#mcquarrie gen 1

[hiraeth-sims]

To my dear descendant,

   If you are reading this, it has been at least 100 years. That means it is now at least the year 1994 (if not later). I hope life has been treating you well. I’m not sure what all I should say in this letter, except for one thing that I can never, ever tell anyone but you. My dear husband would never believe me, and might even have me committed. I’m sure you know how the mental health industry is in the year 1894! I’d be locked in a room and told I was hysterical. Perhaps in a room with yellow wallpaper. Ha ha! That story just came out two years ago. It was amazing to read it when it was still new. The first time I read it was in Mr. Gillman’s AP English class.

   I suppose you’re confused upon reading that line, and I understand. I would be too. It still is strange to think about to me sometimes, and I lived it. I am going to tell you something that beggars belief, but I ask you to read this letter to the end. You, yourself, will see the truth of it. After all, you know where this letter came from - it came from a Brindleton Bay time capsule. Whether you still live there or have moved somewhere else, this letter will find its way to you.

   My name is Marley Ness. Or, that was my name Before. You will know me as Mary McQuarrie (nee Ness). Yes, the wife of Thomas McQuarrie, married in 1892 - well, if you know anything about your family history. If not, you will have no idea who I am, and in that case, I will tell you. I am your great, great grandmother. I think. Maybe just great, maybe three greats. It depends on how many generations removed we are. I do know that I will be long gone by the time you read this.

   When I was Marley, I was born in the year 1999, which you may have not even seen yet. Goodness! It’s strange to think that if you went to San Sequoia in 1999 you could meet me when I was but a babe in arms. I grew up there, and have many good memories there. If you happen to visit, have a splash in the water park for me, will you? I miss it.

   Now, you probably still don’t believe me. But I haven’t finished my story, and I just ask that you keep reading.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #mcquarrie decades

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “The Lost Commanders”

After the harrowing peril of the premiere we settle in for a more laid-back and chill adventure with some old familiar faces.

We open with the Rebels discussing what to do next, after the shankening that Vader handed them last episode.

(And let’s appreciate for a moment how, if not for becoming distracted by Ahsoka, Vader would have completely decimated Phoenix Cell in its entirety by himself.)

Ezra blurts out his ideas before remembering that he needs to have a modicum of proper decorum.  (I love his awkward little salute and Sabine shaking her head all cutely long-suffering.)  Clearly he feels comfortable enough to be himself in this formal, militarized environment.

“You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger,” has all the hidden consternated tones of, “Why did we let this feral gremlin child into the Rebelllion.” lol, Sato is just so confounded that this is his life now, he’s the commander of ragtag teams with literal fifteen year olds.

This episode is the first of what I’m going to affectionately call the “Friendship Fetch Quests”, in which we go have mildly interesting adventures and do something seemingly innocuous that gains us an ally that will wind up being important later.  Season Two is mostly this, if we’re honest.  We go to this location, we do this character’s Loyalty Mission, we gain them as an asset to call upon later.  It fits very well with the overall theme of connection and family, of making friendships and bridges that benefit the cause.  Ezra’s unique Force ability is literally the power to connect, so it makes perfect thematic sense that the show emphasizes the connections made to bring so many disparate people together and unite them in the fight against the Empire.

Anyway, Ahsoka decides to aim the Ghost crew at Rex, not telling Kanan beforehand that she’s sending him to meet some clones which is... a bit of a questionable decision.

“There are questions... questions that need answering.”  Aaaaaand take a shot every time there’s a Lord of the Rings shoutout in this show, we’re gonna be seeing a lot of them.

The fanfare is slightly altered this episode, vaguely TCW-sounding?

The Ghost suffers a Plot Contrivance so that Hera and Chopper can stay in orbit while the rest go down to the planet.  And MY GOSH this is pretty.

I know I keep harping on the soft, watercolor-like quality of the textures but seriously, the Ralph McQuarrie style is all over these backgrounds.

Ralph McQuarrie being one of the original concept artists for the OT; his designs and art style were largely recycled, reused, and repurposed for Rebels.

You can already tell Kanan is suspecting what they’re about to encounter.

Multiple other people have already pointed out that the AT-TE has a lot of Studio Ghilbi Howl’s Moving Castle vibes.  I’m just gonna reiterate them.

I love this moment right here with no music or dialogue, just the soft sound of the wind chimes.  Very zen.  Very lovely atmosphere.

I still haven’t actually seen TCW in its entirety, full disclosure, so I was not nearly as excited about this reveal as the Tari Husband was.

(He was sooo excited, lemme tell ya.)

HGKAJHSFKAHSFSA KANAN BEING CONFRONTED WITH A WALKING PTSD TRIGGER FROM HIS PAST AND HIS IMMEDIATE FIRST THOUGHT IS TO STEP IN FRONT OF HIS PADAWAN.

A couple people have pointed it out but Kanan’s posture here is mirrored to Depa’s in the Kanan: The Last Padwan comics.  (AKA the superior tragic Kanan backstory *glares at The Bad Batch*)  One hand forward, one hand with lightsaber back, shielding the padawan.

Love that.

Lol awww, Ezra being excited about the Gen 1 Clone Trooper helmet and then disappointed when Rex tells him not to touch it.

Kinda dig that Ezra’s the one doing the talking.  Kanan has obvious issues with clones but Ezra doesn’t have that bias, and he’s naturally likable, so it’s easy for Rex to give in to him, at least somewhat.

*continues to grumble about The Bad Batch retconning Rex’s characterization here*

No, listen, this is why new writers need to be given refresher courses on the characters before they come on board and shows with interconnected continuities need to have detailed arc and plot maps to follow, sure we can infer and theorize that something or other sapped Rex of his motivation and drive to fight but then that’s fandom carrying the water and doing the work for the writers and I hate that, don’t do the writers’ work for them we deserve better than that!

*ahem*

But I’ll refrain from going into that rant.

Kanan’s expression. :(  He hates every minute of this.

This is a nice dolly shot around here.

THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION. :(

Ezra the empath, trying to understand why his master is so agitated.  How he shrinks slightly when Kanan yells.  How Kanan says he doesn’t want to discuss it but does so anyway because Ezra just has that effect on people?

THE ABSOLUTE PAIN AND RAW EMOTION IN KANAN’S VOICE AS HE TALKS ABOUT ORDER 66 AND WATCHING HIS MASTER DIE.

*grumbles a little bit about TCW Season Seven making this line of Rex’s into more of a self-cope than the honest truth*

This whole sequence with the Joopa hunt is technically completely superfluous but it’s soooooo much fun. :D

The camerawork, the dialogue, the animation, the sound design and music, the Old West adventure-feel of it, the badass little moments and characterization bits for Sabine and Zeb and Kanan and Ezra...

It just makes me smile.

Speaking of the music though, this has such a classic Hollywood sound.  Bombastic strings and brass, soaring into high notes and dancing.

(Favorite bit of this sequence is Kanan kick-jumping his rod into Ezra’s hands and Ezra immediately turning around and jamming them both into the line.)

Sweet.

This shot. <333

Zeb deciding to roll with Gregor’s compliment. <333

A brief snippet of Ezra’s theme here, when Kanan calls Hera.  I’m actually not going to grumble about Hera’s backstory later being filled in a little, that was undefined enough that the fleshing out didn’t change anything vital.

Instead I’m going to note this very pretty flute line here.

Rex and Ezra’s friendship is criminally underrated.  I bet Rex sees shades of a younger Ahsoka in him and Ezra just sees a cool old guy with great stories, another strong male influence for a teenage boy who needs them.

Ezra still can’t help talking Kanan up though.

<3333

Ezra playing peacekeeper.  (Not for the last time.)

As I said, still haven’t fully watched TCW but I do appreciate that Wolffe and Gregor are both obviously damaged by their wartime experiences, Gregor by going just slightly batty, Wolffe by being a paraonoid anxiety wreck, white bites the Rebels when he calls the Empire.  Rex having to remind him, “[The Jedi] weren’t the ones that betrayed us.” and “The war is over.” are like so many self-regulating mantras he must have practiced, to remind both him and the others of the truth.  The chip’s influence lingers, even though they’ve all had it removed.

Ezra looking between Rex and Kanan like an anxious child in the middle of a custody battle lol.

This sequence is loose with the animation, bouncy like the first season, but the quick movements and shot choices emphasize the frantic nature of them needing to shoot the probe.

A veeery small excerpt of the Imperial March here as we close out.

This episode (and it’s following companion) is soooo rewatchable.  It has the fun chill vibe of the first season with an emphasis on heavier character development and background stakes.  The clones are well-integrated into the plot, used mostly to trigger and discuss Kanan’s personal traumas, while also hinting at the crap the clones have gone through themselves.  There’s an almost self-defensive anger in Rex’s voice when he insists, “I didn’t betray my Jedi. [...] We all have a choice.” because for the clones... they didn’t.

I’m one of the people who likes the chips, who likes it being literally mind control rather than just genetic conditioning that turned the clones on the Jedi, like in Legends.  The way I tend to sum it up is thus:

With Order 66 being just one order in many that the clones followed unquestioningly because they’re just that loyal and obedient, it makes the clones seems more monstrous.  With it being a literal brainwashing device overriding their free will, it makes Palpatine more monstrous.

That he would choose clones instead of droids, because the Jedi would see the clones as human, as friends, as worthy of protecting and fighting alongside, and thus would be more blindsided, and the clones would be loyal and dependable friends right up until the chip kicked in and blanked them out, giving no warning, snaring the Jedi into the perfect deathtrap...

Hgnnnh the feels.

Ezra-as-everyone’s-therapist would continue through the season but for now let me just appreciate that Kanan’s issues are so deeply rooted it takes a few episodes to solve, lol.

Anyway, this episode is great.

#star wars #star wars rebels #rebels rewatch #liveblog #space dad and his precious pumpkin child #tbb critical

[lizardsfromspace]

God saw someone going “Gene Roddenberry would die if he saw that the hero ship of his franchise was a spinning pizza cutter” & like

1. Imagining the ghost of Gene Roddenberry returning from beyond the veil & demanding “tell me about Star Trek’s new hero ship!!”

“What about your family, Gen-” “I CAME BACK FROM THE AFTERLIFE AND I NEED TO JUDGE A FAKE SPACESHIP RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW.”

2. He’d probably go “oh, so they used the ship that Ralph McQuarrie drew for that movie we didn’t do? The one we’ve already stuck in Star Trek before? Oh, okay, whatever”

#star trek discovery #star trek

[ao3feed-lukeleia]

Even As I Am Known

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2glSo9X

by ATMachine

“But she, born in the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours.” The prisons of Alderaan hold many secrets.

Based on the August 1975 third draft.

Words: 473, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: Gen

Characters: Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben Kenobi, Luke Starkiller

Relationships: Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, 1975 3rd draft AU, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, based on Ralph McQuarrie concept art

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2glSo9X

#star wars #IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #lukeleia #luke x leia #skywalker twins

[hiraeth-sims]

   There was an entire world hidden within the arch at the waterfall. A mysterious, mystical world that still boggles my mind the more I think of it. I am not telling you this for you to seek it out - I am not even sure it works all the time. I just know that at the time, it took us to a place where the air crackled with magic.

   A large building had loomed in front of us, and once more we decided to venture into somewhere we probably should never have gone. As we walked, we saw people eyeing us as though we were the strange ones, instead of the people literally walking around a magical portal world. Eventually, a woman approached us, and asked us what we were doing there.

   We should have apologized, allowed her to escort us out and wipe our memory, but we weren’t aware of what she could do. My friend explained to her what we were doing there, and she gushed about how cool the place was, telling the strange woman about how she never knew that there was a place like this in the world. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but the situation got out of control. My friend reeled back, and the woman whipped out a wand of some sort. It was gnarled and wicked looking, and I felt a rush of fear go through me and the next thing I knew I was trying to grab the wand away from the woman.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #l. faba #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

One night, Mary felt the first signs of labor. She had been feeling worried because Ruth had gone out riding Lacey hours beforehand, and still hadn't come back, even though it was long past dark. Thomas had left an hour before her contractions started to look for his mother, knowing that something must have happened to keep her so long.

Late into the night, all alone, Mary managed to give birth to three healthy baby girls - Lillian, Louise, and Lucy. It was the scariest thing she had ever done, and she was scared enough as it was before the birth.

Moments after giving birth to the last baby, as the first light of the next morning began to peer through the curtains, Mary passed out from pure exhaustion and worry.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #mary mcquarrie #lillian mcquarrie #louise mcquarrie #lucy mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Dear diary,

Time passes. As it does. Lacey has grown into a beautiful mare, and Ruth spends most of her time with the horse. Thomas originally bought her so that he could use her to transport his produce to town to sell, but I think his mother has claimed Lacey as her best friend and confidant. Everyone needs one of those, you know?

Thomas has been finding more time to write, since his mother has completely taken over from him on the animal related chores. Kind of funny since he's the animal lover of the family, but he just doesn't have the time if he wants to do the farming, the animal care, and write, as well as any other manly chores he does around the house. Like repairing the windmill when it breaks down.

I... I am stir crazy. I am rapidly approaching my due date - I can't say exactly how far along I am, but I know it's been probably 7 months at this point and I'm heavier than I should be. Because of this, the local doctor advised me to stay off my feet, so I haven't been doing any of the household chores.

Although I admit one day when I knew that Thomas and Ruth were preoccupied I went for a short walk, absolutely needing to get outside. I've always been an active person, so having to just sit on my a- my posterior all day is just not for me.

Although, our small goat, Buttercup, likes to sit in the living room with me while I knit, so it's not all bad, I suppose.

I should probably finish this here, diary. I need to start dinner soon, and I don't want it to be finished too late.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #ruth mcquarrie #thomas mcquarrie #mary mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Two more summers passed without so much as a hint of morning sickness. Mary couldn't bring herself to mention her fears to Thomas, so she brought them up to Ruth, needing someone to talk to.

The older woman just chuckled and assured Mary that it was likely nothing to do with her, and everything to do with Thomas himself. She, herself, had found it notoriously difficult to get pregnant, and that was a lot of the reason why she had only ever been blessed with one child (that and the untimely death of her husband). She couldn't be sure it was something that ran in the family, but the fact that her own dear husband had only had one sibling made her wonder if it was.

It was only a month later that Mary finally realized that she'd missed her period by two full months, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to wear her tighter dresses. There was very little doubt in her mind, though she wished she could actually get a pregnancy test.

She waited another month, until the fall had come around again, so she could be absolutely sure, before she told Thomas her wonderful news. He'd already had a suspicion because of how often she'd had to rush to the bathroom after breakfast, but he was absolutely thrilled to hear her news, and promised that he would try to grow more crops to sell at the market so they could properly provide for the baby.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #mary mcquarrie #thomas mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Months passed by slowly in the 1890s, Mary learned very quickly.

There was a whole lot to do all the time, living on a farm, but at the same time, there was very little to do, compared to her life back in 2023.

And yet, she never found herself bored. At first she'd had trouble recovering from constantly having something to do always at her fingertips; at first she'd felt bored every moment of every day, and like the days would never end. Had time always been this slow?

But as she adjusted to the life, she realized she absolutely loved gardening. It was something she'd always wanted to try, but never had gotten around to, and now she helped out on the farm every day. Especially on the days when Thomas wanted to dedicate time to his writing, she and Ruth would split the farm chores between them and she always preferred to take the gardening.

For some reason, the animals didn't much care for her.

She and Ruth also often spent the evenings doing something creative. She found that she much preferred knitting to cross-stitch; she was too clumsy to cross-stitch without puncturing a finger.

But the worst part about sitting alone in the evening and knitting by the fireplace was that it gave her time to think. It had been months since they were married; they'd married at the end of spring, and it was approaching the autumn.

It wouldn't be a problem... except she had yet to get pregnant.

Both she and Thomas couldn't wait to start their family, and she didn't want to disappoint him. Was there something wrong with her where she couldn't get pregnant? Perhaps something about her trip through time had harmed her uterus? What if she could never get pregnant? If that was the case, perhaps she would need to suggest to Thomas that he take a mistress, just for pregnancy purposes. No one would have to know.

But she was also prone to overthinking, so she hoped that none of that was true and she was just worrying for nothing.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #thomas mcquarrie #mary mcquarrie #ruth mcquarrie #thomas actually has very very low fertility #so it's going to be hard for them to get pregnant #but it makes for a great story #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Dear Diary,

This is my first entry in you. As wedding gifts, both Thomas and I gifted each other a journal. I knew he wanted one for his writing, since he has told me he dreams of writing stories that people may read one day. And I think he knew that I wanted one as well, just to document, well... everything.

I really never believed I would one day be an old fashioned wife, staying at home cooking, cleaning, doing all of that, and even more than that I would have never believed it would happen in the 1890s. My life the past year has been a series of ups and downs.

For the longest time I wished to get sent back to my time, and kept biding my time, waiting. Now I hope it never happens, or if it does, it sends Thomas with me. My dearest, my heart. Perhaps I was sent back in time to meet my soulmate?

Oh watcher that sounds way too corny, but I like to think it's true.

Anyway, I should really get back to bed. It was our wedding night, and, well, I'm rather tired, and I don't want Thomas to wake up and see me gone. He might think I'm regretting this, heaven forbid.

Until next time,

Mar(le)y McQuarrie

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #mary mcquuarrie #thomas mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

However, Mary needn't have worried. At the same time she was trying to convince him that she was marriage material, he was trying to work up the courage to ask if she would be so kind as to consider him as a romantic prospect.

After a rather short period of courtship - after all, they already knew each other so well since she had been living there for nearly a year - Thomas and Mary McQuarrie had a small, intimate wedding ceremony at the local church. The only people in attendance were Ruth, and a family friend, Emilia Ernest.

Mary was a bit afraid she might have scared her new husband off after she grabbed him and gave him a very deep, very modern kiss after their vows. But he already knew she was eccentric for a woman of the time, and he accepted her for it anyway.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #thomas mcquarrie #mary mcquarrie #from now on she'll be tagged as mary mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Convincing Thomas that she would be a suitable wife would be tougher than she thought it might be, though, if she kept struggling with simple day-to-day things, like not slipping and falling in mud puddles and humiliating herself.

It was probably a good thing she had been taken in by a poor farming family instead of a wealthy family.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #major change in color scheme because i changed presets #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Mary quickly settled into her role as "chef." After all, she wanted to thank Ruth and Thomas for allowing her to live there for as long as she needed to... which was starting to seem like an awfully long time. Much longer than she anticipated, at any rate.

Plus, perhaps she could impress Thomas. It had taken her a little bit of time to figure out why she kept avoiding him, but she figured out it was because he made her stomach flip like a pancake. He was attractive, sweet, and dreamed of being a writer, despite having to tend to the family farm.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Mary could get used to the new (old?) ways of cooking. She could get used to her new name. She could even get used to no internet (literally the worst). But Mary knew she would never, ever get used to having to use an outhouse in the middle of the night in the middle of a thunderstorm.

She'd said that many things in her young life were "the worst," but she was pretty sure that this may take the cake.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

Eventually, Marley accepted that she may never get back to her normal time, so she had to try to learn how to exist in this time.

It was embarrassing not knowing how to do... well, anything, so she made up the excuse that whatever had left her unconscious in strange clothes in Glimmerbrook had robbed her of her memories, and mixed her up, making her think that her name was Marley. Ruth, the woman who had promised to take care of her temporarily, felt badly for her, so she did what she could for Marley. She suggested perhaps her name was really Mary, and so she became Mary. She taught her how to do her hair properly, took her dress shopping, taught her how to get properly dressed, and taught her how to use her doily belt (something she thought as a 21st century girl she'd NEVER have to experience).

Ruth always assured her that it was exciting to finally get to take care of a daughter after all these years, she'd only ever had a single son. Not for lack of trying, but her husband had died young, before they had properly gotten to be married, and she never remarried. It impressed Mary (Marley), especially for the time period, but it also explained why their farm wasn't... well.. very well off.

But her son, Thomas - which Mary had a hard time being around for too long for some unexplainable reason - was trying his hardest to take over where his mother needed him. Which, was anything physical. She wasn't that old - not in Mary's opinion - but for the 1890s, she was getting up there.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #ruth mcquarrie #thomas mcquarrie #marley ness #mcquarrie decades

[hiraeth-sims]

When she first came to after her impromptu trip through time, Marley Ness had already been taken under the wing of an elderly widow named Ruth McQuarrie. At least, if she was unable to tell the doctor where she really belonged - whether that was with family or a husband.

She had tried to inform the doctor that she would be fine on her own, but he was afraid of her mental state, and promised her that Ruth and her son would take good care of her until she was back on her feet again, even if she was one of those new "Bachelor Girls" or.. whatever she wanted to be called.

It was all too much for Marley; she barely knew what was happening. After all, where in the HELL was she? This woman was sweet, but she spoke so strangely, and... everything was strange and old and the doctor treated her like she-

She knew the answer. She'd known it from the moment she woke up, but she refused to accept it until she had been given a dress and left alone in the bedroom to change. Somehow, whatever that witch with the pink hair had done had sent her backwards in time. Now she just had to figure out how to get back.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 decades challenge #the decades challenge #decades legacy #ts4 decades #mcquarrie gen 1 #1890s #marley ness #ruth mcquarrie #mcquarrie decades