#like i just want them to either give andor s2

[benkenobee]

After seeing the finale last night, I did not like the Ahsoka series and from here on out, I’m going to pretend like it never existed.

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x7: the dark along the ways

spoilers for s1 of WoT and through Knife of Dreams in the books; minor spoilers for one of the s2 character blurbs

Aaaaah, my angel Tigraine is here to kick ass and have a baby. This cold open floored when when I first saw it and it still floors me. It's amazing. I'm looking forward to more Maiden action in s2 so much. Not just the fighting here, but the emotion -- how frustrated she is that they won't just let her have her baby in peace, how she finally has a moment to herself and then this new potential threat shows up and we hang in that moment. Fantastic episode opener and it really makes me excited about what we might get in s2 for the cold opens.

So... given that she left Andor to chase a prophecy to save the world and has found herself on Dragonmount about to give birth... Tigraine could probably guess who her kid was going to be at this point, I feel like? She was very well educated, first in Andor and then in the White Tower, so I'm sure she would have known the Prophecies (maybe she even figured out when she learned that the female warrior society of the Aiel was called the Maidens of the Spear?)

The Emond's Field people want to get Mat but Moiraine must refuse because he's literally in recasting limbo right now. I love how Rand just instantly lost all trust in Moiraine the second she refuses to open the Waygate. She won him to her side by helping Mat, then immediately lost him once she stopped. Rand (and Nynaeve) are so protective & defensive over Mat in this episode and I really love it.

Of course, Rand is now probably also about, like 75% sure that he's actually the Dragon and so there's no need to worry about Mat anyway. But Moiraine is absolutely not sure who the Dragon is and it very well could be Mat (imo if she wasn't worried that Mat was a potential channeler, it would be pointless to send the Red Ajah after him).

Rand's little despairing looks back at the closed Waygate and his instant defense of Mat against anyone who says a word against him (even Egwene): catnip to a newly-minted Cauthor shipper.

Yeah, Mat is 100% Moiraine's least favorite child -- she 'knows' what choice he would make, she says (the wrong one). So, there are actually two different ways that the show could go with Mat -- Moiraine could be either right or wrong that Mat would make the wrong/evil choice and it depends on how they've decided to handle the Seanchan. Because if they follow the same storyline that the books did, Mat does essentially choose to embrace evil along that path (even if Jordan never admits it) when he decides that he's okay being married to an unremorseful and unwilling-to-change slaver. If Tuon stays the same way that she is in the books, then Moiraine was right about Mat. If Mat and Tuon's storyline gets changed/updated to be less... awful, then Moiraine will have been wrong about Mat.

Lan tries to tease Nynaeve to cheer her up but fails, so he tries to reassure her instead, telling her that Mat is safer where they left him. It's a sweet little moment.

Both Egwene and Rand are more open in this moment than they were in episode 2 and are able to share a snuggle as they sleep (but Egwene also checks in with Rand first this time and waits for him to essentially nonverbally give her a 'yes' before snuggling in). Rand is also a lot less raw about the breakup and they're hovering in a weird 'maybe we're not broken up after all' space.

People's worst fears clawing at them is a lot more informative kind of existential terror than just gore-whispers.

Honestly, given how on-edge everyone is put by the Black Wind, it would more surprising if it didn't lead to tensions and arguments. That was a rough experience for them all.

Lots of Lan backstory in this episode! His title, people from his past, etc.

Poor Moiraine looks so exhausted. Pretty much now until the end of the season. This is also when Moiraine has the message sent to the Red Ajah about Mat, which Lan is not around to hear, I note.

Perrin engages in some Fainspotting!

Oh, I notice that when Min serves drinks to the ta'veren, she keeps her eyes down. To avoid seeing all the viewings maybe? And I'm pleased to say that show!Min remains likable on rewatch, despite my bad experience with book!Min in my reread! She actually is a world-weary and well-traveled woman who has been through Too Much and is Tired instead of feeling like a tweenager cosplaying as one. And Moiraine literally has to blackmail her into sharing her viewings about the EF5.

And reading the new s2 summary about Min also tells us why Moiraine threatening her with exposure is enough to make her crack -- she was forced to be a carnival act! Yikes, Min's aunts!

Also that does look like the same baby from Rand's vision in the next episode, at least to me, so I think that's what she was seeing.

The EF5 all confronting Moiraine. I do wonder if it was the whispers of the Ways that made her decide to open up to them about how the non-Dragons will die when the Dragon faces the Dark One. And though the group does fracture into an argument after this discussion, they do present a united front against Moiraine here.

This argument also does a good job in laying down Egwene's philosophy and her reasons for wanting to do this. And we get another passionate defense of Mat from Rand.

It's fascinating how quickly Nynaeve jumps the conclusion that Rand and Perrin are 'fighting over' Egwene (something that both Rand and Egwene find initially baffling). I wonder how long Nynaeve has been expecting this to come up as an issue between them, that she goes there so quickly. Back in ep1, she sends Perrin away from Egwene's celebration to spend time with his wife and then in this episode, she notices Perrin noticing Egwene and Rand snuggling together. She is on "Perrin->Egwene HIGH ALERT" at all times and it's just kinda fascinating. If she'd just let them argue, I sincerely doubt that Perrin would ever have let anything slip.

Perrin's staring at Rand's mouth while saying "only woman I ever loved was my wife" moment. With a single shot, Perrin comes across as infinitely less heterosexual than his book counterpart.

We get some more good Lan content in his scenes with Moiraine and then Nynaeve. It's nice to get to see a piece of Lan's culture and for him to share it with Nynaeve. All the scenes that he has with both of them in this episode are really good. Lan comparing his devotion to Moiraine to Nynaeve's protectiveness over the Two Rivers' kids; I like it.

And this scene with Egwene and Rand is his last stab at denial. He wants to pretend that he can still be Egwene's husband/Warder. But if he doesn't give up on his denial, he might be condemning Egwene, Perrin, & Nynaeve to a painful death. What Egwene says here (that she will stand by Rand if he's the Dragon) is also related to why he goes off on his own and pretends to be dead imo -- he knows his friends wouldn't abandon him and so he has to abandon them for their safety.

And we reach the point where everything is at a crisis point and Rand can't keep denying every strange thing that's been building up since the night the Trollocs attacked.

This scene with Rand and Min is very good. Again, show!Min is doing a lot better than book!Min. Also, Min, I'm holding you to that "three beautiful women" viewing.

Aah, the kindness of how the show did Rand's birth really gets to me. The story is so much... colder in the books. That show!Tigraine gets to have a last moment of connection before she dies, and gets some assurance that her kid will be taken care of. It was an incredibly compassionate change to make.

lol, the poor awkwardness of the three Emond's Fielders (before they realize that Rand has disappeared with Moiraine).

Moiraine's thoughts, probably: "shit, it's one of the boys. Well... at least it's not Mat".

[dianititties]

so i haven't been able to stop thinking about AvM mianite crossover au. take my random doodles while i was thinking about it, varying in quality. my ramblings are under the cut >:3

OKAY SO

purple is SO fucking andor esque. like. got the gender swag for it, the wings, the princely aesthetic, the tragic balance, the fuckin DADDY ISSUES--

*coughs* okay so uh. here we go.

out of the color gang, here's their godly alignments:

Green - Ex-Mianitee, now Ianitee. not because of anything bad happening, they just eventually found their own balance and that was right for them. (plus it does not hurt that their bestie is an ianitee but shhhhhh that's not why they switched) though i am tempted to give them wizard status on principal alone. but the Aesthetic.

Blue - i honestly couldn't think of an alignment for blue? like. i get mianitee vibes from her. but not in the way that any of the canon mianitees acted. except maybe like, dec, but less priestly. blue's just vibing out here!! though it will DEFINITELY be challenged by s2 mianite.

Yellow - Also Mianitee- though she's definitely more into it than Blue. redstone is tricky business and follows many rules and yellow knows the bounds and sticks to them, like in the nether sleeping short. unlike a certain someone...

Red - Dianitee, but only in s2. I cannot see Red willfully siding with Dianite in s1? I think Red would prefer to be godless- though aligned with the Mianitee and Ianitee sides in s1. also he probably got FUCKED UP in some way, relating to divinity? because herobrine analogous thing? maybe the tank of judgement taken to the extreme? idk.

Orange/TSC - Ianitee but vibes from both mianite and dianite. Got main character energy, they've gotta! Plus relating to how TSC was prepared to stay hidden from Alan out of fear until meeting the CG, and upon seeing them get deleted, went OFF- that is ianitee divine retribution right there if i've ever seen it. ianitees aren't just balance, they are justice.

Okay moving onto the misc. others-

King - Miantee, but like, that gets tested at the end of s2 of mianite. He can't say that he's upset to lose his faith, but it feels like something he can't fill back up has been ripped out of him. He's done horrible things for his god, for himself, to others. also i gave him a fun custom variant of his staff for this au because i think the significance of killing the wither as a test of strength in s1 was very neat and should be explored more. though he wouldn't be in s1 world probably. hm. ANYWAY--

Chosen/TCO - Godless. So fucking godless. And proud of it. Well, not proud to be godless necessarily, but vehemently against forming bonds with the gods. Ex-Mianitee, then joined Dianite during the time he was with Dark, but then left Dianite's side after realizing "oh wow we're using this to justify violence and hurting people, using our own pain as reason to give other innocents more, that's kinda fucked up." Has been godless since, and has no sway to try out worshipping Ianite either.

Dark/TDL - DIANITEE. DIANITEE. DIANITEE. Always from Conception has been a Dianitee. Chaos flows through her veins, corrupting every inch of him. Destruction follows, taking a deep hold in him. Dark will have what she wants, and what she wants is for the ones who hurt him and Chosen to pay. What, she's hurting other innocent people in the process? They should have just gotten out of the way. ...Maybe one day, she can see the other side of chaos- the kinder, simpler side. Maybe one day. But that day isn't today, as much as Chosen wishes it was. (Also has a hair clip given to him by Chosen. Hasn't stopped wearing it since.)

Victim, who's not in this PICTURE - Mianitee. Like. No doubt given Rocket Corp. He may have a long strike of cruelty in him, but he's going to go about it in the most efficient, orderly way possible, instilling it in everyone who follows him.

What would be the plot here? Uhhhhh who knows! I don't even know if the gods would stay like, minecraft gods, or stick figures or smth. The mianite in the picture was just for funnies.

[jyndor]

since you don’t mind anons sending you stuff I would like to talk about something that really bothered me in andor. I was very excited to see Cassian having a love interest on the show, when they released that document about Bix that said they knew each other since always and were meant to be together I got so happy because I thought he could have some good moments at least. But after watching the show I was so disappointed, not only they are not together but they’re also annoyed with each other… that scene on episode 7 made me so sad. It feels like they are making Cassian look like a bad boyfriend, someone who can’t keep a relationship and left Bix sad and heartbroken with his actions. But she also looks like a bitter ex who wants to blame him for everything and never accepted the fact that they are over? Idk, I thought they would have a nice relationship but now I don’t think they will ever be together again

As someone who had no hopes that a love interest would be given good treatment, that's why I was pulling for Adria to be playing his sister lol because at least his sister would be like idk alive although I'm not sure Kerri isn't alive. I didn't expect anything great because of how Cassian has to lose everything by Rogue One. Either Cass and Bix are former lovers who can move on from each other, or Cassian has to lose her in some horrible way... lbr fridging is on the table. So from an out of universe perspective, I had low expectations. If Bix lives and they just don't get along anymore, it'll exceed my expectations.

My feelings on Bix and Cassian's relationship is that they're definitely not fit for each other. If they can get to a place where they can be good friends again I'd be shocked. I always interpreted that document as they SHOULD have worked out, they SHOULD have been able to be together but shit just kept getting in the way. Is Cassian a bad boyfriend? Well I mean they're NOT together, and they broke up. She wants more than he is able to give her. That's not being a bad boyfriend, it's being human and incompatible. And it's more reasonable to me if you think of Cassian as 21 instead of a fully developed fully grown man in his mid twenties because being messy is very 21.

The only thing that confused me was when Cassian pointed out her injury and she said she walked into a wall like she does, which is likely a reference to her being abused at some point and I HOPE??? She wasn't making a dig at CASSIAN lol because hell nO cassian jeron andor does not beat women.

I don't agree that Bix seems like a bitter ex, either. Even though we all hate Timm, for better or for worse she loved him. She and Cassian have a history and she has been the one to put up boundaries - pushing his hand away at the pub, telling him they weren't talking about who they're seeing in the first episode, etc. They are exes who are friends - but circumstances are what they are, and I wouldn't be surprised if Bix has a hard time dealing with Cassian after this just from misplaced blame. In episode 7 she's grieving her lover, even if he died because he was a jealous xenophobic idiot. People don't just stop loving someone immediately - it takes time to move on. I feel like Bix is frustrated with Cassian (from her perspective he always leaves her behind and that sucks for her, she feels that she's a more supportive friend than he is). I don't think it's unrealistic for that conversation to have gone the way it did, and I didn't take it as her having trouble getting over him or vice versa.

I personally HATE on and off relationships, I find them really unbearable so I personally hope they don't hook up or try again lol it's such a tired trope to me. Also if they get back together I think Bix will definitely not survive season 2 and I'm not here for that.

Idk I understand where you're coming from anon but people are messy and first loves are usually best left to the past. I would love Cassian to have a nice relationship for an arc or two in s2, but I don't have a lot of hope for that.

There's a number of choices I don't agree with but I actually think this might be the only way Bix might survive lol.

[bearpillowmonster]

Andor

Finally got around to watching Andor and it's like, you see these normal everyday things that aren't necessarily in the rulebook NOT to appear in Star Wars but just weird first inclusions. Like cereal, it looks like they took Trix and put in a retro styled canister. Tags on the blasters. Mon Mothma is...a mom with family drama? I mean it all makes sense but just unwritten, surreal to see real. We see more of these people's home life than anybody else in the franchise. Even the Thrawn trilogy had that little bit of Earth with Lando's Hot Chocolate but Andor does it all the time, too much, too fast.

Much like Solo, nobody really asked for an Andor series but I thought of potential ways they could go about it, there's just...ok, if Cassian is a master of disguise, I'd like to see him do different things but he's just an Imperial Officer again. Ok, so it could work if he does this regularly in order to smuggle whatever it is in and out, gives him experience with the knowledge we have of Rogue One but it's not like that either, it's just- "I did this once before." Ok, maybe he has knowledge from a prison? There is a prison but he apparently already knew all this by that point. We have nothing to base it on.

We should've seen the prison earlier and then that could explain a heck of a lot more in terms of motivation and fear. Even then, I understand the reason him being arrested is kind of to show the iron grip of the empire but wouldn't it have been more satisfying if Andor was set up as the sacrifice for that mission in the name of the "rebellion", then it would make sense for him to come out and do what he does and have everyone hunt him. Or maybe he gets in the way of the rebellion, making Rogue One his one true act, I don't know but to me it just makes more sense to do it any other way.

A search for his sister sounds like a good premise at the beginning but it goes on and on and it doesn't seem to go anywhere. It correlates with these flashbacks that they abandon soon after. I know someone is going to point out "Oh, that's because he gave up on that quest, because of that line that Maarva says." but that's just nulling the plot (almost like leading you to believe that Rey is a somebody to say that she's a nobody to reveal that she's a somebody again) even the director was like "Yeah, I'm not really concerned with exploring that for S2 either." And it banks on that S2 happening even after the rocky road this one apparently went on. It's split into sections, here's the escape arc, here's the rebellion arc, here's the prison arc so the story is a little all over the place. One thing didn't necessarily lead to another, they can be their own contained things.

And oh? Someone instills the disguise thing into him? So is it like a shapeshifting clawdite? Nope, just a human with a wig sometimes. I know this is going to sound funky because I've complained about the overabundance of creatures given attention in the latest Star Wars material but there's an underwhelming lack in this one, like very few actual aliens. And it's the longest live action Star Wars series thus far, which is fine, we've kind of wanted more episodes with something but I can't help but feel-

Ok, so everybody said that Kenobi should've been a movie. Cool, fine, dandy, it was originally written as one and it was stretched out to meet Disney+ subscriptions then a fan re-edited it to fit that format and the fanbase loved it, he even changed some design choices that fans didn't like and I even hear that Disney approached him to come work for them. Happy Ending. But with this series, it can be boring, a lot can be cut and I get that it's meant to be a character piece but I feel it'd be so much better that since we see the perspective of a certain villain that maybe we should've just seen his failures and then him lead up to this big bad towards the end after Cassian has taken everything away from him rather than a bunch of scenes with his MOTHER and doing whatever else. Let me see him be pitiful and unsure but don't show me him wallowing in that way. I just can't help but feel this could've benefited from being a movie too AS MUCH AS I'D HATE TO SAY IT because it certainly didn't need to be a movie (as I mentioned) but it might just fit that format easier for someone like me. So if you're not a fan of the Senate scenes in the prequels then stand down because this is going to be flat. I didn't have trouble watching the slow burn of Dune or Avatar but this, I did and I took it relatively weekly as if it was airing. All that time with the nerdy Empire guy and I can't even remember his name...that's bad. And that goes the same for a lot of the other characters that I forgot their names already because they don't really use them or weren't relevant enough to warrant.

About a third of this show is actually entertaining and that's normally when it's actually focused on Cassian or Caleen, leaving the remaining two thirds to the other characters. I chose pictures without Cassian on purpose. And there IS a K2 unit in here but it's not THE K2 unit, so you never figure out how they meet, which seems like a no brainer as far as a prequel series should go. Worse than Boba Fett, making it the worst live action series thus far for me.

Was there a highlight in all this? What was my favorite? I thought the prison was interesting but could've been better. The actual payoff for the heist was the only part that I could see being memorable. With the actual star war and the betrayal and I don't know why that guy decided to lay where he did on take-off but sure, okay.

[meandmyechoes]

Ground Rules about Celebration 2025 so I can stop thinking about it until tickets go on sale ~June 2024

honestly if any of you tumblrinas happen to be going i'd love to be buddies

What we know so far:

Date: 18-20 April (Fri-Sun, Easter) 10am-6pm

Venue: Makuhari Messe, Chiba

How long should the trip take?

Probably 1 week ~8d7n if not longer. Ideally 16 (Wed) - 22 (Tue) for cheapest tickets, subject to rearrange if i have a proper long-term job then, and if partners.

Which day(s) am I going?

19 April, I hope. I don't think I can afford going all 3 days financially so the meat is the first choice. But I guess 18/Fri is agreeable if tickets are easier to get for a work day. I know there will be a group discount but I honestly don't think all 3 days is necessary. Pretty sure there'll be plenty happening outside the event hall as well. Likewise probably will be saving on the panel guarantee pass.

What/Who do I want to see?

Well, I don't really have a set goal --so let's sort that out! No celebirty's schedule is confirmed so far in advance and no shows are scheduled for a 2025 release so we're really in the dark here. 2025 is expected to be similar if not smaller than London for being an overseas event. I thought Japan is further but turns out both London and Tokyo are about 11 hours flight away haha. I don't even know what they're gonna announce seeing there's not much this year. Perhaps updates on the three new movies - which I'm have no interest towards whatsoever. and a Visions vol... 4, maybe?

2025 is ROTS 20th anniversary so I really hope Hayden and Ewan will be there. Hayden's probably free but we will have to see Ewan's schedule. Either way I'd still be subjected to panel lottery so it's out of my hands. I'm content just seeing them from far away as is.

Ashley, of course. I'm fairly confident she'd be there, and I'm preeeety sure the #Ahsokalivesinallofus meetup doesn't require a ticket. The thing is, I don't know what to do if I meet Ashley. I THINK I'd give her a letter and some small gift, and I could've done that if there's a present box like your usual Japanese idol, but I'm not sure if I should book at least an autograph session so we can have a little chat. I have NO idea what to let her sign (okay maybe the back of the custom animator baybsoka), or what I should SAY TO HER FACE. Handshake/hug/selfie is out of the window and I- if I have anything to say, i KNOW that I won't be able to boil it down to three sentences. It wasn't like that time I met Kishi and I can only say what I rehearsed in broken Japanese. I actually KNOW english and I won't be able to control my brain and mouth then.

I don't have my hopes high Matt or JAT would be there, it's not a TCW anniversary after all. But if they do I'm SO booking a group photo with them. I'm so jealous of the deal this year. Otherwise I'm fine not getting a photo or autographs. Seeing them in real-life is magic enough.

Sure I'd love to meet the Andor cast, but I don't think many of them would be there? There'd probably be an Andor S2 recap panel, but if I met anyone from Andor it'd be a bonus.

What do I want to see?

Like I said, I'm not actually as big about the panels as I am just being there to feel the event. I know expectation and reality and fall short and heard no little of this year's poor management. I'm not big on merch either exclusive or otherwise (unless they bring out dolls of course - but those would later become available anyway)

I'm more interested in meeting other fans and seeing the non-streamed fan panels. I found this souvenir-exchange group 'SWAG' (something we call get) where people trade patches and stickers. I'm captivated by the idea but I think for now the best i can do is made some polaroids with my toy photos. well, i'll need something to make friends in queue anyway. phew it's a long way, we'll see. Maybe I can bead some padawan braids, maybe i can make DF's skyguy and snips drawing into a patch/mini tshirt.

I wanna see the cosplay SO BAD. Because it's Japan I think we all have unrealistic expectations of how good the cosplay and (fan)merch would be. I'd lose half my liver there (on top of the thrift trips I WILL BE GOING)

Am I going in cosplay?

HA I'd love to. I'd love to go as at least Pav-ti if not TCW Adult!Ahsoka. HOWEVER, the very practical reasons of: how tired it is to walk in cosplay all day and how do i transport that to Japan and carry it around for 10 days, before i even think about making the props. I might get away dressing as Pav-ti with the smaller headpiece but I'd still have to paint myself orange. Maybe I can make use of queueing time to make up.... I could also carry a sturdy satchel (with a cute baby) to store all my stuff...

okay... I'd put Pav-ti as my goal first because I really want to make the most out of it.

Otherwise I'd so wearing an itabac lmao

Am I scouting a partner?

*sigh* I know every SW fan in HK will be going but technically I still don't know any one irl? Not even very close online? Also they're mostly a bunch of old men...? I know... thus this is the perfect opportunity for me to find a fellow fan like me...

I mean, it'd be cozier and probably easier to have a partner. I could share a proper hotel room and make a queue partner and photographer. But then I'd probably have to cut the trip short because no one with a steady job will just take a week of vacation.

When the time rolls around, there'd probably be a FB group of HK dispatchers and maybe I can find some one there. Then we'd have time to get to know each other better before the trip.

On the other hand, I don't know, I'm not really good with this planning for another person thing. I also figure one would meet plenty HKers on site anyway...

What's the budget?

plane, stay, food, ticket+shop, transport & misc. = 2k x5 = >10k HKD

if i save $1000 per month for a year we'd've more than enough

Other logistic details?

Yeah well, I had this delusion that I could just sleep outside the hall to save accomodation AND early access. Not sure... might still work haha. The official hotel blocks would be crazy expensive and the next nearest affordable rooms would be ahead at Chiba city rather than back at Tokyo. There are net cafes around Messe but you'd still have to take a bus probably. Well 6pm isn't very late yet so walking is plausible. Besides comments said they upcharge for the weekend so we probably won't be saving much, might as well book a proper hotel room/hostel space if we're staying for consecutively nights because we're gonna be so tired walking around all day. The key is to book Chiba city early.

Roughly goes Wed flight in Osaka, Thu Kyoto?(night bus CHIBA) At least from Friday to Sunday I'd be in Chiba. Might go back to Tokyo Sunday night if hostels are cheaper there. Then I'd have Monday to go around Tokyo (nightbus OSAKA) if the flight is Tuesday Day. (experience-wise i might have to enter/exit through KIX to save money but let's cross fingers for a direct tokyo flight)

If I fly direct Tokyo this time, I can even store luggage at the tokyo hotels and just head to Messe/Chiba on backpack!

Seeing '23 repo, I don't want my time to be wasted in queues. I'd have to prepare my own food and make friends while queueing. Bring a mini-fan and stay hydrated (but not too much that you need the bathroom) Choose a reliable network service and up my Japanese game.

I expect to pick up some items when I get into Japan. a trolley perhaps, or a foldable chair. not sure if i need a camp lol. too soon to speak.

What else to look at?

Doll stuff, toku spots, Kishi.

Kishi should still be easy enough to find two years later, don't know if I could happen upon his roadshow or better yet a concert.

Toku spots! Pretty much covered the classics my last two trip and don't think I'd go too far out this trip... Well, Messe itself is already a toku spot! I might round up a few new ones the last few years. However!!! mid-April is right when FLT goes!! jury's still out if I'd like the '24 Sentai but I hope this time I can see a hero show! finally!

Doll stuff. I'm actually not sure where to see doll stuff in Tokyo. I'd have to really dig blogs and videos for it. Would be more learning than buying with that price tag lol.

I had this 'ADVANCE BOOKING' list when I planned for the olympics that might be of use this time. Not sure if the timetable allows and terms would've changed... but I'll keep an eye out on places I want to visit (esp if bringing friends) hEY, i haven't even seen the imperial palace yet.

What to Do Now

Haha there's not much I can do right not for the actual itineary. New hotels, shops and transportation could open up next year and uproot everything. For now, sub to the newsletter, study japanese, get in shape and make a cosplay. I am thinking of a preview/test run trip but maybe save that money for shopping on the real thing. I need to put my mind off this trip and into the present so I can find a job and raise money for it lol

[agirlunderarock]

Some thoughts and predictions for the Kenobi show and other star wars shows.

Okay so just want to put this out there before I forget or rather before we get any other kind of news on the Kenobi trailer. These are my predictions for the show and what I think is more or less going on with the Star Wars shows in general. I like to ramble a lot to get to my point so I’m sorry for that, but I promise it will all make sense in the end. Keep in mind, I have not read all the books, or comics, this is me just looking at what we have in watchable media and without me taking a moment to look through wookiepedia. Consider this for casual but curious fans of the watchable media.

If what I think is going to happen with the Kenobi show, its going to follow more or less the same format that we’ve seen with the Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. If you look at those two shows, and how the stories line up, I think The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett, and the Ahsoka show are all going to be one cohesive story.  Start with the first two episodes of BoBF, or maybe Ahsoka, then S1 of Mando, probably Ahsoka show bits, S2 of Mando, the rest of BoBF and then Ahsoka. I don’t know about anyone else watching these- like I know it gets a little frustrating at times the way the story is being told, but with Star Wars the story tends to be more about themes. I think with these three shows, the cohesive them is about reclaiming identity in some way shape or form. Like these three shows feature the biggest character types in Star Wars: Jedi, Bounty Hunters, and Mandalorians. I think they’re trying to give us some new perspectives on these character types, the success of that execution however is debatable. Din is actively redefining what it means to be Mandalorian. Is he going to choose to follow someone like Bo Katan, is going to continue subscribing to the Armorer’s way of being Mandalorian, or is Din going to culturally shift it all together. Maybe he won’t, not for all Mandalorians, but he is whether he wants to face it or not, growing into someone more than just a bounty hunter. Boba on the other hand is redefining for the audience what Bounty Hunters can be. Its like he said, every time they’re on screen, they’re either there to just fuck shit up or get blasted in some capacity. We don’t often see much personality for them outside hired muscle out for credits. An arguement can be made that we’ve already seen this with Ventress, but she wasn’t always a bounty hunter. We see Boba trying to build himself a family he can rely on and count on. He wants to surround himself with people who won’t turn on each other for some credits. The guy has always been ambitious, Clone Wars only showed us for revenge on Mace. I like getting to see this other side of him. Now for the Ahsoka show, this is purely speculative, but I think we’re going to see her come into her own as a jedi master. We know she’s met Luke now, knows who he is and is reconciled her guilt about Anakin becoming Vader. However, I think we’re going to end up seeing her confront some new problems as she looks for Thrawn and Ezra. Two problems I think will end up coming into play are issues of Mandalorian leadership, and issues in the Outer Rim. I might make a separate post for Ahsoka, but long story short, this is the first time in like 20 years Ahsoka really gets to be free to be a jedi, she’s meeting other people who want to be jedi. We’ve only seen jedi during war, this is going to be something different and I’m pretty excited to see where it goes.

okay now back to Obi-Wan

I bring all of this up because I think the Kenobi show is going to do the same thing as the three previously mentioned shows.

What do we know right now? We’ve got Bad Batch possibly coming out this year, Obi-Wan Kenobi in May, and then production and stuff for Andor. Now we know the Kenobi show is supposed to be ten years after Order 66. We’re going to end up with flash backs, we’re going to be scarred again. No surprises there. I do think though, that we’re going to get some things that set up Andor, and maybe some of the things we’ve already seen in Rebels. We’re talking about themes though right? Obviously the start of the rebellion is going to be the thing that ties all of these things together including Bad Batch. Theres a reason I keep bringing that up I promise just bare with me.Also though probably Saw Gurerra, like I won’t be surprised if he shows up. Heck I probably won’t even be mad. Rebels gives us the PERFECT example of found family and instead of characters just suddenly finding themselves thrust into war, we actively see the rebellion gaining traction and it building to the war and battles and things. By the time we get to S4 of Rebels its clear we’re coming up to a BIG THING. Rebels is full of hope and optimism despite how bad things get, so Rebels is our end point. Andor is our midway point. Cassian would only be like 10 or 12 or like a young teenager if/when we see him in the Kenobi show. So like if anything, it would be something like Obi-Wan accidentally putting a little spark of rebellion and fighting for a good cause in him. I don’t know. I’m guessing and I haven’t read Cassian’s wookiepedia page. My point is Cassian is going to be the point that bridges the Kenobi show, Rebels, and Rogue One. From what I remember about Cassian in Rogue One he is a bit of a rougher Rebel he’s fairly disillusioned with the rebellion until he comes across Jyn. I think we’re going to see how it got to that point for him. Maybe we’ll get some references to Ghost Crew. Now I come back to the Kenobi show. I don’t think officially the rebellion has taken roots at this point. This is ten years after Mustafar, and Obi-Wan is still really going through it. Kenobi is going to be kind of our dip in that story. He’s not as bad emotionally as he was in the months/year directly following 66 but he’s still struggling a little to pick himself back up. He’s doing what he can, but he’s carrying tremendous amounts of guilt he hasn’t properly dealt with or maybe doesn’t want to deal with. Think Ahsoka in Rebels when she’s meditating in the temple on Lothal. I think we’ll get some conversations between himself and Bail, and possibly Ahsoka, trying to convince him to be part of Fulcrum but he refuses. He says its to protect Luke, but theres a part of him that isn’t sure if its really because he’s looking out for Luke, or if he’s afraid he’s going to mess up the chance to build the rebellion. I mean think about it, him running around doing stuff is bound to draw Vader’s and Palpatine’s attention. I think, that he eventually does agree to it, thats when we get the big fight between him and Vader and Obi-Wan loses. Just like Ahsoka did in rebels, just you know without dying. This is our lowest point for the rebellion. Go back about 9 or ten years and we have the first little pieces of Rebellion in the Bad Batch. This is the rebellion on its first upswing before ultimately plunging to where we see it in the Kenobi show. All these things are loosely connected by the rebellion and Saw.

this next bit gets its own little section for cameos and why

I think in terms of Kenobi show cameos, the one everyone is most anxious for is the possibility of Imperial Cody. I think we’re going to see some imperial clones, but I don’t think its going to be Cody. Some of ya’ll are going to hate me for this, BUT- We have an episode in Rebels called the Old Commanders. I always thought it was a little weird that they had Gregor there instead of Cody, and while I think that decision was mostly made as a comedic choice, I think we’re going to get an in story answer with either the Kenobi show or Bad Batch. Kenobi show its going to be obvious, Cody is imperial, confronts Obi-Wan, and the latter is forced to kill his former friend. I don’t like it. I don’t like that version of things. Now I know you’re saying, but Obi-Wan wouldn’t kill him. He wouldn’t want to, but he maimed Anakin and thought he left him for dead and looked how that turned out. Its going to fucking hurt Obi-Wan but he could. Also, based on what they did to the Tuskins in Book of Boba Fett, I don’t trust them to not go this route if he appears. Anyways I don’t like that version. I’d rather see Obi-Wan confronted by an imperial clone, reminded of Cody and Fives and immediately feel guilty about that and wonder if he could have done more. Also Obi-Wan already lost him once, why do we have to put him through that again? I think instead is that we’re going to see him in bad batch. One of those last episodes where they were getting Gregor and then Hunter, they were getting a call from Rex. I think Rex went looking for Cody and Wolff. He managed to get Wolff and started getting the process for getting the chip out but something went wrong. I think in S2 of Bad Batch we’re going to see some Imperial Cody. After all I think Rex even said something about the Empire still operating on the system he and Cody came up with I don’t remember if this was mentioned in Rebels or Bad Batch. I think the Rex and the boys are going to try to save Cody, end up getting captured and Cody is doing his best to actively fight the chip and eventually lets them go, but not without getting some massive headaches. Things get worse as he starts losing his fight with the chip, and the last decision he gets to make as himself is to make sure Rex and the other escape. I’d rather him have some autonomy in how he goes, while also showing us that there are clones trying to break free of the chips. He wouldn’t die for a white man’s anyone’s character development, and if done correctly could have a major impact in what the Empire does with the remaining clones.

In case this wasn’t clear, I’m almost certain we’re going to have an Ahsoka cameo at some point. If not with Obi-Wan with Bail doing Fulcrum things.

We could get a Maul cameo. LIke the dude is at the height of his crime syndicate isn’t he? We’re probably going to get some indirect references to him.

It would be nice to see Hondo, not going to lie. I think this is the least likely cameo, but I think it would be the funniest. Like I can imagine Hondo trying to recruit this kid into working in his “transportation service” and smuggling spice and stuff, and Obi-Wan happens to pass by and completely distracts Hondo and casually ushers a young Cassian away.

If we see Maul, we’re probably going to see Bo Katan. I think we’ll see several iterations of people trying to get Obi-Wan to join the rebellion and leave Tatooine. Bo Katan is going to come in real strong with that shade about Satine again, I’m going to want to fist fight her again. Its fine. Its okay. Its not okay.

Obviously we’re going to get some Anakin moments, there hasn’t been any secrets there. I’m going to ugly cry. Its fine. Its okay. Its not okay.

Maybe a Qui-Gon cameo, depending on if Liam Neeson wants to join in.

I personally would love to see a Kanan cameo. Kanan is very important to me. I don’t know what he would do other than he’s at really fucking bad point in his life too, but if I can have my two favorite sad jedi on screen for two seconds I will combust. Honestly if Kanan is going to be anything like what I’ve heard in New Dawn, then he’d be an interesting character foil for Obi-Wan in that moment. Honestly I just think Kanan is an interesting character foil in general for Obi-Wan and Anakin, but thats a different post and i think I’ve rambled enough.

[thegirlwholied]

fic you’ve never seen before because it’s not finished and who knows when it will be!: a RebelCaptain AU Assortment (2/3)

Rebelcaptain AU no.2: Sense8. May be total nonsense without knowing Sense8's s2 worldbuilding (or even then) but hey:

There’s no way to get blockers in prison. That’s the worst bit of it, for Jyn-  there’s no way to keep other sensates out of her head.

Lucky for her, most sensates she’s met before are dead.

She doesn’t make eye contact in the mess, in the rec yard, not even during the one fight she can’t help but get in-  she reads her opponents by their feet. People lie better from their hips on up – it’s the feet, anyway, that are the most honest part of the body. The start of any fight, flight, or freeze.  

(Jyn always picks the first. Running, she’s fine at. Keeping her head down while doing it, not so much.)  

She’s two months in, when her boots hit the ground one morning, and a dirty pair of workboots land next to them.  

The man suddenly next to her, in soldier’s gear and a boonie hat, gives her an astonished look. His face is no more memorable than most men’s- bit of a beard, bit more of a mustache, tension in his jaw and dark eyes. It’s the surprise on his face that makes Jyn remember him.  

He’d looked equally astonished, when she’d knocked him out with a shovel.  

“Liana Hallik?” he says with an accent. Scottish.  

He’d said the same thing, her false name, last time, when he’d approached her leaving a bar- and she hadn’t given him time to say anything else, though she thought he’d been vaguely shouting about trying to rescue her when chasing her through the parking lot.  

She’d been a little busy grabbing the shovel handle conveniently jutting out the back of a pickup truck and readying her swing.  

This time, she ignores him. Or tries to.  

The visit goes both ways – and it’s been so long since she’s seen outside prison walls, it’s impossible to resist sliding into the space where the Scottish soldier’s sitting. See what he's seeing, feel what he's feeling. He’s outdoors, under light so bright there might as well be two suns beating down, sitting on the open back of a Jeep facing desert. The daily scramble of a military base thrums around him, Union Jack flying over it.  

The damp and cold of her cell doesn’t go away, but the arid warmth she’s breathing in is just as real.  

“Andor,” the soldier says, looking away, into the air. There’s nothing more solid than the heat present, but he nods at the empty space. He’s not bothering to disguise another visitation, another presence touching his mind.

“You’re in prison,” the soldier says, his gaze snapping back to her. There’s something in his voice that tells Jyn he’s repeating someone else’s words, being coached. “Where?”

In her cell, a drop of water falls onto Jyn’s face. She brushes it away, silent and fuming at her inability to fight someone in her head.

The soldier repeats himself, and she says, “Figure it out.”

This is another mistake.  

The soldier doesn’t leave her, for hours to come, describing aloud to someone Jyn can’t see, every detail of what little there is to see, answering questions she can’t hear.

“Russia?” the soldier says questioningly, at last. He nods. “Russia.”

Where he is – Jordan, for Jyn has spotted and recognized that flag, over the hours of his presence in her life, and hers in his – he pulls out familiar little black pills. He's gone as soon as he takes the blockers, taking all the warmth with him.  

#

It’s not a real extradition team that comes for Jyn. The woman in the white pantsuit, with short auburn hair and empathetic blue eyes, seems to actually be a lawyer. The woman flashes all kinds of credentials, rattles off phrases like international amnesty this and that, as Jyn is escorted out of her cell, out of the prison, but it’s clear enough to Jyn a deal has been struck – the warden has the sycophantic glow of someone recently bribed or promised a promotion.

It’s not the kind of rescue Saw Gererra would send. It’s more regimented than that, better connected.

“We’re not BPO, Jyn Erso,” the woman assures her, as she’s escorted into a helicopter. “You can trust us.”

Jyn tries not to show that she’s rattled they have her real name. Her parents’ name.  

The woman is about the age her mother would be, if she’d lived.

“Trust?” Jyn says, with scorn.

Her hands are still bound. The woman’s escort team secures Jyn’s ankles, too, as if expecting her to jump out somewhere over Siberia.

“Trust goes both ways,” Jyn says, lifting her hands and letting the metal make noise.

The helicopter co-pilot, nimbly hopping into his seat and adjusting his headset, glances back at either her words or the clink of metal. His dark hair’s a little longer than the cuts sported by the handful of soldiers comprising the escort team.  

She’s not sure, exactly, what about his face catches and holds her attention- his taste in facial hair’s almost the same as the Scotsman’s. His eyes, too, are brown, if maybe, like his complexion, a shade darker than the other man’s. She only meets his gaze for a moment, stubbornly, and he’s the one who looks away, going about his business as if the prisoner in the back was worth no more than a moment’s idle interest.

Suspicious, she reaches out with her feelings but doesn’t find any sense of him. If he’s one of them, then, same as the auburn-haired woman, he’s on blockers.  

The woman does not take off the cuffs. But she does seat herself right next to Jyn, and raises an eyebrow, a little daringly.

The helicopter takes her to a plane. Another man, with his own escort of soldiers, meets them there. Jyn takes one look at his expression of mingled flatness and sourness and decides he’s an asshole on sight. The dark-haired copilot goes to confer with him, while the pilot comes to unlock her ankles himself.

“Not sure if you’ve noticed, but the seventies ended before I was born,” Jyn says to the pilot, nodding at his blue flightsuit and Tom Selleck moustache.  

The pilot in blue only grins at her, a surprising amount of kindness in his eyes, and after helping her up, lets her march on her own to board the plane.  He and the new asshole-on-sight are both about the age her father would be; both give the woman a nod of deference.    

On the flight, she’s seated so she can’t see out any windows, with none of the soldiers present.  

She expected an interrogation, but all she gets is the lady in white.

“Do you know who we are?” the woman asks her, as crisp as her pantsuit.

“Resistance,” Jyn says. “But not fighting BPO. Not really. You’re just a – network.”

“Alliance, Jyn,” the woman corrects. “We’re an Alliance – of people just like you.”

“Not just like me,” Jyn says, rattling her cuffs again and glaring straight into the woman’s bright eyes. The woman’s either homo sapiens, not homo sensorium, or she’s on blockers. Jyn would bet the latter. “I noticed you haven’t introduced yourself.”

“Call me M,” the woman says, and Jyn freezes momentarily, before barking out a laugh. It’s been a while since she’s laughed, and it’s a rusty sound, but getting a James Bond reference delivered with full sincerity in real life does the trick – her laugh is real.

“Saw Gererra was in your mother’s cluster,” M says, and Jyn’s laugh dies as abruptly as it began. “Saw Gererra is the father of your own cluster.”

“I don’t have a cluster,” Jyn says sharply. “I never really did, and anyways, they’re dead.”  

She stills sees Maia and Codo sometimes, the only two who’d shared a first breath with her that she’d ever met. Still lives their memories in her dreams. And though she’d spent more time on blockers than off, though they never really were to her all the things she’d heard real clusters could be, though…

She feels, again, sitting in her seat, the moment of living Maia’s death with her, the moment of finding out Codo put a bullet in his brain so BPO couldn’t use him to track her and the gaping loss of coming off blockers to find there was nobody there, anymore.  

“You live, though, Jyn. As Saw still lives.” M pauses. “As Galen Erso still lives.”

Jyn’s father was not a sensate. Just a scientist- a very, very talented scientist, who had worked for BPO, back when the organization claimed to have another purpose. When it was helping sensates, like the woman he married, rather than hunting them. 

In all these years, Jun has not known if he is alive or dead, and it is with effort, and probably in vain, she tries to cover her reaction.

Her father is alive, M tells her, and working on something unknown and terrible, the destruction of all their kind, and they know this, because Galen Erso has sent a messenger to Saw Gererra.

“A sensate?” Jyn asks.

“No,” M says. “We have either a trap, or a very brave man risking his life to save a part of the human race that is not even his own.” She pauses, again. Jyn really hates the pause. “Which do you think Saw Gererra is likely to believe he is?”  

Jyn looks away. The young copilot from earlier is standing in the cabin door, arms folded, listening. She doesn’t know for how long.

“Even if I wanted to do something,” Jyn says, “I couldn’t find Saw. He hasn’t spent a single second off of blockers since I was eight years old.”  

(Since Lyra died, she doesn’t say.)

“We know where he is,” the dark-haired copilot says, watching her. “We just need you to get through the door.”

“Or we can put you back where we found you, girl." The new voice is sharp and flat at once – it's the man who'd headed an escort of soldiers, coming up from behind the younger man. He sounds as much of an asshole as he looked. "If you're not a help, I intend to keep you from becoming a hindrance."

Jyn takes that in for a moment, aware the full company is watching her every movement. Deliberately, she crosses her legs. The unlocked ankle cuffs rattle with a clang against the helicopter floor.

"Shouldn't be a problem, then," she says, her voice tight even as she aims to feign casual. "Getting through doors is what I do."