For trope_bingo
Oct. 30th, 2020 09:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: so make up your own ending, and let me know just how you feel
Summary: Ben has problems writing an ending for The Rise of Starkiller, the penultimate novel of the Starkiller saga. Poe helps.
Prompt: Free Space — AU: Alternate Professions
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Ben says, “I’m terrified."
Even as Poe sits with him across the dining room table — and God bless his husband, Ben thinks; he knows exactly what Ben’s thinking — he raises an eyebrow. "Hard scene?”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Ben says. “I mean...I’m trying to find a good ending for Kylo.” Kylo Ren, also known as Jacen Starkiller. “Just...what do I do? I mean, there are literally people on social media baying for his blood after he killed his own father. And then there are people who want him to get with Kira.” Ben laughed, a bit strained as he did so. “Kira, of all people! I didn’t think that they’d start reading things into the hand touch scene...”
“Actually,” Poe said, “I think they started reading things into it when he carried her bridal style.”
Ben snorted. “The intent was him carrying her off like in those slasher horror movies. I was supposed to be making an homage to the original Halloween...by that logic, Michael wants to fuck Laurie.”
“Well, they’re not related anymore — ”
Ben snorted again. He could have sworn he saw a twinkle in Poe’s eyes. Damn Poe. Damn Poe and his adorable gadfly nature.
“Look,” Poe said, “Hero/villain ships are...older than paper. You’re really surprised that people started shipping Kiralo?”
“Kylo’s done absolutely nothing that shows he cares about Kira’s well-being,” Ben said.
“Really? He comforted her over the Mirror Cave.”
Ben sighed. “That could have gone either way.”
“He saved her from Supreme Leader Hethrir.”
“Yeah, well, he could have done it earlier and saved her the trouble. I mean...Poe, are you really playing Devil’s Advocate to me about Kiralo?”
“It’s fun playing devil’s advocate,” Poe said, his eyes twinkling again.
Silence.
And then Ben started laughing.
“I want Kylo to be redeemed,” he said. “Maybe...well, how’s this for an ending that pleases everyone, including Hux?” Hux was Ben’s editor — and not particularly a nice editor either. “Kylo gives his life force to heal Kira — ”
“Wait, Kira dies?” Poe actually sounded offended at that. Particularly offended.
"Yeah. She dies deflecting Sidious’ Force Lightning — ”
“Hold on. Flag on the play. Last person that deflected Sidious’ Force Lightning — that didn’t kill him...”
“Point taken.”
***
Ben never thought that he’d actually have to scrap the point from where Kira healed the snake and start over, but here he was. Poe had a good memory, as always.
“I really screwed the pooch,” he said. “Or the snake.”
“Hey. Don’t beat yourself up.” Poe’s hand, resting comfortably on his cheek.
“I know. I just wanted to — fuck, Poe, some of the things people were saying about The Last Jedi...I didn’t want an explosion like that again.”
“Ben.” Gentle, but firm. “Considering that some of them may or may not be allied with neo-Nazis...not all, but some...”
“Yeah. But some of them have good points. Like how Sam was treated. Or John.” Sam and John were two popular characters, Sam black, John Latino. With John, Ben had been trying to show what happened when two fundamentally good people fighting evil didn’t see eye to eye. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked, with many people seeing John as a misogynist who needed to be put in his place, other John stans getting mad at those people, and —
“Then just listen to the ones who have good points. I know people are ranting about listening to the fans. Just...what if you listened to the fans that had points?"
***
Ben had to rewrite a lot. And it took a while. But it was better, overall — Sam getting a rematch against Kylo and going with Kira to Exegol. John getting great moments as Resistance leader. Kylo getting a moment of scheming against Sidious. And in the end, Kylo getting ready to go off on his journey to stop the rest of the Final Order, Kira by his side.
“What do you think?” Ben said.
“Well, that depends,” Poe said. “Do you feel satisfied?”
“Yeah.” Ben smiled despite himself. “Yeah, I do."
Summary: Ben has problems writing an ending for The Rise of Starkiller, the penultimate novel of the Starkiller saga. Poe helps.
Prompt: Free Space — AU: Alternate Professions
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Ben says, “I’m terrified."
Even as Poe sits with him across the dining room table — and God bless his husband, Ben thinks; he knows exactly what Ben’s thinking — he raises an eyebrow. "Hard scene?”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Ben says. “I mean...I’m trying to find a good ending for Kylo.” Kylo Ren, also known as Jacen Starkiller. “Just...what do I do? I mean, there are literally people on social media baying for his blood after he killed his own father. And then there are people who want him to get with Kira.” Ben laughed, a bit strained as he did so. “Kira, of all people! I didn’t think that they’d start reading things into the hand touch scene...”
“Actually,” Poe said, “I think they started reading things into it when he carried her bridal style.”
Ben snorted. “The intent was him carrying her off like in those slasher horror movies. I was supposed to be making an homage to the original Halloween...by that logic, Michael wants to fuck Laurie.”
“Well, they’re not related anymore — ”
Ben snorted again. He could have sworn he saw a twinkle in Poe’s eyes. Damn Poe. Damn Poe and his adorable gadfly nature.
“Look,” Poe said, “Hero/villain ships are...older than paper. You’re really surprised that people started shipping Kiralo?”
“Kylo’s done absolutely nothing that shows he cares about Kira’s well-being,” Ben said.
“Really? He comforted her over the Mirror Cave.”
Ben sighed. “That could have gone either way.”
“He saved her from Supreme Leader Hethrir.”
“Yeah, well, he could have done it earlier and saved her the trouble. I mean...Poe, are you really playing Devil’s Advocate to me about Kiralo?”
“It’s fun playing devil’s advocate,” Poe said, his eyes twinkling again.
Silence.
And then Ben started laughing.
“I want Kylo to be redeemed,” he said. “Maybe...well, how’s this for an ending that pleases everyone, including Hux?” Hux was Ben’s editor — and not particularly a nice editor either. “Kylo gives his life force to heal Kira — ”
“Wait, Kira dies?” Poe actually sounded offended at that. Particularly offended.
"Yeah. She dies deflecting Sidious’ Force Lightning — ”
“Hold on. Flag on the play. Last person that deflected Sidious’ Force Lightning — that didn’t kill him...”
“Point taken.”
***
Ben never thought that he’d actually have to scrap the point from where Kira healed the snake and start over, but here he was. Poe had a good memory, as always.
“I really screwed the pooch,” he said. “Or the snake.”
“Hey. Don’t beat yourself up.” Poe’s hand, resting comfortably on his cheek.
“I know. I just wanted to — fuck, Poe, some of the things people were saying about The Last Jedi...I didn’t want an explosion like that again.”
“Ben.” Gentle, but firm. “Considering that some of them may or may not be allied with neo-Nazis...not all, but some...”
“Yeah. But some of them have good points. Like how Sam was treated. Or John.” Sam and John were two popular characters, Sam black, John Latino. With John, Ben had been trying to show what happened when two fundamentally good people fighting evil didn’t see eye to eye. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked, with many people seeing John as a misogynist who needed to be put in his place, other John stans getting mad at those people, and —
“Then just listen to the ones who have good points. I know people are ranting about listening to the fans. Just...what if you listened to the fans that had points?"
***
Ben had to rewrite a lot. And it took a while. But it was better, overall — Sam getting a rematch against Kylo and going with Kira to Exegol. John getting great moments as Resistance leader. Kylo getting a moment of scheming against Sidious. And in the end, Kylo getting ready to go off on his journey to stop the rest of the Final Order, Kira by his side.
“What do you think?” Ben said.
“Well, that depends,” Poe said. “Do you feel satisfied?”
“Yeah.” Ben smiled despite himself. “Yeah, I do."
