consequence stuck to it. The more they fight, the more these servants of the Light Side make the Dark Side stronger... but if they don't fight, the Dark Side gets stronger even more rapidly. And they can't help it because, again, they're being forced to do this. So all they can do is keep moving forward and hope for the best.

They're not the villains, but they're sure as hell not perfect. There's a nuance there.

But a very, very large part of the audience reacted to this as "the Jedi were evil hypocrites who sent child soldiers/slaves to their deaths and had Order 66 coming!"

On the other hand...

If you mean a story with "gray" morality in which the Force-sensitive characters themselves are "gray"... I dunno.

The way the Force works is that if you are "gray", you won't stay that way for long. At some point you either choose the Light or (much likelier) fall to the Dark Side.

In Legends, we've had Quinlan Vos and Cade Skywalker's stories echoing this.

These are both stories with morally "grey" protagonists who vacillate between the Light Side and the Dark Side, who use the Dark Side as a tool and think they can get away with it only to get dragged deeper down by it... but both stories end with the protagonist choosing the Light Side.

So those might be what you're looking for?

But the morality in those stories isn't gray, there's a very clear definition of what's good and what's evil... it's just the protagonist who is gray and their journey is about finally choosing and fully embracing the side of good.

Still, both Quin and Cade's stories are goddamn masterpieces.

For more info on "Gray Jedi", I talk more about it here.

In Canon, we have Bendu whose morals are very evidently “gray”... but he’s so neutral and passive that I don’t think you can center a story around him.

But yeah, beyond that... I don't know.

I don't think so, I'll tell you that. When a Force user is involved, I think that that's when Star Wars should be about good vs evil.

[revenge-of-the-shit]

I'm not sure whether you've been asked about this before, but what are your opinions about Rogue One and its Asian representation, especially on the Holy City, Chirrut, Baze and Bodhi (let's not forget Pakistan *is* part of Asia, so is the Middle East technically). I know the movie has problems in regards to its depiction of Jedha and Saw's partisans (*ahem* Iraq *ahem* terrorists *ahem*) but I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Take all the time you need to answer this humble question.

Hey! Sorry for taking so long - I had many thoughts on this and wanted to be able to answer this properly.

Chirrut

IMO, Chirrut suffers from a similar problem to Shang-Chi, which is: do you seriously have to make the Chinese character a kung fu master? In this case, he takes it a step FURTHER by being portrayed as a literal zen warrior monk. Like, damn, way to lean into the stereotype.

That being said: the martial arts are objectively cool and I was extremely delighted to see Donnie Yen using East Asian martial art forms while kicking the asses of stormtroopers.

On top of that, he does go beyond the stereotype. Chirrut isn't a one-dimensional wisdom-spouting stereotype. He's sassy, he has no problem with wielding an insanely overpowered bowcaster, and he plays a crucial part in the fall of the Death Star by being the only one able to reach the master switch. Without him, the rebellion would have fallen.

So: Yes, he fell into some stereotypes. But ultimately, I loved Chirrut. He's one of my favorite characters.

Baze

Loved him. I rarely get to see large Chinese men with a massive gun kicking ass in a way that doesn't involve martial arts. I loved his gruffness, I loved his small shows of affection (the way he interacts with Chirrut, the way he calls Jyn "little sister" ;-;).

I think Baze was done really, really well. He served as a wonderful foil to Chirrut and it was beautiful to see the two of them interacting on-screen.

Bodhi

I will preface this by saying that I can't speak as well to South Asian representation as I can to East Asian rep. If there are any other South Asian fans who'd like to speak on this, please do so! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I loved Bodhi. In him, I saw an ordinary man who achieved great things simply because he was following his convictions. Bodhi was a regular pilot - he had no special Force abilities, he wasn't born to a rich family, he was no chosen one - he just was. In spite it all, it was because of him and his bravery that the Rebellion even stood a chance at finding the death star plans.

He was a very sweet - and dare I say it, relatable - character. As much as I adore Baze and Chirrut, I am no warrior myself. But Bodhi - he's just a regular man trying his best, and he shows audiences that you don't have to be special from birth to do something that can save the lives of many. As a character, I thought he was wonderfully done, and it was very nice to see that this film included not one, not two, but THREE beautifully complex Asian protagonists who were all crucial to the fall of the Empire.

Saw's Partisans

I have so many problems with this, especially in light of Star Wars Rebels. I think the problems are best exemplified during a conversation between Mon Mothma and Saw in one of the S4(?) episodes of Rebels, where she argues for "kinder and more moral" methods while Saw argues for more direct and violent methods.

It literally can't get more direct than that. Framing Mon Mothma as the "kind and reasonable" one while Saw is the "angry and violent one" - this absolutely reeks of white feminism mixed in with dashes of racism.

This article also explains my thoughts well regarding Rogue One:

The most prominent freedom fighters in Rogue One are Saw Gerrera, played by Forest Whitaker, and his followers, disparaged by the overwhelmingly white Rebel Alliance leadership as “extremists” whose actions are actually detrimental to the Rebellion as a whole. Gerrera and his followers maintain a base on the moon of Jedha, which is pronounced exactly like “Jeddah,” the city in Saudi Arabia. To drive the point home, Gerrera’s soldiers wear face and head coverings that resemble Orientalist 19th-century European paintings of Middle Eastern life. In short, the pretend Arab extremists from Jeddah (sorry, “Jedha”) led by a black man are doing revolution wrong…

…except they’re not.

The organisation that disparages Gerrera’s faction as “extremists” is, largely, the same organisation that’s unwilling to fight when the existence of the Death Star is revealed. Rogue One‘s heroes of colour must take up Gerrera’s struggle, extreme as some might perceive it to be, in order to take any real steps toward saving the galaxy and advancing the cause of revolution. Isn’t there something wrong when a so-called revolutionary group backs down once it discovers a weapon built to enable oppression on a heretofore unseen scale? You’d think so. I’d think so, too. But according to a distressing number of real-life “liberal” voices, we shouldn’t fight; we should meet them halfway, go low when they go high, and employ other tactics that at best won’t work and at worst will allow innocent people to be killed. By portraying moderation as an enabler of fascism, Rogue One emphasises the ideological flaws in such false liberalism.

Disney in general has an uncanny ability to take characters of colour and to either (1) push them away into irrelevance or (2) to frame them as well-intentioned people with terrible methods. This is just one of those cases.

[twilightofthe]

Visions 5: The Ninth Jedi (Subbed)

Production I.G. made this one then!  Gotta look them up

Oooooh this is the first one to mimic the opening scroll with a narrator like TCW did!!!!!

I love it!!!!

Okay the animation is already SUPER fun we stan 11/10

Well this message sent to them doesn’t sound like a trap or a power-hungry leader’s plan at ALL xD

oh PRETTY lady

Ngl this sounds like the beginning of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right before someone got fed to squirrels except I feel this time none of the Jedi even deserve it

Liking the Rey parallels with this girl, even with the musical theme

Oh shit that saber she has is practically invisible

Nooooo don’t kill her dad!

Aw dammit they’re gonna xD

Okay also getting big Jyn vibes with this one, given, you know, the obvious lol

Oh THAT is a pretty saber hilt they showed just now

ok so our girl Kara’s a badass and we stan her, she and Sabine would get along after both kicking ass on frozen lakes

oh SHIT THEY’RE SITH

OHHHH THAT’S A GOOD TWIST I DIDN’T SEE THAT

I still have zero clue what side the old dude is on

oh so he IS a good guy? whoop sorry old dude, damn their writing was GOOD, these don’t always catch me like that

oh i LIKE this ending!  It’s like setting up for a new beginning!

THEY WERE INSIDE A GIANT LIGHTSABER FUCKING YOOOOOOO THAT’S SO TOTALLY SICK

Again, I loved this one!  It’s almost completely impossible to compare them since they’re all so very different, but aaaaaa just.  They’re just.  So good ;_;  Also cannot wait to listen to all the English dubs because so far each time I’ve checked the VA list I’ve been 👀👀👀 

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Would you be willing to do the NSFW alphabet with Cassian?

A/N: Gladly! Just as a reminder REBLOG AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKE THIS! These take just as much time as drabbles to finish and the tags hate me.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Cassian is downright clingy after sex. All he wants to do is hold you close and bury his head in your neck. He’s not letting you go for anything.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves your hands. He loves how they feel against his skin whether your placing a gentle touch on his cheek or digging your nails into his back. He loves how your fingers intertwine with his. It keeps him grounded in the here and now with you.

Admittedly there isn’t much about his body that Cassian really likes. It’s more of a vessel to get his head from room to room. But you’ve been making an effort to show him how much you love his body. He is starting to grow an appreciation for his jaw line, considering how many kisses you seem to lay on it.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Cassian loves nothing more than cumming in your cunt and your cunt exclusively. Even if you bring him right to the edge with your mouth, he’ll pull you away and all but beg to let him finish deep inside your pussy. He stands no chance of pulling out, he gets to lost in the feeling to pull away. And if you cum before him? He’s following you seconds after.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

You and Cassian once had sex on top of the holo table in command center.

He got back late from a mission and you were the only one still on the comms.  He hadn’t seen you in a month. So, rather than wait until your shift ended, he took you right on the table.  It was one of the most intense experience of your life. Neither of you can look at that table directly ever again.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Cassian has had a few partners over the years, but not as many as you’d think. Touch in general is borderline sacred so having enough trust in someone to sleep with them is kind of a big deal for Cassian. He’s been around enough to have experience, though.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Honestly, basically any position where he can feel your whole body pressed against his. Whether it’s your chest against his, or him bent over your back, he wants to feel every part of you. He wants to bury his face in your skin while his hands cling to you like a life line.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

That’s going to be a no in the humor department. 9/10 he’s using sex as a way to tell you things he can’t always properly put into words: I love you, I’ve missed you, I need you, I can’t lose you. You’re the one more likely to initiate playful sex and if that’s the case, he’s just there to tease you with a dry smile on his face.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He’s actually got a good amount of hair down below and doesn’t really trim it. He keeps everything clean if he can, but not much beyond that.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it until the end of time: CASSIAN ANDOR IS THE MOST TENDER LOVER IN THE STAR WARS FRANCHISE!!! He makes love to you every time you have sex. Whether it’s slow and sensual or fast and rough it’s all about showing you how he feels about you. It’s emotional and intense and utterly intimate.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Cassian jacks off as a form of stress release every now and then. Some times in his bunk, but most of the time in the cabin of his ship. It gives him some much needed privacy without much chance of getting interrupted. There’s some pleasure it in, but it’s almost of way to sort out his frustrations on his hand rather than you.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Hair pulling.  Seriously, as soon as he’s getting anywhere near close all you have to do is rake your fingers through his hair, give it a hard tug and he’s gone.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Your bunk or his. Like I said, his goal is to make love to you every time you’re together, so having a place where he knows he can take his time is important. It’s a safe place far away from the problems of the Rebellion where he can get lost in you. A close second is his ship’s cabin.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

I’m not sure how else to phrase this except, whenever he sees you.  You guys are constantly coming and going, sometimes on missions together but often not.  It can be a few days or a few weeks between seeing each other.  But nothing really get him going like seeing you again safe and sound.  The first thing he wants to do after you give your reports is get you to his bunk as soon as possible.

A close second is anytime he sees you kick Imperial ass.  We all saw how he looked at Jyn.  You know I’m right.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Any foreplay involving you guys in Imperial uniforms.  Seriously, Cassian is fighting space Nazis, having you in a space Nazi uniform is going to do the exact opposite of turning him on.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

It really is a toss up for him between given and receiving.  He’ll never turn down a blow job and is always happy to get his mouth inbetween your legs.  

He’s also, really good at eating you out; lots of small praises and moaning vibrations on your clit.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He leans toward the slow and sensual, but it really depends on how he’s feeling.  There are times he can’t contain how much he needs you, tearing at your clothes and pulling you close to him like it’s the only thing keeping him sane.  Other times it’s like he wants to memorize every inch of your skin as he listens in reverence to the noises you make.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies usually happen if you haven’t seen each other in a long time. As soon as Cassian gives his report, he grabs you by the hand and pulls you into the first empty room or cargo hold he can find and takes you against the wall. It’s fast and messy, but lacks none of the feeling. It’s also just a taste of what you’ll get later that night.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Probably, but you guys are both going to have to do all the proper research before hand.  He’s honestly pretty happy with what you’re doing now, but if you want to try new things, it doesn’t take much convincing.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

The longer Cassian and you have been away from each other, the longer he seems able to go.  If you guys haven’t seen each other in a few days, it’s one fast one against the wall followed by a more thorough love making session involving at least two orgasms on your part.

If he hasn’t seen you in weeks to a month? Well, let’s just say you had to call in sick and nobody saw either of you for almost a full twenty-four hours.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

For himself, Cassian is more acquainted with his hand.  Time away from base added to the possibility of having to leave at a moment’s notice means buying one hasn’t been on his priority list.

For the pair of you, you have a vibrator you like to bring in on occasion, but not much else.  Same rules apply to you, being constantly on the move doesn’t give you a chance to build a collection.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Not so much in the, “I’m having fun torturing you sense”.  More in the, “I want to make this last as long as possible so I don’t have to leave the feeling of your body against mine” variety.  He teases, but it’s more desperate than playful.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Years of thin walls have taught him to be quiet; however, he can’t help but moan your name against your skin mixed in with a serious of praises and cursed grunts towards the end.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He doesn’t tell you he loves you for a really long time. 

You know he does, through his actions and all the ways he tries to make you happy.  But, it takes a while for him to find the words.  He’s truly afraid that if he says those three little words out loud, it will somehow jinx everything and the galaxy will conspire to take you away from him like everyone else in his life.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Perfectly average girth with slightly above average length (6-7 inches).   But, you don’t need anything more than that.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

It’s not so much a yearning for sex as a yearning for you.  Sex is just a way to show you how he feels about you.  He’s not a man of words, he’s a man of action.  And sometimes the best way he knows to show you how much he misses you, or loves you, or needs you is to make love to you. So, with the knowledge that either of you can die the next time you’re out of each other’s sight, it’s pretty often.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Give him a few minutes to make sure you’re tucked against him with no plans on leaving and he’s out like a light.  Seriously, nothing get him to actually sleep faster than a night of love making followed by you snuggled up against him.  Nothing but pleasant dreams and darkness can follow that.

[barnes-dameron]

I Think of You

Double Sided Facade 

Soccer player!Cassian Andor x physical therapist!reader

Summary: You came to this country to learn the language and find work to pay off for school, nothing else. Getting a job as a physical therapist for the National soccer team was a plus and getting to see the star player, Cassian Andor, was a major plus as well. But what happens when your visa expires and immigration is on your tail? Your only hope resides in Cassian, who is more than willing to marry you until you can get your green card. What can go wrong?

Word count: 2.9k 

A/N: This is going to be a series but I don’t know how long will it be. I didn’t explicitly say what country this is taking place in because I want everyone who reads this to feel included. So for example, if you’re from the U.S., you can pretend it takes place in Mexico since Diego Luna is from there. Or if you’re from Mexico, you can pretend it takes place in the U.S. or another country. I want all readers to feel included instead of being excluded.  I hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you want to be tagged for future parts. 

Catch up: Part One

***

Cassian had to admit to himself that he was starting to panic when he saw your reaction to his insane question. You stood there in front of him, your eyes wide and your mouth open and gaping. 

“Cassian,” you let out slowly in a voice just above a whisper. “What are you doing?” 

Cassian got up from his stance on the floor to stand in front of you. He needed to be calm and collected, else wise he would spill everything to you. 

“I know about your visa,” Cassian revealed. “You can’t leave now. Not when the season is about to start. So I figured the best way for you to stay is marrying a citizen so you can at least get a residency here faster than the usual process.”

Cassian watched your chest rise slowly and fall at the same rate. Your eyes were no longer wide from shock, but were wide with disbelief. 

“Cassian, I can’t let you do this,” you whispered. “If someone finds out that the marriage is fake, it could run your career.” 

“I’m willing to take that chance,” Cassian replied quickly. meaning every word.

“You would really do this?” you asked, your gaze burning into Cassian, but he welcomed it either way. 

“I would,” Cassian said, looking into your eyes and noting the different shades of color. He suddenly found it hard to breathe in that moment. “It’s what’s best for-” He stopped himself before he could say anything else. He was about to say for you, he would do whatever he can, whatever is best for you. But he couldn’t say that, and you couldn’t know. “The team,” he finished. “It’s what’s best for the team.” 

“Okay,” you said, nodding your head. “I have to go tell Mon and Bail.” 

Cassian let out a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding as he watched you make your way out of the exam room to the door. So this was happening. It wasn’t how he imagined it in his head. He always thought he would propose to you on the beach after a night of dinner and dancing. The moon would be shining bright, casting its reflection on the navy blue waves. The sand would still be warm under your feet. It would’ve been perfect. Of course, he imagined asking you to marry him would occur after two years of dating and learning everything about you. But life doesn’t come out the way you plan doesn’t it? 

Cassian turned around in the room, looking for where he put his shoes before participating in the therapy. But the next thing he knew, you were wrapping your arms around his neck, and fitting your head against his neck. Cassian was shocked from both the embrace and the closeness. However he welcomed the warmth that radiated off of you and the sweet scent from your shampoo. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled into his neck. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

As quickly as you appeared before him, you left, leaving him a gaping mess as he processed what just happened. He kicked himself for not reciprocating the action. He wanted to wrap his arms around you and bring you closer to him. He wanted to press his head against yours, and leave you a kiss. But instead he was shocked from the action, and stood there like a tree. Well, hopefully the opportunity would present itself again. 

***

You traced the wood pattern of the table as Anderson’s voice droned on and on in the Rebel’s conference room. It’s been about two weeks since Cassian’s proposal, and once you told Mon and Bail, they sent out for Anderson to draw up the marital contract. 

You sat at the long oak table listening to Anderson, who sat at the head of the table. Alongside you was your own lawyer, diligently taking notes on her pad. After revealing everything that happened to you to Jyn, she recommended for you to get your own lawyer in case someone “tries to screw you over,” her words. Across the table sat Cassian, dressed in a suit instead of his usual uniform which you were so used to seeing him in. You secretly scolded yourself from admiring the way he looks in it. Does he have to look good in everything he wears?  He was sitting next to his own lawyer who was also taking notes. 

“So in summary,” Anderson finally said, grabbing your attention at last. “Mr. Andor and Ms. L/N will marry as soon as possible so his citizenship would cover her for a time period of one year. During the time period, Ms. L/N will be required to live with Mr. Andor in order to make the marriage look authentic and in the case an immigration worker makes a surprise home visit. After the one year time period, they are free to divorce. Is there anything that the parties would like to present?” 

“Yes,” your lawyer jumped in as soon as Anderson finished. “My client would like to propose that she and Mr. Andor will get an annulment instead of a divorce, for personal reasons.” 

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks when your lawyer announced that. You really didn’t want to get a divorce, the idea of divorcing someone without a good reason bothered you. Plus the divorce could bring unwanted publicity since you would be divorcing the captain of the major soccer team in the country, and there could be a possibility that someone will unveil the true nature of your fake relationship. 

You watched Anderson’s brow furrow together, his pen trembling a bit in his hand. 

“Well,” Anderson said, still processing the request. “The only grounds for annulment for the two parties would be failure to consummate the marriage.”

“That’s right,” your lawyer replied confidently, her spine straight and her gaze icy. That was another personal reason. It’s not that you didn’t want to have sex with Cassian, but you were sure that he doesn’t have any intention to be with you intimately. He wasn’t doing this whole thing for you anyway, it was for the team. You figured it would be best for the both of you to try and maintain your mutual friendship as long as possible, not to make it any more awkward then it needs to be. “Since my client works closely with Mr. Andor, we thought it might be best that they maintain their professional relationship.” 

“I see,” Anderson said, turning his attention to Cassian’s side of the table. “Does the other party agree with this proposal?”

“Yes,” Cassian replied, not waiting to discuss with his lawyer who seemed to be annoyed with him. 

“Very well,” Anderson concluded, making a note on his pad. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” Cassian’s lawyer spoke up. “We would like to propose that Ms. L/N will sign a prenuptial agreement in order to protect the wealth and properties of my client.” 

You felt like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over your head. A part of you couldn’t believe that Cassian would think you would take half of his money and belongings. Does he really think that lowly of you? However at the same time, you understood why he would do it. It’s only temporary, you reminded yourself. 

“Understandable,” Anderson said, turning his gaze to you and your lawyer. “Does the other party agree with this proposal?”

“Yes,” you affirmed, pressing your lips into a fine line. 

You never thought this was how your marriage would start off...with a legalized contract and lawyers. Every little girl’s dream. 

“Very well,” Anderson said, making another note. “If there is nothing else, I will go ahead and add these points so that it is ready to be signed tomorrow. As for now, you are dismissed.”

You watched as Anderson packed up his documents into his briefcase before leaving the room. As you watched him walk out, you silently wondered how big is the stick that seems to be shoved up in his ass. Your lawyer gave you a small goodbye as she too left the room with her briefcase. You took a deep breath, glad that this meeting was over. You bent down to grab your bag, and when you stood back up, you were met with Cassian’s stance right in front of you. 

“Hey,” he started, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. “I was wondering if you were still free for tonight?” 

Over the past two weeks, you and Cassian have been going out to dinner in order to learn more about each other so you can make your marriage look real. Neither of you know what kind of questions the immigration agent will ask, so you had to learn everything about each other, inside and out. It’s been nice, but after every dinner, you had to remind yourself that it was all fake. Your relationship is fake, the marriage will be fake, but you couldn’t help to feel real feelings. The dinners were a facade for the public, but at times the facade fooled you as well. Fooled you to think that it was real, and gave you false hope that anything could happen.

“Yeah,” you replied, ignoring the butterflies that were erupting in your stomach. 

“Great,” Cassian said, a small grin appearing on his face, making your knee go weak. “I’ll pick you up around six.” 

“Great,” you repeated. “I’ll see you then.” 

You gripped the strap of your bag, and made your way out of the room towards the elevators, not bothering to give Cassian a goodbye. As soon as you got into the elevator, you pressed your head against the wall. You can’t catch feelings. You can’t risk this, and mess it up for both you and Cassian. But you couldn’t help but think about Cassian’s smile when hearing you were free. He smiled...

***

Cassian waited outside in front of your apartment building, leaning against his car. He would’ve gone up to get you, but you begged him not to. The first time he took you out, he came to your door. Some of your neighbors caught sight of him and instantly recognized him, which led to autographs and pictures and caused you two to be late to the dinner reservation. After that, you told him not to come up again, and he respected your wishes. 

His head snapped up when he heard the building door open. Cassian’s stomach dropped to the street and every rational thought in his mind disappeared into the abyss. The only thing he could focus on was you. You were wearing a flowing magenta off the shoulders dress. The length ended just a little below your knee, revealing your smooth beautiful legs. You wore your hair naturally with a flower behind your right ear. Your stride was graceful and confident, like a queen. All the air escaped Cassian’s lungs, and he felt heat blooming in his core as well as his cock hardening. 

“Hi,” you greeted. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes,” Cassian got out, struggling to find proper words. “Let’s go.”

Cassian opened the passenger door for you, trying to think of things to calm himself down. The drive to the restaurant was silent. You didn’t say anything, just looked out the window, and Cassian couldn’t think of anything to say to you in that moment. He was still in shock of your beauty. He always thought you were a beautiful woman, but tonight you were strikingly gorgeous. The past couple of dinners, Cassian wanted them to be a date without an impending marriage hanging over your heads. But now, he desperately wanted tonight to be a date. He wanted to hold your hand, to hug you close, and to kiss you with everything he has. But then he remembered the annulment that you requested. He can’t have what he truly wanted. He was Tantalus and you were a delectable fruit. He could only admire the thing he wanted most, but knows he will never get it.

Cassian walked behind you as the two of you entered the restaurant. It was softly lighted, creating a romantic ambiance to the place that he originally didn’t intend. The place was near the beach, the gentle lapping of the waves heard in the background when the violinist was in between songs. Cassian has never been to this restaurant, and he mentally cursed Kay for suggesting this place. This place will only make it harder to suppress his feelings toward you. 

The waiter sat you both at a table that was close to the beach and near the violinist. The candle light from the center of the table casted a soft glow on your face, bringing out your gentle features. Cassian had to be sure to take deep breaths every once in a while. This would be the last dinner as colleagues before becoming husband and wife. The thought still shocked Cassian. 

“So that meeting today,” you said, trying to break the silence. 

“Yeah,” Cassian let out, trying to think of something else to say. “Kinda crazy right?” 

“I know,” you replied. “I just hope nothing changes between us.”

That comment hit Cassian like a bullet in the chest. So it was clear, you didn’t want anything else with him. He always thought that was how you felt, but hearing you actually say it hurts even more. 

“Yeah,” Cassian agreed. “It’s only for a year anyways, it’ll be over before we know it.” 

Cassian felt a pang in his heart when you pressed your lips into a thin line. This whole thing was crazy. Cassian knew he would fall deeper in love with you as this time goes by, which would make the split hurt more. He would be worse off next year compared to now. Cassian thought he was broken now, but once you walk away from this fake relationship, he will be shattered. Cassian couldn’t concentrate on the items on the menu, and decided to order whatever the chef recommends. 

“Cassian,” you said, placing your hand on top of his softly, gently grabbing his attention. He felt an electric shock upon the touch, making it hard for him to concentrate. “Are you sure you want to do this? You could still back out, we didn’t sign the contract yet.” 

Of course he wanted to do this. Sure you two would only be husband and wife on paper, wouldn’t be an actual couple, wouldn’t exchange blissful kisses, or even have sex. But he would still get to see you every day and night, and that was enough for him. 

“I’m sure,” Cassian affirmed. “This is what’s best.” Cassian fumbled his other hand around in his pants pocket, reaching for the small velvet box. It was Anderson’s idea to make a formal proposal in public in order to get the support of the fans. They needed to get the public’s support so no one would dare question the nature of your marriage. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes,” you breathed out, rubbing your hands over your thighs. “Let’s do this.” 

Cassian nodded, getting out of his seat and kneeling on one knee before you, the second time. He heard the collective gasps and “oh my gosh’s” of the other restaurant patrons. He saw the flashes of people taking pictures from his peripheral vision, and heard the whispers of others saying “Is that Cassian Andor from the Rebels?” The plan was working. Cassian brought out the navy blue box, presenting it to you, and opening it to reveal a dazzling two karat diamond ring. He had to admit it to himself, he found it fun picking out a ring for you. He wanted to get you something that was impressive but no too over the top. When his eyes landed on the chosen ring, he knew it would be perfect for you. But some of the dread washed up against him. At some point in the future he’ll have to return it. For now, however, he pushed those thoughts aside. 

“Y/N L/N,” Cassian began. “Love of my life, my only one, will you marry me?” 

He watched you bring both your hands to cover your mouth in shock, before pressing them against your heart. A smile spread across your face as tears formed in the corner of your eyes. You nodded your head, pretending to be at a loss for words then strangling out a quiet “yes.” You were a good actress. 

Cassian smiled in turn, placing the ring on your finger as the small crowd around him applauded. He placed his hand along your jaw, bringing your lips to meet his. This was his first kiss with you, and he never wanted it to end. Your lips were smooth and soft to the touch, intoxicating if anything. But he pulled back, not wanting to get caught up in the action. He smiled at you when he broke away, watching as you did the same. 

So this was it, the beginning of a long journey which would leave Cassian an utter mess. For a moment, however, he got caught up in the scheme. For a moment, he felt like he was actually proposing to you. For a moment, he felt that your yes was genuine. For a moment, he felt that your returned kiss matched his feelings. But it was all a lie; a coping mechanism for the impending future. 

Cassian turned around, facing the multiple cameras and smiling with your hand in his. He nodded to some who waved, and thanked those who gave him congratulations. 

And this is only the beginning, Cassian thought to himself.  

To be continued...

[onthesandsofdreams]

Morning After (We Are Alive)

Fandom: Rogue One Pairing: Jyn Erso x Cassian Andor Rating: T Summary: The first words that Jyn speaks once she’s safe inside Yavin’s rebel base medbay is, “I am not doing that again.” Words: 1211 Notes: Canon Divergence/Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies. Written for Fictober-Event, prompt #8. “I’m not doing that again” 

Read @AO3 

The first words that Jyn speaks once she’s safe inside Yavin’s rebel base medbay is, “I am not doing that again.”

Cassian, who lays on the bed next to her, snorts. “Let’s hope we don’t have to.”

The medic and meddroid have said that, besides the bruises that Cassian will have, there’s nothing else to worry about. They are bruised and scratched up, all of them, but they are well. Bodhi’s the one who made it the best, by his quick actions their aircraft survived, Chirrut is unconscious still, but the meddroid is positive that all will be well with him. Jyn sighs, only the five of them made it out alive. And while for a terrible moment, they all feared it had been in vain when Princess Leia had been taken captive, they now know that the plans are on the way to Yanvin and so is the Princess.

“Well then,” Jyn says after a moment’s silence. “Let us hope, that we can build a better galaxy that won’t require near suicidal infiltration to stop it.”

Cassian laughs, regrets it immediately by the way he clutches his side. “At least, let us hope that if this all goes to shit, we’d be too old to do anything more than sit on command and bark orders.”

Now it’s Jyn who snorts. “As if age could stop you.” Then grins at Cassian, she’s quite sure the grin she gives him is not a nice one. “As if age could stop me.”

“That’s true.” Cassian conceded gracefully. “But right now, I’m just glad that we made it out. We have the plans, things are looking up.”

They are. Jyn, for all her cynicism knows that. She has survived an impossible mission, and now, more than ever understands Cassian’s thoughts about hope. Because she has it now, whereas she only kept her mind in a day-in, day-out basis, now she can allow herself to look into a calm (as calm as she can hope for) future. One where she’s alive and the Empire is no more and Cassian is at her side. “Yes, they are.”

A medic brings them food and they eat in companionable silence, it’s only when Cassian has set his tray on the small stand next to his bed that Jyn goes to him. Sits carefully on his non injured side, takes his hand in hers. She finds that she likes his hands, they strong and rough, the signs of a hard earned life, but she knows hers aren’t soft either. “We’re alive, Cass,” she says looking into his eyes. She also likes his eyes, so dark and warm and so very soft for her. That look in the lift spoke more than many words ever could.

Cassian sits upright, never letting go of her hand. “We are.”

Jyn, who has not been one for sentiment in recent years, gives into them. She inches closer to Cassian, rests her forehead against his. “Can you believe it?”

“Barely,” Cassian admits. “I knew we were going to die. I was ready to, I had made peace with death the moment I decided to follow you. But here we are. We lived.”

“And once the war is over,” Jyn says, softly this time. “And we are still alive – because we will make it, what then?”

If possible, Cassian’s look softens even more. “Well, not to be presumptuous but, we could settle down somewhere. Here even, a pair of friends of mine are planning on buying a lot here.”

Jyn touches her nose against him. “That actually sounds nice, we had a farm once, before… well, before Krennic.”

“And we’d be together, close to the base in case we’re needed.”

“Yeah, I plan to see the end of the war. So you better live too, else I’ll find a way to bring you back from the dead, kick your ass and then kill you myself.” She grows silent for a bit. “This is happening too fast.”

“It is,” Cassian admits. “But, it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels right, like it was always meant to be. You and I, well, we’re not so different in the end. Besides, we are alive now, we have the rest of our lives to get to know one another.”

“But I think I love you.” There, she’d said it. No taking it back now. Not that she would. There’s something about Cassian that makes her feel at home. Safe and sound, like he could be her anchor in a life full of storms. He’s the solid presence she could built a life around. It should be frightening, but she finds that she isn’t. Because Jyn Erso didn’t just survive Scariff to falter now. She kick the Empire in the balls and won. She won’t be afraid of her emotions – even if those are scarier than certain death.

Cassian’s eyes shine at her words. “I know I love you.” He says, voice firm and steady. “So, Jyn and Cassian, one time rebels, soon-to-be farmers.”

Jyn separates her head from Cassian and laughs, and her laugh is a light one, she feels happier and freer than she has ever felt. Yes, they still have some work to do, she understand Cassian and herself enough to know, that they won’t settle down immediately, but work to eradicate the Empire as much as they can, only then they will step down and let those who actually can work with diplomacy do the rest. “I’d drink to that, but we’re sadly lacking in anything alcoholic.”

Cassian shrugs, “We’ll be out of here soon enough, and I have a bottle of Corellian brandy in my room. We can have a go at it once we are back on our feet.”

“Cass, they want to give us medals,” Jyn lowers her voice, a conspiring and mischievous tone to it. “What would I do with a medal?”

Cassian lifts his brows and his lips quirk upwards, “Well, that’s nice. Even if we did went rogue and did the impossible.” Then shrugs, “As to what you’d do with a medal, I don’t know. I don’t know what I’d do with one.”

Jyn arches a brow, one side of her mouth turning upwards. “We are rebels. We just… rebelled.”

Cassian laughs and immediately winces. “What time is it, do you know?”

“Why, you tired?”

“I am.”

Jyn looks around, looking for anything that has the time. Then, she spots the time in a monitor. “600 hrs, morning. Sleep Cass, out of the two of us, you got the worst.”

Cassian pulls her to him, their faces a small distance apart. Cassian’s hands take her face, he leans forward and places a kiss on her lips. It’s a kiss of promise, of hope, of tenderness. “It’s the morning Jyn, and we are alive.”

Jyn’s heart is beating loudly in her ears, it’s so loud, she fancies Cassian can hear it. “Now, sleep. I’ll catch some sleep myself.”

Cassian lets her go, watches as she climbs on her assigned bed, only then he sinks down and closes his eyes.

Jyn watches him until his breathing evens out, closes her eyes, but she’s smiling as she begins to drift into sleep. Cassian’s right. It’s the morning, a new day and they are alive.

[jynappreciationsquad]

mhkay, no fic today because I have too much writing to do for uni and also, I want to talk about Jyn Erso. Specifically, a little post about What Would Jyn Erso Do and how incredibly motivating that phrase is. I relate to this post a lot, and I thought that was interesting because we have female characters around who seem to be designed to be that aspirational fictional character - Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel, say. But they don’t even remotely have the same motivating effect on me, and I think that comes down to the main reason Jyn as a character so special to me.

I feel like in the majority of movies that I’ve grown up with that were specifically geared to me (read: girls in Western cultures), the heroines largely fell into two categories. The first would be the lead in a Rom-Com or sitcom. She’d typically “not have her life together” or be “quirky” or “not well adjusted” - but somehow never in the way that I’ve felt like “not having my life together” or was “not well adjusted” to our society, because that’s not enjoyable to watch, I guess. And even if they had an honest-to-God problem or character flaw, they didn’t really overcome it out of their own initiative and strength. Some big cute coincidence would happen to set them up with a guy so their problems either went away or just stopped to matter. So, even when I like these characters, they’re not exactly someone you’d aspire to be - because you’d essentially be aspiring to sitting around and waiting for the universe to fix your problems (and I may already be doing that, so it’s not really all that inspiring).

The other category are people worth aspiring to - they’re the Carol Denvers and Diana Princes and Reys of the fandom world, or the Leias and Elizabeth Swanns. They’re badass, and cool, and stunning, and amazing. But they’re hard to aspire to, in a way - harder than someone like Jyn, anyway. Because Carol, or Rey, or Diana? They’re exceptional. Special. Chosen, if you will.  And somewhere in that, there is a shitty message, because it suggests that they can only do all those things because they’re special - and duh, because real humans, absolutely regardless of gender, age or physical appearance can’t fly, or deflect bullets like they’re nothing. But still, there’s a notion in there that you can only be heroic and cool if you are special, and if you’re not chosen by someone or something then that’s that. You’re just not special. You can’t choose yourself. And Leia? She arguably isn’t extraordinary – at least she’s human. But she’s also a princess, and Force-sensitive. And, most of all, she has her flaws, but she’s not allowed to put a foot wrong the way other (male) characters are. She has to be badass from the get-go, and be really good at a lot of things. And I love Leia, I do – but she’s so high up there. Aspiring to be Leia is feasible in that she has more or less human capacities, but it’s still pretty much an unattainable goal.

We don’t get a lot of characters like, say, Indiana Jones, who has a pretty cool and impressive skillset and knowledge (and let’s face it, an unreasonable amount of appeal to whomever he choses to appeal to), but who also gets to fuck up, majorly, in his very first scene. He’s human, and the fun of Indiana Jones is that, if you had studied history and had a bunch of fighting experience and the attitude, you could be Indiana Jones.

Meanwhile, characters like those ladies are given flaws, too, but they’re usually of the kind that they make it difficult for them to find acceptance with others – they’re a little bossy, or a little socially awkward. But those flaws stand in the way of their personal happiness, not their self-realisation. They don’t detract from their power or physical strength, especially because they’re usually delegated to being the voice of reason.

And then there’s Jyn. She’s not just allowed to get dirty, and wear the exact same down-to-earth, practical, fully unsexualised outfit, and have hair that gets ruffled and grimy, and actually cry. She’s also allowed to hold a moral stance that the audience does not agree with (not a problem if you don’t look up), we see her chose herself over the Greater Good™, for a while. The movie trusts us to empathise with a woman who isn’t selfless to a fault, who isn’t gentle or openly caring – and who isn’t superhumanly awesome to make up for it. She changes her mind, grows – and fails at her big, rousing central speech. Twice. I love her speeches, but they do. Not. Land. She’s not Elizabeth, rallying a bunch of outlaws behind her, fully ride-or-die, with a handful of words. And that makes her such a good role model, because she’s so human, and fallible. She’s well-trained and determined and brave, but she could be anyone. And she’s still a hero, not because she was chosen, or because she’s so brilliant that it’s easy for her, or nobody else could do it – because she chooses to be the one to do it.

So, if she could choose to become this kick-ass person, then I can work out even though I don’t want to. This is a dumb example to say that I want more characters like her for girls to aspire to (and boys too, and anyone else!). People who choose to be the hero of the story, on their own. People who could be us.

(R1 does so much right in that regard. They also allow Jyn a relationship (or *hint* at one, if you’re one of those dudebros who insist there must be kiss for emotions??) where power dynamics don’t constantly need to be negotiated via petty jealousy or some other contrived drama. That’s important, because that’s the kind of relationship kids should grow up to want, right? The movie lets her be awesome, and also make a connection founded on trust, where she gets emotional support and someone who publicly chooses to have her back, and who does, without flinching, until the end. And they managed to have a Latino actor play a character, and they didn’t give him a drug backstory literally for one bad joke, but that’s neither here nor there)

Anyways, I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with fic this month, but I still love Jyn a lot, and more and more as I’m seeing other movies. Thank you for coming to my TED talk, good night.

[poeticandors]

So Many Words Part 4

Poe Dameron x Female!Reader

Summary: Poe and Y/N became pen pals after their first meeting when they were younger, and since then, they continued to write letters to each other. Following the letters throughout their lives, we will see just how far these letters go, as well as their relationship.

Warnings: None

A/N: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Almost to the end!

I do not own GIF!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

22 Years Old

Dear Poe,

I hope everything is treating you well. I miss you so much, I can’t wait to see you when you get to visit again. Our last visit wasn’t long enough ;). Tell Commander Andor I begged you to give you more another leave (tell him I am giving puppy dog eyes right now).

Finals week is here, I’m dreading it so much. I’ve literally studied nonstop and I don’t feel like I’m retaining ANY information at all. I wish you were here to help me study ;).

I can’t believe I’ll be walking in just a few more days. I have NO idea what I’m going to be doing after this. It’s going to be weird not studying and having to get an actual job. 

I miss you every single day you’re not here. But I am so proud of all you’ve accomplished. Never thought I would still be writing letters to you as often as I do. But I wouldn’t change a thing.

Stay safe. 

I love you,

Y/N

~~~~~~

Smiling down at the letter, you fold it up and push it into the envelope before sealing it off. You would be sure to send it as soon as you had a chance to. A small bark is heard, and you glance down to see BeeBee wagging his little nub. 

“Time to eat?” The pup’s ears shot up and he quirks his head to the side before jumping up.

“Alright, alright,” you chuckle as you stand up, grabbing the envelope with BeeBee following behind. 

You had gifted Poe with BeeBee a while ago, when he first started his training. The two were thick as thieves— always cuddling together on the couch while you studied. BeeBee would always get upset when Poe left, but the moment he came back it was like he never even left. 

As you poured the food into the bowl, you glanced at a few pictures that were hanging up on your wall. There were a few from when you were really young, like when you, Ben, and Poe went to the zoo. And then there was one of you and Poe at your high school graduation

Then, there were some more recent. There was one of you, Poe, and BeeBee when he was just a puppy, and another of the two of you in front of the Disneyland Castle with your churros. 

So many memories from your childhood, and they only kept growing as you both get older. Never would you have thought that you would end up still writing letters to him, having a shared apartment and dog. 

You smiled.

You were so in love with Poe Dameron.

+++++++

“Dameron! You’ve got some mail.”

Poe glances up as Cassian hands him a few letters, nodding in thanks as his Commander continues to pass out mail. He reads the first one from his father, seeing that he is well and how he hopes that he is staying safe and not getting into any trouble.

He smiles, setting the letter aside before recognizing your handwriting. He opens it up and begins to read as Cassian sits next to him, opening a letter that’s most likely from Jyn. 

“Your sweetheart write you?” 

“Yeah, she said to tell you she’s begging you to give me another leave. Says she is giving you puppy dog eyes right now.”

Cassian chuckles. “So, she doesn’t know you’re dropping by for her graduation, then?”

“Nope. Her parents do, I’ve already talked with them. And my father will be flying out to see her walk, as well.”

“That’ll be nice. Give her my congratulations, will you?” 

“Sure,” he nods as Cassian pats his shoulder before walking off. 

Poe smiles, grabbing the letter and placing it in a box with all the others you’ve written, along with picture you’ve sent of you and BeeBee. 

He would never get tired of seeing your smile.

He knew joining the Air Force meant not being with each other as often, but it didn’t stop your love from growing. Each visit made him realize just how thankful he is to have you in his life. 

It would only be a few more days until you walked, and Poe would be there to witness it— although you didn’t know that. He glances down at the small box he kept with your letters, gently picking it up as he stares at the beautiful ring hanging on a chain inside. 

He knew from the moment he met you that he wanted you in his life for a long time. As your relationship blossomed, he wanted you to be in his life not only as his best friend, but his wife. 

His mother gave him the ring when he was younger, saying that she wanted him to give it to the one person he loved with all his heart. He kept that ring with him every day after she passed, determined to find that one person.

And that person was you. 

Poe smiles— his heart warm and full at the thought of you wearing his mother’s ring. He sets the box away, grabbing a paper and pen as he sits down to write. 

~~~~~~

Sweetheart,

You’re right, our last visit wasn’t long enough. I have a feeling we have PLENTY of time to catch up ;). Commander Andor gives his congratulations on graduating, I think you MIGHT have gotten him to consider letting me take another leave. 

I’ve told you before, sweetheart. You’re going to kick those finals asses. You have nothing to worry about. You are going to be amazing at whatever you . And I am already so proud of you. No matter what, I will be by your side. 

I love you more than anything, sweetheart. And I promise, I’ll see you sooner than you think.

I love you,

Poe

~~~~~~

”Alright, smile!”

Holding up your diploma and a bouquet of flowers you received, you smile widely as your parents and Kes take photos of you. 

You finally did it.

The moment you heard your name being called almost didn’t seem real to you. All your hard work, all the late nights… they finally paid off. You were a graduate.

You were so thankful to be joined with your family and Kes— your loved ones. They cheered so loud for you as you waved to them while grabbing your diploma. You could only imagine how loud Poe would’ve cheered for you. This thought made your heart feel heavy. While you wished that Poe were there, you knew he needed to be where he was at.

“Okay, how about—“

“Just one more!” Your mother calls out, a sly smile on her face.

Shaking your head with a smile, you pose for another picture, when you feel an arm wrap around your shoulders. Quickly looking up, you were frozen in place for a mere moment as you stared into the familiar eyes of Poe. 

“Hey, Sweetheart.”

Your Poe was here.

All of the emotions hit you at once like a wave— relief, exhilaration… they were all there. A choked sob escapes you, and you carefully hand the flowers and your diploma to whoever held their hands to grab them before embracing Poe. 

“Poe!” You cry out, tears falling down your cheeks as he spins you around. “I-I can’t believe you’re here!”

“You really think I would miss seeing my girl’s big day?” He chuckles, setting you down.

Your hands are on his cheeks, and you quickly press your lips to his— kissing him fervently. As he pulls you close, you feel him smile against your lips.

Pulling away, you can’t help the smile that forms on your face. “I’m so happy you’re here.” 

“Well… your graduation isn’t the only reason I’m here.” 

Your brows knit together, and before you can ask what he means, Poe reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box.

Your hands are quick to cover your mouth, and you already feel more tears forming as Poe smiles up at you. 

“Y/N… from the moment we first met, I knew I wanted you in my life.” He starts. “From that first summer to us becoming pen pals, to us becoming best friends… then on to more than friends. I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to.”

He opens up the box, and you try to hold back a sob.

It was the ring his mother gave him.

You remember him first showing it to you when you were younger. The ring then was hooked on a small chain, ensuring that he took it everywhere with him, and it was then that you realized that he always had it with him. 

Poe told you about that day his mother died, and your heart ached for him. Though full of sorrow, he continued to tell you many happy memories— all the stories of her time in the Air Force, how she always took him to the park close by the airport so they could watch the planes take off. 

Then, he told you about the moment she gave him her ring, telling him to give it to the one person he truly loved— the one he wanted to marry. 

He was giving it to you. 

Poe glances up at you— his gaze nervous and pupils so blown.You had never seen Poe this nervous before, not since your prom night. He’s trying to come up with the words, you can see him trying to rack his brain around just what to say. 

“...Sweetheart, I’ve loved you from that moment by the lake. My love for you continues to grow every single day, and I want to continue showing just how much you mean to me,” he exhales shakily, holding the ring out for you. “Will you allow me to spend every waking day as your husband? To be able to call you my wife and build a happy life together? Y/N… will you marry me?”

There was no hesitation. You quickly nod, tears falling down your cheeks as you pull your hands down. 

“Yes, Poe. Yes! I’ll marry you.”

[youareiron-andyouarestrong]

55 + 74 + cassian/jyn

established relationship + huddling for warmth 

I ain’t no superman, I ain’t no holy ghost, I’m just the one that keeps you up and that you love the mostI’ll be your strong man, I’ll be your West Coast, I’ll be the sun, I’ll be the waves, I’ll be the one you love the most 

“I will kill you for this,” Jyn vowed, huddled under piles and piles of blankets, glaring at him, utter sincerity in her words. “I will honest to god kill you.”

“I’m the innocent party here,” Cassian protested, adding one more log to the fire. “How was I supposed to know there’d be a blizzard?”

“You check the weather app!” Jyn exclaimed in exasperation. “Or we will listen to all our friends when they tell us there’s going to be a blizzard.” 

“Hey, aren’t you from London?” Cassian asked, making sure his wool socks were on. 

“It doesn’t get eighteen below in London!” Jyn exclaimed. 

“Well, that sounds like a you problem,” Cassian said, oh-so-reasonably. 

Jyn glowered. “Do you want to freeze? Because it sounds like you, personally, want to freeze out there.” 

“Who would keep you warm if I did?” Cassian said with a guileless smile, the same one he uses in court when he wants the opposing team to underestimate him and his opening argument. Jyn knows better. 

Because she actually did love the bastard, she threw back the covers for him, yelping at the cold air as he dove in, yanking the blankets back over them as quickly as he could. “Oh, Jesus Maria,” he wheezed out. “Okay, you’re right, maybe I didn’t think this through as well as I could’ve. But we needed this weekend. Really bad.”

Jyn sighed, shifting around, letting him get comfortable. “I know, I know.  I was practically checking out mentally all Thursday. I just wanted it to be Friday so we could get going.”

Their lives were busy, like any other young professional couple. Cassian was a lawyer, Jyn was one of the owners of a gym that catered exclusively to women and had a strong focus on self-defense and empowerment. She co-ran it with Leia Organa, and it was Leia’s family cabin they were currently staying in this weekend. 

“Come back on Monday,” Leia had told her, practically shoving Jyn out the door. “Refreshed and rested.” 

Now Cassian sighed, wrapping himself around her, a wall against the wind and snow and cold. “You know, this isn’t so bad,” he murmured, lips resting against her pulse. “Cold aside. I think it’s pretty romantic, actually.” 

Jyn couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Romantic?”

“Well,” he said, his lips making interesting shapes against the warm skin of her throat, “we’re out here all alone, with no one looking for us. We’ve got no one to see, nowhere to go, for a few days. We’ve got this nice big bed with all these blankets, a fire for ambience…”

“And then the murderers come,” Jyn intoned darkly, just to stay on brand. But it was hard to be appropriately cynical when she was getting warm and warmer still, wrapped around Cassian, his mouth so soft and sweet on her sensitive skin.

“Please,” Cassian said fondly. “Like you couldn’t handle a hoard of murderers. And after you’re done, kicking ass and defending us from the threat--”

“Me? I’m sorry, what will you be doing while I’m kicking murderer ass?”

“Something appropriately heroic in the background,” Cassian said, now rolling over, getting her right leg over his hip. “It’s blurry. Anyways, after it’s done and we’re safe from the alleged murderers--”

“Alleged?”

“I’ll clean your wounds by firelight,” Cassian continued, ignoring her mock-outraged objection. “You’ll only be very mildly wounded, just a few artistic scrapes and cuts--and you’ll be all wound up and full of energy, like you always are after a fight. Then I will offer to take you to bed, as by way of a thank you for your heroics. And I will express my gratitude. Repeatedly. Until you’re all soft and sweet and pliant, like you get.”

Wondering how he was the only one who could do this for her, make her laugh and exasperate her and turn her on in that methodical, deliberate, matter-of-fact lawyer voice, Jyn took his face in her hands, so she could see his face properly. His dearly beloved face, one that was written on her heart. “You’ve clearly given this whole thing a lot of thought,” she said. “Should I add it to the list of our role-play scenarios?”

“Well...” he drawled, moving forward enough to lightly kiss her chin, and then her throat, moving further down, “Why wait?”

Jyn laughed out loud, his head vanishing under the covers, the cold and wind outside forgotten. Here, under the blankets, was her whole world.  

[wearesuchstuff1]

Star Crossed

What happens when you take a Star Wars obsessed nerd who is getting a graduate degree in Shakespeare Studies and you put her in quarantine with three essays to write for almost two months?

A Star Wars/Shakespeare AU for every one of Shakespeare's plays!

Read on AO3.

     All's Well That Ends Well  

Kylo as the King and Rey as Helena.  Kylo has been stabbed by a lightsaber.  Who stabbed him?  Totally not Rey, what are you talking about??  Rey offers to heal Kylo with the Force (because that’s apparently a thing you can do?).  Kylo doubts she can do it, but Rey offers to make him a deal - either she fails, in which case Kylo can kill her, or she succeeds, in which case she gets to choose her husband.  Kylo agrees to this, secretly hoping that if she does manage to cure him that she will choose him as husband and not that annoying Rebel pilot or that ex- Storm Trooper.  Rey does manage to heal Kylo, but instead of throwing herself at Kylo, Poe, or Finn, Rey decides she’s a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man and this way none of them can push the issue because she gets to be the one who ultimately chooses who, or if, she marries.  Sorry Shakespeare, this play’s super annoying and I am not inflicting most of this plot on my Star Wars babies.  

     Antony and Cleopatra  

Leia as Mark Anthony, Han as Cleopatra.  Leia is a very busy, powerful, accomplished leader of the Resistance.  Everyone looks up to her and she has lots to do as her Rebel forces battle the Empire.  If only Han Solo weren't so damn sexy and distracting…

     As You Like It  

Ray as Rosiland and Finn as Orlando.  After escaping from Jakku, Ray must seek her family in the Forest of D'Qar.  Finn, in love with Ray and fleeing the wrath of the new, hostile government, also ends up in the Forest.  There, Ray finds her family, learning that family does not begin or end with blood, and learns to find “tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything.”  

     Comedy of Errors  

Anakin managed to avoid the temptations of Palpatine but when Palpatine discovers that Padme is pregnant they, with Obi Wan’s help, agree that the children must be kept safe from the Sith Lord.  In the wake of Order 66 Padme takes Leia and C-3PO on one ship and Anakin takes Luke and R2-D2 on another.  The twins are raised apart but when Luke comes of age, he sets out with R2-D2 to find his twin.  Hijinks and hilarity ensue, but in the end Luke and Leia, R2 and 3PO, and Anakin and Padme are all reunited.  

      Coriolanus  

Obi Wan as Ophidius, Palpatine as Menennius, and Anakin as Coriolanus.  Palpatine is intent on shaping the warrior Anakin in his political image.  Anakin would much rather stab things with his lightsaber and rail against the establishment than put up with politics.  Obi Wan and Anakin are gay for eachother.    

     Cymbeline  

Leia is Imogen, Anakin is Cymbeline, Palpatine is Anakin’s evil lover, Palpatine's clone son is Cloten, Han is Posthumus.  Leia married Han but Anakin doesn’t approve because Anakin and Palpatine want Leia to marry Palpatine’s clone son.  After Han has been kicked out he goes to Jabba’s palace and sends Jabba the Hutt to try to seduce Leia because Jabba tricks Han into betting that Leia won’t betray him.  Jabba brings “proof” to Han of Leia’s supposed infidelity and Han sends Chewie as Pisonio to lead Leia to the deserted deserts of Tatooine to kill her.   However instead Chewie brings a disguise for Leia to dress up as a boy to keep her safe from Han.  Dressed as a boy, Leia gets separated from Chewie and meets Obi Wan (as Belarius) and Luke (as Guiderius/Arviragus).  Leia doesn’t know that Luke is her brother and after she falls ill she takes a potion given to Chewie by Palpatine that ends up making her fall into a dead sleep.  I can’t be bothered to explain why.  Thinking her dead, Obi Wan and Luke plan to bury her until Palpatine’s clone son, dressed as Han and looking for Leia, arrives and, because he is rude, gets his head cut off by Luke, who lays him (headless) next to Leia.  When Leia wakes up she thinks that Han is dead and, in great despair, Leia goes off and pledges herself as a page to Tarkin, who is leading the Empire’s fleet against the Hutts.  There is a big battle where Luke, Obi Wan, and Han kick ass, and at the end all mistaken identities are revealed, Palpatine dies and confesses his sins (not in that order), Han and Leia discover they were only tricked into thinking they didn’t love each other, and Leia still gets to strangle Jabba.  In conclusion, this is a batshit play.  Thanks Shakespeare.    

     Hamlet  

Well it’s not Anakin because he doesn’t take any time to ponder anything before killing the people who killed his parent.  He just kills them.  And not just the men, but the women, and the children too…

Ben Kenobi tells Luke that Vader killed his father.  Horrified by this information, Luke sets out across to Galaxy to confront Vader.  By act five Luke has stabbed the Emperor through a curtain (thinking him to be Vader), Vader and Luke have both been stabbed with a poisoned lightsaber, General Tarkin has drunk poison intended for Luke, and Princess Leia is knocking on the doors of the death star.  With his dying breath Luke tells his school friend Biggs (who Luke is not-so-secretly gay for) that he gives his vote for Leia to run the Galexy after he is dead.  At this point Ben Kenobi is beginning to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have lied to Luke about his father after all.  Also, R2 and 3PO are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  

     Henry IV, Parts I and II  

Han as Hal and Jabba the Hutt as Falstaff.  Hanging out with Jabba and his other lowlife friends has given Han a bad reputation.   Despite Jabba's insistence that they be partners in petty crime and enjoy all the entertainment and Corilian Rum the credits from their crimes can buy, Han must grow to realize that his friend is holding him back from his true place in the Galaxy and that he ultimately must turn away from his old (large) friend in order to become a General in the Rebel Alliance and to stand by its Princess's side.    

     Henry V  

Jyn and Cassian know, as their small band of brothers lands on the beaches of Scarif, that they are outnumbered ten to one.   Nevertheless, as they prepare to head once more unto the breach they are determined to make ten men feel like a hundred.  They know that if they are mark’d to die, they are enough to do the Rebellion loss; and if to live, the fewer men, the greater share of honour.  They fight valiantly and are able to bring the Rebellion hope by sending the plans for the Death Star to Princess Leia, but in the end none of them outlive that day, nor come safe home.  

     Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III  

Despite the threats posed by the Clone Wars, the Jedi look above all else to their religion, leaving the path open for their enemies to take from them their power and, ultimately, their lives.

     Henry VIII  

Obi Wan is Anakin’s first wife and Padme is Ann Bolyn.  Anakin cheats on Obi Wan and the Jedi Order with Padem.  When the world finds out (youngings’) heads will roll.

     Julius Caesar  

Snoke, Kylo, and Hux as Caesar, Brutus, and Mark Anthony.   Despite his pledged allegiance to Emperor Snok, Kylo turns against his master and stabs him with his lightsaber, inciting a power struggle between Kylo and Hux and some impassioned speeches to the gathered Storm Troopers.

     King John  

Palpatine as King John, Mace Windu as the Pope, and Anakin as the archbishop (and Hubert).  Palpatine, in order to assert his influence over the Jedi and to continue to bring Anakin under his power, insists that Anakin be appointed to the Jedi Council.  Mace Windu is furious that Palpatine would interfere in this way and attempts to “excommunicate” him from the Republic.  Anakin turns on Mace Windu and the Jedi Order, and Palpatine sends him to the Jedi Temple to kill the younglings (specifically a youngling named Arthur).  However, when actually faced with the task Anakin is unable to do so.  Instead he lies to Palpatine and tells him the younglings have been killed.

     King Lear  

Lear/Cordelia as Vader/Luke.  Vader is slightly (maybe a lot) crazy and angry and he tries to give his son, Luke, part of the Galaxy, providing Luke pledges his allegiance to Vader and the Dark Side of the Force.  Luke is not having it so Vader cuts Luke’s hand off.  In the end, after some battles, Vader realizes Luke is in the right just in time to die.

     Love's Labour's Lost  

By swearing off attachments and secluding themselves in their Temple, the Jedi believe they will better be able to learn from and serve the Force.  But then Qui-Gon Jinn meets Shmi Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi meets Satine Kryze, Ahsoka Tano meets Lux Bonteri, and Anakin Skywalker meets Padme Amidala.  Together they learn that attachments are not so easily avoided.

     Macbeth  

The Nightsisters, led by Mother Talzin, predict greatness for Darth Maul.  In fact, when he is apprenticed to Sidious, Talzin predicts that Maul will become the most powerful Sith Lord and that he will soon become the master, no longer the apprentice.  Fueled by this promised power, Maul, encouraged by his wife Lady Ventress, plans to kill Sidious.  However, he is disturbed by Talzin's predictions that while he may become more powerful than even Sidious, it is Sidious's future apprentice, Darth Vader, who’s children will defeat the power of the Dark Side.  Thinking himself invincible thanks to Mother Talzin's predictions he sees no reason to fear the two Jedi who arrive at the Naboo palace of Dunsinane in a ship called the Birnam Wood.

     Measure for Measure  

With the Empire not giving a fuck about the Outer Rims, Jabba is left to his own devices on Tatooine.  When Jabba captures Luke and tries to feed him to his pet Rancor, Jabba proposes a deal with Leia that if she stays with him he will let Luke go.  Already feeling that she is married to the Rebellion, Leia is torn between her love for the Alliance and her love for Luke.  Ultimately Leia decides she’s better off strangling Jabba while Luke blows up his ship.  Even though this isn’t what Mariana actuall does in the script it’s what she should do becasue fuck the patriarchy.    

     Merchant of Venice  

In a last-ditch attempt to save the Republic she loves, Padme comes before the senate and reminds them that 'the quality of mercy is not strained'.  She advises them that mercy 'is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned Emperor better than his robe: his lightsaber shows the force of temporal power, but mercy is above the lightsaber's sway".  Her impassioned speech reminds the senate to see past the blood lust fueled by Palpatine and the Clone Wars and Padme single handedly manages to avoid the death of democracy to thunderous applause.    

     Merry Wives of Windsor  

Jabba the Hutt is Falstaff.  That’s all.

     Midsummer Night's Dream  

Finn and Poe, both thinking they are in love with Ray, follow Ray to a forest planet.  Rose, in love with Poe, follows him.  In the forest R2-D2 and his young companion BB8 use trickery and (Force) magic to help the humans sort out this love triangle mess (yes, this does make C-3PO Titania). Finn and Poe realize that they are actually in love with each other and Ray reaffirms that she is a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man.  Rose gets left in the woods because J.J. Abrams forgets about her.  

     Much Ado about Nothing  

Leia/Han as Beatrice/Benedict.  Despite the seemingly daily war of words between Princess Leia and Han Solo in the hallways of Hoth’s Echo Base, it seems every Alliance member except the Princess and the smuggler knows that the two are in love.  While the verbal battles continue (some more sophisticated than others - Han’s only available comeback to Leia’s rather weak “scruffy looking nerf herder” jab being “who’s scruffy looking?”) Chewbacca, Luke, R2-D2 and a relatively confused and unwilling C-3PO ‘undertake one of Hercules' labours; which is, to bring Han and the Princess Leia into a mountain of affection the one with the other’.  By the end both Han and Leia are separately convinced the other is madly in love with them and relent (purely out of the goodness of their own hearts and not at all because of any feelings they might have) to save the other from their suffering and agree to marry them.  Also Jar Jar Binks is Dogberry - do not question it.    

     Othello  

In order to serve his own purposes, Palpatine manages to turn the righteous and lauded warrior Anakin Skywalker against his wife, Padmé Amidala, with whispered lies and deceits, resulting in Anakin choking and, ultimately, killing the woman he loves.  That’s it.  That’s the film.

     Pericles  

Anakin as Pericles, Padme as Thaisa, and Leia as Marina.  After fleeing from Mustafar with Padme, Obi Wan and Bail Organa watch helplessly as Padme gives birth to twins then, seemingly, dies.  Afraid to bring more attention on themselves from Sidious and his new apprentice, the men place Padme’s body in an escape pod and eject it near Jedha.  What they don’t know is that Padme is only mostly dead (which means she is a little bit alive).  When her escape pod is found by a young local force user named Chirrut Imwe he brings Padme back from the brink.  Knowing that her husband is dead to her and with no way to contact her children, Padme decides to dedicate herself to the Force at the ancient Jedi temple Chirrut and his husband Baze Malbus brought her to.  Meanwhile, Leia is raised by Bail and, when she is old enough, dedicates herself to the Rebellion (sorry guys, I just can’t bring myself to have Bail try to kill Leia).  However, when Leia is captured by the Empire she is brought before Vader.  They talk and compare stories, and through their connection in the Force they realize that they are father and daughter.  At the descovery of his daughter Vader decides ‘you know what, fuck the Emperer’ and casually destroies the Empire.  Then the Force leads Anakin and Leia to Jedha (which hasn’t been destroyed because of reasons).  There they discover Padme living in the temple of the Jedi.  After a tearful family reunion with Anakin, Padme, and Leia, the three eventually decide they had better go save Luke from spending the rest of his life as a moisture farmer on Tatooine.  

     Richard II  

Ben Solo as Bolingbrooke and Luke as Richard II.  Luke, hoping to raise Ben Solo in his image, is heartbroken when he senses the dark side in his nephew.  In a sudden and desperate attempt to keep the dark side from the world Luke banishes Ben (with his lightsaber).  Furious at Luke’s betrayal Ben turns to the dark side and destroys everything Luke has sought to build.

     Richard III  

Turning against his own family, Kylo Ren murders and betrays in order to obtain the position in the First Order he believes his lineage affords him.  Hux is Ann.

     Romeo and Juliet  

Finn has been raised to be a Storm Trooper since before he can remember.  All his life he has been taught to hate the Resistance.   Poe’s parents were Alliance members during the time of the Empire.  They raised him to stand against the First Order.  Finn and Poe thought they knew their beliefs, until the two meet and, despite all they have been taught to believe, fall desperately in love.  They are, quite literally, star crossed.  BB8 gets drunk off fermented oil and delivers a Queen Mab speech in exclusively beeps and whistles.

     Taming of the Shrew  

The Alderaanian Princess is a bit of a firecracker and has no time for anything in her life but the Rebellion.  So when a smuggler shows up and decides to try to win her over Anakin, who did not turn to the Dark Side, laughs and says he’s welcome to try.  Meanwhile, Bodhi Rook, Wedge Antilles, and Biggs Darklighter (yes, this IS his last name…) are all vying for Luke Skywalker’s attention.  When Luke goes to Anakin and wines ‘but daddy, I want to get married’ Anakin makes a new rule: “YOU’RE NOT GETTING MARRIED UNTIL LEIA GETS MARRIED!”.  In order to have a chance at marriage Luke must team up with Chewbacca to help Han tame Leia.  It doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone except Han that it is actually Leia who ends up doing the timing.  

     Tempest  

In (self-imposed) exile a grumpy, gray haired Luke hangs out on an island strong with the magic of the Force.  Ariel is a Porg.  

     Timon of Athens  

Despite the Clone Wars, Obi Wan Kenobi is glad to be well liked and surrounded by friends he trusts.  Then one day his friends (specifically his best friend and a bunch of clones) betray his ass.  So what does he do?  He runs off to the Outer Rim to the sandiest fucking planet he can find (because his ex-best friend hates sand) and spends the next 19 years being poor and grumpy.

     Titus Andronicus  

Seriously, the only story I know with more severed limbs that Titus Andronicus is Star Wars…

     Troilus and Cressida  

When Padme married Anakin Skywalker they exchanged vows, of course, but they also exchanged pieces of clothing.  It’s an old Naboo tradition that Padme’s mother loved and Anakin found cute, so why not?   It was a silly thing, but the sleeve Anakin gives her stays with Padme, folded neatly in a small box, as Anakin fights the Clone Wars throughout the Galaxy and Padme fights them in the Senate.  But then Anakin falls to Darth Sidious’s powers and when Padme confronts him he almost chokes her to death.  Almost.  After giving birth to two healthy children Padme, Obi Wan, and Yoda agree that it will be safest for the twins to be raised apart in order to better hide them from the Dark Side.  Obi Wan takes the boy to Tatooien and Padme’s friend Bail Organa takes the girl to be his adopted daughter.  Padme, seperated from her children, spends the next several years traveling the Galaxy, doing good where she can and keeping herself away from her children, afraid that her presence will endanger them.  But Darth Vader finally catches up with her.  She is captured by the Sith Lord and taken prisoner and her already shattered heart breaks once again when she is brought before him.  Her captor demands that she be his, insisting that she love him and give up her foolish affection for the foolish boy she met on Tatooine all those standard years ago.  To prove her new supposed devotion to Vader, the Empire, and the Dark Side of the Force, Vader demands Padme supply him with a token of her affection.  From her small pack Padme draws out a box with an old but neatly folded sleeve within. She hands it to the Sith Lord, a token of her love, in the hopes that it might remind Vader of the love Padme bears for another man.    

     Twelfth Night  

After escaping Darth Vader with the plans to the Death Star, Luke and Leia, twins raised together as royals on Alderaan, crash in their escape pod on Tatooine.  Believing her twin brother to be dead, Leia dresses as a man to better hide from the Empire.  She is hired by a handsome smuggler named Han Solo, who sends her as an envoy to the palace of Jabba the Hutt, hoping Leia can gain information about Han’s lost love Qi’ra.  Han is intrigued by his new hire and his apparent aversion to the Empire while under her disguise Leia finds she is falling in love with Han.  Jabba is confused about why this petite boy Solo keeps sending wants to know about someone named Obi Wan Kanobi, Chewie is considering changing up his single munitions belt style with some fancy cross-gartering, and somehow Luke ends up at Jabba’s in a slave bikini.

     Two Gentlemen of Verona  

Lance and Crab - Ray and BB8 on Jakku.  Ray, having no family to speak of, designates her left shoe to be her mother, her right shoe to be her father, her staff to be her sister, her hat to be their maid and she is the droid.  No, the droid is herself, and she is the droid - O, the droid is her, and she is herself.  Ay, so, so.  She plays out her imagined family life with shoes and staff, bringing herself to lonely tears. Now the droid all this while sheds not a tear nor speaks a word; but see how she lays Jakku’s dust with her tears.

     Winter's Tale  

Abandoned after his family exited pursued by a (space) bear, Baby Yoda finds a new protector and adopted father in Din Djarin, the Mandalorian.    

     Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won  

These two are the 6 hour uncut Phantom Menace because they are lost and I would give my first born child to see them.

     Sir Thomas More, The Spanish Tragedy, and Edward III  

All the books/legends - not because of the plot, but because although George Lucas had very little to do with them they are really only known, by those who know them, in association with him and his works.  There is a large debate by ‘scholars’ as to whether they should be accepted as canon or not.

     Bonus  

Chewbacca is ecstatic when he hears that an Alderaanian princess has taken up residence in the detention block of a nearby moon space station.  He hopes that this princess might be the perfect match for his handsome yet headstrong smuggler friend.  After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Alderaanian princess in possession of a good fortune of Credits, must be in want of a husband.

I must give a huge thank you to my friends who put up with me while I did this and contributed fabulous ideas!  Vaxildamn, Dazingparadise, Kaethe, and Eric, I couldn't have done this without you!