#I might since Ben would destroy a minor

[ameliathefatcat]

Hey Jumblr let’s find a way to spam Ben Shapiro that abortion are a Jewish vale. Spam him saying he’s not a good Jew, Spam him being Anti-choice is going against Jewish vales.

I know we should shame other Jews but can we make an exception for Benjamin Aaron Shapiro 

#jumblr #Jewish #pro choice #pro life = anti choice #ben shapiro #Ben’s reaction would be priceless #banning abortions is antisemitism #this is kinda a joke #but if we could do this #I might since Ben would destroy a minor

[descendantofthesparrow]

One-shot - Harry Hook x Reader - Colorless - soulmate au!

i made this cuz i was having minor writers block from rewrite and wanted to do a soulmate au oneshot. enjoy!

=

He had never believed it, the idea of soulmates. Someone who made in the stars just for him? That would love him no matter what? Someone he would love till the end of his life? Someone perfect to him in every which way?

Yeah right, he was not that dumb to believe something like that, villains didn’t get happy endings, or someone to love.

They didn’t need it, or deserve it.

His father's world had been black and white since he was born, he had been told that color erupted around him the first time he stepped onto a ship out on the open seas, but Harry wasn’t inclined to believe him after the 30th time he had asked what the color of something was and his father refused to answer.

Some days he looked out across the strait of Ursula to see Auradon, wondering if he did have a soulmate and if they lived there.

Somedays he dreamed of someone with a laugh that sounded like the soft bells you would hear in those Auradon commercials around the holidays, not the ones he would find that sounded like a little metal ball hitting against cheap plastic.

Sometimes he would dream that he was on a large great pirate ship, walking along the deck with someone as they sang a sea shanty with the most beautiful voice he had ever heard, he akined it to a siren that sang to sailors about their deepest loves and wishes.

Deep down he knew it was dreams of his soulmate, hinting to him so he could find them easier. But he had already convinced himself that he didn’t have one, so he did his best to ignore those dreams.

He never thought that he would be proved wrong.

When he kidnapped King Ben and informed Evie, Jay, and Carlos about the deal Uma wanted to make with Mal. He didn’t expect to look behind Carlos as see a flash of color in a pair of eyes he had sworn he had seen in his dreams.

He ignored it, turning and walking back to the crew and escorting King Ben back to the ship. It didn’t mean his mind wasn’t on those curious sparkling (e/c) eyes for the entire night.

The entire day leading to the trade for Ben, he saw flashes of (e/c) everywhere, a bead on Bonnie's bracelet, a cloth hanging from the clothing lines, a shimmer from the sea below the revenge.

He forced himself to think that it was a fluke, that those hypnotic eyes hadn’t been the ones belonging to the one that would be called his soulmate.

He threw that out the window when he was chasing after Ben and slammed into someone, his mind screamed at him to drop his weapons and catch them before they hurt themselves, he listened. His hook and sword clattered to the deck as he wrapped his arms around their waist and tugged them back on their feet.

Their colorless hair bounced a bit as they shook their head to clear their frazzled mind and looked up, Harrys breath stopped as the (e/c) eyes looked into his, the world now exploding into color.

Time froze as the two newly found soulmates started into each other's eyes, Harry's grip around their waist tightening as he started to look at them. Soft looking (h/l) (h/c) hair, blush tinted (s/c) decorated with (freckles, scars, beauty marks, whatever), (chapped, scarred, soft, plump, thin) lips agape as they stared back at him.

His soulmate…was everything the stories had said. They were perfect to him, truly made in the stars just for him.

As time resumed, Harry flinched a bit as he heard the frustrated screams of Uma and Mal. He looked up, gritting his teeth as the traitors and Ben backed up near the tunnel, calling out for someone's name.

(y/n)…that was his soulmate's name.

“Yeh have ta go” he whispered to them, releasing his grip on their waist and sliding it up to their shoulders, giving them a reassuring smile when they protested “we’ll see each other again, I promise…I’m Harry” they stopped, whispering their name back before grabbing one of his hands and pecking his palm, turning and running towards their friends, glancing back at Harry the entire time as the core four and Ben made their escape.

Harry gingerly picked up his weapons, starting at his reflection in his hook. So that’s what his mother meant when his eyes had reflected the colors of the sea. He hooked his hook on his belt and went to sheath his sword, watching as the red fabric he had tied to his sword handle fluttered in the wind.

He sighed, rolling his neck and watching as Uma stormed off, watching as her colored hair flew around her as she took the long way around the wharf to get to the other side of the tunnel. He had always told her that her hair was beautiful, but now he knew he had never lied.

-

He perked up as his soulmate walked on screen, wearing a crimson dress/suit with delicate details on the chest that reached down to their waist. His brow twitched as some of the crew booed at his soulmate and chucked food at the screen.

(i made three of these so be prepared)

He ignored them, keeping his eyes on his beautiful soulmate. Their sparkling (e/c)s looked straight at the camera, looking as if they hoped they could see him through the lens.

They looked away a moment later, tuning and walking onto the ship for cotillion.

Every time the camera panned over them during the main event, Harry felt his heart flutter, just wanting to hold them in his arms again.

When Uma turned into the giant cecaelia, the water from her emerging from the sea had destroyed the cameras, cutting off the crew from watching her take over, and Harry from seeing his soulmate.

He cursed to himself, wishing he had told Uma of (y/n) before she left Uma wouldn’t accidentally hurt her.

All he could do now was wait.

-

It was two years before he saw his soulmate again, only getting glimpses of them through a cruddy screen, but their eyes always seemed to shine through the fuzzy and fading tv.

He and Gil snuck up behind the unsuspecting core four, leaping through the closing gap of the barrier and for the first time, stepping outside of the prison they called home.

“We did it!” he and Gil hugged each other for a moment before remembering the vks next to them, who were staring at them bewildered and apprehensively.

“uh, hey guys~!” He sang, giving a small wave before turning to Gil and gesturing towards the other end of the bridge “we were just coming for a wee visit~!” and to see (y/n) but they didn’t need to know that.

As he and Gil tried to push past the core four, Carlos and Jay pushed them back, Harry growled a bit and shoved Carlos, the younger teen bumping back into Mal and making her drop the small blue crystal in her hand.

“hey-hey!!” as she ducked down to grab it, harry swiped down with his hook and then threw his arm to the side, sending the crystal into the sky and dropping down into the sea. “no!” Mal screamed, stilling as a large turquoise tentacle reached up and grabbed it.

Uma rose from the sea, Harry and Gil looked at each other as they realized their captain and friend had returned “Drop something~” Uma purred, the tentacle holding the crystal opening to show it to Mal.

“It can't get wet, give it back before it goes out!” Uma cackled at Mal's plead.

“Uma?!” Harry and Gil yelled, the sea witch looking at them with a smile and wave.

“that’s my name~!” moments later she ducked back under the waves, Mal screaming out another objection.

The water rose up in a tunnel, rising higher than the broken bridge the vks were standing on. It burst out, spraying them with water.

Harry and Gil looked back over the edge, looking for their friend “hi boys~” they spun around, Harry grinning and holding his hook up as Uma grinned back at him.

He cackled as he walked toward her “welcome back~” Uma’s smile diminished for a moment as Gil looked at her with sad eyes.

“Uma, you swam off and forgot all about us” Mal scoffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

“yeah, planning a revenge no doubt” Uma laughed a bit, stepping away from her boys and giving a nasty smirk to Mal.

“it's not all about you Mal” Mal seemed surprised and appalled at the comeback “I was looking for a hole in the barrier, to let everybody out?” she turned back to Harry and Gil, who grinned at her “and you know what I found boys? It’s way better out there than we thought” she walked a bit closer to them, an excited spark in her eyes. “there's this thing that looks like a furry rock, called a coconut. And fish so big you can dance on their backs!” Uma looked back at Mal. “and they’ve been keeping it all for themselves~” Harry clicked his tongue in disappointment, shaking his finger a bit.

“Whatever, Uma I need that to break a spell” Mal held her hand out as if expecting Uma would just hand over the crystal with just her word.

“Cast by sleeping beauty’s daughter Audrey” Carlos continued, watching as Uma pursed her lip in fake concern.

“so, the good guys the bad guy huh?” she let out a soft laugh “well I might not give it back, just to see what happens~”

“Uma it's not the time for games, people’s lives are in danger!” harry felt his heart stop as an image of (y/n)s body came to mind, unable to move as darkness swirled around them. He shook his head, forcing his mind to pay attention to what was happening right in front of him.

“Guarantee me, that every single villain kid who wants too, can get off the isle” Mal glared a bit and shook her head.

“I can't do that” Uma just gave her a ‘really bitch’ look and walked towards the edge of the bridge.

“can't do that huh, well how bout now!” she held her hand over the edge, dangling the crystal between her fingers.

“Deal!” Mal yelled, a satisfied smirk growing on Uma’s face as she watched Mal panic “Deal.” Uma faked a stumble, Evie calling out her name to stop her from dropping the crystal.

“Uma!” Uma looked over to Evie with a satisfied look on her face “her word is good” Uma stepped away from the edge, bringing the crystal to her face and glancing from it to mal before shaking her head

“I’ll still keep this, for the time being,” Mal scoffed, crossing her arms again “because if you think I trust you to save the world on your own, think again” Uma turned back to Harry and Gil, a wide grin on her face “this is a job for pirates!”

And with a ‘friendship’ suggestion from Evie, the vks were off to Auradon in an attempt to save it.

Another two hours, finding a courtyard of sleeping students, fighting spelled suits of armor, and then finally being sent off to find Ben, Harry was…bored.

He, Jay, Carlos, and Gil had been walking for thirty minutes through the enchanted forest but had noticed the colors around him had started to brighten, unlike they were on the isle.

‘the farther you are away from your soulmate the duller the world will be’ he remembered his mother telling him when was a babe, and it proved to be true after he met (y/n) and when they left the isle was dull again, he could see the colors but they were so drab and grey that it felt like he never found them at all.

He glanced down at his hook, smirking as his ocean blue eyes seemed to awaken with color again, the grass below him fading into that fresh green he had only heard about, looking up to see Jay and Carlos’ colors standing against the earthy tones of the forest.

He was close to his soulmate, he had to be, all he had to do now was find them as he promised.

If only a cursed beast Ben hadn't interrupted him. Jay pulled his arm out of the way, Harry spinning on his heel and sending a right hook at beast Ben's face and yelping as he turned and leaped at him.

Jay grabbed his jacket and forced him to bend back and leaned Harry towards himself, Harry spun himself back around, standing just behind Jay.

“yeh need some serious nose adjustments!” Harry snarled, flinching back as Ben roared. Ben looked between him and Gil, and snarled, leaning back on his haunches and about to leap at them.

Harry and Gil stepped back as he leaped forward, reeling his claws back to slash when a silver hilted cutlass flew between them, sticking into a tree just next to them.

The boys turned, Harry's world exploding into bright color again as he laid his eyes on (y/n). then his breath stopped as he looked at their clothes. A black button-up shirt, unbuttoned down to the middle of their chest, black ripped pants that had belts and buckles on the right leg, tall dark brown worn boots, multiple necklaces hanging between the open sides of their shirt, silver and gold rings, leather bracelets, and red and black skull stud leather fingerless gloves. “wow” Harry croaked, taking another step back as Ben swiped at (y/n).

They ducked under the swipe and ran towards the silver hilted cutlass, flipping it in their grip and blocking a couple of swipes from Ben's claws. Within moments they trapped Ben down on his front claws, raising their brow as a sharp dark object caught their eye.

They quickly ripped out the object out of Ben's paw and leaped back as Ben roared in pain and swiped his claws up “Jane now!” (y/n) called, backing up near the boys and looking at Harry, a smile growing on their face.

Suddenly a spray of water hit Ben, a soft glow and sparkles appearing as the beast form shrunk down into Ben's human form. Jay ran forward to go help Ben as (y/n) and Harry stared at each other.

The world around them blurred away and it seemed like it was just them. Gil looked between them and smiled, turning to go join the boys and Jane as Harry and (y/n) stepped closer to each other.

“I told yeh we’d see each other, again didn’t I?” Harry hummed, letting out a soft chuckle as (y/n) bit their lip and nodded.

“yeah…how’d you get off the isle?”  Harry shrugged, looking down at (y/n)s hands and wanting to hold them.

“Malsy and the others wanted ta get the crystal or whatever n’ Gil and I took the chance to escape” (y/n) giggled, smiling at him.

“well, I’m glad you took the chance” Harry smiled back, eyes glancing back and forth between (y/n)s eyes and their lips.

“Harry, (y/n), come on, we’re heading back to Evie’s place” Gil forced them out of their little world, scaring (y/n) a bit as they snapped their head to look at Gil “sorry, but we’re leaving now” Harry sighed, closing his eyes a bit and nodded.

“Alright, we’re coming”

-

Uma blinked in surprise as she stared at Harry and (y/n)s intertwined hands “alright I missed something and I would like to be told what I missed” Harry looked around, sighing in relief as Gil entered the back room they were occupying.

“um, so yeh remember when we were fightin’ the others over Ben ‘n the wand?” Uma slowly nodded, her eyes glancing from their hands to (y/n) “um, well, um….yer hair is turquoise” Uma stared at him as if he was insane before it hit her.

“no.fucking.way~!” Uma squealed, a bright grin blooming on her face. Her hands flashed up to cup her cheeks “aww how cute!...why am I talking like this? Why can't I stop?” Uma continued to talk in a high pitched voice, looking from Gil to Harry slightly confused.

Harry snorted a bit and covered his mouth, looking away as Gil just started to laugh “you sound like you ate a lot of that balloon stuff” he chuckled.

“inhaled, you can’t eat helium Gil” (y/n) supplied, giving a soft smile to the sea three “I’m glad you approve Uma”

“Why wouldn’t I? you’re his soulmate. If I didn’t approve, I’d look like an asshole” Uma laughed “even if you are an Auradon kid, I can tell you’re one of the cool ones” Uma gestured to (y/n)s skull-themed clothing items, such as the gold coin necklace with a skull in the middle.

“oh” (y/n) snorted “that, yeah, I’m technically an Auradon kid I guess, but I’m different for one reason” Uma, Gil, and Harry looked at (y/n) with raised brows “I’m the descendant of the two most legendary pirates in the world~” Harry's eyes sparkled in excitement, tightening his grip on (y/n)s hand and bringing up, forcing (y/n)s attention to him.

“Who are they?” (y/n) giggled at his enthusiasm.

“Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner.”

Harry's jaw dropped, and he just stared at (y/n) for a minute “wh-why is he staring at me like that?” (y/n) chuckled, slightly unnerved with the look in Harry's eyes.

“he’s just happy that you have such bomb ass parents” Uma laughed, patting Harry’s back and walking out of the room with Gil “yall get to know each other better, we’ll be with the others”

(y/n) nodded, looking back at Harry and reaching up to cup his face. He shook at the touch and blinked, a smile replacing his awed look “yeh are so damn cool”

(y/n)s cheeks turned dark at the compliment “so um-“ they quickly thought of a way to turn the attention off of them “do you have any siblings?”

“aye, two sisters, Harriet and CJ, Harriet’s the oldest and CJs the baby” (y/n) smiled and took Harry's hand again, leading him to the window seat in the room and making him sit.

They sat down next to him and continued “I have an older brother, his name is Henry, and a soon-to-be sister-in-law, Carina. Um, what's your favorite food?”

“oooh battered fish fries, Uma makes really good ones”

“I’ll have to try them sometime.”

-

(y/n) watched with sad eyes as the limo with her soulmate drove back to the isle, twisting the ruby ring Harry had given them before he left.

It was slowly losing its color the farther the limo got.

“I’m sorry (y/n)” Ben muttered, trying to comfort them as they both watched the limo drive off “If I knew…I would have invited him to Auradon a long time ago”

“there's no point in saying that now” (y/n) muttered, shrugging off Ben's arm and walking back inside the dorms, ignoring the tears that were trailing down their face.

-

(y/n)s heart pounded as their shoes slammed against the bridge ground, just across from them as Harry, who was running straight towards them.

“Harry!” (y/n) screamed, feeling tears once more burn at their eyes and stream down their face. Harry screamed their name back, opening his arms as they finally reached each other and held onto (y/n) tightly, picking them off their feet and spinning them around.

“I’m here love, I’m here”

(y/n) pulled back for a moment, staring into Harry's ocean blue eyes, before they grabbed the lapels of Harry's jacket and pulling him in for a kiss.

Harry hummed and tilted his head, his hands drifting from (y/n)s hips up to their face, gently brushing his thumb against their cheek.

“I think our (y/n) is in good hands” Elizabeth hummed, watching from the Auradon side as her child was finally reunited with their soulmate.

“I think so too” Will muttered back, grabbing onto Elizabeth's hand and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles.

Harry pulled back from (y/n) and looked down, grinning at the black and red outfit they were wearing “I like yer look”

“Thanks, I got inspiration from my soulmate” (y/n) laughed, pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek and pulling him to Auradon.

-end-

hoped yall liked it, personally some of it went pretty fast but i was just trying write something to warm up instead of making everything make sense lol

permtaglist

@queer-cosette​ @sephiralorange​

@lunanight2012​ @daughter-of-the-stars11​

@musicarose​ @remembered-license​

@random-thoughts-003​ @descendantsobsessed​

@rintheemolion​ @thecaptainsgingersnap​

@imtryingthisout​ @verboetoperee​ 

#disney descendants #harry hook x reader #harry hook descendants #harry hook #harry hook imagine #Descendents #descendants #oneshot #soulmate au #black and white world till you meet your soulmate

[rosered2018]

St. Kilda - Determination and Curiosity

Apologies for skipping a week. I've been struggling with writer's block, and I am hoping that this may help me break it. Also, last week's episode felt like setup for what was to come.

So. The past two weeks, we've had more than a few developments.

First of all, we've gotten some information as to why Andromeda is so determined to have Lockie in her life. Her family's curse is killing her, and she thinks he can heal her. More to the point, she thinks Dubrach himself led Lockie to the island to do that.

Which brings us to this week, where we find out that Lockie's con artistry extended to being a bogus faith healer. And not only has his past come back to bite him in the ass, he's been put in the position where he's going to have to prove he can do what he claimed he could.

I do have to agree with Lockie on the subject of the journals. It seems odd that Cormac, who had been fairly verbose on paper, would suddenly clam up at a point, and that he wouldn't say a word in his journals about his little daughter Andromeda. There was some kind of major change in there, and Andromeda was probably too little to notice it or to know what happened. And, for my money, if there were journals missing, they've probably been destroyed.

I noticed that the fallout from that first ritual and the aftermath is still coming. The immediate political fallout has yet to hit, I think, but it's going to cause a lot upheaval when it does.

It's kind of heartbreaking that Angelique wouldn't even sell Wee Mary any cat foot because she decided to side with Mathias. Poor Toast was an absolute innocent in the whole mess and did not deserve that.

And on the subject of our favorite red-haired disaster area, does Mathias actually have any relationships that he hasn't screwed up in some way, shape, or form?

He alienated probably both of the Torrence brothers, and I can't see Wee Mary wanting anything to do with him. And given what happened after the attempted ritual, I can't see him being too popular with the community in general.

Whatever relationship he's got with Andromeda is probably gone after his attempted coup (whether that was what he actually intended or not) and trying to throw Lockie into a bottomless pit.

His relationship with Niyathi is probably shaky at best, considering she's his ex-wife and that they should probably have never gotten together to begin with. He's been carrying a torch for Andromeda since he was kid, and I don't think he was her first choice, either. The fact she's quite definitely moved on from their relationship and is getting involved with Lockie is not going to help things any. At this point, I'd say that the only thing they have in common at this point is Hari.

Hari, of course, is still an adorable little kid, and I know people guessed that Mathias was his father just from the way they interacted in the first episode. I've gotten the impression that Mathias loves him dearly, but has no idea how the hell to relate to him. The only time that child showed any interest in being in his father's presence was when Mathias was going to get him ice cream and then make the phone call that probably brought Preston to the island looking for Lockie.

The backbone, however, I don't think is as literal a thing as Niyathi and Lockie seem to think it is. For my money, it's probably a person, though at this point, I don't know who, and I can't see Andromeda being happy with the idea of them poking around her family crypt while chasing a metaphor.

Personally, I suspect it might be Mathias, but I don't know if that's just because I have a minor crush on Ben Meredith (I like his voice!) or because he's the only other character with the potential for a major story arc. Mathias certainly sees himself as the backbone of the community, even though everyone else seems to see him as a pain in the ass. Plus, I like the idea of Mathias and Lockie becoming reluctant allies and even more reluctant friends while they deal with whatever's coming.

UPDATE: Just went back and realized that I had a paragraph out of order, and went back and fixed it. I have no idea how I managed to miss it the first time. Sorry about that.

#the secret of st kilda #tsosk #andromeda #lockie #wee mary #niyathi #mathias #lauchlan macgregor #dubrach

[motherwasapapafucker]

You've obviously spoke about the Ghost as a Superman figure within the larger context of Doctor Who but do you think the opposite is possible? A Doctor-like figure within a larger superhero setting?

There's been a couple of attempts, never quite as....jarring as the Ghost but that’s pretty much down to mad scientists and time travel being far more commonplace in superhero settings than overtly super-heroic figures are in Who. To the point the handful of times Who has played with that (Conundrum, Starfall, The Return of Doctor Mysterio) all draw at least some of their story out of the jarring presence of a superhero figure within the narrative. There’s a really nice sequence in Conundrum where the Doctor “explains” the presence of the superpowered figures in a way that reads like he’s as much kidding himself because he would like to think it’s possible as genuinely trying to explain how these people have gained their abilities. Which really feels like a deliberate building on “I wish...I wish I believed in wishing wells” given how Conundrum plays out. There’s obviously the conflation of Captain Britain’s Merlin and Who’s Merlin a couple of times, but that’s really overstated even if only in terms of Britain’s Merlin functionally different beast to the point any doctor connection is largely a minor detail as any attempt at creating a Doctor-like figure. I think then, when it comes to your Doctor-like figure the big thing that would distinguish them from other standard mad scientists and science heroes is the face changing, and basically none of your overtly doctor-influenced characters actually do anything with? Your big one in a standard setting is Professor Gamble in Power Man and Iron Fist #79, who really stands out in terms of being the only doctor-lite comic figure overtly building on Classic Who rather than Cultural Juggernaut David Tennant Doctor Who. Some overlap with Dr. Mysterio’s use of the Ghost in the conflation of the real and fictional but in very different directions; Gamble writing a fictitious account of his own life, dreadlox a fictitious account of the Incinerators. Gamble’s personal Dalek-stand in born of rogue temporal cleaning devices that have decided destroying space and time is the only way to clean everything. Where the overlap falls apart is the fact that Power Man and Iron Fist is arguably a far more flexible book at that point in its history than Who is by the point of Doctor Mysterio. So #79 is less of an out of genre moment so much as just more weird shit happening to Danny and Luke. As far as I know Gamble has popped up here and there since then, and is one of a fairly sizable amount of Who references across Marvel/Marvel UK (Yeah yeah we all know about Death’s Head, W.H.O. and aw that pish) The other big, very very direct and direct to Cultural Juggernaut David Teannant Doctor Who is...weirdly…Qubit in Irredeemable. Which is barely relevant to this question because it’s really not a standard superhero setting beyond the superficial, but bares some comment given it’s arguably the most prominent of recent takes and really hard to ignore how much he’s just David Tennant with a James from Twin Peaks forehead and LEGION hair. Also worth commenting on how fucking strange his entire role in the arse end of Irredeeamble is given the final 20 or so issues largely devolve into “The Tenth Doctor fights Evil Superman.” Given how little that aspect is remarked upon, and how incongruous it is with the broader attempt at presenting an Evil Superman story that gradually pairs back to show that the character’s never really been evil superman because for him to have that “turn” you basically have to have it be the tip of an iceberg that sketches back decades and ultimate reveals the character was never really Superman in any way beyond the iconographic. So the fact that happens while he’s fighting David Tennant is really strange, though I do like so much of that spilling out of the Plutonian forcing Quibit into one of those big, painful NuWho moral decisions, but I really struggle to care about Irredeemable beyond thinking Incorruptible was generally the stronger book towards the end. You’ve also got things like the Allred/Slott Silver Surfer that overtly drew influence from contemporary

Doctor Who, but it’s building on an already distinctive character so it can never really function as a direct one for one. I know, vaguely, that Ben 10 had a Doctor Who figure. But having never watched the show I’m not sure how he appears within the show and tbh I don’t care enough to look into it. I suppose the thing is that Doctor-lite easily slides into a superhero setting without losing too much and without drawing too much attention to the homage while someone like the Ghost is, by basic nature, designed to be at least somewhat strange within the larger normality of the show’s present day. The closest point of comparison I can think of is something like Silver Sentry in TMNT; There’s really nothing in TMNT or Doctor WHo that precludes the existence of “proper” superheroes, nether show is exactly the height of realism but the sudden introduction of basically superman presents a fundamental shift in their respective idiosyncrasies. I imagine people would be tempted to draw a comparison between the Milligan Shade the Changing Man revamp under Vertigo and Who, and given it’s MIlligan I’m sure there was some influence their even if only in terms of an English-coded otherworldly figure who undergoes startling changes across the run, but tbh it’s basically a passing resemblance and kinda overlooks the fact that Shade kinda hilariously preempts a lot of where Who as a franchise goes during the 90s and 2000s. It’s presentation of Shade’s changes as far-more psychologically damaging than classic who’s regeneration compared to some overlap with how NuWho treats the event particularly, but also in terms of the EDAs there’s a fairly notable arc where Shade gives up his heart to cope with a torrent of emotional loss and devastated worlds. Make of that what you will. I still haven’t answered the fucking question have I, right since you’ve asked me you’re going to get my shite, because here’s how I’d do it. There’s only one way really, one word Metalek Because the fucking rule don’t they? Morrison’s first, best Dalek-homage. The Xenoformers from Galaxy X, sentient construction vehicles serving masters that no longer exist. Terraforming the Galaxy one world at a time. Bow before Metalek. So yeah, those guys exist and they’re fucking great. I have...more thoughts than I’d like to admit about the “Metalek Empire” that’s really just self-indulgent pish. But that’s DC comics. So they exist, and they present what’s probably the best approach to a Doctor-alike in a superhero setting. In the same way the Ghost might as well be Superman in a setting where he isn’t the soul focus, you’re Doctor Who figure might as well just be Doctor Who in a setting where, building on the fact the key elements aren’t that notable, they really don’t stand out that much, so what then? Well he’s the mad scientist, but a good mad scientist. Counterpart to all the lunatics and madmen with their metal monsters, who is he? Who’s the grant morrison character fighting the dreaded metalek menace when they aren’t intruding on Superman’s narrative? Who spent decades trapped on earth, leading a reformed STAR Labs into a strange, wonderful new world? It’s Leo Quantum isn’t it. Basically, Leo’s one of those characters like Lan-Shin in Smashes the Klan or John Henry Irons who click perfectly into place with the larger idea of Superman’s social network. And given I’m an egotist, I’m going to do what I like with him building out of that admittedly bullshit old idea he’s future lex back to repent. If the Ghost is a version of Superman who’s world exists in the shadow of the Doctor, Leo would be a version of the Doctor that exists in the Shadow of Superman. He’s not literally Lex, he’s your Kristin Wells/Legion/DC One Million figure, possibly a future Luthor, possibly the first child of the Luthor/Kent families coming together in the far off 42nd century. A temporal adventurer who’s early experiments caused all his potential futures to crash down on top of him, transforming him into a hypertime singularity. His technicolor dreamcoat crafted from fifth world

wondertech, regulating his body to ensure each hypertime strand gets its time in sun while keeping the darker fringes in line….most of the time. Or at least, that’s what I’d do, feel free to discard this as mental bastard bullshit.

#doctor who #comics #superman #superheroes #rambling bullshit #leo quantum #grant morrison #metaleks #irredeemable #dc comics #the ghost #the return of doctor mysterio #tmnt #silver sentry is pretty great tbh

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Tell Me Everything

Follows Found Out, Akio, Chris Sees, and I’m Here

CW: References to murder, suicide, grief, pet whump, abduction, whump of a minor, ableism, Oliver Branch manages to be creepy even now in brief reference

He’s shorter than Ben thought he would be.

Ben sees him first, but, like of course he does - Akio Nakamura isn’t exactly famous but he has his own youtube channel and is like an Olympic-level athlete, so he’s pretty fucking recognizable... if you’ve spent two days scrolling through every Instagram photo of him on three different accounts that you can find. 

Ben showed up thirty minutes early, because Ben has never been late to a fucking thing in his life and something tells him this is maybe one of the most important things he’ll ever do, even though he doesn’t quite know why. 

Something about it keeps picking at his mind, taking it apart, unraveling him with the reality that someone fucking cared about Chris, before whatever happened. Chris doesn’t remember much, and Ben and Laken had done the googling and searching and shit, trying to get some idea of what the hell could have happened to make someone like Chris - bouncy and full of sunshine optimism even on his bad days - end up at a place like WRU.

They’d found nothing a first. But Ben hadn’t known what he was looking for, then. Now that he knows what to look for, he can’t stop finding things. He feels like a detective or someone who has lost his mind, desperately piecing together a life that was interrupted, like someone disappearing mid-sentence, and Ben is following a trail of the words he said before. 

He finds human-interest stories from ten years ago, digitized articles from old community newspapers. He finds more photos from the gym, photos where the redheaded boy is in the background, or in the front always looking slightly off to one side, rarely smiling for the camera but happy to smile as long as he didn’t have to look right at it.

He finds out Veronica Higgs, murdered in the double-homicide that had destroyed the life of Tristan Higgs, had a facebook page, and it’s marked as In Memorial. So is her husband’s, but Paul Higgs’s page is private and his profile photo is a meme that hasn’t been a thing since…

Since they died.

Something about that makes his throat close up as he scrolls Ronnie’s last few public updates, the scattering of people who have left comments saying they miss her, they’re thinking of her, they hope she’s in a better place. Comments are left on the last post like clockwork, once a year, by the same few people. 

Thinking of you today, Ronnie. 

Saw your favorite bird today!

Hope you and Tris and Paul are happy wherever you are now, Ronnie. I take comfort in knowing you’re still together.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Ronnie!

Left flowers for you today, Ronnie. Jennifer did a routine this year that uses some of Tristan’s music, we’re always thinking of you!

Thinking of you

Miss you

Hope you three are happy together

Miss you, big sister, always.

One day I’ll stop leaving comments like you’re still here. I was watching the old videos and gosh, I couldn’t help but think how proud we were of our boys back then! Rest in peace. Give Tris a kiss for me. That’s Aimi Nakamura, that’s Akio’s mom. Her profile photo is her with her arms around Akio himself, wearing his leotard and holding up a medal with a bright smile, and a younger teenager who must be his little sister - she’s just wearing regular clothes. Feeling like a stalker, Ben opens the mom’s facebook page in a new tab. He absolutely does not look at the photos of Akio she’s posted. He does not do that at all.

He might do that later.

For now he goes back to Ronnie’s page, sees that her last post was brief, something about looking for a recipe, crowd-sourcing. Tris asked to try baked oysters, isn’t that funny? Only my kid, I swear. He’d said seafood is ‘slime’ except for tuna since toddlerhood, but no, this week he wants oysters. He said he wanted to try something new for once and he might as well go as far from the usual as he could get. I

One of the joys of all of this is how when he gets something in his head, I just go with him, and we see what’s on the other side of the jump, right? Watch him spit it right back out. 

It’s fucking ordinary. 

She posted it a couple days before she was murdered.

That doesn’t seem fair, does it? He just can’t wrap his head around it. She was a good mom taking care of her kid, she got some recipe ideas... but then she never cooked any of them because she just… died?

She died, and Tristan’s - Chris’s - dad died, and then there just wasn’t anybody? There wasn’t anybody to take care of a kid who couldn’t take care of himself yet? Nobody at-fucking-all, to keep Tristan safe and loved when the people who loved him the most were gone? 

How the hell did he go from placed in the care of relatives to just... gone? How did he go from gone to a rescued runaway pet with a new name and a new life? What happened in all that gray space in-between?

Ben blinks back tears.

Whatever it was... could that happen to Jamey? Ben’s whole family has built their existence on holding his little brother together through the ways the world wants to shred everything about him. He’s spent nearly all the life he remembers with his brother’s hand closed in the fabric of his shirt, shadowing him through the world, reminding him that you can’t trust everybody, not everyone has good intentions. 

Ben doesn’t even have to think before he’s moving in front of him to block out the noise and chaos of the world that Jamey just can't filter the way Ben can. He knows that when - hopefully forever from now - their parents die, Jamey’s going to move in with Ben. 

It’s never been a question. He doesn’t want it to be a question.

But... what if Ben wasn’t there? What would happen to Jamey if his Mom and Dad were gone, and nobody was there who wanted to keep Jamey safe? He can’t stop thinking about it. He cycles around and around, and Laken called him yesterday and said not to talk to Chris for a few days, that he saw the video and he’s not okay, and Ben’s not fucking okay, either, is he?

This could happen to Jamey.

Someone could see him, alone and vulnerable, and think, no one will stop me and he can’t stop me either, and then Jamey could disappear and then just not be Jamey anymore, and there wouldn’t be anyone to save him-

Ben looks up from his phone without focusing on anything, sniffing back the pain, the tight feeling in his chest at the idea of his little brother, disappearing into some dark hallway and never coming back. Just some photos on Instagram, a video of two, some mentions on somebody’s In Memorial Facebook page, that’s all that’s left of his silly, serious, annoying, funny little brother?

Like someone turned out the light on Jamey’s life and the world just forgets him, because his family isn’t there to keep him safe and Jamey can’t always tell who you can trust and who you can’t, and… and Chris can’t either, can he?

He just wants to think the best of everyone, he forgives everyone who hurts him so easily, so quickly, like it’s second-nature, like...

Did Tristan Higgs want to think good things about whoever did this, whoever had him erased, whoever handed him off to be turned into one of those blank empty-eyed dolls celebrities and rich people drag around? Did Tristan Higgs trust the person who gave him away to be erased, because he didn’t know not to?

Who the fuck bought him?

How did it all fucking happen?

The bell chimes. Akio Nakamura is right on time.

And he’s short.

He’s got a natural almost-smile on his face at all times, a hint of tan to his skin even now in the early spring, wearing a thin gray hoodie, unzipped over a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. His muscles aren’t visible, like this, but Ben has seen the videos and knows they’re there, the body of a trained athlete hidden under casual clothing. His hair isn’t as short as it is when he competes, in the videos Ben has already watched over and over entirely for research purposes. It’s a little longer, starting to flop over his forehead.

Dark eyes scan the interior of the store, and Ben raises one hand to catch his attention.

The smile brightens, briefly, with a quick nod - like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, Ben feels that smile as a physical warmth in his chest - and he pushes the rest of the way inside, walking straight over. 

“Hey,” Akio says, and his voice is a little deeper than it seems in the youtube videos where he narrates, and Ben, for one shining moment, completely forgets how to speak his own fucking native language.

His mouth opens and nothing comes out - except maybe kind of a croak, which, please let that not have been audible - and he clears his throat, waiting for his brain and his body to remember how to work together. “Uh… um, h-hey,” He says, finally, and shifts uncomfortably. “You’re-... right. I’m, um. I’m Ben.”

“Yeah. I, I figured, you look just like your profile photo.” Akio laughs a little, dropping into a seat cross from him, sitting casually and letting his eyes roam over the mostly-empty interior of the shop, painted with bright colors and lined with posters about ice cream. 

Ben could not possibly have picked a worse place for a professional athlete to go to… meet and talk about his dead friend, could he? Oh, God. Oh he’s a fucking moron. “Right. Uh, sorry, I couldn’t-... when you asked to meet on the phone, I kind of blanked and this was the only place I could think of-”

“Hey, that’s all right. I like coming here, when I’m off from competing. It’s been a while. Hope you don’t mind if I stick with an iced coffee today, though, I’m not feeling ice cream.” Akio grins at him, and Ben’s knees might buckle if he wasn’t sitting down already. The smile takes over his entire face, lights it up, and it reminds him so much of Chris when he’s really happy, the way Chris smiles with his entire fucking body, not just his mouth. 

“Yeah, it’s… no problem, I’ll order, I picked here, anyway. Just the iced coffee?” 

“Yeah, please. Also, I should warn you - my mom is lurking across the street faking an interest in whatever they sell at Paisley Poses and she’ll probably stop pretending she’s not here and show up before we’re done. She’s… uh. Well, get the stuff, and then I’ll, um, I’ll explain.”

“Right. Got it.” Ben’s grip on his phone is white-knuckled as he stands up, aware of every movement of his body as he walks - and he walks normally, right? Not, like weird? It’s not like Akio is watching him walk anyway, probably - over to the cash register. The cashier, whose hair is dyed a pale faded sort of seafoam green, almost the color of those weird mint shakes you can buy from McDonald’s in April, takes his order with a flat affect, unbothered, uncaring.

Ben doesn’t know what he orders for himself. His mouth moves and words come out and then he realizes he doesn’t know what he just said. 

Whatever it is, he pays for it.

He takes the little number-on-a-stick, and carries it back to the table to wait. 

“Iced coffee it is,” He says a little breathlessly. “Um, it’ll be just a sec. They’ll bring it out with my… with mine.”

Shit, what the fuck did he even order for himself?

“No problem.” Akio’s eyes move over his face, considering. He’s sitting slouched a little, but it doesn’t look quite natural - like his posture is usually so much better and he’s trying to look like everyone else. Ben’s eyes are drawn to his hands, folded over his stomach, over wrinkled white shirt fabric. He has a blood-bruise under one thumbnail.

What a weird fucking thing to notice about someone.

“I-I don’t really know where to start,” Ben admits, slouching himself. He runs his fingers over the textured case of his phone, a charcoal-black with rough edges. Jamey likes the texture on his phone, will just sit and rub the pads of his fingers on it over and over and over again, smiling in a distant way, sitting next to Ben on the couch while Ben watches TV and Jamey, who can go days without speaking and is currently one hundred percent all about how they film movies and tv shows, explains every fucking cinematic trick every camera is using at any given moment.

It’s nice.

It’s how Jamey says he loves you, by sharing what’s up in his head whenever he can, and Ben - when he’s home - always tries to listen. 

“Yeah.” Akio laughs again, and Ben decides it’s a good laugh - strong, and not overly loud, and a little infectious. “Yeah, me neither. I don’t-... how do you even begin a conversation like this? Hello, nice to meet you, what do you know about my dead best friend? I don’t know what to say, just… we don’t even know they’re the same person, do we? Maybe they just look alike. Fuck.” Akio laughs once more, but this time it’s shaky, breathier. “I genuinely can’t decide if I want him to dead or not, I just-...”

Ben takes a breath, thinking of Laken’s voice on the phone yesterday morning, exhausted and rambling after a night of not sleeping, their fear and grief and love for Chris, telling Ben to go ahead with this meeting, but Chris needed time. “They’re definitely the same person,” He says, voice low and quiet. “We, um. He saw the video you posted, and he kind of-... freaked out.”

“Freaked out?” Akio blinks, sitting up a little straighter. His eyes are focused completely on Ben’s face, which would make him blush if he weren’t trying not to look directly at him. “What do you mean?”

Ben swallows. “Um. Just. He’s-... he doesn’t remember. Or… he didn’t. Seeing the video might have… brought some stuff up. Like, a lot of... bad stuff.”

Fuck, I’ve never heard him scream like that. Laken’s voice, rough-edged, laced with their tears. I can’t believe… he needs a few days, he can’t go with you to see this guy, Ben. He’s-... he’s super fucked up right now. I’m so glad his brothers know what’s happening to him because I-I don’t know what to do and he won’t let me anywhere near him. 

Akio nods, slowly, and his hands worry at each other under the table, the smile faded and replaced with seriousness, uncertainty. “Yeah, when you said-... anyway, I looked the company up, and it’s-... it’s weird, I knew about pets, but I guess… I mean, he wasn’t old enough to…” 

“Um… yeah. So, um. I know, but they-... clearly they still did...”

They sit there in an awkward silence, and then Akio pulls his own phone out of his pocket and unlocks it. “Let me show you something. Tris and I shared our passwords for Instagram, way back, and when he-... went… when his aunt took his phone away-”

Ben’s eyebrows furrow. Something about that pricks at him. Miss you, big sister, always. 

“He went to live with his aunt?” Ben asks. The cashier reappears, setting a plain iced coffee down on the table, and Ben discovers he apparently ordered iced coffee with a scoop of ice cream for himself, and that’s not bad, good for him. It’s even his favorite ice cream, vanilla with almond and chocolate chips.

“Yeah, his Aunt Jo, his mom’s sister.” Akio shrugs one shoulder. “I never met her, she never came to meets or anything. Tris always said she was kind of a shit to him and his dad.” Something in his jaw is tightening - and the line of his jaw is catching Ben’s eyes entirely too much for the seriousness of this conversation. He can’t stop himself from looking. “She’s who he went to live with, after. She took his phone away because he was complaining to, um, to my mom and I - my mom and Ronnie, Mrs. Higgs, were… you know, team moms.” He shrugs, and Ben doesn’t know, but he nods anyway. “He was complaining about how she took him out of therapy, and… uh, you know, Tris needed therapy, just-... it helped him to, um-”

Ben swallows. “Self-regulate,” He says, softly. “Redirect potentially harmful stims. Figure out how to filter.”

“Right.” Akio smiles, a little shamefaced. “Sorry, it’s been… fucking years since I had to think about this so much. It’s… I would show my mom his messages, and my mom would call Jo and tell her to get him back in therapy and back to practice, but… you know, the social workers said there was nothing we could do about it. We weren’t family. We made complaints, but...” Akio slumps, closing his eyes briefly. "God, I don't even know if they did a home visit."

Ben closes his eyes. Jamey, trapped with someone who didn’t let him go to his own therapy. Jamey, nonverbal on hard days, trapped with someone who didn’t learn signing to talk to him during meltdowns like Ben’s family did. 

Jamey, trying to say he needed help with his hands again and again but no one’s listening, no one’s even trying anymore-

“Yeah,” Ben says, voice hoarse, and uses a thin plastic spoon with a long handle to get a bite of ice cream soaked in cold coffee taste, letting it dissolve on his tongue to buy himself some time for his throat to open back up. It’s fear in his chest, yeah, but beneath that is a bubbling, simmering fury, a distant anger for a hypothetical that he understands was Chris’s reality. “Yeah. My brother’s-... um, autistic, so I know… I know about it.”

“Yeah, I saw that.”

Ben blinks, caught off-guard. “What?”

Akio flushes, reddening along his cheekbones, and rolls his eyes at himself, slumping back down. “Okay, so, I promise I’m not a stalker, but when you messaged me I looked at your profile to see if you were just a creep. I saw the autism banner, so I looked and you wrote this really sweet thing about your brother-... how old is he?”

Ben almost forgets how to speak again. “He’s-... fifteen. Just turned fifteen. Jamey’s, um, his name is Jamey.”

“Cool. Yeah. So. I’m not a stalker. But, I’m just… listen, Tris and I started training at the gym together when we were like… seven. And I was seventeen when he, when she said… when she said he died.”

Ben’s breath catches. “Shit. She did?”

“Um. Yeah. A month after she took his phone away - we were calling her all the time asking to speak with him and stuff, my mom had kind of threatened to get social services involved again - she called my mom and said he-... um. Sorry if suicide is a thing for you, but…”

“No, I-I’m okay, I just…”

“Yeah. She told us he killed himself. We thought she was lying - oh fuck, she was lying, wasn’t she? - but so... but then you know, she had him cremated, and... I fucking-... I lost my shit, Ben. I didn’t compete, I didn’t train, I just, I just sat in my room for like six months bawling my eyes out and I told my mom it was just like she killed him, taking him away from everything when, you know, he was so sad and scared without them.”

Ben nods, quiet, watching Akio’s face as he speaks.

“My mom offered to take him, have him live with us, but… you know, she said no, and then he-... but he didn’t.” Akio drinks his coffee, absently, and Ben realizes his eyes are red around the edges. “Oh, god, he probably thought nobody cared about him anymore. Oh, shit. He probably thought we stopped giving a fuck. That h-he was al-... alone-”

He’s been crying. He’s maybe going to cry again.

Akio takes in a deep, shuddering breath. “He didn’t know-... shit. He probably just thought, no one’s coming, nobody cares, and… shit. I don’t know what to even think right now, just...” Akio slides his phone across the table. “Look at this. I locked it, when I thought-... but I kept it, anyway. I kept everything, I couldn’t-... I mean it’s just a box of stuff under my bed, but… I couldn’t throw any of it out, because… I don’t know. Somebody needed to, to r-remember him, and she wouldn’t have-... that fucking bitch told us he was dead. And she threw out all his stuff, so I’m... I guess I’m the only one who still has anything, so I just... kept it. Everything. And... this.”

There’s a moment where they both pretend Akio’s voice isn’t trembling.

“What is this?” Ben knows before the question is fully out of his mouth, but he looks anyway. Akio’s phone is still warm from his hand. 

“Tristan’s Instagram account. We, uh, we took pictures of stupid shit a lot back then, and Instagram was, like, super new and all filters all the time, so you just-... but this is his. His mom encouraged him to use it because, you know, sometimes he could show stuff better than he could say it.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Ben tilts his head, scrolling through the images. Most of the photos are just nothing - a cloud, books on a bookshelf, a tree leaf. Ben kind of quirks a smile at all the old Instagram filters right there, like looking in a fucking time capsule. Sometimes there are gymnastics photos, of the gym or of someone training. Sometimes Tristan himself appears in the photo, a blur of constant motion, photos taken by someone else. Photos of dinosaur bones at a museum, seemingly every fucking skeleton or fossil in the place.

“That’s our trip to DC, the team went,” Akio says, and points to a photo of Tristan and Akio, gangly awkward teenagers, standing in front of the Lincoln monument. Akio is smiling, and Tristan is looking up at the sky instead of the camera. “I like to look at this stuff sometimes? I know it’s been… it’s funny, we were talking a few weeks ago about how it’ll be a couple more years when he’s been dead longer than how long I knew him, but he’s not-... he was never dead.” Akio swallows, and his voice catches. When he speaks again, he sounds strained, forcing his voice to stay calm around the emotion that threatens to overtake it. “He was never dead. I keep getting caught up on that, because-... because how did we not know? How did we never… find him?”

Ben pushes the phone back to Akio. “You didn’t know to look,” He says, softly. “How were you supposed to find him if you didn’t know anyone needed to be looking?”

“I guess. My mom feels like shit, she’s been crying since we spoke to you. Well, I have, too. But my mom feels like she… she should have showed up at Joanne’s door and just taken Tristan by force, but, you know, the cops would’ve taken him right back, probably? That’s fucking kidnapping? And I keep telling her not to feel guilty, but she-”

“Yeah,” Ben says, thinking of Laken’s voice on the phone. 

I didn’t know he’d come home early. I keep saying I’m sorry but... He wasn’t-... he wasn’t ready for this and he’s so… he’s so fucked up. He won’t even talk to me. Every time Jake leaves the room we’re scared he’ll hurt himself again. He keeps telling me to find someone else, somebody easier, but I don’t want anyone else, god damn it, I want him! 

“She’s taking it really hard,” Akio says, finally, breaking into Ben’s thoughts. “I mean. We both are. But, you know, I keep thinking I can’t do this but then I think… I want to see him again. I want to see this guy in person, not just in those photos and videos you had. I want to see how he’s doing, he looks-... he looks so good.” Akio coughs, like he’s trying to cover up a sob, not quite managing it. “He looks really good.”

“He is, he’s doing… he’s good. Um, he’s having a hard time with remembering some stuff, but overall... he’s good.” Ben picks his own phone back up, pops back to Ronnie’s page. “What did you say the aunt’s name was?”

“Jo, um, Joanne… something. Sorry, I don’t really remember her last name, my mom would-”

“Botham?” Ben looks up, and god, he kind of wants to hug Akio until there aren’t tears in his eyes anymore. But also that’s a stupid thing to think, isn’t it? But he wants to, anyway. 

“Oh, that sounds right.”

“She left a comment on his mom’s-... I’ve been looking for everything I could find. I’m sorry, I know that’s creepy. But Joanne Botham left like a comment about missing-... hold on.” Ben clicks to open up Joanne Botham’s profile. A woman smiling in a profile photo, with dark hair. Something about the shape of her mouth is similar to Chris’s, but that doesn’t mean much, really. He scrolls down. 

Name, stupid quote from a stupider movie, current city is a while away from this one, like a couple states away, but she could’ve moved… There it is.

The answer to his questions, all of them, all at once, right out in the open.

“Joanne Botham,” He says out loud, “works at WRU.”

“What?” Akio looks up at him.

“His aunt. The mom’s sister, she works for WRU. That’s where Chris was-... where they hurt him. Where they make pets.”

Where they erase people. Where they take someone like Jamey and destroy him and how many versions of my brother are there who weren’t rescued by somebody like Chris’s big brother?

“WRU?” Akio’s face twists, an ugly pain written across it. “They’re one of our team’s sponsors. I’ve never thought about how… oh my god. I, I never liked… I mean, none of us are, like, political about it because you can’t be if you want an Olympic career, not really, but we all kind of hated taking the money. My coach thinks it’s good because it gets people off the street, which is super fucked up, but…” His iced coffee thunks down on the table. 

“What?”

“Oh shit. Oh holy fuck. They’ve been sponsoring us since we met with the old governor - he’s the one who hooked our coach up with their marketing team, and… oh my god. I’m gonna be fucking sick. WRU’s been my sponsor since like… a year after Tristan died-... didn’t die, I guess...”

“You didn’t know,” Ben whispers, staring down at Joanne Botham’s profile photo, scrolling through the profile picture photo album. He’s not maybe the smartest person on earth, but he can put two and two together for four. Tristan Higgs’s parents died, he goes to his aunt - who works for a human pet company - and he’s dead, supposedly, four months later. 

Time passes. No sign of supposed dead boy.

Then Chris, identical in every way, appears with no memory of his life and a thousand traumas to heal from, rescued from something that Ben doesn’t know the details of, but he doesn’t have to. 

Life as a pet, a life that made him terrified of bad weather and scared of people who raise their hands too quickly, unable to say no to anything when he gets scared, nervous about big vans with no windows, someone who says stupid fucking bullshit like silence is better than stammering when he’s upset, who sometimes has screaming nightmares that Laken has to wake him from that he refuses to explain to them...

Meanwhile, Aunt Joanne is putting up photos of herself traveling internationally, buying a new house, a new car, stuff she couldn’t afford to do before.

The math does itself.

It’s fucking true crime textbook, and it’s right in front of his eyes.

Akio’s jaw is working, and his eyes are glimmering again. He looks at Ben, and he looks weirdly lost and young, and Ben reaches out without thinking and grabs onto his hand. Akio grips on tight. His hand is warm, almost too warm, but also it’s the perfect amount of warm. “Do you think-... do you think she-”

Ben thinks about Jamey, scared and alone. He thinks about Jamey - and Tristan, the two of them mixing together in his mind - being dragged away, to be lost and overwritten, because no one was there to stop it.

Because someone did it on purpose.

Because no one stopped it.

“I think maybe she was lying to you because she didn’t want you to take Tristan,” Ben says, softly. “I think maybe she wanted to-... make money on him.”

Akio chokes, and leans forward, and Ben holds his hand as tightly as he can, feeling the other man’s fingers tremble in his grip. “I can't-... I can't even begin to deal with that, I just… So h-how did he end up in college? Pets don’t-... go to school, they’re not capable… are they?"

"Um. It depends, apparently?" Ben doesn’t know how much of this is something Chris would ever allow him to share. But Akio’s eyes raise, and catch his again, and Ben smiles, just a little, in an attempt to comfort. “He was rescued,” He says, softly. “I don’t know how, or when. He’d have to tell you that himself. But he’s, um. He’s just Chris now.”

“He’s just Chris, now.” Akio groans resting his head on his hand. “But not Tristan. So he really is dead, his body’s still just-.. walking around.”

“No,” Ben says, and leans in, getting Akio to look at him again. “He’s not gone. Not, like, the core of him, I think. We knew him as soon as we saw him on your video. We knew the smile, and how he moves, all of it. Everybody in the room knew him as soon as we saw him smile at you. He’s still there, he’s still him. I promise.”

“I knew it was him on your stuff as soon as I saw him dancing,” Akio says, brokenly. “H-he always did get obsessed with those fuh-fucking musicals and we used to make up routines to th-them-” His head drops, shoulders shaking, and Ben puts his other hand on Akio’s shoulder, moves around the edge of the little circular table, so he can put an arm around him. 

“It’s okay,” He whispers. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Akio says, muffled. “It’s not okay. We should have saved him, w-we didn’t know, we didn’t know she would… he probably th-thought we didn’t care... the social worker said it was fine, we’re not re-relatives, we didn’t know he wasn’t dead, we didn’t know he wasn’t gone, I thought I l-lost him and he probably thinks I didn’t even give a fuck-”

“I’m sure he never thought that,” Ben says, softly, and Akio’s hair brushes a little against the side of his face and he tries not to think too hard about how nice that feels, this is not the time or place, Benjamin, stop thinking about his hair stop it stop it stop it.

“We thought... “

“I know. But… you found him, now. He’s found.”

Akio sniffs back tears, mumbling, “Can I see him?”

Ben hesitates. “He needs-... he might need some time.”

Akio nods without looking up, but he leans a little on Ben. “I’m sorry, I’m being a fucking moron about this, making you comfort me and you don’t even know me, but I just-... missed him, and mourned him, and we go to see is parents wh-where they’re buried every year on the day that his aunt said he-... Is he h-happy? Now?”

Ben closes his eyes. That’s what I’d want to know, isn’t it, if it was Jamey. Is he happy now? Does his new family sign, do they know how to calm him down when it’s too much, do they know, do they care, if I’m not there does someone love him as much as we did?

I’d claw my way out of the fucking grave to make sure someone loves Jamey as much as he deserves.

“He’s happy,” Ben says, softly. “He was adopted by the guy who saved him, I think. There’s a whole lot I don’t know, you know, it’s not really my-... my story to, um, to tell. I just know some of it. He’s, um, he’s with someone, and… he’s… he’s happy.”

“Good. I just-... I want to see him.”

“I know. I’ll ask. But his partner... I’m friends with them, and they, um, he’s n-not... not okay right now, so...”

“I can wait.” Akio looks at him, intense, intent, eyes so dark Ben could fall in. “I’ve waited this long, I can-... I can wait a little longer, I just... I just want to see him, when he can see me.”

The bell over the door chimes again, and the two of them turn and look to see a woman who could not be more obviously Akio’s mother entering, looking at them, her eyebrows furrowed in immediate worry when she sees the tears on Akio’s face. “Aki?”

“It’s him, Mom,” Akio says, and she moves to him as if drawn, and Ben fights himself to pull back and away, to watch mother and son. Tristan had this, and lost it, but Chris has it, too. Life, interrupted at the second act, begun again with new actors around the main character. “It’s definitely-... it’s Tristan. But, she-... I have to tell you what happened to him. He, they-they made him a, um, a pet-”

She hitches in a breath, pulls a chair with a loud scrape from another table, and sits, looking Ben over, expression serious. “Tell me,” She says, softly, but fiercely. 

“It’s, um, it’s a lot…”

“I’ve got time.” Ben is reminded of his own mother, in the simple steel flashing under her perfectly styled hair and carefully done makeup. Her eyes are red around the edges, too. She lays a cool, dry hand over Ben’s, and her dark eyes bore into him with focused intensity. “Tell me what happened to our Tris. I want to know what happened to-... I want to know what I didn’t stop.”

Akio looks sidelong at his mother, putting an arm around her, and he’s shorter than his mom but she seems to sag against him, and he can see how Akio takes after his mom, with the same wide mouth that normally seems always on the verge of a smile, the same dark eyes flashing with anger and guilt. “M-Mom, you couldn’t have known, we couldn’t do anything-”

“I could have gone to that woman’s… house, or wherever she was, and taken Tristan right out the door, and I didn’t,” Aimi says, and her voice doesn’t shake, but her face is bright red and her eyes are overbright and glittering. “I could have called lawyers, or the cops, I could have tried to fight for him and I didn’t. Ronnie deserved-” Her voice catches and her hand is over her mouth. Ben watches her eyes well up, her struggle to calm herself, throat working as she swallows and leans into her son’s embrace. “Ronnie… would have wanted someone to fight for him. I want to know what happened because I did the normal thing and not the right thing, because I didn’t let myself see it. I want to know what exactly it is that I didn’t stop when I had the chance.”

Ben sits back, takes a breath. 

“He, um. His name is… Chris now,” Ben starts, slowly. “Christopher Stanton. He’s, um, he’s a sophomore in college, and… he was a human pet, for a while. We don’t know how long, nobody knows for sure, or who had him. I mean, I guess he knows and I think his brother knows, but h-he, won’t… won’t tell anyone who it was.”

Aimi’s whole body shudders, but her face doesn’t change, and her eyes don’t leave Ben’s. “H-how-”

Akio licks at his lips, and hesitantly says, “Ben thinks maybe that aunt they sent him to sold him. She works for WRU.”

Aimi’s eyes slowly close, and her breathing is slow but trembling. The two young men watch her. Akio’s knee bumps his under the table, and he doesn’t think about that, either, except it’s all he’s going to think about for the rest of the day.

“Okay,” Aimi says, after a long pause, and her eyes open again. A kind of perfect calm settles itself across the pain in her expression. 

Ben thinks that this woman is probably fucking terrifying if it’s you she’s angry with and not herself. 

“Mom, if we need to stop, that’s okay-”

“We don’t. Ben-... that’s your name? Ben?”

“Uh, yeah… Benjamin Prentiss, but-... call me Ben.” 

Prentiss, Akio mouths to himself, and Ben hopes, in another weird moment, that Akio likes his last name. 

“Got it.” Aimi leans forward, smacks the table with one hand. Ben flinches. Her jaw sets. She’s definitely terrifying. Like his own mother when they tried to kick Jamey out of school, this is a woman who could stare down the sun itself unblinking and walk away undamaged, if the sun was a threat to her children. “Ben?”

“Yes, um, Mrs. Nakamura?”

“Keep talking. Tell me everything about Tristan-”

“Chris.” He clears his throat. “He’s, um, his name is Chris.”

“... tell me everything about Chris.”

--

Tagging: @burtlederp, @finder-of-rings, @endless-whump, @whumpfigure, @slaintetowhump, @astrobly  @newandfiguringitout  , @doveotions  , @pretty-face-breaker  , @boxboysandotherwhump  , @oops-its-whump  @moose-teeth  , @cubeswhump  , @cupcakes-and-pain  @whump-tr0pes  @whumpiary  @orchidscript

#whump #suicide reference #brief self-injury reference #pet whump #bbu #box boy universe #chris the strawberry blond romantic #ben is a good bean #akio nakamura #abduction ref #grief tw #parental death tw #ableism tw #guilt #survivor's guilt #murder mystery #sort of #jesus joanne #wru

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 4 for the first time. Random thoughts.

I never said anything about it before but I love Shadow Weaver's DCAU Batman eyes. They're so expressive.

Episode 1: Okay...I wasn't expecting Catra to do that. I mean, it makes sense. If she has leverage over Hordak then she's basically in charge of the Horde and that's what she's wanted (or at least believes she wants) since episode 1. It's an aspect that made her a good antagonist, that she's not blind to the evil of the Horde, she just doesn't care as long as she herself is secure. Which naturally begs the question, when the rebellion and the princesses are crushed, when the Horde is on top, when Adora is dead, when Catra finally has everything she's ever wanted...will she actually finally be happy? Somehow, I have my doubts.

I definitely feel for Glimmer in this. When you go through as big a loss as she did you need to be able to feel and vent if you're ever going to get through it. It doesn't have to be right away but everyone doing everything in their power to avoid the topic entirely can make you feel like you're going crazy. It'a especially bad for her since it unintentionally makes it feel like everyone is acting like it doesn't matter that Angela is gone when it clearly means everything to Glimmer.

Episode 2: I actually had a potted cactus plant once. Accidentally forgot about it and left it outside for an entire winter. Once the snow was gone the cactus looked like it had melted.

I kind of want to see what an interaction between Double Trouble and Clayface from the Harley Quinn animated series would look like. I'm guess Catra was just testing how good Double Trouble was as a doppelganger because it doesn't seem like she did anything while Adora was being distracted, though I suppose that could be a reveal in a later episode.

Not much to say except that I love how buff Huntara is while still clearly being a woman. Like, women can have a variety of different body types, as this series and Steven Universe show, and Huntara's build isn't just, like, Bow's body with lipstick and ponytail and the animators calling it a day. No, she looks like a freakin' jacked adult woman.

Episode 3: I didn't figure out the Flutterina = Double Trouble twist until a minute before it was revealed, so good job there. Before that I was wondering if Flutterina was some fan's original character where they won some contest where their OC got to be in the show for an episode. She was giving off some weird self-insert vibes. That twist made it all work though. It's honestly not a bad plan. Shapeshifters haven't really been a thing in the series before now so there's no reason to suspect it. Even if they did they'd probably be expecting it by way of magic or technology, while Double Trouble's seems to be a natural ability.

I like that even though Bow is definitely the goofier one of the trio he is still consistently shown as competent. That's never in question. He was very heroic and reassuring to the villagers this episode. I get why those kids idolize him so much.

Catra's having guilt over what she did with the portal and to Entrapta and her response is basically to just double-down. She doesn't know any other way to be. Not going to lie, I am kind of hoping we get another moment in the show where Adora just completely overwhelms Catra with the sheer power of She-Ra. I'm not saying like brutalize her or anything but just something where Catra is made to realize just how powerful Adora is and that she could just destroy Catra if she had a mind to do so.

Episode 4: Well, I was saying I wanted Adora to do it but I guess I don't mind Glimmer being the one to get some good shots in on Catra. Like I predicted, Shadow Weaver's moving in to become her teacher like she was with her father. Honestly I like that that was more Adora's problem than Glimmer using her as bait, which she seemed to get over pretty quick. Yeah, it was kind of a heartless thing to do but it was an understandable tactic and she clearly outright told Adora that she did it and why afterwards, which at least means she's still being honest.

It occurs to me that Glimmer and Catra may be the ones running parallel right now. Both are basically leading their respective sides of the war. They both have lost someone very important to them. And both are trusting someone they probably shouldn't. Both even have outfits that've been updated in the intro. The difference is Glimmer's just trying to deal with a bad situation while Catra's is entirely self-inflicted.

Minor thing but I like Glimmer's new outfit this season. I'm sure this is the intention but it makes her look older and more mature. A little more muscular in some shots too.

Episode 5: Heart of Etheria project. No idea what that is but assumedly whoever's a part of it doesn't like Light Hope and Mara being friends. Sounds like it's very much interested in She-Ra being just a warrior, and perhaps a tool, for the greater good. It does make me wonder though how much Light Hope remember from when she was rebooting. Even if she deleted the Mara memory she could potentially still have the memory of her and Adora watching the Mara memory, as well as Adora asking to be her friend.

Episode 6: Yep. Scorpia; definitely favorite supporting character. There is something kind of funny about her whole "Scorpions are loyal" line when you remember the story about the Frog and the Scorpion, where it stings the frog despite it meaning death for itself as well simply because that is its nature. But finally we're having someone go save Entrapta, and I can only assume at some point Scorpia's going to access the power of the Black Garnet.

The parallels between Catra and Hordak are definitely at their max here with that speech of hers to him. She's basically trying to convince herself that she doesn't need anyone, the timing of which is appropriate since she just drove away Scorpia and now truly doesn't have anyone. Not that I blame Scorpia, obviously. Like Adora before her, however good you believe someone can be and that you can help them, at some point you just have to cut the toxic people out of your life. You have the right to be happy too.

And man, Bow is just the best. He saw something was wrong between Adora and Glimmer and defused the situation like (snap) that, pushing them to talk like any sane person would.

Episode 7: I'm sure it is just because I've seen way too many TV shows and movies (both animated and live action) that don't do it but it is just such a relief to have a show where the characters just TALK and LISTEN to each other. It doesn't solve all their issues but they're at least not being stupid and freakin' petty. It helps the drama feel a lot less forced and contrived.

Episode 8: A little bit of amusement in Bow thinking at first that Glimmer and Adora didn't even notice he was gone despite them coming to his rescue very shortly afterwards, given Catra is only now realizing Scorpia has left and assumedly she did so a while ago. Bow and Sea Hawk hadn't been gone for that long so it's not unreasonable Glimmer and Adora wouldn't be worried about their absence (Bow was literally talking about "me time" when they last saw him), while Catra is only noticing Scorpia's absence now and it was because she wanted something. Like Scorpia said, she's a bad friend.

Kind of ironic given that a lot of Catra's issues are the direct result of Shadow Weaver giving her very little love growing up but it does seem this tough love is probably what'll get through to Catra the best. She might finally stop making bad decisions and lashing out if she's forced to live with the consequences of them, like Adora told her last season.

Glimmer gets a bit of slack from me since she suffered through a huge loss, that being her mother, and then was immediately thrown into being queen right after. It'd be hard for anyone to be 100% on their game and well-adjusted in a situation like that, and I buy that she was on some level resentful of Adora for coming back instead of her mother, even if unintentionally so. What definitely helps is that Glimmer very clearly and immediately regretted what she said to Adora. Like Catra she's lashing out but unlike Catra Glimmer recognizes some of the damage she's doing and knows, at least in this case, that she went too far.

Episode 9: Now that I can see the design in color I definitely prefer Mara's She-Ra with pants to Adora's She-Ra with shorts. Honestly, while the differences are pretty minor, I do think Mara's She-Ra design is overall a lot better than Adora's. Sharper shoulder guards. Bigger cape (especially the cape, I love capes). I don't know, there's just a lot that clicks with it and I wouldn't mind Adora getting a similar outfit later.

Madam Razz definitely had a Yoda feel this episode. I was very much expecting her to start wacking Mara with a stick over the sugar like Yoda did with R2. Though while that was Yoda acting crazy, for Razz it's because she experiences time out of order, and I don't think I've ever seen that concept taken to this extent, or at least done this way before. There are characters like River Song from Doctor Who, Professor Paradox from Ben 10, or even the Reverse-Flash who interact with other characters in time out of order but those characters are still on a linear path from their own perspective, even when travelling through time. Razz is just bouncing around her own timeline, seemingly not even any real reason or cause to it like Subaru from Re:Zero. Clearly she's not just remembering things oddly because her talk about things of the present are heard by people in the past and have an effect. I wonder if maybe the reason why is because Razz was at ground zero of Mara's actions and this is a side-effect of pulling Etheria away from the rest of the universe.

Bringing more Star Wars into this, it basically sounds like the Heart of Etheria project has turned Etheria into a magic Starkiller Base; storing power that'll be unleashed to destroy whole planets. And jeez, I think this was the first time I really felt creeped out by Light Hope when she was talking to Mara.

I'm looking forward to seeing what it means that the First Ones only made the sword and that Etheria made She-Ra. If that's the case, why is only the sword able to bring out the She-Ra form? Is it like MCU Thor's hammer and the weapon was just meant to help him control the power he already had? Or is what we think is She-Ra not actually She-Ra and that form that Adora and Mara take is just a stand-in for the real thing?

Episode 10: It didn't even occur to me until now but Double Trouble's capture is another blow to Catra's circle of "friends" too. They were at least able to make her laugh. One less person for her to talk to and just...really just distract her from her thoughts.

It's a good dilemma this episode presents about what to do with the Heart of Etheria. The safest and probably best option is to just dismantle it, like Adora and Bow want, since it could easily lead to the destruction of the entire planet if it goes off. Not the mention there's so little they know about it and what it was intended for and the one person who can potentially tell them, Light Hope, they were warned not to trust. But it's not hard to understand where Glimmer is coming from in wanting to use that power to fight the Horde. They're already losing the war and now she knows Hordak Prime and his FAR more powerful forces are on the way. Tapping into the Heart is a huge risk but she's not seeing any other paths for the rebels to win. It's a really good dilemma, with good arguments presented from both sides, and I buy this widening the schism between Adora and Glimmer.

Episode 11: I have mixed feelings on King Micah still being alive. On the one hand there's a lot of good potential interactions we can now have with him, primarily between Glimmer and Shadow Weaver, and he is a fun character. But on the other I can't help but wonder if this kind of lessens the impact of what Angela gave up to overcome the false reality. Part of what made it so emotional was that she had to accept the person she loved was dead and not coming back...except now we see that he wasn't dead and now he is coming back. Yeah, their family lost out on years together and that does still carry some emotional weight but I was already also half-expecting Angela to come back later in the series because she's stuck between dimensions, meaning there's a chance she could still be alive. If both Glimmer's parents come back then that really feels like it takes a lot of weight out of her story. But I guess we'll see what happens.

Also, why did the Horde exile him to Beast Island? Why not just kill him?!

Episode 12: So the Horde exiles Micah to Beast Island instead of killing him. The First Ones protect their secrets by sending their bad tech to Beast Island. Does no one know how to just destroy things in this world?

Ohhh, I am so looking forward to next episode. While it's debatable whether Glimmer should be going through with her plan she is at least being smart with how she's going about it. Double Trouble was being paid by Catra to work for the Horde, not out of any sense of loyalty. Glimmer has the resources of Bright Moon at her disposal so it's reasonable she could pay them more to switch sides. Double Trouble was very good at sabotaging even a group as tight-nit as the heroes, so Hordak and Catra are probably easy pickings with all their issues.

Episode 13: ....WELL THAT AIN'T GOOD!

I'll admit, I had a little bit of an unintended laugh. After all we've heard about Horde Prime, like this shadowy all-powerful monster, I wasn't expecting the fabulous flowing dreadlocks and smoothness. Credit where it's due, man has charisma and charm, which goes a long way in helping your big evil world conqueror not be a very flat character, because it's doubtful he's going to have the same kind of sympathetic motivation as Hordak or complexity as Catra to keep him elevated.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Double Trouble kicking at Catra while she's down. Adora and Scorpia were honest but they never wanted to hurt Catra. Not so much with Double Trouble and they just shove reality into her face. Everyone leaves Catra because of Catra. She's the common factor. It's her fault and no one else's. Again, I don't know for certain if Adora and Catra get together at the end (Catra would have a LOT to make amends for regardless) but Double Trouble was definitely implying Catra had feelings for her with the way they put Catra's hand on "Adora's" cheek while talking about how she left her.

I like that we see Glimmer's plan actually working at first. The princesses get a massive power boost and decimate the Horde forces. But the minute it starts going wrong she immediately admits Adora was right and she tries to stop the energy flow. I imagine having her there with Catra was intentional by the writers. Despite some parallels, Glimmer can actually accept her failures and work to try and fix things. Unlike Catra, she didn't blame Adora for things going wrong.

So the sword allows the First Ones to control She-Ra and the energy she'd be absorbing from the planet. Assumedly that means there are at least some parts to She-Ra that have nothing to do with the First Ones and thus maybe Adora can still use some of those powers without the sword.

Season 4 verdict: Yeah, the show keeps getting better, though I will admit last season's finale had me more emotional, but that's a bit of an unfair comparison given everything that happened in that finale vs. this one. This is definitely the series hitting its darkest hour, where it feels like EVERYONE lost. Not just the rebels but the Horde as well. The sword and Light Hope are gone and She-Ra (for now) along with them. Glimmer and Catra are basically prisoners. Hordak's probably going to have his personality stripped away. The Fright Zone is in ruins. The only one who's gained anything is Prime.

Really looking forward to what the final season has in store, especially since there seems to be the implication that Catra just saved Glimmer's life.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o1j5gk/going_in_blind_watching_season_4_for_the_first/

#she ra #she ra spop #random thoughts #reddit repost

[firequeers]

Okay I have had time to process this weeks episode and now let’s focus on that promo!

Okay so we have another crossover event, the victims of the car crash seem to be newlyweds/about to get married so I think there is a big parallel between that and Winston/Maggie and Amelia/Link. I think there may also be some Andy/Sullivan parallels and maybe Maya/Carina.

The episode description only has Ben, Dean, Andy and Sullivan responding to that call, so I think other folks with have other drama.

I don’t think Marsha is going to make it. There hasn’t been a covid related major/minor character death and I think this will be it. Things have been pretty smooth between Inara and Jack so I think this could be their drama. I think it’ll also have Jack examine what it means to be family.

I think there may be further Vic/Theo drama just maybe not this week?? But they did do a flash to Vic during the “one shock after another” bit.

I think Carina is gonna be at the Station, when she’s talking to Maya about her Visa it looks like she’s at the station and with her dressed in that PPE I think maybe she’s helping them respond to something. I could be wrong but there was a map behind them and it looks like the one that’s in the station lobby.

I think there’s gonna be some Sullivan/Andy drama obviously, I just can’t determine what it would be.

Dean was like not in this promo at all, but I do believe he’s gonna be at the center in the week after next episode. The description of the episode mentions him second guessing his legal battle. So he’ll definitely have some stuff I just think it’s setting us up for future episodes.

I still have no clue what is going on with Carina’s visa. Like what makes sense in real life doesn’t totally make sense with the show? I hope they don’t go the marriage route like many folks are predicting. Not a fan. I do think whatever happens is going to lead to her being more solidified into Station 19’s storyline. I mean she was promoted to a regular but her only connection is Maya, I’m hoping between the visa issue and the possibility she might be responding with the station it’s giving her more connection to other characters and the broad plot of the show.

I feel like the PRT may be back on the horizon? Two weeks ago when Ben was working with the man with HIV I felt like they were hinting to it. And with such a severe crash where people are clearly struggling to get out but need medical attention, it could be the perfect catalyst. Plus Ben is one of the folks responding! I’d love some Ben/Sullivan tension over this since Sullivan is the reason Ben’s dream project got destroyed.

Didn’t really see Trav in the promo but he did have a bit ep last week. I’m sure they’re gonna bring in more stuff with his dad based upon the episode description and I feel like they’re moving towards Emmett/Travis as some sort of a couple again.

#station 19

[jtargaryen18]

Dynamite & Whiskey Preview

Coming this week...

A/N: There are minor spoilers here from the show but nothing that would reveal anything about the plot of the show or the book. Just background information. The next chapter is up soon.

~~~

You jumped when your phone hummed next to you on the couch. You were so riveted by coverage of the first day of Jacob Barber’s trial you just let it ring. You’d been so lost in thoughts that you should be there right now, covering that story. Doing your job.

As you watched, Andy Barber ushered his wife and son up the sidewalk, up the stairs of the courthouse. Their faces were set in stone, you’d expected that.

Andy looked so tired. So defeated.

You wanted to hate him for your current situation. You really did. You were stuck at home, laid off. And because of a couple of snide remarks made to you when you’d gone into town, you just didn’t go out a lot. You shopped late at night for what you needed and that seemed to take care of it. You weren’t a morning person anyway.

That woman’s son is on trial and you’re fucking her husband?

What’s it like fucking a murderer?

When you’d argued Andy hadn’t done anything…

No? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?

If you thought you had it bad, you couldn’t imagine their life right now. You’d read the article where the reporter caught Laurie at a diner, got her talking. They’d painted Andy as a friendless, loner and that certainly didn’t help anything. Another friend at the paper told you about an incident between Laurie Barber and Ben Rifkin’s mother in the grocery store one morning.

There’d been the rumor about Andy’s father and after doing a little research, you discovered that one was true. Your heart broke for him because as much research on him as you’d done, you’d never encountered that. Apparently, he hadn’t wanted that bit of family history known. You understood.

In the last few weeks, you’d seen Andy only a handful of times. He never texted or called and you understood why. He always came late at night. Since he wasn’t above breaking into your house, you’d just handed him your spare key. You tried hard not to think about the pure gratitude on his face when you’d done that, the way his gorgeous blue eyes had been edged in tears.

Every time he loved you, there was a desperation, a reverence in the act. Each time felt like it would be the last time you’d be with him and each time, you assumed it would be.After all, what could the future hold for the two of you?

If Jacob were truly innocent, how would that change things for Andy and his family? Would everything heal? Could they go back to being a happy family? You knew that was probably for the best.

Had you just been a temporary convenience when Andy’s world had fallen apart?

If Jacob were found guilty? Andy would be destroyed. What he had or didn’t have with you wouldn’t matter. Not in the face of that.

Andy Barber had been the worst mistake you’d ever made. 

And deep in the night when you were alone, often crying yourself to sleep about the limbo your career was in and worse, the mess he’d made of your heart, you couldn’t bring yourself to regret anything.

No, you were dumb enough to hope. To wish that maybe one day…

When your phone started again, you saw that it was Lawrence and you decided to go ahead and answer.

“You’d better answer the goddamn phone,” he grumbled before you could say anything.

“Yes?”

“There’s a lady you need to call,” he said without preamble, “at a paper in Boston. She needs some help and likes your work.”

Your heart sped up a little at that.

“What?”

“There’s a lady named Lilah Bennett,” Lawrence went on. “Here’s her number. Write it down.”

“Wait!” You scrambled for your pen and your Sudoku book. “Go ahead.”

You wrote down the number and the name with a shaking hand.

“You trying to get rid of me?” you tried to make it sound like a joke but missed it by a mile.

“No, but I hate that you’re sitting on the sidelines right now,” his tone was kind. “Give her a call. Might be nothing but it’s worth a shot.”

Tears stung the backs of your eyes. You were grateful. “Thank you, Lawrence. You don’t know how much… I appreciate you.”

“Don’t thank me,” he told you meaningfully. “Gotta go. Let me know what happens.”

Don’t thank me.

Andy?

Your heart knew the truth you hadn’t confirmed yet. Andy was behind this. Your heart raced in something like hope as you contemplated calling the woman in Boston. You believed him when he said he didn’t mean for your life to be upended for his sake. Maybe he was trying to make things right. Maybe he was thinking ahead for when the trial was over. If what he told you was true about his feelings and you ended up together, you’d need to make a new start, right?

Or he was trying to fix things for you before your brief affair with him ended. Maybe he was working things out with Laurie...

Tears slid down your cheeks now, the chaos in your heart and mind never left you. Anxiety and hope were shoulder angels that fought every day on the battlefield of your heart while you waited for him to come to you. While you waited for the outcome of his son’s trial.

Your phone hummed again, and you found a new text message. When you read it, your heart squeezed in your chest. It was from Andy.

I miss you.

#Defending Jacob #DefendingJacobSpoilers #Andy Barber #Andy Barber x reader #Andy Barber x you #Angst

[asherlockstudy]

I got into gmm fandom this year and I love these 2 old men extremely, and I recently read your discussions about Link's psyche and the ear biscuits commentary and I totally relate to you. I couldn't find anything that you wrote about the competition eb#255. I'm very interested in your thoughts on this particular episode since your ideas on their psychology really fascinates me. Will you please share?

First of all, thank you for your kind words!

The truth is I certainly have an opinion on the competition episode but I was hesitant to post anything about it because I wasn’t sure whether that would push any boundaries. Since you asked, I am going to tell you, but I would like to stress to any MB who will read this that this theory / analysis works through a Rhink perspective or at least the perspective of an intense friendship, which I think their friendship is anyway, so you need to be in that mindset from the beginning. This is obviously my personal take on their conversation; the way the puzzle pieces fit inside my mind if you will. It can be as far from the truth as Rhink itself in general. Technically it can be read out of the Rhink lens but IMO it makes more sense this way, so I’m gonna tag this only as #rhink. 

Now let’s actually go to the topic in question. Rhett and Link are both competitive but in different ways and for different reasons and to different targets.

Rhett is naturally competitive. Or maybe not naturally per se, as I think this competitiveness was planted inside him by his father. His father expected him to be good at everything, an expectation that Rhett then internalized and simply never escaped from. His competitiveness might be maximized by feelings of insecurity and self-consciousness. If Rhett cares so much what people think of him, it’s only natural that he wants to ensure that people will think highly of him and that requires him to be good, look good and always perform well. The more Rhett loves and is loved by a person, he’s sooomewhat more relaxed in revealing his weaknesses. Rhett is always competitive but he’s less competitive with his close friends and family than with strangers. Rhett would take 100 defeats from Link than one from any other youtuber. And like he said, Rhett doesn’t mind losing to his sons because he wants them to do well and because, duh, they are McLaughlins and they are proof success still runs in HIS family.

Link is insecure too but handled it for the most part of his life in a completely different way. I have the impression that until 5-6 years ago Link had resigned and lived defeated inside his insecurity. His own insecurity stems from lack of self-worth, which probably stems from feelings of abandonness in his childhood. Let alone that if there’s any truth to the queer!Link theory, he also felt socially and religiously alienated from everyone around him, most importantly Rhett, and all this suffered in silence. This is why his insecurity is associated mostly with the people close to him and not strangers. Link doesn’t care much if random people think poorly of him which is why he’s not self-conscious and can talk to people. But Link is hurt a lot if a person he loves a lot doubts him or mocks him or simply doesn’t  regard him very highly. He has a primal fear of getting taken in, abandoned or betrayed. He’s grown to become a suspicious person, often entertaining the worse case scenario, fearing that a person he loves could actually not love or respect him back as sincerely. As an example, from everything they’ve said I have the impression Link adored Rhett when they were children. He looked up to him and Rhett was some sort of role model for him. Link didn’t have many other friends and certainly not others like Rhett and the rest of his time he spent mostly alone in his home. Meanwhile, Rhett had more variety in his life: he had other friends, including Ben whom he admired so much, hobbies and an obsession with girls. So it’s safe to assume that Link was more “there” for Rhett than Rhett was “there” for him, without that meaning IN ANY WAY that Rhett didn’t love him as much. But Link couldn’t know that - and when Rhett was busying himself with something else, his feelings of abandonness and lack of self-worth intensified.

I think Link never escaped from these feelings.There were some GMM episodes where Link has implied that he often feels Rhett takes him for granted and shouldn’t. In short, Link loathes that he feels uncertain in his friendship with Rhett whereas Rhett feels perfectly sure in it. This, especially at a point 4-5 years ago, when Link started changing stylistically and in the way he carried himself (we can only guess why), it was also the time Link’s efforts to fight that feeling of defeat especially around Rhett reached their peak.

I trust Rhett’s input in this. I don’t doubt Rhett senses competitiveness coming from Link’s side. What Rhett might not understand is that Link is not globally competitive but mostly towards certain people, including him, first and foremost.  Things such as vanity, overt enthusiasm when winning, “OOOOH HA-HA-HA-HA” when Rhett got insulted, “I prefer time with my wife”, “I can’t be always there for you”, “I have other friends beside you Rhett” are some random examples of this overcompensation that is the unconventional competitiveness Link feels against Rhett. “Against” is a strong word though because I believe Link doesn’t do any of this to bring Rhett down but rather to go up and be on the same level as him. NOTE: I don’t believe Link is in any way lower, I believe Link fears this is the case. Link dreams of an entirely equal and balanced relationship between them, not because it isn’t so, but because he has invested so much in Rhett that he constantly fears everything he can lose. He wants Rhett to look up to him, to admire him so that he can keep him, and moreover keep him eternally interested and intrigued. In short, he wants Rhett to feel the way he feels about him and he thinks this cannot be as long as Rhett takes him for granted or doesn’t take his skills, mind, virtues and looks seriously. Furthermore, his tendencies to take most of the control in their job and be a perfectionist could also be connected to all that and increase his anxiety associated with the stability of their job.

The problem is that Rhett perhaps doesn’t understand the motive behind Link’s behaviour and interprets it as plain old competitiveness. He’s however, as I felt in the podcast, troubled by it being targeted to him. A remark like “I have other good friends too” is something that makes Link feel more independent from Rhett but Rhett could occasionally get hurt and think “Okay but why does he have to say this to me?”.

This unavoidably is channeled in their business too. A duo of internet celebrities? That’s like the recipe of guaranteed failure! Even non-competitive people have destroyed their businesses and friendships this way. What Rhett and Link have managed so far is world record. Part of their success is how open they are to each other about how they feel. In fact, it was very healthy of Rhett to confess openly that he has some level of “mild envy” about Link doing well in various aspects of the show. This means that Rhett sat down when he experienced these feelings, had a talk with himself and reached the conclusion that he was very happy Link was doing well. He just felt he had to push himself to be as good - not better -  so that he would not feel bad about himself contributing in this show, in this business. And in short, Rhett feels he need to compete with Link in being as likable to the viewers. I consider this totally understandable.

Link was reluctant to speak openly throughout the whole episode. And that was because his answer was not that easy. From everything he said, I was positively surprised that it seemed Link has it all laid out very clearly in his mind - how he acts and why. He just wasn’t willing to explain, particularly in public. This becomes clear towards the end of the podcast - when Rhett is essentially about to lose his mind because Link denies everything, Link starts to say something only to stop and decide he shouldn’t do it eventually. More importantly, Link adds in the end that Rhett made the big mistake to base his understanding of Link’s competitiveness in minor conventional things such as games and job performance. Link said that Rhett was stripping their relationship off of way too many parameters that he wasn’t taking into consideration to reach a valid conclusion. So indeed Link’s competitiveness is a very personal topic with deep roots and IS connected mostly (if not exclusively) to his relationship with Rhett. Link doesn’t want to be better than Rhett either - he wants to be as good as Rhett and be liked by the viewers. Not for the viewers’ sake but in order to rub it in Rhett’s face later. Again, he doesn’t want to hurt Rhett - this is likely a desire for guaranteed continuous attention from Rhett, whatever it takes.

Furthermore, Link always makes sure to draw attention from the audience as much as Rhett, if not more, (which could be fundamentally what Rhett interprets as competitiveness and doesn’t know how to regulate) which is Link’s way to ensure he’s not taken for Rhett’s sidekick (in his own words) by either the viewers or Rhett himself, because inside Link’s full of concerns mind this hits a little too close to home.

Now, if there’s any truth to Rhink, intensify this by 10x.

#rhink #anon #ask #mail #mythical

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - “The Fight for Castle McDuck!”

Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Ben Siemon, Bob Snow

Written by: Madison Bateman

Storyboard by: Stephanie Gonzaga, Krystal Ureta, Brandon Warren, Hayley Foster

Directed by: Matthew Humphreys

A family feud!

This episode begins with Scrooge, the nephews, and Webby making another trip to Castle McDuck to meet Scrooge's parents. How are they able to visit this castle with that mist that only disappears every five years, as explained in the last episode that featured Scrooge's parents? Apparently, there's a fritz in the castle's mist, and Fergus, Scrooge's father, immediately blames Scrooge for giving them a lemon. As Webby narrates this clenched-teeth meeting of father and son into her tape recorder, Downy, Scrooge's mother, goes up and hugs the two.

Downy McDuck: Oh, let's just be thankful for this unexpected family visit! Group hug! (hugs Scrooge and Fergus, not really accepting of this)

Just in time for Thanksgiving weekend! Okay, it's not really a Thanksgiving special and it may be just a coincidence as there's no proof of Disney swapping the intended order of episodes this time, but it is an episode where someone is thankful for a family gathering that will involve some food; I've seen flimsier excuses to air episodes at certain times. Webby isn't the only one happy to see Scrooge's family again, as Huey, Dewey, and Louie are after yet another artifact: the Blessed Bagpipes of Clan McDuck. Yes, it's not just one of Scrooge's catchphrases, it's also an ancient artifact that was foretold to Huey by a druid somewhere between Mount Neverrest and that place where the Terrafirmians went after that one episode.

No, just kidding, it's yet another artifact in that journal that seems to be used to make filler episodes to feel more important. This is not to say this episode isn't necessary. These Blessed Bagpipes have a bit more potential than, say, the Sword of Swanstentine: the bagpipes are told to be able to bring life to the lifeless. Louie doesn't interpret this as zombies, but instead just hears is that this is a rare and potentially expensive artifact, and since they already dealt with this castle's traps before, it should be easy to get! As for Dewey, he's going to be important later.

Scrooge isn't really here for Thanksgiving or the bagpipes, though, he's here essentially as a magic castle repairman. Using his cane, he pokes the druid stones that usually power that mist that keeps his parents out of his sight, and he comes to the conclusion that it seems like the magic was sucked out of it. Even if we didn't see the cause right before the opening, which we do, this is a good enough hint to what could have possibly happened. Fergus doesn't believe him, and Scrooge replies with him asking why he even asked him to do this instead of getting one of his other children to do the dirty work. Short answer: he tried.

Meet Matilda McDuck, the youngest sister of Scrooge, who likes to start random businesses like emu farms. The very sight of a new McDuck neither she nor the audience has seen regresses Webby back to her Season 1 "McDuck fangirl" persona. Why wouldn't she still have that? Most of all, to her, there's no such thing as sibling rivalry in Clan McDuck, as McDucks always stay together! I'm assuming the sibling fights Huey Dewey and Louie sometimes get in are because they're merely Ducks.

McDucks, on the other hand, don't really do fights, as exemplified by Scrooge handing his sister a whole bill to invest in this empire of giant emu eggs. Wow, Scrooge must have been impressed: usually it's just a coin that's worth less than even if it was just one dollar! She immediately rejects the bill because she doesn't do family investments, unlike Scrooge and his Number One Dime. She then puts him in a headlock. Webby pays this no mind and talks about this sibling friendship, while Dewey just sits in the background and sarcastically says, "yeah, sure." No, being the stand-in for the audience isn't his important bit.

Huey and Louie get into a sibling rivalry of their own, as Huey plans to do this epic adventure to get the bagpipes, with plenty of strategies that Louie calls, and trademarks after a long yawn, "boring nerd stuff". Louie, on the other hand, decides to do the "ask really loudly to the great-great grandma where the magic bagpipes are" approach, and Great Great Grandma Downy just tells them that bagpipe must be in the junk room, and she'll even show them where it is.

Louie's faces during these scenes are top-notch; there's a fine line between "off-model to the point where it's disturbing" and "off-model enough to be funny", and the scenes are more in the latter. We might even see it with Huey, who seems to be desperately trying to keep that inner Duke of Making A Mess in control.

If one hasn't guessed yet, our villain of the week is none other than the Phantom Blot. We saw the Phantom Blot earlier in the episode, sucking up some castle magic with his magic-sucking gauntlet. He's joined by one of the Eggheads, a charismatic, overly happy sidekick named Pepper. The first time I watched this episode, I thought this was Matilda in a disguise, but then I noticed she didn't have those circles under her eyes. This is a totally different duck.

Blot didn't want any duck to be his partner, or any partner at all, but F.O.W.L. won't allow Missing Mystery taking alone. The Blot has his own vested interest in destroying anything magical, especially something as dangerous as a bagpipe that can turn something that's lifeless into living things. This is the second episode in a row where someone wants to take an artifact they feel is too dangerous, though it's done in a different way.

Unknowing of any kind of evil, Webby, Scrooge, Dewey, and Webby are going on a tour through the castle. Webby stops at a room full of statues, including one statue of Danny McDuck that happens to be holding a bagpipe with symbols on it. Webby is completely enamored by all of this, but Dewey questions which one of their ancestors is invisible. Matilda explains that this space was left blank until a worthy McDuck can be immortalized in this room with a statue. Webby talks about an obvious candidate for such an immortalization: Scrooge McDuck!

Matilda laughs at this nomination, saying that it would be more fitting for someone who actually takes care of the castle, while Scrooge fights back by saying not only has be built this castle, but he built the castle that gave her and their parents immortality. This is where Webby's main conflict in the episode lies: she can't believe two McDucks can talk to each other like that, and, despite being told that sibling rivalry happens all the time by Dewey, she vows to fix this.

Her first attempt at doing this? Let Scrooge look at an old family diary. This appears to work pretty well, as Scrooge is reminded of his first brother-sister mud pie business. Unfortunately for Webby's plan to let this feud end so early, one of the photos happens to be Whiskers, Scrooge's pet hairball, being around his sister, going against the story he was told that Whiskers ran away. Not only is Whiskers still around...

...Whiskers had a new fur dying session, too! The emu eventually biting it ends up being the last straw, causing him and her to get into a sibling quibble. It's funny to see these people acting like children, even yelling out to their mom to tell on each other. It's not so funny to Webby, who thinks that she's going to break her beloved Clan McDuck, though Dewey insists this is normal. It's good that Webby isn't perfect, but one knows she's going the wrong way here.

Meanwhile, in the junk room their great great grandma led them to, they see a whole bunch of bagpipes stacked onto each other. Once again, we see Huey trying to think of a good strategy to find out which one is the real bagpipe, and Louie just runs up and jumps on the pile. This massive bagpipe blowing this not only causes does cause a mystical bow and arrow to break a canister of tiny green flying lightbug beings that exclaim their freedom, but it also proves that all of these bagpipes are just ordinary bagpipes. That mystical bow and arrow also causes Huey to drop the book near a cardboard box that Pepper and the Blot were hiding in. Must have learned that from some snake.

This scene with Pepper and the Phantom Blot does show us one thing: she may seem like an incompetent sidekick, and the Blot sure treats her like one as he didn't want a sidekick to begin with, but she knows a clue when she sees one. She takes a picture of it with her smartphone, and deduces that the symbols that were drawn on it represent different rooms of Castle McDuck. This begins a slow bit of character development for the Phantom Blot, who was merely just "I hate magic and everyone" before this.

Meanwhile, as Webby is watching the family aggressively eat their dinner, she comes up with a plan. She even ropes Dewey into this for his big, important moment. Dewey gets to show his best talent...

...pretend he accidentally died while trying to make everyone happy by making two statues! See, it's a win-win situation for everyone: Matilda and Scrooge would believe they're both deserving of statues, and Scrooge basically confirms what Dewey always knew: that he was the favorite. Honestly, I'd say he's only saying that because he's supposedly dead, but don't tell Dewey that. By the way, Scrooge falls for this even though Scrooge did fake his death before in this series. I should also talk about how Webby would have to find a way to show that Dewey didn't actually die for potential future adventures, but she won't need to even think about that.

Huey and Louie end up in this room, too, and Dewey just couldn't resist telling them that Scrooge said he's the favorite. This leads to even more bickering amongst Clan McDuck. This ends up being a perfect distraction for the Phantom Blot and Pepper to sneak around the room, too. Webby doesn't notice those two, but she finally decides enough is enough, and outright calls out the family for their bickering, saying that it just isn't the Clan McDuck way. Scrooge decides to agree, and says Matilda is worthy of being the next Clan McDuck statue...

...because he's no longer going to be a member of Clan McDuck! This part feels like it should be in the trailers as a misleading line, as anyone would guess this would eventually be reversed, but even I'm not so sure if it was in the end. It really goes to show that Webby pretty much did what she feared she was going to do. It's going to take a miracle to fix up this family, and it has to be something blessed.

Remember that Danny McDuck statue with the bagpipe? Turns out, that's where the bagpipe was hiding all this time. Unfortunately, it wasn't any of the Ducks or McDucks that figured this out first, but it was Pepper. Admittedly, she had to smash through the bagpipe of the statue to find it, and I'm sure even with their bickering, degrading one of the statues would be a huge faux pas. The good news is that, while she may be able to figure out a mystery, she's still somewhat of a klutz, as she drops the bagpipe. Not only does this finally reveal the sinister villains behind what caused that fritz in the mist, we get to see that ability to give life to the lifeless that was foretold by that book.

No, not zombies, but the bagpipes give life to the lifeless statues! It seems like this episode was going to go to a rather predictable ending, showing the now separated family that Webby was right all along, and that Clan McDuck is all about being together. Just let those statues show what being a family is all about. This could very well be, but the bagpipes gave them the vocal cords of the people they're based on, too.

They immediately start fighting, starting with who stole the bagpipe, and Webby lets out an "oh, come on!". Not only does this lead to a big statue fight, this leads to a bunch of other fights. The statues are fighting, Clan McDuck are fighting, and even Huey, Dewey, and Louie are fighting. The last one seems a little tacked on, but it does add a little more power to the scene where Webby talks into her tape recorder about how, in her quest to strengthen Clan McDuck, she managed to ruin it. Even if I wasn't as big of a fan of Webby's antics in this episode, as I think she should absolutely know what she was trying to fix in the beginning was normal, it's still a powerful scene.

There's also a scene where The Phantom Blot and Pepper, hide behind a pillar, and Blot uses this opportunity to scold Pepper on nearly ruining the entire mission. It's nice to see the Phantom Blot actually getting a little development here.

Of course, in the end, they do make up. A lot of this is due to the situation that surrounds them, and Scrooge even uses that to get those ancestor statues to finally stop fighting and get these F.O.W.L. agents out of their hair. Because, and I'm sure people will see this line coming a mile away...

Agnes McDuck (the one in the royal dress): Nobody fights our family but US!

Heh, get it, because all they've been doing before this is bicker. Nonetheless, it's still a good lesson, and it's good to see Webby still learn lessons from Clan McDuck that she wouldn't have learned anywhere else. In the end, the villains get defeated, and the family does find some way to get together and do something, even if it is as simple as cleaning up the mess everyone did. Happy Thanksgiving...kind of.

How does it stack up?

Matilda is entertaining, and while I feel Webby is the weak point of the episode, her actions do lead to a good lesson in the end. Four Scrooges.

Next, ho ho ho, oh no no no.

← The First Adventure! 🦆 How Santa Stole Christmas! →

#fpb dt 2017 #ducktales 2017 #ducktales #disney #fpb reviews

[allywrites360]

Treasure Planet Analysis

I recently watched this video talking about some of the visual storytelling evident in this movie, and thought I’d rewatch it a little more closely, and add some of my own thoughts!!

So firstly, there are two really prominent examples of this type of storytelling with Jim (who’s going to be the main subject of this post; he is the protagonist after all, huh?). The first is his wardrobe itself, starting out made of entirely dark colours, and the second being the shadow between his eyes which is animated at key points during the movie.

At the outset of Treasure Planet, the shadow is shown constantly, for the first fifteen minutes at least before the slightest change. This symbolizes the shadow of pain that was left when Jim’s father abandoned him (oh, and spoilers for the movie in this, obviously).

The first minor change in this shadow is the moment when Jim’s passion is ignited in something for the first time in a long time; the prospect of travelling to Treasure Planet, which Jim hopes will allow him to prove he’s worth something to his mother (a doubt that’s created by him entirely), and have a real shot at something other than resigning himself to a rebel. This spark of hope lightens the shadow for the end of that scene. This might also be a good time to mention that the shadow could be symbolic for self doubt as well. This one may be not as clear to see because of the difference in lighting, but you’ll notice if you rewatch the movie carefully.

Jim then opens up a bit, starting to let go of his past hurt as he warms up to Silver, him acting as the new father figure in Jim’s life. This is shown not through the shadow, as Jim still hasn’t fully let go of his past, or fully bonded with Silver at this time, but through the change of his clothes into a much lighter, more natural tone.

Directly following the above scene id the first time the shadow makes its’ disappearance from Jim’s face; the moment when Silver takes Jim with him on a boat ride, a parallel to the way Jim’s father left him behind. Silver, however, waits for Jim to jump in, and proceeds to bond with him by teaching him sailing (is it called sailing?).

The black coat and shadow return, however, as Jim’s guilt casts it upon him at being blamed for a crew member’s death after being accused of failing to properly fasten his line. The coat here serves to act as an emotional barrier that Jim has used since the outset of the movie as he’s moved to sit alone on the edge of the ship.

The shadow disappears later in this scene, however, as Silver encourages him, and eases his guilt. He tells Jim that he believes there is greatness in him, and hopes that one day he can “catch some of the light that’s comin’ off [Jim] that day.” the day in question being when Jim finally achieves the greatness Silver knows him to be capable of. This introduces the light and greatness motif, which continues throughout the rest of this film, showing they go hand in hand, and once Jim is able to finally step fully into the light, he’ll be able to be free of his past, and reach his full potential.

The coat remains, however, until the next morning, when, with some encouragement, he leaves it behind. This may seem just a little gag to show Jim with morph, and it could be, but it could also demonstrate that change isn't instant, depending on how deeply you want to read in to individual scenes.

The shadow comes back once again when Jim’s trust in Silver is broken, and when he’s hurt by the older man, in this scene, it’s in the form of his lamenting to his pirates that he never cared for Jim, and was merely trying to keep him off their backs. This brings back the feeling of betrayal Jim felt when his father left, as the man he cared for and trusted portrayed the fact Jim meant nothing to him. Again, brief scene, and this was the best shot I could get.

The coat notably does not make a reappearance after this scene, nor for the rest of the movie, showing that despite the hurt Jim experiences here, he has grown as a character, and is more confident in himself than he was at the start. This change remains, and is not undone, even by Silver’s selfish actions.

The shadow finally leaves a few moments later, when Jim is entrusted the map by the captain. This gives him purpose, and a goal, which allows him to move past his hurt and do what’s right, which he knows will ultimately help others. This also shows his character has grown, as he moves past his pain to take on the responsibility without hesitation.

The shadow’s returns for the remainder of the film are nearly exclusively when he is reunited with Silver, or at the very least related to him in some way. All of this ties back to the light motif I mentioned earlier, as when Jim is given encouragement by his friends (captain, doctor, Ben, etc.), he is able to step up confidently, and take on responsibilities, reaching more to his full potential. This is contrasted by Silver’s presence, the man destroying that self esteem and bringing feelings from Jim’s past up despite personal growth.

Later in the film when Jim leaves his hideout on Treasure Planet with Ben, he quite literally steps into the light to help the others (in this scene, namely to retrieve the map from the Legacy to stop Silver from reaching the treasure and harming his friends). This shows that Jim’s selfless nature will eventually be his greatest strength (and already prominently is), and will be the thing to lead him to ‘greatness’.

When the shadow is missing, in scenes such as this, Jim’s face also seems to be overall more relaxed; brow less furrowed as he lets go of the past, and stops the aspects of the shadow (such as self-doubt) that he had been casting himself.

Jim’s gun flying away during the fight scene on the ship is also symbolic of his growth; his freedom moving just beyond his grasp (as he’s dragged down by memories through Silver), but him finding a way to keep fighting and continue triumphing anyway (as shown through the inconsistent shadow).

Silver’s influence on Jim (at the moment negative, as it is directly tied to the visual element of the inclusion of the shadow), is shown vividly through the scene where Silver’s pirates restrain Jim and take the map to Treasure Planet. The shadow only appears when Jim glares at Silver, but lightens when he’s focusing on doing what’s right (fighting the pirates) rather than his hurt.

Jim assertively telling Silver that if he wants the map, he has to take him along also serves his character growth really well. He's standing firm in his own decisions, despite losing the approval of his father figure, finally becoming his own person outside of others’ expectations or notions of him, and making these decisions based on what’s right, rather than simply rebellion.

The light from the doorway to the treasure gently lightens the shadow, symbolizing Jim's belief that his pain will be dissipated by gaining the treasure, and that he will gain his mother’s pride (which was already present) as well. This is a falsehood that Silver must face as well, both accepting that the treasure was meaningless overall, and would not give them what they wanted.

This recognition is clear to the audience well before it is to the characters, which is achieved subconsciously through the scene where, while all of the pirates are gazing towards the treasure, Jim looks back at Ben and morph, his friends meaning more than the treasure he’d searched for.

The next piece of symbolism is my personal favourite from the film; Jim falling while they are with the treasure. He works to pull himself back up, but needs that final pull from someone who cares about him (Silver). This symbolizes Jim trying to move past his father’s abandonment, and step into the person he’s grown to become. But he can't do it on his own, to fully make the leap, he needs the support of a father like figure, who in this case, is Silver, choosing Jim’s life over the treasure.

The shadow, which was likely present throughout and after this scene (there were few clear frames of his face, but let’s assume it was) darkens again at Jim’s realization that Silver may leave him, which comes when the captain comments about him being put to trial. This brings up strongly his final moments with his father; this may not seem like much now, as it is a very brief scene, but it strengthens the conclusion of his time with Silver, which we’ll get to in a minute.

The shadow then disappears once and for all as Jim relies on his strengths, both internal (selflessness), and external (knowledge of mechanics), to build a solar surfer to allow him to save his friends and their ship from being destroyed. This shows him finally reaching that confidence in himself and his abilities that Jim has sought after his entire journey, and, as a result of this, he is not negatively influenced when he interacts with Silver in the form of the pirate helping him with the construction of the solar surfer. He has, at this point, nearly completed his arc, and moved past his insecurities.

Jim then falls again, in a similar way to the previous time near the treasure, however this time, he is able to keep a level head, and manages to save himself. This symbolizes more than anything his character growth, able to rely on himself to help others. He’s finally achieved that light and greatness Silver told him was inside all along. This ability to stop his fall, and confidence as a whole, is due in no small part to Silver helping him earlier in the film. He needed someone who believed in him to push him to become the fullest version of himself, and recognize the greatness he was capable of.

The solar surfer was introduced at the onset of the film, when we were reintroduced to Jim as a teenager. The source of rebellion at the start is now a means he uses to help others, and once he’s safely back on the ship, he lets it go. He’s no longer using it as a means of escapism; his friends now mean more than that did, and he literally lets his past go for them without regret, as his developed character no long has to rely on those methods of rebelling.

This time, when Jim sees Silver preparing to leave, he’s confident enough in himself, and the connection they shared to let him go without memories of the past tearing him down, and visually, without the shadow returning. He lets Silver go, because his self worth no longer lies on the approval of a mentor, but rather on who he is.

Silver also notably turns to wave to Jim as he sails off, for the first time making himself, and this event, entirely separate from his father in Jim’s mind, showing the contrast between the means of support in these figures.

The light and greatness motif comes back in their goodbye, when Silver tells Jim he’s “glowing like a solar fire.”, showing the growth he’s seen in Jim, and, unlike the first time he said something similar to this, Jim genuinely believes him. Not just in a temporary comfort naive way; Jim believe that Silver is speaking the truth, and that confidence pushes him to take a shot at a future he never believed he could have.

This motif makes one final appearance at the conclusion of the film, when he is shown wearing all white, yet another lighter change in his wardrobe in this film. This demonstrates his freedom from any burdens of the past as he finally accepts and learns to love who he truly is, and take daring shots to reach his potential, the one his mother had seen in him since ten beginning. His character  arc is now complete, and he can live happily ever after.

#dinsey #disney analysis #film analysis #film review #Disney movie review #treasure planet

[irresistiibles]

the master plotting post is below the cut. it’s kinda long so good luck fam. it’s really more about where my character are and how they’re doing but i am hoping that will help us both brainstorm some ideas together. i have put trigger warnings next to each individual blurb so that way if you’re worried about anything you can read the rest while skipping any that are potentially triggering. this is just where characters are starting a few of them i may still update, especially for characters who fears i haven’t completely worked out. toss this a like if you’d be interested in plotting and i will come to you! i will get another call out specifically for starters closer to the event

level 1: windstorm

asami sato / the legend of korra / unaware

girl is not really phased by the windstorm and will be pushing through and probably wind up leveling up. she’ll also be offering to help where she can so like if any characters need help to level up or just get by she will be around we can def do something. she’ll probably be getting pieces of her memories back in the storm but nothing concrete. probably one of my characters who realistically has a chance of making it to the safe zone. definitely open to teaming up

leveling up: probably

plots: anyone else trying to level up she can work with, someone to help out

blue sargent / the raven cycle / aware

not entirely sure what my plan for her is tbh. she’s seen like all the wild shit washington has thrown and honestly might try to find somewhere to bunker down and wait it out or maybe level up but either way she’ll be a fun mixed of chill yet pissed while on this level. not freaking out but annoyed after all of the things that happened her. a potential reluctant teammate

leveling up: a reluctant maybe

plots: someone she winds up working with for a bit even though teamwork and being nice is not her strong suit

lily evans / harry potter / aware

let’s be real after everything she’s been through in washington the windstorm does not feel like a big deal and she’s charging through to get through to the next level. she will ultimately wind up losing all of her memories as a result

leveling up: no

plots: teammates, people she knows who can find her after her memory loss, some help after her memory loss, someone she helps, since afterwards she’ll be bunkering down and helping people out

max caulfield / life is strange / aware

my one character? who is terrified for storms? caught in the windstorm? asdlfkjad incredible. anyway max is going to be freaking out and almost definitely stuck here the whole time she is terrified of storms and will be hoping to find a nice corner to crawl in and stay in with her hands over her ears

leveling up: no

plots: someone to help her please she will be screwed on her own,

melody pond/river song / doctor who / awareish

she will absolutely be leveling up. river is a high energy adventurer who is so shit at sitting still there’s no way she’s not moving up. honestly will be pretty unbothered in this level at least. i may give her some flashes of her parents from the windstorm to kind of set her on edge. down to team up though she’s always out for herself first and will ditch partners as needed

leveling up: probably

plots: let her be a chaotic teammate for someone, an injury she reluctantly treats as she tries to get out of there

pansy parkinson / harry potter / aware

honestly she’s mostly just tired and pissed. pansy, though obnoxious, is logical and focused on her own survival first. she’ll probably wind up finding a save space to be and see this thing out. if anyone needs some slightly less chaotic plots she’s probably someone good to hit up. she could be open to being the obnoxious teammate someone has ever had.

leveling up: no

plots: teammates in the sort of self serving way, bunkering down buddies, drinking buddies, a calm party crew 

persephone / percy jackson / aware

she’s a goddess she’s vibing and almost definitely leveling up tbh she doesn’t know what’s going on and her main priorities are finding hades and reluctantly nico but will try to offer some help where she can

leveling up: probably

plots: some people she helps out to either safety or level up, 

level 2: nightmares come to life

ben hargreeves / the umbrella academy / aware 

his nightmares are p limited ngl since being dead kind of takes away a lot of fears. i mean his main one was passing on and he did that last season so, i guess it’ll kinda be his powers. of course he’s mostly afraid of losing control and hurting people, but he’ll probably just be seeing/dealing with vague eldritch creatures. could maybe deal with his fear long enough but that’s really the only way he’s potentially leveling up. potentially open to teaming up

leveling up: doubtful

plots: some people he helps, teammates, maybe someone he accidentally hurts cause he does have powers and he may lash out when spooked so could cause an inury, 

jang man wol / hotel del luna / aware / level 2: nightmares come to life

her fears are complicated. like ? she mostly fears and hates herself lmao. i suppose she has some fear of the gods in her world but they aren’t really violent and can only hurt her if she hurts a human so she might be seeing them and getting freaked out and jumpy and convinced she’s gonna do something that ultimately gets her destroyed. honestly though, she’s at the second most stable she’s been in a while (a step down since chan sung’s memory loss) so she will be making her way to level 3 at some point.

leveling up: yes

plots: uh, maybe someone she almost lashes out and hurts but manages to last minute hold back, someone she helps/protects to avoid her own problems, though she wouldn’t be nice about it rip

jaskier / the witcher / unaware / level 2: nightmares come to life

this is my emotional support idiot he doesn’t really have any tangible fears not because he’s strong he’s just dumb, will be running straight into things trying to help people out. i would say he should get hurt but this man has survivridiculouslysly well on luck and charisma so far and i don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. if i think of a fear for him i will update this. will probably find someone who looks strong to leech off of and feel safer around. you just know this idiot is writing a song about the whole experience as it occurs.

leveling up: maybe

plots: someone more powerful than him he follows around for safety

karolina dean / runaways / unaware

aaah um i’m not entirely decided on what her fear is yet at the moment but she’ll be doing her best to deal with it. honestly i don’t think she’ll be leveling up karolina is strong but struggling without her memories in terms of fighting. i might have her see her dad a bit even though she won’t recognize him she’ll feel the fear

leveling up: no

plots: any sort of teammates cause she works well in groups, maybe someone who sees her attempting to use her powers to fight things off 

kyoshi / avatar the last airbender / unaware

so kyoshi is not afraid of much. she’s a seven foot tall beast of a woman/nerd so of course she isn’t, but, i’m saying she’s afraid of clowns, because kyoshi is gonna panic and wind up bending in defense. of course she has no memories so she’s gonna spend the rest of the event like ‘hey what the fuck was that????’ honestly she may be able to level up but she’ll probably be focusing on helping people in level 2 as best she can

leveling up: no

plots: a teammate would be fine though she’ll probably only want one, she’ll have just discovered her bending so someone can be around for her to yell about that, any people she attempts to protect/get to safety  

lavender brown / harry potter / aware 

werewolves! she’s scared of them! because of course she is! and she’s absolutely flipping out! she’s probably stuck here ngl i do not think lavender is conquering this anytime soon. she’d fight a little bit but i imagine she’s mostly going to wind up hiding out. could probably use some help or support ngl. i debated saying she could get injured but i feel like this is already going to be rough enough on her ngl

leveling up: no

plots: anyone to help her out she could use it, i would offer her as a teammate but she’s going to be pretty freaked out so idk how much she can do, but maybe someone she likes hides out with and just tries to survive with

michiru kaioh / sailor moon / aware

death tw welcome to lesbian suffering. her biggest fear is going to end up in her seeing haruka’s dead body and uh, she’s definitely not recovering from this one she will be staying on this level the whole time probably losing her mind a little bit and not knowing what happened and blaming herself and it’s all going to be rough.  

leveling up: no

plots: she may attempt to team up with a person or two but her mood is going to be awful and she won’t be a great teammate, honestly anyone around to try and keep her slightly grounded

sam giddings / until dawn / aware

hello happy children it’s wendigo time! exactly what it sounds like. she’s not leveling up. this is a monster that eats people and can only be killed with fire. sam is running. going to be terrified but not freaking out at least not externally. might go for a minor injury with her. down to team up with anyone

leveling up: no

plots: lmao survival buddies, despite everything she will try to be helping people out so there could be something for that

toph beifong / avatar the last airbender / aware

so toph’s fears will probably include not having any earth around or below her. honestly this fear is less about her seismic sense and not being able to tell where things are around her. her other senses are still good even if it’s really not ideal and that will be partially upsetting, it’s more about feeling like she lost her earthbending. she’s also terrified of heights after dangling off of the warship in the finale so i might do something with that. i doubt she’s leveling up. down to reluctantly team up.

leveling up: no

plots: would be willing to team up but she’s feeling a little useless and stressed so how great she’d be as a partner would be mixed, she could cause an injury if anyone wants since she can’t sense any earth but i’m assuming there’s still going to be things she can bend around, so maybe some sort of an accident with that, honestly let her make a friend she’s not against help from friends will hold onto their arm most of the time

level 3: poisoned supernaturals

ciel phantomhive / black butler / aware 

gun tw: this boy has already had bad experiences with supernaturals so he’s not in a good mood about any of this. he’s got a gun and his concerns are himself and lizzie and that is about it. he knows physical strength is not his strong suit and has no intention of trying to fight his way out. may try and play the small defenseless boy card if he needs to in order to get some help and protection from actual nice humans on the level. not available to team up. available to trip another character while they’re both fleeing from the same thing.

leveling up: no

plots: someone who he injures, someone who injures him, a human he partners up with and could betray cause he’s a selfish little shit if that’s something someone’s interested in, or some human who’s physically strong who he pays to be around him as some sort of safety

dominique weasley / harry potter / aware

not a huge chance she’s doing anything but staying here and going ape shit. does not really have the willpower to manage to fight off the poison. is solidly in the middle between barely dangerous to destructive beast.

leveling up: no

plots: a feral crew, someone she hurts, someone who tries to snap her out of it, anything

elsa of arendelle / frozen / aware 

ice queen time babey! will be pretty destructive and very dangerous. open to her killing someone’s character if anyone wants since i’d love her to be upset about that after the fact. she already thinks she’s a danger let’s prove it!! she might wind up fighting off the poison but idk it would take a hot minute since she’s had a lot of stress and frustration lately and it’ll be coming out!! she’s ready to do some damage

leveling up: maybe

plots: someone she hurts and can feel real guilty about, someone who tries to snap her out of it

entrapta / she-ra / unaware

not nearly as concerned about danger as she should be. probably out here purposely trying to approach supernaturals to get a blood sample i hate her. not looking for her to die but could be open to a semi-serious injury. might level up ngl if she finds decent tech she will be able to defend herself. open to team ups but she’s not a great team partner

leveling up: maybe

plots: teammates. maybe someone who teams up with her to use her more than anything since she can build attack bots with really any scraps she can find so she’s good for people looking for defense and will not be able to tell she’s being used

glinda upland / wicked / aware

me realizing just this second glinda probably counts as a supernatural cause she’s got magic:  👁👄👁 so yeah uh this one is difficult i think she’ll be working to fight it off. even with poison she would not be good at being violent fam.

leveling up: maybe

plots: uuuh poisoned people trying to push her to the dark side, someone trying to help her fight it off, maybe a human she fights but doesn’t hurt, or if so it’s something minor, anything

haruhi fujioka / ouran high school host club / aware 

does not know what’s going on and isn’t sure they want to. tbh slightly similar to entrapta in the sense that they can manage self defense alright. they’re going to pepper spray a supernatural so fucking hard i swear to god. they aren’t like a super amazing fighter and sometimes they’re too reckless and stubborn for their own good, but haruhi is smart, and will probably mostly be hiding. they could be available for trying to help out other humans on the level

leveling up: maybe 

plots: single teammate or group of humans getting by, a not too strong supernatural for her to fight cause i don’t want her getting too hurt, but could be up for a small injury, anyone she helps

ji eun tak / goblin / aware 

lmao so technically eun tak has powers but they aren’t fighting powers she can just see ghosts but technically this still counts as powers so she’s affected. this doesn’t make her any stronger though she’s just angry but like not a threat. here is a picture of eun tak as provided by kasey (x). like the worst shes gonna manage is to mug someone and honestly, that is probably her goal. my girl has lived her whole life poor and she’s ready to make some bank

leveling up: no

plots: lmao please give her a strong supernatural that she’s hanging around so we’ve got destructive power plus baby with knife, someone she tries to, or successfully mugs, if you need a weak supernautral to fight to level your character out of level 3 she’s a good pick, anything

rita skeeter / harry potter / aware 

rita will probably go crazy stupid for a day and then start fighting it off. tbh she doesn’t care too much about if she’s hurting people. it’s not something she likes to do but it doesn’t freak her out a ton either, but she doesn’t like being out of control, and that sheer stubbornness might be enough for her to break through and level up. down for her potentially hurting or killing someone’s character if desired. will still be taking tik toks through it all the poison is not enough to stop that. she can hunt and film at the same time

leveling up: maybe

plots: feral crew, any other supernaturals working to fight it off at some point, i’m not saying let her film ur supernatural hurting an npc but like do it, anything

tessa gray / the infernal devices / awareish

so technically she’s part shadowhunter part demon but homegirl does not know it so it’s going to be a fucking interesting time for her. honestly destructive power is mixed cause she’s certainly got some but the lack of awareness will make it weaker. will probably use this as an excuse to trigger a few more of her memories. open to her injuring someone.

leveling up: probably not

plots: uh, someone she can freak out to in the first 24 hours before the poison hits because she doesn’t even know she’s supernatural, someone she gives a minor injury to maybe, someone trying to snap her out of it, anything

#hwevent10 #hw: plot call #hw: ooc #death mention tw #injury mention tw #gun tw

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Survivors of Unfair Choices (12) | FirstOrder!Poe Dameron x Reader

Words: 1742

Warning: SW-verse typical violence, minor swearing

A/N: I’ve finally caught up in writing this series. Thank you for your patience. I had other things to say for this section but this whole queuing thing has been giving me a hard time and I accidentally deleted this the first time.

Series Masterlist

-

You led them through the makeshift command center hidden deep among the vines and roots of the greenery, walking in first. Leia stood at the center, her face illuminated by the holoprojector table as she’s surrounded by other Resistance officers. She looks up and smiles at you.

“General Organa, I’m sorry to interrupt,” you said, stepping towards the table before gesturing to your companions, “This is Finn and Poe. They need to talk to you-”

“Oh, I’ve met Poe, of course. And I need to talk to Finn,” Leia said, stepping forward and grabbing Finn’s hand. “That was incredibly brave, what you did. Renouncing the First Order, saving my commander's life-”

Finn was taken aback. “Thank you ma’am,” he said. You gently scooted him closer and encouraged him to continue, “but a friend of ours was taken prisoner-”

Leia nodded. “Han told me about the girl. I’m sorry.”

Finn looked over at Han, surprised that he would have even been concerned by it. Perhaps, he was used to the First Order’s mentality, where being compromised made you a lost cause and they’d sooner abandon you when you’ve lost your worth.

“General, we’re both familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system,” Poe stepped in, patting Finn on the shoulder.

Leia hummed. “We’re desperate for anything that you can tell us,” Leia said, drawing the attention towards the two men.

You stepped to the side, standing between Leia and Han. The smuggler gave you a nudge and smirked.

“So the First Order’s poster boy with the curls, huh?” he muttered under his breath.

You jabbed his side with your elbow, feeling like you were in the academy again, talking while the teacher was giving a lecture. Luckily, Leia’s focus was on Finn and Poe. The defectors. The newly recruited members of the Resistance. Your new friend and your new… boyfriend? You caught Poe’s eyes from across the table, causing a small smile to form on both of your lips before he turned his attention back to Finn. Right, there was a war going on right now. At least you were now on the same side of the war. You didn’t know how you’d manage it if you were to face him in battle as enemies after everything that happened, being stranded on that planet with him. Would he still follow orders?

C-3PO inserted the data device from BB-9 into the base computer, projecting a holographic map. Leia walks around the map, studying it closely in case she missed anything, but she hadn’t. Her face fell, knowing that all that effort to retrieve it, the sacrifices made, resulted in an incomplete map.

C-3PO spoke up, only confirming what everyone could see, “General, I regret to inform you, but this map recovered from BB-9 is only partially complete. And even worse, it matches no charted system on record. We simply do not have enough information to locate Master Luke.”

Leia nodded somberly. “I can't believe I was so foolish to think that I could just find Luke and bring him home.”

Han frowned. “Leia…,” he started.

“Don’t do that,” Leia shot out, pointing at him.

“Do what?”

Leia started to head off. “Anything,” she said over her shoulder.

You sighed. Although you were glad to see them talking, you’d prefer it under better circumstances. “We’ll resume the meeting once we receive the reconnaissance report on the enemy base. Then, we’ll discuss how to proceed,” you told everyone.

They all nodded, understanding the situation that the General and Han are in. A few Resistance members that were part of the inner circle came over to welcome you back, knowing that you did your best in retrieving the map. No one knew if the map was retrievable, that it would be simple enough to show exactly where Luke Skywalker was, but there was hope. Although it was incomplete, it was something.

You walked over to your boys who had watched the entire interaction between the couple and you with the other members, your hands held behind your back.

“Are they going to be alright?” Finn asked, looking over to where Han and Leia left.

You nodded. “They just need to talk some things out,” you said, then smiled, “How did it feel to have the attention of the room?”

Finn let out a short laugh. “It was nerve wracking and… exhilarating.”

“First day with the Resistance and you’re already talking amongst the higher-ups,” Poe teased.

“And what about you?” Finn pointed out, “Flying with the Resistance, heading a squadron, and already on speaking terms with General Leia?”

Poe shrugged. “They needed a pilot and their commander was busy stealing the Millenium Falcon with a stormtrooper, a scavenger, and two droids.”

You rolled your eyes. “You are not about to steal my squadron,” you told him.

“I don’t know, (Y/n/n), they seem to like me,” he smirked, “I guess I’m that charming, though, they did threaten to kill me if I hurt you.”

Finn scrunched his nose. “Please stop this, you two. Not sure what I want to be in the middle of, an arguing married couple or a flirty new couple.”

-

When Han and Leia finished with their talk, you cautiously approached the two, wondering if you were stepping out of bounds. They both turned to you, knowing you had something on your mind. Han pulled out a crate for you to sit across from him before taking a spot next to Leia.

“How are you doing, kid?” Han asked. “Although it’s not a complete map, you did bring back some valuable assets. You did good, kid.”

You forced yourself to smile, thinking about the village that the First Order attacked when they came to retrieve the map. “Can’t save everyone, only save who you can, even if it’s just one person, right?” you said.

Leia reached over and squeezed your hand. “Lor San Tekka is an old and loyal friend of ours. He knew what was at risk when he gave us the map,” she said, “We can’t let his sacrifice go out in vain. We just need to keep going and find something else.”

You nodded, then swallowed. “Um, when the First Order attacked the village… I saw Kylo Ren… Ben. He… do you think… have you ever tried to reach out to him again? Forgive me, I-”

“No, no, I understand where you’re coming from,” Leia assured you.

“It’s just that… I am sure that there is some light within him,” you said, “This doesn’t erase what he’s done, but maybe there’s a way to stop him from straying further down this dark path. I am in no way a jedi or anything. I’m just a regular human who flies X-Wings, but I think one of the reasons why he’s so… angry is the fact that he knows there’s light in him and he thinks it’s a weakness. If you don’t mind me asking, General, what exactly happened that caused this?”

The couple exchanged a tired and sad look. When Leia didn’t speak, Han stepped forward and said, “Sending him away to train with Luke might not have been enough for him to see the light.”

“Surely something must have happened for him to turn to the dark side?” you said.

Leia shook her head. “Luke went into exile after the temple was destroyed. We don’t know exactly what happened.”

“Maybe if we reach him and-”

“Why are you so insistent on this, kid?” Han frowned.

You looked up at him. “I escaped a Star Destroyer with the help of a stormtrooper and a commander of the First Order. I encountered Kylo Ren on that ship and he tried to search my mind for the map and I resisted as much as I could and I thought of you, General. You still have an effect on him. Maybe he’s lost and the only one that had reached him at his most vulnerable point was Snoke.”

Leia squeezed your hand again. “It’s been a while since I’ve tried to reach him and it might take a lot of energy from me,” she said sadly.

“If we could find Luke, is it possible?”

“Maybe.”

-

Finn had taken his place at the map table, showing a holographic image of the Starkiller base he worked at while surrounded by the inner circle members of the Resistance. You crossed your arms, standing between Poe and Snap.

“The scan data from Snap’s reconnaissance flight confirms Finn’s report,” you said, looking at the wireframe hologram.

Snap nodded. “They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself,” he added.

“A laser cannon?” Major Brance inquired, crossing his arms.

Snap pursed his lips. “We’re not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale.”

Major Ematt’s eyes widened in horror. “It’s another Death Star,” he gasped.

Poe and Finn exchanged a grave look with Poe shaking his head. “I wish that were the case, Major,” he said.

He nodded over to you, prompting you to press the control. A wireframe of the Death Star appeared on the hologram table. Poe shifted, standing closer to you as he continued with his arms crossed.

“This is the Death Star,” he pointed.

You pressed another control. The image of the Death Star started to shrink and shrink and shrink as the image of the Starkiller Base grew. It made the Death Star seem like a mere moon orbiting a planet. The others began to gasp and whisper. You shook your head, seeing the entire image for the first time. Poe squeezed your hand firmly and it was then you realized how sweaty your palms became.

“This… is the Starkiller Base.”

Han frowned, placing his hands on his hips. It was a lot bigger than expected and it was no secret that hope was draining out of the meeting room the longer they looked at the Starkiller Base. He cleared his throat and shrugged nonchalantly.

“So it’s big,” he said.

Admiral Ackbar stepped forward. “How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?”

“It uses the power of the sun,” Finn answered, “As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears.”

An officer rushes over to Leia with a datacard. Leia grabbed it quickly, her eyes scanning through it. The room was quiet as they waited for the news. “The First Order,” she began, “they're charging the weapon again, now… Our system is the next target.”

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#Survivors of Unfair Choices #First Order!Poe Dameron x Resistance!Reader #First Order!Poe Dameron #poe dameron x reader #Poe Dameron #Star wars imagine

[pulpwriterx]

A SHEEP AS BLACK AS MIDNIGHT IN SPACE

It is a dark time for the Galaxy. General Enric Pryde and Supreme Leader Snoke have unleashed a reign of terror, dealing the New Republic a terrible blow with the Hosnian Cataclysm. But all is not lost. General Organa has discovered a New Hope from the desert of Jakku, who will become the Last Jedi. After Rey, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Poe Dameron and Finn, the former FN2187 undertook a daring raid that led to the destruction of Starkiller Base, Rey has gone to Ahch-To, to study under the reclusive Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. And he will tell her a secret. There is another.

I: THERE IS ANOTHER.

Luke Skywalker sighed, heavily.

“Master Luke, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I destroyed my own family, Rey. And the Galaxy is paying the price. Did you ever wonder why Han and Leia don’t live together? Why I’m in exile, here? There is another. Or at least, there was. My nephew. My paduan. The best and worst student at the Jedi Temple. Ben Solo.”

“Ben Solo! Didn’t he die at the Jedi Temple?”

“In a way, he did. He doesn’t use that name, anymore.”

“Then he’s alive? Do you know what happened to him?”

“A great many things. First? There were his mother's expectations. She had his whole life planned out. His Royal Highness, Prince Benjamin Skywalker Organa-Solo. He was going to be the perfect Jedi, the perfect young leader, the perfect fair-haired son of the New Republic. He wasn’t supposed to be a giant behemoth of a man, who was too much like his father and his grandfather to fit in any mold. Han and I pretty much figured that Big Ben was going his own way by the time he was six. His hair was down to his waist, and he’d scream and break the scissors with the Force if you came near him to cut his hair. He wouldn’t wear clothes. Just a pair of underwear, if you took him out. He wanted to be a Wookiee. He wouldn’t speak Basic. Just Shriiyywook. We worked it out. But Ben never really changed.”

Luke sighed.

“As he grew to manhood, I started seeing my nephew as a monster. His obsession with his own duality, and that of his grandfather. His heretical leanings toward the Grey Path. And his vows? Forget vows. Not my nephew, the king of taboo. Jedi are supposed to take vows of chastity, and honesty. To have control over their emotions. Ben sold cigarillos, wine, and rubbers from his father’s smuggling operation out of my father’s TIE Fighter, his personal vehicle. He lost his virginity when he was 14 to his best friend, Talia who was 13. As usual? Han was the best worst father, ever. He took her to get an implant, and kept Ben supplied with rubbers. Which he needed, because any of my female students who were curious about their resident Rebel Angel? Let’s just say, Ben never failed to satisfy their curiosity. He didn’t listen to me when I tried to stop him. He really thought he meant something to these girls. After all, they meant something to him. It took Talia telling him she was going to rent him by the hour out of her Wookiee foster father’s garage in Mos Eisley, because he laid more pipe to more satisfied customers than any spaceport gigolo. I mean, how do you teach a six and a half foot tall Force of nature who has been using the Force since he was a toddler in a crib to open the cupboard and get the cookies?”

“He likes cookies?”

“Ben? He eats like a Wookiee. Literally. Chewie taught him to cook.”

“But he likes cookies?”

“Eats them by the box."

Master Luke laughed.

“Now I see that all of it was so very minor. I used to get so angry with him about the TIE Fighter, and the smuggling, and Talia, and the other girls. He didn’t trust me to tell me how the Dark Side, how Snoke was stalking him. It had been a terrible day, for Ben. I disciplined his little group of girls, and all four of them blamed everything on him. Not Talia, though. She spoke up for Ben. But the other three girls? They didn’t take his side. They gave him up. He sat in his hut and cried, all day. He really cared. He did. The poor kid cried himself to sleep. I went to check on him, that night and I felt the Dark Side all around him. While he was sleeping. I thought he had given himself over to it. I attacked. I almost cut off his head, but Ben defended himself. He blocked my lightsaber with his and punched me in the face as hard as he could. If I wasn’t a Jedi Master who can anticipate my opponent's movements. It would have broken my neck. But he didn't mean to kill me. Ben was just scared. As it was, I was unconscious until the morning. By then? It was all over."

Rey couldn’t believe the enormity of the act that he had just admitted to.

Trying to murder his own paduan, his own nephew!

“What happened to your nephew after he brought the building down on you? Did he join the Dark Side.”

“No. He packed up his gear and walked ten miles to the spaceport, and made it there by morning. He left Yavin 4 on a Mandalorian freighter with a business associate of his father’s, Din Saxon, under an assumed name that he had identity papers for. Now he’s partners with Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son, Din Saxon, the Mandalorian, and Han Solo. They revived the old Galactic Black Market, and now there’s a war on, not only are they making a fortune? They’re the only game in town for a lot of little things that people find it hard to live without. They do sell arms and coaxium to both sides, but they only sell the low-grade junk to the First Order and at three times the price they sell to the Resistance. I hear that Ben’s doing well. He hasn’t realized his ambition to meet the girl the Force has bound him to, but he still has his friend, Talia. I trained her as a Jedi Healer, and she's since gone to the Republic Medical School. She's Ben's personal doctor. As reckless as he is? He needs to travel with a farkling doctor. Pardon my language. The point is, my nephew renounced the Jedi and the Sith, the Dark and the Light, that day. He wants no part of it. He follows the Grey Path. As it was laid out by Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He also wants no part of this war. His name is Ben Solo, but the name he does business under, the name you’ll have heard of is his alias. Kylo Skywalker. The Arkanian.”

“Ben Solo is Kylo Skywalker, the Arkanian?”

“Yes. And he and Han are looking to add a good scavenger to their operation, because Kylo just bought the salvage rights to the site of the Battle of Yavin-4. And he’s the new owner of the ruins of the Second Death Star. You were the best scavenger at Niima Outpost. I’m sure you're the woman for the job.”

***

Kylo Skywalker was truly a man larger than life.

He wore a black oilskin duster, caped and hooded, festooned with grommets, pockets, and epaulets over a black pair of pilot’s coveralls, tucked into tall black jackboots.

He also wore a huge pair of brown leather and Beskar chrome goggles, with shatterproof mirrored lenses.

And he was the tallest, burliest man that Rey had ever seen.

He sat down across from her at the table she had picked out at the Niima Cantina.

The man had a quiet air of undeniable menace about him.

It put Rey on edge.

“You should try to hide that you have that much strength in the Force. The Sith are real, and the First Order take who they want.”

“Not if I work for you, Jedi Temple dropout, right?"

“I picked a good time to leave. I hear you're the best scavenger at Niima Outpost.”

“I am. Can you take those goggles off? I feel like I’m talking to a man with no eyes.”

He lowered his hood, and took off the goggles.

Time stopped.

And it wasn’t just because Kylo Skywalker the man had grown up to be a black swan with dark, saturnine good looks out of the ugly duckling of a boy that Master Luke had described to her.

It was because Rey was fairly sure it was him.

The man with whom she had shared a bond in the Force, for as long as she could remember.

She never knew his face, or his name, but now that she saw him, she somehow recognized him.

“It’s OK. I feel it, too. The Force brings people together for all kinds of reasons. Look at it this way? Now you’re sure to get the job. You’re hired, Rey…”

Rey shrugged.

“Just Rey. My parents left me when I was a little girl. I never got a last name. I don’t have identity papers, either.”

“That’s OK. I can get you some, if you need them.”

The doors opened.

Rey was excited to see Han and Chewie, again.

Kylo laughed.

He had a beautiful smile.

“My father. And my godfather. But you knew that, because my Uncle sent you here to recruit me. But I get the feeling you might decide to stick with me and the Old Man, instead. Keep that quiet, though.”

Han and Chewbacca sat down.

“She really is a scavenger. A friend of Poe’s. He got her into this mess. I got her out of it. So, you hired her, right, junior?”

“I hired her.”

“How you been, princess? You don’t look so good.” Han asked.

“You can tell us. I used to be you, after all. The Galaxy’s only hope.” Kylo joked.

“It was awful, mostly. Really awful. Master Luke was nothing like I thought he would be. Sometimes, he was very kind. But sad. As if he forgot that he was supposed to be terrible. But some of the things he taught me just confused me. Or scared me. I’m afraid of myself, now. What I might do.” Rey admitted.

“Forget it. Forget everything he taught you. It’s meaningless. The Force has no Dark Side, and no light. That dualistic nerfshit thinking? People made that up. As an excuse to control each other. And make war. You shouldn’t be afraid of what you’ll do, like it’s not up to you. You make your own destiny, Rey. Look at me. I made mine. I’m no Jedi. And I’m no Sith. There is another way. The Grey Path. I can teach it to you, if you want. Think it over. But as for all that poison Uncle Luke poured into your ears? Look what it did to him. Forget it.” Kylo advised her.

“Sounds like Luke is in bad shape, junior.” Han mentioned.

Casually.

“When Rey reports back to him? We’ll send him some supplies.” Kylo said.

“Rey, do you really want to be a Jedi?” Han asked her.

Nobody had asked her that, yet.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, try working with us for awhile. If you don’t want to go back? I won’t send you. I learned my lesson on that. With junior, here. Even after that Snoke bastard burned the Temple, Luke tried to get me to send my kid back to him, one more time. I said no. Since then, I get to visit my wife, but we don’t live together. And the kid and her aren’t on good terms. But Ben’s alive, and doing good, and the Sith and the First Order didn’t get him. It’s worth it. Don’t go back if you don’t want to. Let ‘em have their farkling war, without you. Fuck ‘m.” Han told her.

Kylo raised his pitcher.

“Dark side? Light side? Fuck it. My side.” He said.

He motioned to the Rodian barman.

“Rey works for me and Solo, now. If there’s trouble with her? You’ve got trouble with all of us.”

“I never had trouble with Rey. You made a good choice, Rey. These guys are the real deal. Order what you want, kiddo. The Arkanian has deep pockets. The deepest in the Galaxy.”

Rey was very hungry.

She ordered a lot of food, and a cheap half bottle of red wine.

“Don’t bring her the cheap stuff.” Kylo told the Rodian.

“Why are you so rich, Kylo?” Rey asked.

“He gets dressed up like another Darth Vader. Red lightsaber and all. And we raid First Order ships with full cargo holds. Or Crimson Dawn freighters. Sometimes First Order warehouses and depots. All he has to do is show up and…say it, Vader junior. Say your thing.” Han suggested.

“I am Kylo Skywalker, Lord Vader. All of this belongs to me. Surrender to me all that I ask for. Or you will die. Quickly! I find your lack of haste disturbing.”

Rey shivered.

But, much to her shame, not entirely in fear.

“That’s why I call him junior. Because I ain’t calling him Kylo. I didn’t name him Kylo. You should see these assholes give up. They usually just kneel and grovel. Sometimes, we have to get tough? But most of the time? It’s all money, it’s all for the taking, and it’s all ours.” Han explained.

“I also liberate Stormtroopers. Snoke takes them from their families, when they are children. And he brainwashed, humiliates, tortures, and enslaves them. The First Order takes their faces and their names, and makes them kill. For Snoke. It’s what he did to me. It’s what he meant for me. I didn’t deserve to live that way. No one does.” Kylo added.

“What happens to them?”

“If they have a home to go to? I help them return to it. Or find a job. Some of them work for me. They are my people, I am their Chieftain. No one else cares about them. Not my mother. Not the Resistance. Not the New Republic. I care.” Kylo told her.

Rey nodded.

The idea that Darth Vader’s grandson, the Galaxy’s only Grey Jedi Master, a ruthless pirate with unlimited money, was the self-styled Arkanian-style Clan Chieftain of a small army of loyalists with military training was a little unsettling.

And that’s why the General wants him. She wants not just her son, but his people, and the influence he has over not just them, but potentially the First Order.

When Rey thought that, Kylo turned to her.

“The Old Man and I are dangerous, ruthless men. But compared to my mother? We’re baby Ewoks.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Han agreed.

And just like that, Rey was working for the Outer Rim Cartel.

Her food and wine showed up.

“So, junior, I talked to the guy? The guy about identity papers for Rey. You object to her being a Solo?”

Kylo smiled at Rey in a way that let her know she wasn’t the only one thinking what she was thinking.

“As long as she isn’t supposed to be my sister? It’s fine by me.” Kylo replied.

"Nah. It says I'm her legal guardian until she's 21. So, that way, nobody can steal you, from me, Rey. I also put you down as Junior's common law wife. Then, after you're 21? Nobody can steal you from him. Considering the way you two keep looking at each other? I figure you don't mind."

"So, this is my wedding night?" Kylo asked

"Watch it, kid. They're just papers. It's not like I bought her from Unkar Plutt and I'm giving her to you."

"Yes, Kylo. This is our wedding night." Rey told him.

Chewbacca made a comment.

"It was not fast, Chewie. Rey is her. The girl of Ben's dreams. It's the Thunderbolt. Didn't you know, when you first met Mala, that she was the one for you?"

Chewie said something about how he wasn't talking about that kind of knowing.

"Yeah, well, it's none of our business. They're probably just kidding around. Come on, old pal. Let's not be the extra dicks at the wedding."

Han got up.

Chewie said something, sternly, to Ben that Rey didn't understand, and Ben replied earnestly.

Rey decided she was going to have to learn better Shriyyywook.

After Han and Chewie left, Ben opened the bottle of wine.

"Since we've suddenly found ourselves married? I should make you some kind of vow. Think about the loneliness you felt on this desert, Rey. The longing for someone, something to come for you. Think about it, and let it go. Because you'll never be that alone, again." He told her.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ben. You're every bit as strong as Darth Vader. And just as much a man as Han Solo. You may think you're the ugly duckling. But you've transformed into a beautiful black swan. What happens, now?"

"We'll eat our dinner, and drink this bottle of vintage Corellian red. And then? We'll start doing whatever the fuck we want. And we'll keep doing whatever the fuck we want, until death comes for us. And the son of a bitch is going to have to sneak up on me."

Kylo poured two glasses of wine.

Rey began to think this might really be where she was meant to be, after all.

Happy fanfiction day!

#reylo #ben solo lives #ben solo smuggler #reylo au #reylo romance #tros fix it #han solo lives #rey x kylo ren #reylo fanfic

[chiclet-go-boom]

AND ANOTHER THING

Okay, back to insomnia for another night since this stupid fucking movie is keeping me awake with emotional trauma. So here are my highlights of pain because I have nothing else to do at 4am but try and get them out of me and into the void where hopefully they’ll rot quietly.

Long rant about The Rise of Skywalker with even more swear words.

------------------

PLOT HOLES SO DEEP THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EVENT HORIZON

Pretty much this entire movie, but these are the highlights that stick out: 

How the fuck did Palpatine survive his on-camera death? It’s not only never explained, it’s never even touched on. Nobody asks any questions, ever. Complete retcon for the Original Trilogy. 

How the fuck was Palpatine somehow Snoke as well? We get a brief shot of Snoke clones in a vat, and that’s it for what we know. His old ass raisin body is still around looking creepier than ever, so he’s not transferring his consciousness around into new vessels apparently. 

If he was Snoke, why the hell did he command Kylo to kill Rey in the throne room of the Supremacy “to complete his training”, when his motivation for this movie was to get Rey alive to Exogol to kill him so he could… transfer his consciousness? See previous point.

Palpatine tells Rey she has to kill him so they can “be one” in order to save her friends… only if she does that and he takes her over, he’s not likely going to save her friends. Yet Rey treats it as a serious choice. 

If Palpatine wants Rey to kill him so he can merge with her or take her over or whatever the hell transfer of sith power is suppose happen and then she turns around AND DOES IT, why is Palpatine actually really dead now? He wanted to be dead. That was the whole point. Do I trust in this? Or is the guy just mostly-dead again. This plotline whistles, it has so many holes.

Rey and Kylo Ren are equals in the Force. Rey is shown at the very beginning of the movie happily drifting twenty feet in the air while doing her best impression of an atom illustration at the same time. If you read the comics, Snoke is also shown tossing a younger Kylo over a cliff and Kylo catches himself with the Force above the rocks. Now, Kylo gets tossed into a pit at the end and just… falls to his near death? And has to climb up using his hands? Why show Rey floating if you’re not going to use it later for Kylo? Does JJ just not get the concept behind Chekhov’s Gun? 

Lightspeed skipping. Very cool. I’ll allow it in space, particularly if you have a Force sensitive pilot who might be able to sense where they’re going and not rip themselves apart by impacting something solid (hello, Holdo Sacrifice Maneuver) but you can’t jump to lightspeed in gravity wells. You’ll tear your ship apart. The fact that Han did once is an outlier and should not be counted because that asshole has the galaxy’s own luck when it comes to bending fate and consequence. Did absolutely nobody read Wookiepedia?

And now TIE fighters can do it too and have both hyperspeed and hyperspace tracking technology installed? Kylo’s Whisper is unique with its lightspeed capabilities, a cutting edge piece of technology, but the ships chasing Poe in the opening Resistance sequence are just run of the mill fighter ships. They should have been left in the proverbial dirt.

JUST GENERAL CRATER SIZES PLOTHOLES

Why did Kylo try to mow Rey down with his actual ship, when it had perfectly serviceable and oh, deadly guns? 

If C3PO wasn’t permitted by his programming to translate the dagger (because otherwise this movie would be over a lot faster), why didn’t they just go to a library on Coruscant? 

Luke and Leia knew Rey was of Palpatine blood all along? Then why did neither of them know who the hell she was when they met in the previous movies? Luke even said “Who are you?” right to her face. 

Why the hell did Rey die? She had all the power of a thousand generations at her fingertips and they’ve already shown she can heal mortal wounds. Instead she just… keels over because the script told her to.  So Ben can turn up and heal her back, because they share the same soul and he has the same power. You know, the ability to heal mortal wounds? Only now it’s his turn to keel over for no reason. And if he has to fade into the Force, why the fuck didn’t Rey do it first, leaving him no body to save? 

How the hell does a dagger that can point to an ancient Sith wayfinder artefact have an exact match to the outline of a piece of wreckage. It would only be useable from a precise angle and distance to the silhouette - the angle and distance that nobody had any way of knowing. 

Since when can Force ghosts catch material objects out of the air and lift physical machinery? 

Speaking of, how the hell does a rusted, damaged X-Wing deliberately sunk for a decade in order to strand its owner on-planet with no way off even if he changes his mind have no problems drying out and working perfectly for a hyperspace jump? 

Kylo’s Whisper had the wayfinder plugged into it when he went to Exogol. He then used his ship to try and run Rey down on Pasaana, only she damaged it and the central cockpit went up in a ball of flame, sans wings. The wayfinder should have been toast, yet it somehow turns up on a different ship, the one that Rey steals from Kylo on the Death Star. Is the wayfinder now on all Kylo’s ships? The magic multiplying wayfinder? And completely immune to blistering fire temperatures that melted a space-capable ship? 

Why is an entire fleet of destroyers, so many they dwarf the skies, just sitting idly on a planet and needing navigational guidance in order to get above atmosphere? Who grounds a star destroyer at all, let alone a murderous amount of them?

How did they get planet killing weapons on those destroyers without massive amounts of kyber? Kyber is scarce, Starkiller Base would have likely wiped out any known remaining stocks of the precious mineral. And the stuff is unstable as fuck, which is why its limited to lightsabers (tiny amounts of crystal) or huge moon-sized bases to contain it. Sticking it on a ship should be impossible. It’s never questioned or explained. 

Why was Palpatine surprised by the Force Bond? Surprised enough to completely abandon his plan to take over Rey and instead decided he’d just suck the bond dry of power to regenerate his body (well, it fixed his fingers at least). If he was Snoke or controlling Snoke as he claimed, he should have not only known all about it, he should have known how strong it was. 

Rey won by deflecting Palpatine’s Force lightning back at him and melting his body like shades of The Lost Ark. All he needed to do was… stop using lightning and I don’t know, Force push her into the pit with Kylo. Rey problem solved. If Kylo couldn’t levitate anymore, Rey sure couldn’t. 

IT TRIVIALIZES CONSEQUENCES. IT TRIVIALIZES SACRIFICE.

In one of the few cool and unexpected things, Rey destroys a transport with Force lightning. She kills her friend Chewbacca (and a bunch of redshirt stormtroopers). She screams in horror but finally runs away from the crime. We’re all devastated, poor Chewie 

But wait, no! There were two transports out of fucking nowhere apparently and Chewie is just captured. So it’s a mulligan, people. His death is erased, it didn’t happen. This also counts as a plot hole since Rey senses Chewbacca nearby on the destroyer later just fine, but couldn’t tell he was just on the other side of the rock while they were on the ground.

In order to be permitted to translate the Sith markings on the dagger, C3PO has to undergo a factory reset. He has a poignant moment saying goodbye to everyone and then metaphorically lays down and dies for the cause. But wait! No, actually he’s fine. R2D2 restores nearly his entire memory later on, we can all calm down now.

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo sacrifices himself for the love of his life and nobody takes even a second to mourn him. Even Rey just moves on with no trouble - she doesn’t even cry. If it happens, it happens off camera and therefore doesn’t happen at all. His sacrifice meant nothing because nobody but nobody will ever know about it. 

SO MUCH PANDERING IT SHOULD LOUNGE AGAINST A STREETLIGHT

C3PO, a minor character in all the movies, suddenly has a major speaking part and actual plot relevance.

Rey training with the blind helmet and the hunter drone like Luke did. 

Rey wearing a Rebel helmet as she escapes from Ahch-To. 

Lando. Again. Used as a signpost (go that way, kids!) and appears again with the cavalry later, just like he did in previous movies. 

Rey sliding down yet another dune

Ewoks cheering as something blows up in the sky

A star destroyer going down over the Jakku ship graveyard.

Double sunrise/sunset on a sand planet. (fine, I can live with this one)

Chewbacca finally get a medal

Tatooine itself and the Lars homestead. 

THE COMPLETE LOSS OF CHARACTERISATION

Rose Tico who? She has a couple of throwaway lines and a walk on appearance. What a jerk move for a great character.

Hux gets barely more significance and completely throws away his entire motivation from the first two movies (a calculated rise to power to command a galaxy wide army because he wants control of everything) in exchange for utterly petty harrassment. It’s not even revenge, he can’t affect much. He doesn’t even plot against Kylo, he just kicks the metaphorical equivalent of sand onto Kylo’s robes and mutters something about rubber and glue. Then gets himself killed because he’s stupid. This is the man who masterminded a superweapon and used it, only to get taken out with a bulky bandage wrapped around the outside of his uniform.

Finn’s decision to leave the First Order in an act of real bravery is reduced to because a “feeling” told him too. Because he has the Force. But doesn’t tell anyone all year. For reasons. He had two character arcs in the other movies, moving him away from a drone in a faceless army into a person with agency and something to offer, and he spends three quarters of this movie running after Rey and yelling her name.

Poe. Oh god, they murdered Poe. He’s the fucking son of real heroes of the Resistance, a golden child with his own legacy burdens and they instead they give him (and his Hispanic actor) a drug dealer background. Crass at best, utterly contemptible at worst. The movies are the most canon canon that it can be. Did nobody check Poe’s Wookiepedia page before putting this into the script?

Kylo Ren kills both his masters in the previous movie, only to bow to a third within the first five minutes in this one. Kylo says “I’ll kill you too” but the next thing we know, he’s got red decals on his helmet proclaiming his new allegiance. What the fuck? Then spends most of the movie contradicting everything he said in TLJ proving that yes, Kylo Ren was lying to Rey all along and it all was a manipulative dick move to consolidate personal power at the expense of everything else. Spends his time gaslighting her and telling her she has no choice but to be his queen. 

(side note on this: he TELLS her she WILL take his hand the next time he offers it… aaaaand she doesn’t. Again. Why the fuck did they put that in the script at all? So Kylo can look stupid by being so confident and forceful with his prediction only to get blown off when the moment comes around again? pfft.)

Even Palpatine isn’t consistent. He wanted to live forever, tricking Death and reigning as the supreme Sith Lord for all time. Instead in this movie he apparently just wants to be Rey. He spends 30 years grooming the scion of Skywalker and does absolutely nothing with him in the end. 

TOLD THE WRONG FUCKING STORY

This story should have pulled threads from Anakin’s fall and Luke’s failure and used them to tell a story about how its always possible to come back from the worst of your choices and that love for family, love for friends and love for each other is the one real power in the world. 

Instead all the Skywalkers died because Palpatine worked through three generations to subvert the will of the very Force so that his bloodline is the only one that remains ascendant. Rey turns out only to be powerful because her grandfather was powerful, completely negating the idea that the Force plays no favorites and anybody can be the one to turn the tide of evil. Anakin’s children are painted in the worst possible light and the entire saga ends on a horrible, desolate note because all of them died and the one who deserved it the least had to give the utmost, and will still always be painted as the villain. 

We had bad guys already. The First Order. Hux. Fuck, they could have elevated Mitaka and given the poor baby some meatier lines. We could have had a stormtrooper uprising, which would have tied beautifully to Finn and given him an arc. We had a power dynamic we cared about - Hux versus Kylo which could have gone in very interesting directions with Snoke no longer holding either of their leashes. We did not need a completely new army full of ships to fight and the complete erasure and irrelevance of the First Order. 

The decision to include Palpatine could have been a specific plot tied to Kylo-as-Skywalker-bloodline, exploring and driving his redemption as the extent of his lifelong manipulation becomes apparent. Instead, he’s got nothing to do with Kylo other than spouting a few lines at the Supreme Leader at the beginning and then tossing him into the pit at the end. What a waste of an intriguing idea.

Going by dialogue count and the amount of scenes he’s in, Poe is the protagonist in this story, except nothing changes for him. Rey wanders around angry for most of the movie for reasons that are unclear and nothing changes for her either except the revelation that her grandpa is still around which she tells nobody about so it’s never a thing that needs to be dealt with. Kylo is an unyielding, uncompromising murder bot again and is the only one where something about him materially changes, even if its kinda hamfisted. We ran around for the entire movie and nobody even SAID anything to each other for the most part, honestly. 

Han Solo’s memory was poignant, if you’re okay with rehashes of conversations we’ve already had in other movies. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has no lines of dialogue for nearly the last hour of the movie beyond ‘ow’. How his actor managed to carry his character through that anyways is a fucking tribute to Adam Driver’s skill with his facial expressions. 

Leia crawled off into a hole to die with nobody noticing and managed to distract her son long enough to get him likely mortally stabbed by the person who was supposed to love him most. Rey did what Luke failed to do. She even regretted it right afterwards just like Luke did. (For the record, this is the point in the movie where I gave up all hope. If Rey could actually bring herself to hurt Kylo, let alone stick his own saber in his chest, I didn’t recognize her character anymore.)

Luke promised Kylo he’d see him again, but then spent all his Force energy motivating Rey, so Kylo died still hating his uncle and never forgiving his mom. 

Kylo Ren never reconciled himself with Ben Solo. The movie just treated him like he had a Jekyll/Hyde thing going on so they could throw Kylo into the sea, leaving only Ben behind. That is so fucking simplistic I could have howled. 

JUST STRAIGHT UP ‘WUT’ MOMENTS

They literally dropped on top of the dagger mcguffin that had been buried for twenty years. Just. Fell on it. 

Rey’s parents sold her into slavery to keep her safe? Say wut? 

How the fuck did Palpatine lose track of his kid and his grandkid in the first place? Palpatine doesn’t have kids in canon, he’s SITH. He doesn’t share. If he had relatives, they’d’ve been sacrificed on a Dark Altar loooong before now.

Why is Rey on Tatooine with BB8? Isn’t that Poe’s droid? Did Poe and his droid get a divorce?

Why the hell does Rey have a new lightsaber out of literally nowhere. Ben just died three minutes ago onscreen. Why are we suddenly looking at new glowing stick. Did weeks pass? Months? 

How did Leia become a Jedi and we’re only just finding out about it now? And if Leia was a Jedi, why the fuck did she send her ten year old special needs son to his uncle? Are they actually trying to paint Leia as a bad mother who dumped a problem child on her family to take care of while she carried on with her life?

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The Knights of Ren. They just turned out to be four seconds of eye candy and completely unnecessary. They wandered around looking vaguely menacing and that was their entire function. They didn’t even actually menace anything until fighting their supposed Master for a half minute for completely ambiguous reasons. Why were they even in the film in the first place? 

Jannah could very well be Lando’s daughter per the supplementary materials, but it’s not even mentioned when Lando first pops up - that he’s living on this planet now and his young daughter was harvested by the First Order. It would have been a great “heyyyy” moment at the end when he offers to help her find her family. 

Anakin. Oh sweet biscuits and gravy, why didn’t Hayden Christensen make a cameo in this as Anakin and give Kylo hope at the end? We could have tied the prequels to the sequels so effortlessly and given our favorite character something he’s wanted for most of his life, the approval and love of his grandfather. Hell, I personally would trade Han Solo’s moment (as sweet as it was) for a moment with Vader. 

Kylo (or Rey by proxy) never got a chance to heal his kyber crystal. That should have happened, it would have been fucking poignant to mend something fractured that badly and been a much better symbol than Kylo simply throwing his saber away. It’s supposed to represent his life, his soul. Again, see previous comment about dumb Jekyll/Hyde parallel.

IN CONCLUSION

If you could care less about these characters and Star Wars and you are indeed a casual fan, this movie is pretty to look at. That’s its one redeeming feature. Finn and Poe have great banter, they should have been boyfriends. D-O was cute. Poor Snap, I guess.

Yes, I care that Rey and Kylo/Ben got their kiss, but it was robbed of nearly every iota of emotional weight by the previous two hours of near useless plot and exposition. It could have made me happy cry. Instead I was all but numb with the whiplash, and when I heard “Rey Skywalker” I couldn’t get out of the theatre fast enough.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk on how emotional trauma over fictional characters has all but derailed my Christmas. 

#the rise of skywalker #tros spoilers

[rewritesstuff]

Welcome to part one of the series (and the whole reason I started it)! Today I will be rewriting the infamous fallen Skywalker.  I will be sticking to three main rules for this:

1. Try to make the character start and end in roughly the same place. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

2. Don’t add new major characters to prop up the changes. We’re working with the same tools here, though minor characters may be added for any example scenes.

3. Try and use what’s already in the character in new ways! Reinterpreting the clues that are there makes things more interesting. :D

Kylo is a very interesting character to look at. Fans adore him, and everyone else seems indifferent or even angry at him. But why?

I think the answer is oddly simple: Everyone knows how to write a better Kylo. Everyone can see the interesting moments of character depth, everyone noticed the unique aspects of him that set him apart from the other Sith of the Star Wars universe. But this has an unfortunate effect. While these hints can point to aspects of his character, none of these are confirmed by the writers across the three films Kylo appears in.

So, why not use them? In particular, I want to draw attention to two early moments in Force Awakens for the start of this rewrite.

When we first see Kylo, he’s exactly what we were all excited about. A scary Sith in a cool outfit with a cool new lightsaber who brings along his cool knights to destroy a whole village just because it might have something useful. It’s very reminiscent of Darth Vader’s introduction in Episode 4.

Except, in the rewrite, we never see Kylo. Yes, I would miss the moment with him stopping a laser bolt too. But this is very important. Because immediately after the village is completely destroyed and Poe has been investigated, we cut immediately to Kylo’s lightsaber tantrum.

Because in this rewrite, Kylo is exactly what every critic of this character says he is. He’s a cowardly child playing at being as good as every other Sith. This is why we don’t see him helping in the destruction or the killing- he’s not involved. Snoke tells him what a true Sith would do and he passes on the orders. Being involved would make him sick. Remember, this is someone who was trained as a Jedi. While yes, Kylo is part of the First Order, he takes as passive a role as he can in the rampant slaughter of his peers and his master. Ben Skywalker is still in there, just as Rey said.

This continues through most of the first film. Kylo is there, but does very little active evil. He still fights both Rey and Finn, and eventually he does still kill his father. But this is instead presented with some ambiguity. Kylo holds out his lightsaber, assuming he needs to defend himself as Han and the others approach. Han reaches out to take the lightsaber. He knows his son doesn’t want to fight them, and Kylo panics. All his nerves come to a head. He activates his lightsaber, and it pierces Han, killing him. Before Kylo has a chance to say anything, to help even, Rey attacks him in a rage and slashes his face.

Something changes in Kylo from this point. We see him stand and touch his face, silent, as Hux arrives to collect him from the dying planet.

When we see him in the next movie, Kylo is more like this. Almost completely silent. Rey tries reaching out to him for conversations only to see him easily ignoring her in favour of co-ordinating his soldiers. He mostly speaks to Hux, and even then only to bark orders. The Resistance goes about their business in the same way they do in the normal version of The Last Jedi.

The next big change comes after Snoke is killed. Kylo kills Snoke in a fair duel, then easily overpowers Rey when she tries to stop him. While attacking her, he screams at her about how he didn’t want to kill Han, that he didn’t deserve the scar he gave her, showing how he has fully embraced the Dark Side while struggling with his grief over losing his father.

Rey eventually escapes with help from a mysterious spy. It is revealed after the credits that Hux is the one who helped her escape. Both to show that Rey is not yet powerful enough to be what people want her to be (to set up why she seems so dead set on training at the start of the last movie), and to foreshadow who the spy is in the final act. Hux being the rebel spy was fairly predictable. It makes sense to set it up in this film rather than treating it like a real twist.

Finally, The Rise of Skywalker. Here Kylo is more like his first film self. Unsure, torn between his Sith and Jedi heritage. With his anger towards Rey mostly gone now, and his most trusted advisor Hux no longer reliable, Kylo is effectively alone and unsure. While he largely goes with what Palpatine says out of a misguided belief that he knows best, his final turning point comes on the wreckage of the Death Star. Because now Rey is exactly where he was in the last movie. Consumed by all her negative feelings and determined to achieve just one goal.

He goes to Exegol not to destroy Palpatine, but to save Rey. Because he cares about her. And so he ends up in the same place as he does in the original, only with a more logical journey. He cares about Rey and worries about her because the last time he saw her, she was weaker than him, and she’s about to face a Sith who plans to prey on her negative feelings. Hence why he goes to help.

And that’s all I got! Some pretty minor tweaks, all things considered, but I wanted to give it a shot since the redemption at the end of Rise of Skywalker totally blindsided me, and I felt like these changes made it a bit more believable, hopefully. If you liked this, please reblog or comment with another character you’d like to see get the same treatment! This was pretty fun to write :)

Thanks for reading!

#star wars #kylo ren #force awakens #last jedi #rise of skywalker #character rewrite