#one of whom does not remember anything in star wars at all but still entertained my pestering lmao

[phereshift]

my (and my friends) emotional support plushie pile...

#star wars #star wars prequels #commander cody #padme #ahsoka #obi wan kenobi #boba fett #captain rex #commander fox #the non-prequel characters (and general unique selection) can be blamed on my friends #one of whom does not remember anything in star wars at all but still entertained my pestering lmao #pherrie draws

[phoeebsbuffay]

Imagine "Star Wars" special edition: songs II.

Only You.

Imagine you are Obi-Wan Kenoby's rival. 😏

Warnings 1: based on Ellie Goulding's song "Only You".

Warnings 2: don't read it if you are minor.

Warnings 3:.explicit smut and violence.

***

Intro.

Anakin is amused when it occurs him that every time you walk into the Jedi Council’s meeting room, Obi-Wan frowns his eyebrows, his eyes conceal poorly the shift of his mood and there is no patience in his remarks.

And by the looks on his Padawan’s face, Obi-Wan senses something comical is about to be said.

“If you could spare me of your nonsenses today, Anakin, I would be very thankful.”

Anakin chuckles.

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“You were about to. I know you. If there is something you cannot do is stay quiet for a very long time.”

He continuously chuckles, much to Obi-Wan’s annoyance. It doesn’t really help his mood that you, dressed in black leather, decide to stop by.

You are very much aware that he doesn’t like you—he can’t disguise well enough his rolling of eyes everytime you make a suggestion, or when you open your mouth to say anything at all; at first it hurt you because you couldn’t figure the reason, but after a while you just decided to make his life a hell for compensation—so you place your hands around your hips and smirk:

“What’s up, old man? Still working on what kind of half truths are you delivering the council today?”

Obi-Wan scoffs at you.

“Better be a man of half truths than being a delusional like you, Y/N.”

“Your sarcasm is always appreciated, Master Kenobi. Had I known I needed one, I’d gladly have asked for it.” You curtsy in another display of a disdain that became so characteristically attributed to you. “Have a good day.”

Anakin’s eyes move from one to another in a clearly entertained expression in his face. Obi-Wan’s eyes narrow as you walk away.

“What’s with you and Y/N?” He inquires. “Master, what has she done to deserve your hatred?”

Obi-Wan gives a knowing look at his Padawan.

“I don’t hate anyone, Anakin. Remember that…”

“…fear leads to hate and hate leads to suffering. The whole dark side thing. I get it. This does not answer my question, though.”

“And why should I give you any explanation of a matter you cannot understand? Come now, Anakin. The meeting is about to start and I pray you stop babbling. This is not the moment nor the time.”

Anakin struggles to wipe a smirk out of his lips.

“As you wish, Master.”

***

How it all begin (I) : Obi-Wan’s POV.

You have just been knighted Jedi after going through a series of trials. Obi-Wan comes to know about Y/N Y/LN’s abilities, who earned a comparison to master Windu, whom had trained you.

In fact, for someone whose master was regarded for being rather too serious to the point of sounding insipid at times, you were very full of yourself and carried graciously with a smile on your lips.

If at first his eyes glued on you, noticing the shades of y/c that paint your long hair; if he seems to notice that black leather looks good in you; if he seems to find that your curves make you hotter than any woman his eyes came to known… he denies every bit of it the moment he is perplexed by your annoying behavior, that is to say: your pride, your bad timing in making jokes of questionable taste, your sharp tongue, your sarcasm, your stubbornness, to list a few.

It does not really help him that when the two of you get a mission together, you seem to do well where the enemies you have to battle together easily knock him down.

Obi-Wan is not usually overpowered in battlefield, though the mission is difficult after all—a peaceful diplomacy gathering that ends up in anything but what you are expecting to achieve—and yet something about you easily handling the situation irritates him.

“This is not the Jedi way, General Y/N.” He is telling you right as you two are fighting a terrorist group. You have been bold enough to tease your enemies, bringing them to you. They work in a similar manner to the terrorists exiled from Mandalorian although they hardly work moved by the same purpose. “Can’t you see we are outnumbered here? We don’t have a higher ground.”

You smirk at him, aware that your manner of dealing with situations hardly involves using the tactic of getting to know the field first, ask questions second and get into action third. Hence why he seems to grow displeased with you at your every move.

“If you have a better option than attack and defense whilst we can, please, Obi-Wan, I am all ears.”

He doesn’t like the tone you use when speaking to him.

“We should be calculating a rote to…”

“You are always calculating something!” You interrupt him. “We are doing things my way this time.”

His patience is being tested. His temper is about to come in a series of tantrums. But Obi-Wan takes a very deep breath and puts in an effort in not doing so.

“Last time we did, we got badly injured!” He exclaims, referencing to the first mission you went together at Mustafar.

“Getting hurt is part of the mission”, you point your index finger to his chest. “And we did succeed if I remember correctly.”

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Obi-Wan heavily sighs. “We are doing what is appropriate, not what might mislead us into eminent death. How can we be useful dying? Forgive me if I fail to see our results when we are DEAD AND GONE!”

You are about to yell him in turn, but turns out he is right this time and there is no time to put in argument. He knows he’s hurt your pride and in other circumstances would have apologized for it, though the truth is that he is upset with you so he does not feel the need to apologize.

Yet

***

How it all begin (II): Your POV.

The mission ends with relatively success after a lot of fighting and reluctant resolution to work together. But neither seems particularly interested in engaging in other missions together.

You do try to approach him after that disaster, though, now that you are calmer. You acknowledge that most times your hot headed breaks through your self control and risks the mission.

But there is something in his expression that you capture in his eyes that makes you hesitate. You can tell the smile on his lips died once you crossed that door.

Nonetheless, your conscience urges you to try. It is better for you to try than to living wondering what could have happened if you did not.

“Hm, Master Kenobi?” You reluctantly make him turn at you. “May we speak?”

“Yes, General Y/LN? I believe my time is short, but of course.”

The two of you are in the corner of the room, you open your mouth but you struggle to speak. Obi-Wan waits with his eyebrows raised. It’s when you swallow your pride and apologize at long last after how you poorly conducted the mission.

Whatever suspicious there is in his eyes seems to dissipate as he places his hand over your shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

“Oh, do not worry about it. It happens. I do appreciate you coming for me, though. That is very considerate.” And here he is inclined to apologize too.

You smile to each other and everything seems settled. But peace is not destined to last. During the next week, as you are practicing in the red room, the competition rises again.

You try not to notice his well builded muscles, nor let your eyes scan his short ginger hair, his locks dropping on his face; you refuse to linger your gaze in his blue eyes. You would not admit to yourself he is quite… dashing to behold.

The impression does not stay for long. As you join him in the trains, he begins to criticize some of your moves. It starts to annoy you, but when you manage to knock him down, you flash a smirk at him:

“You were saying?” You point your saber to his neck before helping him stand. “Just admit it I am very good in what I do.”

“I think you praise yourself a little too high, General Y/LN.” He side smirks at you. “And you should do well in displaying more humility. It is not the Jedi way to be arrogant. It may be your fall.”

You narrow your eyes at him. In a sudden awareness of your sentiments, it comes to your perception that he affects you. To avoid letting it going further, you say:

“Of all people, Kenobi, you are the least appropriated to lecture me about humility. You are just as arrogant as I. Otherwise you’d have not wasted your time telling me all about it.”

You know you are touching a nerve, you know you might incur in another fight. It is what you want to push him away.

And of course he falls into your trap.

“What are you saying? I only want the best for you.”

“No, you don’t.” You smirk mischievously at him. “You just want to feel better for yourself with that savior complex most of us do.”

He raises his arms up to the air and shoots a glare at you.

“Seriously, Y/N. Must you always make this about yourself? You are so irritating!”

“As you are so temperamental.”

And then you finally part ways. Ever since you restored the old rivalry, making sure to tease him as annoying as you can be, you are dragged into an endless competition with Obi-Wan whenever you are forced to participate in a mission with him and his Padawan.

That is how you swear you heard Anakin saying once:

“By the Maker, the two of you sound like an old couple bickering at each other!”

“You shush, young man.” You tell him. “You have no idea what you are talking about.”

Anakin limits himself to smirk at you in response, ignoring Obi-Wan’s shake of head.

It all works well, though, until the clone wars happen.

***

Present Days•

Obi-Wan’s POV.

Without his realization, his blue eyes follow you. He notices your hair is shorter, falling over your shoulders, tied in braid. You are discussing with Master Windu about your recent return from planet Y/C and more than likely you are reporting to him your success in it.

He studies your features: no sign of cockiness in your manners, no smile displayed in your lips, nothing that indicates your usual hot temper nor your weird sense of humor.

Over your shoulders, a brown cape slips, omitting your curves. His mind is suddenly wondering what is like to remove your top when Anakin clears his throat.

“Ahem. You are staring… Again.” Obi-Wan sees a smirk on Anakin’s lips. “Honestly, Master, can you be less obvious? For someone so strict, you are quite breaking the rules.”

He rolls his eyes.

“I am not going to lecture you today about your manners, Anakin. Maker, I am patient.”

Anakin laughs.

“Ah-ha. You should tell Y/N how you feel. I think you’d be surprised to know she corresponds you.”

The Master has the decency to blush. But instead of answering him, he shakes his head and moves to a different topic.

“Where is Ahsoka, by the way?”

All the whilst he engages in conversations with Anakin, he is somewhat distracted when you leave the room under an apparent distress. You seem to sense his gaze following you, so when you turn your head, Obi-Wan is busted. You give him a quick side smirk before disappearing.

“….you are not listening.” Anakin heavily sighs. “Honestly, I am done with you today. You better tell her how you feel otherwise I might.”

He scoffs at him.

“What? No! Shut up and concentrate on the mission, Anakin.”

Anakin is still amused at his cost, but says nothing. It is only then that Obi-Wan is summoned by Master Windu, which forces them to go to separate ways.

“Greetings Master Kenobi.”

How such a man can train Y/N is a question I might never get an answer.

“Greetings, my friend. I pray to find you well this day?” He inquires as they begin to pace outside.

“I am rather preoccupied with Y/N. She’s to be acknowledged a Jedi Master soon”, Windu confides.

Obi-Wan knows that he has to be reasonable when comforting his fellow Jedi and not letting his feelings misguide him to pride.

“She is a great Jedi. I am sure everything will be fine. She is only…eh…how can I put it?”

“Overconfident?” Windu shakes his head but the younger male believes to spot a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Or is he seeing things where there is none? “A trait I’ve been trying in vain to wipe out, but…”

Obi-Wan struggles to keep his face composed.

“I’d rather say temperamental, there is nothing wrong with being confident. Though if you think this is what worries you, I can go to a mission with her and…”

“Oh she has already left.” He mentions casually. “Y/N is always after missions. This is something that also worries me, Obi-Wan.”

“I will talk to her about it.” He promises the other male.

Windu nods his head.

“I appreciate it.” He gives then a look that Obi-Wan is not quite sure how to interpret. “She is very sweet tempered. She just needs more friends to help shape her path.”

“Of course.”

After this conversation, Obi-Wan is forced to admit how little he knows you; how he allowed himself to rather judge you instead to get to know you better.

***

Your POV.

Of all people, you don’t expect Obi-Wan Kenobi to greet you as soon as you land.

“You don’t look well”, he tells you, concerned. You turn your head to see the expression on his face. “What?”

“You are difficult to understand at times”, you say.

You not only look physically battered —with a few scars here and there, acquired after a difficult battle with an army of droids sent to chase you by Dooku—, you are also emotionally in pieces.

“Me?” He is astonished by how you speak.

“Yes, you.”

Now you stop by an empty corridor. Your hair is a mess and you suspect you might have twisted a wrist. But your insecurities are taking the best of you.

“Why do you hate me, Kenobi? I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but honestly am I this difficult to bear?”

You realize you are exposing yourself too much, so you just turn your back on him and move to your quarters. You do need a shower, and it’s all you think about before Obi-Wan surprises you by pulling you into his arms.

And right in the corridor of the temple, he kisses you. It knocks your guard down as you realize this is what you’ve been aching for and only now you are fully acknowledging it.

After the initial shock, your eyes close and you melt in his kiss. As you rest your hands over his shoulders, you can tell he relaxes at last when you correspond it. You smile at that observation, feeling his beard tingling against your skin. You like the grip around your waist, how he pulls you into him.

But you reluctantly part it to catch your breath. Your hands cup his face, gently stroking his cheeks before going to play with his hair, which is a tad longer now.

“So, what kind of answer should I interpret after that?”

Obi-Wan chuckles.

“The one that tells you how much I feel for you.”

“You are not going to be straight about it, will you?“

He smiles at you, staring at you with such an adoration that makes your knees go weak. The Jedi leans his cheek against yours, pressing soft kisses to it before doing the same to your lips.

“Let me tend your wounds, my darling.” He says it when looking at you. “Though you are the ache of my heart, the only one that I could never fight without incurring myself into an endless torment.”

Your are flustered by his words, suddenly shy. Your eyes now concentrate at how your fingers look for his and his for yours, locking together in an spontaneous gesture.

“You make me speechless, my dearest heart.” You raise your gaze carefully only to see he’s been patiently waiting for you. You smile naturally, without second thoughts. “I love you, Obi-Wan.”

He rests his foreheads against yours.

“I love you too, Y/N.”

Whatever your souls are made of, you know it’s made of the same thing. And it is as evident in your eyes and it is in his.

***

Obi-Wan’s POV.

Once he hears about how you have been severely injured after a difficult battle against Dooku, he rushes to your side.

You are about to leave the medical station after two months spent to amend a broken bone and other bruises that you feel like they are delaying you.

“My love!” Obi-Wan is careful in holding you close. “What happened? Are you well? How are you feeling?”

He watches you giggle in response.

“I am leaving the hospital. You find me well, in fact. Just the usual result of a long battle.” You greet him discreetly by holding hands. Your relationship is secret so you have to be careful. “I just feel frustrated for being this delayed. Maker knows I am better fit for the field than staying in bed.”

He presses a kiss over your temple, not minding the indiscretion. Obi-Wan remains anxious as he leads you back to your quarters.

“You still didn’t tell me what happened, dear heart.”

You smile in secrecy at his concern before telling him about the mission you’ve been assigned to. Obi-Wan is listening attentively, frowning lightly in concern.

Once you enter your quarters and he follows you, the door closes and he says:

“Let me see your bruises.” He asks, taking a seat at a random chair. As you lift your blouse slightly, showing him the scars you got in your back and the swellings in your skin, he sighs heavily. “By the Maker. How on earth are you so careless, Y/N?”

You laugh heartily at his preoccupation before sitting on his lap. Obi-Wan’s eyes slowly swift from tender to desire as you lean so close to him.

“This is who I’ve always been: born for action, my love.” You smile at him, your hands cupping his cheek before you kiss his lips.

He sighs again before chuckling against your lips, his hands going up and down your back. A shiver assaults you when he slowly rests his fingertips right at your back, under your blouse.

“You will be the death of me”, he whispers, before starting to kiss your jawline and move to your neck. Obi-Wan smiles when sensing your arousal.

“Easier to say you’ll be mine”, you answer back with a smirk leaning into his touch.

He contemplates the sentiments that rise in your eyes, admiring the color that paints your irises, all the while he untangles your braid. Obi-Wan likes your hair wild and loose.

You lock gazes with him, your hands playing with his hair before moving down to his neck.

“Am I?”

He carefully lifts you and leads you back to your bed, and you only comply with it. Obi-Wan is careful to you as he begins to remove your shirt. His eyes are filled with sudden want, desiring you. You smirk at him, enjoying how he glances at you.

“I need you.”

You lean to kiss his lips. It’s a fervent, passionate one. It makes you feverish and you find yourself craving for his touch, your womanhood pulsing before starting to get yourself wet.

Obi-Wan feels you, him too bent to the same appetite that comes intently. He removes his shirt and a blush paints his cheeks when you cast him an indecent look.

“You know I can read your thoughts, dear one.” He chuckles when leaning to kiss your neck, his hands going from your shoulders to your arms before resting on your hips, starting to unbutton your pants.

“I’ve never meant to hide them from you.” You say, tilting your head to your left and sighing in pleasure as his tongue paces slowly to your exposed skin.

He is very attentive to you, his eyes capturing every move your body makes, every shiver that responds his teasing. He then removes your undergarments.

“You are beautiful.” Obi-Wan says in such an intimate tone that you blush. It makes him smile to know at long last the secrets you’ve been keeping in your heart. The longing that unites one to another is about to be consumed at last. “Maker, you are. I’ve never met any beautiful lass before…”

“Not even that Mandalorian duchess?” You tease, but he reads you well enough to capture the hidden meanings of your words.

He is playing with your hair before resting his hands over your breasts. Obi-Wan likes to hear the sounds that come out of you when he starts to touch you.

“Jealous are we now?” He chuckles, leaning forward to kiss your cheek before moving to bite your earlobe. “My eyes and heart have always been yours to command. I fear you’ve known it even before our relationship started since you play with me easily…”

“You are the enemy of my reason, Obi-Wan Kenobi”, you moan loudly as he starts to kissing your chest.

“Am I?”, he whispers against your skin as he holds your back when he finally engulfs each nipple in his skillful tongue.

“Oh fuck!”, you cry out in response to his tender kisses, so divine that you believe to have left your body. “Obi!”

He hold you against him, taking his time. The warmth in your body, the hardening nipples that he bites and gently twirl under his tongue, the manner with which you give in arouse him to the point his erection becomes unbearable to hold back. But he does because, as promised, he is looking after you.

Your knees go week when he starts to kiss your belly. Obi-Wan looks up at you all the while his hands run now up and high your thighs, slowly parting them.

“Yes?” He says with malice in his eyes, resting one hand in your hip meanwhile he finally inserts one finger in you. “All this wet for me, my love? Have you missed me this much?”

Obi-Wan looks at you with the devotion of a lover, his chest swells at the idea of how much power he has over you. When looking into your thoughts, which you almost unconsciously project, he sees the longing, the wanting, the needs you’ve struggled to suppress.

And he now intends to let these go tonight, mesmerizes he is by how you throw your head back, trying to find something to keep your balance.

“Yes, only you make me this wet.” You gasp, squirming under his touch. “Oh goddamnit, Obi-Wan.”

“Whatever have I done?” He inquires cynically, smirking as he watches you coming undone.

And as you are unable to respond him, because your legs begin to get heavy, a shiver runs over your spine and an unbearable heat burns you, he knows you are coming. And he wants you to do so in his mouth.

You don’t have any time to complain about the removal of his fingers because you are not only dizzy with how crazy he makes you, but when he uses his mouth… you explode.

He is on his knees for you, his tongue indencently finding a way to dominate your clitoris, drinking you like a thirst man in desert who finally finds water at long last. He is slow, enjoying the burn he gives you.

The sounds are loud in your quarters, but neither mind that. The darkness there is in it makes all the more proper, adding an aura of sensuality to such an intimate scene.

And from the moment you burst again, squirming the way he wants you to, he rises and is gladly laying you down, when he is surprised by you.

“I can’t with you, Obi-Wan.” You kiss his lips feverish and he smirks as you do. Before he knows it, your hand is going right to relieve the pressure on his pants.

***

Your POV.

You are a mess, ruined by this man whom you once despised—and desired in the same measure, now you know. You love him with all your heart and it is only fair that you seek to pleasure him in turn.

“What are you doing?” He asks, his breath short cut as you feel his manhood pumping right into your hand. “Y/N, there is no need to…”

It makes you hot to hear him moaning your name like that. It makes you wet again, but this time it’s about him, not you.

“Showing you what you do to me…”

Obi-Wan is now on his elbows, eyes shut as you treat him right. Having removed his pants, he is complete bare before your eyes, a sight you gladly behold.

As you continuously massage his erect manhood, stroking it up and down, using your thumb to the tip of it in circular moves, you use your free hand to caress his strong thighs, resting it in his belly.

Your eyes drink in the view of this man, nude before you, moaning in such a manner that your juices begin to drop in your legs.

“Is it good, my darling?“, you inquire him softly, leaning forward to kiss his neck, leaving bruises in his skin as you bite gently.

His hands are gripping the sheets of your bed, already ruining it as you mess with him. He groans in gritted teeth:

“Y-Yes. Oh, Maker. You are doing so well.”

You smile pleasantly at yourself. As you start to kiss him downwards, he opens his eyes, breathing in anticipation.

“Dear heart, you do not have to do this…” He mutters under his breath. “It’s all…”

His words are lost in space and you cannot help but take pride in how you make him feel. It is so damn hot how he is under your care right now… But you are patient. You want to reward him for every single thing he gave you.

“I want to.” You are now exactly where you want to. When his eyes encounter yours, you read his darkest unspoken wishes. “Your naivety does not fool me, love. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? To tame like this?”

He is on his elbows again, struggling to keep himself composed. As he adjusts to make this better for you, you slip gently to the floor as he seats on the edge of bed.

There is thunder in his blue eyes and you are right into it. You tease him by slowing down the rhythm with which you stroke his manhood, licking it gently, making it thus a torture for him.

“You want me in the dark, don’t you? Right where you are too.” He groans in response as you do the same thing again. He is pulsing against you, aching for you, craving for you. “Only you to make me go on my knees. Only you… to make me so alive.”

His eyes darken with lust as a result with your words.

“You are awaking the beast within me, love. You better let it repressed.”

You side smirk at him.

“I don’t think neither of us want it remain so, do we?”

Just like that, you take it with your mouth and he howls in pleasure. It makes you feel good, he sees it by the reactions of your body, which only further arouses him.

Unspeakable thoughts flow from one to the other in a deep connection that bonds your souls into a very passionated moment. You want him to come undone like he did to you, you want to make him a mess.

And this is the only start. Because you don’t see any gentleness residing in his blue eyes the moment he takes a hold in your hair and your eyes lock gazes again. The moment where he sets his seed in you is where every control is lost for good.

*

It feels so good when you ride him. Your head drops back as he holds your back, thrusting slowly and intently right into you. His lips pursuit every inch of your skin, not satisfied until your moans grow louder. Clearly, you are careless, forgetting where you two are.

You play with his hair and when he makes you look back at him, there is love in each other’s features.

“I love you, dear heart”, he whispers against your mouth, gently bitting your bottom lip. “So much. I cannot live without your touch, your body, your soul. Fuck, I am consumed by you.”

You chuckle light at his swearing, seeing he rarely does so. But your face brightens at his words, how breathlessly they are spoken. It makes your wall clench tight around his cock. He feels it and it turns him on further.

“I love you, Obi.” You moan softly in response. Your hands slip to his back, digging your nails against his skin, which earns a hiss of him. “I’ve loved you before and I love you still. You are my other half, without which I can never be truly complete.”

And it is how professing nude vows, so significantly because how crude they are due to the spontaneity they are spoken, you and him reach to the climax together. Synchronized as only the two of you can be.

Later that night, when the drunkenness state of the lovemaking leaves you both and you are breathlessly contemplating the ceiling, you are taken by a sort of premonition.

Curiously enough, Obi-Wan senses it too. He turns at you and says:

“I… I just happen to have noticed we did not think straight in doing it. I mean”, he is quick to correct himself upon the look at your face, “to say that we didn’t use protection.”

Your face goes pink, but when turning at your elbows.

“Well… I don’t regret it, do you?”

He chuckles, looking at you with tenderness. Whatever there is in his face, it soon dissipates. Obi-Wan leans to hold you against him.

“I have nothing to reconsider, dear heart.” He knows you like the pet name and uses it again, smiling at you. “You know that. Whatever the future holds for us it can only be good.”

You beam delightedly.

“Who knew we’d come this far eh?”

He laughs heartily.

“Who knew indeed…”

#star wars #Star Wars imagine #imagine Star Wars #obi-wan kenobi #Obi-Wan Kenobi #ObiWan Kenobi #Obi-Wan Kenobi smut #obi wan kenobi x reader #obi wan x reader #obi-wan x y/n #obi wan kenobi x y/n

[palimpsessed]

Writerly Ephemera

I was tagged by @amywaterwings @mostlymaudlin @tea-brigade @effing-numpties @captain-aralias @bloodiedpixie . This is so cool, so thanks for sharing yours! ❤️

Per Amy: We add little bits of ourselves to our writing, scattering memories and places and phrases and things into our stories. The game is to find five examples of this, of YOU, in your writing and show everyone.

I don’t really feel like I put much of my own experiences into my fic, probably because I don’t feel like I have a lot of experiences to pull from. (That’s not me being self-deprecating; that’s me never going anywhere or doing anything.) So, let’s see what we come up with!

Going to tag here. I feel like I’ve gotten to this late so I’m not sure who has been tagged. Anyway. No pressure, loves. Just saying hi. 🥰 @theflyingpeach @bazzybelle @otherworldsivelivedin @unseelieseelie @wetheformidables @caitybug @nightimedreamersworld @foolofabookwyrm @stillmadaboutpetra

1. I have put the most of myself into A Man of Letters. I have my degree in English Lit and when I was in college, I was at the height of my Jane Austen obsession. So I sort of built my degree around the development of the English novel. My senior thesis was on a book called Evelina by Frances Burney, who was one of Austen’s greatest literary influences. Evelina is an epistolary novel—told entirely in letters. I love the epistolary form, for the same reason I love dialogue and texting fics. It’s such a fun narrative technique and can reveal so much about individual characters. It’s actually a bit like the way Rainbow Rowell uses multi POV in her books. Anyway, my love of the epistle was on full display in this fic, which is ofc told in letters. —Do I share a passage? That’s like...the whole fic 😅 So, idk. Here’s Simon being a disaster as he meditates on letter writing:

Dear Penny,

As I start this letter, I already know I'm not going to post it. I know I won't be able to bring myself to do it, because of what I have to say to you. I do feel bad. It's not that I don't want to tell you. And you know I'm so much better at writing things down than saying them out loud. It's only that I feel like this would all sound better coming from me in person. I just don't think I'll be able to make you understand in a letter. I'm still trying to understand myself. And writing all of this down helps me with that. Even if I'm only pretending to write to you, it makes me feel better, to think of you on the other end. I promise I really will tell you everything as soon as we're together again.

2. Also for A Man of Letters, my fascination with Regency fashions, in particular the dandy, was a major factor. I did an art book about this, comparing how fashion has changed over time, especially in regard to gender. (I also did an art book based on Evelina, since I’m on the subject. I minored in book art. 😁) I always fancied the look of a Regency dandy, so that was my gift to Baz.

Whoever has been working their magic on Salisbury should in fact be the person to whom I offer my eternal devotion. Alas, I am left to flounder under the burden of lusting after a man who is incapable of dressing himself.

The utter and unmitigated shame.

Salisbury wore a forest green wool frock coat that set off the golden highlights in his brown locks. This was accented with a green and aubergine striped silk waistcoat that was trimmed in white piping and felt much too daring a pattern for the man. (I don't care if he was a soldier; it takes a hardier man than him by half to choose a stripe like that.) His charcoal trousers were enticingly snug, but not so much to prove lethal. His cravat and points left much to be desired, though that likely reflected poorly on his ability to keep himself in order, rather than the ability of his valet. (Good God, maybe the man doesn't even have a valet!)

3. When it came to my countdown fic, To the Manor Borne, I had Shep make a reference to Cluedo, because Pitch Manor would be perfect for a real life game. Behind that, is the fact that my family played a lot of Clue and I watched the movie a whole bunch growing up, to the point where my sister and I used to quote it to each other. This was a way to pay homage to that. He also talks about playing the game Murder in the Dark, which was one I played at Halloween as a kid. One of my cousins was dressed as a ghoul with glow in the dark face paint and we were in my grandma’s creepy upstairs. Perfect vibes.

I’ve seen the kitchen and the dining room and the library and the study and the parlor. Walking through this house is like playing Clue. (They call it Cluedo on this side of the pond, because they like to be difficult.) (That was a whole thing. Do not get me started.)

I keep thinking Colonel Mustard’s going to pop up out of nowhere and brain me with a lead pipe.

And:

What kind of games do you play with magickal friends who don't have magic? Twister? Not with the wings and tail. Cards? Baz and Penny would cheat. Or accuse everyone else of cheating if they didn't win. Murder in the dark? With these people, in this house, I knew it would turn literal fast, and also it was like ten in the morning. Hide and seek? Simon and I would hide and everyone else would ditch. Snowball fight? World War III.

4. I’ve referenced Mozart in my fics a couple of times because when I was first getting into classical music, I was listening to a lot of Mozart. My sister had a CD of some of his early symphonies, and my local classical station does “Mozart in the Mornings” which happened to fit in the exact time slot between two morning classes I had my first year in college. I’d go sit in my car with a cup of tea, and just vibe with Mozart as my soundtrack. I’ve name dropped him in both A Man of Letters and To the Manor Borne. Also, Mozart wrote 12 variations on the melody shared by Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, which is a lovely tie in. (I also had the gang sing/cast The Holly and the Ivy, which is one of my favorite Christmas carols, and by strange coincidence was playing on the radio at the same time I wrote that scene. 🥰)

"It's a songbook," I tell him, like he can't figure that out for himself. "Did you know that Mozart wrote twelve different versions of the same song?"

He's laughing. "Mozart did not write Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Simon."

"You know what I mean."

"He composed twelve variations for solo piano on the French folk melody Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman."

"Sure. Anyway, this is for the violin. For you to play."

He's still laughing, and I'm trying to figure out what's so funny, but then he kisses me again, on the lips this time, so I figure maybe I'm still doing okay.

Only one more to go! What will it be? 👀

5. Therapy! Eheheh...😅 Look, it’s no secret the gang needs it. And tbh, so do I. Haven’t actually managed to get myself to go yet, and I think that’s where a lot of my “send them to therapy” happy endings come from. I did it in Use Your Words and To the Manor Borne. I started Chamber by Chamber with SnowBaz already in therapy, and then structured the whole thing around therapy that they give to each other and to themselves. It didn’t really fit in A Man of Letters, but if it had, I absolutely would have done it. I’ve only shared from two fics so far, and since it could kind of spoil the ending to Use Your Words (tho saying this may be spoiler anyway...), here are two snippets from It’s a Kind of Magic, Part I of Chamber by Chamber.

I've been working on articulating my needs. We both have. Ordinarily, I'd be afraid of pushing him away by making demands when he's on the verge of a spiral, but my therapist insists that I can't go on treating Simon with kid gloves. If I never ask him for anything, he'll think he doesn't have anything to give.

And

When I told that to my therapist, she said that I needed to talk it out of me and she'd help me find ways to work through it all. She said I needed to talk it out with Baz, too, so that he'd know how to help me when things got bad again—that was something else she said, that things would get bad again, and that I'd need to be prepared for that. That I couldn't expect things to be easy, and just go away.

6. BONUS! I think the biggest way I include bits of myself is in the AUs I’ve chosen to write. I have three I’m planning that say a lot about me, so I’m going to talk a bit about them here. There is ofc my Scooby Doo AU, inspired in large part by the fact that I watched it all the time growing up and also, my sister continues to be obsessed with it. When we were young, my parents were doing a lot of work on their house and we’d take family trips to the hardware store. My sister and I hated it, so we’d wait in the car with my mom and she would entertain us with “Scooby Doo stories”. Other AUs I’m planning? Troop Beverly Hills—please tell me someone else out there loved this movie the way I did when I was 5. It was very influential to baby me and I remember wishing for nothing more than being able to dress like Shelley Long. So, I’m going to let Baz do it, because I think he deserves it. 🥰 Lastly, tho it will probably be the first I write, is my Cupid and Psyche AU, from when I was heavy into mythology and religion. Since these are all forthcoming projects, I don’t really have a snippet. Instead, here’s Baz comparing Simon to Eros, which is what started my brain on that particular AU.

I am lost. I barely know anything about Salisbury, but I can't help being drawn in. At one time, I could have comforted myself that I was only so smitten with him because he looks like he was sculpted by Praxiteles. That excuse grows weaker with every encounter. He's the furthest thing from a lifeless tribute to beauty in marble as one can be. There is something deep and dark and feral inside of him and I want to claw it out. I want to see it, to let it free. To taste his wildness and his pain.

#tag game #writerly ephemera

[etirabys]

Downbelow Station, a fanfic summary

I’ve been writing fic for this tiny book fandom and have at least a few fandom acquaintances who want to read my fic but don’t want to read the book. This is a summary of what happens in the novel, whose heart, to me, is the relationship between a mindwiped ex-slave and a cross-cultural married couple who take him in under their protection.

The premise

People are in space, since the Earth Company started establishing space stations around increasingly distant stars for manufacturing/trade. There are several types of people:

Stationers stay on one station – stations were originally established by the Earth Company but have since gained de facto independence because Earth is so far away

Merchanters live on ships and trade – family very important to them, so is family name, regularly deal with Stationers as part of their life but find settling down very foreign. More sexually opportunistic than Stationers, possibly less monogamous.

Earth Company Fleet soldiers live on ships; originally under the control of Earth Company, as of novel start have gone kind of rogue, will continue to go even more rogue over the course of the novel

Citizens of Union, a... nation in space that grew in the deepest reaches, furthest away from Earth's influence. Union is currently trying to annex everyone else. Earth Company is trying to resist this through their Fleet. However, Earth Company is not very enthusiastic about this war and have been drawing out; the Fleet thinks it's important to keep fighting and keep doing dipshit moves like impressing Merchanter ships and ?? maybe looting stations a little bit to keep going.

Azi of Union – a genetically engineered underclass specific to Union. Basically designer subs. I believe the word azi is never brought up in Downbelow Station, but it's very clear a character is an azi, and what that means is explained in Cyteen, which takes place in the same universe. Union citizens use 'tapes' casually and at-will for fast learning and entertainment and conditioning, but starting later in life. Azi grow up on tape – their psyches are designed to be good at whatever they were designed to do, whether that's soldiering or psychologizing or childcare. Azi require varyingly regular check-ins with a Supervisor, who is an assigned person who tells the azi they are Very Good and On Course With Their Lives and give them tapes to keep them aligned with their values and mentally stable. Azi have normal human names but also an ID that looks like AO-1234, where the first alphabet character indicates what ‘class’ you are – an Alpha-class azi is probably far smarter than your average citizen and is more capable of functioning independently. Azi can win citizenship, but so far the only people onscreen who’ve done so are Alpha-class azi.

The cast

Damon Konstantin is a head of Legal Affairs on Pell Station, and the son of the Stationmaster, which is apparently a hereditary position. Despite the hereditariness Pell seems to have the most familiar culture to me, a 21st century American expecting democracy and rule of law. Pell Station is special – it orbits a human-livable planet called Downbelow, and there are only three such planets under human control. This means the planet can be used as a base for ‘bioform production’ (a vague category encompassing everything you can grow on a planet but not a space station) and makes Pell strategically valuable. The other two livable planets are Earth, under the control of the Earth Company Fleet’s nominal masters, and Cyteen, the base of Union operations. Pell is neutral, as many star stations try to be.

Elene Quen is a Merchanter who stepped off her ship to marry Damon. They’ve been married for four months at novel start. Her formal role is liaison with Merchanters.

Joshua Talley is a soldier of Union who was captured when Union forces sabotaged (blew up) a station called Mariner Station. He was tortured for information on another station – Russell’s – whose inhabitants feared the same fate for themselves. He had nothing to give them – he was a medium-level technician/soldier, an ‘armscomper’, which I think means he was the person pressing buttons to fire on targets or programming the weapons to fire on targets. During his interrogation Russell’s station was also sabotaged, ensuing in a mass evacuation.

Signy Mallory is one of the ~10 captains of the Earth Company Fleet. She is commanding and very deadly, commands fanatical loyalty from her soldiers. She’s also a sexual sadist. When she comes to evacuate Russell’s Stationers from a failing space station she finds that they have a Union POW who is very pretty, and takes him into her personal quarters for their journey to Pell. It is not said how she rapes him but it was a lot. Joshua thinks of this part as worse than the previous interrogation.

The events from there

When the Fleet arrives at Pell Station, they are convoying huge ships full of thousands of refugees from stations sabotaged / fallen to Union. It has been weeks or months since they started out. The ships were overpacked, many inside are dead, the culture of the ships has quickly turned anarchic/violent.

Angelo Konstantin, master of Pell, says "wtf, we can't take all these people, we don't have space. We literally cannot do this." The Fleet says, “You better,” unloads the highly upset and sick refugees, and leaves. Pell Station clears out two sectors of their station and makes it the 'quarantine zone', later shortened to Q. Conditions are very bad in Q and what to do with the violent, desperate people inside, many of whom cannot prove who they were in their past lives, when Pell doesn’t have the capacity to relocate them, is an ongoing problem throughout the novel.

Before leaving, Signy Mallory also said, "in addition to the refugee crises we unloaded on you, here is a Union prisoner of war we transported separately because the refugees would have killed him", and dumps Joshua on Pell leadership.

Around this time, Elene Quen finds out that her ship was destroyed when Mariner Station blew up. She now has no blood family, and Merchanters put great cultural emphasis on having clan and name. She decides to have a kid, talking Damon into it.

Joshua Talley is extremely depressed and keeps asking for a mindwipe so he can live as a normal citizen on Pell rather than being indefinitely detained. Mindwipes are used on stations as a consensual way of rehabilitating criminals. His captors are reluctant – it’s tantamount to execution. Damon Konstantin is the final permission-giver on the issue and gives it in the end. The process of mindwipe (or Adjustment) necessarily causes the person to regurgitate their whole life. This is recorded. Due to this, he discovers only after the mindwipe is complete that Josh was tortured on Russell’s with mindwipe drugs (presumably for the same regurgitating-your-whole-life property) and then raped on Signy Mallory’s ship on the way to Pell, and that wanting to wipe out the trauma was the real reason he wanted a mindwipe.

Damon feels really bad about this. He checks up on Josh Talley a lot when he's recovering from the mindwipe. He and his wife Elene decide to 'sponsor' him when he's rejoining normal society on the ship. Elene does so through some personal resistance – Josh once belonged to the military force that wiped out her family. They check in with a guy who doesn’t remember much of anything but definitely has abandonment issues and is afraid of emotional entanglement with people.

Josh Talley quietly converts much of his internal body mass into gooey loyalty.

Plot chaos. The station comes to be formally occupied by the Fleet, who wants to use it as their new base of operations, and a Union saboteur named Gabriel who talks to Stationmaster Angelo Konstantin’s main rival and conspires to bring him to power instead...

There’s a part I really really want to summarize here where Josh tries to fall on  grenade for the Quen-Konstantins – literally, trying to take an action that would end in his death but keep them safe from the Fleet – and they show up and say “you idiot, never do that again” and bring him back to their apartment and say “while the Fleet is suspicious of you, you are living HERE, so everyone knows you are under our protection. Forget your old job, we’ll find you something working closely with Damon every day – while you’re in sight they can’t get at you.” But I can’t find a non-confusing way to relay it, sorry.

Soon after that, the Union saboteur succeeds. Angelo Konstantin is assassinated. His rival, Jon Lukas, takes his place, and starts enacting subtly Union-friendly policies. I think this somehow happens concurrently with the Fleet still using Pell as a base of operations. It’s highly chaotic. Elene flees the chaos on a Merchanter ship whose family she knows. Damon and Josh, fearing whoever assassinated Angelo, hide within the more bad and chaotic parts of the station (I honestly don’t believe the author when she says they managed this for months – Pell has tens of thousands of people, that’s not a lot! You could close each sector at a time and sweep everyone!). This part feels like big missed opportunity to me – they spend their time moving from hiding place to hiding place, coming up with hopeless schemes that they know they’ll never enact. One infers they got much closer, but the author doesn’t go into that either. The one delight that comes out of this sequence is that Josh becomes more assertive and competent than we’ve ever seen him – being in hiding, under danger, brings out submerged training. He’s not a dependent anymore – arguably in some places he’s in lead.

In the middle of this, Josh makes contact with the Union saboteur, Gabriel, who hails him as a colleague and informs him that they’re of the same kind. They have the same training. The story Josh gave Russell’s interrogators, and Pell, that he was a mid-tier technician, is an implanted set of memories that automatically flushes his real ones when he was under duress. 

This means, although the author never explores it, that Josh was probably integral to destroying Mariner Station, and concomitantly responsible for Elene’s family’s deaths.

Josh asks Gabriel for safe passage to the planet Downbelow for both himself and a companion. Gabriel acquiesces, but is shocked when the companion Josh brings to the meeting is the Konstantin heir. He starts to say, “Well, well, what a useful person you have brought me –” and then gets shot by a Fleet soldier who’s following reports of a suspicious person. (My fic Half-Silvered Mirror diverges from canon at this point, and asks what would have happened if Gabriel had his way.)

Now in the hands of the Fleet, Josh and Damon meet with Signy Mallory again. Josh isn’t what Mallory remembers – as a rape victim he was passive, inward-turned. This Josh is articulate and emotional and loyal. Damon isn’t what she expects, either – he manages to jab at her conscience about what the Fleet has become, lawless and unmoored from any democratic interest. She plans to execute both of them the next day.

Due to convoluted plot reasons, she doesn’t. She turns against the rest of the Fleet, which for their own reasons is headed back towards Earth – to conquer. Her ship, Norway, enters a standoff against Union warships over Pell. Which isn’t on course to go well for her, until someone broadcasts at both of them that Pell is now under Merchanter claim. Elene, while out in space, has been convincing Merchanters to form an unprecedented coordination bloc. She demands Pell for the Merchanter Alliance and informs the Union military leader, Azov, that if he doesn’t acquiesce all Merchanter ships in her fleet will refuse to trade in Union space.

She wins. The scene when she docks at Pell and walks in, pregnant and victorious, to kiss her husband, is one of the most visually !!! scenes.

In the aftermath, Azov tries to take Josh back for Union. Damon says nope, he’s ours. Josh, what do you want? Josh says nothing. Looks at nothing. But when Azov and the other Union soldiers leave, he stays.

And afterwards, he goes to Signy Mallory – whose ships now constitute Pell’s militia – and asks, sincerely, to work as crew on her ship for a while. He says he can’t live on a station comfortably. That the stationers know him, and his past. (Not sure how true this is.) Mallory says it’s nothing another mindwipe can’t cure, and he says he doesn’t want to forget. “I’ve got something. The only real thing. All that I value.”

“So you go off and leave it?”

“For a while.”

Comments

There’s... so much I want to write about and explore.

Did Elene know when Josh left that he was probably responsible for her family’s death? (My fic Awarding Damages is about one way they could resolve this)

What did Signy Mallory do to Josh? Can he handle working under her?

Damon and Elene are so parental to Josh, and they're also embarking on having a family in a dynastic way where having a clan is their way of asserting that they exist and are rooted in the world. And of course Josh is going to feel really weird about how he fits into that – he's only watching it happen because he's a charity case, of course he's going to have no involvement in that project – what place is left for him anyway, he has no one and is nothing. I want this man to have feelings about family and how he doesn't have one and then HAVE A FAMILY I want him to hold the baby and go "OH. You are a biological composite of the two greatest people in the world. I cannot hold it against you that you are now going to push me out of my current living situation with the two greatest people in the world"

Due to the amount of mindfuckery Josh has gone through, it’s unclear to both him and the reader how many his memories are real. What does that do to a person?

From what I know of azi from Cyteen, Josh has psychological needs – again, he’s like a bred sub – that non-Unioners aren’t going to understand. Can he get them met? How does he negotiate that?

#rambl #downbelow station #cj cherryh #small book fandom pitch

[madsdefencesquad]

Okay I got boooored so here’s a Kevison magazine fic I wrote for Kevison nation coz I love yous and we deserve to see Kevin talk about his fam magazine-stylez coz you know he’ll be gushing all the time about them, like you just KNOW IT.

Kevin Pearson on life, fatherhood and what’s next for him by x March 2028, Spring edition

It’s been twelve years since the impassioned The Manny star Kevin Pearson announced to the world that he will be quitting the role that had started it all for him. Pearson’s public meltdown was excruciating, to say the least, but it was this very act of defiance that led the actor towards the path of the actor-crusader that he is now known for—a revolutionary who defied the odds and ultimately defined him as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

After a slew of tabloid-worthy dalliances with famous co-stars including the soap operatic love triangle with Tony award-winner Olivia Maine and his Back of an Egg co-producer and playwright Sloane Sandburg, to the court-ordered rehab stint after a DUI arrest, Kevin Pearson has done nothing but illicit the kind of stories that tabloids are desperate to display and monetise from in full view. All of these seemed the perfect pivot points for the actor, basking in the affordances of all this fame and fortune albeit in a trajectory of a complete career-destruction, but the actor was by no means deterred in proving that he can and should be taken seriously in his acting craft.

Pearson came through with striking, emboldened performances: a soldier with an inability to confront his demons in the Ron Howard-helmed World War II flick opposite Sylvester Stallone, and an embittered cop in the M Night Shyamalan action flick Stairs to Nowhere. But it wasn’t until his role as a disingenuous trial lawyer in the 2020 Jordan Martin Foster film Glass Eye that earned him his first ever Academy Award nomination and eventual win that proved to the world that when he puts his mind to it, Kevin Pearson can truly achieve the kind of acting greatness worth the lauded applause.

Pearson, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh before moving to New York and eventually Los Angeles, has spent a good amount of his life in the public eye. Though his sunny, easy-going persona and physicality have been compared to the likes of Chris Hemsworth and (supposed rival) Chris Evans, the Pittsburgh-bred Pearson doesn’t feel the need now to prove that he is anything but a conscientious actor and a dedicated family man.

It’s a warm, spring afternoon when I ring the buzzer of a sprawling floor-to-ceiling glass residence tucked away in a town in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The little lady of the house, barefoot in a floral-print dress, greets me with an encouraged wave from her father, who is cradling her against him upon opening the front door. “She’s not normally this shy,” Kevin says with an affectionate grin as he leads the way to the sitting room, his little girl curiously taking peeks at me with what I garner is her mother’s soft blue eyes given Kevin’s famous warm browns.

The newly built residence is a remarkably private house perched on a dramatic hillside overlooking a panoramic view of the verdant surrounds, which Kevin says, “keeps the family very safe from prying eyes.” This feature, of course, was at the forefront of his mind prior to laying its foundations there.

“There’s one main reason as to why I chose to build here specifically,” he says. “But I’m not gonna bore you with the details. Let’s just say, I’m honoring a memory. Makes me sound real poetic, doesn’t it?”

Throughout Kevin’s career, he’s been known to talk quite candidly about his love and appreciation for his mother, Rebecca Pearson, with his Oscars acceptance speech having heavily featured his immense gratitude to her as would a loving son. But, as we move along the elegantly furnished corridors with him pointing and elaborating at the various artworks decorating the walls and the spaces, it is obvious that Kevin has an unrivalled affection for his wife that is quite notably special.

We make our way to a sitting area outside where we are entreated to the sounds and sights of a naturally filtered swimming billabong with cascading falls—a modern feature incorporated with the Japanese Zen garden landscaping that is just breathtaking to behold in person. “I wanted to make it feel as authentic as the ones you find in Japan,” he says, sitting on one of the cushioned recliners. He pours me a glass of red wine while he settles for chilled tonic, his little girl now helping herself to some olives and crackers.

There is an air of rare contentment around Kevin as he laughingly recalls his twins’ daily shenanigans. “Nothing really compares to coming home to them,” he says. “And I’m not trying to sound ungrateful or anything, but I’ve been [working my whole life] and I’ve only had my wife and kids just short of a decade, and that’s nothing! So, I do what I can to be home in as most days of the year as I can.”

When asked whether he’s perhaps heading into the territory of acting retirement in favour of other pursuits like directing or producing, Kevin thinks it can go either way.

“The other night in bed my wife suggested I do voice acting,” he says, to which his little girl unintentionally responds to in glee as she, her feet now strapped in light-up sandals, runs the width of the garden (within sight of her dad, of course) with her Jessie and Bullseye dolls held high. “She knows me too well,” he says fondly of Madison, his wife of eight years now. “I’d love to have my kids watch a movie that dad’s in without having to wait till they’re teenagers. And I hate thinking of my babies as teenagers! God, it’s just the worst age!”

Kevin recalls his teenage years with the kind of accepted embarrassment fit for a 48-year-old, but he laughs saying, “But I see a little more of their mom in them than me so that gives me hope. I’d hate to think I passed on angsty teen Kevin to either one of them. Just serious kudos to my parents for putting up with me all those years. I must’ve been a nightmare.”

From endorsing the des Resistance popular eau de parfum for men to his Armani-clad behind splashed on every billboard in the country (much to his chagrin and to his wife’s entertainment), Kevin Pearson has always been quite the go-getter, and though his “yes man” days in the industry are over, he’s always open to other ways in which he can challenge himself in his craft without compromising the time spent with his family.

“They’re my first priority, no questions asked,” he says. For a kid, who grew up in a middle-class family with parents whom had high hopes for their future, Kevin says that now, as a father himself, his perspective has shifted as to what’s really important and what’s not.

“I think a lot of the time there’s an expectation for your kids to meet the standard their parents have set or even go beyond it,” he says. “But that’s just toxic, you know? And it puts a lot of pressure on them to be someone that they’re not and not meant to be.”

Kevin is candid about his insecurities as an actor and as a father and as a husband, but there is a masterful acceptance there that he gives full credit to his wife. “We’re not perfect people, perfect parents,” he says. “And we’ll never be. That’s just a fact of life. But getting to do this with your person, the love of your life makes the biggest difference. I used to think that my parents had the greatest love story ever, and I used to really idolise it, you know, but honestly I think Madison and I can probably rival that.” And he thinks that if he’ll ever write, direct or produce a script, it’ll be about him and his wife’s sweeping and unconventional love story that will be the “tear-jerker of the century. Like, A Walk to Remember or The Notebook level but like better!”

I ask him what Madison would think of his plans to unleash their love story to the world, and as if on cue, he fishes his phone from his pocket and utters a ��just a sec” before leaving to grab his daughter and take the call.

Following his game-changing Academy Award win in 2021, Kevin had let himself free fall in the industry as a kind of versatile actor in roles where he sweeps you away with gut-punching monologue deliveries coupled with an intensity that comes in through the eyes. He hasn’t delved into comedy since his Manny days though, but there is a certain cajoling ease in his demeanour that could easily challenge his funny bone.

“It’s Madison,” he returns not long after and settles himself down again, his daughter handing me a pizza-shaped play-dough I pretend to munch on. “She’ll be home soon. You should meet her. You’d love her! Everyone does not that it’s surprising.”

And who could deny that offer?

Kevin shows me a photograph of the twins on his phone at their cousin’s birthday whom they celebrated with in California last week and qualms that they’re growing up way too fast—yet another reiteration that he is as doting of a father as he is a consummate actor. He thinks that though Hollywood is a lot less ageist in terms of film and TV roles, there is still that pressure not to succumb to filling a role just because you’re the right age for it.

“Ever since my kids were born, I’ve been approached to do a lot of dad roles. Like my agent would send me about five scripts a week where my character is supposed to be this stereotypical dad.  I’ve rarely taken any of them because I feel like it’s like they’re just trying to fit me in to a role just because I can say, ‘Oh hey, yeah I’m a dad now, I know what that means or what that looks like’, and not that that isn’t a good thing per se, but there’s a difference between the director wanting me to put my own spin to it as Kevin Pearson the actor versus them just wanting Kevin Pearson the dad. The way I approach parenting my kids, the way my wife and I do it, would be different to the way my character in this film would parent his kids. Sure, there may be certain overlaps, but it’s not going to be full Kevin Pearson the dad, you know? So, it’s hard with that kind of expectation.”

As the sun dips a little lower and it gets a little cooler, Kevin takes us back to the house just in time to finally meet Madison and their little boy, who looks strikingly like his father though, upon closer inspection, actually looks a little more like his mother. But there is one undeniable feature of the twins that definitely comes from both parents: the adorable identical dimples adorning their little chins.

Madison Pearson is as beautiful in person as she looks in photographs standing beside her husband in premieres and events. With her light-blue eyes and warm, soothing voice that sounds both delicate and excited at the same time, Madison is nothing but the embodiment of all things lovely.

“She grounds me,” he says adoringly, watching Madison and their kids flit about in the kitchen arranging dinner. “There isn’t much I can say that’s good about me if it hadn’t been for her. I can be ambitious and sometimes there’s always that pull towards something bigger but not necessarily better and she tells me honestly. She calls me out. And everyone needs that, you know? A frank person who won’t sugar coat anything, but they do it because they love you.”

It’s easy to imagine Kevin in gritty noir films playing bad cop, good cop or even as an intimidating trial lawyer, but Kevin as a family man is the role that is perfectly suited for him, almost like it’s created especially for him. As a father, he thrives on the affections of his kids, and as an actor, he finds pleasure in what’s he’s good at. And as a husband, his smile is the widest. “Not gonna lie, her not even being slightly jealous of that one time I did a love scene still gets to me,” he jokes. But it’s obvious that it bothers him not one bit. He enjoys being Madison Pearson’s more than anything.

“It’s crazy to think that people are inspired by what I do and who I am when for most of my life, it was 100% the other way around. It’s a huge responsibility, really, but I take it as it goes. I have my kids on the back of my mind now every time I make any decision, and I have a wife to love and support too, so it’s easier to not feel trapped by people’s opinions and expectations of you when you’re too focused on them and being the best person you can be for you and for them. So, it’s about growing every day, and enjoying all that life has to offer, and making every moment count.” x

Particular shoutout to my GC gals coz like ILY 5EVS @wallofweird @betweensunflowersanddaffodils @thisiskevison @thesocietalmisfit @tryalittlejoytomorrow @lullabiesandgoodbyes @flythesail @ourfinehouse @elephantsneedwater @holding-up-the-universe @smoakingpinklipstick @purpleinthesky

#kevison #kadison #seriously let's get rid of this tag @ sterling better not be annoying af next ep aye!! #hope you enjoyed kevin gushing about his family lol #i'll probs make another one but less formal and more kevison-centric #but I just love love loveeeee imagining dad! and husband!kevin sah much #so don't mind meee #anywhooo #kevin and madison #kevin pearson #this is us madison #kevison fanfic #kevison fic #i have not written in 5eva but boyyyyyy this was sah much fun #Kevin Pearson #TIU #tiu spoilers

[freddieslater]

Ginny Weasley and Landon Kirby!!

So this is nearly like a month late! And I am so sorry for that!! I got very distracted, wrote half of this, then left it for like two weeks, so you have my sincerest apologies! But I hope you enjoy this!! ❤️

Ginny Weasley:

• Headcanon for their sexuality — Oh, she has the biggest bi energy out here. She probably figured it out really casually as well, like, she realized she had a bit of a crush on Tonks and was like, "Oh.”

• Have they come out? If so, how — She came out to Bill first, because she remembers him telling her about the boy he fancied when he was in fourth year, and she trusts he’ll be kind, so she waits until he’s visiting and slips it into conversation when they’re alone in the garden. Then she casually tells Luna while they’re reading a book that mentions this queer witch from centuries ago. Then comes the rest of her family, little by little. When it came to the media finding out after the war had settled however, now, that was a far more dramatic and hilarious story; the rumours flew around faster than her supposed secret lovers from her team! She definitely played them up and let people speculate for months, finding the whole thing downright ridiculous but at least entertaining.

• How their friends/family took their coming out:

Bill is as supportive as she expected. He smiles this knowing smile and hugs her, then they’re back to de-gnoming. “I’m happy you trust me.”

Ron is the second sibling she tells, because even though he can be a bit dense, she listened to him gush for hours about Krum, Harry, and his favourite Chudley Cannons player. He stares for a minute like he doesn’t quite know what she means, then he’s making her promise not to date any of the Gryffindor girls in his year because “Dean was one thing, alright, but if you and Lavender—“

George blinked for one second of surprise when she casually mentioned that she was thinking of asking Katie on a date to Hogsmeade, and if he thought she’d say yes, then he shrugged and told her she has a good chance. When she caught his eye, he shot her a soft smile. “If any of my other teammates catch your eye, let me know and I’ll see if they’re interested.”

Arthur was so understanding and supportive that she cried. They were talking, and she couldn’t keep it in anymore, and she just told him. He nodded, shifted closer in his chair as she rambled a bit to try and explain what she meant. When she wouldn’t look at him, he gently took her hand, and she lifted her eyes to meet his and he was smiling. She just started crying and he hugged her until she calmed down. “Thank you for telling me. I’m happy that you’re being who you are, and I will always love you for that.”

Fred grinned like it’s the best thing he’s heard all year when she told him about her date with Katie. He congratulated her, hooking an arm around her shoulders, and proceeded to ask many questions — mostly about her date. “Mum’s gonna accuse the two of us trying to end our lineage.”

She gave Fred and George full permission to tell Percy, because she honestly wasn’t sure about doing it herself. They do it in some really obvious but attempting to be subtle way, when Ginny isn’t there. He doesn’t react then, but he comes to find her later in her room, and he sits down with her. He tells her that it doesn’t matter to him, and he’s sorry that she didn’t think she could tell him. She assures him she was just nervous and he understands. “I will always protect you. Even when you don’t need me.”

Charlie was delighted. She told him in a letter because she wasn’t sure when she’d see him but what he wrote back was nothing but love and support, and he actually came out to her at the same time, and promised to talk properly in person next time he visits. “If you need someone to talk to in the mean time, I’d recommend Tonks, she’s brilliant.”

Molly was the one she was most scared to tell. That’s why she waited so long before finally telling her while they were getting dinner ready. She stared at her back, waiting for her to respond while she dried a plate to set it on the table. When her mum turned to face her, she was wearing a small smile, and said, “Okay,” then handed her another plate and continued with the dishes. Ginny didn’t know what to make of it. Dinner was quiet. It wasn’t mentioned again, and Ginny decided that her mum tolerating her future relationships like she tolerates Bill’s marriage and Charlie’s lack of one was probably the best she was going to get.

As for her friends; she told Luna over a discussion about a queer witch from centuries ago, and Luna had smiled, chin in her hand, and said she was happy to have a friend who shared how she felt. Harry had sat in silence for a moment long enough for her to worry, then quietly asked, “If you’re allowed to feel like that in the wizarding world, does that mean... guys are allowed to feel that way about about other guys?” And she had indeed gone to Tonks once or twice, who was as delighted as Charlie, practically bouncing, and promised to be like a big sister if she needed her for anything.

• Do they go to pride? If so, with whom? — Ginny discovers that Pride is a thing through Tonks, who excitedly tells her everything about it at an Order meeting. She asks if Tonks will take her, which is the height of honour to her. Ginny casually mentions it to Fred and George in the passing, and they ask to tag-along. Bill trusts Tonks, but he still comes along. Just in case; those four out in the Muggle world is a recipe for disaster. She manages to convince Harry to join, too, so of course Ron’s there, and Luna was already planning to go with her dad anyway so they meet up.

• Do they show their colours? (Flag-wise) — After coming out to everyone she cares about, Ginny is happily confident in letting everyone else know. She wears the bi colours to Pride, and she got a few badges there courtesy of George that she has pinned somewhere on her outfits nearly all of the time around Hogwarts.

And now Landon Kirby!

• Headcanon for their sexuality — I just get very strong ace vibes? And possibly bi. It just makes Sense to me.

• Have they come out? If so, how — He told Rafael before anyone else. Just sorta blurted it out to him in their room after many, many days of overthinking how he’d say it. Telling Hope and Josie was then easier, as they were preparing one of their movie nights.

• How their friends/family took their coming out:

Rafael was the most supportive person in Landon’s life about everything, so this was no different. He picked up on Landon’s anxiety while telling him and approached his response with great comfort, assuring him that it changed nothing, he loves him unconditionally, and he would be right there by his side to stand up to anyone who said one word about it. His response actually made it easier for Landon to be more confident in accepting who he is.

Hope reacted in a similar way. She saw how nervous he was and told him that it didn’t make her feel any differently about him. He was a little more worried about telling her he was ace, but she smiled and hugged him, promised that they would never do anything he didn’t want to and she was okay with that.

Telling Josie didn’t feel as daunting; after all, he knew how open she was about her own sexuality, so easing it into a conversation made him less anxious about how she’d react. Sure enough, she gave him a soft, knowing smile behind the wide eyes, and they were joking about it within two minutes.

Lizzie was downright delighted. She claimed that she picked up on the “vibes” from him right from the beginning but couldn’t be sure, so she was just waiting to see if he ever said anything. He of course rolled his eyes at that, but he was grinning as she plunged into a seemingly endless well of questions — mostly about if they had the same taste in people, because they have Hope in common, so she wanted to see if it stretched to her two-week crush on Jed, or her infatuation with Sebastian. They got into a whole debate over Star Wars characters.

Kaleb honestly thought that Landon was already out, so that was more of a surprise to him. He swears hands-down that they had flirted a couple times, so he just assumed! It was a funny moment.

MG was bright smiles and literally just a ball of supportive sunshine. But actually, while talking about it, Landon kinda helped MG realize that he may not be too straight either. It was a nice, very insightful conversation that helped both of them.

Wade could not be happier. He had already come out to Landon a few months before during a D&D game— something that had given Landon a little push — and he’s so glad that Landon trusts him and sees him as someone important enough to share this part of him with. He, of course, also told him while they were playing D&D; he slipped it into his character’s story.

• Do they go to Pride? If so, with whom — Landon doesn’t really know what Pride actually is until he joins the Salvatore School, and after he comes out, Josie gives him a better idea. Mystic Falls hosts Pride every year (it’s a new tradition, really, but the town’s trying to pretend it’s always been so progressive), and so she invites him along. He’s unsure since crowds aren’t really his thing, but Lizzie is insistent (she admits she just wants to see if she can find the love of her life and maybe someone for him if he’s willing), and Hope says she’s going too, and after Wade, Kaleb, and MG invite him as well, it’s hard to say no.

He goes with them all and actually… it’s pretty cool. It’s the most colourful he’s ever seen the town, that’s for sure. And it’s fun!

• Do they show their colours? (Flag-wise) — He’s proud to be himself, obviously, but at the same time, he’s still more comfortable with keeping it quiet from anyone outside of his close friends, so he doesn’t tend to display either of his flags colours too often. He does make an exception for the second time he goes to Pride, though.

So, this was long. I don’t know whether to apologize for that for or not but again, I hope you enjoy some of these headcanons! I had the most fun with the reactions from the rest of the Weasley’s!

#halfthealphabet #ask away earthlings! #pride month 🏳️‍🌈 #ginny weasley #landon kirby #harry potter #legacies #🌈 headcanons

[365days365movies]

January 15, 2021: Casino Royale (2006) (Part 1)

So...we meet again, Bond. What’ve you been doing for the past few years?

...What. Not who, James, WHAT. Jeez.

Whatever. BrosBond had 3 movies after GoldenEye, and they were...not great, from what I’ve heard. Remember, I wasn’t as big of a fan of GoldenEye as many critics and fans were; so, I can’t imagine what I’d think of the latter three. Maybe one day, but not today!

Today, I’m focusing my sights on the revitalization of the brand. See, in 2002, Die Another Day came out, and that movie was apparently crazy. TOO crazy. So crazy, in fact, that audiences and critics accused it of losing the plot, and the production studio in charge (Eon Productions) had a yearning to change direction. And their inspiration came from...a surprising place.

See, Joel Schumacher’s campy, over-the-top Batman films were basically wiped out by Christopher Nolan’s 2005 reinvention of the character in Batman Begins. Which is, in my opinion, a highly underrated classic, Seriously. And in 2005, this film was absolutely a smash-hit. Batman was cool again, which a lot of people never thought would happen in film. Eon saw this, and thought...how can we apply that to Bond?

Out with Brosnan...in with Craig.

The first of the new, darker, reinvented Bond films is planned for release in 2006, starring Daniel Craig as the suave, sophisticated spy. And the director of the film was selected to be...Martin Campbell? From GoldenEye? The guy who kinda sorta started the modern over-the-top Bond? Really? I mean, OK. The writers this time are different...except for one. I didn’t talk about the writers last time because I don’t like putting people on blast if I don’t gotta. This time...maybe. We’ll see.

If this Casino Royale is basically Bond Begins, I’m definitely interested. Maybe this’ll revitalize that Bond-love from the Connery days. Let’s find out! We’re also gonna look at the Bond checklist again!

Gadgets: better have more cool gadgets than GoldenEye, I swear...

Bond Girl: GoldenEye’s Natalya wasn’t bad, to be honest; let’s see who his Inevitable Love Interest is this time.

Villain: Alec Trevelyan had so much potential. I need my dastardly villain, let’s do this. Oh, and let’s throw the henchman in here, too. Xenia Onatopp was...a lot...but she was a memorable henchman, at least.

Music: Of course. GoldenEye’s theme was good, and we’ll see how 2006 does.

OK, movie time. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

We start at an office building in Prague, where a man makes his way up to his office. Waiting there for him is, of course, James Bond (Daniel Craig). The man is Dryden, section chief at the British Embassy in Prague, whom M has accused of selling secrets, a big no-no. But Bond...isn’t a double-0 agent. Huh. You got me interested.

Apparently, agents get the two zeroes once they’ve killed two people on file. James hadn’t killed anyone...until recently. Which is when we get this.

OH SHIT

This is an absolutely BRUTAL fight. It’s not choreographed flashily, it’s not pretty...it’s rough. It’s intense. And it’s...oh my God, wow. Made me feel it. And what’s astonishing is that it’s SO short.

On learning this, Dryden tells him not to worry, the second one is...

...YOU GOT ME. I’M IN FOR THE FUCKIN’ RIDE

HOW??? How is it that in 3 minutes of screentime, I’m already more satisfied by Craig’s Bond than I was for the ENTIRETY of GoldenEye? That is masterfully done, right off the bat. WOW. We even get a smooth-as-silk segue into the classic bullet turret sequence, and that takes us right into the song and opening credits. And...wow.

Here’s the thing about Bond openings, as I mentioned last time: they were all directed by one guy up until GoldenEye, and were basically all silhouetted women with themes and scenes from the movie projected around them. The Brosnan movies followed suit, always having silhouetted women in one way or another. Die Another Day used CGI women and...a really bad Madonna song. It was...it is NOT GOOD, guys. Look it up, it’s the most 2002 thing I’ve ever heard.

But here’s the fin bit about Casino Royale. This is the first Bond movie opening with no women in it. Yeah. It’s the first one. And the song is Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name, and it’s good! Not sure it’s going in my soundtrack, though.

Finally, the opening credits sequence itself: it’s once again Daniel Kleinman doing it, and it’s actually inspired by the first James Bond book Casino Royale, which had already had a TV special and unofficial Bond movie made from it! The cover had a playing card motif, and the opening carries over that motif creatively. I really dig it, if I’m honest! Definitely a welcome break from the 44 years of Bond films preceding it.

Uganda! And we meet the villain of this film: Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). And GODDAMN if that isn’t a Bond villain! He’s a banker, making a deal with a rebel leader, Steven Obanno (Isaach de Bankole), via their liason Mr. White (Jesper Christiensen). Setting up an attack by supplying Obanno with money, he sells his stocks of a company called Skyfleet, knowing that they’re about to fail.

Meanwhile, a ferret’s fighting an Asian species of cobra. In Madagascar. My zoology senses are EXPLODING, OH my God. So much wrong there. Anyway, there’s a bombmaker in the crowd watching the fight. He’s being tailed by Bond and another agent, Carter, who tips off the guy by being a bad spy. Bond chases him to a construction yard. What now, James?

Awesome. Why is this awesome when I said that the tank was dumb? Because at least it makes sense for a bulldozer to go haywire in a construction yard, just sayin’. Plus, this dude clearly isn’t the best, as he fires on construction workers and cops.

Eventually, this chase sequence brings us to the top of a crane, where this exchange happens.

I, uh...I love this movie already. That’s goddamn great.

The chase scene as a whole is also fantastic, as it continues off the bridge and into an abandoned building, then escalates into the streets, brings in law enforcement, and eventually ends with Bond at an embassy, facing down both the military and the bomb maker. He kills the guy, shoots some gas tanks, grabs the bomb, and then gets the hell out of there.

...Y’know what, that was fucking amazing, but he also almost certainly caused an international incident there. And I should be annoyed about that, but guess what! It makes sense! This is an inexperienced Bond, one who’s JUST been promoted to 00 status as 007, as the prologue explained. So, y’know what? I’m into it!

Cut to a yacht, like you do in a Martin Campbell Bond film. There, we have our villain, Le Chiffre, playing a card game. Also, he weeps blood. Yeah. HE WEEPS BLOOD.

OK, if that isn’t some Bond villain shit, I don’t know WHAT is. He’s also asthmatic, because I love it. I love it so much. He’s a mathematically-brilliant asthmatic that weeps blood. More, please. 

He’s also a person aware of what Bond did at the embassy, as it’s already become an international incident! Thank you for showing consequences, movie! Damn! I love it! This has two additional consequences. One, Le Chiffre notes that the code “Ellipsis” used by the bomber may be soon to expire, indicating a connection between the two. And the second consequence? M’s pissed.

M! DAME JUDI DENCH! One of my favorite things about GoldenEye was bringing in Judi Dench as M, and she made it through the reboot! And she’s still as entertaining as she was before, calling Bond out for his stupidity, and explaining that she misses the Cold War.

In her apartment, M does her normal exposition schtick, and her interactions with Bond are fantastic here. She’s understandably angry at him, and gives him what for, but she’s also clearly impressed that he FIGURED OUT WHERE SHE LIVES, as well as her REAL NAME. Shows her opinion of Bond and aspects of Bond’s character in a single, masterful stroke. 

Well. Goddamn. Done.

The Bahamas! Bond’s here to find Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian), a Greek businessman who’s believed to have a connection with Le Chiffre himself. And, as James Bond is wont to do, he finds him at a party, playing cards. And here’s where the reinvention of Bond comes full circle.

See, Bond’s doing all the typical Bond things, yeah. But there are some differences present here, as well as some neat nuances. Bond isn’t wearing the suit, first of all. He actually hasn’t worn a suit the whole movie, which makes perfect sense for a spy. Suits aren’t exactly the least conspicuous thing in the world; bound to get you noticed if you don’t want to be.

And then, there’s the girl. This is Solange Dimitrios (Catherina Murino), the wife of Alex who was treated BADLY by him at the party. That gives her a reason to take Bond’s offer for a ride to his place, outside of just his raw animalistic charm that he seems to have in some of these movies. Look at that, already more chemistry than he had with Natalya in GoldenEye.

And yes, this results in her cheating on Alex. Is her cheating justified from a moral standpoint? No, of course it isn’t. And of course, this leads to the typical Bond-handsome-sex-GOOD sequence, but again, some nuance here! First of all, he doesn’t win her over with corny clever lines, like what we saw in GoldenEye multiple ties. Second, this is actually all an attempt to get some infomation from her about her husband. Bond might be enjoying it, but his womanizing here actually has a purpose. And that’s rare!

That’s further punctuated by the fact that he STRAIGHT UP LEAVES BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS. Yeah, she tells him that Alex just made his way to Miami, and he leaves! Dick move, yeah, but it makes sense! James isn’t here for pleasure, he’s here for work!

He follows Alex to a Bodies at Work exhibit (you know, the preserved and skinned cadavers put into poses that used to tour around the USA? I saw it in Times Square at the end of its popularity. A little ghoulish, maybe, but I think it’s pretty cool), where the two of them get in a very tense close-up knife fight in public.

Alex is dead, but not before passing off a package to someone else at the exhibition. Bond tails the guy to Miami International Airport, where the largest airplane in the world is set to be unveiled. Using the code sent to the bombers, Bond gets into the back, and goes to intercept the disguised bomber who’s set to blow up the SkyChonk (I mean it, that giant airplane is THICCC).

Time for another cool chase sequence! Some luggage is destroyed, along with a bus, the cops join in on the chase, an airplane is prevented from landing (making someone on that plane probably very upset), and Bond somehow manages to prevent the plane from blowing up. And it’s by the SKIN of his teeth, lemme tell you. Also, he blows up a dude with his own flashlight bomb.

Nice. Somehow, Bond isn’t arrested, and makes his way back to the Bahamas. And it looks like Solange isn’t the Bond girl after all. Because she was thought to be the information leak (which she was, to an extent), she was tortured to death. Whoof.

M’s in the Bahamas now, and the exposition continues. She’s done with Bond’s bullshit, and she plants a tracker under his skin. She explains that with the big boi plane destroyed, somebody stood a lot to gain financially from the stock crash to come. Except that the plane wasn’t destroyed, and that person lost $100 million by “betting the wrong way.”

That person, of course, was Le Chiffre, a manthematical genius and chess prodigy, who plays poker for fun, and plays the stock market with his clients’ money. Bond’s the best poker player in MI6 (a good addition that we already saw foreshadowed earlier! See what I mean?), and she’s sending him to a high stakes poker game that Le Chiffre’s looking to regain his money from. 

Bond FINALLY dons his suit, and gets on a train in Montenegro, where he meets...

Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). THERE’S our Bond girl! Although, there’s a reference to Miss Moneypenny in their introduction, which is interesting. But Vesper is an agent for the British Treasury, supplying the money for the buy-in for the tournament. And their conversation on the train...wow. Now THIS is chemistry, seriously.

Vesper’s a great character, and she gives Bond NO quarter. She reads his character, and calls him out very accurately. They also explain why both Bond and Vesper are good at poker: it’s all about reading people. I’m genuinely impressed by how this movie is put together, and how well-thought out Bond is as a character. And this is the dimension I love to see in a Bond girl as well!

GODDAMN, I am in love with this movie. More coming in Part 2!

#James Bond #Casino Royale #Daniel Craig #Martin Campbell #007 #action movie #Eva Green #Mads Mikkselsen #Jeffrey Wright #Judi Dench #Dame Judi Dench #Ian Fleming #spy movie #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #mygifs #user365 #action january

[legobiwan]

TCW Recap: “The Gungan General” (S1, E11)

I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS EPISODE AND 90% OF IT IS ABOUT OBI-WAN AND DOOKU. THIS IS GOING TO BE *LONG*, PEOPLE.

Hondo would disagree, I think.

Speaking of whom... Narrator guy: “...the brigand, Hondo Ohnaka.” This is great. Brigand. Hondo would love it. 

And now what might be one of the greatest scenes of denial/rationalization in all of Star Wars, and I’m including Obi-wan’s infamous equivocation when it came to telling Luke about his father:

These guys are a mess. 

Come ON, Kenobi. (And you, too, Anakin.) I mean, honestly. “wE WeRe DruGGed, OhhhBvIouSlY.” Please, we all saw you chug that pirate drink, Kenobes. At least Anakin actually only took a sip.

I feel like this incident was kind of formative for Anakin. This won’t be the first time this episode we see Anakin’s Sith incarnation quote Obi-wan.

But you know what the absolute best part about this entire scene is? Dooku has been watching this go down the entire time. I MEAN. First of all, how did they get Obi-wan and Anakin tethered to Dooku, who would probably have rather swallowed his lightsaber than be in the same room as Anakin. But then he sits there, watches the last of his Lineage passed out on a floor and denying anything had happened? AMAZING. 

CAN WE PLEASE NOTE the first thing Dooku says, the very first words out of his mouth are this:

The first thing Dooku does is praise Obi-wan for being smart. And he calls him “Master Kenobi.” I have always been fascinated by Dooku’s predilection for calling Obi-wan by his formal title, because he certainly doesn’t do the same for Anakin (who Dooku usually refers to as “Skywalker” or some other demeaning, generalized noun.) I think (I would need to check again), but I think Dooku only calls Obi-wan by his first name in AotC, when he’s trying to play shared love of Qui-gon card on Geonosis. Sometimes he’ll refer to him just as “Kenobi,” but very often, and usually when Dooku is saying something complimentary to him, Dooku will use that moniker. It’s fascinating. The way these two are framed - the blocking - this episode is also telling and I’m going to point it out, because I feel like the animators went out of their way to show Obi-wan and Dooku together, and that, at times, Obi-wan was deferring and conferring with Dooku as much as Anakin. Which...so. much. to. read. into. that.

Oh yeah, and Dooku’s wonderful meditation pose here. He was meditating. I love it! That pose will come back later in this review. 

Okay, so I’ve mentioned this before, but the way they are tethered. Dooku to Obi-wan to Anakin. In perfect lineage order, Obi-wan the linchpin between the two sides.

Bless Hondo and his mother. 

You know what I find funny? The turncoat pirate, whatever-his-name-was thinks it’s going to be so easy to pull one over on Hondo. Hondo, who somehow captured two of the most accomplished Jedi in the Order and a Sith Lord. Who knows what a Sith Lord is. Who knows what a lightsaber is (laser-sword.) Hondo plays dumb and fast-and-loose because he can. He expects his men to turn on him and knows he’ll deal with it. Smart man. His mother was smart, too. Also, he is hilarious I love Hondo so much. 

So Palpatine sent Jar Jar on this mission so it would fail, right? At least, that would be his reasoning. But! Jar Jar was super-competent this episode! (More on that later. I am part of the Jar Jar Defense Squad, I have to admit.)

Plus, Jar Jar’s antics just make me laugh. 

Here’s a question. Those binders our trio had. They’re Force-suppressing, at least a little bit, right? They have to be, otherwise, there’s no way Dooku would be wasting his time levitating a knife off a plate to jimmy the cell door.

Now, I love the whole exchange here: Dooku: “Do control your protégé’s insolence so I can concentrate.” Obi-wan: “Anakin!” Anakin: “What?” Obi-wan: “Control your insolence. The Count is concentrating.”

This is great for about five different reasons. One, Dooku always addresses Obi-wan and Obi-wan only, never Anakin, unless it’s a retort to something Anakin said. The term protégé is also funny. I don’t know, it’s just very Dooku language. Now, mind you, Dooku doesn’t know Obi-wan all that well. They met on Geonosis, Qui-gon may or may not have told stories about Dooku to Obi-wan (my guess is that Qui-gon didn’t, given their contentious relationship when Obi-wan was a Padawan). So this is really the first time Dooku is getting to learn just who Obi-wan is, and Obi-wan is responding with some first-class snark. And the two of them low-key snark each other the rest of the episode. There’s an almost-playfulness to the exchanges between Obi-wan and Dooku (as opposed to Anakin and Dooku who just want to rip each other’s throats out) and you have to wonder what is going through both their heads at this point.

Dooku: “Well done, if I do say so myself.” (you asshole, Dooku) Obi-wan: (snark)

Anakin out there having PTSD from being chained to a Sith Lord and watching his Master low-key banter with his Dark Side Grandmaster 30-something years later.

 Yikes, they killed off two pilots and a Senator in that crash?

Okay, the whole deal with “Do we know where we’re going?” Anakin absolutely cannot ask that question of Dooku because Dooku will tear him a new one. Obi-wan, however, not only can get away with it, but get some semblance of an answer out of Dooku. These two, I SWEAR.

I don’t know, this screencap just amused me.

Getting back to blocking. Check this out:

Anakin gets the keycard while Obi-wan listens to Dooku. This is telling and it happens more than once. 

Again with the blocking. Again with Obi-wan getting away with sassing the hell out of Dooku. Also, Dooku’s claim of “Of course it’s safe?” Did this man train Qui-gon Jinn, or what? Honestly.

“I don’t want to kill you, per se.” Oh, Hondo. “You seem like decent fellows, even you Count.” Interesting observation and Hondo’s not wrong - at this point, at least. Hondo is observant. He knows what a Sith can do. Dooku could do serious damage and he’s controlling himself here and Hondo, I think, notices. 

And then after Hondo leaves? Obi-wan addresses Dooku first.

hmmmmm

Interesting that they bury Senator Kharrus on Florrum and don’t try to bring the body back when they do make a deal of bringing back the bodies of slain Jedi to Coruscant. 

THIS PART

They way Dooku is in this shot, almost observing like he’s some kind of teacher. They way Dooku turns Obi-wan’s own words on him with the “most impressive” bit. Poor Anakin must really be confused as to what was going on there, because a) he wasn’t part of this subtle banter and b) Obi-wan is bantering with a Sith Lord who happens to be Obi-wan’s Grandmaster and there’s a lot more connection between those two than between Anakin and Dooku. 

Competent!JarJar!!!!

The framing, again. You know, in recounting this, it kind of strikes me how much this is an episode about Dooku and Obi-wan, with Anakin being kind of an afterthought. 

I have to talk about this little moment. When Dooku says he would kill them both if he didn’t have to drag their bodies. Look real closely at Dooku and Obi-wan here.

That little movement at the end. Dooku actually gives Obi-wan a little shove! Not to hurt him, but probably to get back at him for the way Obi-wan pushed him behind some crates by the shoulder earlier. These two are having a constant, very very subtle confrontation throughout this episode, each one answering the other in a mirror. And Anakin is just *super* confused. I mean, wow, are Dooku and Obi-wan a mirror of each other or what? 

FRAMING ALERT

And then this. Obi-wan saves Dooku. I’ve already gone on about this at length elsewhere but the symbolism of Dooku’s tether breaking, Obi-wan reaching out, the way they are inverted, the way it could be implied that either Obi-wan could pull Dooku up or drag Obi-wan down, that Anakin could destroy them all if he let go (what?!?), the gap between Obi-wan and Dooku where Qui-gon should have been. This is one of my favorite bits of subtle symbolism in the series. SO. GOOD.

Okay, this is the last bit we get with Dooku and Obi-wan interacting, so I should be wrapping this up soon, hahahaha. Things to note here. Dooku is always angled towards Obes, the body language says everything. Obi-wan is meditating in a position that mirrors Dooku’s from the opening, and Anakin is not. The entire rest of this scene you have to wonder if there’s some kind of Force communication going on between those two. And in the last screengrab, it almost looks like Dooku doesn’t want Obes to leave. They have a bizarre, twisted relationship and I. LOVE. IT. (plus, that was kind of a Dooku-ish line there, Kenobi.)

*adopts Hermione Granger voice* EXCUSE ME, DISNEY, IT’S BOMBAD clankens! Don’t be doing by boy Jar Jar wrong here.

You know that’s right. I am fully convinced Jar Jar didn’t actually slip when he took control of that tank. While Jar Jar is clumsy, he also uses that to his advantage sometimes. A little bit like Hondo plays the fool. 

I love the fact Hondo is just like, well, “I guess we have to torture them now.” It’s so random, hilarious, and over-the-top.

Oh, Hondo.

Ah, now that Obi-wan is gone Dooku can let loose and kill people. How much do you want to bet he was reigning in his impulses because Obi-wan was around and he still entertained the notion of getting Kenobi to his side? Because I think so. 

No more Kenobi = time to murder someone brutally.

It’s nice to see Dooku flying his own ship for once, instead of hailing the droid Uber. He’s not only a good swordfighter, but I imagine a pretty good pilot and fond of racing in his younger days, if I’m remembering Jedi Lost correctly. 

AND FINALLY. This is why Hondo loves Obi-wan. Ha! Yeah, we’ll let you go Hondo, but Dooku knows where you live. 

I love this man.

#hello there #legobiwan rewatches tcw #obi wan kenobi #count dooku #hondo ohnaka #anakin skywalker #wow that was a lot #but there was really a TON to say about obes and dooku in this i was trying not to YELL LOUDLY the enture time #like #this is kind of the one obi-wan dooku epi get and I WANT SO MUCH MORE OF THESE TWO TOGETHER GOOD LORD I HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE IT #(ahem ahem *upcomingeventsinhungahemahem*) #okay i spent way too long on this #see you later tumblr

[aaliyahunleashed]

MORE THAN A WOMAN ©Star Magazine July 3-16, 2001 R&B; singer-turned-actress Aaliyah tells STAR* why she can’t wait to work with Keanu. It’s strange to think that when the likes of Lil Bow Wow and Aaron Carter were barely born, R&B; singer-turned-actress Aaliyah Haughton was selling millions across the globe. The then 14 year old burst onto the scene back in 1994 when her debut single, Back and Forth shot straight to number one in the U.S. soon after, her first album Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number soared up the charts selling over a million copies and placing Aaliyah firmly on the musical map. Then, age 18, she performed in front of billions of people at the Oscars. "That was an amazing experience," she smiles. "I remember walking up the red carpet with my brother, Rashad and thinking, ‘wow when I was little I used to watch this, in fact, when my mother was little she used to watch this and now she’s watching her daughter on that stage performing.’ That was one of the highlights of my career. I was very nervous – there were, like, a billion people watching but I was very proud to be there." The young kid in the baggy pants has now been replaced by a tall, slender young woman with perfectly coifed long black hair, peachy skin, hip hugging, tight trousers and top. In fact, meeting Aaliyah you soon realize she’s now a very mature 22 year old. Ask her a question and she’ll look you in the eye and answer in a measured, thoughtful way of an industry veteran. Then again, who wouldn’t grow up fast if they’d had their first taste of fame at just 14? "It wasn’t all that strange for me, I was very happy with it," she replies when asked if growing up in the spotlight messed her up. "Since I was a little kid I’ve been around the industry in some way or another because my family was already involved. My mother was a stage actress and my uncle was married to Gladys Knight. I performed with her when I was 11 in Las Vegas. I was always privy to this business in some way, though of course it is different when all the attention is on you, but I loved it." She does have a confession though. "My success is easier to cope with now I’m older. Life is different now. I’m not in high school anymore and I’ve been doing this for years so I think I handle it a bit differently. I guess there was a part of me that always felt normal, but I was aware that I was famous. Going out and having people say, ‘oh I love your music. I love you as an artist,’ – that’s a great feeling. I was totally aware of my status but I think I handled it well because of my family who always kept me real." She also has friends like Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott and super-star producer Timbaland to lean on, with whom she’s still good mates. "Missy and I, when we’re together we’re just hanging out; it’s just two girls who happen to be in the music industry, but we don’t really talk about it. It’s so much a part of our lives 24/7 that when we hang out we don’t talk about the business, you know what I mean? We have fun, we joke and laugh and do all kinds of things. Timbaland and Missy came out straight after I’d brought out my first album and we have our friendship now because of that. We got together at the beginning of our careers – so we were starting out together." In the UK, Aaliyah is probably best known for her debut single Back and Forth and last years R&B; smash hit, Try Again, taken from the Romeo Must Die soundtrack, a film the singer also starred in as streetwise Trish O’Day. "I do share some similarities to Trish,” admits Aaliyah. “She’s very much in control of her life, and she can be a bit tough if she needs to be – no nonsense. She knows how to handle herself and I’m like that in many ways, especially when it comes to my career. Some things about her, like the way she’s so quick to mouth off about what is on her mind; well, I don’t really do that – I think twice if I have to say something.” Since then Aaliyah has starred in the lead role as vampire Queen Akasha in Queen of the Damned and next up are two Matrix sequels, opposite Keanu Reeves. “I’m just so happy to be a part of it, even if I’m just in the corner and I wave! It’s like the Star Wars of our time so I’m just elated to be a part of it. I don’t really know much about my character at the moment, it’s a secret. All I can say is that her name is Zee and she’s a very tough girl who’s very much in love with her boyfriend. You do see her in part 2 but you see more of her in part 3. We’re shooting them both back to back and I’ll be going to start filming in Sydney, Australia in a couple of weeks. So is she at all nervous about working with heart throb Keanu? “I’m excited. When I did the script read through he was there with Laurence [Fishborne] and they’re very, very nice people, so I’m looking forward to having some fun with them.” Right now, Aaliyah is concentrating on promoting her third, self –titled album. Surely it must be stressful juggling multiple careers a la J-Lo? “I’ve had mornings when it’s been like, “oh my god, what have I got to do today? There are those times, you’re only human and you do get tired but there’s nothing like waking up in the morning and going to do your job. My work is something I’ve been doing since I was little, I’ve been working towards this and now I’ve got it. I’ve achieved it and I would never trade it for anything in the world.” Despite her determination and faith, Aaliyah admits she sometimes needs a confidant. “If things get on top of me I turn to my brother, Rashad; we’re really close and have a great relationship. He’s also my creative consultant so when it comes to business decisions I always ask him and I turn to him when I’ve got problems or I’m a little down and overworked.” With so much already achieved, what does the future hold? "I wanna be seen as an entertainer. When I’m dead and gone I want my name to be uttered among the legends, I want to be remembered as the girl who did it all."

MORE THAN A WOMAN ©Star Magazine July 3-16, 2001

#aaliyah #Aaliyah Haughton #Aaliyah Dana Haughton #Aaliyah Quotes #star magazine #more than a woman #rashad haughton

[ourimpavidheroine]

Happy Belated New Year! I was just wondering if, during the pandemic, you found any new (or old, but new to you) tv shows that you've fallen in love with? Or otherwise liked enough to binge and/or watch on a regularly basis? I remember noticing you mention something about the books you've read, and I wondered if the same could be applied to another creative media.

So I suppose I should preference this by saying that sometimes I watch things because they are excellent television and sometimes I watch things because they amuse me regardless of quality. I am not above being merely entertained by media; sometimes that’s all I want and frankly, I think that’s fine. 

1. The Mandalorian. Which, if I am going to be honest, has saved the bloated, rotting carcass of my once-beloved Star Wars franchise for me. And not just because of Grogu, either; Pedro Pascal is great as a character who never shows his face (but still manages to express so much emotion and intent through voice and movement) and frankly, anybody who would bring Amy Sedaris in as a reoccurring character has my vote, so thank you for everything, Jon Favreau. 

2. RWBY. I am not a big fan of Rooster Teeth - that sort of frat boy geek club thing they do there holds no interest for me. But I do love RWBY and, no offense to the late Monty Oum at all, but the past few seasons have really tightened the storylines and improved the writing. Also, they’ve been making an effort to bring in some diversity there which I have appreciated. (For a very much adult show, I really enjoyed gen:LOCK and am looking forward to its second season. I’ve actually been wanting to write some gen:LOCK fanfiction, so that should tell you something!)

3. Snowpiercer (Netflix). Yeah, I enjoyed this! Great cast and plot twists and turns that were earned, not just thrown in there for shock factor. Daveed Diggs and Jennifer Connolly have great chemistry and it works, especially in the sort of claustrophobic atmosphere the show has. I love it when characters are morally gray and both of them play morally gray characters and it works.

4. The Untamed (Netflix). I loved this so much I watched the entirety of it twice. Obviously China took out the love story between the two main characters in the book when they filmed it (hello, state-sanctioned homophobia!) but it’s still there if you are looking for it. Gorgeous, lush costuming and scenery (although terrible wigs on the guys, wtf, ever heard of a lace front?) and some inspired casting in some of the roles. It’s that sort of swooping, epic story that I love and you don’t realize until the very end who has been pulling a lot of the strings (and when you do find out, it’s glorious). 

5. Doom Patrol. This is a weird fucking show and I love it. I mean, it’s weird. But in all the ways that tick my boxes. And bless, but Brendan Fraser as a foul-mouthed Dale Earnhardt robot man is something I never knew I needed or wanted but I did, I really, really did. Also, Diane Guerrero is astonishingly good. She won’t get any awards for it - Doom Patrol is not the kind of show that gets awards - but she should.

6. Queer Eye. I watched the original when it aired nearly 20 years ago but the reboot is so much better. SO MUCH. The original was so elitist...I remember in one episode that Thom, the interior decorator, gave this couple with three small kids a glass coffee table and I was like, the fuck is wrong with you? Not only is it dangerous for them in terms of injuries but do you have a clue how often they will be cleaning dirty handprints off that thing? Same with Ted, the cooking guru, who gave complicated recipes with difficult to source ingredients which was just ridiculous. The reboot, on the other hand, is wonderful. Antoni not only teaches cooking techniques but gives recipes that people can realistically make (and pays attention to if the person has kids, is of a certain heritage, etc.). Bobby designs real homes that can be used by the people who live in them (including being kid-friendly, and disability-friendly, for example). Tan is an endless resource of real fashion advice that can benefit ANYBODY, not just sample sized people, and he doesn’t try to make people into someone they aren’t - he just enhances and polishes who they are and who they want/need to be. Jonathan is not only a joy to behold but again, is someone who gives people real grooming advice and haircuts that they can actually keep up with (as opposed to a fancy cut that will take a lot of upkeep that you know the person won’t do) and he gladly delegates to other professionals when he knows he can’t do what is needed (fixing some matted dreads, for example). Karamo is a former social worker who LISTENS to people and really connects with them one on one to help build their confidence and tackle issues. (His predecessor, Jai, was completely useless and to this day I have no idea what he was supposed to be accomplishing.) I love Queer Eye. I love how these five men show by example how men can be nurturing, caring, affectionate and supportive. I love how open they are about their own issues, how open they are with their clients about it as well. (Although I will never EVER stop being pissed off that the producers allowed that fucking white cop to pull over Karamo like that for a “joke”.)

7. The Expanse. Yes, there are a lot of differences between the show and the books. But I don’t mind them; if anything I just look at the TV show as a different entity altogether and judge it accordingly. This is the first “hard” sci-fi I’ve really enjoyed since the Battlestar Galactica reboot ended. (The reboot of Galactica remains one of my favorite TV shows of ever, btw. I’ve tried to re-watch it but it reminds me too much of my late wife and I just can’t. But that’s on me and not the show.)

8. Good Omens. This was a delight, from start to finish. I read the book when it originally came out (my paperback copy is battered and well-loved) and it makes me laugh just as much today as it did 30 years ago. What more can be said about how absolutely fantastic David Tennant and Michael Sheen are? Or the careful and loving way Douglas Mackinnon handled the source material? Neil Gaiman meant this as a love letter to his much-missed friend Terry Pratchett and it succeeded in every single way.

9. RuPaul’s Drag Race. What can I say? I watch all of its variations. It’s overblown and relies on cheap, drummed up drama and I don’t give a shit. I’ve been watching since it first premiered and continue watching. Although I’m not yet sold on the new Porkchop plot twist thing this season.

10. Killing Eve. Oh man. A love story between two women, one of whom is a sociopathic serial killer? It’s so wrong and yet so, so right. Great performances by Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. I especially love that they don’t try to somehow rehabilitate Villanelle; that would just ruin the entire thing. Oh and Fiona Shaw is one of my favorite character actresses and she does not disappoint. If you like your TV dark then this is the show for you.

2020′s been a weird year for TV, for sure. Kind of scarce, thanks to the pandemic, but what can you do? Anyhow, here’s my top 10, Anon! 

#tv recommendations #personal #long post #Anonymous

[countryshitposts]

the vulnerability of immortality

Here's a filler fic that'd probably keep you guys waiting until i finally post that Asian Christmas party fic and German Empire getting pummeled

Österreich did not exist... but then he started existing.

Austria can remember the feeling of not existing at first, a cosmic entity watching a cataclysmic event in the far future. It was being displayed by the galaxies beyond him, his body as light as a star that tries not to shine as bright as the milky way that he was born in. He doesn't even have a name at first, he doesn't exist, after all. He can watch the planes all he wants without the feeling of crushing mortality pressing him into the solid grounds. He never even knows what ground feels like. He is nothing but a watcher, a silent one who has no personality nor voice in the whole galaxy. He sits, and he watches, looking at the visions with no feelings, numb yet wanting to die. He looks at the visions he is being shown, and he feels something; longing. Longing for the inevitable, he unconsciously touches the visions, full of nameless people that were either cemented into history or erased from it.

He regrets it.

He doesn't regret it.

Then he feels light absorb him, consume him and his non-existent mouth urges to scream, and so he does; he lets out a sound he has never heard from his silent self before, feeling his numbness turning into pain as he feels his cosmic body enter something else. The feeling of flesh attaches to his body like glue paste, as he feels himself seeing everything with bright new colors, entertaining yet painful to watch, only used to the astronomical purples and white blinkering dots resembling the stars, knowing if he approaches them they will becoming, big, bright, bold stars.

And his transformation stops, a flip from a switch as he is brought to a woman. He can move, he can see the world he had only seen from the visions that someone from beyond had sent him, to cope with him not existing. He was in a bundle, tightly wrapped like he would fall off, and die as he hits the floors.

Then, his memories start to drain, from the beginning of time when the big bang was - mistakenly - made, hot gases fughting, the great mother Earth forming in the volcanic hell that used to be the planet, the rains, the Ancient Sumerians and their inventing of wheels, the Macedonian Empire, the Toltecs, Mayans, the unexpected Mongol Empire conquering Eurasia through the means of horseback, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its blazing glory, the Sick Man of Europe, Red China, and the End of the World, Earth becoming sickly and turning everything into ashes.

All of what he had seen- visions, the past, the vague present, the incoming future bombarding in time, all slips from his vision, like it was nothing and a switch off from his mind.

Before his seemingly uneventful birth, he didn't exist, watching everything as a nebulous cosmic entity.

Now he exists and he must live through it all, vision-less.

I am Austria, a voice inside him says, and I exist.

-

The children aren't like him

He knows just by how much they fear him

They don't invite him to play with him

Not like he cared

He prefers to read the bible

They pray using their rosaries to the God above

Something inside Austria tells him he's beyond God

-

His mother meets her end with a sickness

Something he cannot remember

He watches his mother go without a hint of sadness

Now he is all alone

-

Life in the streets is hard enough

Somehow he is still healthy despite dirty living conditions

He steals

He begs

He needs

-

Austria meets His Majesty

The second next best thing compared to the Roman Empire

He sits on his throne

Two black pairs of wings in all his glory

On a throne of gold

His stern face looking straight at Austria

He is the Holy Roman Empire

-

Life as a peasant-turned-prince isn't easy

His adoptive brothers loathe him

The castle servants gossip of him being a spawn of Satan

But Holy Roman Empire lets him stay no matter what

He loves him

He hates Prussia

-

Holy Roman Empire encourages him to follow his heart

He becomes a pastor

Shortlived

So he takes an interest in composing and playing musical intruments

Forever

-

Österreich gives his betrothed a bouquet of flowers

He says he matches her eyes

He's filled with so much love

Nothing lasts forever

-

He hears the arranged marriage

He drops his copy of the bible

He runs to the palace where his love resides

She's not there

-

Her father tortures him

By giving him an invite to Korona and Lieutvos' wedding

He stands there on the isle, cross-armed and scowling

He bites his lip, trying not to cry as his true love and a barbarian kiss

He's not going to cry

-

He focuses on his studies more

Focuses on politics more

But he cannot seem to shake off Korona's smiling face

He looks towards his abandoned poems and compositions for Korona

He hides them in his chest with a mighty shut

Even then he knows all words and tunes by heart

-

Prussia is grinding at his gears

So is his father

He takes an interest in a brand new style of art from the French lands

It helps his broken heart

It helps him heal

Unlike his music

-

He hears rumors

Rumors of Korona and Lieutvos' marriage being unhappy

Korona is afraid of that dirty pagan

Looks like he still has a chance to win her heart after all

He approaches her one day when Lieutvos was talking to the Holy Roman Empire

"Let's run away together" he says with hope in his eyes

Korona sheepishly looks away, patting her belly

"I am bearing a child" she says her voice barely a whisper

His smile fades as hope inside of him shatters

He feels the weight of loneliness crush him to dirt

He tells his servants nor family to never enter his room

He is mourning

For what

For the death of his love

-

He and Prussia fight more each day

That kingdom from afar is getting too close to the outer territories of his duchy

He plays music to let off some steam

He did not even mention her name once

Holy Roman Empire is turning to a figurehead

Österreich is God

God is Österreich

He is holy in every way

-

He attends Korona's baby's baptism

He is named Poland after his grandfather

He cannot look Korona in the eye

He hates Lieutvos every second he is here

The child has his mother and father's striking features

He can feel his world turning blurry for a second

-

He spends his time away from his land

To fight wars

A war he needs to fight for his father

Who's too gluttonous to leave the throne

He can see his pair of dark wings having the slightest tinge of white

The sign of becoming old

He wonders why an immortal being is becoming old each passing day

Will he become old

-

How dare that damned man insult the church

How dare he post such insults in a door

How dare he question his father's rule

Prussia is objecting

He is objecting too

But he can't help but somewhat agree with the man who defames the church

Lutheranism and Reformation spreads through the entire continent like a ravaging wildfire

Even the Discovery isn't as intense as this

-

War was coming to his doorstep

Holy Roman Empire finally gets up from his throne

Some of his feathers falls as he stands in all his glory

The old empire is an examplary fighter

He and Prussia see eye to eye in the dissonance

-

France wishes for Burgundy

He defends his territory

He beats and bests the kingdom at every turn

He has become powerful in his own right

He marches to Rome

To become the rightful king of the Romans

He is the true Rome

Not Russia

Not even the Holy Roman Empire

-

That Kingdom of Hungary is threatening his power

Hungary wishes for peace

He is suspicious

He wakes the first day to find him invading his land

How dare he

That is not his

-

He gains more land and power

Hungary is a distant yet close problem now

He allies and forms bonds

He plans to take Britanny

France takes it first

-

Schweiz is a stubborn woman

Fighting for her independence with a fury

At first Österreich and his family laugh at her

But she is serious

And she got what she wants in the end

He admires her feistiness

-

He, Preußen and Russia wish for more land

They target the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Something inside him tells him the once love of his life will never forgive him for this

Once love of his life

Now turned to dust

They make plans

-

He has second thoughts

Korona's eyes give him a look of betrayal

He hesitates

Then he remembered that she isn't his anymore

She's in love with someone else now

Not him

He has no more second thoughts after this

-

He feels pleasure rise into him as he slits Lieutvos' throat

He hears Korona's cries, calling him a traitor

He laughs, and so do the others

Yet after he murdered the former love of his life

He starts to weep

Why is he weeping

He can't even read anything without squinting

-

The Holy Roman Empire drops dead

His last feathers are nothing but pure white

No more of his black feather

He cannot feel sadness despite the fact he has shown him kindness

No more of the empire

A new era begins

-

Rhineland gives him a baby boy bundled up in blankets

Österreich says he has no use of his child

But Rhineland pleads with him to care for the boy

He does as a friend

He's unaware of the pain and suffering he will go through

Over the years

-

He clutches Confederation's hand

Still warm

His tears are flooding his eyes as their warm drops pitter patter on his skin

He has a smile on his face, a smile to encourage Confederation he can still live

"I will die" Confederation says hushed

"No you will not" Österreich manages to say "You will live"

Confederation smiles at his father warmly "I forgive you"

His hand goes limp, eyes closed, body temperature becoming cold

Österreich's forced smile drops like Confederation's lifeline

He holds his body

The boy whom had warmed his heart as a son

He cries in choked sobs

Then he screams

He screams and shouts and cries

Why didn't the doctors save this innocent boy

Why did he have to leave him alone

He goes blind

Yet he still hears him singing

-

Austria and Hungary waltz in the moonlight, away from observing eyes

"This is wrong" Österreich says as his body dips lower

"But you do not care" Hungary replies

And then they kiss

He can feel another love sparkle through the night

There is nothing wrong with this

This is heaven

This is hell

-

Being fused to your love can take some time to adjust

Yet they love each other

But they're not close to each other

They're not even beside each other

He will get used to it

-

Of course Hungary stopped loving him

What did he expect

He can feel his heart setting to stone once again

Hungary leaves him after the fall of their empire

He breaks mirrors that show his sad and pathetic self

Glass ends up over his face

He can't try to make out what's right and wrong anymore

He's alone again

All he can see are blurry shapes

-

He plays the violin

He sings old melodies lost in time never sharing them

He sees the world burn like a distant memory

Österreich tries to cope with his detoriating power

By singing through it all

Ghosts appear before him, mocking at him for the way he has turned out

He chokes

-

Österreich stands with Reich

Once a young, naïve and nice boy has corrupted and snapped

He wanted to blame his father

But he can't help but blame he himself

He helps with his plans and tactics

Helps him in the battlefield

Helps him with everything

He needs to become powerful again

At what cost?

-

The war is over

Deutschland is divided

He can see their faces but never makes their details out

The world has gone too blurry for him

He looks at his hands

Now only good for playing instruments

He clenches his fists and punches a mirror

It breaks

His hands hurt

He forgot how to live

-

Schweiz came to him in such a manner

He has to stop for a breath

Österreich can feel himself getting pulled by Schweiz

But he trusts his instincts

Österreich likes the man before him

Their kiss lights up his life

-

He has to wear glasses now

What a humiliating defeat

It seems he cannot shoot a gun properly anymore

He throws away all firearms and weapons, save for those he has treasured so greatly

He doesn't feel the slightest bit of regret

He is finally free

He has finally matured and moved on

-

He can hear him singing

Österreich goes from door to door, searching for the culprit of the voice

It is echoing in his house, a melody he has heard of many times

He opens a door, and another, and another

But he isn't there

Why will he be

He is gone and dead

Yet his ghost still lingers

Laughing at him

Österreich screams, it echoes through the house, wanting the voice to stop singing and give him peace

Silence

Then he starts singing once again until Österreich has broken down to tears

-

He swears he can hear them

The voices whispering towards him as he makes his way through the halls

They grow louder

And louder

And louder

They scream at Österreich, vowing to never forget what he has done to them

He does not scream nor react feeling numb

He doesn't remember what it feels like to live

-

Deutschland pours him a drink, delighted smile and all

Österreich clinks his glass with him as well

Everyone's having so much fun

He smiles as he takes a sip of his beer

He doesn't remember having this much fun with people

Everyone is so lively

He doesn't remember being that lively

Everyone is living and breathinng unlike those gross voices he keeps hearing

Dr. Österreich finally learns how to live.

#mine #writing #countryhumans #countryhumans austria #countryhumans prussia #countryhumans holy roman empire #countryhumans germany #countryhumans switzerland #countryhumans hungary

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Star Wars: Episode 9- The Rise of Skywalker

Some of you may remember the project I did last year, in which I reviewed all of the official Star Wars movies.  At the time, I couldn’t review Rise of Skywalker, on account of how it wasn’t out yet.  But now that it is, I can finally complete my Star Wars review project.  Obviously, there will be spoilers under the cut.  So if you haven’t seen it yet, proceed at your own risk.

The movie opens with the iconic text crawl.  It informs us that, sometime after Snoke was killed and Kylo Ren took control of the First Order, a mysterious broadcast began being sent out through the galaxy, which vowed that the Resistance would pay dearly.  The main issue, though, is that the broadcast seemed to have been made by Emperor Palpatine himself.  Which obviously causes a lot of alarm among the Resistance, as the Emperor was believed to have died decades earlier, during the battle of the second Death Star, the battle that pretty much ended the Galactic Civil War. (Yeah, the war technically did continue for a while after that, as shown by the countless wreckage on Jakku, but I think the Battle of Endor was what secured victory for the Rebel Alliance.)  But they’re not the only ones who have taken notice of this broadcast, as Kylo Ren is also trying to track down where the broadcast originated.  After he slaughters a bunch of random people on the planet Mustafar, the former home of Darth Vader, he manages to locate what appears to be a Holocron, which were basically information storage devices typically used by both the Jedi and the Sith in times long past.  (I remember them being a thing in the Star Wars MMO I used to play.)  With this Holocron thing, which the movie refers to as a Sith Wayfinder, Kylo is able to pinpoint the source of the mysterious transmission on some secret uncharted planet called Exegol.  Upon reaching the planet, he finds that Emperor Palpatine did indeed somehow survive the events of Return of the Jedi.  But only barely, as he’s essentially bedridden and attached to some sort of life support system that’s kept maintained by what I gather were Palpatine’s Disciples.  Yeah, Palpatine apparently has some manner of cult following now.  And, through a bit of exposition, we are able to gather that Palpatine has actually been pulling the strings of the First Order all this time. For instance, Snoke was apparently an artificially grown person that Palpatine’s Disciples manufactured, as indicated by what appears to be cloned copies of Snoke inside large glass tanks, and his main purpose was to act as Palpatine’s puppet.  (So that explains where Snoke came from.)  And those voices that have been whispering in Kylo’s head for years, seemingly guiding him through his path towards the Dark Side, was pretty much Palpatine talking to him telepathically while making Kylo believe it was the voice of Vader speaking to him.    While I still find it questionable that Palpatine managed to survive falling into that large pit AND was successfully smuggled off the second Death Star before it went boom, if Darth Maul was able to survive getting sliced in half followed by falling down a seemingly bottomless pit, I guess anything is possible.  Maybe Boba Fett survived the sarlacc pit.  And perhaps Mace Windu is still alive somewhere, too.  Whatever.  Anyway, Palpatine proceeds to reveal to Kylo that he has an entire fleet of Star Destroyers that are primed to launch and assist the First Order in completely overthrowing the galaxy.  He also instructs him to locate and kill Rey, as there’s more to her than meets the eye.

We then cut to Poe, Finn and Chewbacca, who are on the Millennium Falcon.  They’re apparently in the middle of some mission for Leia and the Resistance.  A Resistance informant called Boolio has managed to obtain a special message that needs to be passed onto Leia, and the best way to get it to her is by transferring the message into R2’s databanks.  But there’s still a little time for levity as Chewbacca is currently in the middle of a holographic chess match with Finn and Poe, the latter of whom accuses Chewbacca of always cheating on account of how long Chewbacca takes to make a move.  The chess match is interrupted when a random member of the Resistance pokes his head into the room to inform them that they’ve reached the pickup location.  And Poe, despite Chewbacca’s instructions to not disrupt their game, switches off the holographic chessboard.

So Finn, Poe and Chewbacca meet up with Boolio, and they get to work on downloading the message into R2.  But right when they’re finishing up the transfer, First Order TIE Fighters appear on the scene.  So they only just manage to finish downloading the message in time before they have to fly the Millennium Falcon out of there on the double.  And Boolio urgently passes on one final message to Poe.  He informs him that the information that was transferred into R2 actually came from a mole within the First Order.  When Poe asks how they can repay Boolio for all his help, Boolio simply tells them to win the war.  It’s strongly implied that both Poe and Boolio realize that he is as good as dead now, what with the First Order’s sudden arrival.  And if that was true, they weren’t wrong, as we’ll later see Kylo Ren placing Boolio’s severed head on the table during a meeting with other First Order generals, in which they discuss how Palpatine is still alive and has the armada ready to assist them in their efforts to crush the Resistance for good. This scene also shows that Kylo’s mask is back, as a welder has put the broken pieces back together, as well as introduces us to Enric Pryde, a top general in the First Order.

Poe manages to escape the First Order TIE Fighters through a multitude of consecutive Light Speed jumps.  Which he’s apparently not supposed to do since it’s extremely reckless and foolhardy.  And I can see why, as each time they come out of a jump, they’re in a completely different location.  And, if you’re not immediately on your game when you first emerge in a given location, you could easily fly headlong into a tree or building.  Finn even points out that Leia would not approve of Poe taking such a rash action.  To which Poe points out that Leia is not there.  Eventually, Poe’s crazy plan works, and they reach the jungle planet of Ajan Kloss, where the Resistance base currently resides.  It’s here where we see Rey his been continuing her Jedi training under Leia’s supervision.  Which does make sense, as Leia is the only Force Sensitive person left who can help oversee Rey’s Jedi training.  It’s nice that the movie is now acknowledging that Leia is Force Sensitive.  Better late than never.  And it’s made very clear that Rey has grown much stronger in the Force in the year since the Battle of Crait.  (The whole visual of her meditating while floating in the air while a bunch of rocks orbit around her was particularly stunning.)  However, during a rigorous training exercise, we see that the whole Force Telepathy thing that connected Rey and Kylo in the last movie hasn’t completely gone away.  Because Rey suddenly gets plagued by some disturbing visions as a result of Kylo meditating in front of Vader’s melted mask.  These visions include Palpatine’s fleet of Star Destroyers, her memory of being left behind by her parents on Jakku, Han’s death and one of Rey herself as a Sith.  The visions shake Rey to the core, but she does not confide in Leia about them, simply stating that perhaps she’s just tired.

When the Millennium Falcon returns to Ajan Kloss, Rey immediately heads over to the landing bay to meet her friends, where we finally get to see all three of the New Trilogy’s trio together.  Rey and Poe get into a brief argument, with Rey upset over seeing the Millennium Falcon caught fire because of Poe’s Light Speed jumps and Poe was likewise aghast at seeing that BB-8 got banged up as well during his absence.  (Rey accidentally felled a tree right over the little droid when her visions started to interfere with her training regimen.) Overall, this was an amusingly entertaining moment that not only showcased Rey’s attachment to the Falcon matched Poe’s bond with his little Droid, but also indicated what the dynamic between these two was like. The argument comes to a hold when Rey sees Finn, and she goes over to hug her dear friend in greeting.

Anyway, our heroes then get to work in deciphering the message inside R2, which basically informs the Resistance of what Kylo had already found out- Palpatine is indeed alive on Exegol and has enough Star Destroyers at the ready to complete the First Order’s goals of conquering the galaxy.   But as 3PO points out, there is no record of Exegol on any known starchart, on account of it being a hidden Sith planet, so the Resistance have no way to combat the renewed threat of Palpatine, who intends to begin his final attack on the worlds not already under First Order control in roughly 16 hours. However, Rey has found something in the Ancient Jedi Texts that she managed to salvage on Ahch-To.  It turns out that Luke added his own edits to the texts or something, because Rey finds that they make mentions of Exegol, and indicate that it is possible to find Exegol with the use of a Sith Wayfinder. Upon sharing her discovery with Leia, Rey volunteers to set out to find a Sith Wayfinder so they could use it to track down Exegol and put an end to Palpatine’s scheme.  At first. Leia refuses to allow this, stating that it would be too dangerous.  But she quickly relents when Rey states that she will go with or without her blessing, as Leia would have done the same thing in her place.  As such, Leia directs Rey to head to a dessert planet called Pasaana, as there is an old contact of hers there who might be able to help Rey in her quest.  So Rey heads off to the Millennium Falcon to make the journey to Pasanna.  But she’s intercepted by Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, 3PO and BB-8, who, in spite of Rey’s insistence on doing this alone, state that they’re in this together.  Before the group leaves for Pasaana, we get a small moment of 3PO bidding goodbye to R2, with the former stating that, in the event that something were to happen that would prevent them from meeting again, he wants the Astromech Droid to know that he considers R2 his best friend.  Which I suppose could be argued is a little forced foreshadowing of something that happens during the course of the movie.  Also, Leia returns the Skywalker Lightsaber to Rey before she leaves. Surprisingly, they were able to repair it, even though it looked damaged beyond the point of repair in the last movie. Which slightly bummed me out a bit, as I thought we’d see Rey beginning this adventure with a lightsaber of her own. Especially with the last movie’s emphasis on letting go of the past. But I guess I can live with this.

When Rey and the others arrive on Pasaana, they find that they’ve arrived on the day the Aki Aki, an Alien species native to the planet, are holding their sacred holiday meant to honor their ancestors, a festival 3PO states they are very lucky to be able to witness, as they only hold this celebration every 42 years. (Was this a reference to how A New Hope came out 42 years prior to this final instalment of the Star Wars trilogies?)  Trying to keep a low profile, they proceed make their way through the crowd of celebrators.  But Rey’s attention is briefly caught by a small group of Aki Aki children, who are watching some sort of puppet show.  As she watches, one of the younger Aki Aki approaches her to give her a necklace before asking Rey about her family name.  Which makes sense, as this sacred holiday is about celebrating your ancestors.  However, Rey has to admit she doesn’t have a family name.  Yeah, despite the last movie trying to say that Rey’s parents were nobody more than backwater folks who sold her for drinking money, it looks like Rey’s parentage is still going to be a plot point in this movie.

Out of nowhere, Kylo triggers one of those Force Telepathy sessions with Rey, who is clearly not happy about it.  Kylo, after informing her that Palpatine wants her dead, goes off on his whole thing about how he still intends to turn her to the Dark Side, yadda yadda yadda.  But then, he snatches the necklace Rey got from the Aki Aki kid. Because this Force Telepathy thing can allow you to do that.  (Remember how the rain from Ahch-To appeared on Kylo’s glove in the last movie?)  Rey immediately realizes that Kylo getting her necklace is a bad thing, as him having it means that he’s now able to trace the necklace’s origin, and therefore will be able to figure out where they are.  She immediately goes to warn her friends of this.  But before they could escape, a First Order Stormtrooper appears and holds them at gunpoint.

At that moment, they are saved from the First Order Stormtrooper by a masked figure, who instructs Rey and the others to follow him onto a nearby transport.  Deciding that they have little choice but to trust this stranger, especially since he did just save their lives, they comply with the request. And a good thing, too.  Because as soon as the transport begins to get our heroes out of there, the masked figure reveals himself as Lando.  It turns out that he is the contact Leia sent them to find, as he, upon hearing what brought them to Pasaana, reveals that he and Luke once teamed up to try and track down someone called Ochi, who was believed to have located one of the only two known remaining Sith Wayfinders that could reveal the location of Exegol.  However, the trail went cold here on Pasaana, as he and Luke had only found Ochi’s ship, which was left abandoned in the desert.  And they never found out where Ochi went.  Lando agrees to take Rey and company to Ochi’s ship, since perhaps there’s a clue there that Lando and Luke overlooked.  But first, they have to evade a legion of First Order Stormtroopers. Which triggers a whole action sequence that also contains a touch of humor when it’s revealed the Stormtroopers have jetpacks now.  You have to feel bad for Finn here.  He just seems so offended that the Stormtroopers can fly now.  After all, he’d been with the Stormtroopers for practically his whole life.  And just one year after he defected, that’s when they decide to hand out the jetpacks?

As our heroes are still trying to evade the First Order Stormtroopers, they get their first glimpse of Ochi’s ship, lying on the top of a rocky outcrop.  Right away, Rey realizes she recognizes the ship.  It’s the same one we’ve seen in her vision/memory of the day her parents left her on Jakku.  However, mere moments after Rey makes that realization, their speeders are hit with a direct blast from the pursuing Stormtroopers, which sends everyone in the group to go flying right into a nearby patch of sinking fields.  Which act in a similar manner to Hollywood’s interpretation of quicksand.  Despite their best efforts, our heroes sink below the surface.  (Here, Finn admits to Rey that there’s something he’d been wanting to tell her, but they sink below the surface before he could complete his statement.)

Fortunately, this doesn’t result our heroes’ deaths by suffocation.  Rather, they come out on the other side of the sinking fields, right into an underground cavern hidden below the surface of the desert.  They proceed to try and locate a way out.  In doing so, they stumble across the skeletal remains of Ochi. This leads to them determining that Ochi must have fallen into the sinking fields as well.  And, upon being unable to find a way out, eventually died of hunger/thirst/whatever.  Of course, this presents Rey and the others with a problem.  If Ochi couldn’t find a way out of this underground cavern, how are they supposed to do any better?

Before they can come up with a solution to that, they find themselves face-to-face with an Alien beast called a Vexis snake. Initially, the group is ready to fight the creature. But then Rey notices that the Vexis snake is injured. Taking pity on the beast, she slowly approaches the Vexis snake and heals the injury through a new ability called Force Healing. The Vexis snake, out of gratitude for Rey’s gesture, reveals an opening in the side of the cavern wall, which allows our heroes to escape. But before they leave the cavern, they locate a dagger that belonged to Ochi.  Ochi’s dagger, they notice, has an inscription on the blade.  But it’s written in an ancient Sith language.  3PO announces that he can easily translate the writing, on account of him being programmed in over six million forms of communication.  However, he admits he is unable to actually tell the others what the writing says. Because he has been specifically programmed to never translate anything Sith related.  While this is obviously frustrating for Rey and company to hear, I’m wondering who programmed that restriction into 3PO’s circuitry.  I can’t see little boy Anakin doing that, since he had no idea what the Sith even were when he lived on Tatooine.  Same with the Lars family.  Did Captain Antilles do the honor under the request of Bail Organa when ownership of 3PO passed to him following the events of Revenge of the Sith?

Getting back to the actual story, they head back to Ochi’s ship to resume their search for clues to the location of the Sith Wayfinder, as well as try to repair the ship so it would be flightworthy again. Because they know it’s too risky to risk returning to the Millennium Falcon, as the First Order would most likely be waiting for them back there. As they’re searching, Rey senses Kylo’s presence and, without telling her friends, she heads out to confront him.  When they notice she’s missing, Finn and Poe end up sending Chewbacca out to find her.  Which seems a bit silly, since they were working on ship repairs.  Why exactly would you send the one who is the seasoned expert on repairing ships to do the menial task of fetching Rey? Although, Chewbacca doesn’t get a chance to find Rey. Kylo’s followers, the Knights of Rey, are lying in wait and manage to get the jump on Chewbacca off camera. (About time they remembered these guys in the new trilogy.  I’d been wondering if they’d actually be featured beyond a passing mention in The Force Awakens.)  Finn and Poe soon discover Chewbacca has been captured when they see TIE Fighters approaching on radar and head out to warn him.

Meanwhile, Rey has spotted Kylo’s TIE Whisperer approaching the area.  Which leads to that moment I’m sure we’ve all seen on the trailer, with Rey performing that epic backflip over the TIE Whisperer as it flies towards her.  In the process, Rey effortlessly slices through the Tie Whisperer’s wing, resulting in the ship to crash land.  At that moment, Finn runs over to inform Rey that Chewbacca was captured, gesturing to a transport ship that’s currently taking off nearby.  Without hesitation, Rey attempts to stop the transport ship from leaving the planet by holding it back with the Force.  But Kylo, who survived the crash, also tries to use the Force to pull the transport ship out of her grasp.  This results in the pair having what amounts to a tug-of-war over the transport ship. For a few moments, it looks as if Rey and Kylo are evenly matched.  Until Rey, without warning, suddenly unleashes a blast of Force Lightning from her hand.  This results in the transport ship to blow up, much to the horror of Rey, Finn and Poe, as Chewbacca was on the transport ship, and there’s no way anyone could have survived that.

Unfortunately, there’s no time to grieve the death of their friend, as our heroes have to escape on Ochi’s ship before First Order reinforcements can arrive.  Once they’re off the planet, though, they’re able to let the development sink in.  Chewbacca is gone.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d had Ochi’s dagger on him when he’d been captured.  Without it, their hopes of finding Exegol and stopping Palpatine’s fleet of Star Destroyers are dashed.  That’s when 3PO lets slip that he remembers exactly what the dagger’s inscription said. But like he said before, he cannot tell them what it said on account of his programming preventing him from doing so. However, Poe has an idea on how to work around that hurtle. He knows someone on a planet called Kijimi that can help them hack into 3PO’s circuits and override that programming restriction. So it’s off to Kijimi they go.

During this time, we also see Rey trying to wrap her head around how she was able to generate Force Lightning.  As it’s doubtful she would have learned such a thing from Leia.  Not only did Leia, unlike Luke, never witness Force Lightning being used (at least, not to our knowledge), Force Lightning was apparently a Dark Side power.  Hardly something you would teach a Jedi.  So how would Rey have been able to utilize that herself?  Also, BB-8 discovers a deactivated little Droid called D-O in a secluded corner of the ship. I guess D-O was originally supposed to belong to Ochi before his death, though D-O is not a bad Droid himself.  BB-8 ends up reactivating D-O, giving Star Wars fans a new little Droid to fawn over. (D-O is basically a bullhorn mounted on a single wheel.)

Upon reaching Kijimi, the heroes find the planet is pretty much under First Order control, with Stormtroopers keeping the residents under house arrest.  As the Resistance group tries to navigate along while evading being discovered by the Stormtroopers, they end up running into a woman called Zorii Bliss, who is revealed to be an old friend of Poe, from the days before he joined the resistance. From her, we learn a bit of Poe’s backstory.  Prior to joining the Resistance, he’d earned a living as a spice runner, which is basically the Star Wars equivalent of a drug dealer or something along those lines. (The movie spends a few seconds with Finn and Rey making a big deal of this, which is a bit odd.  Like, does it really matter what Poe did before he joined the resistance? Poe even points out the hypocrisy of his friends’ reactions, pointing out that Finn used to be a Stormtrooper and Rey was a scavenger.) But the point is that Poe apparently still owes Zorii money from his spice runner days.  Though Zorii is eventually convinced to forget about the debt and she agrees to bring them to Babu Frik, an expert Droidsmith who can help hack past 3PO’s programming restrictions so he can reveal what the inscription on Ochi’s dagger says.  When they reach Babu Frik’s place, the little Alien states that he can do what they want, but there’s a catch.  If Babu Frik performs the hack, it would completely wipe 3PO’s memory banks. Meaning 3PO would forget everything and everyone.  Finn, Rey and Poe briefly argue against this, as they’re still hurting from losing Chewbacca and aren’t willing to lose another friend.  But 3PO, showing a surprising amount of courage, announces he’s willing to consent to the procedure, as it’s imperative that they locate a Sith Wayfinder and stop Palpatine’s Star Destroyer fleet.  If they don’t, then everyone they’ve lost, including Chewbacca, will have died in vain.

So Babu Frik performs the hack, resulting in 3PO being able to reveal that there’s a Sith Wayfinder on Kef Bir, an ocean moon orbiting around the planet Endor.  The moment 3PO is able to get that information out, he briefly shuts down automatically as his memory banks begin to be wiped out, with the Protocol Droid resorting to his default mode.  At that moment, though, Rey and the others find out that the Knights of Ren somehow tracked them down to Kijimi.  When the First Order ships appear overhead, Rey is able to sense Chewbacca’s presence on board one of the ships, thus informing them that Chewbacca is alive. It turns out that Chewbacca had been on a different transport ship from the one Rey unwittingly blew up.  So of course, she, Finn and Poe decide they have to rescue Chewbacca.  In order to assist them, Zorii gives the trio a First Order Captain’s Medallion, which she had previously swiped off a First Order officer or something.  She’d previously explained during an earlier scene with her and Poe that she had been planning to use it in order to get off Kijimi. But she decides that they need it more, as the life of their friend is undoubtedly on the line.

With the use of the Captain’s Medallion, Rey, Finn and Poe manage to sneak aboard the Star Destroyer where Chewbacca is being held.  After Rey manages to thwart a couple of Stormtroopers in their way via a Jedi Mind Trick, they begin to search for Chewbacca.  However, Rey ends up splitting up from the group when her Jedi Senses lead her elsewhere.  Her Jedi Senses end up leading her to Kylo’s quarters, where she locates Ochi’s dagger. Upon reclaiming it, she is hit by another vision.  This one is of Ochi using the dagger to murder her parents.  Because Ochi was apparently looking for Rey, and her parents ultimately gave their lives in their efforts to protect her.  (I suppose that means that Ochi’s ship was originally the property of Rey’s parents, and Ochi claimed it as his own after murdering them.)

As Rey’s vision comes to an end, her newfound questions end up triggering another Force Telepathy moment between her and Kylo, who confirms that Rey’s parents were nobodies because they had to become nobodies in order to keep her safe from Ochi, and whoever hired him to find her.  But whoever hired Ochi still wants to find Rey because of the potential for Darkness inside her.  A lightsaber duel soon begins between the pair, but during the battle, the pedestal that displays Vader’s melted helmet is destroyed.  This results in the melted helmet to be seen by Kylo, allowing him to figure out that Rey is in his living quarters aboard the Star Destroyer.  So Rey has to quickly rejoin her friends and make sure they all get away before Kylo can arrive and tip off the other First Order members that they’ve been infiltrated.

 Meanwhile, Finn and Poe have successfully located Chewbacca. But despite their best efforts, they soon find themselves surrounded by Stormtroopers.  They are brought before General Hux and Enric Pryde, with the latter ordering their immediate execution.  But after Pryde leaves, Hux requests the Stromtroopers tasked with performing the execution if he could do the honors.  And, after a bit of a fake-out, Poe, Finn and Chewbacca are amazed to see that Hux has instead killed the two Stormtroopers.  Because Hux was the First Order mole who Boolio told them about at the start of the movie.  (How’s that for a twist?)  Hux then proceeds to help Finn, Poe and Chewbacca find their way to the hanger where the Millennium Falcon is being kept.  He then tells Finn to shoot him in the arm.  Because he obviously doesn’t want to be exposed as a traitor to the First Order. Finn does indeed shoot him, but in the leg instead of the arm.  He then demands to know why Hux would help them in the first place.  Hux then pretty much states he doesn’t care if the Resistance wins or loses.  He just wants to see Kylo lose.  Because the animosity between the two is still as strong as ever.  Okay, fair enough.  I can get behind that.

As Finn, Poe and Chewbacca ready the Falcon to escape the Star Destroyer, Rey ends up running into Kylo in the flesh. Because he got there incredibly fast.  As they confront each other, Kylo finally gives Rey the final piece of the puzzle involving her parents and Ochi by revealing that Rey is the long-lost granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine.

And thus, we reach the first major question mark moment of the movie.  Rey’s father was Palpatine’s son?!    Palpatine had a kid?  How did that happen?  I mean, did Palpatine get some woman drunk?  Who did he impregnate?  Was it even consensual?  Confusing elements of a revealed backstory aside, I guess Palaptine sensed that Rey was particularly strong in the Force and feared her power the way he feared Luke’s back in the day.  So he hired Ochi to track down Rey, but her parents, Palpatine’s son and daughter-in-law, did their best to keep her safe from him.  And they were killed for their efforts.

Kylo once again offers Rey the chance to join him, but Rey rejects the offer, jumping onto the Millennium Falcon as it flies past the open hanger where the confrontation was taking place.  After they escape, however, Pryde shoots Hux dead, on account of him somehow figuring out that Hux was a traitor.  Pryde then accepts a direct call from Palpatine, who orders Pryde to destroy Kijimi utilizing a Planet Killer style canon that has been installed on one of the Star Destroyers, an order that Pryde follows without blinking.  

Now, the thing about Pryde.  I admit I found myself slightly confused by his character. In the scene where he’s informed that Finn, Poe and Chewbacca were apprehended during the rescue attempt, the way the camera shot was set up seemed to be trying to put an emphasis on Pryde’s eyes.  Which made me briefly suspect that he was the mole instead of Hux.  But of course, that wasn’t the case.  So what was up with the way they made the lighting practically place a spotlight on his eyes?  Was Pryde supposed to be a clone of Tarkin or something?  Were we supposed to realize Pryde had Tarkin’s eyes?  The way we saw Pryde telling Palpatine state that he has served him for a long time seemed to suggest that Pryde wasn’t just one of the random characters this final movie introduced us to and that he had been around in some way for a long time.  So who is this guy, anyway?

Anyway, the Resistance group, following the information they got from 3PO’s translation of the dagger, arrive on Kef Bir, where they soon locate some of the wreckage from the second Death Star.  Because, again, they’re on a moon in the Endor system. As they look out at the wreckage, Rey discovers Ochi’s dagger contains a treasure map pointer of some sort, which leads to her figuring out the Sith Wayfinder is located in a specific piece of the wreckage.  (It’s a pretty big Goonies moment here.)  But to reach the indicated bit of wreckage, they have to swim out to it.  Before they could attempt to swim out, though, a group of people appear out of nowhere, riding atop these horse-like creatures. Their leader is a young woman called Jannah, who informs them that she was notified by Babu Frik that they were coming there.  Which pretty much indicates that Jannah is an alley.  But she tells them that the current of the ocean on Kef Bir is too strong for anyone to swim out to the wreckage, and it’s only accessible by skimmer. However, while Jannah says she’s willing to loan them one of their skimmers, they’ll have to wait until morning because of the nature of the tides or something.

During their down time, there’s a bonding moment between Finn and Jannah, who reveals that she is a former First Order Stormtrooper.  TZ-1719, to be exact.  In fact, everyone in her tribe used to be a Stormtrooper, until they all mutinied after being ordered to open fire on civilians. Finn is both stunned and ecstatic to learn that he wasn’t the only Stormtrooper who developed a conscience and defected from the First Order.  All this time, he thought he was alone in that regard.

But that’s when they all realize that they haven’t seen Rey in a while.  Because, despite Jannah’s warnings, she decided she wasn’t willing to wait until morning and commandeered a skimmer to venture out to the Death Star wreckage. Upon reaching it, she soon locates the Sith Wayfinder they set out to find.  When she picks it up, she is briefly confronted by a vision of herself as a Sith Lord.  Which I guess is supposed to mirror Luke’s encounter with the vision of Vader in the Dagobah cave back in Empire Strikes Back.  After Rey fights with the vision of Dark Rey, Kylo suddenly shows up.  It turns out that Pryde analyzed Ochi’s dagger before Rey reclaimed it, resulting in the First Order figuring out where they were going. Kylo promptly destroys the Sith Wayfinder in order to try and force Rey to give into hate, and the two began an epic lightsaber battle atop the Death Star wreckage.

But this is when things get a bit confusing. We briefly cut back to Ajan Klos, where Leia, I guess, can sense that Rey and Kylo are dueling.  She proceeds to slowly walk off, with one of her attendants saying that Leia knows what she has to do to get through to her son.  And then, as the duel between Rey and Kylo continues, Leia reaches out to Kylo through the Force, which causes him to pause long enough for Rey to impale him with the Skywalker Lightsaber.  And them, we see Leia fall back onto her bed as she dies.

Okay.  What caused Leia to die like that?  Was she secretly ill?  Did she reach out to Kylo utilizing a similar method to the one Luke used to project himself onto Crait in The Last Jedi, thereby draining all of her life energy?  Are we supposed to assume she somehow committed suicide in the hopes that Kylo sensing her death would be enough to force some sense into him? I realize that they probably had to kill off Leia in this movie due to Carrie Fisher’s untimely death, since they only had so much archived footage of her to work with.  But still, a little clarification of what exactly caused Leia to die so suddenly would have been greatly appreciated.

ANYWAY, Rey also senses Leia’s death through the Force and is visibly shaken by it.  In what I guess was meant as a last favor to her fallen mentor, as well as the knowledge that she briefly let her anger get the better of her, Rey chooses to save the injured Kylo with Force Healing.  But once she ensures that Kylo won’t die from the injury she inflicted, Rey retreats from the scene, hijacking Kylo’s TIE Whisperer and taking off, despite Finn (who had been watching the fight from nearby) calling after her. Rey makes her way back to Ahch-To, where she decides to impose exile on herself on account of her mounting fears. She is shaken to the core upon learning of her identity as Palpatine’s granddaughter.  Especially since she’s now fearing that she is pretty much destined to turn out to be just like him.  After all, she was able to generate Force Lightning without even meaning to. And there’s the fact that she came close to killing Kylo out of sheer hatred.  Not only that, she has lost Leia, who was the one person who could offer her guidance and whatnot.  As a result of her despair, Rey proceeds to burn the TIE Whisperer, thereby ensuring that she’d be effectively be stranded on the planet.  But when she tries to throw the Skywalker Lightsaber into the fire as well in order to destroy it, someone catches it before it could come in contact with the flames.  That someone is revealed to be Luke, who has returned as a Force Ghost.  Luke offers Rey some much-needed guidance by revealing that he and Leia had known that she was Palpatine’s granddaughter from the very start.  But they still chose to help train her because they could see her spirit and knew that, just because she was a Palpatine by birth, she was still her own person.  As such, she was free to choose her own path.

Luke then reveals that, years ago, he had helped Leia train as a Jedi.  In fact, Leia had owned a lightsaber of her own.  (So Leia DID get training as a Force User.  That explains how she knew how to perform that Superman Flight through space.)  However, during her training, Leia received a vision that her son would turn to the Dark Side.  And that it would have fallen to her to kill him.  Understandably, Leia balked at the notion that she would have to kill her own son. To try to avoid that fate, she not only decided to send Ben to Luke for training in the hopes that he’d be able to stop Ben from turning to the Dark Side (a plan that clearly failed), she also chose to forsake her Jedi heritage, giving her lightsaber to Luke for safekeeping, in the hopes that someone else would come forward to do what she couldn’t. Luke proceeds to tell Rey that he knows he was wrong to try and impose exile on himself for failing to reach Ben Solo and losing him to Snoke.  And that Rey should face Palpatine the way he once faced Vader years ago.  Because it’s now up to her to finish what Luke and Leia could not.  In the end, Luke’s pep talk does the trick, and she agrees to go back and journey to Exegol to confront Palpatine.  Before she parts, Luke gifts Rey with Leia’s old lightsaber, which had been hidden in the wall of Luke’s old hut.  And, to give Rey a way off the planet, Luke manages to levitate his abandoned X-Wing out of the water.  (Which probably was meant to be a callback to how Luke failed to do so in Empire Strikes Back, which shows how much Luke has grown since then.)  Not sure how the X-Wing was still flightworthy, though.  How many years was that thing submerged beneath the waves? One would think that the water damage would have left the X-Wing permanently grounded.  Also, I’m still wondering what happened to Luke’s green-bladed lightsaber. We saw him using it in the brief flashback with him training with Leia.  What exactly did he do with it?

Meanwhile, back on Kef Bir, Kylo is still standing alone atop the wreckage of the Death Star, shaken by the knowledge of his mother’s death.  At that moment, he comes face to face with the image of Han.  No, Han’s not a Force Ghost, but that would have been interesting, as it would have confirmed my theory that Han possessed some Force Sensitivity himself.  Rather, it’s more of Kylo’s memory of Han taking physical form.  Anyway, the memory of Han is able to convince Kylo that, even though Leia is gone, what she stood for still remained.  So it still wasn’t too late for him to come home.  In the end, Kylo turns and throws away his cross-hilted lightsaber, which was meant to signify that he was forsaking his identity as Kylo Ren and choosing to become Ben Solo again.  (Personally, I felt that was a bit forced that Kylo would get redeemed that easily.  But I guess the same could be said of how Vader got redeemed simply because of the innate love for his son.)

Quick question.  Was anyone else a bit shocked to see Han come back in this movie?  I always got the impression that Harrison Ford seriously disliked his role as Han Solo.  (At least he never seems happy when people ask him about it.)  And that he only agreed to come back for the new trilogy if they agreed to kill him off in the first installment.  After that, I’d thought he’d have completely divorced himself from the Star Wars franchise.  So I wonder what they had to do to convince him to come back for this final cameo.

Back on Ajan Kloss, Poe, Finn and Chewbacca have returned to the Resistance base to tell Leia of what happened on Kef Bir, only to be informed of Leia’s death, the news of which devastates them all to the core. Chewbacca’s reaction alone is particularly heartbreaking.  You really feel bad for him.  Especially since, with Leia gone, he’s lost all of his closest friends.  However, in the mist of their grief, they know they have to press on, in honor of Leia’s memory.  Because to do otherwise would mean turning their backs on everything Leia fought for.  And she’d previously effectively chosen Poe to be her successor in leading the Resistance. (Because again, Poe is the new Leia.) As they’re working to figure out what to do now, they receive a transmission they realize is coming from Rey.  It turns out that, even though Kylo destroyed the Sith Wayfinder they found on Kef Bir, there was still one left- the one that Kylo had previously found on Mustafar.  And Rey had found it inside the burning remains of Kylo’s TIE Whisperer.  So now Rey is using it to head to Exegol while leaving a trail of breadcrumbs so her friends in the Resistance can also find Exegol and take out Palpatine’s fleet of Star Destroyers.

And so begins the final battle of the movie, as well as the new trilogy.  Rey, upon arriving on Exegol, finds her way into Palpatine’s inner sanctum, where she not only finds Palpatine, but all of Palpatine’s Disciples, who have all congregated in the room to observe the confrontation.  It turns out that, even though Palpatine had previously ordered Kylo to kill Rey, he now wants Rey to kill him.  Because if she does strike him down in anger, some dark ritual will be performed that will allow Palpatine’s spirit to take over Rey’s body, thereby allowing him to live again through her.  (So, if that was his plan, why was he previously so determined to have Rey killed?) To try and rile Rey up to the point where she would want to kill him in vengeance, Palpatine not only taunts her over how her parents were murdered by his orders, but, much like how he did with Luke in Return of the Jedi, shows her the spaceship battle that’s currently occurring above the planet’s surface, with the Resistance fighters battling against the Star Destroyer fleet.  It’s clear that the odds are against the Resistance, as the Resistance is vastly outnumbered and are seemingly dropping like flies. (Also, I believe that, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, we can see that Wedge Antilles, the old veteran from both Death Star battles, can be seen among the Resistance fighters.  Which probably left long-time Star Wars fans tickled pink.)

However, the newly reborn Ben Solo has also made his way to Exegol, using a TIE Fighter he somehow managed to obtain.  Although, when he tries to make his way into Palpatine’s inner sanctum, his way is blocked by the Knights of Rey.  Rey, seemingly sensing his presence, ends up deciding to pull a fast one on Palpatine, who is insisting that he has foreseen her using the Skywalker Lightsaber to strike him down.  Utilizing the Force Telepathy trick that links her to Ben, she covertly passes the Skywalker Lightsaber over to him, which enabled him to defeat the Knights of Rey and make it to her side. Upon seeing the two together, Palpanine reveals that the pair of them are Dyads, which I guess pretty much means they’re the Force equivalent of Yin and Yang or something. Which explains why they have such a strong mental link. In other words, they’re kinda twins.  Not by blood, but through the Force.  Unfortunately, Palpatine can use this to his advantage, as Force Dyads possess a unique kind of energy.  One he can absorb in order to rejuvenate himself. And that’s exactly what he does, forcibly draining Ben and Rey of their life essence.  This act results in him being returned to his full strength again. To demonstrate this, he fires off a powerful blast of Force Lightning up at the Resistance ships, effectively disabling them.  Palpatine then shoves Ben down a smoke-filled chasm that just happens to be nearby. Because there’s ALWAYS a gaping hole or chasm in Star Wars films.

Meanwhile, what’s left of the Resistance fighters are left reeling from the rejuvenated Palpatine’s Force Lightning attack. That, combined with how their best efforts at dismantling the Star Destroyer fleet by destroying the radio antenna thing that controls the fleet’s movements haven’t produced the desired results results (which was a pretty cool sequence when they even brought in those horse creatures Jannah and her tribe had to traverse along the exterior of the lead Star Destroyer on foot), leads to Poe nearly giving into despair.  It turns out he hasn’t quite gotten over the memories of what happened on Crait, with how nobody seemed to respond to their pleas for help.  He’s now feeling that the same thing will happen now, and that nobody will arrive to assist them in this final fight.  And thus, all their efforts at stopping the First Order from taking over have been for nothing.  

But at that moment, the Calvary arrives! Lando and Chewbacca, who had headed off on the Millennium Falcon earlier to help spread the word of what the Resistance was doing, have returned, accompanied by a number of ships from each of the remaining Free Worlds.  Unlike the last movie, they’ve finally decided to join the fight in time for the final stand.  With the help of the surprise reinforcements, which include Zorri and Babu Frik (who have managed to survive the destruction of Kijimi), the Resistance manages to take out the Star Destroyers, with Finn and Jannah managing to blow up the radio antenna.  But since Finn and Jannah had hung back to achieve that task by hand, in spite of Rose’s protests (because Rose was in this movie, too, but her role was significantly reduced, no doubt a result of the number of so-called ‘fans’ who directed personal attacks against the actress who portrayed her for arbitrary and possibly racist reasons after The Last Jedi came out), Lando has to maneuver the Falcon close enough for them to hitch a ride before the lead Star Destroyer blows up.  Which kills Pryde in the process.  

However, there’s still the matter of Palpatine. Because even though his fleet has been destroyed, he still remains.  But Rey, while she is lying weakened on the ground, is also still alive.  As she lies there, she is finally able to break through the mental block that had been holding her back at the start of the movie, enabling her to hear the voices of Jedi Masters of the past, which apparently incudes Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Luke, the redeemed Anakin, Yoda, Mace Windu, Ahsoka (from the Clone Wars series) and others I didn’t recognize.  However, I did notice that the voice of Obi-Wan told Rey ‘these are your final steps.’ Which brings us full-circle to The Force Awakens, when Obi-Wan’s voice is heard saying ‘these are your first steps’ when Rey first finds the Skywalker Lightsaber.  Drawing strength from the Jedi of the Past, Rey gets back to her feet to face down Palpatine, who tries to strike her down with Force Lightning. Rey manages to deflect the attack with Leia’s Lightsaber, but it seems like she won’t be able to keep it up forever. Until she manages to produce the Skywalker Lightsaber again.  With the combined strength of the Skywalker Lightsaber and Leia’s Lightsaber, Rey is able to produce a complete rebound of the Force Lightning attack, sending it right back at Palpatine, destroying him once and for all.

Unfortunately, the effort involved seemed to have been too much of a strain on Rey’s already weakened body, as she collapses to the ground and ends up dying.  However, Ben somehow survived falling into the chasm and he is able to pull himself back out.  Though it’s clear that he’d been severely injured, with a pronounced limp.  He staggers over to Rey’s body and, like she did with him, utilizes Force Healing in order to resurrect her.  

And, yeah, when Rey opens her eyes, they end up kissing.  Because I guess the writing and directing crew just had to throw in some fanservice for the Reylo shippers.  And yes, that’s exactly what it was- fanservice. Look, if you shipped these two, more power to you.  But there was nothing remotely romantic about their interactions throughout this trilogy. At least, none that I could see.  Rey seemed to want nothing to do with him from the start.  Well, outside of her apparent desire to save Ben Solo, but that had probably more to do with her great respect for Han, Leia and Luke, and her desire to honor their memories.  Even Daisy Ridley herself said that the relationship between these two was toxic and abusive.  And I dare say Daisy Ridley knows Rey’s character better than anyone.  For those reasons, I don’t understand why they would have them kiss here.  Unless it was more of a ‘hooray, we did it!’ sort of kiss. But if that was the case, wouldn’t a hug have sufficed?  Just saying, having them kiss like that suggests there were romantic feelings between them.  I don’t understand why the people who created this movie would have wanted people to be left with that message.  Besides, suggesting that they were in love or something is kinda pointless, as Ben dies immediately afterwards anyway, with his body fading from sight as he becomes one with the Force.  With the same thing happening to Leia’s body.  (Wonder why Leia’s body didn’t fade away immediately after she died. With all the other Jedi who have become one with Force, they faded away immediately after dying.  Why was Leia different?)  Then again, this is the same movie franchise where George Lucas had Leia kiss Luke in a non-sisterly way on more than one occasion, despite him probably knowing that they were long-lost siblings all along.  So I guess I should expect this kind of thing these movies, anyway.

But still, I’m rather bugged by the Reylo kiss. Because not only was it completely pointless, what with Ben dying right afterwards and Rey never seeming to give another thought to him again (so it’s not as if they were implying that this was meant to be a tragic love story with Rey ending up alone), they also deliberately bated us Finrey shippers, too.  Yeah, remember the bit with Finn stating that there was something he’d been wanting to tell Rey?  Well, apart from a few additional moments with Poe grilling Finn over what it was he wanted to tell her and never getting an answer, that doesn’t go anywhere.  For crying out loud, they couldn’t even give us Stormpilot (the ship name for Finn and Poe).  Which stinks, as Oscar Isaac repeatedly said that he was completely on board with having a romance between the two.  But Disney apparently wasn’t willing to do that, as they wanted this film to do well in countries where same-sex couples are virtually outlawed in media.  So of course they couldn’t let a main character be involved in a same-sex relationship. Instead, they simply had two random female Resistance members kissing in the background while everyone was celebrating the Victory at Exegol in an obvious attempt at ensuring they could claim LGBT representation while making it easy for anti-LGBT countries to censor it out. Of course, this is just an indication of how far we still have to go.  Still, I admit that these were just my thoughts on the matter.  Other moviegoers might have a completely different opinion on the matter.

Personal disappointments aside, Palpatine is gone for good now, and his Star Destroyer fleet has been destroyed.  Which means it’s the end of the First Order and everything that remained of the Imperial Empire.  So celebrations erupt throughout the galaxy.  During the montage that follows, we even get a brief glimpse of the Forest Moon of Endor, where two Ewoks look down over one of the downed Star Destroyers.  End credits confirm this was a full-grown Wicket and his son.  Which was a nice touch, I must say.

As for our main heroes, Finn, Poe and Rey are reunited on Ajan Kloss, where they have a big group hug.  Chewbacca is approached by Maz Kanata, who gives him the metal that Han was given at the end of A New Hope, stating that he’s more than earned it.  (Yay for Chewbacca finally getting the credit he deserves!) But we also get a rather confusing moment.  There’s a short scene where we see Lando sitting next to Jannah, with him asking her where she’s from.  When Jannah states she doesn’t know, Lando smiles and offers to help her find out. Really, was there a point to that brief conversation?  Were they suggesting that there was a possible romance between the two?  Are we supposed to suspect that Jannah is Lando’s long-lost daughter?  If it’s the latter, then that was really random.  Especially since there was nothing to really base that assumption on.  Other than the fact that they’re both Black. But you could have just as easily have said Finn was Lando’s son with that logic.  Maybe there’ll be a deleted scene to further explain what that was about.  I guess time will tell.

Also, was it just me, or was Finn supposed to have been showing signs of being Force Sensitive in this movie?  Because I was kinda getting that vibe at select points in this film, but it was never made very clear.  And oh, yeah.  3PO’s memory was restored by R2, as the Astromech Droid happened to have a backup of 3PO’s memory stored on his harddrive or something.  Which seemed like a bit of a cop-out, as it really negated the weight of 3PO’s personal sacrifice, which was quite possibly the first time he really served a purpose beyond comedy relief.  (Although, does this mean that 3PO also regained his memories of everything that happened in the Prequel Trilogy?  Hmmm.)

Finally, we reach the movie’s epilogue scene.  An undetermined amount of time after the Victory at Exegol, Rey travels to Tatoointe with BB-8 at her side. Together, they make their way to what once was the home of Owen and Beru Lars, which I guess has been sitting abandoned since their deaths.  (Did nobody ever come forward to claim the place?  Granted I don’t know much about land ownership and whatnot on Tatooine, but wasn’t it implied that Luke sold the place before he left the planet with Obi-Wan way back when?)  Upon reaching the place where it all began, Rey takes out the Skywalker Lightsaber and Leia’s Lightsaber, burying them in the sand outside the Lars Homestead. (Insert obvious joke about how Anakin would feel about his old lightsaber being buried in the sand.) Rey then reveals to the audience that she managed to construct a lightsaber of her very own, which has a yellow blade.  Needless to say, if it turns out that the sales of yellow Kyber crystals over at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge skyrocketed after this movie, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

At that moment, Rey is approached by a resident of Tatooine, who voices her surprise at seeing Rey there.  Because it’s been a very long time since she’d seen anyone near the abandoned homestead.  She asks Rey for her name.  Rey, after a brief pause in which she looks over at the spirits of Luke and Leia watching over her, identifies herself as Rey Skywalker, in honor of the Skywalker twins who helped her become a Jedi.  She and BB-8 then look out into the distance, where the iconic twin suns of Tatooine are setting.  Because it’s fitting that the story ends on that shot.  

So, is Rey going to live on Tatooine now? Will she open up a Jedi training school there?  Is BB-8 going to stay with Rey from now on?  Is Poe okay with that? Also, what became of that little boy from The Last Jedi?  Temeri, wasn’t it?  It was heavily implied that he was Force Sensitive, but we didn’t even see him make a brief cameo in this final chapter.  Yeah, clearly I still have a lot of questions that I’ll probably never get answers to.  But despite that, I really felt that this was a decent send-off to the saga of Star Wars Trilogies.  Obviously, there’s going to be a lot more material pertaining to the Star Wars universe.  Not only do we have The Mandalorian, which has clearly taken the world by storm, but I’ve heard rumors for a while now that Ewan McGregor plans to reprise his role as Young Obi-Wan in another series at some point. And I’m sure they’ll come out with more of those anthology movies that brought us Rouge One and Solo. But unless something changes in the future, this is supposed to be the final instalment of the classic Star Wars trilogies.  And all things considered, it was a good place to end it.

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#star wars #star wars episode 9 #star wars: the rise of skywalker #star wars review #star wars franchise

[the-mjolnir-owner]

Here comes the post™ about the movie™ no one asked for

I’ve been postponing this due to spoilers, but I think it’s time now.

Those of you who already know me and who I speak to daily already know my opinion about EG and maybe I was expecting it to to change in some weeks, but it didn’t.

It’s not a surprise to anyone that Thor’s my favorite character who I’ve been playing for at least seven years. He brought me joy, helped me to find friends for life and gave me strength when I was down.

It’s not a surprise that I feel betrayed and disappointed by how his story was dealt in this last movie and I’m willing to ignore parts of it and replace it with my own canon. It’s not that I had faith in the production to begin with, but still I was let down with all of this disrespect.

Don’t read it if you haven’t watched the movie, heavy spoilers ahead.

My thoughts:

-          Thor didn’t get anyone back. I wasn’t expecting those who were killed to return, but maybe those who got dusted could include Sif at least, but they’re not known to respect women at all. He fought for everyone’s else happy ending but his, and although this is in character, it’s still sad

-          There was no satisfactory ending to Thor/Loki relationship. Everyone who bothered to watch Thor’s movies know that Thor and Loki share a deep, complicated bond. It’s a love/hate relationship and they were working to mend it when Loki had one of the most gruesome, unnecessary deaths I’ve ever seen on screen. They never shared a hug on screen and they didn’t use Tom/Loki’s popularity for anything. The death of a character who struggled their whole life by the hands of their abuser? No thank you, you can keep it

-          Thor went back to Asgard and didn’t even visit Loki. I didn’t understand their time travel rules but I know they were confusing. Thor normally doesn’t play by human’s laws and I wished his approach to Loki was different. That was the last time he was seeing his brother and I understand him losing it when he meets Frigga, maybe one of the best scenes he has in the entire shitshow

-          Thor’s love life sucks. Everybody had their happy dance, their happy marriage with kids, but Thor, who was left with no family at all. I don’t ship Thor/Jane but it’s clear he loves her deeply, she was an important person in his life who opened his eyes and taught him to be less arrogant, selfish and more human. I don’t want them to be a couple anymore, but they could at least respect this relationship. They did them dirty since TDW but that’s another subject. I don’t want Thor/Jane anymore when we have a whole Thorkyrie meal waiting to happen, but they could at least address this subject and show that Thor/Jane can still be friends

-          They really said fuck asgardian lives.  I wasn’t expecting anyone to return, but have Steve going back in time to have his happy ending was a bit selfish imo, considering Thor was left to live his own reality where everybody is dead but him. They didn’t have to save Asgard or prevent the elves from attacking, but they could have changed Thanos’ attack to their deteriorated ship and the massacre that followed. I thought Thor could meet his sister somehow and bring back the fallen asgardians. That would be better. He could have used the gauntlet himself to fix this shit, but Thor was a second rate character in EG

-          I was told there was a Thorkyrie kiss scene in Ragnarok and now I understand why it was cut. Valkyrie could have a pivotal role in not allowing Thor to succumb in a spiral of self hatred and lethargy, sharing the burden of leading a collapsed civilization and helping Thor out of his drunk state, in the same way he helped her, brought her home and gave her life a new purpose. It was a conscious decision to take everything from Thor, especially his development. 

If I was mad they let Valkyrie be King instead of Thor, who was grown to rule? Not at all. He wouldn’t be able to do anything considering his mental state, trauma and self image, he needs to recover and heal and it takes time. 

He was king for about 8 hours and he had to witness his family, his friends and his people being slaughtered in front of him and we know he carries this blame like an anchor. Valkyrie at least managed to lead the escape pods to Earth and probably lead them while Thor was fighting in IW. She’s the only one left he can count on, and their scenes together were disappointing

-          Talking about trauma.  I knew he wouldn’t be ok considering what happened to him in the recent movies. He lost his mom, his brother, his lover, his father, all of his friends, his eye, his hammer, his hair, his sister, his planet, his army, his people, his battle. We know since AoU that his worst fear was losing them all and he had to witness all of this foreshowed carnificina (remember they weren’t snapped, a quick and painless death, no, they were all butchered one by one in front of Thor) without getting a break or some time to react or grieve or anything in response to it. 

I’ve read before he’s a safe choice when it comes to trauma, nothing should affect him because he’s a god. But it does, he may be a god but he’s still made of flesh and bones and a beating heart that is way too big and too soft. 

We watched his desperate attempts to make things right in IW, his desperate attempts to end his own life. We watched him ready to die by Loki’s side when the ship was about to explode. We watched him taking the full blast of a star, forging an ax by the cost of his own life. Bless Hemsworth for all of Thor’s emotional scenes, every time he cried I cried as well because I could understand and relate to his struggle of trying to remain fine for his friends’ sake while his heart was shattered

-          That trauma reflected on his self image. He couldn’t go through all of this unscatched, and it’s ok. I understand his recluse, his effort to shut down the world outside and deal with things by the only way he knows how to deal with any inner turmoil: drowning his sorrow in alcohol. He’s always been a heavy drinker and it’s a normal, accepted asgardian behavior to drink entire casks of ale (see Valkyrie). You know what’s not ok? Using his problems as a fucking three hours joke.

-          He’s the only character whose pain isn’t treated like a real problem. As if he’s being dramatic when he can’t say a name or tell a story without losing it or going through a panic attack. Skinny characters are worthy compassion, thicc characters aren’t and I see your fatphobia, @marvel

-         Fucking three hour joke. I’ve seen someone point on twitter that there are two stances to weight in EG: Tiny gets stranded in space for weeks, when he returns to earth he’s malnourished, thin, sick. People immediately tend to him, he’s hospitalized, it’s heartbreaking to see him like this and it’s obvious he has been through too much. All the characters involved react to him with sympathy. The same can’t be told about Thor. He has a weight problem too, he’s dissociating and he doesn’t care what he looks like anymore. I know people who went through the same ordeal. 

Thor’s punishing himself for feeling like a failure and it reflects on his body. Yet, we are lead to feel sorry for one of them (Tiny) and laugh at the other (Thor). The audience is lead to have compassion by one character going through a difficult phase and being grossed out/amused by another character who is going through the same thing, if not worse.

-          It’s not woke nor progressive to have a fit man wearing a badly made fat suit to badly portray a fat person.  It was literally made to entertain, to be a comic relief, not to raise awareness of how mental health problems can cause physical problems as well and it’s a missed opportunity to have an approach to it, on how men are supposed to be fit all the time, on how superhero bodies can be in all shapes and sizes. It’s all about fat-shaming and fatphobia. 

I love and appreciate Thor in all shapes and forms, but what they did to him wasn’t a body positive view and if they mean to keep fat Thor in their next projects, they better hire an actual plus size actor. The sole purpose of chubby Thor was to degrade the character and strip him of sympathy because he “did that to himself”

-          This mockery comes from other superheroes.  What are we teaching young audiences when they watch the Avengers making fun of a debilitated person? That it’s ok to laugh at a fat, depressed person who has panic attacks? Thor gets mocked, teased and fat shamed by people who are dear to him, by the only “friends” he has left - friends whom he knows for at least 6+ years - friends he defended and saved countless times before. By his own mother to some degree. 

They don’t show him the same sympathy and just like Odin, Thor’s only seen worthy by how hard he can strike, by how powerful he can be. A weapon, not a person, and when said weapon loses its sharpness, it’s not worthy fixing anymore. Thor’s a war hound and that’s the only aspect the Avengers value in him. 

It’s important to remember Thor treated the Hulk differently, like a person, and supported Bruce when he didn’t want to turn into the Hulk. He treated Valkyrie differently, too, when he realized she had alcohol problems and carried an immense grief. Thor’s often betrayed by people whom he loves and trusts, but this is too much of an insult to people going through the same problems in the audience. It’s sad to see all the other characters (except Bruce/Hulk) denying emphathy and compassion to Thor, knowing Thor would never deny emphathy and compassion to anyone else

-          Thor isn’t lazily eating/drinking after a broke up, no. He was traumatized from seeing everyone he had ever loved die in front of him then being blamed for not stopping Thanos, or going to the head. He hopes that by chopping Thanos’ head off he’d feel better, but he doesn’t. Thor lost more people than any of the others and Cap goes to group theraphy sessions (never bothers to invite Thor), Tiny gets hospitalized but Thor doesn’t have a fit boy anymore, he doesn’t deserve simpathy, he’s lazy for letting it happen to him and that’s how they want us to feel. Amused by Thor’s pain that’s less important now because he lost his 8 pack

-          He died to forge a weapon and it wasn’t enough. He did an herculean job to make a weapon strong enough to kill Thanos, not only did he fail but he also survived to tell. If he had died trying, then his ticket to Valhalla would be granted, but he lost it as well. 

Not only he carries a huge survivor guilt, but the certainty he isn’t worthy anything anymore, not even the golden halls of Valhalla wait for him. And he tries time and time again to live a glorious death that doesn’t come

-          His drunkenness is ooc. They contradicted their own canon by claiming that Thor can get drunk on weak midgardian ale. He can’t. He could really drink that amount of beer, but it wouldn’t affect him. Not even physically. Thor has a fast metabolism and it would take him some hundred years to become that chubby on weak beer or other beverages. They ignored their own canon to insist in this joke, that had greenlight from everybody involved

-          Marvel’s efforts to hide chubby Thor. In the trailers, in the posters, in the action figures and promotional images, we see the usual Thor, fit. It’s supposed to be a big surprise to see Thor like this, people told me. I think it’s all about sending a message that chubby heroes don’t sell and they hid this information purposely. There’s no action figures of fat Thor. He isn’t made to promote the movie, awareness or sell anything. Because a fat person serves only for fun, they think, not to sell, his role in this movie is to be mocked. But it’s on them, because in this house we love and respect chubby Thor and I can’t wait to buy his fluffly plush doll

-          Thor’s weakened. Stormbreaker is used as a bottle opener and they seem to forget how powerful it was. Everything that Taika did, the Russos undid. The whole point of Ragnarok (the best Thor movie imo) was showing Thor and the audience he doesn’t need a weapon to be powerful. In IW he gets his eye back and makes an ax, forgetting all of this, and in EG he has his hammer back. Not only one, but he’s wielding two magical weapons and is still beaten? No way. I can’t believe I paid actual money to watch it. Thor could have used the gauntlet and he’d still be fine and alive, it would be so much better imo

-          He is back to using a weapon to tell him he has value. He was over mjolnir’s standards on what’s worthy anymore and he’s finally free of its magical whims. Now he trusts in the hammer judgment of him again because what else does he have? Who else does he have?

-          They never wanted us to feel bad about Thor. They mixed Thor’s sadness with shots of his body to entertain from the fact that he’s dead inside. His arc is made for laughs. We’re lead to think it’s funny. If they wanted us to feel bad about fat Thor, they would make him thin like Tiny who got all the sympathy he deserved. Bless Chris for the emotion he conveyed though

-          Thor leaving with the Guardians was a conflicting point. I’d love to see Thor with the GoTG and I love the previous GoTG movies. But it won’t solve his problems. I wanted him to heal, and if the Guardians will help him with it, instead of the Avengers, then it’s ok. He should accept there are things he can’t change and it’s not his fault, he should try and change the things he can and look forward to something, anything, that would give him hope again

-          In the end, at least, everybody was rooting for him to recover and it was good. He wasn’t magically made thin again and all the time I was waiting for a Rocky Balboa sequence with Thor lifting weight or jogging, but it didn’t happen, and at least it served to show us that he’s still worthy, a hero and himself in spite of how he looks or how much he weighs

-          It hurts to see an optimistic, caring character losing it.  I know he wouldn’t leave unscatched, but it’s sad to lose my ray of sunshine Thor, who always had hope and fought for what was right. Seeing my favorite character lethargic, apathetic and not being the protagonist of his own life is very hard. Thor always brought me inspiration and he instills the best in people: he supports Sif when she wants to be a warrior, he shows Jane she’s right in her researches, shows Valkyrie she’s not her failure, helps Bruce out of panic attacks in an alien planet, tries to reach for Loki time and time again, he trusts the Avengers and works with them in order to save a world that isn’t even his. He saved the world at least four times. 

And they all let him down. It’s not a satisfactory conclusion, but I didn’t hope they’d make it differently. I still hope I’ll see my Thor again and even if I don’t, I’ll write him with faithful friends I met along the way. He deserves it and I won’t let him down

Any positive points after miles of salt?

Thor chopping off Thanos’ head and probably using it as a mug was nice.

I liked his Viking looks with braids in his hair and beard and how he weilded two magical weapons.

Sharing them with Cap, who is one of his best friends, is great too.

Having Thor leaving with the Guardians was a nice choice because I like the Guardians and I know Thor will return better after this vacation to assume his throne.

 Leaving the throne for Valkyrie means she’s his Queen in his eyes and you’ll have to pry Thorkyrie from my cold, dead hands. 

There’s a bitter taste, yeah, but things can be better in the future when the sun will shine on us again.

#ooc #endgame spoilers #spoilers #long post #endgame negativity #you don't have to agree with me but if you don't #make your own post with your own thoughts instead of adding them to mine thank you

[ghost1643]

Seven deadly gems part 4-Gowther

A few weeks after Veronica goes on her date, she wakes up and walks down the hall. She's half asleep. As are her sisters as they wish their father a good day as he had to go to work. After he leaves Veronica takes a sip out of her coff, glanced at the calander and just spit out the coffee in a panic. It was their father's birthday and they completely forgot.

So the girls in a panic go out to town to get heir dad some stuff. Yet, they don't know what to buy him. This ends up in hours of looking for the perfect gift. Except some how, they forgot about a tiny itty bitty thing. Just that they wrote a note telling the gems they would be home by lunch for when their dad gets home. So when they don't show up the gems figure their father cancelled their plans for lunch.

The gems are laughing upstairs watching tv and having jsut so much fun when the door opens. Meliodas just cheers a hi Elizabeth not turning around. Instead the girl's father asks who the hell they were and why they were sitting in on his couch.

Everyone freaks out mentally for a son's. For Diane it's to much with the pressure of everything else being put on her. So she begins to lose focus and shape back into her original shape which is a 30ft tall off coloured gem. When she starts to touch the ceiling, Ban poofs her just to keep her from breaking down the house. Yet, king starts arguing with him about proofing her. Meliodas meanwhile is just looking at the confused male wondering how he's going to explain this.

Meliodas sends his friends outside before explaining everything to Elizabeth's dad. He leaves out no details that are important, well the ones everyone else knows. He expects to find a new home for his friends. Instead Elizabeth's dad just gives a tired sigh before giving a tired laugh and sitting down. He just looks up tired and just explains he knew they were living there since the first two days they lived here, he just was waiting for someone to tell him. Meliodas is shocked at first and just asks why he would be okay with all of this. Again the o,dee human sighs and just says, "Elizabeth needs to be with someone from her own kind."

He then explains that back in the 80's, when he was a teen, he snuck off to this town with his friends to go see a concert. Whilst watching the whole thing he meet these weird looking people but, one caught his eye. She had the same silver hair as Elizabeth does today, had bright blue skin, had a blue gem stone that looked like it was in her skin, and she moved her bangs letting him see she only had one eye. He was so intrigued that he talked with her. This cycle continued everytime he snuck off with one of his buddies for a road trip.

The gem was a star sapphire who lived in a temple with a few other gems called the crystal gems. She fought in a war thousands of years ago and now lived on earth, with a few friends she fought with. Eventually he met these friends, each a different gem stone..or two. They all got to know each other. Eventually the star sapphire, whom he called Lunar, introduced him to his wife while she went out with one of his friends. Eventually, he got married and he stopped going as often. His friend moved up there though, he made sure to call every night. Then next thing he knew, he had two girls, his wife has just be diagnosed ovary cancer and given weeks to live, their dog died, and Lunar showed up on his doorstep one night in tears.

The crystal gems had been attacked and captured by a strange look male. Lunar's husband had also been killed. To top it all off, somehow she was having a baby, she had no idea how. All she knew was that she would die having the baby, leaving it all on it's own. At that moment her remembered speaking his mind and saying he would take on the baby, not really sure of what would happen next. His wife loved the idea, agreeing to help for as long as she could. They even gave Lunar a place to stay but, in the same house as a overly curious 2 year old and a grumpy 1 year old. Despite this, Lunar loved loving there for as long as she could.

Sure enough Lunar died having her daughter. The only way they knew she was dead was a bright light they saw coming from their shed and her screams. His wife got in the shed just as their friend died but, in her place laid Elizabeth as a baby, with two eyes. Two mismatch looking eyes. One bright blue like her mom's and the other yellow like her father's. Yet, her gem stone remains on her forehead, hidden by hair she grows out to cover both her hello eye and gem. After she was born, his wife found a reason to hang on for much longer. His wife was given 13 weeks to live, she lived for another 3 years before dying. During those 3 years, his wife gave their girls 3 years of pure happiness and fun. He tried to as well. Later down the line, when the Elizabeth was 12, they started to run out of money, since they used up all the money their mom left them, so he took more work hours. Since then, well he's tried to be there as much as he can.

So he's fine with them there, just so his girls can be happy again...just as long as their house stays intact. After all Elizabeth needs to know about her biological mother evetunally. He does plan to tell her on her 17th birthday this year. Yet, its better she finds out everything about her mother's species from other the same species as her mother. Then if she wants to cut him off, she can. Just as long as she's happy with herself and who she truely is, he doesn't care.

Lunch ends with the sins sitting down and talking with the older male, just getting some questions answered that they're to nervous to ask the girls. Like why there's bugs outside, cause Diane knows she should know it. It's just she doesn't, and she doesn't want to embarrass herself anymore than what she has already. King is also curious about what work is really. Cause he knows Margret is taking two years off to work and t money before going to her first choice university. But, to be honest he has no idea what it truely is on this planet. Ban just wants to know what movie ratings means...Veronica mentioned them once but, he had no idea what the hell they mean. As for Meliodas, he's asks about the human life span. Thankfully they get their answers without getting laughed at..that much.

Anyways the rest of the day involves the gems cleaning up the house, plus decorating it a bit for when the girls get home. They use balloons that were in a cupboard as longs as these weird paper things called streamers. They also cooked...okay Ban cooked, everyone else just tried to. Anyways Ban ended up cooking a whole dinner plus a cake by 6pm when the girls got back with the gifts they ended up deciding on, plus a few new tires on the car which ended up helping them get off the side of the road. They just sit down looking tired when their dad gets back. All three girls panic only to walk into the kitchen, see everything, then just kinda stand their in shock as their dad walks in. They play it off cool and just act like this was all planned. Meanwhile the gems are in basement wtachinga movie, enjoying everything on earth so far. The day ends with the girls watching a bunch of cartoons in the basement with their alien friends.

Time passes and the other following things happen that are I think are pretty fun.

Diane finds out what a bug is by somehow finding a bee and deciding to poke it while it was laying on the ground. Long story short she poofed once it stung her. She has been scared of human bugs ever since even though the girls assured her not all bugs were that bad.

Meliodas tried cooking all on his own. The food looked amazing but, well it tasted worse than what you would imagine. So the girls tried to help him learn to cook, he never improved.

King discovers body pillows. He claims one in the basement and never lets it go. He will literally carry it around the house when he feels like it just so he can take a nap.

Ban tries alcohol after the girl's father brings so home and hates how it tastes. So he gets drunk for an entire afternoon. This leads to the girls trying to hide a drunk man around their house all day.

Veronica goes on a few more dates. Nothing monumental but, it leads to her describing what a date is to the gems. Of course they decide to try this date stuff out and take each other out on a date to the bakery Margret works in downtown. It's rather funny to watch since they're obviously trying but, still have no idea what a date is, just what you do on it. Minus the kissing of course. Yet, once Gilthunder tells them that some dates involve that, Meliodas actually ask Ban what that is since he hasn't known any thee gems that would have kissed before. The whole thing is just entertaining to watch.

King finds out about what fusion is from Diane. He makes it his personal mission to be the first person to fuse with her.he tries to learn how to dance which kinda works...like he knows how to spin now. He just kinda doesn't know anything else.

The gems join in on the girl's game night. This ends up with Meliodas storming off, Diane being grumpy in a corner, king napping, Veronica yelling swears at Margret, Margert yelling loudly at her sister, Ban yelling at them both to shut up, Gilthunder sitting in the corner awkwardly and Elizabeth racing after Meliodas to try and calm him down. While they're arguing Gil slowly slides away the game of monopoly. Then he begs to play another game. Yet, pictornary ends up the same, jsut with different people screaming. Uno ends with King trying to beat the crap out of Ban for cheating. Candyland ends with glares at Diane who somehow won even though she doesn't know how to play. Go fish ends up with Elizabeth jooking around about how much she won. Finally they all find they can play the game of life together without it all exploding. The whole thing was just so tiring that Gil just fell asleep while everyone was getting along.

The girls try to show the gems what books are like. This ends up with King liking short stories, Ban liking a book he keeps hiding but, is a romance novel their grandmother used to own..or st least they're sure it is, Meliodas loved reading fanstay books and Diane reading very gore horror stories as well as manga. The manga makes sense but,the gore horror she seems to love a lot more for some unknown reason.

The girls try to show the gems horror movies. Ban kinda likes them. King hates them and hides behind which gem is closest to him, which is always Diane. Diane absolutely loves them. Meliodas on the other hand, he says he liked them but, he hid the entire time into Elizabeth side, covering his ears everytime there was a loud scream. It was like he was remembering something but, he never brought it up. So she never really talked about it.

The gems discover video games. Meliodas is pretty good at them, king is surpsingly good at them, ban...At least he's trying and Diane is kinda good at them.

Meliodas and Elizabeth fuse a lot more in Privatein the words by themselves. The only one who knows is Ban who takes it upon himself to learn more about the fusion.

Big moment:

A new girl's moves in down the street. She's Elizabeth's age but, she's rather sickly. Like she's lost a lot of weight and hair so the girls know it's something serious. Yet, Elizabeth some how befriends her. Which is a big deal. After all this is the first girl she's ever befriended that her sisters don't know. The gems however aren't sure how to feel about her. Since she moved it they need to stay inside more. King loves it, everyone else doesn't like it as much.

Anyways this all comes down to Elizabeth coming over to the girl's house. The girl panics and close the door, yelling at someone before bringing Elizabeth inside. They hangout for a while before Elizabeth does to the bathroom. Once she's done, the power goes out, which she finds odd. She starts feeling around for a light switch and instead has her hand rested against something. The light come back on showing a slightly purple gem.

"Who might you be?" He asks curiously, eyes glowing making Elizabeth scream so loud that the gems can hear her across the street.

Meliodas so break into the house and rushes to Elizabeth. He however soon comes face to face with another gem. He meets Gunther, one of their old friend. Nadja meanwhile is trying to calm Elizabeth down while her partner just stands there looking confused, wondering what the hell is going on much like she is.

#reblogs welcome #seven deadly gems #gem au #original au #seven deadly sins au #meliodas #ban #nnt diane #king #steven universe

[leadkiss]

disenchantment prompts: season one

[+]  —  feel free to adjust wording, pronouns, etc.

1x01: “A PRINCESS, AN ELF AND A DEMON WALK INTO A BAR”

“I’m actually hoping for death. Thanks, though!" "I thought that I’d get married for true love or because I was wasted." "First off, not a ghost. Ghosts are losers that got murdered. I’m a demon." "Your whining really turns me on." "I wanna taste something other than sweetness." "I’d rather die a big death than live a small life." "You know that little voice in your head that tells you to do the right thing? I’m the guy yelling over it." "I never said I’m your friend." "Well, I like war, but I wouldn’t say I love it." "Times when you really shouldn’t are exactly when you really should." "I was raised by a pack of drinking buddies and I came out perfect." "I’m not here to answer cat questions." "I’ve never had a nightmare. Is this one?" "Cool night air, sky full of stars. This sucks. How much further?" "Hey, he’s making fun of my dreams! That’s what friends do!" "You can sleep down by my feet. I call it the friend zone." "Pardon my language, but destiny is baloney!”

1x02: “FOR WHOM THE PIG OINKS”

“You don’t scare me. I was born scared!” “Your cruddy life is worth living! And so is mine, if you live.” “I know. It felt weird when I said it.” “I don’t see anyone else storming your castle, princess.” “Uh, you know what? I’m just not comfortable with murder.” “Selfish? Maybe. But cruel? Eh, also maybe.” “I must admit, the quantity blood exceeded my expectations.” “That’s not fair! You’re playing to your strengths and not mine!”

1x03: “THE PRINCESS OF DARKNESS”

“What a naughty night we had.” “May I interest you in a joy ride?” “Get ready. Next week, we’re going to try arson.” “You know they prey on the weak in prison? At least, I intend to.” “I’m kinda scared to try this. Will you peer pressure me?” “That is the most fun I’ve ever had without remembering a single moment of it.” “Trust me! I haven’t led you astray in minutes.” “I guess I’m gonna do this, unless someone talks me out of it.” “If I spend any more time with my family they’re going to start asking me why I’m not married.” “This is not good for my hangover.” “Great, you’re gonna make me be the good guy? Ugh, I hate that.” “Like I said on our first date, nothing could be worse than this.”

1x04: “CASTLE PARTY MASSACRE”

“You doing anything weird in here I said “no” about?” “Just making murder plans with my cat.” “If I find so much as a misplaced hair when I come back, I’ll cut off your arm.” “Dude. Decide what you want, drink ‘til you have the nerve to go for it, then keep drinking so the inevitable rejection doesn’t hurt so bad.” “I didn’t know you were interesting.” “Let’s make this night so legendary they caution children about it.” “I’m gonna march up and say something I’ll have figured out by the time I get there.” “Nice! She drank her way out of depression like a pro.”

1x05: “FASTER, PRINCESS! KILL! KILL!”

“You have got to learn to read the room.” “How dare you bring logic into God’s house?” “You know, I would have left willingly!” “Sorry. I’m done threatening you.” “This ain’t about my impulse control.” “You’re a good-for-nothing, and you’re good at nothing.” “Just remember, this job is easier than it looks.” “Every time I turn my head away, something bad happens.” “I would not kiss me right now.” “If you’re gonna crawl back, can I ride you like a horse?” “Are you crazy or under a curse?” “I’m not sure I can do this. I’ve never killed anyone before. (Who wasn’t trying to kill me first. Or bother me. Or marry me.)” “This is a goddamn solemn occasion so shut the hell up, all right?” “What is wrong with you? It’s like you WANT me to cut your head off.” “Every time that girl gets a little responsibility somebody winds up alive.” “I suck. The only thing I’m good at is sitting on this rock and crying.” “I’m confused. Does he want to die?” “I like this, but as a friend.” “All right, the creepy laughter has to stop before we can have a real conversation.” “You did it. You finally killed someone intentionally. I’m so proud of you.”

1x06: “SWAMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE” 

“It’s drunk and I’m late. We better sneak in quietly.” “Oh floor, you’re always there for me. So supportive. Not like walls and staircases, always getting in my way.” “I’d like to have a role to play in your life. I’m tired of feeling useless.” “You’re a great writer! I read your diary.” “I’ll bring you what you deserve.” “Hey, I’m an enabler. There’s a big difference.” “Just once can we go on a family vacation without having to run away screaming?” “I hope you can sense my sarcasm through your drunken haze.” “See, this is why I always tell you not to try things.”

1x07: “LOVE’S TENDER RAMPAGE” 

“If you could be any mythical creature, what would it be?” “We should go home before we pass out in the street. Again.” “I haven’t lived long enough to give up on my dreams yet.” “I can’t believe he stuck to his story no matter how hard I laughed.” “Why would I do you any favors?” “Don’t try to be my friend.” “What are you coming to me for? We don’t got that kind of relationship.” “Make room on the dance floor, cause I’m full of shrimp and I need to lay down.” “What can I say? I’m attracted to people who are good at their job.” “None of this would’ve happened if you’d just told the truth!” “I lied because I was too insecure to admit I tried to kiss you.”

1x08: “THE LIMITS OF IMMORTALITY” 

"Entertainment is just a tool that pacifies the masses and leads to the decay and ultimate collapse of civilization. Let's clap along!" "I prefer to stay safe the old fashioned way: running like a coward." "I'd rather die than listen to this." "Immortality is a curse. When life is endless, so is everything else." "What part of "no thanks" do you not understand?" "I didn't save you so much as you fell on me." "Unlike other villains, I shan't be telling you my plan. Good day." "I am all about the easy way." "Eh, I've beheld better." "Now the only pain is humiliation." "Forty-five years of necromancing have led me to this moment." "See you in hell, weirdo!" "You know, I'm profoundly lonely, but I think you should leave."

1x09: “TO THINE OWN ELF BE TRUE”

"Where is the monster I married?" "I'm not a god. I'm not even a healthy man." "We lost him, but cured his headache." "How can you keep messing up a recipe with two ingredients?" "Lying to me in any other way but flattery is a mortal crime!" "You know, I just realized something: You're the reason I have a drinking problem." "Nice typical reaction, Mr. Predictable." "I wish you the best of luck embarrassing some other kingdom." "I found him! Wait a minute. It's just three quarters of a dead raccoon." "You do realize you're still hitting me?" "Hey, hey, hey. Slow down, champ. Oh, god I'm turning into my bartender." "You're never gonna be whole until you figure out who you really are, and there's only one way to find the answer." "I can't go home! It'll wreck my image as a total badass." "I smell cocoa, caramel and conformity." "I owe you an apology. Relatively speaking, you're a badass." "It's times like this I wish I had 3,000 fists." "I'll be watching. And judging. And generalizing." "I've been meaning to—but the thing is, I—so you see—well, I'm glad we had this talk. How about you talk now?" "I'm down to my second to last emergency flask, so let's have a toast." "I was waiting to tell you until after I was dead, so I wouldn't have to tell you." "Hey! Nobody calls me [name] except my best friends, and my worst enemies." "Ah, screw team spirit." "It's okay. I always wanted to go out when I was still young and hot." "Oh, man. If this is sadness, I don't like it one bit." "Nothing you can do can fix this!" "I don't even think it's real. It’s just some myth in a book." "You lied to me and betrayed me! Get out!" "Well, hey, good thing is, I swiped the only thing he cares about." "That's gotta make you feel a little better, right?" "Sorry, it's just... you have snot, like, all over your face." "Just close your eyes and don't think too much." 

1x10: “DREAMLAND FALLS”

"I had to choose you." "Thank you for your kind gasps." "They taught me the fine art of stabbing." "It's just too painful seeing the truth all the time." "I blame myself, cause I didn't even notice." "I'm much more embarrassed than I am aroused." "Ha! I foresee trouble in someone's future." "What a horrific day you've had. Let's have too much wine and forget about it all." "I can't believe I'm reduced to talking to you." "It's gonna be another long, lonely night." "How did you get like this?" "Pour a drink, light a cigar, and hand 'em both to me." "This is where I come to clear my head. Or to sleep it off." "It's almost like you were never away." "Can you steer my stumbles in the direction of the bed?" "I have to take action. I hate action!" "My clothes are really heavy. Can we have this conversation sitting down?" "I used to spend many nights up here, watching the stars, the moon, the neighbors." "The truth has been right under your nose the whole time." "You know, we could've just gone to marriage counseling." "I do know how to pick 'em, don't I?" "I should be the one killing everyone. I should be the one creeping everyone out." "It was the only way to get you to stop talking." "I guess the only bright side is, now I got nothing left to lose."

#rp memes #rp meme #rp prompts #rp prompt #i dunnit #bean memes. #&. that sounds like a gamble to me. ( memes ) #&. prompts. #long post // #disenchantment prompts

[onceland]

Once Upon a Time stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas talk the end of an era

x

Josh Dallas stands in front of a massive war room table, his Prince Charming rallying the troops in a last-ditch effort to prevent a great evil from stealing their happy endings. A combination of old guard and new from Once Upon a Time’s seven-season run sits before him.

“A new generation has joined the fight,” Dallas says in his most Charming tenor, nodding in the direction of Alice (Rose Reynolds), Robin (Tiera Skovbye), Henry (Andrew J. West), and Ella (Dania Ramirez). “Enemies have become friends,” he continues, looking to Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Zelena (Rebecca Mader). Charming concludes by addressing the presence of Wish Realm Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) as a new friend who feels like an old one. Once Upon a Time is days away from completing production on the final episode of the series, but everyone has gathered for his and real-life wife Ginnifer Goodwin’s final day on set.

The moment is charged as Charming reveals they’ve uncovered final villain Wish Realm Rumplestiltskin’s (Robert Carlyle) ultimate plan. Goodwin’s Snow White signals the Black Knights to bring in a stack of personalized storybooks — but so does Charming. They’re both trying to have their characters take the lead. When Dallas also does the signal during their third take of the scene, Goodwin can’t help but break character, ribbing her husband: “You can’t not do that, can you?” Mader cuts in with a laugh: “That’s called marriage.”

While OUAT has depicted Snow and Charming’s epic love story since the show’s launch in 2011, fans also got to watch their portrayers fall in love. The duo, who began dating while filming the show, got married in April 2014. They welcomed their first child a month later and their second in June 2016. Though Goodwin and Dallas left the show at the end of season 6, the two will return for the upcoming series finale, which airs over two weeks starting this Friday and concluding May 18. EW hit the set on the couple’s final day of filming to talk about the show’s legacy. [Editor’s note: The interviews took place separately, but were stitched together.]

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: As you head into your final day of production, how are you feeling right now? GINNIFER GOODWIN: Oh my gosh, I’m a mess. Leaving a show was a really tough decision, but one that we spent years making. … It involved a lot of discussing child rearing with our showrunners, because we really wanted to be spending more time with the kids. We really needed to start Ollie in school — we had gotten him into a school in Los Angeles. But anyways, we had decided that that was what was best for our family. Though a difficult decision, it was one that we were very confident about. We left celebrating. I realized in coming back and having had the show decide to tell its final story in this final episode, that I had always counted on this show as being here — I always counted on my being able to return, sort of like when we all go off to college, we know that home is still home. Now knowing that home is being obliterated, as it were, that the sets will be torn down, I’ve been really overly emotional. I have been crying for the past 24 hours. It doesn’t help that the scenes, of which we are part, are classic Once Upon a Time scenes. They’re inspiring. The word “hope” is batted around an awful lot, so it is very nostalgic feeling. I’m definitely mourning the loss. I wish that it could just go on forever and that we always knew that it would be here when we’re homesick.

JOSH DALLAS: It feels surreal to be back, but also wonderful. I’m so grateful that I was part of the fabric of Once Upon a Time, a show that seemed to touch a chord in so many people and had a fan base that is so passionate, so smart, so vocal, and so willing to go along on the ride with us. It will always be a great thrill in my life that I was part of Once Upon a Time, and I got to play this character, and hopefully show a different side of this character to people, and show you things that you didn’t know about him. And hopefully, the show inspired. It’s a show about hope and it’s a show about how it’s your actions that define who you are. You’re not either all good or all bad. It’s about your choices that make your character. Saying goodbye to it is bittersweet, but I’m so grateful.

Ginnifer, what does it mean to you to have had a strong female character like Snow White brought into a new era? GOODWIN: It’s amazing that, honestly, these guys wrote a truly female-driven show. I mean, they began years before we joined the fray in 2011. It was instrumental then in my choosing to take part. I was coming off of a female-heavy show [Big Love]. I was coming off of a show that was written in which the roles for women were very strong, but to come on to a show that was female-driven, and by the way written by men, was important to me. The way that women were depicted in this show, it was brave of the men to write them so bravely. It’s wild to me, also in the current climate, in talking about television, that it hasn’t been highlighted that Once Upon A Time has always done this. [Showrunners Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis] both come from very strong relationships with very strong women. Those have been definitely celebrated on screen in their writing.

Can you talk about the oddity of playing Jennifer Morrison’s mother for years when you’re basically the same age? GOODWIN: Yeah, I know. There’s always sort of this safety net of, “We are fairy-tale characters, and therefore we are ageless.” Colin’s character, Hook, is supposed to be — I don’t remember how old — hundreds of years? Rumple is hundreds and hundreds of years. In that way, in justifying it in character, it’s always sort of made sense that we could be so similar in look and in spirit. As an actor, we’ve only really felt old in realizing that this next generation that we’re representing today really did graduate from college like a minute ago, like they really could be our children. That’s what’s made us feel old.

And Josh, what has it meant to you to play Prince Charming? DALLAS: It’s meant everything to me. It changed my life as well as other people’s lives, our fans’ lives. It’s meant everything to me. It did change my life and helped create my family, my own family at home. Like I said, I’m just forever grateful to be part of it.

What do you think it was about Once Upon a Time that made it last this long? GOODWIN: The show is so optimistic, while being really realistic. These characters were all extraordinary, but we can see ourselves in them. I think that the part of us that wants to escape, can. We can disappear into their stories. I feel like everyone can find not just one, but probably several characters that they relate to, and whom they would want to be. But at the same time, these characters are really flawed and messy. I think that their feelings are so universal. Yeah, it’s that relatability. I love extraordinary stories that are full of really relatable characters. Who knew that fairy-tale characters could be relatable in any way?

What do you think Once Upon a Time’s legacy will be? DALLAS: I think it will be a show that preached hope. I think that’s the legacy.

GOODWIN: Oh my gosh. Well, I like to think that it was the first of its kind. At the time that we made the pilot, no one was doing anything like this. And I feel like it even pre-empted the swashbuckling princesses on the big screen. It was so new. And I hope that it’s remembered as being groundbreaking. And I hope, as we’re discussing, that it’s remembered as being representative of the strongest kinds of complex and beautiful women. And I hope that there is enough love for the show that we do reunion specials along the way.

What was the most poignant fan interaction you’ve had because of this show? DALLAS: There really has been so many. I’ve been so humbled and grateful that there have been so many. Many people coming up saying how Once got them through a rough time or how it inspired them to love better, to hate better, to do everything better, and to know that they’re not alone. I’ve heard that from several different people. Those are always memorable.

GOODWIN: I feel like, more than it being about anything that’s been said, having fans not just come to Comic-Con, but show up in Vancouver on location dressed as our characters, has been truly amazing to me. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the fact that people relate to it to that extent I find to be powerful. The show’s been fun, and it has been meaningful to me because of what I’ve gotten from the scripts, and also because of the relationships that I have formed on set. The fact is that my entire real life has blossomed because of this show. Early on, to see that the show meant that much, that people went to that extent in representing the characters, made me really take what we’re doing here more seriously. And then, I could not respect more that the creators also took that seriously and really have listened to the fans over the years, and really have written the show for the fans. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of something where there was that kind of focus. I mean, there’s always been a need, obviously, to draw in viewers. And I don’t mean monetarily, I mean just in general what we do, we want people to need us. We need to be needed. But to have a show that’s written on or of the public, I find to be really special.

Do you have any regrets about leaving the show when you did? DALLAS: No. None at all, none at all. It’s always worked out. It’s worked out the way that I hoped it would. I’m forever grateful for our time on it, and when we left, it was time. It was time for us to go.

How would you describe the finale and how it compares to past OUAT season enders? DALLAS: The series finale compared to all the other finales is special because it is the last one, and it’s emotional like true Once Upon a Time style, but it’s also satisfying because it again comes full circle and ties everything together. I think it will leave our viewers and our fans so happy that they invested their time and their hearts into watching our show.

GOODWIN: I will say that, for the Evil Queen, there is a definitive change in this episode in what she really reveals she has learned, what she has taken to heart. I find it to be so powerful that I cried. That’s part of why I cried all through yesterday.

What brings Snow and Charming back into the fold? DALLAS: They get a message that Henry is in a tight situation and needs some help, so they do what any great grandparents would do that know how to use a sword and a bow and arrow, and they come to help out. They come to help out and rally the troops.

GOODWIN: I will say that I don’t really know what they’ve been up to. I mean, they’ve been in retirement. I think there have been a lot of lazy Sundays. What we do see is longer Snow hair. We don’t really know what has happened to them, but we know that they have gotten the message that they are needed, and they have answered the call.

How do you feel about the ending for your characters and how it comes full circle to the beginning of the series? GOODWIN: The pitch for the whole show was, “What would a world look like in which the Evil Queen got her happy ending?” And we feel that we’ve finally figured out what that would look like. Josh and I talked in the few minutes we were still awake after yesterday, we talked and talked about what an honor it was to be part of her happy ending. It was beyond satisfying. It was emotional, it was thrilling. It was dreamy. It’s where we always hoped it would go, but it has taken the Evil Queen … like her journey has been so dramatic. That circle has been so dramatic and she’s gone so far, she’s grown so much, that to see the fruits of the writers’ labors was really satisfying. I can’t imagine the fans won’t gobble it up.

DALLAS: It was really emotional, actually. The story began with Snow and the Evil Queen and Charming. We’re ending it with Snow, the Evil Queen, and Charming. The idea that Regina gets her happy ending is really emotional, that it’s finally come full circle, [it shows that] you just gotta keep at it and you have to keep believing.

GOODWIN: I love that the ending is open-ended. I feel that even our coming back just exemplifies the fact that nothing is ever over. Despite my devastation that we are ending the show in general, I do feel like we’re leaving it in a way that we could do those specials we discussed, that we could come back in five years, in 10 years, and revisit this. I fantasize about a special miniseries we could do — streaming, I don’t know. I think the revisitation is appropriate. This is the epitome of a Once Upon a Time episode, this is an old-school, nostalgic Once Upon a Time episode.

Can you talk about the importance of sending a message that anyone can get a happy ending? DALLAS: I think it’s so important to send that message, particularly in this day and age when we have so much negative-seeming in the world, and to know that you do have a second chance, that you can have redemption, is super-powerful. I think if you go through life and you don’t believe you can do that, it’s pretty bleak. I feel like Once Upon a Time can shine a little bit of lightness in the dark.

GOODWIN: I just know it to be true. I am dead-certain that Snow White is right, that hope is the magical ingredient in the potion. That is, everyone can find love, everyone can find happiness. Dreams are achievable. And the hope speech in the pilot, Mary Margaret’s hope speech, was what sealed the deal for me in the first place.

What are you doing to take away from this experience? DALLAS: Total gratitude.

Do you have a different affinity for fairy-tale characters after your experiences on OUAT? GOODWIN: My fairy-tale affinity/Disneyphilia is probably a bit stronger. It was part of the appeal in the first place because I love that whole world, these whole worlds. But yeah, I would say that it definitely hasn’t burned me out, it’s definitely fed the addiction.

If you could open up a new chapter of Once Upon a Time 10 years later, what would you want it to be about? GOODWIN: Yes! Well, we’ve been joking about the line Charming has today about the new generation that’s joined the fray, and we do have an opportunity, because of our agelessness — though it has made us feel very old today, that line. I’d like to think that we would be able to because all of the realms represent generation after generation after generation of magically infused beings. Yeah, just keep introducing more. I mean, I would love to have Snow White come back and fight alongside her great-great-granddaughter.

DALLAS: I hope there’s more adventures. I hope there’s just more adventures and these characters still keep trying to figure life out. I think that never ends for anybody, not just these characters, just anybody. You’re always trying to figure it out. I hope they still are pushing forward and they’re still growing and they’re still going on adventures.

You both have pilots in contention for the fall — Josh on NBC’s Manifest and Ginnifer on ABC’s Steps. GOODWIN: Yes, I cannot leave the Disney company, obviously. I did a play after we wrapped last year, after Once Upon a Time wrapped. And then my husband and I both took the fall off, and the winter, and we both just shot pilots, and mine is again with ABC. This one shoots in Los Angeles, which was the vital thing for us as a family in terms of keeping our kids in school, and why we left the show last year in the first place. So yes, ABC found for me yet again a magical life on another ABC show.

Once Upon a Time’s series finale will air over two weeks, kicking off this Friday at 8 p.m. ET and concluding Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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