#I think that belongs to Zahn...

[glass-warehouse]

Saganu.... urrahhhggh

Saganu's actual name, and just himself in general, has been bugging me since I got around to cleaning up my Chiss Name-maker spreadsheet. I’m blaming the SWTOR writers (sorry guys) over this. I know they just needed to give him a name – no backstory required. 

In any case, I'm going to break it down myself. Through a poor hodgepodge combination of Legends and Canon. 

Unfortunately, this also involves me going over his position, a lot. I know it might seem irrelevant, but I hope you understand why I had to mention it by the end. 

This goes out to all the Saganu fans. I think there are only four of us...

Intro: 

When you first meet Saganu, he is both a commander in the CEDF/CDF and Aristocra of House Miurani. I cannot begin to tell you how difficult this makes things. First off, I don't think this is allowed. The whole deal with the CEDF is that they serve the Ascendancy as a whole, and not just one Family. Families tend to have their own fleets or Phalanxes for things like that. 

Right then, let's break this down. Get ready for a ramble. 

Rank: Aristocra 

Legends and Canon do not agree on the position of an Aristocra. 

In Canon, this is like, the lowest rank of political importance you can hold within a Family. I'm aware there is also 'The Aristocra', an organisation within the Syndicure (Parliament) that holds a lot of power. But, man, we are not getting into that. And I don't think that's what the writers meant when they made him an Aristocra. 

In Legends, Aristocra is a very high rank. To the point where they can represent themselves as the head on behalf of their Family. Is that not wild? They aren't officially the head of the Family, but they can just say they are and everyone accepts it. 

In Saganu's case, this is very hard to settle on. He is both more important than Canon rank but less than Legends. I'm more inclined to place him toward Legends, simply because of the promotion he receives later. But why the fuck is someone that important just kinda chilling on some secret Hoth base, with limited manpower, and asking Imperial Intelligence for assistance, I will never know. 

Rank: Commander 

In Canon, Commander isn't even a valid rank... There are four different versions of 'Commander' in the CEDF, and Saganu's is never specified. I think the writers just wanted him to sound important. 

In Legends, we have almost nothing to go off, especially at this point in history for the Ascendancy. I believe that when the story was written, the writers were basing the structure of the CEDF as if it was the same as the Imperial Navy - as there is a Commander rank. In the Navy, Commander is the 5th highest position, making it a little more than midway through the ranks. I'd say that about tracks with what we expect at this point in the story, our character's position, as well as how Saganu acts and is treated. 

Again, placing him is difficult. I'm just going to say that Saganu is a Senior Commander. At least this way he has a proper CEDF rank... and it’s the best option I can fit him into. 

Further Notes: 

I'm aware that in-game, Saganu is only ever mentioned to be the Base Commander of Zero Station - quite frankly, I'm already having a bad time with this as it is, so I'll be ignoring this entirely. 

There is nothing I can find that suggests that Saganu was a commander and then became an Aristocra, or vice versa. Both facts are presented at the same time as if they are both currently true. And besides, he's known as 'Aristocra' Saganu, not Commander. 

This would be a lot easier if both ranks were on equal standing - but they're not. 

Canon - Aristocra < Senior Commander 

Legends - Aristocra > Senior Commander 

Roles and Names: 

REGARDLESS of Saganu's rank when you meet him on Hoth, he should have introduced himself with his full name. And, as I'll get to at the end, his core name would've been different. 

Chiss naming convention, and all the ways it can change, is bad enough already to wrap your head around. What's important is that Saganu did NOT hold a high enough position either politically or in the CEDF, that it would have had an impact. 

Politically, it doesn't matter how important you are, whether that's being an Aristocra or Patriarch, your rank doesn't change your name. 

In the CEDF, only those who held the rank of Commodore or higher (all Flag Officer positions) would have their names altered. 

(For any that don't know - when Officers are promoted to a Flag rank, they are stripped of their Family name. This is to ensure that they serve the Ascendancy proper, and prevent any biases toward their Family ties.) 

Saganu's position of Senior Commander is not a Flag rank - therefore, his name should remain unchanged. 

HOWEVER! - this does change when you meet him again after Knights of the Eternal Throne. 

Traitor Arc: 

When Saganu visits the Alliance, he tells the Commander that he is now 'Supreme Commander of the CEDF', because of how he handled the invasion of the Eternal Empire. *** 

AGAIN, 'Supreme Commander' is NOT a rank in either the CEDF or the Imperial Navy - the writers really did pull this one out of their arse. 

Anyway, this rank signifies him as the head of the CEDF. He's the one who oversees all of the CEDF's military operations. To be more Canon accurate, this rank would be 'Supreme Admiral'. I'll continue to refer to it as such. 

Supreme Admiral is a FLAG OFFICER rank, so this WOULD alter his name. 

What I am going to ignore is that in-game, Saganu is still referred to as Aristocra and that the mail he sends the Commander once all is sorted is also under the same rank. At this point in time, he CANNOT be an Aristocra - as mentioned before, Supreme Admiral is a Flag rank, so he cannot hold any Family ties. 

Now, here's what you've been waiting for. 

Meeting on Hoth: 

Full name - Miurani'saga'nuru 

Core name - Isagan, Nisaganu, Nisagan, Isaganu 

I've listed all possible variations for his core name. So, you can decide what you like best, as they are all technically correct. 

After KOTET: 

Full name - Saga'nu 

Core name - Doesn't need one. 

If you are looking at 'nuru' and thinking, "Oh like, nuruodo? Like Thrawn?" the answer is YES. 

Nuru is the default spelling. The 'odo' part is an honorary suffix he received. 

Because I'm running out of steam, here's an excerpt about it:  

"The Stybla honouring ceremony, also known as the Stybla honouring ritual and the odo ceremony, was a ritual in which the Stybla family conferred the suffix "odo" onto the name of an honoured individual ... this was typically only awarded to those of House Stybla, though a few non-Stybla have gone through the ceremony." 

And, YES, this is considered Canon - though it originated from the books, so don't hold out any hope you'll ever hear it mentioned in Disney SW. 

Any Stybla Family SWTOR toons out there, take note! 

And that’s a wrap... phew... 

God, if you've read this all the way through you deserve a fucking pat on the back, seriously. 

*** I realise that it's roughly 12 years until you see Saganu again after Hoth, but this motherfucker only really got promoted around KOTFE, over the 5-year time skip. 

It's hard for me to write in words how OBSURD it is that he went from Senior Commander to fucking SUPREME ADMIRAL. IN FIVE YEARS. 

I realise that he may have had other promotions over the other 5, 6, or 7, years that are unaccounted for, but the jump he made to Supreme Admiral is ridiculous.

This is the equivalent of being an Area Manager in retail to becoming the CEO, in the space of 5 years. 

The SWTOR writers love to always go bigger and better. And then they have to write themselves back down again because they went too big. 

All they had to imply was that Saganu was promoted. We already know he's important, okay SWTOR? You can calm down. Nobody (other than me) is paying attention to what title he has. 

[wings-of-ink]

MC runs up to an RO grabs their nose and innocently says "I've got your nose!" before running off with their "nose" cackling evilly.

Lol, I do appreciate an ornery MC...let's assume we're still deep into the flirting with feelings stage or even a sweet friendship (not that it would change the response a ton in general) . Perhaps they are all on a break back in MC's hometown...

Oswin: he's shocked at first as he tries to process what just happened. He places a hand to his face and watches MC run. He starts to run and then stops and thinks. Starts again and stops again. It's so absurd that he finally just gives in and laughs before trying to rein himself back in.

Zahn: it's on. They take off after MC yelling things like, "Stop thief!" and "Not my nose! It's my best feature!" If Zahn can catch up, they will literally pounce and latch on to MC koala-style and try to wrestle their nose back.

Duri: *big wicked grin* They give MC a head start, it's only fair....and it makes the chase that much more exciting. Once they take off, they catch up with ease, but instead of snatching back their nose, they snatch MC's coin purse and taunt them with it. "Fair payment for such a beautiful nose, don't you think?"

Rune: *sigh* *fighting smile really hard* It is so very tempting to go full-mage and handle this, have some fun of their own...but they are in public...so maybe just a subtle display? They conjure their magic into a mist that shimmers purple, sending it out to chase MC with alarming speed. It finds MC by the ankles and wraps around their whole body without restricting movement. MC gets a warm and pleasant sensation, distracting enough to make them stop. It travels all the way to the tip of their own nose, and then it dissipates. It feels...like a kiss.

???: Watches but doesn't react; he plots. MC, perhaps a bit perplexed at the non-reaction continues about their day. They return to their room that night - the room that's on the second story...and it's empty. Their furniture - the handmade, solid wood furniture - and belongings are all gone. A note left on the floor reads, 'got your everything.'

Thank you for the ask, Anon! ^_^

[undignifiend]

(Another AU hypothetical involving my Gumm-Gumm OCs somehow farting around Topside and not indulging their usual level of villainy. Still working on their dynamic, but I thought this was fun enough to share. All three are nerds to varying degrees.)

+++++

"You know. The Moon Problem," Zahn said.

"I... don't know," Jim admitted. "What is that?"

"Tell me, what is moonlight?"

Jim was already getting tired of Zahn's tendency to answer questions with questions. "It's... It's moonlight. What other word would we use?"

Zahn huffed, and one of his eyes twitched. "Which means...?" he prompted.

"I'm starting to grasp why he doesn't know how to navigate at night," Ulvek muttered from his corner.

Jim tried not to take whatever offense that was supposed to mean. "Is this like, a riddle?"

"No, just basic fact," Zahn snapped. "What is moonlight?"

"Wait, don't you specifically need moonlight in your spells or whatever?" Jim asked. "Is it inherently magical?"

"Everything is inherently magical, that's the first thing you should know," Ulvek grunted sagely in the background. 

"Are fleshlings not reading Al-Kindi anymore?" Dezoka asked. "His Stellar Ray Theory was foundational in - "

Louder, and slightly over his fellows, Zahn griped "That's a completely different lesson, now focus and tell me what moonlight is made of!"

"...Light?"

"What kind of light?!" Zahn roared, grasping his horns. "Does it generate its own?! Hand and Eye! - Where does the vast majority of visible light come from in our solar system!"

"Sunlight! It's reflected sunlight!" Jim peeked over the edge of the table he'd leapt behind with an irritated "Sheesh!" At least whenever Blinky got dramatic while giving a lesson, he was having fun.

"And yet!" Zahn thrust his arm out the cave entrance, waving it around. He seemed to have forgotten his ire entirely, launching fully into an enthusiastic lecture. "I can do this all night, and none of my tissue samples would reveal any petrification, not even on the cellular level! Whatever's so deadly about sunlight doesn't reflect! Or refract, otherwise eclipses would be just as fatal as broad daylight. Both these reasons are why ambient light doesn't bother us, either.

"Sunlight's fatal property," he continued, "for us at least, only hits on the first pass, and only in a straight line. It doesn't bounce. Which is fundamentally different behavior from light itself. The theory goes that if we can figure out how to isolate that property, it would be shown to belong to a new type of sub-particle. This explains every experiment we've recorded on the topic, but we haven't been able to demonstrate, conclusively, just what this sneaky little glorkhole really is, or how to counter it aside from blocking it with solid matter or shadow magic. Due to its properties, it's exceptionally difficult to track down when it's not killing a troll. So until our medical team has a breakthrough, or until we can find a way to isolate it, we're left with inferring the thing's existence."

"Oh. Kinda like Dark Matter?" Jim asked.

Ulvek's hiss carried all the seriousness of clicking his tongue. "Nah, that's like this era's version of Aether. It's a cool theory, and the best your physicists got right now, but it stems from a multidimensional 'optical' illusion your folk haven't solved yet. See, when the space-time 'ripples' of gravitational radiation intersect, they distort the - "

"Actually, yeah, that makes Dark Matter a fair comparison here," Zahn gave Ulvek a stink-eye for his meddling. "These theories are, respectively, the best we got right now to explain what we think we've figured out. It may be a new sub-particle. I admit some personal bias in hoping so. That sounds like it would be easier to develop a more lasting counter against. But it might be a property inherent to sunlight that we've misunderstood."

"It absolutely is!" Dezoka piped up, pulling her helmet off. An ash-colored mane bristled once freed, half-plastered to the sides of her face from sweat, and sticking up oddly in a way that almost hid her horns. One of her upper fangs was missing, the empty space pairing with a vertical lip scar. "The Moon Problem is stupid! We can tolerate up to a certain threshold of ultraviolet radiation, just like we can tolerate up to a certain amount of heat, or water, or annoyances."

"Get back to me when you get that peer-reviewed, Captain," Zahn growled.

"Every troll ever can peer review that!" Dezoka insisted. "You ever been stung by sunlight reflecting off a knight's armor? I have! Why do you think they were so obsessed with keeping it shiny? The fatal property does bounce! Just not always in great enough quantities to overwhelm our regeneration rate!"

"I promise it does not bounce!" Zahn argued. "It's illusory pain! A trick of the brain! Psychological warfare's the name a' - "

"No rap battles in front of the fleshlings," Ulvek warned apologetically. "Weird hypothesis aside, your flow's too powerful."

Both Zahn and Dezoka answered with dejected little huffs.

"But!" Zahn perked up immediately. "Point is, reflected sunlight creeps into Power of Suggestion territory. Your instincts treat it like it's gonna hurt, in order to keep you wary and alive. But it's as harmless as waving a finger through a candle flame! You've always freaked out and withdrawn too soon to find out! Soon as sunup, I'll get the fleshling to stand outside with a mirror, and I'll prove it to you."

Dezoka gave Jim a long-suffering glance as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Alright…" She pointed a claw firmly at Zahn in the next instant. "But it's gonna be a tiny mirror, you have to wear a cloak - and keep the hood up to protect your eyes! And when you need sun-salve, you're gonna ask very nicely."

"You know, changeling magic provides some unique context to the Problem," Ulvek muttered thoughtfully. "The Pale Lady is a genius. Mass-shunting and glamour can only get you so far, she actually figured out a way to 'trick' either sunlight or troll cells with borrowed human DNA. But from what I think I understand of the ritual, it's almost like just the impression of that DNA acts as an effective shield. Like she more-or-less conditionally assigned the idea of 'fleshling' to a troll, and it worked. I've only seen that kind of technique succeed as a temporary counter-curse. Which lends some serious credibility to her theory on - "

"So what if we try the reverse?" Zahn asked, tapping his chin. "Figure out how she did it, and try assigning 'non-stalkling troll' to something else, and see what sunlight does to it?"

Dezoka's lips pulled back in a false smile closer to a grimace. "Sure. Why not invent some new, cursed reverse-Impure with an identity-bond and a weakness to sunlight?" The false-smile vanished. "Seriously, for once, I want you to take a moment to actually think about the ethical - "

"I'll call it the Basilisk Cannon!" Zahn declared. "If I can harnass this technique in aimable form - "

"Yeah, I'm not gonna let you do that," Jim noted.

"Can't spare enough resources for something that stupid anyway," Dezoka attempted to reassure.

"That's exactly what you said about the Embiggenator!" Zahn pointed at Dezoka accusingly. "And I made you eat those words!"

"You gotta stop taking them as a challenge," Dezoka groaned.

[absolxguardian]

@haltraveler

Thought I'd share my personal theory (and I'm calling it a theory, there's textual evidence) about why sky-walkers loose their powers, and its basically that the Ascendancy makes an existing problem worse.

Its already heavily suggested that when anyone begins puberty their connection to the Force becomes tenuous, because of the self-doubt that people start to feel at that age. That's why toddlers are able to levitate objects without training (TCW stolen younglings arc). While Osha struggles to use the Force again after leaving the Order. Because they don't feel self-doubt and don't know that they shouldn't be able to do such things. The Force is heavily influenced by one's preexisting ideas. That's why Yoda tells Luke in ESB the reason why he can't levitate his X-wing is because he thinks he can't. The Padawan novel is a good example of this kind of crisis of faith (in one's own self).

Another example of the Force starting to cause problems when someone begins puberty is Karr Nuq Sin in Force Collector developing psychometry at 13, which without training caused seizures and migraines. Now this seems like the opposite of it becoming harder to connect to the Force when one becomes a teenager, but I think this still works as an example. Karr's problem is that he's unknowingly letting the Force consume him, and I think its the same increased self-doubt and critical thinking. Before he developed to that point neurologically he could simply rid along with the Force completely subconsciously. And of course there's Vernestra, who looses her sky-walker powers like any Chiss, despite not being involved with the Ascendancy at all. She only retained the powers she consciously worked to keep.

Force usage coming naturally to the very young works with Yoda's whole "truely wonderful the mind of a child is". Whether he means it with the Force or the true in our world lack of preconceived motions, it establishes a theme in Star Wars that children are more connected to the world how it really is.

Now what about the Ascendancy? The aforementioned thing about the Force being influenced by one's own beliefs means that the sky-walkers are under a self fulfilling prophecy. They're told they'll loose their powers when they get older, so the difficulties with connecting to the Force that comes with puberty is multiplied. And since they have no source of training, no faith or scientific knowledge, their connection to the Force goes dormant.

The no training thing also ties into the theme of the Ascendancy trilogy about the importance of autistic children having autistic adults in their life- Che'ri and her relationship with Thalias (allegorical autism with force sensitivity) and Thrawn (regular autism). There is no tradition of Force using adults to pass down this training.

As a side thing, sky-walkers needing their memories wiped because of the trauma related to family separation is an accurate depiction of what happens in real world humans when you take toddlers from their primary caregivers. In Outbound Flight Timothy Zahn used this fact to write the villain attempting to recruit toddlers into the Jedi Order, with normal Order policy being to only take infants and recruit younglings as young as possible. Now TCW contraindicated it, with Lucas unknowingly attempting to write the Jedi as better by having them give parents more time to decide and recruiting babies more than literal newborns. The only Watsonian explanation for this, without saying humans irl and humans in Star Wars have different neurologies, is that the Jedi are (conciously or not) projecting a field of belonging into the Force which gets rid of the psychological problems of separation (admittedly there's basically no research on what happens when a kid is taken from one loving and properly equipped home to another so its hard to tell irl whats purely the result of separation). So again, its the lack of adult Force users which is the cause of the Ascendancy's problems.

Species specific Force abilities that Force sensitive people of other species might still have a natural tendency for has a precedent in Legends- with psychometry for the Kiffar and Force Sight for the Miraluka. With Vernestra having a natural talent for hyperspace navigation, that seems to be the case.

As for them being almost all female- I have no idea (and you get the issue if the "mostly" thing is because the Force knows if you're trans and so "male" sky-walkers are trans female eggs, or if its biological and all sky-walkers are afab- just some of them have transitioned). If the Ascendancy is really bad at this, it could be a "male presenting autism" thing, and the Ascendancy is mistakenly missing 50% of potential sky-walkers, but I find the headcanon that the Chiss are actually extremely good at development evaluations of children- both medically and socially. Its the only way they'd be able to find any sky-walkers without access to the techniques the Jedi use.

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey Dark Winds

My interest in this series was piqued by an anecdote in Maureen Ryan’s Burn it Down. In it, Graham Roland (I think? I can’t look at a copy of the book and double check) told Ryan about how even with the help of Robert Redford and George RR Martin, it was hard to get this series green lit. HBO turned it down saying it was too like True Detective, which I haven’t watched, and probably won’t. But it’s also probably a racial thing, as these are the stories of Navajo Nation police in the 1970s based on a series of novels by Tony Hillerman, a member of said nation and later his daughter, Anne Hillerman. Though the Native American perspective make it feel unique amongst cop shows, period pieces, and even revisionist Westerns.

I’m not a big Western person. There are plenty famous films in this genre I haven’t seen at all. So I found myself grateful that I hqd at least listened to the TCM podcast The Plot Thickens season on John Ford. It let me know what kinds of jobs were available in Navajo Nation in the decades preceding Dark Winds story. (The big employers at the time were a uranium mine and John Ford. On reservation oil mining is very important to multiple Dark Winds stories.) And some of the things that the series has to work against, like Monument Valley having been used as the setting of many tribes who are actually from elsewhere. Time to correct that with a specificity of Navajo life, starting with how they refer to themselves and their language as Diné. Every episode of the series has a Diné title and an English translation.

But I’m really in no position to judge the series on authenticity. I can’t comment of the actors’ accents in Diné, or anything about them belonging to different tribes. Nor can I say anything about historical accuracy with regards to anything, from what songs were on the radio to the timeline of NASA missions.

What I can comment on is that Joe Leaphorn/JimChee is an interesting variation on the older cop-mentoring-younger cop dynamic. Leaphorn’s relationship with his wife, Emma is interesting, believable as people who have gone through a lot, some of which was just wrong. (Emma was sterilized without her consent after the birth of her first and only child. Joe Junior then died while working at an oil mine because of a dispute between who controlled the rights to it.) I like the burgeoning romance between Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, I even commented on how glad I was in a TVLine article about best first kisses. Also, Emma and Bernadette are interesting characters in their own right and that is great to see

The show builds an intriguing mystery in a way that flips some conventions on their head. I don’t love that the seasons start in media res at the mid point and then flash back, but I am always interested in the story.

The third season is the longest with eight episodes, instead of the six episode like season that preceded it. It includes a border patrol plot that doesn’t interact much with the Navajo Nation plot. One episode is devoted to a dream that Leaphorn has while injured. For some this was a beautiful showcase of dream like imagery Zahn McClarnon’s acting. For others it was a self indulgent waste of time. I did not love that the actor playing the abusive priest in Leaphorn’s past was accused of abuse in real life. The episode had some beautiful imagery, but it didn’t help with the challenge to pacing that plotting in two locations created.

Still, I’m glad that the show was renewed for a fourth season in advance of the third. I want to spend more time with these characters. Maybe I’ll even get around to reading the books.

[deep-dive]

2022

albums: Alex G - God Save the Animals Alex G - We're All Going to the World's Fair Anthony Naples + DJ Python - Air Texture VIII Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You Björk - Fossora Bladee & Ecco2k - Crest Broadcast - Maida Vale Sessions Carla dal Forno - Come Around Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time Cass McCombs - Heartmind Charli XCX - Crash Daphni - Cherry Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Pigments Hikaru Utada - Bad Mode Huerco S. - Plonk Isabella Lovestory - Amor Hardcore Junior Boys - Waiting Game Kali Malone - Living Torch Malibu - Palaces of Pity Marina Herlop - Pripyat Oren Ambarchi - Shebang Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - Ghosted Organ Tapes - 唱着那无人问津的歌谣 / Chang Zhe Na Wu Ren Wen Jin De Ge Yao Phoenix - Alpha Zulu Physical Therapy - Teardrops on My Garage PPJ - Trindade Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing Raum - Daughter Sally Shapiro - Sad Cities Sam Prekop - The Sparrow Sam Prekop & John McEntire - Sons Of Shinichi Atobe - Love of Plastic Shygirl - Nymph The Soft Pink Truth - Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? Torus & DJ Lostboi - The Flash Two Shell - Icons The Weeknd - Dawn FM William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - “ . . . On Reflection “

songs: Alex G - JLB's Drawing Bibio - Off Goes the Light Björk - Ancestress (ft. Sindri Eldon) Bladee & Ecco2k - Faust Bladee & Ecco2k - The Flag is Raised Call Super - Swallow Me Carla dal Forno - Side by Side Carly Rae Jepsen - Anxious Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking to Yourself Cass McCombs - Belong to Heaven CFCF - After the After (Bodysync Remix) Charli XCX - Sorry If I Hurt You Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Haha Coco & Clair Clair - Bad Lil Vibe Cole Pulice - City in a City Daphni - Take Two Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Sandstone Demi Lovato - Substance DJ Heartstring - Can't Stop the Night Doss - Look (All Night Mix) Doss - Strawberry (Singin' Club Mix) Double Virgo - Kicked Out by Seven Ecco2k & Bladee - Amygdala Ela Minus & DJ Python - Pájaros En Verano Embaci - Tiniest Whisper Hikaru Utada - Somewhere Near Marseilles Hudson Mohawke - Bicstan Isabella Lovestory - Exibisionista Job - Lore Junior Boys - Thinking About You Calms Me Down Kelela - On the Run Luis - Jack Anderson Malibu - Iliad Marina Herlop - Abans Abans Merely - The Killing Sun Mr Twin Sister - Resort Mura Masa & Erika de Casier - e-motions Objekt - Ballast Oren Ambarchi - I Organ Tapes - Burnout Organ Tapes - heaven can wait Physical Therapy - Chain Reaction PinkPantheress - Boy's a liar PPJ - Dar Um (Lauer Remix) Purelink - Butterfly Jam Rachika Nayar - Gayatri Raum - Walk together Sally Shapiro - Sad City SG Lewis & Tove Lo - Call on Me (SG's Dub Edit) Shinichi Atobe - Love of Plastic 1 Shygirl - Firefly Two Shell - Unrequited Yasmine - Doce Atração Yung Lean - Lips Yves Tumor - God Is a Circle

games: Elden Ring Kirby and the Forgotten Land Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Signalis Sonic Frontiers Squaredle Tactics Ogre: Reborn

film: Aftersun (Charlotte Wells) Ambulance (Michael Bay) Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron) Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg) Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook) I Thought the World of You (Kurt Walker) Jackass Forever (Jeff Tremaine) Kimi (Steven Soderbergh) Nope (Jordan Peele) Orphan: First Kill (William Brent Bell) Pacifiction (Albert Serra) Sharp Stick (Lena Dunham) Stars at Noon (Claire Denis) Tár (Todd Field) Three Thousand Years of Longing (George Miller)

[itsagrimm]

Thurfian was right about Thrawn

After rereading Chaos Rising I can finally try to put into words what bothers me about Thrawn:

Thrawn was a danger to society & peace even before entering imperial service. He had genocidal tendencies from the beginning and *heavy sigh* Thurfian had a point. Nobody should give a gun or a battle ship EVER to Thrawn.

Thrawn & friends have little to no regards for the civil Syndicure

Chaos rising depicts the Chiss government as divided at least into the civil Syndicure and the the military Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. The military is somewhat independent but gets controlled through laws and hearings by the civil Syndicure. During the book, the Syndicure is shown as plagued by infighting, snobbish, conniving, unable to make the right long-term decisions, meddling with military affairs, etc. The heros of the story on the other side predominantly belong to the chiss military. We witness them disrespect diplomats. At one point Thrawn suggests using the diplomat status as cover to spy under. They set up a huge scheme to trick the Syndicure into declaring war to circumvent military doctrine. And also 50% of the book is about how to ignore laws that are designed to ensure peace in the most spectacular way.

50% of the book is about how to ignore laws

Thrawn, his enablers (and author Zahn) have a worrying tendency to willfully misinterpret laws. Laws are written with intend. One can disagree with the content of laws and argue against them. But especially for those in power laws are designed to prevent misuse of power and define what societal servants like military officers can and cannot do. Thrawn and his friends, who literally have warships at their disposal and have the ability to start a war without ever being legally empowered to do so, constantly disobey that civil societal control. And the no preemptive strike / "DO NOT ATTACK UNLESS ATTACKED FIRST"-law is pretty clear. What Thrawn does would in real life lead to rightful removal from post, court martial and public outrage so fast that one could write a 3 book thriller about the court case instead. Yet to see Thrawn's undermining acts legitimised by the story and framed as necessary defense, is extremely problematic. Unelected governmental servants of the executive branch like the military or the police force in many countries are not mandated to make decisions of grand societal impact for a reason. Thrawn might see himself as a defender of his people. But his people deserve more than Thrawns paternalistic actions that have the potential stir up an internal governance crisis about who controls the military.

Everything is allowed in war?

To understand my last argument its best to read this first (Memories VII):

Thrawn does not differentiate between the general civil population and the government of the people he wages war against. He has no qualms wiping out a whole people if he considers it justified. But a subjective opinion and need for revenge is no basis for military action and essentially genocide. Even if Thrawn got stopped by Ba'kif that time someone who thinks like Thrawn and shows no remorse, should not have the power to act on his wants. Take his command away!

All of this leads to the conclusion that Thurfian as a member of the civil Syndicure had a point when considering Thrawn as dangerous and someone who should not be in charge of military assets. And even if it is depicted as mean and guileful, the removal of Thrawn is an understandable action later in the series.

Why does this matter?

Thrawn is a somewhat popular fictional character. The books are read by most as light fiction. Therefore most people will not think twice about the underlying themes and arguments in the text. I don't even think Timothy Zahn as the author was intentional in putting that in there. But the themes of unquestioned pro-militarism, anti separation of power & civil governmental oversight, military action over diplomatic approaches, little regard of binding peace ensuring law, and extreme negative attitudes towards the foreign and other are in there. And those things exist in real life and get enforced unconsciously by stuff like that.

[jadecrusades]

Illustration by Chris Trevas, “The Essential Reader’s Companion.” October, 2012.

Mara Jade disguised as Arica, Jabba the Hutt’s dancer, as illustrated by Chris Trevas for “The Essential Reader’s Companion.” You may have read Timothy Zahn’s short story “Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade,” but if you haven’t listened to the “Return of the Jedi: The Original Radio Drama” you’re not getting the whole story! The Radio Drama depicted a scene not found in book or comic form: the meeting of Mara Jade and C-3PO. Here’s a transcript from their meeting, as voiced by Samantha Bennett and Anthony Daniels:

C-3PO: This restraining bolt will cause me to short circuit before long...If I'm not trampled by one of these rough-heads first. Oh my, there's Boba Fett! Oh, what am I doing here? I'm sure I don't deserve such a horrible fate. If only R2 were with me. He's much better suited for this madness than…

Mara Jade: Hey! Watch where you're stepping!

C-3PO: Oh, excuse me. I'm terribly sorry ma'am. All this boisterous behavior has quite upset my equilibrium!

Mara Jade: Mm-hmm.

C-3PO: I see you are a dancing girl. I had no idea Jabba employed quite so many.

Mara Jade: I'm his latest acquisition. I've heard the girls make a lot of money dancing here. <laughs> At least the ones that survive until payday.

C-3PO: Well, I hope your salary is more generous than your costume, Ms...Uh...

Mara Jade: You...can call me Arica.

C-3PO: And I am C-3PO, Human Cyborg Relations.

Mara Jade: I saw the show you and that R2 put on. You said you used to belong to someone named Skywalker...?

C-3PO: Indeed and I'm sure there's been a grave mistake. Master Luke would never abandon us to this den of thieves. At least I hope not.

Mara Jade: So, you think Skywalker really will come for you?

<Jabba and crowd begin to make noise>

C-3PO: Oh now what?

Mara Jade: Jabba's calling on one of his dancers. That's Oola. If you've never seen a Twi'lek female dance you're in for a treat.

C-3PO: Yes, she's...uh...quite flexible.

Mara Jade: She's Jabba's current favorite.

C-3PO: I suppose that must be why he keeps her chained to his throne!

Mara Jade: It won't last. There's one dance she won't do for Jabba, no matter how much he pays her.

C-3PO: Oh my! He's dragging her towards him by the chain! She won't have much choice now I'm afraid.

Mara Jade: She's putting up a good fight! From what I know of Jabba, he won't tolerate that for long.

C-3PO: Oh, he's activated some kind of trapdoor! That poor creature is falling in! Oh, is that a Rancor?! Oh how horrid! Would somebody help her out of there? Where...Arica? Oh where has she gone to?

[teagrl]

Supposedly the reason why we haven’t seen Mara in the new canon is because unlike Thrawn, Zahn has control over Mara. For the writes and creators of the new canon to use Mara in a story they need his approval and he has said that he will block any cameos or stories that don’t treat her character well. I imagine this happened because of her death in LOTF, Zahn was really mad about that.

Oh that’s interesting. I don’t know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes. I’m not surprised Zahn was upset. Sacrifice starts with a first pov prologue written as Mara that reads like straight up badfic and that’s just the beginning. 

I’m curious about Zahn not having control of Thrawn -- I thought Rebels brought him in to consult? So Thrawn doesn’t belong to him anymore? I used to think Thrawn was just more portable and had more fan appeal than Mara, not that Zahn had any say in them bringing her back or not. 

[padawanlost]

Hi, reading your posts explaining part of sw universe (your post really make me think in some aspects of sw that I have never thought) fragments of books and comics make me want to read it, do you have or know some post to indicate how I should start in the prequels stories and what books are the most interesting according you? I have tried to understand how to start, but its a bit confused due to the big numbers of books/comics (specially due to the legend and new canon). Thanks you very much!

Hi! I’ve a book rec tag where I suggest PT books, if you’re interested. As for where to start, my usual advice is start with what you love: your favorite movies and characters. Forget the idea that there’s a right place to start or that you have to read everything to enjoy the EU. You already know the story, the EU is about exploring the details so it does’t really matter where you start because you already know exactly how it goes. The EU does not have to be a chronological experience. 

Let me tell you how I started: wookieepedia. A knew a little about the EU but the wookieepedia got me deep into it. I used to read Anakin’s page all time and it was filled with little bits of information but I needed more. It wasn’t enough to know *something* happened to Anakin, I wanted to experience it for myself. That’s when I started checking the sources at the bottom of the articles. It wasn’t enough to know Shmi and Anakin belonged to Gardulla before Watto, I wanted to know *how* they lived. So I checked the source and read the book. My first two SW books were Stover’s Revenge of the Sith Novelization and James Luceno’s Labyrinth of evil because they focus on events related to my favorite SW movie (ROTS) and they heavily featured my favorite character (Anakin). 

I didn’t read them because I wanted to know the EU or be THAT kind of fan. I was just curious so I started with what I was most curious about. Real talk, when I first heard about the EU and thought about exploring I was thought that the only quality content was Timothy Zahn’s OT books. It’s been 20 years and I still haven’t finished a single one of his books. It’s not because they are bad, I’m simply not interested in that part of the story so I don’t go there. Don’t fall into the trap of believing you NEED to know everything. That’s gatekeeping and it’s been used to keep away from the EU for years. So my advice is always read what you want to, if you want to.

Here are my favorite PT novels (in chronological* order):

From TPM to AOTC

Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi by Ryder Windham

Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: Deceptions by Jude Watson

Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: The Followers by Jude Watson

Secrets of the Jedi by Jude Watson

The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader by Ryder Windham

Episode I Adventures 5: The Ghostling Children by Dave Wolverton

Episode I Adventures 6: The Hunt for Anakin Skywalker by Dave Wolverton

Episode I Adventures 7: Capture Arawynne by Dave Wolverton

Episode I Adventures 8: Trouble on Tatooine by Dave Wolverton

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel by Terry Brooks

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novelization by Patricia C. Wrede

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Darth Maul by Jude Watson

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala by Jude Watson

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker by Todd Strasser

Rogue Planet by Greg Bear

Jedi Quest: Path to Truth by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Way of the Apprentice by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Trail of the Jedi by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Dangerous Games by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Master of Disguise by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The School of Fear by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Shadow Trap by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Moment of Truth by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Changing of the Guard by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The False Peace by Jude Watson

Jedi Quest: The Final Showdown by Jude Watson

The Approaching Storm Alan by Dean Foster

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones novel by R. A. Salvatore

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones junior novelization by Patricia C. Wrede

From TCW TO ROTS

Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover

The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes

Jedi Trial by David Sherman

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart

Star Wars: The Clone Wars novel by Karen Traviss

The Clone Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller

The Clone Wars: No Prisoners by Karen Traviss

Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth by Karen Miller

Clone Wars Gambit: Siege by Karen Miller

MedStar II: Jedi Healer by Michael Reaves, Steve Perry

Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel by Matthew Stover

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith junior novelization by Patricia C. Wrede

*some novels cover many years worth of story, so listed them first.[

COMICS

If you are interested in comics, please check this post where @cienie-isengardu and I listed some of our favorite sw comics :)

GUIDES

If you still don’t know where to start  Jedi vs Sith - The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham complies the most important events of the GFFA. It’s like reading book report disguised as a history book. It’ll give you the gist of what the EU has to offer. 

Jedi vs Sith - The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham

The jedi path - A manual for students of the force by becker mayer

The new essential guide to warfare by jason fry

The essential readers companion by pablo hidalgo

Btw, this is all original canon :)

[wings-of-ink]

Ok on a scale of one to ten how good are the RO's at cooking/baking? What's one thing each of them can cook/bake really well and one thing they can't cook/bake at all?

Oh, I love this question, Anon. I'll score baking and cooking separate. Some people, like myself, have a knack for cooking over baking. One is an art and the other is more of a science, I think.

On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the best baker or cook, I'd say...

Oswin:

Cooking: 7 - He's made a lot of his own meals since he was a teen and he's learned a lot. Makes a mean roast with lots of veggies and fresh herbs. Don't ask him to prepare eggs - he never gets them right.

Baking: 6 - He can follow a recipe well enough, but is less confident. Makes a very good and simple bread to go with his roast. He always over-mixes cake batter.

Zahn:

2 for both - "What fire?" They get by making suuuuper simple food on the road. Baking a potato or making a simple porridge is probably the best you're gonna get. Everything else...is risky.

Duri:

Cooking: 4 - They can do it, but don't have a ton of interest. If it's not interesting - meh - they don't care enough. They'll cook a decent steak (as long as it's rare). They try roasting veggies sometimes and they always...kinda go on fire, but they insist that they like the char taste.

Baking: 4 or 6 depending on the day. They really like baked goods, so they have incentive. If they can focus and take their time on a simple recipe, you may be looking at some tasty treats. However, they'll be prone to frustration. The moment the dough doesn't behave - it's over. -Will make some pretty good cookies. Duri cannot make bread to save themselves - the dough drives them insane (and it's all over them, the counter, and the walls for some reason).

Rune:

Cooking: 3 - uninspired, no flavor, not enough salt - but looks great. Nothing they cook comes out especially well or bad since it's all basically the same.

Baking: Solid 7, maybe even 8. There's a pattern to baking and that suits them the best. Quite good with cake, especially if it needs decorated. Their worst is pies - fruit doesn't belong in there, they say - why would you even want gooey-squishy fruit with pastry!?

???:

Cooking: 6 - he's pretty average here. Makes decent stews and fried fish. Bad with potatoes - never gets the salt right and their either over done or raw.

Baking: 10 - no soggy bottoms here - he's an amazing baker. This is an area he can get lost in. The smell of yeast takes him home. He makes the best bread - any kind - it's his favorite. (bread is also easily transportable within pockets) His weakness, if you can call it that, is probably cookies. They are still delicious, he just doesn't have the patience to make little individual treats. You're getting one giant cookie and that's that.

Thank you for the delicious ask, Anon! ^_^

[adamwatchesmovies]

Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

I can feel Riding in Cars with Boys wrapping its fingers around my neck, desperately trying to wring out the emotions. I say no. NO! This movie may be poised to be emotional but it lacks the genuine heart to make it effective.

Based on the memoirs of Beverly Donofrio, the film begins in 1961. Beverly “Bev” Donofrio (Drew Barrymore) is a smart teenager who dreams of going to college in New York. Unfortunately, she becomes pregnant at 15. Soon she’s married to the baby’s father, Ray (Steve Zahn), and her whole life gets flushed from one toilet to another directly below it. Through it all though, there’s hope that she can climb her way out of this mess of her own making.

The biggest problem with this inspirational drama is Drew Barrymore. She's not right for this role. As a teenage girl, she doesn’t look the part and she simply doesn't have the skills needed to get you to overlook this detail. Next issue: she’s too attractive. No football jock would reject a girl who looks like Bev, even if she handed him some poetry at a party and this makes the circumstances in which she meets Ray unbelievable. She’s just too good-looking. This uneven foundation means the emotions don't come the way they should. Are there tears? Yes, but they ring false. There’s a spark missing throughout. Bev never comes off as a tough mother who loves her child and would never have traded her life for anything else in the world, despite the fact that it came in the way of her dreams. She appears selfish, bitter, petty, and overall unsympathetic. I wouldn’t go so far as to say “unfit” to be a mother, but certainly not motherly.

You want to connect emotionally to this story and its characters. It's easy to understand how difficult it must be for Bev or any mother to raise children while their partner continuously proves themselves useless, or worse. Everyone feels that desire to be more than what life expects you to be, that determination to overcome adversity at any cost. Except the movie doesn't really show you a "way out" or provide any true insight on what this kind of life is like. When you look at the grand scheme of things, she's actually much better off than Ray - who turns out to be a more complex person than her. In a movie like this, you're supposed to leave realizing that yes indeed, Bev's life was made better by giving birth. That's what she says, but you don't believe it, you don't see it, you don't feel it.

When the movie does work is when it spends time with Bev’s son Jason (various actors when he’s young, Adam Garcia when he’s a man). Even from a young age, you can tell there's a lot of conflicting ideas inside the boy. All of the best scenes concern him in one way or another. I know many will be suckered by this true story and the credit all belongs to him.

I’m making Riding in Cars with Boys sound way worse than it is. It’s not unbearable. I can even understand people liking it but you can tell there's someone else out there telling this story better. When it tries to be funny, it really isn’t. It’s a movie about a woman who is not a good mother but we’re supposed to think that she is and the ending is too neat, too clean considering all we've seen before. In different hands, Riding in Cars with Boys could have brought me to tears, but this effort did not come even close. (On DVD, September 12, 2015)

[glenngaylord]

OUTFEST 2020 FILM REVIEWS:  The Rest Of The Fest

As the curtain closes on another Outfest, this one presented under extremely unusual circumstances, I sit in awe of the filmmakers and of the staff who put together not only a great group of films, but managed to creatively bring them to its audience online and at drive-in screenings.  Typically, you find yourself having to choose one film over several others, but with this new format, you have a great chance of seeing everything you want.  In past years, I found myself lucky if I saw 15 films.  This year I saw 23 features and 4 shorts programs out of the 160 on the schedule.  

As it’s impossible to get full reviews submitted for everything while the festival is still chugging along, I wanted to write capsules of the remaining films not covered at TheQueerReview.com .  Please visit the website for all the other reviews I wrote as well as those by my colleagues.

THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON ★★★★★

Melding a Groundhog Day-style concept with police violence against black people, this stunning film could not be more prescient and emotionally overpowering.  A black gay teenager relives his moment of murder over and over again, with slight shifts in the narrative taking us to someplace unexpected and earned.  Director Ali LeRoi directs his first feature as if he’s been doing it all of his life and has interpreted Stanley Kalu’s ingenious script with a great cinematic approach.  Gorgeously framed, beautifully acted, written, and directed, this is one of the most powerful films of 2020.

TWO EYES ★★★★★

I can’t form sentences here so I’m gonna vomit out words:  Instant classic. Glorious. Set over three centuries seamlessly melding a triptych of stories about gender identity.  I’m a blubbering mess.  Fantastic and very funny last line.  Travis Fine is a very gifted filmmaker who screams love child of Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt.  Heartbreaking. Inspiring. Unforgettable.  Montana is so beautiful.  Barstow is not.  A perfect film for anyone who wants to find their place in the world. I wouldn’t complain if TUNDE and TWO EYES both received Best Picture Oscar nominations.  

DRAMARAMA  ★★★★

Theater nerds rule in this incredibly endearing, early 90s set film about a group of high schoolers discovering themselves in one night at a ridiculous Murder Mystery-themed party.  Hilarious script, vivid and wonderful performances, and the opposite of a “Coming Out” movie in the best possible way.  Jonathan Wysocki has given us The Breakfast Club for air-kissing, mid-Atlantic accented freaks and geeks. 

CICADA ★★★★

What happens when a traumatized, bisexual man who has more sex partners than any standard montage can contain slows things down to concentrate on one kind but also traumatized young man?  This elliptically told film has a fun, flirty side but carries its heaviness with great ease.  A terrific feature debut for director/writer/editor/lead actor Matthew Fifer. 

THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES) ★★★★

From Chile comes this sexy, moving story of two men at cross purposes who form a beautiful bond.  Set against some stunning scenery and mining the chemistry between its two leads for everything it has, I am half-jokingly calling it Brokeback Andes.  It’s so much more than that trite, hackneyed comparison.  

MONSOON ★★★1/2

Director Hong Khaou’s followup to Lilting sets its sights on modern day Vietnam as Henry Golding’s character visits to find a suitable place to distribute his mother’s ashes.  It’s a terrific mediation on a gay man finding a sense of belonging in a place he’s never been and Golding proves himself to be a subtle, compelling actor.  Perhaps a little too quiet and reflective, the film makes up for what it lacks in narrative drive with its awe-inspiring cinematography and immersive qualities.  

P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE ★★★★1/2

What an unexpected surprise.  Michael Seligman and Jennifer  Tiexiera’s documentary about a treasure trove of letters dating back to the 1950s brings us into the world of drag queens from almost 70 years ago.  With many of its subjects not only alive but in fine form telling their stories and the dishiest voiceover readings ever to grace a film, I was not only thoroughly entertained, but I didn’t expect to weep like Laura Dern at the end.  Oh, this is so so so so good. 

MINYAN ★★★★

Eric Steel’s feature debut has its own unique tone and a star making performance by Samuel H. Levine, a spitting image of a young Al Pacino/Sylvester Stallone hybrid.  With its 1980s Jewish Brighton Beach backdrop, this powerful yet subtle film about a young man coming to terms with his sexuality as well as his place within his religion, it’s a stunning debut.  Ron Rifkin is stellar as Levine’s charming grandfather and Alex Hurt (William Hurt’s son) has his father’s intensity.  Fantastic, lived-in production design which feels like its decade without resorting to the usual candy colored tropes and a evocative score makes this a memorable experience.  Reminiscent at times of On The Waterfront, this film puts a fresh new spin on a coming of age tale and finds so many moving moments from first sex to an elderly gay couple hiding in plain sight.  A must-see. 

SHIVA BABY ★★★★

Writer/Director Emma Seligman must have studied Rosemary’s Baby quite a bit with this angsty story set mostly at a memorial service.  Rachel Sennott is fantastic as a young lesbian who moves from one cringe-worthy moment to the next in an attempt to avoid as much conflict as possible.  The great supporting cast includes Polly Draper, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, and Jackie Hoffman, all note perfect.  Less a comedy and more of an emotional horror story, Seligman knows how to make the best of a cramped space and throw up an endless variety of obstacles.  You just want Sennott’s Danielle to get her goddamned bagel with lox and cream cheese, but the fates have something else, something better, in store. 

COWBOYS ★★★★

Steve Zahn gives a career best performance in this moving story of a father with mental health issues and his trans son escaping into the Montana wilderness.  Sasha Knight makes an impressive debut as Zahn’s son and Jillian Bell expertly walks that fine line between villain and empathetic character.  Its comparisons to Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid are not coincidental.  Not perfect by any stretch, it may feel fairly conventional, but it’s tackling a vibrant subject matter.  Extra points for giving Ann Dowd a role where we don’t hiss at her. 

BREAKING FAST ★★★

Solid romcom with a Muslim backdrop, this very tight, deceptively simple script provides just the right amount of sparks between its charming leads, Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy.  While structurally not breaking new ground, the entry point into a world we don’t see enough of on screen coupled with food porn for days makes this a fun, funny, goes down easy delight.

ASK ANY BUDDY ★★★1/2

Q: Daddy!  Daddy!  What were the 70s like down at the Piers in NYC?   A: Oh shut up and watch this movie.  

An experimental collage of vintage gay porn and archival footage from the disco, pre-AIDS heyday gives this film a mesmerizing, museum installation quality.  While technically without a story, you feel like you’ve gone on a journey nonetheless.  Would pair well with William Friedkin’s Cruising. 

DRY WIND ★★★1/2

Slow cinema meets voyeuristic gay porn in this one of a kind Brazilian exploration an arid small town, a workers’ union crisis, and a man obsessed with the Tom Of Finland drawing come to life who motors into his life.  Overlong and a little too obtuse as it goes along, it’s worth watching this Alice In Wonderland takes a quaalude, gets a very hairy back, and has a lot of sex in the dirt. 

NO HARD FEELINGS ★★★★

This year’s Teddy Award Winner at the Berlin Film Festival, Faraz Shariat’s film uses its backdrop of a refugee camp in Germany to tell the story of Iranians and Irani-Germans searching for a better life.  Its three leads bring a spark and youthful energy to a story with devastating undercurrents.  A wrenching glimpse into the emotional effects an oppressive culture has on its people, yet told with a driving pulse. 

LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW ★★★

A look behind the scenes as Lily Tomlin and wife Jane Wagner workshop their legendary 1980s Broadway show, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe.  It’s great to see these two at the top of their game and get a glimpse of their creative process, but this documentary is almost devoid of incident and feels more like a sweet gift to the fans than a fully realized film. 

SHORTS: WHAT A BOY NEEDS ★★★1/2

A mixed bag here of people searching for excitement, I found a couple of gems here nonetheless.  Not to take away from the shorts I don’t mention, I want to single out two exceptional films. Ruben Navarro’s Of Hearts And Castles looks great, has a beautiful vibe, and shows us a lovely connection forming right before our eyes.  Kiko’s Saints proves highly original as we follow a female Japanese artist on assignment in France become obsessed with a gay couple who have a lot of sex on the beach.  Combining animation with fairly explicit sex, I loved seeing the male gaze from a female perspective. 

THE CAPOTE TAPES ★★1/2

I love Truman Capote. I grew up at a time when smart authors found themselves on talk shows and were treated like superstars.  I’ve read his books and always have been in awe of his ability to be himself.  Featuring never-before-heard tapes of Capote’s friends being interviewed by George Plimpton, unfortunately, I don’t think this repetitive documentary gave me anything all that new.  It’s still touching at times and for the uninitiated, this is a great overview of his life, but I was watching the clock. 

OUT LOUD ★★★1/2

A moving look at the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles as they prepare for their first public performance.  With its ticking clock storyline, director Gail Willumsen expertly interweaves storylines of its founder and members.  As such, you really learn what’s a stake and what it means to them.  I was lucky enough to see the chorus perform David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust a few years ago and basked in the power of its mere existence…and was also ridiculously entertained. 

TWILIGHT’S KISS (SUK SUK)  ★★★1/2

This quiet charmer form Hong Kong shows us something we almost never get to see on film - two elderly gay men meeting and falling in love.  The fact that both have been married to women doesn’t stop them from exploring their feelings.  A little to gentle by half, I still was in awe of this rarity.

[legobiwan]

Thrawn: Treason (the rest of it)

Wow, Assistant Director Assbucket is the literal worst, I can’t believe Thrawn foisted him on Ar’alani at the end that poor woman puts up with a lot with Thrawn I never thought I’d live to see the day Grand Admiral “I have a plan for everything” Thrawn being the insane troublemaker of the Chiss.

Anyone notice Eli was starting to sounds a little...Thrawn-ish towards the end of the book? At least, when he was reassuring Vah'nya he would kill her and the other navigators if the Chiss fell to the Grysks???

But let’s back up a moment to the mission on Aloxor. ONCE AGAIN, I am so happy to see Thrawn’s strange cosplay fetish rearing its head, right where (or perhaps I should say wear hahahahah I’m so funny I’ll be here all night, make sure to try the chicken) it belongs - with Eli Vanto. 

I love that Ronan cannot let go of his stupid cloak given to him by the Supreme Being of All Light and Intelligence Director Krennic what is Ronan’s deal with Krennic???

But Mole/Dayja had it right when said all people in charge love capes. Hahahahahahaha. Too right. 

Savit’s little internal monologue about petty politics and corruption being the death of the Empire was really interesting because - as we all remember - the exact same accusation was lobbed at the Republic. And the Republic was bloated and corrupt and ruled by petty politics that ended up drawing the Jedi in and that didn’t end well but the same thing is happening in the Empire, just on an accelerated time-scale. Which makes me wonder, did Sidious believe that once the Death Star was up and running, it would quell any grumblings because everyone would just be too terrified to say otherwise? I mean, what was Sidious’s endgame being immortality and ultimate power? What do you even do at that point? (This gets a little close to the philosophical debate that death gives meaning and Sidious’s whole thing was avoiding death and I just kind of wonder what the point is after a while. Ultimate POWAH, I suppose.)

ANWAY. 

Who was it in the book that pointed out that every weapon, ship, etc has a weak point, including the Death Star? I feel like it was Thrawn, but maybe it was Savit. Anyway, hahahaha foreshadowng. 

Okay, so Savit was playing Imperial Robin Hood, stealing from Stardust to arm the rest of the Navy because he felt Stardust was both shortsighted and an onus on the budget. He’s not wrong. The Death Star is kind of a stupid gamble, and you have to wonder if Sheevy Sheev was getting a little too confident (as Luke pointed out in RotJ) and thus put all of his space eggs in one space basket. I mean, the man loves consolidating power, and a Death Star is just another step in that direction - but...it’s a bad idea??????

BUT. THE MUSIC THING WITH SAVIT HAD ME ROLLING. You guys have to understand, I finished listening to this while I was out on my run and I was laughing so hard at this scene I just had to stop on the street, double over, and cackle loudly through my mask. Thankfully, we’re still shut down over here, so there were fewer people to stare at me like I was insane, but this was great.

First of all, Savit arguing that he’s not an artist, he’s a musician and then between that the Ronan commenting on the hand gestures I knew exactly where this was going to go and it didn’t disappoint one bit.

I love that Thrawn says music is too up to interpretation, ah yes, composition - the true death of the author. (And the true death of the composer, who is likely spinning in their grave.) Except Ronan Savit plays (and conducts!) his own works. Starting with the high winds (of course, there are too many high wind players out there, market’s tight you have broaden your activities hahahahahahahaha), and then expanding as he gained status. I’m not entirely sure how this fed into his patronage/favors by the Coruscanti elite (did they just really like increasingly bombastic music?) but I’m totally willing to roll with it. 

Anyway, this was GREAT I needed this ridiculousness in my life I’m so glad that whole conversation from the beginning of the book between Krennic and Savit came back. I love Thrawn and his art analysis classes can I audit the next one? Just for fun?

By the way, I am so glad Zahn didn’t go down the romance route with Eli and Vah'nya, I was a little afraid of that but it was unfounded. 

But Eli. Ohhhh Eli. Your secret mission that you don’e even know about aboard the Steadfast. He’s analyzing numbers and data from Navigators in order for the Ascendancy to be able to locate future Navigators and perhaps gain insight into their skill. Their skill is Third Sight (and rarely, Second Sight), which is essentially Force-sensitivity. The Chiss are trying to locate Force-sensitives. As in, trying to create something like the holocron in the Jedi Archives that listed Force-sensitive babies. Hooooo boi. Sidious would want to get his paws on that and I think Thrawn knows that. Thrawn, despite his loyalty to the Empire (loyalty that goes deep enough that he brought in Savit despite likely agreeing with him on the objective facts of Stardust draining the budget). This, however, has to be a line in the sand. And it harkens back to something Eli was pondering earlier, about where both his and Thrawn’s true loyalties were.

Hooray both Eli and Faro got a promotion. Thrawn is such a good boss.

Okay, but the ending. *deep breath* Here we go. This happens, I believe, pretty close to the ending of Rebels. Now, I’ve seen discussions where people believe Thrawn was neutered on Rebels, especially with the somewhat deus ex machina ending. I’m in the middle of a rewatch so I won’t comment further on that until I’ve gotten through it, but here’s my initial reading, just based on instinct. Sidious is planning to either eliminate Thrawn or use him to conquer the Chiss. Sidious doesn’t know about the Force-sensitive list Eli is creating, but if Sidious got to the Chiss, he’d get that list and it would be bad times for everyone. Thrawn is not as politically naive as he allows everyone to think, at least not with this. He’s been playing both sides to the middle for a long time now and between Sidious and the Grysks, he is going to be forced to choose. I just wonder how much of that plays into the ending on Rebels, how Thrawn deals with Lothal, and - given his penchant for acquiring certain non-Chiss for the Ascendancy - what his possible plan for Ezra may have been (especially given what we know about the Second and Third Sight). I won’t say much more until I finish my rewatch, but those questions are floating around my head.

To summarize: it was a delight seeing Thrawn with some of his people and knowing he’s a weirdo there, as well. Thrawn and Eli together is still the absolute best combination and I wish we had more of it. Ronan is an ass and I hate him. Ar’alani just needs a damn drink to deal with all of these fools, Thrawn most of all. I would say out of the three, the first novel is still my favorite, but this comes in a close second and I really hope we get a fourth novel at some point. 9/10 

[othercat2]

Trip to the Mall

Crossover between Untamed and After the Storm by Hannah Birchwood, Key Dyson and Raymond Roach a fusion au in which Wei Ying is a geneticist who rescues a family of experimental soldier mods and moves to a city of ships out in the middle of Lake Michigan.

___________________________________

It’s been a month since their arrival as refugees to the Michigan Fleet. They’re still working their way through hours and hours of “prosocial education,” that takes the form of watching a children’s program and answering questions and talking to counsellors and their social worker. 

Wei Ying has been living with Wen Qing, her brother and their little cousin Yuan. Qing has been barrelling her way through qualifications to become a medic, Ning got a job on a restaurant boat while taking psychology classes. Baby Yuan still has nightmares about the labs and the trip, but he’s recovering. Wei Ying has a job waiting for him: an “internship” working with another bio-engineer that’s mostly just a drawn out assessment period, from what the social worker says, but that’s a couple weeks away. 

Wei Ying is half asleep with Yuan in his lap. Yuan's singing along with Nanna Dog the Librarian as she teaches a lesson about sleeping things organized and neat. Wei Ying wants to object to this on grounds of dog, and also, he already had to watch several episodes that are thinly veiled and not so thinly veiled discussions of ptsd and trauma. And also dog. (Even if it's actually a puppet.) Sadly, Yuan's piping voice and tendency to actually answer questions the puppet asks out loud is adorable, so he's trapped.

He also falls asleep, only to be woken up by Wen Qing, who's nudging him. "You need to get out," she says. 

Wei Ying gives her a look of exaggerated hurt. "After all we've been too each other, Miss Wen?" He nudges Yuan, who's also fallen asleep. "Yuan, big sister is throwing me out!"

"Noooo," Yuan says sleepily, and clings like a limpet. 

"Drama queen," Qing says with a snort. "You've been mostly hanging out on the couch since we got here. The neighbors have been politely wondering what's wrong with you that you don't come out of our quarters ever." 

"So that means you're kicking me out?" Wei Ying asks, pouting. 

"Just temporarily," Qing says. "I've uploaded a shopping list. Take Yuan with you."

Wei Ying whines about it, but his protests lack force. A trip to the Mall might help him shake off the fog that had been hanging around him since they'd reached safety. (Travelling cross country, travelling through countries, bribing and lying and praying no one saw under the Wens' makeup and realized they were looking at experimental gene mods. He'd been on a hyper alert adrenaline rush and this was the crash.) 

He gets dressed in the Local Costume of sarong, sandals and a t shirt (his says in binary, "if you can read this you know binary"), gets Yuan dressed and takes one of the deck hoppers from the Sandy Button out to the Mall. The Mall was a huge former tanker, repurposed  as a trade center for not only the fleet, but also most of the American Midwest. It was permanently anchored about a mile from shore and acted as a buffer between the Fleet and the cities surrounding Lake Michigan. 

Yuan is of course immediately drawn to the toy and foodstalls. Wei Ying gets him bacon on a stick as they sightsee their way to the clothes and second hand vendors. He's working his way through the shopping list when he realizes Yuan is missing.

"The little boy who was with me, did you see where he went?!" Wei Ying asked frantically.

"Could've sworn he was here a minute ago!" a vendor says. "Should've had him in harness." The vendor tsks. 

"I'll keep that in mind," Wei Ying says while trying really hard not to think of Wen Ning walking with the chains that had been used yo restrain him dragging. On the other hand he'd seen a really cute backpack harness with Wilimina Wolf, a character that mostly showed up in Family Fleet to talk about nature, weather and ship safety.

"If he's  wearing data rings or a tracker shouldn't  be any problem for the Mall to track him," the vendor says reassuringly.

Asking the Mall to track Yuan turns out not to be necessary, though Wei Ying almost needs a medic. Yuan is back at the toy vendors, bothering what looks to be off-duty Security. The officer, a cute guy with a solemn appearance, has Yuan balanced on his hip and appears to be listening intently to whatever it is Yuan is saying. "I'm so sorry, officer," Wei Ying says, running over. "He wandered off."

"If you or your caregiver is lost, you should find Security," Yuan says in a very definite tone. The Security officer nods approvingly.

Wei Ying isn't  so sure about that. "Even if they're off-duty?"  

"I am not off-duty in the case of a lost caregiver," the officer says with a faint smile as he sets Yuan down. The kid immediately latches onto Wei Ying.

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who wandered off!" Wei Ying says in mock offense. Yuan just giggles at him.

"He should have a harness," the officer says. "If it were rainy or windy there would have been a fine."

Wei Ying just barely manages to avoid snapping a childish, well it wasn't. Partly because the officer was so quietly genuine about it, partly because if he got in trouble with the police, Wen Qing would probably--no, definitely--kill him. "I promise it'll be the next thing I buy." To be friendly, he says, "How about I treat you to lunch, officer?"

"Zahn Lan," the officer says. 

"Wei Ying, or I guess Ying Wei now," Wei Ying says. And because he can't  help himself, and Zahn hadn't said anything one way or another, "so, lunch?" 

There was another faint smile. "You said the harness would be the next thing." 

"Want to make sure I follow through?" Wei Ying asks in mock offense. "Or just the right order?"

"Yes," Zahn says.

Wei Ying heads to the nearest children's clothing shop, giving a highly edited story of asylum seeking and immigration. He ends up carrying most of the conversation. Zahn seems quiet, not a talker. The kind of guy who's better at listening than talking. 

They go to lunch in one of the small diners on board the Mall. It's a bright airy place with a good view and lots of rowdy gulls vying for scraps. Yuan gets nuggets pressed into dinosaur shapes and sweet potato fries and fruit punch. ( He immediately starts making them fight.) Zahn gets a tempura plate sampler and green tea. Wei Ying gets a burger, onion rings, and without thinking about it, a beer. Zahn says nothing, but Wei Ying could almost feel the weight of disapproval. "Just one won't  hurt," Wei Ying says. "It won't even set off the alchohol detector on the deck hopper." 

"Hmn."

The drinks arrive first of course, and Wei Ying starts to take a drink. Zahn immediately reaches out, stopping him. Wei Ying can't  help the slight flinch. "Is there a problem officer?" Wei Ying asks. He tries for humor but misses.

"The lake must first be given her due," the security officer says, disapproving.

"What?" 

"Pour some of the beer out the window," Zahn said patiently. 

"For the lake," Wei Ying said blankly. 

"The lake is thirsty?" Yuan asks, brow furrowed.

"It's a custom, to pay respect to the lake," Zahn explains. "Food dropped into the lake must not be retrieved, it belongs to the lake, and one must pour a drink for the lake before drinking yourself."

Yuan frowns at his punch, looking worried. "I don't want lake-jie to be mad at me," he decides, and before Wei Ying can stop him, he tries to toss the contents of his glass into the water. Unfortunately, the glass goes out the window along with the punch.

"Yuan!" Wei says in exasperation. He feels instantly terrible about the way the little boy freezes. At the same time, he feels a spike of anxiety about the cup, stupidly out of proportion to the accident.

"No harm was done," Zahn says.

"Harm!? You're security, Fleet littering fines are ruinous and we're still under probation!"

"An accident," Zahn says. "Is hardly littering. You are fine."

"Thanks I know," Wei Ying says, and immediately regrets everything. He unthinkingly starts to take a drink, only to be stopped once more by Zahn's hand on his arm. "Seriously?!"

Zahn just stares at him. 

Wei Ying sighs, makes absolutely no comments about quaint folk religions (North America also having everything from radiation worshipping death cults to gene mods who thought they were literally gods to ancient web comic characters and saints invented by fantasy authors) and pours some his beer out. "There. Happy?"

Zahn nods. "Mn."

[starsneverend]

To have you in my heart

Au contraire to popular opinion Wei Wuxian was very much capable of silence.

He had always had moods where he would decide to wander along the pier alone, through the woods of the cloud recess,...the burial mound.

It was a contemplative silence. Wei Wuxian would normally be someone to undermine his problems and try to think of literally anything else by practising until he couldn’t think any more or later focusing on a new invention. What use was it to dwell on the unchangeable anyway?  

These moments got less and less the more his situation escalated. He would hide his head in the sand by working non stop, not letting his worries get to him or to the Wens, or so he thought.

It was only when he came back in this new body of his that he took his time to think about things again.

Hiding from what had happened to him, how things had changed him, how the world had changed around him. It had made him more unstable than anything else.

As Mo Xuanyu he could hide behind the mask of a lunatic but once Lan Wangji took that from him, revealed he had known all along, it was easier to come back to himself.

A definite plus to Lan Wangji’s silence was that there was no pressure to keep conversation. Naturally he liked to chat his ear of no matter what. Telling, inquiring, just simply speaking without need of caution.

He had genuinely begun to enjoy the Lan’s company and it seemed like he was tolerated likewise.

As it turned out “tolerated” had been an understatement.

That’s how Lan Wangji found him in the jingshi. At the window, jar of emperor’s smile in had and viewing the garden with an expression on his face that tucked on his heart strings.

He could  still hear the end of the argument he found them in. it was their raised voices that made him walk faster than usual to where he presumed they were. Wei Ying’s voice seemed to get quieter the louder his uncle spoke, almost fit for reprimanding when considering his volume.

He only really caught the last bit, “you never deserved him” and it was more than enough for him to step between them with a level voiced. “uncle, enough”

He had expected Wei Ying to at the very least say something to retaliate, but the other just respectfully made his leave in silence.

Wei Ying would usually prefer to be on his own in times like these. Either he had almost finished, or, and his heart skipped a beat, he had wished his husbands company, even in their mutual silence, just for the sake of companion.

He knew that Wei Ying was aware of his presence, so he sat down at his desk and began grading the junior essays of their last night hunt.

They stayed like that for a while, the only thing heard the moving of pages, the sound of a brush against paper, the swishing of liquor in a jar and the gentle wind outside swaying the branches of the nearby trees almost comfortingly.

The sun had begun setting when there was any movement from Wei Ying. His jar had been long discarded and Lan Wangji himself had moved on to practising his calligraphy after finishing his corrections.

It was only the soft, “Lan Zahn,” and rustling of fabric that made him look up.

He was immediately faced no longer with his lovers backside, but his face painted with a loving, yet somehow pained smile.

They watched one another for a moment before he heard himself say, “Was it because of what uncle said? Because you kno-”

“Lan Zahn wait.”

Wei Ying hadn’t moved closer as was usual for him at any time, he stayed rooted at his place at the window, his eyes searching his face.

“Have you ever wondered why I so fiercely denied an intimate relationship between us to others?”

of course he had, but..

“you never told.”

“Have you ever hated me for it?”

And Lan Wangji was suddenly very much aware of the delicacy of this moment. And the only way he knew how to deal with it was with honesty.

“I could never hate you.”

He expected more tense questions but he only heard a soft giggle and next he knew Wei Ying was leaning against him.

“Oh Er-gege you are too good too me.”

The nickname, as usual, lit a small flame of adoration within him but he waited for the other to finish, for the other was facing away from him, avoiding eye contact.

“The thing is, Lan Zahn you are just too good. Such a righteous and formidable man, honourable by fault and as straight laced as they come, or so I thought at least,” which was followed by a soft laugh and a hand moving to hold one of his own,” and how could I let anyone insult someone like you with me? Let anyone one imply you would dirty yourself with someone like me?”

Lan Wangji gripped his hand tighter, he wanted to deny such a thing, say how that was impossible and how he felt lucky to even have him in his heart, but he knew that he needed to say this, so he merely held his hand tighter and carefully letting his other carefully touch the head that was leaning against his shoulder in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

It earned him a sigh and a:“I now know it must have hurt, to think it was me rejecting you. That I was denying you of your feelings? Brushing them off? I guess I didn’t see them because I didn’t think I was worth them, that you could ever love me...”

Wei Ying lifted himself from his side and faced him fully. His free hand came to Lan Wangji’s cheek, cold and white as jade, and their eyes met fearlessly.

“But I know that you love me now! And I love you just as much. And that’s all that matters to me! My husband is the most amazing man I know and I am proud of him and being able to be with him, to have him in my heart just as he has me! What do you say Er-gege? I’m never letting you go and I will never let anyone even assume less than that I belong with you and that you are mine.”

His face was so expectant, looking at a Lan Wangji that was struck by the words, not expecting them at all. His eyes were wide and his ears were beginning to become a lovely shade pink. His hand found its way to Wei Ying’s face just as a smile made its way onto his own face, matching his husband in kind.

“Mn”

Was all he managed to say, but his eyes were aglow with emotion and his hand was tender on the other’s face.

It was impossible for Lan Wangji to not put his arm around his love and to press his lips to his.

The kiss was a reassurance as much as it was a love declaration, a comfort. Tender and warm as they held onto one another and kissed with no one else in mind.

==

so basically, in context to my last post about this, i think Wei Ying should get to talk about why he tried to deny any intimate connection to Lan Zahn. so I made this...yeah good luck