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lmnop14048 · 17 hours ago

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sooo good

holding out for a hero

Request by anon: Hi. Congrats! If requests are still open would you be willing to do “I am hanging on for dear life and you want to discuss this now?!" or “I threw myself out a window for you! What more do you want from me?" with Kaz? I would like romantically if possible but would also be okay with platonic. If they aren’t open anymore I apologize. If you don’t want to do it either I totally understand. Also I love your writing!

Summary: three times Y/N saved Kaz's life and one time he saved hers

Bullets were raining down around them - bouncing off the walls and splintering the wood of the crates that Kaz and Y/N were hiding behind. Despite their situation, Y/N was still trying to give Kaz some space, not wanting him to feel like he was pinned into a corner and couldn't escape.

If they were searching for someone to blame, it would certainly lie with Jesper. Who was currently hiding behind the crate opposite them, a stupid grin plastered on his face as he popped up, fired his revolver twice and then ducked back down.

"This is excellent!" Jesper exclaimed, laughing loudly.

"How is this excellent?!" Y/N yelled, pressing herself up against the crate and flinching as bullets splintered the wood above her head.

"The adrenaline rush, the thrill of -"

"Imminent death?"

"No! The thrill of a gunfight, Y/N!" Jesper replied, raising his voice over the bullets as he reloaded his revolver. He paused and inhaled deeply. "Ah, the smell of gunpowder in the early morning air."

Y/N gave Jesper a disbelieving gaze as he paused to snif the air, a blissfully happy expression on his face.

"Can I shoot him?" Y/N asked, turning to face Kaz. "Please, let me shoot him."

Kaz rolled his eyes. He was tensed up having been pushed into a corner and was trying to make himself as small as possible. He was glad it was Y/N with him - she'd been trying to give him as much space as possible whilst they were trapped behind the crates.

The gunfire from the other end of the street had died down to silence - the smoke from the numerous guns hanging heavy in the air. Kaz, desperate to be in his own space, stood up, wincing as his legs protested.

"Come on, before they come back," Kaz called, grabbing his cane and limping out from behind the crates.

"Kaz, wait!"

Kaz was forcefully yanked backwards and felt himself falling to the ground. Not even a second later, a bomb exploded where he had been standing. He squeezed his eyes shut, blinded and stunned by the explosion. Someone was firing again and chaos resumed once more.

Kaz opened his eyes and realised he was face-to-face with Y/N. He was lying on top of her, both of them sprawled on the cobbles. Y/N had her eyes shut, looking peaceful despite the chaos.

He rolled off her, grunting in pain as his leg hit the cobbles. The waters were rising and were getting higher and higher around him, almost engulfing his neck. But he kept swimming, forcing himself to keep his head above water.

"Y/N," Kaz said, his gloved hand shaking as he touched her shoulder. "Y/N!" He shook her harder, panic beginning to drown him along with the water.

Y/N inhaled and slowly opened her eyes, clearly disorientated and confused as to why she was on the ground. She licked her lips and inhaled again, regaining her grip on reality.

"You're welcome," Y/N groaned, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "Next time, look where you're going."

Kaz tried not to obviously gape in surprise at her nonchalantl approach at almost dying. He nodded at her and readjusted his jacket, dusting some dust off it. A bullet hit the wall next to them and Y/N ducked, shuffling back to sit against the crates.

And just like that, the moment between them was over.

"We're cornered."

"Yes, I noticed."

"Was that part of the plan?"

"What do you think, Y/N?"

That was a no, then.

Y/N sighed, glancing back down at the revolver in her hands. There were three bullets left inside it and at least ten guards making their way up the stairs and trying to break down the door.

The chair rattled against the handles of the door, the broom Kaz had shoved between the handles bending in the middle. They didn't have long.

"So, what's our plan, Kaz?" Y/N asked, twirling her revolver around her finger. "Because I only have three bullets left and there are more than three guards."

Kaz kept quiet. He was clenching his jaw tightly and Y/N only had to look at him once to know he had no plan.

She paused. "So, no plan?" Y/N sighed heavily, quickly coming to accept their imminent death. "Well, at least we're going to go down fighting, eh?"

Kaz still hadn't spoken. His hand was gripping his cane tightly and his eyes were looking at the ground. He hadn't meant to get them cornered - to be honest, he hadn't even meant to be in the building but, alas.

The door rattled in its hinges and the chair fell away from the door, clattering onto the ground on its side. The broom was the only thing keeping it shut but Y/N could see a crack forming in the wood and knew there wasn't much time left.

"Kaz," Y/N said, turning to look at him. "There's two of us and ten of them. I have three bullets which means I can take three of them out. You can take at least two out with your cane of death which leaves five. Split that between us and that's two each and then one for both of us."

Kaz gave her a surprised look, his eyebrows raised. "How long did it take you to come up with that plan?"

"Five seconds."

His surprised look merged to an impressed one. "When the student becomes the master."

"I can't do that if we're dead," Y/N shot back. She glanced at the door. "So, we doing this or not?"

Kaz pushed himself off the wall and stood next to Y/N, holding his cane from the bottom. "We're going down fighting."

"Guns drawn and blood on our faces," Y/N finished, smiling. She twirled her revolver around her finger again, finding the movement reassuring and calming.

The broom snapped into two pieces and the door swung open, bouncing off the wall and swinging back from the force. Y/N instantly fired her revolver and the bullet landed in the forehead of the first guard to run into the room, killing him instantly.

When she'd first moved to Ketterdam and joined the Dregs, killing people affected her more. She took every death personally and each one hit her hard. But now, it was a matter of survival. If she didn't kill she would be killed. It made the decision to take a life a bit easier.

Y/N fired her revolver again, taking down another guard via a bullet to the thigh. She ducked as another charged at her, swinging a fist at her head. Y/N kicked him in the stomach, knocking him to the floor. He lifted his head up and Y/N whacked him across the temple with her revolver.

Three down. One bullet left.

Kaz was attacking the other five guards with his cane having taken down two with well-placed hits. He was struggling against the three who had ganged up on him - one had gotten behind him and grabbed Kaz's arms, pinning them behind his back.

Y/N narrowed her eyes and fired her last bullet. It went through the man in front of Kaz who was about to hit him with his gun and landed in the guard who was holding Kaz's arms back.

Kaz fell forward as he was suddenly freed. Y/N threw her revolver to the ground - the weapon now useless. The biggest of the guards had Kaz in his eyesight but Kaz was oblivious as he tied to fight off another guard.

Y/N kicked the guard she was in the midst of fighting and as he stumbled back, she grabbed a book off a nearby table. In one move she whacked the heavy, old volume around the man's head, knocking him out instantly.

She turned and saw the biggest guard advancing on an oblivious Kaz with his revolver drawn. Y/N didn't think - she ran at the guard and tackled him around the waist. She didn't realise how close they were to the window and the next thing she knew, the glass smashed and she and the guard were falling out the window.

Y/N landed on the canopy that was hanging above the front door, glass and broken window frame falling around her. The fabric held her weight despite the sudden impact. Y/N shielded her eyes with her arms as shards of glass sprinkled around her, slicing the few bits of bare skin that she had on show.

The guard she'd tackled hadn't been so lucky. He'd missed the canopy entirely and had ended up impaled on the fence below.

Y/N groaned, winded by her sudden fall. She brushed a broken piece of the window frame off her stomach and winced as she felt some glass digging into her back. She reached around for it and threw it to the side.

"Y/N!"

Y/N looked up and saw Kaz half leaning out of the broken window she'd fallen through.

"No, no, don't worry about me, I'm fine," she grunted, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

"I had it covered, you didn't need to do that!" Kaz called, an unreadable expression on his face. If Y/N had been closer to him, she would have seen the fear and concern that was so clearly written on his face.

"Kaz, I threw myself out a window for you! A little gratitude would be nice," Y/N yelled, throwing a piece of wood up at the window.

Kaz's shoulders slumped. "Thank you, Y/N. Now, can you roll off your canopy or do I need to come and shove you over like a beetle?"

"No, I'm more then capable," Y/N grunted, rolling over onto her front and then pushing herself up to her knees.

Kaz watched her clamber off the canopy before ducking back inside the room. He clenched his fist tightly, the leather of his gloves creaking. Kaz then unclenched them and cracked his knuckles - something he did to release the tension in his body.

He glanced out the window again and reassured himself that Y/N was alive and not dead, impaled on a fence like the other guard. Kaz had, for a moment, feared she was dead - the fall having broken her neck or spine, killing her instantly.

But Y/N was fine. Well. As fine as someone who fell through a window could be.

Kaz picked up his cane again and limped out the room, aiming one last hit with his cane at a guard just for good measure.

In the Barrel, an injury - no matter how severe - could mean death. Getting an infection was easy and Kaz had seen some of the strongest men get sliced by a knife and a week later ended up on the Reaper's Barge.

Kaz always kept an eye on his Crows when they were on jobs. He'd never admit it openly but he wouldn't know what to do with himself if one of them died from an injury that could have easily been healed.

He still struggled to wrap his head around the fact that Jesper and Inej had both gotten injured saving him. Kaz didn't think he deserved saving but, alas, here he was. Unfortunately still alive.

Y/N, however, though Kaz did deserve saving. She couldn't imagine life without him (annoyingly).

So when a gun was pointed at the back of Kaz's head, Y/N didn't hesitate to tackle the gun out of the man's hand.

It went off as Y/N grabbed the gun and Jesper, Kaz and Inej all spun around to see what the source was. As the man fell backwards, Y/N lost her balance and fell down with him, landing on top of the man.

The gunshot kept echoing off the walls as the three of them stared at Y/N, waiting for her to move. Kaz took a hesitant step forward, unsure of what to do. Luckily for him, Jesper snapped into action. He ran forward and knelt down beside Y/N, gently rolling her off the top of the man.

The man was dead, a knife sticking out of his chest. The gun had fallen to the side but smoke was still wafting up off it. Jesper glanced back down at Y/N.

"Y/N, hey," Jesper said, gently slapping her face. "Hey, you alright?"

Y/N groaned, lifting her head up. She let out a yelp of pain and her hand flew to her left shoulder. Her fingers came away wet and stained red and Y/N's breath quickened, panic settling.

"Ok, you're alright," Jesper reassured, shifting closer to her. He put a hand over the wound in her shoulder, putting pressure on it as the blood seeped through Y/N's shirt.

"Where's Kaz?" Y/N asked, panic evident in her voice. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine, Y/N," Inej said, suddenly appearing on Y/N's right side. "Y/N, he's fine."

Kaz moved closer to Y/N, standing just within her view. Y/N spotted his dark figure and instantly her panic faded. Kaz was still alive, a hand on his cane, his hat pulled down over his face. She could just make out his expression behind the shadow the hat cast across his face and noted that, despite the fact he looked emotionless, there was turmoil behind his eyes.

"Kaz will buy you a drink later to say thank you for saving his life," Jesper said, switching places with Inej. "And I will buy you three for not dying."

Y/N laughed and winced as she aggravated her shoulder. "Jes, if I'd known getting shot would mean you buying me drinks, I would have done it sooner."

Kaz looked at Y/N. The initial panic at seeing Y/N lying there had vanished and now he was overwhelmed with the feeling of relief that she was relatively in one piece.

He lowered his head as he felt a smile pull at his lips, not wanting anyone to see his smile of relief.

"Roofs... I hate them."

Kaz snorted. "May I ask why, darling Y/N?"

Y/N resisted the urge to shove Kaz off the roof they were walking across. "Oh, I can think of dozens of reasons why. Starting with, I could fall to my death, and ending with, I am not Inej, and then, perhaps, circling back to, I could fall to my death!"

Kaz rolled his eyes. "You won't fall to your death."

"Wow, so full of confidence, Kaz," Y/N drawled, hopping over a loose tile on the top of the roof. "Why are we on the roof anyway?"

"Because we need to be subtle."

"Then why did we bring Jesper?"

"I said that we needed to be subtle. Jesper can be as unsubtle as he likes," Kaz replied.

A loud bang came from somewhere down below. This was followed by several shouts of alarm and then a loud gunshot.

"Ah, yes, unsubtle is a Jesper talent," Y/N said, nodding thoughtfully. "Just like shooting things with style."

Kaz slowly turned to look at Y/N over his shoulder, giving her a dark glare.

"Kaz, you should update your resume with 'can pull scary, brooding glare."

"Oh, shut up."

The two of them continued their precarious walk along the roof. Y/N was beginning to get vertigo from constantly looking down and had to pause every few steps to look up and around, regaining her sense of balance.

At the end of the roof was an open skylight. A small staircase had been built onto the wall below the skylight and led inside the building. Y/N assumed that this was what Kaz meant by 'being subtle'.

Kaz climbed down first, wincing as he put all his weight on his bad leg. Y/N followed down after Kaz, taking her time so that she didn't slip and fall.

"Where now?" Y/N asked softly, jumping down the last step and dusting her hands on her blouse.

The room they were in was almost pitch black. Y/N looked around and found a lantern on a nearby shelf with a packet of matches next to it. She struck one and carefully lit the candle in the lantern, wafting the match out as the flame took hold of the candle wick.

As the flame grew in size, they could make out a door on the other side of the room - a room that was clearly in the middle of a renovation.

"That door should lead out into the main house," Kaz said, nodding at the giant oak door. "If the blueprints I found are correct."

"And if they're not?" Kaz didn't say a word and Y/N turned to face him. "And if they're not?" She asked again, trying to disguise the slight panic in her voice.

Kaz shrugged a shoulder. "Then they're not."

Y/N stared at the wall in front of her and took a deep breath in, trying to convince herself to not murder him. She walked up to the heavy door and pulled it open, the hinges groaning in protest. The lantern did little to push away the darkness as they stepped out onto the landing.

The house was clear midway through a huge renovation. The furniture, paintings and statues were all covered in sheets to protect them from the dust. A few statues and chaise lounges hadn't been covered and Y/N could just make out the expensive-looking fabric in shades of blue and gold.

"Kaz, whose house is this?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, not many houses in Ketterdam have Novyi Zem imported fabric on their chaise lounges," Y/N whispered. "Which member of the Merchant Council owns this house?"

"One of the older ones," Kaz replied, lifting the corner of a sheet off a vase and staring it at as if he was window shopping.

"Kaz."

"Van Eck."

"Van Eck?!"

Kaz turned to look at her. "Why do you sound so surprised? You know we've been spying on Van Eck for months."

"No, I knew that you'd been interrogating Wylan about his father for months," Y/N retorted. "Kaz, why are we here? Where is Wylan, anyway?"

"Causing chaos out on the street with Jesper," Kaz replied, moving on from the vase. "I asked for his permission."

Y/N stopped. "You asked Wylan for permission to steal from his father? Who are you and what have you done with Kaz?"

Kaz scoffed. He turned his head to look at Y/N. "Y/N, darling, I'm not a monster." Kaz paused. "Besides, it's not as if Wylan is going to object to it." He nodded to another giant oak door, this one painted white. "This way."

Y/N, still carrying the lantern, walked up to the door. "I'm surprised you didn't ask Wylan to come instead of me," Y/N said, looking at Kaz over her shoulder as she pushed open the door. "I would've thought he would be more valuable -"

Y/N cut herself off as she walked forward and realised that the floor suddenly disappeared. Where a bannister should be was just a sheer drop to the ground floor. Y/N dropped the lantern as she tried to catch herself, arms flailing, and for a moment, Y/N felt herself begin to fall forward.

Kaz snatched the back of her jacket and yanked her back into him. Y/N fell back into Kaz, her back hitting his chest with a forceful thud. Kaz's hand was on her waist, the other on her arm, and the two of them stood there, staring down at the drop with wide eyes. The lantern had fallen down to the ground floor and flickered feebly.

Y/N's breath was coming in short, rapid bursts as she stared at the floor in shock, barely realising that she'd put her hand over Kaz's gloved hand - the one that was still on her waist. She swallowed and took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling as she calmed herself down.

"Thanks," she said softly, turning her head to look at Kaz. She seemed to realise how close they both were and gave Kaz's hand one, quick reassuring squeeze before stepping away from him.

"I couldn't have my most valuable investment turning into raspberry jam," Kaz said, his voice ever so slightly rougher than usual. He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders. "Come on, stairs are this way - unless you want to test gravity again."

Kaz limped off to the stairs that wound down to the ground floor, his figure disappearing into the shadows. Y/N smiled to herself as soon as Kaz had turned his back on her. He'd saved her life.

"Y/N! Come on!" Kaz yelled, his voice echoing in the vast room. "Stop flirting with gravity!"

Y/N's smile only grew.

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lmnop14048 · 11 months ago

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So, I binged The Acolyte last night.

I had a mental block and couldn't get myself to start while it was coming out, and I also haven't touched any High Republic era media before which made me hesitant. But the spoilers/gifs/fanart etc I saw convinced me I should give it a try.

I'm not a huge fan of binging, I like sitting and thinking with each episode, so I expected to just watch an episode or two, give it a day or so, then continue if I liked it.

But, to my great surprise, once I started, I couldn't really stop (aaand stayed up till 7 AM, oops).

I think it had several things going for it:

-The acting was genuinely phenomenal. I feel like I would have felt completely differently about the show if different actors had been involved, and i mean that more strongly than I usually do. Their delivery in certain moments really sold me.

-It's not your usual Star Wars genre. I'd consider it mystery/suspense with a touch of horror, and it really does come together. Some of the characters are experience a more stereotypical Star Wars action/adventure story, but are jerked out of their genre at certain moments. It's pretty neat, and makes the twists fun and interesting (even if you were completely spoiled beforehand, like me lol)

-The costumes were gorgeous and unique.

-Some truly gorgeous cinematography, shots that have beautiful composition and lighting.

-It was rich in lore and references, some from Legends that I caught, many from the High Republic that I didn't catch but appreciated nonetheless. It felt deeply connected to the SW Universe.

-While cynical, the writing says things that I've thought about but never really thought Star Wars would have the guts to say. The writing is also Tight, meaning that little moments of character interactions bring up things that will be necessary/helpful to the plot later, and I appreciated that. There felt like very little waste.

-There are genuinely no "good" or "bad" guys. Every character makes mistakes or has horrible qualities, yet also positive ones. We see and understand motives, even if we don't agree with them, and see the fallout of those actions. This made almost everyone compelling. The narrative and writing gives the audience space to think.

Things that I wasn't as much a fan of:

-I felt like most of the sets felt kind of generic and Earth-like, especially in comparison to the rich costumes and alien characters.

-There are some fantastic fight scenes and emotional scenes, where the acting and cinematography was fantastic, but I wish the music had been a bit more memorable. I can't really recall any of it, and I feel like there were scenes that could have been truly iconic had the music resounded more with me.

Now, some more specific thoughts, SPOILERS below:

On Sol:

Sol is a character who, I believe in most cases, I would have absolutely despised. But holy shit, Lee Jung-jae. I am not exaggerating when I say that his performance is perhaps one of the best, if not THE best performances I've ever seen in live action Star Wars. He played this character so tenderly, so genuinely.

Despite being misguided, having made terrible decisions, and making mistakes that even he acknowledges, Sol himself always truly thought he was doing what was right, and loved Osha with his whole being even at the end, and it Shows. The way he looks at Osha was so sincere.

This is why I can't get myself to hate Sol as a character. It makes me feel so conflicted, like how can a guy with so much love and genuine desire to help and do good go so wrong? And that, I think, is one of the major points of the show, and Lee Jung-jae absolutely sells it. What a phenomenal actor. You could genuinely watch this show for him alone.

On Osha/Mae:

When the first info/promos for Acolyte came out and Amandla Stenberg was announced as the main character, I admit I was a bit confused. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I thought she couldn't act, but it's just that her face is so kind. She looks so warm (and gosh, she's so beautiful), but it made me go hmm, she looks like a Good Guy Protag, a Hero, so I was a bit confused as to how she was going to lead "the Acolyte," which from the title, I assumed she'd be Dark Side. Even with the early promo scenes of Mae fighting Indara, I wasn't really sold on her being "Dark."

And it turns out, that was exactly the point of the casting.

Amandla was perfect, and was brilliant at portraying two characters who not only have different and distinct personalities, but also both shift and change throughout the show. Mae never came off as "Dark" to me, because she isn't. Osha's not necessarily Light OR Dark, but she's independent. They are balanced, yet cycling, reminiscent of that little palm-to-palm circling ritual that the girls do. Amandla's portrayal of them was poetry, and made me so very invested in them.

I think if there's one thing I really wish the show had included more of, it's both Osha and Mae's pasts between their tragic separation and their reunion in the present. What was Osha's Padawan-ship actually like? I feel like the exact reason for the timing of her leaving the Order was ambiguous, and I wanted to know more. And was Mae with "the Master" the entire time?

I truly wish Osha could have heard the full story from Sol, because of his many crimes, ironically, killing her mother really was a genuine accident. There are things I wish he could have apologized to her for, or that she could have understood about him, such as how that night at the coven was largely driven by how Sol felt connected to her. This is one part where, while I get how the writers went this way, I do wish I could have felt more closure to their relationship.

I found it so tragic that Qimir erased Mae's memories and they had to be separated so soon after finally understanding each other. I really hope that if there's a season 2, they can be reunited.

On Qimir:

Preface by saying I was spoiled regarding his identity long before I started, by all those thirsty posts/tweets. And man, I GET IT.

But thirst magnet aside, I found him a genuinely fascinating character. For one thing, he's kind of an ironic character to *be* a Darksider. He seems so chill and laid-back, is honorable (or at least keeps his word), and despite his words about using emotions to harness energy, we don't really see him passionately mad/anything really. In contrast, the Jedi we see around him are furious, scared, sad. It's interesting that he almost seems more calm, but not necessarily because he's trying: he just doesn't care.

Manny Jacinto's portrayal of the character made him so damn Likable. Which, is pretty hard to reconcile with the fact that I genuinely liked Jecki and Yord, but a lot of his lines make me just go, y'know he's got a point. Like the whole, "She was a child," "You brought her here." Like yeah. Honestly, fair. His little quips, the delivery, the I'm-just-a-chill-dude attitude, actually keeps his word, and on the flip side, undeniable ruthless skill and viciousness that took down a whole team of Jedi single-handedly. It's a very BRRRRRR combo.

In general, I don't really get too attached to "Dark Side" characters, and don't really have a favorite Sith. Or at least, I didn't, but I think Qimir (or whatever his actually name is) might claim that spot now. Truly peak character, I truly hope we get to see more with him.

And this is kind of an aside, but can I just say, it felt unreal to have entire fight sequences focussing on just two Asian actors, with the other protagonist we see a black girl, for huge chunks of the show? No white people except comparatively brief side characters? In a Star Wars show?!?? All of them unique and well fleshed out and phenomenally written and acted?? None of it felt like "forced diversity," it's all so natural, that when I step back and thought about it in these terms it just...again, feels unreal. I'm so grateful for these characters, and hope we get more like them.

On Jecki and Yord:

Honestly given what I saw about Yord before hand, I was expecting him to be far more annoying than he was. Sure, he was a little stiff, but he felt like a young Jedi Knight who was trying to prove himself and do his best, and I think he very clearly did care for Osha.

Jecki, gosh I loved her. She felt very similar to Ahsoka, if a bit more by the book. She was very wise for her youth. I loved the budding friendship between her and Osha, how they helped each other and weren't jealous.

The thing about both of these characters, which I think the writers did so well, is that they felt like protagonists. In another story, they would have been the main characters, the heroes. Both of them were so young, so early in their training/careers. They could have become Obi-Wans, Ahsokas. Jecki especially was bursting with so much potential.

But alas, this was not that story. It makes it that much shocking when their lives are cut so abruptly short. We were given time to get to know these characters, to care for them, and then without much fanfare, boom. Gone.

On one hand, I sorta Hate That. On the other, I deeply respect the writers for going there, because I think it did have an Impact on the story and show.

On the Witches/Mother Aniseya:

Admittedly I was a little ehhhhh on some of the world-building regarding the witches, just the use of the words "witch" and "coven" and some of the chanting with gasping cackling women etc felt a bit caricature. I do get that they wanted us to have a vibe for this group and to get one with limited screentime, and sometimes stereotypes are the way to do that. I didn't love it, but also didn't mind it too much.

I actually really loved Mother Aniseya. For one thing, the actress is Gorgeous, her costume stunning, and she really sold the whole otherworldly ethereal immortal goddess vibe well, in a way that still felt Star Wars. For the other, I liked how she was the soft, empathetic one, it kinda contrasted with expectation of her position.

I also loved Mother Koril, and how again, she was designed as a character foil to Mother Aniseya. I love how we didn't see too much of them, but could still see that they were partners who loved and respected each other (I hesitate to say "wives," because I feel like their society may not exactly have the same concept of marriage, but partners was undeniable). I think it was a neat Oh moment when they stated that Mother Koril is the one who carried the twins. Love them.

I know I'll have more thoughts, but yeah, to sum it up, I enjoyed Acolyte a ton more than I thought i would, and am so glad I gave it a chance.

Other things:

-Mentioned earlier that I love "little moments of character interactions bring up things that will be necessary/helpful to the plot later." Some actual examples of this: When we see Sol noticing Osha's tattoo and Osha saying he must hate it, which in the moment, shows the kind of guardian-student relationship they have, and how little seems to have changed for them in the time they've been a part. Later, it's shown to clearly identify Osha after Mae steals her clothes. Another is the rolly polly moth things, which at first seem just like a way to show This Forest Dangerous, but then are a plot point to temporarily escape from Qimir, and later on, to show Vernestra's connection to the Force (and also her light whip). Stuff like that, I really like.

-I so appreciated Qimir's Cortosis helmet. For one thing, it's neat that it's not just cool-looking or a disguise, but actually is Force-blocking. I think an official SW account factoid said that this is also how beskar works, though beskar is stronger. The two effects this has: when the user is wearing it, they're forced to confront what's inside of them. The other, is that it hides the wearer's identity from Force users who would otherwise recognize them. The latter is my personal headcanon for beskar helmets, so it's very gratifying to see it in canon! The former has some interesting implications for Force-users who wear beskar.

-The cynical view of the Jedi Order as an Institution, and all the politics, corruption, and obscuring of dirt that that entails. Admittedly this may be because of my own increasingly cynical perspective on the Order, but it felt honest and I agreed with most of it. The fact that individuals are trying their best to do "good" does not negate the fact that they are pretty much acting as Space Cops. This line by Senator Rayencourt felt especially raw:

"I think the Jedi are a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to claim the uncontrollable. [] Your emotions."

Framed as a religion having unchecked power—that feels uncomfortably realistic! And also zeroing in on how for all their power, the Jedi are still people, and just as fallible (and therefore, must necessarily be held just as accountable).

Also:

I can see how this portrayal of the Jedi may make some folks uncomfortable, especially if you love the Jedi, but I long hold that the Jedi as an organization are deeply flawed. It's part of why I personally like the "fall of the Republic" era; both the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order have deep, fatal flaws, and this is an era where that all comes to a head—one where they must fall, or fix themselves.

So in conclusion, my favorite parts: the characters, and the moral grayness of almost everyone. Many stories may claim there's no good/evil dichotomy, but few ever truly show it, but this one did.

I'm not sure yet if I want to "fandom" over this or if I'm pretty satisfied with having just watched it, but it was definitely worth the watch and I'm glad I gave it a try!

I also kept a lil document of live reaction notes as I was watching, which I'll copy below:

Episode 1

UEDA?? The planet is just, UEDA?? A pretty common Japanese surname?? That's like. Naming a planet Johnson or somethin...

Loving the costumes 'n set

Oh wait I recognize this scene, it's the one they played as a preview at the AMC Star Wars marathon

Idk how to feel about the Space Generic T-Shirt

Ooh Neimoidians (thank you for no horrendously exaggerated Evil Japanese Accent TM), and interesting Jedi ship shape

Oh interesting interesting they intentionally paralleling TPM eh

Hrmn not a positive first impression of Master Vernestra, her lines are so mechanical

Very cool pilot chair droids and tentacle alien

Osha says practice vehicle safety and wear seatbelts and protect your head!

Oh Osha has Trauma I see. Girl ain't getting good sleep

Oh wow Sol Loves Osha, oh no is this going to lead to Padawan Jealousy Trauma between Osha and Jecki. How much are we heavily paralleling TPM here

Kill the dream eh?

Episode 2

Oh there are multiple Jedi temples, that's nice

Jedi Temple using same security system as Jabba is...uh

Mae tips, good for her

Master Torbin just sittin' there, lookin like some random youtuber. why tabi socks

Man I dig Mae's patchwork cloak with massive princess hood.

It's pronounced KAI-meer??? My Chinese ass thought it was Chee-mir

Barash Vow

Ohhh so Mae doesn't know that Qimir...? (was spoiled)

Episode 3

ooh i like the fairy clione things

Ohhh village all women??

Mother Aniseya is stunning

Oh she and Koril blatantly lesbian, fantastic

Oh gosh the Jedi are NOT looking good here. They don't have the right to train children?? WTF

You must let the children take the test?? And if they pass the Jedi will take them away??? That does NOT sound very consensual!!

Oh gosh, selling "you are special" to a child, after separating her from her community...

Really feel like "how does taking a child away affect their community" should be factored into jedi stuff

Mae that is...sudden and violent wtf

Kinda not trusting Sol here

Episode 4

Wow Kelnacca looks...mentally stable

Ohhh Qimir's ship? Looks suspiciously Kylo Ren-ish

Qimir really suspicious eh

Oh wow not using the Force or anything, just using a sniffy guy

They're really doing a Fellowship of the Ring walk huh

Look I absolutely adore Mae's long gorgeous cloak but that is going to drag half the forest floor with her

Not liking those tree bulbs. looks spider eggy

Osha don't Touch the Thing, that's such a Pippin move

oh no, not spider eggs...rolly polly moth vampire thing

Really enjoying Osha and Jecki's friendship, I'm so glad it's not former Padawan jealousy

Oh, Mae, oh no....knowing spoilers...oh...

The red lightsaber igniting next to Osha's head...dang what fantastic composition

The lil hand twitch and head snap. I Get It.

I remember when "Darth Teeth" was trending

And wow that's a Cliffhanger

Episode 5

Oh no Osha knocked out that doesn't bode well

How many against one is that damn

The double spear through then hidden head lop...wow

holy shit booma-saber

Oooooh the cut treeeeees damn

all that death before even the opening title

Honestly GO JECKI, that's very impressive, her win against Mae AND double saber against Darth Teeth, Anakin level spinning and drama

Holy shit Jecki's death was brutal...

She was a child - You brought her here - FAIR

Why risk discovery - I did wear a mask LMAO

Damn did he just casually break Mae's leg

I don't make the rules - the Jedi do

The Jedi say I can't exist...wow

Holy shit Yord's death

Damn full on brawl

I've accepted my darkness, what have you done with yours

Damn really yeeted Qimir from the fight by sticking a light on his back

Pip tho ;_; killin droids feels like killin pets...

They've turned you against me - really Anakin quotin

Wow Sol, not even going to see Jecki????

And wtf how can Sol not tell that Mae's switched them??? Has fandom been grossly misunderstanding how the Jedi use the Force....how the fuck can any Jedi tell apart any clones eh...

While not exactly subtle, I appreciate how lil details in character interactions have had pay offs. Like the tree bugs and Osha's tattoo being a way to identify her

Episode 6

He really just makin a hot pot

his lair kinda looks like sequels Luke's island

Not sure how I feel about the elephant rock bird things

Honestly glad we get to see Sol upset and affected by everyone's deaths. Might explain part of why he can't tell apart the twins?

Oh he's really wearing hakama hakama

Wow Qimir really just getting in buck naked eh. Is this the scene that Manny froze his balls off for

His line about it being fine in a fight but vengeance a few hours later

Oh he brought a change of clothes

Damn the Jedi are taught "it fades"???

Aww Osha, u aren't tempted by the soup??

Oh wow we revisiting bodies, that feels...u usual for SW. Oh there's a Kel Dor... (why are there no flies buzzing yet. or are there no flies yet)

Mae wakes up so peacefully compared to Osha

Oooh sensory deprivation mask, all dark, nothing but breathing, evocative of Darth Vader even if breathing is not similar

Episode 7

Vergence....iiiiinteresting

Sol, stalking lil kids is creepy af

Oh my god you're just gonna break in???

See - You cannot deny the Jedi have a right to test potential Padawans - Why the fuck not???? You don't have the right to stalk, spy on, break into random people's homes, and talk directly to their children without permission from guardians??

Guh Sol....

Interrogation after isolation from guardians....

Oh, the Jedi Council is right for once??

Do not alter this little girl's destiny because you have formed an emotional attachment to her

Gosh I thought Indara was the most innocent in this buuuuut

Episode 8

I'm surprised they never added Darth Teeth's mask to the front credits

"See you in hell" Oh I know Han mentioned Hell like once but I thought they were avoiding mentioning it in newer media

Holy shit Rayencourt: I think the Jedi are a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to claim the uncontrollable. - Kinda uncomfortably real!!

-We don't control the Force - no, your emotions - OOF

I didn't realize till this ep how the cool Brendok eclipse got that line, it's the comet ring. super neat

oof Mae climbing out of the scene of Trauma...

Oh that is some Wu Xia shit

"I will destroy you if i must" really??

Nice dagger saber

Okay Sol that is Cool

oh gosh, the plot-relevant inversion of clothes resulting in it reflecting how they swapped light/dark is SO cool

very yin yang fighting

Damn it keeps coming down to the unarmed opponent thing

Damn, Mae going the justice route

Damn, just Damn

Gosh the thing about Sol is that he is SO well acted, so sincere in his love and devotion, it's hard to hate him

I'm glad the helmets block the Force identity like that tho, fits headcanon

Glad Basil continues to shine

Oh no. Vernestra...I thought you were doing the right thing revealing the truth, but instead you're continuing the cycle of covering up crimes

Oh...use Mae to find Vernestra's former Padawan...that's a cycle alright

And ends with Yoda okay

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