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chipthekeeper · 5 months

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After many months of sporadically yelling my thoughts in various posts.........it is time.

*turns out there's like, so much competition for being the worst dad in this galaxy **a biased account from someone with their own very mid dad

Read on for an unnecessarily lengthy argument and just make sure to picture me like this the whole time

The Evidence:

Similarities/parallels between them

Shapeshifting -- They both transform so fully and easily from rebel mode to fancy rich asshole and back again throughout the show. Others do as well, but not nearly as often as they do and not nearly as sharp contrast from one thing to another

Quick tempers -- Evident from the way they snap at each other and the people they work with

Familiar framing -- There’s nothing accidental in this show. I believe the below photos draw a very deliberate, if subtle, parallel between them. We don’t see any of the other rebels using a stick like that, and Luthen's doesn't seem to actually have a function besides making youtubers believe he's a Jedi (I have a whole spin-off conspiracy theory on that we can get into some other day if you ask me)

Blonde -- Obviously. Though it seems Vel's hair is changing for season two. Perhaps a hint that she is trying to distance herself from her father's influence? (okay this part is mostly a joke but then I talked myself into something)

Also, this brand new page from the Dawn of Rebellion visual guide book that made me go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because, you know, proximity is everything. It would have made much more sense for Kleya to be on this page and Vel to be beside Cinta on the next page, right? Nope, not if there's a deeper connection here!

Their first interaction

Even before we meet Vel, Luthen predicts to Cassian exactly how she will react to them being there

He first tries to greet her with a big fake grin. Big time dad behavior to act like none of the past shit between you has ever gone down. But Vel remembers, doesn’t buy the act

Basically their interaction is just very familiar and informal, then breaks down quickly because of their attitudes toward each other

Vel is being very childish for most of it, pacing around, not keeping eye contact, then fully acting like a kid who doesn’t want to pick up their toys (see above picture)

Which then brings the Big Dad Energy from Luthen - "LOOK AT ME!!" he yells. The dadest dad behavior to ever dad. I can so easily picture this from my dad. "Look at me when I'm talking to you! Do what I say!" You have no choice but to shut up and obey unless you want to lose your allowance heist mission

Maybe he does actually care?

The night before the heist, Luthen is acting very strange, so much so that Kleya calls him out for being nervous. This is understandable given the stakes. BUT!

“They’re either going to be okay out there or they’re not” from Kleya is interesting. Be okay, rather than do okay. Like she knows he’s particularly worried about their safety, about one person’s safety especially?

And Vel’s mentioned in the very next line, reminding us of their connection again: "Vel's the only one who traces back" -- could be because she’s the only one who’s seen him, but who would actually be able to “trace” that??

Vel's need for approval

Veeerrryyyyy familiar to every eldest daughter constantly ignored by dad, seen most prominently in her interactions with Kleya

First right after the heist -- "Where is he?" ... "He read your message." "I really thought he'd be here?" Oh? Why's that? Why would he be there unless it was personal? Unless there was some sort of expectation of praise for the job well done, or comfort after losing so much of the team?

Later, before Ferrix, Vel won't give Kleya the information about Maarva's death until she secures the "I'll make sure he knows where it came from" promise from her

Rebellion is a family affair

"But Chip, Vel can't be related to Mon and Luthen!" Why not? There's nothing really that says Luthen isn't/can't be Mon's uncle

In fact, it might even make it easier to understand how a prominent Senator who's outwardly so centrist and careful could get Luthen's attention -- they always knew each other!

Anyway, a visual aid made months ago by @jedi-valjean, outlining the possible family tree, along with what seems to be the typical Chandrilan matriarchal naming conventions:

Vel Sartha, nepo baby

Vel absolutely does not have the experience or the stomach to be leading a mission like Aldhani. Why did he let her? That's right, nepotism

Hints to this in both her interactions with Kleya -- first "this is what revolution looks like" and then "You're off the rails. You're lucky he's not here"

She's clearly not ready and messing things up, but she's not facing any consequences for it because of her proximity to Luthen

Their second interaction

The convo on Ferrix is less loaded but still interesting

Vel looking at him and greeting him with a hint of "oh so you do acknowledge that I exist....but only because I have the information you need"

Again, the way they talk to each other is oddly informal for a boss and subordinate. Plus at the end he gives her tasks like a dad handing out chores

(also seems to like saying Cinta's name to her. supportive of his daughter's girlfriend, that gets him some good dad points)

Luthen's talk with Lonni

pound for pound, this is the most important part outside of their first interaction

As Lonni comes down in the elevator, Luthen congratulates him on becoming a father to a "healthy, beautiful" daughter. Tells him he must be pleased

Lonni thinks he's being threatened, asks "Do you ever think how it might feel from my side?" And Luthen tells him "I think about you constantly."

This. Shit. Makes. Me. CRAZY.

Because Luthen *was* Lonni. Just a guy with a daughter, trying to fight for something better

Also he sacrifices Kreegyr and all his men just to keep Lonni’s cover from being blown. Obviously that’s selfish on one hand, he gets to keep his spy, but also….Lonni’s daughter gets to keep her dad. I don’t think Luthen's just saying that to appease him. “You love your daughter," he says. The whole thing hits home for him and he thinks about it constantly

Basically the whole scene is a conversation between Luthen as he is now and Luthen as he could have been -- “Your investment in the rebellion is epic. A double life. Every day a performance.” He’s TALKING TO HIMSELF

And what does Luthen sacrifice? "...Kinship....Love" -- the love of his family? His kin? He may have his daughter in his life but they're hardly more than coworkers because of what they have to do. They're both sacrificing a real relationship with each other

"I burn my decency for someone else's future" -- he's sacrificed being a good father to fight and make a better future for his daughter!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The shoutout to his ego not having a "mirror" calls us back to Vel and Cinta's conversation, another probably deliberate thread supposed to connect them in our minds

"You'll stay with me, Lonni" can mean both that he's not letting Lonni out of this and, again, that he's always thinking of him (always thinking of that other version of his life)

The Conclusions

Putting together all the evidence and the fact that no one in the show seems to know about the connection between them, I can basically come to two possible conclusions:

Vel didn't find out this man was her father until she was already an adult

She knew him as a child but then he began making his calculations and left her and her mother

Either way, they would have gone years without interacting and thus it would be easy to hide their true connection once they've been reunited. And either way, their relationship would be as strained as it appears. Vel would want to have his attention and approval in a way she never did before, and Luthen would feel guilty enough to give her a job she hasn't really earned.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#i've fully lost it #this was fun tho. no ragrets #andor #luthen rael #vel sartha #honestly feels like i still left some stuff out but good grief #my posts #bookmarks

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sempercry · 2 years

Note

Let this be a mark of stupid/random things in your ask box-- an actual question to start though.

Favorite House of Ashes AU concept AND/OR Favorite HOA headcanon?

That is all (for now dun dun dun) 👁〰👁💛

Oooh oh no... I hope this doesn’t make you regret asking! I always tend to ramble and love having any excuse to talk on and on about this game 😂

Putting under a cut because it got ridiculous (big apology in advance... like seriously!):

AUs

Let me start by saying that for Jalim I think two HoA moments are really integral to them developing feelings for one another, and those would be (1) Jason and Salim opening up/clearing their consciences, and (2) Jason going back for Salim and Salim saving Jason's life with the stake throw.

With that established, my favorite Jalim AUs are the ones that still have their attraction/connection to each other formed through similar-ish acts of selflessness/sacrifice/vulnerability, being forced to overcome differences, and/or another demonstration of character that draws them in (as opposed to a purely physical attraction). I take the two scenes above as "aha" moments for both of them that I think opened up the possibilities for something more... otherwise the opportunity would be missed, not even considered among everything else going on. (open to differing thoughts on this! I just love them)

Touching on my favorite headcanons a little, I tend to lean toward a Jason who has suppressed a lot of his personal urges/desires at the expense of his own happiness and sense of “purpose” in life (and that may even have one-sided feelings for Nick that he'd never dare to express for a variety of angsty reasons). I suppose in some AU circumstances, he wouldn't have to feel as much pressure or need to hide who he is or who he's attracted to, but him hiding behind facades and denying feelings is such a large part of the character we see in the game that it's hard for me to imagine what a Jason who doesn't go through the defining moments in HoA is like. Thankfully others are more imaginative than me so I can explore through them. And of course I also want him to be free to live his best unrepressed life, too, so... *conflicted!*

ALL THAT BEING SAID I pretty much enjoy exploring any AU premise! And the short, simple answer I should have given is probably that I enjoy seeing art AUs of fantastical subjects (vampires, mermaids, bird people, etc.) but love reading fic AUs of the events in the game.

WAIT! Also AUs where the NPCs (Clarice, Dar, Joey, Merwin) get to live are also nice. I’ve seen the group dynamic done so well and everyone’s voices and personalities getting the chance to shine through. Plus then my tragic ship Clarachel is a possibility. Great stuff!

Headcanons

Since I’ve rambled on already about Jalim, here are my favorite headcanons of Jason with the other playable characters (I love Jason, can’t help it). Fair warning that I’m something of a canon stickler and favor in-game clues and actions and dialogue, if that helps explain my way of thinking on some of these and why I keep referring back to game events:

- (Nick) Whether Jason is consciously aware of his attraction to other men or not (or is asexual/demisexual), as said above I kind of like the headcanon of him having feelings for Nick that he’s too professional/responsible/afraid to act on. Like, in his mind, why ruin a good thing? Also, he doesn’t really want to get kicked out of the marines thanks to military policy at that time. So I’ve had the following premise in my head for a while and haven’t known what to do with it:

Probably a Nick-centric thing, where Nick tells Jason for the first time vaguely about his thing with Rachel, maybe a week or two before HoA, and how things seem to finally be looking up after the devastating checkpoint incident. Jason’s genuinely happy for Nick at the news, especially if it means he’ll stop trying to talk to him about the incident, and because privately the guilt hasn’t been letting up on his end. But Nick keeps going on about the mysterious jawn (he has to explain that one - “the what?” maybe Jason mishears as “john” 🤭) on base that seems to be the source of things looking up.

Jason tells Nicky he’s proud of him, but does so in that way where he says the concluding sentiment twice. And by this point, Nick already knows Jason’s tell when he’s lying, so he finds it odd but doesn’t push him on it. Worries a little, but he has time with Rachel to look forward to... so he lets it go. Little bittersweet.

Wasn’t ever sure if it’d make a better fic or comic, but now I’ve shared it and can be at peace haha. Free idea to whomever wants it/feels inspired.

So I don’t really ship Kaychek beyond friendship/quietly unrequited - in my mind, Nick isn’t interested in men at all. Like, I wouldn’t say he ever seems like he’s flirting with Jason, Eric, or Salim in the game, even when he has a good rapport or knows them well. I’m pretty open-minded with HoA’s many combos and options for ships, though - this is just sort of my default :) for the angst!!! Makes it all the sweeter then when Jason finds unexpected love with Salim... and the feelings are mutual, too. 🥰

- (Eric) In my mind, Jason never goes on to have a good relationship with Eric, even under best case circumstances where all playable characters live. After all, regardless of whether the colonel was being a hardass or nice when they met, Eric and his satellite put Jason’s team in danger. Some of them got killed. Eric couldn’t have known exactly what they’d find under the shepherds’ huts, nor that they’d be ambushed, but I’m not sure that’d matter much to Jason. And then with how little Eric was able to take command or lead in any useful way while they were going through hell... and he wanted him to leave Salim behind... I just don’t think he’d have much respect left for him by the end. Maybe if he’s able to hold his own in the hut finale, does his best to help smooth things over if Salim is captured, etc. but I dunno... As a result, it’s tempting to make him an antagonistic force in fics, which I understand is upsetting to some fans (sorry!). It’s just for the sake of that juicy conflict. Eric does have good qualities and is helpful in the game as a character, I’m just not sure how much Jason would see it that way. Again, I’d be open to reading fics exploring otherwise - give me all the content! 🙏🙏

- (Rachel) All “Queen Bitch” aside, I think Jason really does respect and appreciate Rachel in his own way (it’s a term of endearment! ;D). Meanwhile, he’s probably a refreshing presence for Rachel while in the HoA-- neutral to the relationship drama and focused on the task at hand. They have so many great interactions in the game, from promising to come back for her in the cocoon, to explaining the WP/apologizing for Eric, to talking about being sick/infected and Rachel being able to save Jason’s life AND disarm him twice. They’re a lot of fun and though I don’t really ship them together, I appreciate their working relationship. They can have disagreements about what to do about Clarice and Rachel’s infections, but that just makes it all the more interesting. At the least, he respects and appreciates that she wouldn’t have gotten him and his team into the situation in HoA in the first place.

Related note, currently contemplating a post-HoA fic where Eric and Nick have died, Salim walked off into the sunset, and Jason was able to tell CENTCOM where Rachel was cocooned. So thankfully she’s able to corroborate parts of his story and they help one another through the aftermath over many cold ones. Maybe they become temporary roomies, idk. ;) I was thinking Salim might have shot Eric, too, lending more drama since Rachel would have a hard time understanding why Jason would still want anything to do with Salim or be wanting to contact him. They’d share in their deep grief for Nick. Maybe Rachel would eventually help Jason reconnect with Salim. After all, the cocooning idea that saved her life was Salim’s idea. And it paid off... for better or worse.

So basically more angst and feelings. Anddd now I’ve spoiled it! But honestly if anyone’s made it this far, that’s fine 😆 I might not have time to actually write a whole multi-chapter thing, after all

Anyway, thank you for the ask and for coming to my Ted Talk 🙈 please accept these virtual cookies if you made it to the end 🍪🍪🍪 I just love these characters and all the possibilities, and I’ve had so much fun reading other people’s headcanons and AU faves. All interesting! Mad respect for everyone’s preferences in this fandom

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