#cw: allosexual theories

[raven-m-3]

Hi there @theknightdreamer​:

Thank you for the ask- this was fun to tackle!! 

How will Rey react if Ben told her his feelings for her? 

My gut tells me that by the time Ben is willing to confess his feelings, Rey will be very receptive to him, and will reciprocate. Why? 

Well, Rey has shown that she’s pretty damn into Ben Solo. (She resists Kylo Ren, but that’s a topic for another meta). The visual storytelling speaks for itself. 

Exhibit A: Looking at him like he’s the center of her world. That nothing else exists but them. 

Exhibit B: Looking for him eagerly with the softest expression on her face. 

Exhibit C: Her “My body is ready” moment in the elevator-- the way she moves closer, letting her eyes skim over his chest, eyes, and mouth, while looking almost drunk (😂). All of these cues suggest romantic / sexual interest.  

Exhibit D: Gazing at him with awestruck devotion after he saves her. (There is sexual subtext here too, in how she strokes the saber.)

And it’s not merely physical. Rey cares about Ben as a person. She wants him  for who he is-- for his true self, Ben Solo. And it’s why she’s completely devastated when he chooses to go down a path she can’t follow. (Exhibit E). 

Another (subtler) reason Rey declines his proposal is that she’s not ready for symbolic womanhood yet, and all it implies (i.e., a romantic / sexual relationship  with Ben). (Disclaimer: sex / romance isn’t related to maturity in real life.) 

In Ep. IX, however, I have every confidence that Ben will be ready to embrace his true self, and choose a better path, and Rey will be ready to complete her Heroine’s Journey and embrace him as her partner. It’s the final film, after all. 

So by the time Ben is willing to lay his cards on the table and tell her how he feels, Rey will def. be ready, too. I think she’ll respond by kissing him, or professing her feelings in return. It’s even possible that she’ll tell him first. 

If I had to guess, I’d say love professions will come in 1 of 2 ways: right before or after Ben sacrifices himself or goes into certain danger. 

If we get love professions before Ben goes into certain danger, it would parallel HanLeia in ESB.

However, if we are going for BATB, we’ll get love professions afterward. 

Clearly there are many ways this could go-- who says it first, whether she says it when he’s “dying” or already “dead,” etc. The only thing I feel certain of is that at the end, they are going to kiss and fly away in the MF to go make future Skywalker-Solos together, and it’s going to be goddamn glorious. 😭❤️❤️

Of course, I’ve assuming that we’ll get an explicit, mutual love profession here. I made this assumption because we did get them in the Prequel and Original Trilogies, it fits the BATB themes, and Reylo’s love story is at the core of the Sequel Trilogy. I’d be surprised if they don’t include one, but it’s not impossible. 

If there is a kissing scene, who do you think will initiate it?

I definitely think there will be a Reylo kissing scene. Every major romantic couple in SW has kissed on screen-- usually several times. Reylo is behind compared to HanLeia, Anidala, and even FinnRose. This is why I’m actually predicting multiple kisses in Ep. IX. I really don’t think it would be that much of a stretch.

I think there is strong evidence that Rey will initiate the first kiss. Her agency drove the physical encounter between them with confirmed sexual subtext. 

We also can’t forget about this scene. 

Indeed, apart from the bridal carry, Ben has never actually physically touched Rey first. Don’t get me wrong-- he has definitely pursued and showed his interest in her. But his way of showing interest is subtle: he stares at her, moves closer, offers his hand, etc. and waits to see if she is receptive to his interest. 

That said, however, Reylo is the consummately equal Star Wars couple. So personally, although I prefer (and expect) Rey to initiate their first kiss, I’d love for Ben to initiate their second. Pretty please, JJ? 🙏 

Thank you again for the ask! Here’s hoping to all the Reylo kisses and professions of love in Ep. IX. BRING ON THE ROMANCE. 😍

#reylo #reylo meta #episode ix predictions #episode ix speculation #cw: sex mention #cw: allosexual theories #mine #reylo kiss