#ic || fulcrum | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

iftheresaproblem-whatever · 7 months

Text

STAR WARS DOESN’T LIKE LGBTQ+ MEN?

(A SHORT FAN ESSAY)

First and foremost. I’m REALLY enjoying the ‘Ahsoka’ series and I can’t wait to see how episode 8 plays out.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing some of my favourite characters, old and new, translated so beautifully to live action.

Almost…all of them.

As of today, there is 1 episode left. 1 episode left of ‘Ahsoka’. Otherwise known as the “sequel” to the Animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’.

Yet, 2 crucial characters from the aforementioned series, are nowhere to be seen in this series.

We have been very fortunate to see the Ghost Crew, consisting of Hera Syndulla, her son Jacen, Chopper, Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger make appearances in the series.

We were doubly fortunate to see Anakin Skywalker again in his true form, appearing in a greater capacity than I could have predicted, which was amazing.

Grand Admiral Thrawn has also returned in glorious fashion, portrayed by the very actor who provided the voice for him in ‘Rebels.’

We’ve seen countless appearances from characters from Loth cats to C3PO in our most recent viewing excursion.

However, the only characters missing from the series are Captian Garazeb ‘Zeb’ Orrelios, and (Agent) Alexsandr Kallus.

For those who might not know, Zeb is the ‘muscle’ of the Ghost Crew, who sadly had his planet and people destroyed by the Galactic Emprie. He believed to be the last of his species, until he discovered the secret home world of Lira San, where an entire planet of his kind live and thrive.

Agent (Alexsandr) Kallus is an ISB agent who aided the Empire in the destruction of Zeb’s home world and people. Not only that, it is revealed that he has trauma and survivors guilt because of a rouge Lasat mercenary that worked for Saw Garrera, resulting in the death of his friends on his first unit and the hardening of his heart.

During the series, the two share an episode where they crash land on the ice moon of Bahryn, where they work together to survive and learn a bit more about each other. In the fandom, the entire experience, atmosphere, the relationship between the two men and the episode, as a whole, is regarded as very homo erotic.

As the series progressed, because of his experience with Zeb, Kallus quietly changes his heart and allegiance to the Rebels and acts as a double agent under the code name ‘Fulcrum’. Eventually, escaping the Empire, he joins the Rebellion and fights alongside the ghost crew to liberate Lothal.

During the epilogue of the series, it is revealed, that after the war, Zeb had brought Kallus to live with him and his people on the hidden Lasat home world of Lira San. Zeb reveals that Kallus hadn’t destroyed his people. His people even accept Kallus as one of their own kind, in an astonishing act of forgiveness, despite his transgressions against their species.

In doing so, Zeb gives his mind, soul and heart peace.

Despite how very homo erotic the overall storyline seems, it ultimately started off unintentionally.

Fans expectations of wanting to see the two get together grew more and more in popularity during the course of the shows run. At fan conventions, voice actor Steve Blum, who provided the voice for Zeb, was also very much inclined to agree with the fans that the relationship between the two characters was indeed romantic in nature. He often advocates, to this day, for the two to get together openly, much to the delight of the fans.

Despite the accidental roots of what the fandom refers to as “Kalluzeb”, The shows creator, Dave Filoni, has stated that he is okay with fans shipping the two characters and revealed that the ending for Zeb and Kallus (which was partly the result of Steve Blum’s wishful thinking at ‘Star Wars Celebration 2017’), was left open ended for viewers to decide wether or not the two were a romantic couple or not.

For the next 5 years, that would be enough.

That is until, the announcement of the ‘Ahsoka’ series, and fans were excited to see their favourite rebels on screen once again.

Before the series started, however, Zeb Orrelios made a surprise, 30 second, live action cameo in the 3rd season of “The Mandalorian”. Zeb was seemingly working as a pilot for the Rebellion, donning a blue pilot suit. This lead to fans excitedly speculate that they would see him again in the “Ahsoka” series. This also had them asking the question: Why wasn’t he with Kallus on Lira San?

Over the course of the next few months, trailers would be released for the ‘Ahsoka’ series as well as character announcements at “Star Wars Celebration” in London. In all of these trailers, the only ‘Rebels’ characters missing were Zeb (and Kallus by extension.)

Upon the release of ‘Ahsoka’, as weeks and episodes have gone by, Zeb and Kallus still have not appeared in the series, nor were they even mentioned (until Zeb was mentioned by name in Episode 7). All the while, various characters from ‘Rebels’, ‘Clone Wars’, and even the film series made cameos and took supporting roles in the story, all the while, leaving Zeb and Kallus unaccounted for. Which is unusual, considering that Zeb and Kallus’ story was one of the most crucial plot points in the ‘Rebels’ story, and yet, here they were being left out of the “Rebels sequel”.

At the same time, it’s typical of Star Wars to do exactly this.

In the original run of ‘Rebels’, Zeb, as a character, was often overlooked and underdeveloped in terms of plot and character development. Originally intended as the comedic relief, it’s safe to say, in Season 1, not much was planned for the character. Season 2 however, is where Zeb truly has his chance to shine. From Saving Ezra and Sabine from Inquisitiors, to finding his secret home planet of Lira San, discovering he’s part of a prophecy and surviving and understanding his worst enemy turned ally, Kallus. It truly is his best season in the shows run.

In seasons 3 and 4, Zeb’s storyline was left pretty much underdeveloped and overshadowed by other plots such as the Jedi storylines, the Maul arc, Hera’s ascension through the ranks of the Rebellion, Sabine’s family conflict on Mandalore and the Liberation of Ezra’s home planet of Lothal. Zeb’s only notable story after season 2, was in the episode “WarHead” in which he was left alone to guard the base with Chopper and AP5, while the others leave to do exercises with recruits in space, almost demonstrating my point exaclty; Zeb gets left behind a lot. The episode made little to no impact on the overall narrative of the story. The only significance being that Thrawn gains a slightly better knowledge of where the Rebel base might be.

If anything, Agent Kallus’ storyline acts as a Zeb storyline extension as it was his kindness that inclines Kallus to change allegiances throughout the course of season 3.

Due to a shorter episode count in season 4, little time was spent on either Zeb or Kallus as the story had to reach its conclusion in a short matter of time. The one saving grace, is that both Zeb and Kallus had several great moments in the finale episode, resulting in their “open to interpretation”LGBTQ ending.

With the previous points in question, it has lead me to believe, that Star Wars might be trying to retcon their “maybe they are, many they’re not”LGBTQ ending and eradicate the possibility of Zeb and Kallus being in a same sex relationship in favour of “straight washing” them.

It wouldn’t be the first time it has happened.

Previously, the characters Poe Dameron and Finn from the Star Wars Sequel Series were supposed to be in a romantic relationship, but Disney never went ahead with it due to fear of loss of box office financial success from less open minded countries. (Which personally, I think is a stupid ass reason, but I digress.) In the past, any LGBTQ characters in Star Wars were often background extras that were on screen for 3 seconds or goofy comedic side characters. Only recently did the franchise include a lesbian couple in the series “Andor”, but all the same, we have yet to see two men in a same sex relationship that are leading characters and not being played for laughs. Lesser minded “fans” also often try discourage any LGBTQ content of any kind in Star Wars and will argue that Zeb and Kallus are just “best buddies”. (Because it’s totally straight to bring your “best buddy” to live with you on your highly secret home planet where your species accepts a human as one of their own kind…Yeah. TOTALLY straight.) To which I say, we’ve seen PLENTY of male friendships in Star Wars and LGBTQ people are not going anywhere, so I strongly suggest those “fans” and their fragile insecurities cop on and cop on FAST.

Only time will tell what happens to Zeb and Kallus as we head in to the final episode of ‘Ahsoka’, but my gut instincts say that we might be seeing history repeat itself. However, with the time passed since 2018, the change in LGBTQ visibility in media over the last half a decade, and the fact that ‘Ashoka’ is not constrained to the barrier of “children’s cartoon” as ‘Rebels’ was, I also chose to remain somewhat optimistic that the canonisation of my favourite Star Wars couple comes to be.

AUTHORS NOTE:

In a surprising twist, whilst writing this essay, the official Star Wars account mentioned the term “Kalluzeb” by name in a promotional video, seemingly giving validation to the canonisation of Zeb and Kallus as a romantic couple. Whilst this is very exciting for the fandom, we must also be sure to hold Star Wars to the mark that they deliver on this name drop.

Putting it simply; No take backs.

FanEdit95.

#star wars rebels #star wars #kalluzeb #agent kallus #zeb orrelios #alexsandr kallus #garazeb orrelios #ahsoka series #lgbtq

69 notes · View notes

antianakin · 5 months

Note

I find it really interesting that you don’t like kallus at all bc say what you will about fulcrum or kalluzeb but he’s the first ex-/imperial character that we saw on screen who wasn’t already defected when we met him. Like obvs you’ve got Han and Sabine who started off in the academy and then left bc they realised in wasn’t what they wanted and tala who’s already a mole for the path by the time she’s on screen but most other characters we interact with regularly and significantly either stay imperial or have never been one as far as we know. And I think that watching kallus’ arc play out as he realises that no the empire isn’t worth it actually and it is worse and the rebels he’s fighting and trying to capture are better and are the good guys is just so fascinating to watch. If anakin’s arc in tcw and the prequels is about him getting worse and worse and making all the wrong choices again and again then kallus’s overarching storyline is about learning that actually his choices were wrong and he is the villain and he needs to accept that and try to do better as best he can. Ymmv on how well it was executed (and I do think there are parts that could have been done so much better) but the bare bones are there (and also I do love the interactions he has with kanan and Ezra post defection pre extraction where they’re like “this guy 😤” and are doing things like throwing him through glass screens to cover for him bc hey! They’re helping and they get to be a bit petty about it bc they still don’t like him and he just. Has to put up with it bc he’s on their side now and they are technically helping him)

I don’t know I just think it’s a pretty interesting arc to follow and I do think that however clumsily handled (again ymmv on how clumsily), the idea in his character of “it’s not too late to change and to choose to do better, you can unlearn your prejudice and biases and you can always start trying to do good no matter who you are” is a really important message that feels like Star Wars yk

(Side note: I just wanted to add that I love the anakin salt and the pro Jedi posts. I always pop around your blog when I’ve seen a few too many “he’s misunderstood” takes for my own good and it’s really cathartic to see someone else point out he sucks in new ways I hadn’t yet considered. I also find your Ahsoka takes super interesting bc most other things I see either just straight up do not like her or think she’s perfect where I always fell in the middle of “she’s interesting and narratively seems to be there to point out how anakin could have been if he’d made different choices since their flaws are so similar” ❤️❤️❤️)

This probably should have been split into two asks but I’ve written it all out now and my break is over so I guess it’s going to be one

Hi! I'm glad my blog helps provide you an area to just feel a little bitter sometimes when fandom gets hard, that's exactly why I made it for myself, just an escape when I'm starting to forget why I like this stuff sometimes and I just need to get rid of some of the bitterness.

I'm not against the IDEA of an Imperial character who turns against the Empire, of watching an Imperial character start to learn better and change sides. I promise I'm not!

I just think it shouldn't have been Kallus. I don't personally believe that they had a redemption arc in mind for Kallus when they were writing him in the first season at all. I don't know when the idea first got brought up for the writers, but it doesn't really seem to be one they had in mind in early season 2, either, so it just comes out of NOWHERE in that episode with Zeb where they get stuck in the ice. And the side effect of this lack of set up means that they really were writing Kallus as an irredeemable villain. He led a genocide against Zeb's people, he laughs at Zeb about being a survivor, he uses one of the Lasat's weapons as a trophy he took from that genocide. He turns against one of his own fellow officers at the end of season 1/beginning of season 2 when Tarkin and Vader show up and want someone to answer for their failure on Lothal. He helps lead Tua to her death and SMILES about the whole thing. Tua's death could've been a way to begin that journey, give him a crack in the wall where he feels doubt about what they're doing, but it DOESN'T, it just makes him MORE of a fanatic.

So when you get to that episode with Zeb in the ice, all of the sudden you have to take Kallus at his word that he DIDN'T lead the genocide he's already been saying he led, that he DIDN'T steal the Lasat weapon he already said he stole, that he totally had a sorta sympathetic reason for wanting an entire group of people eliminated from the galaxy, and that he apparently cares about having friends in the Empire. This isn't just a retcon of his backstory, it's a retcon of his CHARACTER. And they have to "all lives matter" the entire situation to do it by having him point out that Zeb judges all Imperials the same (and sees them all as enemies) which is somehow equivalent to Kallus judging an entire SPECIES for the actions of ONE PERSON and choosing to go genocide the entire species as a result. That's not just clumsy, that's OFFENSIVE. This is one of the WORST written episodes of Star Wars I have ever seen, which is saying something since I've seen the Ahsoka show and the Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3.

I think my major issue with Kallus's "arc", beyond the offensiveness of the retcon of his entire character, is that it isn't really an arc at all. It's ONE episode. The next time we even SEE Kallus, he's already willing to help Sabine escape from the Empire and then season 3 goes on to basically tell us he's been acting as a spy most of the season now. We DON'T actually get to see that arc for Kallus, he spends a few hours in the ice with Zeb and that's all it takes to turn him against the Empire really. The few times he shows up in-between don't do a lot to really emphasize a JOURNEY he's going on, he's just already on the side of the rebels and trying to push back against the Empire. And he fucking SUCKS at it, too. They have to come rescue his ass TWICE because he wasn't good enough at being a spy to not get caught and then he has the fucking GALL to think he's thrown off Thrawn and refuses to run when Kanan and Ezra risk their necks to save him which is what directly leads to Chopper Base being discovered. So not only is his redemption "arc" barely there anyway, he's an awful rebel and an awful spy.

This is why I keep arguing that it should've been PRYCE to be the Imperial defector. She isn't introduced to the story until season 3, and so her character is basically a big blank slate. They'd MENTIONED her, but all we knew is that she was the governor of the planet or something and she was gone on Coruscant dealing with stuff. This and the fact that she has an ACTUAL connection to Lothal by being FROM THE PLANET gives her a really really excellent pathway towards turning on the Empire. Maybe she sided with the Empire because she genuinely believed it would help save them from what everyone else suffered by fighting back. Maybe she was promised certain advantages if she sided with the Empire that they could show haven't been kept. Let her CARE about Lothal and its people just enough for her to have a REASON to turn against the Empire and see its truth.

It's one of the other reasons I don't like using Kallus, he's not really emotionally connected to any character but Zeb. Turning Kallus does very little for the main characters Ezra and Kanan. If they were going to turn an Imperial character, which IS a fairly big thing to put into a narrative, I feel like it should've impacted the MAIN characters far more than it actually does. Let Ezra, the person whose story is being told here, be a part of the reason that Imperial character turns. Let that journey away from the Empire be something they're actively WORKING on rather than something that primarily happens off screen in Kallus's head.

I think the only reason they chose Kallus for this was because fans already liked him and they couldn't figure out what else to do with him at this point. He's a basically ineffective villain because he keeps having to lose and the only times he "wins" against the crew is when they LET him win by sacrificing themselves or something. And they were already starting to write him out as an antagonist by including Vader, Tarkin, the Inquisitors, and they might've known they were bringing in Thrawn in season 3 (and maybe that Pryce would finally show up) by the time that ice episode was being written. Kallus was becoming irrelevant, but fans enjoyed him so they had to figure out a way to make him relevant moving forward, and so, quick and dirty redemption "arc" so he can move to the rebel side. You'll notice he barely does anything in season 4, though, once he's moved to the rebellion he's just kinda... there. Irrelevant again because he's not actually good enough at anything to be worth having him DO anything important or interesting to the plot.

A LOT of people seem to think Kallus's "redemption" was really well done and I just can't agree. I think it would've been better to take Kallus a different direction, to really have him just succumb to being evil, to become even MORE of a fanatic for the Empire moving forward, and then just pick someone else to be the defected Imperial character. Or they should've had a redemption arc in mind for Kallus from the beginning. Using Tua's death to start the process of doubt in his mind, or having him be the one the Empire turns on would've both worked. They didn't give themselves enough time to really write him a good redemption arc where the reasons for why he turns on the Empire actually feel in character to what we've been told and shown of him so far.

I think if you just... start in season 3 and act like Kallus has HAD a true redemption arc already by season 3, then those scenes work. The humor of the Rebels crew starting to discover Kallus is on their side now and not entirely trusting that and wanting to punt him through a window IS funny! I, too, would like to throw Kallus through a window several times, even perhaps over a cliff or out an airlock. But those scenes come with the context of having seen the first two seasons and feeling the VERY abrupt 180 his character took without the show doing any of the actual work to make his defection seem realistic or reasonable. Season 3 is fine for Kallus, the scenes are funny, etc. But he wasn't actually redeemed yet and neither season 2 nor season 3 do the work to showcase that journey.

And I think that this is likely one of the reasons we DON'T see very many Imperial redemption stories and most of the Imperial defectors we see are already defected when we meet them. You can count Gorn and Taramyn from Andor in this category, as well. It's HARD to take a character who's been set up as violent, selfish, and cruel, and REALLY do the work necessary to turn them around into someone who would genuinely turn on the Empire and join the Rebellion. It's by no means impossible, but it takes a lot of work and a lot of focus on said character. Most of these shows and stories aren't willing to put in that kind of work because they're focusing on someone else who needs their story told instead, so it's easier to just... have someone who's already changed sides.

All of that being said, there IS a character who we've seen go through this arc that I think was done MILES better than Kallus.

Reva Sevander. An Inquisitor (possibly BY CHOICE unlike all of the others who were presumably captured and broken into it) working for the Empire, who DOES do violent and selfish stuff, but who ultimately leaves that behind by the end of the season. Reva, who obviously was written with that turn in mind, and so her tragedy is BAKED into her character from the moment the show begins (we literally start the ENTIRE SHOW with a flashback of Reva at the Temple when Order 66 starts, and the terror of that night). The twist in her character, that she's doing all of this as a way to get closer to Anakin so she can kill him as vengeance for the Jedi, doesn't feel like it comes out of nowhere. It's just always been there FROM THE BEGINNING. Making her an Inquisitor, something Jedi: Fallen Order and some comic books have fleshed out into people who weren't given much choice in becoming monsters, was an expert choice. Using her to parallel and foil Anakin, someone whose primary storyline is that he was a GOOD person who turned bad and still had good in him, also helps her out.

I'd argue Reva hasn't gone on a full "redemption arc" as yet, she's sort-of barely scratched the surface of it, but she does obviously make the choice to STOP going down the path she's on, to turn away from her anger and vengeance, and leaves behind being an Inquisitor and the darkness she'd succumbed to. The reasons for why she does the things she does MAKE SENSE, they're narratively relevant, they're important to the main character of the story she's in, and the writers didn't wait too long to tell us more about her and her motivations. It's expertly done in my opinion.

So while Kallus might have been the first Imperial defector to show up in mainstream Star Wars, he is not the ONLY Imperial character we have seen to turn against the Empire. And yet Kallus gets praise and accolades for being such a great character with such a great character arc, while Reva got panned and critiqued for being unlikable. I wonder what could be the reason behind that.

So I think you and I have fairly similar feelings on this in that the IDEA of a redeemed Imperial character whose journey towards turning on the Empire is actually shown is a GOOD story to tell (with a very Star Wars style message, as you say), but that the way it was done with Kallus was REALLY badly written. You seem to be leaning towards liking the concept enough that the clumsiness of it is outweighed, whereas I hate the clumsy way it was written so much that my positive feelings towards the concept are outweighed.

And I deserve a good Reva show where we get to follow more of her character post-OWK where she still has to work on herself and figure out who she is now that she's left the darkness behind. Finish the arc she's only just started on.

#star wars #reva #reva sevander #anti kallus #anti aleksander kallus #kallus critical #aleksander kallus critical

33 notes · View notes

herbeloved82 · 4 months

Text

Art and Confessions in the Shadow of a Fireplace

Day 2 Prompt, even if late

In a windowless room the only source of light came from the lighted fireplace where aromatic woods burned for hours now, filling the air with their scent. Outside winter was awake and covering the lands with snow and ice. Its reign had begun and no one, not even the blood drinkers could ignore its power.

However, inside, the fireplace casted its orange and red light on the most beautiful piece of art that nature ever created. On the carpet a young man on his knees, his body trapped in ropes the same color of blood and passion.

The ropes began from the middle of his chest to create the first diamond shape. His white skin an evident contrast against their deep color. Between them his nipples were already hard and red, begging for attention that no one gave.

Then the red lines of rope spread like ink all over his body. His arms are tied behind his back and the long lines run along his spine to wrap itself around his swan-like neck. His head is thrown back, so that long auburn curls fall on a cascade around him, like a halo. He’s a fallen angel made only for pleasure and to tempt humanity.

His exposed throat carries fast healing marks left behind by hungry lips and sharp fangs. His half closed eyes, unfocused and veiled, are filled with lust and yet his red mouth doesn’t beg for more. He knows better than that. He knows that as long as he behaves he will have everything he craves and more.

His breath, just barely labored, echoes like thunder in the stillness of the room, a testament of how worked up he is, but it is his hard cock, proudly standing between his parted legs, that is the center and fulcrum of all the attention behind the intricate work of ropes and skin.

Like the rest of him his balls are caged by the firm constriction of the ropes, but the soft material didn’t touch his cock. “You look so beautiful like this.” A silky voice whispered and the young man moaned as a soft blush crept over his cheeks.

Such a beautiful and unexpected reaction to the simplest truth.

“Stay still for me, Armand.” The same voice said again and this time Armand exhaled the air trapped in his lungs in a vain attempt to control himself.

“Master.” He said between clenched teeth, fighting the need to add more, to beg. Not now, he thought. It is too soon.

“You can stay still a little longer, my love. Can’t you?”

The man waited for a small nod of the beloved head before he went back to impress such beauty on a canvas. Even Aphrodite herself would be jealous of Armand, and he knew that. “I - I can, Master.” Armand spat the words out of his mouth like they burned. It was hard, so hard to keep focus on his position and stillness, even after centuries spent training himself to never show emotions, but when Marius was around, Armand would always lose control. He would lose himself. That was what scared him so much when they met again, to lose himself in Marius again, to lose what he had built to keep himself safe.

Now Armand had learned that he could be his true self with Marius, he could allow himself to show vulnerability, to fall even, and Marius would be there to catch him, to shield him from everything and everyone so that he could simply be.

“I know you can, my love. You are so good for me.”

So good. Armand had never been good for anyone. He had been a tool, a weapon used to terrify Paris. A ruler over his coven. He had been useful sometimes. With Louis, to offer him shelter when he couldn’t be with the one he really loved. He had offered a way to rest, and Louis had grabbed it, but back he only offered a part of himself when Armand craved everything. He had been a soldier in the war against Akasha and even a Master to Daniel, but good, that he never was, not for anyone.

Only Marius could undo him with just a word, for good really sounded like Marius was telling him he was enough. Enough to stay, enough to be loved like he craved. Armand whimpered, a loud and acute sound, and tears of blood stained the corners of his eyes with their presence.

“Armand?” Marius called. “Is everything okay?” It was just a simple question, and yet Armand felt his voice shake with shame and rage when he answered, knowing he couldn’t lie to Marius, not in this scenario.

“Amadeo.” He whispered. Only to say it aloud just a second later.

Marius dropped the brush and in a moment he was near Armand, on his knees so that he could look him in the eyes. Never before he heard Armand’s safeword during a scene.

His hands loomed over the ropes, ready to slash them to free Armand, but the moment his cold skin brushed against the central knots, Armand panicked even more and tried to scoot away from Marius.

“Armand?” He asked again, his voice soothing even if full of worries.

When Armand looked at him again he saw confusion in his bright eyes and bit down at the supple flesh of his lip. Usually during scenes he wasn’t supposed to talk if not to answer Marius’ direct questions, however he didn’t know if he could use so little words now.

“Can I talk, Master? Can we talk?”

The worry inside Marius morphed into something else and he hardened his expression while nodding his head yes. It was clear Armand needed his Master now, he needed everything that Marius was to him.

Armand looked at him, his eyes searching Marius’ very soul for something, anything that would tell him his lover was upset, but when he only read acceptance in his eyes, he dared to ask for one more thing.

“I - I would like to keep the harness. I need this to be,” but then words died on his lips. He was still learning to ask for what he needed.

“Do you need this to still be a scene, my love?” Marius wasn’t sure about this. Armand had, after all, called for his safeword and it was his duty to end the scene, however he sensed there was something more going on, and he needed to know what it was. In a leap of faith Marius decided to have faith in their relationship and in Armand knowing what he needed, so when Armand said yes, Marius agreed with a quick and yet deep nod of his head.

Then Marius got up, re-establishing his dominating role with that simple gesture. He waited for Armand to find his balance again and glanced at the stains on his perfect skin. Armand looked able to calm down in the offered silence, but even when he stopped shuffling, he didn’t raise his eyes from the ground.

Slowly Marius saw the tension slide away from his body as Armand sunk deeper in the right mindset.

“Tell me what happened.” While the words were simple and they could have been spoken in any other contest, they had a deeper meaning and a demanding nature to them that would have been absent if Armand wasn’t still on his knees.

Armand took a deep breath, even if he didn’t need it, and answered the question with all the honesty he could muster. The time of lies and misunderstanding between them was over and now only the truth had the right to stay.

“I was never good for others. I was never enough for them to stay.” Armand admitted and there was a longing in his voice, so deep that Marius saw all over again the boy he had saved from the brothels and couldn’t remember what love was.

“You taught me that. I thought I had learned my lesson when you didn’t come back for me.”

The scent of blood filled Marius’ nostrils as his heart broke under the excruciating pain of the truth Armand was claiming. He didn’t need to see the red trails on Armand’s face to know he was crying.

“But then I learned that you never stopped to watch over me even when I didn’t know, and I have told myself I hated you for that. It was easier to hate you when the only one I really hated was myself, for betraying your teaching, for accepting what Santino turned me into.”

Marius felt the acidic taste of regrets burning his throat and mouth, like fire it exploded inside him and brought him close to tears but this wasn’t about him. This was about Armand and it was his duty to make him the whole focus of Marius’ attention. His own needs had to wait, above all when he knew he deserved this pain for his actions had been monstrous no matter why he did what he did.

“I was left behind so many times. Every time I loved, I had lost the person I needed, and I couldn’t come back to you, for you are the only one who can destroy me. Your rejection would be enough to end my life. When you realize I’m not who you want and you will walk away, you will take my life with you.”

Blood flooded in Marius’ mouth when he bit his tongue. What good were words when it was actions that Armand needed to believe Marius would stay? And yet he wanted to throw himself at Armand’s feet, at his mercy, and tell him time and time again that he would never leave again. How could he when he himself barely survived to be separated from the one he so deeply loved?

Armand was breathing hard through tears, trying in vain to calm himself and suppress the too many emotions he had bottled inside his soul for so long, but there wasn’t turning back now, the dem broke and his words were like a flooding river. They would purge his soul of all the pain he could never vent and finally leave him free from the burden he carried alone way too long, but in the meantime his whole body shook and Marius didn’t want anything more than to go to him and take him into his arms, where he belonged.

“Earlier - earlier you said I was good for you, and for a moment you made me believe that I will be enough for you, that you will stay.”

Armand’s last words echoed in the silent room and everything stilled. The pain was so deep it cut through Marius’ heart like not even claws could. It was a miasma that, like amber, trapped them in a timeless bubble of misery.

“I will stay.” Marius said in the end, breaking the spell that subdued them. “I will always stay and I won’t ask you to believe me now, Armand, but I will show you, this, us, is forever for me.”

For Marius had tried once already to live without him, and he wasn’t proud to admit that he failed miserably. Now he knew what his priority was, what it was always supposed to be, and he would live until his last moment honoring the second chance they were given against all odds.

“You won’t.” Armand said, his voice just a whisper that Marius only caught because of his supernatural senses.

“The moment you realize I’m not who you love, the moment you will understand what I did, you will leave me behind and I will be no more.”

“What is the unforgivable sin you think you committed, what’s so monstrous in your eyes that you think I couldn’t forgive?”

Marius needed to know what was terrifying Armand. He for sure knew that Marius was well aware of his action in the centuries they were separated, and he couldn’t think about a single thing that Armand did he didn’t already forget, for forgiveness wasn’t his to give.

“I killed him. I killed the one you loved.” Armand said with resignation, like a man who knew once the truth was out, nothing would change his destiny of loneliness and annihilation.

“Who? Who do you think I loved more than I love you?” Marius was confused. Of those he had loved no one had been dearer to his heart than Armand. Not even Pandora who he had loved tenderly for millennia, the last remaining piece of a past long gone that they had lived together.

“Amadeo.” He spat with rage. “I killed your beloved Amadeo and in his stead only I remain.” Armand admitted at the end and then, like a puppet whose strings were cut, he fell on the ground and curled on himself. He wished the ground would open under him and swallow him whole. He couldn’t stay and see the disgust on Marius’ face, so he didn’t dare to look.

Marius lowered himself to the ground once again, his red robe pooled around him like a lake of blood. Gently he lifted Armand from the ground and put him on his lap, then, with the ultimate care, he used his fingers to wipe away the tears from his eyes.

“You are the most precious of all creatures to me, dear one.” He began, hands stroking every inch of his skin he could reach, giving Armand the comfort he so desperately needed, while taking comfort in the touch just as much himself.

“There will never be another for me, but you.” He admitted aloud. He had lived longer than many and loved deeply, but now he knew his heart would always rest with the one in his arms, his one and only for as long as he lived.

Only now, when they finally found their way back to each other, Marius fully understood Seth and Fareed. Luckier than many, they knew since the beginning they could never be separated, for one was nothing without the other.

“There is nothing to forgive, my love. You live in fear of something that doesn’t exist.”

Armand moved in his arms, curling up again, making himself smaller and trying to hide his face in Marius’ stomach, deep into the softness of his robe.

“How can you say this?” He muffled against the velvet, the cloth padded down his words.

“Do you know how I always refer to you in private, when no one else is around and I think about you?”

Armand shook his head. No, he didn’t know. He never dared to hope that Marius would think about him after they met again. He couldn’t handle the rejection or the hope.

“I call you my Amadeo. You were always my Amadeo and always will be.”

Armand stilled in his arms, ready to bolt.

“Not because I discharge what you endured. I don’t belittle your pain and what you have to do to survive. I will never forgive myself for the pain you went through alone and I would never dare to deny it.” He explained. His voice was full of thousands of emotions and Marius didn’t even try to tone them down.

“Then why?” Armand asked, unsure he really wanted to hear the truth.

“Because for me you will always be the one I fall in love with. It doesn’t matter how much you changed, my love for you never diminished, if possible it grew stronger and deeper with the passing time.”

“How can you say this?”

Armand needed to know. He needed to dig and expose the truth to it bare bones, only then he would be able to trust that Marius wasn’t tricking him.

“Because it is the truth. You are him and he’s you. You are one of the many forms my Amadeo took. You are the soldier who fought to survive, you are the painter who craves to learn, the man who needs to know and consume everything around him. You are my fledgling and Daniel’s Master. You are a friend and an advisor. You are all of this and more as Amadeo was and is, but above all, you are the man I love unconditionally.”

This time, when Armand moved, Marius wasn’t ready for his actions, for he could never predict what his lover would do. They tumbled on the floor as Armand didn’t have his agility with his arms secured behind his back and yet he managed to push Marius so hard he was now lying on the floor, Armand awkwardly straddling him.

“Prove it. Prove it to me.” He demanded and Marius couldn’t deny him anything, not after the words spoken between them.

Marius turned his neck, offering him the delicate skin, beneath which his veins pulsed with blood, and when Armand bit him his whole body felt on fire and at peace at the same time. Marius didn’t hide his moans. He didn’t hide anything from Armand.

At every sip memories unlocked for Armand, thoughts that were secrets to anyone else. Armand discovered through the blood how Marius saw him, what he thought when he was the only focus of his mind. He felt emotions that his Master never shared with anyone else, protecting Armand and the memories of their time together like they were Marius’ most precious possession.

Everything was given to him and Armand became drunk on Marius’ blood, on the feeling of the love his lover really held for him, for blood could never lie.

“Master.” He mumbled against Marius’ neck, the blood dripping from his sharp fangs. “Master, I need you.” It could have been the sluggish nonsense of someone inebriated out of their minds, but Marius knew better.

This was bloodlust and need, all wrapped in his Armand’s beautiful package. It didn’t take long for Marius to tip them over, so that Armand was the one lying on the carpet, his beautiful body exposed to Marius’ hungry eyes.

Marius towered over him for a few moments, just the time to keep devouring Armand with his eyes, stunning in his harness, and to get rid of his robe before he covered Armand with his larger frame, hiding him from sight in case any jealous God was watching.

The kiss that descended on Armand’s mouth was desperate, full of a hunger that Marius could barely contain now. Marius’ lips were demanding and allowed Armand no other choice but surrender. His mouth still tasted like Marius’ blood and he savored himself in his lover, adding more blood as sharp fangs pierced delicate skin.

When his need to devour his lover was barely satiated, Marius helped Armand on his side, his long fingers probing against his opening, at first just brushing over his the delicate skin as his mouth kept pampering Armand’s body and shoulders with gentle kisses all over his flawless flesh.

Slowly Marius prepared him, making sure not to cause pain with his claws. He marveled all over again as Armand’s body relaxed under him.

“Please. Please stop torturing me.” Armand begged and Marius smiled against his neck.

“Am I, my love?” Even his voice sounded deeper, stained with passion.

“You are so cruel, the cruelest.”

Then Armand couldn’t keep going for his words morphed into a scream of pure pleasure as Marius slid inside him, his body accommodating around his girth. Marius didn’t stop until every inch of him was inside Armand, and yet Armand needed more.

Until dawn they made love, in the privacy of their room. Not even the call of the sun was strong enough to keep them from each other, so deep their need was.

Only the heaviness of their limbs told them that soon they would be dead to the world, trapped in the sleep that plagued their kind, and once again Armand surprised Marius.

“Stay. Stay inside me.”

Marius wrapped himself around Armand’s body, offering him shelter in his arms, and as one they slept.

Only the unfinished portrait would watch over their sleep, a silent witness to their renewed bond. As the fire died in the fireplace and darkness engulfed them, they slept aware that the other would stay, now and forever.

END

#de romanus coven events #saturnalia event #marius de romanus #marius/armand #the vampire chronicles

24 notes · View notes

loth-creatures · 6 months

Note

Maybe if Zeb got his Wolfwalker form sometime during or slightly before the incident on the Ice Moon with Kallus, would the impact be significantly different than in canon??

Ooo interesting. The way I'm gonna end up with branching alternate timelines bc the Official Timeline for the comic is going a certain way but it's so fun to hear other people's ideas and mess around with scenarios like this even if they don't fit in the final story. Little au of the au never hurt anyone. Might come as a surprise that the others don't get wolfed until they meet the wild lothwolves way up in S4.

Anyway, I guess it would depend on if Zeb convinced Kallus to keep his mouth shut about it. After convincing him not to shoot him lol. It's not exactly a secret that the rebels have discovered wolf shape shifters but they're trying very hard to keep the details of where it came from and how it works out of the Empire's ear. Major plot hole I'm trying to skirt around is the fact that certain Imps would be very interested in what's up with this wolf magic, and I don't really want to get into it at least not in comic form. Might have to take it into writing.

Once Kallus becomes Fulcrum he would definitely be spending a lot of time covering up and destroying records and footage with clues about the wolfwalking. We all know Thrawn would be all over it. The Emporer himself would be all over it considering what he wants with Lothal.

#lothwolfwalkers #sww asks #garazeb orrelios #alexander kallus #star wars rebels

23 notes · View notes

shatteredscavengers · 2 years

Note

Reverse! Snare and Fulcrum

-scrap1pile

Send Reverse! to reverse my character's opinion of your character for a thread

“Hey, Snare! What’s new with you?” Fulcrum chirped, giving a sunny grin.

#ic || fulcrum #scrap1pile #ohoho this will be fun

3 notes · View notes

andorerso · 2 months

Note

Hello! I was wondering if you know of any fics where Cassian interacts with Leia? I love the idea of them meeting, but can't seem to find many.

Hey! Sorry for the late reply, work was kinda hectic this week.

so Cassian & Leia is one of my favorite friendships as well, but racking my brain, I couldn't really think of too many stories that feature it more than just in the background? still, I tried to scrape up some fics for you so here we go

I don't know if you're into them romantically as well, or just want to see platonic stuff, but I would strongly recommend checking out Pontmercyingtilthecowscomehome if you haven't yet. Most of their fics are romantic CassLeia, but you can find ones that are only platonic, for example:

Letters Unread

yesterday's beginnings

And ofc, if you want to see romantic CassLeia, then definitely check out their other stories!

some other fics I found:

Fulcrum by imsfire

in tongues and quiet sighs by Elizabeth (anghraine)

the duty of Rebellion by storiesmadeofstars

touches of ice (breaths of fire) by cassandor

hope you enjoy them!

#replies #anonymous #cassleia #fic recs #there's definitely a gap in the market for platonic cassleia #i always try to write them as friends whenever i can though #i think they'd get along quite well

10 notes · View notes

windriverdelta · 15 days

Text

On the Grand Northern Conspiracy

Somehow I have been thinking a lot about the Grand Northern Conspiracy, an ASOIAF fan theory that posits that in AFFC/ADWD the lords of the North and Riverlands are plotting to install Jon Snow as King in the North. Well, no time like present to write a comment.

TL;DR I find it extremely implausible and would very surprised if TWOW featured anything even resembling that. It's a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

First of all, as other people like @turtle-paced have pointed out, there are lots of barriers to communication between the supposed conspirators and no evidence that they could coordinate their actions. Now, there is evidence in Arya's ASOS chapters that the Brotherhood Without Banners has contacts to the Riverlords and one wonders if Jaime Lannister in AFFC is being deliberately steered to Brienne, but that doesn't mean the Northerners can do the same.

Second, where is the set-up for the Northern lords using Stannis like that? Late Walder Frey is amply established as a traitor, opportunist and oathbreaker two books before the Red Wedding, there is no foreshadowing at all for Mormont, mountain clans etc. This isn't Game of Thrones, spectacular betrayals do not come out of thin air in ASOIAF. In this context, it's worth noting that foreshadowing in ASOIAF usually takes the form of a few unambiguous meaningful events, not a lot of very ambiguous little things that can interpreted in multiple ways like the infamous "Corn Code"

Three, Jon Snow does not work very well as a fulcrum for such a conspiracy. Ignoring for a moment that nobody has bothered getting his buy-in for such a plot (what if he deems it dishonourable and sleazy and ices out all the participants?), there is no indication that any physical copy of Robb's will survived the Red Wedding. Remember, the various lords and ladies are referred to as its "witnesses", and most of them are now prisoners of the Freys. Look at it from a character's perspective: Two lords who somehow survived the Red Wedding, claiming that Robb wanted to make Jon king. Why would anyone believe them? Especially Jon Snow, who knows in ADWD that Robb was killed by his own men, he has no reason at all to trust Maege or Galbart. And without the will, Jon Snow would just be an usurper and deserter from the Night's Watch.

Narrative-wise, I don't see much foreshadowing of Jon being king in the north in the main series - all so-called "foreshadowing" I've seen are ambiguous allusions or far-fetched interpretations. I see no thematic or character purpose, either - I tend to think that R+L=J, the three dragons and his assassination lead into him being a dragonrider and fighter against the Others. In my opinion, the political side of the Northern storyline is Sansa and Stannis' job. And there is plenty of potential conflict around them without the need for a king in the north scheme.

But the big sticking point is that the actions of many of the supposed conspirators don't fit with theory. Just to cite a few examples:

Lady Stoneheart is not crowning Jon with anything but a noose, not in a million years, there is no evidence whatsoever that she's anything but a revenge zombie.

Wyman Manderly is entrusting Rickon Stark to consummate Stannis loyalist Davos Seaworth, which makes no sense at all if he planned to betray Stannis later - why would he risk Rickon becoming Stannis' hostage?

We have no reason to believe that Barbrey Dustin is lying about not liking the Starks - for one thing, Dustin troops are noticeable by their absence for the War of Five Kings, true to her word. She'll probably jump ship if Roose falls, but that's not the same thing as becoming a Stark restorationist. In fact, I could see her supporting Stannis to take the Starks down a peg.

People keep citing Lyanna Mormont's defiant letter to Stannis as proof of Bear Island not being truly on his side, but not only is she (as Jon points out) not in charge of House Mormont, we later see Alysane marching with Stannis. She almost certainly is in contact with Maege given her comments to Asha about her family; I doubt that this is a right hand vs left hand situation. I am not even sure that she has much of a retinue, either - the problem with Rickon above may exist here too. Finally, recall that in AGOT Maege challenged Robb, telling him that he was so young as to have no business giving her commands. The Mormonts don't let anyone boss them around, that doesn't mean that they are Frey Lite.

In short, this theory requires lots of poorly foreshadowed OOC behaviour to enable a rather pointless political ploy that doesn't fit the narrative very well.

#asoiaf #the winds of winter #stannis baratheon #jon snow #grand northern conspiracy #rickon stark #wyman manderly #lyanna mormont #alysane mormont #barbrey dustin #robb stark #lady stoneheart #anti grand northern conspiracy

7 notes · View notes

theinnerunderrain · 2 years

Text

Fall into The Abyss [Yan!Childe x Childhood friend!Reader]

Warnings: Yandere themes, brief description of graphic implications, no mention of romantic implications or feelings directly involved.

AN: I just wanted to say that this short prompt is inspired by a movie I recently saw but I don't want to exactly say which movie in case some of you saw it, cause it'll spoil the plot.

Enjoy!

It was an audacious assertion to make given that Snezhnaya was notoriously regarded as the region of snow and ice, but perhaps Childe could make a compelling case that the abyss was considerably more harrowing than the frigid cold of Snezhnaya. The northern hemisphere of Snezhnaya at least had some semblance of sunlight some sort of indication of life, but below, in the pitch-black depths, the only illumination within the abyss seemed to be as far away as the moon from the earth.

Seemingly yet so close, but endlessly far in reality. Ajax could only gawk up in awe at the aperture that appeared to be so far away, which seemed to him to be nothing more than a gap that radiated like a bright star in the midst of the winter night, serving as some type of beacon for travellers.

Childe was all too aware that it was his fault, and no amount of reassuring words or gentle assurances could make him change his mind. Childe probably wouldn't mind if he was the one to plunge into the depths, but why did the archons beyond decide to drag you down with him? If only Childe had heeded to his parents and remained at home instead of wandering aimlessly into some immature adventurous fantasy, life might have been considerably simpler for him.

If only he hadn't managed to run into you after sprinting into the woods whilst sporting an irate grimace, prompting you to become worried and insist on following him. If only he hadn't tumbled on the ice, collided with a pile of branches, allowing the wild wolves to become aware of your location, prompting for the both of you to sprint deeper into the snow covered woods.

If only he hadn't unintentionally stretched out for your fingers as the ground imploded beneath him, drawing you down into the dreadful abyss, that awful feeling of relief surging through his chest at the feeling of your warm hands wrapped around his. If only you hadn't been so kind as to extend your hand to take his, if only he wasn't so foolish to accept your kindness.

If only.

"Let's try climbing the walls again. We'll have a better chance now since we managed to recover for a bit."

With his softly rounded orange tresses streaming down the left side of your face, Childe softly murmured whilst pressing into your shoulder, trying his best to keep you warm but not enough for his body to be practically crushing against your frame. Anyone who has known Ajax for a while would find it strange to hear him speak with such a weak voice considering he typically spoke with a cheerful tone, the typical tone that wasn't unusual for a boy his age to use, one full of determination and aspirations. Nevertheless, after plummeting into a steep, deep pit and having virtually nothing in the sense of food or shelter to grasp onto, anyone would likely feel quite worn out and downtrodden. It's even remarkable that both of you survived despite colliding with the pit's wall and having your flesh scraped by jagged boulders, your jackets wrenched off, and your flesh punctured.

"With what?"

Your voice was somewhat softer than Ajax's, and it melded so well with the uncanny stillness of the dark pit that he may very well have missed it. Ajax couldn't exactly see your eyes since the majority of your hair, which was usually tied back into a ponytail, was loose and obscured by the majority of your face.

"Your shoes."

He responded by kicking one of his feet into the air, displaying his wounded toes, which weren't concealed by any shoes other than a soiled thin sock that was partially torn from the fall. He fortunately kept hold of his other pair of shoes and employed them as a fulcrum to transition from one platform to another. Perhaps it wouldn't be too tricky to climb up onto the other structure, one high enough just to try and call out for help, provided the two of you cooperate and manage to conserve the majority of your energy. You were going to survive without a doubt; Childe would even give his life to save yours if it meant sparing you from anguish.

Right, it shouldn't be too challenging. You did, after all, succeed in climbing up a few platforms already.

"I can't."

Childe lifted himself off of your shoulder and peered at you bewilderedly. But even so, you didn't bother to turn around to face him; you merely sat there, motionless. Your fingers felt abnormally cold in comparison to Childe's, who carefully wrapped his fingers on yours, giving your palm a quick squeeze. Although it wasn't unreasonable given how cold it was within the deep abyss, his hands likewise felt frigid to the touching.

But you were too cold.

"Why?"

Childe enquiries once more while he awaits for your eyes to turn to him, internally pleading for you to just turn to look at him and give him your typical consoling smile. That exact same grin that always welcomed him whenever the two of you joined together to frolic in the snow, giggling as the cold snow melted into your skin, prompting you to become bedridden the next morning. The smile that always gave him a sense of comfort since his childhood, a smile he was willing to give up his life for, one that he always sworn to live for.

"It's not up here is it?"

Your voice was steady and perhaps even frigid when you spoke this time. A tone that you never used unless you were truly irritated or tired, a tone that he always managed to keep away. Again, Childe would do anything to ensure your general welfare; he had already promised to request for your hand in marriage, thus it is his responsibility to keep you safe and secure. He didn't care if the commitment of marriage was an innocuous thought, one made over a flower ring he fashioned over the course of numerous summers.

Yet, he lacked the strength not only to protect himself but also to defend you. He had a small frame, slender arms, and enormous, vulnerable eyes that exuded a childlike wonderment, thus it was infantile of him to dream so high.

But one day, he will rule the world. With you at his side.

"What?"

A pause followed by a ghostly stillness that persisted in the air might well have rendered the atmosphere considerably thicker than before. It felt smothering, like if the bottomless, dark pit was threatening to swallow him; it was rubbing up against his soul like some kind of beast. When you finally turn to face him, the pair of orbs he treasured were slowly revealed as your hair gradually lifts from your face. However, rather than the radiant, beautiful orbs he so deeply adored, your eyes were a gloomy pit akin to the depths of the abyss.

Lifeless.

Your fingers pointed to the edge of the cliff and directly into a different platform, the platform that was directly below the one he was currently standing on. His eyes tentatively left your face and glided towards the direction of your fingers.

Oh god.

His heart began to thrash violently against his ribs, and his breathing became laboured as his brain struggled to comprehend the abhorrent scene that was unfolding just below him. At the core of the boulder was you, or someone who resembles you. Your chest was still, your body was visibly still, and there was no precise evidence of life. Your hair wasn't as silky as he had remembered it to be; instead, it was dried out and bunched together, suggesting that something had flowed into your hair, prompting it to dry up like that.

Something metallic, something like blood.

Your face was largely obscured by your hair. Even so, he could still make out a thin stream of blood that was trickling from your forehead onto the rocks, even a slight amount of dried blood, and a fleeting view of the enormous wound that stretched from one ear to the other.

He grimaces at the sight before turning to face you once more. This time, his eyes are sharp enough to recognize the truly awful wound on the sides of the head, where blood is oozing from your head and staining the left side of your face as well as reaching your lips. Even though there is a large gash on your face that is clearly visible, Childe could still say that you were the most stunning girl he had ever seen. Even with the horrid way you appeared before him, even if you were a mere illusion.

You were still beautiful.

Truly beautiful.

"It's down there."

Not even death can bypass your beauty.

196 notes · View notes

stellanslashgeode · 1 year

Text

You could fit the Resolve episode into Star Wars canon AND keep the Ahsoka novel canon. But it makes it funnier. Like. The second half of Resolve happens after the Ahsoka novel so she’s already Fulcrum and doing some spy mission at another farming moon. And a second queer farm girl falls in love with her. And she ices an additional Inquisitor there by disarming him the same way with her bare hands. The exact move she’ll use on the Seventh Sister years later. Hilarious!

#tales of the jedi #star wars tales of the jedi #ahsoka novel #ahsoka tano

74 notes · View notes

callmearcturus · 9 months

Note

you hate mi:3 soooo much, can you think of anything good about it? i thought PSH was the best villain

i mean. i think PSH is fine. like, i wouldn't rank him even in my top three, but I think I just hate that even hendricks in GP who was LITERALLY GIVEN CHARACTER AND MOTIVATION BY MCQ IN THE SCRIPT DOCTORING has more background and motivation than Davian. my beef with Davian is that he's ONLY good because its PSH and they frankly needed PSH to play him or else they had nothing. which is a dumb problem to have when you can actually WRITE.

but hey you want the good things about MI3? i'm game. /opens up my .mkv of MI3

Ethan is maybe at his MOST autistic in this movie, and it's honestly incredible and I love it. He's so fucking happy to be a husband and he's gonna get SUCH good points in malewife, he's so excited.

when he needs a reason to go the meet with Musgrave and just THROWS OUT ALL THE ICE INTO THE YARD and tells Jules they need more ice, it's so fucking funny. That's my babygirl.

this specific shot is peak "why is the sky always most beautiful outside grocery stores." why is the best moment of character lighting in this entire movie in a 7 Eleven, JJ?

Luther gets the most WTF Did He Just Say lines in the movie BUT he also gets the cutest ones too so, yanno.

the fucking wedding rings were from the giftshop and i love it lmao. like, it's not said enough that Jules is also kind of Wild? not on an IMF level but def on a civilian level, they met on an adventure vacation and their honeymoon was going to involve jumping out of a helicopter? they're batshit. good for them.

hard to capture but i love in the very very fast sex scene, Ethan notices spare scrubs and stuff hanging up so he throws them onto the floor so it'll be softer for when they bang, that's so thoughtful and hilarious and ace of him.

/skips ahead skips ahead skips ahead hmmmmmm

TC BROKE A CAR WITH HIS BODY!!!!!!!! that's the MONEYSHOT BABYYYYY

/skips ahead skips ahead skips ahead god there's gotta be something here i don't hate

oh yeah the way ethan just starts sketching the fulcrum jump on the window is great, even if the actual stunt doesn't even count tbh

i want to scream at the entire fulcrum jump sequence BUT i do love the tiny moment when ethan manages to NOT fly over the side of the building after sliding down the roof and he's just. like. "Okay." its a single word but you can feel it. lmao.

The Shanghai Run with Benji on the line is one of the only truly great sequences. Watching Ethan just RUN down the roof, that's so fucking dangerous, he could have fucked up his legs or fell so easily but he moves so smoothly, and then Benji complaining about losing his citizenship and the ONLY SUSTAINED SHOT IN THE MOVIE with the long run, and it's all good.

the fact that Ethan explains to Julia how to reload a gun by comparing the magazine to the batteries for the flashlight in their kitchen is a fucking tremendous detail and might be the best line in the movie bc of what it conveys about Ethan as a teacher, his familiarity with Julia and their home, and how he thinks about things. It's really great.

..... and that's everything! SEE. there are glimmers! there are moments!

the rest of the movie is just fuckawful, that's all!

#Anonymous #mission impossible #the mi3 hater has logged on

22 notes · View notes

marvel-starwarsfangirl · 1 year

Text

“The Honorable Ones” vs. “The Outpost”

I know this type of post has been done already but I just think that it’s so interesting and cool that these episodes parallel each other. Honestly, I like to think that Jen Corbett and Brad Rau were inspired by “The Honorable Ones” when creating “The Outpost.” Their similarities are uncanny tbh. Both are phenomenal episodes that take an imperial through an icy but life-changing journey.

Like Kallus, Crosshair believes he has a place in the Empire. Chip or not, he thinks that the Empire is only doing its duty regardless of who has to be sacrificed. However, all that changes with on an ice moon. I’ve listed some similarities below:

Imperial vs. Rebel- Mayday and Zeb serve as foils to Crosshair and Kallus as both are people that the other resent. Zeb is a Lasat, the species that Kallus helped (almost) completely wipe out. Both hold animosity towards each other because of this personal vendetta. That, and Kallus holds contempt towards Lasats since he was almost killed by one. Zeb nonetheless helped the injured Kallus.

Likewise, Mayday is a “reg.” Out of all the Batch, Crosshair voiced his opinions towards regs the strongest. He viewed himself as superior because of his enhancements. While Mayday holds no ill-will towards Crosshair, he still is someone that Cross wouldn’t view as equal under normal circumstances. Mayday continually shows Cross kindness even though the latter acts rather coldly in the beginning, especially with the “I don’t carry deadweight” line.

Taking off the blindfold- Both episodes serve as a way to help the antagonist see things in a new light. As Kallus relies on Zeb to get out of the cave, he is encouraged to start asking questions. Zeb pushes Kallus to reassess his beliefs about the Empire. Ultimately, Kallus does take Zeb’s words to heart and becomes the next Fulcrum and future rebel.

While I think Cody was the initial drive in Crosshair’s view on the Empire, Mayday was the final straw. Crosshair is lonely; he is struggling without his brothers. The Empire continues to dehumanize and isolate him. And then comes along Mayday, who shows him nothing but kindness. Mayday’s companionship reaches through Crosshair’s darkness and opens his eyes. Finally, Crosshair realizes that the Empire doesn’t care about him.

Vulnerability- both episodes gives us a chance to see our antagonists from a different perspective. Kallus opens up to Zeb as the pair try and figure out how to survive. He tells Zeb about the Lasat mercenary, revealing where his contempt stemmed from. We see Kallus with softer expressions for the first time; we see him look sad and alone. Before this, he’s been either angry/annoyed or cruel/determined. Finally, we see a new side to Kallus and get to understand him better.

Crosshair, who has been dominated by “severe and unyielding” expressions, becomes so much more emotional. He’s usually cold and closed off, or angry with a sharp tongue. Here, however, we see him truly afraid, heartbroken, and desperate. The latter half of the episodes shows us the pain that Crosshair is suffering and it is gut-wrenching.

Persevering- Kallus and Zeb must rely on each other to survive. Unknown creatures threaten to eat them and the cold is nigh unbearable. On top of that, Kallus can’t walk because of a broken leg and the pair are trapped in a cave. Despite the odds, Kallus and Zeb work together to escape and get to safety. This leads to them forming a bond that’ll change their lives for the better.

Then there’s Crosshair and Mayday. Between landmines, raiders, an avalanche, and the extreme cold, this pair of clones persist. Mayday’s kindness touched a part of Crosshair that was suffering. In turn, Crosshair refused to give up on Mayday. Even when the latter was severely injured, Cross carried him back to the base. The odds were stacked against them, yet Crosshair and Mayday kept going.

No rest for the wicked- Unfortunately, there is no happy ending just yet for our fave antagonists. Kallus watches, alone, as Zeb happily reunites with the Ghost crew. They came for Zeb, even though Kallus kept denying that they would. Meanwhile, Kallus returns to a cold, dark environment. No one greets him or bothers to help him with his injury. The only familiar face, Admiral Konstantine, is the coldest; he doesn’t even bother looking up from his datapad, addressing Kallus briefly before continuing on his way. I bet Konstantine had no idea that Kallus was even missing. As the episode closes out, Kallus sits alone in his room, contemplating on everything that happened. For the first time in this show, he feels alone and vulnerable.

Mayday doesn’t make it, but Crosshair does. Crosshair begs for help but is denied by Lt. Nolan. Like Konstantine, Nolan didn’t care about what just happened. Cross is truly broken in this moment. He glances up one last time at the ice vulture and makes his choice; he stands up and defiantly shoots Nolan, finally turning against the Empire. But unlike Mayday, Cross can’t join him in the afterlife. Instead, he awakens, captured, on Mt. Tantiss with an unknown future. After all he’d suffered in getting Mayday back to base, Crosshair is forced to endure more pain, emotionally and physically. Hopefully, like Kallus, he will have a happy ending eventually.

If y’all made it this far congrats! I just thought the parallels were interesting and most likely intentional.

#star wars #star wars rebels #the bad batch #tbb crosshair #tbb mayday #alexsandr kallus #zeb orrelios

42 notes · View notes