#helps luke heal and meditate

[rubixcuby]

This is what Luke hears every night when he sleeps with Castin btw

[dailydragon08]

OT Gang Reacts: Realizing You're Not Doing Well Mentally & How They Take Care of You

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Through no fault of her own, Leia is so busy running a rebellion, trying to kickstart a new regime, and making sure what’s left of Alderaan’s population is taken care of, she might not recognize the signs that you’re not doing well at first—especially if you’re trying to hide them. She might suspect something here and there, but at first figures you’re just having a bad day or week and will turn around soon. When you start acting out a bit more over a longer period of time, she realizes that’s not the case and feels horrible for not doing something sooner. She immediately pulls strings to lighten your workload and invites you to a private dinner in her quarters, the menu full of all your favorite comfort foods. Once there, she says she realizes you’ve been acting off and reminds you she’s here to talk, support you, and that if you need a break, you should take it. She doesn’t want you permanently damaging your mental health for the sake of the rebellion/New Republic when someone can easily take over your duties for a while. She gets you all set up in a place that’s pretty, peaceful, and out of the way for as long as you need and makes sure she carves out time in her busy schedule each day to spend time with you—all comms and notifications are off to make sure she can give you her undivided attention should you need it. She’s very protective over you as well, and if someone tries to suggest you come back before you’re ready or you don’t really need this break, she lays into them and puts them in their place so they never bring it up again.

Luke, of course, can sense the second you start slipping through the Force. He doesn’t want you to feel smothered or like he sees you as incapable, so he watches for a bit, but of course he’s worried. Suddenly, he’s extra attentive and gentle with you, asking if you need help, if can he bring you anything, making absolutely sure he saves you a seat next to him during meetings, sending you small smiles and gentle arm/hand squeezes much more often, etc. He would try to subtly help out at first, suggesting you meditate with him (even if you’re not Force-sensitive), teaching you some yoga/tai-chi poses, making you tea with herbs that are known to promote relaxation, buying you little things here and there like fidget toys, mandala coloring books, fictional books that he knows you like so you can escape and relax for a bit, etc. Eventually, if things don’t improve on their own, during a meditation session, he gently brings up that he can sense you haven’t been doing well for a long time and he would really love to help. He reminds you that he’s always here for you and if you need him to fly you somewhere remote for a little vacation, he’s sure he could get the higher-ups to approve it (he is a commander, after all). If you take him up on it, he really enjoys having one-on-one time with you away from everything and continues doing everything he can to make you feel better—and even continues the same practices after you’re healed, just to remind you daily how much he cares for you.

Han isn’t the best at expressing or talking about his emotions, but he’s definitely worried. Although most people see him more as the “brawn” of the group, he does catch onto things quickly and can tell when you’re not returning his quips and banter that something isn’t right. At first, he’ll try to help by complimenting you more in his own sarcastic way and making lots of self-deprecating jokes to get a smile out of you. If you need more, the next step is blowing off some steam via rage room, shooting range, ax/knife throwing, distracting you with a Dejarik game aboard the Falcon, etc. Little things here and there start showing up, like your favorite snacks/meals (“I’ve always had these in stock on the ship, what do you mean you’ve never seen them before?”), anything broken is immediately fixed within a day or two, buying you a new jacket when yours rips on a mission, etc. He never does get very vocal or explicit in his support, but you might be able to get a “you’re gonna be all right, kid” out of him a few times. Either way, there are many more squeezes and pats to the shoulder, and you can tell through his actions he's trying to be there for you and wants you to feel better.

I honestly think Lando would be one of the first out of the group to notice something’s wrong (after Luke, of course, since he has the Force) and act the fastest. He’s immediately pulling you aside and asking if you’re all right and if you need a little Cloud City vacation. He doesn’t want to push if that sounds like something that might overwhelm you, but insists it would feel good and he would make sure you’re completely pampered, with your stay 100% tailored to you. Until then, he’s spoiling you rotten. I firmly believe his top love language is gifts, and he’s buying you all the nicest comfort items you could need (spread out, of course, so he doesn’t smother you on accident). If you do finally decide to take him up on his vacation offer, he finds an entire rental house that’s out of the way with a great view of the city and sky, but still close enough to the main city to quickly find amenities and things to do. He’s of course there with you, either spending time with you or just checking in to make sure you have everything you need if you want some alone time, making sure to deliver any items or meals to you personally to ensure they get exactly where they need to go. If you’d rather go out, he’s taking you to all the nicest places, insisting you don’t worry about the price and get whatever/however much you want.

Although Chewie (platonic) can’t speak your language and can’t do a lot, he realizes you’re not okay immediately and becomes very protective over you. If someone’s giving you trouble or trying to force/shame you into doing something you don’t have the capacity for, he’s instantly growling/roaring in their face, putting himself between you and the other person in a clear sign to back off. He makes sure to give you lots of hugs and rushes to bring you anything you might need to get up for or go pick up.

C-3PO (platonic) has an extensive database of different species’ behavior, including emotional issues and states, although he’s never seen it in real-time. As a protocol droid, he’s of course offering to serve you in any way he can and lets you know that all you have to do is ask. R2-D2 (platonic) of course echoes his sentiments, and is instantly zipping around to do little tasks here and there to make your life easier, even playing bits and pieces of holomovies on his projector when there are lines of one character complimenting or supporting another to try and get his message across.

~~

Taglist (please let me know if you'd like to be added): @kaleidoscope1967eyes @masterlukessaber @coffeeorsomething-irl @lxstfathier @rogue-kenobi @sonofthedunes @pomplalamoose @lex-the-flex @myevilmouse @goddessesofeverything @acupnoodle

[thatgentlewife]

Living a Slow and Purposeful Life as a Christian 🍲✨☕️🌷

In today’s world, we are often told to do more, achieve more, and be more. Social media can amplify this pressure, showing us glimpses of others’ seemingly perfect lives, accomplishments, and busyness. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we’re falling behind or not doing enough. But as Christians, we’re called to live differently. Our purpose isn’t found in worldly achievements but in living a life that glorifies God and reflects His peace.

Here are some ways to live a slower, more purposeful life centered on Christ:

1. Prioritize Time with God

Start and end your day with God. Spend unhurried time reading the Bible, praying, and meditating on His Word. This sets the tone for a day that’s focused on Him rather than your to-do list. Jesus Himself often withdrew to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16).

Tip: Use a physical Bible instead of a Bible app to avoid distractions from notifications.

2. Focus on Relationships, Not Tasks

It’s easy to get caught up in rushing through our days, but Jesus teaches us to prioritize people over productivity. He stopped to heal, listen, and minister to others, even when He was busy. Make time to truly connect with others—family, friends, coworkers—and show them Christ’s love.

Tip: Schedule margin into your day so you have time to respond to others without feeling overwhelmed.

3. Simplify Your Life

Examine your commitments and let go of activities or responsibilities that don’t align with your God-given purpose. Overcommitting often leads to stress and distracts from what truly matters.

Tip: Ask yourself, Does this glorify God or bring me closer to Him? If not, it might be time to let it go.

4. Be Intentional with Social Media

Social media can create a false sense of urgency and comparison, making us feel like we’re behind in life. Limit your time online and follow accounts that inspire your faith, not your insecurities.

Tip: Set specific times for social media use and consider a day of fasting from it each week to refocus on God.

5. Embrace Rest as a Gift from God

God created us to rest. He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3) and commands us to do the same. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s obedience and trust that God is in control. Take time to slow down, enjoy creation, and recharge.

Tip: Create a restful Sabbath routine that includes worship, prayer, and activities that refresh your soul.

6. Live in the Present Moment

Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). When we rush through life, we miss the beauty of the present. Ask God to help you be fully present, whether you’re spending time with loved ones or doing mundane tasks.

Tip: Practice gratitude by pausing throughout the day to thank God for His blessings.

7. Let Go of Perfectionism

We often rush because we’re striving for perfection or trying to meet unrealistic expectations. Remember that your worth comes from Christ, not your accomplishments. Rest in His grace and allow yourself to slow down.

Tip: Replace thoughts of “I should be doing more” with the truth: God’s grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Final Thought

Living a slow and purposeful life as a Christian isn’t about doing less; it’s about doing what matters most. When we make God the center of everything we do, we can step off the treadmill of busyness and embrace the abundant life He offers. Let go of the rush, and let His peace guide your steps.

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

With love,

Thatgentlewife

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Darkness Declares Glory | Chapter 23 FINAL | S.R

Previous Chapter

A/N - final chapter! This one skips forward a couple of months.

Chapter Summary - Spencer’s friends join him celebrating a milestone in his sobriety and Luke has a special surprise in store for him to commemorate the occasion.

Pairing - Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - dark angst | smut | eventual happy ending.

Warnings - rehab, swearing, making out, lots of fluff. WC - 3k

Chapter 23 - Long Promised Road

Crescent Oak Rehabilitation Facility was more or less exactly what Spencer imagined a rehab centre to be like. It was almost eerily calming, his first few weeks here he’d almost been on edge by just how serene it was. 

There was always some kind of soft music playing from speakers he often couldn’t even see. Meditation was highly encouraged, as were walks in the zen garden. Patients were required to wear all white linens and white canvas shoes. The only good thing was that he was here voluntarily, so if he wanted to leave he could. And a few times he almost did. 

At first Spencer couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck he’d done. He felt more as though he’d joined a cult than checked into a rehab facility. For at least a week, maybe longer he considered leaving every single day. But he just kept telling himself, give it one more day, it will get better. Just one more day.

Around the middle of his second week Spencer found he woke up one day and didn’t hate it here. He didn’t begrudge getting in his white linens, he hummed along to the soft music playing through mysterious speakers and he actively joined in a meditation session. And ever since then he’d felt oddly at peace at Crescent Oaks. 

He met with a therapist once a day, one on one, no group sessions thank god. He ate his three meals, he showered every day without fuss. He partook in arts and crafts, read in the library and went on nature walks. And not only did he tolerate it, he actually liked it. 

Thankfully he’d gotten over the hardest part of his recovery in comas and catatonic states. He still had the occasional withdrawal and of course there were still days when he wanted to use. But they were few and far between these days. 

He’d initially checked himself in for three months - he wanted to reach his six month milestone before he even considered going it alone. After those three months he had the option to stay for as long as he thought he needed. It was comforting to know he wouldn’t be on his own. 

His old team visited every chance they could. Crescent Oaks allowed visitors every day between the hours of six pm and nine pm and he had a visitor at least four times a week if not more. Usually it was Garcia when the team were on cases and they would take walks together and chat aimlessly amongst themselves. 

His wounds were slowly starting to heal, both the mental and physical ones. Of course his scars remained and always would but Spencer now looked at them like they were badges of honour, proof he survived the worst life had to throw at him. He was proud to wear them for the world to see. 

Luke continued to see Y/N. He hadn’t told Spencer at first but Spencer could just tell. And once he got over his initial jealousy he had actually been pleased that you had someone like Luke in your life. 

He didn’t let himself ask about you, despite the fact he was always thinking about you. Sometimes Luke would say, “I saw Y/N yesterday,” and Spencer would nod and smile and change the subject. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about you, because he did. But talking about you often left Spencer feeling miserable with how much he missed you and right now he only had the brain capacity to focus on one area of his life. And that had to be his recovery this time. 

He still wore your bracelet. Maybe one day he’d take it off, but for now he found comfort in it. It made him feel connected to you in the way he hoped having his one year sober chip felt for you. It was some kind of reminder that the two of you were still entwined, bound to each other in ways even he didn’t truly understand. 

When Luke had told him a few weeks after he checked into Crescent Oaks that you’d been to visit him while he was catatonic, he’d been at a complete loss for words. He must have disassociated by the point as he had absolutely no recollection of you being there. 

He hated that he couldn’t remember something so important but maybe it had been a blessing in disguise. If he’d been conscious of you being there while he was trapped inside the shell of his body that wouldn’t move to his command, he would have hated Luke for bringing you there. 

But knowing you had been there was comforting in a way, it meant you still cared. Maybe one day he’d get the chance to thank you.

***

Spencer was mildly overwhelmed at all the eyes that were on him, shrinking in on himself a little and wrapping his arms around himself. He’d never liked to be the centre of attention, but there was no getting out of this. He’d asked his therapist if they could just make it a lowkey affair but she simply smiled and shook her head.

“Trust me, Spencer, in the months or years to come, you will be glad you marked this milestone with all your closest friends.” 

He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth, averting his gaze to the floor as his therapist stood and addressed the room. 

“Thank you all for being here, this is a big day in Spencer’s recovery and having all his friends here means the world to him. Even if it doesn’t seem like it.” Jessica laughed slightly as did the others in the room. All except for Spencer. “He’s told me all about his long struggle with drug abuse and his mental health and I for one am so proud of him for getting here. The first six months are the hardest on the road to recovery and so I am overjoyed to be able to present him with his six month chip.”

Jessica cleared her throat when she finished speaking and Spencer tentatively glanced up at her, still chewing frantically on his lip. She was holding out his new golden chip, motioning for him to stand and join her. He swallowed thickly, pushing himself up to his feet and shuffling over to her.

“Uh, thanks.” His cheeks burned as he took the chip from her hand and rolled it between his fingers.

“Speech!” Luke hollered with a chuckle. 

“Come on kid, we didn’t come all the way out here for nothing.” Rossi goaded him. 

“After all we’ve done for you, it's the least you can do.” Tara teased. 

Spencer finally looked up, glancing at the seven faces in the room. The seven people he loved most in the world who had gone to the ends of the earth to help him on every step of his recovery. These seven people were the reason he was still standing, the reason he was able to stand here today and proclaim that he was six months sober.

“I hate being the centre of attention. And I hate public speaking.” he scuffed the toe of his converse on the worn carpet. “But I guess I do owe you, honestly I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words just how much. Without each of you, I know for a fact I wouldn’t be here, I would most likely be dead. I know I’ve been difficult to be around, I know I’ve given you all a hard time but for some reason you’ve stuck by me and I am so grateful for that, you have no idea. 

I don’t know how exactly I got so lucky as to have you all in my life. And I certainly don’t tell you all enough just how much I love and appreciate you all. To be able to stand here and say I am officially six months sober, I wouldn’t have made it here without each and every one of you. Emily, Luke, the two of you probably got the brunt of my frustrations and anger and I am really very sorry for that. But between the two of you, uh, you…” He got choked up and swallowed, closing his eyes as he finished the sentence. “The two of you saved my life. And I don’t even know how to begin thanking you for that.”

When he opened his eyes his tears overflowed and he noticed several of his old team had also gotten teary eyed. JJ and Garcia were holding hands, both crying as they looked at him. Luke’s eyes were glossy with unshed and Emily turned her head to wipe her eyes. 

“I, uh, I guess that’s it.” Spencer sniffed, running his thumb over the chip’s engraving. “I still don’t know what normal feels like but I, uh, feel decent.” 

The seven of them, plus Jessica, started clapping loudly, cheering and Matt even whistled. Spencer smiled, wiping his eyes with his free hand while his cheeks flushed pink. One by one they came over and hugged him tightly, congratulating him on this huge achievement. 

“What are your plans, Reid?” Matt was the one to ask the million dollar question while they all crowded around him. 

“I think I’m gonna stay here, just a little longer. I don’t think I’d relapse if I left now but I just wanna be sure.” He pocketed the chip but kept his hand wrapped around it. 

“I think that’s both smart and brave of you to admit.” Tara smiled at him.

“We are so, so proud of you Spence.” JJ still had tears in her eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah alright.” He rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle. “Can we turn the attention on someone else now?” 

The seven members of his old team looked between each other, slightly guilty looks on their faces that weren’t lost on Spencer. He frowned, looking between them in turn while he tried to figure out what was going on.

“What’s happening?” He asked no one in particular. “I’ve missed something.”

“I mean now you’ve mentioned turning the attention onto someone else, we do kinda have a surprise visitor for you.” Luke spoke, giving him a sheepish smile. 

But Spencer could tell exactly what he wasn’t saying. His brain was so much clearer these days, it was almost working back at its full capacity and he knew what, or rather who Luke was referring to.

“No.” Spencer shook his head, his stomach coiling into knots and more tears flooded his vision. “No way.”

Penelope smiled brightly, tottering over to the door on her too high heels and slowly gripping the handle. Spencer stared at the closed door, tears rolling silently down his cheeks and he inadvertently held his breath. 

Garcia leisurely opened the door, clearing trying to build the suspense, which admittedly worked. Spencer’s heart hammered rapantly against his chest, causing him to feel a little nauseous. His hands were shaking, he worried his knees might buckle beneath him.

When the door was finally all the way open, you stepped into view, teeth digging heavily into your bottom lip and your hands stuffed deep inside of your pockets. As soon as you locked eyes on him, your own tears overflowed but you found yourself frozen to the spot.

When Luke had told you over coffee one afternoon that Spencer was due to celebrate his six months sober and invited you to come, initially you’d quickly declined and shut the conversation down. You were doing well in the outside world, still living at the halfway house and enjoying your job at the diner. 

You were keeping yourself afloat but the idea of seeing Spencer again was too much for you to even contemplate. Not now. Maybe not ever. You were eleven months sober, you couldn’t risk any bump in that road.

You still weren’t sure, as you stood here now, what changed your mind. Luke hadn’t pressured you to come, he’d never mentioned it again after the first time. But the overwhelming need to see him with your own eyes, to confirm he was in fact alive and ok had driven you to be here today. It had only been yesterday when Luke popped by the diner for dinner that you’d told him you would come. 

And now as you stared at Spencer from the doorway, you knew you’d made the right call. Seeing him looking healthy and happy filled you with pride and the last thing you wanted to do was ruin your sobriety. You wanted to be sober alongside him. 

“Y/N.” He croaked out your name, wobbling a little on his feet. 

“Hi Spence.” Your voice cracked. 

“We’ll give you two a minute.” Emily spoke on behalf of her team and the seven of them, and Jessica, left the room as you took a few steps inside. 

The door was closed behind you as you cautiously approached Spencer. He didn’t move, seemingly frozen to the spot. You noticed the frayed end of your purple and gold bracelet poking out the sleeve of his sweater and it filled you with joy to know he still wore it.

“I, uh, I hope you don’t mind me coming. Luke invited me and at first I didn’t think it would be a good idea but…” you trailed off, sniffing back your tears. “But I really wanted to see you.”

“Are you really here?” Spencer choked. “I’m not imagining things?”

You smiled at him, cautiously stepping closer to him. You were steady in your movements as you reached out and took hold of his hand. You brought his hand to your lips and pressed them against his knuckles softly. The action caused Spencer to whimper slightly, even more tears now falling from his eyes.

“Do you believe me? I’m really here, Spence.” You were still holding his hand and he used it to pull you closer to him. 

Your chests crashed together, and he used his free hand to wrap around your waist, his large hand taking purchase on your lower back while he kept hold of your hand in his other. You looked up at him and he was smiling down on you. You could feel his heart beating against you and you were sure he could feel yours. He bowed his head closer to you, resting your foreheads together. 

“I might need a little more convincing.” His lip tugged into a smirk and before you knew what you were doing, you were crushing your lips together.

Spencer hummed into your mouth, holding you firmly in place while parting your lips with his tongue. The kiss was like nothing the two of you had ever shared before. It was a new beginning, a fresh start. It was hope and it was home all in one. 

It didn’t last particularly long, but the passion between the two of you was clear. When he pulled back he kept his arm around you, but let go of your hand in lieu of cupping your cheek.

“I think…I think I’m bound to you.” You whispered shakily. “I probably have been since the moment we met. I think I meant what I said before about us, at least at the time I did. But I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Spence.” 

“You don’t have to.” He stroked your cheek with his fingertips. “I think we were meant to find each other, Y/N. I think in some kind of fucked up way, the two of us are perfect for each other. On paper, two addicts shouldn’t work together, but I think we can be the exception to that. I don’t believe we will pull each other down, I think we’ll only raise the other up. Our sobriety is so important to both of us, I truly believe we can aid each other through recovery.”

“I think so too.” You nodded. “Spence, I love you.” 

He felt his heart swell to double the size and he held you tighter, almost impossibly closer to him.

“I feel like I’ve loved you my whole life.” He confessed, brushing his lips over yours. 

“I may not have loved you for my whole life, but I know for a fact that I will love you for the rest of my life.” You breathed him in, knowing that you only had a limited amount of time together for now. 

“The minute I get out of here I am taking you to dinner. The most incredible dinner you’ve ever had in your life.” He smiled at you, chuckling lightly.

“I will hold you to that.” You laughed too. 

He kissed you again, somehow more passionate than the last which seemed impossible but yet here you were. You wrapped your arms around his neck, fingers grazing the hair at the base of his neck. He moaned softly into your mouth at the sensation but tried to keep himself from getting too riled up. There would be plenty of time for that once he left Crescent Oaks. For now he had to keep it PG13.

When the kiss broke he looked you deep in the eyes, right through to your soul. It caused your knees to buckle a little and Spencer smiled, helping you remain upright. His other hand joined his first on your face, cupping it lightly and wiping at your tears with his thumbs. 

“For so long all I’ve seen is darkness,” he whispered, staring deep into your eyes. “But you, angel, you are and always have been my guiding light.”

With that he kissed you once more, all his love and adoration for you communicated without the use of words. You’d gotten used to your life being shrouded in darkness, almost grown accustomed to it in a weird way. 

But Spencer had shined a light on you that was so bright it had banished all of your demons to the shadows. It wasn’t to say they would never rear their ugly heads, but as long as Spencer was by your side fighting them with you, it didn’t seem so daunting anymore. 

“The darkness declares the glory of light.” - T.S Eliot

@tiredmilky @thatsonezesty13 @1mechanicalalligator @elle-28 @academiareid

[leam1983]

Lisan al-Ghaib

The Hellsite has a thing against White Savior narratives, and for good reason. The idea that general-purpose Natives have some elixir for mindfulness, mental health or even sociopolitical stability is nothing new. It's as tokenistic as you think if you take it at face value, but I think the more classic examples in the genre like Dances With Wolves or, God forbid, Avatar (a revised copy of the previous title, in many ways) tend to focus on something that's a smidge more positive - namely in that the Other - not the Noble Savage, so much as someone with an entirely external perspective - has the power to help us progress. A very debatable posture.

In effect, the classic examples in the genre contend that it's not really about "saving the Natives" or even becoming their saviour, but rather about the unformed or troubled protagonist finding themselves thanks to the Natives' input. I've always thought that Wolves' Sioux never needed Dunbar, Dunbar needed them. The Na'vi never needed Jake Sully, some other member of the People would've eventually filled in the blanks and become Toruk Makto. Instead, Jake Sully needed the Na'vi to fix himself. There's nothing magical there, despite the First Nations spiritualism that mostly coats the genre, ripped out of its context and sort of propped up the same way mindfulness is now pulled out of its own context and served up to the masses, as if living with a little anxiety or stress were somehow a symptom for something more insidious. The world forgot Herbert's object lesson, and suggested that for some people, especially damaged goods, the only way to find purpose is to subsume yourself in another culture. You emerge as the saviour, kill the monster, and fulfill your role in the story.

Taking up someone else's problems to fix yourself isn't an actual solution; I think any two-bit psychologist could tell you that. Even if Dunbar and Sully emerge whole and healed from their own tales, they're behavioural abnormalities. Power doesn't allow you to stay humble. Power corrupts.

Ask Shaddad. Ask the Bene Gesserit. Ask the Harkonnens, who never saw their end coming.

Back when Frank Herbert first wrote Dune, Eastern mysticism was taking off much in the same way we're seeing meditation and yoga. He pulled an interesting bait-and-switch in showing us a protagonist who seemed set to go from a mostly nameless aristocrat to your typical conquering hero - but he realized that some faiths can be noxious. Some currents can twist the mind. After all, Paul Atreides' own story addresses the fact that he comes to align with fundamentalists, and does so willingly.

In many ways, George Lucas tried to play the same melody with Anakin Skywalker being set up as the Force's hero, only for the will of the Galaxy to be made manifest through his son, instead. The problem is, unlike Herbert, Lucas lacks subtlety. The danger of messianic thinking more or less deserves a dream-state vignette on Dagobah, where Luke beheads Vader and sees his own face in the depths of his father's mask. Herbert, in comparison, makes those fears concrete. Paul was on shaky ground the moment he embraced the moniker of Muad'Dib, and slipped into something I might as well call psychosis, after drinking the Waters of Life.

Chani lost the man she fell in love with. Paul Atreides lost himself.

White Savior narratives aren't meant to be seen as the Civilized Man saving the day. They're meant to be seen as an outsider protagonist needing an external point of view to face the abyss, more or less.

If you're an optimist, the protagonist is thankful for the wisdom he's received and plays his part, not for prophecy or for Ego - but for basic care and consideration. Consider Shogun's Blackthorne, by the end of the series. He wasn't one to calculate his next move - he's clearly a man of passion. Japan gave him something to hold onto - and then squeezed around him like a vice made up of niceties and political manoeuvring. Yoshii Toranaga, on the other hand, is the chess player. Blackthorne's fate is the grimmest of the brighter ends of the White Savior genre. He didn't save anyone or anything; he merely proved useful.

If you're a pessimist, you turn to Dune or to any of your local Fire-and-Brimstone preachers.

Considering, when I hear the Hellsite dismiss Dune as just another story written by a White guy about some other White guy saving some vaguely Middle-Eastern-coded people; that tells me a lot of armchair critics haven't picked up the books or watched the movies.

If anything, Dune's very premise gives reason to those of you who decry Colonialist rhetoric. Dune isn't just a seminal science-fiction classic; it's also a warning about what happens when faith goes haywire, and of what happens when the balance of power tips in the worst direction possible.

[marvelstars]

I always found Obi-Wan and Anakin´s fights interesting because while there is definitely a subtext of a familiar relationship on their part, in fact Vaderkin tells Obi-Wan to go meditate somewhere else, a very insane notion given what he just did and the fact he knew Obi-Wan was send to Mustafar to kill him.

Objectively speaking they are master and apprentice and acording to the cultural themes from myths and legends Lucas took from to create the Jedi Order, a master´s duty is to kill their student if they use their habilities agaisn´t the principles of the master.

Given Obi-Wan killed Anakin first or well, left him to burn to death, Obi-Wan was doing his duty as a member of the Jedi with orders from Yoda and as Vader Anakin understood those actions in this sense, he just had a brief moment in which he silently asked for help which Obi-Wan answered talking about their duty again, Anakin´s as the chosen one and Obi-Wan´s as his master and member of the Jedi Order, effectively rejecting their familiar relationship.

This is also why their second duel on the death star, or even their retconed duel on OWK is not a duel between family members, it´s pretty much a ritual duel between members of opposite force schools or philosophies and that´s how both Obi-Wan and Vader fought in them.

This is also why Vader wasn´t surprised to know his Son was being raised as a Jedi or at least he thought so until he discovered Luke wasn´t as trained as he should have been but recognized his advances on their duel in cloud city.

Vader didn´t discuss with his master when he told him he could be send to destroy them, that was to be expected, he isn´t surprised to know Luke was being trained to kill him, he just argued Obi-Wan could no longer train him and so he wasn´t a danger to Palpatine, which was Vader´s way of trying to keep Luke out of this whole issue but when that didn´t work, he promised he could make Luke fall to the darkside and make him join them or kill him himself but he knew that if it came to that, he could not kill his Son, Luke knew this and so did Palpatine and that´s why when Luke rejected the darkside it was Palpatine who decided to kill him until Vader stopped him knowing that would kill him.

This is also why it´s so interesting read, in one of the novels from ROTJ, when Obi-Wan´s spirit tried to contact and teach Anakin how he could become a force ghost as he lay dying, Anakin´s first question is why? not just because of Anakin´s actions but because he effectively was no longer a Jedi, so Obi-Wan tells him he fulfilled the prophecy as the chosen one but that isn´t enough for Anakin, he stayed silent and only accepted Obi-Wan´s offer when Obi-Wan told him because you are my friend/brother.

In the end, while Anakin respected the fact that being a Jedi was always going to be part of Obi-Wan´s identity, he didn´t want Obi-Wan to help him become a force ghost as a Jedi because he was the chosen one or because he fulfilled a prophecy, he wanted Obi-Wan to recognize him as his brother/friend, as family and in this way heal that old rejection from Mustafar because Anakin himself always saw him as family and after expending so many years following the traditions of the Jedi and the Sith, a tradition that made him leave his mother behind and put him at odds with his family, he was beyond faking tradition post death.

[pomplalamoose]

to love from afar

🌛bonus chapter🌜

Master Luke Skywalker x reader

summary: An experimental continuation of chapter 1; explores the possibilities of your Master returning your feelings.

word count: 5,908

(basically a fan fiction for my own fan fiction, however if you'd like this to be the true outcome after the first part, you're welcome to of course <3)

read the first chapter here or on AO3🩵💙

You're sitting cross legged on your bed roll; facing you is a simple pair of black pants, neatly folded and looking very inconspicuous.

Yet you are staring at them like they caused you personal harm, like their burden is physically weighing down upon your shoulders.

Being very well aware you're being dramatic doesn't change the fact you have been procrastinating returning the pants, your Master was generous enough to lend to you, for nearly a week now.

The injuries caused by your embarrassing fall down a hill have healed nicely, only a few faint lines still visible where sharp edges cut deep.

And while you are very thankful for your Master's care and attention following directly after, your dreams now only ever circling around how he held you in his arms and briefly touched your cheek, you haven't dared to initiate any kind of contact since then.

When before you were shy and a little standoffish you are outright avoiding him now whenever you possibly can.

And although your heart aches with want and still you crave his praise, his good will, even a smile, you feel as though you would simply go up in flames should he ever bestow his attention upon you again.

The shame, after coming to the conclusion that he knew about your most intimate feelings, your thoughts and dreams all along, too strong to release into the Force.

And you tried. You really really did try.

It is delaying your training after all, keeping you up at night, sneaking up on you during meditation or dinner, haunting your every waking moment.

It's eating you alive and the constant fear that he too will sense this, should your mental shields crack, has exhausted you.

Breathing in deeply and then slowly out again, you make an effort to view your situation differently.

Master Skywalker is kind and understanding.

What are you so afraid of?

He does not deserve your fear.

All this time, it seems, he was aware of your crush that developed into more the longer you stayed with him and the others, and yet did he ridicule you?

Did he punish you?

Did he send you away? Did he tell you to let go of those feelings, make them out to be unbecoming of a Jedi?

No. Of course not. And, you tell yourself, he never would because that's why, among many other things, you would surrender your very being to him.

Even after your last conversation just outside his rooms, when he offered to work on your mental shields with you, he did not do so as a reprimand, but because he genuinely wanted to help.

And even though you sense his disappointment towards your current antics and failings during his lessons, he remains nothing but patient, allowing you to keep your distance, never overstepping your boundaries, not forcing himself on you.

He does not deserve your fear.

Not when he explicitly told you more than once how he cared and wished only the best for his students.

He must have known about your feelings for a long time.

So why would his stance towards them change now of all things?

With sweaty hands you pick up his pants, your heart beating fast as you press them to your chest and make your way outside to search for him.

When you carefully reach out with the Force to locate your Master's current whereabouts, you find your shields already lowered.

You sigh in defeat. Eventually you will have to ask him about his offer to work with you on that.

The afternoon sun is warming your back and slightly soothing your nerves as you make your way into the near woods where you suspect his presence.

Indeed, you soon are able to find him sitting in a small clearing, seeming to be deep in meditation.

At first you are relieved to have an excuse to leave again but then your stomach sinks; you don't know when you'll be able to gather your courage to try again, if at all.

The longer you avoid this, the worse it will get.

But interrupting now?

Maybe you could just place the pants next to him and then make for a run?

He would know, of course, who put them there.

Possibly he'd seek you out after.

No, you decide, it's better to get this over with and just wait until he has completed his exercises.

Nervously chewing on your bottom lip, lost in thought, you don't realize your Master's eyes lazily tracking your every nervous twitch and movement.

Neither do you see his lips curl upwards into a sly smile, or the momentary gleam in his gaze, uncannily resembling that of a predator ready to strike.

His voice, though, is warm and velvety soft, when he speaks, as if to not scare you away.

"Oh hello, what a lovely surprise. I hope I have not left you waiting for too long?"

Unable to do anything but stare, immediately having fallen under his spell again, you shyly shake your head.

Slowly extending his arm in your direction, he beckons you closer and of course you obey. You would never think of doing otherwise.

"I'm very pleased to see my little way ward sheep return to me. Sit with me, Padawan."

Doing as he asked, you awkwardly lower yourself to the ground some distance away, face burning as the nickname echoes in your head.

Your Master, however, does not seem satisfied.

"No, that will not do, Padawan. Do you wish to throw my pants across the clearing? I thought your manners better than that."

Patting the ground directly in front of his crossed legs, like someone would to lure a puppy, he looks at you expectantly.

In disbelief you can't do much but blink at him, sheepishly shuffling across the grass when he doesn't relent, eventually coming to a stop only a few meters away from him.

He shakes his head, again tapping the ground in front of him with growing insistence.

"M-Master...that's hardly-"

You stop mid sentence, suddenly not so sure if it'd be wise to openly question his wishes after basically ignoring him for a week.

Lowering your head you kneel where he wants you to, fussing about invisible flecks of dust in your lap, studiously doing the most to distract yourself from his broad chest right in front of your face.

With a deep exhale he unfurls his long legs, resting them on either side of you, strategically caging you in.

"Very good. Although it would have been easier to comply right away, don't you think, Padawan?"

Without waiting for an answer, he continues.

"Let's take a moment to practice, yes? I believe you will benefit from this greatly."

Then, abruptly pulling you out of your confusion, his voice suddenly turns commanding.

"Look at me."

Startled your head snaps up immediately and you're rewarded with a smile.

His commanding tone however, does not change.

"Hand me my pants. Good. Now say: thank you dear Master, for lending them to me."

"Th-Thank you, dear Master, for lending them to me."

"You are most welcome, Padawan. Repeat after me: Master, what could I possibly do to repay you?"

Is he teasing you? Blinking up at him you obey nevertheless.

"Master, what could I possibly do to repay you?"

For a long moment he has you pinned with his gaze, then leaning forward, his hair tickling your cheek, he whispers in you ear.

"Mmh aren't you lovely, Padawan. There are indeed a few things you could do for me. And you will, won't you? You are always so well behaved, always eager to please, isn't that right?"

Barely daring to breath you've grown very very still, your mouth hanging open slightly.

You must have fallen asleep earlier without realizing. This has to be one of your silly dreams.

Will he ask you for a kiss now? It would be so easy to oblige too, just a quick turn of your head and you'd be able to touch your lips to the corner of his mouth and then-

"Padawan. I asked you a question."

Oh. Maybe not a dream then?

"Uhhh yes, Master?"

Leaning back, he slightly tilts his head.

"You weren't listening."

It isn't a question.

Your thoughts temporarily strayed very far away and he knows, surely having a very good idea where to as well.

You briefly check your shields. They are down.

Damnit.

Avoiding his gaze you concentrate instead on the smooth skin just above his collar.

"I apologize, Master. It won't happen again."

You notice the way his Adam's apple moves when he huffs a laugh.

"It isn't wise to make promises one can't keep, my Padawan. But I will let you get away with it this time. Now, back to my original question-"

"I remember, Master!", you interrupt excitedly when the fog in your brain momentarily lifts.

"You wanted me to do something for you, did you not? Am I not right?"

"I guess I can let that count, yes.", he answers calmly, clearly amused at your sudden eagerness.

Determined now, to further please him, unbeknownst doing exactly as he foretold, you don't shy away this time, waiting for his directions.

This isn't going as bad as you feared!

Yes you embarrassed yourself many times over a span of what? Ten minutes? But you don't seem to be in trouble and that's all that matters to you.

You're rather stupefied when he gets up, suddenly towering over you.

Still kneeling on the soft grass you have to crane your neck to keep looking at him, not understanding right away he expects you to get up as well.

So when you simply remain at his feet he raises his eyebrows, his expression awfully close to the gentle exasperation you dislike so much.

"What is it, Master?", you ask, rather insecure now.

A sigh.

"When was the last time you had a full nights rest, Padawan?"

Furrowing your brow you try to think.

You find you don't know and neither are you able to comprehend why he's asking.

"M-Master? I don't think I understand, I-"

You break off when he leans down, taking hold of you under your shoulders and hoisting you up.

"I shouldn't be so surprised.", he says under his breath before fully addressing you once more.

"Come along, Padawan."

Humming softly to yourself you follow after him, still unsure of his motivations.

But now that he has mentioned it you realize you are very tired indeed.

Mmh, why did he ask about your sleep again?

You can't say you are able to tell, not when your limps are so heavy all of a sudden, your brain for once nicely quite and fuzzy.

Slowing down your steps to yawn, you decide to take a quick break; right over there that mossy spot looks very comfortable.

Your Master, however, seems to have different plans, swiftly taking your hand in his and pulling you along before you can sit down.

"Please, 'm so tired, Master!", you whine but are quickly soothed when he gently squeezes your hand and tugs you closer.

"Yes, my Padawan, I know. Just a few more steps, okay? See, we already made it out of the woods. And right over there", he points, "is where we want to go."

Reassured you happily follow after him, already too spaced out to worry about clearly being led towards his rooms, when you suddenly recognize your friends voice calling from afar.

"Master Skywalker!"

Sounding quite distressed, they quickly draw nearer.

"Master Skywalker, have you seen-"

Immensely relieved they are abruptly coming to a halt when they see your smaller figure close to his.

"Oh thank the Force you found them! They simply disappeared and we were so worried something had happened!"

In the distance you are able to make out your other classmates.

Are they talking about you? Why are they so worried? How could anything have happened to you while you were with your Master?

You swiftly dismiss your questions when you hear his calm voice responding, your friend evidently relaxing as well.

"Everything is alright now. I will look after them and make sure they get the rest they need. You may let the others know as well."

Absentmindedly nodding along you are simply content to hold your Master's hand.

This is wonderful. You wouldn't mind this moment lasting forever.

"Of course, Master. Is there something, anything, we can do to help?", your friend asks, eyeing you suspiciously as you cling to him, possessively hugging his arm to your chest.

You giggle.

In hindsight you'll wisely acknowledge that sleep deprivation is not a good look on you and so are eternally thankful for your Master's patience, who simply smiles and shakes his head to send your friend on their way again.

"Come on now.", he then says to you.

When you eventually arrive in his living space, he makes you sit on his comfortable cushions again.

"I will be right back, don't leave!", he tells you sternly and you hear him tinkering around in his kitchen.

That's also about the last thing you perceive, because then, quite surprising yourself, you are pulled into a deep and dreamless sleep.

***

When you slowly return to the world of the living, you have no idea where you are.

Neither do you know for how long you were out, nor what day or time it is.

It´s very quiet but somewhere, in the distance, running water is audible.

Spotting a window, you climb out of the unfamiliar bed, you were resting in, to look outside.

It seems to be late in the afternoon, close to dusk and you spot a few fellow students working in a pretty little garden.

One sees you as well, waving cheerily and you relax again, returning the greeting.

Good news: you are not on a foreign planet like you momentarily feared.

That'd be rather stupid too. Force, what is wrong with you.

Surely someone has to be around, making dinner or tidying up after their training, who you can ask how late it is.

However peeking out of the bedroom and then around the orderly near rooms, you happen upon nobody. Strange.

Normally most of the Padawans spent their early evening inside their quarters and yet there is nobody to be seen, not a sound to be heard.

Even the water, you suddenly realize, has fallen silent.

You can't even tell who lives here, a very obvious lack of personal belongings, like a cloak or a light saber, confusing you.

Deciding to quickly check out the missing rooms before heading out, you make your way down a short corridor and throw open a door to the left.

Only to be faced with your very wet, very naked Master.

The shriek leaving your mouth, rivals that of a krayt dragon going in for an attack, only rising in volume when your Master steps towards you, not even remotely bothering to cover up.

Without thinking you slam the door shut in his face, continuing to screech.

The picture of his nude body burning itself in yor brain not even close to calming you down.

"OH MY GODDDD!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!"

In your shock you inadvertently fall back on your home planet's way of speaking, releasing a wild string of curses that your mother definitely would not approve of.

You can't believe that just happened.

This is horrible.

This is way worse than anything that ever happened to you in your life before.

Faintly you can hear laughter before the wooden door opens, revealing you Master. Still gloriously naked.

Screaming yet again, you quickly shield your eyes like you would to block out the sun, the sight of him too much to endure.

"Cover up. PLEASE!!! Jesus Christ."

"Oh gladly.", comes the amused voice of your Master.

"You will have to step aside though, I don't keep my clothes in a bathroom. Do you?"

You feel him placing two warm hands on your shoulders to gently steer you out of the way.

"No! Of course not!", you reply, your voice a tad too loud.

"I'm very glad to see you out and about again. And you seem to be doing much better too.", he says conversationally as you hear his footsteps proceed away from you.

How is he so calm?????

Peaking through your fingers and then fully lowering your hands when you realize he stepped out of sight, you release a breath.

"Master, I'm genuinely sorry for raising my voice at you just now. And also horribly so for catching you off guard.", you blurt out, feeling like you might burst from sheer embarassment alone.

His answer is another laugh.

"Oh really? I´d say you were the one caught off guard, not me. I was very well aware you were coming my way."

You are scandalized, your heart still racing.

"But why didn't you say anything?! You could've locked the door or told me off, Master!"

"And withhold you from learning an important lesson? I don't think I ask too much, my Padawan, by expecting you to sense other people in a building."

"B-but Master! I- That´s not fair! I was still half asleep, I-"

Entering the corridor he fixes you with a stern look you would normally quiver under but right now...

Without meaning to your eyes lower to where a pair of still open pants are hanging from his hips, revealing...quite a lot.

Horrified you immediately tear your gaze away, your cheeks heated and burning.

"M-master, please, this is hardly appropriate."

Only when you hear the rustling of fabric and then a zipper do you dare to look at him again.

To your dismay he chooses not to put on anything else, instead moving around you and leaving you standing there like rooted to the spot.

"No, I will not put on a shirt.", he says over his shoulder, answering your unspoken question.

"This is my home and I quite enjoy relaxing after a day full of work too."

Turning to to look at you, he motions you to follow.

Then

"You seem to have a different opinion after sleeping in my bed for over a day? Care to elaborate?"

That stings but you're too stupefied to answer.

You slept in HIS bed, in his actual bedroom and didn't even realize?

He laid you down IN HIS BED?

Yes exactly, you remind yourself, and as if that alone wasn't enough you thanked him by walking in on him just stepping out of the shower, disrespecting his privacy and getting an eyeful of his big-

"Shields up.", comes the stern command.

"I am far from insecure but some things I'd rather my Padawan not think about too intensively. Even though I´m quite flattered, of course."

You hear the smirk in his voice but the shame you managed to keep at bay since finally getting some rest, comes back with full force; your eyes are burning and you turn away so he does not see your face.

As always you can't hide your feelings from him though and immediately hear steps moving towards you.

But oh, you try.

Pressing the heels of your hands tightly over your eyes like a petulant child, you simply avoid to grant him a look at you, even when you feel him gathering your head between his big palms.

"I apologize, Padawan. I'm an awful tease and I took it too far this time. You have every right to be upset with me. Please don't take this to heart."

His thumbs start to caress your cheeks, wiping away stray tears that somehow made it past your hands.

"I truly am sorry. It was not my intention to make fun of your weakness or the feelings you may have regarding me."

Gently he maneuvers you to sit, and, kneeling before you, he pulls your stubborn arms aside.

At first you try to struggle but then quickly give in, his strength far exceeding yours.

"Yes that's it, good girl.", he murmurs.

"I promise that nothing I said came from malice or was meant as an accusation. In truth I did not know how to approach you about a certain topic and I misspoke. Can you forgive me?"

You nod, and the smile he gifts you for an answer makes your heart skip a beat.

He is so beautiful to look at, it hurts.

"I'm not.", you say sadly and he frowns.

"I'm not a good girl.", you explain.

"I- I try so hard, I really do, but I can't keep my thoughts and feelings separated from my training. And It's ruining everything! I simply can't concentrate anymore. I mess up every single thing I try. I'm a horrible disappointment! A hopeless case. And look what a mess I've made, I-I- how am I suppossed to ever look you in the eyes again?“

Hyperventilating , you have to break off and to your embarrassment start crying in all seriousness now.

This is not the first time that happened, of course, but it's different this time; your face is getting blotchy all over, your eyes are swelling and your body shakes with awful sobs you can't conceal.

"I don't deserve to be here.", you cry.

"Not at all. I will never become a Jedi, not when I'm blindsided by that silly, stupid, ridiculous crush. I'm even a burden to the others. I can't continue like this, I can´t! I should lea-leaveee!"

Your Master's expression, worried and compassionate before, now grows sad.

"Oh my dear Padawan, no. Don't speak ill about yourself that way. Come to me, let me hold you. Yes. Very good."

Pulling your trembling body off the seating cushions and arranging you in his lap, he gently presses you close.

"My sweet sweet girl. Hush now. Everything will be alright. It will all be okay. We will find a solution to this, yes? You are not alone and you are not a burden. To anyone. Do you understand?"

His words only make you cry more and you desperately sling your arms around his shoulders.

"Shh shh shh, I won't let go. I won't. I will hold you until you feel better, okay? You are not alone. It is important to me that you understand this. You don't have to speak, just nod."

Your face buried in the crook of his neck, you nod your head yes.

This you can do.

Anything he asks from you, you will give.

"Good. Very good.", he coos and then you are both quiet for a while; except for your occasional sniffles nothing can be heard.

You don't know for how long you two keep sitting on the floor of his living room.

It is like for one rare moment time has stopped and allowed you to simply exist in his arms.

Eventually the steady stream of your tears slows to a halt and you don't feel as miserable anymore.

Just empty and tired.

"Master?", you ask shyly, not yet daring to remove your head from his shoulder to look at him.

To your relieve, he doesn't insist on it and you can feel his chest rumbling when he hums in acknowledgement.

"You said there was a topic you wished to speak to me about?"

Apprehension sneaks up on you again as soon as you utter your question, your fatigue not hindering your mind at worrying.

After your emotional outbreak and everything said, will it even be relevant anymore? When it is unsure whether you might leave anyways?

"Yes.“, he answers

"I planned to after you found me in the woods but then you fell asleep as soon as I sat you down."

Your body grows tense and he reacts immediately.

"None of that. Don´t be afraid, I will not scold you. I'm simply worried. You have not been sleeping well for quite some time now, have you?"

He is worried? About you?

You bite your lip and shake your head no.

This seems suffice as an answer and your Master continues.

"Mmh I thought as much. As much as it hurts me to say this, I can't have you continuing your lessons like this, Padawan. You are bound to repeat accidents like the one last week and it's my responsibility to see that nothing happens to you. Especially now that you seem unable to do so on your own.“

At this you start sobbing again.

It is one thing to have thought about and suspected this yourself, but an entirely different one to hear your Master, the person you want to make proud above anyone else, coming to the same conclusion.

"I still believe that you are capable of becoming a great Jedi, make no mistake. This is not a race or a competition; you may take as much time as you need.

And that's what I believe you should do. Take time for yourself, Padawan. And, when you are ready, I will be more than happy to take you back on as my student."

You know he means well but your heart breaks all the same.

"Are...are you sending me away, Master?"

He sighs and briefly holds you closer.

"Yes...and no. In truth I am conflicted about it myself. Possibly putting a greater distance between this planet and me would be the wisest direction for you to take.“

He slightly has to speak louder then, to be heard over your helpless whimpers.

"But a very selfish part of mine does want you to leave even less than you do."

Raising your tear stained eyes to his, you look at him confusedly.

"W-what?"

Momentarily turning his head away, you see a muscle work in his jaw as he contemplates what to say next.

"I did not lie when I said I cared for you. I care for your wellbeing as much as for you as a person and I do not want harm to befall you any more than I want that to happen to the others.

However..."

He breaks off, thinks for a second before speaking again.

"In truth t has become increasingly harder to block your...thoughts."

"Oh no, Master, I'm so sorry, I'll make it stop I promise!", you cry.

"I-I didn't know this put a strain on you. I never wanted that, I never, I- I'll leave. I will! You will feel better then!"

You try to get up from his lap to do just that. Even with your mind reeling and body aching you are still set to remove his burden, even if it tears you apart.

Already you are planning what to pack and what to leave behind, your thoughts far away.

He is not letting go of you however, and you find yourself struggling against his grip more and more as sorrowful sobs spill out of you.

"Master, what- let me go. Please. Please don't make this harder than it already is. Don't hurt me so, please."

It's when he grips you around the waist and starts easily shaking your body like a doll, that you come to again, startling at his loud voice.

"LISTEN TO ME!"

Never before has he raised his voice at you or on anyone as far back as you can remember and you still, staring at him with wide eyes.

What did you do wrong? Never have you seen him this upset.

"Listen. To. Me. You misunderstand."

His laboured breath fans across your face, as he's wrangling with himself to calm down.

Then, suddenly leaning forward, he kisses you. Hard.

Caught off guard you let out an involuntary yelp but he doesn't seem to mind, instead jumping at the opportunity to enter your mouth with his tongue.

It's impulsive and heated and slightly disgusting, his lips meeting yours with such fervor, your head starts spinning.

You would have lost your balance would it not have been for how tight he is holding on to you and so you cling right back to him, holding on for dear life.

There are teeth and spit, his hands and his hot mouth all over you; it feels like you are being devoured, eaten alive, wholly and completely consumed by his burning desire, utterly hopeless at the face of it.

When he finally sets you free again, allowing you to suck in desperate gulps of air, you are a moaning, gasping mess.

Light headed and giddy you feel like you're floating.

Desperately wanting to be as close as possible to him, to feel him again, you try reaching his lips with yours but he withdraws, turning his head away abruptly.

"M-Master..."

"No. Don't say anything. Please."

When he looks at you again you notice he is out of breath as well, fixing you with a hungry gaze before reining himself back in.

"Your thoughts trouble me because I have grown fond of you myself. How can I distance myself from them, from you, when you cry out for me so sweetly? It is wrong for me, as your teacher and Master, to act on such urges and I apologize for doing so now.

Yet I do struggle. How am I supposed to look the other way when you are suffering and hurting not only physically but emotionally as well? When I know I could ease your pain with the simplest of actions? When all I would have to do is reach out and take?

Breathing in deeply he wipes his hand over his face.

"I won't let you leave. I can't. Where would you even go, all alone? You need someone to take care of you. You do. But I no longer can be your Master either."

At a loss for words you can only stare up at him, as he gently detangles your limbs from his and then quickly rises, leaving you behind.

Silence falls upon the room once again, but when before it was calm and comforting it is now pressing down on you, like it's stealing the air out of your lungs.

You want to run after him, call out for him, but, too deep in shock, your body simply won't follow your orders.

Outside the sun has long gone, darkness descending all around you.

You should go, you tell yourself, the only thought that rings out in the hollow of your heart.

But where to? Outside or away?

"I won't let you leave", you hear your Master´s words repeated in your head.

Then why did he leave you?

You don't have an answer for any of your questions, too numb and exhausted to care.

Slowly you get to your feet, carefully feeling your way through that dark.

Your hands reaching out, they make contact with what seems to be the entrance and you know you made it, are just about to turn the door knob when all of a sudden there comes a voice.

"Wait."

With a startled squeak you whirl around to be faced with a tall figure standing across from you; of course you didn't sense your Master's approach and your first instinct is to be horribly ashamed.

However that quickly fades, the least of your worries, when seemingly out of nowhere the room lightens up and you are able to see him fully, completely clad in black again, donning his robes like an armor.

Abruptly it feels like the last hours and weeks were nothing but a dream; as he stands there looking at you, he once again is the perfect picture of the strict and compassionate Master.

His suit and boots perfectly in order, his hair in place and his features calm and belying the emotions, he displayed just a few minutes ago, he looks like he did all those years ago when you saw him for the very first time.

That day, unbeknownst to you, but not to him, you fell in love.

And looking at him now you never were so sure you still are, the same feelings, that came to the surface upon your first meeting, clawing their way up with such force that it hurts.

He steps towards you then and you fight the urge to throw yourself at his feet, to apologize to beg, to cry, to worship, to do anything to convince him to let you stay with him. To make him allow you to exist in his presence.

He has too! He said so himself. He wouldn't let you go. He can´t.

"Master...", you breathe into the quiet.

"Not to you anymore.", he says with something akin to regret in his eyes.

"I have made my decision and it is final. You no longer are a student of my academy."

He might as well have punched through your ribcage, brutally ripping out your heart, tearing its strings; it would have hurt less than this.

You simply stare, too shocked to even cry. Your body reacts like under remote control, your brain shutting down.

"...I understand."

Quickly turning away you grab the door handle with desperate fingers.

You need to get out of here as fast as possible.

Not a single second longer will you be able to bear this humiliation.

The door, however, doesn't budge and it takes you a moment to realize it's because a big hand is easily holding it shut above you.

In an act of desperation, you reach for it with unknown bouts of desperation, gripping it tightly to rip it away, to let you free.

The hand surprisingly moves, but only to wrap itself around the back of your neck and turn you around, pressing you flat against the hard wood.

Your Master's stare is unwavering, sending chills down your spine, nearly scaring you in its intensity.

He lowers his head to speak into your ear, his voice husky.

"No. I don't think you do."

Stepping away and pulling you along, the grip he has around your neck leaves you no other choice but to comply as he finally opens the door, leading you outside.

As your chest quickly rises and falls with your attempts to gather enough of the cool night air, his demeanor gentles, his hand wandering up to stroke your cheek

"It has grown late. Go back to your room, lay down to rest. I expect to see you again tomorrow."

You bristle and shake off his touch.

"I- I don't understand. What- I'm not a student here anymore, I'm not your Padawan. You said you made your decision. That distance between us would be what is best."

He looks at you and at first doesn't respond, as if waiting for you to catch on.

You don't know what you are supposed to catch on to.

"I also said", he begins slowly

"that it is in no way appropriate for a Master to act on his Padawans's feelings."

You blink in disbelief, something that feels a lot like anger arising in your chest.

"Yes. Why do you have to rub that in? I understand. I UNDERSTAND you don't want me and you never will! You-"

With an exasperate sigh he tilts his head.

"Are you my Padawan?", he asks.

Too indignant to care about your manners, you wave your finger in his face.

"Well noooo, I'm not! How can you be so unbearable CRUEL, making me repeat it again and again and- oh."

Oh.

Leaning down he cradles your face in between his hands, leaving a lingering kiss on the crown of your head.

"Go to bed, sweet girl. I'll be here in the morning."

[burnwater13]

Din Djarin showing the Klatooinian mob boss the bounty fob with his image, in the Ring world butcher shop. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 5, Return of the Mandalorian. Calendar by DateWorks.

NOTE: This is a lightly edited excerpt from another Grogu story. It fits this photo better than anything I could write fresh. Please enjoy.

Grogu’s Diary

Time for Meditation Practice with Master Luke… 

Location: Meadow

Grogu understood that Master Luke wanted him to meditate. But Grogu couldn’t help but worry about the Mandalorian. Din Djarin had only sent Grogu with Luke because he realized that it was pretty easy for a person using a lightsaber to cut up a bunch of battle droids. Grogu wished that the Mandalorian had simply asked Luke for one. It would have made everything easier. 

First, without Grogu to look after him, what would Din Djarin do if he got hurt? Or lost? Or lonely? He’d probably go back to bounty hunting. Yech. Bounty hunting had been a noble profession when the people they were collecting were actual bad actors and criminals. But it was hard to say that was the case. After all, look at how they met! Grogu hadn’t done anything wrong. Why would you kidnap someone and think it was a good thing?

Anyway, Grogu could just imagine the Mandalorian taking a bounty puck to help him earn the credits to replace the Razor Crest. He’d probably have to go someplace dangerous. And he’d end up meeting a bunch of bad people who would want to hurt him. People like a Klatooinian syndicate boss. 

Din Djarin would walk into wherever that guy was and try to not freak out the other people there. That would be hard to do because Mandalorians had a reputation for being dangerous and very hard to kill. That whole hunter and prey thing. 

Eventually he’d find the person. That guy would probably be sitting around and counting his credits. Grogu was pretty sure that’s what the bad guys did that got them into all that trouble to begin with. They stole, or skimmed, or otherwise obtained credits that didn’t actually belong to them. If you are going to do that, you are going to count those credits.

He could just see the Mandalorian politely explaining that the person could decide if they wanted to come in cold or warm. They never really picked warm, even if they thought they did. The bad people usually did something or said something that made it impossible for the Mandalorian to bring them in warm. 

Without Grogu by his side to guide him, the Mandalorian would bring this person in very cold. Like ‘head in a bag’ cold. Ooooh. That gave Grogu a bad case of the shivers. He’d seen worse but he still didn’t like to think about it. He couldn’t imagine how hard doing that must be to the Mandalorian. He was a pretty gentle person, all things considered. Taking someone’s life was never his preferred way of solving a problem, even if it had been pretty frequent for a while.

The people who know the deceased would likely be pretty sad about it, right? But knowing the Mandalorian, Grogu was certain that he would treat them fairly. He had no doubt that Din Djarin would offer them the credits because he didn’t need them. He’d have the head to give to people who put out the bounty. He’d get paid. 

Any way, a person bad enough for Din Djarin to go after them probably wasn’t treating the people they knew very well. It seemed likely to Grogu that those folks had probably been cheated too and it would only be fair for them to get their credits back. His friend, the Mandalorian, would be doing them a favor. 

But could he do all that without getting hurt? Grogu didn’t think so. Even if he used the Darksaber, it was pretty likely that Din Djarin would still have something bad happen. Grogu wondered if he could heal the Mandalorian from so far away… he’d have to ask Master Luke when they were done with meditation time.

Time for Skills Practice with Master Luke… 

Location: Pathways

Grogu was sad. Master Luke didn’t really give him a straight answer about being able to heal a person (the Mandalorian) from a vast distance. Master Luke said, “Grogu, focus on the now. You are here with me now. We do not know where the Mandalorian is or what he is doing.”

Grogu didn’t really believe that. He could feel Din Djarin in his heart and he knew the Mandalorian was lonely. He’d probably brought the head in a bag to the person who set up the bounty. Grogu bet he told that person to put the head on ice, like that was going to make it less gross. That’s a Mandalorian for you.

And while he would at least have the credits he needed to build or buy a ship, he still wouldn’t have Grogu with him. Credits didn’t really cure loneliness. 

For loneliness you need to have people you care about or at least tolerate in your life. Grogu bet that Din Djarin was looking for the other Mandalorians. He always wanted to see them when things were getting rough. Grogu had no doubt that they were somewhere nearby. Hidden in plain sight. They were good at that. Probably why the Covert was called a covert.

Grogu had taken to calling Luke’s Jedi Training School, a sleep away Jedi camp, because they spent all of their time outside. Once the mech ants finished building the buildings he’d think about calling it a school. But it wasn’t a covert. Not like how the Mandalorians did things.

Grogu looked up as he heard Master Luke call his name. He gave him a quizzical look because that one always worked out the best. If he gave Luke his ‘I’m sad and I don’t really like being here’ look, he be on the receiving end of a fresh edition of the ‘Jedi don’t do attachments’ lecture. Grogu preferred to only hear that lecture once a day. 

“Grogu, Jedi have to practice way finding. To do that you will need…” Master Luke was droning on. Grogu wondered if Din Djarin was being droned at by the other Mandalorians. He was pretty sure that the Armorer was great at delivering lectures. He wondered if the bounty hunter was being lectured about taking his helmet off so Grogu could see his face? It seemed likely. 

Grogu knew that the Creed, or the Way, prohibited Mandalorians from removing their helmets in front of other people. But honestly that was a bit silly to him. Din Djarin had to partially remove the helmet just to eat. Up a little, take a bite or a sip, then right back down. Over and over and over. Grogu appreciated that he would never see how messy or neat an eater the Mandalorian really was, but wearing the helmet seemed pretty odd to him. 

But then maybe because Din Djarin had the Darksaber now the Armorer would honor him as their new Mand’alor and he could change the rules and let everyone take their helmet off when they needed to or at least with their family. That would be nice, right?

But if the other Mandalorians saw that Din Djarin had the Darksaber would they be happy for him or mad? What if they wanted the silly thing? What if he had to fight them? What if he got hurt? How could he be so far away from Grogu, getting hurt and being scolded without the help of his favorite pal? That just didn’t seem right. Grogu had so much and the Mandalorian had so little. 

“Grogu? Grogu, are you listening to me or do I need to review the ten points of way finding again for you?” Master Luke sounded a bit out of sorts.

Grogu smiled at him and pointed to the path. The first rule of way finding is know where you are. Grogu knew right where he was and that it wasn’t where he wanted to be.

This was not the Way.

Check the link here for the complete story:

[wanderingthroughsands]

II. Long I stood there wondering, fearing

You was the glue that would keep me together Now that you broke the seal I'm finna glow for real Holding the people that was broken together I know we both not healed Never been home I feel

– "Dreamlord" by kenji

The sluggish computer on my desk had never frustrated me as much as it did today. Long minutes passed before I could open the browser, and even longer before Hector fixed the internet connection issue I had reported. Standing over him, impatiently digging my nails into my arms, I listened to Veronica recount yet another nightmare she’d had that night. This time, it was less intense, but still terrifying enough to make her wake up drenched in cold sweat. Not paying any real attention to what she was saying, I repeated the advice I had given her yesterday, to which she merely waved her hand dismissively and muttered that no amount of rationalization had helped her wake from the dream.

"Maybe this job is just too stressful for me?" Veronica pondered aloud, staring at the tiny cracks in the ceiling.

"This job?" I muttered incredulously, unable to hold back my thoughts. Hearing my derisive tone, Veronica froze for a moment, then burst into short laughter.

"You may be right, I can't think of a single thing here that could stress me out. So maybe it's because of Luke? Maybe my body is sending me signals that he's not the right man?"

"I don't think it's Luke's fault. Thanks, Hector," I said, nodding to our IT specialist as he left, and immediately pounced on the keyboard. Veronica's resigned expression stopped me from diving into the tasks I had planned to search for. With a soft sigh, I caught her eye with my gaze. "Have you ever tried meditating? Or any relaxation techniques? Try disconnecting from the internet before bed, listen to some soothing music, take a long, warm bath, have a glass of good wine."

"Good wine is actually quite a solid piece of advice," she said, smiling at me. "I could also finally listen to those philharmonic concert CDs that Luke keeps bringing to my place."

"And maybe then you'll stop wondering if the man who brings you pleasant music is the right one or not," I winked at her but quickly hid behind my screen to avoid further discussion.

Throughout the night, I replayed my encounter with the dark-haired man in my mind. In my imagination, I could still see his face, his sharp features, and his gaze, which seemed vast enough to contain the whole universe. I felt the energy emanating from his body as he stood mere centimeters from me. I remembered the threat in his words about danger and irreparable harm. There was a depth and emptiness in him simultaneously, and I couldn't understand why he had instilled fear in me from the very first moment I saw him before the accident several years ago.

The Dream Lord. This phrase was the first thing I typed into the search engine, only to be immediately flooded with countless descriptions of that one character* from a popular TV series. I had to skip several tabs before something new caught my eye. The article was titled: "From Piaskun to Sandman – Figures of Dream across the Ages."

The term "Dreamlord" appeared several times, along with others like "Dream," "Oneiros," "Morpheus," and "Sandman." The latter yielded significantly more results. As I read, I learned that the Sandman was a character inspired by European mythology, a being who put children to sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes. However, this name was also associated with rulers, gods, and guardians of sleep from various mythologies around the world. The Dream Lord I encountered must have been a creature existing for millennia, perhaps since the very creation of the universe.

And now, this creature wanted me dead.

Having perused most of the available online sources, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a few moments. Dreamlord had found me in Fiddler’s Green, where I usually rested between nightmares. He sought me out because I was traveling through other people's nightmares, rescuing them from their terrors, although it seemed no one from my world should be doing this. If he had forbidden me, I would likely have agreed to stop… despite the fact that, for the past few years, it had been my sole, genuine purpose. Yet, in my desire to help, I had no idea I could cause anyone harm. That I could inflict "irreparable damage"…

But it wasn’t only my wanderings through nightmares that made the King of Dreams want to destroy me. It was the power that enabled these journeys — a power that had manifested the first time I saw him in that park.

Suddenly, a surprised gasp from Sophie, the head of the marketing department, broke my reverie. She stood in the doorway to my left, staring at something behind me.

“Oh my, girls, look at that enormous bird!”

Frowning, I turned toward the window to see a large, black raven clawing at the outer windowsill.

"Disgusting," Veronica muttered, grimacing at the sight. "I wonder how long it's been sitting there. It doesn't seem afraid of us at all."

"I'm a bit afraid of it, to be honest. Kind of reminds me of Hitchcock's movies," Sophie said, then moved towards Veronica, and in a moment, they were engrossed in a conversation about the cover of the latest book we were publishing.

Taking advantage of their distraction, I moved my chair a bit closer to the window and carefully examined the raven, which hadn't flown away despite our movements and gestures. I looked into its eyes, and it met my gaze with surprising awareness—it didn’t turn its head, not even a twitch. For several long seconds, we just stared at each other, and only when it finally flew away did I realize I had been holding my breath the entire time.

Under the influence of that familiar mix of fear and anticipation, I typed into the search engine: The Dream Lord’s Raven. An image appeared—a dark, faceless figure dressed in black with an enormous raven perched calmly on his shoulder. The picture led to a link where I found the portfolio of an illustrator employed at some agency in California. Beside the graphic were the title and caption: Lord Morpheus, King of the Dreaming. Illustration for the book "The History of Dream" by Rose Walker. Release date: November 18, 2022.

The Dreaming. That was precisely the word Dreamlord had used to describe his realm when speaking with me.

A quick glance at the calendar revealed that there was just over a month until the book's release. I bookmarked the image, also noting Rose Walker's name. Such similar terminology could only be a coincidence, but the image, which so faithfully depicted the statuesque man from my dream, suggested otherwise. Perhaps someone else, besides me, had encountered the Dream Lord. And perhaps that person could help me free myself from him.

That day, I saw the black raven several more times. When I left work, it was perched on a lamppost, staring at me motionlessly. During lunch with my mother, it pecked at the restaurant window several times, and later, as we walked home, it flew over our heads so low that its claws nearly grazed her hair. It also appeared in my bedroom window as I was getting ready for bed, wrapped in a robe after a long shower.

It took me only a moment to decide what to do. I shouted "Goodnight" to my mother through the ajar door, then closed it and walked towards the window. I opened it abruptly, but even that didn’t scare away the raven. It merely shook its wings slightly and cawed, its piercing yellow eyes still fixed intently on me.

The chill of the night air swept into my room, but that wasn’t what occupied my thoughts—I had a message to convey.

"Tell your master, the Dream Lord," I said through clenched teeth, weighing each word carefully, "that I will stop my journeys through nightmares if he stops threatening me and sending his spies after me. Like him, I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I will not allow myself to be killed for a skill I never asked for. So be kind enough to tell him to leave me alone."

"Technically, he cannot leave you alone, Rebecca," to my astonishment, the raven responded in a human voice, firm yet tinged with compassion. "You are the child of his Nightmare."

"I am..." the shock left me unable to decide what was more absurd to me: the talking raven or the words it had spoken. "…what?"

"You are a threat to the Dreaming," the bird's voice was that of a man, and suddenly I saw something human in its eyes, a hint of pleading. "As long as you can freely wander his realm, you will continue to wreak havoc in it… just as you have done so far."

"But... I don't understand any of this. I haven't destroyed anything in any of the nightmares; I only helped people wake up, which would have happened sooner or later anyway. How am I a threat to the Dream Lord if I stop interfering in others' nightmares now?"

"It’s not just your wanderings that are dangerous to him, and us all. Your power to travel through the Dreaming comes from a Nightmare that once defied Morpheus. You are the last remnant of that Nightmare, lingering here in the waking world."

"I'm not a nightmare!" I raised my voice, drawing the attention of people walking on the sidewalk beneath my building. "I help people; I don't torment them with horrific visions of pain, suffering, and death. If anyone here is a nightmare, it's Dreamlord, because he's the one terrorizing dreamers, bringing forth their deepest fears!"

"Shit, I don;t think he’d like that..." the bird shook its head nervously and quickly looked around, as if expecting someone to emerge from the shadows at any moment.

"You know what, raven?"

"My name is Matthew," it mumbled, clearly growing more uneasy.

"Alright then, Matthew," I said, leaning closer to its beak and speaking very quietly, mustering all my strength to suppress the mixture of fear and anger rising within me. "I won’t let the Dream Lord capture me or kill me. Tell him that if he wants to catch me, he will have to chase me to my death, through all the nightmares of this world. Either that, or he finds a way to take away the power that terrifies him so much. If I am a mistake of your Lord Morpheus and his Nightmare, then let Lord Morpheus correct his mistake... but I did nothing to deserve to die for it."

I slammed the window shut before the bird could say anything more. In a surge of raw, bubbling emotions, I sat on the bed, burying my head in my arms, my fingers tangling in my hair.

I seems that from now on, every night would be a flight into nightmares. Dreamlord would never forgive, never forget the defiance I had shown him, and he would undoubtedly defend his realm at all costs.

Defend... against me... a child of his Nightmare...

The memory of his infinite eyes came back to me unexpectedly, stirring the familiar feelings that always heralded a nocturnal journey. I hoped that in my own world, I was safe, far from him. And in the Dreaming... there, I had always known quite well how to hide.

*The Dream Lord – one of the main antagonists in the TV series "Doctor Who".

[alwaysrememberjesus]

Holy Week - Saturday

Luke 23:50-56

Imagine how Mary Magdalene must have felt on Saturday after the crucifixion. She had personally experienced Jesus’ healing power; she had heard his voice as he taught, seen his eyes of compassion as he healed the sick and raised the dead. She was a devoted servant of his entourage and, most importantly, fervently believed that he was God in the flesh, the long-awaited Messiah.

And yet, Jesus was dead. She saw his brutal execution. She sat across from the tomb as his body was carried in. Her thoughts bombarded her. Memories of Jesus’ ministry must have alternated with the horrific images from the day before of his swollen eyes shut in his unrecognizable face.

Aside from her grief and confusion, she wanted to get on with Jesus’ burial. Even if he wasn’t God, he was her friend, and she loved him. In times of despair, it can help to have some work to do. At least it is a distraction. Together with the other women, she had gathered the necessary supplies, but they didn’t have time to finish the job before the Sabbath began at sunset.

On Saturday, Mary Magdalene was at home grieving, wondering what the last few years of her life had been for. All was lost.

So, what did she do? She obediently followed the commandment.

She returned to the basics of her faith. She remembered the Holy Word of God given to Moses centuries before. When she didn’t understand what God was doing and perhaps questioned if He was even there, she rehearsed what she did know. While her eyes were fogged with tears, she kept her spiritual eyes fixed upon her God. She was obedient to the seemingly irrelevant, simple commandment that she knew. To rest. To wait. To trust.

You probably know the rest of the story. Mary went to the tomb on Sunday to finish burying her friend at the earliest possible moment. But instead, she became the first person to see the Risen Jesus!

The lesson here is simple. All of us have troubled times in our lives. Big problems, little problems, times when God seems silent and far away. Dead even. Times of grief and doubt. What should I do when I don’t know what to do? Rest. Wait. Trust. Rehearse the basics… the spiritual ABCs. On my Silent Saturday, I am to do the right things I know to do.

Meditate on this: If Mary Magdalene had not obeyed the commandment to observe the Sabbath, if she had ignored the Sabbath and sneaked to the tomb on Saturday, she would have missed the greatest experience of her life. She would have missed seeing the Resurrected Jesus.

If you are in a time of confusion, anxiety, or despair, resolve to be obedient. It’s ok to be sad, but amid your Silent Saturday experience, set your eyes on Jesus. Just as our Lord did in Luke 9:51, be determined. Resolve to follow him completely. Most likely, some clarity will eventually come. But even if it doesn’t, even if you never understand the “why” of your situation, you can find comfort in knowing that you are being faithful in the waiting. And that at the end of the journey, you will, just like Mary Magdalene, hear him lovingly call your name and see Him with your own eyes!

[venator-arts]

infinity stone are hearts of kyber

hey yall this is an explanatory post for my new fic infinity stones are hearts of kyber (pls check it out) based on this comic

if you're interested, please go read the fic first as thing contains spoilers

SPACE

Characters:

Obi-Wan Kenobi power: teleportation via knock-off World Between Worlds; can teleport as long as he can see/has an idea of where he needs to go; lightsaber will always return to closest ally attunement moment: seeing Qui-Gon stabbed

Planets/beings connected:

Lothal Loth Wolves Purgill

MIND

Characters:

Plo Koon power: enhanced battle meditation; stronger connection between him and those he is close to; gains memories of each of his men; because of this connection, he feels deaths in the force a lot stronger attunement moment: the malevolence

Rey power: psychometry; she connects with the minds of those who held/used the object, can understand some of the thoughts they may have had attunement moment: completing her lightsaber (which is actually a lightsaber staff cause i think thats cool)

Planets/beings connected:

Jedha - Holy City for Jedi; jedi hold mind stone in high esteem Father - idk man i included the other two and he fit the vibes; my notes say "Father is mind (yuh)"

POWER

Characters:

Mace Windu power: shatterpoint (i dont need to say more) attunement moment: learning shatterpoint

Planets/beings connected:

Coruscant - in the core of the planet from the old sith temple (sith love power) and the reason why a city planet hasn't collapsed Son - the dark side of the force

REALITY

Characters:

Palpatine power: reality manipulation (helps him with all his evil sith things) attunement moment: idk do we really know anything abt this man

Maul power: went mad from being chopped in half and teleported to a random planet and holding onto a Shard that he wasn't attuned to; later allowed him to see through palpatine's plan

Planets/beings connected:

Mortis - self-explanatory Mortis gods - all three are connected in the loosest sense while having stronger connections to other stones

TIME

Characters:

Qui-Gon Jinn power: able to learn force ghost things; can look into certain significant events (eg. his death) attunement moment: ambiguous, i think it happened along the way

Yoda power: visions; extension of life attunement moment: Force Priestess saying he can learn from Qui-Gon how to ghost

Luke Skywalker power: visions of past, present and future attunement moment: healing a bleeding crystal (this bit is canon from comics i looked it up)

Planets/beings connected:

Takodana and Maz Kanata - Maz is the guardian of the stone that is in the planet's core (it's why she's so incredibly old) and time moves different in pockets of the world which i made up Morai - lil green owl that follows ahsoka, led ezra to find her in the World Between Worlds

SOUL

Characters:

Cal Kestis power: psychometry/force echoes; connects with the souls of the people using the object (also i play him with an orange saber cause i think its cool) attunement moment: collecting his crystal on Ilum

Planets/beings connected:

Vormir and Red Skull - only actual crossover with mcu cause i couldn't be bothered to think of a planet that fit Daughter - gave her soul to save ahsoka

[graysistance]

𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧

the year is 34 aby, and the resistance has a new political star.

two, actually. 

a young woman who streaked from galactic oblivion to not only survive capture by kylo ren and torture by the first order, but count a victory against ren to her name, and a young man who'd turned away from the first order's stormtrooper programming, proved that starkiller base wasn't as defensible as the first order would like to think, and just narrowly survived what could have been a debilitating lightsaber injury.

frankly, rey is upset to have missed the bulk of finn's recovery. mostly his waking up. instead, she'd run off to the other end of the precious map bb-8 and r2-d2 had put together, components practically shaking with hope and glee. leia's blessing and pleas had gone with her, an enormous privilege, but when all was said and done finn was far more preferable to cantankerous luke skywalker. not even the stunning setting with water as far as the eye could see helped.

in the end, luke agreed to return to his sister's side - and by extension, the resistance. either rey convinced him or he convinced himself; it almost didn't matter. the journey back to d'qar nearly reduced rey to exclaiming in luke's face that she didn't know how luke managed to achieve what he apparently had over the course of the galactic civil war, but she held her tongue and they did in fact arrive in one piece. the reunion of a long-parted sister and brother managed to soften her heart at least a little. as did being able to throw her arms around a mostly recovered but very awake finn at long last. 

eventually it was decided that luke would begin to train rey in the ways of  the jedi arts while leia contributed as she had opportunity. suddenly rey's life was busier than it had ever been before. hours spent in hyperspace became days spent in focused mediation or exhausting rounds of dueling and saber forms. her time on d'qar was limited, and therefore time with her friends was as well. rey began to hoard opportunities to join resistance fighters in the black, defending planets in need or forming up to rain fiery hell down upon the first order. 

all that changed when, after a few standard months of tutelage under luke, the skywalker twins sent rey out alone on a mission to stalsinek iv with nothing save her recently completed yellow bladed saber and a short holo from leia referencing some prior agreement of safe passage "should anything go wrong."

her mission: find the site of a fabled great fountain that supposedly spewed water that granted healing and a longer lifespan. the drinking of the water wasn't the point, luke emphasized, but to sit in the fountain's presence, feel the strength of the force around it, and meditation in the wash of heightened power. he'd called it a "nexus", much like the caves of dagobah from his youth or the jedi temple on ach-to and the cave below from rey's recent experience. it was there she was supposed to find some semblance of balance and peace. 

during rey's most arduous journey yet to the mysterious hapes consortium, she began to wonder if balance or peace were even possible. 

once she'd manually threaded her way through the heavily ionized minefield of the transitory mists, locking the consortium away from the rest of the inner rim and indeed the rest of the galaxy itself, past the tangled knot holes that threatened to yank her into a plethora of unknown hyperspace lanes and setting her progress maker knew how far back, rey arrived in the hapes cluster that contained stalsinek iv. with great care rey crept her way through consortium space, clinging to the barest threads of the force to show her the way. and show her the way they did. 

from space, stalsinek iv was a jewel-toned planet that conjured images of rich forests and the constant presence of burbling rivers and streams. rey only had moments to feel the intensity of gleeful relief before the falcon's sensors blared, warning her of a speedily approaching craft. she had mere seconds to flick the shields on full blast before multiple barrages of cannon fire slammed against the falcon's hull. 

kylo ren had followed her through the transitory mists and waited until she'd slowed her search to a crawl before attacking, the absolute sleemo. he was not at all interested in keeping to a low profile and continued to unload his munitions onto her, cornering rey into firing back. 

what followed was a concentrated dogfight that left rey's head pounding as she grit down on her teeth in painful ferocity and the entire span of the falcon groaning from sharp turns and dives. all the while, the two ships crawled closer and closer to the surface of the rainforest planet. 

in a sudden, inspired move that rey could barely telegraph, she fired precisely toward one of kylo's sublight engines and hit dead on. in the resulting explosion, she lost all sight of his ship and, taking the advantage presented, dove almost instantly for the planet's surface below. 

the smoking falcon eventually landed quietly in an almost too-small clearing. rey was beginning to find it both difficult and almost natural to calm her rush of adrenaline. the force was almost breathable it was so strong, and rey could trick herself into believing she saw the force itself filtering through sunbeams like fog. putting kylo ren from her mind and the oddly bittersweet possibility that she may have crippled him and left him to whatever hapans may come across the debris of his tie, the young woman pressed forward. 

she was led step by step, leap by leap, to a quietly glimmering fountain. the clearing around it was dotted with an arrangement of glittering stone pillars covered in carvings that appeared ancient. such confounding and unearthly beauty left rey speechless and awestruck to the point of utter stillness. how long she stood there, she couldn't quantify. she only knew her time of mute reflection came to an end with the crack of a saber igniting behind her. 

kylo had not only survived her blast, but followed her down to the surface and through the barely habitable jungle to the fountain luke had warned her was partly myth, but could still be real. 

the following fight was merciless. 

hours or mere minutes long, rey and kylo clashed again and again and again, losing their sabers only to find them again, diving between columns and dodging falling debris. and all the while, the force nexus roared, imbuing each force user with an intensity of power they'd never before felt capable of. not even on starkiller base when the voices of jedi past had whispered in her ear, encouraging her with every strike and even suggesting multiple offensive moves she'd never before considered with a saber or her quarterstaff. again and again red mingled with yellow as rey valiantly attempted to drive kylo away. yet they were evenly matched with every swing, the force answering each of their calls to it with roars of might. 

and then the force quieted and was gone. 

completely. 

the anomaly was enough to cause kylo to cease his barrage and rey hers, though their sabers were still locked together. rey stared into the obsidian blockade that was kylo's mask, unwilling to pull back. strangely, his helm left her view as kylo's head whipped to the side, apparently detecting something rey could not and trying to spot it before it got too close.

then the footsteps reached her ears. 

almost as soon as she heard them, the sound of blasters being set to what she hoped was stun overrode all other questions.

if her and kylo's dogfight had not alerted hapes' defenses enough, their fight and subsequent destruction of the fountain certainly had. 

although, rey was momentarily confused by the sight of armed soldiers wearing what looked to be night vision paraphernalia. but there was no time to think more on it once the command to put their hands in the air came. and as usual, rey had no intention of doing so. kylo, as it happened, felt the same. almost as if they were linked, kylo and rey began to take as many soldiers down as they could, enough to form a path of escape. they were nearly there when a strange thought to “stop the attack” squirmed its way into her head. very unlike rey to think such a thing, but the thought was persistent and rey eventually listened. as soon as she stilled, a cry of “set to stun!” broke through the air and rey went down like the ruins behind her. 

she woke in darkness and not alone. her and kylo had been brought to a cell of some kind and thrown in together to wait for whatever fate the hapans had in store for them. in typical fashion they argued until more soldiers arrive to remove rey from the cell and take her somewhere private to be questioned. there she found that whatever strange technology had been used to fool her into thinking strange thoughts that made her obey commands was once more being employed. every question she was asked, she had to answer in full truth, leaving no details out. 

but the strangest one was the question of whether or not the names isolder or tenenial djo meant anything to her. her open answer in the negative seemed to confuse her interrogator. 

eventually she was sent back to her cell, but quickly removed one more time before she could really begin explaining to kylo what had gone on. they said prince isolder had arrived. it clearly meant something very important that he was here, although rey couldn’t fathom why.

in short order, rey began to realize that her life was changing in a more immediate way than she could have ever fathomed: her and the prince were related. 

not only that, rey was the royal heir of hapes and granddaughter to ta’chume herself. quite possibly strangest of all, named kira. 

as isolder kept talking, answering all of rey's poorly pieced together and sometimes silent questions, the air was filled with more and more and more practically unbelievable stories that rey nearly refused to accept outright – if it hadn’t been for all the proof isolder was willing to provide. apparently, fourteen years prior, civil war had been tearing the hapes consortium apart at the seams and the royal family were scrambling to keep the throne and stay alive. the crown prince and chume’da’s six year old daughter was under heavy protection, but apparently not enough. to rey’s shock, she was told that she was not left behind in necessity or abandoned with prejudice, but sent far, far away from her home to the relative safety of coruscant. only, during a refueling stop on jakku, a bounty hunter tailing them at the behest of isolder's rebelling brother kalen pulled rey and her nursemaid from their ship, sold the little girl to unkar plutt, and flew away with the nursemaid never to be seen again.

a simple story resulting in a disaster that left a family in pieces. almost worse was the revelation that rey no longer had a mother. tenenial had died shortly after kira's birth under suspicious circumstances. rey didn't know which was worse: discovering that her apparent mother was dead, or realizing that even if she'd been able to grow up in hapes she would never have known her at all.

then came the alarm calling for the prince and his "guest" to be evacuated: kylo had escaped his – their – cell and was now nowhere to be found. and he was armed. rey sprang into action, determined to follow kylo and stop him before he made it off planet. a path of destruction was laid out in front of her and rey discovered that he'd taken her saber, too.

for the second time that day she plunged into the jungles stalsinek iv in search of her quarry. once she breached the walls of the mist patrol's outpost, the force returned to her with a vengeance and rey bounded to catch up with her rival, only to reach him just as he boarded his tie. with his and her sabers clipped to his belt. miraculously, the falcon was not far off. rey jumped in and threw all systems into overdrive in order to catch him. but for once, the force was on kylo's side -- that or his mind was far clearer and he managed to evade her completely, diving into the transitory mists and completely out of her reach.

this battle was over and she was weaponless. and yet on the ground things did not get better. a previously unnoticed transmission from leia had been beeping away, waiting for rey's attention. the first order had sprung upon the resistance's d'qar base, forcing them to abandon it completely. the entire population of the base was now in hyperspace on their way to what they hoped was a viable new location, still to be determined. luke was with her, offering advice and support, but they both urged her to return at once and meet them at a soon to follow rendezvous point. that had been five standard hours ago, and there was no second message.

rey turned for the mists and began her journey back anyway.

it was only when rey on a strange whim stopped above jakku for no other reason than to stare at it that the second message arrived to meet on batuu. black spire, specifically.

once arrived, poe and finn met her in a rush and practically carried her back to luke and leia. in short order, rey's entire story burst forth. both the twins' reactions to the name isolder were peculiar, but none more so than leia's. come to find out, leia had previously met isolder under almost equally as strange circumstances. but as rey came to the end of her story, silence reigned. continued to reign until rey was half inclined to demand the full details of what happened on d'qar. luke broke the silence first, however, by suggesting the two of them go in search of another crystal with which to build her a second saber. once that was done, he turned to his sister. what leia said should not have shocked rey, and yet it did anyway. leia suggested returning to hapes and speaking more with isolder -- maybe even stepping into the place his daughter should always have had at his side.

true power came not only from the force, leia said, but in other, more surprising places. this could be one of them.

so rey did the only thing she could do: listen.

after a standard month of searching and not-so-patient crafting, a second (still yellow-hued) saber fit perfectly into rey's hands, singing the same song as the first crystal had. soon after she slowly boarded an x-wing nursing feelings of dread despite all of the kindest goodbyes she'd been offered. batuu shrunk behind her along with the force signatures of everyone rey had come to love during her time with the resistance. there was no guarantee she'd ever see them again.

her arrival at the transitory mists was as unwelcome as the first go round, but she made it through the second time with far more skill. not sure what else to do, rey returned to the site of the force fountain and from there picked her way to the hapan military outpost. once again the force left her in a rush, but enough soldiers remembered her that her quiet request to speak to the prince was heeded unusually quickly. prince isolder was indeed called and arrived in record time. rey greeted him in embarrassed silence, unwillingly willing to do whatever he asked.

rey didn't remember much after that besides climbing aboard isolder's transport, arriving in a place called ta'a chume'dan and being told she would need to undergo a dna test before she could be presented with confidence to ta'chume. in a fog, rey went where she was led but barely slept in the room set aside for her.

the next morning, she was informed that the test results had finished calibrating. isolder at least had his answer:

rey was really kira ka djo.

what came after that, only ta'chume would be able to tell her.

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE: this verse is based off of the legendary fic "landscape with a blur of conquerors". while loosely following the beginning story beats of the fic, i've changed many details in order to make the story more my own, although all credit belongs our eternal reylo goddess thea for both the base idea and the inspiration with which to create a verse. this one goes out to you, kylorenvevo. may the force always be with you.

[albertfinch]

ENLIGHTENING THE EYES OF OUR HEART

 Ephesians 1:18-19 (NASB): "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe..."

We know that unless God enlightens the eyes of our heart, we will never arrive at the hope of our CALLING in Christ, nor will we have any comprehension of the riches of His goodness towards us.

SEEING WITH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART

The more we pray those verses (Ephesians 1:18-19), the more sure our steps become and the brighter the God's light gets.

Sometimes we may feel we are walking in a trackless wasteland, as if our difficulties have almost started defining us, giving us an unwanted -- we see all sorts of hidden side alleys and unforeseen obstacles, and potential pitfalls.

This gives us all the more reason to learn to see with the eyes of our heart. When we view our life from God's perspective and let Him shine His glorious light on it, all of the detours and potholes start to make sense.

As we pray, affirm and meditate on those verses several times a day those words  invite God to open the eyes of our heart.

We want the eyes of my heart – our spirit-eyes – to be clearly focused and "single," as the King James Bible puts it (Luke 11:34).

With God, all things are possible (see Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27), and He easily factors in our human weaknesses. He knows what the devil does to us.

LOOKING FOR GOODNESS

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38 NASB).

Jesus is always going about doing good, because He said that He would never leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5).  He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:11) so that we would be fruit-bearing in Gods Kingdom through ministering and discipling others into their Christ identity.

KEEPING YOUR CORE VALUES

Continually affirm the following:

1) God is good all the time;

2) God has given me the power to help others with their spiritual needs. (Galatians 1:16)

3) I reap eternal life from the Holy Spirit since I sow my righteous actions and the Word of God to my spirit.  (Galatians 6:8)

"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day...having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation." - 1 Thessalonians 5:4,5,8

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[negotiaetor]

In a perfect world, his encounter with Anakin, with Darth Vader, would have immediately put to rest the things that had been plaguing Obi-Wan for a decade - the what if's, the regret, the vivid nightmares that came no matter how much he meditated, the agony of the loss of everything he had known and loved and the betrayal and guilt surrounding the man who had facilitated it. But the wound remained. He could breath now, no longer choking and suffocating, but the ache had only barely diminished. Qui-Gon was helping. They did not speak of Anakin, of the world before. There was no point, and it would not make it easier to move forward. He kept busy and in the weeks and months following his final battle with his former padawan, he had begun to let go of the things that he had held onto, too tightly, for too long. The things he felt he deserved. The pain. The misery.

You didn't kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.

A last attempt to absolve his old master? Or a declaration, meant to wound? Perhaps it was both. If Anakin Skywalker was dead, Obi-Wan had died with him. Neither had ever left the burning planet alive. But Ben....perhaps Ben could survive. Not healed, not really, but perhaps better than the alternative, fading away into nothing, drowning. Leia had given him strength, reminded him who had had been once, and seeing Luke, happy and alive, the spitting image of his father, had reminded him that for everything they had lost, there was still hope. The future would happen with or without the Jedi, but out there in the world, people were fighting. That mattered. It had to.

[creativewaygrace]

Bible Verses on Focus

1 Corinthians 2:14- But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him, he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

1 Peter 2:24- He bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.

1 Peter 5:8- Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

2 Timothy 2:4- No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life, he seeks to please the commanding officer.

Colossians 3:2- Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Ephesians 4:29- No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need.

Hebrews 12:2- Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfector of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Isaiah 26:3- You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.

Isaiah 41:10- Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you: I will help you: I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 42:5- This is what God, the Lord, says who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it.

Isaiah 50:7- The Lord God will help me; therefore I have not been humiliated, therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Joshua 1:8- This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth: you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Luke 21:36- But be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and stand before the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:13- But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24:22- Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.

Matthew 24:42- Therefore be alert, since you don't know what day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 24:44- This is why you are also to be ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 6:24- No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:33- But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Nehemiah 6:3- So I sent messengers to them, saying. " I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?

Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:8- Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any moral excellence, and if there is anything praiseworthy, dwell on these things.

Proverbs 16:3- Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 4:25- Let your eyes look forward, fix your gaze straight ahead.

Psalm 119:15- I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways.

Romans 12:2- Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:21- Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Romans 13:11- Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Romans 15:4- For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the scriptures.

[childofchrist1983]

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. - Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV

This is the Bible passage that Jesus Christ read in the synagogue and declared that it pertained to Him. This is the beginning of a long list of what the Jewish leaders considered offenses worth having Him killed. They hated that He challenged their teachings. They objected to the people He surrounded Himself with, that He healed people on the Sabbath and called God Almighty His Father. They believed that He had blasphemed, declaring that He was the Son of God.

They really hated the fact that they were losing their power over the people. They knew that they were already on shaky ground with the Roman rule because they did not acknowledge the Emperor as a god. It was only because the Jewish people said that their God, Yeshua, was not of this world but in Heaven, that they were given the freedom to practice their faith. Jesus was threatening that as well. As far back as the early days of his ministry, John had sent emissaries to Jesus Christ to ask if He was the one or if they should look for another. At that time, Jesus sent them back to tell John what they had seen, "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them" (Luke 7:22, Matthew 11:2-6). Because of this and all the healings that did occur, the people were beginning to believe that He was in fact the promised and long-awaited Messiah. The leaders couldn't chance this.

As we approach this Holy Week, may we remember again all that He does and has done for us. May we always remember His words and actions and recommit ourselves to living lives that are worthy of Him and His selfless sacrifice. By the time we reach Friday, the plotting and planning will find its culmination in the crucifixion of Christ. May we take some time this week to read one of the Gospel's accounts of the Passion and meditate on it. Picture yourself at the foot of the cross and tell Jesus Christ how you feel about His sacrifice for you.

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He alone is able to save us, forgiving our sins and gifting us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven. It warms my heart to experience the restful peace and presence of His Truth, light and love and to hear the delight and joy in song as He and all of Heaven celebrates my rescue, and it is with joy and thanksgiving that I raise my voice in praise, rejoicing and song to celebrate with Him, and all because of Him. May we all feel the same.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful Lord, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!