Powerful Women+Classical Elements:

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Track: ‘Warriors’ - Imagine Dragons

Ponds didn’t consider he would ever be able to use a lightsaber, but Mace Windu seemed to think otherwise as he pushed it into Pond’s hand.

“Sir I can’t! I won’t be able to help them, I-I-”

“Commander Ponds,” Mace stated, leaving no room for an argument as he crushed a droid's head with the Force alone. “You have lived through everything, stood by my side every step of the way and then some, and have been faithful to your brothers from the beginning.” Mace forced two droids to turn on each other as they fired, Ponds taking a few shots behind the Jedi to cover his back. “The force is calling for you to continue being you, to continue being someone I am proud to call my friend. Don’t let that last shred of fear and doubt convince you that you, or any of your brothers, are anything but men worth living for!”

Ponds spun back and met Mace Windu's hard gaze, the world crashing to a halt. It was a familiar look, one that spoke of a wisdom and assuredness, and drove what he had said to the center of Ponds very soul. Before him was a man who people had doubted, who had walked the edge of hatred and managed to hang on to his beliefs. Someone who would risk everything he was to give another the chance to become who they needed to be.

Exactly like he was doing now.

The weight of the saber suddenly became lighter, and Ponds found himself breathing steady as he raised the hilt between them. Something within himself began burning under Windu's stare, something that guided his movements to ignite the weapon. And as they were bathed in the iconic purple light, Ponds didn’t feel anything but faith. Faith in the saber, faith in his Jedi, and faith in his brothers. And as he lowered it, Windu now wore the faintest of smiles. 

“Don’t forget we have a sabacc rematch soon, Commander.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, sir," Ponds promised.

“kill them with kindness” Wrong. CURSE OF RA 𓀀 𓀁 𓀂 𓀃 𓀄 𓀅 𓀆 𓀇 𓀈 𓀉 𓀊 𓀋 𓀌 𓀍 𓀎 𓀏 𓀐 𓀑 𓀒 𓀓 𓀔 𓀕 𓀖 𓀗 𓀘 𓀙 𓀚 𓀛 𓀜 𓀝 𓀞 𓀟 𓀠 𓀡 𓀢 𓀣 𓀤 𓀥 𓀦 𓀧 𓀨 𓀩 𓀪 𓀫 𓀬 𓀭 𓀮 𓀯 𓀰 𓀱 𓀲 𓀳 𓀴 𓀵 𓀶 𓀷 𓀸 𓀹 𓀺 𓀻 𓀼 𓀽 𓀾 𓀿 𓁀 𓁁 𓁂 𓁃 𓁄 𓁅 𓁆 𓁇 𓁈 𓁉 𓁊 𓁋 𓁌 𓁍 𓁎 𓁏 𓁐 𓁑 𓀄 𓀅 𓀆

me

In Clones we trust

After Melida/Daan, Obi Wan learned to distrust the Healers. His time with the Young had left him distrustful of adults in general, but then several of the temple bound healer trainees react badly to the scars he earned in various battles (in their defense much of the reactions was horror at scars that should have been easily treated, Obi Wan simply ascribed the worst possible meaning to their reactions). This is compounded when, over the course of decades, almost all the healers found time to lecture Obi Wan on his self care habits (of which he has none), but without actually giving him any support to figure out what healthy habits are (Look, Obi Wan hasn’t felt safe to fall fully into sleep since he was in the sewers with Cerasi and Nield to watch his back. Telling him to get more sleep is true but not helpful).

Then the Clone Wars arrived.  Obi Wan was handed a Battalion. At the first available opportunity the head medic, Med, makes a point to sit down with Obi Wan. He knows that the Force gives his General the ability to do things that Med would consider insane and impossible.  He wants to get a baseline so that can make sure he can treat Obi Wan correctly.  And Obi Wan may not trust healers, but Medics were different.  Med gets his scans. It helps that Obi Wan quickly learned to trust the troopers, his men.

Med talks to Obi Wan about what exactly he can use the Force for, what he can heal in himself. When it would be realistic for Med to step in. What the effects of various types of suppressants would be with Obi Wan using the Force to take care of basic needs and what to do if he gets dosed.  Because Med’s every step focused on what Obi Wan’s reality actually is instead of what he wanted it to be, Obi Wan is much more likely to go to Medical and let himself be treated. 

Sometime later he sits down with Obi Wan, and Cody (with Obi Wan’s permission), and briefly goes over what Cortisol, the stress hormone is, what it does to a body in the long term, and healthy vs unhealthy levels.  He shows Obi Wan his cortisol level, which is in dangerously high territory, even with the Force.  Med goes, “In a perfect world I would want your numbers to be a quarter what it is, but in a perfect world I wouldn't be patching my brothers to go back to battle.” and “Based on the scans we’ve taken if you can get two more hours of sleep per week, your cortisol levels should drop below the extremely damaging point. If you can do that and get one more hour of something you find relaxing every three days it should drop those levels into a high healthy.”

This, more than anything, was something Obi Wan had not been given by the healers. The temple healers focused on getting someone healthy, but often got too caught up in how to heal to think about what the patient thinks healthy should look like.  And Obi Wan might not know how to get something as nebulous as ‘more sleep’, but something concrete such as two more hours of sleep per week is a goal he can accomplish (It made him want to try ).

The story of a generation comes to an end. Watch the #D23Expo Special Look for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. See the film in theaters on December 20. (via @starwars on twitter)

Kaas City shines in the rain.

The Republic news always shows it as grim and forbidding, endlessly smothered by floods. But anyone who’s lived here knows the city was built to be beautiful in a downpour. Gutters made of strengthened glass, refracting light into shining patterns as the water courses through them; funnels and spouts that catch the rain it trickles down buildings, channelling it into fountains.

Lana shines in the rain, too. But then, Lana always shines.

Neyna doesn’t bother to hide her smile as she leads Lana out onto the balcony of her apartment. This feels like the right place to talk: appropriately dramatic, what with the drumming of the rain on the canopy above their heads, and the city a shimmering artwork all around them. And here, she gets to see Lana in the light of the city. See the highlights and shadows thrown over her face. It’s a breathless experience – even though her robes are soaked and her hair’s sticking to her face – and Neyna very badly wants to kiss her.

She wonders if Lana has noticed her repeated glances towards her lips. Probably. Hopefully.

‘You didn’t have to come here in this downpour,’ Neyna says, leaning against the parapet. ‘Or if you did, you could have taken a taxi with a roof.’

‘I took the first one I saw as soon as I learned you were home.’ Lana smiles, and stars, Neyna will never get over what that does to her insides. ‘I wanted to see you as soon as I could. Besides, you didn’t have to buy me flowers, either.’

She’s still holding them, a explosion of amber-coloured petals – which, Neyna is delighted to see, match her eyes perfectly. ‘I did, really. It seems like the least kind of apology I can make for apparently-dying on you. And for taking so long to let you know I was alive.’

Lana is silent for a moment, her fingers twining around the flower stems. Then she says, ‘I missed you.’

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no offense, but this looks like a domestic scene where the three of them are in a relationship and have a daughter and Kara and Sam just got home to find their wife after a horrible day at work.

Yeah, still good.

Fanfiction is becoming people’s primary form of entertainment right now because most media right now is so cheap, bland, recycled, and sponsored by people who love money more than the source material. Fanfiction is written for free by people who genuinely love what they’re writing about. That’s why it’s better. That’s why it’s more satisfying. Fanfiction is a home-cooked meal made for yourself and for your friends. Media today is junky fast food spoiled by too much grease and the knowledge that the people producing it are being criminally mistreated and underpaid.