The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi

Fanfiction
Title:	The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Author(s):	Rachael Sabotini
Date(s):	August 1999 - April 2000
Length:
Genre(s):	slash fanfiction
Fandom(s):	Star Wars TPM
Relationship(s):	Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan
External Links:	The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Rachael Sabotini's House O'Fanfic)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan series by Rachael Sabotini.

Series

• Poet Laureate | 10K | 12/1999 | Adult | It's a kind of poetry
• Jedi and Roses | 14K | 01/2000 | Breakfast, not long after
• Wind and Rain | 14K | 01/2000 | The poetry class complete, Obi-Wan wants to celebrate
• Ruby on the Vine | 14K | 02/2000 | Qui-Gon comtemplates the changes in his life
• Shapes of Clay | 40K | 04/2000 | Adult | If it is not forbidden, is it allowed?
• Preferred Vintage | 17K | 08/1999 | Adult | Obi-Wan returns from his first solo mission.

Recs and Reviews

The Rubaiyat is actually a collection of six short vignettes. They're all on M-A, but the order is clearer on Rache's own SW page. [...] The series began with its own epilogue, Preferred Vintage, a hot enough little pwp - but where it caught my attention was with the next story, which actually begins the arc: Poet Laureate. This features the earthiest, most unabashedly young male voice for Obi-Wan I've ever come across in TPM. Then, as the series alternates between Obi and Qui, we're touched by Qui's more adult, more melancholic and restrained point of view, and by the small shifts through which Obi-Wan comes to some adult realisations, dragging his master with him.

poet laureate, wind and rain, ruby on the vine, shapes of clay, and preferred vintage, by rachael sabotini. qui/obi, nc-17, sw:tpm. 'shapes of clay' is the first time story in this series. each story is short and to the point; shockingly sweet in the middle, with a nicely believable obi-wan, although qui-gon is possibly over-angsty. the last one is a pwp and not necessary to the series.

I'm a Rachael Sabotini Fan and have been for years. She has written a series of vignettes in TPM that are quite lovely alone or together. The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi is a wonderfully simple but intricate offering that is not to be missed. For a more in-depth review, go here. 3/5/2000:

The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi

by Rachael Sabotini

A review by Maygra 3/5/2000

There are currently five vignettes in this series with another possible, but while they are interconnected, they read fine as stand-alone pieces. Still, like observing a series of paintings, you never quite get the full effect until you see them all.

A Rubaiyat is a set of independent quatrains, most often written with the first, second and fourth lines rhyming. More recently a Rubaiyat has come to mean a kind of formalized contemplation on dissimilar but related thoughts.

Sometime before 1962, retired Persian Diplomat Nakhai penned "The Rubaiyat of Ghods Nakhai". In his foreword to the verses he writes, "We are here but for a short time and gone the next moment never to be here again. So, what are sorrow, greed, and selfishness for? Be happy and let others be happy."

Rache's Rubaiyat doesn't quite follow the traditional poetic form but it does follow it in intent and, as Nakhai suggested, it makes me very happy.

The first segment, "Poet Laureate" (1100 words, 8K) shows us a reflective Obi-Wan, (a much earthier first person POV than is usually seen,) that uniquely pinpoints how easily the thoughts of the young slip from topic to topic. From his difficulty with poetry in his classes to his post-adolescent contemplation of the pleasures of sex, to his unremarkable fascination and admiration for his master, the three items become intertwined with neither compulsion nor fanfare. There is no despair here or desperate yearnings, just simple poetry.

In "Jedi and Roses" (1800 words, 10K) a totally unconscious matter of dressing by Qui-Gon prompts an inexplicable and messy accident. Qui-Gon is wrapped up in his Padawan's routine needs: classes, exams, fine tuning his padawan's extra senses, entirely involved in guiding this young man through the lessons and trials to come. The whole incident is handled with good natured humor and genuine fondness and comfort between the pair, with no issues raised save in their own minds, right up until Qui-Gon has a moment to think without thinking about his padawan's need. It doesn't take an illustration to see the expression on his face.

"Wind and Rain" (1600 words, 9K) is a little angstier, once more presented from Obi-Wan's POV, (First and third rather than first and second -- trust me it works.) Both Qui and Obi come to realize that something has shifted not between them yet, but within them. Lovely and simple.

"Ruby on the Vine" (1600 words, 9K) is the teacups on tables analogy brought to a head with subtle force. Ever wonder in some homes why teacups, lovely hand painted teacups, are left on end tables or mantles? They are lovely things but devoid of function at the moment, robbed of function to bring attention to their beauty -- or given a new function if anyone's grandmother ever planted African Violets in the prettiest teacups, as mine did. Qui-Gon's POV again, as he realizes his life is changing, will change irrevocably in the near future as Obi-Wan moves on in his life. Except as with those pretty teacups, once you stop looking at them as vases, or planters or art, they become much more functional and are probably happier that way. "Ruby on the Vine' is an eloquent depiction of change and function.

The last of the posted installments was actually written first and seemingly inspired the others, Rache working backward flawlessly to illustrate what brought Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to the events (wonderfully, erotically, intimate) in "Preferred Vintage" (2000 words, 14K). Obi-Wan returns from a solo mission (as much training ground for a soon-to-be Jedi as an important task) seeking balance and something more. Independently, in the other vignettes, both of them have been moving to this point. The lack of rationalization or need to fence or dance with words is wonderfully presented, and they easily slip right back into the bantering and irreverent teasing of two people who know each other, finally and fully, well.

So, what is it that makes this a wonderful story, rather than some wonderfully written vignettes? Language and approach. Rache is my favorite of all the atmospheric writers I know. She sets moods deftly and with all the subtlety of a sunset rather than the flash and freeze of a photograph or painting of a sunset. Nothing is static, thoughts and words move easily without being pretentious. You could almost drop the names from these stories almost entirely and still know who was speak -- her Obi-Wan is earthy and impulsive, but deeply compassionate and very real. So much so that it's part of his nature rather than part of what he does. You may not hear Ewan MacGregor in his voice, but you will surely hear Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Qui-Gon is human and falters now and again, more from this unsteady diet of contemplation on his own feelings than from any lack of competency or lack of emotion. He finds his own path, but it is neither rigid nor cultivated. His 'voice' is slightly more thoughtful, his pride apparent, but not a massive stumbling block.

It's interesting to note that the first and third vignettes are written in first person POV, Obi-Wan, and the second and fourth are third person limited, Qui-Gon, while the last (or first) "Preferred Vintage" is 3rd person limited POV, Obi-Wan. It's as if, even within the presentation structure itself, Rache is moving them toward a common view, a place where there is more that brings them together than desire. It's very cool but then again, I like repetitive structures and frameworks that resonate themes.

It's almost worth reading them in the order they were posted -- which does take them out of the chronology that Rache has established -- to very good effect. But reading them as posted provides the pattern by which every avenue is explored. You won't melt in your chair (well you might when you hit "Preferred Vintage".) Instead you are likely to find your prettiest teacup, fill it with your favorite tea or International coffee and spend as much time looking at the patterns of the teacup as wishing you had these little gems printed and bound in a small book to read over and over.

Nakhai's Rubaiyat contained 135 stanzas, and I believe Rache only plans one more. My instinct says she's right but, oh, how I would dearly love to have her continue.

Or maybe do a Rubaiyat of Qui-Gon Jinn.

The Rubaiyat of Obi-Wan Kenobi can be found at http://mediafans.org/rachael/pm/

NOTE: The Rubaiyat of Ghods Nakhai, Hutchinson & Co. Ltd, London, 1962, Copyright Hossein Ghods Nakhai 1962.

http://www.nemoria.dropbear.id.au/nakhai/