#and thus another empire falls

[alamogirl80]

If somehow… Cody found Obi-Wan after he escaped the Empire set during The Bad Batch:

Obi-Wan recognized the sunburst paint before the trooper dropped his blaster, wrong color though it was. Obi-Wan couldn’t let go of his own blaster — too many memories of canon fire, blasters and falling, falling falling

Then Cody is right there, grabbing his wrist, pulling him in. And sure, Obi-Wan could push back, use the Force, escape… but distraught brown eyes have him pinned.

“Obi-Wan.” Shaky, broken voice he knows so well. “It’s me. It’s Cody. Please…”

And thus, Obi-Wan is lost… a trembling shell of the man he once was. Unable and unwilling to fight back.

He’s Cody’s now. Always was.

A breath. Then another. And… “Cody?”

[etz-ashashiyot]

Quotes from "Executed Jews" I want to especially highlight:

Two distinct patterns of antisemitism can be identified by the Jewish holidays that celebrate triumphs over them: Purim and Hanukkah. In the Purim version of antisemitism, exemplified by the Persian genocidal decrees in the biblical Book of Esther, the goal is openly stated and unambiguous: Kill all the Jews. In the Hanukkah version of antisemitism, whose appearances range from the Spanish Inquisition to the Soviet regime, the goal is still to eliminate Jewish civilization. But in the Hanukkah version, this goal could theoretically be accomplished simply by destroying Jewish civilization, while leaving the warm, de-Jewed bodies of its former practitioners intact.

For this reason, the Hanukkah version of antisemitism often employs Jews as its agents. It requires not dead Jews but cool Jews: those willing to give up whatever specific aspect of Jewish civilization is currently uncool. Of course, Judaism has always been uncool, going back to its origins as the planet's only monotheism, featuring a bossy and unsexy invisible God. Uncoolness is pretty much Judaism's brand, which is why cool people find it so threatening — and why Jews who are willing to become cool are absolutely necessary to Hanukkah antisemitism's success. These "converted" Jews are used to demonstrate the good intentions of the regime — which of course isn't antisemitic but merely requires that its Jews publicly flush thousands of years of Jewish civilization down the toilet in exchange for the worthy prize of not being treated like dirt, or not being murdered. For a few years. Maybe.

I wish I could tell the story of Ala's father concisely, compellingly, the way everyone prefers to hear about dead Jews. I regret to say that Benjamin Zuskin wasn't minding his own business and then randomly stuffed into a gas chamber, that his thirteen-year-old daughter did not sit in a closet writing an uplifting diary about the inherent goodness of humanity, that he did not leave behind sad-but-beautiful aphorisms pondering the absence of God while conveniently letting his fellow humans off the hook. He didn't even get crucified for his beliefs. Instead, he and his fellow Soviet Jewish artists — extraordinarily intelligent, creative, talented, and empathetic adults — were played for fools, falling into a slow-motion psychological horror story brimming with suspense and twisted self-blame. They were lured into a long game of appeasing and accommodating, giving up one inch after another of who they were in order to win that grand prize of being allowed to live.

Spoiler alert: they lost.

[...]

But Soviet support for Jewish culture was part of a larger plan to brainwash and coerce national minorities into submitting to the Soviet regime — and for Jews, it came at a very specific price. From the beginning, the regime eliminated anything that celebrated Jewish "nationality" that didn't suit its needs. Jews were awesome, provided they weren't practicing Jewish religion, studying traditional Jewish texts, using Hebrew, or supporting Zionism. The Soviet Union thus pioneered a versatile gaslighting slogan, which it later spread through its client states in the developing world and which remains popular today: it was not antisemitic, merely anti-Zionist. (In the process of not being antisemitic and merely being anti-Zionist, the regime managed to persecute, imprison, torture, and murder thousands of Jews.) What's left of Jewish culture once you surgically remove religious practice, traditional texts, Hebrew, and Zionism? In the Soviet Empire, one answer was Yiddish, but Yiddish was also suspect for its supposedly backwards elements. Nearly 15 percent of its words came directly from biblical and rabbinic Hebrew, so Soviet Yiddish schools and publishers, under the guise of "simplifying" spelling, implemented a new and quite literally antisemitic spelling system that eliminated those words' Near Eastern roots. Another answer was "folklore" — music, visual art, theater, and other creative work reflecting Jewish life — but of course most of that cultural material was also deeply rooted in biblical and rabbinic sources, or reflected common religious practices like Jewish holidays and customs, so that was treacherous too.

No, what the regime required were Yiddish stories that showed how horrible traditional Jewish practice was, stories in which happy, enlightened Yiddish-speaking heroes rejected both religion and Zionism (which, aside from its modern political form, is also a fundamental feature of ancient Jewish texts and prayers traditionally recited at least three times daily). This de-Jewing process is clear from the repertoire of the government-sponsored Moscow State Yiddish Theater, which could only present or adapt Yiddish plays that denounced traditional Judaism as backward, bourgeois, corrupt, or even more explicitly — as in the many productions involving ghosts or graveyard scenes — as dead. As its actors would be, soon enough.

The Soviet Union's destruction of Jewish culture commenced, in a calculated move, with Jews positioned as the destroyers. It began with the Yevsektsiya, committees of Jewish Bolsheviks whose paid government jobs from 1918 through 1930 were to persecute, imprison, and occasionally murder Jews who participated in religious or Zionist institutions — categories that included everything from synagogues to sports clubs, all of which were shut down and their leaders either exiled or "purged." This went on, of course, until the regime purged the Yevsektsiya members themselves.

The pattern repeated in the 1940s. As sordid as the Yeveksiya chapter was, I found myself more intrigued by the undoing of the Jewish Antifascist Committee, a board of prominent Soviet Jewish artists and intellectuals established by Joseph Stalin in 1942 to drum up financial support from Jews overseas for the Soviet war effort. Two of the more prominent names on the JAC's roster of talent were Solomon Mikhoels, the director of the Moscow State Yiddish Theater, and Ala's father Benjamin Zuskin, the theater's leading actor. After promoting these people during the war, Stalin decided these loyal Soviet Jews were no longer useful, and charged them all with treason. He had decided that this committee he himself created was in fact a secret Zionist cabal, designed to bring down the Soviet state. Mikhoels was murdered first, in a 1948 hit staged to look like a traffic accident. Nearly all the others — Zuskin and twelve more Jewish luminaries, including the novelist Dovid Bergelson, who had proclaimed Moscow as the center of the Yiddish future — were executed by firing squad on August 1952.

Just as the regime accused these Jewish artists and intellectuals of being too "nationalist" (read: Jewish), today's long hindsight makes it strangely tempting to read this history and accuse them of not being "nationalist" enough — that is, of being so foolishly committed to the Soviet regime that they were unable to see the writing on the wall. Many works on this subject have said as much. In Stalin's Secret Pogrom, the indispensable English translation of transcripts from the JAC "trial," Russia scholar Joshua Rubenstein concludes his lengthy introduction with the following:

As for the defendants at the trial, it is not clear what they believed about the system they each served. Their lives darkly embodied the tragedy of Soviet Jewry. A combination of revolutionary commitment and naive idealism had tied them to a system they could not renounce. Whatever doubts or misgivings they had, they kept to themselves, and served the Kremlin with the required enthusiasm. They were not dissidents. They were Jewish martyrs. They were also Soviet patriots. Stalin repaid their loyalty by destroying them.

This is completely true, and also completely unfair. The tragedy — even the term seems unjust, with its implied blaming of the victim — was not that these Soviet Jews sold their souls to the devil, though many clearly did. The tragedy was that integrity was never an option in the first place.

[...]

In Jerusalem that morning, Ala told me, in a sudden private moment of anger and candor, that the Soviet Union's treatment of the Jews was worse than Nazi Germany's. I tried to argue, but she shut me up. Obviously the Nazi atrocities against Jews were incomparable, a fact Ala later acknowledged in a calmer mood. But over four generations, the Soviet regime forced Jews to participate in and internalize their own humiliation - and in that way, Ala suggested, they destroyed far more souls. And they never, ever, paid for it.

"They never had a Nuremberg," Ala told me that day, with a quiet fury. "They never acknowledged the evil of what they did. The Nazis were open about what they were doing, but the Soviets pretended. They lured the Jews in, they baited them with support and recognition, they used them, they tricked them, and then they killed them. It was a trap. And no one knows about it, even now. People know about the Holocaust, but not this. Even here in Israel, people don't know. How did you know?"

— Excerpted from "Executed Jews," Chapter 4 of People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn

(All emphasis mine)

Read the full chapter here.

[velvetti]

You are my liberty

T/W: Imply human trafficking, alcohol abuse, mlm relationship, no direct mention of consent, minors/fem aligned DNI, angst/comfort + smut.

To him, you were a fever dream, a beautiful white rose blooming under the moonlight in a garden of wilting wild flowers, a cold gust of wind in the middle of a hot summer night. You make him wonder if you ever existed at all, or if it's just another hallucination he had during his dark times, when he was struggling to live day by day.

The memories of your first encounter had long engraved itself into his soul. It was a snowy day, right in the middle of September just a few decades ago when he was a child. Forced to watch as the pedestrians walk by him, ignore him, trample him while he slowly dies from hunger and cold inside a dark alleyway, he calls that moment one of the luckiest in his miserable life.

Because, it's when you laid your eyes on him for the first time. He wished he could've travelled back in time and embraced you right then and there instead of halting for a moment like an idiot, but he couldn't blame his past self, you are the most beautiful person he has ever witnessed. Can you blame him for smiling stupidly like a puppy when you offered him a loaf of bread?

He really did love you at first sight, if not love, then what could explain his emotions whenever he talks to you?

His dreams were brutally cut off by the sound of his glass of whisky falling from his work desk. This was the third time that he fell asleep while doing paperwork, by the emperor's words, "A commander shall not halt the empire's progress with his personal troubles", thus, here he is, forced to finish his paperwork while being depressed.

He struggles with paperwork every single day after your disappearance, saying that he was worried was an understatement, the world didn't even have colours when you left. He refused to even go into any taverns during his day off as a commander, just because whenever he looked at the wall, he might be greeted with a missing poster with your face on it, smiling as beautifully as he first remembered you.

He wouldn't call you his soulmate, soulmates can live a life without each other, while without you, he just wants to drown himself in liquor so he could continue seeing you in his dreams. He needed you to live, not just exist.

It didn't take him that long to find a lead about you, after all, everything can be purchased by money. Just a few hundred gold coins and he had already managed to find out where you are. To his surprise, you were kidnapped and are going to be auctioned off soon.

So, he simply killed off the owner of the auction house and stole you before anyone else could even think of getting their pesky hands on your body :)

The bastard had the audacity to lock you in a cage, you even felt skinnier than the last time he hugged you! He should've made the death slower, but he was too excited to see you again. He quickly wrapped his cape around your body and hugged you tightly, at least you're back in his arms again.

;

Fearing that you'll find a way to leave him again, he has decided, why not make you his little husband? It's too cruel to lock you up physically and he doesn't want you to be depressed, you won't be able to get away when you're legally bound to him anyways.

So, without much of a thought, he literally begged you to marry him, hugging your waist while whining to your already flustered self, it took him days if not weeks just to convince you, but in the end, he managed and almost pinned you down and did you right then and there. But he held back, he wanted to wait for you guys' honeymoon, for you to have a proper wedding instead of acting by his own desires, he might've been a cruel person but he's not an asshole.

;

How many times was this already?

Counting just today, a total of three times. He had made love with you three times in a single day during your 2 weeks long honeymoon, and this is just the first day.

The first time was quite- no, very long. At first, he was very gentle, he didn't tore off your white suit the moment you both got on the bed, instead he went slow and made sure to prepare you thoroughly. He promptly fucked you in a mating press position right after you have adjusted though, only slowing down slightly when you sobbed and digged your nails into his back, he kept having that annoying sly smirk on his face, proud to be the one taking your first time and making it worthwhile. The total amount of rounds you've both gone in one night? 15 times, with breaks in-between, of course.

The second time, it was a little more tame compared to the first time. Well, if you count fucking in a garden, anything close to being tame. He bent you over the bench and rearranged your insides right then and there. Your body was still sore from yesterday, so he tried going gentle this time, but he had to grip onto your hips for dear life to refrain from losing his mind. You managed to keep your sounds fairly quiet, so no unfortunate servants passing by would have to hear the embarrassing sounds coming out of your mouth.

The third time, he held the grudges from the second time and let all of them out on you after dinner. You were forced to wear a pair of laced underwear, the provocative kind that shouldn't be seen by any children whatsoever. Your wrists tied together by his tie while he makes out with you and fucks you at the same time. The marks before haven't even completely disappeared from your body, yet they've been replaced with a new one, littered from your inner thighs to your neck.

All of that horny stuff aside, you had to give your little husband a kiss on the forehead after all the rounds you both have gone through. He fell asleep almost immediately afterwards, hugging your waist and resting his head on your chest, without any sort of defence whatsoever. Letting out a sigh, at this point, you don't know if your husband is secretly a golden retriever in disguise or not.

A/N: The end was a bit rushed, if you couldn't tell. The golden retriever thingy is a reference to one of my work that's still a work-in-progress. Thanks for reading, I hope you like this post :b

[fanfic-obsessed]

Time Given and Taken

This one is another time travel fix-it, also somewhat AU even beyond the time travel.  Our time travelers are Obi Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody, both from after their own deaths.  Let’s even put it after the Empire falls. 

They have reunited and through Force Shenanigans are sent back to five years before the Clone wars start (dealers choice if they chose to go back or just found themselves back in time), they land specifically on Ord Mantel, their bodies have been reformed at peak age and physical fitness (Late 20’s), there is not chip in Cody’s head and his aging has been slowed to match Obi Wan’s force assisted aging (Look if the Force has to build their bodies anyway it might as well get the best results possible); but we’ll get back to them in a moment. 

Now The Force did have to make some preparations for them, as it could not have two versions of the same soul existing in this universe at the same time.  Thus, in this universe,during the Naboo crisis Padawan Obi Wan Kenobi died in place of his Master Qui Gon Jinn. Jinn was still struck by Maul and Obi Wan did still bisect the Sith, but then the Padawan used a nearly unknown healing technique to heal Qui Gon at the expense of his own life.  Padawan Obi Wan’s last words to his master were ‘You said the boy needed to be trained, now you can’. He was mourned by everyone who knew him. 

That same year Unit CC-2224 was decanted stillborn, which happened at about the same rate of stillborns/miscarriages in natborn births. The Kaminoans did the typical cursory exam to make sure there was not a larger issue, and found that there had been a small difference in the nutrients in CC-2224’s growth pod that resulted in the stillbirth. No one knew to mourn the being he would have been at all. 

Having Qui Gon Jinn as a master did not actually make things better, or easier, for Anakin; though it also could be argued that it did not make things significantly worse either. It was different though. Though Qui Gon had more experience than Obi Wan would have in the original timeline, there were other issues now at play.  And Anakin was growing up in the blinding light of the memory of Obi Wan Kenobi, the perfect Jedi padawan who killed a Sith then died to save someone.  He was also growing up in the shadow of Xanatos, the talented, powerful former padawan that Fell and died a decade ago.  This is offset, just a bit, by Feemor coming back, telling Qui Gon that he could kriff off with his repudiation and installed himself as Anakin’s Padawan brother (“like I should have with little Obi Wan”). It is made worse by Anakin overhearing the wrong parts of a few conversations that heavily implied Obi Wan died because he felt he had little left to live for (Because Obi Wan was being replaced by Anakin)

It is likely that, left alone, growing up with the ghost (in tha he haunted the narrative, not that he was actually there) of Obi Wan would have made Anakin resentful of his dead padawan brother.  However Palpatine, who he still had frequent private meetings with (look no one was suspicious of this happening the first time around, Qui Gon would likely not have felt it was suspicious either), never met any potential resentment that he could not turn to his advantage.  Instead of letting resentment grow for Obi Wan, Palpatine instead leaned into this saintly memory of a young man Anakin only spent a little time with (a lot of, ‘I’m sure young Obi Wan would not have treated you like that’), something similar to what he supposedly did with Qui Gon in canon.  Basically polishing the image of Obi Wan Kenobi in Anakin’s head until the dead Padawan could do no wrong. Palpatine could have eventually used the memory of Obi Wan to further separate Anakin from the Jedi (“The Jedi let Obi Wan Die/Got Obi Wan Killed because he was the last good Jedi” kind of rhetoric).  

Had the dead man stayed dead. 

With that established we step back to 5 years before the Clone wars were due to break out, Ord Mantel, where Cody and Obi Wan find themselves appearing, young bodies, old minds, and a small amount of the local currency (not enough to destabilize the economy, but enough to start gambling with). They quickly, and quietly, win enough money to buy a small cruiser (taking care to keep their individual ins small enough not to catch the attention of anyone), just big enough for the two of them. 

Then they make their way to Kamino.

They very deliberately decide not to go to the Jedi just yet. There are a number of reasons.  Some are trauma based (the last time Obi Wan was Coruscant he was walking through the ruins of the temple and finding the bodies of children; the last time Cody was on Coruscant he was deserting the empire after Desix). Some are for practicality(Coruscant is Palapatines domain already; They do not realize that their alternate selves are dead here and do not want to run into Knight Obi Wan).  But the main reason comes from the fact that Order 66 caused two genocides, Jedi and Clone. They both reasoned that, while focusing on preventing the Jedi genocide (Going to the Jedi, killing Palpatine) would not necessarily prevent the Clones from being abused, used, and trapped by the chips, Freeing the Clones would, by the very nature of what happened, prevent the Jedi from being killed. 

So they go to Kamino. Talk their way into Tipoca City and to speak with Jango Fett.  First they help Jango remove his head from his ass and realize exactly what he did (effectively selling his genetic children into slavery to destroy a culture for revenge he was clinging to in order to keep from facing his culpability in what happened-Not only were the Jedi lied to at Galidraan, Jango shot first; he escalated things and it backfired on him). It took a few days (and included bringing Jango and Boba down to one of the creche rooms holding the clones the same physical age as Boba, putting Boba in clone uniform and asking Jango to try and pick him from the crowd. Jango promptly had a panic attack when he was face to face with 200ish Boba’s and unable to look away from the reality of what he was doing).

SIDE NOTE: Has anyone else noticed the parallel between Jango Fett and Maul. Both were obsessed with getting revenge for situations where they suffered from being in the instigator and losing. Essentially they fucked around, found out, and decided to get revenge, and it cost them everything they had left.  

Once Cody and Obi Wan actually got through to Jango, they told him everything. Being from the future, what Project Knightfall actually did, Cody talking about what it was like under the control of the chips, of never realizing why he betrayed his Jedi general or was willing to hunt down Force users, of waking up after the chip was removed and realizing exactly what he had done, Of the brothers he had lost to suicide, due to the horror of what had happened. They talked about the Empire and what it did to Mandalore. 

The three of them decided what to do next.  

Jango, looking at himself realistically for the first time in a decade, realizes quickly that he should not take the mantle of Mand’alor again. He was too young the first time, but had been growing into the role. Had Galidraan not happened, he likely would have been a good leader, but it did and the years of slavery (with its exposure to Spice) plus the trauma from Galidraan made their mark. Jango would, however, throw his support behind Cody as Mand’alor (Cody made sure it was clear that Jango would also be throwing in his support behind Obi Wan as Cody’s Jedi husband, alternately Cody and Obi Wan would share the Mand’alor title. Jango was fine with that).  

It is also decided, after much debate, that they would also inform the Kaminoans of the fate of their species in the original timeline (destroyed as soon as they could be) and get their cooperation.  There had been consideration for simply taking Kamino, or Tipoca city, but it was decided that it was simply more work than it was worth.  It took two months (during which Obi Wan and Cody functioned as additional trainers for the Cadets) before they were ready to present the truth to Lama Su. Thankfully they had enough working knowledge of things they should not, and were able to get enough proof of what they had to say, that they were able to convince Lama Su that aligning with the Sith would doom the Kaminoans; an if there was one thing the Kaminoan valued more than profit, it was their own survival. 

The Clone project, overall, was at a point where communication between the project and the Sith was infrequent at best (so that attention was not drawn to a seemingly empty patch of space too early), so Tyranus did not have cause to notice that Kamino started ghosting him (It should be noted that they also kept cashing his checks, ostensibly so that he would not notice anything wrong). 

With the Kaminoans on their side now, Cody, Obi Wan, and Jango got to work.  There were a few trainers that did need to be killed outright (Priest and Reau, whom Cody got to kill during one of the cage fights they were arranging-which forever endeared him to the Clone cadets, especially the batch he would have belong to in another life, who were around 10 years old developmentally,  who found themselves drawn to Cody, the trainer that looked so much like Jango Fett that he could have been a clone himself), and a few that asked to be paid so they could leave (and were paid extras so that Obi Wan could remove the details of what as going on from their mind, for safety reasons), but most were willing to follow Cody and Obi Wan as soon as it was clear that Jango has sworn himself to them (non sexually and non romantically, Jango is very AroAce, and very Sex/Romance repulsed). 

The next step is starting to remove the already embedded chips, which went quickly with the help of the Kaminoans, and partially demilitarizing the education of the cadets.  While they would be Mandalorians (as a warrior culture there is a certain level of military in their education) the cadets training would no longer be solely focused on being soldiers and nothing else.  The Kaminoans also keep cloning (Technically the original order was for 1 million clones for the Jedi, they may be taking Tyranus’s money and ghosting him, but they would fulfill their contract-It was decided by the Kaminoan Council that Obi Wan qualified as ‘Jedi’ for the purposes of the contract, so giving him the clones is really fulfilling their written contract)

Cody and Obi Wan, with the council from the remaining trainers and Jango, decided that they would spend the years between their arrival and one year before the Clone Wars was due to start on Kamino, still largely out of contact with the wider galaxy. In that time they develop their own culture (their own version of ‘how to be mandalorian’ built in part from the remaining True Mandalorians, the clone culture Cody brought from the previous timeline mixing with the ever evolving clone culture of the current timeline-which quickly became different from how Cody remembered it, Part of the Jedi traditions that Obi Wan brought with him from the previous timeline-some of which he may or may not remember correctly due to trauma and the length of time he spent repressing those memories). They also worked over talking points on how to unite their faction with the New Mandalorians, including going over what traditions/parts of their culture they would be willing to relinquish as a compromise and what parts they absolutely will not.  On Jango’s occasional trips out into the wider galaxy, to take jobs, he makes a point to get as close to Keldabe as he can to get a feel for the New Mandalorian as a faction (Obi Wan has inside knowledge, but it may be early or outdated is all kinda colored with ‘Satine died in my arms and it was my fault’). There was also a concerted effort to discreetly acquire enough ships for everyone. 

So we are one year before the Clone Wars were due to erupt. Palpatine is on Coruscant waiting for the perfect opportunity to enact his plan, believing that he had a handy clone army at the ready for the war he has been fanning. Tyranus, who has still not realized he has not spoken to Kamino in about 4 years, is quietly building his forces with the droid armies about 4 months from being completed. 

The Newer True Mandalorians (The name suggestion was from Rex’s-He still picked the same name and was adopted by Codywan along with Fox and Ponds, batch; the name is being workshopped) leave Kamino for Concord Dawn. They take with them a treaty between them and the Kaminoans that includes mutual protection, a live and let live clause, a few NDA’s about the Kamnoan’s gene manipulation process,  and a decent trade agreement where the Kaminoans provide genetic research and the clones provide free advertising for the success of the Kaminoans cloning process. 

Basically out of nowhere, as far as the galaxy is concerned, the True Mandalorians reemerge after being all but wiped out almost 20 years prior, and in far greater numbers than they had before. Numbers that sharply spike, as outcasts from the New Mandalorians and Death Watch, plus other remnants of the True Mandalorians flock to their banner. These are great enough numbers that when they reach out to discuss a treaty, and a possible merger for factions, with the New Mandalorians, the New Mandalorians actually take it seriously.   

This faction, the entire galaxy is surprised to learn, is being led by someone who looks an awful lot like Jango Fett, but is clearly not since Jango Fett is standing next to him (by this point Cody and Jango call ach brother, further confusing the issue) and a red haired man going by the name of Obi Wan Kenobi, who clearly is, or was, a Jedi. 

Tyranus and Sidious, realizing that Jango Fett showing up anywhere with a massive amount of being might be contrary to their plans, try to contact Kamino. Kamino doesn’t answer and their ‘we’re busy, don’t call us we’ll call you’ message included a virus that made it so they cannot find or contact Kamino again.

The heads of the New Mandalorian Government arrange to meet with the heads of the Newer True Mandalorians, including Cody and Obi Wan. Satine recognizes Obi Wan. It is at this point that they find out this timeline’s Obi Wan has been dead for almost a decade. They had known that this timeline’s Cody was never born, but had never thought to check on Obi Wan. 

The negotiations between the New Mandalorans and the Newer True Mandalorians lasts months, but eventually is hammered out between them, along with a new government structure. Cody and Obi Wan would jointly preside over a council made up equally of New Mandalorians and Newer True Mandalorian (and, should Death Watch want to actually come in from the cold, Death Watch representative, but the faction would have to swear to the agreed upon laws and to follow the joint Mand’alor’s- Satine insisted). While Obi Wan and Cody would have the final say in most cases, if at least 90% of the council agreed they were wrong there was a veto power that could be used. Membership on the council is decided by the faction in question, and if a new faction splits off and gets to a certain size (Generally enough people to populate a medium sized planet) that faction will also be able to put representatives on the council. 

Meanwhile in the Republic the reappearance of the True Mandalorians (it doesn’t matter that they have a new name as far the Republic is concerned) has derailed 90% of Palpatine's plans (he does not have time to grow another army, even if he could get in contact with Kamino again and he cannot start the war without an army).  The news that the Red Headed leader of the reemerged faction appeared to be Presumed Dead Obi Wan Kenobi, famed in song and story and all but sainted in Anakin Skywalker's head, derailed 90% of the rest. 

Padawan Anakin Skywalker, upon hearing that Obi Wan Kenobi might be alive, vanished from Coruscant. Just took off for Concord Dawn to potentially rescue his hero, or avenge him if it was someone else pretending to be him. Or something like that, Anakin was not thinking at all beyond that he needed to see Obi Wan, the man he knew for maybe a week when he was nine.  He also left prematurely, had he waited six more hours he and his master Qui Gon Jinn would have been assigned to investigate the identity of the presumed Obi Wan. 

Qui Gon did not know where Anakin was headed until he reached Concord Dawn (Anakin left a note that he was going radio silent to work on some course work he was behind in, so Qui Gon left him off the mission-This Qui Gon is just a little oblivious)  and was promptly led to a holding cell by some of the Mandos (I kind of want it to be Waxer and Boil, or one of the Alpha’s) who gestured at Anakin inside, glowering like a bristly wet cat, going ‘is this yours?’

I Imagine this ‘reunion’  is weird and awkward from every angle. Like this Obi Wan remembers holding Qui Gon as he died, raising Anakin, Anakin’s Fall, everything of the original timeline. But this Qui Gon held his Padawan as he died (which hold the residual guilt of surviving, plus the guilt of Obi Wan dying to save his life), has added the normal rosy shine to his memories of his padawan (gloss over the bad times to focus on the good times). This Anakin has few actual memories of Obi Wan, but a massive case of hero worship. possibly to the point of Obi Wan being akin to a deity to Anakin, so massively unhealthy(Which Qui Gon also realizes for the first time)  but in a way that is difficult to break. Palaptine inadvertently created the Cult of Obi Wan, with one cult member and brainwashed him so well that he fucked up his own plans.  Now that there is a living Obi Wan, it is everyone's problem. Cody is prickly with both of them, because he remembers the things Obi Wan, his husband, told him about his Padawanship AND remembers both Reckless General Skywalker and Darth Vader. 

I am not sure how much they actually tell the Jedi, but they definitely tell them that Obi Wan and Coy are from a different timeline, and no they can’t go back. Just so that they do not start thinking that Padawan Obi Wan somehow faked his death (they are just a little concerned how Anakin would react).

Eventually Cody gets to kill Palpatine, as a treat.

[valtsv]

im curious about your thoughts, would you talk a little about the theme of gender in the terror? i just enjoy your perspective!

okay i can't promise you the properly formatted essay with footnotes and citations i would love to write given the time and energy, but sure, i'd love to. because the theme of gender is central to the terror, particularly regarding the victorian ideal of masculinity, as a part of the greater overarching narrative theme of social constructions and structures being stripped away, and what and who remains after (crozier even explicitly remarks to fitzjames at the beginning of episode 7 that the remains of their civilization which they're clinging to for a sense of comfort and stability will begin to 'fall and drop away' as they travel further). we see this not just in the case of fitzjames, whose national identity and sense of selfhood we're given some insight into through the lens of gender, both with the iconic dress scene and his subsequent choice to dress as britannia, the feminine symbol of british imperial power, for carnivale - a juxtaposition which emphasizes the contrast between his private and public personas, and between the moment of vulnerability and honest self-expression in the scene where he holds up the dress and smiles at his reflection, and the ironic mask he dons for carnivale as a shield to conceal his doubts and insecurities, and any 'shameful' desires he might have - but also, for example, in the case of collins, who in the same episode seeks out goodsir, whose emotional availability and honesty have earned him the derision of his crewmates in the forms of scornful looks and derogatory comments denouncing his mannerisms as 'womanish' and thus shameful, but which only become increasingly necessary and shared amongst more of the men as they're forced to rely more and more on one another for support, and societal expectations of how they should conduct themselves become increasingly irrelevant, their fragility exposed and found wanting. collins is rebuffed and reprimanded by dr. stanley in episode 6, who dismisses his emotional distress, but in the following episode with goodsir he's encouraged to confide in him and, upon doing so, breaks down in tears and shares a desperate hug with him in full view of their camp; actions which would have been confined to privacy if they were allowed to be expressed at all earlier on. everywhere, cracks are beginning to show in this ideal construct of masculinity that the men were once expected and so proud to uphold.

silna's presence also highlights the themes of gender, and how they intersect with race and ethnicity; she is almost exclusively referred to as a 'girl' by the men of the expedition despite clearly being both a grown women and far more competent at surviving in the arctic than they are. the empire and its subjects' unwillingness to accept that someone who is both a native to the region and a woman could be more knowledgeable and better equipped than they are to deal with the situation leads them to assert their perceived superiority through how they address and refer to her, using the infantilizing language of 'girl', which although i believe the use of was more common in victorian england than it was today, nonetheless carries these implications, particularly when it's almost exclusively the only term they use to describe her. even those men who are more open to accepting the need to rely on the knowledge and support of the indigenous peoples of the region in order to survive there, such as crozier, don't begin to realize this until it's already too late. we also see the weaponization of femininity as a badge of shame of weakness with, as aforementioned, goodsir, and with hickey when he says to gibson that he "was such a good wife to me all these months" in order to get under his skin after gibson declares their relationship to be over.

we also see this victorian ideal of masculinity physically begin to 'fall away' as the men's bodies and minds deteriorate due to the extreme conditions they find themselves in. as sickness and despair set in, the men are no longer physically able to uphold this construction they've been told their whole lives it is vitally important that they strive to maintain in all their undertakings, further compounding the horror of their experience, but also liberating them. hickey again takes advantage of this, too, demonstrating his intelligence and quick, pragmatic thinking when he castrates irving's corpse after murdering him in order to threaten the remaining shreds of the men's masculinity and inflame them into rash, reactive action. and fitzjames comes full circle in his own gender-influenced narrative when he confesses his long-carried shame to crozier, finally unburdening himself of the idea of 'james fitzjames' that he built on the foundations of that masculine ideal the society he lived in values so highly and as a result is able to let himself lean on a fellow man for support and shed tears for the first time (that we see onscreen at least), and when he asks crozier to euthanize him to help him out of his suffering in his final moments - both poison and suicide have traditionally earned a reputation as means used by 'women and cowards' to escape the brutal reality of death, but they allow fitzjames to die with as much dignity and the least amount of suffering as the at that point truly desperate circumstances allow, and far more than the more ideally masculine, imperial british glory he once aspired to of death in combat or without any medical assistance to ease his passing would have.

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Young Dumb Thrills

Eddie Munson x Female Reader

Summary:One things leads to another after Eddie confesses something to you on your Friday night movie nights. (Sorry I suck at summaries!)

Warnings:Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Smut, Confessions of Love, Making Out, Pet Names (perhaps an overuse of Eddie calling the reader “Sugar” but Eddie is a “Sugar” kind of guy and I will die on this hill), Grinding, Nipple Play, Oral (F receiving), VERY BRIEF Sub!Eddie (like mentioned in ONE sentence) Unprotected Sex, Cowgirl Position, Hand-jobs. Slight spoilers for 80s Star Wars movies (but nothing that nobody didn't know already

Word Count:2,706 

Author's Note:I think my horny brain took over when I wrote this tbh, so if there’s any mistakes which I hope there isn’t then that’ll be why. Also I wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to name this fic after a McFly song (it came up in my playlist whilst I was writing it and I just felt like it fit)

At the knock on his trailer door, Eddie rushed up from his seat to open the door. He opened it to greet the familiar face that he knew would be waiting for him behind it. It was a Friday night, and that meant only one thing. Friday night was movie night with his best friend. It was a tradition that they started years ago, and Eddie looked forward to spending his evenings eating trashy snack foods and laughing at the bad movies with his closest friend.

Eddie had known you from when you were both kids, and you had moved to Hawkins. You lived a few trailers down from him and being the only other kid his age in that trailer park, you two had become fast and firm friends.

The other reason why Eddie looked forward to your shared movie nights, was something of a secret, and one that he kept to himself, and had done for years. 

Eddie had a huge crush on you. You were always very sweet and kind to him. Made him laugh until he was crying, and were always there for him through those rough patches, where the loneliness would seep in whilst his uncle would work long night shifts at the plant.

Not to mention he also found you crazy attractive, with gorgeous eyes, and a warm smile it was very easy for him to fall in love with you. 

“Hey! Come on in!” Eddie welcomed you warmly into the trailer.

“So I swung by Family Video! I picked out ‘Raiders of The Lost Ark’, since I know you missed it when it was in the cinema and wanted to watch it!” you wiggled the video cassette in your hand excitedly, whilst your other hand hid behind your back “and then I figured, why not make tonight a double feature? So I also picked out ‘Temple of Doom’” you beamed as you showed him the other cassette in your other hand.

“Awesome! Tell you what, I’ll go make a start on the popcorn, and you go set up the video! I trust coca-cola is still your drink of choice, m’lady?” he throws over his shoulder as he makes his way to the small kitchen to put the popcorn in the microwave.

“It very much is still my drink of choice, my good sir” you reply with a chuckle

_____________________

It wasn't unusual for you two to get close to each other on movie nights, more often than not you would end up with your head resting on Eddie's shoulder. He liked to joke how you had probably never seen the ending of any movie you’ve watched with him. The best was when you had, unsurprisingly fallen asleep on him during your first watch of ‘Return of The Jedi’ and thus followed what Eddie had dubbed ‘The Great Luke and Leia Sibling Reveal of ‘83’ where the credits rolled on the vhs during your Star Wars marathon, he got to tell you all about how that scrawny kid that kissed the space princess in ‘Empire Strikes Back’ were actually brother and sister.

Still to this day, you didn’t believe him. Thinking this was some kind of long-running joke that he was keeping up.

With you sitting so comfortably next to him, Eddie’s body was tense, he was usually good at keeping his feelings for you under control, but there was something about the intoxicating smell of your shampoo invading his senses and just you being as cute as always that had the butterflies in his stomach fluttering like mad.

You could sense that Eddie had gone quiet, and didn’t seem like his usual joking self, making silly remarks on the film just to make you laugh. Pausing the film, you turned your eyes to him.

“Hey Ed, you okay?” you looked up at him, your eyes connecting with his big brown ones.

“Y-yeah, I-I’m alright..” he stumbles, not trusting his own voice to give him away.

“Are you sure? You seem awfully flush? Is it too warm in here? I can open a window for you if you like?” Damnit, Eddie thinks to himself, it wasn’t his voice that was giving him away, but rather the increasing heat of blush taking over his face.

“N-No it’s okay, sweetheart. I just…” Eddie trails off. Why was he just about to admit to his embarrassingly large crush on you? Perhaps he was more comfortable with you than even he realised? 

“You just what?” you pressed, setting your hand on top of his.

Huffing out a sigh, he couldn’t believe he was doing this. 

“I just..look…I’m going to tell you something, something real big, okay? But you have to promise me that you won’t laugh at me or anything okay?”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I like you, y/n” Eddie confesses.

“Yeah I like you too, Ed!” you beam back at him with a smile.

“No, I like like you, have done for a while too if i’m being completely honest” he insists.

“Yeah, me too!” your smile taking over your face.

“No, I mean I like you more than a friend..” he tells you. This was a big step for Eddie. Giving you his heart and trusting you enough to handle it with care and not break it.

“Eddie..” you started. “I like you too, perhaps more than I should as a friend. I've been wanting to say something for the longest time, I just never knew how to tell you” you confessed to him.

“Wait..wait..hold on. You’re telling me that you’ve got a crush on me? On me?” 

“Yeah I mean, how could I not? You’re just so adorable when you talk to me about your Hellfire campaigns, even though I know you know I don’t know anything about D&D. When you secretly learned ‘Material Girl’ on the guitar for my birthday that one year, even though it’s not “technically a guitar song” as you told me afterwards”

“Yeah, I remember Wayne would come home to me playing that song over and over to make sure I got it just right, I think he thought I was going crazy. Laughing at me saying how “he didn’t have me down as a Madonna fan.” Oh but it was worth it though, I mean the look on your face when I played it for you? It warmed my heart, Sugar”

“Sugar? Are we doing pet names already, Munson?” you gently teased.

“Well I..U-uh I guess it kind of slipped out" Eddie shyly admitted to you.

"Hey, I'm not mad at it, I actually kind of liked it, never been anyone's 'Sugar' before!'

'There's been something I wanna do for the longest time, and since I know now that we're on the same page, I just have to ask. Can I kiss you?" Eddie says, despite your confession of mutual admiration he's still unsure of himself. 

Swinging your legs over his body, you settle yourself down to sit on his lap. Making yourself comfortable, you place both your hands on either side of his face.

You feel his larger ring-adorned hands settle themselves on your hips.

“Eddie, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that for ages” you say as you lean to tentatively place your lips against his.

He takes the hint to deepen this kiss, his warm plush lips parting to slip his tongue between your lips, in a desperate, long-awaited kiss.

However, now, with you sitting so prettily in his lap, kissing him like you needed it to survive, your hips are gently rolling themselves against his increasingly hardening length. 

  Reluctantly Eddie pulls away from you, your lips connected by a string of saliva.

“Sugar..Sugar, you gotta stop or this is all gonna be over a lot faster than you, and certainly I want it to be” he chuckles with a cheeky grin.

“How about we make things interesting then?” you say, feeling a sudden burst of confidence. Gripping your t-shirt at the bottom in twisted arms, you pull upwards to pull your shirt over your head, leaving you in your lace bra.

Eddie can hardly believe what’s unfolding before his eyes. The girl of his dreams, is sitting in his lap, scantily clad in her delicate lace bra and looking into his eyes with adoration. Sliding his hands upwards from where they were resting on your hips, his hands settled over your back, the clasp of your bra under his fingers. His brown eyes looking at you in a question.

“May I?” he questions, toying with your bra clasp.

“You may.” you nod.

That simple nod was all that Eddie needed to go ahead, popping the clasp of your bra with a quick flick of his guitarists fingers. He takes the straps off your shoulders and flings your bra to the corner of his room, she won’t be needing that, not if I can help it, he thinks to himself.

She’s beautiful, Eddie thinks. He already thought you were beautiful before, but now he’s looking at you, kiss-bitten lips and your naked chest heaving with anticipated breaths, and he thinks that you have never looked more stunning than you do in this moment.

He leans his head towards your breasts, letting his lips kiss over your tits, nipping a few hickeys here and there, before his mouth latches on to one of your nipples, sucking it into a hardened peak, and using his fingers to pluck and tease the other nipple.

The feel of Eddie’s soft lips leaving a trail of hot kisses over your breasts left you desperately whining and grinding into his lap even more, you needed more from him.

“Eddie…” you whined “Please...I need you..” 

“Well who am I to deny such a sweet request” he said as turned around with you in his arms, settling you down amongst the pillows on his bed. 

Caging you underneath his arms as he held himself up above you, his dark curls falling like curtains in front of his eyes.

“Wait..wait a minute” you say, slipping your hair tie off your wrist with a slight giggle, gathering his hair in a little bundle at the nape of his neck “There! That’s much better! Now I can see your handsome face!” you finish, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nose.

Now with his vision unimpaired by his long mane of hair, his lips begin their descent down your body, Laying kisses on every patch of skin he could find. Stopping at the waistband of your jeans, kissing just below your navel, before popping the button of your jeans and hooking his fingers into the waistband of your panties, dragging them both down the length of your legs.

“Well, now that’s out of the way..let me do something that I’ve only ever dreamed of doing.” he smirks.

“Dreamed of?” you question. “My my, Ed how many times have you fantasised about me before?” you press again.

“Oh Sugar, you have no idea how many times I’ve lied where you’re lying right now, with my hand wrapped around my dick, just thinking about how pretty you would look cumming all over my tongue” 

“Well then don’t let me be the one to stop you from following your dreams, Munson” you giggled.

Eddie leaned his head down until he was face to face with your pussy, his tongue sneaks it's way out to wet his lips before going in to lick a long swipe from the very bottom of your wet slit to the top, the tip of his tongue flicking over your clit with little kitten licks. He swirled his tongue around your pussy a few times, the lewd slurping sounds echoing off his bedroom walls. Eddie slips his middle and ring fingers into the tight wet heat of your pussy, curling them upwards to press against that spot deep inside you that has your eyes screwing shut in pleasure. His other hand is placed firmly on your soft stomach, pressing down with a gentle pressure, his clunky metal rings a welcomed chilling sensation against the heat of your skin. 

“Come on, Sugar…I can feel this pretty pussy clenching on my fingers..” Eddie mumbles against you, just as he seals his lips around your clit, sucking it into the warm heat of his mouth.

“That’s it baby…you’re so beautiful…fuck..”

Continuing with his ministrations, it wasn’t long before you were coming around his fingers, with a moaning gasp. He delivers soft little kitten licks to your clit, as you come down from the high of your orgasm.

“I don’t know why we waited so long before doing that” you chuckle, as you try to catch your breath.

“Neither do I, but certainly want to do that again”

“There’ll be plenty of opportunities for that another time, right now I just want to ride you”

He Throws off his Judas Priest t-shirt and tugs his sweatpants down and tosses to some corner of his room, eager to feel you on top of him.

You take this opportunity to appreciate him in his full, naked glory, his tattoos like intricate artworks on the gallery that is his body.

“Get yourself comfortable on that bed, Munson.” you say, your eyes sparkling with desire.

“Yes Ma’am, don’t need to tell me twice”

“Good boy.” 

The heat on his cheeks rose, blushing further down his chest. Oh. He liked being called your good boy. You’d have to remember that.

Settling your body over his, you lick your tongue over your palm, before reaching behind you to stroke his cock a few times. Rising up on your thighs you slip the leaking tip of his cock inside you, and begin to slowly lower yourself over him inch by inch until he’s settled deep inside you. 

Placing both your hands down over his torso to steady yourself, you start to roll your hips, quickly falling into a steady rhythm that had both of you moaning. The creaking sounds of his bed fall into the background as you enjoy each other's bodies. His hips thrusting up to meet your hips grinding into his.

His hands find their place, gripping your hips.

“Fuck..Sugar..You look so sexy like this..Making me feel..fuck..feel so good.” he groans out.

One of his hands slips from its place on your hips, fingers finding their way to clit to rub deliberate circles.

“Eddie…” you cried out, the knot in the pit of your stomach tightening with each of his thrusts up into you.  “Please..don’t stop..I’m so close..” you desperately whine.

It didn’t take much more than a few more rolls of your hips, and Eddie’s skilled fingers on your clit before you were coming around his dick with silent scream. Slowing down your movements as you ride through the aftershocks of your orgasm.

What you hadn’t accounted for was that in the heat of the moment, you had forgotten to use any protection, and Eddie was warning you that he was quickly approaching his end, a consequence of your walls constricting around him.

“You gotta get off me, Sweets..I don’t think we’re quite ready to be parents yet..” he huffs, the few strands that have come loose from his bun sticking to his sweaty forehead.

Leaning forward you let his cock slip from your entrance, and reach back behind yourself to work him through the end of his orgasm with your hands. Twisting your closed fist over his sensitive head. That’s all it took for Eddie to spill rope after rope of his release all over your hand. His cum splattering his lower stomach and dribbling down your fingers.

Whilst he recovers and catches his breath below you, you take the opportunity to clean up your fingers, swiping your tongue over your digits, tasting his cum from where he had spilled in your hand.

“Fuck...Sugar..You can’t just do that. You’ll get me going again.” he chuckles breathlessly.

“Don’t worry about that, we’ve still got to make up for lost time.” you say leaning forward on his chest to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. “..And I plan on making every second count.”

[useless-bulgariafacts]

October 26th is Dimìtrovden/Mitrovden (Димитровден), or the Orthodox feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki. (Bulgarian: Свети Димитър Солунски) He is a 3rd-4th century Christian saint and great martyr (великомъченик) from the city of Thessaloniki in Greece, of which he is the patron saint.

Hagiographies refer to St. Demetrius as a young man of a senatorial family, who became proconsul and was tasked with persecuting Christians in the at the time still pagan Roman Empire. However, being himself Christian, he instead protected them, for which the emperor had him jailed. He was later speared to death as punishment for the defeat of the gladiator Lyaeus at the hands of Demetrius' disciple, Nestor. This marked the beginning of his veneration by Christians in the area, which grew in the following centuries, as he was said to guard the city against raiders.

Albeit not one originally, during the Middle Ages St. Demetrius came to be revered as a warrior saint, and iconography portrays him riding on a red horse, running a spear through various enemies — often Lyaeus, but also whoever was locally perceived as an enemy. In Greek icons, this is sometimes the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan, while in Bulgarian ones — the Byzantine emperor Basil II The Bulgarslayer, or later on, a Turk. St. Demetrius is also associated with the founding of the Second Bulgarian Tsardom, specifically the uprising of the brothers Petăr and Asen, which broke out on Oct. 26th, 1185. The St. Demetrius church in Veliko Tărnovo (pictured above) was built in commemoration the event, and served as a coronation site of Asen dynasty tsars, who claimed him as their patron.

Traditionally, Dimitrovden marks the end of the seasonal transition from fall to winter, a period which begins on Oct. 14th with Petkovden. Bulgarian folk mythology casts the saints George and Demetrius in the role of twin brothers, whose respective holidays split the year into its warm and cold halves. The latter, elder of the two, ushers in the cold and darkness, as he rides in on his red horse and the winter's first snowflakes sprinkle down onto the earth from his beard. As St. George's opposite and counterpart, he takes on the qualities of a chthonic deity, and thus has connotations to death and the Beyond — under his patronage the so-called Dimitrovska Zadushnica takes place on the Saturday prior to Dimitrovden, one of several such holidays where food is given out in honor of deceased ancestors. Perhaps this is also why, in addition to St. George, folk imagination places him as a brother to Archangel Michael and nephew to St. Paraskeva/Petka.

Dimitrovden is the true end to the year's agrarian cycle — the harvest now over, it's time to put the farm tools away, make sure the animals have shelter and firewood is stocked up. It's also when farmhands and other labourers' contracts expire and they get rehired for the year ahead, which is why the day is also known as Razpust (Разпуст). As with other big holidays, a community-wide celebratory feast is held, and the customary ritual meal (or kurban) is mutton. The biggest ram is chosen, a pair of gold-painted apples are placed onto its horns and those present bow before it, after which it's slaughtered and cooked, and receives a priest's blessing before being served. Festivities are accompanied by music and horo (group dancing), which again has an intended matchmaking function. Namesakes of the saint celebrate the occasion, too — but they're traditionally served a chicken or rooster dish, according to gender. Other foods for Dimitrovden include corn, seasonal fruit and derived dishes, such as apple pita, pestil (a type of plum dessert), rachel (pumpkin syrup), etc.

Another activity which traditionally ends on Dimitrovden is construction work — a new house is supposed to have been completed by then, and the homeowners celebrate by throwing their own feast with a kurban, and inviting friends and relatives to witness the house being blessed by the master mason and the priest. The feast day has therefore been adopted as a career holiday of builders and masons.

The day's connection to the mysterious and otherworldly has inspired various beliefs and rituals of prognostic or divinatory nature, and anything from the weather and moon phases, to the behaviour of farm animals is observed carefully and used to make future predictions. Characteristic is the custom, known as polazvane (полазване), wherein members of the household make note of the first person to visit them, to physically cross the threshold into their home, and interpret them as a portent of things to come. Also, according to old treasure hunting legends, Dimitrovden is when "the sky opens" and buried gold emits a blue-ish flame just above ground.

Dimitrovden is part of the group of holidays, based around the idea of transition and liminality; between fall and winter, between the world of the living and of the dead. The Christian and pre-Christian symbolism intertwine, the martyr death of the saint mirrors the "death" of nature as the earth is covered in snow and daytime engulfed by darkness. And crucially — for a people whose perception of time follows nature's cycles — the coming of winter brings not only a period of calm and rest, but the promise of spring and renewal.

[miss-musings]

Analyzing the Allegories in The Bad Batch Episode 3.05 "The Return"

I know a lot of folks out there love analyzing the metaphors and allegories in The Bad Batch Episode 2.09 "The Crossing." (This video has a great breakdown! I highly recommend it.) It really dives into Tech's psyche, his autism (or the Star Wars equivalent of it) and his bond with Omega.

And, as much as I love that episode, I have to admit: I love Episode 3.05 "The Return" even more so for a lot of the same reasons people love "The Crossing." It really dives into Crosshair's psyche, his trauma and his bond with his family (especially Hunter).

Both episodes are so rich and layered, giving us a lot of time for introspection in an otherwise fast-paced, action-packed show.

I'd like to present two allegorical readings for "The Return." While there is some overlap, they ultimately have major contrasts and reinterpret some moments very differently. They ultimately hinge on whether you want to interpret the Wyrm as a good thing or a bad thing.

Thus, you may prefer one over the other, or maybe you'll like both. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments/reblogs!

Author's Note: This will end up being the second part of a much longer analysis I want to write about 3.05 "The Return." But, this second part about the allegories wasn't as time-consuming as I imagine Part 1 about the character beats/analysis will be, so I'm tackling it first. Once I've written Part 1, I'll update this intro section with a link. Cheers!

Allegory #1: The Wyrm is a Good Thing

The one overlapping point between both of these allegorical interpretations is that the Outpost base represents Crosshair, mainly his heart.

Like the Outpost, Crosshair was abandoned by the Empire. He served his purpose and was cast aside, set adrift. Now, he is alone, isolated and purposeless.

Additionally, Crosshair carries Mayday in his heart (which is something TBB composers recently confirmed on Twitter), and the Outpost is home to the last remnant's of Mayday and the other clones -- their helmets.

But while he carries memories of Mayday, Tech and other clones in his heart, he doesn't have anyone actively in his life. Just as the Outpost doesn't have anyone actively stationed there anymore.

Now, under Allegory #1, the snow represents Crosshair's trauma.

Just as the snow has covered the Outpost, Crosshair has been buried in trauma -- from many things, but especially from his experiences in 2.12 "The Outpost" and from his time on Tantiss.

The snow is emblematic of his trauma because the last time he was on Barton IV, he and Mayday are nearly buried in an avalanche and then they have to fight their way back through the snow-covered terrain, in a blizzard. While it isn't actively snowing at the Outpost in 3.05 "The Return," the snow that's covering the base has left it inaccessible.

Arguably, the snow can represent the specific trauma of losing a brother, because Crosshair audibly freaks out when Hunter falls into the crevasse. He's afraid of losing Hunter the same way he lost Mayday. He doesn't want to lose another brother to this planet and its snow.

So, just as the Outpost and Crosshair were both abandoned by the Empire, now they're both buried under the weight of the snow (or what it represents).

Now, enter: The Bad Batch.

Crosshair's family arrive at the Outpost and they take down the perimeter defense at the base. But, under Allegory #1, this is a Good Thing.

Because the Wyrm represents Crosshair's family, love and hope.

You can argue that the Wyrm represents Hunter specifically. They're the only two characters we see in the tunnels, and Crosshair has the remark about "I think I just made it angrier," which applies to both Hunter and the Wyrm at different points in the episode.

You can also argue the Wyrm represents Omega, because it shows up as they're talking about her. Plus, just as the Wyrm ultimately brings Hunter and Crosshair together and forces them to reconcile, so too does Omega. Plus, Hunter's line of "Not alone -- we'll do it together" can apply to facing the Wyrm as much as it does to eventually raising Omega.

But, ultimately, the Wyrm represents Crosshair's family (whether Hunter or Omega specifically) and the love and hope that they bring with them.

In the final shot of the episode, we see that -- even though the snow still covers the Outpost -- we also now see tunnels that the Wyrm created during its attack. They're essentially inlets into and/or outlets out of the Outpost now that weren't there before — a way through the snow.

Now that his family and their love and hope are back in his life, Crosshair has a way out and a way forward in life (or back to his family) that he didn't have before — a way through the trauma. He has their love and support. He has an outlet now.

(P.S. I also just love the idea of his family metaphorically wyrming their way back into his heart. LOL)

Allegory #1 fits better when you put it in the context of 2.12 "The Outpost" and the final scene in 3.05 "The Return."

Crosshair, in a very big character moment for him, takes the initiative and opens up to Hunter.

Crosshair in general, but in this episode specifically, is very closed off. Earlier in the episode, he avoided talking to Hunter, and wasn't forthcoming about his time on Tantiss or his experiences at the Outpost. Part of that is because of his personality, but a lot of it is because of his trauma.

But, at the end of the episode, Crosshair now feels comfortable enough to open up to Hunter. Arguably, he didn't really need to, at least not right then. He and Hunter had reached an equilibrium or understanding after facing the Wyrm together. Whatever anger and resentment they had for each other had dissipated.

Yet Crosshair feels he's ready to and needs to truly reconcile with his brother. Despite everything he's faced, he feels he has an outlet now, and he uses it and basically starts his healing process.

(PS - There’s a great side-by-side comparison of this scene vs. the S1 finale here.)

And, as I said, in the final shot we see the Outpost still covered in snow, but now there are tunnels going into/out of the base. There is now a way out, a way forward.

Allegory #2: The Wyrm is a Bad Thing

Just as in Allegory #1, the Outpost represents Crosshair -- isolated, abandoned and purposeless. But, now we're going to switch gears on what the Bad Batch and the Wyrm represent.

After months of isolation on Tantiss, Crosshair has his guard up. He isn't letting anyone in. He isn't letting anyone save him.

Until Omega.

It's clear from 3.01-3.05 that he has bonded with her in a way he hasn't bonded with anyone since arguably Mayday.

That's because he keeps letting people in, and then failing them and subsequently losing them -- his brothers, especially Tech; then Cody; and then Mayday. It's partly why he pushed Omega away so much on Tantiss. He definitely wanted her to increase her chances of escaping successfully by not risking breaking him out too, but he also didn't want to get emotionally close to her after failing and losing so many other people.

But, thanks to Omega, he escapes Tantiss and reunites with his brothers, and he suggests they go to the Outpost to pull more intel on Tantiss.

Under Allegory #2, by bringing them to Barton IV and the Outpost, Crosshair is inviting them into his heart. And the fact that the group debates whether Omega should go and that it's Omega who ultimately deactivates the sensors is significant.

The Bad Batch, specifically Omega, deactivating the Outpost’s sensors represents how they make Crosshair feel vulnerable again.

Just as the base’s guards were up until they (specifically Omega) deactivated them, so too were Crosshair's guards up until his family (specifically Omega) re-entered his life and his heart.

This is partly why, when Hunter confronts him about betraying their family and then the Empire, Crosshair goes for the proverbial throat by bringing up Hunter's insecurities about failing Omega.

For a combination of reasons, Crosshair is feeling vulnerable for the first time in a long time, and while Hunter had very reasonable concerns and questions, he picked the worst possible moment to confront Crosshair about it.

Enter: the Wyrm.

Under Allegory #2, the Wyrm represents everything that threatens Crosshair and his heart -- whether that's external threats like the Empire or Tantiss, or internal threats like his fear and trauma.

After Crosshair comes face-to-face with the Wyrm, his initial response is to confront it alone. He likely feels guilty for endangering his family by bringing them to the Outpost, and doesn't want to risk failing and subsequently losing them the way he lost Mayday and others.

However, Hunter and the others emphasize that Crosshair can't and shouldn't face the Wyrm alone -- that they have to do it together.

Hunter also says: "Then let's get to it, before it tears this place apart." Crosshair and his family have to work together to protect the base, the same way they have to work together to protect him.

Allegory #2 fits better in the larger context of Season 3, specifically everything that happens after this episode.

Crosshair insists on facing CX-2 alone in 3.07 "Extraction" and would've died if Howzer and the others hadn't saved him. He is alone in 3.11 "Point of No Return" when he misses the shot to track Omega's ship. And he feels like, because of his failures, he needs to spare Hunter and Wrecker by infiltrating Tantiss alone in 3.15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived."

But, just as the Bad Batch work together to restore the Outpost's defenses and protect it from the Wyrm, Crosshair is best protected when he is with his family -- when they are working together.

With prompting from Hunter, Omega helps Crosshair to start facing his physical and emotional trauma in 3.08 "Bad Territory." His brothers refuse to let him infiltrate Tantiss alone in 3.15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived," and after they get captured, Echo and Omega work to break them out. And, when faced with an impossible shot to save Omega from Hemlock, Crosshair makes it thanks to Hunter's support and Omega's faith in him.

These are situations he wouldn't have been able to navigate alone, just as he wouldn't have been able to face the Wyrm and protect the Outpost alone. Heck, even Batcher helps Crosshair find and save Hunter after he falls into the tunnel. He probably couldn’t have done that by himself.

Crosshair needed his family to support and protect him from both his external and internal threats, just as they protected the Outpost.

So, in the final shot of 3.05 "The Return," we see the ship flying away from the Outpost. The Wyrm's tunnels are visible in the snow -- reminiscent of scars or wounds -- but the Outpost is still standing, still protected.

Analyzing the Title, Final Thoughts

I honestly can't decide which allegory I like better. I think they can both be powerful ways to interpret and 'read' the episode. Let me know if you have any additional insights or opinions.

As I said, I really love how emotionally poignant and significant this episode is. Just like 2.09 "The Crossing" was about Tech and Omega's bond, 3.05 "The Return" is definitely about Crosshair's bond with Hunter specifically, but his family in general.

Like Jennalysis says in The Crossing allegory analysis, I also enjoy thinking of all the things a TBB episode title can refer to. The Return has a lot of options:

Crosshair's return to Barton IV, obviously

Omega's return to Pabu, and her return to Hunter and Wrecker

Echo's return to the Bad Batch family, even if temporarily

Under Allegory 1: Hope returning to Crosshair's life and heart, as Hunter alludes to in the final line: "And who knows? There just might be hope for us yet."

Under Allegory 2: Crosshair's physical and emotional return to his family; or said another way, allowing his family to return to his heart

There might be more but that's all I have for now. As I said, this will end up being Part 2 of a much larger analysis on the episode. I plan to write Part 1, which will break down Hunter and Crosshair's character beats and some other fun details, in the coming days.

Stay tuned! :)

[sainamoonshine]

Okay but like. Sir Palamedes and the questing beast. At first I was thinking, okay so.

After getting heartbroken by his doomed loved for Isault, Sir Palamedes devotes his life to pursuing an outwardly beautiful creature, made of an amalgamation of many other things. It was created as the result of a horrible crime, and from it’s belly is coming a horrible howl, like the yapping of many dogs, because the beast is perpetually pregnant with something that will tear it to shred when it comes out. It literally carries its own death. Furthermore, the creature’s very existence represents the discord which will destroy King Arthur’s court from the inside.

And this pursuit is “as doomed to fail as his love for Isault”.

That maps with his heartbreak over Dulcinea (Isault) and his battle with Cytherea (the beast), right?

But the rest of the myth doesn’t fit. Depending on the sources, we have these further elements:

-He picked up the quest from another king, Pelinore, whose family had been passing down the duty to hunt the beast from generations to generations. Only that family was said to be able to kill it.

-Sir Palamedes is doomed to fail, until he converts to christianity, at which point another knight helps him lure the beast into a lake to kill it.

-The creature may or may not be in love with Sir Palamedes. This is apparently from some side plot in an early version of The Once And Future King where he disguises himself as the beast and it falls in love with him, Looney Tunes style, and that is why he decides to devote his life to hunting it. In the same book btw the guy who was hunting it before decided to drop the quest and then the beast was wasting away for lack of attention so he literally nursed it back to health, released it, then started hunting it again. PLUS at another point the dude is captured and the beast shows up to rescue him, so. That’s some weird ass codependent enemy situationship that Sir Palamedes just waded into, is what I’m saying.

ANYWAY with all of these extra plot point in mind, I have thus decided that Cytherea isn’t the Questing Beast to Palamedes Sextus. Nona is.

(She carries the howling of her true self, which will destroy her when it is released. She is brought to a lake [the tomb] before dying. Pal “converts” by becoming Paul. She was born of a crime. She heralds the empire’s fall. Palamedes more or less inherited the task of dealing with the revenant beast(s) from Cassiopeia. She’s a giraffe— wait, what?)

[lickthecowhappy]

Good Omens season 3 and Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra

S3 speculation

This is my called shot. I see a lot of assumptions for a Persuasion plot but I don’t think we’ll get Austen again.

“Age does not wither nor custom stale his infinite variety.” - Crowley (debatable to whom he is referring) “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.” - Enobarbus (referring to Cleopatra)

For the purpose of this, I will abbreviate Antony and Cleopatra to A and C, and Egypt to E for psychological priming purposes.

A and C are living in E. They’re happy to stay there together with one another. Unfortunately, the leadership in A’s homeland recall him to sit on the ruling council. A regretfully leaves C alone on E. 

Back in his homeland, A is forced into a partnership with someone to assure his loyalty since the others in charge are concerned about his loyalty to C. C finds out and is jealous.

A and the others in charge broker an agreement with their main threat but as soon as A’s attention is elsewhere, the others in charge betray the agreement.

A is furious and leaves his homeland to go back to E and his love C. They fight for E together. 

Let Rome in Tiber Heaven above melt and the wide arch Of the ranged empire fall. Here is my space. Kingdoms are clay. Our dungy earth alike Feeds beast as man. The nobleness of life Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair And such a twain can do ‘t, in which I bind, On pain of punishment, the world to weet We stand up peerless.

The plot continues, but Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy, and Good Omens is a comedy. There are other plot points I think could be incorporated (A believing C has died, C being captured, themes of self-sacrifice and no longer fitting the mold you were made from) but for the basic, general plot, this is where my bet is placed.

[warsamongthestars]

So, since its been a bit, let's start with a criticism.

Cody was badly handled in TBB.

( In fairness, a lot of things were. An unbelievable amount of things were. I'll eventually get to a full list. )

The thing about Commander Cody, is that he represents several things and is symbolic of several things.

He's the Hero-Mentor Archetype, shared with Obi-wan Kenobi. He's there to set the example to the characters the ideal of what he does, as well as serve as example to the Audience of what the function of this character in the greater universe is--both as function and, since we're in the space opera and symbolism is key, an indicator of the greater world-build at large. This is better shown in TCWs, though unfortunately, even there it falls through because TCWs didn't focus on the Clones outside of a handful of episodes (which is a damn shame, given the set up.)

Cody is the First Clone Character. He's the first named clone who has an effect on the world and thus catches the audience's eye. Just as Kenobi was the first Jedi character to ever be introduced, and thus, sets the example for every Jedi Character after him. ( Mind that i said Character. A person in the nameless mass that does nothing but sit there for a scene and is barely noticeable, is no more a character than a barrel in another scene. If something is just there to fill the backdrop, its not a character. Its filled scene space. ) Because Cody is the Clone's Clone, he serves as an example of what the greater clone world is: in his case, what the Ideal is, just Kenobi does for the Jedi. If something has gone wrong with the greater system, you will see it in them. ( Think Kenobi and the Hardeen situation. Then compare the Jedi's attitude with Ahsoka's trial. If the show isn't enough, try the Prequel Trilogy--Kenobi's criticism of Qui-gon Jin for picking up Anakin, and then how the attitude is reflected in the Jedi Council upon confronting Anakin. )

So, there's your backdrop.

The way TBBshow treats Cody starts off as, actually, rather decent.

Commander Cody wouldn't be just another Guest Character to take focus away from story, character and plot ( as an excuse to not write either three), it would make sense for him to show up in the immediate Post-Order 66 era.

His Gray Paint is also very nice.

I personally subscribe to the idea that, since the 212th had golden colors and Cody himself had a sun-like motif about him--the gray out was, in a sense, a parallel to the Deathstar.

Its a "star" but its moon gray and it causes death where ever it targets.

NOT-BONUS: Being familiar with Crosshair would've been a bonus, it makes for a nice touch on a pre-established relationship from TCWs--the problem is, is that the reason Crosshair is even there is a broken argument for a piss poor planning from Season 1. Crosshair is there, because the writers want him to be there, and not for anything reasonable in-story--remember, they even dropped the Chip plotline. There is no reason for Crosshair to be in the empire besides the fanfic plot of "The Jerk must be Evil because he's said Not Nice Things".

And that's where it stops.

Because we've suddenly got a Cody with Personality, in a time where y'know, that doesn't make any sense.

You could argue that "oh the chip wears off!"... which is from the same show that completely forgets about the chip a quarter way through, and would rather blame its victims for not trying to not do evil things when under influence.

And it ends with "Oh he ran away". With the implication of "Oh he just disagreed with the Empire!"

... Several things there, folks:

The Republic was the same way. Watch Phantom Menace. Watch the Clone Wars. What happened on that episode, is half the arcs and seasons on the Clone Wars. Except without trench warfare and the cost of thousands fo lives. If anything, it was arguably more peaceful than anything the Clone Wars produced.

It breaks Cody as a character. He's meant to represent Clones as a whole, just as Kenobi represents Jedi as a whole. Clones as a whole are under the chip influence and are willingly serving the empire; and even if they weren't, Pre-TCWs Extended Universe has several arguments (not necessarily good ones) about how clone training would've made systematic orders very easy for clones. Cody is meant to be under the influence. If anything, he's meant to be the Imperial's Imperial Clone by this point. Because by his nature as a clone in Star Wars, he falls to the Empire and Hunts Jedi down, because that's what being the Clone's Clone is in a Post Order 66 era. It is, in fact, a very important marking point in the whole Prequels and TCWs, that this happens.

It continues the obvious flaw: Lack of Communication and the Writer's inability to write anything deeper than One Liners You're telling me that the Officer in Charge, who would call one of his troops "Son" like he's a grizzled war-vet, who would be a gentleman one minute and fist fight walking-talking solid metal-bot, who has supposedly taken example from Kenobi the art of subterfuge, wouldn't confront Crosshair if he disagreed with Crosshair's methods? Congratulations, the new personality trait for Cody of the TBB is Cowardice. I'm so fucking happy about it. Really I am. No matter how boring and overtalkative they were, even the Prequels were capable of meaningful conversations. For one thing, they painfully talked about how Anakin repeatedly killed people. TBB does not have meaningful conversations. Oh it'll look to the wind dramatically and make the audience think that something is happening, and yeah, its fun to imagine that something up... ... But remember that nothing is actually there.

The "Story is Elsewhere" Then why aren't they writing That Story Elsewhere then? Fun thing about stories, is that, if you want them to happen, you Write Them. "Expanding in order to ensure other media" Thanks, I can find a regular Clickbait Content Farm online, without having to pay subscription for one. "Expanding on Star Wars at another time" I can go on AO3, for that, thank you. The ultimate truth is, is that this team cannot write. They will throw in a bunch of characters and references to get the blood pumping, but the moment you look back and see what is happening, you realize, absolutely nothing is happening at all. They would rather bank on resurrecting Ventress meaninglessly, than confront the fact that they killed Tech, who is by all time spent and story applied (regardless of quality at this point), a much more important character. They would rather dangle the kid sidekick from name any last century sci-fi shows, than confront the fact that Crosshair got brainwashed, and when they do confront that, its with the help of the sidekick like she's gods damn discount bootleg of Steven Universe, and with a helping heap of Victim Blaming. Why is a more interesting and meaningful story Implied to be elsewhere, when you could be writing an interesting and meaningful story Now what you have?

Now the thing about criticism, is that its easy, so how bout I offer a better scenario with what we have?

( I'll offer an Actually Decent Scenario when "Rewriting TBB" comes up. For now, we work with just the episode. )

Crosshair meets Cody again, they go on mission to take back a Separatist world. ( Yes, take back, because the Empire is also the Republic but with the shackles off, remember this. The Clone Wars didn't end just because the Jedi are dead. )

Cody doesn't call anyone by their names, except for Crosshair. (Working off of Imperial themes from S1). Besides that small issue of calling his brothers by their numbers, he otherwise seems to act like Cody.

After some cool fight scenes that play off of Cody and Crosshair' strengths--such as Crosshair sniping and mirror calculations, and Cody's ability to fist fight Robocop--they reach the planetary leader area.

Crosshair is, as a proper Sniper, is directed to set up in a sniping position to watch Cody's back, whilst negotiations under duress happen. It ends with Cody putting a blaster bolt through the Seppie Leader's head.

Now such heartlessness is something that Crosshair would expect out of himself (He knows what needs to be done--he's a sniper, he's been trained, there's already blood on his hands so he thinks he damned anyway), but it coming out of Cody is shocking. Because Cody is the Good Guys' Good Guy for Clones, any clones.

( In this instance, its both a shock and a sad confirmation to the audience, because we know and acknowledge the chip, and its much more powerful and tragic to see it affect someone as important and long standing as Commander Cody )

Crosshair confronts Cody about it, and Cody brushes it off as simply following orders for the greater good. When Crosshair pushes-- because as a Bad Batcher, pushing things beyond acceptable social limits is in the job description--Cody implies a threat, asking if Crosshair is thinking about going against orders in command.

( We can even have a nice shot of a thigh blaster with Cody's hand near it, with some dramatic, quiet music that thumps )

Crosshair goes "No sir", and the episode ends with the implication that Crosshair seeing what the Empire has been doing to the people he knew.

Cue the credits.

[shynmighty]

New Agent Infodump incoming!

This is Aeija Silverblade, another redhead by Shynmighty, no big surprise there. 😂

I'm still sorting out where she officially falls on my legacy's family tree, but so far...I think she might be an illegitimate daughter of Rhyxus (My m!SW who I really need to play more/get into because he's a delightful bastard) which would make her the half-sister of Aeiryss, Aecenith, and Vhespasian. But I think she exists on a timeline all her own that doesn't include the others. Because I have plans for her...

For this infodump, I'll be focusing on her background, personality, and her progression through the story thus far...

Aeija was born on an Imperial world (I'm still deciding whether to make it somewhere official, like Ziost or DK, or somewhere I just make up) and is fully indoctrinated into the Imperial way of life. Her mother is Imperial, and all she knows of her father is that he is a Sith. She grew up as a commoner, which gave her a drive to surpass expectations. She enlisted with the military at the first opportunity, and her dedication and skill got her noticed by Imperial Intelligence.

Despite the coldness and discipline in her upbringing, Aeija was always a bit of a softie. She spared lives when she could, helped the unfortunate, and tried never to sacrifice innocents, even to further Imperial aims. Upon her first debriefing as an agent, Keeper pointed out that she would never survive in the business if she didn't grow a thicker skin...and he was mostly right.

Her encounters with Jadus and Zhorrid shook her belief system that the Sith were infallible. The Imperial doctrine that she grew up believing in so staunchly was flawed. Rather than become disillusioned, however, Aeija became convinced that what the Empire needed most was reform, and for Imperials to have an equal seat at the table. This was coupled with a distrust of Sith in general.

Things...changed...when Aeija was sent undercover with the SIS. The first use of the control code set off something very dark, deep inside her. (I came up with the term "Rampaeija" for her subsequent rampage, which made me chuckle) Her mission to Taris was bloody, and she gleefully took out her vengeance on the Republic when the opportunity arose. In the end, although her knee-jerk reaction was to help Chance, her fury that he used her code word outweighed her usual mercy and she left him to perish. The voice inside her urging her to help people and show mercy dimmed to little more than a whisper.

The demise of Ardun Kothe and the rest of his team was swift and ruthless. Although she discovered that the Sith were responsible for her programming, her anger remained focused on the Republic. Her reasoning being that although the Sith programmed her, it was the SIS who USED the programming. Even so, she became more convinced of the need for the Empire to reform. Until it did, she was not sure she could serve with the same patriotism as she possessed at the start of her career. Her mistrust of the Sith and her hatred of the Republic were both left to fester.

Now Aeija has arrived on Belsavis. Will the Rampaeija continue? Or will she rediscover her inner light?

...

(TLDR, I played this girl as full light side, with very few exceptions. Then "keyword onomatophobia" happened.)

(Also as a final note, I have more info I can potentially dump for Aeija regarding where I see her story going, particularly with her future LI...) (Hint: It's not Vector! heehee) (So hopefully you all aren't bored yet!) 😁

[circeyoru]

Hiiiii love your series collection of souls I don't know if you answered this but why did trick kill you both or put you to sleep ? Again sorry if you already answered this love ya byeeee

This is for {Collection of Overlords}, check MASTERLIST for the work

Ahhh, the million dollar question that has yet to be answered anywhere. Why were you completely absent from the show or the time before that? Why did you disappear and even making Alastor disappear off the grid to search for you?

I’m not sure if I wrote it, but it was implied that Trick killed you out of jealousy and loneliness. Now why I never explained this in the story part is because it’s heavy lore on Trick/Noir and your relationship and past. Specifically, Trick/Noir is an OC in this series that pairs with you and not meant to take up much of the story cause this series already has a lot of other characters to focus on. However, I did think about it and will answer the question and reveal the lore once an ask was in. Here it is.

(a bit of background to those that forgot some details, Noir and Trick are the same person and the total opposite of you in terms of power element. Noir refers to when they are still acting holy and good like the god Heaven and Earth saw and depicted, while Trick refers to when they see the ugliness of Heaven and humans thus giving up the godly acts)

You and Noir essentially came to being the same time Heaven and Hell did. At any point in time, all your actions and behaviours are never wrong or right, there’s no judgement on you two unless you will it so. Naturally, it goes without saying that no one other than Noir/Trick and yourself have the right to judge your thoughts, words, and actions. 

In the beginning, Heaven and Earth are close, in a sense. What with all the creation and stuff, Hell was not mentioned until the fall of Lucifer and Lilith. While you had Hell to call home or at least a base of operation to build an empire (in a way), Noir never claimed Heaven because they saw Heaven to be protected and ruled by the elders and angels. So you can actually see Noir to be the isolated one despite have their existence more known and loved (albeit wrongly). This is where Noir takes the god role seriously and tries to act like how the elders depicted them to be. 

Now you and Noir do meet up from time to time to exchange experience so a clear sense that a balance is still present is strengthened. You’re not blind to notice Noir’s new characteristic, but you just don’t judge it and think as long as Noir is doing well then it’s all good. Plus, you two were fundamentally different, total opposites, so what you like or do might be different as well. 

The question is: Where is the breaking point? The trigger that made Noir see truth. The reason why Noir is now Trick. 

Simple answer, Lucifer’s fall.

[Charlie: “Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for All of creation. But he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world.”]

Here Lucifer was judged to be the black when it’s not supposed to be possible in Heaven. You know, nothing evil and bad and dark and all the other negative things. Yet the elders label Lucifer to be one of those, you have no knowledge of this and it’s not like you care for the workings of Heaven, but Noir does. The point is, Noir see no fault in Lucifer’s way of thinking or actions. 

At first, the labelling was fine. It’s when Lucifer was cast out of Heaven did Noir turn to Trick. You knew of Lucifer’s fall into Hell but did nothing because you saw no deed to do. It’s when you met up with Noir and saw the change did you realize something must be done. Noir, now Trick, gave up on humanity and Heaven. They weren’t the ‘holy’ being they were pretending to suit the image others painted them in. 

In that realization came another that was more related to you. Trick realized that you were always by their side no matter what, even when they were obsessed with satisfying Heaven and human’s ideal image of them as a ‘god’. Trick realized that there was no such thing and you and them weren’t enemies like Heaven painted you to be or your home, Hell. 

From that point on, Trick arranges more visits for a gathering of just you two. Slowly, it turns to envy and jealousy that other unworthy beings and souls were taking too much of your time and energy, like Trick’s situation when they were Noir. 

The part where the two of you were killable when done on the other was found by Trick when he used holy magic on you and you realized the ending when you were ‘brought by to life’ earlier than Trick. The recovery is done by slumber where nothing can interrupt you two, it is only with the passage of time do you two heal. But because the balance rests of you two’s shoulders, you two won’t be dead for too long. 

Trick kills you for boredom and entertainment on the surface. On a deper level, it’s because Trick is lonely and wants your companionship like before the whole nonsense with god, good and evil, and humans. You don’t mind the death and being killed parts, but you do mind that you wasted good time to manage Hell.

[thececeverse]

OH , WHO'S THAT ?! OH , IT'S KRYSTAL ... !

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ... KRYSTAL TSU, also known as KRYSOO or KRYS, is a fictional soloist under YG Entertainment. Originally starting out as a YouTuber, model, actress, and the internet's resident cool girl, Krystal quickly turned her online persona into a booming business, and she eventually found her way into the music industry. Debuting in 2017 as a Mandopop artist, she branched into K-pop shortly after with the track "Got Ya," and instantly found success. She has since gone down as an iconic soloist within the industry, known for her upbeat sound and second generation feel.

... BASICS

STAGE NAME // Krys (크리스)

BIRTH NAME // Krystal Karlie Tsu

CHINESE NAME // Xu Changchang (徐昌昌)

KOREAN NAME // Soo Kyung-ah (수경아)

BIRTHDAY // January 25th, 1996

BIRTHPLACE // Shanghai, China

HOMETOWN // Beverly Hills, California

ETHNICITY // Chinese

NATIONALITY // Chinese-American

... PHYSICAL

FACE CLAIM // Shen Xiaoting

HEIGHT // 5'9" 1/2 (177 cm)

BLOOD TYPE // B

... CAREER

OCCUPATION // Idol, songwriter, dancer, actress, model, YouTuber, businesswoman

YEARS ACTIVE // 2017–present

COMPANY // YG Entertainment, Interscope Records, Gold Typhoon

SURVIVAL SHOWS // Girls Planet 999 (2021)

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ... Krystal Tsu was born in Shanghai, China into a relatively wealthy family. Her father is the chairman of a large scale real estate company, while her mother is a former model. She's the eldest of two daughters, with her younger sister—Stephanie—being an actress herself. Krystal and her family didn't spend much time in China, as two years after she was born, they moved to Beverly Hills. Her father was looking to expand his business, and California seemed like the perfect place to do so.

Krystal would thus spend the rest of her life on the West Coast, and her desire to start a career in the entertainment industry would start early. At six, she was entered into jazz dance lessons by her mother to help with her balance and to help her develop a hobby, and she would remain in those lessons for the next eleven years. However, two years later, Krystal would look to become an actress after falling in love with actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Lindsay Lohan. She couldn't juggle both acting and dance lessons, though, so her mother—with the help of a family friend who happened to be a photographer—had her begin modeling in hopes that it would lead to an acting career.

She wouldn't take modeling too seriously until 2013, when she would unexpectedly go viral. After a photo of her with Rihanna surfaced, the internet was scrambling to find out who she was. That led to the discovery of her Instagram account, and all of that prompted Krystal to revitalize her previously dead YouTube account, which had already been in existence since 2009. She used it to indulge in another hobby of hers, which was makeup, and she quickly became an internet celebrity overnight.

By 2014, Krystal had reached mainstream fame in the States. With nearly 2 million subscribers, she was an idol for young girls across the country, and was labeled as the internet's "cool girl." She was specifically noted for her head of blue hair, which would cycle through a few other bold colors over the next few years. Within the next year, Krystal would capitalize on her fame by turning her online persona into a fashion empire, founding the pop culture phenomenon of a brand I-Kon. 2016 saw the founding of Kosmetics, Krystal's very own beauty brand. It was just as successful as its predecessor, seeing significant success in Asia. Krystal would continue to be successful as a businesswoman, and would establish a parent company—KRYSTAL TSU—three years later.

Aside from her booming social media, fashion, acting, and modeling careers, Krystal had always loved singing. She spent her life before fame and her earlier career posting song covers to her Instagram, after all. She decided to give a music career a go in 2017, when she unexpectedly signed with Gold Typhoon early in the year. She would make her debut shortly after with the track "Medusa." The album which spawned the single—XI—was a smash hit in China, topping multiple charts and selling over four million copies to date.

Due to her interest in K-pop, Krystal decided that a debut in Korea wouldn't hurt, either. After signing with YG, she would make her debut on November 17th, 2017 with the album Khrysalis. Her debut single was lauded for its unique pop rock sound, which "came out of nowhere." It got Krystal her first and only win that era, and also made quite the splash on the charts. However, the album's second single saw a bit more popularity. "Change" became the dance track of the year, and its complex choreography spawned multiple covers across the internet. Eventually, Krystal also made her debut in the States in 2019 with the single "Like This," which would be a modest success. She released an album the following year, but she hasn't returned to the Western market since.

With successful careers in multiple industries and a concept that's known for its refreshing vibe throughout the K-pop industry, Krystal has cemented herself as an It girl and iconic artist, and as one who isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

[pomplalamoose]

give me more Luke headcanons I am begging you, could be anything but give moooore (pretty please 🥺)

Of course, anon!!! Here are more Luke headcanons just for you, I hope you like them🩵

(if you scroll far enough you'll find something slightly nsfw at the end)

• for some reason I'm convinced that Luke can't dance 

• or at least not in a way that is considered presentable to the public 

• (the dorky way in which he moves to music in private is unlike anything you've ever seen. It's adorable)

• while he has a good sense of rhythm and great control over his body, he turns surprisingly clumsy as soon as he's told to do, for example, a waltz

• suddenly his graceful demeanor and the elegant way in which he carries himself simply vanishes into thin air 

• the only thing left will be gangly limbs everywhere, sheepish smiles and murmured apologies 

• take care of your feet because he will step on them 

• I wouldn't be surprised if he'd somehow manage to trip over his own or slip on the train of his partner's dress/cloak/flowy garment

• could he possibly learn how to dance? Absolutely, he's a well trained fighter 

• does he want to? No.

• (he might make an exception if Leia forces him to)

• is there an equivalent to the Roman Empire in the galaxy far, far away?

• is it the old Jedi order?

• (it could be but everyone feel free to make up alternatives)

• either way Luke is a nerd because I say so and thus thinks about the Roman Empire's equivalent a lot 

• he'll be able to give you a weirdly specific answer about how often he does so too

• he'll smile at you then and you can't help but wonder whether he's messing with you or telling the truth 

• if you share a room or a bed with him, no matter if it's in a platonic or romantic way, he's definitely one to come up with the strangest of questions 

• especially when you are already halfway gone and THIS close to sleep

• he'd ask if you'd still date him if he was a worm 

• yes, he'd still date you if you were a worm 

• OF COURSE he would 

• he'd built a little worm house just for you 

• what do you mean you want him to shut up and finally go to sleep?

• the memory of experiencing his first rain fall is very dear to him 

• since he grew up on a planet without water, everything about it fascinates him a great deal 

• he's always delighted when there is a stream or a puddle nearby 

• he likes to observe big rivers and the sea and often meditates at the shore of whatever lake he might find

• because of this I like to think he'd be really into fish 

• or water creatures in general 

• he'd totally keep some of them in his rooms

• (only in a way appropriate to their species of course!)

• as a fish/crab/shell/??? you won't ever find a better place to live than in Luke Skywalker's aquarium

• he'd take such good care of them 

additonal posts for this topic here and here

• in one of my other posts I said that Luke likes to go shopping with you

• but not only because he enjoys spending time with the people he loves 

• secretly (or maybe not so secretly) that man is just as invested in getting you new clothes, if not more so, than you are 

• (everyone who knew his mother isn't surprised; they have so much in common after all)

• he has an amazing sense for fashion 

• while he himself is more than content with his elegant and sleek black look, he flourishes when others seek him out for advice on how to dress

• he has a good eye for all the different body types and what suits each individual person best 

• he loves make over scenes in movies

• he keeps up to date with the latest trends

• he'd totally judge celebrities' and/or politician's outfits with you

• while we are at it I also have to talk about his favorite pieces on you 

• he absolutely adores seeing you in shirts with a low neckline

• those that maybe tend to expose more of your skin when you move, sliding that way or another

• the more he can see of your neck, shoulders  and collarbones the better 

• he loves when you go without a bra and he is able to see your nipples peeking through the fabric 

• thus he is especially happy during summer when you are wearing thin and lacey tops 

• while he always enjoys unwrapping you like a present during winter, there's just something so tantalizing about easy access

• this applies to your panties as well (or maybe especially?)

• he thinks you look breathtakingly beautiful in a pretty summer dress or a flowy skirt

• but even more so if he knows you aren't wearing anything underneath

• he'll innocently ask you to sit on his lap

• from afar nobody would assume that there is something else going on 

• at least if you manage to keep your composure 

• you never do

• he is not easy to take without any preparation and foreplay first 

• so in case you don't happen to be aroused enough or if you're less practiced and not able to take him fully yet, he'll happily adapt and fuck your thighs instead 

• they are just as nicely warm and so smooth 

• he'd make you sit at just the right angle so you too get all the friction you need, gently guiding your hips into a rhythm 

• eventually he'd loose his patience though, and, after making sure no one's around, he'd bend you over and take you properly

[foxykatie425]

No one asked, but here are my hopes for a third and final Jedi game…

Things I want:

• A reason for the characters not to be involved in the OT. My prediction is that Cal will be forced to destroy the compass to keep the colony on Tanalorr safe from the Empire, leaving them stranded with no way out of the Abyss, but having a small but thriving settlement with everything they need to survive. And then some day, after the Empire falls, some other Jedi (whether it be Luke, Ahsoka, Ezra, whoever!) will have to go on a mission to reach them and reconnect them with the galaxy.

• Kata training with the Force. Most likely she’ll be trained by Cal as a Jedi, but there’s a chance Merrin could also be teaching her some Nightsister magick. I’m looking forward to Kata being a fully fleshed out character.

• Declarations of love. I guess technically we got a little of that in Survivor, but both of them have yet to actually use the L-word! And I think we’d all scream at an “I love you” “I know” moment!

Things I don’t want:

• A Merrical baby. As much as it would make my shipper heart happy, there are two reasons I don’t want this. Firstly, introducing another kid would take the attention (and by that I mean the audience’s attention) away from Kata, who has yet to really have her time to shine. And secondly, it would probably contribute to the next thing in this list I don’t want…

• Threats on his family pushing Cal to the dark side. At least in a super blatant way. I’m fine with Cal struggling with the dark side, and given the way Survivor ended I’d say it’s almost necessary. (Although, I can’t see him falling completely, that would not be a very satisfying ending to his arc.) What I don’t want is Cal dabbling in the darkness in the name of protecting his family. First of all, let’s not prove the Jedi Order right! Second of all, we’ve had that story in Star Wars before! More than once! Of course, that was one of the big reasons for Anakin’s fall, but we even had that in Survivor with Bode! And while comparisons between Cal and Bode might seem poetic, they would be a lot more poetic if Bode was still alive. Obviously everything that happened still affects Cal, but from a storytelling perspective, you can’t really expect the audience to draw parallels between two characters if one never appears on screen. Case in point: Cal and Trilla shared a lot of interesting parallels in Fallen Order, but Trilla is only mentioned in Survivor once, and it’s in passing. But if Cal started doing unscrupulous things to protect his family, he would very quickly be reminded of Bode and stop himself from making the same mistakes. (Besides, lest we forget, Merrin doesn’t need protecting!)

• Cal dying. (And not just because I want him and Merrin to have the first true happily ever after in Star Wars.) It’s always the looming threat in anything set before the OT, especially with Jedi. I mean, never mind Yoda’s declaration to Luke in ROTJ that “the last of the Jedi will you be” because that’s already been proven false in pretty much every way; I’m fine with assuming that, believe it or not, Yoda may not have known everything! However, Cal has made himself a pretty high-profile Jedi in the eyes of the Empire, and one would logically assume that if he was around during the OT, Luke would have sought him out. Thus we once again run into the question of “doomed prequelitis.” Rogue One played this trope completely straight. Rebels mostly did not, but notably the two major Jedi characters were both removed from the equation. One in the form of death, and the other in the form of semi-voluntary intergalactic exile! (Of course there’s the loose thread that is Ahsoka, but there are lots of plausible ways to keep her out of the OT, so we’ll save that discussion for another day.) My point is the status quo that is established at the end of Survivor would not keep Cal and company off of Luke’s radar. They are still involved with the Hidden Path, which presumably would have ties with the larger Rebellion, and they would surely keep doing that as long as they are able. However, killing off Cal would be the easy way out in terms of storytelling. Even if his death was some kind of heroic sacrifice, it would once again be a story we have already seen many times in Star Wars. It would be lazy, repetitive writing, and with the time capsule that is Tanalorr, it does not need to be that way. All we need is a reason that they can’t leave Tanalorr and a reason no one can go in after them. Hence why I think the last compass will be destroyed!

Obviously these are just some overarching ideas for what I think the third game should look like and have little to do with gameplay or any kind of specific plot. I’ll leave that to Respawn! 😉