Padmé Amidala

"The line of life is a ragged diagonal between duty and desire." - William Alger

DesireandDuty is an independent, selective Padmé Amidala from the Star Wars universe. Based in the Prequel Trilogy with a few novels thrown in, plus a lot of my own headcanons. 21+ only. Written by Amy. Established November 2022.

ABOUT

Fast Facts

Name: Padmé Amidala Naberrie
Gender: cisfemale
Age: verse dependent, but generally 22-27
Sexuality: heterosexual
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 122 lbs
Star Sign: Cancer-Leo cusp
Birthplace: Naboo, 46 BBY (verse dependent)
Occupation: Senator of Naboo (verse dependent)
Current Residence: 500 Republica, Coruscant (verse dependent)

Bio

Justice. Compassion. Loyalty. Honesty. Wisdom. These are Padme's core strengths. She's not in politics for the glory or fame or power. She wants to protect Naboo from harm - and yes the rest of the galaxy too. She doesn't like to be wrong, so her tendency is to argue. But she will also go away and think about it some more. She is headstrong and passionate, but she can be reasoned with.Of course, her strengths can also be turned against her as weaknesses. Her compassion can be used to manipulate her. That determination can dissolve into pure stubbornness. And her sense of duty can lead her to callousness in how she handles her relationships.Padme's foundational struggle is that she is a person with deep emotions who has been taught her whole life that her duty to Naboo must come first. She learned to create personas like Queen and then Senator Amidala that were wise, calm, determined yet patient, and she began her career so young that she's never had a chance to develop into a person. She hasn't had the chance to explore or pursue personal desires or goals. They all needed to be planetary-level, for Naboo.She has a very strong connection to Naboo - the people and the planet. She grew up in a happy, wealthy family and thus had a golden childhood. However, she was forced out of it too early, becoming Queen at 14. She didn't develop mature, stable, intimate bonds with family members.During her reign as Queen, one could argue that her handmaidens were family to her, but she doesn't have them anymore so she's rather connectionless right now. She has political allies like Bail Organa, but that's different from personal connections. She maybe have dated Senator Clovis for a brief span early in her Senate career, but since then, she's been largely ignoring her need for intimate, personal connection.So when the threats on her life begin, Padme's like a lush, green river valley over a roiling river of magma. All it takes is a single fissure to crack the crust she's built to contain her desires. Once the magma starts to spill over, that just causes more cracks in other places. Seeing Anakin again is that first fissure that finally releases the pressure that's been building. He's interested in Padme the person, not Padme the Senator. She's always chosen duty over desire, but she's never desired anyone as strongly as she does Anakin.Their relationship is only the first fissure. The experience of living through the Clone Wars will force some other cracks in that dutiful facade. Seeing how the Senate's endless debates actually hurt a lot of innocents through inaction. Realizing how easily manipulated the Senate is by one crafty person named Palpatine. Even watching Anakin's inner turmoil as he struggles to live up to the rigidity of the Jedi Code. All of those things will cause her to doubt loyalties she once had. At least - that's what I hope to explore through writing her!

Rules

About the Mun - Hey there, hi there, ho there! I'm Amy. I go by she/her and I'm well over 18, which is why this blog has an age requirement. Padmé is my first time writing a Star Wars muse, although I have been a fan since I was about 7 years old. I started this blog back in 2022 and it petered out after a couple years, but.... I'M BACK!A Note for Personal Blogs - Please DO NOT reblog my roleplay threads. It weirds me out. And DO NOT reblog any of my headcanon posts or other posts. When you do this and your followers interact with my stuff, it clogs up my notifications. It's really annoying.Content & Age Requirement - As I stated, I'm well over 18, and I'm comfortable writing smut and violence, so this blog will have NSFW themes. I don't plan to use Read More, so I ask that if you aren't over 18, you don't follow or interact with me. I'm happy to tailor my writing to my partners' comfort level and use fade to black, etc. Just talk to me about it! If you want to block any NSFW content, the tag for that is {every day is sin day}Activity - I work full-time and just use this blog as a way to let off creative steam. I do try to hop online every day, and I'm good about letting writing partners know if I'll be unavailable for a while. I'd ask that you do the same courtesy for me. I do also have Discord if you want to hit me up there. Just ask for mine.Writing/Formatting Style - I default to multi-paragraph (especially for starters) but I'm comfortable with text-style threads or single paragraphs too. I also really do not like or ever use purple prose. As far as formatting goes, I don't do extensive formatting. I might use some bold, italics, indents, but it's more literary style. While I do have a library of icons and GIFs, I definitely do not have to use them if you prefer to go iconless. I care about quality of writing way more than formatting.Plotting & Shipping - Y'all this is one of my fave things about the RPC. I love trading headcanons, discussing plot ideas and just generally squealing over our muses. As far as shipping goes... I only ship Padme with Anakin/Vader as endgame, but I don't write him as her first love or first relationship. So I'm open to other pre-AOTC ships! But I also really want to write all of Padme's other relationships too, so please don't feel like you have to write Anakin to plot with me! I'm totally open to AUs within Star Wars Universe, as well as alternate universes. I have some listed in my carrd, but if you have another one... just run the idea by me!Interpretation - Mine is based on the Prequel Trilogy films, their novelizations and various prequel-era novels (Legends and canon ones.) I have watched a smattering of The Clone Wars episodes, but if I'm honest, I dislike Anakin's characterization in the show, as well as how Anidala is scripted, and feel like it's a departure from the films. I don't base my characterization off of it.Mains, Duplicates, Exclusives & Selectivity - I'm totally open to being followed by someone who writes my same muse! If you're a single muse Padmé blog like me, I won't be following back, but I'll follow multis who also write Padmé. For writing partners, I will be selective in that I need good chemistry to keep writing with you. If our muses or our writing styles just don't jive, then I will tell you. And I invite you to do the same for me. Just communicate. Don't ghost.I'm not planning to have affiliates or mains, but it is possible that, for particular AU verses, I'll develop them exclusively with one writing partner. I do adore AU ideas, so if you have one to pitch to me, I am ALL EARS.Interacting with Me - If you're interested in writing with me, please don't be shy! Send me a meme. An ask. A starter. Let's see what happens! I just ask that you DON'T send me memes or starters on anonymous. And if I've reblogged a meme you enjoy, then please DO NOT reblog it from me. That just messes up my notifications. Please reblog it from the original poster.Miscellaneous - Don't god mode. Don't be an asshole. Don't send hate. Don't be a drama queen. This is a fun hobby, so let's keep it that way.

Verses

Junior Senators
Covering Padme's first six years in the Senate pre-AOTC. Playing politics as Queen was one thing, but dealing with the entire galactic Senate is another. There are new friendships and alliances to be forged, not to mention the new persona of Senator Amidala.Truly... Deeply
As attempts are made on her life, Padme reluctantly accepts the bodyguards assigned to her by the Jedi Council. Hiding away on Naboo with a now fully grown and entirely smitten Anakin Skywalker proves to be too much temptation for the usually dutiful Senator to resist. This verse covers the Attack of the Clones time period.Aggressive Negotiations
The Clone Wars rage on... and on... While she's trying to find a diplomatic solution in the Senate, Padme also ends up on a lot of missions with Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. All while trying to keep her not-so-secret (to those who truly know them) marriage hidden and also keep it growing and happy. And then there's her growing suspicions about what exactly Chancellor Palpatine is up to...Sometimes There Are Things No One Can Fix
... except through the power of AUs! This is a fix-it verse where Padme stays on the side of the Republic/Rebellion. Where it diverges can depend. Maybe pre-ROTS if Anakin leaves the Order and they go public with their marriage. Or mid-ROTS if Anakin doesn't turn. Or at least... doesn't become a Sith. It could even be post-ROTS where Padme survives giving birth and has to go into hiding. Lots of room for plotting specifics here and lots of ways this could go down.Together, You and I Can Rule the Galaxy
Another fix-it AU verse where Padme accepts Anakin's offer on Mustafar. She doesn't die of "a broken heart," but Palpatine definitely still wants her dead. (Can't have any rival influences on Anakin/Vader.) Can they overthrow Palpatine and become Lord Vader and Empress Amidala? Do they spend years on the run instead? IDK - let's plot it and find out!The Force Works in Mysterious Ways
Final category of fix-its that I'm a sucker for are the time travel ones. Whether it's sending Padme and/or Anakin into the future or sending one of the Skywalker twins into the past. Or maybe it's Obi Wan doing the time traveling. Either way, maybe a little forewarning could be helpful in averting a total tragedy.In Every Lifetime
This one is specifically plotted with @magikborn, set in Arthurian England, with a reincarnation in modern America.A Galaxy Not So Far Away
Modern verse that I'm still fleshing out, but the gist is: Padme grew up in upstate New York where her dad taught economics at University of Rochester and her mom wrote for the local paper. They were a community-minded family, which made a strong impression on her as a girl and carries through in her beliefs and aspirations today. When she was 14, her dad was offered a prestigious position at Columbia University, so they moved to New York City. 11 years later, she graduated from Columbia Law School and began work in corporate anti-trust law. At age 31, she got frustrated working within a system of crappy laws and decided to run for office so she could craft the bills herself.