#i just love everyone's work on ANDOR
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ANDOR (2022) | STAR WARS (A new hope 1977)
Orange is the new black
#cassian andor#sw#a new hope#parallels#outifits#i just love everyone's work on ANDOR#seriously guys this is brilliant#the rebellion#myotheredits
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Syril Karn really did listen to Maarva’s entire speech and still continued to be a fascist, didn’t he?
#andor#I don't think this is inconsistent with how beliefs actually work in real life#it's just movies tend to do this thing where the bad guys have this tiny glimmer of guilt when they hear a good guy's heartfelt speech#I know this is because writers need a certain degree of sympathy for a character to write them properly#but I love that the only 'bad guy' who is affected is the one who lived and worked next to everyone else and did technically know better#the Imperials just didn't care#they wouldn't have gotten to this point of occupying Ferrix if they did#so they are completely unswayed#even Syril who is more of a duped idiot following along with the way he was raised#because that's not how belief works#and how you are raised affects how you see the rest of the world#that's why Elon Musk can watch Parasite and not get that it's about him
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My main problem with the idea of either non-Force sensitive people becoming Jedi or the whole "everyone is actually Force sensitive if you try hard enough" thing isn't that Force sensitivity is what makes the Jedi interesting, it's that this is what makes them JEDI.
There are TONS of characters in Star Wars who, if they were Force sensitive, would make excellent Jedi and I love quite a few of them. Just for a few quick examples off the top of my head: Bail and Breha Organa, Beru and Owen Lars, and Hera Syndulla (the Rebels version, not the Ahsoka show version). Sabine Wren, by the end of Rebels, would count on this list, as well (but not the Ahsoka show version). Jyn Erso and Bodhi Rook, especially by the end of Rogue One (Baze and Chirrut obviously would fit on this list, too, but they are already a part of their own religion that they might have chosen regardless of whether they were Force sensitive or not and I am choosing to respect that). Bix Calleen and Brasso from Andor. Greez from the Cal Kestis games maybe. And there's probably more that I am missing.
But the point I am making here is that none of these characters (bar Sabine in the Ahsoka show) are ever assumed to be Jedi. I don't think a SINGLE fan would ever try to argue with me that they ARE Jedi. And obviously it does not make any of them less interesting or enjoyable as characters to not be Jedi.
So if you're going to come at me with the accusation "How boring do you have to be to think the only reason the Jedi are interesting is because they're Force sensitive" then my rebuttal is this: Do you think all of the non-Jedi characters in Star Wars AREN'T interesting because they don't bear the title of Jedi? Does Sabine Wren suddenly become MORE interesting of a character when she's (theoretically) the exact same character, but now she gets to call herself a Jedi? Would Bodhi Rook or Brasso suddenly be more interesting characters if they called themselves Jedi but nothing else about them changed?
How boring do YOU have to be to think that the only interesting characters in Star Wars are those who call themselves Jedi? Personally, I really love that there are all of these characters out there with a bunch of different narrative paths open to them specifically because they AREN'T Jedi. Cassian Andor, Luthen Rael, Saw Gerrera, and Mon Mothma get to be REALLY intricate and morally ambiguous characters specifically because they are not Jedi at all. All the characters I listed above get to be these really lovely heroes for the little guy that showcase that you don't need to have cosmic powers and a laser sword and a fancy title to make a difference. There's a whole sort-of underlying side story within some of these stories about how the galaxy relied on the Jedi to solve all of their problems and how they're forced to step up and defend themselves for once after the Jedi are destroyed, leading to the introduction of all of these non-Force sensitive heroes, some more grey than others.
The Jedi are beacons of hope within the narrative, a model of selfless compassion to constantly strive towards. They are characters who consistently become their best selves through hard work and dedication. This is one of the MANY reasons I love them so much.
But I ALSO love that there are characters who AREN'T Jedi, characters who have no additional cosmic powers or knowledge, and have to figure out how to make the right choice instead of the easy choice ANYWAY, even when it's hard, even when it requires sacrifice. I love stories about the little people in the galaxy learning how to step up and emulate the Jedi when the Jedi are no longer there to be a bulwark between them and their own darkness. The beautiful tragedy of this entire side story lies in the galaxy learning the lessons the Jedi were trying so hard to teach them only after the Jedi themselves are gone due to the galaxy's selfishness. This is the bed the galaxy made for itself and now they have to lie in it. But they do! Eventually, person by person, they do.
And eventually, after many many years, just like their selfishness bore consequences, their selfless efforts also ultimately bring rewards in the form of the Jedi returning. And it's only once the Jedi and the people of the galaxy start fighting TOGETHER, the way they were always supposed to, that they're able to defeat the darkness. THAT'S the story. The Jedi and the people of the galaxy are in a symbiotic relationship with each other, a theme that doesn't work if you go for the concepts where everyone gets to be a Jedi. The Jedi are a specific group of people, they are the Force made manifest, they are beacons of hope, they are an ideal to work towards. This doesn't work with the "Jedi can also be people without Force sensitivity" or "everyone has Force sensitivity" concepts. It just doesn't.
So of course there are plenty of characters who aren't Force sensitive who follow Jedi philosophies or act in a way the Jedi would approve of. These people are the ones choosing to be in balance with the Jedi, which in turn is what brings balance to the entire galaxy.
If this interpretation of Star Wars and the Jedi comes off as boring to you, then, well, that sounds like a you problem and you're more than welcome to find a different corner of fandom to go spend time in and leave me to my corner.
#star wars#jedi#pro jedi#jedi appreciation#the force#ahsoka show#ahsoka show negativity#anti ahsoka show#andor#rogue one
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prisoners
Pairing: Cassian Andor x fem!reader
Word Count: Almost 8.7k
Synopsis: You never expected to find your soulmate here.
Warnings: 18+, minors DNI, smut (unprotected p in v sex, slight breeding kink), physical pain & trauma, depression, nightmares, prison, prison labour, open sea & dark water
A/N: For the prompt ‘Nightmare/Soulmark’ in Andor Bingo, created by @sw-andor This fic features major spoilers for Andor S1. Keef = Cassian. Divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics.
“What’s she doin’ ‘ere?”
“I think that’s obvious.”
“Yeah but, she’s a woman.”
“What do they care? Man, woman, we’re all just slaves - ”
“Oi! Table five.” Kino barks from behind you. He stalks over, meeting everyone’s eyes with a glare. “Is there a problem?”
“Yeh’ve given us a woman,” the redhead says. “No offence, love, but why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with the other birds?”
“Shut it,” Kino growls. “It doesn’t matter why she’s here. She is. Now stop wasting my time and get back to work. Unless you want to get fried.”
Your feet shift nervously at the memory. Hot, electric pain. Everyone else stiffens too, a shared sense of dread filling the sterile air.
He takes you by the shoulders and pushes you towards one of the men. “Keef.”
A man with dark hair and even darker eyes looks up at the sound of his name, his gaze falling on you as he pauses mid-crank.
Your lips part, and your gaze lingers on the sight of his sleeves rolled up, his arms tensing with each push so hard, that, in any other circumstance, you might find it appealing.
“Show her the ropes.” Kino lowers his voice to a menacing growl. “And make sure she understands what’s at stake.”
The man gives him a subtle nod.
“You’re down four now, boys,” Kino says, his gaze shifting to you, “... and girl. No more distractions. Let’s get this done!”
They get back to work - a synchronised effort that you struggle to follow, only adding to the chaos happening around you. There are lasers and cranks and drills and pieces of machinery that they have to manually fit together. And the sounds are overwhelming - hardened voices overlapping with the whirring and clanking of the machines.
“I’m Jemboc,” the older one next to Keef says. “This is Ham, Xaul, Melshi, and Taga.” He goes around the table, pointing at each one.
You say your name in return, but it comes out feeble, your throat still not working properly. Xaul, the redhead, pins you with a look. Melshi mutters something to himself, shaking his head.
“Here,” Keef grunts to get your attention, beckoning you to his side. There's a lilt to his voice that pleases your ears. “Watch what I do closely. You have to pull your weight around here, or we all get fried, you understand?”
You manage to nod.
He removes the crank from the machinery and sets it aside, his hands moving deftly from one task to the next. You’re drawn to his hands, the display of skill and strength sending heat down your spine. His brows are lowered, his gaze focused.
Each part requires something different - to pull, crank, lift, reach, press, load. It's heavy labour, but he proves himself more than capable.
"It's easy once you get into the swing of things," Jemboc's voice taking you out of your trance as he steps beside you.
"Right.” You’re not sure you want to get into the swing of things.
The older man frowns at you, but there's a kindness in his eyes.
"Are you getting it?" Keef growls to you as he lifts his hands and backs away from the table.
You nod.
He draws near and ducks his head down, a patient look in his eyes. "Any questions, you can just ask me."
Your heart flutters. Heat rises to your face, though you're not sure why. "Thanks."
With a nod, he turns back to the table and starts loading alongside the others, letting you stand by his side and watch.
No more words are exchanged apart from the occasional barked order from the others - push!, lift!, and hands away!
They get more frantic as time passes. Kino calls something out and your table groans in response.
You realise that they're falling behind.
Get back to work. Unless you want to get fried. Shit. There is no way you're taking that punishment again if you can help it.
Stomach in knots, you step up beside Keef. "I've seen enough, let me help."
He eyes you, a muscle feathering in his jaw, before handing you the crank. As your hand closes around it, he mutters, "Be careful."
A shiver runs down your spine. His voice is low and smooth and it does something to your body that momentarily distracts you from this hell.
Hesitantly, you take the crank from his grip and fasten it to the piece of machinery.
"Table five, your productivity levels are unacceptable. Proceed to the centre of the room and remain on program."
The soles of your feet tingle with each step on the floor. Your head is spinning, heart pounding, mouth drier than a desert.
The others at your table stand with you in the centre of the floor. For a second, you allow yourself a glance over at Keef.
He’s staring straight forward, a dead look in his eyes, but the tiniest shuddering expanse of his chest betrays his fear.
You close your eyes and wait.
No no no no no no no no no -
It slices through your body and your muscles seize with pain. A cry escapes your lips. Your knee hits the floor painfully hard as your legs give way, and the cries of the others violates your ears, inescapable.
It's over in seconds, but it feels like hours.
Your lungs draw ragged breaths. Tears leak from your eyes, and you wipe them away before anyone sees.
Stand. The others are already getting up - you need to follow, quickly, before they decide to punish you again. But your legs are too weak.
A familiar outstretched hand enters your vision.
Your gaze trails up the veins in his forearm, to the sleeves bunched up over his biceps. "Come on," Keef urges softly. "You have to get up."
With all your willpower, you reach up and grab him by the forearm, his hand closing around the inner side of your forearm, bracing you there to help you up.
"Ah!" you hiss, pulling away as a sudden burning sensation flares where his hand touches you.
“Shit!” He grits out, exchanging a confused look with you, and then looks down at his own arm, where you touched him.
Your breath halts as you see it - the symbol burned into your skin, on the inner side of your upper forearm. It’s a simple slashing of lines, but the meaning it carries is far more significant - a soulmark.
He’s staring at the same symbol on his own skin in stunned silence.
“Keef,” you breathe.
Then the deep warped voice of the prison interrupts.
“Prisoners on program. Proceed to your quarters.”
He takes one frantic look at you, and then turns his head forward, following the prison directive and raising his hands behind his head on program. The sleeve, you noticed, he pulls down to hide the mark.
You quickly do the same, assuming the position, even though every fibre of your being is flooded with shock.
As you file through the doors with the others, you can barely hear anything over the pounding of your own ears. Your mind struggles to make sense of what just happened, let alone process everything else that’s happened to you in the last twenty-four hours.
Keef falls in line behind you.
Instantly, you feel his eyes on you, the heat prickling at the back of your neck.
The line of prisoners shuffles along through a long corridor, passing the night shift, stopping and starting up again until you're at your quarters.
"Jemboc, give her the orientation," Kino directs the older man, before leaving you behind to deal with another group of men.
Jemboc turns to you. "Come on, I'll show you your cell."
As he takes you down through the hallway, you see Keef emerge out of the corner of your eye, and when he reaches his own cell, so do you. Directly opposite from each other.
Your eyes meet.
Stars. Finding a soulmate is rare, practically unheard of for most. But he’s here, and the mark is burned into your flesh, still throbbing with fresh pain as you run your fingers over it.
Jemboc starts explaining what the lights on the floor mean, but you can’t seem to take your eyes off of Keef, raking your gaze over his tense form, brown hair mussed and grown out, dark eyes you could lose yourself in, even as you listen to Jemboc listing all the various rules.
“You understand?” Jemboc asks you.
Not really. “Yes,” you reply with a nod, dragging your eyes away.
“What are you in for, anyway?”
“Loitering.” You’ve grown numb to the anger.
“I see.” Jemboc pats you on the shoulder. “You’ll be okay, sister. We all will be, soon.”
“Hey!” The bark of another prisoner cuts him off.
It’s Xaul, pushing past the others, stalking towards you with a deadly glare.
You take a step back on instinct, and Jemboc folds his arms defensively, but it’s Keef who gets in his way.
With a growl, he pushes off the wall, getting in Xaul’s face before he can reach you. “What’s your problem, huh?” he growls. “You’re scaring her.”
Xaul growls, jabs his finger in your direction, and shifts his glare to Jemboc. “Not her.”
They exchange unreadable glances.
Jemboc scowls and takes him by the shoulder, leading him out of earshot from you. The two of them begin talking in low, urgent tones, Xaul shooting you another glare.
Your hands curl into fists at your side.
Hesitantly, Keef turns to you, his head ducked low in sincerity. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice coming out softer than you’ve heard before.
“No,” you say, even as warmth fills you at the concern in his devastatingly brown eyes. Stars, but the sight of him pleases you. “I think we need to talk.”
“Agreed,” he nods, holding his forearm with his other hand, his eyes briefly glancing down, “but we don’t have the time or the privacy in here.”
You draw nearer. “How long is left on your sentence?”
“No,” he shakes his head, “That doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I don’t understand.”
His eyes dart to Xaul and Jemboc. “I wish I could tell you. I - ” he cuts himself off as the floor lights start flashing.
In seconds, the hall clears as the rest of the inmates scramble to get into their cells. Keef pushes you towards yours. “Go.”
With his push, you step up into your cell before the lights can turn red. What was it Jemboc said? Seven seconds when the lights start flashing, then they turn red. And if you’re caught in the red light, you die.
On instinct, you turn back around to see Keef again.
Your soulmate.
He stands in his cell across from you, an unreadable expression on his face, his mouth in a grim line, as the lights begin to dim.
The floor lights turn red a second later.
There is no way to get to him now, and no way of talking across the hall without everyone in the surrounding cells hearing you. That’s not an option.
He lingers at the edge of his cell, and so do you, for a time, struggling with this new feeling inside you - this urge, compelling you towards him. Even if you don’t know him yet, you want to.
So you’re paralysed in silence; staring at each other across several feet of deadly flooring.
The murmurs of the other inmates eventually peter out, and as the snoring starts to rise, you feel your eyes growing heavy.
You curse beneath your breath.
Keef must hear it, because he raises his chin and nods in understanding, retreating from the edge of his cell and into darkness.
Grimly, you turn away from him, towards your bunk.
They're everywhere. They're watching you. They know what you've done. You're going to be punished -
You wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for air.
"Hey, hey, breathe." Keef's hushed voice carries across the cell.
Your eyes dart around until you see him, a broad mass in the shadows, sitting on the edge of his bunk across the way.
The soft sound of the other men snoring in their cells settles over the silence.
"It was just a nightmare," he whispers across the corridor. "I'm right here."
You blink back tears, and push yourself up by your elbows. “Did I wake you?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “I couldn’t sleep.”
You run your hand down over your face. There’s been a lot of that lately.
A few shifts in, you found yourself staring at the ceiling of your cell counting the seconds going by, running your fingers over the soulmark on your arm, unable to stop thinking about him.
You’ve memorised his form and features with almost no effort - the cut of his jawline, occasionally peppered with stubble if he hasn’t shaved, being your latest obsession.
And you can feel when he looks at you, too. Devouring glances out of the corner of your eye that set your cheeks aflame.
It’s like your body is on high alert at all times. Working alongside him throughout the day, barely able to exchange a few words without anyone overhearing, passing by each other, brushing past each other so close your skin hair raises, but not touching, never touching, just savouring the few small moments in his presence and then trying to go to sleep every night knowing he is a only few feet away from you.
But it’s worse, somehow, when you do manage to turn your brain off. That’s when the nightmares come.
It’s relentless and repetitive; nothing but the Empire and memories of pain, torturing you through your sleep.
Keef’s been developing shadows beneath his eyes as well. You wish you could talk to him about it, but he doesn’t seem to want anyone else to know about your soulmarks, and shit, neither do you. It's hard enough to even admit to yourself, let alone have the others staring at you, judging you more than they already do for being the only woman here.
And if the prison ever found out, they could take you away from each other. Your gut clenches at the thought.
Fuck. Trying to drag your emotions out of the gutter before you break is becoming harder everyday. The weight on your shoulders is crushing you, and you can’t see any light at the end of this tunnel.
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” you confess, wrapping your arms around yourself.
He stands, coming to the edge of his cell in the low, red lighting. “Don’t say that,” he whispers. “Don’t let them break you.”
You fiddle with your mattress. Don’t let them break you? They already are, and it isn’t your choice.
“Listen to me,” he says, raising his voice to a low growl.
You look up at him, drawing in a shaky breath.
“You had a nightmare, but you woke up from it.” The urgency in his baritone voice calls to you, and you stand, approaching the edge of your cell as he continues. “That’s all this place is. It’s a nightmare. You don’t realise it while you’re inside, but you’re in control. All you have to do is wake up.”
“What are you saying?”
He meets your gaze, an intense, unreadable look in his eyes. “I'm saying, hold on. Just a little while longer. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” you breathe, before you realise what you’re saying. You blink and look away from him, frowning. “I can.”
His words paint a picture in your mind, one of you, years from now, out of here. On some beach planet or forest town, enjoying the sun on your face. This place, a distant memory in the back of your mind.
Just a nightmare.
A slight smile finds its way onto your face at the thought. You meet Keef’s gaze again, the fierceness in his eyes amplified by the red of the floor, and nod in gratitude.
“I’ll try.”
His shoulders relax slightly, and he nods. “That’s all we can do.”
You sleep.
There’s a warmth in you when you wake, a buzz from the memory of last night. That was the longest conversation you’ve had yet, and even if you couldn’t talk openly, it still felt real.
When you first open your eyes, you’re drawn to his cell on instinct, drinking in the sight of him every chance you can get.
But it’s like he hasn’t moved all night. He’s leaning one shoulder against the wall at the edge of his cell, arms still folded, and he’s staring at you, his dark brows furrowed, the slight stubble peppering his clenched jaw telling you he hasn’t shaved since yesterday. Movement draws your gaze to his arm, where his knuckles shift back and forth, running over that small mark on his arm.
Heat slowly rises to your face.
The floor is still red. The others are awake too, the few you can see from your cell having breakfast or pacing around their small cell. The slight murmur of muted voices blending together.
“Did you sleep?” you ask him.
He gives the subtlest shake of his head.
Your heart sinks.
It’s not just being around him that you can’t bear, it’s also seeing him suffer and not being able to help. You have to keep holding back these strange, rising urges to comfort him. It doesn’t help that he has those big, soulful brown eyes that could melt you down into the cracks of the floor.
You’re not in love, but he matters to you more with each passing day, and that feeling is killing you.
Damn, you thought you’d grown numb to everything, but suddenly the despair is back with a vengeance, and you have to look away to blink back sudden tears.
“Hey,” he calls to you. “You okay?”
Shaking your head, you blow out a breath and chant in your head, don’t break, don’t let them get to you.
He curses, and then he’s pushing of the wall to pace his cell. His shoulders tense with each breath.
You draw near the edge of your cell, watching him try to walk out the tension in his body, your heart caught between desire and despair.
It’s a vicious cycle of suffering between the two of you.
Then the floor lights shift from red to white.
“On program!” Kino calls out.
Prisoners load out of their cells, slowly getting into their line with murmurs and sluggishness.
Keef is already on the floor when you tentatively step down, enduring that moment before your feet touch the metal with your heart in your throat every time. White lights means it’s safe, but -
He approaches you suddenly, closing his hand around the nape of your neck, tipping his forehead against yours. Warm electricity floods through your veins and over your skin at his touch.
“Keef,” you stutter out, shocked at his public display, even as you sink further into his touch. The sounds of shock and angry voices from the men around you start kicking off, but you ignore them.
“Please,” he breathes, his forehead pressed firmly against yours, his face inches away, “it’s killing me. I know you’re scared - I know. What can I do?”
You shake your head. “I - ”
“What the fuck are you two doing?”
Kino.
You pull him off you and step away.
He shudders at your touch, and you realise with a jolt that you took his arm right at the soulmark. For a brief moment, he cradles his arm, before Kino approaches and the two of you join the others in line.
“Hm?” The man raises his eyebrow at the both of you. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“It was nothing,” Keef responds. “Just making sure she’s okay.”
Kino glances at you, an unreadable look on his face. “Are you?”
“I’m fine,” you say, but even you can hear the shakiness in your own voice.
He blinks, searching your gaze. Then he grabs Keef by the arm and leans in to whisper something in his ear.
As Keef listens, he sets his eyes on you, before giving Kino a firm nod.
Apparently satisfied, the older man steps away and raises his voice to the rest of the men.
“Time to face another day. Everyone, move.”
As you begin walking forward, you turn your head to whisper back to him, “what was that?”
“Don’t worry,” Keef whispers. “He’s on our side.”
The tension is high at table five.
“I don’t think they should be next to each other today,” says Taga, eyes darting nervously between the two of you.
“Why?” Keef growls.
“Does he really have to say why?” Xaul interrupts. “You like her.”
“It could be a distraction,” Ham mutters.
“No.” Keef glares. “She stays by my side. Kino’s orders.”
“Oh, ‘Kino’s orders’? Fuck that. We don’t want to get fried 'cuz of you,” Xaul growls.
Keef turns his ire on Xaul. "And when was the last time that happened? If memory serves, not since she started here, under my guidance."
A mutter goes around the table.
"Table five, get moving," Kino warns as he passes by.
"Let's get this done," Keef growls, and that's the end of the discussion.
The next days feel different, and the same.
You try to hold on, like you promised him, but the nightmares and the sleepless nights are getting worse.
You touched each other for the second time ever, felt the warmth of his hands on you, breathed the same air, the memory of seeing the depths of darkness in his brown eyes up close is carved into your mind, and now the yearning inside of you has developed; a deep ache in your bones.
The others can sense something more is up between you. You feel their eyes follow you; but you can't bring yourself to care whether they notice the way he always rushes to your aid, or the soft exchanges of words, or the way the two of you never move too far apart. You can't fight this growing need to be around him. You're soulmates. Whatever that means.
"Doctor! We need the doctor!"
Your ears prick at the commotion at table two. Everyone keeps working, but out of the corner of your eye you watch as Kino goes over to investigate.
"Is it another panic attack?"
You push down on the drill.
"...he's not breathin'"
You lift it up and inspect the results.
"Shit. I’ll call the doctor."
Your table begins to lift the cog off the table to load it on the rack. You step away, watching them move. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the man keeled over on the floor.
A little bit of your soul cracks.
Keef returns to your side, and it’s brief, but his arm brushes against yours.
He doesn’t even need to say anything - you meet his brown-eyed gaze and all the hurt in your lungs evaporates.
“Unit Five-Two-D on program.”
He flicks his gaze up to the entrance, a gleam in his eyes.
You put your hands behind your head and turn to face them as the doctor is lowered onto the floor.
The man is dead.
There’s a strange anticipation in the air, like the way the air gets dry before a storm hits.
You watch them carry the man away in a bodybag. You catch Xaul and Jemboc exchanging a look. You catch the way Kino nods subtly to Keef as he walks past.
Everyone goes silently to their quarters - not even a whisper.
“Fall out!” Kino yells.
You turn to Keef. “What is going on?”
He pulls you aside, leaning in with his voice down low. “Do you trust me?”
“Why?”
“Tomorrow, whatever Kino says, I want you to follow immediately. No hesitation. You understand?”
“What - ”
“I can’t explain. I wish I could, but - ” His eyes catch on someone over your shoulder, and his mouth closes in a grim line.
You glance back and see Xaul, watching from a distance, arms folded, jaw tense. He’s never seemed to trust you, and you don’t blame him, but the way he watches you at all times is hard to get comfortable with.
“I don’t understand,” you turn back to your soulmate and search his eyes, “but... I trust you.”
An unreadable expression flashes in his eyes, and then everything is swept away as he takes you by the waist, cups your chin, and sweeps you into a gentle kiss.
For a nanosecond you freeze, before the rush of adrenaline fills your veins and you melt against his lips. The soulmark pulses on your arm, and the most amazing feeling overtakes you, of drifting high up in the clouds and watching the sun rise. You pull him closer, threading your fingers through his hair. The bristle of his five-o’clock shadow makes itself known with each movement, desire pooling in your core as you move your body against his. He feels so real, solid and alive, and it’s breathtaking.
The sounds of the world around you only vaguely registers in your head. Men, shouting at you.
Fuck them. Nothing else matters. You’re in the arms of your soulmate and you never want to leave again.
Then one voice, Kino’s, pierces through your haze. “Oi! The floor!”
Your eyes fly open as Keef breaks off the kiss and pushes you towards your cell with a growl.
You barely have time to react. Between the flashing lights, you lunge for the safe zone, leaping up into it seconds before the place is bathed in red.
“Fuck!”
You turn around.
He stands in his cell across from you, panting, his hair mussed from your attention. His eyes are wild, staring at you like he’s waiting for you to drop dead.
The instinct to reassure him overwhelms you. “I’m okay,” you say, stepping away from the edge. “I made it.”
He closes his eyes, running a palm over his mouth, and his shoulders rise and fall with a deep, shuddering breath.
You look down at your soulmark. That heightened feeling is fading, fast, each second you’re not back in his arms. A vision enters your head, of you, throwing yourself across the hall, even though you know that ends in death.
“You two lovebirds have a death wish?” Kino yells from his cell.
Shit.
“I told you they were distracting each other.”
“Gonna get us killed.”
Murmurs ripple down the hall. Heads, poking out of their cells.
Keef shakes his head, eyes swimming with anger. His voice is low, but you still hear it above the din. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken that risk.”
His words should fill you with regret, but a part of you, a small, stubborn part, thinks that maybe it was worth it anyway, just to touch him again, to feel his arms around you, the dominance of his kiss.
You close your eyes, a hand going to your mouth on instinct, fingertips trailing where he had his mouth on yours.
“Enough!”
Kino’s bark gets everyone’s attention instantly. The chatter dies down.
You open your eyes, and Keef is staring at you, a hungry look in his eyes. Heat rises to your face.
“Everyone knows what the plan is. Yes?”
Mumbles of men in agreement echo through the hall. You tilt your head, trying to discern any information you can, but pick up nothing. Nothing except that Keef looking towards Kino’s cell with fire in his eyes - tense, almost like hope, but darker.
Anger.
“Good. Now’s the time to rest. Tomorrow, we fight.”
A chill runs down your spine.
He’s shirtless in the morning.
Instantly pushing yourself up, your gaze locked on his chest, his stomach v, his arms, you catch his attention with the sudden movement.
He snaps his gaze to yours, pausing mid-stretch. His arm pulled across his chest, braced against his other arm to stretch his shoulder, the ropes of his biceps on full display for you.
“Hi,” you say.
Your swear his mouth curves just slightly, a twitch in his face, and he nods at you.
“Hi.”
All the blood in your body has left your brain. You continue to stare at him like an idiot while he does some basic stretches, before the lights flick to white, and Kino yells his daily on program! while Keef slides his shirt back on.
You fall in line in front of him.
He stands closer to you than normal, pressing his up front against you, his breath fanning against the back of your head as he leans in. His lilting voice sounds lowly in your ear, a lilting, baritone sound. “Remember what I said?”
Your eyes flutter shut at the sensation. “F-Follow Kino,” you manage to stutter out.
He hums in approval. “Good girl.”
Your thighs clench together.
He’s getting more bold in front of the others, more playful, and you can’t help but feel excited and nervous by the shift. Why has he stopped hiding?
The line starts moving forward, and you follow the person in front of you to the showers as normal, trying to focus on anything but what he just said.
He thinks there’s a chance you could both escape, you think, and then immediately regret that line of thinking. But it’s too late. That future you imagined - the one that he planted in your mind with his words, shifts, and suddenly he’s there beside you in each vision, relaxing, laughing, grinning like an idiot.
Fuck.
The shift begins, the men exchanging knowing glances that have anticipation and dread growing in your belly. You know what this is by now, you’ve put the pieces together despite their weird reluctance in telling you.
This escape plan is really happening.
The new prisoner arrives shortly after your shift begins, and when Keef returns from the bathroom soaking wet, you barely have time to react before shit hits the fan.
Obeying Kino’s orders, you watch as together the other prisoners hijack the lift and short out the entire system - no more hot floor.
As he reaches the top, Keef turns back to pin you with a wild, furious look in his eyes that fills you with fire. He jerks his head for you to follow him.
So you do.
You climb. You run. You follow.
A guard catches you and tries to pull you away, but Keef is there in a flash of red and the smell of burning flesh, grabbing you by the hand and telling you to run as the man slumps to the ground.
The loading platform ends in a sheer drop to the sea. Your stomach drops as you pull back, glancing around as others begin to jump.
This is insane.
“I can’t swim!”
You barely hear Kino say it over the sound of the wind and the other prisoners, but then he says it again, and there is no doubt.
You step up beside him. “Me neither.”
Keef stares at you in shock.
And then he’s gone.
One of the men drags him off the edge by accident, and a shriek escapes you. “No!” but you can only watch as he disappears from sight.
A second goes by, then two. More men rush past.
There's nothing but the sound of blood pumping in your ears. No matter which way you think about it, if you follow, you're dead. There's no way you can swim that far, and if Keef tries to help you, he'll probably just die with you.
You fall to your knees.
Others race past you still, flinging themselves off the edge one by one. Kino stands by your side, watching them with an empty gaze.
“What do we do now?” you ask, and find yourself subconsciously cradling your arm, the soulmark on it beginning to throb painfully. Follow Kino, he said, but you’re not sure Kino has any moves left. There’s none you can see; no way to survive.
Maybe you should just jump anyway and let fate decide.
“Nothing.” Kino looks down at the gun in his hand. “We’re going out, one way or another.”
You nod and take in a deep breath of salty ocean air. “Agreed.”
He says nothing.
“Ah!” Your soulmark throbs again, and you grip your arm, hissing through your teeth. “Fuck off!”
“Sorry?” Kino growls.
"It’s uh,” you pull back your sleeve to him, “my soulmark.”
He blinks. “Damn. Keef?”
“Yeah.”
“That explains you two then.” He nods, casting his gaze out to sea. “I... I have a family.”
You peer up at him.
“I just wanted to see them again.” He looks down at the gun in his hands again.
“At least you know you tried,” you offer. “Sometimes...” Keef’s words ring true, pouring from your lips even as you hear the memory of his words spoken in your mind. “...that’s all we can do.”
The two of you linger in silence. Below you, the forms of men swimming away from the prison spread out, reaching towards the horizon. The soulmark on your arm is aching something fierce now, calling you to the edge. But it’s the realisation that Keef must be feeling this pain too, that hurts even more.
You hope he is trying anyway, down there, despite the pain.
He’s probably thinking the same thing about you.
Damn.
You stand. “Give me the gun.”
Kino hands it to you without even looking, his eyes remaining fixed on the horizon.
You turn around, facing the inside of the prison, and point the gun at one of the panels of the wall. The sound of the blast almost deafens you.
The panels sizzle where the blast hit, but as you approach, you can see them peeling away from each other at the seam. Without hesitation, you wedge the barrel of the gun in the hole, and with all your strength, try to peel the panel off the wall.
“What are you doing?” Kino growls.
You glance back at him with a half-cocked shrug.
“Finding something that floats.”
Wet.
Cassian’s fingers close around sand. His lungs are on fire, exacerbated by the stinging salt he inhales with each breath. Everything hurts.
A shadow relieves him from the sun. He looks up and for a moment, it’s you, the beautiful image of you reaching down for him tilting this world on its axis. Then he blinks, and Melshi comes into focus.
“We need to disappear,” he’s saying, scanning their surroundings.
Cassian tries to push himself up, but there’s a terrible ache emanating from his soulmark. It was easy to ignore in the sea - everything hurt. But now it spreads through his body, an urging like no other to wade back out into the dark waves - to go back for you.
He wants to punch the man who tackled him off the edge. Whoever it was. But as soon as he hit the water, swimming was the only way to survive.
“Did ya hear me? Keef?”
With a grunt, Cassian sits up and brushes off his hands, wincing when his arm throbs with the movement. “Did anyone else make it?”
Melshi squints. “If they did, they didn’t follow us.”
Yeah, that’s what he thought. Even if, by some miracle, you did make it, you could be miles apart, with no way of finding each other.
It would be enough to know that you survived, but he’s never been that lucky. No. He thinks of you, of your tentatively hopeful expressions that get him through the day, that beautifully trusting look in your eyes right before he kissed you, and has to tilt his head back to prevent his eyes from watering.
His soulmate. Dead.
He thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he could save you.
“Keef.” Melshi stoops down beside him. “We have to move.”
“What do you know about soulmarks?” he murmurs.
Melshi sighs. “You’re dehydrated, mate. C’mon.” He goes to lift him up.
“No - no!” Cassian resists, pushing Melshi away and scrambling to his feet. He shoves back his sleeve and bares his soulmark. “I need to know! I need to...” He cuts himself off with a grimace as pain pulses through the mark.
Melshi stares at the mark, wide-eyed. “No shit. The girl?”
Cassian can only nod. “She doesn’t even know - my real name.” He chokes the words out past tears. “I thought I could save her. But she’s... she’s probably dead by now.” It feels like he’s separated from his body, like someone else is saying these things.
“Wouldn’t you know?”
Cassian stills. “What do you mean?”
Melshi hesitates.
“What do you mean?!” He grips at his hair, heart thudding in his chest so hard it might burst. “How would I know?!”
“I don’t know! It was just a story, back home - people said the marks are like homing beacons. So if she’s dead, your mark would... stop working.” He cringes, muttering, “it sounds stupid when I say it like that.”
Cassian looks down at it the throbbing, aching mark. He focuses on it, and - there - the throbbing pulls towards the sea.
He looks out at the waves. “She’s alive.”
His legs carry him forward, back into the sea. The sound of Melshi yelling behind him is a distant worry over the beating of his own heart, the very blood in his veins burning to get to you.
Then arms close around him, pulling him back. “You’re insane!”
He snarls and shoves Melshi back. “Get off me!”
“You’ll die!”
“I have to go back!”
Melshi lets him go. “Okay okay, just - just think about this! You’re no use to her dead.”
“You don’t get it. You don’t understand. If she’s alive - ”
“If she’s still alive, she’ll need more than just one man swimming out to rescue her!” His gaze darts down. “Is it getting better or worse?”
“What?”
He points to Cassian’s soulmark. “It’s painful, right? Is it getting worse?”
Cassian looks down at it. “It’s been about the same for a while now.” Fucking painful, but, “...maybe a little less than before. I don’t know!”
Melshi nods. “So she could be getting closer.”
“If that is how it works.” Instinct - the mark - tells him it does, but the panic in his chest won’t go away. He needs to see you. “So what do I do then? Wait around for her to find me? She can’t swim, so how - ”
“I don’t care!” Melshi interrupts. "But if you don’t return to shore with me, I will knock you unconscious and drag you back.” There’s a deadly serious look in the man’s eyes.
The ache within him isn’t going away. He’s not sure how much more he can take. But Melshi is right - it would be a death wish to swim back.
The prison is a blip on the horizon. Could you have really made it, somehow?
Melshi eyes him aggressively, waiting for him to make a move.
Cassian raises an eyebrow. “You really care about me that much?”
“You’ve been a bloody pain in my arse, but you were instrumental in our escape, so I figure I owe ya.”
With a nod, he looks back towards land, skimming his fingers over the waist-high water. “We wait here then.”
“They’ll be sending ships looking for us.”
“I won’t go any farther inland.”
Melshi shakes his head. “Fine.” With a splash, he begins wading toward the shore. “Then we’d better find some shelter for the night.”
It’s midnight. Probably, anyway. Cassian has no sense of time here, except that it's been dark for a while.
He sits with his face tilted up to the stars. The sea breeze is a cool rush of air, swaying the tree above and rustling his hair across his face.
He needs a haircut again.
The mark on his arm has steadied to a slow, aching pulse every few seconds, nothing more than the sensation of a mending bruise.
Melshi is right - he can feel it in his veins that you're getting close.
So he's waiting.
Sleep will not come to him tonight. Like you, it eludes him, and in its place, the unnatural sense that something is missing.
It's subtle, at first. A crashing of waves that don't fit the slow, steady beat he's been listening to all night.
Then, the sound of voices out there. A man's, deep and grating, and yours.
He'd recognise it anywhere.
He peers around the tree, out towards the sea, and sees a shape floating on the water.
“Melshi.” He hisses his companion’s name, getting up. “Melshi! It's them.”
“Huh,” Melshi starts, half awake.
“It’s them. I’m going to get her.”
He groans, shifting his arms up to cover his face. “They’re actually here? Wha’ are the chances? How?”
“I don’t know.” Breathless, Cassian turns toward the sea, towards the place his soulmark has been calling him towards all night. “But I’m going to find out. Come on.”
He runs to the water.
Sand sprays beneath his feet, then water splashes, and then he’s wading, then swimming, towards it. The shape blotting out the stars on the horizon morphs into two silhouettes sitting on some kind of raft. They’re slowly paddling their way towards the shore.
Cassian wants to weep with joy when he hears their voices - first Kino, then you.
“Is that - ”
“Keef? Keef!” you cry out, your voice hoarse.
His palm collides with the raft - a smooth white panel, and there you are, sitting on one side with a salt-streaked, wind-struck, beautiful face, staring down at him in wonder.
“Well shit,” Kino croaks, glancing at you. “You were right.”
Your hand rests over your soulmark as you stare down at Cassian.
Stars. There is so much he wants to say, but none of it seems like enough for this moment. He doesn’t want to take his eyes off you - he can’t.
But as the waves gently rise and fall, Kino clears his throat pointedly. “Much as I love being surrounded by water...”
“Right, right.” Cassian grabs hold of the panel. “I’ll take you to shore.”
The soft strokes of the sea abuts his efforts as he pulls the raft behind him, until the sea floor shallows out and he can put his feet beneath him.
“You should be good now. You can stand,” he says, instantly returning to your side of the raft. “Melshi’s with me, on the shore.”
Kino nods, sliding off the edge. “We should bury the panel.”
“Agreed.”
You hesitantly dip your legs in the water, and Cassian places his hands on your waist ready to help you down. “I’ve got you.”
In the darkness he can barely see your face, but he could swear there’s a heat reflected in your eyes.
It feels good, coming to you aid on instinct. Putting his hands on you.
As he holds you steady, you gently slip off the edge of the raft and collide against him with an oof as you land.
Despite his exhaustion, his shaft hardens. To go from be denied his soulmate for so long, to this...
“Here,” he says, roughly pushing the panel towards Kino, his eyes never leaving your face. “Go see Melshi. We’ll catch up.”
The man grunts something, and begins to wade to shore with the panel, and then he’s forgotten as Cassian is drawn back to you on instinct.
His arms tighten around your waist, and he opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He’s struck.
You cup his face, gaze flitting between his eyes and his mouth, your breaths mingling, and then suddenly he’s pressing his mouth against yours.
You let out a cute little gasp against him, and his chest flutters, as you yield to him.
Yes. He burns with the rightness of this moment, and yet braces you against him as he deepens the kiss, like he’s afraid you’re going to slip away. He doesn’t quite believe you’re real yet.
Your fingers dig into his hair, and he likes it, the way you pull him into you with the same hunger and desperation he’s feeling.
“Cassian,” he breathes suddenly, pulling back for a moment, his forehead pressed against yours. “My real name is Cassian.”
“Cassian,” you repeat, and then your mouth curves into a smile - a fucking smile.
He almost groans. His soulmark pulses warmly against you. “You’re alive.”
“Yes,” you breathe, nodding against him.
“You’re my soulmate.”
You nod again, clinging tight to him. “Yes.”
A low, reverent chuckle escapes him, and you let out a light giggle in response; together relishing in the intimacy of this moment.
And then you cant your hips, and his laugh turns into a groan, a new kind of bliss making itself known in the hardening of his length beneath his pants. He thinks he’s never seen anything as beautiful as the look in your eyes. Full of passion - a beautiful, twisting flame, but also, understanding. You barely know each other, and yet it’s like your souls know each other intimately; bound together by something greater than either of you can fathom.
With a swift motion, he sweeps your legs out from underneath you and hitches your thighs around his waist so you're floating in the water, anchored in place by him alone.
You press yourself into him, arching your back and leaning forward to brush your lips against his.
He kisses you with all the fervour and unfulfilled need building inside him. His hands come around your ass and dig in, tugging your crotch against him so you can feel his hardness.
Another heady, submissive gasp escapes you against his mouth, and when your legs open further to let him settle against you, he's done for.
“I know you’re probably tired,” he murmurs, “and we should probably get to shore, but I...”
You're nodding before he even finishes the sentence, making his heart soar with the needy look in your eyes. “Yes,” you breathe. “Yes, yes, please, Cassian, please.”
With a breathless laugh, he drops your thighs and takes you by the waistband of your pants instead.
Together, you work to pull it off of you. It’s awkward, messy, not how he imagined this going, but it doesn’t matter. The mood is playful as you struggle to pull your pants off beneath the water - you, bracing yourself on his shoulders, and him, trying to pull it off your legs and getting splashed in the process.
But then suddenly you’re fully naked from the waist down, and your laughter quietens as you draw close to each other again.
He can’t see your naked lower half beneath the dark water, but he can feel when you wrap your legs around him again.
Slowly, he places his hand on your bare thigh, treating the moment with all the reverence of a ritual, his soulmark tingling in anticipation and sending a shudder through his body.
With his other hand, he cups your face, searching your gaze.
“I’m clean.”
“Same.”
“Birth control?”
Something like pain flickers in your eyes, and you shake your head. “Not since... before.”
“Right. Of course.”
He hesitates.
The two of you just escaped prison, and if he’s learnt anything, this is not the kind of galaxy he wants to risk bringing a child into. He’s not even sure if he’ll survive tomorrow.
“What do you want to do then?”
“We could die tomorrow.” You shift in his arms, pulling yourself flush against him until his hardness presses firmly between you. “Fuck it.”
He tilts his head, a slight grin curling on his face. Stars, when you say it like that... With a clench of his jaw, he pulls you down slowly and impales you on his hardness.
His head falls back. You’re fucking tight. A raw, incredulous groan rises from his throat.
Your reaction has his head spinning - fingers winding through his grown-out hair and pulling desperately against him. He loves little hiss you make.
“Look at me.”
Your eyes flutter open to meet his gaze and his seed almost spills, only holding himself back with the barest restraint. Must savour this moment. Finally being inside you - his soulmate.
He pulls you in for a hungry kiss. Heat rises between your bodies as you give yourself over to his touch, opening your mouth into his kiss and arching your back for him.
It’s too much. Unable to stop himself, his hands grip you by your thighs and he fully impales you, forcing your tight, inner channel muscles to give way and let his shaft thrust full inside you.
You brace his shoulders and writhe in pleasure. “Oh, Cassian, please, m-move - ”
That’s all he hears before his instincts take over, and he uses all his strength to thrust, desperate to wedge himself so far inside you he’ll never leave.
He plants his feet on the sea floor and braces you against him as you cant your hips for him. Your bodies are working overtime to create that toe-curling friction, thrusting into each other with bruising force, the waves splashing and breaking over your entwined forms.
Your mouths clash in a tangle of heated, desperate kisses that burn him from within. The tension is pulled taut between you, soulmarks thrumming in time with each other as you desperately unite your bodies as one.
He rocks his hips up between your open legs and hits home harder and harder with each slosh of the water. His hands grip you by the back of your shirt, fingers scrambling against the fabric to pull your body down as hard as he can.
Your head lols back in the water, a gasp escaping your throat. “Cassian! Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop - oh!”
He grunts in approval. His hunger for you grows, seeing you so vulnerable like this for him, desperate to hold out as long as he can to pleasure you. His thrusts grow even more frantic and sloppy - a fast, brutal jerking rhythm of pounding up into your cunt.
“My hope,” he murmurs in Kenari, barely hanging on to his sanity. “Better than anything I’d ever dreamt of.” He drinks in the sight of you, wet and vulnerable and all his, and his hardness gives a heady warning pulse of heat. He groans. “You’re everything. You’re mine.”
You let out a whimper in his arms, and then you’re tensing, your thighs, clenching around him with newfound strength.
“Cassian,” you moan through gritted teeth, “Cassian!”
The first jolt of pleasure wracks through his body without warning. At the realisation that you’re climaxing, he’s had it - he can’t hold back anymore.
He groans in disbelief. His brows draw together, the deep, intense, deliberate jerking of his body against yours faltering as pleasure takes over. A sound comes out of him, a mix between a desperate plea and praise, and then he’s coming inside you.
Fierce, intense waves of heat pulse into your raw, messy, clenching cunt.
His pleasure deepens as you open your legs even farther to receive his spend inside you. With a growl, he pulls you against him and jerks his hips against you once more, finishing himself off.
“Yes,” you moan, leaning forward and pressing your forehead against his. The change in angle shields your face from the starlight, but the sound of your shuddering, desperate pants of breath are clear as day. You’re high on this shared bliss together.
“Don’t want to wake up,” he murmurs against your lips.
“You think I’m a dream?”
He traces up your arm and wraps his hand around the back of your neck. “You’re too good to be real. I’m not that lucky.”
You chuckle. “You are now.”
“We’ll see.”
It isn’t until the next morning, when he opens his eyes to the first rays of sun and you’re still there, asleep in his arms, that he finally allows himself to believe.
#andor bingo#andor#andor smut#andor fanfiction#star wars#star wars smut#star wars fanfiction#cassian andor#cassian andor smut#cassian andor fanfiction#cassian andor x reader#cassian andor x you#cassian andor x y/n#soulmates#soulmate trope#soulmate fanfiction#soulmark#soulmarks#soulmark trope#soulmark fanfiction#sil's writing
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everyone please for the love of God spread the word about Andor. Like is is the best Star Wars show yet and no one is fucking talking about it. It grim, it’s dark and it demonstrates the fact that Star Wars is about war and in war there is loss and it’s just so realistic and such a work of art and I am in AGONY that people aren’t talking about it and aren’t watching it just because there are no force users in it. Spread the word, reblog a post, post about it TALK ABOUT IT
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I was as frustrated as any every Nynaeve fan in 2x08 when Elayne had to prompt her to remember she was a Wisdom and could heal people without the One Power. Book Nynaeve doesn’t struggle with that, and it felt like the back half of the season just kept working to make Nynaeve look bad.
But then I started thinking about her overall arc, and about how eventually she’s in a cave, unable to use the One Power, and has to save a woman’s life to keep the world from literally ending if she doesn’t. This season, this episode, and this moment in particular could be a fabulous parallel/contrast to season 8 Nynaeve (willing it into being!!).
Season 2 Nynaeve is afraid of the power she could wield and doesn’t have a clue how she fits into the world any more. Like Moiraine said in 1x05, she can’t go back to who she was before, and she won’t be able to relate to the people she knew before in the same way. But she still hasn’t learned to appreciate it for the gift it is. Everyone has been telling her how special she is, but she hasn’t been able to demonstrate any actual results yet. In the arches she watches as everyone she loves is killed or lost because she’s unable to save them, with or without magic. And then in the back half of the season she trusts the wong person and gets betrayed, gets her best friend tortured and enslaved, accidentally exposes Ryma and she gets enslaved, and can’t seem to get back on the right foot from the moment she heads for Falme. Plus the bloody Daughter Heir of Andor got dragged along and gives her zero respect. She’s learned she really doesn’t know anything of this world and that it’s so much bigger than she thought. So when she’s faced with death and injury on the battlefield she’s paralyzed. She’s forgotten what’s she capable of, she’s afraid of failure, and she’s lost her confidence.
But season 8 Nynaeve will have mastered her powers, done the impossible more than once. She will have traveled the world and experienced so much of it. She will have been humbled by powerful women, and humbled powerful women herself. She will have earned her place in the world. And this time, when faced with the literal end of the world she will know that she is more than her magic powers and she won’t doubt or be paralyzed, she will be able to just act. And she’ll be amazing.
So, as a Nynaeve fan season 2 was disappointing in some ways. But I really, really hope that in the context of a full 8 seasons (it’s gonna happen!) it’ll make a lot of sense and make her growth believable. If that’s the way it goes, it’ll be so much more rewatchable and I might come to appreciate it.
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People accusing Shin of having no personality/characterization to dunk on her is so annoying... First of all, it's totally fine and normal to like a Star Wars character who hasn't gotten a canon personality yet (i.e. Darth Maul in Phantom Menace) based on their design / story / performance / vibes. It's normal for mysterious characters to exist, and it's normal for people to like those characters. But we do actually already know some cool stuff about Shin; she does have A Characterization and A Story even when the show is holding back with her.
I agree that for now there are many unknowns about her, and fans are having to speculate about her while we wait for the show to fill in the gaps and give us canon answers. (I agree that it would be nice to know more of what the showrunners undoubtably know but have kept hidden so far, like any information about her backstory at all. I am sure they are planning to explore more backstory in the next season, but it's a huge shame just bc Ray Stevenson can no longer be part of that exploration :( )
However, the information we do have about her is totally sufficient to make her cool and interesting. Imo.
"Baylan Skoll's feral, ruthless apprentice, who has a padawan braid, who is dark side-y enough that she seems eager for violence but still asks 'like me?' when Baylan is talking about Ezra being a Jedi." like yeah sorry that's all I need I'm sold! Sorry!
Seeing her make this facial expression before her first duel/encounter ever with another padawan:
Is enough for me! That's already something really interesting to work with!
Or the dynamic between her and Baylan in this specific moment
For one moment he just suddenly beams fondness/pride at her and she seems so intense and excited when she bows back, as she goes off to try to murder some people. Then she gets so visibly upset later when Sabine tells Ahsoka to go get the map, thwarting the assignment she was given here of holding off the both of them.
That's an exciting and interesting master-padawan dynamic! I am going to be interested in Baylan Skoll's padawan who has this dynamic with Baylan Skoll as a foil to Ahsoka's relationship with Anakin and u Cannot Stop Me.
Sometimes I like to look at an actor's performance and observe what they seem to be feeling. Sometimes I like to wonder about things that have not yet been revealed to the audience, I find that an interesting experience... I am sorry that u cannot appreciate her Sublime & Unique Vibes....
The way she acts when she fights is part of her characterization! As with everyone in this show, her fighting style is designed and choreographed to be expressive of her character. The way she moves is expressive. She's so aggressive and excited and alive when she fights. That's information about who she is! It's fun information!
Look at this. Look at how she reacts when Baylan tells her to go up against Ahsoka Tano's ex-apprentice.
I admit I cannot tell u with 100% certainty what she is canonically feeling in this moment, but whatever it is she is feeling it SO INTENSELY. The fact that she reacts like this is interesting information about her character, bc every single conceivable explanation for why she is emoting this way is interesting and cool!
She seems kinda excited. She seems to find it significant and momentous. That's fun. We don't know why she feels this way, but it's too late she is already interesting sorry
Sorry for observing the facial expressions that a character makes and learning things about them that way
It's annoying that the show hasn't taken the time to reveal more things about her yet I agree but why are you being mean 2 her... Having mysterious characters is normal Star Wars procedure :/
Like yes we all know this is not Andor, the writing is not always brimming with deft characterization, that's a shame, but that doesn't mean the show hasn't given us a lot of interesting canon building blocks to work with.
tl:dr this is a skill issue and I love her very much
It's honestly kind of funny coming from the silmarillion fandom... some people simply know how to appreciate cool and unique characters based on limited information.
#shin hati#disclaimer i am kinda intoxicated#hopefully i will not regret posting this I'm definitely not trying to actually Start Shit with anyone#i just wanted to be excited about her for a little bit#because like lowkey i am Extremely Passionate about how good she and baylan are#the quality of their vibes is basically unmatched#they feel so Old Republic-y. they feel so tolkien-y. their soundtracks go crazy. i am sooo interested#they are Interesting To Me#ahsoka series#baylan skoll#i just have to assume that nobody who finds shin boring is a lesbian#i feel like if you are a lesbian you are Paying Attention To Shin#and if you pay attention to her she is actually::: very interesting and cool#anyway#this took me like two hours to write what the fuck
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I think it's really interesting to watch how Andor really allows Nemik's manifesto of "just try" to SPEAK to Yoda's "Do or do not, there is no try" quote. I don't think Nemik's manifesto contradicts Yoda's advice at all, I think the two lines are in conversation with each other and we see this so well in Andor even if they never explicitly state it.
Cassian IS trying, throughout the entire show. He's trying to survive, he's trying to help the people he cares about, he's trying to escape the Empire, he's trying to find his sister. And he has varying and middling success on these things he tries to do. Sometimes he succeeds, but only because he gets help from someone else in the nick of time. Sometimes he succeeds because he's part of a team. Sometimes he succeeds initially and then fails later. Sometimes he doesn't succeed at all.
And that's what's true about trying. Sometimes you'll succeed, sometimes you won't, but the possibility of that possible success should get you to at least try.
But the thing about Cassian is that he never COMMITS to any of those things he's trying to do. Not for a while, anyway, not until the situation forces his hand.
Because when we reach Narkina 5, just trying isn't helpful anymore. Just trying gets them nowhere because the system is so stacked against them that just trying ends up being a complete waste of time. Cassian and Kino and the other prisoners ALL have to completely and fully commit to this plan or it won't work. The moment they let fear or doubt take hold, the Empire wins again. It's how they've been controlling the prisoners this entire time. And once they all DO commit, they escape. Cassian fully commits to a course of action for the first time we've seen, and convinces everyone around him to do the same, and it's practically a guaranteed win.
And by the end, he obviously has to make that choice between continuing to just try and go with the Bix and Brasso and the others, or fully commit to this fight he's now a part of and join the Empire with Luthen. He's not trying anymore, he's DOING.
Because at some point, you have to move beyond just trying. Just trying will get you up when you're at the point of despair, but the next step after that is to stop trying and commit to DOING. And we see Cassian evolve from trying to doing across the course of season 1. Nemik is young, and his manifesto is about just giving people hope in the short term. But Yoda is centuries old, and his advice is about what actually allows you to succeed in the long term.
And I love the way these two things speak to each other through Cassian's journey and how well we see that evolution happen.
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Okay but that episode of Andor was so good like
I loved the contrats between the immaculate white clean Coruscant scenes and the natural fleshed scenes on Aldhani - and by fleshed I mean the texture, the rough edges, it's natural it's alive there is grass and trees and you just know it's that fresh air with no wind etc.
And again, the fact that they film on site and not in a studio makes it even more immersive, you just see how the plans are different and how they are more free to move around, to jungle with wide shots and close-ups and it's reaally cool
Now in terms of story, it's super interesting, because we see at least three layers of opposition to the Empire, with the sheepers, the senators, but also the in-betweens with Luthen kind of jungling between both territories and both 'worlds'
And of course the Empire; I just love how so far we have barely seen any military in the strict "storm-trooper" sense; here we mostly see the higher hierarchy sitting and talking in rooms, having their little internal conflicts because they are ambitious and want a bigger part od the cake, like it's really different from the usual take on the Empire, and mostly it really echoes all these Senate scenes in the previous movies/ in TCW and it put a certain twisted emphasis on how things change, but not really
Plus we see the mundane aspect of their work, and mostly how they treat terrible things with such a disinterested attitude (when they talked about the incarceration rates for example) and yeah it was a breath of fresh air to see that "mundane" aspect of the Empire, to see more of the system than the strict military approach we had seen so far
I'm also quite excited to see the rebel team at work tbh I can't wait to see who will be doing what and how they'll do it & see how everyone interact too I feel like that will be interesting! and I'm also looking forward the dinner scene (I hope they'll show the dinner scene) because I'm really interested in seeing how they'll deal with the tension and possible conflict in that scene like that could lead to a great moment of tension
Overall, and once again, Andor did not disappoint and is once again the proof that, when the efforts are there, Star Wars can be good. And honestly, I'm very happy and excited about that.
#i have so much in mind rn#that episode was so good i loved the parallels and juxtapositions of scenes#the contrast between the 'high world of Coruscant' 1#and the 'low ground world of Aldhani and the people'#it was really interesting#i loved the scenes on Coruscant it was so interesting to see another aspect of the Empire#that is not focused on Stormtroopers or Darth X/Y or on the ground fights#but really the internal political - and almost 'boring' aspect - of their work#it shows the mundane horror of the Empire and it was good to see it that way#like when they tamk about the incarceration goals they have - that was terrifyingly mundane#they talk about arresting & imprisoning people like you'd talk about what hw you have left to do#anyway I'm rambling but it was a very good episode#sw andor#andor#andor spoilers#star wars andor#cassian andor#cassian#star wars#star wars spoilers
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FANFIC WRITERS APPRECIATION POST 🥳🥳🥳
It’s me again 😇, i said i was doing one every month and i meant it. (Hopefully this will spark some of you to make a post like this too). Same as before this will have what i read from them but many of them do make other amazingly good content so be sure to check that out. Also some writers may also be on the other posts (Theres five of them!!!!) (probably everyone from that post will be here again)
Hi! It’s me again, i’ve done this for about five months now i think (can’t really remember) Basically i’m here to remind you how much you writing means to all of us. Writing is fun to do and it should always be something you do because you love it, and we love it too!! I read very often it’s probably what i do all day most days. I truly truly do appreciate all you guys do for us readers! You don’t have to write but you do and it means a lot. It’s really wonderful that you all work to expand on what we were all originally given. You all do such good work at making us feel through your fics. I’ve laughed and cried and felt like i’ve lived through hundreds of lives through your work. You are all super amazing ♥️♥️♥️
Most of us write for fun because it’s honestly amazing to put out fanfics for us and you all and it means so much when you show your support by commenting or re-blogging or doing both just so we all know you like our work!!!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH KEEP DOING YOU!!! THANK YOU FOR FEEDING US OUR FANFICS!!! (Did i sneak myself in this post… yes, yes i did because i write for almost all of these characters if not all of them soon, plus it’s only one person cause i cant find people who write for that character) (I do try to expand every characters writers with each post but sometimes i just don’t find anymore 😕)
PSA - If you would like me not to include you in these anymore please let me know cause i would understand if you don’t like being tagged in a post every month
Steve harrington x reader - @justmeinadaze @forever-rogue @upsidedownwithsteve @erin-bo-berin @forevermoreharrington @hendersister
Steddie x reader - @imjuststeddietrashatthispoint @justmeinadaze
Robin buckley x reader - @ashwhowrites @robinsno1lesbian
Nancy wheeler x reader - @robinsno1lesbian @ronancelver
Jonathan byers x reader - @biggestsimponhere
Eddie munson x reader - @collectivecloseness
Steve murphy x reader - @holbrook-boyd @ionlyjoinedforboydholbrook @wardenparker
Javier peña x reader - @ithebookhoarder @wardenparker @lokischocolatefountain
Joel miller x reader - @bubbles-for-all-of-us @avenging-fandoms @finnsbubblegum @knivesareout @thyme-in-a-bubble @soulofapatrick
Tommy miller x reader - @soulofapatrick
Din Djarin x reader - @jb2856 @sunflowersteves @pagesfromthevoid @saradika @make-me-imagine
Cassian andor x reader - @ghostofskywalker @dameronscopilot @hoeforevery1 @djarindroid
Poe dameron x reader - @dailyreverie @eyelessfaces @chloe-skywalker
Obi-wan kenobi x reader - @hoeforevery1 @make-me-imagine @buckyarchives @where-fantasy-meets-reality
Anakin skywalker x reader - @anakinskywalkerog @starlazergazer @antxlss
Conrad fisher x reader - @conniesanchor @abtconrad
#the last of us#stranger things#star wars#narcos#the summer i turned pretty#steve harrington x reader#steddie x reader#robin buckley x reader#nancy wheeler x reader#jonathan byers x reader#eddie munson x reader#steve murphy x reader#javier peña x reader#joel miller x reader#tommy miller x reader#din djarin x reader#cassian andor x reader#poe dameron x reader#obi wan kenobi x reader#anakin skywalker x reader#conrad fisher x reader#biggestsimponhere
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OKAY this might be beating a dead horse that everyone’s talked about already but i am so deep in brainrot that I just need to dump about this SO let’s talk about Kleya’s costuming in season 1 of Andor <3
What makes me MOST insane is this from episode 10:
We’re already familiar with her shopgirl fit — navy blue and white, covered up from her neck literally to her ankles and not much shape at all. All she lets the customer see is her hair, her face, and how tall she is. But here we get her outside the shop but still during the work day outfit, which includes this CLOAK that hides how she looks even MORE AND IT MAKES ME CRAZY. She’s truly not letting anyone on this side of Coruscant see anything, tbh her hair draws your eyes up to it and away from her actual like facial features. Her hair like this also totally changes her head shape but I won’t get that insane on you. But also if you see her from the front you can’t even tell how long her hair is because most of it is pulled into a bun at the back of her head. It makes me go insane.
She is making SURE that if someone sees her in her Coruscant street fit in episode 7 that they think she’s just someone they know’s cousin or someone they went to primary school with, you know? Not the girl that sold you a sword at the antique store.
It goes so hard. Clear, snatched waist, leg, boots — she’s literally TALLER than usual because of the heels. I’ve thought about this all too much. The hair down and hood up. THE RED!! If you see her on the street you’re not looking at her face you’re looking at that outfit!!!!
A carefully curated double life!!!!!!! It’s all so smart and it makes me insane. She’s so far deep in this cover and this shadow. I love her, I need to know more about her, and if we don’t get it I’m writing it my damn self.
If you made it this far you get one (1) little kiss on the forehead 🫶🏻
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The Spreadsheet Digest - Vol 13
Howdy folks!!
This week I'm gonna throw in some series I've been reading that have probably been recc'd by me before. I did read a few things this week, but I'm like way behind on these series I've been reading, so I spent more time catching up on those. I also read The Ritual which was... an experience. Oh and if you tagged me in a fic and I didn't get to it I am so sorry!! I'll get there I promise.
And as always you can find the spreadsheet here and the Fic Rec Masterlist here.
Anyway! Recs below the slut Javi
What I Want - a Joel one shot by @proxima-writes
SUB JOEL!!!! Sometimes you need a strong, prideful, world weary man to whimper for you.
Trial and Error - a Joel/Tommy series by @thetriumphantpanda
Am I into breeding kink? No. Am I into making Tommy Miller watch Joel Miller rail me? Yes. I also love how into it everyone is. Someone in the comments said "What if Joel got a secret vasectomy" and like I know that is not true of this version of Joel, but like I also want it to keep not working.
I can see you (Javier's Version)- a Javi P one shot by @proxima-writes
I love a good file room fuck with Javi, so obviously this was just my style. I also love the way Javi gets all frustrated with the teasing. Him crumpling up that note UGHAGH. And then the way you ended it? I won't spoil it, but it made me giggle. I cannot believe you don't write Javi regularly. You nailed it.
Sacreligious - Din one shot by @beskarandblasters
Who doesn't love a little sacrilege in the morning? Fucking in the Mines of Mandalore sounds like a dream... as long as the mythosaur doesn't get you lmao
In Bloom - a Frankie series by @northernbluess
This. Fic. Is. So. Fucking. CUTE! I loved chapter one of course, but chapter two??? My heart UGH. Their date is so precious. And the smut... I have a daddy kink and refuse to be shamed for it THIS WAS SO HOT
a hungry dog on a very short leash - a Joel one shot by @iamasaddie
My Dark Joel Queen never fails to deliver <3 This was so fucking hot. The getting caught cheating thing... the semi-public sex as punishment/blackmail thing. YUMMY YUMMY!! Dead Dove and all that, read the warnings, (are the warnings supposed to turn you on? oops).
some rotten man - a Joel one shot by @iamasaddie
Zero Plot. Just a rough as fuck blowjob. Exactly what I needed... It's so good y'all.
What happens on Coruscant, Stays on Coruscant - a Din/Poe/Cassian one shot by @beskarandblasters
Look we all know the timeline here is a little fucked, but let's pretend they're all around the same age because... Din Djarin, Poe Dameron, and Cassian Andor walk into a brothel and spend the night with you... GOD DAMN that's hot
------- SERIES <333 -------
These are series I keep tabs on in a separate spreadsheet and check once a week to see if they've been updated. Most of these have been recommended before, but they deserve all the attention.
I know some people don't like to start reading WIPs before they're finished, and that is valid, but these are worth it. Oh and some are complete and I just haven't finished them yet. It's my personal spreadsheet so it's a little messy lol.
One Thing I'm Missing / Joel / @joelscruff
Seams / Joel/ @fuckyeahdindjarin
Palomino / Jack / @fuckyeahdindjarin
I Think of You / Din / @prolix-yuy
No Drug Like Me / Dieter / @jazzelsaur (AO3)
Friendly Fire / Joel / @the-ginger-hedge-witch
Psychomanteum / Dieter / @whatsnewalycat
You Make Loving Fun / Frankie / @redahlia-writes
Apothecary / Joel / @atinylittlepain
Losing My Religion / Din / @oonajaeadira
Surrender / Joel / @ezrasbirdie
Short Days, Long Nights / Joel / @frannyzooey
Left in Lincoln / Joel / @toxicanonymity
Dressed For Revenge / Joel / @jksprincess10
Cowboy Like Me / Javi P / @cutesyscreenname
Sweet Creature / Dieter / @wildemaven
Leave Off Your Wandering / Joel / @oonajaeadira
Stitches / Din / @djarinsbeskar
Feelings on Fire / Joel / @joelscruff
Hot and Heavy / Joel / @tieronecrush
Pretend Alleyways / Dieter/Marcus / @radiowallet
Run to You / Marcus P / @foli-vora
Learning to Live / Javi P / @wheresarizona
Raider / Joel / @toxicanonymity
Beskar Doll / Din / @justagalwhowrites
Lavender / Joel / @justagalwhowrites
Hungry Hearts / Joel / @atinylittlepain
June / Joel / @atinylittlepain
Your Summer Dream / Joel / @swiftispunk
Muddy Waters / Joel/Ez / @bonezone44
Adversity / Ez/Frankie / @the-ginger-hedge-witch
Sensational / Joel / @sinsofsummers
Night Walks / Joel / @toxicanonymity
Stepdad!Joel / Joel / @toxicanonymity
Yes I check all of these for updates every single Thursday, though I don't always read every single thing that updated. If you ever think no one cares about your WIP... I do!!!
---------------------------
Happy Reading!
#fic recs#the spreadsheet digest#fanfiction recommendations#pedro pascal#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro fics#pedro pascal character fanfiction
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In response to your previous post, why do you think people still love Anakin despite all the selfish and violent things he has done?
Just for archival sake, this is the post I assume you're responding to.
I love when you guys force me to drop the bitter old hag act and be more legitimately analytical about characters I dislike lol.
The somewhat less analytical response to this post is that people like him due to protagonist bias, Hayden Christensen being considered attractive, and Darth Vader having a lot of nostalgia from the OT.
However, while I think those things are always a major aspect in why people like the character, the more analytical version is that Anakin is a character created to be relatable. He's got flaws that most of us can look at and recognize in ourselves and even though he does become a monster because of them, he is also capable of saving himself in the end and doing something heroic despite that, he is allowed to get better and stand next to confirmed good guys like Yoda and Obi-Wan as what seems to be equals, he is capable of being loved by someone as kind and good as Luke Skywalker DESPITE his many flaws and heinous choices. And like... that's an impressively compelling character journey, to see someone become the worst version of themselves it is possible to be and still be loved enough to make the choice to be better.
And it's not like I haven't enjoyed my fair share of selfish characters who do heinous things in my day, even within Star Wars itself. Some of my favorite characters include people like Saw Gerrera and Luthen Rael and Cassian Andor and Reva Sevander, ALL of whom made some pretty nasty choices or acted selfishly at some point or another. Reva is literally built to be a parallel and then foil FOR ANAKIN.
So it's not like I don't necessarily see the appeal of Anakin as this massively flawed character with sympathetic motivations for his immensely awful choices, someone who wanted to be good and, for a little while, WAS good, but who was led towards a dark path that he knew he shouldn't take but took anyway because he let his fears control him. Anakin making the mistakes he does is literally a cautionary tale, you're SUPPOSED to relate to him and see yourself in him, the story kind-of doesn't work if you don't in some ways.
So I think a lot of people who like him probably just see a lot of themselves in him, both good and bad. They project onto Anakin and sympathize with his motives and his struggles and, even though they know he's a screw-up, they root for him. They want him to get better because if someone like Anakin can get better, then so can they, so can we all. Anakin is a cautionary tale saying that even those of us with the best of intentions can lead ourselves down a road of selfishness if we aren't careful about our motives, but he's also a hopeful tale saying that even the WORST of us can lead ourselves back to a road of selflessness if we're willing to put in the effort. So you can feel sympathy for the first half and take strength from the second half of his story, depending on where you are in your life.
This is obviously all sort-of said in like the best faith interpretation of why people might like Anakin. There's plenty of people who like him as a power fantasy, people who see Anakin as this impressive strong character who takes down his abusers and takes control of his narrative by defying the prophecy and killing the Jedi. And, you know, everyone gets to take what they want out of stories of course, but boy do these people and I take VERY different things out of Star Wars. I curate my internet experience so I never have to have anything to do with these people, but they absolutely exist.
And at the end of the day, all of that is wrapped up in a character who, in one trilogy, is played by a very classically attractive actor who gets to kiss Natalie Portman and is occasionally funny, and in the other trilogy, is represented as this cool-looking villain in an imposing black costume with a skull helmet and cape and some memorable quotes. So while the deeper reasons for people's enjoyment of his character definitely exist, the surface-level ones are still there and can enhance that enjoyment a lot.
And I'm sure there's any number of other, smaller things that impacted people's reactions to Anakin. He was introduced as a child in TPM and so people who were expecting this young adult character already in the throes of darkness might've ended up seeing him very differently and relating to him on a whole different level. People might've ended up rooting for him because the representation of the Jedi was so far away from what they THOUGHT Jedi would be that they ended up liking Anakin simply because he's pitted against the Jedi they didn't like. Maybe some people didn't like him until TCW and they really appreciate THAT version of Anakin quite a lot, maybe especially his relationship with Ahsoka. Maybe some people just really fell for the doomed romance plotline with Padme. Maybe some people like him because Obi-Wan and Luke like him and those dynamics are intriguing to them.
But for me, Anakin has just never felt all that compelling. I was introduced to the Prequels first as a kid and I was far more invested in Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon (who were way funnier than Anakin ever was) and Padme (who had really pretty costumes). I didn't HATE Anakin by any means, but he wasn't all that funny, he didn't have the cooler action scenes for the first two films, and the romance plotline didn't hook me. I didn't mind Anakin as an accessory to Obi-Wan, but that was about as far as I went.
As I got older and more into the fandom, though, I started learning a lot more about the Jedi and why they WEREN'T the true villains of the Prequels the way everyone said they were and what Lucas's messages had actually been intended to be, and the romance with Padme just kept aging like milk, and my investment in the Jedi often meant defending them AGAINST people who saw them as no more than Anakin's abusers at worst, or a repressive society that unintentionally led Anakin to darkness at best. Arguing FOR the Jedi usually meant arguing AGAINST Anakin and pointing out all of the places HE was wrong and selfish and why the Jedi were RIGHT not to trust him. And the more passionate I got about defending the Jedi, the less and less I ended up liking Anakin. I wasn't overly invested in him in the first place, so it wasn't hard to take me from neutral to decidedly negative. Had I enjoyed him more as a kid, either in the Prequels or the Original Trilogy, maybe I would've landed in a different place with him, but I didn't. It didn't feel like any great loss to decide I didn't like him that much anymore. By comparison, I liked Padme a lot more as a kid and so even though I often find her just as selfish as Anakin, I like her a lot more usually.
So I get why people find him compelling, I really do, but he just doesn't speak to me. I highly doubt he ever will anymore.
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There are so many reasons that I love Star Wars, but I think that the biggest one is the centrality of hope in the story. Obviously, you have that at center stage in A New Hope, as the rebellion is having a breakthrough, and I think it’s a pretty clear thread through the original trilogy as a whole: Luke and Leia and Han enter the rebellion and all of them bring a determination to cause change which is, ultimately, as much a cause of hope as the information about a weak point in the Death Star was.
And the prequel materials are, to me, a beautifully tragic picture of how the galaxy got to a point of such desperation for hope. Throughout the prequel trilogy, as well as in Clone Wars, you see the decline of hope in the galaxy as they get sucked into a war, and we, the audience, get the extra kick of the dramatic irony: that Palpatine is playing both sides, that all the violence and death and loss are pointless, totally avoidable. And yet, especially in Clone Wars, everyone is working SO hard to not only hold onto hope, but also to provide it—the jedi, the clones, and even the handful of upright politicians.
And, of course, RotS ends on the lowest of points, a place without hope: the jedi order is destroyed, the clones lose their sense of identity, and the senate falls. The horror of this moment is not subtle: it is brutal and repeatedly shown, because it MATTERS. It is not just an event, it is something personal—we have Ahsoka and Rex burying brothers we know the names of, Bly shooting Aayla, the wolfpack firing on Plo, Jaro Tapal and Depa Billaba giving their lives to get their padawans—who are children— to safety. And at the heart of it all is the very person who was proclaimed the chosen one, cutting down children and playing a role in his wife’s death and giving into his darkest side. For me, Obi-wan’s confrontation of Anakin embodies this more than anything else: he cannot fathom how things have come to this point. And so RotS ends with a lack of hope that is nearly all-encompassing, though we can hold onto Luke and Leia, who we KNOW will grow up to save the galaxy.
Which brings us to the time in between—and, in particular, to Obi-wan Kenobi, Rebels, Andor, and Rogue One. For me, the whole Obi-wan show was about Obi-wan being reminded that hope existed in the galaxy, not just through Leia, but through all the ordinary people who stepped up and were working to make things better. And that is EXACTLY what Rebels and Andor and Rogue One are about, on an even grander scale. They show that, even in a galaxy in which hope seemed so impossible, there are people willing to fight for it. The prequels era has such a focus on the people who are fighting and doing the protecting of the galaxy, and the rebellion era shows the people who had been under their protection stepping into their shoes, refusing to give up as lost the goal they fought for just because they are now gone.
The message of Star Wars is HOPE, enduring even in the face of nearly incomprehensible and utterly senseless tragedy, and that’s such an enormously beautiful message.
#star wars#star wars clone wars#star wars rebels#star wars fandom#jedi#obi wan kenobi#sw clone wars#the clone wars#clones#andor#rogue one#a new hope#this is also why I tend to like any sequel materials less#because the story arc here is SO good and full#and the world of sequel materials just feels so different#from the characters to the message
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The Wheel of Time thoughts
Im really loving season 2 so far, it’s much faster paced than season 1 and we’re digging into the characters emotions and motivations more. (I haven’t read the books so this is show only).
The last episode was brilliant and had so much going on but that was really Egwene’s episode like episode 3 was Nynaeve’s episode. Watching Egwene go through so much physical and mental torture was tough but as Loial said there is steel beneath the sweet exterior and she will survive this. There are also so many of her friends planning to rescue her: Loial wants to break her out of the kennels, Nynaeve and Elayne are working out how to remove the collar and won’t leave without her, Perrin is close by with Aviendha planning to rescue his friends from the Seanchan which will include Egwene once he knows she’s there and Rand will be on his way as soon as he has his meeting with the Amyrlin Seat. One of the scenes between Egwene and Renna I found interesting was after she got Egwene to use the One Power to burn down the tree she seemed so excited and happy like they really bonded so when she told Egwene she deserved a drink but Egwene fell back in agony because she wanted to attack Renna again, her face just dropped. Like she thought they were friends now and when that didn’t happen that’s when she turned physically violent for the first time, Renna said Egwene can’t hurt her but I think Egwene’s rejection in that moment hurt and that’s when she stopped trying to “cultivate a friendship.” There is going to be such a showdown between those two when Egwene gets rid of the collar and can fight back.
Lanfear/Selene has been an interesting new addition to the cast, I knew from the first sneak peek of her scene with Rand when she tells him if he wants something to take it that she was gonna be evil/a villain but she’s a brilliant villain. Love her calling Ishamael “Ishy” and banishing him from Rand’s dreams and the way she won Liandrin over to her side instead of Ishamael. Lanfear is definitely a femme fatale and is gonna stir things up with both sides.
Liandrin seems close to unraveling now. I think she knows it’s only a matter of time before her true nature is revealed, when she said Elayne was a complication she knew her plan was fucked but she couldn’t back down. Selling Nynaeve and Egwene to the Seanchan she could’ve explained their absence by saying Nynaeve left because of what happened to her in The Arches and Egwene went with her because she was so grief stricken when she thought Nynaeve died that she didn’t want to lose her again, but having the Daughter-Heir of Andor go missing too is one lie too many. All it takes is someone to send word to the Queen asking when her daughter is coming back to the White Tower and there’ll be an uproar. We also found out a bit more about Liandrin’s backstory from Lanfear and why she hates men so much, her life sounds pretty fucked up like and then her reward for swearing to the dark was that her son gets to live but as Lanfear said “this isn’t life.” He’s sick, bedridden, too old and can’t even speak and Liandrin couldn’t watch as Lanfear mercy killed him to “set her free.” I actually gasped when I saw Liandrin at the gathering of Aes Sedai in Cairhien because it’s all gonna blow up next week with her being in the same place as Rand, Mat, Min and Moiraine as well as the two Brown Ajah Verin and Yasicca being onto her now. She looked really panicked when she was trying to find out why the Amyrlin was in Cairhien with 14 Aes Sedai.
Moiraine has been through the ringer this season, she’s trying to cope with being Stilled and having an existential crisis that everything she has been doing for the last 20 years has been wrong and only helped the Dark instead of defeating it. Like that is some heavy burdens, but I think she has being going about things so wrong this season by keeping everyone at arms length and pushing away people who care about her. I know she’s trying to protect Lan because she thinks she’s going to die in this fight against the Dark and she doesn’t want him to feel her death through the bond and end up like Stepin but she should trust him more than she has this season, he’s been her best friend for 20 years, always has her back and would literally die for her, I hope they have a proper reunion next week. There seems to be a thaw with Moiraine and her family after she apologised for how she’s been treating them, like her nephew adores her and her sister still loves her even though there’s some unresolved issues between them but they’re still going to support her even if they don’t know what’s going on. Moiraine has obviously been in contact with Siuan since there was a letter with her seal on the writing desk. It was like a scene from some Victorian romance drama watching Moiraine drafting letters to “my dearest Siuan” and then throwing them away because she can’t explain herself properly, then her sister comes in and says “The Amyrlin Seat is her with fourteen Aes Sedai and she’s demanding an audience with you.” Lol that was brilliant, Moiraine’s face was a picture of shock and surprise, can’t wait to see what happens with them next week.
Lan The Man, he’s done following orders and is taking action to protect Moiraine whether she wants him to or not. He’s been tagging along with Alanna and her warders as if they have him on suicide watch but he’s been figuring out his next move in the fight against the dark and how best to help Moiraine. I can’t believe that Alanna, Maksim and Ihvon actually thought Lan was a dark friend but their confrontation helped move things along. Alanna translated the prophecy about Lanfear, Lan found out where the Amyrlin was and got them to go with him to get her for Moiraine but he also had to tell them about Rand being the Dragon Reborn. I loved that Lan showed up at the end just outside of Cairhien to stop Rand from leaving so now everyone can share information and make a plan to fight back against Ishamael and the Seanchan.
#the wheel of time#rand al'thor#egwene al'vere#nynaeve al'meara#mat cauthon#perrin aybara#moiraine damodred#lan mandragoran#siuan sanche#alanna mosvani#min farshaw#loial#renna#ishamael#lanfear#liandrin guirale#elayne trakand#aviendha#anvaere damodred#barthanes damodred#yasicca#verin mathwin#seanchan#maksim#ihvon
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Garashir Fic Rec
Hey everyone! Finally I’m posting my garashir fic rec list. This is gonna be a long one so there will be a read more. So happy to share my fav fics because omg there are so many amazing writers in this fandom. Without further ado, here we go:
Why Don't You Run from Me by BlessedAreTheFandoms E, 19k
Set after interment camp 371. Julian is self destructing and he turns to Garak. I love a fic that explores Julian mental and emotional state after camp 371 and this fic really delivers. Mind the tags and grab some tissues!
call me by the old familiar name by simplyprologue M, 40k
This fic really has you on the edge of your seat. This is set quite some time after ds9 ended. Garak is Castellan and Kira is a military minister and they find Julian’s “dead” body delivered to them. Note that there is no major character death tag. You got Julian trying to expose section 31, Garak pining and devastated over Julian’s “death”, and them finally getting together :) I really love Garak and Kira’s friendship here too!
Worth Waiting For by Syaunei E, 48k
Orb of Time shenanigans featuring a new Kai! Julian gets thrown 37 years into the past where he runs into Garak when he was an operative of the Obsidian order on a Ferengi station. Love how their dynamic is reversed here where Julian is older than Garak lmao. This fic was such a treat to read!
Especially the Lies by AlphaCygni M, 23k
We got the classic fake relationship featuring Lwaxana Troi! Julian is trying to get out of “dignitary sitting” by pretending he’s in a relationship with Garak, thinking he’s really going to fool Ambassador Troi lmao. But also it becomes so much more than that when they go to a gala and something seems to be amiss...
Standards of Care by sahiya E, 41k
A medical drama fic where Julian works on a cure for a dominion engineered plague that’s ravaging ds9. He’s working himself to the bone and Garak is there to take care of him through it all while helping in his own way. I really just adore sahiya’s works and recommend checking out their other works as well!
A Bag Full of God by Vermin_Disciple E, 35k
Garak and Bashir are married with a kid while living on Cardassia. Of course their peaceful life take a turn when they both get de-aged. They both are around 19 years old and that means that it was the time Garak was at his peak in the Obsidian Order. Super interesting to see this side of Garak where his loyalty lies with the order and Enabran Tain. He’s cunning, manipulative yet unpolished since he’s not the older Garak that we know.
Impact by sfumatosoup E, 40k
A post canon Cardassia story where Julian goes to volunteer as a doctor while also trying to look for Garak. There he meets a Vulcan, Radak, and I just absolutely love his character. A story about people being in love and struggling to let one they love know. it’s very sweet and of course Julian meddles in someone else’s love life before he figures out his own lmao.
From Andor With Love by hingabee and PunishedPyotr E, 37k
Julian goes to another medical conference and Garak tags along because Julian’s track record with these conferences is not... great. And yes, you guessed it, shit goes down at this conference too. A fun story where we see people from both Garak and Julian’s past and Kira is there too because she’s on vacation but she doesn’t get to do much relaxing either
runner-up by meriwethersays E, 59k
Set post Far Beyond the Stars, Julias, a science fiction writer meets Elim Garak, a simple tailor and they soon get involved but of course, as we know with Garak, there is way more to him than meets the eye. Spy shenanigans ensue. Honestly when I started reading this fic I could literally not put it down.
Outside Chance by wcdarling E, 49k
What if Julian actually got kicked out when Starfleet discovered he was an augment? This fic answers this question and more! We see canon events unfold and the war starts and Julian tries to still help as much as he can from the outside.
take me closer, take my clothes off by wanderingwriter87 E, 11k
When I first started watching ds9 and shipping garashir, I thought that Garak would def have Julian for a fitting to subtly feel him up. And lo and behold someone wrote a fic about that exact scenario thank you @wanderingwriter87 for your service!
A Well-Dressed Man by TheCheerfulPornographer E, 17k
A beautiful story featuring Cardassian folklore, Garak making Julian a suit and of course Julian wearing the suit ;) you can imagine what happens next hehe
A Friend in the Dark by AuroraNova E, 26k
Starfleet finds out that Julian is genetically engineered so they want to court martial him. Julian accepts it and goes along with it but there is something very fishy going on here. Garak, experienced ex spy, tasks himself in rescuing and protecting Julian with the help of his friends. Julian and Garak are on the run, together they try to make the best out of a bad situation and do what they can to help with the war anonymously.
#ds9#garashir#garashir fic rec#fic rec#ngl might do a part 2 bc there's so many lmaoo#love all these fics dearly
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