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antianakin · 2 months

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I think I'm able to perhaps put a few words to why I really dislike that the Ahsoka show had her choose to come to the conclusion that Anakin was GOOD, that he was a good person and good teacher to her, rather than having her refuse to forgive him and just having to let go of him entirely.

Ahsoka is a character who has been, for her ENTIRE RUN on Star Wars, defined by Anakin and her relationship to him. She's never been able to escape that. She was created as an explanation for why Anakin "matured" over the three year gap between AOTC and ROTS, but her lack of existence in the films means she can have no greater impact on Anakin than that. She is wholly irrelevant to his character but she does not EXIST without him. In Rebels, she is only in one season where all of her appearances are fixated on her discovery of Anakin's betrayal and how that impacts her, leading up to their final confrontation where she appears to die fighting him. She comes back only so her relationship with Anakin can be used to help Ezra let go of Kanan. In TOTJ, she has an entire episode dedicated to explaining that the only reason she survived Order 66 was because of some kind of special training Anakin gave her that made her stronger, better, faster than any other Jedi. In The Mandalorian, her appearance was full of subtext about her trauma regarding Anakin and the way she reacts to other Jedi as a result of that. In The Book of Boba Fett appearance, that subtext is still there, primarily in her conversation with Luke where she even tells him how much he reminds her of Anakin. Which leaves us with the Ahsoka show itself and how it REVOLVES around that relationship, from Sabine being turned into Anakin 2.0 to everything in episode 5 to Ahsoka claiming she'll support Sabine in everything because this is what Anakin did for her to Anakin literally showing up in ghost form to Thrawn predicting everything Ahsoka will do because he has some familiarity with Anakin.

Ahsoka CANNOT escape this relationship, she cannot move out from this particular shadow and become her own person because her character seems to ONLY EXIST to be "Anakin's student." She can almost literally not stand on her own at this point. If her story doesn't revolve around Anakin in some way, it doesn't seem to really exist (please keep in mind here that I am mostly looking at HIGH CANON appearances for this because that's what I am familiar with; I'm sure that some comics have probably managed to move away from her relationship to Anakin a little bit sometimes but I haven't read any of them so they're not being counted in this analysis, especially since I don't think they're really impacting her higher canon characterization anyway).

It's even just visible in how other characters perceive her. She is constantly being COMPARED to Anakin, we keep hearing how like Anakin she is. The only time I can think of that she is compared to anyone OTHER than Anakin is when Trace and Rafa tell her that she acts like a Jedi even if she isn't currently calling herself one (bless their SOULS for this moment, they deserved so much better than the hate they got and one single appearance on fucking TBB). We never hear anyone say she reminds them of Obi-Wan, or Yoda, or Plo Koon. It's ALWAYS Anakin even though she's known Yoda and Plo Koon longer and she seems to spend almost as much time with Obi-Wan as she does Anakin.

By having Ahsoka decide to deal with her feelings about Anakin by just... setting aside all the bad shit he did and focusing ONLY on the good moments that he had and letting that define him, it makes it nearly impossible to separate her from him. If he's good, then it's a GOOD thing to compare her to him. If he's good, then his influence on her HAS to have been a good one. For me, it ruins ANY nuance that could have come from going the opposite direction and recognizing that while he had some good moments, he was in fact an overall bad person who was a terrible teacher to her. He betrayed her, he tried to kill her (and only failed because she was saved by someone else), he abandoned her. I don't care WHAT he did before this, this automatically makes him a BAD TEACHER.

And recognizing that Anakin was a bad teacher would force Ahsoka to look at HERSELF more critically, too, to recognize the places where she has made the same mistakes perhaps, where she's started leading herself down a similar path to his, and then choosing to NOT BE LIKE HIM. Anakin should be (like he is with Luke) the personification of her own darkness. Palpatine represented Anakin's greatest demons and personifications, Anakin can represent something similar for Ahsoka. He is an indisputable part of her now, but she doesn't HAVE to become him, she doesn't have to let that CONTROL her. And by making that choice, she frees herself from being defined by him for the rest of her life.

But now, the narrative has bound Ahsoka to Anakin forever. She'll never be anything more than Anakin's student because this has become what defines her as a person and a character. And it just... it sucks. Ahsoka deserved better than that.

#star wars #ahsoka tano #anti anakin #anti anakin skywalker #anakin critical #anakin skywalker critical #anti ahsoka show #ahsoka show critical

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roguemonsterfucker · 7 months

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It's amazing how few people have watched Rebels.

It's quickly become one of my favorite pieces of Star Wars media. and strangely, not because of Thrawn though Thrawn was why I started watching it.

It's just a good show. Lighthearted overall, because it's aimed at a younger audience. But it doesn't talk down to the audience in my opinion. There's a fun cast of characters. And because it takes place right before the battle of Yavin, it has a very hopeful feel. Clone Wars is depressing because you know it's pointless (Clone Wars is a very good show, it just always makes me sad so I don't like watching it), but Rebels feels like they're actually working towards something meaningful.

Seasons 3 and 4 are the weakest, in my opinion (despite Thrawn being there). 4 especially because they made some strange choices regarding main characters that I will never forgive them for... And honestly Thrawn was a horrible choice for a villain in a kids' show because he's a scary character but isn't utilized well in a show that is meant to not get too scary. Thankfully he's only in the last two seasons and despite him not being used very well in the show, he's still really fun to watch.

Just. Go watch Rebels. Please. If you like Star Wars, Rebels is so worth watching.

And if you're a monsterfucker (why are you following me if you aren't?), then you may like Zeb. 😏 And lots of people ship Zeb and Agent Kallus (you'll see why if you watch), so there's lots of good monsterfucker fan content out there.

Just please give Rebels a chance. It's my favorite Star Wars TV show so far because it's fun, easy to rewatch, and just has lovely characters.

Especially now that so many of those characters are showing up in the live action show, you should watch Rebels.

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skoulsons · 8 months

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hello sorry im still thinking and it’s nearing midnight which means Emotion TM and Rot TM o’clock

this is about ahsoka because I’m incapable of having any other thoughts about anything

also im sorry this is. so long. my Rot never sleeps nor does it care about the word count

Thinking about the “Shin, release her.” “Shin.” But also their relationship in general

Now, we don’t know how long Shin has been with Baylan. I’m not aware of any sort of timeline for how long someone stays as a ‘padawan’ (though, yes, baylan and shin aren’t jedi and aren’t following it the typical way), but shin could be with him for 5+ years at this point. Or maybe just 2 or less, we don’t know.

But what I find so interesting is the trust that’s there. Back in the first episode, Morgan sends Shin to Lothal on her command. Shin is like… master what. And baylan reassures her and tells her to go to Lothal and that she is “looking for Sabine Wren.” Shin gets excited when she hears that, and episode 4 gives a little more context into that.

Baylan knows Ahsoka. He mentions in episode 4 that Anakin spoke of her. And I’m sure Baylan, after getting close with Shin, has probably shared stories of his time in the Order, Jedi he knew/met, his own master, among other things. Now, also in episode 4, Baylan knows of Sabine. How her family was killed, etc. How he does I have no idea. But, again, something he could’ve told Shin as it relates to Thrawn bc of Ezra and all that good stuff.

But to go back, Shin gets excited when Baylan does confirm and tell her to go. Also, kind of knowing Shin’s character, could’ve been a sort of ‘thrill of the hunt’ going out and looking for her. Either way, Baylan trusts Shin to send her out on her own.

Next is when Morgan does the whole star map shenanigans and Morgan talks about where Thrawn is banished and what the goal is. After Morgan leaves, Shin asks him questions about it. “What happens when we find Thrawn?” Baylan mentions war in response. Then, which is still a line that has me short circuiting bc im insane, Shin asks “what about us?” SOMETHING ABOUT THE US AND STICKING TOGETHER AND IDK FOUND FAMILY THINGS 🤠 and Baylan responds with “Power. Such as you’ve never dreamed.” It still follows along the trust lines. Shin follows him, obviously, as he’s the master and so she feels the need to ask him like, “hey, this has been going on for a little while, what’s our future goal?”

Then, in episode 4, there’s that scene (forgive me mis-quoting) where the four of them are on Seatos and Morgan mentions something about stalling (??) and Baylan says that “but you will” line to Shin and, without needing to say anymore, gives her the go ahead to go into the forest and track down Ahsoka and Sabine with Marrok. He has a trust and faith in her that she’ll do what is needed while he stays with Morgan

THEN, of course ahsoka ‘kills’ Marrok and runs to Baylan, Shin eventually comes back after running from Sabine. Shin makes it to Baylan and Ahsoka and immediately Ahsoka thinks Sabine is dead. Right after Huyang asked them to stay together and they’re getting back into their master and padawan rhythm and Sabine was left with the girl who stabbed her through like less than a week prior. So Ahsoka goes after Shin while Baylan isn’t immediately in front of her and force throws her into the one pillar and knocks her out cold. Baylan gets pissed and uses very powerful swings to push Ahsoka to the edge when she was already weak from picking up the map.

When Baylan has Ahsoka over the cliff, he says “it didn’t have to come to this” which had me THINKING. He has that line in episode 2 (??) about “It’ll be a shame (to kill Ahsoka). There are so few jedi left.” Baylan also still holds a lot of respect for the Jedi, and I think that especially shows through in the fact that Shin has a padawan braid. Baylan then continues with (forgive my misquote again I think) “but you know no other way”. Like. I cannot believe he would’ve pushed her to the edge of the cliff and eventually set her off if she didn’t throw Shin. I think that was Baylan, over anythin, fighting for his padawan and seizing the opportunity he had over Ahsoka to go through with something that he didn’t originally plan to do. But that’s my personal opinion and view rn. That could change.

And then, of course, Shin wakes up after Baylan and Sabine have their little chit chat and she starts to force choke Sabine. Baylan, immediately, is like ‘no no stop I told her I wouldn’t harm her and gave her my word, what are you doing, child’. He says, not in a super commanding or harsh tone, “Shin, release her.”

Now. How many people has Shin force choked in front of Baylan when Baylan didn’t want her to? My bet is zero, probably. Maybe one, idk.

Now we know I love analyzing, especially overanalyzing which is evident by my TLOU ones. But Baylan doesn’t freak out when he notices what Shin is doing. He’s not upset, either, because he knows her. But the very simple ask of “release her” really gets me. It tells me that they’ve built up such a trust and respect there that something small like that is enough to get her to stop and/or stand down. There’s enough there for Baylan to say it and for Shin to know it and drop it. There’s enough there that that’s all Baylan should need to say for her to stop.

Also- rabbit trail- but Shin’s immediate reaction to waking up and seeing Baylan stand, actually somewhat comfortably, across from Sabine probably sent raging signals through Shin because that’s the enemy, so she immediately goes to go after Sabine. Again, personal take, I think it’s on behalf of Baylan and protecting him and not just Shin’s personal vendetta (pretty much, at this point) against Sabine. But maybe that’s my brainrot talking. Idk protecting the other is so 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 but I also think it can fit in this context

But she doesn’t. Not at the first one. Understandable, honestly. The run-ins she’s had with Ahsoka and Sabine haven’t been the kindest and also she’s right across from Baylan and he’s not trying to kill her. So she keeps force choking her and disregards Baylan’s first ask.

But, again, going back to there being enough there. ALL it then takes it is for Baylan to go “Shin.” for her to look at him and stop. Baylan isn’t demanding anything. He’s not loud or aggressive or anything. His tone is very reminiscent of saying “trust me” without the words. And so Shin drops Sabine. Reluctantly, considering the look she gives him, but she trusts him enough to know that it’s fine and that he’s already worked it out.

THEYRE JUST SO. THEY GET ME. THEY GET ME ON A LEVEL I DIDNT KNOW EXISTED 🤮🤮🤮

#I don’t even know if this made sense #if it did then yay #I feel like they’ve been my caffeine the past two days #I’ve been like extra jumpy and smiley just THINKING about them #I cannot wait for the coming weeks #also #hi don’t ship them please you guys are disgusting #saw some. uh. stuff yesterday regarding them #in a very not platonic setting SOOOOO #anyway yeah they’re killing me 🥰🥰🥰#ahsoka spoilers #baylan skoll #shin hati #ahsoka tv

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trashquisitor-shirozora · 1 year

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Another anon here, once again thanking you for your service validating the confused masses for whom s3 is not clicking for. In response to another anon response, and the fact that faloni recently said that "you don't need to watch clone wars to watch ahsoka" do you think he's trying to get a bunch of new people to go in blind so they don't know how nuanced these characters used to be?

Bo for me is the main thing. Like, this Faloni wrote a terrorist, and then gave her backstory, understandable if deeply flawed motivation, and a skewed worldview to the point where a few seasons after she's introduced as a part of Death Watch, we are rooting for her and Obi Wan as they work together even though we know she's done terrible things, because more importantly she knows she's done terrible things. There's no redemption for her mainly because it never felt like Bo was looking for it.

I just feel like the Disney execs running all this have never seen Clone Wars and are now just brushing it off as a kids show for kids and not realizing that the character they are trying to elevating to main character perfection is a war criminal.

Also, good luck on your writing!!! I shall have to check out your AO3 now!

Hello there, another anon! I appreciate your kind words and I do hope you've also found your way to other people's many thoughts on various aspects of the way Season 3 is simply not working for them. It fascinates me how we all have been taking different things from this season compared to the previous two (and personally I find it helpful as a writer writing stories).

Forgive me for not having the cool vocabulary or know-how to use that vocabulary to talk about these things. These are just my opinions as a layperson who spent a long time in fandoms and thinks too much too critically. I didn't see a single episode of TCW until last year when I was doing research on Mandalore and Sundari. I never saw Rebels. My knowledge of these two shows came primarily from Wookieepedia, friends and fellow fans, and the mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Personally, I think Filoni & Co. are trusting the long-time Star Wars fans and the newer fans won over by The Mandalorian to keep them sailing onward toward the Thrawn crossover movie on the horizon but I feel that once the novelty wears off, the General Audience will have a harder time keeping up because they didn't watch TCW or Rebels or know anything about either the original Thrawn Trilogy or the new Thrawn novels. I know I'm going to have a tougher time because I don't know these characters that well and need to be convinced to care. I do think Filoni is going to have to brush aside or flatten/simplify character traits and histories just to engage viewers who are coming into this for the first time. He and Favreau were smart to introduce Ahsoka and her future path in the D+ verse with a Mandalorian episode, though who knows what actual damage that did to The Mandalorian (a lot), so that people become familiar with her and what she wants. Now they have to convince people they want to know where Ahsoka is going and who these other people are, and why it matters that Thrawn is back.

I have read so many meta and critical posts these past few weeks breaking down this whitewashing and rehabilitation of Bo-Katan. She has such a dark and complicated history and I love that for her! I loved her appearances in Season 2 because it felt like a continuation of what I read about her in the Wookieepedia and in posts and commentaries all around the Internet. She's a Messy Bitch and a foil and an antagonizing force, and that's what I expected going into Season 3. Seeing her mope around on the throne, having given up because her fleet dumped her ass for failing to get back the Darksaber, was really jarring and I couldn't understand what Filoni and Favreau were planning to do with her. WELP. NOW WE KNOW. They needed her to be at her lowest so that she can see a sleeping water dragon and hit the reset button, I guess.

I think the decision to erase a huge part of her past has less to do with making it a kids show for kids (because TCW showed what she did and the consequences of her involvement) and more to do with Disney trying to recoup the twin costs of buying Star Wars and launching a streaming service that lost them, what, a billion bucks? They need to sell her as a heroic figure now, a princess and a girlboss because girls and women can't relate to male characters I guess?????, but she has to be safe and palatable to market to the masses so we lose her Death Watch past and we lose the death of her sister. We lose count of how many times she already lost the Darksaber. We lose her messy past, her ambition and drive, and we forgive her for her crimes because she... saved Din's life when he sank in the waters like a rock?

This version of Bo-Katan just does not work for me and the idea that we're now following her redemption arc when this was not what I was sold just... it makes me angry when I don't have enough sleep and really, really sad when I have enough sleep. Bo-Katan could've been a wonderful tragic figure, the cautionary tale the Armorer warned Din about in another lifetime, but now I just look at this season and the direction of the D+ shows as a tragedy itself.

Thanks for stopping by, another anon, and I hope my fics are to your liking!

#shirozora awkwardly responds to asks #the mandalorian #the mandalorian critical #mando critical #the mandalorian season 3 #mando spoilers #i really wish i could enjoy this show like so many other people are but that's just not in my cards

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myevilmouse · 9 months

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I had a professor who wrote old-timey sword & sandals fic. One day, I asked him if he inserted himself into any of the characters when he was writing - did he assume a character role. He was really surprised at the question, as much as I was surprised at the answer: why, no, actually - he hovered above the story as a neutral observer.

I, on the other hand, always identify with a character as I am either writing or reading (almost anything fictional) When I am writing, even though the story may be fandom/canon based, I usually like to endow either an OC or a canon character with some aspects of my own life.

My professor was astonished at this conflation of my life with fic.

Today, I will send this same Ask to several authors and see where YOU position yourself as you write fic: are you a neutral observer? Do you identify with a character in the fic? Do you purposefully create OC to blatantly endow them with your personal characteristics/history?

Same goes for reading fic: do you look for a character to identify with, or are you a neutral observer?

Thank you so much for participating in my little Ask survey (feel free to to expand as much as you like with the answers)

Thank you so much for this ask @beebee-76! I am happy to be included in your author poll 😁

This reads at first blush like a fairly straightforward issue/question, but I am afraid for me the answer isn’t exactly straightforward.

The most important aspect of enjoying fic (for me) is characterization—it can be beautifully conceived, written, and executed but if I’m there and Luke would never do that or Thrawn says something completely OOC (to my personal interpretation) it’s basically an unrecoverable fumble on the part of the author and I have a very difficult time continuing for pure enjoyment.

^^ Fanfic writers everywhere making my man do crazy shit

I say “for pure enjoyment” because sometimes I will read something for a different reason—to support the writer, for example, or to see how a batshit crazy scenario was executed, or, let’s be real, for the smut. But I tend to find that if characterization is good/I agree with it, I usually find everything to be good, so that’s where I start and end as a reader. I don’t need to identify with any particular character and when I am thinking about this ask in particular, I’m like, nope, I don’t do that. I have lots of fictional characters I adore but I would not say I identify with them when reading (or in hindsight). I LIKE them, but I don’t necessarily look for (or see) myself in them.

Here is my disclaimer on fanfic in general: EVERYONE SHOULD WRITE THE CHARACTERS THE WAY THEY WANT. I've said it before and I'll say it again, make Luke a misanthropic scientist who is into bestiality, I don't care. I won't read it, but I will defend your right to WRITE it and to call him Luke Skywalker, that's the beauty of fanfic. If the Wiccans will forgive me, "and it harm only fictional people, do what thou wilt."

I will be the first person to ever wear out a gif, and this is the gif.

So as to your main question, I am sort of all over the place here. I am with your professor in general—I attempt to tell a story as a neutral observer out of a sense of obligation to the characters. However, I am admittedly able to do that by identifying with various aspects of their personalities. That may sound convoluted, so I will explain a little more:

I have nothing in common with Mara Jade except we both adore Luke Skywalker. So when I write a Luke/Mara fic, I feel like I would be doing a disservice to the character if I was imposing my personal traits upon her. Yes, I’ve taken dance lessons but no, I’m not a dancer, so it can inform the way I write Mara dancing (or anyone dancing for that matter) but our mindsets are not the same. I find her frustrating and sometimes obtuse, and I sincerely hope I am not like Mara in most ways. But in order to write detailed Luke appreciation and Luke/Mara in general, I have to get in Mara's head and see how she would interpret something he’s saying or doing, or how she reacts or struggles. This is really imagination, nothing more nothing less.

I also have nothing in common with Arihnda Pryce, hahah for that matter, at least I hope not. I find many things to admire about her, and many things that are sympathetic in her biography, which I hold is necessary as a writer to capture her authentically (again with the disclaimer as I see her/read her). But I do not identify with her, or, for that matter, Thrawn.

I tend to focus on shipfic, and the only OC I have invented in any depth is my art forger—Seta. I don’t think I have much in common with her, but I have, to be fair, imbued her with a love of languages, art, dogs, and well, Thrawn. These are all things I enjoy but none of them are intentional outside of being necessary to tell the story.

Let's be clear I'm not talking about writing FOR myself, I'm talking about identifying with the character. Yes I have a strong language kink, uniform kink, smut likes, etc. so you will see things I personally enjoy crop up in my stories of course (I am writing them for ME), but I hope (at least I like to think) that they only appear when logical and aren't smushed into an identity for random kicks. I'm thinking hard about this and invite anyone to chime in if I'm forgetting something egregious hahaha

Maybe one of my favorite things about being a writer is, as a true “pantser,” I never know where the story is going. So there is never really (or rarely) an opportunity for me to say “oh, you know what, I’m going to have Luke do THIS or Pryce do THAT” because I personally enjoy it. When my personality manifests in the story, I think it’s mainly in service of the story, such as using my pretentious art snob vocabulary to write a debate between Thrawn and Seta, or making Luke a vegetarian (like me!) because I honestly don’t see how anyone who is so in tune with the Force in all living things could be OK with eating meat once they get to a certain level of awareness.

None of this is to suggest that doing it another way is bad or bizarre, it's just not how I approach writing, I guess. I am an anomaly in many ways, I am well aware.

That was a bit long but I hope helpful for your survey! I had fun thinking about this!

So to revisit your questions in a more TL;DR fashion:

Am I a neutral observer? Sort of

Do I identify with a character in the fic? As much as necessary to write them authentically

Do you purposefully create OCs to give them my personal characteristics or history: Definitely not

When reading: do I look to identify with a character or read as a neutral observer: Neutral observer

Thank you again! 🥂

#myfic #authors on tumblr #asks #i like asks #my thoughts #fanfic is for fun #beebee 76

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blackmonitor · 2 years

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It’s time to reconvene The Asker’s Studio™️ because I’ve got questions!

It is my exceedingly good fortune @blackmonitor that you are reading @myevilmouse Conflicting Aesthetics at same time I am, so that I reap the benefits of your artistic talents. In chapter 3, Mouse drops a heavy paragraph relating the frustrations that our artist, Seta, is experiencing whilst sketching Thrawn:

It wouldn’t be perfect. That was the problem with truly fascinating subjects. Capturing his aura was the best she could hope for. Thrawn, even half-naked, exuded command. The sense of power, a demeanor of authority was prevalent, almost but not completely camouflaging a latent vulnerability. Not self-consciousness, something else. Seta could see it, imagined Thrawn would deny it existed, but wouldn’t be content until its flavor was imbued in the lines of her art. It was the sum total, everything wrapped in a charismatic fog of mystery, emphasizing the thing that made him most alien—which also made him intriguing and attractive beyond the physical.

I asked the omniscient Mouse if she was 1. An artist 2. If she was, was this description from experience? The answer was No on both counts. WHUT?! I am not satisfied with this answer. I need to know MORE!

So my dear honest to goodness real artist: Could you please reflect on the paragraph above from an artist’s point of view.

Hint: short answers are not acceptable (jk) 🤣

For those of you who have not seen the portrait that Seta was frustrated over, @blackmonitor has done us the great favour and rendered it for us, exquisitely. (Check out all of her work - it’s pure gold yummy greatness)

Portrait courtesy of @blackmonitor

As always: you have the floor. Thank you for the generosity of your time and talent!

Welcome! Oh wow… Let me just…

“So my dear honest to goodness real artist...”

Oh yes, that paragraph! That was chilling! And I had the opportunity to read it as a lost artist who didn't draw anything for YEARS, and now, as someone who brought joy to many people with my silly drawings. In both cases, it touched something in my soul.

First of all, let me talk about the method of my drawings - not the technical details I already described here.

So art, for me, is about communication - communicating something to the viewer, even in a portrait or anything. It should tell a story, an emotion, or just some vibes to the viewer. Otherwise, it has no point (according to my point of view, but this is highly subjective, so forgive me if yours are different).

For example, take my first Thrawn portrait.

Before I started to draw it, I wondered what I should draw - how to draw him. Back then, I read the first Ascendancy book, so it was obvious that I wanted to see him in that uniform. So when I found my reference from the comic, I changed it to communicate what I wanted - a man destined for greatness who failed.

But how? Well, my method is this - in mind, I became that person (like writers do it). I imagine how he would act, what he would feel… general things. And when I can see that back from my display, I'm happy. Like Seta, I always put my interpretation of the character into the drawing - the posture, the expression, and emotion. @myevilmouse did a beautiful work of describing all those things and the struggle!

The overall vibes and emotions are always superior to the technique or realism in my art. I want to communicate basic understandings in a pleasant form. Sometimes this works better, and sometimes it's not. But I always worked like this even before I did fanarts. So for me, Seta's struggle is real! But I never tried to reach hyperrealism 🤭 That's not for me. Swift projects, maybe a few days on them, move on to something different.

Similarly, in writing, @myevilmouse wrote down beautifully the struggle of sketching someone sitting in front of you, and you know almost nothing about him. In cases like that, I usually use my imagination. Fill out the gaps. I have a basic knowledge of personalities which I use these times. And while I am drawing someone, I'm always thinking about them - not necessarily them in the picture, but other different situations - filling those gaps in my mind.

The goal for me is to put something into the picture. When that something is "looking back to me," I'm happy. Maybe it's something only I can sense, Idk. But that's my goal, similar to what Seta felt as @myevilmouse described it.

For me, Thrawn is a fascinating individual to draw - because he is a great character! And there is so much potential in him.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my thought about this exciting subject!

#ask #asnwer #ask box #blackmonitor #too long answer #my method of drawing #The Asker’s Studio™️

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thesconesyard · 1 year

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Hiy~ =)

So, I'd like to send you a ⭐free pass to rant⭐. Also... I'm going to admit that I haven't read anything of only yours. Although your stories were recommended to me (I think we can guess by whom?), it fell onto the list of things I truly meant to do but never found time for.

But I remember hearing some wonderful things about your "Prompt-ly Yours" series, so I'd like to ask you about that one~ 🌈🌠

Not me looking around like mad, all “omg! Someone’s asking! Act normal! Act NORMAL!”

Ok, ok, ok.

I’ll do the Prompt-ly Yours, then a free for all. (Oh no, I can already feel myself getting ready for a ramble…)

So Prompt-ly Yours was my return to writing and my return to fan fiction. And mostly importantly, the first story in forever (possibly ever!) that actually had an ending. I’d been dancing around with the idea of McCoy and Scotty in a story, but never quite hit on what until I saw a list of sentences prompts and really the first five or six on the list felt like they told a story on their own. Then it became a challenge to myself to write something coherent and use all 100(!) sentence prompts on the list.

And I managed it! And it made sense! And, most of all, coming back to writing made me happy!!

Ok, so little things about it. Dr. Barrolds is named for a joke between hubs and I, in hopes he would read it that far and get a laugh (he didn’t.) One of my favorite moments in the story is probably when they tell each other they love each other the first time. Another fave is the last scene when Scotty ruins the moment interrupting McCoy, but was about to do the same thing. And, poor Chekov, but when he and Sulu get an earful and have to share breakfast with Scones the next morning. Chekov’s extreme reluctance to look at them, McCoy and Sulu’s joint embarrassment and Scotty’s total nonchalance kill me every time.

And free pass!

Boaty McBoatstory was a placeholder name that stuck. It also contains another joke for hubs that he’s never read.

A Home with a Hearth was originally going to be a stand alone, and then as I began thinking and plotting out Wherever You Are, I Am, I realized it fit as part of the Prompt-verse and I’m honestly looking forward to when I get to where it fits in.

I was super nervous when I wrote Forgiveness, and it wasn’t honestly going to be a smut when I started it! But then one thing led to another and well 🤷🏻‍♀️ Would I write another? Maybe. If people were interested but I don’t know if I could do as good a job. I kind of prefer bringing the stories right up to the moment and letting the reader picture what happens.

Cor Lapideum is probably a lot cheesy, but I gave it all my sweetness.

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Temporal Anomaly is entirely because I wanted aos McCoy to be surprised by tos McCoy saying the line “you’ve haven’t married’em yet?”

A lot of my stories circle around one dumb idea lol.

Prior to writing Scones stories, an old high school friend and I (in hs) wrote a pair of back to back tales where we walked through some kind of portal and ended up in Star Wars (she wrote it. She was Luke and I was Han. Genderbent too.) The second story sent us to Lord of the Rings as Frodo (me) and Aragorn (her.) Mark Hamill made an appearance stealing our gray portal home. The series was supposed to continue into the Thrawn trilogy and the Hobbit, but we got lazy. (And busy! Jobs and school!)

My next big fandom story (don’t laugh!) was Monty Python adjacent about a girl who somehow goes back in time to 1968 and gets a job at the BBC for a mad genius writer. The characters were all original, but based of the different pythons. Russell Andrews and Ruby Fontana, my dearest, beloved OCs.

Ok…. I probably wrote waaaay more than necessary. Whoops. Anyone wants to know more feel free to ask. Maybe someday I might even post some Ruby Fontana if anyone’s interested (It’s cool if not.)

Thank you for the ask @l0vel3ss-l1nds3y 💙❤️❤️💙❤️💙

#slice of life #my writing #someone let me ramble on and on and on #too much ramble?#not sorry #talking about writing??#yes please!!

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shenanigans-and-imagines · 3 years

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Fictober 2021 Monster Lovers Extravaganza

By popular demand, this is my all inclusive Monster AU drabble palooza starting October 1st and ending on Halloween night.

Some ground rules before we get started.

Send all request to my ask box. If it is sent as a submission or into my messages, I will not answer them.

Do not ask me if I got your request. Just assume I have I'll get to it when and if I can. If you message me multiple times asking about it, I will delete it.

If I do answer your request, please reblog and/or comment. It's just common courtesy. I'm not getting paid here. Your engagement is my payment.

And now, on with the show.

Step 1: Select a Character

Chose any from the following fandoms:

Star Wars (Original Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, Sequel Trilogy, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Thrawn Trilogy, Rogue One, The Mandalorian)

Marvel/MCU

The Magnificent Seven

Star Trek: TOS/AOS

M*A*S*H

Any of My OCs

Anything else you've seen me reblog: Hammer Horror, ACD Sherlock, Good Omens, etc.

Step 2: Select Your Monster

Vampire AU

Werewolf AU

Dragon AU

Demon AU

Angel AU

Mermaid AU

Fae AU

Ghost AU

Alien AU

Shifter AU

Or any other kind of monster or supernatural being your heart desires; let's get weird

Step 3: Select a Prompt

“Marry me.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“You are not going without me.”

“I can’t believe you!

“I swear it won’t happen again.”

“What did you say?”

“I’m not jealous.”

"We can’t keep doing this.”

“Isn’t this amazing?”

“I’m going to take care of you, okay?”

“Stay the night. Please.”

“You can’t die. Please don’t die.”

“Run away with me.”

“Quit whining.”

“Get outta my sight!”

“Why are you so annoying?”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Don’t ask me that…”

“I might have had a few shots.”

“W- What are you doing?”

"I could kiss you right now!”

“Are you done with that?”

“It’s your fault we’re in this mess.”

“Did you do this on purpose?!”

“Kiss me.”

“Are you still awake..?”

“I shouldn’t be in love with you!”

“I can’t be in love with you!”

“Make me.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“I hate you.”

“Just shut up already.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Bite me.”

“Eat me.”

“Kiss my ass.”

“Just admit I’m right.”

“Just admit you’re wrong.”

“You are being ridiculous!”

“Listen to me!”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Don’t yell at me.”

“That’s it. End of discussion.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You shouldn’t have said that.”

“Fuck you!”

“Shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

“I dare you!”

“It’s you, it’s always been you.”

“Well this is awkward…”

“Just pretend to be my date”.

“Are you really gonna leave without asking me the question you’ve been dying to ask me?”

“I just did some calculations, and I’ve been able to determine that you’re full of shit.”

“Do you ever think if people heard our conversations they’d lock us up?”

“It’s not that you’re wrong, exactly, you’re just extremely not right.”

“You shouldn’t be trusted with small children, should you?”

“You think I’m dumb enough to fall for that stupid move?”

“Despite the cliche, it’s not me, it’s you.”

“Obviously you can’t tell a woman you just met that you love her, but it sucks that you can’t.”

“No, it was my fault for thinking that you might care.”

“When you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Specially then!”

“If you’re not scared, then you’re not taking a chance. If you’re not taking a chance, then what the hell are we doing anyway?”

“I think I’ve been holding myself back from falling in love with you all over again.”

“You have to tell me why we’re committing a felony before we do it. Not that that’s going to stop us, but at least I’ll have all the facts.”

“You know we’re suppose to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you, and you know it, too. I know you do.”

“Those things you said yesterday… Did you mean them?”

“I’m not going to apologize for this. Not anymore.”

“That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.”

“All nighter, you and me. First one to fall sleep buys the other dinner.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever played spin the bottle.”

“I’m ok, thank you. Just please, stop talking to me.”

“To the night you’ll never remember!”

“Could I sit here? All the other tables are full.”

“It’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion.”

“I could do that, but could doesn’t mean would.”

"You cannot fathom the immensity of the fucks I don’t give.”

“Do you need me to kill someone for you?

“I’m gonna lay down and die for like half hour okay?”

“It’s midnight, what do you want?”

“Your hair is so soft…”

“You’re so cute when you pout like that!”

“I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.”

“Are you wearing my shirt?”

"You are ridiculously comfortable…”

“You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this…”

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

"We should get a puppy!”

Don’t apologize. That’s not the point. Did you mean it?”

”I thought I lost you”

”They don’t like dogs. It wasn’t going to work out.”

“I feel like I’m losing control.”

“I’m too sober for this shit.”

“God, I missed you.”

“I let you down. How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?”

“Okay, the blood isn’t mind, calm down.”

“Did you really think I’d leave?”

“There’s a difference between being brave and being stupid.”

“You’re proud of me?”

“Is this supposed to be this hard?”

“Like I’d choose the laws of physics over you.”

[Insert Your Own]

Step 4: Send to My Ask Box

Please make sure to specify that your request is for Fictober.

Step 5: Profit

Happy Halloween Everybody. :D

#fictober #fictober 2021 #monster au #star wars #marvel #mcu #mash #m*a*s*h #star trek tos

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zinzinina · 3 years

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What’s your opinion on Crosshair and do you think we bad batch writers should leave him out in bad batch works like you did? I’m still conflicted and it stops me from working on my stuff

Hi anon! ☺️ I chose not to include Crosshair because personally he is just not one of my favourite characters. I have plenty of mutuals here who do write for him (just off the top of my head are @aenaxes, @boontaeveboba, @echos-newlegs, @loth-wolffe, @fat-zygerrian, @smoldjarin, and plenty more beautiful talented folks). And that’s fine! Some of my friends don’t like my faves — Hawk hates Rex and I will never, ever forgive her for it (just kidding).

To be totally honest, if it’s the discussions/theories/reactions around Crosshair in the most recent episode that are making you hesitant, I’d encourage you to still write whatever you want to. I’ve written for villains before and really enjoy reading about Thrawn and Maul and Vader, and can even view the things that happened to them in a sympathetic light without excusing the bad things they’ve done. We all know there are major problems with the Bad Batch regarding whitewashing and poor characterisation and writing, and it’s really only because of the fixit fanart and fanfic that I’ve seen shared by people here that I’ve grown to feel attached to the characters at all. Your fanfic is your universe and you aren’t restrained by canon or other people’s headcanons; it’s your opportunity to change or fix or explore anything you want to with a character and make it so that you feel comfortable with whatever happens. x

#hope this answer is okay #honestly was a bit scared to respond and i might lose another ten followers but oh well #zin answers #anon #the bad batch spoilers #crosshair

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experiment-000 · 3 years

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Star Wars Characters I want to meet

Ahsoka and Leia/Luke - just imagine Ahsoka telling them about Anakin. Imagine her teaching Luke about the force and telling him about the jedi temple. Just imagine her being the best big sister to both of them. She could tell them about Padmé too.

Leia/Luke and Sabé (and the other handmaidens) - nobody knew Padmé better than Sabé. Everyone would be tripping over themselves to tell the twins about Anakin. Luke met Anakin. And I can't see Leia ever really forgiving him. They deserve to hear about their mother too. Obi Wan too. (Of course Breha was an incredible mother to Leia I'm not disputing that)

Luke and Ezra - they were born on literally the same day! They're both jedi. They both grew up on outer rim worlds before being whisked off on a grand jedi adventure. Ezra and Leia have already met. Maybe she told Luke about him. Maybe Luke will want to meet him after Ahsoka and Sabine find him.

Leia/Luke and Rex - can you tell I just want Luke and Leia to meet the people who should've been their family? Uncle Rex!! Telling them war stories and about how dumb their dad could be. And making sure Ahsoka doesn't get away with her eternally serene look - she was just as wild as Anakin at times.

Karr (from Force Collector) and Rey - obscure as hell I know but this boy has been studying the jedi order. He can see the past of objects and help Rey rebuild the jedi order.

Finn and Kix - again kinda random but just think about how protective Kix would be of Finn. Another kid who had to grow up without a name. That makes him a vod. Kix lost all his brothers but maybe he could find a new one in Finn.

Kix and the kids of clones - I know these characters don't really exist that we know of (aside from Cut Lawquane's kids and that one guy in Force Collector who never even knew his dad) but the guy in Force Collector is proof the clones could have kids. I just want a kid of a clone, one who actually knew their father, and for Kix to meet them and find out at least one of his brothers got to be happy. His brothers live on.

Hera and Han - ok doesn't really count because they have met in a Forces of Destiny short but that was a good interaction and makes me want more of their rivalry.

Ezra and Eli - they would tease Thrawn so much. Eli isn't a bad person just imagine the surprise for Ezra when Eli shows up and just starts roasting Thrawn. And Thrawn not killing him for it.

Poe and Jacen (and Hera) - do I want Hera to have trained Poe - yes. Do I want Poe and Jacen to have been childhood friends - also yes. Do I just want more Jacen content - also yes. Let's be honest Jacen will be an amazing pilot so him and Poe would be great friends. The big question is of course is Jacen force sensitive?

Ezra and Jacen - they never met!!! Ezra never met his baby brother!!! If Jacen is force sensitive it would only make sense for Ezra to train him when he gets found. Admittedly though, the fact that Rey is the last jedi is kind of worrying? Like did something happen to the others - not the ones who were at Luke's academy, the ones who were older like Cal and Ezra and even Jacen.

Quinlan and Luke - ok hear me out Luke knew Obi Wan for like 5 minutes. To him he's some wise old space wizard. Quinlan would obliterate that image of him while Obi Wan's force ghost spluttered in the background.

Din and Aphra - ok but Din is just the dad of the century and Aphra has her "ward" Vulaada. She's soft sometimes for the people she loves. And Din just makes everyone who originally would've killed him become a babysitter. He'd do the same to her. Plus let's be honest she could easily seek him out because she wants the darksaber.

Thrawn and Aphra - ok these are getting more random but let's be honest everyone knows Aphra. Her and Din just get up in everyone's business - her on purpose, Din by accident. Imagine Thrawn trying to deal with the chaos that is Chelli Lona Aphra. Would he be able to predict her behaviour? Would they get on really well I mean Thrawn is an art connoisseur, Aphra is an archeologist.

Thrawn and Din - to go with the previous points. Would Thrawn adopt Din and Grogu too? I mean new canon Thrawn does adopt people, and even legends Thrawn had his ysalamir. Plus Din just befriends everyone so...

Ok this got long but there's just so many characters from various parts of canon who I need to meet one another.

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darkside-skyguy · 4 years

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I want to talk about Agent Kallus for a sec and how his arc on Rebels proves that the idea that Ben Solo would not have been allowed to join the rebellion, that he would have been tried for war crimes, and that he would have never been accepted after all the things he’s done is utter bullshit.

(spoilers for Star Wars: Rebels ahead)

Okay, I mean, first of all, just look at Kallus:

With his stupid beard he looks like a smug little evil bitch and he is. He wields a bo-rifle, a weapon that was chiefly used by the Honor Guard of Lasun, and which he should not be wielding, but he does because he helped the Empire wipe out the Lasat people on Lira San. An entire people, nearly brought to extinction, and he had a hand in doing it. In the first episode of Rebels, he kicks a stormtrooper to his death for making a joke and giving him the tiniest bit of sass. He spends most of his time hunting down the Ghost team but ultimately fails to capture and/or kill them. Bottom line: he is not a good dude.

But then, after a year of chasing the Ghost and the Spectres around the Galaxy, he fails at an attempt to trap them on Geonosis and ends up trapped on its frozen moon with Zeb, one of the last Lasats. There they have to work together to keep from freezing and to not get eaten by monsters until someone comes to rescue them. With his leg broken, Kallus has to rely almost completely on Zeb to save him. While Zeb easily could have left him behind or killed him, Zeb brings him to safety and even offers to take him onboard the Ghost when the Spectres come to the rescue. Kallus ultimately refuses, and decides to wait for the Empire to come pick him up. That, though, is ultimately his turning point, though we don’t know that yet. Kallus and Zeb part as unlikely allies for a time, and they each go their separate ways.

Kallus then begins to question his beliefs. He begins to question his blind allegiance to the Empire. Unbeknownst to Ghost squad, and the audience, he becomes a secret spy and feeds the rebels information about the Empire through the codename Fulcrum. Reader, let me tell you, when it was finally revealed that Kallus of the dumb beard was Fulcrum, I about jumped out of my seat. Wait, really, what?! But even though it was an amazing twist, it made perfect sense. We saw him seriously start to turn on that frozen moon with Zeb. We saw his heart wasn’t really in his Imperial business since then. When Sabine infiltrates the Imperial academy to extract Wedge and a few other cadets disillusioned with the Empire, Kallus helps Sabine escape. He tells her to give his regards to Zeb and to tell him that they were even now. So when Kallus finally reveals to Ezra and Kanan that he is, in fact, Fulcrum, it was a surprise but not a shock. And it was one of those amazing character developments that makes Star Wars so special.

Because hearts can be turned. There is still good in everyone. No one is really gone. It’s never too late.

Kallus stays with the Empire and continues to stay in communication with the Rebels. Ezra is sent in to extract him at some point, but Kallus feels he can do more good from the inside. When he’s finally found out by Grand Admiral Thrawn, he escapes with the Ghost team and joins the rebellion fully. I mean, look at him now:

He’s got the long rebel hair! The unkempt beard! The looser, less restricting clothing! He’s thriving now. And you know what struck me most about his entrance into the Rebellion? No one berates him for his past actions. No one questions his loyalty. No one fights him, or tells him he doesn’t belong. And certainly no one tries him for war crimes. They’re happy he’s there. They’re happy he’s changed and grown and felt remorse for all the terrible stuff he’s done. I mean, think about it: this guy tried to kill all the members of the Ghost team multiple times. He spent a year hunting them. And they forgive him. It’s easy, really. Because that’s what the Rebellion is built on: hope. Hope that the galaxy and the people in it can change and grow and become better than they were before. Agent Kallus embodies that hope perfectly.

And that’s why I cannot and will not believe that Ben Solo would not have been allowed to join the Resistance if he chose. If he had lived at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, of course he would have been welcomed into their ranks. If he had joined at the beginning or in the middle of TROS, even, he would have been welcomed. At any point, had Ben shown a desire to change, to be better than he had been yesterday, he would have been allowed and encouraged to do so. Sure, a lot of people would probably have mistrusted him at first. He would have been expected to prove his loyalty, as Kallus had by working as Fulcrum. But no one would have refused him a place in the Resistance. No one would have told him he didn’t belong there. Because if the Resistance turned away people who genuinely wanted to help, to improve, to grow, then what would be the point? Isn’t that their goal? To make the galaxy a better, safer place? And what is the galaxy but a community of people all struggling to find their way, to navigate its perils and its hopes, its good and its evil? The Resistance is about saving what they love, not fighting what they hate. To turn Ben away would have been in direct opposition to everything they stand for.

And that’s why it’s so sad that Ben never had his chance to join the Resistance. That he never got to come home, and find out how wrong he was in thinking that it was too late, that he was a monster, that he would never be loved the way he longed to be. He would have been allowed to do good again. It’s an absolute tragedy that he never got the chance.

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zoryany · 4 years

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send me ficlet prompts – optionally include characters 73. You’re putting an awful lot of trust in them.

Her boots were planted firmly on the ground just below her shoulders, arms folded across her chest in a way that maintained a delicate quality without diminishing her strength. Everything about her seemed to grow tight as her jaw clenched, her brow knit – ever so slightly – and the air in her lungs could be released as either a sigh or a growl.

The twins were in disagreement.

Luke hated when they didn’t see eye to eye. It made him feel distant from his sister in a way he hadn’t even felt during his first days as a member of the Alliance. It wasn’t often that they disagreed, but when they did, the Force itself seemed unsettled, as though the galaxy was out of alignment. somehow. These days in particular, it took significant matters to divide the Skywalkers, but if there was one surefire way to sunder their partnership, if only temporarily, it was to broach the subject of Vader. No greater source of contention existed between them than their own father.

Leia would never forgive him. Hell, she’d hardly forgiven Luke for forgiving him. But this wasn’t a matter of forgiveness – this was a matter of trust. Leia trusted him implicitly, the same way he trusted her, and he sincerely hoped he wasn’t taking advantage of that by asking this of her.

“I know you don’t like this.” He was stating the obvious, but he felt it only fair to her for him to acknowledge it.

“You have a talent for understatement, Luke.” It wasn’t malice in her voice, but a vein of irony wove its way through her words that teetered dangerously close to disdain. “I absolutely despise this. You’re putting an awful lot of trust in them. Especially considering they only respect us in the first place because of Vader.” If her voice wasn’t malicious before, it was positively dripping with venom as she spat out their father’s name.

Luke winced at her tone, making it a point to choose his words carefully. If he was going to convince Leia to see his point, he would have to appeal to her sense of reason. His sister was intelligent – smarter than him, he would gladly admit – and her sharp mind allowed her to carefully construct her arguments and decisions. She was, however, still human, and as subject to her emotions as any other human.

“I know how you feel about this – about him. But I’m not asking you to change that. I’m only asking you to consider the strategic possibilities that this could open up for us.”

“Luke, don’t,” she snapped, but she’d lost a bit of her previous acidity. “I’m fully aware of the strategic advantages an alliance with the Noghri could give us, but I do not trust a species that’s been loyal to the Empire for over two decades.”

“But they weren’t loyal to the Empire.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“They weren’t loyal to the Empire, Leia, they were loyal to Vader,” he insisted.

“That’s even worse.”

He could sense her anger building back up, her voice growing colder and her eyes growing harder, and he knew he had to act quickly. During the war, Leia had been known as the ‘Angel of Mercy.’ It was her sense of mercy for beings who were suffering that he was banking on, now, and he could only hope for that sense to override her hatred for their father.

“I’ve been to their homeworld, Leia,” he said, speaking slowly and putting weight into his words. “It was ravaged at the end of the Clone Wars. The planet is desolate, and only very little of it is habitable. The reason they were loyal to Vader -- want to be loyal to us -- is because he discovered them and worked to restore their world.” She knew this already, and the impatience grew on Leia’s face as he spoke, but he had to say it again, had to reiterate it to make the impact of what he was about to say next hit with the right amount of weight. “I’ve been looking into it, though, and after this long, they should have made more progress. So why is so much of the planet still suffering?”

Leia’s brows knit in thought, the wheels turning in her head and shining through her eyes. Confusion and thought replaced anger and irritation on her face. “What are you trying to say, Luke?”

“I believe the Empire’s been poisoning the crops in order to keep the Noghri loyal to them.”

“What?” Leia gasped.

Chewing his lip for a moment, Luke considered his words carefully. Leia would agree with his point, but how he presented it could very well make all the difference. “Vader discovered the devastation and set the restoration in motion. That’s why they consider him a saviour. But it doesn’t add up. After this long, why is only a sliver of land habitable? I got my hands on one of those probes and… Well. It confirmed my suspicions.”

After a moment, the words sunk in, and Leia’s eyes grew wide with horror. “Of course. Why offer genuine assistance to a world in need when you can enslave its inhabitants instead,” she spat, her lips curling in disgust.

“Exactly,” he said, nodding. “Think about it, though. That has Palpatine written all over it. That’s what he did with Vader. Saved him, gave him the means to survive, gave him power and strength, but kept him from recovering fully so that he’d have to rely on his master for the rest of his life.”

The look on Leia’s face suggested she knew exactly where he was going with this, and he could see her searching for arguments to counter Luke’s points. He decided to jump back in before she had the chance to find them.

“Father, if he was aware, would not have agreed with The Emperor,” he insisted, refusing to flinch at the fire that flared in Leia’s eyes when he said Father instead of Vader. “He was a slave his whole life, and while there’s no denying that he was complicit in the continued existence of slavery under The Empire, he would not actively participate in it.”

“You don’t know that,” she countered, but it was clear that, reluctant as she was, he was winning her over. “But… maybe you do. And if that’s the case, then… Luke. Thrawn’s been using them.”

“I know.”

“He’s been lying to them!”

“I know!”

Her brows furrowed in that way they did when she was on the verge of an epiphany. “We have to tell them the truth.” There was fire in her eyes, a righteous determination that told Luke that she’d come to the same conclusion he had. “We can liberate them and Thrawn will lose his personal assassins!” She paused, a moment, pressing her lips together and drawing in a deep breath through her nose. “I still don’t… like how they came to trust us. But… I am glad you trusted them. Because I trust you, Luke, and I think this gives us an opportunity to earn their trust based on our own merits.”

Admittedly, Luke agreed with Leia in that regard. He was not ashamed to be associated with their father, but he didn’t want his life to be defined by him, either. Being Vader’s children had gotten the Noghri to listen to them, but it would be their own actions and intentions that would win and maintain their loyalty.

“You’re right, as always,” Luke said. If he’d learned one thing about Leia in the time he’s known her, it’s that she’s much more likely to be persuaded into something she’s initially against if she ends up thinking the whole thing was her idea all along.

The gears in her head were turning as she formulated a plan. Now that she’d been convinced of the value of allying with the Noghri, she would not rest until she knew precisely how they were going to go about it. “I think, since you’ve visited the planet and made more direct contact, you should return and propose the alliance.” She did not mention Luke’s relative willingness to play up their relationship to Vader, but they both knew it was part of it.

As much as it made sense, he was hesitant to agree to it, however. “You’re putting a lot of trust into my limited diplomatic abilities.”

Raising a brow, Leia breathed out a soft, short laugh. “You really aren’t giving yourself enough credit. You’re a Jedi, Luke. More than that, you’re kind and charming and don’t talk down to people. You inspire people, and they listen to you.” She smiled at him in that way that conveyed her complete and utter faith in him, and he felt his cheeks warm as he turned his gaze towards the floor. She reached for his face and tilted his chin back up, her brown eyes deep and warm. “You can do this, Luke. I can’t think of anyone better suited for this mission than you.”

Part of him wanted to protest that she was somewhat biased in that regard, being his twin sister and all, but the sincerity in her expression told him that she wholly believed what she was saying. “Alright. I’ll start making preparations and then head to Honoghr. The sooner we cut their ties with the Empire, the better.”

“Agreed. Take care, and may the Force be with you.” She touched his cheek once more and turned to leave, but paused in the doorway and smirked at him over her shoulder. “Oh, and Luke? Don’t think I don’t know what you were doing. You’re not as subtle as you think.”

Well. She’d figured him out. But, that she agreed anyways meant that he’d done something right, and that was good enough for him.

#luke skywalker #leia organa #luke and leia #my writing #casually and shamelessly rewrites a chunk of the thrawn trilogy #i got this prompt SO long ago #man this definitely got away from me lmao #under the cut bc it's long

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narkinafive · 5 years

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this one’s a doozy

(i feel like i should have done sth like this for the prequels/the clone wars but oh well. i'll get around to it eventually! maybe! gotta do something while waiting for ix right lol)

oh, rebels. rebels rebels rebels. i know it's probably unbelievable, but i was so gutted by the clone wars cancellation that i really Did Not Like rebels at. it took... idk about two years for me to give it a real chance (and i was still deep in a previous fandom hole, so i didn't really get into it until like. the start of s4) (if you can guess what fandom it was you get a cookie) i am so glad i tried it again.

of course, ezra bridger is, was, will always be my favorite boy. i really did not expect him to waltz away with my heart! anakin has always been my favorite (and he still is, tbh), bc that kind of character and that kind of arc is so on brand for me, like. i LOVE my dark tragic messiah demigods, i really really do!!! but then this doofy dumbass kid with big blue eyes and a big blue heart and his many cat friends just punched me in the gut!

it's been a year and i've had time to digest the whole package. let me preface by saying that rebels is absolutely 100% perfect and my favorite piece of expanded sw media by a LONG mile. NOW. that doesn't mean that there weren't things i didn't like (going under a cut!)

many times, it tried too hard to tie into the greater saga - bringing in palpatine, the wbw, all the saga cameo characters, like... some of them worked better than others. the r2d2 and c3po cameos were the worst, w obi wan coming in at a close second. the best saga character cameo was definitely mon mothma (and bail). i really liked leia's episode, but. idk. it still felt a little shoehorn-y

i wish ezra's descent into the dark side had been more ... present? he gets some great, great moments. but it's kind of sudden (i've touched on this before so i won't keep going)

someone else has brought this up (and i ................. do not remember who sdfkjlsdfjlk) but pushing aside the Great Rivalry of thrawn and hera for the force stuff is... idk. that's a whole other thing

now i love the force shit. like i LOVE it. but i think rebels might have been stronger if it focused less on force shit and more on the early war effort, in the same vein as rogue one. i know it'd be more difficult to fill out four seasons rather than one movie, but as it got into s4 and closer and closer to episode iv... idk, put the force shit at the beginning of the season? idk. i really love how they did it, but... idk! it's complicated

oh, and speaking of complicated - maul. i love what they did with him, i love this sad garbage pile and watching him recreate his trauma onto others as a way of dealing with it... but i think it was a weird choice. maul is so... idk, grimdark? for such a lovely sweet show

kallus going to lira san better be bc he's being tried for war crimes lmao

sabine staying on lothal is... a choice. not one i hate. but i still don't quite understand it

and my biggest gripe, ironically one of my favorite parts of the show: ahsoka lives.

dont' get me wrong; i was so happy that ahsoka lived, i nearly threw my computer across the room when ezra yoinked her into the spacetime continuum. i am a diehard ahsoka fan and i will fight somebody to defend her honor. THAT SAID. the narrative of ahsoka going down at the hands of her former master? as he desperately tries to erase every part of his former identity? the great commander tano, clone wars veteran, an early casualty of the rebel alliance? it's so good. it's SO good. having her story end there would have been just some phenomenal shit. just superbly poetic. i'm glad she's alive! and the emotional impact is still the same, even with her coming back, but my god.

now. the things i love.

the character arcs. all of them. ezra bridger, war orphan, street thief, cast out by his people, finding he is stronger than he ever thought could be possible, giving his life for his people because he forgives them, and because it's the right thing to do. kanan jarrus, jedi knight, reclaiming his heritage and his jedi legacy (and yes, watching him die still hurt just as much as the first time aroundd) (and also, thanks to @aspiringwarriorlibrarian and @greatlakesrebel for pointing out many many many things, but first and foremost tonight, that dume the wolf was of course voiced by fpj) (i’m slow ok shut up). hera syndulla, who unfortunately had to learn the hard way how to balance love and war so she didn't become her father, pushing away everyone she loved for the greater cause. zeb orrelios, finding his people, learning he's not the last of his kind, leading the refugees to their ancestral home. sabine wren, forgiving herself and freeing her planet from oppression. and not just the hero arcs - the villain arcs, too!!!! darth maul's single minded obsession that kept him alive for 30 years ending in a 3-hit fight on a backwater planet because he just couldn't sustain that hate for so long. all of thrawn's cleverness couldn't predict the force. i don't have an issue with a single one of these!

THE FORCE (TM)!!!! there is so much delicious crunchy force nonsense, i could DROWN in it

among my many, many issues w the old EU, one of them was demystifying the force, quantifying and trying to label it too much. some things were quantified bc they needed to be (the holocrons, the sith code, etc) but most of it was kept as vague and nebulous as possible, which is GOOD. when it comes to mystical magic, less explanation is mostly always more

i love that we don't have clear cut answers for the loth wolves and the lothal temple, i could ponder that shit for WEEKS and never get bored

it does feel like a mostly self contained story. "been there made history" can get overused very easily (see: hbo rome) but rebels used it just enough to fit it into the larger saga

having rex survive both the clone wars AND the galactic civil war??? fuck yeah

kanan and ezra. kanan and ezra. there is so much i could say about kanan and ezra. it's everything to me. war vet finds plucky young orphan and adopts him? sign me tf up!! their relationship as it grows from mentor/mentee to peers is really really well done

and speaking of growth, ezra and sabine going from obvious romantic interest to battle forged siblings is not something that i was expecting but is definitely one of the best parts of the show

kevin has some really incredible tracks in this show: top of the list is 100% kanan's end credits, followed closely by it's over now. wow

and speaking of, the entirety of the last ten minutes of twilight of the apprentice deserves its own bullet. that shit is right up there with vader v luke round 2

the planet designs, mostly malachor and lothal, but when hera and sabine launch the dome, and the lothal sky suddenly turns to blue as the pollution is leeched out and destroyed... that shit is breathtaking

and so much more. like so much

this show holds such a special place in my heart :") now if only dave could bring back my son... like. PLEASE

see you all in rogue one!

#the pre ix rewatch

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libralita · 5 years

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January Wrap Up | 2019

This month I tried to read as many books as I possibly could because I’m starting my second semester of college and I know that I will not have time. I also really want to try and beat last year’s record of 150 books so I want to stay ahead of how many books I was reading last year. I really succeeded. I read a total of eighteen books which is amazing! A lot of those books were really great as well.

The first book I read of 2019 was Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce:

This book started out a little rocky. I didn’t really like how fast we went through Arram’s schooling. Especially because it didn’t feel like the trio really grew that much until the end. But as Arram started to change and start to discover who he is then the story got a lot better. I really liked seeing Arram healing, it really felt like he was in his element and how passionately he works. I wish we got to see more of Varice, I still don’t really understand what a kitchen witch is. Ozorne was interesting but I also feel like I want to see more of him. I don’t know whether I’ll continue on with this series.

Next I read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami:

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t as good as 1Q84. The most interesting part of this book was the flashbacks to Manchuria and Boris the man skinner. It was horrifying and interesting. Toru wasn’t ask interesting as the other characters in 1Q84 and this book felt a little bit more pointless. However it was still interesting and the ending really saved it. I gave this four out of five stars.

Next I read The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz:

I really loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe so I decided to read his other books. This book started out a bit rocky. I always get a little annoyed when authors throw in a bit of Spanish to make sure you know your Mexican characters are Mexican. The “No bueno” thing was really annoying. Every book that tries to be feminist, ends up being sexist. However, when the completely heartbreaking stuff started to kick in, I started to really enjoy this book. My favorite character was Fito Fresquez. He had such a tragic story and his sadness felt so real. While I had issues with this book in the beginning it turned out to be a pretty good book. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Then I went back to Haruki Murakami with Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage:

This book was so good and has the protentional to be one of the best of the year. I related so much to Tsukuru because if I had a group of close friends and they suddenly decided to cut my out of their group, I would have no idea what to do. I also really liked Haida and am sad that there was no closer on what happened to him. What happed to Shiro is crazy and I would never forgive the friends for what she did. I’m sad that we didn’t get to see if Sara accepted Tsukuru but I think she did so there. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Next I randomly picked up The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt:

This was an interesting book. It reminded me of Name of the Wind and that’s not a bad thing. It has beautiful writing and Theo reminds me a lot of Kvothe he has a serious passion, is border lined obsessed with a girl, and has a tragic backstory with his parents. I think the only thing that I didn’t like was that time jump was a little jarring, I wish that it had been more led in. But I really enjoyed this story. It was just…beautiful. I gave it five out of five stars.

I finally finished Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy with The Last Command:

This book was so amazing. Leia had her twins, Jaina and Jacen, and I cannot wait to see more about them. The ending is what really made this book great. There was a Luke clone which was such a good twist. Then in order for Mara to be free of the Emperor’s control she kills Luuke Skywalker. Very clever. Then Luke gives Mara his lightsaber. That’s so sweet. Such a great ending to this trilogy. Five out of five stars and one of the best of the years.

I continued on with Silver Spoon with Volume 4 by Hiromu Arakawa:

I really enjoyed this volume! It’s nice to come back to this lighthearted series. I really like seeing more of Hachiken’s family, especially his father. I can’t wait to see more flashbacks of his middle school mental breakdown…does that make me a bad person? Any way, five out of five stars. Fun time.

Next for my YA Literature class I had to read the Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater:

So I don’t really like the way Stiefvater writes. She usually has really great writing, semi-interesting premises but BORING characters. And this was no different. So borrinnggggggggg! I had to read this book for my YA Literature class and oh my god I was so uninterested in this book. The characters were so dull, I didn’t even bothering learning the side characters name. I didn’t care about the romance. I didn’t care about the world. I was so uninterested in this book. The premise was kind of interesting but it doesn’t save this nothing of a book. I gave this book one out of five stars.

Next I picked up The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman:

This was an incredibly sad story to read, like all Holocaust stories. The only problem I had with this is that the present day storyline too up a little too much time. I care more about what happened during the Holocaust then Vladek’s marriage problems. But it was still a great story. Five out of five stars.

Then I read An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington:

I would say that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. I wish we could have seen more of Caeden, Davian, Wirr, Kara, and Asha together. At points they would see one another but I really want to see them all interacting. But again Islington is really great at doing dark twists. I think Caeden is my favorite character. Everything with his wife and the shapeshifter. But then at the end of the book when Caeden had killed older Davian. That is so insane! Such a good book. I gave this book five out five stars.

I was in the mood for super sad contemporary after reading Aristotle & Dante and the author’s other books so I bought They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera:

I didn’t like this book as much as More Happy Than Not. I think it’s because I didn’t really care that much about Mateo and Rufus’s relationship. I teared up a little bit when Mateo died and the ending was pretty good. However, I think the premise of two people falling in love on their final day is really cool, I just think that it wasn’t as powerful. It would be a three star but the ending bumped it up for a four.

Next I picked Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

Alright take this review with a grain of salt because I absolutely adore these types of stories. I’ve always had a soft spot for ballet school dramas. I use to love Dance Moms, Bunheads, and this one Australian show that I can find no matter how much I google it. Point being I love ballet stories and I love the dramaz. This book was full of drama. So much romance and backstabbing…or foot stabbing. I gave this book five out of five stars.

After really loving the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt I decided to pick up The Secret History:

This book slightly missed the mark for me. It was still good, I gave it four out of five stars because I really enjoyed the transition from the friendship between the group of Greek students to then killing Bunny and the aftermath. However, I think after a while when the students are starting the spiral out of control, I stopped caring. Especially Charles, I did not like his transformation. It was very annoying and he was a character that I really liked. So, I’m sad that it missed the mark but it was still a good book.

Next the final book that I had to read for my YA Literature class was Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson:

I’m not much of a poetry person so I that probably hindered my enjoyment of this book. It was an interesting story about a black girl growing up during the Civil Rights movement in America. It was interesting to see the different places throughout America and her family life. There were a few really great poems, most of them got the point across. I gave this book four out of five stars.

I then continued with the Tiny Pretty Things Duology with Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton:

So I liked this book a little less than I did the first one. This duology is really a guilty pleasure series. I just love it for the drama. I actually think this book handled it’s finale a bit better than a lot of other contemporary books do. I think the one problem I had with it was Cassie and her over the top villainy. Like she is perfectly fine with people potentially dying. I felt like Eleanor got the short end of the stick. She was hospitalized twice in this book for the shit that Gigi and Cassie did. Poor girl. And Cassie does have a good case against Bette because Bette was horrible. So her handling made me not like this book as much. But I felt like the ending really made this book work enough to give it five out of five stars.

Next I read Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami:

I didn’t really like this book that much. Mostly because I didn’t understand what was going on. Maybe I’ll reread it at some point but right now I could not tell you what the point of this book was. I think I enjoy Murakami’s more realistic stories then he’s completely off the wall stories. That said, he had the beautiful writing, interesting characters, and the world ended so I gave it three out of five stars.

Because I’ve become somewhat obsessed with Japanese literature I picked up Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro:

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of current American YA books, I guess the angst-y teen really is universal. It was a very short book but it covered a lot of stuff about national prejudice between people. It was less than 200 pages but it didn’t feel rushed. It didn’t waste time and gave a really satisfying story about a romance. I highly recommend this book. I gave it five out of five stars.

Finally, I read the Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Vol. 1 by Hiroaki Samura:

It took me a while to get into this book, mostly because it was hard to remember all the characters and who was who. At one point I thought Machi and Rin were the same person. It was also hard to tell what was flashbacks and what was happening in that moment. But after I got into the story and figured out who was who then I really started to enjoy it. It’s a really interesting story about revenge and I really like the dynamic between Rin and the immortal warrior. I really liked this book and I think I’ll continue on with the story. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Those are all the books I read this month and hopefully next month I can read at least a few books!

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noddytheornithopod · 5 years

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Looking back, 2018 was a pretty wild year for my media consumption:

Star Wars Rebels ended, and it ended great. Especially dug the stuff with the World Between Worlds, aka probably the wildest freaking things they've done in Star Wars like ever.

I began watching Star vs the Forces of Evil. I wasn't surprised to find it was far from perfect, with much of the first season being unbearable. But it slowly grew on me with time, to the point I was fully invested post-Toffee. That finale was fucking emotional, damn.

Steven Universe is as amazing as ever. So much awesome stuff. Pink Diamond being Rose Quartz (I STUCK BY THAT THEORY FOR AGES HA) and the Ruby and Sapphire wedding were the big stand-outs as to be expected.

Not everything is good of course. I read The Rosie Project and found it rather meh, especially since the portrayal of an Autistic protagonist was so trite. It's one reason I want to see more Autistic creators get to truly shine.

Solo A Star Wars Story was fine, but the twist with Maul as the villain was just ridiculous to me even as a huge Maul fan (I felt his story concluded great in Rebels). In terms of "most unbelievable media moment of 2018", seeing him come back on the big screen probably qualifies.

I got to meet @hbomberguy when he visited Melbourne, which was great. Main things I remember are him seeing the Neighbours tour, being kicked out of the Robot Bar for being too much and me not trying to go insane over the previously mentioned Solo twist.

It's not something actually released, but The Clone Wars got confirmed for an extra season and that alone was great news.

Oh, The Phineas and Ferb Effect. How I had such high hopes for you, only to crush them to not only give me a sub-par special, but something so carelessly handled it ended up fucking up the fabric of the entire universe of Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law.

Oh yeah and MML Season 2 ended up proving it wasn't just a colossal one time fuck up, but an actual decline in quality for the show. I take great amusement in the irony, though: everything that can go wrong will go wrong, even the very show itself.

I've been continuing to help my friend @jaaychaan in writing her novels which has been lots of fun, but seeing me referenced in freaking interviews with her was quite surreal as well.

Star Wars Resistance came out, and while things are going as expected, the character of Neeku stuck out to me as very Autistic coded... and I've yet to feel like they've done him justice so far.

Voltron ended. Season 6 was great, but well Season 7 showed a few small cracks even if I liked it overall, cracks that would reveal themselves during Season 8. It still had good episodes, but the way it was wrapped up is so unsatisfying.

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy came out, and it was a blast. Hope a few technical issues get fixed, but overall I'm more than happy with what we got.

Crash Team Racing also got a remake announced, aka the one remake I actually wanted. :P

I started playing Undertale but I suck at it so I've been absurdly slow at completing it. I left Undyne for months only to realise what the solution to beating her was. :v

I rarely read comics but the Darth Vader series by Charles Soule was so amazing I continued following it right to the very end with the completion of Fortress Vader and the dark side Mortis-esque finale. So much great stuff, and now Momin is one of my favourite Sith of all time.

Last but not least, I will never forgive TTV for sparking a Danganronpa obsession. Great LP of course, but even if it's far from perfect the story and characters are so gripping. Also Kyoko Kirigiri is my daughter and she's amazing, she's like teenage girl Thrawn except like well good and also giving me major feels FUCK YOU JUNKO YOU MONSTER.

#personal

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