#Remember Bo Katan thinks you're pretty

[the-yearning-astronaut]

I was made entirely tongue tied today at work when a very pretty and spot on Bo-Katan lookalike cosplayer told me I'm pretty.

"You're very pretty. I just thought you should know."

[ladyzirkonia]

hi !! I hope you're well 💚

sorry if this is random but I need to scream this somewhere and i'm curious to hear what others have to say abt this aa

I gave myself the hope that the reason why Bo-Katan didn't seem to give too much of a reaction while she watched Din get captured was because she was holding herself back so Moff wouldn't know that she cares deeply abt Din and use that against her by hurt Din 😭

idk if I'm just delusional (I'm a sw fan so yes) or something waaah what are your thoughts abt this?

Su cuy'gar* my friend.

That's totally not a random question! In fact I was a little bit disappointed when I saw Bo-Katan's reaction as Din got captured. I found her reaction to Paz to be much stronger, but she also knew that he was certain to die. You could see her struggle because she probably vowed never to leave a Mandalorian behind again.

So I rewatched the whole scene for you, paying special attention to Bo-Katan's reaction. Unfortunately, she wears a helmet, which is why the analysis is of course a little more difficult like in the scenes where she's talking with Din without her helmet.

Din gets caught from Gideon's man, he tries to defend himself with the flame thrower and get's tied up. Right after you see first Paz and then Bo-Katan fire against the barrier.

Then she takes a step closer to the barrier, seems to pause for a fraction of a second. At that moment she is still lit by the light from Din's flamethrower. She hits the glass with the gun in her hand. A split second later, the screen wents dark. The perspective changes and we see Din fighting his opponents from her point of view. Then she hits the barrier again with her hand.

One must always remember that Bo-Katan is an incredibly experienced and skilled warrior. She has seen many people get hurt or die. It wouldn't suit her to panic or scream. But despite the helmet, you can tell that she is shocked for a split second. Viewers are only shown her and Grogu's reaction to Din's capture because those are the ones that count. She hits the barrier twice and later several times again when she is no longer in focus of camera, but you can see it when you look very closely. This reaction that is irrational and in due of desperation because she can't do anything about it. I think it's dramaturgically wonderful done that Bo is first lit up and shortly afterwards her ''face'' gets dark. Maybe also an indication how she's feeling in the inside.

After Gideon appeared, she initially stands there relatively rigidly, but during the course of Gideon's speech you notice that her posture is super tense, which culminates in her slightly desperate exclamation ''No!'' after Gideon sends off the Tie Fighters and Bombers. Din is taken away and Bo says in an almost slightly trembling and angry voice:

She responds to her likely rising panic with a threat. A relatively clear coping mechanism. She then threatens Gideon in a calmer and firmer voice to destroy him once and for all. And I'm pretty sure she will do.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with her reaction when I first saw it. But I had to remind myself that she's not a silly schoolgirl. And after looking this scenes again I'm sure that she cares pretty much! You just have to look carefully. I love how subtle the whole season is over and over again and what an incredible talent Katee Sackhoff shows in bringing us closer to Bo's feelings.

And finally, I wanna show you of how Bo-Katan reacted in the second episode when she realized that Din Djarin was in danger:

And now just imagine what her face must have looked like when Din was captured after what they went through together.

Screenshots are mine. GIF's from @itberice, thank you!

This is the way!

*Su cuy'gar (Mando'a) = Hello (lit. you are still alive)

[violetjedisylveon]

Armorer x Bo-Katan incorrect quotes cause it's fun

Enjoy the chaos and Din and others getting caught in the middle of it!

Armorer: What is the one thing I told you not to do? Bo-Katan: Burn the planer down. Armorer: And what did you do? Bo-Katan: I made dinner. Armorer: Bo-Katan: Armorer: Bo-Katan: And burnt the planet down.

...

Bo-Katan: Hold on, I can explain! Armorer: Really? Can you now? Bo-Katan: I can if you give me a minute to think of a convincing lie.

...

Armorer, answering the phone: Hello? Bo-Katan: It’s Bo-Katan. Armorer: What did they do this time? Bo-Katan: No, it’s me, Bo-Katan. It’s actually me. Armorer: What did you do this time?

...

Armorer: Ugh, there’s always that weak bitch in the group who isn’t down with following the way. Armorer: glares at Bo-Katan Bo-Katan: Well, sorry!

...

Armorer: If you lose, you’re out of the tribe. Bo-Katan: I was in the tribe?

...

Armorer: sees someone doing something stupid Armorer: What an idiot. Armorer: realizes it's Bo-Katan Armorer: Wait, that's MY idiot!

...

Bo-Katan: State your name, rank, and intention. Armorer: Armorer, Armorer, fun.

...

Armorer: Don’t worry, I have a permit. Bo-Katan: …This just says “I can do what I want”.

...

Bo-Katan: Good morning. As you begin your day, remember that violence is always an option and often the answer. Armorer: Bo-Katan: Armorer: …Please, go back to bed.

...

Armorer: How the hell are you still alive? Bo-Katan: Honestly, I’m just as confused as you are.

...

Bo-Katan: When I was young, I left a trail of broken hearts like a rockstar. I'm not proud of it. Armorer: You're kind of proud of it. You work it into a lot of conversations.

...

Armorer: How’s practice going? Bo-Katan: Terrible. I want to stab everybody there. Armorer: Okay, just don’t get any blood on your clothes. Bo-Katan: …you shouldn’t be condoning this. Armorer: Don’t tell me how to live my life.

...

Armorer to Din: I can't imagine what Bo-Katan is planning. But I can tell you two things. We won't like it and it won't be by the Way.

...

Armorer: Ah ready for another fantastic day of being better than Bo-Katan.

...

Bo-Katan: Are you ever going to listen to me? Armorer: Yes. Absolutely. Bo-Katan: When? Armorer: When you're right.

...

Armorer: Let’s write Bo-Katan a friendly note, shall we? Dear… Incompetent… Dumbass…

...

Din: I just found out from Paz today that when Bo-Katan died and the service did the 21-gun salute at their funeral, Armorer said, “They should aim at the coffin to be sure.”

...

Din: I told Paz to grab snacks for everyone. Bo-Katan, looking through the options: Why did you grab fruit snacks? Are you five? Who even likes Fruit Snacks? Din, Paz, and Armorer raise their hands

...

Bo-Katan: Everyone synchronise your watches. Paz: I don't know how to do that. Armorer: I don't wear a watch. Din: Time is a construct.

...

Din: What do you want then? Paz: Er… something work related. Din: What department is this? Paz: Sorry? Din: Well, if it’s work related you’d obviously know what department this is. What department is this? Paz: looks at Armorer and Bo-Katan Some sort of homosexual department?

...

Din: I’m so happy two of my favorite people are getting along now. Paz: Uh, Armorer and Bo-Katan are not getting along. Din: They’re not trying to kill each other. Paz: You may have a point.

...

That's it. Funny thing tho I started watching DuckTales 2017, and realised a lot of the quoets from the generator I use are from that, I just think it's pretty funny.

[dontgodownfornoroses]

DISNEY: Alright, Audience. We've taken your complaints about the new season of The Mandalorian into consideration, and I think that you're really going to like this new episode.

AUDIENCE: We'll see.

DISNEY: Okay. First, we have a Romeo and Juliet type love story between two squid people. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, but it's just a short scene, and it also establishes what Bo-Katan's old crew is up to.

AUDIENCE: Okay...

DISNEY: So, then Din and Bo-Katan go to a planet to find more Mandalorians. And it's, like, a silly planet! With guest stars! We've got Jack Black and Lizzo as space royalty!

AUDIENCE: ...

DISNEY: Lizzo feeds Grogu a fish!

AUDIENCE: Oh!

DISNEY: Din and Bo-Katan have to solve a violent malfunctioning droid problem, and there's Ugnaughts! Like Kuiil! Remember Kuiil? They chase down a rogue droid, and Christopher Lloyd is there, and Lizzo makes Grogu a knight!

AUDIENCE: This sounds like it could be...fun.

DISNEY: YES! FUN! EVERYBODY LOVES FUN! (Also, Bo-Katan is the main character now) So, they find the other Mandalorians-

AUDIENCE: What was that last part?

DISNEY: About the other Mandalorians?

AUDIENCE: About Bo-Katan.

DISNEY: Oh, yeah. She's the main character now.

AUDIENCE: WHY.

DISNEY: Because she has the Darksaber.

AUDIENCE: No, Din has the Darksaber! She still has to fight him for it!

DISNEY: Oh no, she has it now. Because of a loophole that happened in episode 2.

AUDIENCE: So, the only dramatic tension left in the show is whether or not Bo-Katan will retake Mandalore?

DISNEY: Yeah, pretty much.

AUDIENCE: But what is Din going to do now?

DISNEY: I don't know. He'll...be around. Holding Grogu and stuff.

AUDIENCE: But he's the main character! His name is in the title!

DISNEY: Ah, but the show is called The Mandalorian. We never specified which Mandalorian.

AUDIENCE: ARRRRRGGGGGHHH.

DISNEY: Did we mention that Lizzo has a holo-cape?

[bedlemboy]

More Incorrect Star Wars Quotes

Maul: I called you here because I’m in peril!

Ezra: Pft! Peril.

Maul: Don’t pft my peril! Someone’s trying to kill me! That's why I called my Apprentice!

Ezra: I’m not your apprentice, I’m your worst enemy! Get it through your head!

Maul: This kind of bickering is what makes us such an adorable couple!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Mama, this is my apprentice, Ezra Bridger. And this is my personal assistant, Mangy Kanan.

Kanan: You can just call me Kanan, ma’am. Maul: Mangy Kanan used to be a homeless gentleman. I work with a charity that finds jobs for down-on-their-luck Jedi.

Mother Talzin: Oh, that’s sweet! He’s been so good to your people!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: I can’t help it. You’re like a son to me. A white, crispy son.

Ezra: How would that even work? Am I adopted or something?

Maul: No, your mother’s just really pale. Almost invisible. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul (escaping): Ezra, I can’t hear you through the vacuum of space! I’ll just assume you’re finally admitting to be my apprentice!

Ezra: Dammit, Maul! I will bring you to justice one day!

Maul: No you’re MY best friend! I’m so proud of us for finally being able to say it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quinlan: Ventress, I know we just met, and I don't wanna be too forward. . .

Kenobi: Quinlan.

Quinlan: Sometimes you just get a feeling about a person!

Kenobi: Quinlan.

Quinlan Vos: I've got that feeling about you. I like you. I think tonight we-

Kenobi: Quinlan, look down!

Quinlan: Oh. . . shoot.

Ventress: They just gave me ten years in prison.

Kenobi: . . . She didn't say no!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ventress: Will you tell my sweet Mother Talzin the inspiring story about how Maul saved from being a mulch-butt hoe?

Ahsoka: . . . That is 100 percent accurate, Ma’am.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Oh, my God, Lady Tano, are you saying what I think you're saying?!

Ahsoka: Yes. You have a copycat!

Maul: I didn't think I'd accomplished enough in my career for this!

Ahsoka: I know, it's big!

Maul: It just feels so good to be seen, you know?!

Ahsoka: Wait. The only way to catch a copycat is to team up with the original crime lord!

Maul: I'm back in the Order! Give me a lightsaber!

Quinlan Vos: Absolutely not.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hondo Ohnaka: Hey, who’s your boyfriend?

Ventress: Who said boyfriend? Quinlan services my needs and then shuts his pretty little mouth so I can get down to BUSINESS. Make ‘em bounce, daddy!

Quinlan: (sighs, does the pec-pop)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Stop caressing my baby sister!

Quinlan Vos: How can I be caressing HER with MY pecs?

Maul: Look at those things! They have thumbs!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ventress: I am a grown woman, Maul! I. NEED. TO. SMUSH.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bo-Katan: I can’t believe Quinlan Vos is dating Maul’s sister. I remember when Kenobi made out with my sister, I was mad at him for ten years!

Kenobi: That was only five years ago.

Bo-Katan: And you’ve still got five left.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quinlan: Ventress has a ranch on Dathomir where she goes when she’s on the run. She’s there now, getting rid of the scorpions. Or adding more scorpions. I dunno, the reception was bad.

[airyairyaucontraire]

Watching The Mandalorian S3E04

Okay, so last week's episode, which was almost all about Dr Pershing who absolutely nobody likes or wanted to know more about, was 59 minutes long. This week's, which is PRESUMABLY about DIN DJARIN THE MANDALORIAN from The Mandalorian, is only 33 minutes long. Do you think they could please try to have a consistent episode time? I don't mind about five minutes here or there, but this is absurd, and it just really feels like the people in charge are no longer interested in telling a story about Mandalorians.

anyway last week I was bored and indignant and Bo-Katan got involuntarily baptised and adopted which probably isn't even in her top ten of strange things that have happened to her

NB - I get pretty salty in here so if that would bum you out or if you genuinely enjoyed the episode maybe just keep scrolling

okay so remember how in that episode of The Book of Boba Fett that was completely hijacked from Boba Fett to be about Din's problems, the covert was down to literally two people, the Armorer and Paz Vizsla, living in an underground lair with a glow-in-the-dark sigil to let you know it was there like a vampire safe house in Blade? How did they get all these Mandos together after that? I know they're trying really hard to push some bullshit about "there was a two year time lapse and that's why Bo-Katan's bob is longer or something" but it simply does not make sense and is unsatisfactory. Anyway, there's a shedload of Mandalorians here and they're acting like yahoos on the beach. If there were road signs on this planet they would be so shot-up they'd look like lace.

I miss Boba Fett

remember Boba Fett?

(wistful sigh about Boba Fett)

okay the little kid going up in a jetpack was pretty cute

and Grogu's just being cute and Zen rock gardening down at the water's edge WHERE IN RECENT MEMORY A HUGE MONSTER SPLURSHED UP ON THE BEACH AND STARTED TRYING TO EAT PEOPLE

I mean I can't say it enough

THEY HAVEN' T EVEN PUT UP A FENCE

Din it's really nice that you want to include him but... have you done anything to prepare him for this kind of rough-housing? Yeah yeah learn by doing and everything, but he's not even the same species as the other children in this activity, let alone approximately the same shape or size.

Have you explained to him that it's not okay to choke the other kid with his mind? Because I feel like that's going to be his go-to move if they come at him like a spider monkey.

"I am his ward"? How are they using that word exactly? Isn't he your ward? You're his guardian. He's Dick, you're Bruce, not the other way round.

Din Djarin please stop making your baby play paintball on the beach

HERE COMES ANOTHER FUCKING MONSTER

MANDALORIANS ARE SO FUCKING STUPID

THAT KID HAS THE MOST DOGSHIT LUCK

of fucking course your jetpacks don't have the range to follow the dragon to its lair! They're only for short hops! You're all idiots!

"I'm out of fuel. It always gets away."

IT ALWAYS GETS AWAY?

THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY?

HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN EATEN!!!???

so Bo-Katan has to be the only functional adult

can I just say

if Bo-Katan Kryze is the most functional adult present, the kids are in so much trouble.

"It would kill the child" - why are you all carrying on so leisurely as if the child isn't most likely already dead? Why would Bo-Katan go all the way back and not simply radio back to base, keeping an eye on the lair and giving them the co-ordinates to join her? What do you actually care about "the safety of the foundling" when you do absolutely nothing to protect your children from the MARAUDING WILD ANIMALS of the planet you have UNACCOUNTABLY SETTLED UPON?

why... why is this show so dumb now

like I don't require genius from a Star War but why is everyone a fucking meathead

okay I think the baby is having A PTSD FLASHBACK not that anybody's paying attention

so are they finally going to deliver on "who took care of Grogu?"

just some random Jedi (okay, actually I approve of it not being anyone I recognise; if it wasn't going to be Maul which I always knew was extravagantly unlikely)

and a tiny bit of voice work from Temuera Morrison

(dreamy sigh) Temuera Morrison

so they're getting a bit more use out of the Coruscant "sets" they "built" for last week's waste of the better part of an hour

Okay, that's a Naboo ship, they're easy to recognise because they're so shiny and chrome

I'm curious what this implies about emergency plans Padmé may have made

"Mandalorian steel shall keep you safe as you grow stronger." Unless, of course, you're snapped up by one of the RAVENOUS BEASTS that MARAUD all around our FLAGRANTLY UNFORTIFIED SETTLEMENT

well his papa will be very proud to see his new little tummy-shield

YOU'RE GOING TO CAMP OVERNIGHT?

HOW ARE WE NOT SUPPOSED TO THINK THE KID IS LONG SINCE DEAD? why would the dragon not eat him as soon as it got home? It's not Kong, it's not going to decide he's cute and play with him instead!

"It will kill the foundling if it is attacked. It has happened before when it has taken others." And we have never, ever developed any safety precautions to prevent that happening. Look, do you care about these children or don't you? If you cared about them, wouldn't you supervise them when they're out in an open area frequented by monsters? Or perhaps simply not let them go out in that area, given that the monsters show absolutely no fear of the multiple heavily-armed adults in the settlement?

I - I feel like they sat down and wrote this episode like "This is a tough challenge for our heroes, and will show us their strengths as they work together to overcome it!" as opposed to "This is a moronic situation that wouldn't have happened if anyone involved had the merest smidgen of the most rudimentary sort of intelligence."

there should've been one of those Batman gags where a cameo guest star opens a window in the cliff and pops their head out for a bit of banter

"He's my son! And I'm a BIG BEEFY IDIOT"

HOW HAS RAGNAR BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY INGESTED FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND HE'S STILL ALIVE ENOUGH TO SHOUT "HELP ME"? EVEN IF HE WAS IN SOME SORT OF THROAT POUCH NOT BEING DIGESTED YET HOW DID HE NOT SUFFOCATE?

I don't say this lightly: the Ewoks cartoon (1985-1987) had better plots (and the episodes were only slightly shorter)

we are the e-e-e-e-e-e-Ewoks, we're the spirits of the forest moon

AND NOW THE MOTHER RAPTOR, WHO WAS ONLY TRYING TO FEED HER BABIES, GETS CHOMPED BY A MOSASAUR IN THE MOST PROFOUNDLY UNJUST MOSASAUR-CHOMPING DEATH SINCE KATIE McGRATH IN JURASSIC WORLD (2015)

I mean God forbid women do anything

AND NOW I SUPPOSE THE RAPTOR BABIES JUST STARVE

oh okay so you MURDER THEIR MOTHER and then ADOPT THEM? I suppose that's responsible in a morbid way

this really did feel like the dénouement of a Saturday morning cartoon

look will you please just drop them off with Boba Fett who I would actually trust with pet care

how was there room for the three babies AND the team of Mandalorians in that ship

okay I would actually love it if BK goes around telling people she saw a Mythosaur and nobody believes her or they all think it's a metaphor or an imaginary friend like when nobody believed Big Bird about Mr Snuffleupagus (which they eventually changed because they didn't want to give children the message "adults won't believe you")

well that was just awful

wow

they really are exploring new ways in which to stink

are Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni well

are they exhibiting symptoms of cognitive decline

[nimata-beroya]

Bo Katan trying to blame the Children of the Watch and Din for fracturing Mandalore in the trailer got me thinking. I wonder if she's referring to a general situation of Mandalorians always fighting each other or specifically to the Night of a Thousand Tears. If it's the former, it shows how hypocritical she is.

Like, girl, you were Death Watch!!, which is where the COTW derived from!! YOU helped to dethrone your sister, which led to her murder, I might add. If the COTW have any responsibility for fracturing the Mandalorian society, so have you!

If Bo says that because of the Night of a Thousand Tears, well, yeah, nope, she has no point there either. I mean, what did she expect? If the CotW were still secluded in Concordia then, it probably means they were not on good terms with the rest of the mandalorias or with her. Could they have helped during the battle? Sure, of course, but at what price? If they have done it, then there would be much fewer Mandalorians with which to repopulate Mandalore now.

And the question of where Din was? I think that part of the trailer is misleading like most trailers are. Call me crazy but she might be asking him where he was, here, now, in the present, not back then. Remember that by the season 2 finale, he promised to reconsider joining her efforts to retake mandalore, but the next time we see him, he's bounty hunting and taking detours to Tatooine and Ossus. I might be wrong tho.

If she's asking where he was back then, then I might have an answer. I have this headcanon that Din was running with Ran, Xi'an and company when the Night of the thousand tears happened. I mean, the armorer telling him the story of that night in tbobf pretty much confirms that Din wasn't in Concordia when it happened.

Either way, it's a rude question. That's the Mand'alor you're talking to, have some respect, Bo!

[r0b0tb0y]

fanfic end of the year asks: ALL THE QUESTIONS

I deserved that.

favorite fic you wrote this year: The Stolen Season, a short meandering Deadwood fic I wrote just for me.

least favorite fic you wrote this year: It feels a little harsh! I will offer Anomaly up for slaughter, because it has the lowest kudos and I think I did K2 & Kallus better in other fics.

favorite line/scene you wrote this year: the working song in The Theory of Harmony might be the best scene I ever wrote:

This song didn’t need Din’s accompaniment. The lyrics were in Basic, a slow and aching lament for a lost love. It matched the beat of the dewbacks’ footsteps, so they moved as an eight-legged beast that breathed with Cobb’s words. The last song was the kind to stir up the smoky air of a cantina. This one was made for journeys, a repetitive melody for anyone to pick up and carry wherever they were going, no note too high or low to strain an amateur singer. Its modular verses built texture and details of a doomed romance: Cobb would linger, occasionally, on a rolling tenor as he scavenged for the next snatch of words, gripping it tighter when the rhymes fell into place.

It was a working song, battered into shape by generations of labour, bearing the weight of callused hands and beaten backs and gnarled joints that twanged before a sandstorm.

Cobb’s voice was strong enough to cover the click of the helmet’s clasp. Din rode a few paces with it loose, waiting for the impending urge to secure it in place again. When the impulse never arrived, he slipped it from his head to hold firmly in his lap.

Without the HUD to distinguish the contours, the canyon’s depths became a blanket of warm black. The sky formed a jagged stripe above, indigo where the sun had set, a greenish tint around Guermessa. A spillage of stars in the direction of the Core, growing sparser toward the east: a worn-out cloak with pills in the fabric. Din rubbed his cape between forefinger and thumb. Cobb’s song was a mirage at the horizon of Din’s range: he could pick it out with help from the memory of the amplified version. Unprocessed, the voice had a softer husk to it, suede rather than wool, sand-blasted smooth like the round-edged rocks it was sinking into. Curling and catching in the clever crevices of rocks to chase the blood-suckers off.

Din only knew the theory of harmony; he knew his own voice rumbled like a barge in a storm; he knew this song could be pretty or it could be clear, but not both. All of this would disappear in the morning.

Should he have sung Grogu a lullaby, that he might remember as he drifted asleep in a bed much safer than a handmade hammock strung over a bounty hunter’s bunk? Could Din hold a tune worth remembering? How would he have taught his father’s language to a son with three fingers?

He hadn’t had the time to figure it out.

total number of words you wrote this year: my stats page tells me 84K, and there's about 3-6k in WIPs (one's coauthored and I'm not tracking what's mine).

most popular fic this year: The Theory of Harmony, starting out strong.

least popular fic this year: Anomaly. It's ok, buddy.

longest completed fic you wrote this year: Defect, at almost 16K, because strangers-to-lovers requires legwork (ಠ~ಠ)

shortest completed fic you wrote this year: technically it's Parting Ways, because ao3 counts words with dashes in the middle as one, not two, so a 100-word drabble becomes 97 words when you're writing about Bo-Katan.

longest wip of the year: I only have two WIPs, so three moon wolf wins by default.

shortest wip of the year: double beef burger with shoestring fries.

fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year: I feel happily settled in Mandalorian fandom, and I really enjoyed a short visit to White Collar.

favorite character to write about this year: Obi-Wan Kenobi, surprising myself. I've got future plans for him.

favorite writing song/artist/album of this year: I come back to Monster Magnet more than any reasonable person ought.

a fic you didn’t expect to write: Defect. I kept coming to @bright-elen's inbox like 'you know what would be another cool spin on some concepts you've been doing?' over and over until I had that 'goddammit I'm going to have to write it aren't I' moment.

something you learned this year: I think about that 'ignore fake rules' advice really helps me. I stopped writing the fics I expected myself to write, and let things get a little weird to do looser, more exploratory work. Ultimately stories I'm really proud of like Chenini Wolf and then you are lost wouldn't have been written if I was trying to fit a certain idea of What My Style Is Like.

fic(s) you completed this year: 28 total: four multichaps, ten drabbles, five instalments in Flying Blind, five in new(ish) fandoms, sundry other oddnesses.

fics you’ll continue next year: if you're unlucky, those two wips. I'm holding out for The Theory of Harmony and Flying Blind additions, depending how BOBF shakes out.

current number of wips: two. Plenty more ideas up on the shelf.

any new fics to start next year: not holding myself to anything in particular, but there's some more fleshed-out longfic concepts I'm curious to try.

number of comments you haven’t read: inbox zero baby

most memorable comment/review: I had some wonderful examples this year, but this bookmark on The Theory of Harmony was very special. I love when people talk about stories as material objects.

holllyyyyyyy shit.....this is it. This is everything i could ever want in a fic. The WRITING???? THE PAIN???? the Tuskens were beautifully done, Cobb was lovely, it was subtle and sweet and vivid and awe-inspiring. A fic to dream about, and writing skills one can only hope to obtain one day. Just such a beautiful fic. It's the line that goes something like 'teaching his father's language to a son with three fingers' that just flayed me right open. And the singing as they travelled through Tatooine. I want to paint these words on my bedroom wall. I want to print them onto paper just so I can touch them.

events you participated in this year: absolutely none. It was great. I wrote birthday fics for a few friends in August and that was it.

fics you wanted to write but didn’t: I have a few good concepts up my sleeve but there's not enough to get onto paper yet. A Din/Obi-Wan fic, an Ahsoka/L3 fic, got incredible vibes for Pope/Catfish from Triple Frontier but I haven't knuckled down on them.

favorite fic you read this year: I actually read very little this year, and opted to read more traditional fiction. Looking at my bookmarks, the Narcos: Mexico fic they are two alone, they are really scratched my brain in the same way moments from that show did. I'm such a fan of the jealous/overhearing dynamic and the prose really understands the show's strengths being its beautiful texture and the abyss of ambition.

a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read: As usual I rec everything @bright-elen and @ghost-teat have been working on.

number of favorites/bookmarks you made this year: ten bookmarks, mostly of things I read in past years and forgot to mark.

favorite fanfic author of the year: actually I'm gonna shout out to the amazing artists @its-not-a-pen @dinkryze and @intricatecakes for all their gorgeous Mandalorian work.

longest fic you read this year: I do not actually know how to check. I think it might have been Sparks by @bright-elen?

shortest fic you read this year: Again, I am uncertain. Technically, probably this one.

favorite fandom to read fic from this year: Rogue One, my beloved. Incredible talent and a wonderful community. And Leverage, now I've finally watched it!

[mykingdomforasong]

hi there, I've been enjoying your meta on some of the dinluke discourse. I also saw pointed out by a few people that separate ways was where a lot of the original racist/heterosexist tropes started. softieskywalker responded to a number of asks describing how she perceived some of the more racist depictions in the story from her own experiences being latine.

On rereads it seems obvious enough (din was threatening and controlling of luke, and luke mostly just blushed and flustered his way through the story). in a way it reminds me of how people uncritically loved the harry potter series but on closer inspection, there were a lot of very charged political messages about things like slavery (not to mention the fatphobia).

I would love to hear some thoughts about retrospective evaluation of pop fanfics/stories when scrutiny reveals stuff that were missed the first time around.

Off the bat, I have to say that I have only read Separate Ways once and it was in January of 2021, when I was reading just about any DinLuke content on AO3. So I have very few memories of the fic beyond that I enjoyed it.

That is all to say that I do not want to deny or corroborate anyone's experience or critiques of the fic, positive or negative. I don't remember enough of the fic to actually comment on it. I have no plans to reread it.

Below the cut is just some meta ramblings on the difference between writing for small ships v large ships, and why I do hold SW to a slightly different standard just because of when it was written.

I do think it is worth remembering that fic was written under very different circumstances than pretty much every other DinLuke fic since then, because it was written pre-season 2 for what was a small crack ship. All of Din's character development in season 2, his relationship with Grogu, Grogu's backstory, Gorgu's name, The children of the Watch, Bo-Katan, Boba Fett, Ahsoka ... that was all information the author didn't have at their disposal when writing it.

And speaking as someone who writes a lot of crack ships, as well as very popular ships like DinLuke, the process of writing for a small crack ship with a niche audience (many of whom are probably your friends) is a very different writing experience. When you're writing for a small crackship, you do not have the weight of fandom and fandom expectations hanging over you.

That's not to say that crackships can ignore or be inconsiderate of marginalized identities. Rather I mean that one fic is not the issue. The issue is that broad fandom trends recreate these harmful stereotypes uncritically over and over again. The author of Separate Ways couldn't have, post-season one, written with these broader DinLuke trends in mind. They could not have written that fic with the current popularity of DinLuke in mind, nor with fandom prejudice in mind. I can't speak to the pre-S2 audience of Separate Ways, but I am certain it was a lot smaller than it is now.

To speak from my own experience: when I write DinLuke now, and basically since I started More Light than Heat over a year ago, I am writing with an awareness of fandom trends. Sometimes (often times) I write against these trends and characterizations, sometimes I write in line with them, but either way, I'm writing with the fandom in mind.

I do not have to do that when I'm writing a crackship like DinHan, because when I write DinHan, I'm not writing for a fandom, I'm writing for my friends. I don't suddenly forget Pedro Pascal is Latinx or that Harrison Ford is white European American, but I don't have these fandom tropes or conversations in the back of my mind. I can kind of just shamelessly write "yeah Han loves [redacted]," and not worry about how that might get taken up by a larger fandom, or how it might result in one of the men turning into the de facto women of the fandom. Because pretty much the whole fandom is literally just my friends. That's not true of DinLuke.

I guess the TL;DR is: I do hold the fic to a slightly different standard, because they could not have known the popularity of the DinLuke fandom and the fanon it would create. That's not to say that we can't or shouldn't read it critically. I think we should, and I think tracing a genealogy of problematic DinLuke trends from that fic to the broader space is important. But I do also think the fic, as a fic for a small crack ship written pre-S2, is doing different work than even something like More Light than Heat, which was very much written in and around an established fandom.

And there is the very real possibility I am horrendously misremembering the fic, I want to leave room for that as well. Again, I don't remember the details of the fic. I am mostly just speaking from my experience in the difference between writing for a small ship and a large ship, and why I do think that difference matters.

[airyairyaucontraire]

running thoughts about S3 E01 of The Mandalorian, "The Apostate"

jesus Christ of COURSE the Mandalorians have their child soldier investiture ceremonies RIGHT WHERE A FUCKING MOSASAUR CAN POP UP AND RUIN THINGS

oh my GOD you guys

simple FISH RADAR could've given you the early warning you needed to avoid this malarkey!

THIS IS WHY YOU'RE ALMOST EXTINCT

YES YOU'RE PERSECUTED BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT NO SENSE

also okay wow

way to upstage Paz YET AGAIN Dindin

you slay the dragon when he can't AND you have A HOT NEW SPORTSCAR and you still have a CUTE BABY

also listen

THERE'S A SQUID IN THE WARP TUNNEL

or maybe it's one of those space whales that Ezra Bridger disappeared with?

ngl I was a little disappointed one of the street musicians on Nevarro wasn't Max Rebo

awwwww they put up a statue to droid Taika

Greef's clothes just keep getting bigger

"The belters are mining the asteroid fields at the edge of the system." Just like The Expanse! let us know how that works out for ya, you're already dressed a bit like Chrisjen Avasarala

absolutely no one is impressed by Grogu's weak sauce name

you know where else you could be apostate landed gentry? TATOOINE

WHERE YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO LOVE YOU

I'm not saying Greef doesn't care about you but COME ON why move to a planet with one friend (since I don't expect we'll be seeing Cara again) when you could hang out with FOUR friends some of whom are VERY GOOD-LOOKING and talk with fun accents (Kiwi and Cowboy)

c'mon Greef they just wanna get drunk in a school

you know, for a pirate, you don't have a very good hat. Hondo Ohnaka's hat would take a shit on your hat.

GREEF HAS TWO LITTLE BRIDESMAID DROIDS CARRYING HIS CAPE

A GOLD STAR TO WHOSEVER IDEA THAT WAS

what do you mean you need him back

he EXPLODED in LAVA

what makes you think the brainy parts are even there?

I REALLY FEEL LIKE IG-11 WAS A LOT MORE BLOWN UP AT THE TIME THAN THIS MAKES IT LOOK

I mean always happy to have more Taika

assuming he still talks like Taika

maybe his voicebox is effed up

maybe now he sounds like Jemaine Clement

"now that's using your head" says Din

JESUS Din

oh okay it's the tiny cute mechanics from the sequels

HOW DID YOU CRAWL IN THERE

a new side quest begins

did Grogu want to cuddle the tiny mechanic or eat it

YOU KNOW WHO YOU COULD TAKE WITH YOU TO HELP YOU ON YOUR QUEST

COBB VANTH

JUST SAYING

I bet he's feeling a lot perkier by now! and would do basically anything for you if you bought him a drink and put your hand on his knee under the table

like you wouldn't even have to rub it

ohhhhhhhhhhhh he's starting to deliberately TEACH the baby

the pirate is suddenly talking MORE PIRATEY and saying things like Avast

I miss the Space Scotsman, remember him? "Tell that to Kanjiklub!"

CAPTAIN GREENBEARD

will not be appearing much in this episode, I suppose they're just introducing him so he can be a recurring and very moist foe

With Din talking to Grogu so much more, explaining things to him, do you think his little speech delay will start to come right?

say what you will about Bo-Katan Kryze, she certainly can strike a louche pose on a throne. She's no Darth Maul, mind you. Then again, who is? (blows a kiss towards hell for him)

If she's so depressed and all her plans are fucked, why is she still striking poses on thrones?

get a job Bo-Katan

you can always work private security

or be an aesthetician because given what we know about your age clearly you have SOME incredible skincare secret (and your hair always looks nice)

I mean... the planet was poisoned decades ago, that's why everyone was living under domes.

That felt pretty short, I have to say.

I like how you can see from the concept art over the end credits that both Bo-Katan's throne and her pose got fancier over time