#you can have the funniest moments and then a moment later its the most heartwrenching thing

[owlyspirit]

because i just remebered but I've been listening to a lot CR vods again during project work and man it's so funny going from one Campaign to the other because with C2 I always forget how horny they all are, even more so than the others

To be fair nothing will be as funny and horny as EXU but you know spin off

If you like Critical Role please watch the vods for Exandria Unlimited, those fuckers are so fucking funny, Matt really went "I'm finally a player so I'm playing the stupidest character because I will NOT explain anything" and Aimee, oh Aimee <3 I love new players because they are always SO CREATIVE and aimee just... the whole Aimee and Arthur bit really made me love her

Plus Aimee calling Orym Nancy as Opal and acting like he is her toddler and somehow getting a nat20 on the roll even though he is a grown man (even if he is a hafling) and people around rlly went "yes that is a 4 year old child called nancy with totally not weapons on his back"

Just god, EXU is so good

[sheepfulsheepyardinspace]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

an additional few…

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

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

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

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

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

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

some extras & shameless self-promotion

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

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

[daresplaining]

Iron Fist Countdown: 10 Days

Ten Favorite Season 1 Scenes (In No Particular Order)

    It seems like only yesterday we were freaking out about Season 1, and now we are a mere ten days away from Iron Fist Season 2! Over on the Iron Fist blog one of us has been spending the month re-watching and breaking down, in-depth, the entirety of the first season. We’re not going to be nearly as thorough here, but we have managed to narrow down ten scenes we particularly love from one of our favorite superhero adaptations ever. 

Danny Receives a Diagnosis (“Shadow Hawk Takes Flight”)

    We wrote a whole post about this scene here, and another one on the Iron Fist blog, which just goes to show how much we love it. This scene exists at a pivot point in Danny’s identity quest, which is a central part of his narrative arc in this season. In the first few episodes his identity, and thus very personhood, are attacked by those around him. He finds himself on Earth with nothing, not even a name. Then, by the end of episode 2, Dr. Edmonds becomes convinced that Danny is who he says he is. In relief, Danny eagerly fills Edmonds in on the other half of his identity-- being the Iron Fist-- and inadvertently sabotages himself by convincing Edmonds that he’s delusional. It’s a wonderful scene for its character exploration elements, its dramatic irony, and its role as an oh-so-satifying set-up for Danny chi punching his way out of the hospital at the end of the episode. 

Danny Heals Colleen  (“The Mistress of All Agonies”)

    This was high on our wishlist for the show, and so we were thrilled, after nine episodes of Danny being injured/being around injured people, that he finally discovered his healing powers. The chi of Shou-Lao is really cool because it’s a power set with a huge range of applications. Even comics Danny is far from having learned everything he’s capable of. And like in the comics, Netflix Danny is missing key elements of his Iron Fist training, and thus has to learn through experience. And one thing he learns is that these powers are not merely destructive. By discovering his healing abilities he unlocks a new understanding of what it means to be the Iron Fist, and the fact that it’s Colleen he’s healing, plus the fact that it happens so late in the show, adds even more power to an already memorable moment. Plus, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the chi of Shou-Lao special effects in this show are amazing. We could watch Danny do Iron Fist stuff all day. 

Danny Recharges His Chi (”Black Tiger Steals Heart”)

    In amid all of the action and trauma and general unpleasantness that takes place throughout the season, there are a few key moments of silence. The rapid-fire plot pauses, the world calms, and the characters and viewer are given a moment to take a breath. These peaceful, happy scenes add a pervasive positive energy to the season as a whole that feels unique and also perfect for this story. Danny learning how to recharge his chi in episode 10 is one such moment, and no matter how many times we watch this scene it never loses its impact. For a moment the world is bright and hopeful, and our heroes are at peace. It’s beautiful on its own, and it provides a powerful contrast with how horrible the situation becomes later in the episode.       

ORSON @#$%IN’ RANDALL! (”Black Tiger Steals Heart”)

    Any scene that makes us yell and leap out of our seats gets an automatic spot on lists like this. We were delighted when Danny referenced the Iron Fist legacy early in the season. We were excited by the idea of other Iron Fists possibly being mentioned, because that is a great element of the mythos. But we hadn’t dared to hope that we might actually see another Iron Fist-- especially Orson Randall, who is one of our favorites. Orson was Danny’s predecessor, and in the comics he was a bit of a mess. We don’t know much about him in this universe, but what’s amazing about this scene is that they somehow managed to perfectly characterize Orson without having him say a word. The blurry glimpses we have of the costume are perfect enough to make it obvious he’s him. And somehow, even the fighting style looks like him. We probably could have seen this clip out-of-context and still known it was Orson, which is awesome. And of course, this is a powerful moment for Danny as well. He gets to see another Iron Fist-- and the sight nearly brings him to tears. Heck, it nearly brought us to tears too.  

Colleen’s Second Cage Match (“Eight Diagram Dragon Palm”)

    We could have gone with her first cage match too, but this one has the benefit of an extra fighter and a snazzy hoodie. Colleen’s arc this season is one of self-discovery. She has trained for a long time and teaches martial arts, but she has also maintained a level of comfortable self-control. But then she discovers that being a little out-of-control holds its own appeal. The first time Colleen tries cage fighting she just goes for the money. But then she goes again, in spite of the shame she feels, not only for the money but because she enjoyed it. This second fight is a Colleen who is reveling in this newfound freedom and thrill, and it’s great fun to watch her just let loose and kick some butt.

Danny and Davos’s Big Escape (”Black Tiger Steals Heart”)

    A good fight should establish character, tell a story, and/or move the plot forward, in addition to being fun to watch. Danny and Davos beating the snot out of the entirety of Bakuto’s student body already makes this one of the most epic fights in any of the shows, but it has the added element of introducing Davos into the narrative. While we hear about Danny and Davos’s friendship in earlier episodes, their flawless teamwork and chemistry in this fight succinctly expresses just how close they are and how long they’ve been fighting together. This season did a phenomenal job of forging this friendship, which doesn’t exist in this form in the comics (616 Davos was best friends with Danny’s father instead) and this fight is the perfect embodiment of that dynamic. 

Ward Disposes of Some Bodies (“Felling Tree with Roots”)

    This season did a great job of taking Ward Meachum, a character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and making him at least somewhat sympathetic. This was done by blasting him with incessant trauma for thirteen episodes straight, sending him into a downward spiral of horrific proportions as he tries, and mostly fails, to deal with all of the horror in his life. This scene is particularly skin-crawling. Harold tasks Ward with disposing of some dead bodies. Ward obeys. We are then treated to a drawn-out scene of Ward alone in a parking garage in the middle of the night, trying not to freak out as he stuffs the bodies into his car. It is masterful psychological horror-- not the kind of thing you’d expect from an Iron Fist story, but excellently done.     

Zombie Harold (“The Mistress of All Agonies”)

    And speaking of psychological horror... Harold Meachum is another character who was brilliantly reinvented in this show. His inherently threatening nature, pure creepiness, domineering personality, and clever balance of humor and horror (he’s both the funniest and the creepiest character in the show) caused him to steal nearly every scene he was in. He could ratchet up the narrative tension just by entering a room. And he was just full of surprises. In contrast with his comics counterpart, who is creepily unhinged for a second and then dies after a single on-panel scene, MCU Harold is nearly impossible to kill. His second revival, after Ward stabs him and dumps him in a pond, is one of the most memorable scenes in the show, and it’s 100% Harold. It’s shocking. It’s horrifying. It’s kind of gross. It’s somehow also very funny. The creative minds for this season were not afraid to pull out all the stops and deliver some truly wild plot points, and that’s part of what makes this show so great.   

Danny Vs. Davos (“Bar the Big Boss”)

    We included Danny and Davos’s badass team-up, so we had to include the counterpoint, the bookend, which is just as powerful and hurts all the more because of the awesomeness of the team-up. This fight packs a punch in every possible way-- the combat is brutal, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the dialogue is absolutely heartwrenching. It is the perfect conclusion to the fracturing of Danny and Davos’s relationship that takes place over the course of the preceding episodes, and sets up all of the pain we’re in for with these two next season.    

"Come Down” (“Bar the Big Boss”)

    This is another of those characteristic feel-good scenes that make this season magical, in which our heroes are just allowed to exist together and enjoy each other’s company. Danny and Colleen have both been through combat and heartache and survived. The world is looking not quite as dark as it did the day before. And so they do forms to music together, and you can cut the chemistry with a knife. It’s fun and joyous, the kind of scene that gets stuck in your head, and a welcome respite before the final frantic build to the season’s climax.