running notes for qui/dooku story.

[quigonejinn]

- young dooku.

- the story of Qui-Gon Broken Nose. The idea that Qui-Gon wore his hair long not only because it softened his face but also to hide a jagged scar bisecting the back of his head, just under where he gathers the hair for the hair-tie. (refuse to call it thong). Some kind of shrapnel in his head? Parasitic worm for sheer gross factor and foreboding?

Squeimage of some cave somewhere, battlefield conditions, the situation gets that bad because Qui-Gon tries to ignore it, and a very young Qui-Gon, kneeling on the ground and his fingers closed hard around a pebble. Bent so that he's face down, head on a stone for Dooku, who he's hearing moving around behind him.

And now Dooku kneeling down next to him. Using some of the slightly warmed water to slick down Qui-Gon's hair so that he can see the parasite/shrapnel and also to wash away any blood.

Water is warm so that it's more comfortable for Qui-Gon, and maybe one of Dooku's own arms is broken/in a sling, so when he steadies Qui-Gon, it's the hand with the knife in it. Soothing Qui-Gon. Scene ends with the image of fire playing on Qui-Gon's side while Dooku gets up the courage to cut into his apprentice's head.

- later: if parasite, Qui-Gon calmly swuishing it with the toe of his boot and then wiping it on the rocks of the cave.

- Qui-Gon as a fairly obedient, standard Youngling. Very good, but not excellent, and not rebellious. Why? Because he wants to be a Jedi very, very, very badly. Dooku coming to see the Younglings and recognizing this. People underplaying just how badly Qui-Gon wants to be Jedi.

- why does Qui-Gon want to be a Jedi so badly? Living Force?

- What age does Qui-Gon become Dooku's Padawan? Earlier good because strong bond and you get to see DOoku as a good guy who raises a good kid. Later good has benefits because the notion of Qui-Gon as being obedient up to a point has more impact.

- Qui-Gon's adult appearance was set in the course of a six month mission to [planet]. His trials didn't come until almost a year and a half later, but that was when he got the broken nose, when he decided that he would try to grow his hair long.

- Padawan appearance toward the end: how incongruous it looked. Qui-Gon, grown to almost all of his full adult height, with that fearsome broken nose, and the bald patch on his hair where the parasite had been, the fearsome scar growing there. Bacta lotion over years diminishing it to the point where Qui-Gon could, by his mid-thirties, hide it under the thong and under hair. Hair even started to grow there again.

- Qui-Gon, on a ship going somewhere a year before his trials, examining the scar and his broken nose in the mirror.

- the sheer awkwardness of an adolescent Qui-Gon crushing hardcore on Dooku. Looking up and up and up at Dooku, and the way that the sexual tension settles into a comfortable buzz in the bones. The lesson is that sexual attraction has less to do with the body and more to do with the emotion.

- Notion: Qui-Gon is an ugly thing that's only getting bigger as the days go by, and this isn't some stupid adolescent self-loathing. The honest thing is that Qui-Gon is not very good-looking as a young man. He has to grow into that nose, that chin, that body, and yet, Dooku still loves him and wants to have sex with him. Use as a talking point against those things that center Qui-Gon's attraction ot Obi-Wan as being almost entirely physical.

(notion: physical attraction to Obi-Wan, no emotional attraction, so Qui-Gon doesn't act on it?)

- mutual little occupation projects wher ethey finish their readin gand then discuss with each other. Dooku talking about hwo the Jedi are grounded in a study group, and this is something that Qui-Gon used later to keep Obi-Wan occupied and using his brain: Qui-Gon studied languages and xenobiology. Dooku studies history. Him sitting with Dooku and questioning him about the origins of the Sith, about whether the archives are complete. Asking the formative, hard questions that prick Dooku's curiosity.

- Dooku being the ace master of j0wning the Archives. Charming the librarians. Teaching it to Qui-Gon, who didn't teach it to Obi-Wan because they were never back on Corsucant that much.

- years later. Qui-Gon in bed with Dooku. On-and-off again relationship, moving his fingers over Dooku's face, and laughing and telling Dooku that if they'd look a lot alike if Qui-Gon hadn't had his nose broken.