#we all know there's one in particular in sw that i just....... can't.

[howtofightwrite]

Hello! I have a very particular sort of scene that I've been trying to get right for over ten years now and I can't make it work; I hope perhaps you can help.

A husband and wife duo who have Mixed Feelings about one another are trying to break out of a facility. (He was recently discovered to be a spy, she is a conscripted soldier in the facility. She was sent to escort him to execution but hesitated - I'm not sure where, in the cell, in the hall? - and - he took advantage of this hesitation? she was arrested as a traitor? - I don't know that either, yet - and they end up running through the halls together to escape)

The facility is vaguely sci-fi; think Star Wars Original Trilogy-style weapons, and there is space travel, but technology isn't... wildly advanced. Like it's not all digital and holograms and hand-wavey stuff, it's only a little more advanced than what we have available now. (Like SW OT.)

Point A is them in the cell. Point B is them on a spaceship breaking free.

I cannot get them from Point A to Point B with any kind of plausibility, or without staggering incompetence on the part of the soldiers and commanders in the facility.

They would likely be armed with only her sidearm, unless they happened to grab rifles off of further escorts sent with her?

I'm sorry this is so vague, thank you in advance for any help!

Personally, I’m of the opinion that any scene that’s been marinating in the brain for a long time (especially for years) has deeper structural/internal issues than just putting together action. Just from reading your question, I can feel the way you’ve laid this specific scenario out breaking your own suspension of disbelief. You’ve got several problems that have built up over time and, now, they’re all working against you.

Change if it’s Not Working

One of the best pieces of writing advice I ever got came from being forced to memorize my martial arts school’s Ten Steps to Mastery as part of my first test for black belt. I only remember the first five and I can’t guarantee they’re all in order.

Set a goal

Take action

Pay attention to detail

Practice, Practice, Practice

Change if it’s not working

Regardless of whether you’re practicing a front kick or writing a full length novel, flexibility is important. The more we try to force something to work, the less likely it will. Training flaws into your technique means they’ll be more difficult to correct later. So, don’t forget to stop and look at the larger picture if you feel yourself getting stuck.

Remember, change isn’t failure. Writing is a complex process and not every idea, plotline, character moment, or scene is going to work out when fit into a larger context. And that’s okay.

Outside emotional exhaustion and stress, my writer’s block kicks in when I’ve taken a wrong turn in the narrative or am avoiding a difficult emotional moment that my characters need to face before their story can progress. Something has made me/them uncomfortable and instead of facing it, I’m attempting to avoid the uncomfortable feeling by throwing some other distracting piece, usually action, in the way. I call these moments false notes. I usually hit them when I’m coming at the story from an external perspective (what have I seen other characters do in other stories/films?) rather than an internal one. (What would this character do?)

If something isn’t working, stop trying to make it work. Instead look for what you’re missing, and where the pieces aren’t connecting. It’s usually further back than the scene you’re working on.

My characters are always right. I’m either not listening or going about it the wrong way.

Food for thought.

Your Heroes are Reactively Active

We hear a lot from the writing community about the importance of Active Characters. These are characters who are doing things to move the plot forward. They make choices. They take action. Then, there are passive or, what I like to call, reactive characters. They are characters who react to things in their environment, whatever that is, but they’re not actively making choices. Passive characters get a bad rap in American storytelling tradition (more so than in the wider Western storytelling tradition.)

Passive characters really shine when working with characters who are in settings where they’re struggling to survive. In the real world, passivity is one of the best ways to survive abuse. Any victim of long term or systemic abuse can tell you that standing up and fighting back, especially in situations where you have no power or means to change your circumstances, makes the situation exponentially worse. You’ve got to gray rock it out, suppress, and survive.

Lastly, there are characters I like to call reactively active. These are characters who feel like they’re being active but are actually just reacting to actions taken by other characters. They appear a lot in YA Fantasy, but they’re everywhere. And, because these characters are always reacting to another character’s (usually the villain’s) actions and choices, they get an easy out when it comes to escaping narrative consequences for the things they do. It’s a deceptive sleight of hand used to maintain a character’s moral purity. These characters appear active on the surface, but, underneath, they’re passively reacting to the narrative events inflicted on them. They don’t take action. They respond to action with action.

Let’s get back to your scenario.

We have a husband and wife in some sort of heavily or, at least, decently fortified, military installation. The husband has been outed as a spy, put in whatever functions as a prison or holding cell within the complex, and scheduled to be executed. The wife is a loyal soldier who must now choose between her love for her husband and her love of duty.

This has the makings of some good drama.

The first obvious problem point is that these characters are trying to do too many things at once. They’re coming to terms with their deep feelings of betrayal, experiencing a last minute change of heart, making a snap decision to escape, and rapidly coming up with a plan to escape in the heat of the moment. If this feels unbelievable, it’s because it is and, even better, doubles for putting the characters in a reactive or passive state. The wife character isn’t acting, so much as she’s reacting last minute to the immediate, impending danger. That would be fine if she wasn’t also having to help carry the burden of coming up with The Plan.

There’s the surface level here, where the last minute change of heart is mimicking the kinds of behavior seen in countless other forms of media regarding escape scenes. However, this narrative decision happening in the heat of the moment is also allowing the character to skate over the emotional consequences of her own betrayal. She’s not choosing so much as she’s being forced to make a choice. And that is removing her agency.

If she makes the choice earlier, starts putting The Plan in place with the help of some friends/colleagues (even if it happens largely off page) then executes at the cell, she takes back her agency and retains her status as an active character.

The difference here is in the processing time. Characters can’t plausibly escape fortified lock up without a plan or, really, The Plan.

The Narrative Structure of Last Minute Rescues

The first problem in your scenario is that you have two characters, neither of which are doing the pre-planning legwork required to successfully execute The Plan. Rescues are like heists, they either take a village or require characters who are extremely meticulous and actively manipulating the village to fill in the gaps. (James Bond does Option 2 beautifully, but even he has a team behind him.) Usually, both happen to some degree. The burden is segregated out into different pieces for different characters. Normally, there’s at least three. The character locked up is trying to figure out a way to escape, but comes up short. The one on the outside who is putting together the pieces needed to execute the rescue/get away. And, sometimes, the one on the inside who is experiencing a change of heart, who, at the very last minute, turns heel and assists with the rescue (most often in the turn of misfortune where a piece fails and the rescue is at risk of being bungled.)

All of this additional weight/build up/expectation of the non-existent plan is being put on two characters and crammed into a single scene.

Think about the rescue of Princess Leia from the Death Star for a moment. How many characters are required to make that escape work?

Seven.

All of them. If a single character in the entire group is missing, the whole thing falls apart. Even Threepio is necessary, mostly because Artoo can’t talk. This off the cuff, by the seat of our pants rescue requires all seven characters and they still end up bungling it to kill their samurai master.

You need one to turn off the tractor beam so they can actually escape. (Doing the real work.)

You need one to figure out where the princess is being held, unlock the doors, and figure out where they are.

You need two to bullshit past the guards going in and one to pretend to be a prisoner.

You need one to bullshit past the guards a second time to save the one that can’t talk with the floor plan.

You need the princess to be the one to get them back out because she’s the only one with balls.

And none of it mattered because the escape was a trap all along.

While you don’t need these specific roles for everything, escaping from a heavily fortified facility is not a two man job. That’s where the feelings of implausibility and extreme incompetence are coming from. There aren’t enough characters helping to clear the way or be there as a safeguard for when things go wrong. This feeds into the next problem.

Soldiers, Spies, and Their Squads

We have another unintended scenario brewing at the same time. And that’s the exhausted retail employee going on a rampage and slaughtering their surprised colleagues. This really knifes your tension. By reacting to the immediate danger, the wife is not making an active, conscious choice with full knowledge of the consequences, and those consequences are killing people she knows, respects, is friends with, shares a camaraderie, or who are at least familiar to her. These other soldiers aren’t faceless goons. It’s a lot harder to pull the trigger on someone you know than someone you don’t, especially someone who has the same values that you do.

Soldiers aren’t characters who work alone. They have a squad. They’re part of a unit. They have a support network surrounding them that allows them to do their job to the best of their ability. Spies are the same way. They also have a support network which allows them to act to the best of their ability, even when it feels like they’re acting alone. Spies have handlers and they have assets, their job requires they build their own support networks so they have someone who can get into the places where they can’t. Those people may be witting or unwitting assets but they’re still there.

Both of these characters should have fairly extensive support networks to fall back on when in crisis. They’re in crisis. The crisis is both physical and emotional. Where are their people? Two characters who are social archetypes whose jobs and survival during wartime are reliant on building trust and skillful communication have no one willing to put their lives on the line to help them out? They only have each other? That’s staggering incompetence.

Spies aren’t assassins. They’re social animals. Soldiers aren’t lone wolves. They’re social animals. If there’s a structural failure here, it’s happening with your secondary characters.  Ignoring the importance of secondary characters is a mistake that a lot of new writers make and I can feel those early mistakes being carried forward in this scene. This is what Hemingway meant when he said, “kill your darlings.” If an idea isn’t working, if it’s holding you back, kill it. Look at the problem and your work from a new angle. One good line or one good scene, regardless of your emotional attachment to it, doesn’t outweigh the entire work.

Plans and Floor Plans

If you’re having trouble coming up with a character’s escape, step back and take a look at the facility itself. Whether it’s breaking in or breaking out, you, the author, need to have a clear visualization of the entire picture so you can find the weaknesses or fracture points.

Plans are easier to conceptualize when you know what the dangers are and what defenses have been put in place to prevent what your characters are attempting. Which parts of the fortress are better fortified than others? Where does this military expect to be attacked? What have they done to prevent it? What are the patrols? Who are the techs? How does the military support itself while fending off attempts to damage its resources? Who handles the supply lines?

The boring minutiae of your world is what makes it feel real. Action is dependent on your world building and this goes deeper than just their weapons. The social systems in place guide how your characters fight. It’s there in how they perceive their environment, and how they recognize usable tools. If you build a functional and consistent world, the action will take care of itself because violence is a natural response to environmental threats. Violence seeks to exploit established systems, to gain an advantage over them. If the violence is imagined separately from the environment, the violence won’t feel real because it’s not reactive and it’s not reacting to environmental stimuli. From there, it’s not logical.

Ask yourself, why do we use guns?

Then ask yourself, why do your characters use guns? What does it allow them to do that they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise? Or, what does the gun do better than other weapons that makes it the preferred choice?

The answer for the real world and your setting might be the same, and they might be different. Both will influence how the character uses their weapon. How they use their weapon guides how they fight. If you’re lost, ask yourself questions.

For example, let’s take a last look at the prison.

Prisons are built with the expectation of keeping multiple people contained for an extended period of time, preventing them from leaving in the event of an escape, and preventing those who are sympathetic from breaking in to rescue them. What have the characters in your setting (not your protagonists) done to facilitate that goal? What safeguards have been put in place to prevent someone from leaving and entering?

In the real world, prisons are built in a way that two people can’t just walk out. There are points of entry and exit that are designed to be remotely controlled from secure locations and cannot be operated or accessed on the ground. You’d need someone (like R2-D2) who can access the remote functions to get someone past the exits that they can’t open themselves.

-Michi

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#howtofightwrite #Michi answers #writing advice #writing reference #writing tips

[swearyshera]

Unused ideas

My notes app had so many different ideas that didn't make it onto the blog, so I thought I'd put them here and talk about why they didn't get included. A little 'bonus content', if you will.

They're in no particular order, just how they were when I opened it.

Catra sorry but afraid to commit. Adora also afraid This was a bit too general to make it into a particular scene, but I did like the idea that they're both afraid to take that big step and ask for/accept love. I think it got touched on, but I couldn't really find a good opportunity to outright say that.

Adora has nothing real. Catra in heart: I finally know what's real, it's me and you. One of numerous rejected ideas for the Heart scene. The notion of Adora not having anything real (Angella not really being her mom, Light Hope not really being a proper guide, She-Ra not even really being the hero she expected) was a cool idea, but I covered it back at the beginning of season 5 and it just wasn't a strong enough motivation to carry through to the finale.

Mara: You're afraid of being hurt. Adora: Course I'm fucking afraid, I got hurt before This was from the 'you're worth more than what you can give to other people' scene. I loved these lines, but by the time I got to that scene, it was clear the story was about so much more than just admitting her feelings to Catra, it was about the idea of allowing herself a happy life in general.

Dryl is like IKEA If I hadn't thought this up after the episode that took place in Dryl, I would have absolutely done this. We just never went back.

Finale is Catra proposing for real - I can't live without you/A world without you is no world/Love yourself because I do/What's the point in creating a world where you can be yourself if you aren't there too? Various rejected lines and ideas for that 'don't you get it' scene. They just weren't as good as what you ended up seeing.

This is the point of you - to love and to be loved. That's all any of us ever asked This one was also for that scene, and played on Adora's repeated asking of "What's the point of me". It's a great line in isolation, but it didn't fit with the others around it

Wanna fuck?/I've gotta save the universe first We ended up with a toned-down version of this, because there's undercutting the tension and there's undercutting the tension. Yup, there are even times where I reject the cruder lines!

Entrapta has a birth mark. Hordak knows. Another one on the slightly cruder side, but I couldn't really find a place that this worked. Maybe next time...

(On Prime's ship) Glimmer accuses Catra of being like SW and that's why Catra decides to help. "You're not perfect yourself, Princess"/"Wow, you can tell Shadow Weaver raised you" In hindsight, this just looks like it's unnecessarily harsh. I get what I was aiming for, a point of reflection for Catra that she may be going down the wrong path, but now I look back, I'm glad I didn't include this.

Corridors - Glimmer: It would be nice if you apologised for being a bitch to me/Catra: That would imply I'm sorry about it This one would have fit a lot better than the above idea, but the two of them bickering whilst fighting was funnier.

And that's the unused stuff! Would you have liked to see it in the blog? Happy that it didn't happen? Let me know!

[tc-doherty]

The Hildspel of Athelhyrst | Chapter One

I don't know what else I would do with this if not share it here, so here is Chapter 1, the culmination of an entire year's worth of work!

I don't know how easy it will be to read both because, well, it's a language that doesn't exist and also because I can't exactly do footnotes. But you're more than welcome to try! I did put notes for things that may not have needed them because some of them are still words we have but either we use them very rarely or use them in a different way than they would have been. And some things were executive decisions or me explaining world building I can't get to yet. I figured it was better safe than sorry.

I'm genuinely very proud of not only the fact that I wrote this whole chapter, but of some of the sentences in particular. I think it still manages to have a little flair! Also before you say "but isn't this familiar…" yes, it is sort of me filing the serial numbers off of my Binding Blade fanfiction. But only kind of. I am going to be taking the plot and story in a very different direction, because in the end my fanfiction didn't really resemble the original plot that much anymore anyway.

Edit: I'm in the process of updating this to have a glossary instead so my notes will be disappearing. I will link the glossary below.

Tagging the people I know or think are interested, even if you just want to look at it.

@almedha @thegoddesswater @emilyoracle @magefaery @outpost51 @sam-glade @did-i-do-this-write

2,226 words.

Anglish Wordbook

Cynefrith stood next to her father, gazing out over the heathfield. Under the bright sun she could wellsee the witherwin heer, their swords gleaming with witting evil. The sight chilled her, although she knew that to them, her own shire's heer must look the same.

"Why would they set here?" She asked him.

The witherwin's motherland, Hyllworth Rich, was all highlands - full of barrows and firrows. Their heer fought afoot, horses not being behooveful in such a land, and so a flat lowland field was far from a wise kir. A gouth like this could only be won with fullbore work and hardship. Cynefrith may be young and seldom acosted, but she knew that their king was said to be cunning, and this was not.

Lord Wulfric, frea of Lindingham and highfrea of all the Weared Shires, laughed. "My beloved daughter," he said, "they know we would never bestir our heer to meet a foe cowering amongst the barrows of their motherland."

"But-"

He held up a hand to forestall her. "Yet just as true, such mistrust is the burden of a highfrea. Sunngifu!"

At his call, a harwickner hied to his side from a gathering of ferdmen standing afar. Sunngifu was a tall woman of middling years, a stern demeanor, and seldom seen skill with spear and bow. She dropped to one knee in front of them. "Yea, my lord?"

Lord Wulfric kept looking at the field in front of them. "This land should have been well sifted, is this true?"

"Down to every blade of grass, my lord. High harwickne Osgar saw to it."

"And is aught amiss?"

"Nothing, 'tis but a field."

"Mayhaps King Lanzo is not so clever as he thinks. That is as it is with most men." He ruffled Cynefrith's hair, as he had been wont to do all her life. "Still my lass, keep your wit about you. Lo! Sunngifu, I entrust you, also, to keep my daughter hearty and hale."

“As you say, my lord.”

"Father!" Cynefrith said. "Don't bid such a needless thing! Who will wield Sunngifu's horse?"

It was needless indeed to her. Sunngifu belonged where all of the harwickners belonged - on the heathfield. Cynefrith on the other hand was a dry, and her stead was to be afar, helping the ferdmen with her drycraft. There was little plee to her life, nor was she so frough as to need unyielding warding. To bangle away Sunngifu's time with such a behest was truly hyeless.

But in this she and her father were unthwear.

"As erfward to the highseld of highfrea, you are always a worthwhile target. Any ferdman would be happy to put a witherwin harfrea to the sword. Never forget this. And your anlet, my daughter, is well known to them."

Indeed she could not withsake this soothquid. More than being Lady of Lindingham, more than being the next highfrea of the Weared Shires, she was known because of her mother. The wedlock of a frea to a sellsword would alone be tidings. But that sellsword also happened to be from the eastern eltheed of Skulata. Cynefrith shared some of her mother's outlander looks, being smaller of build and lighter of skin and hair than oftseen. Yea, she was known everywhere. Anyone who saw a girl of Skulatan look outfitted in high Lindingham godweb would know it was her.

Sunngifu broke in. "My underwickner will stand-in to wield my horse for me. There is no hitch in this."

"Yea, I understand."

Wulfric laughed again. "My clever daughter! But look there, they begin to stir. It is time for me to speak to the men." He strode away back to the main body of the heer, leaving Cynefrith and Sunngifu alone.

Lord Wulfric spoke to his men from atop his horse, cutting a truly helethish ansen outfitted as he was in thick gouthhedden fratowed with markings in hues of dark hewn and whelkred, bright iron cloth peeking from beneath, a hackle slung about his shoulders, his great poleaxe at his side.

She did not stop to listen to his speech but went to stand with the other dry who stood aside from the main body of the heer. Drycraft needed clear sightlines, it would not do for them to be fanged by the dwolm of a gouth in full swing. Sunngifu followed after her.

She would not be the only ward standing by the dry that day, indeed not, for dry were often main targets. Why not, when they fought so well from afar, full farlen of even the strongest, swiftest arrows. Some dry were also arade in healcraft and could undo even the most dreadful of heathglembs.

She was not one of them. Indeed, how could she be? Cynefrith was the child of gouthrink on both sides of her blood. Her drycraft was never that of frith, but that of the dwolm of the heathfield.

There were not many dry, only some few handfuls. Many of them were known to her, if only by anlet. She nipped her head to them the barest whit – she was, after all, the daughter of a frea. Those who saw byed in anqueath.

Cynefrith watched her father and looked over the heer. It was not small. She knew that over half the heer of the Weared Shires came from Lindingham alone. Lord Wulfric wielded five high harwickners, each of whom wielded three harwickners.

She misliked it, this happening. She asked of Sunngifu, "King Lanzo's heer was sifted, yea?"

"Yea, my lady."

"How many men does he wield?"

"To my knowledge, nigh on twelve thousand."

Twelve thousand, to abide a witherwin of nigh on fifteen thousand. Cynefrith misliked it. King Lanzo was wise, and sarecrafty, of this he was namecouth. But his deeds now were hyeless. To strike a bigger heer, on land they well knew, in weather which could only give them the upperhand? It must have shown on her anlet, because Sunngifu spoke.

"Lord Wulfric is oft accosted on the heathfield."

"Of this I am aware. But to my kin, overmood is no comeling. It fells great men and lackwits alike. Indeed, more of the latter, as all men are lackwits under its yoke."

"Shall you speak to your father again?"

Her hands clenched the woof of her rooc, rimpling it, but she shook her head. "Much may it misqueme me, I have spoken and he has not heeded. To do more is not yet my bailiwick."

Her father had stopped speaking, and now shied his horse to stand forward from his men. She could see him watching the foe, seemingly at eath. He was hewed in fire and iron, the winner of a thousand heathfields alike to this one.

Overmood, Cynefrith thought to herself sourly. She could not wile the days to come, nor could anyone. But there was a trap here, she knew it. Something was wrong, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

The lift wended then, in the way it does before a storm breaks. It was neither leven nor thunder but the long, low call of a horn. Both heer bestirred, alike nothing so much as two great wilders from the folktales, roaring to seethe their alderdom.

It was not her father who stirred first, but when the men of Hyllworth overflowed from their barrows thwarst the plain like so many ants, his own horn sang out sweet the call to take up weaponing.

The horses' great hooves shook the ground as they raced forward, making Cynefrith's heart bever in her chest. She did her best not to heed, her craft needed as much mindfulness as that of any swordsman, mayhap more. A swordsman may see his weapon as a stitch of himself, and wield it as such. A dry could call upon all the might of the earth and sky, but it was ever itself - its true hearsomeness never was to man.

Of all the world's many showings, leven most eathfully came to her hand, and it was this she now called. On a day with a hoder sky, leven seemed made wholly for this end.

It came willingly this day, prancing about her in the wary wise of all half-tame wild things – throwing off sparks from her hands as it did so. It would not bide long, nor would she ask it to.

She set her sights on a seemingly worthwhile man – one with a loth of bright goldbloom about his shoulders, a great sword at his hip, and a rooc of iron cloth. The leven saw him too and flew to his side, sword and iron cloth both made an outstanding roost for it to land upon.

She could not hear him scream, but she saw him jerk and fall, bringing about a fit of groor in his horse. That would spread, as would the leven – leaping from copper to iron to brass, anything that would hold it. It may hit fere as well as foe were they near, but such was a plee of drycraft. At least she could say leven did not outlast its welcome as did some. Leven would soon tire of this game she set and flee, unlike hungry fire, who could always find more to eat.

She went to her wicken with a willing heart, but it was not long before she once again felt something was amiss.

On the heathfield beneath her the heers were stirring – both wending towards the barrows afar. As they did, her father and his men drew further and further from their starting set – far enough that her drycraft could no longer reach.

When first her spell did not land, she felt a hard lump of dread make in her a home, though she could not give steven to why. But then she heard once more the mournful call of a horn which seemed to her a roop from death itself, so unalike was it to the horns up until that brightomwhile.

At first nothing happened.

But then, from behind those sharp fangs of the earth they rose – drakes in sere score, with riders weaponed for gouth.

"Nay!" She did not underyet her reard until it throughwent her lips, but she knew – lo, how well she knew – that her father's heer was not reacon of withstanding drakes.

How had Hyllworth Rich gotten them? They did not live there, they were from – as her mother had been – far eastern Skulata.

In truth it did not dow. The drakes were here, and making for her father and his heer at speed.

"My lady." It was Sunngifu, who grabbed her arm and fanded for her to heed.

Cynefrith shook her off.

"We must leave."

"I cannot! My father-" Cynefrith took a few steps and fanded to raise a strong wind. Wind did not care for her ofttimes, but to-day it came, to no freem. They were too far. They were too far, and she was not strong enough. Was she or was she not the daughter of Lord Wulfric, of the namecouth sellsword Arite? Was she or was she not the afterbear of a hundred or more gouthrink?

She fanded anew, to the same outcome.

"My lady," Sunngifu said again. Her reard was frithful, but her grip was not as she hent once again Cynefrith's arm and began to pull her away.

"I cannot, I beseech you, let go!"

Sunngifu was stronger by far, and drycraft was not behooveful so near lest she wish to hit also herself. Cynefrith had naught but her words – which fell on deaf ears.

"Your father may yet live, but you cannot fall here, my lady. It was his behest of me. We must eftcome to Lindingham Borough."

Arrows and spells flew and the drakes swooped low as Sunngifu both pulled and shoved Cynefrith to where their horses stood.

"Unhand me at once!" Cynefrith yelled as Sunngifu lifted her into the saddle.

"Nay, my lady. For now I still must follow your father's hests."

She swung with eath into the saddle and, upon grabbing the leads of both horses, gave hers a mighty kick which sent them both leaping away in the bearing of home.

Cynefrith could only watch as the drakes – now quickly growing small – began to land.

#writeblr #writing #tc's writing #The Hildspel of Athelhyrst #goodness this was quite a project #I am having a lot of fun though! #Hopefully chapter 2 will be finished before next December LOL

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

Rambling Anon again *waves*

I've been thinking about a particular line of dialogue, two actually, and how the repetition of this line relates to Ada's character.

The lines I'm talking about are Leon's "You try to save one person; a hundred others die." v. Wesker's "A hundred will give their lives so that just one may live."

The subjects are similar, but the wording, the tone, and the characters saying these lines make them vastly different and offer vastly different perspectives on the world. Leon has always and continues to be a very selfless person. He is all about saving people, even if he doesn't know them, even if they actually don't need saving, just in case they do. Meanwhile Wesker is all about looking out for #1. We know that he's working on Ouroboros and his whole plan for the next stage in human evolution (RE5) and he doesn't care about the number of casualties.

So Leon gives his line about 3/4 of the way through the game. With Separate Ways out now we know exactly what Ada has been doing up to this point. Her job. BUT her opening narration reflects on the cost of her successfully completing her job, and how she's torn up about this now all thanks to Leon and Raccoon.

Ada has always been an actions>words person. She's very curt and a bit... snarky(?) to the others, but once she learns of Leon's existence in the island, most of the time she's keeping an eye or an ear out for him. In both versions of SW she rings the church bell. Now, in both versions she's at the Church primarily because her mission led her there (Wesker told her to go / Luis said to meet there) but in the remake, she rings the bell because she knows Leon needs help, as opposed to Wesker telling her to do so and it also happens to benefit Leon.

Anyways, so the audience knows that Ada isn't as cold as she presents herself. She's constantly having this little internal war where she wants to be a good person, but her job largely makes that extremely hard. And Ada's "job" isn't exactly the type where you hand in your two-weeks and everyone wishes you well. So she has to look out for herself and also do her job but is trying to find ways in which she can sabotage it without it coming back to bite her.

So Wesker's line at the end of the game is an interesting contrast. Not only in the different phrasing, because while Leon's comment is focused on the fact that he can't save everyone, Wesker's is focused on the saving of the one and I think it's an interesting way of showing Ada's personal conflict with those two sides of her, the side that wants to do good, and the side that has to look out for herself. And in the end, she openly defies Wesker, putting herself at immense risk. Her helicopter was still in range of Wesker's guns. So that is an interesting choice because it contradicts her tendency of self-preservation. Perhaps she thinks that Wesker still thinks she's useful to him, or his tendency to threaten her has gotten old and she's calling his bluff, but I think this decision is a big turning point in her character and, while she's not ready (or able) to leave her career, she becomes more concerned with the impact her actions and her clients have on the world.

Anyways, sorry about the essay. I don't know if I actually got to my point or what, but yeah... thoughts?

HELLO AGAIN BABY

i think it's also interesting to think about the fact that leon's mission is just to save ashley. one person. while it's true that half of the island dies as well. luis too. and as we get further along in leon's life there's more blood spilled because of him.

i really wish we also got a little flashback or something for ada. but the inclusion of her little monologue was good. i think it's also good that we got her understanding of her acceptable of what she's done and that it's true that leon affected her in more ways than one.

okay im ngl

i don't know why people are so torn up about the "reason" why ada rings the church bell. she still does it. SURE she had other reasons why she's up there. but like??? i would argue she has LESS REASON TO RING THE BELL. she's up there for another reason already- she doesn't HAVE to do anything up there. she hears leon "needing help," so she rings it. it just narratively made it so that she was already up there.

anyways i think it's a small non-issue, i don't know why people were upset. it still fits in line with helping leon and her reasoning isn't THAT MUCH DIFFERENT.

i think (and i've been saying this for MONTHS probably years) is that capcom is focusing on ada's "redemption arc" as soon as possible. we saw glimpses of this in re6. but they really want to pound it into stupid people's brains that she's not evil, never has been.

we have to remember that SURE leon is stuck in a life he never wanted

BUT ALSO ADA IS TOO.

Ada's stuck in a life she never wanted.

i think that the ending is interesting and opens up to see the repercussions of ada's choices. that even if she "does the right things," bad things still happen. we have to remember that morally good choices can STILL LEAD TO A BAD ENDING.

this is why i ask people to question why characters do things and IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY MORALLY GOOD OR NOT. characters like leon who are characterized as "the good one" HAS MADE SEVERAL bad decisions that are BAD AND MORALLY WRONG, but had lead to a good ending. that DOESN'T NEGATE THE FACT HE DID A BAD THING.

similarly ada "choosing to do the good thing," can still lead to a bad ending.

to me, ada has always been the lesser of two evils. she's not dipped her toes in, she's swimming in it. if she can pick a lesser evil, she will. if she can screw someone over so that something lesser bad happens, she will. it's the tiniest bit of self control she has left in her life. self preservation is important in the sense that she can trust herself, and that seems to be the one thing that's seen even after we see her lose luis. that even though she seems closer to him in this iteration, she still can't feel any emotion about it.

rather, she won't let herself do that.

anyways yeah i still have some thoughts too but they're stewing

#ask heart #heart answers #rambling anon #ada wong #leon s kennedy #leon kennedy #aeon #leon x ada #leon kennedy x ada wong #leon s kennedy x ada wong #luis serra #luis sera #separate ways #albert wesker #re4r #separate ways remake

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

Stumbled upon your master list of SW meta you wrote, and enjoyed reading through some of them, especially the ones that examined and defended the jedi order. I point to the jedi order in particular because when you pointed out that the number of jedi in the galaxy are proportionally smaller compared to a planet with a population in the trillions, it reminded me of a bad take regarding the order (which is conflated with the whole "the jedi are actually the bad guys" in SW): that the jedi are eugenicists because their adoption of force sensitive children. This never sat right with me given that the jedi never seemed the type to be concerned with propagating their numbers in some form of "purity" (genetic or force sensitivity wise). Any chance you can gleam into the nitty-gritty of this take's unsavory implications?

OOf, that's an old ask, and that reminds me that I really need to update that masterlist 😅 (and me saying that is an even older draft, oops 😂)

Okay, the idea of the Jedi being *eugenicists* is SO out of left field that I feel like it doesn't even deserve to be really addressed so much as mocked, because words mean things.

To be quite fair, I don't think I've ever seen anybody seriously use that word. (It may very well have happened tho, I just can't remember somebody seriously making the claim and sticking to it.) Even the infamous KT rant (see below) doesn't call them that - the extremely weird and frankly absurd take is that they embody supremacist ideas and that people who are into them believe there is such a thing as an inherently superior person. She does use the word "Nazi" (just wow), but I don't think she was going for the eugenics part, just the run of the mill white supremacy theories. People on both sides of the argument may have misquoted/misinterpreted her on that though.

(Seriously woman, why were you even writing for Star Wars?! YOU DIDN'T EVEN LIKE IT!)

Now, eugenics? (This post is so weird to write, I can't even) ⇊

It is LAUGHABLE to use it in relation to the Jedi Order, because as you accurately put it, the Jedi just aren't interested in... making babies.

Do they force their members to procreate, even artificially? Absolutely not.

Are they seeking to improve the Order by only taking in the healthiest, strongest, most powerful children? No. They were ready to reject Anakin, for one thing.

Are they studying how to arrange reproduction in the rest of the galactic population? No.

Is there a ban on non-Jedi Force sensitives having children of their own? No. Are they forced or even strongly encouraged to have children of their own? No.

Do Jedi control who Force-sensitives are allowed to have children with? No.

Do Jedi test for Force-sensitivity and keep records of it? Yes. But they don't seem to keep genealogies - there's nothing that says the list in the Holocron is a permanent one either - rather, the way it's phrased and the way there's only babies on it, names are probably erased eventually. And the purpose of the list has nothing to do with increasing the occurence of Force-sensitivity.

Are non-Jedi Force sensitives forced by law to give up their kids? No.

Do Jedi automatically take in Force-sensitive children anyway? No. Bardotta and Dathomir are right there and nobody's bothering them.

Is the Order ableist? No. We even see plenty of disabled Jedi and nobody is throwing them out. (Amputees like Anakin and elderly people like Yoda and Tera Sinube, for starters. Also Prosset Dibs, or Tahl in Legends).

The Force isn't even proven to be reliably 'transmissible' from one generation to the next - the Force 'being strong' in particular families may just as easily be for more spiritual reasons depending on how you want to look at it. Because, you know, Star Wars isn't all literal.

IT'S JUST SO DUMB.

NOTHING ABOUT HOW THE ORDER WORKS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT THAT WORD MEANS.

(I'm sorry I'm not dissing you for the ask I just don't get how anybody could ever have said that 😂😭)

#ask #jaculvaserinelozor #sw talk #jedi order

[weird-is-life]

hiii can u write reader x Spencer? platonic

a fluff where reader comes out as a lesbian

only if u feel comfortable

Hii, ty for the request! I could definitely see Spencer being a total wingman for the reader and everything 🤧hope this is okay! Warnings:pet names, use of y/n, fluff, (0.7k)

You haven't been a part of the bau for a long time. You are basically still a newbie, but thanks to the team you feel like you've been there for much much longer.

And especially, thanks to one particular agent, Spencer. He's been so sweet and such a good friend to you from the moment you stepped a foot into the building.

But that's all he can ever be to you, a good friend. And he recently invited you for a Halloween movie night at his place and you fret about him thinking of it as a date. But you agreed to go, before you could truly think about it.

So right now, you are stepping in front of his door on a completely random day. Preparing for the probable end of your friendship.

You knock on the door and wait for him to open. You can hear some shuffling and his shout 'I'll be right there'.

When the door opens, it reveals Spencer with a messy hair and a comfy clothes, you've never seen on him before.

"Y/N? Hi, what are you doing here?" he asks a little confused, but still very sweet to you.

"Hey," you greet him sheepishly," I'm sorry I came unannounced, but do you have a minute? Could we talk?"

"Of course, come in," he says, zero hesitation in his voice.

You unsurely stand in the middle of the room, completely in your head at the moment.

"You okay?" Spencer asks, slight concern laced in his expression.

"Yeah, I just don't know how to tell you what I need to tell you," you sigh, eyes looking everywhere but Spencer.

"It's okay, whatever you want to tell me, I'm here for you. But it's also okay if you decide you don't want to tell me anything. I completely understand, " he reassures you, his kind smile and soft eyes easing the worry about loosing your friendship with him a little.

You let your thoughts settle in your mind, before you start speaking. "Okay, so Spence. I like you, I really do. You've been a great friend from the start and-and you've helped me adjust better to everything at the bau. I'm very grateful for you and that you are always here for me....." you take a big breath, before you continue your rant," but Spence, I can't come to the movie night. I'm not sure if I understood it wrong or something, but I...you probably intented it as a date. W-which in any other situation  I would be happy to go on, but I can't. Because-.....because I-I am not interested in men, Spencer. I'm sorry."

It takes Spencer a couple of seconds to comprehend what he's just heard. But his reaction surprises you.

"Fuck...I'm so so sorry y/n. If I made you feel uncomfortable in any way, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. But I genuinely want you to come over for the movie night, the others will be there, too. I should have mentioned the team'll be here. I should have known how the invite must have sounded to you, I'm sorry." He gives you an apologetic smile, eyes wide from worry.

"And more importantly, I'm happy for you, y/n and I love you, no matter what. You are a great friend and you deserve to be happy," he carefully takes one of your hands into both of his amd gives it a friendly, reassuring squeeze.

"I-I...thank you, Spence. It means a lot," you respond, teary eyed. You braved yourself for much worse reaction, not this, his lovely words warming your heart.

He carefully gives you a tight hug, until you have to push him away, gasping for the air with a chuckle.

"And for the next time, Spence. Please be more specific on the number of people that you invite somewhere," Spencer laughs at that, cheeks going red.

"I'm sorry, I really am and I will definitely remember to do that for the next time," he says, voice very sorry and amused at the same time.

"Good." You smile at him, cheeks puffy from all the crying not stopping you from smiling big at hjm.

Spencer, the sweetheart he is, invites you for a friendly! coffee as an apology and a way to let you know, that he loves you no matter what.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you

[radiosummons]

Not that Dave Filoni or Jon Favreau haven't said some weird shit related to Star Wars lore /The Mandalorian before, but I'm kind of starting to question whether a lot of the reactions people have had towards the things they've been saying in interviews lately are maybe just a tad bit off?

Not really in regards to them saying they have no ending in mind for The Mandalorian (which, yeah, I'm dealing with that little factoid in my own way), but more so the reactions people have been having to them talking about Ahsoka and Luke.

Because as wild as saying something like "Ahsoka and Luke technically aren't Jedi" is .... from what I've gathered it was just them having a nerdy discussion about SW lore, not too disimilar from the conversations I see play out here on Tumblr and like those nerdy talks that I have with my own friends. You know, something not to actually to be taken completely at face value or some new law of canon. But more so just a casual nerdy discussion of a particular piece of fandom lore.

Like, no shit, everyone agrees that Ahsoka and Luke are Jedi. And I genuinely don't think Favroni were trying to imply that they weren't. But maybe more so that they were making jokes or humoring the idea that in the most "traditional Jedi sense" neither of them were ever formally Knighted, you could make a joke about them "not being Jedi."

Which, yeah. I find it kinda funny that there's this possible arbitrary as fuck technicality like a fucking graduation ceremony of all things that could prevent them from being formally recognized as Jedi. But I think in context of the conversation Favroni were having, their nerdy discussion makes some sense. Because, yeah, the Jedi Order is sort of absolutely in shambles/non-existent. And there isn't really anyone around to formally Knight Ahsoka or Luke as Jedi Knights, let alone recognize them as Masters.

(If you take this silly idea at face value, though, that does mean that technically Cal Kestis and Ezra Bridger are among the only Jedi Knights actually still out in galaxy which I think is just fucking amazing and hilarious as fuck).

And, yes, it is silly to think that Ahsoka and Luke (who absolutely qualify as Jedi Masters in their own right) don't have a Jedi diploma so they can't be "considered" Jedi, I do think that it is kinda sad.

Because the transition from Padawan to Jedi Knight was an extremely important and sacred rite of passage for any Jedi. It was meant be an intimate event in a young Jedi's life, standing next to their Master and being recognized officially by other Masters as well as their peers for their personal growth with the Force. Yes, we could joke about it being a "graduation ceremony," but it was a sacred one.

And it is really fucking sad that Ahsoka and Luke never really got to experience that. Like so many other things, this extremely important Jedi custom was nearly lost. While the tradition did survive and continues on, the truth is that it could have been entirely lost altogether.

But as sad as Ahsoka and Luke not having a formal Knighting ceremony is, I don't think them not having one means that they're lesser Jedi for it. I'd argue that absolutely no one thinks that way, actually. Not even Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Personally, I think the fact they were never formally Knighted just goes to show that while most Jedi traditions have been lost or hidden away, it doesn't mean that the Jedi have. The Jedi Order still continues to exist through the survivors and the students they take under their wing. For all the Empire's efforts to completely wipe away the Jedi from existence, they ultimately failed.

And I can't help but find that kind of beautiful.

Tldr; hahaha Jedi need a fucking diploma, but also I'm gonna go fucking cry in the corner now.

#star wars meta #sw meta #ahsoka tano #luke skywalker #cal kestis #ezra bridger #jedi #jedi order #jedi culture #jedi graduation #lol #favroni #i just have a lot of feelings

[andorerso]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @fulcrumstardust <3

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

for simplicity, I'm only gonna be counting the fics on wintersend (I don't really use my old accounts anyways) so 51 (which... wow)

2.  What's your total AO3 word count?

462,660

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently just Rogue One (currently lmao... as if I wrote for anything else in years)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

you don't have to say i love you to say i love you (I can't believe this is number one... I'm pretty sure I wrote it on my phone 😭)

stars in the same constellation (just a drabble collection)

touching the sun (honestly considering how anxious I was about this one... it's reassuring to see it in the top 3 💖)

Blood Red Rose (I mean I would have been sad if this didn't make it)

skinny love (this one's a surprise! I wrote it so long ago and it never stood out to me in particular? but I'm glad you guys enjoyed it)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

unless I somehow miss it, I always do!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

it's actually not written/posted yet but it's coming on Sunday so be prepared.... other than that, we have if you and i are a story that never gets told which is open ended but in a hopeless kinda way. they don't die but it's implied they probably will. all my other stories have happy endings because I want them to be happy.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think maybe imaginary homelands since the whole thing is about them finding their way back to each other, and also, it takes place post-war so no one dies, no one's suffering anymore, and they're married and happy by the end.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really

9. Do you write smut. If so, what kind?

I used to write more than I do now but yeah. Even if I don't, a lot of my stories have sexual themes or innuendo because that's just who I am as a person.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I've never written a crossover, it's not my thing. I've written AUs based on fandoms, but not crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Hopefully not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes but not in the SW/RO fandom

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Only twice but it was fun!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

do you actually need me to say it? it's rebelcaptain <3

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

if a WIP means I'm working on it and have posted it to ao3, then I have full intentions of finishing all of them. otherwise there's a bunch of ideas I play around with and/or outline that'll never get written but idk if that counts.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I tend to like my dialogue

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action and descriptions 😢 And plot agfdhdfhnhfg

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

if you're not using google translate and know the language (or ask someone who knows it to help you), then it should be fine

but please don't use google translate

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

it was Twilight, but barely... I tried but it didn't really stick. the first fandom I properly wrote for that actually stuck and became a habit was SPN

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

it's not very polite to ask a mother to choose a favorite kid of hers, now is it?

#tag games #my fics

[ofwings]

Please explain your sequel trilogy Opinions

the force awakens (good as in well-constructed, good as in i like it): i mean, it is basically a retread of the og star wars with a different, more diverse cast of characters, and an obi-wan stand in that everyone already knows and loves. it's a solid starting point for a trilogy! sure, it was typical jj mystery box shit, but i'm fine with that. it set us up for a fun story with characters i loved. honestly even if it had been total dogshit i'd love it forever for giving me the thing i've wanted to see since childhood: the hero is a girl jedi. i love rey, i love finn, i loved han being back, i loved the moment where rey calls the skywalker lightsaber to her in the forest, i love her tracking luke down and offering it to him. i love the whole movie, it's so fun and it's exactly what i want when i sit down to watch a sw movie.

the last jedi (good as in well-constructed, bad as in i hate it): is it objectively a well-made movie? yeah. it's a thoughtful story, well acted, well cast, visually one of my favorite sw movies. but holy shit did i hate basically every character choice made for the characters i loved the most - luke, rey, and finn. i will admit that i am at fault for my luke beef in particular, because i spent 20 years with a vastly different luke skywalker from the old, now no longer canon expanded universe books, and being attached to that luke made tlj luke impossible to stomach. we can disagree all day long about why i didn't like their story beats, but honestly i watched this movie like 7 times in the theater in the hopes it would click for me and i would fall in love with it and boy do i fucking hate it still. i have never tried so hard to love a movie in my life and i think that's why it's such a crushing disappointment.

the rise of skywalker (bad as in terribly constructed, unsure if i love or hate it): i mean. it's fucking awful. every so often i'll be going about my day and it'll hit me out of nowhere and i'll just go... damn i can't believe they fumbled the sequel trilogy this bad. every single thing about the story - even aspects that i would have enjoyed if they'd been seeded through the whole trilogy and done correctly, eg. rey being from the palpatine lineage, a ben redemption arc, force sensitive finn - was just rushed, out of nowhere dogshit. palpatine returned in a fortnite in game event???? just. it was terrible. however, like tlj, i watched it multiple times in the theater, and unlikle tlj... i came to love parts of it. i DO like the concept of rey being a palpatine, doing good, and taking on the name skywalker. i LOVE finn being force sensitive, and leading other former stormtroopers that are also hinted at being force sensitive; it's what i wanted for his character all along and it fucking blows how poorly it was done. i really wanted a ben solo redemption moment and i had fun with the little we saw of it but also hated the r/eylo kiss so much. so i both hate and love this steaming pile of garbage, mostly because i've made it more fun in my brain than it is in reality.

#ask #anonymous #the worst thing lucasfilm ever did to star wars was not plan this fucking trilogy out in advance #i would have taken any shit they wanted to sell me if it was a coherent consistent story #rey my beloved i can't wait for your movie

[gvftea]

"I haven’t been around long and info is hard to come by sometimes, so someone please fill me in… what did Danny do that was so vile that so many fans went so hard at trying to cancel him?"

This happened years ago so I've kind of forgotten bits and pieces, if someone has more info feel free to fill in my gaps. So from what I can remember, someone found that Danny, as a teenager, had liked a meme about terrorism on Twitter? Can't remember what the meme was about exactly but something having to do with Muslims I think. He had also liked other things that were kind of questionable. He was like 16 at the time of liking those tweets. Danny promptly apologized but as we know, this fandom is rarely ever satisfied with anything the boys do, so of course they didn't think his apology was good enough and demanded that he apologize *again* just like they did with Hannah. This fandom also tends to get super hostile, whenever the boys don't do what they want them to do, so the "demands" promptly transformed into cyberbullying, death threats, fans trying to get in contact with the boys' relatives via social media, trying to boycott the band, trying to get Danny kicked out, etc.

This went on for literal months until things took a super sour turn when Danny did, admittedly, the stupidest thing he has ever done: He would go to the profiles of those sending him hate, find the most questionable thing the person had posted, and leave a like. Danny himself said that he did it as a way of saying "here you are acting like you're so morally correct but see this thing you liked a few years ago."

The whole thing backfired on him when he went to one of these antis profiles and left a like on a picture of a sw*stika the person had posted. Suddenly everyone was like, "omg is he also a nazi? His last name is german after all."

From here on I actually don't remember what happened because things turned into a mess. The girl who originally posted the Sw*stika pic gave a half-assed explanation as to why she posted it in the first place and somehow managed to turn the narrative around to "idk why danny liked *that* post in particular, it's sus as hell, but I'm not nazi I swear", Josh said in an interview that they would go to bat for Danny any day, suggesting that they weren't planning on kicking him out. Around this time they ran their twitter account themselves and would leave likes on tweets made by people who supported Danny, which in turn made the antis even more upset. Danny made a second apology that the fans ALSO rejected. The gvfapologize hashtag was created, and then I guess with time people just forgot?

#greta van fleet #gvf #josh gvf #sam gvf #jake gvf #josh kiszka #danny wagner #danny gvf #jake kiszka #sam kiskza

[jyndor]

I see what Andor is trying to do yet the way it portrays some issues and treats certain characters is concerning. They wanted to make a "mature" show but they show "maturity" by inflicting pain on characters in a way live action Star Wars never has. A lot of the pain in the saga is implied but this show is much more graphic. It becomes more uncomfortable when you are watching for representation and all you see is characters getting hurt. They also changed Cassian's characterization a lot so this show could have been about a new character like Din Djarin was for the Mandalorian. -- the anon who asked about Bix

So something I don't care about is the show showing characters suffering at the hands of the Empire or the differences with how it portrays things to how other live action SW does it because I have my issues with how live action SW portrays thing. What I DO care about is how they do it, and yeah I can't get over the discomfort I have about Bix's treatment in particular. Girlie has done nothing but be a punching bag - besides the first arc, where she is the bridge between Cassian and Luthen... and I guess there's no real reason for that, she just knew a guy who knew a guy, no thoughts of rebellion idk. And yes I KNOW there's more show to be had, don't bother even saying that because people saying that aren't wrong but they're also not listening to legitimate criticisms with the structure and real world decisions made by the writers.

Yeah I mean to have such a diverse cast is lovely. But how do you treat those characters? The dark skinned Black men all die, one of whom dies BY HANGING for the story arc of a non-Black character. The others die unceremoniously without much fanfare unlike the white characters whose deaths are given more weight. Cinta is probably treated the most fairly of the bunch but there's a reason I'm waiting for the penny drop. And for them to have Bix there, and have her be so passive in her own story is just ? and then to be tortured as a statement about how fascism ends up harming marginalized people even if they are only tangentially involved in anti-fascism or are good old business owners like Dedra says, yeah like I am not the person to speak on HOW they walk the line between making that point and just doing torture porn.

It was a highly effective scene. And many people are going to have many feelings about a thing, like there are so many people who FELT the racist undertones of how Dedra spoke to her and I'm sure as hell not going to take that away from anyone. But I also know people who are hurt by having to see it and not much else when it comes to Bix. She gets brutalized by the cops, she watches her lover be murdered, she gets tortured, etc. What has she done? Hopefully she'll do more, be more of an active participant.

For me Cassian has felt very un-Cassian-like, that's certainly true. Actually it was sort of weird to see him switch into the Cassian I know and love in this past episode because finally he felt like Cassian from Rogue One. I think there have been moments of that throughout the show so far - episode 6 especially. I mean I've gone over why I think having Cassian run from being a rebel is OOC and I am sort of tired of waiting for a big reveal that Cassian has been rebelling all this time, that he's always cared etc (because that's Jyn Erso's story). But this Cassian in the latest arc so far has acted EXACTLY how I would expect Cassian to act. I'm not saying don't show Cassian as a dynamic character in his own story, but his starting point doesn't make sense to me.

I do think they wanted to tell a story about Cassian Andor though. Originally the show was going to be about Cassian and K2SO, and they were having issues with it I guess although idk why, that's why they brought Tony Gilroy back in and that's how they got the story we are watching. Instead they have told a story about how rebellions work that is very good and might have even been more effective without Cassian Andor - or at least without full-grown Cassian. I think there's more leeway if you make his overall story this season him as a teenager. UNLESS they reveal Cassian has been rebelling the whole time which hmm lol I hope they do because otherwise I'm just going to do it in fanfic for them.

I don't have a lot of time to say much else anon bc i gotta go to work but I feel you.

#anonymous #racism #asks #answered #star wars andor #meta #andor spoilers #i definitely continue to have problems with the show

[risingshards]

I finished Jedi Survivor and have to talk about it and nobody I know has it WAHHH

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW

My thought as the catharsis of finishing settles is that I think it's one of my favorite Star Wars things like ever.

For reference, my tippy top tier of Star Wars is the OT (duh), KOTOR series, OG Battlefronts, Mandalorian (particularly S2), Visions (especially The Twins which is maybe my favorite #1 SW thing because I'm so obsessed with Am and it's like Star Wars I love distilled into half an hour), TFA, and some particular TCW and Rebels arcs. There's probably more that I'm forgetting I tend to do that. And of course the Jedi series.

My Jedi series history: I remember at Celebration 2019, one of the best experiences of my life, I left one of the meet and greets (I met Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams!!!) and my partner at the time and I looked at the main stage and were like "wait what the fuck is Ian from Shameless doing here?!?!" Because we were in lines all day, we didn't see the announcement that Fallen Order was a thing.

And then the first one was a great time. Maybe a bit too hard for my game ability, but with difficulty turned down I was able to handle it. I loved how they just let Cal be kind, just a sweet good dude, like the true spirit of what a Jedi can be is in him, BD-1 is one of the best game companions ever, the supporting cast of Merrin/Cere/Greez was REAL good, loved the main villain and made sure to get her figure and Cal's, and the failure is not the end scene made me ugly ugly cry and is one of my favorite (I'm talking favorite a lot which I think is a persistent theme for me playing this series). So I was excited for Survivor obviously.

And it was very very good. There are a lot of things I can't stop thinking about in game, I had trouble sleeping one night (not cuz of the game it was just one of my "well we aren't sleeping tonight" nights and spent most of it just like "wow what about this thing in jedi survivor" which is the sign of a game I either supremely cared about or was supremely troubled about (for example of the latter, I legit lost sleep after finishing Mass Effect 3 LOL).

I loved how big the opening was and how well it told the themes of the story and Cal's journey, weary from fighting the Empire and weary from losing friend after friend.

The inciting incident of Cal finding the frozen in bacta Jedi from the High Republic era Dagan Gera was my like "YES. OH MY GOD YES. RESPAWN YOUR VISION FOR STAR WARS IS JUST LIKE THIS IS WHAT I WANT!!!" Something about this angsty anime boy villain had me like "RELEASE THE ACTION FIGURE FOR HIM ASAP PLEASE HE'S COOOOOOOL." And the High Republic thing had me excited for Cal to get a new story that was his own deal that wasn't just Cal vs. Empire (well. didn't get that entirely but the main thrust of the story was the High Republic adventure which was fun.)

The family aspect was handled really well here too, with Cal's family being separated and you gradually reunite with them. Greez is like the lovable grandpa uncle, Cere the new parent/guardian figure to Cal after losing his previous one, and Merrin as the scary gf. BD-1 of course the loyal best friend pet, I have a small dog so like BD 1 and Cal's friendship hits so hard for me.

I thought the moral of the game would be like "you don't need to have this big mythical home in Tanalorr to go for, you have one to establish in Koboh" but they twisted me similarly to Cal breaking the holocron in Fallen Order. The Jedha battle with the crazy walker thing was amazing, and Cal and Merrin are so sweet together that I dug the kiss a lot.

The story felt like it halted for a bit after that and before getting to Dagan at the observatory, with the beautiful force vision duel with Dagan feeling like a "well the game COULD end here and I'd be pretty satisfied" moment. Then things went into high gear with Bode's betrayal leading to everything falling apart. Playing as Cere was amazing, and I did lose my mind for Vader showing up (love the parallel to him being in water for the first game and fire here, third game he'll be in the air or the dirt for the elemental trifecta). I definitely got emotional losing Cere, and thought that was really well handled, dealing with the tragic sense of "this couldn't end up any other way with Vader wanting revenge on her" well. As they said later, she got to go out winning her battle against the dark side and that's beautiful.

The last act of the game is mostly focused on dealing with Bode's betrayal. Cal's dalliances with the dark side are super interesting, because nothing is the same once he gets that first taste. Even the pause menu is tainted afterwards, as if a part of his soul is corrupted by just tapping into that incredible energy once. Mechanically it was a bit clunky to make tapping into the dark side a forced thing like in the last boss fight, and a bit of a clone of Ghost of Tsushima's ghost stance but Sucker Punch ya won't make Sly 5 so I'm not gonna judge if people take stuff from ya. Bode was gone by the end and willing to physically hurt his own daughter so like I didn't feel bad about Cal tapping into the dark side to defeat him (when Bode hit BD-1, that was his "oh there's no coming back for this guy is there" moment). I really loved the ending with the pyre funeral for Cere, Cordova, and Bode. It felt like a movie ending, and Cal talking to Cere about being so afraid of failing, of losing himself to the darkness was beautiful and probably the closest the game got to the failure speech in terms of making me bawl from the first game. After finishing, I felt like I had just finished watching a movie, like the same cathartic feeling of finishing a big Star Wars movie.

My bigger downsides: 155GB for a console game is fucking absurd. That stretch of time where it was just gameplay with the story being light was a bit of a drag (those sequences of just wave after wave of enemy were BS), and it felt like there weren't a lot of planets total (unless the side missions add planets because I just played the main story, that'd be cool if the bounties sent you back to old planets from the first game). I REALLY wish Dagan Gera had more to do and wasn't in the same role as Taron Malicos where he's the like sub-antagonist that gets offed relatively easily because I feel like there was so much more potential with a reawakened High Republic Era Jedi who immediately falls to the dark side. Like Second Sister, I do wish there was more with these super interesting villain characters before they get somewhat anticlimactically killed off, but cool as fuck villains getting somewhat anticlimactically killed off is basically Star Wars tradition.

I think it's a downside of the time period that at the end of the day the Empire has to be the big bad looming over everything. I'd love to see Respawn get a blank slate (there are a couple teams I'd love to see get a blank slate doing their own Star Wars from scratch, like Respawn, the Clone Wars team...) where they aren't beholden to have things fit into a timeline. But the Jedi series has been fine about that so far and nothing's felt like too hopeless or too crunching into a timeline. It was kind of cool in a video game-y way that you can be like "Oh it's the sequel so the formula is setting in, oh here's the sub villain, now we beat them, oh here's a surprise Vader appearance, etc. etc." I was excited for the Raiders led by Dagan to be a new threat for Cal and co., but because it's the Emprie reign era the Imps end up taking the main villain focus, which makes sense ofc, but I'm a slut for new factions.

Another downside that's not the game's fault: I'm streaming the game for a friend, and they guessed the entire plot immediately and I'm so mad at them about it because I hadn't pieced anything together when they did LOL. 30 seconds into Bode's appearance they were like "he did it. traitor. he's a spy for the empire and killed everyone there. i bet vader shows up too" and now I'm like I HOPE YOU DIDNT READ SPOILERS AND ARE JUST ACTING LIKE YOU PREDICTED THIS CUZ THAT'S A LITTLE TOO SPOT ON but I know they're just a genre savvy type. usually I can guess the immediate traitor which is a trope of games but I was just like "bode's voice actor voiced kotallo and charles :) " Part of me is thinking of ways to convince them they're wrong to mislead them as revenge but I'd have to act really well to pull that off and that'd be mean lmao.

What I'm hoping for to close out the trilogy assuming it gets a third game: I don't want Cal to turn to the dark side, but I do trust this team to handle his battle with it well. In a galaxy of tragic endings, there aren't many I want to have a happy ending more than Cal so that's my main hope for the third game. I hope Cal and his family establishing the hidden path is their way out of avoiding a fate of just "vader and the empire wipe them out because canon dictates it so." They've done so well so far that I trust this team to handle wrapping up Cal's story well, so I'm mainly just excited for what's next.

#star wars jedi: survivor #cal kestis #jedi survivor spoilers #oh wow i wrote a lot i really did love this one huh

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

SW Request Guidelines

This list is not cemented or exhaustive in any capacity, and will be occasionally updated, so please be sure to keep an eye on this post in my #frostfics masterlist and/or check before you make a request if you'd like some inspiration.

**Remember above all else, friends: 'this is War of Stars and Shit's Whack Anyways'. I more believe in having *fun* with the source material above strict adherence to it. If someone requested something that did not strictly adhere to whatever the current canon is, that's their choice. We all have our favorite aspects of Star Wars and they will not always align with another person's.**

UPDATED: 5/6/24

What I WILL Do

Headcanon requests

Drabbles

One shots

Short series IF I am inspired by the request

When it comes to x readers: I can comfortably write in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Person POVs. My default is 3rd and 2nd person, for the most part!

Want to request a non-x reader? I can do that too, don't be shy! I'll send the semi-feral boys of the 501st (affectionate; always affectionate) on a zoo trip and there'll be plenty of chaos for Rex, Dogma chilling out in the fish exhibit the entire time and Fives being a caring big brother to some Shinnies if that's more your wheelhouse. 

Tropes such as: Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Enemies-to-Lovers/Idiots-to-Lovers, One Bed/Escape Pod, Fix-its, Soulmate, Actions/Consequences, Domestic; popular occupations like Medic/Mechanic/Bounty Hunter/Jedi etc.

As much or as little Clones-using-Mando'a as you'd like. Familial terms only? Sure! You wanna go for Oops! All Pet Names? You got it! You're allergic to Clones using Mando'a? Cool beans, buddy, I can do that and correct any slip-ups! I know not everyone subscribed to that fanon trope like I did and/or for the same reasons I did.

Platonic or romantic relationships

Implied/Light smut/Mature on occasion! [Will range from 13+ to 18+ age rating depending on my comfort and familiarity with the requested character.]

I have more familiarity in writing AFAB/Female and Gender Neutral x Readers. I've grown out of the writing format of using "Y/N" or "[Name]" for the most part, and I write the general, physical description of Reader in a very vague, more "poetic" manner. [Should be noted I am very unfamiliar with writing AMAB/Male x Readers so I'm afraid I'm likely not the one who will be best to ask.]

We're LGBT+ friendly; I'm a bi woman in my twenties for goodness sake. 🩷💜💙

Most SW characters, really. If you have a particular character in mind that isn't in my main niches of interest, I can probably swing it. There'll be better luck if you request something from one of my favorite eras (The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian). Please keep in mind that the less I know of a character, the longer it'll take me to complete. 

Like a particular fanon trope [like Gray Jedi] or characterization [Captain Rex: exhausted single father over the semi-feral boys of the 501st (affectionate)] and want to see my take on it? Sweet, glad you trust me! I'll certainly do my best depending on what's requested.

I can do things where the type of reader has been specified like "Jedi!Reader" or the popular "Clone Medic!Reader".

We're AU and canon-divergent friendly here! You ordered the "No Order 66 AU with Domestic!Clone Boyfriend" with an order of "Somehow, ____ Lived." on the side? Coming right up!

Is it well past time for everything to Just Stop™ for your fave? We can magically give them a little break.

Delete or completely rework a request if you're impatient with me. I'm doing this for FREE. For FUN. On my own time - I have ADHD tendencies (and hopefully a job, soon) and sometimes the inspiration is just not there. Do not be an entitled little snot or you'll get put in timeout.

What I will NOT Do

Art requests: Love, I can't even draw my own 18+ Clone OCs for kark's sake, and most of the fan art I'm posting in the #frostsfanart tag is done on whim, vibes and impulse; and it's a miracle some of those have gotten popular.

Sidenote: There is a *chance* you'll get an art response to an ask if I feel I can pull it off, or, if you give me an idea. [Example: "Have you done a helmet doodle for _____ before?"]

Your OC x Canon. Don't want to butcher your brain-child by mischaracterizing them by accident. Not running that risk; doubt this would be a thing that would be requested but I'm just covering my bases.

White-wash the Clones. We believe in evidence of Temuera Morrison's physical characteristics in our Clone husbands/boyfriends here.

Explicit smut as of now. Nothing against it but had a more conservative upbringing; so I'm very unfamiliar with all that and I struggle with writing it without unnecessary guilt! :')

I am not personally comfortable with Clonecest or Clone-shipping. They are brothers and refer to each other as such in-canon.

Will absolutely NEVER do requests involving incest, explicit non-con/rape, homophobia/racism/bigotry, etc, on a similar note. Ask will be set on fire and you will be fed to the Rishi Moon eels instead of Cutup. I'll free Echo and put you in his place on Skako Minor before anyone notices I'm there. Get lost, please.

NOT comfortable with the Rexsoka business or Master x Padawan romance. Platonic takes on Master x Padawan!Reader dynamic is acceptable. Characters need to be of-age for romances. Ahsoka was only 17 at the end of Clone Wars, for stars' sake.

Please Please PLEASE Let Me

Talk about my Clone OCs!! You noticed a "throwaway" Clone name that's not found in any Star Wars series in a fic of mine? Chances are that's one of my many Clone OCs. Some are more fleshed out than others with proper #frostfics canon (that I'll also gladly break for a "____ Lives!" AU or a cameo in some of my longer series like [REDACTED] or a larger part in [REDACTED] because I can.) while others have no "canon" yet at all.

Talk about my own non-request fics from time to time because I reread my own work often enough. You loved That One XYZ Scene in chapter whatever of Sorry, Wrong Comms! and wanna gush about it on or off anon in my askbox? Please by all means so I can gush about it with you! Have a question about why I wrote the scene like that? Wanna pick my brain a little about the headcanons I've worked into the fabric of the story? I'll gladly elaborate!

#for the masterlist #fanfic request guidelines #frostfics #star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars fan fiction

[sl-walker]

Hi! This is Cordelia, I just scrolled down and realized you'd done the WIP thing already XD I would love to hear more about Churchill? Somehow I doubt that is SW and I am intrigued.

LOL! You're right! It's Star Trek, part of the Arc of the Wolf; given this whole story arc has been in the works since October 2001, I know the various eras and often end up jumping back and forth across the timeline, filling it in piecemeal as it comes to me.

This story of that particular era takes place on the USS Churchill, an old science vessel manned by, basically, everyone considered unsuited for war (this is during a war!). Mostly scientists, and a troublemaker or two. (Hi Scotty.)

I started writing this tale in 2008, added to it in 2013, am picking at it again now in 2022. Like-- this storyline is absolutely a labor of love. The whole arc. It's not popular, hardly anyone reads it (though the one novel in it is on TVTropes recs, which is kinda cool), but I still consider it kind of my magnum opus.

Anyway, here's a scene from the story that makes me smile because there's a meta joke for Trekkies involved in it, and because I just generally love the interplay there and the characters:

--

Vanguard was the type of fellow who had mellowed with age, but hadn't actually gotten any older. He wasn't anyone's mentor, he wasn't anyone's father figure, he was just a mellow guy with wrinkles and gray hair who could cut loose on shore leave with the best of them. Onboard ship, of course, he was mostly professional. But he was still the kind of person who it was easy to get along with and admire, without a ton of that 'respect your elders' requirement.

But today, he looked a little too old. "I don't like this at all."

It was no shock to Scotty that M'rill had let Vanguard in on this like he had let Corry in on it. It was really the only sensible thing to do. The division head onboard could probably provide at least some invaluable help in coordinating.

"None of us do, sir," Scott replied, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was in a bit of a mood, really. Partly because he knew that he still wanted to get fierce, and the only person he knew who would get fierce back without either of them hurting one another wasn't available. "But maybe we can figure out some way to make it a wee bit less suicidal."

Vanguard was about to reply when Corry stormed in.

Think of the devil, Scotty commented, mentally, but it was a little worried and undeniably affectionate, too.

"He's a goddamn nutjob," Corry said, without any kind of warning, and without bothering to restrain himself in front of his commanding officer. "A suicidal nutjob, too! I'm starting to really wonder what the hell kind of people they turn out in the security division."

"Nicky is security," M'rill said, not fazed by Corry's agitated pacing.

He shot her a look but bit back any retorts. "Yes, M'rill, I know that. But the commanders? This commander? I can't even believe that he's ready to go through with this mission, and without any kind of backups for two key personnel!"

"He doesn't think we're key," Scotty said, just watching. Corry had the longest fuse of any man he knew, but once that fuse burned out, even Scotty thought twice before getting inside the blast radius. "He's only takin' us as a precaution. In his head, I'm pretty sure he thinks security is the end all and be all o' the service and can handle it just fine."

"That's moronic," Corry snapped back. Not at Scott, but at the idea.

"No denyin' that. But we still don't have any other choices but to go through with it."

Corry spun on him. "How exactly can you be so casual about this? God, he wants to take you guys on a foray into a biological hotbed, into enemy territory to infiltrate a base that may not even be there, and you're perfectly fine with that?!"

"No, but I don't see the point in gettin' worked up about it, either!"

"Here they go," Vanguard commented to M'rill, who looked a little worried. "Damn shame we don't have some popcorn." When both Corry and Scotty paused to give him a look, Vanguard just shrugged.

Only slightly subdued by the comment from the peanut gallery, Corry huffed out a breath. "There has to be some way out of this. Some... answer or something."

"If ye've got any workable theories, I'm all ears."

There was a long silence, then Corry asked suddenly, “Modulate a subspace beacon to punch through the shield so we can get a transporter lock if we need to?”

“The enemy will detect it,” Vanguard answered, before Scotty got a chance to.

“And we’d have to hang around long enough to get the right settings, too,” Scotty added.  “Which we can’t do, else we’d end up bein’ scanned from the surface.”

Corry frowned, and started pacing.  “Have a second landing party outside of the shielded area for backup?”

“Too much risk,” M’rill said.

Corry gave her a sour look, but he didn’t argue.  Scotty just watched; he could see Corry scrambling around in his head, searching for some kind of a solution.

The only problem was that Scotty had already gone over just about every possible solution himself.  They couldn’t take any high powered devices down to the surface.  Even the phaser rifles were shielded to avoid detection.  They were taking a subspace jammer, but the power source for it was inside of a likewise shielded case and wouldn’t be used until they were actually ready to commence the operation.

Nothing in the battle plan allowed for communications with the Churchill.  Nothing in the plan even allowed for the Churchill to be inside of communications range, let alone transporter range.  The time frame for the mission itself was tight -- too tight, in Scotty’s opinion -- and the potential for things going wrong was high.  The sanest answer to the whole damned mess was to wait until a specialized ship and crew could come and deal with this.

And that was already out.

“Okay, here’s what we can do: We can set up a decoy shuttle.  Send a subspace beacon with you, with a shielded power supply, and then the shuttle can send out a fake distress call, which would let you activate the subspace beacon, because they’ll be so busy looking at the shuttle, and if you time it to one of OS-4 Alpha’s thunderstorms, it’ll mask the beacon--”  Corry trailed off.  “What?”

M’rill, Vanguard and Scotty all had their eyebrows up.

Corry sighed, throwing his hands into the air.  “Fine.  We’ll just bounce a graviton beam off of the main deflector array.  That’ll fix it.”

Somehow, completely at odds with the fact they were discussing what could possibly be a suicide mission, Scotty cracked up.

#st: tos #arc of the wolf #montgomery scott #andrew corrigan

[pankracy]

SO. I watched the Luke episode of the Book of Boba Fett and it was. bad.

Generally I'm having so much fun with these shows!

But this episode. But Luke. What a fucking disservice to what to me is the very heart of the OT. To have Luke, who looked Palpatine in the eyes with the words I'm not gonna turn, I'm a Jedi like my father before me, whose love reached Vader so that ultimately he turned on the Emperor - not for the galaxy, not for the Rebellion, but to save his son… And this love canonically guided Vader back to the Light… To have this Luke say to a kid that they have to choose between possibly ever seeing their father again and being a Jedi… There is literally nothing to defend here.

And with the amazing Luke&Vader/Grogu&Din parallel they did in the season 2 finale! Vader in his last moments asking Luke to take off his mask so he could look at him with his own eyes, and Din breaking his Creed by taking off his helmet to say goodbye to Grogu face to face. You make this parallel, you make the whole show about love between a parent and a child, and then make the Original Character with the exact same theme demand that a child make a choice because attachments bad. I totally understand Ahsoka and why she found this dangerous and was meddling, funnily enough. I cannot make my peace with Luke doing this.

I do enjoy some fun criticism of the Jedi Order - Jedi are criticized plenty in canon too - but I'm not like, a full-on Jedi Order hater. I'm not hating on the "no attachments" rule just for the hell of it either; I like it explored more, I like to prod at it in fannish setting and shake it around to see what falls out, heh. Plus we've already had so many amazing examples of love that did not lead the Jedi to the Dark. Obi-Wan and Satine, had she said the word he'd have left the Jedi Order!! Kanan and Hera, and Kanan's ability to recognize when he was compromised, him asking Ezra to lead the rescue mission to save Hera because in his own words he knew he couldn't be objective because of how he felt about her. Obi-Wan's love for Anakin! None of this love was of possessive, dark kind; canon makes a point of how Anakin's was. And while I'm not asking for revolution in canon about the attachments rule, and I recognize there may be some philosophical stuff that flies over my head, it's all still… it's in canon. These relationships are already canon, and they were never shown as dangerous. So there is a difference between love and attachment that canon recognizes but also weirdly doesn't? Luke's faith, love and compassion for his father is tied to the very climax of the original movies, and you tell me Luke would demand total separation of the child and the parent if the child were to be a Jedi without even giving them a chance, to see if it can be a healthy, stable relationship??

EVEN IF you build more around it and make sound arguments for it, hammer in love/attachment distinction, SORRY - it's just a bad choice all around to have Luke Skywalker do this with regards to father&child relationship in particular.

I know it's because they kinda wrote themselves into a corner with that one. The story is about a Force sensitive child. It had to eventually end up with a Jedi, and there is Ahsoka, who would not take him and it makes sense, and Ezra's missing and also no one watched Rebels like, comparatively, so it leaves Luke. But Grogu had to return to Din at least in some form, and they can't feature CGI Luke too much, lol. (By the by, while having Luke and Ahsoka interact in canon was !!! for me, the whole episode felt just weird. I'd much rather not have Luke at all. His scenes were cute! It was fun seeing him, like, conceptually. But if I ever felt fed fanservice, and boy isn't it basically the point of SW now to have at least some, this was so heavy-handed it was kind of cringe-worthy. BUT I DIGRESS.) So they had to make a clean cut. I get it. Nothing clearer than "there are two completely irreconcilable choices one of which means we don't have to CGI a young Luke Skywalker anymore, guess which one the character is gonna make *wink*". But it's not. hm. good.

(That being said, HOLY FUCK PLEASE LEAVE LUKE SKYWALKER ALONE. Please no more. Enough. I really REALLY hope I'm right in the above paragraph and we'll never see him again like this.)

All in all I'll live, and I'll try to not think about it much because that's what I do with SW stuff I don't like. And I am going to continue having fun with these shows. But this here? Heartbreaking to me personally. Hurts right. there. Hence the post, I had to pour my absolute heartbreak out. Am I fine now? No. Do I feel better at least? Also no. Will I get over it? Never. Am I gonna focus now on the things I enjoy and/or hurt good? Absolutely.

From funny things of this episode though, I did find it hilarious how Ahsoka was like "oh you're so much like your father :)" to Luke, followed immediately by "AND THAT'S A GOODBYE SEE YA POSSIBLY NEVER", oh my god.

#.txt #me about luke skywalker: JUŻ SWOJE DOSTAŁ #also what was that 'no attachments is the opposite of solidarity & loyalty' #w...why #I know the characters who say this know nothing to little about jedi #but in the context of the conflict around grogu it looks really weirdly uncontested

[corelliaxdreaming]

SWrarepairs 2023 Dear Creator Letter

This was so not supposed to be 2,000+ words, wtf...

First of all, thank you for writing for me! (And thank you for dealing with this massive letter omg.) No matter what, I absolutely can’t wait to see what you come up with. I’m pretty easy as far as fics go. If you want to ignore everything in this post and only incorporate the pairing, that’s fine! I enjoy anything from tooth-rotting fluff to soul-rending angst, any rating at all, and I only have a few DNWs. I’d prefer no noncon/dubcon/cheating/violence/etc between the main ship, but if they’re included elsewhere, as long as there’s a heads-up, that’s fine. I don't mind hard angst such as character death, even characters in the requested ship. Also please try to refrain from amatonormativity/compulsory sexuality – philosophies that all people inherently desire romance/sex and would be happier without them. As an aromantic asexual myself, I love a good ship, but that stuff isn't for every single person.

As for what I do like, my very favorite thing in the world is hurt/comfort, particularly of the emotional variety. If, even metaphorically, someone is crying and someone is hugging them, I am very happy. Being an anxiety sufferer myself, I also have a soft spot for seeing characters dealing with mental illness stuff, anxiety and depression particularly, especially if their partner/s are there being super supportive and helping them through it. I've also recently started therapy and working on my own coping skills, and I love to see my faves using them to help themselves/each other. Any kind of porn with feelings also never goes amiss. Being aroace, I absolutely love to see my faves being represented as on either or both of those spectrums. I know this is a romantic/sexual-based exchange, but if you felt like throwing in a queerplatonic relationship as well (or instead? Is that legal?), I'm all for that.

As you can probably tell from my request list, my absolute favorite part of Star Wars is the fighter pilots. I love the angst inherent in the constant battles and always being on call and losing people. The stress and exhaustion. Pilot/pilot pairings knowing they could lose the other in battle at any time. Pilot/non-pilot pairings with the non-pilot feeling so helpless as they watch their partner go off to fight and so relieved when they come back. Commanders hurting because they care about their pilots so much yet there’s only so much they can do to protect them, and every death hurts so much. Just – pilot feels!!

For similar reasons, I love JFO. Cal is a perfect character for me – all angsty and hurt and sad but also determined to do the right thing and learning and growing and u g h. He just needs a nice boyfriend.

I know we're carefully separating different SW sub-fandoms, and that's kind of complicated, but I will mention I prefer the Legends side of things when there's a choice (unless stated otherwise). But I'm not a canon hater, and it’s always interesting to see where what can happen when the two get mixed together. The X-wing book series (and the era in general) is by far my favorite time period. I’m currently reading NJO: Star by Star and will be finished by the time of reveals, so if possible I’d prefer something without (or with very light) spoilers past the end of that book. I'm also interested in seeing things set during this time.

I prefer to see any OC/OC ships with unspecified genders be queer in at least one way – whether it be one or both of then is trans/enby, mspec, acespec, arospec, etc etc. That doesn't necessarily mean they can't be m/f, but queer aspects, please. :)

I think we still include our own AO3 links on these just in case, so here’s that – https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/profile.

As for thoughts on the particular pairings I requested:

Wedge Antilles/Wes Janson (C-EU)

I'm interested in how the Fab Four's relationships change in canon now that Tycho is out of the picture. Especially with Wes and Wedge, once Hobbie is also gone post-Hoth. Two FACPOV stories have shown us these two are close, with Wes being Rogue Squadron's XO. Surely I wasn't the only one who thought for a hot second they were gonna hook up in the ROTJ one?

Wyl Lark/Sonogari (C-EU)

The books tell us this relationship just sort of didn't work out, and I respectfully disagree. Wyl deserves a nice, soft boyfriend to help him will of his nice, softness (and sadness) – even if he does die later.

Original Downed Rebel Pilot/Original Farmer Hiding Them From the Authorities (OT) Original Overworked Rebellion Therapist/Original Overworked Rebellion Medic (OT)

These both seem like great opportunities for h/c! Especially the therapist/medic. Such mutual potential angst and comfort. :D

Idealistic Resistance Pilot/Jaded Former Rebellion Pilot (ST)

This sounds like fun. I'd prefer to not see it that the Resistance pilot just “fixes” the Rebellion pilot's views. Maybe more like they affect each other and more both come closer to the middle of that binary.

Pilot Who Stayed With the New Republic/Their Resistance Pilot Lover (ST)

Juicy! Would love to see it focus on their different ideologies, especially if it's one of my fave things where the NR pilot doesn't necessary disagree with the Resistance but just isn't the kind of person who can leave their whole life behind and live like that – and they can still do good where they are. Would love to see the Resistance pilot understand this, even if they are frustrated by it. And at the end of day, even if they don’t quite see eye to eye, their love is strong.

Tallissan Lintra/Paige Tico (ST)

I still ask myself constantly how I fell in love with Tallie with like five seconds of screentime and two lines of dialogue, but here I am. Paige is my fave lady to ship her with. I like the dynamic that it's very much Tallie's actual job to protect Paige while in battle. (I know I can't actually request additional character, so totally feel free to ignore the rest of this section.) It's be nice to see Tallie be friends with Rose, as with the sisters being so close, I feel like that would be a thing. Quadruple bonus points for any mention of Tallie's sister, Kallie, who was mentioned for like two sentences in the ROTJ junior novel.

Cal Kestis (JFOS)/Wyl Lark (C-EU)

When I absolutely fell in love with Cal even before JFO came out, I needed a good boy to ship him with. The game didn't really provide, so I went looking elsewhere in the saga and came up with my other favorite good, soft boy at the time: Wyl Lark. I played with the idea of Cal somehow getting cryofrozen or whatever and waking up the same age in Wyl's time, or Wyl somehow getting transported to Cal's time, but if you choose to write this, is whatever you wanna. Also a fan of Force-sensitive Wyl. Obviously you're not beholden to this, but I headcanon Cal as asexual bi and Wyl as demisexual pan.

Bode Akuna/Cal Kestis (JFOS)

And then Survivor gave us Bode! At first my headcanons with them were very soft, and then – oof, that reveal. Really anything goes here that involves these two genuinely caring for each other. Canon-compliant, AUs, whatever. I don't tend to read/write a lot of Jedi, and I've loved what I've seen of these two connecting through the Force if that comes out in time. I also looove the idea of Cal being a virgin when he gets together with Bode and Bode being all gentle and caring and leading him through his first time. (I mentioned above no dubcon/noncon, and I know some people would consider Bode's identity stuff that – I'm cool with this pairing, no matter how you play that.) As mentioned above, though you're obviously not beholden to it, I do headcanon Cal as asexual (and both he and Bode as bi), and it would also be cool to see them figuring this out together.

Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu (Any), Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu (Legends)

*yelling* My #1 OTP! 10/10 will adore anything where they’re together. Something set during that first six months after Tycho’s defection where Wedge was afraid to get close to him and wouldn’t even call him by his first name? Yep. Any type of Lusankya-related angst? Yep. Trial-related angst? Yep. Tycho comforting Wedge when the burdens of command are too much? Yep. Wedge comforting Tycho when the burdens of command are too much? Yep. Anything about what they're doing during all that off-page time in early NJO? Yep. Role-reversals of any kind? Yep. Literally anything? Yeeeep. (Bonus points if anything with Tycho set in NJO features him Not Vibing with the Jedi's pacifism bs.) Genuinely my favorite thing in the world is to just beat one of these guys (usally Tycho, but either way is great) over the head with angst and pain until they break, then have the other one gently put them back together/help them put themselves back together. <333

Nejaa Halcyon/Scerra Halcyon/Rostek Horn (Legends)

Look me in the eye tell me there wasn't something with these three. (Okay, I respect it being what it is canonically, but also.)

Tycho Celchu/Corran Horn (Legends)

You know those things you start shipping as a joke and then – oops, feelings? Yeah. At some point along the way, I just got really invested in these two being friends, and I’m interested in that becoming into romance as well. I especially love the idea of them really bonding after Corran’s return from Lusankya, with having that shared trauma between them. Corran leaning on Tycho to help him though it, Tycho finally having someone to talk to who really gets what he went through. Or maybe it’s before that, Corran trying to deal with being attracted to Tycho while also not trusting him? Big headcanons on Corran being bi and not quite ready to accept it. The two of them struggling while in quarantine on the Lusankya together. Or even something later on, once all of that is done with and they trust each other and are flying together. Tycho is pretty eager to jump to help Corran during I, Jedi. Or maybe Tycho supporting Corran through his exile nonsense in NJO? (Bonus points if anything with Tycho set in NJO features him Not Vibing with the Jedi's pacifism bs.) Anything goes.

Wedge Antilles/Corran Horn (Legends)

That said, I also got a little spark of “what if this pairing?” on my last X-wing reread. Maybe something to do with Wedge's reluctance to get close to the new Rogues, but Corran getting under his skin anyway? Nothing really specific, just intrigued by this premise.

Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu/Luke Skywalker (Legends), Tycho Celchu/Luke Skywalker (Legends)

With the popular pairing being Wedge/Luke, and my personal OTP being Wedge/Tycho, I'm just kinda interested in smooshing those two together. Maybe two are already together and third pines? Idk. On a similar note, just Tycho/Luke. Again, nothing real specific for these two pairings either, just find the idea interesting. (I am intrigued by the possibility of Force-sensitive Tycho, so maybe that could be something to play with?)

Wedge Antilles/Broak Vessery (Legends)

The always-wonderful Rogue Podron podcast put me onto this one with how they talked up Vessery and his interactions with Wedge. I like what similar characters these two guys are: both skilled pilots, super dedicated to the people flying with them. Not exactly allies, but not exactly enemies, being forced to work together for a greater goal. I like the idea of something happening between them on Isard's base, like non-even-quite-friends-with-benefits, just an understanding of each other as people and blowing off steam, maybe getting some comfort. Again, I know I can't really request additional characters, but bonus points for Tycho opining on the situation, whether he doesn't like it or is encouraging.

Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu/Wes Janson/Derek “Hobbie” Klivian (Legends)

Ah, the classic OT4. I just love how these four are always together in the X-wing fics. Friends, lovers, any combination among them? Golden. Just some random ideas: How the four of them got together and in what order. Dealing with Wedge being the only one there when Tycho got back from Lusankya and Wes and Hobbie not being able to see him for some time. Dealing with their separation while Hobbie and Tycho are with the Rogues and Wedge and Wes are with the Wraiths. Or, y'know, anything. ;)

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