#solo a star wars story icons

[maemil]

Behold: My aromantic star wars agenda.

[ID: a Venn diagram with three circles, containing a photo of Jango Fett, Din Djarin and L3-37 respectively. The overlap between Jango and Din reads: Single dad Mandos. The overlap between Din and L3 reads: Bestie got fucked over by Han Solo. The overlap between L3 and Jango reads: "My BFF wants to fuck me so bad it makes them look stupid". And in the space in the middle is the aromantic flag.]

[tyrantisterror]

As a person who actually likes a lot of the Disney Star Wars stuff (about half of it really), I think what it will ultimately be remembered for in the history of film and television is the many ghoulish and offputting uses of new technology to avoid recasting iconic characters.

They could have just cast a different guy as Grand Moff Tarkin, but they had to use CGI to make a ghoulish puppet of Peter Cushing's corpse. They could have just cast a young actor to play Luke Skywalker, but instead they used motion capture and AI voices to return Mark Hamill's youth at the cost of the soul of the performance. They could have just accepted that we've told enough stories with Darth Vader already, but no we have to use AI to cobble James Earle Jones's iconic voice into new line deliveries that just aren't quite right.

I know they got burned by that Han Solo movie they made with a non-Harrison Ford in the titular role, but it wasn't the cowboy actor from Hail, Caeser's fault that movie failed. The fault is the fact that all the interesting shit you can do with Han Solo as a main character was done in the first three Star Wars movies - there was no way to tell a story before that without feeling really predictable and pointless. It was a bad concept. But rather than admit that the executive who said "Han Solo spinoff movie!" had a bad idea because they don't know what actually makes a story work, they decided the problem was recasting iconic characters and decided the solution was to engage in necromancy.

And history will remember that.

[eggplant-crusader]

Hot take, but they should just cast age-appropriate actors to play classic Star Wars characters. There is no reason why Leia couldn't or shouldn't be part the mandoverse. I know we all loved Carrie Fisher, but where it makes sense, the characters should appear, and there's nothing wrong with having new people take on old characters and make them their own.

Star Trek has been very successful recasting classic characters. Spock, who in my opinion is THE most iconic Trek character, and whose original actor Leonard Nimoy passed away, has also been played by two separate actors. Both brought interesting takes to the characters, and both were generally well received.

Star Wars did it with Han Solo and it didn't go great, I know, but that was not because of the recasting itself. They should just take the plunge and accept that if the characters have to be around, they need new actors to play them.

Or they could tell new stories not tied to those characters and their time period and just not have that problem. That would work too.

[spirking-and-smirking]

egging on the Star Wars ramblings, what’s ur opinion on Leia and Han Solo?

I loove them <3333

Okay, Leia was my hyperfixation (along with R2-D2!!!) from age seven to twelve. She is an icon and so badass. I wish they would have explored her relationship with the force! As much as she is a wonderful rebel, fighter, and diplomat, it would have been cool to see her as a jedi. She might be "Princess Leia," but in my heart, she is a queen. I dressed as her for Halloween and May 4th many times. Han Solo is such a fun character. I'm obsessed with those characters that are lowkey assholes but then they try to be like "nah im just doing this for the money/reward idgaf" and then they fall in love and find a found family and at the heart they're actually a pretty soft guy. Also characters that have their own set of morals like, its alright to lie cheat or steal but you also have to be loyal to your folks and at least have your word/your hand shake mean something. (Though in his case his word is nott very reliable considering lies, he tells Jabba the Hut and even Lando. But this changes kinda changes as the story goes on). Also as a bonus Chewbacca is iconic, and their friendship is cool‼️

Leia × Han is iconic okayy liike. They don't need each other to be awesome, but they're awesome together aswell. They save each other multiple times (?) and they're basically competing NOT to be the damsel in distress. They're both beautiful, and together they're bi-panic + gender goals for me. They're a wee bit toxic but in the way that makes it sooo entertaining. The "I love you" "I know" line was iconic, and some people didn't get it. My mom misunderstood it as one of Han's sassy self-absorbed quips, but it's clearly saying "you don't even have to tell me after what we've been through together and how we are when we're together," plus a reassurance that he was not going to get frozen in carbonite not knowing how she felt. Also, I think Han is the type of guy who really has trouble saying I love you, but he really does love with his whole heart. I like the way when it starts out he thinks she's just gonna be some naive rich princess, and she thinks he's just some asshole smuggler, but they come to really respect eachother.

Anywayy and then Disney divorced them and I'm so fucking mad. I don't even choose to believe it. They're the type of couple to not even get married for a while and then elope right after some mission and then be married forever,,, because I said so. PLUS they have a son and he's evil???? (And kinda ugly,, like their kid would not be ugly idk they made him look sickly.) AND HE KILLS HAN BY JUST PUSHING HIM OFF A LEDGE???. Not a meaningful death, not a heroic death. Not the type of death that would fit Han Solo. Instead, he just gets pushed off a rail by his son, who is upsetty spaghetti cuz his parents got divorced and did a bad job raising him??? The son of two of the greatest rebels in the galaxy would not be a evil. And also if Leia and Han got divorced, they would still raise an amazing kid.

Uhhhhhhhh anyway how's the weather?

[paralleljulieverse]

Come taste the wine... : 70th anniversary of Julie Andrews's 'cabaret debut' at the Café Dansant, Cleethorpes, 3 performances Easter, 14-17 April, 1954

This week, seventy years ago, Julie Andrews made her official 'cabaret debut' at the Café Dansant in Cleethorpes. While not a major milestone in the traditional sense -- and one that seldom features in standard Andrews biographies -- the Cleethorpes appearance was nevertheless a significant event in the star's early career.

For a start, it was Julie's first appearance in cabaret -- the theatrical genre that is, not the Broadway musical which is a whole other Julieverse story. Characterised by sophisticated nightclub settings with adult audiences watching intimate performances, cabaret emerged in fin-de-siècle Paris before expanding to other European cities such as Berlin and Amsterdam (Appignanesi, 2004). Imported to Britain in the interwar years, cabaret offered a more urbane, adult alternative to the domestic traditions of English music hall and variety with their family audiences and jolly communal spirit (Nott, 2002, p. 120ff).

Julie's debut in cabaret was, thus, a significant step in her professional evolution towards a more mature image and repertoire. By 1954, Julie was 18, and well beyond the child star tag of her earlier years. Under the guidance of manager, Charles Tucker, there was a calculated strategy to reshape her stardom towards adulthood.

The maturation of Julie's image had begun in earnest the previous summer with Cap and Belles (1953), a touring revue that Tucker produced as a showcase for Julie, comedian Max Wall, and several other acts under his management. Cap and Belles afforded Julie the opportunity to shine with two big solos and a number of dance sequences. Much was made in show publicity of Julie's new "grown up" look, including the fact that she was wearing "her first off-the-shoulder evening dress" ('Her First Grown-Up Dress', 1953, p. 4). The Cleethorpes cabaret was a further step in this process of transformative 'adulting'. Indeed, it was something of a Cap and Belles redux. Not only was Max Wall back as headline co-star, Julie even wore the same 'grown up' strapless evening gown. In keeping with a cabaret format, though, Julie was provided a longer solo set where she sang a mix of classical and contemporary pop songs including "My Heart is Singing", "Belle of the Ball", "Always", and "Long Ago and Far Away" ('Cabaret opens', 1954, p. 4). That Julie should have chosen Cleethorpes for her cabaret debut might seem odd to contemporary readers. Today, this small town on the north Lincolnshire coast is largely regarded as a somewhat faded, out-of-the-way seaside resort. In its heyday of the mid-twentieth century, however, Cleethorpes was a vibrant tourist hub that attracted tens of thousands of holidaymakers each year (Dowling, 2005). With several large theatres and entertainment venues, Cleethorpes was also an important stop in the summertime variety circuit, drawing many of the era’s big stars and entertainment acts (Morton, 1986).

The Café Dansant was one of Cleethorpes' most iconic nighttime venues, celebrated for its elegant suppertime cabarets and salon orchestras. Opening in the 1930s, the Café was a particularly popular haunt during the war and post-war era when servicemen from nearby bases danced the night away with locals and visiting holidaymakers to the sound of touring jazz bands and crooners (Dowling, 2005, p. 129; Ruston, 2019).

By 1954, the Café was starting to show its age, and incoming new management decided to shutter the venue for several months to undertake a luxury refurbishment (‘Café Dansant closed', 1954, p. 3). A gala re-opening was set for the Easter weekend of April 1954, just in time for the start of the high season (‘Café Dansant opens', 1954, p. 8). Opening festivities for the Café kicked off with a lavish five hour dinner cabaret on the evening of Wednesday, 14 April. Julie was “one of the world famous cabaret stars" booked for the gala event, and she received considerable promotional build-up in both local and national press (‘Café Dansant opens', 1954, p. 8). There was even a widely circulating PR photo of Julie boarding the train to Cleethorpes at London's Kings Cross station. In the end, Max Wall was unable to appear due to illness, and Alfred Marks -- another Tucker artist and former variety co-star of Julie's (Look In, 1952) -- stepped in at short notice. Rounding out the bill were several other minor acts, including American dance duo, Bobby Dwyer and Trixie; novelty entertainers, Ruby and Charles Wlaat; and magician Ericson who doubled as cabaret emcee.

Commentators judged the evening a resounding success. The "Cafe Dansant has got away to a flying start, after probably the biggest opening night ever seen in Cleethorpes," effused one newspaper report (Sandbox, 1954, p.4). Special mention was made of Julie who “received a great reception when she sang a selection of old and new songs, accompanied at the piano by her mother” (‘'Café Dansant reopening’, 1954, p. 6). 

Following her performance, Julie joined the Mayor of Cleethorpes, Mr Albert Winters, in a cake-cutting ceremony and mayoral dance. Decades later, Winters recalled how he still “savour[ed] the memory of snatching a dance with the young girl destined to be a star… [S]he seemed very slim and frail,” he reminisced, “but she was a great dancer and I thoroughly enjoyed myself” (Morton, 1986, p. 15).

Julie stayed on in Cleethorpes for two more performances on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 April respectively, before returning to London with her mother on Easter Sunday, 18 April. The very next day she commenced formal rehearsals for Mountain Fire, Julie's first dramatic 'straight' play and another step in her professional pivot to more adult content (--also, time permitting, the subject of a possible future blogpost).

A final noteworthy aspect about the Cleethorpes appearance is that it was during this weekend that Julie made the momentous decision to go to America to star in The Boy Friend. In what has become part of theatrical lore, Julie had been offered the plum role of Polly Browne in the show's Broadway production sometime in February or March of 1954 while she was appearing in Cinderella at the London Palladium. To the American producers’ astonishment --- and manager Tucker’s horror -- Julie was initially reluctant to accept, fearful of leaving her home and family. She prevaricated for weeks. Finally, while she was in Cleethorpes, Julie was given an ultimatum and told she had to make her decision.

In her 1958 serialised memoir for Woman magazine, Julie recounts:

“Mummie and I went to Cleethorpes to do a concert. It was a miserable wet day. From our hotel I watched the dark sea pounding the shore with great grey waves. I was called to the downstairs telephone. “Julie,” said Uncle Charles [Tucker]‘s voice from London, “they can’t wait any longer. You’ll have to make your mind up NOW.” I burst into tears. “I’ll go Uncle,” I sobbed, “if you’ll make it only one year’s contract instead of two. Only one year, please.” … Against everyone’s judgment and wishes I got my way…None of us knew that if I’d signed for two [years], then I should never have been free to do Eliza in My Fair Lady. And never known all the happiness and success it has brought me” (Andrews, 1958, p. 46).

The Cleethorpes ultimatum even found its way into an advertising campaign that Julie did for Basildon Bond stationery in 1958/59, albeit with the telephone call converted into a letter for enhanced marketing purposes. Framed as a choice between going to America and the “trip [that] changed my life” or staying at home in England “and go[ing] on in pantomime, concerts, and radio shows—the mixture as before,” the advert highlighted the “sliding door” gravity of that fateful Cleethorpes weekend (Basildon Bond, 1958). What would the course of Julie's life been like had she said no to Broadway and opted to remain in the UK?

It is a speculative refrain that Julie and others have made frequently over the years. “If I’d stayed in England I would probably have got no further than pantomime leads,” she mused in a 1970 interview (Franks, 1970, p. 32). Or, more dramatically: “Had I remained in London and not appeared in the Broadway production of The Boy Friend…who knows, I might be starving in some chorus line today” (Hirschorn, 1968).

In all seriousness, it's doubtful that a British-based Julie would have faded into professional oblivion. As biographer John Cottrell quips: "that golden voice would always have kept her out of the chorus” (Cottrell, 1968, p. 71). Nevertheless, Julie's professional options in Britain during that era would have been greatly diminished. And she certainly wouldn't have achieved the level of international superstardom enabled by Broadway and Hollywood. Who knows, in a parallel 'sliding door' universe, our Julie might have gone on playing cabarets and end-of-pier shows in Cleethorpes...

Sources

Andrews, J. (1958). 'So much to sing about, part 3.' Woman. 17 May, 15-18, 45-48.

Appignanesi, L. (2004). The cabaret. Revised edn. Yale University Press.

Basildon Bond. (1958). 'I had 24 hours to decide, says Julie Andrews'. [Advertisement]. Daily Mirror. 6 October, p. 4.

'Cabaret opens Café Dansant." (1954). Grimsby Daily Telegraph. 15 April, p. 4.

‘Café Dansant closed.' (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 28 January, p. 3.

‘Café Dansant opens tonight – with world-famous cabaret’. (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 14 April, p. 8.

‘Café Dansant reopening a gay affair.’ (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 15 April, p. 6.

Cottrell, J. (1968). Julie Andrews: The story of a star. Arthur Barker Ltd.

Dowling, A. (2005). Cleethorpes: The creation of a seaside resort. Phillimore.

'Echoes of the past, the old Café Dansant'. (2009). Cleethorpes Chronicle. December 3, p. 13.

Frank, E. (1954). Daily News. 15 April, p.6. 

Franks, G. (1970). ‘Whatever’s happened to Mary Poppins?’ Leicester Mercury. 4 December, p. 32.

'Her first grown-up dress.' (1953). Sussex Daily News. 28 July, p. 4.

Hirschorn, C. (1968). 'America made me, says Julie Andrews.' Sunday Express. 8 September, p. 23.

Morton, J. (1986). ‘Where the stars began to shine’. Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 22 September, p. 15.

Nott, J.J. (2002). Music for the people: Popular music and dance in interwar Britain. Oxford University Press.

Ruston, A. (2019). 'Taking a step back in time to the Cleethorpes gem Cafe Dansant where The Kinks once played'. Grimsby Live. 12 October. 

Sandboy. (1954). 'Cleethorpes notebook: Flying start.' Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 19 April, p. 4.

[cressida-jayoungr]

Coeli's Picks: Men, part 2

(Multiple movies listed left to right.)

One Dress a Day Challenge

Amadeus (1984) / F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri and Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Deep Space 9 (various episodes) / Armin Shimerman as Quark

"He has lots of interesting costumes but I think this may be my favorite." (Note: It's known as the "Aztec Cherry" suit.)

Knives Out (2019) / Chris Evans as Ransom Drysdale

"If you haven't seen this movie, you must. Note the holes in the iconic sweater - the costumer used them to show the character's carelessness with his expensive things. He also wears the below jacket and scarf over the sweater in his first scene."

Highlander (1986) / Sean Connery as Ramirez

The Untouchables (1987) / Billy Drago as Frank Nitti

"I don't think this white Armani suit is a super-accurate '20s style, but it makes the gangster look like the angel of death he's supposed to be, so it works! Plus it's just gorgeous."

Starcrash (1978) / Christopher Plummer (slumming) as the Emperor

Much Ado About Nothing (1993) / Main male cast

Lexx (s1 e1, "I Worship His Shadow") / Barry Bostwick as Thoden

"I've never seen the show but ran across this striking look!"

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) / Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian

[batrachised]

Your turn to gush about Star Wars! What do you love? Who are your favorite characters? Do you have a favorite era?

Favorite character? Where do I even BEGIN?

It's funny because I completely recognize that Star Wars came up with interesting worlds and uniquely creative concepts and that Disney somewhat continues that effort - Jedi Knights are rad, the Force is fascinating (if nebulous), the idea of a rebellion fighting an Empire compelling - but to me what's interesting is that (1) Luke Skywalker is Vader's son and (2) Luke saves Vader. Star Wars could have been about long haul truckers for all I cared about the other aspects of the story. I like them; they make it all the stronger; but to me, those two points are Star Wars magic sauce and what distinguishes it from other sci-fi action shows.

As far as fav characters, to self-plagiarize a little, it's my man himself, Uncle D (as that one long-lost legends character would say). I love Darth Vader to a point that is probably concerning. Haven't we all been tempted to snap an incompetent coworker's neck? (okay, okay, maybe that's going a little far). He's the most powerful person ever except when it comes to emotional boundaries or boundaries in general. He's capable of leveling planets but he's not capable of having a normal conversation with someone. The comedic potential is endless. The tragedy is depthless. You can make him ridiculous. You can make him terrifying. You can make him twisted. You can make him too honest. All of these characterizations are true to who he is yet somehow don't contradict. I think almost every star wars fanfic i've ever written (and I've written over 357k words of sw fanfic) has him in it in some way shape or form. He's one of the most iconic figures in cinematic history for a reason.

My favorite eras are shrinking more and more as retconning keeps pulling the rug out from under the fandom's feet, but I'll go with the OT and TCW. i also am increasingly wistful for the time of Legends - sure, half those stories were weird as hell, but it was in a knobbily charming way versus the slick blandness that characterizes a lot of media today. Also, I loved the legends grandkids so much, especially Ben Skywalker. He and Anakin Solo are two characters that I really wish had more of a fandom presence.

I think as i get older, what interests me about star wars are the people behind the scenes. I love thinking about what it must be like to be the maintenance man for Vader's med-droids, or Palpatine's tax accountant, or an intern for the Empire. It must be ridiculous to have to live in a universe run by murderous space wizards that switch out the government as often as changing a pair of socks. Imagine having to change all the forms from saying "Galactic Republic" to "Empire" (what, I'm really fun at parties). They're ideas I love kicking around my brain a lot!

[afterthesequels]

MEET OUR BEN & REY --- Star Wars: The Chosen One (Episode X) Fan Film

Actors Madeleine Norton and Daniel Davenport play the main leads of Rey and Ben Solo, respectively, for our up and coming FAN FILM TRILOGY (once again, not official!) set to release in December 2024! And with them we also have OUR Poe Dameron, Norra Wexley, Wedge Antilles, and Darth Zanos/Cal Kestis --- respectively, Tony Rescigno, Donna Heffernan, Charles Wilson, and Kyle Bargoot.

Maddie comes from an classical acting pedigree, having done theater for the majority of her young years and she graduated with a bachelors degree in fine arts for drama. As a classically trained actress, she also brings many accents to the project, perfectly capturing the voice of Rey. She's as close to Daisy Ridley as we could get and she has a passion for the character that we love. And she's about the nicest person we've ever met, too!

Daniel is a complete contrast to Maddie, but the two compliment each other so well and have amazing chemistry in these roles. He's brand new to this field, only having done a few voice acting projects prior. But we can absolutely tell you that Daniel is a diamond in the rough and we intend to see him through as his "acting family" for the rest of his life. His voice is so perfect for Ben Solo! We love him and we're sure you'll love him too!

We're also so excited to tell the love story of Norra Wexley and Wedge Antilles which most folks haven't been privy to as their story was mainly told in the trilogy of novels called, "Aftermath". Wedge is an iconic original trilogy character and his story really gets fleshed out in those books and it deserves to be seen on the screen. These two were friends for decades and then after the tragic death of Norra's husband, they finally find each other much much later in life. Donna and Charles are Off-Broadway stage actors who have been friends for decades. Charles brought Donna into the project. He said she was perfect for it, and he was 100% percent right. We only auditioned 1 Norra, and Donna was it. As best friends IRL they bring great chemistry to their roles. Wait until you hear them guys! And because Maria has a deep love for all things Poe Dameron, she wanted to tell the story of the tumultuous love affair he had, that started as teenagers, with the formidable Zorii Bliss. That little Spice Runner burned her name across his heart and he has carried that torch for the better part of over a decade, as told in the canon novel, "Poe Dameron: Free Fall". Our Zorii could not join us on this day, but we have the incredible talent that is Tony Rescigno, a film and voice actor who most recently voiced characters in the Diablo IV video game who now takes on the task of Poe Dameron. Lastly we couldn't leave this pair out of "The Lovers Chat" showcase because well, Maria is heavily involved in the video game industry as CEO and President of The Last Prophecy Gaming, Inc. Her work within this franchise is well known and she holds a special place for Cal Kestis and of course also for that sly, revengeful little nightsister, Merrin. And yes, Cal and Merrin will cameo in our fan trilogy, starting with Episode 11, and Cal will be a Grandmaster Jedi by this timeline, and quite old... with children and grandchildren of his own. Hybrid children (half Dathomirian, half Human) with his beloved wifey! Bet they'll have some lessons to teach Ben and Rey, well all of them, we are sure.

Like Dan, Kyle is also pretty new to acting and has only served a few projects here and there. We loved him so much, we gave him two roles --- that is the brooding apprentice to Darth Maladi, Darth Zanos and the big one, Cal Kestis.

So REJOICE #REYLOS --- we're bringing you guys the happy ending that #BenSolo and #Rey deserved, PLUS more love-filled stories to fawn over because Star Wars is full of them!

Stay tuned! And please remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel:

[ooops-i-arted]

idk if this is an unwelcome rant or anything but I saw your anti ahs0ka posts from july and I’m just….so frustrated. I don’t want to sound like a dudebro but as someone whose favorite SW character is Luke I just can’t stand Star Wars anymore. I personally didn’t like him in tlj, but I could accept it—but then they just sort of kept chipping at him through every new piece of media. He’s strange in mando/tbobf, no one will join his temple despite apparently all of these older force sensitives surviving rotj, even obi-wan is retconned to know leia more. now this shit w this show, where #she is the self-insert in thrawn stuff. also you don’t even have to be FS anymore, etc etc. the “important Jedi lineage” is now obi-wan-anakin-ahs0ka, bc who even cares about luke amirite. it just sucks because I did genuinely used to like her, but with every new thing it could not be more clear that narratively she should have died bc now the whole gffa’s story is hers

I'd love to say I'm above petty rant but I am SO not, your rant is most welcome. If you don't have anything nice to say about Ahsoka, come sit by me. 😉 (Honestly I'm just happy to see other people acknowledging what a poorly written character she is when I've been saying this since the Rebels season 2 finale. I definitely felt like the only one back then.)

More seriously.... yeah, I do get the feeling of everything you loved about Star Wars being chipped away. I hope those who do enjoy it have fun and all, I don't begrudge anyone that, but I can't lie, I do kinda feel the same way. Like it's all being rewritten Filoni-style. And George Lucas he is not, no matter how much he thinks he is. Also I don't presume to know Timothy Zahn's feelings but I still think it's shitty and disrespectful as hell to carve a big hole out of the wonderful, iconic Thrawn trilogy and plop Ahsoka in. It's becoming REAL obvious that Filoni isn't the creative genius he's hailed as, he strip mines Legends for ideas and then gets the credit.

At this point I almost rather they leave Luke alone. Han is my BOY and they already did him so dirty (left Leia, returned to smuggling invalidating all his character development in the OT, gets a crappy death from his shitty incel son - I did like Solo but it was too little to late) so I 100% get your feelings there. It's like Disney doesn't even care how important these characters are so many people in their rush to replace them with their new, safely copyrighted and controlled characters. And ofc Filoni props his TCW OCs over all. Just look at how Mando S3 had Din and Grogu's story trashed so Girlboss Barbie Bo could feature instead. I'm not sure why they're so resistant to paying writers, they clearly need some new ones.

[copperbadge]

you know that one line in Lady and the Tiger where Alanna thinks about how she has some star wars fanfic on her hard drive? and how Jes is an gen x nerd icon? what if they bonded over star wars

There's also the bit in A Pizza For Purim:

"I suppose I should be grateful you didn't make me dress like Han Solo."

"Only one person in this relationship gets to dress like Han Solo, and it is me," Jes told him.

It is amusing if they bond over Star Wars, but I put it to you that it is even funnier if they bond over fighting about Star Wars. Because Jes, being in their forties, grew up on the original trilogy, and was old enough when the prequels came out to be disdainful about them. But the sequels came out right when Alanna, fifteen years younger than Jes, was at An Age To Appreciate.

The very first two paragraphs of Royals/Ramblers are:

The first planning meeting for the royal wedding of His Majesty Gregory III and Theophile "Eddie" Rambler, celebrity chef and newly coined Duke of the Orange, involved Gregory's assistant, the Lady Alanna Daskaz, sitting between His Majesty and His Grace on the sofa in their suite in the palace, while the Star Wars prequels played in the background.

"If I'm going to plan this wedding, I need Ewan MacGregor," Alanna had said, and Gregory had no strong objections, having grown up watching the prequels with her and thus been inoculated via exposure. Eddie liked anything with space laser swords. Gregory's cousin and vizier (and Alanna's fiance) Gerald, Duke of Shivadlakia, was in attendance as well, but graciously declined to view Ewan as a rival so long as the volume was turned down.

Alanna is a generalist fan, she likes all the Star Wars properties -- in Twelve Points there's a brief moment where Caleb catches her reading a licensed novel -- but she will defend the prequels ferociously when necessary, and I bet she and Jes have an ongoing friendly argument about it that just goes on for years. Mention of Jar Jar Binks has been officially banned at the dinner table.

I do like the idea of Alanna and Jes getting up to mischief together. There's a scene I'd like to write in Royals/Ramblers where the kings recruit Alanna to help their newly adopted daughter buy a new wardrobe suitable to a royal protege. Alanna, in turn, takes in Joan's tomboy aesthetic and her choice of gender-neutral title and realizes a High Femme is not really what's called for either, so she calls Jes, who is both very fashionable and more comfortable than Alanna finding a tailor who will fit a three-piece suit for a preteen girl. Jes, Alanna, and Joan's adventures on the high street could be good fun. Might have to be a short story though, I'm about 1/3 of the way into the novel and already at 50K words.

[maemil]

Happy pride, have you considered: aro robots. Because I cannot stop considering them.

[ID: two of the same drawing of L3-37 from Star Wars, the first with an aromantic flag in the background. L3-37 is a humanoid robot we see from the thighs up. She is colored in the same colors as the aromantic flag.]

[aew-kun-age-regression]

-Star Wars Masterslist-

Moodboards

Caregiver!Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Caregiver!Poe Dameron

Flip!Poe Dameron

Caregiver!Qui Gon Jinn

Flip!Poe Dameron StimBoard

Caregiver!Obi Wan Kenobi

Regressor!Anakin Skywalker

Caregiver!Han Solo

Caregiver!Darth Vader (Fem Themes)

Regressor!Poe Dameron StimBoard

Regressor!Kylo Ren

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi + Regressor!Anakin Skywalker

Regressor!Kylo Ren StimBoard

Caregiver!Finn + Regressor!Poe Dameron

Caregiver!Kylo Ren StimBoard

Caregiver!Padme Amidala StimBoard

Regressor!Kylo Ren

Caregiver!Kylo Ren StimBoard

Caregiver!Poe Dameron StimBoard

Star Wars Themed Moodboard (All 9 Movies)

Regressor!Anakin Skywalker StimBoard

Regressor!Kylo Ren

Caregiver!General Hux + Regressor!Kylo Ren

Caregiver!Poe Dameron StimBoard (Halloween Themes)

Caregiver!Kylo Ren StimBoard (Halloween Themes)

Caregiver!Qui Gon Jinn StimBoard

Regressor!Anakin Skywalker

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi

Sibling Regressor!Kylo Ren

Regressor!Luke Skywalker (With Caregiver!Han Solo) StimBoard

Regressor!Padme Amidala + Caregiver!Anakin Skywalker StimBoard

Regressor!Luke Skywalker

Regressor!Leia Organa (With Caregiver!Han Solo)

Caregiver!Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Caregiver!Kylo Ren StimBoard (Christmas Themes)

Caregiver!Count Dooku

Caregiver!Poe Dameron StimBoard (Christmas Themes)

Caregiver!Leia Organa StimBoard (Christmas Themes)

Caregiver!Han Solo StimBoard (Christmas Themes)

Caregiver!Qui Gon Jinn + Regressor!Obi-Wan Kenobi

Caregiver!Luke Skywalker StimBoard (Christmas Themes)

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi StimBoard (Bath Time Themes)

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi StimBoard

Caregiver!Poe Dameron (Winter Themes)

Caregiver!Han Solo StimBoard (Making Bed Themes)

Regressor!Finn, Poe & Rey StimBoard

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi StimBoard (Winter Themes)

Caregiver!Leia Organa (Brushing Teeth Themes)

Caregiver!Finn + Regressor!Poe Dameron

Regressor!Poe Dameron StimBoard

Caregiver!Din Djarin StimBoard (Christmas Themes) (The Mandalorian)

Caregiver!Leia Organa

Caregiver!Qui Gon Jinn

Regressor!Ahsoka Tano

Caregiver!Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Regressor!Leia Organa

Caregiver!Ahsoka Tano

Caregiver!Chewbacca + Regressor!Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker StimBoard

Story/Fanfics

Caregiver!Din Djarin X Little!Reader & Grogu (Little ones..)

Caregiver!Kylo Ren X Little!Reader (Blackout...)

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi X Little!Reader & Anakin Skywalker (Big Emotions...)

Caregiver!Kylo Ren X Little!Reader (Celebrate..?)

Caregiver!Poe Dameron X Little!Reader (Babbles..)

Caregiver!Ben Kenobi/Obi-Wan Kenobi + Little!Luke Skywalker (Small..)

Caregiver!Poe Dameron X Little!Reader (The First of December..!)

Caregiver!Kylo Ren X Little!Reader (Ironically ill...)

Headcannons

Regressor!Poe Dameron Headcannons

Regressor!Kylo Ren Headcannons

Regressor!Anakin Skywalker Headcannons

Caregiver!Kylo Ren Headcannons

Caregiver!Qui Gon Jinn Headcannons

Caregiver!Obi-Wan Kenobi Headcannons

Regressor!Poe Dameron + Regressor!Rey Skywalker + Regressor!Finn Headcannons

Regressor!Obi-Wan Kenobi Thoughts

Playlists

Art

Grumpy Regressor!Kylo Ren (..or Ben..)

Doodles

Poe Dameron, Finn and Rey Doodles

DNI Banner

Poe Dameron (+BB8)

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Anakin Skywalker

Han Solo

Darth Vader

Kylo Ren

Padme Amidala

Count Dooku

Leia Organa

Qui Gon Jinn

Clone Wars (Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Rex & Cody)

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Poe Dameron (Winter Themes)

Finn, Rey & Poe (Joint)

The Resistance

Paci Icon

Poe Dameron

Kylo Ren

Anakin Skywalker

Kylo Ren

Leia Organa

Luke Skywalker

Padme Amidala

Kylo Ren

[jerzwriter]

List of Your Ten Childhood Ships

Thanks @thefirstcourtesan for tagging me. I'm so showing my age here, lol I'm going to count "childhood" right up through the end of high school for these purposes. God, I'm straining my brain. lol What's sad is, outside of Jodie Dallas on Soap, I cannot even recall a queer character, much less pairing, from my childhood. How sad is that? So this list is def hetero as it comes.

This is in no order - not really...

Princess Leia and Han Solo - Star Wars: OK, this was THE couple of my childhood. I was OBSESSED and still am. There was NO better movie than The Empire Strikes Back. The "I love you." "I know." sequence. Goddamn, I've always had a type; it goes back to childhood. I'm ashamed (not really).

Lando Calrissian & Princess Leia - Star Wars: OK - this is bringing back memories - and this is fucking crazy - I did write fanfic as a kid, and it was a Han/Leia/Lando triangle (as good as a 5th grader can write...). God, I'd kill to have that notebook now, and OMG, what a predictor for DTI. 😂😂😂 Even as a tween, I knew that would have been some juicy triangle that never came to be. lol

Sandy & Danny - Grease: Some asides. I was WAY too young to be watching this when it was out (my Mom was insane). Most of it went over my head, and in retrospect, I am so anti-most messages in Grease - but that doesn't mean I don't still love it. I do. And OMG How I loved Sandy & Danny and danced around my living room pretending I was them. lol

Jessie & Angie - All My Children: I was a soap junkie, so I have a lot of soap ships - but this is one of my all-time favorites. A modern-day Romeo & Juliet, and the soap world's first true black super-couple. Angie's well-to-do family forbade a relationship with her obvious soulmate, Jesse. They eventually got together, but in true soap fashion, that didn't last. A death that wasn't really a death, among other things, impeded. But how I remember watching those summers and rushing home from school to check the VCR and pray it recorded. lol OLD SCHOOL!

Kevin & Winnie - The Wonder Years: This was the sweetest show and first love story. The ending was so poignant and probably led to my penchant for beautiful but heart-wrenching endings. I need to rewatch this sometime.

Maddie & David - Moonlighting: This one makes me sad, thinking of Bruce Willis's current condition. 😢 These two drove each other crazy, but the sexual tension radiated from the TV screen. They were the ultimate "will they???" couple, and even when they did, they still never really got it together, but that didn't mean I stopped rooting for them. Sadly, this show is just about completely not available on streaming/reruns due to musical copyright issues.

Nina Cortland & Cliff Warner - All My Children: Told you. I was a soap addict, and AMC will forever be my favorite show. I don't remember how old I was, but I remember that their wedding took place THE DAY that we went back to school, and my prepubescent little girlfriends and I LOST OUR SHIT. This wasn't the days of reruns, this wasn't the days of DVR, this wasn't even the days of Soap Central (y'all don't even know what that is). These were the days of "You missed it, bitch - so sad." And I was...I was...

Maria & Georg - The Sound of Music: OK - I loved musicals from a very young age, and I am forever obsessed with The Sound of Music. I had a mad crush on Georg as a young girl, proof that assholes with a heart underneath it all have ALWAYS been my thing. lol

Dwayne & Whitley - A Different World: It was not a pairing I liked the idea of - initially. Whitley was such a spoiled, obnoxious, rich princess at the start, and Dwayne didn't seem like he'd ever have a chance, but as time moved on, they made it work, and I tuned in each week, dying for them to finally get together.

John & Claire: The Breakfast Club - What can I say - I have a type? lol This was the iconic couple of my teen years, and if had been writing fanfic at that time, I would have had a treasure trove for them.

Tagging @jamespotterthefirst @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @genevievemd @angelasscribbles @icecoffee90 @cariantha @doriopenheart @peonierose @potionsprefect @coffeeheartaddict2 @lilyoffandoms @storyofmychoices @annoyingmillenialnewbie @utterlyinevitable and anyone who wishes to jump in and play!

[thewriterowl]

Now for the hard question: in your top 10 movie franchises list add in ALL of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies in order of favorites.

Oh you have to ask the hard questions! Ok, let me see...in order for Star Wars:

Empire Strikes Back -- it is just such a good movie with some iconic Luke looks and Daddy-Son moments. It's so good and him with grandpa-Yoda is so cute. I also love how we see this lead up into Luke's change of perspective with everything.

Return of the Jedi -- Also great Luke and Daddy-Son moments. I think it barely inches over New Hope simply because I got to see it again on the 40th re-release in theaters and I was feral over how Luke looked. Also, loved the fighting scenes and we get Lando. I also happen to love the Ewoks.

New Hope -- May actually be in second place once RoJ-theater release gives me peace (need another few months). But this Luke is just so pure and whiny and I want to put him in my pocket forever and ever and ever. (let me throw this Luke at Din omg)

Revenge of the Sith -- UGH just UGH so god. Anakin is so hot in this and so messed up and this lead up is just fantastic and wonderful and absolutely tragic.

Rogue One -- I mean, how could I not adore this? It is absolutely AMAZING. Just heartbreaking with amazing graphics, awesome characters, and is only getting better thanks to the Andor series.

The Force Awakens -- Honestly, I adored this movie so much. It wasn't perfect, it needed more Luke and the original trio, but it had so much potential. I just thought it was leading up to something amazing and the memes Mark gave us after left me excited and laughing for a long time.

The Phantom Menace -- Part of this is spite-love for young Anakin and Jar Jar Binks; both deserve better. But honestly, I have rewatched this a few times recently and was all "this is actually great? why the hate?"

Attack of the Clones -- Honestly, I need to rewatch this again. It's just here cause I haven't rewatched it in a while and i don't know why. We get Jango! We get the Clones! Baby Boba! The SAND-QUOTE! Obi-Wan's mullet! The lead up to the Clone War series! Badass Yoda! Yeah, gotta do a re-watch.

Solo -- Again, i actually really enjoyed the movie. It wasn't the best but it wasn't bad. Honestly, there were just some weird choices for some story movements and character interactions but other than that? It was good. I need to rewatch it honestly.

The Last Jedi -- I hate, hate, hate what they did to my Luke. If they were going to go this route with him I'd understand 100% because it would make sense for him to to have so much PTSD and just be burnt out and so hurt (still, i think we have enough of this and deserve older heroes that are still full of hope and silly and are kind). But the execution and how he is made to be a loser is just wrong. There were also some other scenes and interactions that were "uh...no?" but the fight scenes were great, Po was great, I loved Rose, I loved Finn's story and realization. It was just really wonky, disjointed from what we were getting before, and I will keep my head-cannon Luke in my claws.

The Rise of Skywalker -- I...didn't like it. I saw it twice and actually checked the time till I could go home often (only have done that with like two other movies). It was so awkward, the dialogue was poor, the actors seemed done, there was so many random new stories thrown in at last second, characters were thrown away, "Palpatine somehow returned?" like...what??? It was just lame. Such a lame, lame ending. The OT-trio and the new trio deserved so much better. It needs a re-do.

Now for the Lord of the Rings!:

The Fellowship of the Ring -- Even though it wasn't the most action packed, what it sparked, how good it was...just AUGH perfection. I adore this movie so much.

The Two Towers -- Incredible, amazing, also perfect. Great action, all the characters are given their due-time (with Legolas making faces). I love it.

Return of the King -- AMAZING ENDING. The wraps up is just...the moments of suffering and the release. The HAPPINESS. How ever gets what they deserve (tho RIP Boromir) just adore it so much.

The Desolation of Smaug -- PERFECT. Except for maybe some off CGI, this movie was amazing. So much Bagginshield, the intense cliffhanger, the Arkenstone....it was so good. I adored this movie so much!

An Unexpected Journey -- I adore Bilbo. I love him so much. And how this opened up Bagginshield just how could I not adore it??

Battle of the Five Armies -- I didn't like it the first time I watched it. But a few more times I was "huh, actually, it's not bad!" It honestly should've been loads better. There were so many wonky decisions and everything that happened did not feel like it met up with the end of a trilogy. But the end....how everyone survived! Can you believe that there was absolutely NO HEARTBREAK WHAT'SO'EVER??

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Dolly Parton - Coat Of Many Colors

The 70s weren't particularly kind to country music, but Dolly Parton stands out as a shining beacon amidst a fog of mediocrity. The title track is a beautiful story about a mother's love that is apparently a true story from Parton's childhood. From there we immediately get a song where the singer's mother steals her boyfriend. It kinda goes like that, either beautiful sincere tracks like Coat Of Many Colors and Here I Am, or unrelenting savagery like in Traveling Man and If I Lose My Mind. I would never have it any other way. Go off queen.

Tracy Chapman - s/t

Ready for some emotional devastation? This album comes out the gate swinging and doesn't let up. This album's theme is feeling helpless to change your circumstances. Fast Cars is about trying to run away from a toxic environment only to recreate it. Behind The Walls is about being unable to stop domestic abuse even when you know it's happening. Mountains Of Things is about being trapped by commodity fetishism despite knowing it won't help you. In all these songs systems prevent individuals from improving their lives. The message is nothing without the actual substance of the music though, so it's fortunate that Chapman has one of the best and richest voices I've ever heard. And her brand of folk rock is beautifully complimentary. Lefty music doesn't get much better than this.

Bob Dylan - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

It may be his second album, but this is his real debut. Bob Dylan proved that you could be a shitty singer, mediocre guitarist, and atrocious harmonica player, but if put together the right way then the sum of the parts is worth so much more. Dylan's combination of traditional folksy numbers like Girl From North Country and Don't Think Twice It's All Right are matched with the political statements that made him a counterculture icon. Masters Of War may seem blunt and obvious by today's standards, but it's stark condemnation of war mongering politicians is still pretty brutal. And A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall is proof of his ability to write lyrics that express abstract feelings rather than direct thoughts.

Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters

I feel like when people think of jazz they don't tend to think of catchy toe tappers. There's an expectation for it to be a fairly serious genre that is hard to "get". Herbie Hancock threw that idea right out the window when he made Head Hunters the most fun jazz album of all time. The funk influences are extremely apparent with each track featuring an extremely punchy drum beat and juicy fucking bass lines that will get permanently stuck in your head. Everyone is nailing it here but obviously Hancock himself is the star player with his electric piano and clavinet solos having the brightest and bubbliest tone I've ever heard and it just cuts through the mix and delivers pure joy to your ears. Without a doubt one of my favorite albums of all time.

Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

When I was in high school one of my friends just fucking loved the song Bike and sometimes we would just burst into it whenever or wherever. Like all of walking somewhere and we'd just start up like "IVE GOT A BIKE YOU CAN RIDE IT IF YOU LIKE!" full fucking volume like a bunch of animals. Anyway this album is fanciful as all hell. Gnomes, scarecrows, bikes, kitty cats named Lucifer Sam, and bedtime stories. This album is delightful. It exudes innocent joy like no other album. Songs like Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive sound spacey not because they sound peaceful like floating in space but explosive like a rocket taking off. Other tracks will sound like campfire songs. It's beautiful. The end of Bike where the album closes out on a disjointed series of cacophonous clanking was my first introduction to noise as music so that song probably ruined me permanently.

Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

One of the original punk bands even if you wouldn't normally think of them as such. Devo did everything in their power to be weird little freaks. Jerky, stuttery guitars and rigid drum beats all designed to sound as mechanical as possible. It an amazing achievement that is perfectly exemplified by their awkward but brilliant cover of the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction. There's a general sense of 50s rock and roll filtered through the 'came back wrong' trope. The album lumbers along like it's made of de evolved rock music.

Elton John - Honky Château

This is probably Elton John's most cohesive album. The country rock of Tumbleweed Connection meets the dramatic arrangements of Madman Across The Water. John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin is also at the top of his game on this one. Obviously everyone loves Rocket Man, it's iconic for a reason, by good god is the song I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself funny. I'm serious, this tongue and cheek song about teenage angst is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. I'm kinda blown away at how good Elton John, a British man, is at doing honky tonk and country music too. Too talented of a guy really. Love this album.

[thewolvesof1998]

The hermit and the hanged man for tarot asks 😊

HI <3

Just to let you know I got your ask about the Make em swoon prompts: "hi" *raspy voice* and I am working on that 👀

the hermit: what is your favorite soda pop?

Hmmm, either Dr Pepper or this company called Golden Circle 'Golden Pash' flavour.

the hanged man: favorite movie soundtrack?

Ohhh this is such a me question! And I can't just choose one!

Any Star Wars movie/tv show but I love Across the Stars and god anything from Rogue one but Jyn Erso & Hope Suite?!?! How they comined Jyn's theme and the Hope theme?!?! magical. Also just anything created for the Mandalorian- Ludwig Goranasson is a genius. Lastly Han Solo and the Princess?? Iconic.

Rocketman- I love everything about this soundtrack ugh- how they used Elton's songs to help carry the narrative and themes of the film?! How they integrated the musical moments with the story, I just love it. I would list some favourites but I would list the whole soundtrack.

LOTR- literally the soundtrack of my childhood (along with Star Wars) Rivendell - how its starts with The Shire in a different key and the transforms into this etherial music uggghhhh. For Frodo in return of the king??? AND the sacrifice of Faramir with Billy Boyd singing????

Do Revenge- completely different vibes but every song on this soundtrack is a banger and fits the vibes of this movie so goddamn well. Move by TOBi, I Eat Boys by Chloe Moriondo, Bitch by Meredith Brooks and Celebrity Skin by Hole just to name a few of the bangers.

Top Gun Maverick- So good, brings back some of the classic songs from the OG but gives us I Ain't Worried by OneRepublic and Miles Teller singing Great Balls of Fire (which was my top song on Spotify Wrapped last year) soo good.

Honourable mentions: Dune, Arrival, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Someone Great, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spiderman into the Spider-verse, How to Train a Dragon, Baby Driver. The Chronicles of Narnia.

Also some TV Shows: Sense8, Heartstopper, Our Flag Means Death, Julie and the Phantoms.

If you ever want a quick answer out of me don't ask a question about films/tv shows, I can ramble about them for days.

Thanks for your ask!!!

☀️🌙✨ tarot questions ✨🌙☀️