pavejewelers

[danger-xylophones]

Syndic Thrass and Herald Elrond are the same person

and I am in love with both

[kayleediekunstlerin]

Think I could pull off Ar'Alani?

Photoshop makeup test so I know the colors/what technique to use when the time comes to paint my face. Imagine my hair straight, I was too lazy to do it at the time. I have hair wax on the way that will tint my hair a darker blue as well.

Any suggestions for lenses? I'm going to the eye doc in May to get a contact lens fitting just for this cosplay.

[tarisilmarwen]

Reading through the Grysk tag, and I’m glad to see from your posts that I’m not the only person who finds the Grysk boring in comparison to the Yuuzhan Vong. I’m an optimist though, so I’m holding out hope that future developments make them more interesting

The Grysk are terminally lackluster as a galactic threat. *nods* At best they work as a thematic foil kind of adversary for Thrawn, thanks to their penchant for infiltration and long-term strategy. Arguably their best virtue as a species is that they seem to be extremely patient.

Wish I shared your optimism lol. As it stands I don't really see how they can be made more interesting, unless we lean into the whole brainwashed thrall system thing. But as I said before, the Grysk simply do not have the numbers or the fleet strength to enslave enough Outer Rim worlds to be much of an opponent for the New Republic.

Like, I know Thrawn talks them up often but it's usually to someone he's trying to sell on a particular course of action (like freeing the Skywalkers) so you'll forgive me if I consider him a biased source and am a little Doubt.jpeg about his claims.

[legionofplush]

Time for some baddies! Here are close ups of Thrawn and Eli Vanto with his little Chiss Ascendacy tail. I made a ysalamir for Thrawn so then Eli needed an accessory so everyone please look at the tiny cowboy hat I technically made for Eli but could put on any tooka honestly.

Here it is on Hera

[gia-batmm-crickle22]

Ascendacy Council: Would you say you're independent, Senior Captain Thrawn? Thrawn: *looks at Thrass* Thrass: *mouths "yes you are" and gives him a thumbs up* Thrawn: Yes, I am ^^

[ascendancyzine]

Hello, is Eli Vanto allowed? He is not a Chiss, but he is present in some books tied to the Ascendacy. 🤔

Also, is Legends (original Thrawn books, for example) content allowed?

Hello! Any characters are allowed within the theme of "Finding Home" within the Chiss Ascendancy :) It really comes down to the context in which the characters are presented and making sure they fit our theme!

Legends content may also be used, again within the context of the theme; you'll have the chance to discuss your concept with the mods, if your application is accepted.

Thanks for the interest!!

[steepedfoxglovetea]

I know I want to read a SW book, but I can’t decide which one.

[fellshot]

I have many thoughts about and related to S3E7 of the Mandolorian. This will probably be more speculative and spoilery than previous episode musings but it is what it is.

The plot seems to have gotten that second cup of coffee finally. I still maintain that the first episode of this season was completely useless and that the third episode was misplaced at best. Bo Katan is doing a speed run of the last time we saw a whole story arc with the Dark Saber (ie Rebels with Sabine). I wonder if Filoni can differentiate any of the characters who are not Ashoka outside of their allegiances sometimes, because there’s a lot of rhyming between series that’s coming up and crossing the border with straight up repetition. At least I don’t hate the characters and while their motives are a little repetitive with previous storylines, Din and Bo Katan’s motives do make sense for them (unlike Ashoka, who doesn’t seem to have one of her own at all).

Grogu fans will be happy to know that he now has a mech suit with “yes” and “no” communication aids and that he is happy to use them. The mech is made out of IG-11 from the first season and I for one would think it pretty ghoulish to be using the remains of a character that everyone seems to see as a friend for this sort of thing. I know people taxidermy their deceased pets and there’s jewelry and objects d’art made with the ashes of loved ones, but this seems way beyond that.

And know for the villainous side of the story: Giancarlos Esposito is way too good of an actor for the series and it is fun watching him eat the scenery. I actively hope that Moff Gideon is the real puppet master for Ashoka because he’s a far better political bad guy than Thrawn (who is best as someone else’s second). Given how much of the clone research seems to fall under Gideon’s purview, how much of Heir to the Empire was centered around trying to clone Force adepts, and given how the general consensus seems to be that the Ashoka series will incorporate chunks of Heir to the Empire in it, Gideon as big bad for that series seems like a better fit than Thrawn. Since no one has seen any TIE Defenders (Thrawn’s canon pet imperial project), I’m going to hope for an imposter pulled up by Moff Gideon until it’s proven otherwise. Gideon smugly asking Captain Pellaeon where Thrawn is in the opening scenes of this episode might be foreshadowing or it could be nothing. But it was also pretty obvious that Pellaeon didn’t know where Thrawn is… but Gideon might.

Reactions to this and the Ashoka trailer seem to fall into a couple of camps. First, those who are raving about the Heir to the Empire trilogy seem to have bought in that this is the real Thrawn coming. They are super excited that one of the best villains in Star Wars is going to show up in live action. There’s excitement that Filoni is doing the thing. Some of these folks have perhaps bought into Filoni’s interpretation of “Thrawn as Moriarty.” But the only character that Filoni seems to care about is Ashoka and Ashoka’s major character problem is that she has no motives of her own and no impact on the Star Wars saga as a whole. That last seems to bother Filoni a lot since he shoehorns Ashoka into everything and she doesn’t really have a development arc of her own.

Second are those (like me) who are also familiar with all the other books where Thrawn appears (the 2017 trilogy, the Ascendacy trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn Trilogy, Outbound Flight) who understand that Thrawn couldn’t politic his way past a ten year old and that more importantly Thrawn knows he can’t politic his way past a ten year old, why the hell would he think of himself as “Heir to the Empire.” Zahn sees Thrawn as “Sherlock on the wrong side” and not Moriarty (this is best seen in Thrawn Alliances with the juxtaposition between him and Vader and furthered in Thrawn Treason). The reactions here have been generally less optimistic and more “uh oh.” Filoni doesn’t seem to do nuanced antagonists, but Zahn absolutely writes Thrawn as multifaceted and perhaps more importantly Zahn writes Thrawn with an understanding that he can absolutely change sides if given the right push and that Thrawn does learn from his mistakes. More significantly, Thrawn tries to fix them when they are brought to his attention (Eli Vanto’s long delayed promotion is a good example). I kind of doubt that’s going to be the case at all given the show runners.

I still want Ar’Alani to show up and kick all the Imperial ass though.

[spectres-fulcrum]

I restarted Clone Wars chronologically as possible Ahsoka prep(I’m not getting too mad at myself if I lose interest at some point, Rebels will be my main Ahsoka prep, and I may pick and choose episodes) last night(While making an RV for my Rebels fam in the Sims so I couldn't looking back I wish I had) and oh my god that show. I watched Cat and Mouse, Hidden Enemy, and the film.

So first of all I burst out laughing when Obi-Wan was flirting with Ventress. I’ve always been fond of their flirty banter and kinda salty that Quinlan got the romance with Asajj plotline but I disgress. But going back and seeing the camera pan over her body after he used a pet name with her and she took her cloak off. It’s so… overt. So the opposite of Satine. It’s wild. At 24 it’s a bit cringey but it’s wild and I’m not sure how I feel but it’s not bad??? It’s nostalgic at least.

It's all so nostalgic lbr

But why did they think giving Anakin a padawan was a good idea?

They even say the true test is if he'll be able to let her go and I'm like-you did the same shit with Xanatos Yoda-his estranged older brother- you're just repeating the same shitty traps

I can see it end as it begins my one request is-

But the first scene with Rex, Anakin, and Ahsoka was EVERYTHING. They were so young and teasing "don't get snippy with me" and "you said you'd never take on a padawan."

Stinky. I still remember being 10 in the theater and my mom scolding me for giggling too loud at the adorable baby huttlet

Yularen. Yularen, Yularen, Yularen... I love his role in C+M. And interesting note: he knows Palpatine already. I figure Palpatine has to know most of the inner Imperials pre-RotS(Which is why I ignore Tagge and Motti's backstories) and this helps.

God I love the stealth ship. I really truly do. It's also a prototype for the Carrion Spike(And some sources say the it IS the Carrion Spike pre-modification, hi favorite ship) so the fact that Anakin gets to use it scratches my Vadarkin shipper so well. It's the silent version of their Star Destoyers being called the Executor and the Executrix(Which is so loud).

Ships are definitely their couple item lol. Very large and very expensive

Any other interesting facts I should've liveblogged? Nah.

I'm really excited to fall back in love with these guys. It was so nostalgic to have Anakin, Rex, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Asajj, all there again. Like way back at the beginning. I definitely am going to do it like I did last night, in the background while I game, but that's fine.

Other things I plan to throw into rewatch prep: TCW, placing Thrawn Alliances flashbacks pre-S7, at least the OG Thrawn books, interspaced with Rebels in chronological order. So most of Thrawn, Rebels S1 and S2, Batonn, S3, Alliances present day S4 part 1, Treason, S4 part 2. I might attempt Ascendancy, which will just be post TCW. But all my Ascendacy rereads have just been failures so idk.

[iskelan]

A while ago I promised to draw Lakinda.

[elivanto]

so I haven't read anything Thrawn (yet!) but I love seeing how much you're enjoying the characters and the stories and dynamics, and just from what you've shared, I'm very curious about Samakro? Who is he & what can you tell me about him? 🙊 💙

ok first of all that’s so lovely 🥺🥺

second, samakro. WELL uhhh—

i don’t know how to describe him without bringing thrawn into it skhdjdgdh he’s a chiss military (navy is probably more apt? idek) officer in the ascendancy books, so before thrawn’s time in the empire. he’s a mid-captain (unless he’s promoted to senior captain in lesser evil 👀) and thrawn’s first officer.

he’s a lot bit of a grump and very protective of his crew and his ship which in turn means that he’s quite… distrustful, i guess, of people he doesn’t know lmao. he curses out loud. he’s annoyed a lot but he’s a Professional about it. his POV chapters are a DELIGHT to read.

he can’t stand thrawn for numerous reasons, including (i’m going to add links to when i was liveblogging the ascendancy books because i’m absolutely insufferable so don’t click the links if you don’t want to see minor spoilers):

- samakro was captain of the springhawk (a chiss warship) and then thrawn, that asshole, came along and became the springhawk’s captain so now samakro’s only second in command 😪

- thrawn is reckless as fuck

- thrawn always damages samakro’s ship in battles and isn’t even apologetic about it

- thrawn likes to ignore rules and protocol like a heathen

- thrawn SUCKS at understanding chiss politics (here just have my whole thrawn + politics post if you’re interested)

so samakro does fantasize, from time to time, about thrawn just, idk, perishing somewhere and him finally getting the springhawk back—though he does feel awful about thinking that shdjdh

AND YET he would, like, die for thrawn, no questions asked. it’s, like i said, very delightful to read—if you enjoy him as a character. 🙊

in some ways, he and eli are actually pretty similar 🥺

i… yeah. i think my brain is empty now. jgbgvfs

fan artists always draw him as looking very handsome and with extremely cool hair!!! (i owe you all my life, thank)

[softieskywalker]

i'm reading thrawn: treason and i've reached the conclusion that rebels!thrawn is Like That because eli was not there to smack him with the chancla every time he decided to commit cute little atrocities

[irn-bru]

if karyn and wutroow were to meet in canon I know for a fact that they would be best friends that could take over the entire galaxy. they might not want to but they could definitely do it

[tarisilmarwen]

Getting very tired of Thrawn simps bemoaning him merely being described as a villain.

Oh no is the Imperial fascist war criminal going to be referred to as a (gasp, shock!) BAD GUY?!

[spectres-fulcrum]

Someone shake this man and tell him that Thalias loves him. That she only met Thooraki because she was willing to risk being kicked out of their family to protect Thrawn. That she’s not doing this because she was asked to, but because she’d do anything for the man she met while chasing the idea of a boy that saved her life.

She’s in love with you, you idiot! And that is the simple truth. Gah, Thrawn is frustrating. Let her come with. Please, Thrawn. Let her come with.

[tarisilmarwen]

Ezra doesn't join the Acendancy because Thrawn gives him a long speech filled with words that Ezra doesn't even know he joins because he recognizes the threat of the grysk. And when he first gets there, he takes every opportunity to tell the Chiss about Thrawn firing on innocent civilians, because they first exiled him for preemptive strikes, and turns to the dark side for a solid 3 seconds to strangle anyone who defends Thrawn before turning back around and adopting every single Chiss navigator

I mean, cute scenario and did get a chuckle out of me but I cannot begin to emphasize how little I care about anything Chiss Ascendancy related.

Also, as I've complained about before, still not impressed with the Grysk as a threat, would prefer to leave them in (relative) book obscurity.