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planetatlas · 9 months

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~ Sanctuary ~ Duncan (TDI)

Summary: You and Duncan are childhood friends. After Duncan leaves for the show he got cast on, Total Drama Island, all the both of you do is count the days until he gets home.

Content: Fluff, you patiently waiting for Duncan to come home, Duncan using his love for you as his coping mechanism for getting through the show.

A/N: I listened to Sanctuary by Joji the entire time I was writing this. Just a bit of childhood friends to lovers fluff.

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It was summertime. Five year old Duncan was currently chasing a five-year-old (Y/N) through the park. The sun was shining, Duncan could barely hear the birds whistling and cars driving by over the wind rushing through his ears as he ran as fast as he could after you. “TAG! You’re it!” He screamed as he finally got close enough to slap your back lightly. He watched you turn around before he took off sprinting the other direction. You were getting closer, and closer, until your little hand began reaching for his arm. You were so close to touching him, just a little further and-

He felt a slight poking sensation on his butt, then fully woke up when he felt something poke him in the nose. He grabbed whatever was poking him before standing up and snapping it in half. It was a stick. The other members of his team were using a stick to wake him up. He was more than a little irritated, as not only had he warned them not to wake him, but they also used a stick and poked him instead of just shaking him or yelling or literally anything else. On top of that, they interrupted a dream of a fond memory he has of when you two were children. It was the day you two had met. As he demanded an explanation and then proceeded to teach his team how to win dodgeball, you stayed in the back of his mind. He wondered if you were watching him right now.

You watched as Duncan led his team to victory in the dodgeball tournament, this episode’s event. You laughed quietly to yourself at the fact that he managed to turn the tournament into a game of one-sided prison dodgeball. You felt slightly bad watching the other team get demolished, but you were happy for Duncan for winning that episode. As it ended and you turned your TV off, you bid your parents goodbye as you grabbed your things and headed to your room. As happy as you were that Duncan was offered such a big opportunity like this, you also felt lonely. It felt a little selfish, but you missed Duncan a lot. He was basically the only person you talked to, but you tried to keep yourself occupied by talking to and hanging out with your other school friends. You just wished you could communicate with him and see how he was doing. The show he was on looked a little brutal, and you couldn’t help but worry about his well-being.

This place was starting to get to Duncan. He didn’t show it outwardly, but it was starting to drain him and he felt like he was going insane. He knew the viewers of Total Drama Island probably believed it was all for show, but this show was actually physically dangerous sometimes. The only thing that kept him sane and determined was counting down the days until he got to go home, to you. He sat on the steps of his cabin and watched as everyone mingled about since this was one of the rare moments the cameras weren’t stalking them and they got to hang out together freely. That was another thing that got on his nerves, the constant invasion of privacy. It was all stacking up and causing him way too much stress to be normal. Courtney walked over to him and asked if he was okay, but he shrugged her off, giving her the excuse of being tired and not in the mood to socialize. That was partly true, he only really wanted to socialize with you at the moment. He wondered what you were up to, how you were doing, what you had been doing since he’d left. He wished you were here with him. He then thought about his “relationship” with Courtney. The producers, directors, and Chris thought it would be a great idea, as it would bring in more publicity and spice things up, but Duncan found that he just could not make it real no matter what. However, he knew exactly why he couldn’t feel for Courtney romantically.

She couldn’t compare to you in his eyes. You were the one who held his affection, no one else.

You were sitting in bed, watching YouTube on your laptop. You were having trouble paying attention though, as your mind wandered to Duncan again. The episodes of Total Drama Island were getting more and more shocking and dangerous, and it made you wonder just how much of it was fake. Surely they wouldn’t knowingly endanger several minors to this degree, right? You were just glad that Duncan has made it this far unscathed. It reminded you of when he’d get into fights or hurt himself doing something stupid and you’d be there to patch him up, like always. The distance and inability to contact him was starting to weigh on you a little. You really missed him, but at least you got to see him and hear him talk, even if it was through a TV screen. You were grateful for this, as he wasn’t afforded the same luxury with you.

Duncan laid curled on his bunk, one of your hoodies tucked into his chest. He’d made sure everyone else was asleep before bringing it out, he didn’t want anyone else to get a hold of it, much less know about it. They had done the “Phobia Factor” episode today and it took a lot out of him mentally. Initially, he was scared stiff at the mere idea of hugging a Celine Dion standee, but when he got up to it, memories of you and your comfort gave him the courage to go through with it. Before he hugged it, he just remembered the times when he’d freak out if you two passed one when you were out together, and you would tease him for it. However, when the nightmares would come the night after you always comforted him through them, not a hint of teasing or judgment to be found. He breathed in the smell of your hoodie, which was lavender laundry detergent. The moonlight was shining through the window, hitting the object in his hand perfectly and giving him full visibility to it. It was a locket, to which you had a matching one, with a photo of you in it. As time went on, he felt as though this show was as bad as juvie, with no contact with you. He was grateful he was able to bring your hoodie and the locket this time, since he couldn’t have them in juvie. As he considered it, he’d probably want the items here instead as sometimes this place felt more traumatizing than juvie. The lavender scent from your hoodie lulled him to sleep that night, unaware of someone who happened to catch a glimpse of what he had been holding.

You were struggling to sleep that night. You kept reminiscing on memories of you and Duncan. They were brought up when you watched the most recent episode of TDI. The fact that Duncan actually admitted to his fear of Celine Dion music store standees and had to hug one was hilarious to you. You remembered all the times he would jump when you would pass them, and then you would remember the many nights you had comforted him after a nightmare about the stupid things. It may be a silly fear, but you never looked down on him for it. It was just a part of who he was, and you took it in stride along with everything else. It didn’t change your perception of him, he was still the same guy you loved with all your heart. You then began to wonder about the romance he seemed to have with Courtney. You wondered if it was just some random romance for publicity or if it was real. It looked real enough, but something felt off. Maybe you just knew Duncan too well and could tell when he was acting or wasn’t being sincere about something. You hugged your plushie to your chest, trying to ground yourself and distract your mind from the topic. As you hugged it, you thought about how you got it. It was a plushie Duncan had won you at a carnival a couple of years ago. It was cheesy, just a stuffed rabbit, but it was special. It was the first thing he’d ever gotten you. Whenever you had to be separated from him for a while, or even if the smell would just start to fade, he’d spray his cologne onto it. It was subtle, but it smelt like him. Everything about him smelt like it; his room, his clothes, even his shampoo and conditioner came in the same scent, but it was his and it comforted you. You reached over and opened your matching locket to see the photo you had taken of him one day when he wasn’t paying attention. You fell asleep with the locket still clutched in your hand, which your parent took and put back on your nightstand before turning the lights off when they came to check on you after seeing your light still on.

Harold, DJ, Geoff, and Owen snuck into the Killer Bass cabin after seeing Duncan walk into the cafeteria hall. They dug around Duncan’s bunk for a moment before DJ pulled out a plain black hoodie. “It smells like lavender,” he informed the others as they gathered around to look at it. Harold then brought up the point, “I mean it’s just a plain black hoodie but I don’t think he’s the kind of guy to use lavender laundry detergent, and it’s weird that we’ve never seen him wear it,” the other boys murmuring in agreement and confusion, wondering why Duncan would have such an item and not wear it. “Look guys! Check this out,” Geoff alerted before pulling a locket out of Duncan’s pillowcase. Owen opened the locket before gasping in surprise. The other boys gathered around and saw a photo of a person in it. They began to question who it was and if they were the reason Duncan wouldn’t pursue Courtney romantically outside of camera view. Then they heard the door slam open. Everyone screamed when they saw Duncan, who looked like he was about to explode. Needless to say, they didn’t attempt to pry into Duncan’s life and warned everyone else not to either, but they didn’t tell anyone what they saw. They felt it was personal and believed it should be Duncan's choice whether or not to talk about it.

You were watching the newest episode of TDI with your friends, just talking amongst yourselves when you weren’t glued to what was happening on screen. One of your friends asked you how you were doing with Duncan being gone for the show for so long, and you admitted that it had been a little difficult but you were grateful to them for helping you and keeping you busy. They began teasing you for having a crush on Duncan, saying you were “so in love”. You just rolled your eyes but you kept watching the TV as your eyes would stay glued to Duncan. One of your other friends then asked how you felt about his romance with Courtney, to which you responded saying it didn’t bother you that much seeing as how you weren’t dating and he could make his own choices. You didn’t admit that it did make you quite jealous, as you didn’t feel like it was your place to be.

It had been months since he started TDI. So many people had gotten sent home, and finally, it was his turn. He made it to fourth place, he wished he could’ve won but it’s better than nothing. He was more than a little annoyed when he was brought to Playa Des Losers after being eliminated and seeing how much better it was than Camp Wawanakwa. Despite that, he was trying to enjoy what little time he had there. Since he was fourth, only three more people needed to be eliminated before they all went home which wouldn’t be long. Courtney did approach him at one point, talking to him normally before asking if he wanted to make their romance on the show real. He turned her down politely, stating that he already had feelings for someone else back at home. She inquired if they were dating and if the kiss they shared on the show counted as cheating, but he told her you weren’t dating but he still did it just for the show. She understood, turning to walk over to Bridgette and Geoff sitting by the pool. His mind then swarmed with thoughts of you. He was still counting down the days until he could see you again. The thought of seeing you made his entire body buzz and fill with warmth.

Seeing Duncan get voted off did sadden you a little, but you were also growing more excited by the day. Duncan came in fourth, which meant the show would end soon. Soon, he’d be back home, back in your arms. You could hardly contain yourself as the days passed by and the show finally ended with Owen being the winner.

The day of his arrival was finally here and you couldn’t stop bouncing with excitement. You’d been anticipating this for so long. You watched as the plane landed, he’d texted you when the boat brought them back to the mainland telling you he got soaked and had to change before the flight. You laughed at that, and continued to wait patiently. Finally, the plane landed and the contestants began filing out. You stood there anxiously, searching for the green mohawk you’d missed. You noticed a few of the guys from the show do a double take when they saw you, but you figured they just had you confused with someone else. Finally, he came out of the loading dock and when he saw you both of you froze. You didn’t know what to do, you were so overwhelmed with excitement and shock and happiness that your brain stopped functioning for a minute. It seems like his did as well.

When Duncan exited the loading dock and caught sight of you, it felt like time froze. To him, no one else existed at the moment, and how could they when you were finally in front of him? After a minute he shook his head to clear his thoughts, vaguely taking notice of the other former contestants staring at the both of you, but he didn’t have time to process it as he lunged at you, engulfing you in a hug. You hugged him back just as tightly, jumping up as he reached you and wrapping your legs around his waist. His arms flew behind your back and pinned you to him, squeezing so tightly you would think he was trying to suffocate you but you didn’t mind. You two stayed like that for a while before releasing your hold on him and dropping back to the ground. You grabbed him by the hand and said, “Let’s go get your luggage and go home.” All he could do was nod dumbly like a lovesick puppy as he followed you to baggage claim.

You and Duncan were in your room, laying on your bed with you slightly leaning against stacked pillows and Duncan laying on your front with his head on your chest and your arms around his back. Duncan had music playing softly on your TV, and you were just basking in each other’s presence until Duncan let out a quiet hum. You nudged him to question what he was saying, and he brought his head up to rest his chin on your chest, looking you in the eyes.

“You know the thing with Courtney wasn’t real right? None of it was.” he questioned you.

You replied, “Of course I did. I know you well enough to know when something is off,” rolling your eyes at the end.

Instead of a snarky reply, Duncan simply looked at you thoughtfully. He looked like he was gathering his thoughts and figuring out what to say before opening his mouth. “The fake romance with her did make me realize I need to admit something I’ve been hiding for too long.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“That I’m in love with you. The distance and not being able to talk to you or see you didn’t help either.”

You stared at him wide-eyed, mouth slightly open with shock. He watched your reaction for a moment, before disappointment crossed his face and he went to speak again before you stopped him. “Before you say it, don’t be sorry because you didn’t make anything uncomfortable. I’ve been waiting to hear those words for so long.”

He looked shocked for just a second before soft warmth filled his eyes. “Well if I knew you’d been waiting I would’ve told you sooner. In that case, would you go out with me? And do me the honor of going on a date this weekend?”

“Absolutely, I’m all yours,” you smiled gently as you responded to him. He gave you a content look before laying back down onto your chest, beginning to doze off as happiness and love filled his body. He felt like he’d been waiting for this forever, been waiting to be here. He’d been waiting to come home, to you.

His sanctuary.

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A/N: I loved writing this one, it's just so adorable to me. Feel free to request anything!

#td duncan #total drama duncan #tdi duncan #tdi duncan x reader #duncan x reader #tdi #td #total drama #total drama island #td owen #td dj #td geoff #td harold #td courtney

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johnny1note · 8 months

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why the wedding scene in The Sound of Music (1965) is perfect:

1. Julie is divinely beautiful with her subtle makeup and simple dress and the set is lit such that she literally looks like a glowing angel. Slay Queen.

2. The way it opens with the sisters helping her get ready, much like a bride's actual sisters would, because they really are like her family of origin! And the Mother Abbess giving her the blessing to go forth and joyfully embrace her true calling 😭

3. The organ introduction with all the stops out slaps and I would really love to incorporate it into something in my own church organ playing if it wasn't so recognizable.

4. The Mother Abbess shutting the gate behind Maria as she enters the church being the visual symbolism of her final break with her former life plan, but all of the nuns still being visible through the iron bars and smiling as a sign that they are still supporting her spiritually as she goes forward to join her new family

5. The counterpoint of the wedding march with "how do you solve a problem like Maria" also slaps and turns the comic deprecatory song of the first act into a solemn declaration of triumph. Genius.

6. Christopher Plummer's VERY subtle smile in his closeups is so perfect for the character.

7. The way the procession is filmed makes very effective use of the horizontal length of the church aisle (and you get to see all of the gorgeous Baroque side altars) and the symbolism of a long nave leading to the sanctuary in church architecture, you feel like you are really following Maria on her spiritual journey.

8. The way that there's like 2000 people at this wedding, it's great demonstration of how marriage (and worship in general) is a public social good as well as a private good.

9. Maria ascending the stairs to the choir like she's literally climbing to God!!!! Symbolizes how the sacrament of marriage is an elevated, holy state of being.

10. The key transposing upwards to a triumphant E-flat, mounting tension as we approach the climax of the scene, and the sisters' voices drop out too, as to suggest that words fail to capture the significance of what is about to take place.

11. Continuing tension mounting as the brass in the orchestration increases and everyone approaches the altar and kneels.

12. The final closeup starting on the bishop and panning upwards on the altarpiece; similarly to point 7, this is great use of the verticality of the space and how church architecture draws our eyes upwards on purpose to suggest that we are there to be elevated to God.

There are three symbols of Christian triumph on the altarpiece which, in context, suggest that the sacrament of marriage itself is a Christian triumph and something that leads us towards God, but these three symbols also specifically relate to the story of The Sound of Music:

a. the risen Christ [Georg 'rose' by resolving his grief, waking up to his children's emotional needs, as well as his own]

b. the coronation of the Virgin [Maria is 'crowned' by being married to Georg and fulfilling her true vocation]

c. Michael spearing Lucifer [foreshadowing Nazi Germany's eventual defeat in WWII? Or maybe just Sr. Berthe and Sr. Margaretta wrecking Col. Schneider's car]

Overall, 11/10. My only potential complaint would be that Richard Haydn (Uncle Max) genuflects with the wrong knee but I choose to forgive this.

#addendum: It closes with bells [the way it opened wow full circle!]#and the bells help release tension from the intense orchestral ending and almost suggest applause/cheering #and with the camera outside of the church as if it burst through the roof after panning up to the ceiling in the previous shot #it suggests that the joy and holiness of the marriage transcend all the beautiful symbolism of the church architecture etc that preceded it

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stargirlfeyre · 9 months

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Shit that Rhys gets hate for that never happened in the books or that are completely justified.

“Plotting to become High King.” Rhys has never stated that he wants to be High King and he’s actually said multiple times that he has no plans of becoming one. The idea was brought up by Amren and was shut down quickly by him. I don’t get why y’all are hating on him for it when he literally agrees with you?

“Trying to kill Nesta.” Sadly Rhys has never actually tried to kill Nesta. He threatened to (just like she threatened to kill her baby sister) but he has never done it and he even says that he would never hurt anyone Feyre loves. Quick question though. Nesta’s threat towards Feyre is excused with “she was just angry because her boundaries were being pushed” but why is that logic also not applied to Rhys? He was angry because his wife had a miscarriage thrown in her face. Yet these instances aren’t treated the same?

“Threatening to kill Nesta just because she told Feyre the truth.” The reason he threatened her was not simply because she told Feyre. It was because of how she told Feyre. She threw a dead child in her sister’s face (his child along with Feyre’s) and not only that but she blatantly lied to her sister and said everyone was just going to let her die in ignorance while knowing that that wasn’t true. If someone you cared about was told their child was going to die in the same manner that Nesta told Feyre would you be upset?

“Bullying Tamlin.” His bitch ass deserved it. What do you want me to say?

“Bullying Lucien.” He also deserves it. Seriously though what reason would Rhys have to like Lucien? He’s besties with the man who got his mother and sister killed, he’s the man who tried to force his mate back to her abuser, he’s the man who looked at Feyre with disgust for simply being a part of the IC. What reason do these two people have to like one another? Lucien disliking Rhys is fine but Rhys disliking him is bullying? Need I remind y’all that these are both two grown ass men?

“Forcing traumatized Priestess to work for him.” I didn’t even think people were dumb enough to hate on him for this but here we are. The library is not a prison for the priests who live there. It’s a sanctuary where they are taken to heal and they can leave whenever they are ready to. There are even counselors/therapists there to help them.

“Purposely keeping Nesta ignorant about her powers so he can control her.” If I remember correctly it was actually her who chose to refuse to learn about her abilities and it was her who threw a tantrum when they suggested that she starts learning again. The IC never forced Nesta to be powerless or under their control. She willingly refused to learn about her powers.

“Hating Nesta and abusing her because she didn’t bow to him.” I don’t even know how many times it’s said and shown that Rhys doesn’t enforce rank unless he absolutely has to. His own friends talk shit to him but you actually think he disliked Nesta because she did it? Maybe just maybe his dislike for her came from him watching her repeatedly hurt his wife? You can say he was wrong for defending Nesta against Feyre all you want but painting him out to be the bad guy for simply disliking a woman who hurt his wife is insanity.

Bonus: “Brainwashing Nesta to be happy with how everyone treated her.” This argument is just so unserious I don’t even know how to counter it😭.

“Degrading Azriel and forbidding him to see Elain and in the process taking away their choices.” This is just another instance where he was completely justified in his decision. You have to put yourself in his shoes for a second. One, he’s already stressed out because he thinks that his wife, child, and he himself are going to die and the last thing he needs is to be worried about losing an important ally over Elain and Azriel. Two, from his perspective it looks like Azriel just wanted to fuck Elain and he didn’t actually have feelings for her. “Well how could he not know that Azriel likes Elain” because as I stated before throughout Acosf his main priority was Feyre being pregnant and finding a way for her to survive it. Of course he’s not going to notice two people dancing around one another if he’s worried about his wife dying? A lot of you just forget that Rhys is also a High Lord who will put his people above everything (except for Feyre).

Ending it here even though I could go on and on about how delusional a lot of his antis are. This post would just be way too long.

#feyre archeron #Rhysand #Feysand #a court of thrones and roses #pro rhysand #this got long. sorry #inner circle #anti nesta archeron #anti tamlin #high lady feyre #feyre’s post is going to be even longer. warning y’all now.

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saneabandoned · 5 days

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Diving into Star Wars: The Clone Wars

“Good soldiers follow orders.”

This seems to encapsulate the whole seven seasons of the series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. If you haven’t seen it, haven’t heard of it – in short, it’s an animated series set between Episode II and III of the prequel saga. However, the aim of this is not to be a guide – you can go to Wookiepedia for that; this is supposed to be an essay – analysis, some kind of a deeper-ish dive into the philosophy and meaning of the series, that frankly is one of the best things to happen to this film universe, perhaps ever. I have, time and again, tried to explain for myself the meaning it carries and just why it has me in such a strong chokehold, but I have failed, or at least haven’t reached a conclusion. Maybe it’s not possible, maybe it’s just the magic of being a fan – you see and feel things not everyone would understand, because it speaks to you on some personal level, that even some (more chill than me, at least) fans won’t be able to entirely relate to. I have yet to meet a person as obsessive as I am over all kinds of different media – don’t get me wrong, even though Star Wars is without a doubt my favourite universe, there are many more I have indulged in, wrote about, watched, listened, theorized and all that good stuff throughout many years. But as I have recently come to realize, I have spent the last ten-ish years of my (not that long, to be fair) conscious life thinking about this universe, this whole galaxy (pun absolutely intended) of characters, morals, and plots.

Speaking about morals, that’s where some of the importance of The Clone Wars comes for me personally. Ever since I can remember, Star Wars has been a huge deal in my life – I watched the movies at a very young age (thanks, mom!), but started reading more and more into the whole world as I got older. I thought I’d reached the peak somewhere in high school when I would literally rewatch the prequels every single weekend, and the OG movies about once a month too. I just found it mesmerising, I always have – being a person with a huge imagination, that never quite stops working (and that’s caused me some trouble as well), I found a haven in this world, a place where nothing is too weird, everything is just so brilliantly imagined and thought of, written and painted so vividly, that it feels like someone has taken the insides of my brain, turned them into a whole painting, adding stories, characters and just overall putting into words and pictures the things that I can’t really understand and explain for myself. I found a mirror in this world, a sanctuary for all my thoughts. I used to listen to the soundtracks whenever I felt anxious, and it would transport me directly into the universe I felt so safe in. It was an escape from reality; still is – not that reality was or is particularly scary or unbearable for me; but sometimes I wish I was elsewhere; somewhere where there is courage, bravery, adventure, love, all the things I longed for while being quite honestly, mostly a bored teenager at school.

I have always loved writing, loved expressing my thoughts, putting them into words (as is becoming obvious by this text) and have always greatly appreciated when films, books or other media would reciprocate that – when the words on the screen or the page would feel like I wrote them myself, so true, so real, so incredibly close to me, that I would get literal shivers and wonder if telepathy is actually possible. But hey, that’s The Force for you!

As of now, I have just finished completely rewatching the whole Clone Wars series and as always, I have many thoughts on it. The first time I watched it was right after the final season came out because at that time, and especially during the pandemic, I was going deeper than ever into my interests, rewatching all my favourite things, while also searching for new ones to keep me from going absolutely insane (I think I maybe have succeeded in the opposite though). So, stumbling across this series, I thought I’d give it a try. The rest is history – after absolutely and hungrily devouring it, I continued to Rebels, and every other possible piece of media under the sun. Fabulous times.

Now, one thing I’d like to make clear – I’m not a pro. I am not in any way a certified critic, a writer, or any other sort of person authorised to make such an analysis. I am but a fan, a fan for whom this universe means more than I could ever hope to be able to put into words; a fan who after years of contemplation, has reached a point where I can’t keep it inside any longer. I’d love if this piece of writing makes it out in the universe, reaches as many people who enjoy Star Wars as much as I do, but even if not, I am writing it for myself, I am trying to step out of my comfort zone, reach deep into myself, and in a life of struggling with the loudness of my thoughts, trying to put something down, manifesting my emotions and creating something physical from them; these characters that mean so much to me will never be real, I can never hope to speak to them, touch them, or see them in real life. They have although shaped me as a person and largely formed my psyche and morals, view of the world, inner monologue, even some of my characteristics.

So nevertheless, for me they are more real than a lot of people I know are.

***

To begin, I don’t intend to focus on the Jedi’s role in the war – it is of course vital, but I think the discourse about that is to be found more detailed in relation to the movies, namely the prequels, as CW is very much about the clones themselves. When I first started watching it, I will be honest, I didn’t think I’d find what I ended up finding – and that is such depth that I couldn’t imagine finding again, after being a fan of the movies, both OG and prequels, for so long. But was I wrong!

But let’s start with Ahsoka, since I started by mentioning the Jedi and she is one of the first new characters to appear (besides Rex and many others, of course). First, I wasn’t convinced that I liked her much – she was a bit of an annoying youngling for the first few seasons, after all. I wanted Anakin and that’s about it. Well, I got what I wanted, I think, as I am firm in my opinion that Anakin’s arc is so widely explored that you get a whole another view of his character, something I didn’t think was possible, after all – isn’t the entire saga about him? It is, but still – what I saw in CW, through characters such as Ahsoka and Rex, contributed so much to Anakin’s development as a character and leading force in the saga as I don’t think anything else ever did in the movies, any of them. So, yes, I got what I wanted, but also, I got so much more – Anakin is not my main point of discussion here, I think as main of a character he might be in this series, he is not THE main one, at least not for me. And as Dave Filoni is quoted saying – The Clone Wars is about Ahsoka and Rex.

Who are they? That was my main wonder when I first started watching – why would I care about a random clone captain and a youngling? They are both not present in the movies, and the clones themselves have very little personality there, they are just side characters, until they end up executing Order 66, which is of course devastating. But after watching CW, I completely changed my outlook on it, but more on that later. So, Ahsoka and Rex – admittedly, in the beginning, I didn’t find that much since it’s just mainly classic Star Wars battles and a loose plot that is not absolutely VITAL to the end result but brings so much deeper insight into the clones’ personalities, and ultimately through that to the whole feel.

What I really find devastating about this series is the nagging feeling of doom you inevitably carry with you – you spend so many episodes and seasons watching your favourite characters win numerous battles, you root for them, you cry and laugh with them, you grow so attached to them; but you know how the story ends, you’ve seen Anakin become Vader, again you know about Order 66, you know the Empire rises after all and Palpatine’s plan works – and every time you hear someone say “you’re going to lose this war”, you hope for the opposite, but you know they’re right and there’s nothing to be done – evil wins in the end of this. And as I read somewhere – this is a story that happened a long time ago – it’s over, it has already happened, there is no hope, at least in this series, which I find frankly terrifying. Amazingly done, but still heartbreaking.

Clones, war, and choices

The point about choices and what it means to be a soldier gradually becomes more and more pronounced as the show goes on – one amazing example of this is the Umbara arc where the 501st is led not as usual by Anakin, but by Pong Krell (who later turns out to be a traitor of course). This is one of the darkest moments in the show, as clones are made to kill one another, to sacrifice themselves without reason, and for the first time to face an incompetent, and frankly evil general, and to choose to disobey. This is for me a crucial moment, as the clones have never before chosen to disobey direct orders – they were, after all, made to comply and to follow what their generals tell them to.

"I used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told you. That's how they engineered us. But we're not droids. We're not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions."

But here, we can see the conflict – especially in Rex, as he is the captain and has to face the general and answer for his deeds. He looks him directly in the eye and tells him they are not willing to go on a suicide mission, that they will not follow his orders, after he’s made them fight and kill their brothers unknowingly, and even ordered Fives and Jesse to be executed. However, Rex struggles with killing Krell, when he decides to; he orders him to kneel and points the blaster at his back but is unable to fire the shot. Once again, Star Wars proves that its plot has much deeper nuances and philosophies; for the first time here, we are faced with the harsh truth – the clones are people. We know that, but it somehow gets lost in the movies, as the focus there is on the Jedi’s end, which is just as tragic, of course. But before now, no one has considered what it really means to be a clone. They were made for war, they were made to die, their lives and their deaths were planned. Are the Jedi and the Republic, in that case, really the “good” side? That’s what I, at least, started to reflect on when I reached this point in the series, and it changed my whole outlook on the saga, on everything I have seen thus far. Yes, I still think the Jedi are cool and whatnot – but did they not deserve what happened to them for so blindly exploiting their soldiers? They didn’t know about Order 66 of course, and Palpatine is in no way right – but how come the Jedi are innocent in this? I don’t think they are, at least not fully. They could’ve stopped so much suffering and helped so many more clones, if not for their narrow views, which are all the reason for the clones’ suffering, Ahsoka’s leaving and consequently, Anakin’s betrayal.

"Sometimes in war, it's hard to be the one that survives."

Oh, Cody, Co-dy! The friendship the clones and in this case – Rex and Cody – share is truly precious and very accentuated in this arc especially (here the first arc of the last season) – it is Cody who Rex confides in about not wanting to lose any more brothers, as he knows he is one of the few ones who will understand him fully, what it means to be a soldier, to have to live with the morals of war, to have never known anything but loss. This is what makes Rex dive and slightly recklessly (thank God) search for Echo, proving that he’s alive, saving him from the tortures. They are brothers, and they never leave their own behind. But he is not possessive or jealous, and when he senses Echo’s pull towards Clone Force 99, he is ready to give him the push he needs to join them. He knows his brothers, as I said, and he knows the trials of war, so if Echo will feel even an ounce happier with this squad, he deserves it, after all he’s endured – “If that’s where you feel your place is, then that's where you belong."

Therefore, I love the Skako Minor arc and Echo’s retrieval, not only because it sets up the ground for The Bad Batch (I’m not even going to begin trying to explain what it means to me, as it deserves to have another huge debate on its own), but because it shows Rex’s devotion to his brothers – all of them. Even though he tries to be just a soldier, to live through the deaths, he still cares immensely, and that’s what makes him a good captain. His bravery is unmatched, he is always the one leading his men, and looking out for them, because he knows his men, he stands and fights side by side with them, and he’s ready to die on the battlefield, thus setting the example for everyone.

The philosophy of war is extremely complicated – this is what I enjoyed so much about the series (and the movies of course, politics and war is the main theme), among all other things; the fact that we see war as destroying, as a necessary evil, as a tragedy by itself – but war also created life in this case and its ending brought much more death than any of the battles ever did.

"The mission... the nightmares. They're finally... over."

I’m sorry, but I think I have never witnessed anything as remotely tragic as Fives’ arc – Palpatine told only him the whole truth, fully knowing no one would believe the clone hasn’t lost his mind; but the sacrifice the trooper made ultimately saved so many lives, mostly Rex’s, one of his closest friends. Fives never got to reunite with Echo but losing him made Rex realise how important every brother is to him, and in consequence, he never gave up on any of them (not that he was inclined to do so before of course). In his last sane moment, Rex begged Ahsoka to “find Fives”, and she understood. She knew the clones better than anyone and knew exactly what that meant and never doubted it for a second. Fives saved her life, too.

Fives’ arc is the first time the show begins to become darker and more sombre – it is also the point when we as spectators begin to realize what Order 66 actually means, having seen before only its results; but this time we see its execution, through the eyes of the clones themselves. They are forced to kill all Jedi, after being their most loyal soldiers, and honestly – incredibly loyal friends as well. They can’t control it and it’s not their choice – but that doesn’t mean they don’t realize what they’re doing – Rex said he couldn’t help it; Wrecker said he tried to fight it (The Bad Batch); Bly shot Aayla so many times, so she wouldn’t suffer and her death would be quick; Cody didn’t even check if Obi-Wan was dead; Wolffe didn’t kill Plo Koon. They were people, they were made to do inhumane things, but they found a way, they made a choice, so that they could somehow live with it after.

We get all of this through the clones’ perspective, rather than the Jedi, and it’s just as painful, if not more – we are used to hearing “the army betrayed its generals”, but what happens when we realise, they couldn’t do anything about it? What happens when we see the struggle, when we can almost feel the pain of having to betray? The clones, the most loyal creatures ever created, made for loyalty, have to turn on their generals, on their comrades, on their closest friends.

So, I come back to Ahsoka and Rex. We see them in the very first moment of the show, and they have already formed a bond, which is unlike anything else. They fight side by side the whole war – from the battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore – and Dave Filoni is truly right when he says this show is about them; but I think also in a broader sense. It is about two creatures who were destined to fight all their lives, who no matter their completely opposite backgrounds, turned out to be the same things – soldiers. Through and through, in their own ways. Their friendship transcends beyond all of this, they have a unique connection, that’s never shaken, even in the direst of moments; even years later, when they meet (in Rebels), you can feel their love for one another, the purest friendship there ever was, somehow ironically created by the ugliness of war and constant fight. Both Rex and Ahsoka suffered losses we cannot imagine – Rex says he tries not to hold on to any of his brothers, and Ahsoka is a Jedi, so it is forbidden for her to form such attachments; but we know. We see it in their eyes, we can hear it when they speak. Rex can never forget Fives’ death and the fact that he died thinking no one believed him; he ran to Skako Minor in an instant even though it might have been a trap, but the chance to save Echo was not one he was going to miss out on this time. And he saved his brother, against all odds. And he saved Ahsoka, as she saved him, time and again. Because that's what brothers do.

“I’m no Jedi” – an interesting phrase for Ahsoka and Rex to have in common, given how different both their roles and backgrounds seem to be, but it is indeed the one they unexpectedly share. Spoken first by Rex here, and then a lot later by Ahsoka in Rebels, it is highly unprovable that it’s on purpose. However, I don’t think anything in Star Wars is done without a reason, so I choose to believe there is some thread connecting them – after all it is Rex and Ahsoka, and that will always matter. What it means for both of them is simultaneously the same, yet different – Rex is the clone closest to the Jedi, there is no doubt about this; he’s used to their ways, he has as equally as strong a moral code, so it is somehow thinly implied that he acts similar to them, despite (or thanks to) being one of the strongest and most respected clone leaders. His closeness to both his general and commander is widely known, so no one seems to pay attention to the fact that he is actually a clone, as he makes his own decisions, and often chooses to fight where a Jedi would opt to step back.

Ahsoka and Anakin

For me Ahsoka became the best character in the whole saga, no ounce of doubt, sorry. She is the embodiment of the Force, she is fierce, loyal, but also incredibly wise for someone her age, and someone who is still learning. On many an occasion, she proves to be more experienced than Anakin (and in my book, experience outranks everything) and I feel like he’s learned as much from her as she did from him – if not more. She is the one keeping him sane and grounded, and I’m a firm believer that had she not left the order, he wouldn’t turn. Ahsoka’s presence brings so many new layers to Anakin’s character, that have not been explored before that and had she stood by him, he wouldn’t be able to become what he became. So, yes – ultimately, I blame the Jedi order for Anakin’s betrayal, I always have, but after watching this series, and seeing it from another point of view, I simply cannot be shaken. They took everything from him and left him alone, which has always been his weakest – he has always been this little child, terrified by the dark, later consumed by it, now unable to fight it anymore. The Jedi made him, and they unmade him too. In my opinion, he shouldn’t have ever been a Jedi in the first place – he is not like Obi-Wan, not like Yoda, not even like Ahsoka (who is not the traditional Jedi either, being trained by him) – he is so powerful and so weak at the same time, and that’s where his dilemma lays – who am I? Which side am I on? He doesn’t know, but no one is there to help him – Ahsoka included, as she (rightfully so!) leaves the order when she sees the truth about it. But she carries that guilt ever since.

She blames herself for leaving Anakin, she blames herself for not fighting alongside him when he needed it; for leaving her friend, her brother. If I were Ahsoka, I would have done the same – she was betrayed by the Jedi, not by Anakin, not ever, but still. He stood with the Order when she needed him by her side. And that is what destroys him too. The loss of his padawan, his most loyal friend is unlike anything else, and for her, leaving this life that’s all she’s ever known, transforms her view on everything. And when she inevitably returns, because that’s where she is supposed to be in order for the prophecy to happen – she must be there, but not by Anakin’s side; she doesn’t fit anywhere else, but she doesn’t fit there anymore either; and she can’t follow him, so she’s sent to Mandalore, again alongside the clones, her brothers, she goes down fighting with Rex. She’s always been his sister more than a Jedi; she didn’t ever belong anywhere else but on a battlefield. She may not be a clone, and she wasn’t meant to be a soldier either; but just like the clones, the war is all she’s ever known, and even though she was meant to be a peacekeeper, peace was something she never knew, especially after Anakin’s turn to the Dark side – even though there is no longer a war, she is forever tormented by the voices she heard in his last moments as her beloved master and the pain she felt when he left.

She knew it was over in that moment – Order 66 is by far the most heartbreaking arc of them all and I can never watch it without then spending weeks thinking about it – it’s genius, really, how Palpatine had this evil plan, dictated the whole war without anyone noticing; and it worked. It worked and changed the whole entire galaxy, and nothing could have prevented it – except maybe Anakin turning; and that is what Ahsoka can’t get over; she feels it is somehow partially her fault that the dark won; if only she hadn’t left, it haunts her forever. She doesn’t know Anakin is Vader, not until she meets him after, so she thinks he’s dead like the rest of the Jedi – and when she finds out what truly happened to him, she passes out (in Rebels; another terrific moment) because the pain is just too strong – the mixture of his known presence in the Force, and his new persona, that is torn from pain and suffering, feelings so intense and unknown to her she can’t understand them. It’s not her master, but it is undeniably Anakin. And he feels abandoned, he feels alone, he is guilty and sad and in constant pain, he is no longer there, not really, but then – he is. And the memory of what he once was, what he promised, everything he taught his padawan brings such pain for Ahsoka.

She may not think she is truly a Jedi, yet she is for me the only one of them I came to respect – she is never hypocritical, doesn’t leave anyone behind, not ever, and she fights for good, always for what she deems right, never feeling like she has to change for others, but in the end always blaming herself for their fate. She could never forgive herself for what happened to Anakin, and she can never forget her brothers, the clones, she suffers and grieves for every one of them, she knows their names, they were her whole world. And the only thing she had left, because they never judged and never tried to change her, they simply stood by her. Even when they had orders to kill her.

Rex and Order 66

Ahsoka’s master was gone from that moment on, and all she had left was Rex. The other main character, and I accept no objections to that statement. Rex is... the best one ever. He is, without any doubt, my favourite from this series. Putting aside my Ahsoka obsession, I didn’t expect to grow as attached to him as I did. Then again, I can’t separate them – for me, they are a team, the best one, and I don’t think I would have liked them as much had they not been the amazing pair they are. The connection between Rex and Ahsoka is what makes this series so different and so much better than the movies for me. It shows a level of true depth and caring that we haven’t really seen before – the type of platonic trust that few people find in their real lives. If I get to have just one friend that is as loyal, I don’t think I’d need anything more. Their story is so real, so touching and beautiful and sad – I think it is not only the best one in the series, but in the whole saga, and in any storyworld, really, for me personally. They meet a kid and a soldier, but they leave the war (or maybe the war leaves them) as equals, friends bound by experiences so unique and traumatic that they can never forget them, their bond can never be destroyed. They are soulmates, and they are forever. I don’t make the rules, sorry.

"Well, I've known no other way. Gives us clones all a mixed feeling about the war. Many people wish it had never happened, but without it, we wouldn't exist.”

Rex says this to Ahsoka moments before he is forced to execute Order 66 and it makes me shudder every time I hear it. Knowing what follows, knowing that the clones that have been created for war, are humans with so much more nuanced feelings that they let themselves express, that they fear the war ending as much as others might feel a war beginning is incredibly twisted. They are not machines, they are much more than that, they have feelings, and they have morals, and they are afraid. Rex has never doubted his loyalty to his commanders, and never gave any reason to be doubted – never hesitated, never showed anything less than immense courage and skill. But now he stands before the only person he’s never been able to deceive, and he voices for the first time what probably has been torturing him for a while – the knowledge that he is expendable, that his life might be over, and that this might be what he’s always fought for – the end of himself and his brothers. Victory and death, indeed.

Viewers have witnessed many a clone death, and these last episodes are the culmination of it all – from that point on, every favourite character is in danger. Of themselves. One thing that the series does marvellously is bring personality to so many seemingly identical characters – in the movies we never get any detail about their lives, their characteristics, even their looks – but now I could recognize Fives from Echo in a second; they might have the same features and the same voice, but they are not the same. They are brothers, forged by the same essence, they share the same blood and the same heart, but they are individuals with thoughts and passions so diverse it’s impossible not to notice, not to adore.

Rex is Ahsoka’s best friend, as she reassures him moments before everything went to hell. He is the man who stood and fought by her side, and who watched her grow up. Who, when faced with the order to kill her, removes and drops his helmet in a desperate try to fight Order 66 (perhaps unconsciously, as he is being mind-controlled), and so she could see his eyes, see his tears, his struggle, his shaking, and know that he had no choice, know that on some level, he is asking for help for the first time ever, the soldier he is – he removes his helmet so he could look her in the eyes, his best friend, his sister, his commander; and she knows.

She’d ran to him, when sensing there was something wrong – of course, Ahsoka would run to Rex, because he’s Rex, he’ll know exactly what to say and what to do, and maybe he could contact somebody who can fix this; this can’t be real, the war is almost over; she’s still a child after all, she can’t face this now, not alone, not without Rex. She’s never had to face anything without Rex, it’s just unimaginable – but she runs to him and in his eyes she sees someone who is not Rex at all, and suddenly all the men she trusted with her life more times than she can count, are not the men she knows, and they want to hurt her, and Rex wants to hurt her, even though it makes him suffer. She sees his tears; she feels in him what she never believed she would.

The parallels in their relationship are just amazing – one of their first interactions is when Rex says to her “good luck, kid” on their first ever mission together – and it shows just how much he already cares for her, how he understands that beneath all her witty remarks and wish to prove herself to her new master (and his soldiers!), she is still a kid thrown on a battlefield – an unnatural atmosphere for anyone, but especially for a young child with no experience whatsoever. From then on, they just keep getting closer and their friendship grows stronger until it reaches a point where they can understand each other without even speaking.

“Yeah, kid, I’m okay”, Rex says, moments after Ahsoka has removed his inhibitor chip and essentially saved both their lives, all while putting herself at a great risk, just because she cares and she can’t do this on her own. In this moment, in his eyes, she is again the kid he first saw, scared about her friend, trying to prove that she can do it all on her own – this parallel is so important to me; she has never been in such a situation alone before, because she’s always had Rex, and now she’d almost lost him, after just reuniting with him; when for a split second there was something in his eyes that she’d never seen before, the only thing that saved her was Anakin and Rex’s training (shown in Tales of the Jedi). Anakin taught her how to fight enemies much stronger than herself, her brothers taught her how to defend herself, not knowing that she’d ever have to, especially not against them. It’s truly heartbreaking.

“Ahsoka, it’s all of us” – just seconds after she has saved him, Rex looks her in the eyes and apologizes for almost doing the undoable, for almost killing her, for being okay when she almost wasn’t. How would he ever live with himself, knowing that he betrayed his best friend? The animation has developed so much by this point, that in this last episode, it’s almost like watching real people acting, at least that’s how I’ve always felt; it feels real, the emotion is just so intense and so palpable – especially with this being the first time Rex says her name. She is his friend, she is the only one who cared enough to save him, thus saving herself, proving again and again her loyalty, the thing they have most in common. They understand each other like no one else can, they have been through everything together, and now, in these crucial moments, they have both proven it – she never gave up on him, she trusted him enough to save him, and in return, he is ready to follow her anywhere and die protecting her. From his own men. Barely awake, he’d reached for his blasters, shooting his own brothers to protect her, not even fully conscious yet. They are equal, they have become one through the Force, and if it wasn’t clear before, it is now – they are sticking together to the very end, no matter what they must do, no matter how. They are forever. Loyalty means everything to the clones.

This and what follows on the bridge of the ship as it’s coming down, are my favourite scenes from the series.

“I hate to tell you this, but they don’t care! This ship is going down, and those soldiers, my brothers are willing to die and take you and me along with them!”

Even though it’s animated, even though you can’t see his face, and the only thing is his desperate voice, you can feel the devastation when Rex utters these words, touching his chest, as he says “brothers” – he has always cared for them, his family, and has mourned every single loss, but now, when there is no other choice, he knows protecting Ahsoka is the most important thing there is – the mind-controlled clones can’t tell apart their own from a traitor, so what’s the point?

There is always a right choice – and Ahsoka proves it, when she gently removes his helmet, only to show what everyone but also no one suspected – Rex is crying, he is afraid and in pain, and she is the only thing he cares about. He’s lost so much; he can’t lose her too. But she always has a plan, and she is probably the only one who cares about the clones as much as him; they don’t need to explain themselves; she doesn’t want to be the one who is responsible for so much death; there’s been too much already. They have lived a life of war, facing death and loss every single day, and enough is enough. She wants to live, but not at the cost of murder. There is no doubt in her voice when she says that.

Burying brothers

What follows is truly devastating to watch – Rex facing his brothers, as a traitor in their eyes, as some of them stand before him, still wearing their helmets with Ahsoka’s Togruta design on them, the colours of the 501st closely resembling her lekku. They’d painted their armour as soon as they knew Ahsoka was coming back to them and they were getting their commander, and little sister back, their best friend, the only one who cares enough to remember all their names, who never turned her back on them, even now, when they are against her, she still tries to save as many of them as possible; she’s been the one whose hand they’ve reached to when dying, their last memory on this world her face, her bright eyes, full of life and care, her presence calming them in the face of the inevitable, as she will have to do now as fell, at the very end.

How must it feel to lose everything you’ve fought and hoped for, in a span of hours? Palpatine’s plan is truly ingenious. The war might have ended, but only on the outside; a much larger, much more painful fight has begun, inside, for Rex and Ahsoka, who now have to navigate a life they haven’t ever considered; they may have wondered what life after the war might be like, but not like this, never like this; not as heroes, not even as fighters – as traitors in the eyes of their most beloved brothers and the new control of the Empire. But they choose to fight until the end, crashing down, falling with the cruiser together, hand in hand; the parallel of them hanging on to each other in the hanger is precisely mirroring the moment of Anakin and Obi-Wan trying to push each other away during their legendary fight on Mustafar, which is happening at the exact same time. But these two don’t let go, they simply cannot face losing each other, not now, not after all of this. They’ve fought for years, so many battles, losing track of what the fights are about – but this last one is clear; they are fighting for each other. And when they are the only survivors, they take to bury their brothers, and grieve the colossal loss side by side, silently watching, because there aren’t words to describe what they feel, and it’s not necessary, so they don’t speak. They know.

"I don’t want to bury any more of our brothers."

The devastation and sheer exasperation we hear in Rex’s voice when he says this much later, in The Bad Batch, when talking about the inhibitor chips nonetheless, is all we’ll ever need to know about him. Laying low after the end of the war, separating from Ahsoka, believed to be dead; in fact – being dead to the world in every sense, this is the choice he makes. He’s witnessed almost all his closest friends dying, he’s lost his general, he doesn’t have a purpose and a goal anymore; he has to deal with the realization that the war is over, but it ended at way too high a price, and he’s a soldier – he will fight every day, until the end, because it’s all he knows. He’s the most loyal soldier, survived Order 66 at the highest price there could ever be, and he can’t lose more. He wants to keep fighting, and he will, but not to lose. Rex doesn’t want to feel this awful feeling of loss, not ever again.

The same goes for Ahsoka – even though she quits the order and never officially finishes her training, the Jedi life is the only one she’s ever known, so her path even after leaving, after the war ends, and after she separates from Rex, is one lead by the code to a large extent, even if done so unconsciously. She claims to not be a Jedi when she faces her master as Vader in Rebels, wanting to avenge him; but she doesn’t end up doing it, she can’t possibly kill Anakin. So, she goes on, living in this middle ground – she is not truly a Jedi, but what else could she be? She has led her troops in many battles, fought by their side; even when they didn’t have to, they still called her commander, as loyal to her as ever; recognizing that she stood by them, even held them as they died.

When The Resolute crashes after Order 66, we are aware that her and Rex took every single one of their fallen brothers, buried them, and displayed their helmets, putting Jesse at the very front, the one who’d wanted to kill them the most at the end. But they know better, it was not him, not after literal moments before that he almost went insane from Maul’s questioning because he didn’t want to betray Ahsoka; he deserved a recognition, even in death. Every single one of them did, and Rex and Ahsoka gave it to them. She lets go now of her lightsaber, the Jedi weapon that bears her identity, and lays it to rest next to the fallen soldiers, because she doesn’t want to have any more connections to this war, there’s been enough fighting. She dies here too – for what it’s worth, she fell with the clones. I can’t imagine how traumatising and terrible it felt, pulling body after body out of the debris. For both of them.

Brother after brother.

***

No matter what I say, or how much I write, I don’t think I will ever be able to express properly what this world and this series in particular mean to me. Of course I love all things Star Wars, but The Clone Wars will always hold a very special and exceptional place among them. It is a unique feeling, one I cannot put a word on, it feels too big for me, as if there is some kind of a boundary that is at the verge of explosion, it’s holding so much emotion, and there isn’t enough space for it inside. Perhaps it’s the depth and the exploration of the clones, their relationships, the empathy their lives evoke – creatures bred for war, individuals barely recognized in life. But still human, as Rex and Ahsoka remind us of the entire time – especially when we see them watching the arranged helmets of their dead brothers – the clones have not been just pawns, they are people; people who died for a cause they couldn’t have any say in. Their lives were not their own; but Ahsoka’s life wasn’t her own either. This is the tragedy of The Clone Wars, but there’s also an ironic beauty about it – Ahsoka wouldn’t have had her master or her best friend, if it wasn’t for the war. It’s a story about the philosophy of choice, hope, good and evil of course, friendship and loyalty. Victory and its highest cost, death; the consequences after a life spent fighting, which no one usually thinks about.

When the final shot rolls and we see Vader’s ominous figure step on to the same place where Ahsoka and Rex were last, as he digs his apprentice’s lightsaber and holds it, we realize what the moral of the story is. We see Anakin’s eyes behind Vader’s mask, and we feel the cold he feels – he ended up alone after all, after all his trying, he had an army, he led troopers, he cared for an apprentice, but he lost them all. He won the war, but he would rather have died with his friends – who he doesn’t know are still alive, and they don’t know what happened to him either; instead of being their enemy. But the time for choosing is over, and there is no going back for him now.

His reflection hits the clone helmet, and we see the image of Anakin, walking away from Ahsoka and Rex.

It doesn’t end with the war; it begins with it.

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grailfinders · 25 days

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Grailfinders #339: Super Bunyan

Félicitations! today on Grailfinders we’re building the one true president of the US of A, Super Bunyan! they’re mostly a Rune Knight Fighter to get big and punch people, but you’re focusing on teamwork now, which is why you’re a splash of a Peace Cleric. friendship!

check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

next up: a powerful rat not named Charles Entertainment Cheese

Ancestry & Background

good news, those pills from Dream worked and Bunyan’s normal now. so she’s a Human. yeah just a normal one. she gets +1 Constitution and Wisdom, as well as proficiency with Deception (no judging, the proles don’t need to know everything you’re up to), and the Magic Initiate feat. now you can Create Bonfires for some homestyle bbq, Mold Earth to make gold statues with no budget, and Find Familiar to get yourself a mike. the alligator, not the sound equipment. though tbf you’ll need both.

stop me if you heard this one before- you need to constantly make money or people get angry with you, and you make things that could generously be described as art. that’s a Bunyan all right, and that’s also a Guild Artisan! with this background, you gain proficiency with Insight and Persuasion to scout for actors and convince them to work for no money. you literally have a director in your pocket at all times, I’m sure she’ll help out.

Ability Scores

first up is Constitution. there’s a lot of bunyan, and that means a lot of HP. second highest is Strength, because you still punch people good, and you have the lifting capacity of three people. because you are three people. we’re still only building bunyan though. third is Wisdom, bc again you have three pairs of eyes to watch out with. this does mean your Charisma is a bit low, but it makes sense. you’re good enough at it to keep people happy while you’re there, but the second you leave it all goes to shit. that also means your Dexterity is low bc you’re a big target, but we’re dumping Intelligence. you’ve got people to think for you.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: starting off as a fighter, you get the Unarmed Fighting Style, turning your fists into d8 weapons (or d6s if you have one hand busy). you can also automatically deal damage to anything you’ve grappled- not a lot, but it’s a nice bonus. you also get a Second Wind once a short rest, letting you heal up as a bonus action. you wouldn’t think you could chug maple syrup that fast, but I guess anything’s possible when you’re president.

you also get proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Animal Handling to keep Mike on your shoulders and Athletics.

2. Fighter 2: second level fighters can make an Action Surge once a short rest, adding an extra action to your turn. now you can use up all your spell slots in like, one turn! or you can punch more, your choice.

3. Cleric 1: at first level you get Spells you can cast and prepare like all clerics by using your Wisdom, but you also become an Implement of Myths, giving you proficiency in Performance so you can star in your own movie! a leader has to look good in front of a camera these days.

you can also forge an Emboldening Bond, bonding a couple allies as an action for up to a minute. while bonded, any two creatures within 30’ of each other can add a d4 to their attacks, checks, or saves once a minute. you can use this proficiency times a day. admittedly the attack bonus kind of falls off once you’re making multiple attacks per turn, but having a near permanent resistance bonus is great for defense.

speaking of, your spells! for cantrips, Guidance lets you backseat game everyone around you, but in a good way, giving them a d4 bonus to their next skill check. you also get Thaumaturgy so everyone can hear you no matter what they do to escape, and the Light cantrip to keep your films watchable. don’t make the same mistakes as game of thrones.

you also get two free first level spells, Heroism and Sanctuary. the former lets you turn any random schmo into a hero worthy of the big screen, with more HP and immunity to being frightened, while the latter will keep the angry mob off you and onto Guda. hey, we all have to make sacrifices here for movie magic! outside of the freebies, I guess Command is a good pick to be bossy with, though it’s limited to one-word demands.

4. Fighter 3: oh thank god we’re out of the spellcaster levels. back in good ol’ martial territory it’s time to become a Rune Knight, letting you carve runes into items you keep on hands to… basically cast spells with. dammit.

as a Rune Carver, you can pick two runes from a list, all of which give passive buffs as long as you’re holding onto them, but you can also activate them for a short-term super buff once per short rest per rune. our runes of choice starting out are the Fire Rune for doubled proficiency with tool checks, as well as the option to douse an enemy with red-hot maple syrup upon hitting them, dealing fire damage and restraining them until they make a strength save, or until a minute passes. you also get the Stone Rune, giving you advantage on insight checks and Darkvision, and you can activate it to force a wisdom save on a nearby creature. if they fail, they’re charmed and spend their turn posing for the camera until they succeed. (btw, all your DCs for this class use your constitution.)

your simp-based powers also let you grow with Giant Minute for a minute at a time, making you Large and giving you advantage on strength checks and saves. you also deal an extra d6 of damage once a turn! you can check your twitter proficiency times a day, which is frankly healthier than how often most people use it.

5. Fighter 4: at level four you get your first Ability Score Improvement, and tbh you need that Strength boosted just a lil bit. it’s not as convoluted as the last two levels, but hitting’s good.

6. Fighter 5: in fact, hitting’s so good you can do it more times now! fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack, letting you attack two times per action. it’s like attacking, but extra!

7. Fighter 6: sixth level fighters keep those ASIs coming, and we’re going to use this one to learn the Strike of the Giants, putting a lil stank on your fists when you punch people. and by stank I mean Fire. you can add 1d10 fire damage once per turn, proficiency times a day. you could pick other options if you like, but your NP isn’t complicated, and neither is the fire option.

8. Fighter 7: at level seven you gain a Runic Shield to protect your precious employés. when one of them gets hit while you can see them, you can react to force a re-roll on the attack against them, up to proficiency times a day. you need those likes, and you can’t get them if your supporters are dead!

9. Fighter 8: another ASI already! grab the Ember of the Fire Giant for +1 Strength and another source of mapley debuffing goodness. you resist fire damage, and you can deal it with a Searing Ignition, making a lil aoe of fire damage that also forces everyone inside to make a wisdom save or become blinded for a round. you can also use this once per turn, proficiency times a day. I honestly think it’s really weird your NP isn’t an aoe this time around, but we can skirt that rule thanks to this being a debuff.

10. Fighter 9: ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once a day. it feels a bit weird that they’re more strict about this than the extra action, but I also wouldn’t send pinkertons to someone’s house so maybe WotC just knows something I don’t.

11. Fighter 10: tenth level rune knights have a Great Stature, giving you a couple extra inches even when you’re not in your super mode. still have a ways to go to catch up to the old you though. also you deal more damage while big.

even better, you have the Cloud Rune now, so delightful assassin’s giving you advantage on Sleight of Hand checks all the time, and you can use your reaction to redirect attacks targeting you onto another creature! I’m sure your employés won’t mind, it’s in their contract.

12. Fighter 11: another level, another Extra Attack! now you can attack three times a turn! fight on, bunyan!

13. Fighter 12: use this ASI to round out your Strength score with the Crusher feat! once a turn you can push a creature when you bludgeon it, and if you crit with a bludgeoning attack all attacks against that creature are made with advantage until your next turn! if I got hit by a fist larger than I am, I think I’d be pushed back too.

14. Fighter 13: congrats, it’s another Indomitable. they uh… they kind of ran out of new stuff to give fighter at this point.

15. Fighter 14: another ASI nets you the Eldritch Adept feat, giving you a free requirementless Eldritch Invocation from warlock! the only one I want is Armor of Shadows for the free mage armor casts. you don’t wear armor, and your dexterity is +0, you need this.

16. Fighter 15: at fifteenth level you are now a Master of Runes, doubling your activated rune usage and recharging them on short rests rather than long ones. congrats, you’ve unlocked the Koyanskaya system. NP spam away.

also you get the Frost Rune now, mostly because there wasn’t any other one I wanted. you always have advantage on Animal Handling and Intimidation checks, but you can also invoke it for a +2 bonus on all Strength and Constitution saves.

17. Fighter 16: yet another ASI, but for once we’re putting this one in Constitution. more health equals less dead!

18. Fighter 17: another level of “nothing new, but more old”. you can now Action Surge twice a short rest, and you’re Indomitable three times a day. it’s not a huge change, but it is change we can believe in. bunyan 2024, there’s still time.

19. Fighter 18: 18th level rune knights are Runic Juggernauts, increasing the damage you deal while big to a d10, increasing the max size possible in this mode to Huge, and increasing your melee reach by 5’, the only fucking way I’ve seen to increase your reach while growing which is weird, right? with this last feature, you’re finally able to measure up to your past self. congrats.

20. Fighter 19: one last level, grab the Tough feat for an extra 40 HP. if we go by the OG version of how HP works, I’m pretty sure you’re the only servant we’ve built so far that would have more than 1, and that should reflect in your actual HP total.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

like the other one, super bunyan brings a lot of Utility with boosted skills and a bunch of little trinkets that can help out in random situations. also, while you don’t have a lot of cleric magic, it’s still one of the better spell lists in the game to pull from, so you’ll be fine.

speaking of spells, you pack a pretty solid Magical Defense thanks to all your indomitability, protections from good and evil, and your bonds of friendship make all your saves a bit better. add in your big HP bar, and attacking you with fireballs and the like doesn’t seem like such a good idea.

thanks to your overlapping punch addons, you can choose how hard you hit pretty easily, either spacing out your searing ignitions and giant strikes and runes for consistently high damage, or shoving them all in on a critical hit for burst damage instead. it’s not a ton of variety, but it’s the big-picture strategic thinking that made you the boss in the first place.

Cons:

while when you deal your damage is flexible, your damage types aren’t. you have fire, and bludgeoning. and the bludgeoning isn’t even magical, so good luck fighting anything tougher than Mary Anning.

you have a good amount of HP, but that really only matters if your AC is able to keep the worst of the attacks off you. and it can’t. your HP is terrible, this is why most people fight in something more than flannel.

unlike the OG, your Mobility isn’t improved in any way from just walking around, so being huge and walking through a fight can be a huge issue, making you the target of plenty of attacks of opportunity. no wonder this bunyan only gets big for her NP.

#fgo #fate grand order #D&D 5e #DND #Super Bunyan #Paul Bunyan #Berserker of learning with manga

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kelean · 1 year

Text

replayed commander lilith and the fight for sanctuary recently and now i'm thinking about all the lost potential and it's actually making me so, so sad.

like! if they would've just continued from where the pre-sequel left off we could’ve had athena somewhere on sanctuary because you can't tell me that after hearing the watcher's words about the incoming war she would just go and become the ceo of whatever (fuck you ntftbl) instead of staying and helping the little people. because yes, janey did ask her to step aside from the vault hunting business, but, you know, there is plenty of work to do without needing to kill anyone – and athena wouldn’t be alone now. or at least she wouldn't be working with some questionable people

also, can you imagine what athena would've felt like after going to the helios ruins? the exact place where her life took a 180-degree turn? all the memories - the bad and the good ones - that would've flooded back? especially with the fact that lilith - one of the people who tried to kill her here the last time - is fighting alongside her. they are allies now. friends, even. (also, there is a thing to say about cassius - we don't know if she canonically spared him, but in this dlc she would've had the chance to see that it was actually the right choice. yes, he was manipulated to work with the bad guys again, but he atoned himself in the end, making a sacrifice for people he barely knew - something she could definitely respect)

and athena would be here with janey, too, because at this point they are quite literally married. and because janey is a damn good mechanic she would definetly be besties with ellie, with them bonding over some mechanical stuff (and i’m still convinced that janey should have been the one to build a spaceship for sanctuary 3. you know, considering her specialty). and she was also the one who had been working with scooter for some time so. she would probably have some stories to tell

besides, i just can’t stop thinking about how awkward the first meeting between janey and bl1 vhs would be. with lilith, brick and mordecai going "yeah sorry we kidnapped your girlfriend and sorry that we tried to kill her. we are on good terms now tho. she's a really good storyteller and everyone loves her. tina is probably her number one fan" while janey would be standing there staring daggers at them

oh and also consider this - athena and brick becoming friends on the basis of both of them needing to find a less... uh... murderous hobby. maybe doing some (real) gardening together as was suggested by mordecai. or cooking! or knitting! i don't know. there are just so many possibilities. and they would also spar in a free time. and athena would win every single time (becaue it was stated that if not for the vallory's interference, she would have taken both him and mordecai down so. yeah. she might be short but she is extremely deadly)

and i'm not saying that she should've been the dlc's main focus because in the end it is a story about lilith becoming a true leader for the crimson raiders, but still. having athena around would've made so much sense

#the dlc was still very lovely and i enoyed it a lot but you know. i miss my girl athena. she would've fitted there prefectly #also uhhh idk if i should've made a point about it but hector kinda reminded me of knoxx and zarpedon. like. A LOT #and BOTH of them were the MAIN villians in her stories. so. do with that what you will. because it might as well just be a coincidence #and the fact that all of them are military people #borderlands #athena the gladiator #vi.txt

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that-one-anxious-mango · 2 years

Note

I’d love to see how Austin and his best girl met

That Gooey Feeling

Summary: You walked into a café for a book and left with more than you came for..love.

Contents: How Austin and his best girl met! Loads of fluff. That’s it!

A/N: Hi! Let me start by saying sorry about the absence...school’s kicking my ass. The end. And also sorry about the updates you guys will be getting in the next few days being late..again..school lol

But anywho, prompt courtesy of the lovely @quietemptydiariess. I didn’t forget about you babes! It’s overdue and I hope you all like it. Thanks for reading and sticking it out with me! Appreciate the love!

P.S Everyone feel free to comment and send ideas. Love hearing from you all always! Much Love! *hugs*

______________________

It was hot in central LA today.

And not like ' oh man let's pack a bag and hit the beach, hot ' or ' today would be a nice day to sit around in the shade of my balcony, hot'

No, today was most definitely ' Step out into the sun for more than ten seconds and smell your own flesh burn, kinda hot.'

But here you were walking along the scorching sidewalk basking in the smell of your torching flesh and the amber musk perfume you'd put on today.

Drudging forward with your full tote bag in tow you made your way toward the cool, sweet, serene sanctuary down the road. Otherwise known as, your favorite café, The Totem.

Wiping a weary hand across your forehead you'd practically been ready to break down and cry once you'd finally made it to the door of the treasured establishment.

Peace.

And with a huff of breath you grabbed the handle wrenching the door open only to let out the deepest euphoric sigh at the feeling of the cold AC ridden air hit your body.

It felt like a kiss from the sweetest coldest polar bear.

Walking inside you didn't need to look around at the place that you practically knew every nook and cranny of now due to how much you actually frequented the place these days. The Totem Café , which uniquely double as a fully operating café and second hand book store, was one of the first places you'd visited when you moved to California almost two years ago.

You had seen it out the U-Haul window you'd been in when you and your sister had just entered town after a grueling and comedically funny thirty-two-hour drive together from your previous home-state. Vowing then you'd try out the place at least once, from the first time you had walked in you were hooked! You'd now stop by at least a few times a week (if not more) to get your daily fix of tea, baked goods, and literature.

Even though today the amount of people that littered the café seating was scarce, a few people were still seen wandering threw the rows of bookshelves. You knew that they'd still probably been jam packed earlier today when it was cooler and were slowing down due to people heading home cause of the heat.

Walking up to the counter you were greeted by Cameron, one of the baristas. She usually was so cheery and wide grinned whenever you came in. But today, she offered you a troubled smile that made you inwardly groan because you'd could already bet your bottom dollar that you knew what she was gonna say.

You quickly beat her to the punch closing your eyes to descend into your monologue of despair " Cam I literally just caught an entire cab and then had to walk almost a full entire block due to the wonderful still blooming LA traffic in damn near hundred- and two-degree weather. So it can't be possible that your about to look me in my slightly sun burned eyes and tell it’s not here." You concluded.

It couldn't be true.

It shouldn't true.

It PLEASE! Wouldn't be true.

Not today.

Cameron couldn't do anything but offer her best sympathetic smile and say, " I looked over there and seen it. Went to do something for Greg! Came back and the book was gone! I swear.“ She sadly explained. “ Also not to rain more on your parade..but we’re also out of cheese danishes so....”

Your eyes popped in a mix of disbelief and annoyance.

“ But we still have everything else for your usual. I promise! Plus Greg just bought a new case of ripe mangos in the back today, so I can guarantee it's gonna taste absolutely fresh and soooo good." She tried her best to ignore the off-putting scowl that overtaken your face. Sorry?

You looked like you were two seconds from turning big and green so you could use the place as a personal smash room.

You were hot!

Literally and figuratively.

Placing an upset hand on your cheek you still hadn't opened your eyes out of the case of disbelief and determent of the tantrum you wanted to make, " Cam I'm not understanding how this happened when I literally called the store twice before I got here. Once before I let the apartment and then again in the taxi just to truly make sure you guys had everything." You squeaked.

" HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? " You whisper yelled making Cameron giggle at your almost state of delirium.

" I know I know, " She started, " And when you called the first time, I had Nick to take the very last one and wrap it up to the side for safekeeping until you got here. And as far as the book goes I don't know anything beyond that since I was in the back."

" But tell you what! " She bargained, " We do have those oatmeal chocolate cookies you like. Marty is putting them in the oven as we speak." Cameron finished wiggling at brow at you.

Breathing in defeat you decided to just let it go and proceed with order, " Know what. It's fine. All that means is it probably wasn't meant for me to have it today. Trying to slim down anyway. SO I'll just take the usual minus the cheese danish. Plus I'll pass on the cookies. Thank you anyway for trying."

You reached down into your wallet while listening to Cameron playfully scold you on how great your body looked along with a threat about how she was going to put banana syrup in your mango passion tea the next time she heard you say something like that. And that as added punishment she was making you take home a cookie anyway.

You hated Bananas.

So you quickly paid adding a generous tip, and gave her nod of understanding before you walked off to wander around the place until you heard your name be called.

The plan was to actually come for much more than just your fix of fruity tea and sweets. It was look to find a certain new novel to indulge your senses for the next week. And hopefully it maybe had just wandered to a different section of the store by accident....

It was called, what we talk about, when we talk about love.

One of your writer buddies had suggested it to you for a read to help out with your impending writer's block on a romance story you were finishing...sorta.

Romance.

It very predictably of you to be drawn to this section given your background as a hopeless romantic.

All through your life you'd read countless romance novels and even watched movies that had helped formulate your slightly unrealistic view on how love should be.

At one point during teenage hood, you'd honestly thought that men showing up outside women's windows in an all-white limousine with flowers to express how they didn't care that the woman they loved was a prostitute, and pledge their most undying love, was normal.

That it'd had to be the standard.

You wanted you movie style gooey feeling moment, dammit!

But alas in your twenty-three years of living you would soon realize that it just didn't happen like the movies. And your once eager hopeful view on love would begin to dwindle a bit. But hey you hadn't completely lost hope.... yet.

Continuing to look and look....and look! With no luck you decided to go ahead and leave it for another time.

Going to go fetch your beloved beverage you made it to the counter nodding at another barista Marty who handed you your drink and informed that the cookies would be out in a couple minutes.

Happily accepting you looked around to grab a straw and a couple of napkins when you felt the presence of another body appear on the side of you.

Looking next to you were met with a man.

Emphasize on the man part.

He was tall and slender, but you could see that he had some sort of muscular build through the slight strain on his shirt around the bicep areas. He wore a couple of rings on his fingers and a chain around his neck that has cutely placed moles. He had dirty blonde hair with streaks of honey in them and if it was actually him and not the baked goods smell wafting in the air.

HE SMELLED HEAVENLY.

But even with his stellar appearance, that wasn't what had gotten you. It was his even more sexier voice that you could hear on the side of you.

It had you damn near ready to melt where you stood. Screw the sun outside, this man was hotter.

" Hey man. Can I please order another iced oak milk based coffee with a shot of espresso and dark chocolate syrup. And if you could make sure it's super cold I'd appreciate it." The man ordered peering down to look through the glass case at the remaining pastries available. " And I'll take a' one of them cherry turnovers to go. That's all. Thank you."

Upon hearing his dialect you would make the assumption that he had to be of some southern origin. He had that little bit of twang to him.

" Okay Man. I'll have that ready for you in a moment." Greg printed a recipe handing it to the stranger.

" C'mon dude you didn't even let me pay before you printed me out the recipe. Please let me pay this time. Seriously. The guy haggled to a unwavering Greg.

Greg shook his head, " NO can do Bro. It's on the house. Same as last time. I just love what you do man. Zoey 101 used to be my jam in middle school. Good memories and you were apart of that. So good looks on this one." Greg said moving away from the smiling man.

Ouu was a actor of some sort. Probably extra work...

" Alright man. But next time. I'm gonna pay and you won't be able to stop me." The guy proclaimed. You then watched as he pulled out his wallet and dropped a fifty dollar bill in the tip jar once Greg had fully turned.

Okay Mr. Moneybags.

And then he just stood by you waiting for his food like you.

Should you say something? What would you even say?

Nah what for. He was SUPER outta your league. Why waste his and your time?

You'd settled on letting the comfortable silence swell and just to continue to look him over out the corner of your eyes. And you did just that up until your side vision landed on the book he was looking in his hand.

what we talk about, when we talk about love.

That was it! That was the book! The book you wanted!

And he had it.

And for some odd reason you couldn't help but wanna ask him how he liked the book? What he liked about? Was it worth the read?

So doing something unusual for you, you went out on a limb fully turning your body toward him and speaking, " Um ex-xuse me sir? " You spoke waving your hand a bit.

It took him a second to look over and notice you but when he did turn his attention to you, your mouth went dry as the Sahara desert!

" Yes. "He answered.

MY GOD.

He was even more handsome up close!!!

Now having a full view of him the only way you could describe it was as if you were looking at a reincarnation of Apollo himself. The man was stunning.

" Is there something I can help you with? " He asked half pulling you out of the accidental trance he'd put you in.

But right now you were trying to form the words that sat just at the tip of your tongue. You were too distracted by looking directly into his eyes.

They were a absolutely beautiful shade of cobalt.

And the more you stared into them the more you saw different things.

Mostly you thought they looked like the color of the ocean. A pure clean ocean.

Let me take a swim in your water, SIR!

You might as well have had a legal search warrant the way you were looking at this man's retinas.

But what really surprised was the way he was matching your energy by staring. RIGHT. THE. FUCK. BACK.

oh damn this is some prolonged eye contact. shit.

Thinking quickly about where this was going, you shyly looked away rapidly blinking your eyes before going to actually ask your question, " um..the book you're holding. I was just wondering if you'd read it, yet? " You stumbled.

A little smile spreading across his face he replied, " Uh..yeah I have. It's actually one of my favorite books." He informed running his thumb across the creased cover.

Goodness. His smile was so cute.

" Really. That's great! I was asking because one of my friends actually recommended it to me. And I was hoping it was good." You explained nervously fiddling with the fabric of your shirt.

" Oh yeah? Good friend you got! I highly recommend. It’s good and gives the best realistic views of love I’ve ever read. Makes the mind think." He said.

You nodded, " Awesome! That's actually one of the reasons why I came here today to see if they had it, but I think that you may have beaten me to the punch." You stupidly laughed trying your best to mask the nervousness you felt.

That's what you get for saying something.

Looking at the book and then back at you he sighed rubbing his spare hand on the back of his neck, " Awe man I'm sorry. The copy I usually have I left someplace where I can't get it back. And I knew coming here that there was a good chance they had a copy." He lightly chuckled.

" But here." He stuck the book toward you making your pupils enlarge a bit, " I'd much rather you had it. It'll make me happy knowing someone will get to experience this book for the first time. Wish I could again." He said offering you a somber smile.

Immediately you began shaking your head pushing the book back to him, " No. No way. I can tell that it really means something to you. And I think you should have it." You countered.

This made him frown up his face making cute little wrinkles on his forehead, " Nah! Really you should have it. I've read it front to back about a hundred times." He rebottled.

But instead you stood your ground giggling a bit, " No way Jose. I'm not taking it from you. That's that." You affirmed playfully folding your arms over your chest and returning to you original position looking away from him.

From beside you, you could hear him light heartedly sigh before kissing his teeth, " You're a bit of a stubborn one aren't you." He teased.

Grinning you turned your head, " I'm not being stubborn. It just wouldn't be fair to you by me just talking to book to read when you found it first...even if you have already read it a hundred times front to back." You added the last part hoping he'd laugh.

He did.

Looking at you in a way that you couldn't make out he spoke, " So how about I offer you a deal for both of us to be able to read the book and walk away happy." He started his proposal letting his eyes look deep into yours.

At this point this man had five more seconds left of searching your soul with those damned blue-eyes before you'd say screw it and ask him if he wanted to indulge in a deal of your own and go half on a mortgage, plus become a dog dad to your one year old auxie doxie puppy, Magnus.

" I'm listening." You stated definitely tuned in.

" How about if you aren't busy right now. We can find somewhere to sit for a couple of minutes and you let me read my favorite story out of here to you. After that you can have the book and go on your little merry way." He suggested.

You couldn't lie you were a little taken aback by his idea..why would he wanna sit down with you...let alone read to you. What's the catch?

" That sounds nice and fair..." You began..." But no what's the catch? " You cautioned raising a inspecting eye-brow.

Looking at the now serious face you tried to muster he couldn't help the little laugh and smirk that escaped him.

You looked adorable to him.

" No catch I promise. Afterward you won't ever have to see me or hear from me again... if you don't want to."

If you don't want to...

The words linger in your mind as you looked at his hopeful face.

If this fine ass random man truly wanted to read to you. What could it hurt?

OKAY!

" Alright why not ." You agreed.

Austin had to do his best to contain the gigantic smile that wanted to take over his face! Instead he gave you small one and nodded, " Well alright then."

From there you'd both gotten your food and found a nice window spot in the open seating area.

And true to his word Austin had pulled the book open and read his favorite story to you....and then his other favorite....and the other one too. Before you knew he'd read you the whole thing to you and then you both had descended into a deep conversation about things pertaining to the book and some things not pertaining to the book.

The sun was going and the store was closing by the time you two pulled away from being wrapped up in each other.

Both collectively grabbing your things, a certain someone insisted on taking the other one home. To which the latter induvial refused at first because she, one could get home to perfectly on her own, and two as a woman...and black woman no less. You had to be careful about your safety. And letting some stranger although handsome and seemingly sweet take you home and know where you lived, was still a big no.

So the certain someone fully understanding and respecting your cautiousness offered a deal...to be fair, and hailed a cab for you, opening the door for you before you had a chance to reach for the handle and handing the driver in the front a hundred dollar bill ensuring that he needed to take you wherever you wanted to go. Once you were inside a certain someone sheepishly asked if he could get your number...so you could text him that you got home... for safety purposes.

You again stupidly nodded shakily handing him your phone and him doing the same.

Once everything was done you sweetly exchanged goodbyes and parted.

The whole ride home you couldn't shake this feeling you had...it felt gooey.

In the best possible way.

When you did get home you did in-fact text that certain person that you got home.

They immediately texted back.

And you two proceeded to text all night long promising to meet again at the café soon.

Soon was the very next day. And little did you know that certain someone would one day become your husband.

#austin butler #austin butler x black! reader #austin butler x reader #daysofourlove #TheMangoWrites #mangoasks #austin butler x black reader

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not-too-many-eyes · 4 months

Text

It's really funny watching all the Palworld drama from the periphery as someone who likes monster tamers by doesn't want to get Palworld cause it just...is not my thing. It's half misinformation, half discourse and then there's the people who just want to play the monsters with guns game (which...fair I suppose but also Gundramon)

My take on the design stuff as someone who like creature design too much is that there just kinda bland. I was talking to a friend about it (if you see this: Hi!) and they mentioned that it's pretty derivative (probably on purpose for shock value) and I agree and find it to be pretty disappointing. The designs suffer from a lack of strong concept and foundation since it's imitating something and the stuff that does have good concepts they don't execute well.

(I'm so irrationally upset about Lunaris they had a CHANCE to make a monster out of the little grey people from outer space and they Didnt Do It in a fun way-)

There's some tried and true monster concepts (sheep monsters, anubis, fire foxes) but they aren't really done in an interesting or compelling way which I personally think is a shame. Anubis is the worst offender, it's literally just anubis.

It was my biggest problem with it when it was first revealed. It doesn't do anything too interesting with the monsters it has, and since it's a Monster Tamer that's kinda important to me.

On good monster design: I really like the design philosophy of Cassette Beasts, I got the artbook of it when it came out. Cassette Beasts is based off folkloreic/concepts in human consciousness and it's really neat! One of my personal favorites is Fountess.

It's great for many reason, the giant showerhead sunhat and the rounded shape language. The way the water flows down into a fancy dress and how the showerhead makes an elegeant veil around it. The little tears adding an extra bit of personality to it. The name is literally a portmanteau of "Fountain" and "Countess" It's a very good concept, I'm deeply fond.

I suppose I'm writing this just to encourage everyone paying attention to Palworld to...look at other monster tamers? There's a lot here and it be nice if people took a look at them as well. It's not just the big franchises and there's some fun indie stuff as well! If you don't know where to start Id recommend things like Monster Sanctuary or Cassette Beasts as already mentioned.

#pokemon #palworld #I caved and decided to post this #I love monster tamers and I feel visceral rage at the monster design in palworld

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embodyingchaos · 11 months

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sorting the mane six into their hogwarts houses

okay, so i decided to do this analysis because i'm writing a harry potter fic while watching an episode of my little pony and i just thought about what their houses would be so this would be a fun, little analysis thingy-ma-bob for me to do. just a heads up, i have not read all the books, i've only read until the second one and i've only watched the movies. first, we have twilight. everyone would immediately sort her into ravenclaw and this is where i would have to disagree, sort of. mostly because as seen in the show multiple and countless of times, twilight has shown bravery and courage for fighting against villains and fighting for what's right(like friendship). she's sort of like hermione, who is studious and a brainiac but still has the courage to stand up for her friends, stand up for what's right. then again, she could still be in ravenclaw and have the perseverance to do the right thing, just like luna lovegood. all in all, i believe twilight is a true ravenclaw. next, applejack. no doubt, no thoughts, she is a gryffindor. she is filled with chivalry and can be quite arrogant in a sense that she often thinks that she's in the right, which a lot of gryffindors exhibit this trait, and can be stubborn and prideful. she is honest and true, all more traits of the lion house. now, fluttershy is also a no brainer. she is the element of kindness and she is quite literally helga hufflepuff in different font, specifically, horse font. fluttershy exhibits patience, as seen in countless of episodes, and a sense of justice for her animals. she worked hard to open her animal sanctuary, just like any other hufflepuff would. fluttershy is a hufflepuff. another no brainer for me would be ms. rarity. she is cunning, she is manipulative(in the good way where she uses it to help her friends), she is resourceful and she is determined. she shows all these traits when striving to open up her multiple boutiques around equestria. other than her generosity, which isn't exhibited in a lot of slytherins in the movies that much, she is, hands down, a slytherin. rainbow dash would be somepony interesting to sort. first of all, i'm torn between sorting her into gryffindor or slytherin. her gryffindor traits would be courage, nerve, stubborn, prideful and often breaks the rules. she strives to do what's right and always goes head first into a fight in order to protect her friends or her reputation. on the other hand, her slytherin traits are just as evident. determination and cunningness to get into the wonderbolts, she's quite ambitious and boastful about her own skills and superiority. the one thing that tears her away from getting sorted into slytherin is the fact that she lacks the will to do whatever it takes to succeed. therefore, i sort her into gryffindor. good luck, gryffindor. (#appledashingryffindorforthewin) last but not least, we have my favourite of them all, pinkamena diane pie. pinks is another one that brings me to a stump. maybe at first glance, you would see her as a hufflepuff, and i agree! she is kind and humble, inclusive and selfless, and she likes food! even though, she has all these traits, her character would show her to be quite a gryffindor. through many episodes, we see her to be extremely persistent and pushy when wanting to know about things. she's extremely adventurous, enjoys travelling to new places, and she's incredibly brave as seen in the very first/second episode(she literally laughed in the face of terror). she can be fast to accuse someone immediately after one word, and she can be stubborn as well. pinkie is definitely a gryffindor. bonus: spike is a hufflepuff! i don't care what anyone says, mf is loyal, patient and full of justice. sure, he lacks humbleness and selflessness at times, but i literally can't sort him into any other house. he has no ravenclaw traits, maybe a few gryffindor traits and the slight personality of a slytherin(especially with his sarcastic remarks), but all in all, i think he fits best into hufflepuff.

i'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on this! remember, this is only my opinion and if you don't agree with it that's fine but be nice, because i will cry myself to sleep if someone calls me a poopoo head for my choices of sorting.

#my little pony #harry potter #hogwarts houses #mlp #mlp analysis #mane six #mane six hogwarts houses #pinkie pie #twilight sparkle #rainbow dash #applejack #fluttershy #rarity #mlp fim #my little pony friendship is magic #mlp gen 4 #hogwarts sorting #mlp x hp #my little pony x harry potter

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seven-am · 2 years

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I have a gift for tumblr :} ao3 loved it so I thought you also might enjoy it

literally just desert duo fluff

The first time Scar said ‘I love you’ was on 3rd Life. Just after his death. Just after Scar turned Red and Grian refused to leave. He had every chance to be free then, every chance to change how it all ended. Because maybe Scar’s confession would have been at a different time, in a safer place. But the two of them were in the desert, a rough bouquet of flowers clutched in Scar’s hands. It was a request for sanctuary, for continued care, for Grian to not leave him alone like he said he would originally.

Grian made a promise, at the beginning. To keep Scar safe until Grian had lost his first life. And when he did? He didn’t go anywhere. He loved Scar. He didn’t admit it to himself originally, but when the words left Scar’s lips… it was like a breath of fresh air. It was true, he knew it was true.

So Grian smiled. He didn’t say it back though. He didn’t need to because Scar engulfed him tightly in a hug and he leant his head on Scar’s shoulder and smiled. He did love him, he didn’t need words to express that. He loved him.

So maybe they were closer on 3rd Life. Maybe Scott teased them relentlessly because somehow he knew, but Grian teased him back about Jimmy. So maybe things were slightly different to how they could’ve been if none of this had happened. But it did happen. And Grian was so, so glad that it did. That first ‘I love you’ meant so much to him. It meant that his feelings were reciprocated, that it wasn’t wrong and that he could be loved (something he had been told would never happen to him by someone in his past – someone he had never really escaped). It meant that Grian wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Scar said I love you a lot. Scar was very openly affectionate and Grian loved it. He loved being swept into a hug from behind, wrapped tightly in his partner's arms, so safe and warm. Grian loved it. He loved Scar.

But this time, it wasn't the best of situations that had led Scar to the three special words. No, of course it hadn't been. The moon was crashing. The moon was going to crash into the world and they knew that they had to get out. There was never an option to stay on this world, even if they'd wanted to.

Scar built a rocket, truly a masterpiece in Grian's opinion, to take them off server, to somewhere safe. his partner’s arms and knowing that he was safe, so so safe here. He loved it. He loved Scar.

But this time, it hadn’t been the most positive reason for Scar to say I love you. Season 8 was weird. Well that was an overwhelming understatement. Season Eight was weird because everything was going horribly wrong and the moon was going to crash and no one knew what was going to happen to them. They were all very scared.

Scar built them a rocket to get them off world. It was the only way to possibly escape their imminent deaths if they were to stay on the server. It was a beautiful rocket, truly a piece of art, much like the things Scar built anyway (and the man himself, not that Grian would ever tell him that). It would’ve been nice if the reason Scar had built it was for anything other than having to escape somewhere they had called their home for several months. Sure, Grian had left places before, he had escaped places before, he had left for his and others’ safety, but never like this. It had never been an evacuation like this, never a mass fleeing for everyone’s lives. And he had never had so much that he didn’t want to lose. There had been friends before, people he had long since lost contact with, people he regretted losing, but never like this. Never anyone like Scar.

So they loaded themselves up into makeshift space suits that Scar had found in his collection of outfits that he had acquired over lifetimes – they were crash dummy suits but whatever protection they could get from the Void would be welcome, even if it wasn’t official space wear. Somehow, amidst all of the chaos and disaster, Scar had had time to dye all of the suits into each of their representative colours. It was so much of a Scar thing to do that Grian couldn’t help but smile slightly. But his smile had quickly turned sour and sad, twisting itself into a grimace, because who even knew if they would make it out of this.

Grian had been in the Void before, he had been one of Them and he knew what it could do to the unsuspecting Player (he shivered, remembering the pain of the frostbite that came from the Void, which permanently marred both his wings and his conscience). He knew how much this could hurt his friends, could hurt Scar. But they had no other choice, so Grian took the protection he could get and prayed that his friends would make it out of this. (He knew really that this experience, whether or not they went through the Void, would scar everyone on this server – apocalypses typically did that to people).

“I love you, you know?” Scar had said it so quietly that Grian almost didn’t hear it. The others had already gone ahead to load themselves up into the rocket. But Grian did hear it and he turned around to face his – were they husbands? Didn’t they get married on 3rd Life? – partner, his face softening. He didn’t want to cry.

The way Scar said it, it made everything seem so final. As if they were going to die and this would be the end. Grian’s heart shattered a little. Up until that point, he hadn’t really thought about their deaths. Sure they had died on 3rd Life, but they had respawned on Hermitcraft. But if Hermitcraft wasn’t there, where would they go? Players with no respawn just died, permanently. Oh. They were going to die.

But Grian didn’t want to die. So he swept Scar into a hug, and then pulled him along to the rocket. They weren’t going to die here. “I’ll see you in the next season, in the next world. I promise.” It wasn’t quite an ‘I love you’ but it was as close as Grian was able to get. He hoped Scar got the message.

The two did see each other again, in the next season of Hermitcraft. Xisuma had rescued them from the Void after floating there for a few months (at least Grian thinks it was months, Time passed weirdly in the Void). They did see each other again. They didn’t die. And perhaps Grian had swept Scar into a bone crushing hug when he saw him again, but that was between him and Scar (and all the other Hermits that were there for the start of the new season).

Time went by quickly and the two built their bases very close to each other. It had been nice being neighbours in the past two seasons, so Grian had built his boulder next to Scar’s tree. More often than not, Grian would wake up in Scar’s arms, curled up in his bed in the tree. It was more comfortable and a lot warmer than Grian’s boulder or the makeshift little house that he had been staying in. Or at least that’s what he told himself. Itwasn’t that he wanted to spend time with Scar, it wasn’t that he wanted to make sure that he was still alive after the events of 3rd Life, Last Life or the end of Hermitcraft 8, and it definitely wasn’t because he missed him. No, of course not.

Scar didn’t mind either way. He woke up gently every morning, the bright and beaming face of Scar looking down on him from where Grian had been curled in his arms. It was nice. It was great even. He loved Scar, but he still couldn’t quite say it outloud. And of course, with the smile came those three magic words. ‘I love you’.

It was on one of these days, where they were just lounging there, neither could be bothered working on projects and the magic that Grian had used on the Entity and the Rift had taken a lot out of him. So they were just lounging there. It had been a bad pain day for Scar as well. So it was in both of their interests to take the day off. It was nice, peaceful, and domestic. Grian wouldn’t mind doing that every day. “I love you.” No fanfare, nothing big. Just a smile and a hug from his partner. Scar said the words so often, perhaps they should lose their meaning. But they hadn’t yet and Grian relished them every time. He loved it.

It was after the end of Double Life that Grian finally said them. He had been partnered with Scar again, perhaps cruelly, perhaps unfairly. The Universe loved toying with him as it was. So he had tried what he could to have someone else’s company for a bit. Not that he minded Scar’s! But sometimes, Grian didn’t think he deserved Scar. Not here, not on this godforsaken server. The last time they had been a team had gone horribly for Scar.

And perhaps it wasn’t fair on Scar to try so hard to have someone else. It had been cruel on Grian’s part. He did regret it.

But the ‘I love you’ hadn’t come with an apology. That would’ve been unfair. It came after their death, when they were home and Zedaph had checked them over for residual injuries. When they were curled up in Scar’s bed, back in the tree because it was nice there. “I love you.” It was quiet, barely a whisper, but Scar heard it. Grian could feel him smile, even if he said nothing. Because it meant so much. It was a first, the first of many. “I love you too.” Grian smiled and tightened his grip on Scar as he kissed the top of his head. It was nice. Yeah, Grian could get used to this.

#grian #goodtimeswithscar #desert duo #trafficshipping #3rd life smp #last life smp #double life smp #yeah #this is soft #that's it #hermitcraft #seven's ficlets

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