Characters You Can Take the Farmboy Off The Farm... (Luke Skywalker Characterization)

LOL, that may be the reason I shy away from Jedi!Lukie, too.

 

Just felt like throwing in my two cents here.

When I'm writing, I've always tried to look as an ordinary man thrown into extraordinary situations. He takes every bad situation he's thrown into and makes the best out of it. How else do you explain a farmer turned war hero turned Jedi Master?

His greatest strength and biggest flaw is that he wants to find a way to help everybody and takes on the expectations of others over worrying about himself. Sometimes, he lets himself get so caught up in being the Jedi Master who saves the galaxy that he forgets to remember his roots. Jedi Luke has his place, but he needs to be tempered by the Luke Skywalker, the simple man from Tatooine.

Like I said, that's just my two cents so feel free to disagree with me. But I like to think I have a point.

 

Hmm...Can I issue a challenge?

 

Throw it out there and see if it bounces. I was thinking of coming up with one anyway.


You're right, BMT. What you're saying corresponds with what I was trying to say. Thanks for the input!

 

Okay.

Write Luke in a normal, everyday scene and write him...normally. No Force powers or galactic crisis.

It could be him with Ben, doing the laundry or something along those lines.

 

I've already done that--in Burden of Choice, Leia teaches him to do the GFFA polka basically and he totally messes it up, but they have the best time.

 

Just found this, and since I'm bored and have been using challenges lately just to get me back into a little bit of writing. (sith my creativity feels like it's been shot for the past 4 years. . . either that or I get the ideas just can't flesh them out satisfatorily)

:: no beta just typed into the thread text box ::

Beep do dbo bweep

The pile of blankets shifted. "Ehhhhh . . . just a little longer aunt berwu. . . I donnwanna go to school today . . .snnonk " a hand snaked it's way out from under the covers groping for the alarm clock and mostly finding open air. Finally it came to land on a smooth round surface. A cold smooth domed surface.

whiiiirrrrrrr beep boop

The mountain of covers shifted again, a tosel of dark blond hair stuck itself out the top and was followed by a bleary eyed face. "Wha'ime is it?"

Bloop blo beep

"grahhhhhhh" The head disapeared as blankets reclaimed their prize.

Blooooooooo op?

At this point the blankets decided to give up their fight allowing the head, arms and green sleep tunic to emerge from their tangeled folds.

"No I don't want you to go get Threepio, I can wake up perfectly well on my own."

ptbhhhhtttttthhhh

Shifting towards the side and swinging his legs down Luke started on his way towards the refresher only to stop after only a step. Bending down he detangled the sheets and comforter from around his leg. Stumbling to the 'Fresher and rubbing his chin he looked into the mirror.

Many would recognize the face that stared blankly back at him. Though they would mark the unruley hair and stuble as the main differences Luke knew that much had changed. The years had converted him from a youth that barely knew more than the moisture farm he grew up on to a man who had seen more hurt and pain than many of his peers.

Sighing he opened the door to the cabnient and pulled out the toothgel and rotary. For a moment he looked down at the brand name on the rotary, remembering the holo-mercials for it. They advertized getting into all thoes hard to reach places and showed an animated figure whose head split in half to allow this with other brushes. "Heh" he smiled at his reflection as he saluted himself in the mirror with the rotary "flip top head." The smile slowly sank as he wondered how many diferent species could actually do that. After a moment he shrugged and went on with cleaning his teath. He might have to leave the apartment today and it wouldn't be good if he had rancor breath while interacting with those he'd meet.

Once he was finished with that, he took the comb and did his best to straighten out his yellowish brown locks. He ran his hand back through it "Maybe I should get a trim.. . " he shook it out letting it fall into place "or not." Setting the comb down he turned the faucet on, no longer marveling at running water. He reached over to grab his shaving cream, applying it liberally to his chin.

When he had finished with his morning tolitries he made his way back through his room and over piles of discarded clothes, datapads and the ocasional meal tray towards his closet.

"Hmmmmm Black, Black, Brown, Black, Tan, Black, Khaki, Black, Black. I gotta do some laundry." Digging a little further he found a pair of Khaki slacks and a blue tunic with a darker blue vest. "Eh this'll work"

And believe it or not, Luke Skywalker really does put his pants on one leg at a time.

 

Cute.

 

Okay my turn....


Ben Skywalker gazed critcally at his father as he added the bundle of clothes into the washer.

"Aunt Leia said you were supposed to *seperate* the different colours" Ben said, slightly nervously. To be honest anything concerning his father and domestic tasks worried him. Mom hadn't banned him from the kitchen for no reason.

Luke beamed a smile at his son, for once he looked like the excitable farm boy from long ago. That look either excited Ben or caused him to run for cover. He enjoyed these moments with his son when the galaxy was at peace, Mara was in a good mood, and he had time with his son. He brushed his son's worries aside. He was a grown man and he knew how to look after himself.

"Aunt Leia says alot of things. She's just being picky...this is a quicker, more efficient way" Luke assured his son.

Ben's expression turned to horror as his father added his favourite tunic to the mix. The mesh of colours and materials were both brillaint and slightly head twisting. Ben knew little about washing clothes but he was pretty sure that delicate material like his mother's sheer shimmer silk shawl and his father's heavy black pants were not supposed to mix together.

"Dad, wait...." it was too late, Luke shut the top and set the timer. Ben hoped that he would have at least one peice of clothing that would be acceptable for him to wear.

Ben knew he had much to learn; about life, the force and the galaxy but one thing stood clear in his mind. He didn't want to see what came out of that washer.

"Dad...I...uh I'm gonna go and find Mom...I've got homework"

Luke pressed a gentle hand on his son's arm. "Son, you are worried over nothing. You have to be a man and stand up for yourself"

steeling himself Ben nodded but his expression faltered as the washer ended and Luke dragged a large multicoloured lump from the washer. The Jedi looked at the remains of the clothes and then his son.

"I won't tell if you won't."


NB I hope this wasn't too Ben scentric

 

Oh, those were good!

I'll write something up soon.

 

Men and laundry. . . only my dad can do it. . even then.. I've had to hand sweaters down after one wash to children I babysat. . .

he's good about sorting, just not about reading tags. . .

Luke's just not used to having more than two colors to wash anyway . . .

 

Ok, this vignette doesn't exactly comply with the challenge because I couldn't help soaking it with a good dose of psychology and angst but I think it's the most decent stuff I've written in...*thinks* whoa nelly, SIX months! So here it is.

I think you'll be able to tell I've been watching way too much Food Network when you're done with this.





The multitude of scents surrounded and embraced Luke even before he reached the entrance to the produce bazaar in the town square; their freshness was invigorating. It aroused memories of his boyhood, the times when he would beg to accompany his aunt to the small marketplace in Anchorhead. Both his guardians had initially been bemused by his inexplicable fascination with grocery shopping, but he?d had his reasons. For one, it was the only time he could appreciate the best qualities of all those fruits and vegetables before they were boiled and pureed into oblivion. The harsh Tatooine climate necessitated maximum moisture content for anything consumable. Thus the marketplace was his opportunity to charm the familiar vendors into giving him crisp snippets of their harvest by flashing his baby blues and the infamous, irresistible Pouty Lip.

Until he hit puberty.

Growing up had distanced Luke slightly from the appeal of joining Aunt Beru in the kitchen, as was expected of any boy. But just as he had never outgrown kissing her on the cheek every morning after breakfast before heading out to the daily grind, he?d never fully lost his desire to help her cook every now and then. As a child he?d always taken that time as his second chance to go mooching raw bits off of her cutting board. He would do it when she wasn?t looking, but she?d catch him often and just smile and ruffle his hair, and they would both laugh as she called him her little lapichen.

Luke glanced at the flimsy on which he?d jotted down a list of things to look for at the bazaar. No matter how hard he tried, he always ended up getting much more than he needed. And then Leia would chastise him for having too much food in his conservator, for some of it was bound to go bad before he?d ever eat it. Which meant having the perfect excuse to come over and make dinner with her family. Luke smiled. He had it worked out to a science, and he wouldn?t have it any other way.

Bachelorhood was a nice enough experience--Artoo was the only one there to nag him for the occasional heap of clothes on the floor or unwashed dishes, and he could put up with it. He had peace and solitude for meditation and studies when he wasn?t on call for the government or entangled in a more personal crisis. And he did have a fair amount of friends to keep him company when there was time. But there was no denying the fact that deep within, he was lonely. Unfulfilled. He often hated himself for being even remotely ungrateful for his current life, considering it was a miracle he was even alive, but there was something listless about the way he went through the motions of life. The preciousness of the ordinary inbetween the flares of conflict still lacked something essential.

Bending slightly, Luke examined a stack of fragrant indigo bulbs. Savoring their pungent aroma, he picked up what he judged to be a good specimen and gave it a firm squeeze. Yes, this one was perfect. He?d take two more.

He remembered the first time he?d tried to make Harvest Day spiced darba cakes away from the farm, after he?d joined the Rebellion. It had only been a couple of months since Owen and Beru?s deaths. There was no way he could acquire all the right ingredients, and he didn?t even have most of the basic supplies a kitchen would need, but he was determined to make the best of it. Leia had helped him scrounge up whatever fresh foods there were that he could substitute. Ironically, the scarcity was rather fitting. Harvest Day was the only time in the whole year that Aunt Beru would make spiced darba cakes, because most of their ingredients were so precious to the average Tatooine family that they were on

 

That was great

kinda like making freindship bread or christmas cookies


Very sweet Pariah

 

This will be added to my Luke/Mara viggies, but it is appropriate for this thread.




Everyone Does It


Luke Skywalker had faced many difficult tasks in his life. He had battled his father and almost lost his life for having faith in him. He had looked into the abyss of the Dark Side and emerged from it; perhaps he was not unscathed but he was wiser than he had been before.

But the thought of this ? well it was enough to make his eyes water and his hands shake in surrender.

Mara stood in the doorway, being of no help at all. He shot her a puzzled glance because she was usually the first one to throw herself into the fray. But she had taken a decidedly ?hands off? attitude toward this situation and didn?t seem inclined to change her mind.

Very well then, he would do this by himself.

He was a Jedi Master, liberator of a thousand worlds, the man who had defeated the last of the Sith.

Surely he could handle this.

He straightened his shoulders, mentally preparing himself for what he had to do next. I can do this, he repeated mentally. There is no try, he reminded himself.

So Luke Skywalker, the son of Darth Vader, took a deep breath and prepared to face the unknown.

Ben merely stared up at him with a toothless smile and wriggled enthusiastically on the mat. He lifted his tiny feet and popped them into his mouth with a satisfied grunt. He gnawed on them for a few moments with a soft humming noise of gratification.

His son looked so content that Luke wondered for a moment if he ought to give chewing on his own toes a try. Then he grimaced, realizing that his own feet were definitely less appetizing than Ben?s.

A look over his shoulder confirmed the challenge in Mara?s eyes. ?What are you waiting for, Skywalker??

?I don?t think he?s done,? Luke replied solemnly.

?Really?? One red eyebrow arched. ?I think he was done long ago and you?re just scared.?

?I?m not scared,? he argued. ?I?m cautious.?

"That would be a first," she smirked and gave an elegant shrug of her shoulders. ?But I would think a farmboy would be a little less squeamish about a baby?s poopy diaper.?

Luke leaned down and gave an experimental sniff. He pulled away quickly with a cough. ?What do you feed this kid??

?The usual stuff,? she replied. ?Aren?t you glad we started him on solids??

He looked at her mournfully. ?And I have to do this because??

?You have to do this because we?ve been away from our son for months now and we need to do all the things that parents do for their children so he knows who we are. And changing dirty diapers is one of them.?

He considered her answer for a long while. ?So all parents do this??

?Every single one of them, unless of course they?re rich and can hire a nanny to do the dirty work for them,? she replied.

A hopeful look crossed Luke?s face but she was already shaking her head before he could say a word.

?Not happening, farmboy.?

His shoulders slumped in defeat and Ben continued to coo happily while trying to stuff his entire foot into his small mouth. He began to wail when his efforts failed.

?You better get going there, Skywalker, or he?s going to get even more upset,? Mara said. ?And if he starts wiggling too much it?ll end up all over the place.?

Luke grimaced and pulled back one side of the diaper. Ben stopped crying and grinned, seeming to understand that the real fun would start now. He tried to twist over on to his stomach and then protested when his father held him gently but firmly in place.

Big blue eyes stared up at Luke as if asking how he could betray his own son. Ben?s bottom lip quivered and tears began welling up in his eyes once more. Feeling guilty, Luke moved his hand and Ben promptly flipped over on his stomach, opening the other side of his diaper and spreading the mess as he went.

Several profane words slipped past Luke?s lips, making him blush as he considered the meaning of those Huttese words. Huttese was a strangely gratifying language to curse in, but he always felt embarrasse

 

*bounces between rolling with and shuddering in *

Dude, Luke has every reason to be terrified. There is no greater evil in the universe than...Poopies!

*runs away screaming to find a breath mask*

maramijade: Thanks! I think I'm gonna go post this in Beyond, as soon as I think of a title...


EDIT: Here it is. Made With Love

 

Randomly typing this into post window, so excuse any mistakes unbecoming of an English major.


This can take place in any universe where a) Anakin/Vader survives ROTJ and b) Luke and Mara fall in love.

...

"It's not really that bad, Skywalker." Mara fixed him with a glare.

He glared right back. "'Do some training without the Force,' you said. 'It'll only be an hour,' you said. And now I'm stuck in this stupid collar and..."

"How was I supposed to know that your father had put that Force-suppression collar in a heavily locked safe in the heavily locked vault behind the mural on his favorite wall in his personal Force-sealed quarters because he left the key on Coruscant and there's no way to get it off without the key...?"

"Perhaps the fact that it took you three hours to slice and force your way through all that stuff would have been a clue..."

"Took me longer to find his diary..."

"You found his diary?"

"When he was still a Sith. He caught me before I could read it."

Luke dropped his head into his hands. "How long did he say it would be before he got back with the key?"

"Two weeks."

"And Tionne and Kam's wedding?"

"Three days. And we'll never hear the end of it if the great Jedi Master Skywalker and his wife don't dance."

"Even after what happened the last time? You were on crutches for weeks afterwards."

"Then we'll just have to practice." She turned to the astromech watching from the corner. "Artoo, Tsalin's variation on the Aldera Tango."

All seemed to go well for a time. Mara managed to compensate somehow for all of Luke's missed steps.

It was near the end of the song when they ended up dancing around on the balcony attached to their quarters. As the last notes swelled, he dipped her, carefully, slightly over the edge of the waist-high guardrail.

There was a loud bang behind them. Mara slipped from his hands in his surprise.

There was a loud splash as Mara landed in the reflecting pool of the temple courtyard several floors down.

"Luke," Leia called from the front door, "Father wanted me to tell you he found the key under the pilot's bunk on his ship. He'll be back in a day or two."

Far below came a cry not even slightly dimmed by distance...

"SKYWALKER! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

 

LOL that's Great!!! leave it to Luke to dance out and dip his wife over the gaurd rail. . .


I'm surprised Luke didn't get greated with the same welcome I had the first time I changed a little boy's diaper.. . I swear he planed it. . .

 

Of course he planned it, they all do. I'm lucky, even after three sons and ten nephews they've never gotten me. But I'm betting when I have a grandson he'll christen me but good!

 

"This is going to get complicated," the accountant said grimly. "Technically, as a voting and employed member of the New Republic..."

"Just tell me what deductions I can make," Luke said patiently. "I'll pay my taxes, just like everyone else. I just need some additional information."

"Yearly income?"

"Personal income, zero credits," he responded.

The accountant had to retrieve a new datacard, since he'd sprayed his caf all over the old one.

"But your expenditures," he spluttered.

"Personal income," Luke repeated. "I accept no payment for the instruction of Jedi. The Academy is a government-funded, non-profit organization using buildings that were built before the establishment of the New Republic."

"You accept no payment," the accountant reiterated. "Therefore, your entire occupation can be claimed as a charitable deduction. Dependents?"

"My wife and son," he stated.

"That's more like it," the accountant sighed, making a notation.

"Forty-two children, nineteen girls and twenty-three boys."

The accountant had abandoned the idea of drinking caf during this process. He had the feeling it was going to be a very messy affair.

Luke shrugged. "It's true."

The accountant held up a hand for silence as he took a long draw on his caf, then shuddered.

"Let's start at the beginning..."

 

Yes, I know that was silly, but Jedi pay taxes, too...I think.

 

hahah!!!

That's great Ishtar!!!!

the poor accountant, you'd think it wouldn't seem so surprizing to him, I mean it's Luke Skywalker. . . pretty much everybody knows what he does. . .

lol with that much charitable donations and that many dependants he's either going to get a very large refund check, or an audit by what ever is the equivelant of the IRS. . .

 

These are all really good, guys! Actually, Ish, I hadn't even thought about Luke having to pay taxes, that was a good one! And Mar, lovely as always.

Next topic question:

Farmboy Luke

What do you think his childhood was like? I've seen a lot of fanfics that portray this in a lot of different ways--some that described Owen as an abusive guardian, and others that just described him as someone who was worried about Luke's safety. There are a lot of gray areas in between those two extremes, too. What are your ideas?

 

I always see Luke's childhood to be physically demanding since he works on a farm. I doubt highly Owen abused Luke, I just think Luek strained against Owen's protectiveness and rules as Anakin did with Obi Wan. Owen wants him to be a farmer but Luke clearly isn't. To me that's the greatest grievnace between Owen and Luke. Beru, to me is the kind and gentle middle man, she keeps the peace. She understands that one day Luke will leave or Obi Wan will find him and while she may not like it, she accepts it. I think Owen is too stuck in his ways and so Luke rebels against that.

I think Luke's childhood was boring, the same old same old, sometimes if you live in a small town where nothing changes you just want to leave it.

 

Owen definitely could not have been an abusive guardian, because aside from being resentful and bored for being stuck on the farm and not allowed into the Academy, Luke is obviously a very emotionally healthy young man. He's loving, caring, and optimistic. An abuse victim would have serious issues, even if they got therapy. I know that from personal experience.

It isn't really evident in the film, but in the novelization of AOTC it's obvious Owen is a very good, family-oriented man. I think his later bitterness all gets started with Anakin--for leaving his mother behind for the Jedi, for being reckless, for bringing general chaos upon their household, and for ultimately failing his own child, which gets dumped on him and Beru. I'm not sure if Obi-Wan would have told them about Anakin turning into Vader or that Anakin only died. But all of this causes Owen to resent the Jedi, and surely hold some degree of resentment for Luke by extension of his association with them and Anakin. However, it's not enough for him to hate Luke. He does care for his safety and well-being. The love is there, just hidden under a hardened shell made by their harsh life and tragedy.

Overall, Luke probably had a happy, if unexciting and tedious, childhood with his guardians, but he obviously had problems fitting in with his peers at town. Being the runt orphan set him up for automatic dork status. And I think that would have troubled him a lot more than having a grumpy uncle and chores.

But considering the rest of his life, his time on Tatooine was just peaches.