I Find Your Lack of Nerd Disturbing

[solriart]

you’re perfect, my wolfkiller

wheww it’s been a while since i drew anything for iwtv/tvl! i’ve wanted to illustrate lestat’s wolf hunt scene from the book for ages now, but i knew it’d be really difficult so i put it off. honestly i’m still not at the skill level required to execute it the way i see it in my head…but i tried my best! :))

[pineappical]

thinking about statues of Grace being built all around Erid years after his passing so he can continue to watch over Eridians as they sleep

[cabinette]

[zagreus]

this is absolutely the best part of the google translate star wars dub

[zagreus]

actually this is a pretty strong candidate too

[zagreus]

honourable mention:

[zagreus]

obi wan you cowardly centrist bastard

[all-and-sundries]

Okay so in the PHM book Grace mentions that, since his last name also happens to be an English word, Rocky just calls him the Eridian word for “Grace”. But considering “grace” is a relatively niche word that would probably take a while for them even to develop the vocabulary to translate, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a little more going on here, and have ended up with two conflicting headcanons to explain it:

When they first meet, Rocky is just as worried about whether the alien will be hostile, and is so relieved by their first interactions being so positive that he names the alien the first thing he has discovered about him: “Kindness”. (It isn’t until Grace is explaining the possible interpretations of his name much later that they realize the coincidence. It feels strangely fated.)

Rocky has been calling him “Idiot [affectionate]” this entire time and lied about the whole “grace” thing when asked because who’s gonna know the difference. (when they make it back to Erid, Rocky has to make some very hasty, awkward explanations to the leaders planning to welcome the second savior of their world, culminating in a heated debate over whether to change the human hero’s Eridian “name” and in doing so expose Rocky’s crimes, or go with a planet-wide “commit to the bit” and keep the “Welcome to Erid, Idiot” decorations as is—all while Adrian loses their mind laughing in the background)

[jardinssteve]

[carys-the-ninth]

"The magic system is never fully explained" yeah that's how life works. Imagine having a story set in modern day America and the characters have several pages of exposition on combustion engines and telecommunication networks before we get to the plot

[et-in-arkadia]

i think this is absolutely correct and good writing advice but also victor hugo would like to have a word with you about the parisian sewer system circa 1832

[bendingsignpost]

victor hugo would like to have many words with you about the parisian sewer system circa 1831

[hexedwinchester]

Supernatural characters I wish we saw more of

Over the weekend I made a post about characters I thought either overstayed their welcome or shouldn't have been created at all.. this is opposite of that! Some characters that were only around for a short while but made an ever lasting impression..

Jessica Moore: I'm sorry, you are telling me, the love of Sam's life was only around for 3 episodes? Hell no! We were robbed of Stanford era Sam, we were robbed of SamJess meet cute!! So robbed! Their chemistry was so instant, even Eileen didn't have the same chemistry with Sam. I'm forever SamJess shipper!!

Meg 1.0: she was badass, cruel, ruthless and i loved her for that. None of that soppy Rachel Miner crap about unicorns and pizza man bullshit. RIP Nicki Aycox, you were amazing

Gordon Walker: he was one of those characters that I loved to hate! A complete psychopath. I needed his cat and mouse game with Sam to last a little longer. He gave me creeps!

that creepy doc from Time is on My Side who harvested organs to be immortal. C'mon so much happened since they buried him alive. You are telling me, he didn't escape ? No! Not buying it. Give me my organ harvesting Hannibal vibe of a creepy doc!

Hellhounds: funny how after s8, everyone just forgot about hellhounds. Remember how terrifying they were? Yeah, what happened?! Needed boys fighting more of those every time they went strolling into hell

Cain: I felt his character was left unexplored. Don't give me a retired, beekeeper. I needed to see the father of murder in the flesh. Timothy was so great, it's a shame they never tapped that potential. We didn't even get a taste of the real Cain

Magda: fuck you, Ketch for killing her. You should rot in hell. She was so interesting and sad. Kinda like a parallel to Sam. Sam and her should have bonded over psychic trauma. I needed someone in Sam's corner. She needed Sam in hers

Pamela: what? She was cool and super useful unlike 80% of the characters that were only around because of you know what. She was funny, bold and brazen. I liked that about her. It was nice to see in the later seasons

Balthazar: probably the only angel I like. Again, funny and far more useful than the others

Victor Henriksen: I know he came across as a hardass but he was just doing his job. He would have been a good ally to the boys in case they needed a cop on their side

Bonus- OG Death: gave me shivers! None of that Billy bullshit. She was annoying. I loved OG Death. He had a class, a taste and that haunting appearance one associates with death. We needed more of him, taunting Dean or being itchy to reap Sam!!

Anyone else wants to extend the list?

[locke-esque-monster]

I can't explain how much it tickled me to find out today that the actor who played Gordon Walker went to Stanford.

Sterling K. Brown is obviously known for much better written and more prestigious roles than his arc on SPN, and justifiably so.

But when I heard this fact out of his mouth in an interview, my thoughts were immediately transported to a French Mistake kind of universe. Wherein the boys find out the actor who played Sam's arguably biggest hater not only went to, but unlike Sam, actually graduated from Sam's alma matter. And Sam and Dean's reactions to learning that information - utterly priceless.

[fandomfanatic1234]

This irony makes me giggle. We love Sterling K. Brown!!!

[themerrywriter-deactivated20200]

A Flirting Guide For Writers (And Real World Usage)

I reblogged a post a day or so ago, and the result (which made me sad) was mostly people saying that they feel they cannot flirt (and therefore cannot write it effectively). 

So I thought I’d share my own, admittedly limited, knowledge (under the guise of writing advice) so that you can all write kick-ass romance and show your feelings like the boss-ass-bitches you are! 

The Basics; Eye-Contact, Personal Space, Body Language

The thing about flirting is that most of it is non-verbal, and the world is split between those writers who find this part the easiest, and those who find it the most incomprehensible. 

The problem is that it’s all dependent on a fine, mostly unspoken, line which makes the interaction creepy if crossed. When writing a character who is trying to flirt with someone, or when trying to flirt with someone yourself, you need to keep three main things in mind; personal space, body language, and potential restriction. This is especially important for men. The problem is that this is mostly instinctual, and so it can be hard to write if you haven’t had time to develop the right skills yourself. 

Personal space

When trying to show that your character is flirting you need to make a note of them moving into the other person’s personal space but not too much. Consider this; someone leaning into your space just a little to speak to you versus someone being practically nose to nose with you. One catches your attention, the other is uncomfortable at best and intimidating at worst. The idea is to lean in enough to show interest and create a sense of intimacy, without becoming overbearing or threatening. As a rule, I find that I begin to feel uncomfortable if a man I’m not sure of gets closer than the distance it would take to perform a ballroom Waltz. 

To get an idea of how that looks, hold up your hand at arms length as if pushing someone away or pressing against a wall. Now slowly bend your elbow until the point sits just under your breast or pectoral muscle. 

That’s the maximum personal space invasion I allow from people I don’t know well. In my experience, this is common to many women, though others prefer more space. Likewise, in my experience, men I have met seemed perfectly comfortable with me being closer than even that, but I am small, relatively unthreatening, and we have to allow for the fact that we were in the position of viewing each other as romantic interests. Men may prefer more space from other men, or from individuals that they do not see in a romantic light already. This changes from person to person, and noting your characters preference is a good way to show what kind of person they are.

Eye-Contact 

Another fundamental which relies on instinct subtlety; conventional wisdom says that you should make eye-contact in order to show interest. Actual wisdom will also tell you that too much becomes intense and a little creepy. If your character holds someone’s eye for too long its becomes fixative rather than flirtatious; it becomes staring. Depending on your character and their interest this can either read as obsessive, creepy, or aggressive. 

Flirtatious eye contact can take a few forms; 

1 - the “getting caught” method where a person looks at someone and quickly looks away again. When caught have your character (or yourself) look away quickly and then back, hold eye contact for a few moments and then acknowledge the other person. A smile, wink, or nod will suffice for this. 

2 - the “lash” method where someone, usually a woman, catches their crushes eye, looks down, and then back up from under the lashes. Also very effective when done by men with big eyelashes. 

3 - the “full cheese” method by which someone winks, grins, or wiggles their eyebrows. This is effective when used sparingly. 

If your character also touches the person they are flirting with lightly, this will build tension. The touch should be gentle, but obviously deliberate. Avoid possessive gestures like gripping or pulling, however. 

Body Language

When flirting, the body language of both people is important; your character should watch their crush for signs of interest and/or discomfort. 

Positive signs; leaning in, touching, playing with hair, smiling, licking or biting lips, tilting their head slightly, mirroring. 

Negative signs; leaning away, crossing arms, pursing lips, refusing to make eye-contact, raising their shoulders, crossing their legs away from the other person, frowning, clenching jaw, balling fists. 

This body language can apply to both characters in the scene. 

Advanced Techniques; Verbal Cues, Suggestions, And Other Senses

This is the shit I thrive on, as a writer you will probably feel the same way; I notice the sounds, smells, and textures of another person as well as what they say (in fact, when you read my work you’ll notice that the smell of any romantic lead is noted upon more than once). 

Verbal Cues

This is the thing that most people focus upon when it comes to discussions or attempts at flirtation. The verbal sparring that comes with flirting is what really gets our stomachs churning and our hearts pulsing… but why are some people so naturally good at it, while others are… less so? 

And why does some of the most vapid and run-of-the-mill stuff seem to work between the right people? 

Well, the sad news for your unlovely characters is that physical attraction makes us more likely to respond to even the most poorly constructed of verbal flirtation. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so even the least pretty of characters could find themselves flirting up a storm with the right person. 

Verbal cues include; 

- Gentle teasing 

- Compliments

- Inside jokes

- Using someone’s name (yes, really)

- Asking questions and responding in a thoughtful way

- Sexual innuendo (when used tastefully and sparingly)

Suggestion

This is the easiest to miss or overshoot because it’s a combination of everything else we’ve already covered. For example, your character saying to a friend, 

“I’m just going to hop into the shower, talk soon.” 

Is not a suggestive statement. Now imagine your character flirting with someone on the phone before sighing and saying, 

“I’m going to take a shower… I’ll speak to you soon, ok?”

The difference is subtle but important; the second suggests that they don’t want to stop talking to the other person, that they definitely want to speak to them again as soon as possible, and subtly encourages the other person to consider them in the shower. You see? 

Easy to miss, easy to fudge. Suggestion is hard to pull off, and hard to write, but think of it this way - suggestion;

1) Encourages the other person to think of you/your character in an intimate way

2) Implies enjoyment in and desire for their presence

3) Is open-ended and encourages reciprocation

The Other Senses

This is not so much flirting, but the act of making your character/yourself as appealing as possible to another. Personal hygiene, a good fashion sense, and good manners are a part of this.

But - 

When writing about this you should not discuss it directly unless your character is making a conscious choice. Instead, focus on the character that yours is focussed upon. 

- How do they smell?

- What are the textures of their clothes?

- What manners do they affect?

- Does their voice have a texture?

- Do they touch your character a lot? 

- Do they note upon your characters smell or noticeably try to take in their smell? 

- Do they react noticeably to your character’s voice or mannerisms?

This is just a basic guide, of course, but if you get this down you’re in a good position to build romantic tension in every walk of life!

If you found this post useful and you want to help keep me writing, you can support me through Kofi!

[sunsickjune]

“i felt that five had to have a love story” okay steve !! fine. i’ll humour you. picture this : lila and five in the subway. they’re travelling to different timelines, loosing hope, trying to find a way home. then they get to a timeline and five sees dolores. but she’s a human, not a mannequin. he falls for her. loves her. wants to stay with her in her timeline. and that’s why lila has to force him to come home. she has kids, a husband, a life. five wants to stay with dolores more than anything. but he goes home, back to his timeline, because he knows he has to save his family. because he loves them more.

[bennie-jerry]

Five saving his family despite their countless failures throughout the entire series really IS the love story.

[lynntheninja]

I will never forgive his season 5 character assassination

[messengerofmechs]

Hey everyone. There's a new youtube feature that rolled out just yesterday that's raising some privacy concerns.

Expanding ways to share on YouTube

People in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, and Singapore can now share videos and chat with friends directly within the YouTube app. The update bring

This post talks about a new DM feature in youtube. What it fails to mention is that as part of this new feature is that when you send someone a link to a video, and they open it in the youtube app, they will see who sent them the link. Specifically, your channel name.

If your google account name is your real name, so is your channel name by default.

This means the new default behavior is that everyone you send a youtube link to will see your full name if they open it in the mobile app.

To turn this off:

Go to your youtube app settings

Go to Privacy

Turn off "Channel visibility for shared links"

Trimming the source id (the stuff after the '?' in links) will also prevent this from happening.

[lynntheninja]

Is this faster than a text?

(who I definitely don't know irl)

[boatgrave-deactivated20250901]

[mysteryteacup]

*Scrolls past*

*reluctant sigh*

*scrolls back up*

*rebogs*

[gjorr]

List of supernatural characters we should have seen more of:

John Winchester - It feels like the entirety of season 1 was the build up to us meeting this man and boy did he live up to the hype. Probably a hot take but I actually loved the whole “man gets so consumed with revenge and the idea of protecting his family that he actually hurts and neglects his family in the process” thing. Just the tragedy and toxicity of it all. Something about him doing everything to keep his kids safe while also being the world’s shitiest dad (I also love that 90% of the other hunters couldn’t stand him lol)

Azazel and Azazel’s children - Arguably one of the best storylines in the show. I hate to say this but I actually loved Azazel, he was just the right amount of eerie and funny. The psychic kids were all so neat and it would have been nice if we explored their pov a little bit more, especially Ava and Jake whose switch up always felt very sudden to me. Sam also deserved to have someone that he can relate to 

Jo and Ellen (and Ash) - I remember starting season 2 and being so excited about the introduction of more hunters. While it felt like season 1 focused on the loneliness of being a hunter, now we were exploring the concept of there being a community of them working together and looking out for each other. Ellen was great, Ash was great. Jo had a fuck-ton of potential as this bratty, naive girl desperate to prove herself as a hunter not fully aware of the dangers, but was unfortunately stuck as Dean’s love interest. She was also a great foil to Sam (the boy forced into the hunter life by his father desperately trying to leave vs the girl who insists on this life despite having a mother who tries to stop her)

Henriksen - The police being an actual real threat for a while was great. They could have dragged that on a little bit longer instead of having Sam and Dean magically get out of every situation. (I do love Jody and Donna tho)

Gordon - He was such a nice addition to the show because he truly challenged Sam and Dean’s perspective on the creatures that they hunt by having the most black and white way of thinking. Just his introductory episode alone is incredible because what do you even do when someone that you love has been turned into a monster (do you wait for them to do something bad, do you kill them immediately, is redemption and forgiveness possible when the monster can’t control itself?)

Bela - Literally the baddest bitch in this whole show. The female Dean Winchester if you will. The concept of introducing her as an antagonist and presenting her as this evil woman only to than reveal to us at the end that she was a SA survivor who only made a demon deal to protect herself from her father and is desperately trying to win her soul back by stealing and selling things.. Her ending is truly the most misogynistic writing ever. 

Ruby - Yes I am aware that we had 2 seasons of Ruby, but her story always felt unfinished to me (how are you gonna have her call herself “the most loyal” and not explore her devotion to Lucifer). Season 3 Ruby was also written in a morally ambiguous enough way that I actually found myself trusting her, so I will forever morn the potential of her character as an antihero 

Uriel and Anna - All of the angels were so intriguing honestly. Uriel was essentially Castiel’s foil as they both rebelled against god due to their beliefs but one did it because he loved humanity while the other one did it because he hated humanity and supported Lucifer’s beliefs. I also loved how for Anna it wasn’t about either of those things. It was about her desire to live her own life freely without being bound to someone else’s orders. It was about her questioning god and seeking a family in humanity. She was so great, which is why I found her ending so rushed 

Linda Tran (Kevin’s mother) - What an absolute baddass. She bitch-slapped the king of hell, she hired a witch off of ebay, she kidnapped a demon put him in a truck and took him to Sam and Dean so that they could use him to find her son after he was kidnaped by Crowley, she literally sold her soul to keep her boy safe. I’m still mad that the writers didn’t know what to do with her so they had her rotting in a dungeon for a whole season

[mrkestis]

Shatterpoint - Matthew Stover

A Star Wars Book Review

Summary: In the beginning of the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Depa Billaba is sent to the planet Haruun Kal in order to help guerilla fighters in their struggle against the Separatists. She never returns. Instead, cryptic and disturbing messages reach the Jedi council on Curuscant, hinting at Depa Billaba’s fall to the dark side. Mace Windu is sent to retrive, or eliminate, his former Padawan.

In the deep and vicious jungle of Haruun Kal, Mace will question everything he thought he knew about the galaxy, the war and his life as a Jedi. Will he have the strength to save Depa? Or will he too be lost to the darkness…

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️

My thoughts (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!):

This book is a character study of Mace Windu, and he’s so interesting! He’s a man of contradictions, because he may seem cold, harsh and sometimes even mean, but he actually cares so much. Just look at this quote:

”Mace stared down at them, thinking that if it were up to him, no one would hurt anyone. Anywhere. Ever.”

Every Star Wars author who plans to put Mace in their story should read this book, because he’s one of the most mischaracterised Star Wars characters out there. And if anyone hates Mace Windu, just read this book and you will probably change your mind (or at least get a new perspective).

If there is one Star Wars character I headcanon as autistic it’s Mace Windu. He takes things very litteraly, often deadpan answering sarcastic comments and hypothetical questions. He has a very strong sense of right and wrong, and in this book he struggles with sensory issues from both sound, smell and textures. Most importantly he is perceived as cold and mean, because outwardly he never smiles and doesn’t understand social codes. His special interest is martial arts, to such a degree that he even developed a new form of lightsaber combat; Vapaad. Many might not agree with this observation, but that’s my headcanon!

The highlight of this book is the relationship between Mace Windu and Depa Billaba. Mace straight up says that she’s the daughter he’ll never have, and their love for each other is so apparent (they actually make me insane). But Depa’s story is so tragic! What do you mean she turns to the dark side not because she wants power, but because she cannot bear the hopelessness of war? What do you mean she becomes depressed, barely able to get out of bed, plagued by nightmares and migraines?? What do you mean she tries to kill herself?! What do you mean she falls into a coma FROM WHICH SHE NEVER WAKES UP???! Mace went to Haruun Kal to save Depa, but despite everything he NEVER GOT HIS DAUGHTER BACK!! Wtf Star Wars!?!?!!

Except being a character study of mace Windu, this book is also a study of the effect of war, especially on the Jedi. The summertime war on Haruun Kal is just the Clone Wars in miniature. Depa falls into a depression because she thinks the war is hopeless. It’s that all too familiar feeling of does anything we do even matter? There’s so much evil and greed in the world so what’s even the point? Depa starts using questionable methods in her warfare, discarding her Jedi ethics because she believes the ends justify the means. The following quotes illustrate her point of view very well:

”Gather a million corpses, and tell them your ethics outweighed their lives,”

”Because no one wins. Not in real war. It’s only a question of how much either side is willing to lose.”

”The republic may very well win. But the Jedi will lose. To win this war, we must no longer be Jedi. We can [win]. But the cost will be our principles. In the end, isn’t that what Jedi are for? We sacrifice everything for the republic; our families, our homeworlds, our wealth, even our lives. Now the republic needs us to sacrifice our consciences as well. Can we refuse? Are Jedi traditions more important than the lives of billions?”

Mace Windu stands by his Jedi ethics, arguing that fighting for good matters even if you don’t win. Every little act of rebellion or resistance against evil matters. The ends do not justify the means, because if we lose our morals what are we even fighting for? He does however recognise how easy it is for Jedi to fall during this conflict, Depa was after all a master and part of the Jedi council.

”When every choice you make means death. When saving these innocents means that those innocents must die. I’m not sure that any Jedi can survive such choices for long.”

One little tragic detail that I couldn’t get over was that Mace finds it hard to look at the clone trooper’s faces, because it reminds him of everything that went wrong on Geonosis. All he can see is the decapitated head of Jango Fett.

Haruun Kal is a brutal planet and a perfect setting for this book. The fever wasps that Besh and —- get infected with are horrifying, and they remind me of those motherfucking bloodbeetles in the Phasma novel by Delilah S Dawson. I still shudder when I think about them.

When it comes to criticisms I only have a few. Stover sometimes utilises the perspective of an objective and almost omnipresent voice, which works extremely well in his novelisation of Revenge of the Sith, but in this book it had a tendency to make the action scenes boring. The visuals where stunning, but I didn’t really feel like I was in the scene. The humor also often fell flat, which I could use as evidence for my mace Windu is autistic headcanon because he jokes in strange situations and no one except Depa gets his humor, but that’s probably not how the author intended it… There was also such a jarring jump in logic on the last page concerning Mace believing in the chosen one prophecy, because it was never even mentioned previously in the book.

There were a few paragraphs discussing Jedi philosophy and training that I thought were particularly interesting, so I’ll put them here at the end for your enjoyment:

”It is possible for an untrained Force-user to wield as much power as the greatest of Jedi—look at Kar. But untrained, the instincts he falls back on are those granted him by nature. It is another of the central paradoxes of the Jedi: the ’instincts’ we use are not instinctive at all. They are a product of a training so intense that they replace our natural ones. That’s why Jedi must being at such an early age. To replace our natural instincts—territoriality, selfishness, anger, fear and the like—with the Jedi ’instincts’ of service, serenity, selflessness, and compassion.”

”Jedi do not fight for peace. That’s only a slogan, and is as misleading as slogans always are. Jedi fight for civilisation, because only civilisation creates peace. We fight for justice because justice is the fundamental bedrock of civilisation: an unjust civilisation is built upon sand. It does not long survive the storm.”

”Jedi are not moralists. That’s a common misconception. We are fundamentally pragmatic. The Jedi is altruistic less because to be so is good, than because to be so is safe: to use the Force for personal ends in a dangerous. This is the trap that can snare even the most good, kind, caring Jedi: it leads to what we call the dark side. Power to do good eventually becomes just power. Naked force. An end in itself. It is a form of madness to which Jedi are peculiarly susceptible.”

[high-mackrels-musings]

Shatterpoint: A Mace Windu Musical Concept Chapter 1: Guide Us

A fun fact about me besides my love of Star Wars is that I love musicals. I have no musical talent whatsoever, but I still like the idea of writing musicals. And in the last few days I’ve had a rather silly idea of taking Revenge of the Sith and framing it as a musical, that idea eventually morphed into a musical set during the Clone Wars, but from the perspective of Mace Windu.

Mace is an often misunderstood character, especially from people who never read legends. And I thought this would be a fun idea for me to just have some fun with this. So, I got to writing an opening song for this, though as I said I’m not a songwriter by any means, but if anyone really wants me to continue let me know.

Link to song.

Chapter 2: A Leader

Chapter 3: A Daughter

Guide Us

[The musical begins, the sounds of blaster fire, vague battlefield orders heard, sounds of struggle as smoke fills the screen, intercut with lights of lightsabers and blasters. Three young padawans followed by clones enter. The padawans desperate and feeling overwhelmed sing].

Padawan #1 Come on my Jedi Can’t you see? We must hold the line For if we fall, the people die.

Padawan #2 There’s too many We’re surrounded

Padawan #3 There’s too many of them.

Padawan #1 Hold the line!

Padawan #2: We need another plan.

[Clones Fall and a Jedi does as well. A chorus begins to be heard humming. This chorus of Jedi will frequently return, they’ll act as a sort of Greek Chorus]

Jedi Chorus: So many fall So many die The young and brightest of our order In the name of peace and a republic That does not care.

Padawan #3

Retreat! We must retreat

Jedi Chorus: Untrained for war Untrained for this Meant for peace, but what is peace? Have we lost our way.

[A clone Commander appears, he runs to the eldest of the padawans.]

Clone Commander: The droids have broken our lines, Commander, what are your orders?

[The Padawan hesitates, and the clone grows more desperate.]

Clone Commander: What are your orders?!

[Suddenly a commanding voice sounds out.]

Mace Windu: Hold the line, Commander. Hold the line! (To the Padawans) Young ones, courage now—this is not the time to falter.

[The smoke clears slightly as Mace Windu strides into view, his purple lightsaber igniting with a resolute hum.]

Jedi Chorus: Master Windu, champion of the Jedi… Master Windu, where justice and courage lie… Master Windu, the shield against despair, Master Windu, a light in shadows’ lair.

Mace Windu:

Listen, young ones, the storm is here, But a Jedi stands, we do not fear. The galaxy turns in endless strife, Yet we are the shield, the blade of life.

Feel the Force, let it guide, Hold to the light, don’t run, don’t hide. Even in darkness, hope will rise, For the Jedi endure where chaos dies.

[The Padawans, emboldened by Mace’s presence, sing with renewed strength, echoing his confidence.]

Eldest Padawan: Come on, let’s do this!

Other Padawans: Master Windu, we follow— For the Republic, we fight, fight, fight!

Mace Windu (Inner Monologue): Meant to be a leader, meant to be a warrior, But they don’t see my doubts—my barrier. Could have ended this war before it began, Had my sword at the ready, but I had doubt… I’m just a man.

We must fight, change our role, But all of this war—it takes its toll. I see them fall, I see them die, My brothers, my sisters—hear their cry.

Jedi Chorus: Master Windu, guide us, lead us… Master Windu, hear us, teach us… Master Windu, show us what a Jedi can be, Master Windu, the strength of us is he.

[Mace Windu fights back, uses his lightsaber to lead and destroy battle droids as he gives orders the music grows quiet signifying that we are listening to his inner thoughts.]

Mace Windu: Jedi, follow my lead The republic will not fall, this is our creed Fight for the light, fight not for peace We fight for justice, this war will cease.

Padawans and Clones (chorus): Hold the line, hold the light, In the shadow of war, we fight, fight, fight! For justice, for hope, for the galaxy’s flame, We’ll endure, we’ll prevail, we’ll honor the name!

Master Windu, guide us, lead us… Master Windu, hear us, teach us… Master Windu, show us what a Jedi can be, Master Windu, the strength of us is he.

[The scene ends with Mace Windu standing strong, his purple lightsaber cutting through the haze, the battlefield momentarily stilled as the music fades into silence. The Jedi Chorus lingers as if carried on the wind.]

[sparkplug02]

hc that the reason Mace Windu was scowling at everyone but particularly at Anakin so much between the Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith wasn’t that he was upset or that he disapproved or whatever, but that he has major RBF. This is a consequence of being able to see shatterpoints in the Force but not knowing what those shatterpoints are connected to.

It’s easy when you’re fighting someone. Mace is playing the video game of life with the training module permanently enabled. Hit the bright spots with your lightsaber and you win the fight. Simple.

But now he’s involved in politics and management and government and he’s on the Council and there isn’t an active threat at the moment but people are still glowing. Mace is pretty sure he isn’t supposed to fight all these people but that only marginally narrows it down. Should he talk to them? Help them? Teach them? Give them space? Send them on a retreat? He doesn’t fucking know.

He also doesn’t know why he should do these things. These are shatterpoints, but for what? What are they involved in that matters so much to the Force? Eventually, everyone has a glow of some sort, because the Force connects all living things and everyone makes a difference in someone’s life. At least, that’s the conclusion he comes to.

Mace has been side-eying the Disaster Lineage for generations because they’ve always had stronger shatterpoints for as long as he can remember but he cannot for the life of him figure it out until it’s too late.

First it was Yoda. Yeah, that’s understandable. This 800+ year old frog is probably involved in who knows what, maybe just stay out of that one when possible. Then again, Mace thinks, if he’s got that much going on, why is he trying to lead the Order? Shouldn’t he be taking care of whatever it is he’s so important to? He doesn’t even like the administrative side of the Council.

Dooku is one of Mace’s biggest regrets. When he left the Order after Qui-Gon’s death, Mace thought maybe this was the lynchpin to figuring out those shatterpoints, and maybe Dooku’s journey would lead him outside the Order. He was one of the people who kept in touch with Dooku after he left, right up until he became a Separatist. That day on Geonosis was a mindfuck in many ways to many people, but in THAT way to Mace specifically.

Qui-Gon was the first person to tip off Mace to the fact that this lineage was particularly important and increasingly so. One bright shatterpoint in a lineage was significant. Two was rare. Three was unsettling. Not only that, but each apprentice had been brighter than the last. Qui-Gon had never glowed so brightly as he did right before he left for Naboo and never returned. It was at this point that Mace started feeling uneasy around the Disaster Lineage. Not because he didn’t like them, he loved them dearly, but their bright shatterpoints was starting to be a consistently negative omen.

Obi-Wan continued the upward trend in brightness. At this point, Mace didn’t know whether to intervene in his and Qui-Gon’s relationship or step back. When Qui-Gon died, Obi-Wan’s shatterpoint grew stronger, and Mace made a point to keep close to the young Knight and to watch over him as he grew into a Master. He didn’t mean to take the young man so seriously, but he didn’t want a repeat of Dooku or Qui-Gon with this Jedi he had grown so fond of. If he accidentally intimidated Obi-Wan, it was only out of care and concern.

So of course, when Anakin walks up with the strongest shatterpoint Mace had ever seen at fucking NINE YEARS OLD, yeah, he was apprehensive at best. Again, not because he didn’t like Anakin. He was a kid who had grown up in slavery who was separated from their only parent, that would weigh on anyone. When Qui-Gon died, Mace feared for Anakin’s life. When Dooku became a Separatist, Mace feared for his fate. That prophecy was the last thing on his mind. For all Mace knew, it could apply to Anakin or it could apply to someone else, or it could be something completely obsolete. What he DID know was that these physical embodiments of shatterpoints were growing more worrisome by the generation.

Ahsoka was, thankfully, not so nearly as strong of a shatterpoint as her master and grandmaster. She was the first in her lineage to be so, and Mace hoped and prayed that she would fare better than those who came before her. Right up until her trial, of course, at which point she became a much stronger shatterpoint, almost rivaling Obi-Wan in brightness. He thought they were out of the woods when she was proven innocent (thank the Force Skywalker is a bit of a loose cannon) only for her to follow in Dooku’s footsteps and walk away into the sunset.

So yeah. By the time Revenge of the Sith comes around, this is how the Disaster Lineage stacks up: Yoda is even more reluctant to fulfill his administrative duties and is carrying the weight of the entire galaxy on his mind, Dooku has been outed as Darth Tyrannus and is now dead, Qui-Gon has been dead for over a decade, Obi-Wan is sporting grey hair at a whopping thirty-five years old, Anakin is rapidly losing mental and emotional stability, and Ahsoka left her entire support system behind. Mace can’t be in the same room as Anakin or Obi-Wan without being blinded by their shatterpoints, the war is at a critical point, and Mace has no fucking clue what he’s supposed to be doing anymore.

Cue Chancellor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, who has successfully hidden HIS COLOSSAL MOTHERFUCKING shatterpoint from Mace this entire damn time. Anakin tells Mace that Palpatine is a Sith Lord, and he’s almost grateful. This must be why Anakin’s shatterpoint is so strong, he figured it out. Okay, you, massive shatterpoint, STAY PUT and let me handle this. I don’t want you to die and I don’t want you to go rogue. Please stay safe.

Once Anakin finally connects the dots, there’s no point in hiding it anymore, so once that fight starts in the office, Palpatine drops the shielding. Mace is back to the basics: hit the shatterpoints with your lightsaber. Not only does Palpatine have the only shatterpoint that has rivaled Anakin’s ever, but it might be the only reason Mace survives that fight.

Then here comes Anakin, bounding in when Mace SPECIFICALLY told him not to. He’s trying to kill one shatterpoint, trying to protect the other, and the Chosen One turns.

The entire reason he’s had RBF is that, without Palpatine’s shatterpoint to connect the dots, Mace has been trying to figure out what the deal is with this lineage for thirteen goddamn years and he doesn’t figure it out until Anakin’s already falling down the slope into Darkness.