notes in the margins

champion of lost causes and doomed pairings ao3 fics

[michelangelosky]

No Names, No Titles, Chapter 2 - You’ve Got Mail AU Mon/Orson

Chapter 2, or Orson Callan Krennic is pioneering space take-someone-else’s-kid-to-your-Senate-testimony day and it goes… exactly as you’d expect… 🤭

Coruscant, 4 BBY

Mon doesn’t know whether her anonymous correspondent has ever set foot in the Senate, but his “sentients in love with the sound of their own voices” may be one of the most apt descriptions for the institution. In all likelihood, he had something else entirely in mind. There is no shortage of ministries, corporations, consortiums, or research societies that could’ve inspired the remark – Coruscant is a magnet for vanity. Still, the moment she read it, she could think of no other place.

It’s the ocean of sound, every voice insisting on being heard above the rest. Ideas are swept into the current of coalitions and compromises. Bills emerge from back rooms and committees with every sharp edge rounded by the tide. And truth, more often than not, never makes it back to the surface. It’s easy to drown here – stars know, Mon almost did back at sixteen. Scrabbled for votes and smiled and kept her head above the proverbial water until she has learned to navigate the currents. Every now and then, however, Palpatine kindly reminds her that the tide was never hers to command.

Today, the ocean ripples with the usual ebb and flow of budget appropriations. Her amendment on humanitarian relief gets attached to new Imperial outposts in the Outer Rim; legacy planets’ heritage protections are traded for increased funding for Palpatine’s strategic infrastructure projects elsewhere, and so on and so forth. If she’s lucky, the day will leave only the usual dull tension in her temples and a mildly nauseating aftertaste.

Her private comlink softly chimes with a message. Luck, apparently, has chosen someone else’s side tonight: Davo Sculdun kindly reminds her about a charity gala he’s hosting next week.

A perfect opportunity for two young minds to get to know each other better as the arrangements take their due course.

One future weighed against billions. The Senator who has spent three decades making impossible choices is baffled that she still hesitates. The daughter who once promised herself that the chain would end with her is appalled that she is considering the bargain at all.

Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately for the person sending it - her official inbox chooses that precise moment to announce another message.

***

From: Office of Director Orson Krennic

To: Senator Mon Mothma

Subject: Committee Appearance

Senator,

Regrettably, a prior personal commitment will prevent me from appearing before your Committee next week, as I have already promised my time to a rather inquisitive audience upon my return to Coruscant. Rest assured, however, that I will remain subject to rigorous questioning. While it may sound like a novel concept, I am also hopeful that this audience will be willing to actually listen to the answers.

I’m sure there is no shortage of infrastructure projects that would benefit from your Committee’s undivided attention, so I respectfully request that my testimony be postponed until a mutually convenient date.

Director Orson C. Krennic

***

Mon catches the involuntary lift of her eyebrows a moment too late, then quickly schools her face into a neutral expression befitting a Senator.

The gall of him.

Krennic’s remarkably active private life is a permanent fixture in the gossip columns - something Perrin, for reasons known only to Perrin, takes particular care to keep her informed about - but she has never expected him to invoke it quite so brazenly as grounds for avoiding a Committee hearing.

***

From: Senator Mon Mothma

To: Office of Director Orson Krennic

Subject: Re: Committee Appearance

Director,

Since you seem to be in the mood for entertaining novel concepts, let me remind you that public accountability takes precedence over personal commitments. Your appearance remains scheduled for 13:00 CCT. Failure to comply will compel the Committee to consider contempt proceedings and a formal motion of censure.

I am hopeful that even the unrelenting demands of your private life can be accommodated outside Senate hours, where they may be more appropriately entertained.

Best regards,

Senator Mon Mothma

Read the rest on ao3

PS. the chapter has pulled on Barbieheimer on me. It’s still a romcom, I swear, but juggling 3 canons is not for the faint of heart…

[michelangelosky]

And all in one chapter…

[michelangelosky]

WIP Whatever or take someone else’s child to work your Senate deposition day

To be fair to Orson, he tried to warn Mon… next chapter of my You’ve Got Mail AU is coming along & one thing for sure - it’s going to be a let’s-mix-mayhem-and-angst-in-romcom sort of instalment.

Quite fittingly, I kind of write emails for this one first and then fill in the blanks around them. Anyways, snippets in no particular order cause it’s been a very very long day…

From: Office of Director Orson Krennic To: Senator Mon Mothma Subject: Committee Appearance Senator, Regrettably, a prior personal commitment will prevent me from appearing before your Committee next week, as I have already promised my time to a rather inquisitive audience. Rest assured, however, that I will remain subject to rigorous questioning. While it may sound like a novel concept, I am also hopeful that this audience will be willing to actually listen to the answers. I’m sure there is no shortage of infrastructure projects that would benefit from your Committee’s undivided attention, so I respectfully request that my testimony be postponed until a mutually convenient date. Director Orson C. Krennic

***

From: Senator Mon Mothma To: Office of Director Orson Krennic Subject: Re: Committee Appearance Director, Since you seem to be in the mood for entertaining novel concepts, let me I remind you that public accountability takes precedence over personal commitments. Your appearance remains scheduled for 10:00 CCT. Failure to comply will compel the Committee to consider contempt proceedings and a formal motion of censure. I am hopeful that even the unrelenting demands of your private life can be accommodated outside Senate hours, where they may be more appropriately entertained. Best regards, Senator Mon Mothma

***

*** His eyes turn sharp, unbearably blue, and suddenly she feels suspended in thin air - a step from the abyss, unable to look away despite the vertigo creeping in. “I may’ve involved a child in avoiding a committee hearing.” His gaze moves, almost leisurely, toward the other side of the hall, where Leida and Stekan dutifully try to appear interested - in the conversation, in the evening, in each other - before returning to Mon. “But at least I haven’t bartered one away.” For a second, the room reels in front of her, and she forgets how to breathe. He knows. Panic races ahead of reason: the Rebellion, Axis, her accounts, the missing credits... Then her mind catches up. No. If he knew, she would not be standing here. She would be locked in a sterile white room, facing some nameless ISB supervisor while Krennic would be watching from the other side of a mirror. The Rebellion is safe. He is only dangerously perceptive. Her sudden willingness to socialize with Sculdun has raised quite a few eyebrows; Leida’s presence beside Stekan is enough of a clue for anyone inclined to read it. He took a shot in the dark and, by luck alone, struck her heart, leaving it bare and bleeding. For months, Mon has rehearsed the same arguments until she almost believed them. Leida would always be free to refuse. An introduction was only an introduction. An arranged match did not preclude affection. Thirty years beside Perrin had taught her that tenderness sometimes emerged where passion never had; that companionship could survive the absence of romance. Shared obligations. Shared history. The occasional loneliness that happened to arrive on the same night. Habit, if one was fortunate, could be a fair substitute for happiness. It lacked the fire poets celebrated, yet there were worse foundations on which to build a life. And love, in whatever form Leida chose to welcome it, could still be found - within or outside marriage. Surely that counted for something. It had to. Yet here, under that penetrating icy-blue stare, every one of her arguments suddenly feels embarrassingly fragile.

Chapter 1 is in ao3

In my defense - #canon (I love that I finally can say it about this movie)

[michelangelosky]

I was on the verge of greatness… this close…

Me: ok, we’re writing a romcom so need to bring in Jyn for mayhem and to do a space version of bring someone else’s kid to her bookstore scene

Brain: so let’s reread Catalyst Prologue and take it from there to see how can make it make sense

Me after rereading Catalyst Prologue 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 ok, fine, no romcom.

On the bright side - baby Jyn is adorable and I will figure it out. But it’s going to be painful 😭 that’s what happens when brain doesn’t allow you to simply vibe and wants a reason for everything

[benmendo]

Ben in Robin Hood (2018)

[michelangelosky]

Research purposes again….

[warriorxena]

BEN MENDELSOHN as Orson Krennic ANDOR | Season 2 (2025)

[michelangelosky]

For research purposes, obviously….

[michelangelosky]

Reasonable Doubt - Mon/Orson, courtroom drama & murder mystery AU

Chapter 6, or poor Syril

Honorable mentions: peaches, bow ties, plus Moffi and Toffi having the time of their lives

That night the topic on all of talk shows seemed to be “Just How Awful, Scheming and Cold-Hearted Is Chancellor Mothma?” while Shambo and Oscar furiously brainstormed an alternative narrative.

“It’s a wonder,” Sly Moore remarked, “we’re not all covering a trial for her murder.

This time, it was Orson who placed the call.

“I don’t think you’re that bad.” He offered almost apologetically.

“Screw you.” She hung up.

He called back. “Was that your idea of phone sex?”

“Tell me you have a strategy,” Mon whispered. “Tell me this is going the way you planned it.”

“It is going well. Trust me.”

Though, trust was not the word. Not remotely the word. Trust meant safety, steadiness, something earned and cherished. They had buried that silly notion thirty years ago. Whatever had grown in its place had fed on guilt, resentment, regret, and old wounds, its roots tangled so deeply that neither of them could tell where one ended and the other began. She would be justified in doubting his motives. He did too, at times.

read on ao3

[ruchi-writes]

enemies-to-lovers is about power, actually

I think a lot of people misunderstand why enemies to lovers is so popular. It’s quickly become one of the most pervasive tropes in many novels. Is it the banter, the tension? That’s definitely part of it. But if that were true, then friends-to-lovers and literally any romance with good dialogue and characterization would scratch the same itch. For some, it does, but for many…enemies-to-lovers just hits different. 

My theory is that it isn’t actually about love, not really. I think it fulfils a fantasy that no other trope can provide: the fantasy of being seen as an equal. 

Think about what specifically makes someone an enemy in fiction. It’s not just someone the MC dislikes, it’s someone who can affect them in tangible ways, maybe even have the power to ruin them, challenge their worldview, expose their weaknesses, etc. The relationship begins with conflict because the characters are fundamentally opposed in some way. It doesn’t matter why, but they’re fighting. There is a struggle for dominance. 

I would argue that the most impactful enemies-to-lovers moments are never the romantic moments, they’re the scenes where power shifts. They BOTH lose: they’re forced into a position that would have horrified them at the beginning of the story. They end up needing (or wanting) each other. 

That’s why I think people are often disappointed when a supposed enemies-to-lovers story turns out to be a milquetoast attempt where they’re just kinda mean to each other for a few pages, and then immediately start making out. Where’s the risk, the actual threat? If the characters aren’t capable of genuinely affecting one another, then the relationship isn’t actually transforming in a satisfying way. The appeal is in the fact that they have power over each other, because the eventual trust they build requires real surrender.

Because here’s the thing about enemies; they pay attention, and usually more attention than anyone else. They notice weaknesses because they’re actively looking for them, they notice strengths because they need to account for them. They notice habits, blind spots, ambitions, fears. 

They study the MC with a level of scrutiny that borders (and later crosses) intimate, but unlike friends (or supporting characters in the MC’s corner) they’re not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, they don’t overlook flaws out of affection. Which is exactly what makes the eventual romance so satisfying. It feels earned. 

It’s easy to imagine being loved by someone who sees the best version of you, but it’s an entirely different thing to be loved by someone who has seen you at your worst. That’s why this dynamic often feels more convincing than romances where the characters are immediately into each other.

I imagine there are many who go through life feeling misunderstood, or worse, that the people who love them only love the polished, perfect version they present to the world, almost like impostor syndrome. But what if there was someone who couldn’t be fooled by this carefully constructed image? 

When someone more powerful chooses someone, maybe the fantasy is protection. When it’s someone less powerful, the fantasy might be admiration. But if there’s someone intelligent and observant enough to see the MC as an equal, the fantasy there is the most intense and honest validation. 

Which means enemies to lovers was never about turning hate/annoyance into love, it was about turning power into vulnerability – which is a terrifying loss of power, which THEN leads to intimacy. 

[michelangelosky]

This. Just this. For me personally this is the peak trope when done right! It’s not and has never been just about bickering or opposites-attract so enter #tension (those all are components of the trope and different authors make it work in amazing, endlessly enjoyable ways, but for me those are sprinkles on the cake, not the cake in itself!)

Even though I have a few friends-to-lovers works - and can always write more when inspiration strikes - this is still my favorite dynamic to explore: two people coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, challenging each other’s worldviews, ideas, and certainties, then chipping away at each other’s armor with remarkable precision until they somehow meet at that perfect intersection of vulnerability-trust-and-intimacy.

Anyhow, in this essay, I will…

[color-ns]

Sometimes tweeter people know their stuff- this is the right kind of toxic angst I want to read.

[michelangelosky]

POV: TGIF it’s Friday or Galen and Orson deflected to the Rebellion and the diva thought them some nocturnal carousing

Found on Pinterest - all credit to the author, I’m just coming up with thoughts… imagine how lit those those evenings playing sabbac at Cassian’s Yurt would become… I bet you when they finally all get in trouble with Mon and Draven they’d say it was training for deep undercover work as Imeprial officers, learning from the best and all…

[in-this-reverie]

The West Wing Rewatch : CJ & Danny in ‘Take Out the Trash Day’ (1x13)

[jimmyspades]

[michelangelosky]

When I need inspiration for Reasonable doubt there is only one fictional lawyer I need to turn to…

[onerifle]

Rest in Peace Sam Neil

[miki-langelo]

"but they barely interact!" "They don't have many scenes together!" "They've talked to each other like once!" SHUT UP SHUT UP! THAT'S THE FUN OF IT!

I COULD IMAGINE ALL THAT IT COULD BE OR COULD'VE BEEN! IT'S MY WORLD! THINK OF ALL THE CONVERSATIONS WE DIDN'T SEE! THE POSSIBILITIESSSSS!!!!

[the-bar-sinister]

Sometimes I feel embarrassed about posting so many 'redundant' fics for my rarepair ships.

But then I remember the 'two cakes' metaphor and how there can never be too many fics for a ship even on the same subject.

It's not different just because I'm the only one writing them.

[michelangelosky]

So true… sometimes I’m like: the galaxy doesn’t need another MonxOrson cake, chill… so anyways welcome to my bakery 🤣

[niamosphere]

Wait a minute, who is that diva? (Looking for fabrics... and kalkite)

[michelangelosky]

This wonderful snippet (you are SO talented! Love it) is a also perfect excuse to remind the fandom that thanks to the New Look we have this footage…

(But give shippers a free hour and a blank word doc and we’ll make it into a fic for whatever ship we’re sailing

There is also a dress alternation scene which I cannot find in stills which is actually super high stakes - i.e. passing intelligence to resistance while altering the dress on your knees - but boy did i think now how can I make it into an Andor AU for my divas…)

[michelangelosky]

So i can’t get a clip I had in mind but a snippet of it is in the trailer, so I will leave it here for the collection - Mendo and Maisie delivered stellar performances, and for all my grumbling about other aspects of the show, they were magnificent

[niamosphere]

Wait a minute, who is that diva? (Looking for fabrics... and kalkite)

[michelangelosky]

This wonderful snippet (you are SO talented! Love it) is a also perfect excuse to remind the fandom that thanks to the New Look we have this footage…

(But give shippers a free hour and a blank word doc and we’ll make it into a fic for whatever ship we’re sailing

There is also a dress alternation scene which I cannot find in stills which is actually super high stakes - i.e. passing intelligence to resistance while altering the dress on your knees - but boy did i think now how can I make it into an Andor AU for my divas…)