Before - Legends Qui-Gon Jinn Challenge Thread - Note on first post

Wow, ardavenport, that was wonderful! Very poignant and sad, and just so *sniff* beautiful!

I loved reading this from Obi's point of view, how he kept his mind focused on all the mundane tasks to avoid thinking about what had happened, and how it allowed us to see his reaction contrasted with those of the Masters, who have more experience dealing with loss. But of course it was still so hard for all of them.

Obi-Wan?s shoulders sagged, tears running down his cheeks. It was all supposed to pass through him, but it didn?t. The terrible possibilities filled him up with their imaginings. A hand gently stroked his hair. He looked down at Qui-Gon?s large hands, covering his own.

?It does pass, young one,? Narymoyak?s low voice said, close to his ear. ?But you will be changed from it.? Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon lifted his bandaged hand to him, touching his cheek and this new grief. His master felt the same sadness, but it was old and worn with years; it had passed through him many times.

Obi-Wan stood closely between Qui-Gon and Narimoyak. The impenetrable night surrounded the enormous beacon that they had made of Deena Sh?Shemi?s body. Blasts of heat came off of it, but Obi-Wan didn?t feel them nearly so deeply as he did the warmth of two Jedi Masters with him.

Thanks for sharing this wonderfully written viggie, ardavenport!

 

Oh, wonderful. So many emotions in one piece. I loved this...

?Obi-Wan.? His master spoke and he turned. Qui-Gon?s eyes, dark and shadowed under his hood looked intent on him. ?I am sorry. I was not aware that you found this so difficult. I should have seen before now.? Qui-Gon?s hands closed over his. They were warm with the Force, powerful, strong with memory and regret.

Just lovely ardavenport .

 

LuvEwan: That was really magnificent. Wow. Thanks. High praise indeed from one who writes such lovely.

There was some back and forth discussion between Qui-Gon and Narimoyak about the best way to lay out the pyre. And Obi-Wan realized that they?d both done this before.

That line struck me the most, because Obi-Wan is so shocked and almost overwhelmed by this tragedy, and yet, the two others are able to talk about such things with the knowledge of experience.

That was Obi-Wan's revelation. He likely could have guessed that they'd know how to lay out a funeral pyre, but it's still shocking to actually see it in action. That's the effect I was going for with Obi-Wan. Then he was just keeping his mind busy with helping and then fixing Qui-Gon's hand because he hadn't figured out how to process it until the masters finally realized. Glad you enjoyed it.


VaderLVR64: Absolutely stunning ardavenport! Incredibly well done, and it was perfect to have it from Obi-Wan's POV.

Thanks for the review! Yes, it seemed to go that way naturally, putting it in Obi-Wan's POV. I'd actually written some fragments from Qui-Gon's POV, but Obi-Wan's voice kept crowding them out. Both characters had similar feelings, but the newness of the situation for Obi-Wan overwhelmed Qui-Gon's part, so I took it out.


Bastet: Wow, ardavenport, that was wonderful! Very poignant and sad, and just so *sniff* beautiful!

Oh, I love making people cry. It was sad to write. But so nice to have finished. Thanks!


Kestrel_Kenobi: Oh, wonderful. So many emotions in one piece. I loved this...

Thanks! Yes, I maxed out the sad emotions for the Jedi on this one. If I use Master Narimoyak again I'll try for something a little lighter.

 

I wasn't really sure what to do with this; it didn't really fit anywhere with anything else I'm writing, but it seems the right size for the flash fiction challenge.

Title: Mediation Exercise
Author: ardavenport (aka Anne Davenport)
Timeframe: pre-Episode I, JA
Genre: flash fiction challenge, drama
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Keywords: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, JA
Summary: They meditate together



?You are distracted, my Padawan,? Qui-Gon said without opening his eyes.

?Yes, Master.? Obi-Wan breathed deeply, but otherwise didn?t move. He sat up straight, cross-legged on the cushioned mediation pedestal. What was the lesson in this?, he wondered. Or is Qui-Gon just showing off? Obi-Wan hadn?t been Qui-Gon?s apprentice for very long, and that had already been fairly tumultuous. He was finally feeling comfortable with his renewed bond with his Master. But now he felt less...secure.. He knew this sort of demonstration happened, sometimes. He just hadn?t been expecting it.

He looked about the windowless, circular meditation chamber. It was one of several near their rooms in the Jedi Temple. Covered lighting units in the ceiling and on the walls illuminated the room with a soft, shadowless half-light, perfect for contemplation. A curling pattern decorated the floor in browns, tans and blues.

?Obi-Wan.? Qui-Gon, also cross-legged on a blue cushion on his own pedestal, spoke quietly, not critical or demanding, but still firm. ?Focus.?

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He cleared his thoughts, quieting the random clutter of living. Through this stillness, he perceived the Force, a glowing, luminous energy in the room and outside.

And mostly in that energy, he perceived Qui-Gon.

Without warning and with the swift confidence of a Jedi Master, Qui-Gon had changed to an active meditation, breaking Obi-Wan?s initial concentration. But Obi-Wan?s reaction hadn?t affected him at all. He?d remained seated on his own pedestal that stayed firmly on the floor, while the other three pedestals in the room hovered high up near the ceiling, including Obi-Wan?s.

Obi-Wan felt insecurity in himself as he sensed his Master?s ease with the Force...and a tiny bit of expectation and...hope. Insight brightened in Obi-Wan?s mind, telling him his part in this new exercise.

Very slowly, and with a scraping noise on the floor, Qui-Gon?s pedestal rose. It lurched just a hand?s breadth up and stopped. It was only a modest effort. The pedestal drifted sideways a little and then back, but Obi-Wan?s doubts faded, his Master?s gentle guidance flowing to him through their bond.

Qui-Gon remained still, peaceful and now content.


? End ?

 

New Challenge - Hair....

Write about Qui-Gon's long hair. Why does he have it? Why not dye it or clip it or get it all matted? Why not ringlets or hair extensions or bald? Challenge starts Feb. 13. Go wild!

 

Sorry I haven't been able to keep up. I've just been so busy with the award excerpts. But now my role is complete so I finally have time to catch up.

ardavenport - Sudden death
That was so sad - that they didn't get there in time to save the Padawan and then to have to build her pyre... I think the worst part was that they knew how to do it, that they had experience in that. Enough experience that it went smoothly. Says volumes about the danger that they are in every day. Great job with this.

ardavenport - Mediation Exercise
That was sweet, that Obi-Wan couldn't focus and Qui-Gon guiding him through the exercise. I liked the way Obi-Wan found out how to raise the pedistal by focusing on Qui-Gon's hope and expectations. Good job.

 

Oh, another wonderful challenge. But coming up with a board friendly one with be difficult! I love that hair!

 

Consider it a challenge, MamaVader. And there's always the ever-wonderful PM version.

 

Caught!


Krayt draigon? No, couldn't be.

Argh, he groaned within the confines of his mind. The things one went through, all for the sake of preserving one's whims and fancies.

No, that tug at his hair was not a krayt draigon. For one thing, draigons did not pull at your hair, nor did they tug so insistently. If they did pull, they had a disconcerting tendency to pull at your head, neck, and other such detachable portions of your body. And leave behind a bloody mess.

Trees. That had to be it. Tree branches were tugging at his hair - he coud not really bear going back to the Council and accepting their decree that shorter hair really did work wonders on tree-filled missions, that longer hair was a quite unnecessary vanity on the part of a Jedi Master - that...

Or maybe it was the wind. That was it. He was in a desert, the sand raising itself in little whirls around his boots, dancing their mad dance, and it was tugging at his hair, which he had forgotten to clip -

Now, that would have been a most satisfactory explanation - if he had been on a mission, and if he had truly felt little whirls of dust about his boots. Instead of which...

...he was in his bed. He was in his room, if he wished to be very precise, and which his confused and bleary senses seemed to indicate. His sheets were tangled around his waist, his thin sleep robes were considerably mussed, and one of his hands was doubled up under him, his elbow digging into his stomach. And yet there was that odd, distended feeling of his hair still being yanked backwards.

He turned his head with some difficulty, feeling something warm against his back.

"Obi-Wan?"

Something - someone grunted.

"Little one, it would help if you would let go of my hair," he said, gentling his voice.

The three year old mumbled something incomprehensible, and then uncurled his small fingers from his master's tangled hair - all in his sleep, eyes still closed. Qui-Gon freed his tresses carefully, sat up, and then placed a hand on the boy's forehead.

"Ah. Your fever's broken," he winced as he stretched his arms. "Now, perhaps you'll be content to sleep in your own bed?"

I would really like to be free of dreams of the Jedi Council instucting me on how to care for my hair, padawan.

"And if it is hair that you really want," he said quietly, "then you needn't go all the way of reaching up to mine."

He carefully guided his padawan's braid into the child's hands, watched with a smile as the fingers closed tightly around it, wondering how he could break this reprehensible habit once and for all.

I can't have him wanting to clutch his hair all the time, he mused, much later, idly curling his fingers around his own locks as he sipped his morning brew.

**********

What can I say? Felt like some mush.

 

Awww, very cute little Obi-Wan just loves that hair. He's going to grab Qui-Gon's hair every time he picks him up. Yes, very nicely mushy.

 

Mushy--but utterly and entirely adorable.

 

Wonderful. Love that he was thinking he was on a mission and instead it was a little boy tugging at his hair. Of course, kids do that all the time when they're little - hair is the perfect handle for any occasion.

Gotta love mush.

 

Hair Challenge
Write about Qui-Gon's long hair. Why does he have it? Why not dye it or clip it or get it all matted? Why not ringlets or hair extensions or bald? Go wild!

Title: Caught!
Author: Princess_Arulmozhi
Timeframe: pre-JA
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Genre: pure mush
Keywords: hair
Summary: Qui-Gon's hair is caught in the fists of a dreaming child

Title: Snap
Author: ardavenport (aka Anne Davenport)
Timeframe: pre-Episode I, JA
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Genre: hair challenge
Keywords: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, JA
Summary: It?s amazing what a little static will do.

Title: Escape
Author: Princess_Arulmozhi
Timeframe: JA
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Genre: angst
Keywords: hair, torture
Summary: Obi-Wan learns that his Master is a man like any other, he can be hurt and humiliated but he is strong enough to survive.

Title: Unwrapped
Author: VaderLVR64
Timeframe: pre-JA
Characters: Qui-Gon, OC
Genre: humor, romance
Keywords: hair
Summary: Odd, naughty little plot bunny
Note: Yes, I was feeling naughty.

Title: Interlude
Author: Princess_Arulmozhi
Timeframe: pre-JA
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Master Dooku, King of Raingart (OC)
Genre: mush
Keywords: warrior, hair
Summary: Qui-Gon goes back to see his family. The King, his father, only asks for one thing, that Qui-Gon not have to cut his hair.

Title: Untitled
Author: LuvEwan
Timeframe: pre-TPM
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Genre: drama, angst
Keywords: hair, prison
Summary: Obi-Wan is suffering but he manages to let Qui-Gon know just how much he cares.

Title: Aftermath
Author: dianethx
Timeframe: pre-JA
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Xanatos duCrion
Genre: angst, drama
Keywords: knife, hair
Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn was dealing with the aftermath of Xanatos's betrayal and turn to the Dark as best he could. For the hair challenge
Note: I'm experimenting again, this time with sentence fragments and disjointed plot flow. This follows immediately after my story, Broken Circle.

Title: Less than Brown
Author: Kestrel_Kenobi
Timeframe: pre-TPM
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Genre: Humor
Keywords: Hair, grey
Summary: Written for the Qui-Gon long hair challenge. Inspired by a conversation between myself and my brother!

Title: Kindred Spirits
Author: Magenta_Moonshadow
Timeframe: pre-TPM
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Mari?yanna (OC)
Genre: Mush!
Keywords: hair, braid, Living Force
Summary: Qui-Gon explains the Living Force to a little girl.
Note: I'd like to thank my endlessly-patient Master Nienna_Narmolanya for all her encouragement, inspiration and help!

Title: [link=ht

 

That was great, P_A! Just what I needed to start my morning!

 

Awww. That was about the sweetest thing ever.

 

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that was truly adorable, Princess! Just what I needed

 

Awww, very sweet, P_A.

 

ardavenport - ah, I really enjoyed your meditation piece. A lovely little look into life with Qui and Obi.

Princess_Arulmozhi - Your piece really touched me. Perhaps because I have a gorgeous three year old boy who shares my bed!

"And if it is hair that you really want," he said quietly, "then you needn't go all the way of reaching up to mine."

He carefully guided his padawan's braid into the child's hands, watched with a smile as the fingers closed tightly around it, wondering how he could break this reprehensible habit once and for all.

I can't have him wanting to clutch his hair all the time, he mused, much later, idly curling his fingers around his own locks as he sipped his morning brew.

Loved this part - loved it all. Wonderful...

 

Title: SNAP!
Author: ardavenport (aka Anne Davenport)
Timeframe: pre-Episode I, JA
Genre: hair challenge
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Keywords: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, JA
Summary: It?s amazing what a little static will do.



* Snap! * * Snap! *

Their boots echoed on the tiled floor of the entryway. The many colors of the planetary aurora shifted from pink to yellow to green to eerie blue in the clouded, darkened sky outside the many-paned enclosure that reached high above them. They walked up another short flight of stairs. Pale ground lights lined the walkway on both sides..

* Snap! * * Sn-snap! * * Sn-snap! *

They ascended the last few steps to the entryway of the restaurant. A few other patrons passed them on their way in. Warmer, yellower lights shone over the open portal. Qui-Gon Jinn tried to ground himself by touching his elbow to one of the metal columns next to it, but the contact didn?t seem to help much. He sighed.

?There must be a static charge.?

?I have noticed, Padawan,? he said back to his apprentice.

Obi-Wan pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh. His own Padawan?s braid stuck out away from his body, and he could feel the hair tail at the back of his head standing straight out (as well as the stings of static on his skin), but otherwise his short, brown hair stood up on it?s own anyway, so he doubted he looked much different than he normally did. But his Master had a problem.

Qui-Gon Jinn?s long hair stood out, away from his head in a ridiculous fan of all his long strands of hair suddenly wanting to separate themselves. The ends of the hair tied back away from his face stood straight out behind in one long, horizontal tail. The confined hair had poofed out on top and to the side, making his head look too big.

He put the hood of his robe over it. Their clothes had been made to resist many hazards, heat, cold, wet, poisons and static. But the ambient static in the air defeated even that protection. His hair just alternately clung to and stuck out from his face under the hood.

* Snap! *

In sympathy, Obi-Wan put the hood of his robe up, too.

They walked into the restaurant, up to the maitre d?s desk.

* Snap-snap-snap! *

The Techno-Union host looked them up and down from his three, round, red electronic eyes. They asked for Moski Lutinosku and were informed that he was not a patron; he was an employee in the kitchen and that if they wished to see him they should get a table. The maitre d?s tone strongly implied that they would be expected to buy something. Qui-Gon asked for Coruscant-style menus.

After they were seated at a small table near the shadows of the back of a side dining room they asked the droid-waiter for two waters, again Coruscant-style. At an Outpost eating establishment that mostly catered to off-world travelers it was always important to specify the flavor-style of water, otherwise they usually brought distilled, which tasted awful.

Qui-Gon kept pushing stray hairs away from his face. He again tried grounding his elbow on the chrome frame around their booth, but it didn?t help much. The static didn?t seem to be as bad inside than it had been outside, but it was no less irritating.

* Snap! * * Snap! *

He audibly sighed and removed his hood. Qui-Gon untied the lock at the back of his head and the suddenly freed hair momentarily shot upward and out, some of it sticking out forward over his face.

?You could cut it short,? Obi-Wan finally suggested.

?Really?? he looked back critically. ?And how much hair would you like in your soup, my young Padawan?? he asked as he gathered and tied it all up into one large tail behind him. Obi-Wan did laugh this time; to his relief, his Master seemed to accept the humor of his situation and managed a small chuckle.

?It would be simpler, if it were shorter,? Obi-Wan continued.

?It would be simpler,? Qui-Gon agreed. ?But not as aesthetic.? He had missed a few long, wisps of hair drifting ar

 

Oh, poor, poor Qui-Gon <falls off laughing again> What with his hair snapping all over the place, and Obi-Wan grinning and techies not liking 'things'...har har. Great vig!

And thank you for the comments.

 

That was really cute. Poor Qui-Gon with his hair everywhere. I can just imagine it - having experienced long hair and staticy weather. LOL.

Good job.

 

ardavenport, SakuraTsukikage, dianethx,VaderLVR64, LuvEwan, Layren, -Darksaber-, Kestrel_Kenobi - Thanks so much. I'm glad you found the viggie nice and mushy. . K_K - you have a darling 3 year old!

One more viggie.

*********************

Escape

Define torture.

Anything that causes pain. Extreme pain. Pain so great that it numbs your senses - and that is just the body's way of trying to escape. And the numbness seems to grow and grow and grow, until it seems you are finally free from it. And then your mind suddenly remembers that you are being tortured - your eyes are forced to see. And then the numbness disappears. Cruel. Cruel. Cruel.

And you are forced to watch pain once more, trying not to scream, because your screams give pleasure. Because you can see the pleasure in the eyes of your torturer.

Especially when they are torturing not you - but another. Another, who is at once nothing, and everything to you.

They are torturing Qui-Gon Jinn.

I am speaking to myself, trying to form one word after another to keep myself from going mad. To stop myself from screaming, screaming, screaming - there is no pain greater than the pain of seeing him tortured. I cannot help but see it, they have tied my hands behind me, my head is upturned, a Force-collar inhibits my strength, my eyelids have been forced to stay open.

I will not scream. I am a Jedi. Jedi padawan. Will not scream even if my Master is being tortured Force help me I cannot do this I have to give in I will have to give in I will have I will have to -

They have pulled his face back now. He snaps back, as though whipped. I try to breathe, hoping that they will now release him. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Bargain. Bargain to put yourself in Qui-Gon's place. Bargain to absolve yourself of your mistake, the greatest mistake you have made on this mission. You let them see your pleasure when they led to be tortured first, Kenobi. You let them see your satisfaction that you will be tortured, not Qui-Gon. They saw it. They are uncivilised, but they have that rudimentary intelligence. And now your Master...

There is blood on Qui-Gon's scalp.

They are sawing away at his tresses now. His long, chestnut tresses. Breathe. I would not call him proud of them, those long, silky locks, but he spends an inordinate amount of time caring for them. Sometimes he clips them back with a sturdy hair-fastener. Sometimes he braids them and then his hair reaches down to his shoulder in a thick braid. And sometimes he leaves it just as it is. Irritating in battle - it flings itself into his eyes - but he will not cut it. I have braided it, sometimes. He taught me to. He -

They are hacking away at it. He is staring into the sky, blue eyes narrowed. There is no clothing on him - they have already ripped it to shreds. A large chunk of brown falls off. The ground is spotted with wisps of long hair.

My face is wet. Is it raining?

Perhaps they will cut my braid, if hair offends them so much. But they have not. One of them is watching me, watching for my reaction.

Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon. Why will you let yourself be humiliated? Why must I see this?

I cannot breathe anymore. Perhaps everything will end once I stop. Perhaps they will stop hacking at him.

Strange. There are so many bleeding bruises on his body, but this...

They are hacking at the soul of a warrior. They are destroying a man. They are destroying...they are destroying him.

I cannot see it. I cannot see it.

There is almost nothing left of his hair, now. They have torn it off so much that there is more blood on his scalp than hair.

Someone is groaning. I don't know who it is.

They leave us, finally. Perhaps they have grown tired. They will come again, later. Why have they taken off our collars?

They know we are too weak to escape.

Qui-Gon is on the earthen floor. Lying very still. I can see only the back of his head.

I crawl towards him. They have not tortured me

 

Princess, Princess, Princess - you are supposed to do the torture first and then the mush for relief, not the other way around.

Wonderful job. I loved that they were hacking at his hair as a way of humiliating him all the while watching Obi-Wan's reactions to it. The way Obi focused on the hair that will grow back and not on the horrible bruises and blood. I felt like I was with him!



But now I need mush again.

 

Ardavenport haha! Poor Qui-Gon with static hair! I could so see that!


Princess Awwwwwwwwww poor man's hair cut off -- that would be humiliating for it to be done in that fashion and yet even after all of that Qui-Gon still has a smile Beautiful job!

 

Title: Unwrapped
Author: VaderLVR64
Characters: Qui-Gon, OC
Summary: Odd, naughty little plot bunny
Notes: Yes, I was feeling naughty.



Unwrapped



There might be more pleasant ways to spend downtime on a mission, but Qui-Gon Jinn was not sure he could think of one. Once more, he had found himself on the tiny planet of Miikos and had been pleased to see Uundara again. He had been sent here right after his knighting last year and once his mission was completed, he had found her company to be very pleasing. They had spent four invigorating and exhausting days together before he had gone back to Coruscant.

She was a widow and lonely. The life of a Jedi was a lonely one as well, and so they had given each other the gift of companionship. She was a few years older than he was, but sweet and playful, just what he had needed. Qui-Gon had been glad to see that she obviously welcomed his attentions once again.

?I love your hair,? she murmured as she ran her fingers through the shoulder-length brown strands.

Qui-Gon grimaced. ?It just gets in the way,? he muttered. ?I?m going to get it cut when I get back to the Temple.?

The woman laughed softly, continuing to stroke his hair. ?Why would you do that? It becomes you.?

He shook his head and blushed a bit. ?I only grew it to take attention away from my nose,? he confessed.

His companion chuckled. ?I don?t see why, I love your nose just the way it is.? She placed a tender kiss on the bridge of the noble nose in question. ?You?re a handsome man, Qui-Gon Jinn.?

Turning in her arms, he nuzzled her neck. ?I?m glad you think so, Uundara,? he teased.

Uundara opened her arms, pulling him into her embrace, twining her fingers in his hair. ?Any woman would think so,? she murmured as she drew his head down to hers. His lips were warm and soft, she thought as she opened herself to his kiss.

He gave a low moan and let his hand run up her thigh. As he blazed a trail up her throat with his lips, one large hand came up to bury itself in her long, white hair and the other rested lightly on her hip. He canted her toward him and she laughed softly when he grunted.

Qui-Gon pulled back and rubbed his head, frowning at her. ?What was that for??

?If you cut your hair, I?ll keep pulling it every time you come to see me,? she said, her lips drawn down in a pout. ?Not every man could carry off such a luxuriant mane of hair, but you can. It would be a sin to waste such a gift.?

?A gift, is it?? he murmured, his lips coming down to taste the pulse in her throat.

Uundara sighed and arched her neck so that he could have better access. Her fingers toyed with his hair, looping it over and over her hands, pulling him close, keeping him where she wanted him. ?See?? she whispered. ?This hair has its uses??

He groaned his agreement and rolled over so that he was beneath her. Qui-Gon stared up at her with a mischievous smile. ?Not everyone likes long hair, you know,? he informed her.

?Then not everyone has good taste,? she retorted, rubbing the silken strands of hair between her fingers.

Laughing loudly, he slid his hands up her arms. ?I?ll tell my former Master you disagree with his fashion choices then.?

Uundara snorted with derision. ?What does a Jedi know about such things?? She glanced over at the pile of his clothing, the beige of them standing out against the bright colors of her bedroom. ?Always with the boring colors,? she admonished. ?You hide yourselves beneath those sand-colored garments.? Uundara?s vivid purple eyes lit up with mischief. ?I like to unwrap you from those horrid tunics and find the beautiful man inside of them.?

He winked up at her. ?I know you do,? he murmured. ?You?re always taking them off of me,? he taunted. ?And yet you?re never helping me put them back on.?

She frowned. ?Because that is never as much fun, Qui-Gon.? Uundara leaned down and licked at his lips before she whispered in her ear. ?Don?t you agree that taking them off is much more gratifying than putting them on??

Qui-Gon growled and t