I’ll never quite get over just how integrated kids are into daily Jedi life and the implications of that.

Dooku’s Temple "job" for years seems to have been “teaching lightsaber preschool.” Sifo-Dyas, the guy with the scary doom visions? Oh yeah, they have him working with infants, bringing babies to the Temple as a Seeker. Jocasta Nu is constantly depicted interacting with the younger generation of Jedi, teaching, helping, or mentoring. In TCW, she knows all the Padawans on sight. 

There’s just something really ordinary and charming to me about this. Sure, Dooku is a terrifying 2m of spider limbs in a robe, but he’s still going down on one sinister knee to check out the little crying kid who got a finger crunched by one of those wooden training swords. How many of the TCW-era Jedi were once babies who played with Sifo-Dyas’s hair loopies or cuddled on his chest as he pointed his T-6 back toward the Temple after another successful Seeking mission? (Space is, after all, cold. 🥺) You just know Jocasta is in very reluctant possession of knowledge of every single teen Padawan drama, crush, or breakup. She tries to stay out of it, but she’s broken up fights and pulled particulars into her office for tea and a gentle lecture on the inherent self-destructiveness of gossip. 

And these are not “just some” Jedi - they are all combat trained, politically important, at the top of their rank and even each sit on the Council at some point in their lives. The Jedi Order really went “super powerful space wizards with laser swords, yeah, but they should also all definitely know how to change a diaper." 

I'm continuing to love this Mace Windu book for how it portrays the Jedi lifestyle (and also, it's just a fun and engaging read):

Okay, the new Kelnacca comic (written by Cavan Scott/Marika Cresta is the artist) literally has Jedi Masters and Padawans getting each other's names tattooed on themselves I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING--

A small detail that was incredibly moving to me in episode 2 of The Acolyte was the moment where Master Sol, who hasn't seen his former Padawan Osha in six years and is encountering her in a context of terrible strain and uncertainly, notices her tattoo and, of course, has to comment on it. His "What is that?" in such an excruciatingly dad way, and her automatic, half-wry "...and... you... hate it." after she gives her explanation. His answering conciliatory, "It doesn't matter what I like..."

The play of tenderness, warmth, humor, awkwardness, vulnerability, the lingering ties of Jedi family that still exists between them. It feels so real and so startlingly familiar. The way it's organically, recognizably a Master and Padawan exchange. It's Obi-Wan and Anakin. It's Dooku and Qui-Gon. It's Mace and Depa. It's Quinlan and Aayla. It's Anakin and Ahsoka. It's Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. It's Rael and Nim. It's Kanan and Ezra. It's Yoda and Dooku. It's Luminara and Barriss. It's Ky and Asajj. It's Depa and Caleb.

I just love it so much. I missed them.

As I promised @bolithesenate, I copied out a scene (wouldn't fit in a pic!) from one of the canon novels that I absolutely love: Qui-Gon's memory of his first real interaction with Dooku from the book Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray. For the hilariously realistic first impressions vibe, and also for the beautiful glimpse of Jedi place and culture and the Temple as both a home and sacred space.

"You're frightened," said Master Dooku.

Qui-Gon Jinn, twelve years old, knelt in front of his new Master. Only yesterday, Dooku had chosen him as Padawan. He'd spent his last night in the younglings' creche, laughing with his friends, imagining all the adventures he would have, and practicing with his lightsaber in the sparring room until Master Yaddle ordered him to bed.

...

"Well?" Dooku raised one eyebrow. He seemed to stand three meters tall, looming over Qui-Gon like an obsidian wall. "Have you no response to my observation?"

I'm not afraid. The denial surfaced in Qui-Gon's mind. It was what he wanted to say, because it was what he wanted to be true.

But it wasn't true. Surely a Padawan wasn't supposed to lie to his new Master.

Qui-Gon admitted, "I am, Master."

"Why should you fear me?" Dooku said in his deepest, most intimidating voice, as though answering his own question.

okay that's cute, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous casually explaining Anakin's "if Master Obi-Wan caught me doing this he'd be very grumpy" line in two little moments: Padawan Dooku lifting Yoda's fallen lantern with the Force asking "why not do it the easy way?" and being told "because it is easy," and later, the greater explanation we get through Master Max Leem's perspective, that Padawans traditionally are taught not to use their powers lightly as a training rite of passage/object lesson for understanding their powers.