#Ruhan

[rogueish]

MP3 nostalgia wouldn't be a bad name for this kind of mid/late-90s dance influenced pop. Expecially for the tracks drawing on UK Garage, which pretty much coincided with MP3's golden age (by which I mean Napster); maybe slightly anachronistic for the more D&B type stuff. "Selfish" by Maisi is less directly 90s-referencing but in a similar kind of orbit.

[endgamegirls]

[roxirinart]

Doodles of Fenriel and Ruhan, drawn while watching a movie with my housemates :) they're Sindryl! My species - strange tall deer-snake-fox-bird-things :)

[benirium]

[Внутриигровые книги; расы и народы]

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Призрак Терены (Тереноса)

Запись оставлена Азилархом — воином Озёрного прайда, погибшим в противостоянии ферре с Иферией.

Война окончена: человеческая цивилизация вновь потерпела крах. Было пролито слишком много крoви, пусть преимущественно и не нашей.

Я — не первый исполнитель этой непыльной, как мне тогда казалось, работёнки. Сперва эта проблема легла на плечи лучшего солдата Озёрного прайда, Хаулена: он с большим рвением принялся искать потаённые ходы и допрашивать выживших слуг. Но в одно утро его нашли мёpтвым — тело брата было полностью обескрoвлено. Взбешённый подозрительной смеpтью подчинённого, мара Рухан передал задание Заргачу — племенному шаману, в чьей мудрости и искусности прежде не приходилось сомневаться. Тот регулярно общался с духами и безошибочно предсказывал недалёкое грядущее. К великому прискорбию, Заргач повторил незавидную судьбу предшественника.

Слухи об этих загадочных происшествиях распространялись со скоростью лесного пожара. Многие твердили, что те связаны с проклятием правителя Терены — дескать, по обители бродил мстительный дух владыки Бегермана.

Всем в лагере стало не по себе, даже мару Рухана охватило отчаяние: если он не смог обнаружить горы золота, как же ему засечь неосязаемого призрака? Он снова взялся за допросы слуг Терены: «Где ваш король предпочитал уединяться?», «Кто был вхож в сокровищницу, когда глава награждал подданных?» После множества подобных расспросов удалось докопаться до примечательного факта: и монарх, и казначей время от времени посещали царскую усыпальницу.

Склеп располагался на холме за замком, вверх по плотно заросшей дороге. Трое моих спутников даже посмеивались — мол, кроме колючих бурьянов тут и бояться-то нечего. Наше бахвальство улетучилось, едва мы достигли внушительных врат — единственной части оссуария, видимой на поверхности.

Чиркнув кремнем, я зажёг факел, пытаясь хоть немного осветить узкий ступенчатый проход, уходящий глубоко под землю. Каменные стены украшали полусгнившие портреты бывших правителей и членов их семей. Чем дальше мы спускались, тем более ветхие перед нами представали картины — словно хроника падения Терены в лицах. Нижние уровни больше походили на лабиринт. Испугавшись, что не найдём дорогу обратно, мы решили попытаться запомнить портреты. Спустя несколько часов я остановился перед очередным немым обитателем катакомб: по впившемуся в меня сквозь пыль взгляду я понял, что уже видел обладателя этих глаз ранее — недалеко от отправной точки.

Внезапно холод, напоминающий ледяное дыхание, всколыхнул мои усы. Затушив огонь факелов, он мгновенно погрузил нас в кромешную тьму. Мы застыли и приготовились к атаке. Страх разрастался внутри нас, словно набухающий труп, но в комнате по-прежнему не было ровным счётом ничего — разве что давящая тишина да мeртвeнный озноб. Неожиданно раздались короткие шаги. Неужто кто-то из моей когорты самовольно двинулся вперёд? Я рявкнул:

— Никому не двигаться!

Однако мерный стук шагов продолжился.

— Холгот! Гурхул! Джаргал! Вы слышите?! Это приказ!

Никто не отозвался, но топот стал отдаляться, пока не исчез полностью. Дрожащими руками я вытащил из кармана кремень и долго пытался зажечь факел — пламя занялось только с шестой искры.

Стоило темноте расступиться, как я в ужасе сполз по стене: я был весь в крoви, причём не своей. Что же произошло за этот короткий миг? Вся моя группа словно испарилась, но блестящие алые полосы красноречиво подсказывали: кого-то только что уволокли прочь. Тревога сдавила грудь, к горлу подкатывала горечь. В памяти всплывали изуродованные тpупы Хоулена и Заргача, рождая предчувствие, что мои ребята закончат так же. Меня даже посетила мысль бежать отсюда сломя голову. Однако если был хоть мизерный шанс, что напарники до сих пор живы, — нужно во что бы то ни стало спасти их.

Поначалу я пристально изучал окружение и прислушивался к каждому звуку, но единственными шагами, эхом отзывавшимися во мраке, были мои собственные — в конце концов я тихо затараторил молитвы предкам, духу равнин и богу ветра.

Кpoвавая тропа вела в просторный зал, заставленный саркофагами и погребальными урнами. Я внимательно осматривал каждый закуток, и вдруг краем глаза заметил движение. Брошенная им тень не исчезла, даже когда я направил свет прямо на неё: вместо этого она просто зависла в воздухе облачком ярко-красного тумана. Неожиданно этот сгусток скользнул в мою сторону, и в нос ударил резкий запах мокрого железа — запах смeрти. Попятившись назад, я наткнулся на что-то мягкое и податливое — это был Джаргал! Рядом лежали Холгот и Гурхул: казалось, в их стеклянных глазах всё ещё отражался первобытный страх. Как ни странно, на телах не было ни капли кpoви. Сглотнув, я воскликнул:

— Кто ты?! Чего тебе надо?

Алый туман закружился вихрем, трансформируясь в человеческую фигуру. Через пару мгновений на меня смотрел бледный мужчина, облачённый в чёpную мантию. В левой руке он сжимал трость, увенчанную странной мраморной сферой, внутри которой бурлила багровая субстанция.

Зловещий силуэт сделал шаг вперёд. Я немедля выхватил меч и остановил острие лишь в паре мизинцев от складок его капюшона. Незнакомец усмехнулся:

— Куда подевалась твоя прежняя смелость, захватчик?

Вместо слов я ответил точным уколом в шею собеседника, но клинок прошёл прямо насквозь, не встретив ни малейшего сопротивления. Злодей разразился гулким смехом:

— Ты не сможешь причинить мне вреда! Нельзя yбить то, чего не существует в материальном мире.

Он подошёл ещё ближе, размахивая тростью. Её наконечник угодил мне в плечо, вызвав вспышку невыносимой боли.

— Я — само небытие. Мне не составит труда и тебя обратить в ничто…

Я отпрянул, зажав крoвoточащую рану ладонью. «Тень» не стала преследовать меня.

— …Впрочем, от живого тебя пользы будет побольше. Доставь своему хозяину следующее послание: «Если обещаешь оставить Терену, я отдам тебе все её сокровища. Отвергнешь моё предложение — и над Озёрным прайдом на веки вечные нависнет проклятие! Всю необходимую для этого ритуала кpoвь я уже собрал. У тебя есть одна луна и одно солнце, чтобы сделать выбор».

На этом призрак растворился. Я с опаской огляделся, и вдруг, приветствуемый ярким лунным светом, понял, что очутился на выходе из усыпальницы.

Моё скорое донесение, как и ожидалось, вывело мару Рухана из себя:

— Что? Этот отшельник, забившийся в яме с костями, смеет угрожать мне?!

Он поспешно отослал в подземелье целую сотню доблестных воинов, но к рассвету никто из них так и не вернулся, а крики боли и ужаса, доносившиеся оттуда, всё никак не утихали. Вдогонку выдвинулось ещё несколько отрядов, но исход был прежним.

Весь о жутком вампире бродила по войску, вызывая подлинный страх даже у самых смелых ферре. Мнения о целесообразности экспедиции постепенно менялись, и не в пользу предводителя.

Мара Рухан отдал последний приказ — уничтожить вход в королевский склеп. Обрушить весь холм и навсегда похоронить это место.

…Прошли месяцы. На повестке дня стояло вторжение в Иферию. Скорбь по почившим в Терене понемногу утихала, и сплочённые племена вновь сосредоточились на походе. Среди них я чувствовал себя одинокой душой: история проклятого холма никак не отпускала меня. Во вчерашнем кошмаре мне даже явился тот хохочущий колдун:

— Не насилие ознаменует закат народа ветра, — издевательски хрипел он. — Это будет жадность. Жадность приведёт ферре в удушающие объятия Великой силы разрушения, после чего ветру останется завывать лишь над вашими могилами!

оооооооооо

(экипировка в стиле брони мары Рухана)

оооооооооо

Значимыми отсылками эта история не обзавелась, поэтому изложу их прямо здесь:

Маски Верховного жреца и шамана Озёрного прайда (в русскоязычной адаптации — «заклинателя» и «воина» соответственно) — элементы церемониального облачения. В них, как считали ферре, заключены недюжинные магические силы (в первой — и вовсе божественные).

Теренская («тереносская» в материалах локализации) курильница — ёмкость для сжигания благовоний, использовавшаяся в обрядах предков.

Теренская урна — сосуд для хранения праха высокородных граждан.

Балюстрада Терены («обелиск» в локализации) — фигурный столбик, украшавший перила дворянского особняка.

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{ К Содержанию }

[intopower]

Ruhan Breedt. IG: @ruhan_breedt

[in-love-with-srk]

"Hi" you respond wearily. "Mere naam Ruhan hai. Main Reet ka friend hoon." (My name's Ruhan. I'm Reet's friend) He puts his hand forward probably expecting a handshake, but you cross your arms around your chest with a strange expression on your face instead. "Reet didi ki sari friends college se hain. Tum girls hostel main rehene wale nahi lagte." (All of Reet didi's friends are from college. You don't look like you stay in the girl's hostel).

"Actually Reet mujhe yaha khud leke ai hain. Mere Matlab uska bhoot." (Actually Reet brought me here herself, I mean her spirit.) He says gesturing beside him "Woh yahi pe hi khari hain-" (She's standing right here-) "Acha to tum Rooh Baba ho. Tumhe ye natak Karne ki zarurat nahi hain. Mujhe pata hain ki vo zinda hain. (Oh so you're Rooh Baba. You don't need to pretend. I know she's alive).

"Tumhe kese pata?" (How do you know?). "Reet didi meri behen hai. Unhone ne hi mujhe bataya." (Reet didi is my sister. She told me). "Oh usne mujhe tumhare bare mein bataya tha. Ha pur usne mujhe yeh nahi bataya ke tum ese dikhte ho" (Oh she told me about you. But she forgot to mention you look this) He says smirking slightly making you blink in surprise.

You begin to walk when he says "Tum bhi yahi pe rehte ho?" (Do you live here too?) "Now I do, thanks to you and Reet didi." You turn around to respond. You begin to turn away again before he starts talking again. "Suno" (Listen). "Ab kya ha?" (What is it now?)

"Tumhari to shaddi arrange nahi hui hai na? Jesi Reet ki hui thi" (Your marriage hasn't been arranged like Reet's had been, right?) He asks looking hopeful. "Nahi" (No). You say slightly confused. He grins in response. "Good good. Ab tum ja sakte ho." (Good good. You can go now). "Aapki bahot meherbani." (How very kind of you) You respond sarcastically. "Bye" He says making you let you a laugh. "Hase toh phase" He says to himself still smiling.

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Ruhan of the Fomori

Unfettered by allegiance, driven by war.

Artist: Raymond Swanland TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[hbedebiyatsanat]

Kültür sanat programımız #KaralamaDefteri’nin bu haftaki konuğu, İnsan Hakları Savunucusu-Eğitimci-Çevirmen-Şair-Yazar #RuhanMavruk olacak. Birlikte, yaşam-sanat çizgisi,  yayınlanmış kitapları ve son kitabı “Hoşgeldin Geronimo” ile edebiyat çalışmaları ve güncel siyasal gelişmeler üzerine konuşacağız. Tüm dostlarımızı söyleşimize Karalama Defteri'ne, #MardefTv 'ye bekliyoruz...TARİH :10 Mayıs 2023 Çarşamba Avrupa saati 19.00Türkiye saati 20.00 MARDEF TV EkranlarındaCANLI YAYIN linkleri :Mardef Radyo / TVwww.youtube.com/c/mardeftvwww.youtube.com/c/HasanBulutNurhakSOSYAL MEDYA :Sosyal medya hesaplarımıza abone olalım, birbirimizi takip edip dayanışalım, sosyal medya hesaplarımızı güçlendirelim. Dayanışma inceliği gösteren dostlara şimdiden çok teşekkür ediyorum...Birlikte güçlüyüz. #KaralamaDefteri YouTube ve Facebook sayfamıza abone olmaya dayanışmaya bekliyoruz.YouTube :- https://youtube.com/@HasanBulutKaralamaDefteri- https://www.facebook.com/HasanBulutileKaralamaDefteri

[grosirkaoskakicomel]

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[bearditorium2]

Ruhan (South Africa)

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

THE RED MILL

request- so hear me out...........Moulin Rouge but Obi-Wan.

Done my best with this one. I hope.you all like it. Comments welcome.

Word count - 11,741 its a long one. One part only full story

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a broken man. He sits alone against the wall of a boarding house, furniture and clothing strewn around him. A bottle of half drunk Tatooine wine in his hand. Looking across the room he stands slowly, walking, though hardly lifting his feet to the data pad. He sits at the table and lifts it.

As he slowly types the words, and tries to fight back the inevitable tears.

THE GREATEST THING

YOU’LL EVER LEARN

IS JUST TO LOVE

AND BE LOVED

IN RETURN

The Red Mill.

A nightclub, a dance hall, and a bordello. Ruled over by Zidler the Hutt, a kingdom of nighttime pleasures. Where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld. The most beautiful of all these was the woman I loved.

Y/n.

A courtesan, she sold her love to men.

They called her the sparkling diamond and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge.

The woman I loved is…

The Jedi looks out his window at the Red Mill across the street, the lights that once shone brightly in reds, blues and yellows stood dull and broken.

…dead.

A tear falls from his eye, dropping onto the datapad.

I knew nothing of Zidler the Hutt, Red Mill or y/n. The galaxy had been swept up in the destruction of the Jedi and the rise of the Emperor. I had travelled to Tatooine to hide from it all. After the loss of my Padawan Anakin Skywalker I wanted to disappear. On a hill near Moss Eisley was a small town called Montmartre. There I found cheap lodgings in a building built of the same sand and mud as all the other buildings. Montmartre was not as I had thought it, not a place of debauchery and sin but a town of truth, beauty, freedom and love. The only problem was, I knew nothing of love. There was once a woman, Satine but she is gone now.

Luckily, right at that moment, an unconscious Twileak fell through my roof. He was quickly joined by a dwarf dressed in a strange costume.

"How do you do? My name is Henri-Marie-Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa." The unhooded Jawa spoke.

"What?" Obi-Wan stumbles back from the pair.

Henri attempts to pull the Twileak from the rope holding him between the two rooms.

"I’m terribly sorry about all this. We were just upstairs rehearsing a play."

"What?" Obi-Wan isn't sure if he should be listening to any of this.

"A play! Something very modern called Spectacular Spectacular and it’s set in Naboo." Henri explained, "Unfortunately, the unconscious Twileak suffered from a sickness called Narcolepsy." He sat down at the small table, while Obi-Wan examines the Twileak now lying on his bed.

"Perfectly fine one moment, then suddenly unconscious the next." Henri laughs. The faces of THE DOCTOR, AUDREY, and SATIE appear through the hole from which the Argentinean came. Henri and Obi-Wan look up at them.

"How is he?" The bald man asked.

"How wonderful, now the Narcoleptic Twileak is unconscious, and therefore the scenario will not be finished in time to present to the financier tomorrow." Audrey grumbled, her sharply cut dark hair dangling down.

"Right, Henri, I still have to finish the music." Satie nervously shuffled.

"We’ll just find someone to read the part." Henri grinned, turning his head toward Obi-Wan.

Before I knew it, I was upstairs standing in for the unconscious Twileak. There was so much noise, the frankly atrocious lyrics that had been written for nonsensical music. My brain was still too tired to function and so I sat down on their makeshift set and waited for someone to do something. That was when I recalled the poetry of Master Ruhan. I read it all in the archives and so to halt their squabbling I sang out.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music!"

That was it! They wanted me. Audrey was so enthusiastic and left.

The Twileak woke and announced it was time to drink and so I had my first taste of Absentlie, a green drink that forced out your worries and let's in the green fairy.

As they drank, the companions dragged Obi-Wan across the street to the Red Mill, where they watched the women dancing. Like confetti falling from a great height they moved around the dance floor in brightly coloured dresses. Music, played by a band in the small stage; blared through speakers all around the room.

Zidler threw up his arms and called out to the room. Everyone fell quiet as the lights dimmed and silver paper floated down from the ceiling. Upon a wooden swing you descend, a glittering outfit, your voice echoes through the hall. Obi-Wan looks around, every set of eyes in the building were zeroed in on you, all men and women and droids listened intently to your words.

"I have arranged a private reading with Y/n after her number." It would be his job to convince you that his writing would put the Red Mill amongst the greatest theatres in the galaxy.

Your body moves as if it is controlled by the music and the words you sing. Henri speaks to Obi-Wan, though he does not hear what is said. You slipped behind a circle of dancers.

When you reappeared you had the dancing men spin you on a chair across the room until they deposited you in front of Obi-Wan.

"I believe you were expecting me." You breathe out so only the Jedi could hear you. He gulps, but does not move.

"I'm afraid it's ladies choice!" You call out to the crowd. The group Obi-Wan had entered with, push him toward you and you lead him down to the dance floor. All around the dancers and the patrons danced in what felt to Obi-Wan to be a practised dance. You help him to follow the movements. There is something about the way your skin feels running over his own that sends shivers of warmth through the Jedi. A sensation he had not felt for some time.

Unknown to Obi-Wan, another man watched your every move. Duke Valru, a Senator in the new Empire, waited for his moment. Promise from the Hutts that he would have your full attention that evening. He watched as you danced, imagining your hands running over his body. A twinge of jealousy, already turning his gut. You were his, he would pay for you, your attention would be all his.

As you raise once more on the swing you sing out. The words get caught in your throat and your chest tightens. Gasping for breath you feel your mind go blank and you fall unconscious from the swing. Before you hit the ground a large man catches you in his arms and swiftly carries you out of the dancehall. Obi-Wan watches with a lump in his throat. The pull of his training knowing he could have reached you first, but he could not risk being seen.

Zidler doesn't allow it to fester, quickly making it part of the show and switching the dance to distract the patrons.

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

Dressed in a long red dress you looked into a mirror, silently telling yourself that this was for your career. If you could convince the Duke to invest in Henri's new play you could showcase your talents. Perhaps even catch the eye of directors from around the galaxy and finally leave the Red Mill. Zidler had bought you from your father when you were a child. You were trained everyday in the art of deceiving men into thinking you loved them, bending them to your will. You were a master at it, the best amongst the workers at the Red Mill. However, you had dreams, dreams of leaving this place and flying far away one day.

Zidler had given you the best room in the building, an old decommissioned AT-AT that had been decorated with heavy red curtains, blankets, plush curtains and carpets. The cockpit had been removed with a bed in its place, a staircase leading up to a pagoda on the top had little, yellow lights adorning the bannisters.

Standing outside the door you take a moment to look into a mirror. Your mind changing. No this outfit was not good enough, it would not entice the Duke. Luckily you had placed a small wardrobe of clothes in the corridor. Stripping down to your ornate corset and underwear you slip a lace robe over your arms and let down your hair.

Inside the man you believe to be the Duke stands, his back to you, looking out of the cut out section that looks over the courtyard.

"This is a wonderful place for a poetry reading. Don’t you think? Hm?

Poetic…enough…for you?" You ask in the most sultry voice you can muster. Obi-Wan turns, his blue eyes meeting yours and for a moment you both forget why had come to the room.

"Yes." He finds his voice first. You move across the room to the table and start to pull out a bottle of alcohol.

"A little supper?" You suggest.

Obi-Wan shifts awkwardly "I’d rather just, um…get it over and done with."

Those words stung you, no one had ever been in such a bored rush.

"Oh…" you fake a smile, "Very well. Then why don’t you…come down here." You say laying back on the bed, exposing your leg, "And let’s get it over and done with."

Obi-Wan looks around the room, trying to look at anything but you.

"I…prefer to do it standing." He says still talking about the poetry Henri had told.him to perform. Surprised you move to stand as well, but he puts his hands out toward you.

"You don’t have to stand, I mean. It’s sometimes that…It’s quite long and I’d like you to be comfortable. It’s quite modern, what I do, and it may feel a little strange at first, but I think, if you’re open, then, then you might enjoy it." He fumbles out the words as he paces around the room. You raise your eyebrows whilst he talks, convinced you would be the one learning something new.

"I’m sure I will." You reply.

"Excuse me." Obi-Wan turns around, "The… The sky…is…The sky…the blue...birds…Come on…come on…" Obi-Wan tried to remember the words to Master Ruhan's poems. Gentle words about the beauty of the galaxy and the love between men and women that just would not stay in his mind. Each time he looked back at you, he lost all focus. Your body lying there before him, making his mouth run dry.

:Why am I so shaky?' He thinks to himself. Of course he knew what this woman was, he was a Jedi but he was not so innocent to not understand your allure.

You slide to the edge of the bed, "Is everything all right?"

"Uh…I-I…I’m a little nervous. It’s just, sometimes, it takes a while for…um you know, inspiration to come…" he lies to you through a drying throat.

You stand and walk over to him.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes… Let mummy help, hm?" You say grabbing his crotch. Obi-Wan gasps at the touch.

"Does that inspire you?" You whisper and push him back onto the bed, "Let’s make love."

"Make love!?" Obi-Wan asks in confusion.

You straddle his hips, running your hands over his chest and pushing his clothing back.

"You want to, don’t you?"

"Well, I…I came to—" he tries to hold on to your arms and stop you.

Your fingers cover his mouth as you begin unbuttoning his shirt.

"No, tell the truth. You feel the poetry!" You grind down on him.

"What?" Obi-Wan pushes the word out, trying to keep his mind focused. Though it becomes increasingly difficult. You make light work of unbuttoning his breaches. Obi-Wan's mind slips and allows himself to feel everything that is happening. Sure he had a mandate to protect the boy, but that could wait…. couldn't it? The Jedi order is gone, he could allow himself this couldn't he?

"Oh, yes, I need your poetry now!" You cry out, still above him.

"All right!!" Obi-Wan pushes you back as gently as he can and runs to the other end of the room. He forces himself to remember Ruhan's poem.

"It’s a little bit funny this...feeling inside

I’m not one of those…who can…who can easily hide." He looks to you, eyes full.of a fear you couldn't understand.

"Is this…is this okay? Is this what you want?" He asks.

"Ohhh, poetry. Yes, yes, yes, this is what I want, naughty words!" You say pushing yourself down on the bed.

"I-I don’t…" Obi-Wan continues as you roll around amongst the sheets. "I don’t have much money but…but boy if I did I’d buy a big house where we, where we both could live. So…if I were a sculptor"

You roll onto the floor and crawl a bit closer to him, listening to every word.

"But, then again, no. Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show. I…I know it’s not much…But it’s the best I can do." He isn't sure where this comes from, a memory of a recording he had once found, the poems of Ruhan sung into the sweetest melodies in the Opera houses of the Old Republic. He let the music burst through him and sang.

"MY GIFT IS MY SONG"

You stop and gaze at him, stunned. You are frozen in place unable to do anything but listen to his sweet voice.

"AND THIS ONE’S FOR YOU

AND YOU CAN TELL EVERYBODY

THAT THIS IS YOUR SONG

IT MAY BE QUITE SIMPLE, BUT

NOW THAT IT’S DONE

HOPE YOU DON’T MIND

I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND

THAT I PUT DOWN IN WORDS

HOW WONDERFUL LIFE IS

NOW YOU’RE IN THE WORLD"

He turns back to the cut out and you find yourself falling to a place you couldn't climb out of. A place you were not allowed to go.

"I SAT ON THE ROOF

AND I KICKED OFF THE MOSS"

You stand and take a hesitant step closer to him.

"WELL, SOME OF THESE VERSES, WELL THEY

THEY GOT ME QUITE CROSSED"

He turns to you as you step up to each other.

"BUT THE SUN’S BEEN KIND

WHILE I WROTE THIS SONG

IT’S FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THAT

KEEP IT TURNED ON

SO EXCUSE ME FORGETTING

BUT THESE THINGS I DO

YOU SEE, I’VE FORGOTTEN

IF THEY’RE GREEN OR THEY’RE BLUE

ANYWAY, THE THING IS

WHAT I REALLY MEAN"

He takes your hand in his.

"YOURS ARE THE SWEETEST EYES

I’VE EVER SEEN"

You dance together as if the world outside does not exist. All there is is you, him and the love that was building between you.

"AND YOU CAN TELL EVERYBODY

THIS IS YOUR SONG

IT MAY BE QUITE SIMPLE BUT

NOW THAT IT’S DONE

I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND

I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND

THAT I PUT DOWN IN WORDS

HOW WONDERFUL LIFE IS

NOW YOU’RE IN THE WORLD"

He spins you both round, lowering you in his arms. Obi-Wan would never understand how or why he had so easily given in to you, into the feeling that warmed his chest, but he did, wholey giving in to you and pressed his lips.to yours.

"Oh…I can’t believe it. I’m in love. I’m in love with a young, handsome, talented Duke.

"Duke?" He asks,

You grin against his lips and speak again, "Mm, not that the title’s important, of course."

"I’m not a Duke, I'm a je-, a writer."

"A writer?" You push at his chest, forcing him to stand up. "No." You hold your hand to your head.

"Henri said-"

"Henri? Oh no. No, you're not another of oh-so-talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished prodigies?" You can feel your world beginning to crumble.

"Well, you might say that." Obi-Wan shrugs.

You're about to ask about the Duke when you hear Zidler outside your door. His dull tone spitting out Huttese unmistakable.

"The Duke!" You pant, "hide!" Obi-Wan dashes behind a pillar, pulling a curtain around himself just as the door opens. Zidler slithers into the room, the Duke beside him.

"My Dear! Are you decent for the Duke? Where were you?" He asks in the common tongue.

"I, uh…I…was…waiting!" You say, through heavy breaths.

"My dearest Duke, allow me to introduce Mademoiselle y/n." it was not often your employer acted so slimy. Cosying up to his patrons.

Mustering all the training you had received you locked your eyes with the Duke.

"My Lord, how wonderful of you to take time out of your busy schedule to visit." You step up to him, running your hand up his arm.

"The pleasure, I fear, will be entirely mine, my dear." The Duke replies, eyes on your hand.

Obi-Wan peeks out from the curtain and catches your eyes.

"I’ll leave you two squirrels to get better acquainted" Zidler gives you a pointed glare before leaving the AT-AT.

The Duke kisses your hand. "After tonight’s petty exertions on the stage, you must surely be in need of refreshment, my dear."

He pours you both a drink from the table, narrowly missing Obi-Wan slipping back behind the curtain. A lump begins to form in your throat as you watch them. Searching your mind you recall the reason for Duke's visit, to invest.

"It’s…it’s a little bit funny." You whisper, catching the Duke's full attention he turns completely round to you. Over his shoulder you see Obi-Wan look out at you.

"This feeling inside." Working out what you're doing he begins to mouth the words to you.

"I’m not one of those who can easily hide!" You repeat. "I don’t have much money but if I did Oh, I’d buy a big house where we both could live I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind" you wrap your hands around the Duke's shoulders, dipping your fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.

I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world." Your eyes flicker over his shoulder to meet Obi-Wan's as you speak the last few words.

The Duke takes in a staggered breath.

"That’s very beautiful." He whispers.

"It’s from Spectacular Spectacular. Suddenly, with you here, I finally understood the true meaning of those words. How wonderful life is now you’re in the world." You are using everything in your arsenal to keep his attention on you as Obi-Wan creeps to the door.

"What meaning is that, my dear?" Your face is close enough that he could kiss you if only your arms were not so stiff.

Obi-Wan sees the Duke's body guard standing outside the door and quickly slams the door shut. It’s loud, too loud and the Duke begins to turn back. You throw yourself on the bed and pretend to sob.

"Duke! Don’t you toy with my emotions! You…you must know the effect you have on women?" You grab the Duke and pull him down on top of you. "Let’s make love! You want to make love, don’t you!?"

The kiss you give him barely touches his lips as you wave to Obi-Wan to go the other way.

He runs there, but stops before he can hide

The Duke begins to unbutton his white shirt above you, unaware of the other man in the room. Obi-Wan stops in his tracks, unsure of what it is he is feeling. A sadness, a pull, an anger. You see him and feel the same way.

"Yes, you’re right, we should wait until opening night." You push the Duke off and Obi-Wan slips into the stairs outside.

"Wait? What?" The Duke stumbles back from the bed. You blink at him, pressing a hand to his chest.

"There’s a power in you that scares me. If I give myself to you now, I could not focus on the play. We should wait until opening night."

You hoped it was enough. The Duke narrowed his eyes on you, a smile slowly forming on his mouth.

"Perhaps you are right. We should have no distractions."

Thankful you pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

"I shall dream of you." You whisper into his ear before he leaves.

Obi-Wan steps out from his hiding place and you storm toward him, a dizziness forming in your mind.

"Do you have any idea, what would have happened if you were found-" you couldn't finish your sentence as the world.goes black and you fall into Obi-Wan's arms.

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

"Y/n?" Obi-Wan wasn't sure what to do, your body was limp.in his arms. He could feel your life force still beating inside you. Looking around himself he saw the bed close to him. Hiking you higher he drags you onto the bed, tripping on one of the blankets and falling on top of you. A himph leaves his throat as he holds his weight off of you. It doesn't occur to him that his body is just too close to yours. Little did he know this whole time He ri, Satie and the others had been watching from top of the AT-AT. Across the courtyard Zidler the Hutt looked through his telescope. Behind him the door reopens and the Duke steps in.

"I forgot my ha- Foul play?" The Duke narrows his eyes on Obi-Wan. The Jedi leaps backward off the bed.

"She…I…" he gestures between himself and you. Your eyes flicker open and you draw in a deep breath quickly assessing the room.

"Oh, Duke! I'm glad you could make it back. Yes, let me introduce you. The writer." You push yourself up off the bed, stumbling slightly in your heels.

"The writer?" The Duke sceptically asks.

"Yes. Oh yes, we were, we were rehearsing." You push Obi-Wan aside as you step closer to the Duke.

"You expect me to believe that, scantily clad, in the arms of another man, in the middle of the night, inside an Elephant, you were rehearsing?" He spat out the words, gripping your wrist. At that exact moment Henri burst into the room.

"How’s the rehearsal going!? Shall we take it from the top, then, eh y/n?" He is followed by the others. Satie Heads straight to the piano.

"I hope the piano’s in tune" he called out.

"Sorry that we are late." The Twileak fluttered his arms around.

"Can I offer you a drink?" The hairiest of the group holds a bottle out to the Duke as he sneered at the men. With a hand on his chest you guide the Duke's attention back to you. A sweet smile on your lips.

"When I spoke those words to you before, you, you filled me with such inspiration. Yes, I realised how much work we had to do before tomorrow. So I called everyone together for an emergency rehearsal."

The Duke opens his mouth to speak.

"My dear Duke, I’m most terribly sorry!" Zidler wiggled.his large body into the room.

"Zidler! You made it! It’s all right, the Duke knows all about the emergency rehearsal." You give him a pointed look that your employer understands immediately.

"Yes, well, I’m sure Audrey will be only too delighted—"

" The cat’s out of the bag." You slid into the Duke's side pulling him closer to you. "Yes, the Duke’s already a big fan of our new writer’s work. That’s why he’s so keen to invest." You clench your teeth as you look into his eyes.

"Invest?" He speaks to you in Huttese the looks to the Duke "Invest! Oh, yes, well, invest! You can hardly blame me for trying to hide our-"

"Ben." Obi-Wan lied.

"…Ben away!" Zidler waved his hands once again. The Duke curls his top lip back.

"I’m way ahead of you, Zidler." He pushes you away slightly taking a step toward the Hutt.

"My dear Duke…why don’t you and I go to my office to produce the paperwork?" Zidler tried to distract him. You turn nervously back to the other men, your eyes meeting Obi-Wan's. Something about him calms you; like he was reaching out through the space between you. There were stories of the Jedi who could do that, though you had never met one.

"What’s the story?" The Duke's voice catches your attention, "if I’m to invest, I’ll need to know the story."

Zidler turns his attention to Henri, silently begging him to answer.

"Well, well, the stories, the stories about, Well, it’s, it’s about, um" the Jawa looks to Obi-Wan

"It’s about love" he says the words as if it was obvious.

"Love?" The idea seemed disgusting to the Duke.

Obi-Wan takes a breath, "It’s about love overcoming all obstacles. It's set on Naboo and there’s a Courtesan…the most beautiful courtesan in all the world but her kingdom’s invaded by an evil Senator. Now, in order to save her kingdom, She has to seduce the Evil Senator but, on the night of the seduction, she mistakes a Penniless P--…Penn…Penniless…Penniless Kloo Horn

Player for the Evil Senator, and she falls in love with him!" Obi-Wan recalled the story from a fairytale of his childhood. He turned to you, and as if to clarify he says, "He wasn’t trying to trick her or anything but he was dressed as a richer man because he’s appearing in a play."

Everyone is quiet listening to him tell the story.

"Well, the Penniless Kloo Player and the Courtesan, they have to hide their love from the Senator."

Satie interrupts. "The Penniless Kloo Player’s Kloo Horn is magical! It can only speak the truth!" They all cheer at the idea.

"Yes, and he gives the game away!" The Duke chuckles, feeling himself being swept up in the joy of his companions. They all cheer along with him.

Zidler turns the Duke toward him, "The show will be a magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan bedazzlement! A sensual ravishment! It will be Spectacular Spectacular No words in the vernacular Can describe this great event, You’ll be dumb with wonderment. Returns are fixed at ten percent

You must agree that’s excellent." He has turned the Duke toward the doors but cannot keep him. Spinning away from the Hurt the Duke turns back to Obi-Wan.

"What happens in the end?"

"The lovers are pulled apart by an evil plan." Obi-Wan gulps out. You grab the Duke's arm once more pulling him toward you.

"But in the end she hears his call and their love is just too strong." She almost whispers the words to him.

"Will someone die?" The Duke asks almost amused at the thought. You glance back at the others.

"We shall see, your input is of course always welcomed."

"Generally I like it." The Duke laughed following zidler from the room as the others celebrated.

Zidler had an investor, and the Bohemians had a show. While the celebration party raged upstairs, I tried to write. But all I could think about was her.

Was she thinking about me?

You and Obi-Wan can just see each other across the Red Mill, through your respective windows. Obi-Wan watches as you, now redressed in the red gown, walk up the metal steps to the pagoda on top of the AT-AT.

The last of his resolve dissipates into the music bove him and Obi-Wan leaves his room. He climbs up the walker using the decorative ropes until he is standing behind you. His footsteps alert you and you jump.

"Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean…I saw your light on, and I…I climbed up the-"

"What?" You eye him with confused thoughts.

"I couldn’t sleep, and I want-I wanted to thank you for helping me get the job." He fumbles out the words. You smile, though it doesn't reach your eyes.

"Of course. Yes, Henri was right. You’re…you’re very talented." His eyes drop, an emotion you didn't quite catch. "It’s going to be a wonderful show." There is a beat of silence between you.

"Anyway, I’d better go, because we…uh, we both have a big day tomorrow." You sigh and turn away.

"Wait! No, please, wait." Obi-Wan reaches out for you but doesn't touch you. You turn your head just enough to see him.

"Before, when we were…when we were…when you thought I was the Duke, you said that you loved me. An-and I wondered if…if—"

"If it was just…an act?" You say now turning all the way round to face him.

"Yes!" His eyes were bright like a child.

"Of course." You know there is a lie in there.

His smile falls. "Oh, it just felt…real."

You approach him, desperate to ease his mind. "Ben, I’m a courtesan. I’m paid to make men believe what they want to believe."

"Yes…Silly of me to think that you could…fall in love with someone like me." His words are simple yet filled with too many emotions.

"I can’t fall in love with anyone." You sigh.

A strange smile graces his face, "Can’t fall in love? I understand that."

Curious, you take one more step toward him.

"Where are you from?" You ask and Obi-Wan knows you are more intuitive than you first seemed.

"I am from an order, they're all gone now. We weren't allowed to…" his eyes threatened tears and you felt the same pull to him you felt earlier. It occurred to him then standing in front of you that he had been a fool. The opportunity for love had been handed to him on Mandalore yet he chose to turn away from it. His heart had been broken not one week ago by Anakin turning to the darkside. Proof that he had grown too attached to the man. Obi-Wan knew he had the capacity to love, perhaps this time he would let himself. Searching back through his mind he thought of Master Ruhan and the poems he had written.

"Love is a many-splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love." It was like he finally understood the words.

"Please, don’t start that again." You shake your head.

" all you need is love." He steps toward you.

"Love is just a game." You whisper, knowing you were already under his spell, "the only way to love me is to pay." You hope the words will break you out of it.

Obi-Wan stops, his hand floating in the space between you, his eyes looking into your own.

"Y/n, I have been starved and I think you have as well. Just one night and then I promise I'll leave you alone."

Your heart breaks a little. You know you should be standing your ground. Say no to him, turn away but you can't. Your body is drawn to him. Grabbing his hand you pull Obi-Wan down the stairs back into the AT-AT. The electricity that sparks through your skin is enough to have you pull him into you and press your lips to his. That was it, the moment it all broke for both of you. Two people, raised to never love, connect by your hearts.

"You're going to be bad for business, I can tell." You giggle between kisses.

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

How wonderful life was, now Satine was in the world. But, in the Duke, Zidler had gotten much more than he had bargained for.

Duke Valru sits across from Zidler in his office. The large green slug-like Alien fiddles with contracts on his desk.

"Conversion of the Moulin Rouge into a theatre will cost a fantastic sum of money, Zidler." Valru spoke with narrowed eyes, "So, in return, I would require a contract that, um, binds y/n to me, exclusively. Naturally, I shall require some security. I shall require the deeds to the Red Mill."

Zidler baulks at the idea

"My dear Duke I-"

"Please! Don’t think that I’m naïve, Zidler. I shall hold the deeds to the Red Mill and if there are any shenanigans my man-servant, Warner," A Besker clad man stepped into the room, folding his hands in front of him, "will deal with it in the only language that you underworld show-folk understand. Y/n will be mine. It’s not that I’m a jealous man. I just don’t like other people touching my things!" The last few words came out as a yell, Valru calmed himself with several shallow breaths.

"I understand completely, Duke." Zidler gulps.

"Good. Now that we have an understanding, it would appear that, uh…you have the means to transform your beloved Red Mill into a theatre." His smile makes even the Hutt squirm. One thing about this new virgining Empire gave them was a freedom for the slime of the galaxy to rise into power.

"I shall woo y/n over supper, tonight." Valru growled before marching out of the office. Zidler watches, an uneasy feeling wiggling inside him.

"The show must go on." He says to the blue Twi'lek woman beside him.

Yes, the show would go on. But Satine would not attend the supper that night, or the following night.

You, Obi-Wan, and Henri are all in Obi-Wan's room. You are sitting in your robe on the bed, your eyes watching Obi-Wan's every move. Henri is preparing food, and Obi-Wan is explaining the stuff he’s written.

"Fantastic!" Henri exclaims at the delightful scene. Obi-Wan continues, throwing his arms around in animated joy.

"Mad with jealousy, the Evil Maharajah forces the Courtesan to make the Penniless Sitar Player believe she doesn’t love him!"

"That’s…oh, yes!" Henri laughs.

“Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love!” says the Penniless Sitar Player, throwing money at her feet, and leaving the kingdom forever!" Obi-Wan jumps onto the bed, you reach up and pull him down to you.

"Oh, but a life without love! That’s terrible!" You smile. He nuzzles into your shoulder.

"Yes…but, the Kloo Player’s…

"Wait!" Henri runs to the bedside.

"-Magical Kloo-"

"That’s my part, Ben! That’s my part! That’s my part Ben." Henri laughs, "Don’t you dare! The Magical Kloo who can only speak the truth says he says-"

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

Days past them all by, y/n would insist on my attendance to all her meetings with the Duke.

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

Try as the Duke may, it was almost too easy for the young writer and the lead actress to invent perfectly legitimate reasons to avoid him.

Love grew where I had thought it never could, until darkness fell over the Red Mill.

The rehearsal day was over, you stole away behind a curtain, Obi-Wan pushed against the wall as you kissed him.

"You'll come tonight?" He asks and you nod, "what time?"

"Eight o'clock." You giggle.

Zidler's voice speaking in Huttese echoed across the dancehall.

"Nice work, family! Bright and early tomorrow morning we begin on Act II: The Lovers Are Discovered!"

"Zidler!" The Duke marches over to him.

The Hutt turns, his eyes glancing over to where you stood, your hands around Obi-Wan.

"My dear Duke! Everything is arranged for that special supper in the Temple Tower tonight."

"You might as well eat it yourself, Zidler. " he spat, "Her affections are waning."

"Impossible!" Zidler nervously chuckles.

"I understand how important her work is to her, but she’s always at it with that damn writer! If I don’t see her tonight, I’m very well leaving!"

"No!! My dear Duke…I’ll insist y/n take the night off." He turns him away.

"All right…all right. Eight o’clock, then." He leaves satisfied.

Zidler slides himself around grumbling under his breath as he moves to you. Obi-Wan had already darted away to another room before he approached you. Zidler grabbed your arms, lifting you onto your tiptoes and hissed in Huttese.

"Are you mad? The Duke holds the deeds to the Moulin Rouge! He’s spending a fortune on you. He’s given you a beautiful new dressing room, he wants to make you a star. And you’re dallying with the writer!"

"Oh, no, don’t be ridicul-"

"I saw you together" he cuts you off.

"It’s nothing. It’s just an infatuation, it’s…it’s nothing." You lie.

Zidler pushes you against the wall using his large body to trap you there, his hot breath fanned out over your face.

"The infatuation will end. Go to the boy. Tell him it’s over. The Duke is expecting you in the Tower at Eight."

Your heart sinks as he slithers away. Marie the Blue Twi'lek, and the oldest woman in the Red Mill, helps you to dress. As she pulls the strings of the corset you feel your chest tighten, your throat running dry. A fit of coughing takes over your body, sweat dripping from your face. Marie holds you as you try to walk.

How could I know, in those last fatal days, that a force darker than jealousy and stronger than love had begun to take hold of Satine?

Chocolat the resident Wookie watches in fear as you cough and eventually pass out.

Obi-wan waits expectantly for you in his room, standing by the window. He had no idea what was happening to you, but his mind began to wander. Obi-Wan dejectedly walks back into his table. He slumps down and looks at the datapad he had been writing the play on. The words all melted into one so he tosses it aside.

'Obi-Wan what are you doing?' He scolds himself. Why had he allowed this? Allowed himself.to fall so quickly into a world he had always kept away from. So many years denying the part of himself that this woman had freed within moments of meeting her. Was it the grief of losing the world he had known? The memories that plagued his dreams of destroying the boy he had promised to care for? The fear of becoming just like him? Or did he want to feel something, anything that was not death and destruction? The once great General Kenobi, now just Ben, a penniless, broken man with nothing but his love for a woman. A woman who did not come at eight, nine, ten or eleven. No.

All night he waited, and now, for the first time, he felt the cold stab of jealousy

You did not arrive at his door until six in the morning, before the suns had risen above the deserts. Your face was sullen, dark circles under your eyes, clad only in your underclothes and a robe, the usual corset forgotten in your bedroom.

Obi-Wan stops writing and looks up at you from the table, pained eyes blinking. You cough softly, the back of your hand pressing to your lips.

"Where were you last night?" He asks, trying to ignore the break in his voice.

"I told you, I was sick." You breathe out.

Obi-Wan gets up and sits beside you on the bed.

"You don’t have to lie to me." He could feel the conflict inside you. Frustrated, you turn away from him, holding back your emotions.

"We have to end it." You whisper, "Everyone knows. Zidler knows. Sooner or later, the Duke will find out, too."

Obi-Wan turns his back on you not believing your words; heartbreak forming in his chest.

"On opening night, I have to sleep with the Duke." You stand and walk to the window, "And the jealousy will drive you mad."

Knowing he should be better than this he stands and heads quickly to you.

"Ben-" you hold him back, tears dropping from both your eyes. Ben cups your face with his hand. He has no experience in this, nothing to tell him what to do but instinct and poems by a dead man.

"Then, we’ll write a song and we’ll put it in the show and no matter how bad things get, or whatever happens, whenever you hear it, or when you sing it, or whistle it, or hum it"

Kisses your forehead, "then you’ll know, it’ll mean…it’ll mean that we love one another! I won’t get jealous." He knows his words are like, of course he'll get jealous, he already is.

Attachment, the one thing he had never been allowed, the thing that had taken away his brother. This was a bad idea.

"Things don’t work that way, Ben. We have to end it." You sigh and walk away.

That afternoon in rehearsals Obi-Wan sits beside Satie by the piano.

"Now, this new scene is the scene where the Sitar Player writes a secret song for the Courtesan, so that whatever is happening, however bad things are…they remember their love." His eyes catch yours and you smile at him.

"And, um…we could take it from your line, y/n. So, let’s take it. Let’s take it, if we may-" you note the way his voice cracks and he turns his eyes away from you. The soft piano music begins and you look at the data pad with your script.

The song is perfect in every way; each word pours his love into your heart. A warmth filling you that try to send back. Your eyes flick between your Twi'lek costar and Obi-Wan.

On of the dancers slinks across the room, her body clad in half costume half underwear. She leans down to the Duke, sitting alone on a wooden chair.

"This ending’s silly. Why would the Courtesan go for the Penniless Writer? Oops! I mean Kloo Player."

She gives him a look like he’s an idiot for not seeing it yet, then bounces her eyes between you and Obi-Wan. The Duke seems to make the connection, following her eyeline. Nini goes back to the other Dancers and they share a laugh. Valru takes in a long pointed breath and stands, his neck twisting as he stretches it.

"I don’t like this ending."

Everyone droops in confusion turning to him.

"Don’t like the ending, my dear Duke?" Zidler asks sliding in front of the stage.

"Why would the Courtesan choose a Penniless Kloo Player over the Senator, who is offering a lifetime of security? That’s real love. Once the Kloo Player has satisfied his lust, he will leave the Courtesan with nothing. I suggest that, in the end, the Courtesan choose the Senator." He knew every word would cause a reaction in all of them and he hoped for it. Henri charged forward, his small stature made up for by his anger.

"But…but, but sorry! Sorry, but that ending does not uphold the bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom and lov-"

"I don’t care about your ridiculous dogma!" The Duke shouts, "there is a new Empire now why shouldn’t the Courtesan choose the Senator!?"

Obi-Wan's anger tumbles over the threshold; he stands and shouts.

"Because she doesn’t love you!"

There is a Lllong, horrified pause, as everyone stares at Obi-Wan, who slowly realises what he’s just done.

"Him…him, she doesn’t love…she doesn’t love him." He stumbles backward.

Valru looks back at you, his jaw clenching, "Now I see. Zidler, this ending will be rewritten with the Courtesan choosing the Senator and without the lovers’ secret song. It will be rehearsed in the morning, ready for the opening tomorrow night."

"But, my dear Duke! That will be quite impossible"

You place a hand on Zidler, stepping past him, putting on a brilliant façade that you had been taught early on.

"Zidler the poor Duke is being treated appallingly! These silly writers let their imaginations run away with them." You laugh and approach the Duke, "Now why don’t you and I have a little supper and then, afterwards, we can let Zidler know how we would prefer the story to end, Hm?"

You can feel Obi-Wan is watching them, agony radiating from him.

The Duke agrees with you, leaning in to whisper in your ear. His words freeze your body. You nod and wait for him to leave the dancehall before letting out your breath.

Backstage, you are heading to her dressing room when Obi-Wan stops you. His hand snakes around your arm, holding you gently.

"I don’t want you to sleep with him." He whispers. You lay your forehead on his.

"He could destroy everything." You kiss his cheek, "It’s for us."

He shakes his head, holding back the tears in his eyes.

"You promised. You promised me you wouldn’t be jealous, you- It will be alright." Unsure if you were trying to convince him or yourself. He shakes his head again, unable to look you in the eyes. "Yes, it will…He’s waiting." You try to turn away but he reaches out to stop you, begging

"No…no…"

"Ben, come what may, remember." You whisper.

"Come what may." He whispers back finally allowing you to leave.

She had gone to the tower to save us all. And for our part, we could do nothing but wait.

In the Red Mill everyone seems concerned, sitting around the dancehall. Obi-Wan takes a swig of Tatooine wine. Nini saunters over, a mocking grin on her face as she Plops herself on Obi-wan’s lap.

"Don’t worry, you’ll get your ending. Once the Duke gets his…end…in." She laughs. Obi-Wan pushes her off his lap, almost lunging at her. Several male and female dancers jump between them.

"You get your hands off me!" She shouts.

The Narcoleptic Twi'lek holds a hand to Obi-Wan's chest after comforting Nini.

"Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself. It always ends bad!" The last word reverberates through the room. Everyone jumps a little. Henri watches, totally drunk. Obi-Wan looks ready to cry.

"We have a dance! In the brothels of Ryloth.

Tells the story of a prostitute and a man who falls in love with her."

He pulls Nini to him and they start to dance, mimicking what the Twi'lek is saying.

"First, there is desire. Then, passion. Then, suspicion, jealousy, anger, betrayal! When love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there is no love! Jealousy…yes, jealousy will drive you mad!"

Obi-Wan watches as the dancers converge on Nini, passing her between them in a tango. As anger bubbles inside his chest Obi-Wan pulls a thick coat around himself and walks, eyes glued on the door. The dancers move around him.

Inside his mind he is reminded of Ruhan's last poem

HIS EYES UPON YOUR FACE

HIS HAND UPON YOUR HAND

HIS LIPS CARESS YOUR SKIN

IT’S MORE THAN I CAN STAND

WHY DOES MY HEART CRY

FEELINGS I CAN’T FIGHT?

YOU’RE FREE TO LEAVE ME

BUT JUST DON’T DECEIVE ME

AND PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY

I LOVE YOU

The words finally echoed his own heart as it shattered apart. The cool of the night air hits him and he walks mind clouded through the courtyard.

There is a force that stops him, halting his feet. A small voice calling out through the Force. He looks up to the balcony of the tower, seeing you standing there. Your eyes meet as the Duke steps up behind you, his hand snaking around your body. His lips whisper into your ear.

The sight makes Obi-Wan feel sick, dropping his eyes to the sand below his feet and walks back to his room in the building across the roadway.

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

In his room Obi-Wan crumbles, dropping to his knees as objects fly about the room, folding in on themselves. He sees no way of fighting his own emotions, they are too strong and hold too much power.

"No" he Huff's out the word, pushing himself back to his feet. He will not let this defeat him. Reminding himself that he must hide his Jedi heritage he cleans the room by hand. Throwing away every broken object away or hiding it in the closet.

Tired and broken Obi-Wan presses his head to the window allowing the glass to cool him.

The door swings open behind him and Chocolat this Wookie stands behind you. Tears stain your face.

"Y/n?" Obi-Wan runs to you, noting that you were no longer in your black dress, but your underwear.

"I couldn’t! I couldn’t go through with it! I saw you there and I felt terribly and I couldn’t pretend." You sob, "And the Duke, he saw! He saw and he…and he… Christian, I love you."

Obi-Wan pulls you into him, holding you tightly to his chest.

"It’s okay" he whispers.

You shake your head, "And I couldn’t do it; I didn’t want to pretend anymore. I didn’t want to lie, I don’t want," you pull back a bit. "And he knows. He knows, he saw" you're panicking chest rising and falling rapidly.

"It’s all right; you don’t have to pretend anymore. We’ll leave. We’ll leave tonight." He isn't sure what he is saying.

"Leave? But…the show…"

"I don’t care.I don’t care about the show. We have each other, and that’s all that matters."

A sad smile creeps onto your face and you feel all of him.

"Yes. As long as we have each other" you kiss him.

Obi-Wan Grabs the coat he had worn earlier and wraps.it around your shoulder.

"Chocolat, take Miss y/n to her dressing room and get the things she needs. No one must see you, do you understand?" The Wookie nods.

"Darling, you go and pack. And I’ll be waiting." You laugh tearfully kissing him.

Chocolat rushes you back info the Red Mill to your dressing room. You dart about packing up her things into a small bag, when you sees Zidler in the mirror and whirl to face him in surprise. Marie is there, too.

"Forgive the intrusion, Cherub." He sighs.

You turn and put her own coat on, having taken off Obi-Wan's

"You’re wasting your time, Zidler." You say turning away from him.

"Albeit. You don’t understand. The Duke is going to kill Ben."

You gasp a little at his words, looking at yourself self in the mirror.

"No…" Tears are already building up in your eyes.

"The Duke is insanely jealous. Unless you do his ending and sleep with him tomorrow night, the Duke will have Ben killed."

Composing yourself you turn back to Zidler.

"He can’t scare us." You know it's a lie.

"He’s a powerful man. You know he can do it." Zidler is almost begging you.

You stare at him for a moment and then throw your coat off, picking up your things. Zidler slithers closer to you.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

You cannot stop the tears falling as you replace Obi-Wan's coat on your shoulders.

"I don’t need you anymore! All my life, you me believe I was only worth what someone would pay for me! But Ben loves me. He loves me, Zidler. He loves me, and that is worth everything! We’re going away from you, away from the Duke, away from the Red Mill! Goodbye, Zidler." You Turn to the door, toward the Wookie.

"You’re dying, y/n.You’re dying." Zidler finally admits.

Your breath halts for a moment, a light cough reminding you of the days you'd lied in bed.

"Another trick?" You're hopeful.

"No, My Love. The doctor told us." The way his eyes look at you shows you how sorrowful the Hutt is.

"Marie?" You ask one last spark of hope. Marie just looks at you, tears shining in her own eyes. You take a few moments to digest it all

"I’m dying" you whisper, accepting the news.

"Send Christian away. Only you can save him." Zidler implores you.

"He’ll fight for me." You speak through your tears.

"Yes. Unless he believes you don’t love him."

"What?" You look at him.

"You’re a great actress, Satine. Make him believe you don’t love him. Use your talent to save him. Hurt him. Hurt him to save him. There is no other way. The show must go on, y/n. We are creatures of the underworld of Tatooine. We can’t afford to love."

You fall into the chair at the dressing table.

Zidler leaves your dressing room, slithering through the backstage area if the dance hall and he speaks,

"Another hero, another mindless crime

Behind the curtain, in the pantomime on and on, does anybody know what we are living for? Whatever happens, we leave it all chance, another heartache, another failed romance." He reaches the stage, where people are working and things are still being built. Moving down the aisle to the other side of the theatre he continues

"The show must go on outside the dawn is breaking, on the stage that holds our final destiny."

Maria turns back to you, having dressed you in a grey outfit that covered your body.

"The show must go on." She says, quiet and sad.

With your heart broken inside your chest you walk as if condemned to Obi-Wan's room, knocking on the door.

"What’s wrong?" He asks when he sees your stoic eyes.

"I’m staying with the Duke. After I left you, the Duke came to see me and he offered me everything. Everything that I’ve ever dreamed of, he'll take me away from here to the capitals. He has one condition. I must never see you again. I’m sorry." You announce still in the doorway.

"What are you talking about?" Obi-Wan doesn't understand.

You move away from him as he steps closer, and avoid eye contact with him.

"You knew who I was." You say.

"What are you saying? What about last night, what we said?" He feels himself beginning to beg you.

You slink around him, not allowing him to touch you.

"I don’t expect you to understand. The difference between you and I is that you can leave any time you choose but this is my home. The Red Mill is my home." You turn away from him to hide your pain.

"No," he can feel several emotions warring inside you, "there must be something else, this can’t be real, you-"

You're breathing a little too rapidly, either from your disease, or from holding back tears, though you suspect it is both.

"There’s something the matter, tell me what it is?" Obi-Wan tries to hold your hands but you hurry past him and out the door, coughing a few times. Ben catches you at the door, anger creeping to the surface rapidly.

"Tell me what’s wrong! Tell me the truth! Tell me the truth!"

Yanking your arm away from him you look him in the eye.

"The truth? The truth is I am the Naboo Courtesan, and I choose the Senator. That’s how the story really ends." You try to hold onto your sibs. Your eyes hold onto each other for a moment, before he lets you go.

A sand storm gathers on the horizon, Ben's heart has almost visibly been ripped in half. He trembles and staggers back to the bed.

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

Obi-Wan stands outside the doors to the Red Mill as sand bellows around him.

"Y/n, y/n!" He calls out.

You sit at your window, tears streaming down your cheeks as you watch two guards grab Ben’s arms and haul him across the street. Your name breaking through the thunderous noise of the sand. One guard hits him hard across the face and they walk away as he falls to the wet concrete. He had been through many wars but this was a different pain. Obi-Wan is carried inside by Satie and the others, lying him on his bed with a bruise forming on his cheekbone above his beard.

The day wears on. The storm passes and the rich of Tatooine file into the dancehall.

Ben sits on his bed with a blanket wrapped around him, and stares off numbly toward the window. Henri stands by the bed, smiling comfortingly.

"Things aren’t always as they seem." He tries to reassure the old Jedi.

"Things are exactly the way they seem." Obi-Wan rebutes.

"Ben, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden Jawa whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and love, if only because I long for it with every fibre of my being. She loves you. I know it, I know she loves you." His tiny body seems too out of place in this broken room.

"Go away, Henri. Leave me alone. Go. Away. Go away!" Obi-Wan shouts, behind Henri a plate shoots from the table and snacks against the wall. Henri, glances at it, takes his coat and leaves, with a last sad look at his tormented friend.

I wanted to shut out what Toulouse had said. But he had filled me with doubt, and there was only one way to be sure.

I had to know.

So I returned to the Red Mill. One last time.

Inside the Red Mill, the show is just starting.

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

The play goes on, the crows cheer and laugh, they sing and cry along with the characters. The Duke sits amongst his personal guests, his eyes fixed on you as you dance around the stage. Unaware that Obi-Wan was sneaking into the building, his Jedi training finally came into action. He moves through the dressing rooms staying behind costumes rails and curtains. Slipping behind actors one sees the tail of his tunic and the whispering begins.

With their parts ended Henri and Twi'lek are walking up a set of steps backstage. Henri taps his chin.

"There has to be a reason, I know she still loves him." He thinks out loud.

"How about one of them is a Duke and the other-" the Twi'lek's sentence is cut off by his narcolepsie taking control of him and he falls down the stairs right in front of Obi-Wan. Thinking quickly the Jedi removes his simple tunic and slips on the Twi'lek's elaborate costume.

Whilst this was happening you had run back to your dressing room to change into your last costume, the wedding dress. Your chest tightens and you feel a hot, thick liquid fill your throat. You spit it out onto a cloth, seeing the redness stain the material. Finally you understood your employer had not been lying. A shuffle and knocking of your things behind you catches your attention and you spin round to see Obi-Wan in the doorway.

At the edge of the stage Werner, grabs Zidler, who is now backstage, where Henri can see and hear them.

"The boy is here." The helmeted man states, angrily.

"We told y/n that if Ben were to come here, he’d be killed!" The Hutt gawks.

"He very soon will be." Werner pulls his blaster from It's holster.

Obi-Wan walks into your dressing room. You stare at each other for a moment.

Henri runs around behind the stage hoping to find Obi-Wan.

"He’ll be killed? That’s it…that’s why she’s pushing him away, to save him. That’s it, that’s it. Ben!" He cries out as the platform he’s on is raised up higher. Sees Warner moving quickly down the corridor.

"No! Don’t—Oh, God, this is high up!" He says to himself as he rises higher and higher.

"I’ve come to pay my bill." Obi-Wan chicks on the words. You hurry past him.

"You shouldn’t be here, Ben. Just leave.' You hope he'll listen. Obi-Wan stares off for a moment and then turns and follows you. As you rush away to get to your mark your breath becomes shallow, straining with each intake. Obi-Wan follows, hot on your heels.

"You did your job so very, very well!" He spits out at you, attempting to grab for you wrist.

"She’s got to get on stage" Marie hisses at the stage manager.

Obi-Wan follows you up a set of wooden steps.

"Why can’t I pay you like everyone else does!?" Tears are freely falling from his eyes. You turn to him, pleading with every part of your body.

"Don’t. Enn, there’s no point. Just leave."

You spin and run again, still Ben chasing after her again.

One of the stage hands grabs at Obi-Wan's shoulders pulling him back but he uses his training to slip out of his grasp and punch him. Ensuring the man falls safely to the ground Obi-Wan looks around trying to find you once more. You're stood atop a stage platform, eyes wide. A gun is pointing past you toward Obi-Wan and you gasp.

Feeling Obi-Wan ascend the steps you spin once more to face Obi-Wan, sobbing, begging and trying to block the blasters path.

"Go…go…" your tears match his.

Obi-Wan holds out wupiupi cash out for you.

"If it wasn’t real, why can’t I pay you?" His words cut through you.

Behind the door next to you, you can hear Zidler's voice as recites the lines of the play.

"Let me pay! Let me pay!" Obi-Wan pants.

You turn your head just enough to see Werner getting closer. Your hands grab at Obi-Wan's jacket, as your chest tightens further.

"Tell me it wasn’t real! Tell me" his words had turned to begging.

The door to the stage opens, revealing you and Obi-Wan. His hands on your wrists and you kneeling on the floor.

"Tell me you don’t love me!" He whispers as you sob but say nothing.

"Tell me you don’t love me!" He shouts. There is a murmur among the crowd, enlighten you both to their presence. The Duke pulls back his top lip, showing his teeth as anger ignites under his skin.

Panicking Zidler slithers across the stage.

"Hahaha! I am not fooled! Though he has shaved off his beard, and dons a disguise, my eyes do not lie! For it is he, the same Penniless Kloo Player! Driven mad by jealousy" He calls out, the audience murder again in a unified realisation.

Obi-Wan drags you by the wrist down the stage a bit, and lets you fall back to the floor. You cough trying to catch your breath between sobs. He moves away from you speaking apparently to Zidler's character, but actually to the Duke.

"This woman is yours now." He throws the bag of money to the floor next to you and it spills out across the stage. "I’ve paid my whore." His eyes turn to you as you gaze up at him, with tears flowing from your eyes. "I owe you nothing and you’re nothing to me." Obi-Wan chicks on his own sobs, "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." He walks off the stage, everyone behind him knows how real this is, and Obi-Wan stops to stare at the Duke for a moment before walking down the aisle.

Henri claps a hand to his forehead, "I can’t remember my line" below him Zidler attempts to stay in character and get you to stand. Henri tries to remember, his eyes darting around himself. Seeing that Obi-Wan is leaving, Werner replaces his blaster and begins to move away from the stage.

You try to compose yourself, pushing up to stand, your tear filled eyes looking at Zidler.

"I’ve got it! I’ve got it! Ben!" Henri shouts at the top of his voice interrupting Zidler. His silly costume tripping him and he starts to fall to the stage, catching himself, dangling from the platforms.

"The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return!" As his voice echoes, something inside you seems to click, the actors on stage and the audience glance between each other. The Duke scowls up at you as you slowly turn around. You sing,

"NEVER KNEW I COULD FEEL LIKE THIS"

He stops briefly, Obi-Wan's face nearly crumbles, and he slowly starts to walk again. He is sure this is just a cruel game you're hell bent on playing.

"LIKE I’VE NEVER SEEN THE SKY BEFORE

WANT TO VANISH INSIDE YOUR KISS" you continue. Obi-Wan stops again. It sounds so real, the pull of your force signature screaming at him.

"EVERY DAY I’M LOVING YOU MORE AND MORE

LISTEN TO MY HEART, CAN YOU HEAR IT SING?"

He turns slowly, and sees that it is real you're calling to him with your eyes and your voice. Life seems to float back into his eyes and a smile tugs at his lips.

"COME BACK TO ME AND FORGIVE EVERYTHING!"

The high note makes you take a gasp for air, nearly coughing. The Duke smiles, having no idea that you are singing to Obi-Wan. The Jedi is watching you, tearful with happiness. Satie conducts the orchestra in gentle music to accompany your words.

"SEASONS MAY CHANGE, WINTER TO SPRING

I love you.

‘TIL THE END OF TIME"

Finally Obi-Wan breaks,

"COME WHAT MAY" he begins the male part of the song, "COME WHAT MAY

COME WHAT MAY," he heads up to the stage, as you walking downstage to meet him, "COME WHAT MAY

I WILL LOVE YOU"

The song continues around you both, the actors and dancers joining in. The Duke growls.under his breath and speaks into a communicator on his wrist. The Mandalorian man servant draws his balster and aims at Obi-Wan as he holds you. Henri spies him and leaps from the platform he had been holding onto.

"Christian! He’s got a gun!" His fall knocks the blaster from Werner's hands and topples them both to the ground. The blaster slides along the stage.

"They’re trying to kill you!" Henri shouts, getting to his feet. The audience laughs at Henri.

Chaos breaks out across the dancehall, people running around and screaming as Werner tries to dash for his gun. His movements trigger a bunch of flashes to go off on stage, and everyone runs around crazily. Chocolat kicks Warner in the head a few times, and manages to kick the gun away. It falls from the stage with a think right at the Duke's feet. He had stood to leave, anger piping from his red hot ears. Hearing the blaster clatter to the aisle behind him he turns. The cast continue to sing out their hearts. The Duke picks up the blaster, holding it out in front of him

The chorus lifts up you and Obi-Wan.

"I WILL LOVE YOU" the sing is hitting it's crescendo.

The Duke rushes to the stage, with the gun pointed at Obi-Wan.

"My way! My way! My way!! My way!" He screams out like a feral beast.

Zidler spins and flicks out his tail hitting the Duke across the face, before he gets there. The Duke falls and the blaster spins away.

The entire cast sing the last words of the song.

"‘TIL MY DYING DAY"

The Duke sits up dejectedly as the curtain falls. The audience gives a standing ovation, applauding wildly. The entire cast is ecstatic, all laughing and congratulating each other. Obi-Wan presses a kiss to your lips, happiness waving off him. Somewhere behind the stage manager calls out.

"Stand by for curtain call! Dancers, positions please!"

Obi-Wan starts to pull you over for curtain call. Stepping away from you just slightly. You can't move, your chest feels like it's on fire, every breath burning your throat. You begin to fall as Obi-Wan looks back to you and he catches you. The smile fades from his face.

"Y/n?"

You begin to cough violently. Henri, Zidler, and other cast members notice what’s happening, their smiles replaced with dread.

"Y/n, what’s the matter?" Obi-Wan asks, holding you in his arms, the coughing eases but you know it isn't a good sign. His knees buckle sending you both to the floor, though he tries to slow your fall.

"What? Darling,darling, what’s the matter? Darling Y/n, what’s the matter?"

Your breathing is raspy and violent, worse than it’s been yet. The noise around him all but silences in his ears. You cough again.

"Gods, Oh my God" Obi-Wan breaths out, Seeing blood dripping from your mouth and touched it with his thumb. Finally Obi-Wan understood his Padawan. The way his mouth ran dry and dripped with spit at the same time. Tears fell freely, staining his face.

"Somebody get some help!" He screamed out.

"Hold the curtain! Fetch the doctor!" Zidler hissed to his stage manager.

You reach up to him, your arm feeling to heavy.

"I’m sorry, Christian…I…I’m…I’m…I’m dying." You say as loud as you can muster your voice. Your lover refuses to believe it.

"Shhh…shhh…it’s all right." He holds on to you. The cast is all watch on, silently.

Every breath hurts you

"I’m so sorry." You whisper.

"No, you’ll be alright. You’ll be alright." Obi-Wan's tears drip onto your face. You wish you could believe him.

"Cold…I’m cold…cold. Hold me." You say to him, hoping his heat would change something. Obi-Wan holds you close to him, he searches the faces around him, afraid of their pained expression. He smiles a little for you.

"I love you." He says so only you can hear.

You smiles back, and can only whisper.

"You’ve got to go on, Ben."

His voice breaks as he speaks.

"Can’t go on without you, though." He attempts to laugh but it comes.out as a sob.

"You’ve got so much to give" You reach up and touch his face as he tries to hold back his tears.

"Don't hide away forev, Ben. The world needs you."

He shakes his head and starts to weep harder.

"No…"

"Yes… Promise me. Promise me. Don't shut yourself off from the force." He gulps realising you knew what he was. "That way, I’ll…I’ll always be with you." He nods to you, pulling you closer to him again.

You take a few soft, gasping breaths, smiling at Obi-Wan as he weeps and kisses you one last time.

As he pulls back, the force tells him as his heart breaks in two. You are dead. He cradles your body as coloured paper still floats around you. There isn't a dry eye amongst the cast. Beyond the curtain the audience continue their applause, unaware of your demise. The Duke boards his ship scowling back at the Bordello.

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into months. And then, one not-so-very special day, I went to my datapad, I sat down, and I wrote our story.

A story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people but above all things, a story about love.

A love that will live forever in the heart of a once great Jedi.

My story does not end here, there would be adventures yet to have but my heart stayed forever within the walls of the RED MILL.

The end.

[bell-of-indecision]

✨I ranked all the indian stuff I watched in 2023✨

For context, this July I finally gave in to my decade-old urge and dove head first into indian culture. It's been nothing short of phenomenal. The more people I meet, the more foods I try, the more music I listen to, the more Hindi I learn, the more I fall in love with India.

Although I became more of a TV serial person, eventually, I gave in to the movies as well.

So here's everything I watched, ranked from worst to best.

(I'm sorry in advance)

10. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

This movie is useless, I'm so sorry. Somehow, it fooled me into thinking Naina was the main character, then the whole thing became about Bunny and I was so confused, who was I supposed to care about anyway? Can't complain though, Naina is a boring and uncharismatic cliché, I couldn't care less about her, had she disappeared midway into the story, I would've been thankful. Avi, Bunny, and Aditi, on the other hand, are loveable characters that deserved to be in a better movie — especially Aditi, I liked her so much. Too bad the movie seems to be about absolutely nothing. There was a message, I think, but it felt so shallow it didn't even matter to me, there was no actual relevance, no lesson, no impact, nothing. Maybe I'm stupid, but this movie is a drag. And the soundtrack SUCKS, Ilahi is the only good song in it.

2.8/10

9. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

The very first Bollywood movie I've ever watched. I wanted to like it so bad, it makes me sad that I didn't. Is it a comedy? A horror story? A dramatic murder mystery? Somehow, it's all of these and none at the same time, it can't decide on a tone to save its life, not even the humor can decide on what exactly it wants to be (most of it is just bad). The main couple has negative chemistry, their romance is so bland it's almost funny. Ruhan carries the whole movie on his back and is the only character with enough charisma to make me care, I honestly love this guy. His scene where he pretends to be possessed is incredible, and Tabu as Anjulika was great too. The plot twist was really nice, possibly the only good thing about the whole story, but then the movie ends so abruptly and on such a heavy note that it almost made me sick when the upbeat theme song started playing immediately after. This movie could not read the room, everything about it throws me off.

4/10

8. Jab We Met

Aditya is a dream, Geet is kind of a nightmare. I have nothing against characters that are lively, optimistic, and cheery, but they have to be bearable, she was just way too much for me. I loved Aditya's character development, it was fun and endearing to watch. The movie itself is not bad, just overrated. Nagada Nagada slaps though.

6/10

7. War

I wanted to love this movie just as much as it wanted to have a good twist. We both failed. Underestimating the audience's intelligence is one thing, but toying with us and making us feel like fools for the sake of a “big reveal” is something else. And no, it wasn't worth it. It wanted to be surprising, but it was just frustrating, shocking for all the wrong reasons. The action was fire though, no complaints there, and I loved the relationship dynamic between Kabir and Khalid, I would watch 11 seasons of those two going on missions with their team and fighting together, their chemistry is so good, I enjoyed every second of their scenes.

6.4/10

6. Arjun: The Warrior Prince

As a Mahabharat fan, I had hopes, but that's on me. Loved the way the story was presented to the audience, simple but brilliant. Shaheer Sheikh's Brihannala altered my brain chemistry, and I was elated to see her again. The animation was gorgeous, that goes without saying. I just hated how it ended right before the war, right where Arjun has some of his best moments, and hated even more how they practically erased Krishna from the story. At least they made him dark skinned this time.

6.7/10

5. My Name is Khan

Had this been based on a true story, I would've been the biggest fan of this movie to ever exist, I am a sucker for movies based on real life stories. Still, despite the disappointment of finding out this whole thing — as good as it was — was fictional, I see it as a touching, lovely, honest, and relevant story that kept me interested and broadened my horizons. Say whatever you want about allistic actors playing autistic characters, Shah Rukh Khan sold the heck out of this character and I bought it like the big neurodivergent fool that I am. I see a neurodivergent character onscreen, I am immediately on-board and loving them despite all their scripted flaws because “they're just like me fr”. "Marry me", indeed.

7/10

4. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Is it innovative and groundbreaking? No, but it is so much fun. It's deep and honest enough, charismatic and funny enough, it's just good entertainment with a good message. I expected nothing to be honest, either way, the story just kept getting better? The dynamics kept getting deeper and more complex? Wait a minute, this was actually good! I went in for the soundtrack — I'm obssessed with Dhindhora Baje Re — but I stayed for everything else. I laughed out loud many times, I shed some tears, I rooted, man, this movie made me feel actual things! What a lovely surprise.

7.9/10

3. The Railway Men

I went into it with such high hopes. Some of them were met, but part of me was left unsatisfied. As I said before, real stories are my favorite, but the way this show was presented feels too much like fiction. Good fiction, but still. And I know it’s not fiction. I am aware that many creative liberties were taken, and I'm not against them, at all, but the thing is: I could see them, I knew they were there. When I watched HBO’s Chernobyl, I was fully convinced that everything that was presented in the show was reality, exactly how it had happened, and I doubted nothing. I was shocked when they revealed that Ulana Khomyuk was a character created to represent many scientists that were involved in the incident. I had eaten her up, and I still can't believe she wasn't a real person. The Railway Men feels like the opposite of this, most of it feels like a creative liberty, very little reads as a real event, a real interaction, or a real person. I doubted a lot of what I saw, and had to do some research to fully understand what exactly had been real. But like I said, it was still good. I found myself caring deeply for each and every character, no matter how minor, I deeply empathized with their pain, rooted for them, cried with them, cried for them. It's heartbreaking, gut wrenching, revolting, yet it still manages to be inspiring. Why I never learned about Bhopal before watching this show is beyond me, but at any rate, I will be recommending this show to everyone I know.

8.1/10

2. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva 

I will defend this movie's honor, I don't even care. I loved it so much that I made my mom watch it with me the next day, and she loved it. The dialogue is cringy, yes, unbearably so, some lines make my skin crawl. But COME ON, the plot is great, the concept is creative, the visual effects are wonderful, the soundtrack is divine —Mohan is dreamy— hear me out, I was hooked, on board, immersed, you name it. This movie made me feel so excited, I felt like a 7-year-old watching a super hero movie and wanting to have cool powers just like those, I honestly can't remember the last time a movie made me feel this energetic. Do I understand why Shiva and Isha were so deeply in love despite having met each other a week ago? No, but I was still rooting for them. Do I understand why sometimes people yell out the Astra’s powers in order to activate them like the Power Rangers? No, neither do I vibe with it, but do you think it mattered? The next moments were so freaking cool that I completely forgot what I wanted to complain about. (Oh, and Saurav Gurjar was in it! I gasped so loud when I saw him on screen, and playing a villain no less!) I was genuinely sad when it ended, I would've watched three more hours of that, despite the terribly written lines. I will fight for this movie and forgive every bad line of dialogue if it kills me.

8.7/10

1. Mahabharat (2013)

In case you haven't noticed, I am absolutely obssessed with Mahabharat. Initially, I’d decided to face the 267 episodes of this show because watching stuff in your target language is a good way to learn (also, that Krishna guy was very easy on the eyes, looking at him a bit more surely wouldn't hurt). It took me a few episodes to really get into the story, but once I did, oh boy, I was so hooked on the plot I even forgot about the language (although I did learn some words from it). The thing about this show, other than the freaking superb plot and phenomenal cast, are the characters. They all made me feel something. And that's the thing with characters, I believe, they don't necessarily have to be good or bad, morally speaking, they have to be well-written and entertaining, they have to make you feel things, positive or negative. Shakuni, a villain, was freaking great because of how good he was at being bad. And the good guys, like the Pandavas, weren't just good, that'd be boring, they were also charismatic, unique, funny, inspiring, and sometimes morally grey, which made them even more interesting, even more human. Watching them get in conflict with their morals when things got dark was insane. Even when they messed up —I'm looking at you Dharmraj— I still wanted to see them win. They felt like family, I watched them grow, I felt so close to them that their struggles and victories felt like my own. “My boys”, I call them. Mahabharat is my Roman Empire, man, I could talk about this show for HOURS. Anyway, this became my favorite show of all time and I'm so glad I didn't let the number of episodes scare me away. (And yes, I am still very much in love with Saurabh Raaj’s Krishna, he is probably one of my favorite characters ever, my heart raced when I first saw him and it still does to this day, BYE)

9/10

Oh, this ended up being a Top 10. Nice.

I both thank you and applaud you for reaching the end of this ramble that is ultimately just a result of my obsession with making lists and ranking literally everything. And also my admiration for indian culture.

I would've included Porus and Chandragupta Maurya but I'm not yet finished watching them, but I thought I should say: I am liking them a lot.

What do you people think I should watch next year? Recommendations are welcome!

✨🇮🇳 ✨

[benirium]

[Внутриигровые книги; расы и народы]

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Путь Озёрного прайда

Эта рукопись была написана Амралтом из прайда Чёрного Льва, павшим в сражении с иферийской армией.

Ферре Рухан — мара Озёрного прайда — первым пошатнул вековые традиции. Он утверждал, что прочие народы держат нас за неприкаянных бродяг, поэтому мы должны эволюционировать — а начать стоит с заявления прав на степные земли. В частности, Рухан вознамерился отобрать у людей восточное королевство Бенрезас (Венарес).

Заручившись поддержкой элитных воинов, очень скоро мара Рухан и впрямь объявил пределы Бенрезаса территорией Озёрного клана. По племенам пошла молва, что спятивший вождь оскверняет память предков, и я, признаться, придерживался того же мнения. Однако на том амбициозный предводитель не унялся: он продолжил военную кампанию, в ходе которой захватил ещё пятнадцать человеческих укреплений.

Когда его прайд стал не в силах удерживать занятые рубежи, Рухан понял, что нужда��тся в новых сторонниках. Он направил миссии во все уголки прерий с целью убедить братьев в преимуществах оседлого быта — и, скрепя сердце, большинство всё же приняли его предложение.

…Пока в одной части Великого луга гремели войны, на другой хозяйничали полчища саранчи. По моей общине — прайду Чёpногo Льва — их налёты ударили особенно чувствительно. Нехватка провизии даже погубила нескольких котят и старейшин. Последней надеждой оставался предстоящий сезон дождей, но вместо него пришла сильная засуха. Иссушенная почва трескалась прямо под нашими шатрами. Неужели это небесная кара?

Именно в сей нел��гкий час к нам тоже заявился посланник Озёрного прайда. Заметив, что он по-прежнему носит традиционную одежду кочевника и даже ездит верхом на снежном льве, я удивился. В соответствии с обычаями прошлого, в обмен на гостеприимство вестник привёл аж пятерых взрослых быков. Впечатлённые подарком, соплеменники испытали немалое облегчение и быстро позабыли о прежней вражде. В глубине души мы боялись признаться, что мара Рухан был прав с самого начала.

Свежего мяса хватило, чтобы накормить весь клан. Все так давно не чувствовали сытости, что трапеза вскоре переросла в весёлый пир. Вино лилось рекой, и в самый разгар празднеств посланник Ульгурат перешёл к непосредственной сути своего визита:

— Величие природы столь же безгранично, сколь порой и опасно, — на этих словах мои братья, только что испытавшие её немилость на себе, согласно закивали. — Десять лет назад наше племя страдало почти так же, как вы. Саранча, засуха, голод… Всё это унесло слишком много жизней. Однако один ферре осмелился выступить против самой природы. Его целью было не искоренить кочевую культуру, но сохранить её, защитив сперва жизни собратьев. Да, мара Рухан завоевал земли подобно людям. Но выращенный на них скот кормил нас в самые смутные времена! Освободившись от диктата стихии, мы смогли выжить, размножиться и вновь процветать! Теперь наш лидер метит на королевство Терена (Теренос). Успех этого похода обеспечит ферре безраздельную власть над Великим лугом! Мы вырастем в могущественную империю, где найдётся убежище для каждого! Доблестные сыны Чёрнoгo Льва, готовы ли вы присоединиться к нам?!

Слова Ульгурата были встречены молчанием. «Чёpныe львы» посмотрели на своего мару, Далгоча (Тальчога)(отца Таяна). Тот спокойно пригубил вина и зажмурился, словно смакуя напиток. Воцарилась настолько тревожная атмосфера, что в тишине был отчётливо слышен полёт назойливого комара. Наконец, вождь открыл глаза:

— Братья и сёстры, — вступил он, поднимаясь со своего места. — Мы всегда следовали мудрости предков и не теряли веры в их путь. Вы действительно хотите отказаться от нашего наследия? Ведь они наблюдают за нами со звёздного небосвода.

Ульгурат встретился с оратором взглядом и тяжело покачал головой:

— Кажется, мара Далгоч неверно толкует обычаи Озёрного прайда, — вздохнул он. — Мы вовсе не отказались от учений предков и не предавали духа равнин. Снежные львы по-прежнему остаются нашими главными спутниками, а охота и собирательство, как и раньше, — основа нашего уклада. Единственное отличие — в том, что мы избавлены от постоянных поисков укрытия от всякого рода катаклизмов.

Далгоч фыркнул:

— Как смеешь ты искать оправдания в атрибутах верности? Вы повернулись спиной к прародителям в тот самый момент, когда направили клинки на Бенрезас!

Многие слушатели снова поддержали вождя одобрительными кивками. Ульгурата пыл оппонента, казалось, ничуть не смутил:

— Но во имя чего были созданы эти традиции? Согласитесь, отнюдь не с целью истребить потомков. Как долго, по-вашему, племя Чёрнoгo Льва сможет бороться с нынешними обстоятельствами? Я видел мешки с костями, коих вы называете снежными львами. И ваши семьи недалеко от них ушли. Неужели отвернуться от страдающих соратников предки сочли бы благородным поступком?

Слова гостя были жестоки, но правдивы. Присутствующие, прекрасно осознававшие это, заметно поникли.

— Когда последний из вас падёт, кто возложит в вашу честь закатные камни? — продолжил он, расхаживая вокруг костра. — Другие могут сколь угодно оскорблять мару Рухана, но нам не хватит и жизни, чтобы отблагодарить его за спасение Озёрного прайда. Рискуя собственной репутацией, он не только уберёг последовавших за ним ферре, но и привёл их к славе. Мара Далгоч, вы можете возвыситься вместе с нами или тихо умeрeть, оставив после себя лишь груду истлевших костей.

Проникновенная речь Ульгурата задела весь клан за живое. Ночью Далгоч собрал старейшин в своём шатре, чтобы поднять вопрос о судьбе прайда. Совет не мог достичь консенсуса до самого рассвета. К всеобщему замешательству, утром мара объявил, что предложение соседей принято. Многие запротестовали.

— Летописцы могут назвать мои действия ересью, — парировал он. — Но я не могу приговорить нас к смeрти, когда есть надежда на выживание. Я готов единолично нести весь позор этого выбора!

На его воспалённых от усталости глазах проступили слёзы. Никто не посмел усомниться в искренности Далгоча.

Десятки других кланов последовали нашему примеру и присягнули маре Рухану. Я и не представлял, что в прериях обитает столько собратьев. Тысячи бойцов верхом на своих верных львах выдвинулись на Терену. Сама земля содрогалась под их дикой мощью.

Армия Терены потерпела неизбежное поражение, а череда славных побед ферре продолжилась. За неполную неделю мы превратили одно из сильнейших людских государств в не более чем перевёрнутую страницу истории.

После битвы победителю отходит всё, чем некогда мог похвастать проигравший. Когда пришло время делить трофеи, первую территорию мара Рухан предложил именно племени Чёрнoгo Льва. Плодородные и богатые земли вкупе со всем, что на их поверхности. На нас снизошло изобилие, о котором мы и не мечтали. Предводитель также не скупился на похвалы в адрес подопечных и воздал почести матери-природе, что закалила вольный народ. Финал его торжественной речи звучал так:

— Наша империя будет шириться до тех пор, пока вы не сможете вдоль и поперёк пересечь материк верхом! Стражи степей, за мной!

Так начался новый этап наступательной войны, которую мы считали освободительной. И кто знает, чем она завершится. Думаю, это неведомо даже маре Рухану. Новые традиции создаются, чтобы сохранять старые. Мы неустанно двигаемся, пока снежные львы не падут, истекая крoвью. Эта алая тропа — пусть становления империи. Дорога, которой мы будем следовать до конца. ----------

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{ К Содержанию }

[intopower]

Ruhan Breedt. IG: @ruhan_breedt

[in-love-with-srk]

"Toh yein he vo jiske chakr me tujhe us ladke se shaddi nahi karni thi." (So they are the reason you didn't want to get married to that guy) Ruhan said teasingly. "Mujhe pata tha. Pyaar ki Bina tumhari jesi bholi ladki marne ki acting kyu karti? (I knew it. If not for love why would an innocent girl like you lie to your family ) "Esa kuch nahi hein" (That's not true) Reet responded coyly.

"Tumhe use batana chahiye ki tum abhi bhi zinda ho. Varna jab use pata chalega vo tumhe shayad maaf na kare aur phir tumhe us ladke se hi shaddi Karni parregi." (You should tell them that you're still alive. Otherwise if they find out on their own, they might not forgive you and then you will end up marrying that guy)

Reet thought about what ruhan said and although he might seem like a gadha (idiot) he had a point.

Reet had loved you since you were both kids and she couldn't bear the thought of how she would feel if she thought you were dead. "Theek he par agar tumne use bataya ki me use passand karti hu to mein-" (Fine, but if you tell them that I like them then I will-) "Mujhe mar dogi pata hein, ab ja aur use isi josh se kiss kar" (I know you'll kill me, now go and kiss them. )

A/n If not Ruhan atleast have some Reet because I love Kiara Advani. Also I know that some things are not translated as the same thing but the literal translation sounds really weird in English.

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Vow of Lightning

"Ruhan would never agree to such terms." —Ruhan of the Fomori

Artist: Svetlin Velinov TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link