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getoffthesoapbox · 7 years

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[SW:TLJ] Trailer musings

Ordinarily I try to avoid the Star Wars fandom, as I’m already in enough toxic fandoms as it is. However, this new trailer is blowing my mind and I have to write my thoughts about it or I’ll probably implode.

Spoilers for the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer abound. For the sake of those who might be uncomfortable with viewpoints like mine and for those who’d like to avoid spoilers, I’ll be placing this bad boy under a cut. For everyone else, well, enter the dragon’s lair if you dare. Mua. Ha. Ha. *ahem*

(Word of warning: I wrote this puppy at 3AM, so it’s most likely completely incoherent. Sorry in advance lol.)

Kylo’s Trajectory

This trailer was undeniably Kylo’s. It’s clearly preparing the audience for his character journey, probably because the general audience isn’t prepared for it. As far as I can tell, he’s going to begin his trajectory trying to maintain his dark side fealty.

We don’t know the exact order of the shots, but my suspicions right now are that at the beginning of the film the FO has located Leia’s new base of operations. Kylo and co. are dispatched to take Leia down. Kylo of course can’t take his mom down, and he fails the mission. This leads to disciplinary action by Snoke. Where his temper tantrum with his mask takes place could be either before or after the Leia scene.

If it takes place before, then he’s probably tearing down his mask because his self-loathing is getting the better of him and he is angry at himself for not doing what he thinks he should be capable of doing now that he’s killed his own father.

But I just don’t get that sense from the shot. He looks like he’s frustrated with himself and perhaps is rejecting himself based on his own actions. Honestly, this to me seems like it comes after the Leia failure. He breaks his own mask because he wants to destroy Kylo Ren, but he doesn’t know who to be next. He may also be disenchanted with his own admiration of Vader, and he might be searching for something different.

This might actually cue him hunting Rey down. Rather than revenge, it may be that he merely wants to talk to her. He wants her help, or at least he wants to rekindle that connection he felt with her. It may be entirely instinctual on his part.

If he deserts the FO, that would mean he arrives on Ach-to alone, and the FO arrives to take him back rather than to attack Luke and Rey, which might be kind of interesting.

There is a shot of him walking with the storm troopers at the Crait location, but this might be after he’s forcibly (or willingly) brought back and Snoke gives him a good dressing down and convinces him to be a good boy again. He may have multiple potential snapping points throughout the film--first Leia, then hesitation after meeting Rey again, then the choice Snoke gives him to prove he’s loyal by sacrificing Rey at the end.

Either way, it’s not possible for him to kill his mom. He’s a mommy’s boy--you can see it in his face during the piloting shots. Adam manages to wonderfully express a child’s emotions, and that’s exactly what Kylo’s going through when he’s contemplating shooting down his mother. The kid’s not going to be able to go through with it. He’s cracking big time.

On another note, it’s wonderful that Kylo’s healing the scar on his face throughout the film, but won’t remove it entirely. His bb Rey marked him and he’s staying marked for her. ;P Love it.

Kylo’s Monologue

Kylo’s voice over monologue is interesting. His voice is tender and thoughtful. He must be speaking to someone, and I’d say chances are high it’s Rey. He sounds like he’s giving advice, but not in a malicious way. His “kill it” seems metaphorical to me, and perhaps is more about how moving forward requires sacrificing your past, which in his case would be his Kylo Ren days as well as his heritage, and for Rey would be her family as well as her new connections. This might be a truly great “animus integration” scene for Rey--what she learns from Kylo will help chart the course of her character.

Rey and Luke

There is a lot to unpack in all the Rey and Luke moments.

From what I can tell, it looks like Luke initially agrees to train Rey after she proves herself. But as he gets a better grip on her power, he grows fearful of her and perhaps rejects her entirely.

It’s clear Rey’s searching for answers for herself. She can’t understand what’s going on (and honestly, if she does have a force bond with Kylo, she’s probably in a massive state of confusion), and she’s hoping Luke as a wise older person will guide her.

But Luke is probably hung up on his own failures with Kylo. His line about not taking someone’s power seriously and regretting it is most likely about Kylo, but I’ll grant it could be a misdirection and perhaps is pointing to something related to Rey’s past. I prefer it to be about Kylo, as it cements how similar Rey and Kylo are.

I’m also starting to think that Kylo may not have intentionally killed all the Jedi padawan--it’s quite possible that his power was out of control and killed them by accident. Or perhaps it’s more nuanced, where Kylo got into a fight with the students due to him being the “favorite” and tried to scare them a bit but went too far with his power and couldn’t pull back in time. Luke might have rejected him at this time, leaving him nowhere to go but Snoke, who had already prepared a place for him.

But Star Wars is fairly simplistic, so it might be that Kylo really did kill the jedi padawan for “reasons.” Luke’s reaction to Rey seems a bit odd if Kylo turned evil by deliberation though--then Luke should be afraid of intentions, not ability, and Rey clearly has no ill will toward anyone other than Kylo lol. But with Luke seeming to fear raw ability, that implies Kylo may not have had much control over himself and his raw destructive abilities and Luke’s inability to help him find inner peace made Luke paranoid about young, powerful talents.

Rey’s trajectory with Luke appears the most tragic. She clearly starts trying to do her best to meet his expectations--this weird hermit she doesn’t even know but admires anyway. Yet the more he learns about her, the more he rejects her.

Her expression in the shot above is truly heart breaking. She’s looking for acceptance and a home, and it’s nowhere to be found with Luke.

Now, I’m of split minds on how Rey’s going to get off Ach-to. On the one hand, I think she might leave after Kylo does (assuming the FO comes to pick him up lol) or when he does (if they leave together), and Luke may reconsider how he treated her and determine to do better this time and go after her.

It’s also possible that she and Luke will come to an understanding and he’ll accept her and they’ll leave Ach-to together. But given how she and Kylo seem to be connecting at some point in the film, and given that she gets captured by Snoke, I just don’t think Luke accepts her in time to keep her from ending up in the hands of the dark side. It probably works better if he rejects her, she leaves after being influenced by Kylo, and Luke regrets his rejection and decides to take action.

This is just speculation, but it’s also possible Kylo gets taken away by force and Rey runs to Leia to get help because Luke won’t. This means Rey might be going to Crait in order to meet Leia/find a way to get Kylo back. (Oh wouldn’t that be interesting lol.) This might explain too why she ends up in Snoke’s hands--she’s going to retrieve what’s hers and finds Snoke’s got his claws back into Kylo again. Just random thoughts lol, assuming she even meets Kylo on Ach-to and they bond then.

Snoke, Rey, and Kylo

No pictures here ‘cause I don’t like torture. (I also don’t like ugly things and Snoke is ugly.)

Snoke’s voice over at the beginning of the trailer is interesting because it’s deliberately cut to be referring to either Rey or Kylo. However, I think it’s delivered to Kylo and is a reminder of his “place” and what he owes Snoke--Snoke “discovered” him and is the only one who thought he was “special.” Ego stroking is a manipulator tactic, and an effective one.

Since we know Snoke is a groomer, I don’t think he’s interested in Rey, surprisingly. The reason I don’t think he’s interested in Rey is that he’s willing to torture her, and his MO seems to be seduction rather than torture for the things he wants to keep around. While the torture may have worked on someone like Kylo, that’s hardly going to make Rey switch loyalties. The torture seems to be for Kylo’s benefit instead--a test to see if he can sacrifice Rey for the “greater good” (or bad in this case lol).

My current speculation is that Kylo probably disappoints Snoke early on in the film when he fails to kill Leia. Snoke probably decides to quarantine him or demote him or something, which maybe triggers Kylo running to Rey on Ach-to (unless Kylo runs to Ach-to in order to redeem himself in Snoke’s eyes by capturing Rey/Luke). While on Ach-to, Kylo bonds with Rey instead, and perhaps gets forcibly taken away by the FO or escapes with Rey.

Whatever happens on Crait happens, and somehow Kylo and Rey end up back with Snoke. At this point, Snoke probably tortures Rey in order to prove a point to Kylo. Perhaps this is where the dialogue from the beginning of the trailer takes place. So the reason he’d be torturing Rey would be more because Rey is making Kylo weak. But this is likely Kylo’s snapping point (Kylo may even be restrained somehow at this point and is forced to watch Rey’s torture until she breaks herself and him free).

Since we can safely assume Kylo and Rey fight the Praetorian guard together, that makes it likely they’re escaping after this torture scene. When this happens in the film and what comes of it are likely huge spoilery things, so I won’t speculate too much right now. But this trajectory seems to make the most sense to me at the moment. Until more information arrives. We know so little at this point, lol.

Leia

There’s not a lot to say about Leia other than I love all her damn outfits and she’s looking wonderful and motherly. It’s such a shame about Carrie. I have no idea what they’re going to do with Leia in the film, but I hope she at least gets to have a reunion with her son before it all goes to the devil.

Finn

Might I irreverently say that Finn is looking fine in dem First Order duds. The FO uniform agrees with him quite well! He looks so manly and imposing! Too bad the resistance doesn’t have style the way the FO does lol. Baddies always get the best clothes. =P At least Finn gets to wear them when he infiltrates.

Otherwise, not enough Finn. Hopefully the next trailer will focus on his storyline. I was disappointed how little of him and Rose we got. I’ve been looking forward to their interactions ever since I saw a little snippet of an interview they gave together. They’re too freaking cute.

“The” Scene

The highlight of the trailer is undeniably the end. Maybe this wasn’t the impression others got, but I certainly had this incredible sensation of “I was waiting forever for this moment.” The trailer leading up to these two connecting was everything I had never known I’d wanted. It felt just like TFA did the first time Kylo and Rey’s trajectories intersected--this sensation of “oh I didn’t even know I’d wanted that but I’d wanted it all along.” I cannot express how much I appreciate this wonderful quirk in this story--I’ve never had any other story do this to me, set up a subconscious expectation that I don’t even realize I have until the moment arrives to reveal it to me. Truly wonderful.

Anyway, I’m going to start with my initial impressions of the scene, then I’ll break down all the buzz about whether it’s a misdirection or not and whether or not I think misdirection even matters.

So my initial impulse was that the scene was a cohesive whole, not a spliced scene. My reason for this multi-fold, but most of the scenes throughout the trailer that had film dialogue (rather than VO) were clearly spliced from the same scenes, which should lead a viewer to assuming the same is true from the final scene. Case in point: the Finn/Phasma section is also three shots clearly from the same continuous scene, including a line from Finn. Going by this trailer’s “logic”, the three final “Reylo” shots should all be from the same scene. If not, this makes the trailer rather illogical because it misdirects on some scenes but not others. I think only a poor editor would do this, but perhaps Lucasfilm’s got a hiring crunch these days. ;P

One could argue that the Kylo/Leia scenes might be different scenes spliced together, and I agree, but there’s no direct dialogue in those scenes, only voice over, so they fit the “logic” of just random scenes being spliced together underneath voice over. Basically, my point is, all the scenes that are pulled from the film with present action dialogue appear to be linear in nature for the brief time they’re on screen. I might be wrong (I haven’t edited a film in a while), but filmmakers want to convey a message and they want to avoid confusion (who wants to see a film they’re confused by). Random scenes spliced under disembodied voice over are fine for this, but once you start matching dialogue with film, the viewer has a different expectation.

The reason I like the scene being all one scene is because of the implications. If the scene is all one scene, Rey has decided who she wants to guide her in the new world she’s found herself in, and that person is not Luke. She herself has made the decision through careful consideration, and she has made her choice. For me, Reylo is all about agency, and Rey choosing Kylo to train her after careful consideration continues that truly important theme between them.

Something else that’s really interesting in this shot is how womanly Rey looks. In TFA they did their best to infantilize her in all her shots. She doesn’t get to grow as a woman via visuals until she encounters Kylo in TFA. They’re continuing that here; her make up and lighting give her a more wordly appearance, fitting for her taking her destiny into her own hands and making her own choices.

Assuming this scene is one cohesive moment, Kylo’s response is appropriate here. He looks at her like she’s bestowed upon him the biggest favor a goddess can bestow, and offers his hand to her. The gesture is gentle and open, not demanding. She has called, and Kylo is answering her call. His hand shakes a little, and who knows why, but there’s clearly a lot of unspoken emotion going on here. His offer this time isn’t his idea--it’s hers, and that’s what makes all the difference.

Now, assuming this scene is a cohesive whole, it must take place during the Ach-to section of the film. This is admittedly more limiting, and would make this scene more about Rey and Kylo connecting as two powerful force users who are lost and abandoned. At this point Kylo hasn’t rejected the dark side, nor has Rey chosen a side.

It might actually be better if the scenes aren’t sequential. This gives us more scope for what unfolds. If Rey’s initial scene is separate from the Kylo hand extension scene, that means a few things:

The filmmakers want us to understand on a meta/thematic level that the person who will answer Rey’s call is Kylo, not Luke, even though he won’t answer it until late in the film.

Rey’s moment of vulnerability might be with Luke, or it might be with Chewbacca, but either way neither of them are the answer for her.

The Kylo scene being separated from Rey’s question opens up some options for why Kylo is extending his hand. He doesn’t seem to be bending down, so he’s not helping her up after a fight. His mouth isn’t moving, so this offer isn’t something he’s verbally making. It seems likely that she’s asked him for something, and his answer is to extend his hand to her. No matter how the scene goes down, she’s probably still the one making the choice, and her choice is still going to be him.

If the Kylo portion of the scene occurs later in the film, then it’s going to be a huge reveal of some kind that they’re carefully trying to hide from the audience right now. This shot could even be the final shot of the film, where Kylo saves Rey from Snoke and they both decide to go rogue together after being abandoned by both their teachers. It could also be that his extended hand is the end of the film, and we will be left in suspense for two years as to whether she takes it or not.

If this scene isn’t at the very end of the film, it means Rey and Kylo will team up earlier than expected. Perhaps this might feed into why Snoke ends up capturing Rey--she’s interfering with Kylo’s development and has to be nipped in the bud now. This may prompt Kylo to making his choice about Snoke--will he stay with him and destroy his last chance at redemption or will he leave all he knows and enter new territory?

I don’t think there’s any question that the hand is Kylo’s and the person he’s extending it to will be Rey. Men don’t look at their mommies like that unless they have Oedipus complexes. =P Adam’s really careful to make more boyish expressions for Leia, whereas with Rey he has love interest expressions. We’ve clearly got the latter going on in his scene here at the end.

No matter how things play out, if it’s a misdirect or not, I think the intention is clear that Kylo is Rey’s match and they’re going to keep crashing into each other until they light up the galaxy. They’re both unstoppable forces who are incomplete without each other. They are the belonging each other seeks. There may even be a much deeper understanding between them by the time the film comes to a close.

I am a little concerned now that they might try to make it look like Kylo dies toward the end (we still have that scene where it looks like he’s at the rebel base that isn’t accounted for). That would be quite the shock, having Kylo begin his redemption arc only to fall.

Cute Things and Music!

OMG all the animals in this film! The porgs and the space horse and these fox wolf things! I cannot wait for all the damn plushies! GIVE THEM TO ME!

Also, the music is to DIE for. I LOVE the strings at the beginning of the trailer. If this shit doesn’t make it into the actual soundtrack, I will be furious. I love Rey’s and Kylo’s themes intertwining, and the Force theme rising at the end. I cannot wait to hear what’s in store for them as far as duo themes go. Not expecting a romance theme yet, but a pairing theme would be just fine with me. XD Hopefully some wonderful enterprising soul on youtube will upload a cover of the trailer theme without audio for me. *sad puppy dog eyes*

*ahem* I’ve rambled enough for one night I think. This probably isn’t even coherent anymore. I’m sure I’ve got most everything wrong, but hey, I enjoyed myself and these are just my impressions and speculations from the trailer. If anyone made it all the way to the end, congratulations, but this dragon has no money in her coffers to give you. =P Times are tough even for hoarding dragons!

#reylo #otp: you need a teacher #otp: i choose you #otp: force bond #otp: the woman wears the pants #OMG THE REYLO IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE #star wars spoilers #tlj spoilers #tlj #star wars #star wars the last jedi #star wars: the last jedi #the last jedi

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wishingupontheskyandstars · 6 years

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In Episode IX, who talks first?

#reylo #tlj #where we last left the couple #the anticipation #omg #one more year #....#the wait seems strong #episode IX

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zellerysworld · 4 years

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Hey! I loved your Levihan headcanons! Can I ask for some for Mikenana? Thanks!

SKSKSLS EJDNEKSBEKS YES

OMG YES

I’m so glad you asked for them LMAO-

I literally love MikeNana so much. They are the ultimate couple and I so believe they are actually canon.

Okay anyways I hope you like! Sorry I’m not being as professional as I usually am. We have a snow storm coming in (I live in the south) so my brain is all kinds of jumbled right now.

MikeNana Headcanons

If you’d like to see more of my content, follow me and submit your fanfiction or Headcanons request.

Contains sexual themes. Edited photos not by me.

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Mike Zacharius

Starting gaining an interest in Nanaba when he got her scent

He thought she smelt the best out of everyone at the survey corps-

Mike is a pretty weird ass dude but nanaba treated him like any other normal human and he appreciated that alot

Loves to shower her with gifts of things he makes, such as his own handmade flower bouquets.

Has a very “sensitive” love towards nanaba

Mike only ever ate his mothers food but when he meant nanaba and tasted her cooking, he now only eats her cooking

He dreams of owning a dog sanctuary with her and raising multiple dogs there

One time Nanaba caught him talking in his sleep about his wedding vows to her

Honestly the mans can’t wait to give her his last name

He just adores her and wants to be partnered with her so bad it’s not even funny-

When they have days off together, he makes a meal and surprises her each time with having a picnic at a different place

He loves to do art things with her and actually taught Nanaba how to paint-

10/10 has painted a portrait of her. More like multiple-

He doesn’t like to fight Nanaba with his full force because she looks so frail and gentle to him and doesn’t want to hurt her

She could give less of a shit about how strong he acts when he fights Her

But he is a giant ass teddy bear anyways so-

Mike acts super emotionless in public but he is super needy towards nanaba

Like he’s a very emotional human with horrible attachment issues

Nanaba doesn’t mind though, she deals with it and still loves him regardless

He is always the big spoon-

When he is feeling passionate, Mike likes to top her and overstimulate her to the point she sc r e a m s-

Overall he is a very passionate person in bed. And nanaba l o v e s this. He makes sure all of her needs are meant and praises her for every little she does

He loves to kiss every single part of her. Like e v e r y part.

They have been dating for years. Ever since she first came to the survey corps and he was an elite cadet.

Like they were smitten way before he was a captain-

Anyways- Mike makes sure to tell her that he loves her every single night before they go to bed

Also they sleep in the same bed and have been doing so for the past year

They have only ever gotten into one fight and it was when Mike accidentally shaved a line down his head and had a giant bald line in the middle of his head

Nanaba scolded him about being a fucking idiot and he got upsetti

But they worked it out and just shaved the entire head to let it grow back out evenly.

Yet he constantly bickers with her about seasoning in food and it makes them sound like an old married couple-

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Nanaba

She spends a lot of time reading books about food with Mike

Is a lot more emotionless than Mike and has different ways of showing her love

When Mike isn’t feeling as passionate as usual, she tops THE FUCK out of him-

Like she gets a g g r e s s i v e and Mike loves it

Nanaba makes sure they have at least one cup of tea together each day

Although Mike is more emotional, Nanaba gets stressed very easily and this causes her to have bad social anxiety

Because of her social anxiety she tries to avoid loud public places, so Mike makes sure they go to quiet towns and villages whenever they go for picnics

Mike also has social anxiety, which comforts Nanaba because it makes her feel like she isn’t alone

Nanaba L O V E S to dress him up- like she uses him as her own practice doll and he doesn’t mind one bit

She does makeup on him to practice and see if she likes the look before doing it on herself

In exchange for Mike doing her hair since she can’t cut it worth shit, she gives him the best goddamn blowjobs known to man

She also adds extra seasoning when cooking for Mike

Nanaba agreed to have a dog farm with Mike if they can have at least two children

Although she isn’t good with emotions, children make her heart go soft like Mike does so she really wants more children in her life by having her own

Mike painted a concept of what their kid would look like and it made her get the worst case of baby fever-

Plays the piano to serenade Mike

She nudges his hand with her head to show she wants her back to be rubbed when they are laying down together

Although it makes Mike annoyed, Nanaba loves to bite on his chest very gently and leave hickeys

It’s just satisfying to her-

She wears only soft fragrances that are fruity or clean so that it doesn’t hurt mikes nose

Her hair is always super silky and layered, which Mike loves to play with

One time nanaba accidentally shaved off half her eyebrow and she cried about it- so Mike shaved off half his eyebrow to make her feel better 🥺

Honestly that’s when nanaba knew she would marry him lmfao-

If they lived in a modern world, Nanaba would totally be a photographer and constantly take blurry asethetic photos of Mike doing something dumb like wearing fairy wings

She wants to have a private wedding with him, only the closest of friends invited

Would be the one to have to comfort Mike during a scary movie

Would be the nerdiest of the two-

And would probably force Mike to reenact Reylo scenes-

Loves candles so much, and it’s her biggest turn on to have in bed. Mike knows this and uses this to his advantage-

She’s very elegant/proper and Mike likes that about her. They both hold themselves to standards of people to be, so they relate to each other in that way

She also doesn’t like to show PDA besides holding hands when in town. Otherwise they keep their romance very secretive

100% have bickered about the wrong and right shampoos to use on their dogs, but usually nanaba just gives up because of how mikes nagging can be when it comes to animals

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Thanks for reading!

#attack on titan #aot #mikenana #nanaba #anime #mike zacharias #snk #shingeki no kyojin #veterans #cadets #survey corps #dogs #anime / manga #manga #aot headcanons

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safarigirlsp · 3 years

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Omg do you love Reylo too? I want more movies with Daisy and Adam together! 😍

Hi!

Actually, I'm very much not into Reylo at all lol. I assume this is in reference to the Jacques/Ophelia gifs I reblogged lol. I am very into Jacques content of any kind and those gifs are gorgeous! As for the reylo factor, I try to ignore it lol.

I'm very ambivalent about the ship itself and have no strong feelings either way. People can enjoy what they want and that's fine with me. It’s not my thing personally, but I don’t care if it’s yours lol.

I will say that the rabid proclivity of the reylo stuff and the need to permeate every facet of AD content is driving me nuts lol. I was talking about this with some friends just the other day! For example, I enjoyed the Ophelia movie, but now I'm resenting its existence because of all the crossover with Jacques that, in my opinion, lessens the Jacques content greatly.

Honestly, due to no fault of Daisy's, all of the reylo stuff has made me so sick of seeing her face everywhere that I get turned off at the idea of seeing her in another movie of any kind! She has to be inserted into pics with Jacques, Henry, Flip, Clyde, every character. EVERYWHERE! It's one thing with Kylo because that's obviously canon for the movies, but I think it's a bit much when everything has to involve her. I think it's weird to photoshop her face over a gorgeous Academy Award winner like Marion Cottilard, or the very pretty girl from Duel in the orgy scene with Jacques, or anyone else.

If that's your thing, more power to you though! You should relish it if it's something you enjoy! Sorry that was a bit ranty, but it’s been driving me insane with the Jacques stuff lately lol.

Ships aside, I’ve enjoyed seeing him with great actresses this year! Jodie, Gaga, and Marion are all top notch actresses and they really enhance scenes with him because he has more to work with, in my opinion. I can say the same about Scarlett Johansson, even though I didn’t like the movie. And I enjoyed him with Olga Kurylenko in Don Quixote too.

#hearts

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historyofshipping · 4 years

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1. Have you ever watched any k-dramas or Chinese dramas? I’d you haven’t, I’m imploring you to give one a shot! As a fellow Bellarker/Reylo I think you’ll really like this one. I’ve rewatched it in FULL more than once and keep going back to it, and I don’t do that with very many shows. It has enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to exes-to lovers-to soulmates, class differences, being from the wrong side of the tracks, so much AMAZING angst! So that even after seeing it 5 billion times I still cry. It

2. also has being trapped in a cabin in the woods in the snow/bed sharing/roommates/protective guy + strong, sassy girl. So many tropes executed SO WELL. And again: the ANGST. Omg it’s the BEST angst. I will praise this show up and down forever. 😍 It’s on Netflix with subtitles and is called Meteor Garden (2018). There’s 49 uninterrupted 44-47 minute episodes to binge. And they’re all so good. I think you’ll be swept away just like I was (and am literally every time). Lmk if you ever try it!

----

OH I have not but I will definitely check it out after t100 is done. I can only throw myself into one obsession at a time 😂

#Anonymous

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meu-mundo-comum · 5 years

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Just saw rhe movie myself.

The wrost of all for me is how little they care about Ben's death. Is less than 5 seconds, and then everyone is happy on their party and Rey doesnt show a TRACE of pain. Not even a sad look at the distance. Not. Even. One.

This is bullshit. Even Palpatine was all "omg look how strong and unique your bond is, strong enough to give me new life!". FOR THIS?

THIS?!

Y'all, please PLEASE give me all the fanfic and fanart for now on. Not for me. Not even for the reylo. FOR BEN. HE DESERVED BETTER. HE DESERVED HAPPINESS. AND IS OUR MISSION TO GIVE HIM A GOOD ENDING.

#reylo #star wars #the rise of skywalker #spoilers #ben solo

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dyadsaber · 4 years

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A New Reylo Shipper Reads the TFA Novelization Part 1: In Which No One Knew How Adam Was Going to Play Kylo Ren and It Shows

Hello, all! I’m half of the pair that owns this blog, and I jumped on the Reylo train HARD back at the end of December after thinking the pairing wasn’t my cup of tea for the past five years. (Turns out it REALLY was. Glad I finally figured that out… it’s been a fun ride these past few months.)

I went on a book buying binge when I tripped and fell into shipping a Dyad in the Force, and among the books I bought were all three novelizations of the new trilogy. I know I’m late to the party, but… I need to scream about this to SOMEONE on the internet, and I’d love to make some new friends. Anyway... here goes. (Just a heads up... Not a lot of Reylo flailing in this first bit, but WOW will there be later.)

This novelization definitely suffers from Alan Dean Foster not having seen any of the actors’ performances yet (at least I don’t think he had... if he did, there are... other problems.) I think it’s pretty clear he was working off a script with no idea how these characters were going to BE once they showed up on screen, which is why Han and Leia seem the most like themselves. There’s been footage of them out there for forty plus years. I think Poe and Rey win for “new people who seem mostly like themselves if you tilt your head and squint a bit.” Oh, and Hux too. He’s very much himself, I thought.

One of the most striking things to me, though, is how I honestly don’t think anyone expected the way Adam was going to play Kylo Ren in some scenes, and that means that in a lot of places in the novel, he just feels… off. (There were other places that have him SPOT ON, though, but I’ll get to that in a bit.)

My first example of not-quite-right novel Kylo comes from the scene where he comes into Poe’s holding cell after Poe gets captured (he’s talking about why Poe’s in shackles):

“I regret the necessity. They are gratuitous in my presence. But those others who have made your acquaintance possess only the most primitive abilities, and further defiance on your part would demand their unnecessary exertions.”

What. Kind. Of. Gobbeldygook. Is. This??? Kylo likes to hear himself talk sometimes, but not like THIS. It sounds like some teenager who’s read too many fantasy novels trying to write a villain for the first time in his Tolkien-derivative fantasy. This is not my Kylo. He is weirdly formal and way more wordy than he ended up being on screen. I’m glad that changed, and I can only guess that it was Adam’s performance that necessitated that shift.

But just when I was starting to think that all of the Kylo scenes were going to be a slog, we get THIS GEM from him when Poe tries to play dumb about the map:

“Please. All time is transitory, and mine especially so.”

OMG EDGELORD KYLO REN STOP. Seriously though I actually love this line for two reasons. First of all, it’s JUST grandiose enough that it fits with the image of him he’s trying to project, and second, this one I can HEAR Adam saying. (I haven’t seen a lot of deleted scenes, so if this got into one of them, please tell me.)

The next Kylo bit that had me grinning was when Poe escapes, from Hux’s Pov:

“A voice sounded behind him: unmistakable, controlled, and plainly displeased.”

All I could think here was, “Well, I just found the counterpart to ‘Understanding, gentle, and tall,’” and it made me laugh so hard I had to stop reading for a bit.

I haven’t watched TFA enough times to remember if this made it in, but I LOVE this Kylo to Hux line:

“Obviously, at least some of your troops are skilled at high treason.”

Snarky Kylo gives me more joy than he should. This is another one I can hear in his voice, so it rings true to me.

And now for something the book got right that I hadn’t really thought about before: Kylo Ren’s ability to act like he hasn’t been in serious conflict with someone or having a violent outburst TWO SECONDS AGO. Again, this is Hux PoV after the “don’t let your personal interests get in the way” conversation:

“If Kylo Ren was affronted by the General’s boldness, he did not show it. As if nothing untoward had passed between them, he continued.”

HE DOES THIS DOESN’T HE?! All the time? To Rey, too? It’s like he’s thinking, “I’m going to sound super calm and like we weren’t just trying to KILL EACH OTHER five seconds ago. See how I’m ready to talk like a rational person?”

And now for another Exhibit in my case for “They didn’t know that Kylo wasn’t this wordy yet and also had him confused with Hux sometimes.”

“Look at it, Lieutenant. So much beauty among so much turmoil. In a way, we are but an infinitely smaller reflection of the same conflict. It is the task of the First Order to remove the disorder from our own existence, so that civilization may be returned to the stability that promotes progress. A stability that existed under the Empire, was reduced to anarchy by the Rebellion, was inherited in turn by the so-called Republic, and will be restored by us. Future historians will look upon this as the time when a strong hand brought the rule of law back to civilization.”

Everything we know about Kylo later says, to me, that this is MUCH more of a Hux speech. In TRoS, it becomes pretty obvious that he cares about being Supreme Leader only because it brings him power to do whatever he wants when it comes to Rey and the wayfinder. Does he want order and stability? Probably, theoretically, but is it something he speechifies about to unsuspecting lieutenants who have come to tell him that they couldn’t catch BB-8? No.

And speaking of poor Mitaka, he gets a full dose of Kylo’s “Why no, I wasn’t just doing something ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING… whyever would you think that?” When he DESTROYS the wall with his lightsaber, and…

“He spoke calmly, as if his mad, destructive rampage had been nothing more than a brief interlude: an illusion. ‘Anything else?’”

I do have to wonder if all of First Order folks just... got used to it? And they give new people who have to be around him advice like, “Oh yeah... just let him take a few whacks at the wall with the lightsaber. Try not to get hit by the sparks. Once he’s done, you’re in the clear.” Now I very much want to read “A Guide for Interacting with Kylo Ren and Surviving,” a thing I am now definitely convinced existed on Starkiller.

I’m going to stop here for now because I’m getting to the “by the grace of your training” scene with Snoke, and there is SO MUCH GOING ON THERE that it gets to be in a new post.

#dyadsaber text posts #kylo ren #the force awakens novelization #reylo

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elrondsscribe · 5 years

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No ATLA shipping wars, please. There is room for ALL the ships.

So I’m sure anyone who’s been tracking me lately knows that I’ve been all up in Avatar: The Last Airbender ...

And I must say, after checking out the tags, I am TERRIFIED to speak my mind about ANY of the ships I like!! Like, I don’t want to be thought of as a poisonous Supporter Of That Which Is Toxic And Problematic because I did or didn’t gel with one ship or other. Spoilers under the cut.

See, I’m always the kind of fan that nobody likes: I’m the MCU fan that appreciates Steve and Tony; I’m the Star Wars fan that loved all nine Episodes. So when I say that I sail literally all of the ships because all of them hit me in different kinds of feels, well, y’all know to expect this from me.

(I should say at this point that the only thing I’m considering ‘canon’ for the purposes of this conversation is A:TLA; no LoK or comics is relevant here.)

(Also, can I just say what a wonderful change of pace it is to be in a property where, at least in the generation of our ‘mains,’ there seem to be more named, developed female characters??)

So I’m gonna start out with saying: I like the canon pairings as they stand! Kataang, Sukki, and Maiko being the main ones, obvs. However, I also like all kinds of AU pairings too!

Like Zutara - I mean, I can hardly say anything here that ten thousand others haven’t already said better, but their journeys do parallel each other in a lot of significant ways, and I think that, by the end of the show, they do legitimately share enough to have the foundations of a good relationship, if as a fanwriter you wanted to go there. You could make much of the poetry of their differences (”you rise with the moon, and I with the Sun”), and/or really develop their existing ability to safely be the ‘splash zone’ for each other’s turmoil. Besides, I think Katara’s mothering fussbudget energy would be a great thing for Zuko, and there’s a gentleness to her that he’d find healing.

{Now, I’ve seen a lot of comparisons between Zutara and Reylo, made by people who either want to demean or defend both ships. I’ve also seen these comparisons soundly trashed by people who like one, but not both, of these ships. As someone who never has had strong feelings either for or against Reylo, and as someone who loves Zutara but not exclusively, my response to all of that drama is a big old shrug of my shoulders. So don’t come at me screaming about Reylo, either to stan or cancel. Please just don’t.}

Also I don’t know a good way to say this, but you know how some people just can’t seem to resist reading Zuko and/or Sokka as gay? Well, I can’t stop reading Mai as lesbian; I don’t know why.

I don’t know which pairing Taang is. If it’s Aang/Ty Lee, omg yes!! Kill me with all the sparkles and rainbows! I already want to eat them both up. More seriously, I think Aang’s peaceable temperament would be a really welcome change in her life, after Zuko’s turmoil and Mai’s ice and Azula’s, well, Azula-ness. She’d probably just love Aang’s aura :)

If Taang is Aang/Toph, well, we’ve observed that our flighty lil’ Aangster could use a grouding influence :) I don’t know who on Tumblr pointed it out, but Toph is the last person in the world to fangirl over Aang, which seems to be very good for him, while also not clipping his wings. While I do believe they’d be the kind of couple to quarrel and, at times, drift apart from each other (she’s incredibly rooted while he’s the embodiment of a free-spirit), for some reason I can easily see them finding each other again. There’s a scene in my head, one where an adult Aang is faced with the necessity of a sacrifice play that he might not come back from, and instead of tearfully trying to convince him not to do it, Toph says, “Go get ‘em, Twinkletoes.”

[And if you ship Zutara alongside Aang/Toph, you could have a fanfic where you did a Parallel, with Two Ships Of Opposite-Power-Benders. I’d be a fan!]

Now I’ve seen Sokkla floating around too, and I must say that this intrigues me, especially the way that this ship is connected to ideas about the redemption of Azula. I’ve seen some people being really upset that Azula never got a redemption arc in the show, but c’mon guys. A redemption arc for Azula would have taken a long-ass time - it would’ve been awesome, but it would’ve taken a long-ass time, definitely longer than a fourth season, I think. But if you were going to go with a combination of a redemption arc and a ship for her, Sokka would be a great idea. I don’t think Azula knows what fun and merriment are, and who knows those things better than Sokka?

[Honestly, that’s the thing about shipping Sokka with anyone: he would bring them laughter.]

But enough about the het AU ships, let’s talk about the gay ones!

Zukka would be the most prominent example, of course. The rapport that Zuko develops with Sokka over ‘The Boiling Rock’ is beautiful to behold (jokes about ‘that’s rough, buddy’ aside), and heaven knows Zuko needs someone to teach him how to laugh.

And remember how I said that I somehow can’t see Mai as straight? Well, I also can’t stop shipping her with Azula (don’t know the ship name for this one, but I know it exists). Obviously this ship would have more than an edge of ownership and manipulation about it, but they’re so deadly radiant and it’s like I can’t look away from them.

And Ty Lee is just so adorable and sincere (even with all the buried sadness) that shipping her with almost any of the other girls just makes my heart melt. Especially Katara, who would just cuddle the hell out of her whenever she’s feeling down. Or even Azula, who would totally own and work her but also, like, dazzle her. Main exception being Suki - for some reason, my head goes all kinds of hot, dirty places when I imagine Suki and Ty Lee sparring.

However, all this being said, I still have love for the canon ships that we got.

For example, like I said, I do ship Kataang, and I think together they’re incredibly sweet, but I also think that Katara’s tendency to hover and Aang’s tendency to (literally and metaphorically) fly away from/float above problems would jointly become a not-inconsiderable hurdle in a long-term relationship. Now I’ve observed couples in real life with similar dynamics, and I’ll stick out my neck and say that I consider this a workable hurdle, especially if both Katara and Aang grow in maturity and interpersonal understanding as they get older.

Similarly with Maiko: we see that, where Zuko’s emotions tend to run fire-hot, Mai’s tend to run ice-cold; we saw a clear example of these tendencies really clashing with each other. And Mai’s way of showing Zuko affection does seem to have genuinely perplexed some people who watched the show, to the point that they didn’t read it as affection at all. But again, drawing on what I’be observed, some couples really do develop a ‘love code’ that they understand even if literally no one else does. I don’t see any indication of either Mai or Zuko actually ill-using the other; and I will always stan this line from Mai when she made her big choice: I love Zuko more than I fear you.

As for Sukki - well, you already know. Sokka definitely grew and healed a lot from it, but I don’t think the trauma of being unable to protect Yue is one that will ever truly leave him. And as much as Suki understands him, I do think Sokka’s protectiveness will sometimes grate on her. She’s a motherfucking warrior-chieftain. And yes, this can definitely shape into a relational problem, but not one that can’t be worked around.

So ... TLDR, I love all the ships, and refuse to be part of the anti drama.

#avatar: the last airbender #a:tla #ships #shipping drama #i love too many ships #zutara #kataang #sukki #mailee #sokkla #maiko #taang #Shippy Content

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scav-eng-er · 5 years

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“I Will Always Find You.” Reylo Soulmate/Multi-Universe AU

Summary: In a soulmate/multi-universe AU, two hearts take time to find one another. But in the end, it’s all worth it.

Words: 3,222

OMG this took forever! It is so bad but it’s kinda cute?? Right? I don't know! Guys I would love feedback! If it sucks, tell what I should edit! If it’s good, what was your favorite part? Some parts are obviously rushed while others I wanted to savor. It is long!

The downtown streets of the city bustled in the bright summer morning. Commuters walked swiftly to their jobs, ignoring the hundreds of thousands of others walking in the same pattern as them. Among the crowded sidewalk, Ben Solo nonchalantly made his normal route to work. His black messenger bag hung off his shoulder as he skimmed his company’s new grant proposal. His lukewarm coffee was in his other hand as he re-read what he was up until 2 A.M. working on. He couldn’t help but grin at his work, it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Soon, he would be able to finally visit his mom and dad for the weekend. He had felt so guilty putting it off for weeks now, but had to get this done.

He had been thinking about what flowers his mom would like when a quick and surprising force knocked into his right shoulder, knocking his coffee all over his navy button down…and on his grant proposal. He stopped in the center of the sidewalk, passerby filtering around him, not even caring about what just happened. He gaped at the mess on him. Anger swelled in his chest. He looked up in time to see the culprit who just ruined his morning. He saw the back of a head, tied up in a messy bun. She flew by in an army green bomber jacket with a tan canvas backpack bouncing as she swirled around the strangers of the city.

With a quick glance to nothing in particular, she shouted out as loud as she could, “Sorry!”

That voice.

Ben’s heart suddenly became sore. Something ached in his gut and his head hurt like a dream he was trying really hard to remember.

~~~

As a lord, Kylo had a duty at birth to take care of his people. He would provide, care and try to give his best to make sure they would thrive for generations. This meant that his life was planned since he was born, especially when a lord overseas had a baby girl when he was ten. The engagement was announced after Kylos father and the foreign lord had agreed that a trade would keep the two lands at peace until the marriage on the girls 20th birthday.

Kylo had heard of her, that she was born on a stormy day, but the moment she cried when she entered the world, a ray of sunshine broke through the gray clouds into the castle of Niima. Throughout the years, Kylo had heard about Rey through letters between his father and the Lord of Niima. She was a fiery little girl who enjoyed getting dirty, playing in the stables and wanted to learn how to sword fight. Kylo had thought it was unladylike and didn’t pose a good image for anyone in relation to her. Then, the Lord had decided to visit Chandrila to finally have Kylo and Rey meet. At 16, Kylo was a studious boy who occasionally would glance at the young kitchen maids as they passed by him the dinner table. At six, Rey was an adventurous girl who arrived to the castle of Chandrila is mud and sticks. Kylo grimaced at the dirty child and groaned at the thought of having to have her in his company for the rest of his life. She laughed at him when she caught him with a girl in a dark hallway. He scowled at her when he watched her play sword with his uncle in the courtyard. She made his blood boil! It seemed like everyone liked her, everyone but him! She was an annoying, gross, intrusive little brat!

He sighed in relief when she was finally sailed back home…far away from him, until next time.

When he was thirty, it was time to take over his fathers legacy. Lord Han had passed a few years prior, and Kylo had reigned the land since then. He had been doing a wonderful job, until the council finally aid that the marriage had to happen. He had to prepare for a Lady and soon, heirs. Kylo had wondered what the young Rey would be like at 20. He had hoped she was a reserved, calm young woman who would listen to her future husband, or anyone for that matter. He stood at the entrance with his mother and rest of the castle staff as they welcomed the Lord and his daughter again.

But when the Lord stepped out with his engaged daughter at his hand, Kylo’s breath got caught in his throat and his body suddenly became very warm.

She was an angel.

Rey of Niima was downed in a light gray, flowing dress. The summer sun gave her tan freckled skin a glowing radiance that Kylo couldn’t pull his eyes away from. Her petite figure caused images to run through his mind, clenching his fists. Her tight corset didn’t help with his imagination. She was absolutely gorgeous. Thick chestnut locks piled on her head, with loose strands framing her face. Her eyes showed determination and strength. She held herself in an elegant fashion and Kylo could only imagine kissing that smirk off her face. She wasn’t a little girl. She was a woman. She was his bride. His queen. Leia gave a small chuckle and mumbled under her breath, “uh oh.”

A ball was held that night in celebration before the wedding the next day. The room was filled with food, merriment and cheer. Ale was constantly poured and dancing was non-stop. Kylo was seated at the head of one of the tables, but his eyes grazed over the entire party. He searched for his bride-to-be. He had only heard her brief “thank you” when they had talked at their arrival and her voice was so sweet, he craved for more.

“I do think there was someone who wanted some fresh air.” His mother started calmly, before bringing a goblet to her lips. Kylo rolled his eyes at his mother, but as he stood to leave, he placed a quick kiss on her temple.

The young Lord hurried out to the courtyard. The bright moon illuminated the summer night. He felt his heartbeat in his ears in anxiousness as he looked for the young woman.

“Good evening, milord.” A calm voice spoke behind him. He turned to find the beauty he was looking for. She had changed into a white gown, lace details on her bodice made her look more heavenly than Kylo had ever imagined. The only thing he thought would be better on her was nothing.

“Good evening.” He stated. She had to feel as strong as he did, right? This marriage would work, it had to, there was no other choice.

“You’ve grown into quite a Lord.” She hadn’t moved from her spot, her hands delicately held in front of her, emphasizing her chest.

“A Lord with a future wife by his side,” he eyed her up and down, stalking towards her in the shadows, “You have also grown into quite a woman. I must say, I’m impressed at how you have finally grown out of your childish nonsense. I was a afraid my future bride would be a child fore-“

The lord was caught off guard by the woman, pushed into the stone wall of the castle. Her forearm pressed against his throat. His eyes widened at her sudden act that he froze for a moment.

“You listen here you entitled, ignorant fool. You have been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. You were a cold, distant, selfish boy when I was little and now we have to spend the rest of our lives together. I’m not a little girl anymore, I know you saw that when I arrived. I’m not naive either, I’m aware that I’ve been molded for your…desire.” She glanced down his body, her face flushing red, but continued.

“But know this, I care about my people just as much as you care about yours. I will do anything I have to to protect our lands. I will be your wife, your bride, the..mother of your children. However, I am your equal. You will be my husband, and you will aid my father and land in any assistance they require from now until death. We are in this, together. Is that understood?”

Kylo could only nod.

She released her grip on him and turned back to the celebration inside. She could feel his eyes on her as she flaunted her figure on her way out. Thank god he couldn’t see her blush.

Kylo had sighed at the image of her.

Fuck, he was in love.

~~~

Ben felt like he just had a crazy dream. He was brought back to the sidewalk like no time had passed. How long was he gone? Where the fuck did he even go? He glanced ahead to the army green bomber that was only a few feet ahead of him. He had to get to her.

Rey.

Was this the woman in the gray dress? They had the same voice, did they share the same face? The same memories? The same feelings? He felt the dampness of the coffee soak on his skin, causing him to smell like old coffee grounds. But it was forgotten as he hurried to catch up to her swift figure. She weaved through people like she had done it for years. It took him some time to move, thanks to his towering height and bulky body. He groaned as he continuously apologized to passerby…ironic. Upon further glance, he saw her tight skinny jeans and how they hugged her so well. It didn’t take long for the crowd to settle as she turned to a less densely populated street. She picked up her pace, causing Ben to curse as he hiked up his bag, the proposal crumpled in his large hands. He tried to keep his distance, not wanting to look so obvious following the girl just a few feet ahead of him. If she didn’t know him, or got scared of this tall man following her, he would hate himself for the rest of his life.

She slowed down as she arrived at a coffee shop, swinging the door open and practically jumping through the entrance.

‘Jesus, she’s quick on her feet.’ Ben commented to himself.

He finally caught his breath at the shop. Too eager, he swung the door open too, causing the hinges to reel it back and smack into his side as he gazed into the shop.

The front of the shop window welcomed natural light from the summer sun, with an exposed brick wall all around the perimeter. The far left corner had a light blue counter with an array of pastries, desserts and sandwiches behind a glass wall. A large letter board menu took up the back, hanging over coffee machines and espresso makers.

He found her walking to the back where white wood booths lined the back wall. She hurried to a table with two other men seated.

He wanted to run over and hug the two, as if they were old friends and they were surprising him. His heart hurt as he watched the three friends reunite, set up their computers and paperwork at the table.

~~~

“Come on Ben!” Poe had tugged his much taller friend towards the celebration. The two U.S. soldiers scurried in the NYC streets to the Victory Parade. Thousands of people gathered at the edge to see the floats while soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division marched down the pavement. The chilly January air didn’t stop Ben and Poe from dressing in their uniforms, proud to show that they fought for their country. The childhood friends stood tall and proud in their green uniforms, hat and tie in all as hundreds around them celebrated the long awaited victory. Poe could see a few women glance in their direction, and couldn’t help but send a wink. Ben however wasn’t feeling as interested in the women around him. Too caught up in the war, he never had much time to think about dating or finding his gal. After this weekend, he planned to go back to London to help repair the city. Seeing it destroyed while he was deployed over seas tugged this heart. He had to help clean it up, and maybe he would go elsewhere, travel. There wasn’t much holding him back to the States anyway.

“Do you see Finn? He’s with the Triple Nickles out there,” Poe stood on his toes, looking out for his missing friend, “he said he brought a girl over from London. A real pretty thing! Her name was Kay, or was it May?” He shrugged.

After the parade, Ben and Poe searched in the ending parade for Finn and his date. Ben tried to use his height to his advantage and helped find him.

“Finn! Buddy!” Ben turned to find Poe run off towards a dark skinned man and embrace. He caught up as Finn spoke.

“Fellas, this is Rey!” Behind Finn was the most beautiful woman Ben had ever seen. Her chestnut victory rolls made her look pristine and untouched. Her pale pink button down coat only accentuated her incredible smile.

He’s seen her before, right? He had to based on her reaction seeing him too. Her gaze never left his as she went to shake his hand.

“It’s a pleasure.” She spoke as if only to him. Her warm, soft hand disappeared into his. He wanted to pull her flush against his body and hold her like they were long, lost lovers.

“Have..have we met before?” He couldn’t help but ask. His deep voice scratchy from not speaking since they arrived to the parade, “Perhaps in London?”

Finn and Poe looked to Rey in curiosity. The young U.S. soldiers could tell something already sparked between the two strangers.

“I…I don’t think so. I don’t think I could forget a face like yours.” She smiled. A blush crept from Bens neck all the way to his ears, poking out from underneath his black locks.

Oh boy, he was smitten.

~~~

Slowly, Ben made his way to the booth. It took every ounce in him not to run and hug them. Her back was turned towards him while the men - Poe and Finn - were seated on either side of the booth. She had a notebook in hand, discussing something that sounded like a potential article story.

His heart started pounding as he made his way closer. He missed her. He missed her so much. He wanted to feel her in his arms as they hugged, feel her tremble in pleasure beneath him, feel her belly as it grew with his child, feel her wrinkles along her cheeks as they grew old together. It’s like they’ve done it a hundred times and he wanted to do it a hundred times more. He gently placed his messenger bag on the ground as he took a closer step. A crumpled grant proposal sat beside it, forgotten.

When Ben felt Finn and Poe lock eyes with him from behind her, his breath - as well as theirs - caught in their throats. Poe stopped fidgeting with his pen, and Finn’s jaw slightly dropped. However, even in their confused eyes, he saw some sort of recognition. They knew him, they remembered him. He could only imagine what memories the three friends would make together this time, in this life. He was so excited.

But that could wait. Now, he needed her to remember.

~~~

“Ben!”

The young jedi would know that voice anywhere. It was her, his other half. She was okay. The redeemed man looked around the ship dock as pilots and resistance members ran around him. The falcon had brought him home, brought him to her. The battle was won, a personal one between him and the now deceased Palpatine. The internal struggle he experienced through years of torment was gone. After Ben Solo was reborn from the ashes of Kylo Ren, he knew he had to get home, to his friends, to his mother, to his love.

“Ben!” He heard again. Where was she?! He turned and looked up and down, searching for the love of his life.

Then he sensed her. Gate C, second level.

He saw her hurry down the stairs, practically skipping every step. Her white cloth fluttered behind her as she sprinted towards him. She dodged each person swiftly on her feet, nothing stopping her to feeling Ben safe in her arms. When they reached for each other, the warmth, the loneliness, the need for each other was satisfied. Rey wrapped her arms around his neck, holding so tight, she thought she would choke him. Ben pulled her into his body and finally felt himself take a real, deep breath. A breath of freedom, of love. Her warmth filled him with hope of a future, many futures, together. He lifted her from the ground and held her. The world stopped around them.

He felt a shudder from her as she held back a sob.

“It’s okay, I’m alright. Shh.” He cooed into her ear. Her face was hidden his shoulder. Her tears staining his black tunic, drenched in sweat, dirt and blood. But he was safe, alive, in the arms of his love.

She pulled back, her bright brown eyes glimmered with tears. Strands of hair stuck to her forehead and Ben thought she was the most beautiful thing when she gave a sweet smile. He sighed when he felt her warm hand against his cheek, and nothing could stop him from leaning to taste the sweetness of her lips. Rey froze for a moment, never having felt a sensation like this, but it was almost like she already knew what she was doing. Her fingers delicately made their way into his hair as she closed the gap between them, desperate to have her heart touch his. She had to feel it beat, to know he was truly here.

With the chaos of the outside world around them, the two jedi simply held onto each other, never to be parted again.

~~~

“Guys?” Her accent had not changed a bit. Goosebumps peppered Ben’s skin as she turned in wonder.

“What are y-“ Her eyes caught his mid-sentence.

She stopped.

Her eyes widened.

She remembered.

Ben didn’t know what to do. But he felt himself get choked up. He shook, wanting to hold her like the millions of times he had before. He felt himself complete just looking at her. But now, to be with her all over again, was enough to make him cry.

A tear fell down his cheek when she dropped her notebook and ran into his arms. The force of her impact into his chest was one of the happiest blows in his entire being. Rey’s cries of happiness were music to his ears, his silent sobs intertwining with hers. Her fingers played with his hair at the nape of his neck, just how he liked it. She had done it after he had a stressful day, or after they forgave each other after a bad fight. It had felt so good to be somewhere so safe, familiar. Her arms.

Ben felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his tear filled eyes. Poe and Finn stared at him in happiness and support at the reunion, knowing that after this, they would have to catch up.

The gang put the computers and paperwork away. Four warm cups of coffee sat amongst the friends as they chatted away on what they were working on in their present lives.

Poe and Finn talked about how they and Rey were lucky enough to get internships at a magazine company together. Finn had been talking to a TA, Rose and they were planning on going on a date. Poe got a dog after he moved into the city, who he loved more than his vintage leather pilot jacket (which is saying a lot). Giggles and tales of small adventures filled while Ben held Rey on their side of the booth with blood shot eyes and the occasional sniffle into a tissue. His hand rubbed her arm in soothing, slow motions. She would squeeze her free hand into his to let him know she was thinking about him.

For once again, they had found each other. And they were ready to finish this new lifetime, together.

#Reylo #rey x ben solo #Rey x kylo ren #reylo au #Reylo modern au #reylo soulmate au #reylo fanfic #reylo fanwork #soulmate au #scavenger writes

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blackidyll · 5 years

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It's been a long while since I've been on Tumblr, but here I am, trying to get back into my usual rhythm of life. Mainly: I'm alive, but I'm really, really tired.

The end of 2019/beginning of 2020 has been really insane. I fell sick for most of December - the whole cough/cold/sore throat trifecta that got so bad I finally ended up on antibiotics on New Year's Eve. I actually took two weeks of leave in December, but I was so sick and busy during this time that I basically got no rest whatsoever, and when I got back to work in January it was to drop straight into an absolute tsunami of work - one huge project ended the day before Chinese New Year, and immediately after CNY holidays I had another huge executive event to prepare for (I was working over weekends), and when that ended last week I got YET ANOTHER project dumped on me. Covid19 and the political situation in my home country is also taking its toll. I feel like the past two months has been an absolute blur - mostly of stress and negativity.

I'm so tired, you all.

Anyway, I'm trying hard now to pull back and strike a balance between work and having down proper time. I owe quite a few of you replies to messages and chats, and TBH there's like 60+ comments in my AO3 inbox that I haven't had a chance to respond to. I'm going to try hard over the next few weeks to get to all of them. I really appreciate every message and comment I get, because they constantly remind me there's still people and the entire world out there, when sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in my head with all my stresses and worries and the day-to-day grind.

I'm going to go throw a bunch of things in my queue to get this place kickstarted again, but in the meantime - have some fic recs. I've been reading a lot of fic to keep afloat the past three months; these are the WIPs I'm following at the moment. I'm completely out of creativity so my own fics will have to wait, but it always gives me a boost when I see some love for my WIPs, so if any of these appeal to you, give them a read and drop some love to those authors too.

The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]

i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]

Ragnarǫkr, Part 3 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]

Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]

Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]

try something new by gdgdbaby [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]

WIPs that haven't been updated recently but since I'm on a roll, you all should read them:

Nukume Dori by Leareth [Tokyo Babylon, X/1999; canon-divergence, kind-of time travel with X!Subaru falling back into the TB!timeline with all his memories intact; Subaru/Seishirou, a lot of trio interactions with Hokuto]

boy with a coin, Part 5 of the signal to noise series by twigcollins [The World Ends With You; post-game sequels exploring the consequences of Neku winning the long game and Joshua deciding to bring him back to life; Joshua/Neku]

(more info and my comments on each fic under the cut, because they get long)

The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]

I've been (re)watching Studio Ghibli movies on the weekends and I fell completely in love with The Cat Returns (I love Whisper of the Heart but I missed this movie somehow?). This wonderful sequel fic series focuses on an adult Haru that becomes a full-fledge member of the Cat Bureau and goes on plenty of adventures with the Bureau crew. It's also 500K words (!!!) of delicious slow slow slow SLOW burn between Baron and Haru. I just found out the author will be posting the next installation in the series this month, so you know. Perfect time to read the existing content and then follow the author's weekly updates for more of this amazing series.

i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]

Yes, I'm a Reylo fan. I find the grey dynamics between Rey and a vaguely redeemed Ben Solo fascinating. I think it's because I was such a huge Luke and Mara Jade shipper from the Legends days. Anyway, I'd recommend pretty much all of diasterisms's Reylo fics (they nail the characterization + growth arcs incredibly) but this WIP in particular is a direct TROS sequel, which is great for all us fans who were very WTF about the way TROS ended. Also - lots of Force ghosts :D

Ragnarǫkr, Part 2 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]

I think my bookmark gushes enough about this series (and the previous installment) that I don't need to rehash it here. But anyway, this sequel is flipping amazing. The world building is so incredible omg. The wait between chapters is very long but so very worth it.

Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]

I'm usually very, very particular about my A/B/O verses (the concept squicks me a little but some writers subvert the trope and those are amazing) and this is a really great take on the trope - Erwin and Levi bond first out of necessity and then have to rebuild/realize a romantic relationship out of it later; they're already such strong friends and incredible partners that the bond actually throws them out of whack initially lol. But the evolution of their relationship is so well written, and the sub-plot about Levi being targeted is also great. Anyway, in this particular sequel goes back to the canon-timeline; Erwin survives the Beast Titan charge, everyone finds out about Marley, and the Survey Corps goes on a mission to make contact with the outside world. I don't actually follow the manga but I know enough that this sequel is really intriguing me. Also, Erwin lives. Thank goodness Erwin lives.

Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]

Everything Tierfal writes is golden, but this one. Oh man, this one. It gets dark, and sometimes that's bad if you're already stressed (your mood doesn't need more depressing things to drag it down) but sometimes... you also want to indulge in it, because when you see a character go through hard and traumatic times and make it out the other side, it gives you hope too, you know? Anyway, right now at chapter 2, it's all trauma and pain for Roy, so take caution while reading this fic, but......... Ed. Oh my goodness, Ed. He tries so hard. He doesn't give up. This fic reminds me a bit of But Not Buried This Time, where Ed is the one drowning in his guilt... I remember thinking while reading that fic, "goodness, everyone needs a Roy like this in their life." Well, for this fic? I just keep thinking, "goodness, everyone needs an Ed like this in their life."

try something new [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]

not a WIP but what the hell. So this version of Nezha is hell of a lot different from the Nezha I remember of my childhood (in that....... Nezha 100% kills Aobing lol and I remember being very conflicted because I love dragons and Nezha kills a lot of them, but at the same time deity!Nezha is pretty badass?). So anyway, someone with creative control DEFINITELY has shipper glasses on when they made this movie, I cannot get over how adorable Nezha and Aobing are. I really enjoyed this movie, it was so over the top and funny. And they made Nezha and Aobing literal soulmates? This fic is cute and adorable because it's Nezha and Aobing traveling and helping the world after they grow up and regain their bodies, and it's just tons of adorable teenage(?) confusion where they're hovering on the edge of friendship and something more. THEY ARE SO ENDEARING I love them!!

Instead of dying on the Promised Day, 25-year-old Dragon of Heaven Subaru wakes up in his 16-year-old body during the Tokyo Babylon timeline. Having seen what the future holds, he decides to continue with his original Bet with Seishirou - this time fighting to win. In the latest installment, we go pass the TB timeline into the years before 1999 and the changes that the divergence makes is just absolutely fascinating, plus we start seeing more of the X/1999 cast, whom I love and adore.

I love Joshua so so much but he digs his own bed willingly and he lies in it with all the broken pride he can muster. He's very much the master of forfeiting the game before he can lose, except this time it's Neku standing beside him, and Neku is very, very stubborn. Trust your bloody partner, Joshua (I say, with all the love in my heart for this Joshua and this poor beleaguered but incredibly stubborn Neku and the all the game mechanics and worldbuilding in this series). Also, the latest cliffhanger is killing me but I'm ready to see Joshua go absolutely feral on anyone who would dare touch his city and his partner.

#*#fic recs #i looked down and then back up and suddenly it's march #and yeah i read in a zillion fandoms that i don't write in. i read a LOT of fanfic #i've been surviving on reading fanfic and listening to studio ghibli OSTs and watching figure skating competitions #i'm so tired i want a nap #btw i've gotten a lot of lovely comments on my fics and i love all of them #but i'm so numb from tiredness it's hard to muster up the energy to reply #but i love them all! esp all the people who commented on my 00Q RB fic #i was feeling very emotional because it's probably going to be my last 00Q fic (unless no time to die really changes things)#and i was stressed from work and CNY obligations but so many people said such lovely things about my 00Q fics #and told me they'll still follow me on tumblr #ahaha i felt guilty because i hadn't been on tumblr for a few weeks even back then #but it was definitely motivation for me to get my ducks back in a row and start using my tumblr again #ngl tumblr will be an escape because if i keep reading local politics and covid19 news on twitter my soul gets sucked into a black hole #i hope everyone else's 2020 is going much better #keep safe keep healthy and please take care of yourselves!!!

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eirenare · 4 years

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Got tagged by @sassy-solo-shrug ! Thank you for sending these tag games, they’re lovely and it makes me happy to get tagged in them (even though I take like an eternity to reply for X or Y omg, thank you so much for your patience)! ♥♥ I’ve cheated a bit and added some movie series mentions rather than just a movie though, but choosing is just so hard at times haha

TOP 7 COMFORT MOVIES (you don’t have to tell why they are your comfort movies or talk about them, I’m just doing it because I feel like doing it lol)

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (my fave SW movie, a masterpiece in all levels and it has my favorite ship of all times, the goosebumps are strong with this one but so are the feels and the smiles at some points)

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (my 1st SW movie which means it has a very very soft spot in my heart, hard not to smile watching certain parts of it)

“How to train your Dragon” (any of the movie series will do, but I have the softest spot for the 1st one and pride for how Hiccup and Toothless changed it all)

“Harry Potter” (they’re my childhood and I specially love the first 3 ones)

“The Lion King 2″ (... is it really a surprise, seeing that I’m a big Reylo lover? Or rather, is it a surprise that a Reylo loved first Kiara and Kovu? These two lions aside though, the OST is amazing and this lion-like adaptation of Romeo and Juliet with all these themes is beautiful AND with a happy ending—still waiting for Disney to give us another TLK series or movie with Kovu and Kiara and their cub(s) though *cough*)

“Pirates of the Caribbean” (one of the best movie series, it has a little bit of everything, I love how they mixed pirates with legends and myths, and what can I say except it’s lots of fun)

“Lilo and Stitch” (give me all and every one of them and the series included but specially the 1st movie, Lilo and Stitch’s friendship is so precious)

TAGGING: @desfraisespartout , and whoever wants to do this tag game just do it! ♥ :D

#Tag game #Choosing was DIFFICULT #I left out certain movies on a middle ground between comfort and very feelsy because at times they can be too much for my feels

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saltlamp · 4 years

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what are some book recs? I want to read a new series 🤩

thanks for asking!! 🙈 get ready for some basic recs and hopefully recs you haven’t heard before! gets less basic and more pretentious (?) as u go down, i think,,, also sorry this took me so long to post! i’m the worst, bless you for putting up with me. the list and my descriptions are under the cut!

1. The Shatter Me series is pretty good so far. It’s a YA series that has eight books, and it’s completed, but I’ve only read the first three. So far, it has a lovelyyy enemies to lovers romance that is very reminiscent of ships like captain swan (and reylo, just for you, kat. there’s a scene in the second book that reminds me so much of the throne room scene where rey is debating joining kylo ren). It’s about a girl whose touch is lethal and her growing into her power and doing some badass stuff. She’s a little annoying because she’s horny the entire time but all in all, I’d highly recommend it, especially considering your tastes!

2. I always always always have to recommend the Six of Crows duology, if you haven’t read it yet. It’s objectively the best ya series around and is a sequel series to the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but reading that first isn’t necessary. It’s about a heist and the group of six criminal teens who try to pull it off, and the found family trope is strong with this one. I would die for every single character, and the plot is twisty and so so good!! The romances are all perfectly angsty, too.

3. Another ya classic is The Raven Cycle series and its spinoff, The Dreamer Trilogy (which only has one book so far). It’s extremely difficult to describe but the found family is good here too. It’s about a group of friends in Virginia who are looking for a dead Welsh king. There’s lots of supernatural things and dreams and psychics and dead people who are alive and alive people who are dead. It’s so odd but so endearing and unique and reading it makes me so nostalgic for some reason.

4. Onto non-ya but still basic! The Goldfinch is one of those books that you read because everyone says you should and then suddenly you’re crying over the last 20 pages and overthinking the meaning of life. It’s a coming of age story about a boy who steals a painting after his mom dies in a museum bombing and deals with the guilt and repercussions of this theft for the next decade or two. It can be a bit problematic (as I find with Donna Tartt novels) but it’s mostly good.

5. The Great Gatsby is a good one, especially if you (like myself) had to read it in middle/high school and didn’t actually read it. And then you go back and read it and realize it was actually really good! Basically: guy simps for girl, his neighbor narrates the whole thing, and there’s death and a roaring 20’s aesthetic and ~ s y m b o l i s m ~

6. The Inkworld Trilogy (starting with Inkheart) is a childhood favorite of mine and I just remembered by looking at my bookshelf omg. It’s about a girl and her dad who can read themselves and other things in and out of books, and there’s a specific obsession with this book called Inkheart. Super unique and lovely aesthetics and nostalgia, especially if you grew up reading books! It is middle grade, though (or at most early YA). Speaking of middle grade, if you haven’t read Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, you must.

7. Till We Have Faces by the guy who wrote Narnia is a retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche through the eyes of the oldest sister who is so ugly she has to cover her face with a veil (or so she’s convinced). Her ‘ugliness’ is a big plot point, contrasted against Psyche’s beauty. She loves her sister more than her own life and is convinced that the beast who takes her in is actually evil. But who’s the real villain of the story? Who’s the real hero? Hmm... It’s such an interesting take on the myth and no one ever talks about this book!!!!! The last two chapters are a trip, but CS Lewis considered it his best work (and I agree!)

8. Any and every Shakespeare play. Specifically Much Ado About Nothing, it’s an easy read and has the funniest plot: Two exes ‘hate’ each other and people are tired of them fighting so they set them up. Side plot where girl’s cousin has to fake her death to defend her honor. I’m a shameless Shakespeare nerd. Ignore this one if u want lol, or watch the Emma Thompson movie!

9. If you actually are a Shakespeare nerd, I’d recommend the dark academia murder mystery novel If We Were Villains. It’s about a tight-knit group of seven pretentious young actors in their final year studying at an acting conservatory. This year, the casting list for a particular performance is different than usual, and it causes drama between the characters and eventually leads to one of them being murdered. It uses themes and plots from Shakespeare plays such as Julius Caesar, King Lear, and more, and there are scenes where characters’ actions off-stage match or contrast their actions on-stage, and it’s super cool if you’re a NERD like me.

10. Red White and Royal Blue is like every rom-com you’ve ever watched with every cute (fanfic) trope you could think of! What if the first son of the United States hated (read: was secretly in love with) the Prince of Wales? They’re rivals until they bond over Star Wars (there’s more than that, but, mood). They are so dramatic and the writing is wonderful. Covers absolutely everything I could ever want from a story, honestly. It has the best cast of side characters, too!

11. The All for the Game trilogy is no easy read, it’s very gritty and I’d recommend reading the list of trigger warnings before opening the books. But, if you’re up for it, it’s a good story involving a fake sport and a bunch of college students from rough backgrounds who play said fake sport and eventually bond over trauma and such. Also, it’s set in my state with an orange paw-themed sports team... hmmm familiar

12. It was at this point that I wondered if I should recommend the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It’s getting a Netflix series this year (!!) and it’s the series before Six of Crows, mentioned earlier, but it’s not as good. Many people complain about the ending (even though I liked it) and Leigh Bardugo’s definitely found her style since writing these. Also, the character development is lacking. That being said! It’s a good introduction into the Grishaverse and it helps you get a feel for the magic system and all that. It’s not a terrible series, it’s just cliche and Alina makes me want to rip my hair out :))

13. Classics promo ok... if you haven’t read all those (specifically greek) classics that were on the english syllabus that were ignored or sparknotes’d, now’s the time to read them to enjoy them! My personal favorite is The Iliad.

#here u go kat!! sorry these are late #i went through my entire 200 goodreads 'read' list for this #this looks like a syllabus i hate it #half of these are Gay whoops #that's just how it be babey #book recs #answered #thank you!!!#kat tag

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niibeth · 5 years

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from this moment on no more blue songs

Quotes from the novelization made me remember TROS again, and I’m astonished by how depressing this movie feels.

Kylo Ren died in his worst nightmare - not being himself. Generally, lived the whole movie in a nightmarish deja vu - another old evil master, chasing the girl again, treason all around. Also, he is VERY DUMB.

Leia lived her whole life knowing that she’s going to die kinda saving her son (= killing), who is a monster... like what the fuck is this plot ark anyway!?

Rey loses the second half of fucking whatever it was diad, the part that was a monster, actually, but still, the only other person in the universe who could be in that place.

And she prooooobably gets friends, but when she returns from war Poe and Finn look at her with such obvious hesitation. But really, turns out she did mind-tricked Poe??? Ethic? Choice? In my SW? Haven’t heard.

And she kills Chewy. I mean, we know that she didn’t. But it was clear indirect intent, I’m telling you as an ex-lawyer. And she’s gonna live her whole life with that knowledge.

Ok, Hux just dies dumbly, probably by the hand of his childhood abuser or a witness of abuse. Being sidelined by all sides and described as stupid, while moving the most of the plot.

Exegol and Last Fleet. I want to erase those memories.

BTW the First Order hasn’t been completely destroyed. Meanwhile, Resistance has used the last resources. Do you know what that means? Thousands of local uprisings, military and mafia grabbing pieces of the galaxy, new war.

Rey digs the swords (omg, can you stop wasting those fucking swords!? they are kind of valuable) and sees ghosts and probably is going on a new adventure! Ta-dam!! We must believe it. Company of ghosts - so happy.

Chewy must be also happy about his medal, now, a reminder of his dead friends...

Ah, there were Force-sensitive stormtroopers, who were also human humans, not cannon fodder, but no one cared.

And Rose. Rose, who???

There were also a couple of new girls because we need fresh pretty girls in new parts of that movie, right? That was their purpose, I guess.

This movie made me hate reylo ship, the one I was indifferent to before. It made be hate gingerose ship that I was a bit interested in (sure, gingerose, cos we must make all brave strong female characters love their abusers, the more power inbalance the more feminists we are!) and I almost completely ignore canon kylux now. I read works, discussions and look at art, but in my head, it doesn’t exist anymore.

Sadly I can’t just change fandoms, so that means au and adjacents from now on.

#tros negativity

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violet-sabres · 5 years

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Some quick observations re: TROS and some "reylo"musings (spoilers)

- the editing removed A LOT of emotional pay-offs for so many scenes. The decorations and actors change quickly, a bit randomly - in fact it takes a while before this movie finds its tempo and footing. Something weighty happens and no reflection is allowed even in briefest sketch of a reaction. Next scene. Next scene-

- Poe, Finn, Rose and two new female characters were absolutely robbed. Both by the ungodly pace of this movie (there is much potential for scenes that could mean much much more in the whole storyline. As is, they are discarded as soon as they happen). The bond between Finn and Poe got severed in the beginning with some awkward finnrey moments and strange jealousy (was that what it was???) from Poe. I say either carry out the finnrey thread (which was also beautiful actually, though Finn deserves so much better than how she treats him in TROS...) or finnpoe, something which JJ himself built up. Rose should be given an independent arc with no romance involved, or a love interest of her own.

- Rose's infatuation with Finn is never touched. Rose herself is absolutely erased - she is a statist, providing some dialogue with absolutely no weight behind it. JJ treated her terribly - it was his privilege and responsibility to utilize whatever he got from Johnson as he saw fit; but throwing away her potential only underlines the racist sidelining he did to all characters of colour.

- the heteronormativity I can't understand - Finn and Poe are JJs babies after all (and yeah, I know - shareholders...). Why tease hetero relationships for both and STILL leave even them hanging?? Like, he discarded Rose bc first of all racism, second - Johnson's 'leftovers' I guess? Unacceptable. The lady of Poe's was sketched boldly - but still sketched. Her inclusion wouldn't feel so random if Poe wasn't shown to be this randomly emotional abt her all of a sudden. Why now? It felt a bit forced and this is a shame bc she (and Janah, omg Janah...) is super cool. I'd love to read and see way more about all of them.

- Finn and Janah - wonderful rapport, so much empathy and loyalty, they are wonderful together. I definitely could see them together as well - so many threads to explore! There was so much potential to embed meaningful relationships for Finn into the plot. Janah is one of those that felt quite right but deserved more still. She deserves a story of her own. Not for the first time it is a secondary character of colour who carries so much potential and substance and gets sidelined. I dont mind Kylo content btw - but this series was shown to concentrate on 3 people and a villain. Keep to this proportion or perish I say. They didnt keep them and the movie feels unfairly skewed towards the force dyad of Rey and Ren. Hence, robbed. We were robbed of much of quality content here.

- the implication/suggestion that Finn may be Force sensitive held so much promise. I love Finn and Boyega played him with so much passion and dignity. He grew into leadership without pretense or drama, was competent and knowledgeable about the inner workings of the Fleet and found hope he was struggling for. Honestly the problem here is that his prominence was teased to be greater than the actual time and the weight of scenes he was given. This movie should be longer, scene order less abrupt and random - so the characters that were shown to matter in the first part could matter here as well.

- JEDI FINN please. The potential of it was teased - they should scrap some of the scenes and build those kinds of plot points more thoroughly. Finn's arc should be more - but that doesn't mean Boyega played it any other than magnificently. He got what he was given and made it his. I hate that this still means it was not as much as he and Poe deserved it. Same with Rose.

- galactic generals (*husbands) Poe and Finn. It could be marriage, it should be - Isaac played a man in love. I enjoyed this new romantic angle with the spice smuggler lady as well - but it required more buildup. As it was, it made for an awkward and frankly homophobic ersatz for finnpoe plotline of the first and even second movie. I hate wasting the potential of new characters in the movie, and this is what happened here. Also Poe's smuggling past - no previous setup that felt offensive to many bc of its randomness and no previous grounds in existing media. Felt like unnecessary sensationalism here.

- Rey is complicated here. I didnt like her attitude towards Finn and wished for more appreciation of their own idiosyncracies between them. Finn deserved his love (whether romantic or platonic) to be recognized. It was lacking here.

- I loved the fight scenes, the dialogues with Ren that should begin in TFA if they wished for the romance to be acceptably wet up. Driver is so fucking physical and huge, a bit awkward and very strong. To me it was attractive - but to me Kylo always lacked the threat in him when it came to Rey; I know this isnt so for others and respect that.

- Choreography is super effective here, the body work of Rey and Ren is wonderful.

- lighting, the sith locations were one of my favourites

- the creatures - while in the background, theybwere lovely. They made for lusher world out there.

- Palps was eh. Needed for the ending setup, ultimately fell a bit flat. The twist re his endgame would feel better if the whole scene didnt play this fucking quickly.

- the death (you know whose...) is quick and abrupt, passing fleetingly with no real depth or importance. They are rushing to another scene so quickly they forget that if you love somebody enough to accept them fully, this person's death tends to leave some kind of impression. As it is, Rey is hardly the first character robbed of emotional engagement in TROS.

- sigh. Ren. I love to hate him and hate to enjoy him still. Also feeling like a hypocrite bc would I enjoy him if not for my prefernce for how Driver looks like? Would anyone who I respect a bit more than his most fanatical reylo fans? I have no answer really.

I've never seen a character ripped into shreds from so many angles. For incels and dudebros he is a pussy (a lot of girls I know also mentioned that). He is supposedly not cruel enough, not awesome like Vader, whatever.

For others he is a genocidal criminal, and that he is. You can't sidestep Tuanul or his passivity in front of Star Destroyer wiping out whole planets. He is implicated in this genocide - and that scene where he is supposedly mutely watching it from the distance falls flat if its intention was to show he wasn't entirely behind Hux's agenda. He still never stopped him. So yeah, it is obvious that for many he is absolutely undeserving of any empathy, much less a romance plotline with movie's heroine. Especially when the first scenes setting it up were so messed up.

Now I hate the word reylo and I'd rather choke than call myself that. But I did enjoy their enmity and idk love?? towards each other? It should be plotted more consequently and I believe if JJ didn't muck it in tfa people would be a lot less opposed to the whole villain x heroine thing. Nobody opposes it bc of that - it's the torture bed and it's the "whatever I want" line that made so many recoil. It's the absolute lack of coherence at a time where more self awareness was needed from the director of the very first part in the series.

I believe there is a kind of generational divide on topic of their romance. Youve got gen z "antis" who argue about the abuse (and have a lot of good point more reylos should think hard and long about) - and mostly adult to older women (this includes older milennials also!) who grew up steeped in gothic romanticism that, up to gen z growing up, was a dominant romance paradigm in the West.

Youve got your Wuthering Hills, your Pride and Prejudice and Beauty and the Beast. I hate it. I absolutely abhor it, and the more the reylo fandom hammered their whole relationship from this angle, the more I was distancing myself. I believe the whole genre is steeped in toxic masculinity and yes, you can look at reylo from this angle as well - and I understand that when you saw those scenes from TFA, and didn't feel convinced by entirely paradoxal romance teasers (bc JJ mixed them both in equal measure, and thus killed wide enthusiasm for reylo for good) then what happened in TLJ and TROS must look like the embracing toxic hetero romance in entirety. And to some degree it is - entirely by JJs fault. The other elements that you mightve ignored in tfa suddenly get amplified in tlj, in tros and youre left wondering why the hell Kylo Ren could ever be seen as romanceable?

But the thing is, while the analogy of angry white male pursuing a pure young woman seems fitting, it doesnt work for me here. I also acknowledge that it may be in part bc I'm used to the gothic paradigm, attracted to Driver as Ren and feeling safe and assured that Rey would stay herself despite whatever he wanted from her (and she did in my opinion, she never caved even when she loved him). Kylo is white, and he is aggressive - he is a villain, he tortures and hurts Poe and Finn and plays psychological games with Rey, he shouts a lot and is very physical, which in itself looks threatening.

All those could end up somewhat accepted bc he is a villain - people will accept the consequent villain, or paradoxical one done with self- awareness on side of their creator. JJ was absolutely unaware of what a mess he did I bet - the worst elements that crossed "reylo" off the list for so many people I'd argue were first sown by JJ himself in paradoxical chase of I tease this-now I don't. Here's what I mean.

It was JJ who put Rey on that horizontal torture bed, even when Poe's was upright. It was JJ who had Ren say those gross words abt taking what he wanted. It was also JJ who irreaponsibly and paradoxically played with symbolism normally reserved for gothic princes DESPITE the gross elements he himself planted - the mask going off to reveal a goofy Disney prince, the crouching so as not to scare her, the freaking bridal carry, the humanizing via showing Ren's vulnerability. I actually hated some of those scenes - I loved the face reveal no lie, but what followed was unacceptable. Why style your villain this lush and vulnerable when you're shooting your own foot a few minutes after, with dialogue that had whole groups of young women discard him as trash? Why not polish your villain with more self awareness so that the ground for the romance is understood and cautiously accapted?

So youve got an internally cracked TFA that for some was obviously teasing reylo but for others made it unacceptable forever. This is one hell of a difficult mix to continue with and I believe if JJ was given the 2nd part to work with, perhaps he might be able to somehow work with Ren so that TLJ wouldnt feel like slap to the face to those who saw mostly the worst parts of Ren that JJ himself designed. Perhaps he would also polish the romance teasers or got rid of them altogether, idk. TROS shows that while he was eager to discard anything that Johnson had put into motion, he chose to leave reylo content still. This is really paradoxical to me, today as it was back then.

Now reylo isnt super mainstream - if he got rid of it, it would surely anger a lot of people but also satisfy an equal amount of others. Yet he chose not to and I'd argue it is because he planned for reylo to happen from the beginning, just in a shitty way we first witnessed in the worst scenes of TFA.

I'll also argue another point - if Johnson was given the saga from the beginning, reylo wouldnt be nearly as much hated and regarded as abusive for so many. It is this particular humanization of Kylo that was criticized by so many that would protect the 1st part from that torture bed, and from taking whatever Kylo wanted. As it was, when all this sudden humanity followed JJs paradoxical mess, only opposition could come bc it kind of must - it looked for many as woobifying somebody who was already irredeemable. The irony is that JJ probably never planned for this - maybe he thought he could pull this off, somehow work out the agreement between ugly Kylo and Kylo worthy of Rey. Johnson just put a fat line between TFA and his own vision, and irresponsibly ignored all the ugly heritage that should be better worked on if he ever hoped to rectify JJs paradoxes. He didnt do this and thus the mess.

I dont know if it would ever be possible though. Perhaps theres been a shift in ethics, in aesthetics even, so big that for the gen Z this kind of relationship is unacceptable. I dont see anything bad in this - even if I enjoyed a lot of reylo's potential, there will be better content, better romances done by those kids who despise reylo now as well. Meanwhile I plan to stay on this weird pole stuck deep into my ass between reylo enthusiast and haters bc I cant for shit choose a side fully.

Bc I dont see the abuse this clear cut - but am also unsure how much of it is my cultural baggage, the history of normalizing toxic masculinity etc. I bet it's both to some degree, like with all gothic romance genre, - and that there wouldnt be this whole rift at the heart of tfa without toxic masculinity normalization at all. Without it there would be no torture bed and no threats. And the irony is that Johnson would probably see to that better. But not as good as a woman behind the camera to begin with - if you want a heroine at its heart that is.

Like, you can see JJs initial vision as pretty homogenous - the bed, the words, and ignore all the paradoxical romance symbolism in there. You can also look at it as fractured and absolutely lacking coherence, and fish for the elements youd like to stay in next parts. I welcomed Johnson bc he took the best in Kylo and left JJs mess behind. This is also the very reason youre gonna hate the TLJ if TFA felt coherent for you. Bc you cant ignore that which felt threatening and cruel and very much obvious.

I have no easy recipe at dealing with this saga. I cant throw my weight behind reylo fully, ever, but will cautiously accept the potential it could have should it be more coherently written. I love so much of art and those fics that are in line with my wishes towards how Ren should be done from.the beginning.

When I was considering what to.think abt all that, back in the beginning, I didnt want for Rey to cater to emotional demands and baggage of an aggressive male, and I believe she actually doesnt - time and time again she asserts herself, maybe messily but she has the right to her anger and pain so the messy it has to be. She is shown to hope for him becoming better - and isnt manipulated or groomed to do so, and if loneliness was the only reason to stick to him then any other person would suffice, which isnt the case. She is loyal to the cause to the end and happily carries on despite Ren dying, even if it's clear she loved him. She is her own woman and the magnitude of his emotions, the physicality of his behaviour hardly influence her - she neither cowers before Kylo nor caters to him, ever. I love her for this, actually.

So there you have it, my messy thoughts on both TROS and 'reylo' dynamics. I cant say Im satisfied with both. There could be more, Ren could be fleshed out better in the beginning. The potential of so many characters was left undeveloped. I dont feel satiafaction even with elements I loved abt reylo bc there is no counterpart in other aspects I hoped to see developed. I wanted Rey to have more time with Finn, for Finn to have more time with Poe, for Rose to matter in tros as well. I wanted more of Rey and Leia, and for Ren to have more coherence to his character. Ultimately I got crumbs and some bits unable to be stomached.

Go and watch tros, stay in the place of engaging with this series that feels best to you, closest to your needs abd perceptions. Tros will not satisfy anyone in full, also bc of editing and the pacing - which is terrible. Reylo will either frustrate you or frustrate you for entirely different reasons. Dont take JJs shit, dont take Johnson's. Take from the saga whatever works for you.

I dont think it's possible to fully embrace reylo, without reservations. There are grounds for the so called antis to point out the toxic masculinity and potential for abuse. There are tropes suggesting romance despite this still, all in just TFA. It was a mess from the very beginning and it's normal people took sides.

I'm just glad it's finally over.

#tros spoilers #sw spoilers #return of jedi spoilers #reylo

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