#will i ever get over TROS? I think not

[thegoatsongs]

Mina Harker's comments about The New Woman in Dracula have generated much discussion. Among her comments, she says: "Some of the “New Women” writers will some day start an idea that men and women should be allowed to see each other asleep before proposing or accepting. But I suppose the New Woman won’t condescend in future to accept; she will do the proposing herself. And a nice job she will make of it, too! There’s some consolation in that."

The topic of women proposing gets explored in another Stoker novel, The Man or The Gates Of Life (1905)

The main character is a young woman, Stephen Norman. She's very outspoken about women's right to make choices, including proposing to men. Her foil is her Auntie, who is a conventional woman. Here, Stephen claims to her Auntie that if a woman isn't married to the man she wants, it's her own fault.

"Her fault? My dear, what if no man asks her?" This seemed to her own mind a poser. "Still her own fault! Why doesn’t she ask him?" Her aunt’s lorgnon was dropped in horrified amazement. Stephen went on impassively. "Certainly! Why shouldn’t she? Marriage is a union. As it is in the eye of the law a civil contract, either party to it should be at liberty to originate the matter. If a woman is not free to think of a man in all ways, how is she to judge of the suitability of their union? And if she is free in theory, why not free to undertake if necessary the initiative in a matter so momentous to herself?" The old lady actually groaned and wrung her hands; she was horrified at such sentiments. They were daring enough to think; but to put them in words! . . . "Oh, my dear, my dear!" she moaned, "be careful what you say. Some one might hear you who would not understand, as I do, that you are talking theory." Stephen’s habit of thought stood to her here. She saw that her aunt was distressed, and as she did not wish to pain her unduly, was willing to divert the immediate channel of her fear. She took the hand which lay in her lap and held it firmly whilst she smiled in the loving old eyes. "Of course, Auntie dear, it is theory. But still it is a theory which I hold very strongly!"

Stephen asks her Auntie why she never married (she didn't love any of her suitors, so she refused them) and if she was ever in love with a man:

"And why did you refuse them?" The tone was wheedling, and the elder woman loved to hear it. Wheedling is the courtship, by the young of the old. "Because, my dear, I didn’t love them." "But tell me, Auntie, was there never any one that you did love?" "Ah! my dear, that is a different matter. That is the real tragedy of a woman’s life." In flooding reminiscent thought she forgot her remonstrating; her voice became full of natural pathos: "To love; and be helpless! To wait, and wait, and wait; with your heart all aflame! To hope, and hope; till time seems to have passed away, and all the world to stand still on your hopeless misery! To know that a word might open up Heaven; and yet to have to remain mute! To keep back the glances that could enlighten; to modulate the tones that might betray! To see all you hoped for passing away . . . to another! . . . " Stephen bent over and kissed her, then standing up said: "I understand! Isn’t it wrong, Auntie, that there should be such tragedies? Should not that glance be given? Why should that tone be checked? Why should one be mute when a single word might, would, avert the tragedy? Is it not possible, Auntie, that there is something wrong in our social system when such things can happen; and can happen so often? "Some day women must learn their own strength, as well as they have learned their own weakness. They are taught this latter from their cradles up; but no one ever seems to teach them wherein their power lies. They have to learn this for themselves."

Stephen may have too progressive ideas, but she's still very gentle with her Auntie even while she's disagreeing, because she sees her Auntie is too scared that Stephen might get in trouble for her ideas:

"Why should good women’s lives be wrecked for a convention? Why in the blind following of some society fetish should life lose its charm, its possibilities? Why should love eat its heart out, in vain? The time will come when women will not be afraid to speak to men, as they should speak, as free and equal. Surely if a woman is to be the equal and lifelong companion of a man, the closest to him—nay, the only one really close to him: the mother of his children—she should be free at the very outset to show her inclination to him just as he would to her. Don’t be frightened, Auntie dear; your eyes are paining me! . . . There! perhaps I said too much. But after all it is only theory. Take for your comfort, Auntie dear, that I am free an heart-whole. You need not fear for me; I can see what your dear eyes tell me."

This all puts Mina's comments into perspective. Aside, Mina is an etiquette schoolteacher. And even at the start, she gradually breaks more conventions, however reluctantly, like when she chooses to let Jonathan hold her arm as they walk, over obeying to convention.

[unexpectedreylo]

So, It Wasn't Planned After All

https://x.com/RichEisenShow/status/1734703529552699725?s=20

While Adam Driver is making the rounds to promote "Ferrari," he drops by the Rich Eisen Show and when asked about Ben Solo during the True or False segment, Adam spills the tea.

He doesn't get asked much about Star Wars so this is the first time I think he's talked about his character arc since TROS was unleashed upon us 4 years ago. And he drops the bomb that the Ben Solo thing wasn't planned from the beginning. That's right, Bendemption happened late in the game. He says that JJ Abrams told him the idea was Vader In Reverse (starts out vulnerable, ends entrenched in the dark side) and he kept that concept in mind throughout the time he filmed the ST, until they changed it with the last film. Adam has alluded to the concept of Vader In Reverse before but this is the first time he's gone into greater detail about it, including the revelation that the decision to turn Kylo from the dark side came during the third film.

This shouldn't be surprising to anyone who read the Duel of the Fates script and it explains why Ben hardly says a word during his scenes on Exegol. Abrams and Co. conceived of Kylo Ren as an evil bastard whose destiny was to get eviller; killing Han Solo was meant to be what sent him down the path of no return. Then two things happened: TLJ and Driver's commitment to humanizing Kylo Ren. People loved Kylo and Rey together (hence Reylo exploding in popularity) and they fell in love with Adam. They empathized with Kylo. So they changed course with TROS, a little. Kylo returns to the light as Ben but he is quickly dispatched once the big battle is over. I believe Ben's death was for two reasons: one, they were less invested and focused in Ben's part of the story than we were and two, there was always the intent to end the Skywalker line so Star Wars could focus on new characters. Remember, Rey essentially turned Skywalker into a title that could be transferred to anyone.

That the story changed over the course of the trilogy isn't that big a deal. There was no Chosen One prophecy until the prequels. Leia wasn't Luke's sister until Lucas wrote ROTJ. Han wasn't guaranteed to get out of carbonite because nobody was sure if Harrison Ford was going to come back. Instead of a tyrannical, ruthless bastard like Lee Pace's emperor in Apple TV's Foundation show, Kylo Ren gave us quivering lips, teary eyes, and mooning over the heroine who is supposed to be his enemy. When Rian Johnson introduced the bond between Rey and Kylo, Abrams and Terrio explained it as a dyad and made it prominent in the film. The kiss got put in because Reylo was so popular. Okay, fine.

The problem was they never should have made the Jedi Killer from early drafts Han and Leia's only child. As an old Star Wars fan who saw every film since 1977 and followed the Skywalker clan for over 40 years, I didn't want to see Anakin Skywalker's grandson end up even more evil than he was. What a huge bummer that would've been, even worse than if Rey was killed off. (For the record, I hated the whole Darth Jacen thing so much in the legends books I stopped reading them.) Abrams and Terrio probably realized it was going to be a problem returning to the idea that Ben was too evil to save; TROS already comes off as a tragic ending rather than a happy, triumphant one. And it goes against the whole message of Star Wars. So it ends up being Vader 2.0 and fans hoping Ben would survive were disappointed. I wasn't fond of the idea of exile or something as Ben's fate prior to TROS, but now I think that probably would've been the best outcome. It would've left a lot of possibilities to explore in future SW stories without having to come up with a convoluted explanation for bringing him back.

As much as they fumbled the ball, I'm glad they at least spared us Evil Kylo 4 Ever and Adam's turn as Ben was great even without anything to say besides "Ow." Adam sounded a little disappointed to me but maybe I'm just reading into it too much. In any case he has also stated in recent interviews he would be open to returning to Star Wars, so I guess we can still be hopeful even if he doesn't appear in the upcoming film. (Just don't wait 30 years, okay?)

[frumfrumfroo]

I mean, I’m still glad it was flat out stated that Ben fell in love with Rey because there were people still insisting he only wanted her power or that there was never anything romantic between them, but I get what you’re saying. We have more evidence, I think, of his feelings for her than of her feelings for him. I think it would change things up a bit to have actual concrete canon evidence of those feelings being mutual.

Sure, of course people are happy to hear it. I don't think it's new information at all, and it's honestly weird to me that some people act like it is, but it's nice to actually get recognition of your canon pairing after all the bullshit we've been through. It's the rock bottom bare minimum, but DLF hasn't been clearing that bar for a long time, so it feels like a win.

I think it's 100% clear that Rey, the actual character, loves Ben and desperately wants to be with him, but Rey the actual character was taken out back and shot so DLF could have their SWCU brand avatar. I don't hold tros against the Rey of the first two films or her potential, just like I don't allow tros to ruin Luke and Leia for me. I'm not taking that shit on board because it was a bunch of incoherent nonsense which fundamentally destroyed the entire narrative and thematic heart of SW.

We don't have a declaration from Rey, but she showed us where her heart was by leaping into the lion's den with zero back up or exit strategy. She threw her life down at Ben's feet knowing that her life represented one of the last hopes for the galaxy. She believed in him that strongly. She wanted him that badly.

And, you know, despite the absolute shit show of tros, the actors managed to deliver us a perfect moment based solely on the emotional continuity from TLJ without any scripted dialogue to fuck it up. Her face when she wakes up in his arms. Her kiss. He is the home she's yearned for all her life.

If people can't understand that means she loves him, that's a them problem.

And yeah, it would be great if DLF would acknowledge this incredibly obvious and well-established fact of the ST in words, it'd be nice to have more ammunition because at this point we've earned being petty, but I don't think it would change anything. They literally kissed on the mouth for longer than any other couple in all of SW and antis were blind suddenly, they couldn't see. We get 'kiss of gratitude' and 'but isn't that incest tho' ludicrous copes to this day.

No amount of validation from DLF is going to move the needle for the entrenched doofus brigade in this fandom. Ep IX was the crucial moment which would have vindicated the story and brought the audience together (not that it would ever have won over some people, but you know) and they whiffed that. Even in the shitty, nonsensical execution of tros, we saw the microcosm of what the ST's RotJ would have done. So many people finally 'got' Ben just from two minutes without dialogue, imagine if the movie had been coherent and had had the ending the narrative needed and promised.

But yeah, anyway. I expect nothing from DLF and I don't think anything they could do will ever make much difference now. The canon is already broken and can't be fixed without just redoing ep IX, which would never happen. The audience and the GFFA are both fractured beyond repair.

[taco-drinking-bleach]

Yk there is a common saying that dying is easier then living in heart ship, also the saying "Suffering, not because they are fated to die, but doomed to suffer". And I would agree that these sayings hold grounds in many characters. One character (I have a few, but my tumblr is under Yanqing's vice grip so he gets talked about), Is Yanqing. I have talked in a past post about how Yanqing is most likely gonna go through something hard very soon. Fighting his dad, taking responsibilities that he isn't ready for and having no other choice, etc. I think that he might be doomed to live, Like his father/blade/the cloud Tro. History rhymes is something we can agree about so is the abundance. both somethings so close to Yanqing and the past, something distinctly so close to living no matter the cost. Living longer then what should be possible, what is reasonable, what is humane. I mean, I am sure without a doubt he will grow and change, he is a very good character and he has shown changes. But just because you are the best you, you could ever be, doesn't make you not suffer. Suffering is innate and close to Yanqing it seems. What I mean to get at is, he will live, he will go forward, he will strive for tomorrow. But when all comes crashing down and walking makes you remember the weight that wears you down, he will keep going. For this is the only path for him. There is nowhere to lean, there is no quitting, and his pride, so frail but never fickle in its existence, will not let him lay down until its over.

[total-drama-brainrot]

ophe when’s the alecody essay (HARD /J HERE LMFAO) /nf

As far as Alejandro ships go, Alecody is probably one of the most viable ones out there.

That's not to say it's the most viable, or the "best" Alejandro ship, because quite frankly I don't think there is such a thing as a "best ship", but from a purely canonical standpoint if Alejandro were to end up with any of his castmates, I'd say Cody would be a strong contender. Again, not the strongest, but also not entirely out of left field.

Which is mostly because he's one of the very few people in canon that Alejandro has A. interacted with more than once without issue, and B. not screwed over entirely to reach his goals. Not that Alejandro didn't screw Cody over - there are a few instances wherein Alejandro intentionally does something that directly affects Cody (most notably feeding Sierra's wedding delusions), but Alejandro doesn't do anything in terms of the competition at large that'll get Cody himself eliminated. In fact, he takes the finale tie breaker quite seriously; it's one of the few times Alejandro gets someone eliminated fairly, and Cody himself readily accepts that.

Cody's also one of the few characters who Alejandro has shown conditional kindness to, who actually survives said kindness without facing an elimination. Or without immediately contrasting that kindness with hostility behind his back (like he does with Owen and, to a lesser extent, Izzy), or using said kindness as the tool that'll get him eliminated (via flirting). That has to count for something, since Alejandro isn't the type to form friendships/aqquaintenceships that don't benefit him, and yet any sort of relationship with Cody is unbiasedly bereft of any notable benefits outside of the rapport itself.

The alliance he tries to secure with Cody is, objectively, entirely useless to Alejandro. He knows that Cody will only ever vote for Sierra, just like he knows that - out of the remaining four - Cody is the weakest contestant, and yet he still does his best to keep Cody on his side despite there being negligable benefits of him doing so.

So despite the fact that they had to duke it out in the tiebreaker, Alejandro and Cody have surprisingly little beef between them.

You could argue that Cody utilizing the nickname "Al" against him is indicitive of some resentment on his part, but I'd argue that Cody only really does that because he's a little shit (and rooting for Heather) and doesn't have the same level of resentment towards Alejandro that the majority of the cast harbours. If any at all, since Alejandro was nothing but cordial towards him.

So it's entirely plausible that Cody and Alejandro could meet each other outside the context of the competition - likely after All-stars, if we're going by strictly canonical guidelines - and spark a relationship from there.

Neither holds and lingering dislike for the other, and they've got a shared history of medical suffering under Total Drama they could bond over, and Cody's already seen Alejandro at his worst moments so Alejandro doesn't even have to live up to any false pretenses around him. Cody himself isn't the type to judge a person too harshly on their actions in the competition (which is backed by his canonical forgiveness and acceptance of Sierra despite her actions towards him) and would probably be thrilled to learn that the seemingly infalliable Alejandro he knew in Total Drama is, in fact, a giant nerd. (Just like him!)

I think the main factor that would hold this ship back would be Cody's inabily o recognis th at at hid cor e he little mome than a bxi eia; dis st t and Ale j a dn tro is evnrn mor so. T her s e t o lon ers coul nd t inf ds a h ela g t h r altio nanhip if i etr jjmupec ut anf u bt them on t h e f ace.

aacoridngt oal known laws of actia thes i s no way bbe souhle be a bl e to s fly its win s a e tto smal to get ist fa tlitr el bod y tsoooff hte geuihnd the bbe of c our se flie s anywa y becas e bes ont c re ha t s hu man sns thij ksi imposacp ible

[darthmaclunkey]

seeing last jedi again was so good. i will be fighting in the last jedi trenches until i die. if last jedi has no fans left on earth then i am dead etc etc. some very rambling and incoherent thoughts under the cut:

i love luke so much in tlj. luke skywaker is my all-time favourite character from anything, because he really embodies one of the core messages from star wars: being good is a choice, and it's a choice you have to keep making. right from the start of new hope, we see how luke is just constantly thrust into situations where, time and time again, he's given the choice of the easy way out, or tempted by the dark side. but luke always chooses to do the right thing, even when it's hard. in rotj we do get a glimpse of him as this aloof, emotionless jedi, but then it all unravels in the finale when he is forced to confront vader. i know a lot of the vitriol around last jedi is from people who think it ruined luke's character, but to me, his arc makes perfect sense. sequels luke is a man who has spent his whole life making sacrifices and working hard to do good, until it's all torn away from him by the dark side - a dark side plot specifically designed to undermine luke and the light, mind you - yet he still blames himself, because a fleeting temptation from the dark to take the easy route out and save the galaxy from what he saw in ben almost got him, but it didn't. and he paid for that temptation dearly. i would have hated to see a sequels-era luke who was just some epic version of the distant, quasi-mystical jedi knight we see in rotj (as i've seen some people saying that's how he should have been). what kind of character arc is that? he gets to the end of the OT and then never changes? i'm drawn to luke because of his humanity, the fact that you still see the tatooine farmboy in him years later. his sacrifice at the end of last jedi is so beautiful and poignant to me; a lesser script (cough tros cough) would have had him jump in an x-wing and show up to plow through the first order with his lightsaber. i love what we get instead: his moment with leia, her touching his hands and realising he's a projection - his knowing wink to threepio - the image of him emerging from the dust and smoke, unscathed, and how it clearly puts the absolute fear into kylo ren - the way he doesn't even attack, just dodges and blocks - then, finally, the shot of him on ahch-to, watching the sunset, and, once he's gone, the image of his cloak blowing away in the wind, symbolic of his spirit joining the cosmic force. that's my jedi master luke. funny, powerful, human, flawed, but still, after all this time, making the choice to do good and fight for others, even if it's the hardest thing he'll ever do. whew. luke skywalker i love you.

i love how last jedi looks. with the exception of maybe empire, i think it's the best-looking of all the films. it's stuffed with references to absolutely classic cinema, like the shot in canto bight that's an homage to the café dolly shot in wings, or the classic hitchcockian dolly zoom as finn and rose look over the cliff, and the opening sequence with the bombing run is just a straight homage to old war movies, which is just what the OT did with the space battles being shot-for-shot remakes of ww2 dogfight footage. original-flavour star wars was a love letter to to so many other films and tv shows, so this feels so natural. at the same time, there's a lot of sequences that feel really innovative for star wars, like the montage that accompanies rey's connection to the force on ahch-to, or the film's extensive use of close-up shots and slow-mo. the lighting is gorgeous. finn's fight with phasma looks astonishing on the big screen - the colour grading and visual effects really go off in that scene.

i love all the force skype sessions with kylo and rey, but especially the scene where she's out in the rain and, when they disconnect, you see kylo running his hand over his face then shaking the rainwater from his glove. something I hadn't appreciated before is how well the film sells you on the idea that they are both present in the same space, despite seeing them both shot against different backgrounds. the intimacy of the rain-on-glove thing gets me every time.

i love everybody's arcs. every single member of the main trio has a full arc in the film. rose tico is such a lovely addition to the main cast, i hate how she got totally shafted in rise of skywalker.

on a completely superficial note: the main cast are all at their hottest in last jedi. especially poe dameron. especially poe dameron.

the throne room fight scene is one of my favourite movie scenes ever (and in star wars, it's only beaten out by the binary sunset scene from new hope). i WISH i could relive the first time i saw it at the midnight screening i went to in 2017. i may have been sitting politely, but i was hooting and hollering internally.

rian johnson, they could never make me hate you.

[horizon-verizon]

I think people don’t realise what a nightmare Fire & Blood is to adapt compared to ASOIAF. Often, characters are named and placed in situations in order to flesh out the family trees and marriage alliances, and then many of them are left waiting around during all of the actual interesting stuff. This can’t happen in a TV show, and frankly this is (unfortunately perhaps?) the most logical thing to do with Rhaena.

Fans understandably want everything in the source material to be faithfully adapted but visual mediums are not the same as literary works. Storylines have to be consolidated and streamlined to save costs for ensemble casts and to provide faster-paced storylines that don’t bore audiences, unlike books which can take their time with a story and gradually develop their characters over hundreds of pages.

Characters like Nettles and Rhaena simply don’t work in visual medium, because both characters would just not have enough to do that would warrant investment by the audience. Combining elements of both into one character, if done right, can strengthen the overall character and subsequent story.

Besides, the jealous lover trope for Rhaenyra in the book being the source of her and Daemon’s fallout is uninspiring. Daemon being forced to choose between Rhaena and Rhaenyra is a far more compelling angle, and would provide a stronger perspective on Daemon as a whole, especially with how lacking of a father he was in S1.

Anon responds to several recent posts about the likely merging of Nettles and Rhaena of Pentos's storylines that starts HERE or HERE.

I understand that HotD might be very entertaining to some people...but implying that the writers couldn't have done better bc F&B is supposedly incoherent (when it's far from so) AND thus it is as good as any adaptation could get--thereby seemingly to admit that it's not great and then seemingly simultaneously saying that it is actually pretty good...

is not the vibe.

In all, a lot of the issues you bring up are ordinary issues with adaptations (and seem to make as excuse for these writers who point blank already said/showed they were intent on creating a totally different story with Rhaenicent replacing the original storyline) but the mess of storylines we get in HotD can't be excused by this idea of how "difficult" it is to adapt what does have pretty clear characters, events, etc. Also, good planning and foresight and integrity couldn't hurt.

A)

unlike books which can take their time with a story and gradually develop their characters over hundreds of pages.

vs

I think people don’t realise what a nightmare Fire & Blood is to adapt compared to ASOIAF. Often, characters are named and placed in situations in order to flesh out the family trees and marriage alliances, and then many of them are left waiting around during all of the actual interesting stuff.

A contradiction. So F&B is very detailed and a rich text with solid characterizations and definite events now?

B)

Characters like Nettles and Rhaena simply don’t work in visual medium, because both characters would just not have enough to do that would warrant investment by the audience. Combining elements of both into one character, if done right, can strengthen the overall character and subsequent story.

...So Gwayne Hightower, who was given a lot more material than he ever actually had...that made sense to you? Hugh the Hammer becoming a family man when he already had the Caltrops deal with Ulf the White? You can't show an increasing amount of frustration from Ulf and Hugh without trying to make us sympathize with either of them and make either underdogs? We can't follow Nettles as a young street "urchin"? We can't do the same for two separate girls, make up stories and backgrounds?! HUH?! We can't have flashbacks to Marilda of Hull and the Hull boys? No?

We did it for those irrelevant nutjobs, but not for Rhaena or Nettles? Anon, please. Address the misgynoir or at least this major discrepancy.

Besides, the jealous lover trope for Rhaenyra in the book being the source of her and Daemon’s fallout is uninspiring. Daemon being forced to choose between Rhaena and Rhaenyra is a far more compelling angle, and would provide a stronger perspective on Daemon as a whole, especially with how lacking of a father he was in S1.

You assumed two things: that Rhaenyra believed Daemon x Nettles was real AND that I believe they happened romantically. The first one, that's more than understandable since that is the prevailing impression the fandom has had for years and a lot of people don't really like F&B for how differently it's written from ASoIaF (I think it would have been improved just with some female voices put to paper, like Daemon and Otto in Rogue Prince and some of F&B...esp Rhaenyra or her ladies and a few history-loving septas).

I even am rethinking the whole "Rhaenyra thought Nettles seduced Daemon with magic and stole him from her" bc....SEPTON EUSTACE SAYS THIS HAPPENED THIS WAY, after he already describes Mysaria a "witch" who manipulates Rhaenyra as if casting a spell. The guy who speculated that she and Daemon were sleeping together as Rhaenyra gorged herself while a war was going on. Like the true religious sexist that he is.

Aside from that, I still think that Nettles being revealed as being Daemon's bio daughter is FAR more compelling AND sensical than Rhaenyra willing to kill her husband's daughter who she partially raised...or was supposed to and not treat as if she serves her like some servant....which, again, is very misogynoirist. For some reason, people keep ignoring this particular point I'm making...

Anyway, once again, like I said HERE about Rhaena at the Vale, you could have her flourish in diplomacy and meeting certain characters who will be important later in the overall storyline...plus imagine what we could have had as how Rhaena manages to finally hatch Morning?! The process and tension--from the suggestion of those different "experiments" she tries that are all different from what she did when she was just a child--that's built up to that by some specific egg-interaction scenes...some epiphany she could have had...something to tie her into actual magic! And this is just one way you could have written Rhaena at the Vale!

I don't think you guys understand what you've lost.

C)

A lot of the weird shit that happens on the show!blacks' side in terms of why Daemon kills at Harrenhal when he canonically doesn't and why it's made out to be as if he's paid for a bad prize in winning the castle is because they have Rhaenyra acting like there isn't a war already happening whether she likes it or not (their argument back in e2). If they hadn't made the woman who was canonically "tempermental" and just as willing to assert her rights as some people Robb Stark or Stannis Baratheon were more a reality-denying doormat as she was who only fights bc he dad said stuff abt the ASoIaF prophecy instead of having any ambition for herself (in the attempt to make her more "moral" or whatever)...we wouldn't have had the mess of a storyline we got now.

Daemon's magic plotline, I'm not that angry about. More how he got there and the taking reframed as him trying to prove a point to his wife after a nonsensical argument and not being very successful in getting allies for her. And him doing so without thinking of how his leaving the way he does could impact Rhaenyra's hold even further, and for real this time (no, B&C would and canonically does nothing to dissuade anyone from supporting Rhaenyra). Rather than him "requesting" or being sent to Harrenhal, an argument there or not but likely after an actually sensical argument.

A point that he instantly invalidates by again going off without first establishing plans they are both aware of. This is war, not sitcom TV suburbia where the father leaves the house for a bit and there's low stakes for that to make sense. A much different sort of war from the Stepstones as well. All their lives are on the line, not just soldiers...which they didn't have (or as much) at the moment. And Dameon (book-wise) was not that petty as to cross into dum-dum territory.

D) Other Stuff

"compared"....not "impossible", and the way they have for several characters were very unnecessary, so...I can't agree with this sentiment that these characters are so, so difficult to have adapted as they are, esp since if you read well, you find a lot of evidence that shows who some important characters are and a few of their critical motivations. Now if you didn't don't want to do that, all the power to you. Doesn't mean that it was impossible or valueless to do so in the first place, since that is what we were supposed to do with this FICTIONAL historical document.

Often, characters are named and placed in situations in order to flesh out the family trees and marriage alliances, and then many of them are left waiting around during all of the actual interesting stuff. This can’t happen in a TV show, and frankly this is (unfortunately perhaps?) the most logical thing to do with Rhaena.

...funny you say that, since there was a lot that could have been done for Jacaerys' diplomacy arc to the Vale, then to the Manderlys, then to Cregan Stark where he stays and becomes great friends. I don't think you realize how much we lost here. Jeyne Arryn's words to Jace abt women sticking close and the reveal of her female lover; Wyman Manderly and the court that they didn't show in GoT, here is where they could have showcased the Merman's court; flashbacks to Cregan's times of getting his regent greedy uncle out so he can reclaim his own seat as his father intended as well as showing us their Jacegan(?) bromance's development. Like, this is at least 3 episodes alone!

You act like specific words, events, and actions are not told or narrated and done so with good enough detail (and reliably) in F&B for us to understand the and glean truth from fiction. As if the entire project is a haphazard collection of just names...when those marriage alliances (one of Joffrey to Desmond Manderly's youngest daughter) was made fully within the larger, variously-detailed and overlapping-storied context of the current Dance/war.

Jacaerys was not "waiting around". He went to the North to get alliances for his mother and in one of them, he meets with a Manderly and that is how he gets Manderly's promise--Joffrey's betrothal to his daughter. This is not even the most well known accomplishment Jace had in his particular mission, he'd go on to meet with two other, more famed, leaders with pretty badass moments DETAILED in the book that even could have been depicted/expanded more live.

These writers simply didn't think his diplomacy arc was important enough to expound and show in their time crunch...meanwhile, we got one-liner Gwayne Hightower speaking nonsense to Criston Cole, Alicole sex scenes, Alicent bathing as if she wants to ice her entire head to block out the world up the wazoo. And NONE of the Daemyra-Dragonstone family scenes that the time jump of last season's epi 8 came from. We're told, canonically, more about this unit than we are about Gwayne, yet here we are.

Perhaps I'm just assuming, but like I said in this post, it appears that people think the Dance portion of F&B was just the Dance...no, it started with "Heirs of the Dragon, who were Jaehaerys' children/grandkids towards the GC of 101. Which means that with as much context and history F&B actually gets into a lot of detail for a historical document, these writers had a lot of material for bringing Princess Rhaenys properly to life, for example. Even if you don't include how she wanted to go fight the Myrmen with her father Aemon while pregnant, this fact from the book should be enough to let you know what sort of person she was. Which is supplemented by her plans for how to defeat the greens in the first black council. Also, how we hear her response to Jaehaerys choosing Baelon and the lords choosing Viserys over her and her kids. And we have her protest angrily and freely how Jaehaerys was taking away her and her kid's birthrights...That's at least 3 incidents showing the true, real and solid "Rhaenys" of the orig story. It is consistent.

There was so much from Jace, Daemon, Rhaenyra-Mysaria they could have done (note how I keep talking about the blacks...bc the green characters actually have some notable plot action going on from their characterizations aside from the Alicole nonsense...not Helaena, though, but she was always meant to further Alicent and be an accessory, not her own person to these writers, so....)

Apart from that, F&B has Gyldayn castigate Rhaenyra from going to war herself...while Aegon was burnt into useless pork at Rook's Rest. You can have Rhaneyra do shit without going to war at Dragonstone with Daemon and Mysaria planning shit out as a sort of "good" change from the canon. You could even try to argue that since...

Gyldayn was looking to rebuke Rhaenyra for being a woman and going to war at all for nay inheritance like a man and thus paoint her as incompetent, that she didn't actually fall into a graceless heap and have the men around her do everything in her mental absence...

that she/Emma was simply sequestered to collect herself and work behind smaller spaces while calling this and that person to her to make plans, etc. Instead, we have her impersonate a septa and go on endangering herself thinking Alicent of all people not only would but could do anything with or without her to prevent a war that's already happening...This is called working with the original to make something "new".

...............................................................................

I've seen too many logical inconsistencies or places where they could have improved some's scenes if they had just....though ahead or read F&B more than twice in total good faith.

Deliberate giving black-specific stuff to the greens as well, which they also didn't have to do but did...willingly and BEFORE S2.

The writers, I mean. This book may have been created like a historical book...doesn't mean that we nor actual historians manage to find truths in said documents...otherwise we wouldn't know anything of certain events and wittle some more ambiguous events down to a few LIKELIEST possibilities. And we still have made pretty great movies from ambiguously told historical-legendary events (Vikings, hello?!)

I don't see this as a proper excuse.

[artist-issues]

back then prequel trilogy got received hate from fandom mence and bullying of jake llyod and ahmed best left me heartbroken

OH you meant Rose Tico! Yes, I love her! Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t sure which Rose character you meant in your earlier ask.

I love Rose Tico. She’s literally the perfect character for Finn’s character development. Rose goes from hero-worshipping him (the thing he initially liked about Rey, that she “looked at him like nobody else ever had”) and then moved BEYOND that to forgiving him even when she knew he was running from a cause her sister just died for, then on to saving his life and teaching him about what to fight for, over and over again.

Rey is Finn’s big obsession after he’s escaped from the Stormtrooper corps because she A) Believes in him and B) Can relate to him. She’s never had a friend before, either, and she’s easily attached to people who care about her, just like he is.

But where Rey might just challenge Finn to grow a little bit—as in, care about someone outside of himself—Rose takes that a step further and challenges him to grow a LOT. Rey id awesome, and an awesome influence on Finn, but not as awesome as Rose. Rose is 100% selfless and puts all her faith in the greater good. Rey is still figuring that out. Rey has never lost anyone; Finn watches Rose as she chooses to go on fighting after her sister is killed.

Which is so perfect. Because to him, losing the person closest to you is unthinkable at the moment he meets Rose. He’s getting into that escape pod because he’s so focused on keeping Rey safe. But Rose? Rose just lost her “Rey,” her “someone closest to me.” And she’s not giving up. She’s not running away. In fact, it makes her fight harder—but not for revenge. That never shows itself in any of her interactions. And that’s so important for Finn the Stormtrooper to learn.

Plus, as far as Star Wars characters go, Rose is excellent. She embodies that whole “anybody from anywhere can be a force for good, even a farm boy, even a droid, etc.” thing, because who is she? Just an engineer who works on the cruiser. Nobody special. That humility is what’s excellent for a Star Wars hero. She’s already learned the lesson that Rey needs to learn, too—it’s just not about herself and who she is. It’s all about doing whatever the next right thing, big or small, you can do, and trusting a higher power with the rest.

But she’s still relatable. She still has moments where she gets so passionate about wanting good to triumph and bad to lose that she does lose her temper. That’s why Finn thinks she’ll be happy when they wreck Canto Bight. But you get the idea that even if she does struggle with righteous anger and bursts of outrage, she’s learned to focus on what she loves instead of letting hate consume her. She’d make an incredible Jedi.

She’s a great character. And Kelly Marie Tran did a great job playing her. She delivered her lines with vulnerability and genuineness and didn’t over-do it and gave Rose just enough rawness to make you believe she’d been through something world-shattering (losing her sister) recently, but not so much that she distracted from the focus of the scenes she was in. And she perfectly captured that whole “Rose is at rock-bottom, but she hangs on to her faith, because this is the kind of person she’s been even before the audience met her” vibe.

I hate that they basically wrote her out of TROS. And anyone who dislikes her character or her portrayal just doesn’t know how to watch a movie, that’s all.

[perrydowning]

Hi there!

Wow, I've been a huge fan of Reylo since like the 8th movie. And if I tell you I was DEVASTATED over TROS I wouldn't be lying. Your "Powerless" fanfic was an endless light in that darkness. It's my favourite Reylo fanfic EVER. My friend, who's like a sister to me, got introduced to Star Wars by me and was mesmerized by Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in an instant. I couldn't blame her. I told her "Listen, don't care a bit about the toxic fans, if you love the sequels, love them" As for me, I love all the movies, but Rey and Ben have a special place in my heart. I won't lie, I hated Kylo in the 7th movie, but then I grew to love him so much, that I cried at the cinema when I saw his death.

I showed my friend that fanfic and she loves it the same. Please, accept my greatest gratitude for the Powerless fanfic, because it healed something inside of me which was broken to pieces by TROS. I like to imagine what kind of adventures Tara may have gotten herself into with Jesen and Kitra.

Also, I'm so sorry about Mr. Downing, I hope you and your family are doing okay.

Have a great day/night, and May the Force Be With You❤️

Oh, thank you, kind soul. I think fan fic is such an amazing art form because it allows us to take the beauty amidst flaws and craft something new and, as you say, healing. I was also devastated by TRoS as well as incandescently angry. But, the reylo fandom refused to let them take the beauty from us.

Thank you so much for your incredibly generous words about 'Powerless'. It's probably my favorite of my fics. Thank your friend, as well. It's great you get to share fandom with her.

I and my family are doing well. It's been a transformative experience and I'm full of so much gratitude for all the support I have received walking this new and alien path. Thank you for your hope for me.

Take good care of yourself, new friend.

Love,

Perry

[nobodysdaydreams]

Since posting on the potential for the Sequel Trilogy (especially in regards to Leia and Ben's arcs between TLJ and TROS), @myfairkatiecat has asked me for my thoughts. I apologize in advance. There's so much I don't even know where to start. I suppose the best place to start is my thoughts on TFA and TLJ:

I liked the force awakens. It was the first Star Wars movie I'd ever seen. I wasn't planning on getting into Star Wars, because like most people who didn't grow up with the movies, I still knew all the twists, all the memes, and all the quotes. What was the point in seeing it? I knew it was good, but it was hard for me to feel the magic of seeing it for the first time when I'd seen so much out of context already. But the force awakens was new. I know a lot of fans at the time were like "this is a cheap new hope remake" and sure, it had a similar plot structure, but it also introduced a lot of new ideas, characters, and concepts, and I think it succeeded in it's two goals: 1) Offering the beginning to an excited new story that could go in a number of interesting and cool directions. 2) Capturing what was so good about Star Wars in a way that would bring in new fans. It not only succeeded, but it completely knocked it out of the park, at least for me. I remember sitting in the theater, before the movie was even over, and thinking to myself "Dang it. They did it. I didn't think they'd do it, but they actually did it. This is the start of another hyperfixation. Maybe one of the worst I've ever had." I knew 100% that the moment I had free time that this was going to take over. And it did. I appreciated the other movies so much more after having had the experience of watching a Star Wars movie unspoiled that captures that feeling. This brought me into the fandom. It might not be everyone's favorite movie, but I loved it.

The Last Jedi was actually good, but it made one fatal mistake. Two if you count the fact that they skipped all the Ben and Leia stuff, but I forgive them for that because it's not like they could see the future and knew Carrie Fisher was going to pass away. If they knew that, I think they would have written a different script. But I liked most of it. The force dyad stuff was incredible. I was in that theater completely in awe because I gotta hand it to them: I would never in a million years come up with the force dyad stuff, and it's better than anything I could have thought up with on my own. 1000/10. Amazing. Fantastic. So what then is my problem with TLJ? Finn. Especially because he was right where he needed to be. They could have even done his arc in a lazy way, and I would have still accepted it. All they had to do was have him panic and rescue Rose from Hux, accidently connecting him to the force, and then he could suddenly be like "woah I'm force sensitive." All they had to do was have him find some files on where he came from and info on all the stormtrooper brainwashing so that we could continue to explore the mystery of his past instead of pretending like it doesn't matter. For heaven sakes, he was right there on the ship. We saw a hologram of child Finn in Force Awakens when they were going over his file. Phasma could have offer him information about himself or his past in exchange for his freedom or betraying the rebellion. Not to mention Finn's discovery his force sensitivity would have parallel Rey discovering she's a dyad AND her not receiving any answers about her past, which would that tied the movie together thematically. That plotline was right there on a silver plater, it was the obvious choice, the easy part, it baffles me that they fumbled it, especially when the stuff they did with Kylo and Rey completely knocks it out of the park. I've probably watched the scene of the two of them fighting in the throne room the most of any Star Wars scene. But I don't think I've ever gone back to rewatch one of Finn's scenes from TLJ. But I could have and that frustrates me so much. I left the theater of TFA being like "Dang. They got me. I'm hyperfixated now.", and I left the theater of TLJ feeling kind of conflicted. On the one hand, the force dyad stuff was one of the best things I'd ever seen. But on the other hand, I wanted more out of Finn. The Rose and Finn kiss came out of nowhere for me, and it made me worried they were gonna waste time in the third movie with an unnecessary Rose, Rey, Finn love triangle then ended with Finn and Rey together (turns out I did not need to worry about that. They had plenty of other ways to waste my time. But I'll put my thoughts on the romance plotlines in another post because...romance wasn't the biggest draw for me anyway, and my takes on it are a tad more nuanced than "love it or hate it with everything in my soul" which seem to be the only two options). But my other worry was that they didn't seem to know what they were doing with Finn. They also have a lot of "Main characters" to keep track of now. The OT trilogy had the classic "Leia, Luke, Han". Now we have Rey, Poe, and Finn, but Rey and Poe didn't meet until the end of the second movie, and also we have Rose now, and then we have Kylo/Ben and his whole dyad bond, he's much more of a main character than dark mysterious villain. In the OT trilogy, was Vadar conflicted? Sure, but we as the audience didn't fully know that until the end, we didn't need to spend a ton of screen time following his internal journey. But we did need that for Kylo/Ben because of everything they set up for him. With all of that, plus Carrie Fisher dying (which would likely force them to rework a lot of their plotlines), I did have concerns going into TROS. But, since they blew me away with the force dyad stuff, I held out hope that they wouldn't fumble it. Sure, I saw the negative reviews. But everyone was crying about TFA and TLJ too, and I enjoy those. So I held out that hope until the end.

And...well... I have thoughts on TROS too. But I'll save those for another time. Also: I know things can get heated in the star wars fandom, and while I welcome engagement and it's totally cool if you hated TFA, loved Finn's TLJ arc, and hated the force dyad, (different opinions are fine!) please don't hate on my posts and please be respectful. Thanks! 🥰

[dickarchivist]

Ollloooooo 👀

I have booked it over to oc ask you 🤩

🎱 8 Ball- What situation was your OC lucky to escape from or get out of? What or who helped them unexpectedly?

For Ghost and Wraith 🥺

And if you'd like to answer another (or if the first is blechk)...

⚪️ White- When was a moment in your OC's life that they felt the most vulnerable and exposed? Were they alone or surrounded?

😘💜💜💜

Cries for my boys, oh man I'm stoked to answer these.

🎱 Ghost: When Ghost lost his eyes, that was the luckiest he had ever been in his entire life. The 404th was on a rescue mission, and the planet was rather dangerous to begin with, let alone the threat of enemy forces. There was a call for help, and Grave was the first to respond, leaving the camp as fast as they could. Wraith forgot his helmet in the haste, and Ghost didn't even think twice to take his off and shove it onto his brother's head to protect him.

As they got to the group that called for help, they saw one of the native predators had a group of civilians pinned down. Ghost took a shot to draw its attention, and while it was distracted, his brothers got the civilians out. They heard the screams moments later, and got back to Ghost just in time to save his life. The predator had spit acid in Ghost's eyes, rendering him blind. He never stopped fighting, and as his brothers closed in and finished off the beast, Ghost fell. You can read the aftermath of this moment [here]. It gets spicy at the end so of course Minors dni

🎱 Wraith: This actually hasn't been shown to the public yet, but Wraith is missing one of his legs! I have a fic that tells about the aftermath in the works, so you'll get that soon, but here's how he lost the leg (which isn't gone into detail about in the lil fic! Ooooh exclusive.) Wraith and the rest of the 404th were on a relief mission when Separatists dropped a bomb on the 404th. When the buildings started coming down, Wraith didn't even blink. He didn't worry about himself. He just ran forward and tackled General Valka out of the way of falling rubble. He lost his leg just above the knee, and the debris crushed and pinned him down. Dax'Malkin didn't want his boy to die no more than Wraith wanted Dax to die. To save his life, the jedi severed Wraith's leg with his saber so it would carterize immediately, and he could get Wraith to safety.

Look out for "Dream Walking" to see what happens after 👀

⚪️ Ghost: Ghost felt the most vulnerable when he got his name. He was a shiny still, Grave Squad wasn't even Grave Sqaud yet, they were "Squad 45" of the 404th. Dax watched the whole team move through an obstical course the jedi had personally created for them. Try as he did, Dax never saw Ghost moving through the course. At the end, Dax pounced on Ghost and put him in a headlock, patted his chest, and shouted with excitement, "EXCELLENT WORK GHOST!" Clone Captain 1313, Ghost. He straightened up, pulled off his helmet, so much hope in his eyes, "What did you call me?" "Ghost! I didn't see you once while you were in there, an invisible man! I've got a good feeling about you and your brothers here, so happy to know you!"

Later that week, Ghost and Dax'Malkin named each of the remaining brothers. He'd never thought he'd have a name, and suddenly he has one... Ghost cried about it in private later, the sheer joy of being named.

⚪️ Wraith: It was when the team was still cadets. Wraith had broken his ankle a few days prior and kept falling down during a combat exercise with other cadets. When he started to cry in frustration, others picked on him, calling him a cry baby, pushing him over, picking on him. He yelled at them to stop, and they doubled down. He slugged one of them, and before they could retaliate, his brothers formed a wall to protect him. Before any of the other cadets could speak or throw another punch, Banshee spoke one single word, "No."

They left Wraith alone after that, scared that the other cadets of Grave Squad would come for them (they were trouble makers when they were little).

[sonofthedunes]

hey hi it’s christina alexlifesonofficial, finally admitting how down bad i truly am for luke skywalker. let’s lay down some guidelines, shall we?

this blog will contain explicit material, either written by myself or reblogged. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

if you need certain words/concepts tagged, please do not hesitate to let me know

NO FOLLOWERS UNDER 18. if you are underage, or your age is not listed on your blog, you will be blocked

all fics/headcanons/imagines written by myself will feature AFAB characters. i do not write male luke ships (if you do that’s fine, they’re just not my thing)

i love hearing from fellow luke stans! my askbox is always open, so feel free to send me headcanons, requests, feedback or questions. that being said, i may choose not to respond to certain asks for any reason, and requests may take a long time to be filled or not filled at all.

if you ever want to write/draw something based on my work, you’re more than welcome to! i only asked to be properly credited

a list of my one-shots and imagines can be found under the cut

i think that’s it! i hope you enjoy what you find here, and may the twin suns light your way ☀️☀️

ONE-SHOT FICS

who says you cannot hold the moon in your hand? - post-esb comfort and fingering, luke/reader

the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses - post-anh (mostly). luke searches for the answer to a very important question. featuring my oc andrie mykarrah.

the last of life, for which the first was made - various time periods, from pre-anh to post-tros. a collection of drabbles exploring five of luke’s birthdays. featuring my oc andrie mykarrah.

whispers of the heart, echoes of the mind - post-anh. quiet reassurance and heartfelt promises in the middle of the night. featuring my oc andrie mykarrah.

this gentle art - unspecified time period. luke indulges in fantasies of a special lady while “polishing his saber.” luke/reader (or luke/your oc, depending on your mood)

a mock-up of reason and order - two years before tfa. just what DOES a jedi master in exile do during the day? a recently unearthed diary entry has the tea. no pairing

remembrance and reflection - two thousand years after the battle of yavin. a young child on coruscant observe statues of our heroes and reflects on their legacies. brief mention of han/leia

it takes two flints to make a fire - post-rotj, just before the mando season 2 finale. on ossus, the jedi temple is just beginning to take shape—and the student manages to teach her master a thing or two. featuring my oc andrie mykarrah.

IMAGINES

misc dilf luke headcanons

warming up luke on hoth

dilf luke and compliments

tempting dilf luke with your tits

pulling dilf luke’s hair/beard

luke realizes just how big certain parts of him are

subby dilf luke

dilf luke having a crisis while being kissed

taking a bath with luke

pussy so good it restores dilf luke’s will to live

luke seeing you in lingerie

luke sees god (boobs) for the first time

luke eating pussy

luke discovers nipple piercings

dilf luke is snippy with you but makes up for it

what pet name(s) does dilf luke like?

younger luke vs. dilf luke, sex wise

ambidexterity

winning dilf luke over and thus saving the universe

luke misses flight drills for a most unfortunate reason

The Pegging Ask

luke and his dagobah glow-up

a treatise on what makes esb luke so attractive

poor little bullied wormie :(

giving luke a surprise smack on the ass

dilf luke winking at you

luke skywalker, the bisexual with a secret dating history

defeating the first order with swag and fashion

jedi sugar baby?

making dilf luke laugh

how luke would be with a shy and quiet s/o

dilf luke joins the resistance and gets a crush

jedi sugar baby part 2

thoughts on sith luke

pussy so good it turns sith luke back to the light (maybe)

afterglow/pillow talk with luke

sweet dilf luke

extremely gentle and tender luke

gnawing on dilf luke’s mechanical hand (no really)

how dilf luke would be with a younger/inexperienced partner

pondering how obscenely powerful dilf luke actually is

how dilf luke “pounds puss”

dilf luke gets a blowjob

learning to take luke

dilf luke gets mistaken for reader’s dad

does luke takes risks?

some dirty secrets

when dilf luke pops off just a bit too fast

luke using his first language in bed

my filthiest luke thoughts. sorry

random cute anh headcanons

seeing off luke with a bang (but in a sappy way)

luke offers you massages

luke being unafraid of the dark as a kid

soft and tender moments with dilf luke

ANDRIE MYKARRAH (MY STAR WARS OC)

intro post

what kind of animal would andrie be?

where does andrie feel safest?

an overview of the luke/andrie relationship

spicy headcanons

fluffy headcanons

andrie and the elements

angsty headcanons pt. 1

why does andrie join the rebellion and what does she do?

angsty headcanons pt. 2

andrie’s favorite foods

andrie and luke’s favorite + least favorite things about each other

would andrie eat luke to survive (theoretically)?

does andrie have any fantasies she’d never ask luke to partake in?

do luke and andrie have pets?

andrie learns to shoot good

how andrie picked the temple location on ossus

andrie and her anger

andrie (and luke) and cooking

the in-universe origin of andrie’s name

being friends in mos eisley

what lightsaber form does andrie use?

andrie and her history with ships

[margindoodles2407]

Flatline (Tumblr Edition)

@seeking-elsewhither (get ready for a long post because this has two chapters >:D )

(By the way. The divider I used is credit of @djarrex. Thank you :D)

Summary:

That's it, it's split, it won't recover Just frame the halves and call them brothers -Regina Spektor, "Call them Brothers"

It is a terrible thing indeed, that the steady pulse of a heartbeat can sound so much like the ticking of a bomb.

Chapter One

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. 

This is a rhythm that he’s more than used to. This is the rhythm he’s known every night since the first night out of his shared growth jar. This is the rhythm of safety, of security, of everything will be alright, because you’re here with me. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

It’s a rhythm as sure as the fingers curled in his hair, as the hand clasped in his own, as the head on his shoulder and the soft, steady breath against his neck. It’s the rhythm in his blood and in his bones and in his dreams. It’s the rhythm, he’s sure, that he needs to survive.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

It’s the rhythm that usually lulls him to sleep, that wraps around him like a blanket and keeps him in the safety of his slumber until the morning. Usually.

Not tonight.

Thud. Thud. Thud Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. InhaleExhale.

Something’s off. A dull, creeping sense of something is going to go horribly wrong. A sense of all is not well. A sense that this will be the last time in this life that he ever knows this rhythm.

Thud Thud Thud Thud

Inhale Exhale Inhale Exhale

His brother shifts. Stirs. Mumbles something. His eyelids flutter. He’s on the verge of waking up.

ThudThudThudThud

InhaleExhaleInhaleExhale

There is silence, for just a moment; the kind of silence he knows from Kamino. The kind of silence that comes just before the peal of thunder. The kind of silence in which all he can hear is the rhythm that has been thrown so out of balance.

THUDTHUDTHUDTHUD

INHALEEXHALEINHALEEXHALE-

“Attention. All men to leave for the Citadel mission, please report to hangar 13-B. Hangar 13-B. Over.”

The rhythm stops. It does not come crashing to a halt, and it does not sputter and die away like a failing engine.

It simply cuts out as his brother awakes, and sits up, and runs a hand over his face and through his curls before turning to face him with a grin.

“That’s us, Ech. You ready?”

(The rhythm is gone. It’s never coming back.)

“As I’ll ever be.”

Chapter Two

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

It’s strange, isn’t it. For him to have known this rhythm his whole life, from his earliest memories until now. It’s been the constant soundtrack to his entire existence. 

Thing is, it’s always been a duet.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

He… hasn’t slept. Not in the days since they got back. Not that he particularly wants to, though- because every time he closes his eyes he sees the conflagration, he hears the crash of the explosion and the rush of the flames and his own horrible scream of anguish and despair, and to be quite frank, he’d rather deal with the dull aching gnaw of fatigue than face the black hole of grief yawning in his chest and threatening to drown him.

(He’d rather go sleepless than face the fact that he almost wouldn’t care if it did.)

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

There’s a datapad clutched to his chest, and it might be his only life preserver.

(Personally, I like that it’s so quiet. I can catch up on the Reg Manuals.)

Thud Thud. Thud Thud.

Inhale Exhale. Inhale Exhale.

His vision swims. The Rishi moon must have been a lifetime ago- back when they were fresh off Kamino, heads full of dreams and grand aspirations of heroism. Stupid dreams, he bites out. War doesn’t make heroes. It just makes corpses. It just makes corpses out of everyone you love.

( If you want to be the best, you’ve gotta think like the best. And I’m thinking like an ARC Trooper.

ARC Troopers follow orders.

Care to repeat that, Echo? )

Thud Thud. Thud. Thud-

Inhale. Exhale Inhale. Exhale-

ARC Trooper, he snarls. That’s me. ARC 27-5555. Big fancy title and everything, for a job that just means you get to stand aside as your brothers die. You proud of me, Hevy? You proud of me for letting our little brother down --

Thud- Thud Thud Thud-

Inhale Exhale Inhale- Exhale-

“ARC Troopers follow orders,” kriff, Ech, if that’s true then why couldn’t you just get to the ship like you were supposed to–

(You left a man behind! You broke rule Number One.)

Thud- Thud Thud Thud-

Inhale Exhale Inhale Exhale

The cot is so cold. So empty and cold. Like the black hole.

Thud- Thud Thud- Thud-

Inhale Exhale In- In- In--

He drowns.

[enkisstories]

The mechanic, the scavenger and the wrecker

Have an outtake of the Star Wars fic I'm currently writing.

The story is set after TRoS and continues my "The wrecking of the Steadfast", at the end of which General Hux has joined the Resistance. The outake has him interacting with Chewie and Threepio, two veterans of the rebel alliance. It goes better than expected.

In a tiny chamber adjacent to the Millenium Falcon’s crew quarters Armitage Hux sat on an ancient computer stuffed between the controls of the freight lift and a stack of crates. This computer had been old already before the man’s birth, but the simple dictionary program Hux was running would – hopefully – not tax it to its limits. Granted, the software was as outdated as the machine it ran on, but Hux wasn’t interested in “Modern Shyriiwook permutations in response to three fucking wars within the same number of generations” – he wanted to learn the language’s basics.

So far everything had went swimmingly: The student had matched Basic words in the Aurebesh script to the Shyriiwook translation, all of them new vocables from yesterday’s lesson. Then the computer had shown him definitions in the foreign language that Hux had typed the correct Shyriiwook word in.

Hux was already fluent in Bocce and High Galactic, could get by in Huttese (although unlike the other two, try as he might he couldn’t switch his brain to think in that language) and kept up with every new iteration of Binary. Picking up passive fluency in Chewbacca’s mother tongue shouldn’t have been an issue, just a light exercise to pass time during the flight. Except that when the computer projected a hologram that chatted away at the student, Hux didn’t understand a single word. Closing his eyes to better focus on the sounds didn’t help either.

I was so certain… By now I could write simple poems in Shyriiwook, so why can’t I understand any of this?

The human pulled his lips back, baring his teeth in the process, and growled!

The sound caused Chewie to break from whatever he had been doing in the common room and take a look at the goings-on in the antechamber.

Hux turned around with the chair he was sitting on.

“Oh… er. Sorry. Rabid dog of the First Order. You know.”

Wordlessly Chewbacca grabbed the chair’s backrest. Keeping his head high as to avoid catching a whiff of the human’s pungent citrus scented hair styling gel he turned it back into its original position so that Hux could see the contents of the screen again. It now showed a green checkmark and a rating of 98%. Apparently the student had just near-correctly pronounced a Shyriiwook word when anything above fifty percent was unheard of. Not even Han Solo with a cold had ever managed come closer than ratings in the forties and little Ben’s attempt after eating chalk had resulted in a sad two percent only (it was still stored in the system, but fortunately for adult Ben Hux hadn’t happened upon this gem yet).

“What did I just say?” Hux uttered, as perplexed as the Wookie and probably also the computer program.

C-3PO made his way past Chewbacca. Hux smiled at the droid. Over the course of his adventure with the Resistance they had become unlikely friends, but Threepio was closest to the newest recruit in his approach to the world: they were the protocol nerds and numbers crunchers and in each other they had finally met a likeminded individual.

“Nothing in particular”, Threepio explained. “That was an expression added to a low priority request to signify urgency on a subjective level. Think ordering in a cantina when you are not in a hurry, but you really crave a slice of cake.”

Ah. Fortunately that wasn’t an issue at the moment. The Falcon was well stocked with provisions; Captain Barley and Maggie had seen to that before the freighter had left New Harvest. After those recent lean days they now had plenty of ham, bread (not the First Order regulation brand) and fruit and nobody had to feel bad for putting an extra lump of sugar into their tea.

“So… “Get a move on”?” Hux ventured.

“(It’s not difficult to understand why YOU and Poe Dameron are together. You’re both…)” Chewbacca finished his sentence with a gesture.

“Ten fingers? Ey… two handful?”

“Hrm.”

The Wookie sat down on one of the cargo crates. From that vantage point he studied Hux intently. It was rare for the man to face someone taller than himself. He didn’t like it at all, and his disadvantaged position would normally have activated all kinds of attack impulses. Not so right now. In this moment after his inadvertent language “prodigy” moment, Hux’s head sank and he told the floor in a low voice:

“I bit off more than I can chew with those studies. After all those days I still cannot understand a single word.”

Chewie leaned forward and grabbed the human by his borrowed shirt, that the crew still was not completely certain whom it had belonged to before. He forced Hux to look up, growling something, that C-3PO immediately translated:

“He said the Resistance has no place for quitters, Master Cycen.”

Right. Isbrand Cycen. His alias. So it was coming down to this, fit in or get left behind on New Harvest after all, nevermind that the Falcon had hyperjumped since then. If Hux/Cycen abandoned his language studies now, what guarantee did Resistance Command have that he’d finish a mission? Oh, yes, that sort of doubt was sooo unfamiliar to the young General…

It was the same everywhere, and yet, the Wookie’s grip radiated the same reassuring support that had led to the traitor turning into a defector over the course of their adventure on the colony world.

The dilemma was not lost to Threepio. Not waiting for the humanoids to speak up again, he supplied his own advice: “To understand Shyriiwook you have to pay attention to body language and mimic as well as the general context.”

“All the things I suck at, check.”

“Why don’t you practice with a native speaker?” Threepio suggested. “I’ll go fetch something to help with the thinking.”

Hux was about to shout: “That’s not necessary, Wookies are in fact highly intelligent!” He already had his mouth open before it struck him that the droid already knew this. Threepio had gotten initialized with the knowledge he, Hux, had discovered for himself only so recently. The brain that needed greasing was his own.

Alas, even with hot strawberry tea and grape sugar pressed into handy pills progress was painfully slow. But progress there was. Some at least.

Hux smiled when he immediately noticed Chewbacca switch from teaching pronunciation to his actual mode of speech at the end of the exercise. So he was able to detect some differences at least.

“(Second smile today – suits you, brat. Don’t translate this, Threepio.)”

Threepio winced, started raising his arms in protest, but then again valued them too much to disobey the order. The first words he was allowed to translate again were:

“(How’s he holding up?)”

“He? Oh. Ren. He’s…” Hux shook his head. “We don’t speak a lot.”

“(Same.)”

“Are you saying I should?”

“(No. And that goes for all of us, especially myself.)”

“Because on the Steadfast…”

Chewie nodded.

“(Exactly. When he tortured me for information, that was different from if you had done so. Getting at the information was secondary for Ben. He was mainly raging at me as a symbol of his past and then against himself, so now I can’t really tell whether I want to cuddle him or rip an arm out. I mean, I know what I should do and what I will do, I just… Sometimes I don’t know how I feel about all of this.)”

A moment of vulnerability… Back home it would have gotten called weakness, and showing weakness once would have made that person perceived as weak in all regards. That wasn’t how things were working here.

Chewbacca’s next sentence Hux recognized as a question even before C-3PO had started translating. Hearing it in basic, however, made the man wish the words had never gotten spoken, for Chewbacca was asking about the time when Kylo Ren had come to the First Order. At first it was painful to talk about someone else’s troubles, when Hux had so much emotional baggage of his own. But then he realized that in telling Chewbacca about Kylo, he was also talking about his own past. He held back nothing, spoke matter of factly, and in the process gave insights into the First Order’s routines and inner workings that otherwise would have been difficult to get out of a captive, even of a defector willing to share everything he knew, because much of what Hux revealed would never have occurred to him as worth passing on to his new allies. At times his words caused disgust, then Hux had to rewind five seconds in his head and look again at the scene he had described to maybe understand what was so gag-inducing about it.

“(Alright)”, Chewbacca eventually said. “(Update the database with those customs codes and protocols you mentioned. They might come in handy. When you’re done, we should be close to Emeraldin.)”

“Will do.”

Chewbacca left the room, followed by C-3PO.

“You’re awfully patient with Master Cycen”, the droid remarked.

“(The way I see it, a crime of the magnitude of his isn’t paid for by getting executed or suffering. The snotty brat needs to make amends and I’ll make certain that he does so to the fullest of his capabilities. If he needs to smile to get us there, then I’ll make him, if he needs a cattle prod into the backside, then I’ll deliver that.)”

And also, but this detail the Wookie kept from Threepio, the killer of Hosnia’s presence was a constant reminder that Ben Solo hadn’t been the worst person in the galaxy. Small comfort as that was…

Full chapter here.

[racingliners]

⭐ for tros, please! xx

fanfic writers directors cut

Again there is SO MUCH I want to talk about with TRoS!!! Like I could go full PowerPoint presentation, but alas it's twenty to 11 at night as I'm typing this so that'll have to be for another day.

So for now, I'm gonna talk about the podium scene in the Spanish GP chapter!

(Under a read more, I got chatty.)

So with Seb being Chief Strategist there was always the possibly of him being picked as a Constructor's representative for the podium and I 1. obviously wanted to write about Seb getting soaked in champagne while wearing a famous white Merc shirt and 2. wanted it to be a Lewis win for Sewis reasons.

The way I do worldbuilding for AUs means that I like to include echos or references of canon/IRL events. In this case in the 2017 season Lewis and Seb were 1-2 on the podium at the Spanish GP, as well as sharing so many podiums over their careers, as well as having a Seb-Lewis-Jenson podium at Barcelona in 2011, so I really wanted to make reference to both of those races.

I also wanted to play around in the "How does Engineer!Seb feel about his F1 career and does he ever miss or think about what he could have had?" sandbox.

Hence why I opened the chapter with the following paragraph:

Sebastian hadn’t been able to pinpoint the exact moment he’d stopped feeling like an imposter when he walked through the paddock entrance. It had just… happened. He’d scanned his pass while chatting with James Vowles and stopped feeling the watchful eyes of every paddock photographer, pundit, commentator and journalist leering on him. He no longer felt like Seb the Red Bull prodigy turned reject playing dress up, but that he finally matched the words on his accreditation – Sebastian Vettel, Chief Strategist at Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport. (It was a wordy job title, but he adored every single letter).

Sebastian's happy, and most importantly comfortable in his new role in the F1 world. That is until he's told that he's been picked to be the Constructor's rep on the podium and a lot of stuff shoots up to the surface.

As Seb looked into James’ kind eyes, all he felt was a slight tightening in his chest. And yet, he didn’t want to let anyone down, or more accurately didn’t want to disrespect the team, by saying no. “It’s just champagne Seb,” James Allison clapped a heavy hand on Sebastian’s shoulder that just about managed to pull him back into the present. The bright blue sky, the roar of the crowd, the concrete beneath his feet, and the eyes of all of his colleagues now trained on him. “You might actually enjoy it.” Seb half forced himself to let out a small laugh and nervously pulled at his ear. “If you wanted to see me soaking wet before now, you should have just asked.” He said with a shy grin, and thankfully everyone either rolled their eyes or tutted instead of looking at Seb with concerned glances.

Seb Vettel 101: When faced with the realisation that 10 years after having your F1 driving career crushed to pieces you're finally going to stand on the winners step of the podium - be slutty to distract your colleagues from your impending crisis.

Sidenote, writing about Seb and his developing friendships with the other Mercedes engineers makes me so happy, you cannot even begin to imagine

I was in two minds for the longest time about whether or not to write the podium from Seb's or Lewis' POV, I eventually settled on Lewis because I wanted him to have his "oh wait Seb's kinda hot" moment, because as we know the Mercedes engineers look very good in their champagne sodden shirts.

But before I switched POVs, Lewis in typical Lewis fashion bounds into the cool down room on cloud nine and he manages to lift Seb's spirit just enough that he willingly walks onto the podium of his own free will. And (shockingly) Seb actually has a very nice time. (Mercedes 101: Always listen to James Allison).

As the British anthem ended and the German one began, he went to glance down at his mechanics, but hearing a quiet but definitely there voice singing stopped him. Sure enough when Lewis looked over his right shoulder and peered past Jenson, he could just make out Seb quietly mouthing the words to the German anthem. Lewis quickly looked away, not wanting to make Seb feel embarrassed, and quietly smiled to himself as he inhaled the warm afternoon air and felt the sunshine on his face. ... He set the trophy down so he would have his hands free to applaud Sebastian, who stared at the constructors trophy wide eyed and slightly breathless. He nervously shook the hand of the official who presented it to him, and looked at the trophy for a couple of seconds before his face split into a familiar bright grin, and he lifted it up into the air to the cheers of all his teammates gathered below, and the quiet applause of Lewis a couple of metres away. He was briefly taken aback by just how relieved Sebastian looked.

Something Seb was always meant to be on a podium with a winner's trophy something.

“Alright!” Seb shouted loudly over the podium music as champagne dripped from the tips of his hair. “Fuck, you got me.” Lewis burst out laughing as he turned to face the crowd and sprayed over the edge of the podium fence towards the team before looking back to see Seb wiping champagne from his eyes. Lewis stepped back up to the top step of the podium, and gestured for Sebastian to join him. He hesitated before slowly climbing the podium steps, and accepted the now half empty bottle when Lewis offered it to him. “Have they always been this heavy?” Seb asked once he’d taken a long sip, weighing the bottle in his hands. Lewis just nodded and put a hand on Seb’s shoulder, smiling at him proudly. “Back where you belong mate.” Lewis said quietly looking right into Seb’s eyes, not wanting the other two drivers to hear. Seb choked out a small laugh before he set the bottle of champagne down by Lewis’ feet. His bright blue eyes still wide and sparkling. “Back where we belong.” He pulled Lewis in for a long hug before either of them had the chance to say anything else. They kept their arms round each other’s shoulders as they stood for the podium photograph, before people walked out carrying team caps and microphones and Seb was quietly asked to leave. He quickly shook hands with Jenson and Daniel before jumping down off the podium. “Hey Seb!” Lewis called out, and Sebastian paused as he went to pick up the constructors trophy. “Wait for me?” “I will.” He said with a smile, and Lewis watched as Seb carried the trophy out of view.

I wanted Seb to mis-remember what some parts of being on a podium (the size of the cooldown room, the weight of the champagne bottles etc) so that when he experiences it for real, it sort of shatters the image he had previously held in his mind and he realises that podiums are fun actually!!! And where he and Lewis belong!!!!! (As the author I DID wail out loud when I came up with that piece of dialogue, thanks for asking😭😭😭).

And yes, dear reader, Seb does wait for Lewis because they're just Like That™️ about each other. To which, we finally lead to, Big Revelation 1 of The Rules of Strategy:

“You good?” Lewis asked, putting a firm hand on his shoulder while looking Seb up and down. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Seb nodded with a breathy sigh. “I missed it, standing on a podium.” Seb bit down on his bottom lip and looked down at the floor as his grin grew even wider. His shirt was still soaked through, accentuating the toned muscles of his torso. For some reason Lewis just couldn’t stop looking at Seb while he wistfully glanced out of the window back towards the podium. The way the sun hit Seb’s hair made it look like it was gilded with gold. ... Lewis shook his head, and forcefully pulled his mind back into focus for his post-race media duties, not wanting Jenson or Daniel to see that he was distracted – even though Lewis wasn’t entirely sure just what had briefly confused him.

Seb is hot and this is the hill I will die on.

Lewis, being Lewis, off-screen fixes his brain back into PR mode and then into driver mode for the post-race debrief so he probably tucks that train of thought deep down in his brain where it can't bother him (when it's actually going to be a surprise tool that will help us later).

I loved coming up with and writing this chapter as it's the first shift in the development of Seb and Lewis' relationship. It's definitely still professional and platonic at this stage, but seeds have been planted at the very least on Lewis' side and things are slowly starting to grow.

[frumfrumfroo]

Hi there. I've been in my mourning phase again about TROS. It's strange how it's been 3.5 years and I'm still so confused, sad, and disappointed. How are you feeling? I'm worried I'll never recover honestly. The wound is so deep.

People try to get me into unfinished things and I just Will Not. I was always cynical about sequels, always preferred old stuff that was long over, and every time I've decided to relax my rules because the stars seemed to be aligning, it's been a huge mistake, so now I'm ten times as TRUST NO ONE, NEVER LOVE ANYTHING as ever before.

I really, deeply didn't want to let them ruin SW for me, but I'd be lying if I said it hasn't severely impacted my ability to even think about the franchise without being depressed. And having it referenced in public (which happens often obviously as it's a cultural phenomenon) is now something that makes me wince.

Also I'm still angry and I will, indeed, die mad.