[it isn't difficult to hear about Skywalker drama in Verens, even if you've been in another city for the majority of said incident. It's been long enough that Anakin can be reasonably sure he isn't going to repeat the mistakes he made the last time they had this conversation, so he finally gathers his patience and makes the call.]
Kylo. It's been a while. How was your trip with--
[He almost says “your uncle”, but he thinks better of it at the last moment and goes for something more neutral.]
Luke?
[He sounds rougher than usual, but he's better than he was a few weeks ago, after Padme vanished. There's little risk of Vader appearing at the moment.]
[Grandfather's presence is always mildly alarming at first, even if that feeling quickly fades into bitter irritation. Being contacted by Anakin through the amulets is an entirely new feeling, however, so there's a hint of surprise added to that mixture even as some suspicion arises.
He expects to get yelled at if he suggests even the slightest amount of trouble, and he's not really interested in that, so he's not planning on sharing any details without some serious digging.]
... fine.
[And technically it's true. Neither of them came out of it terribly worse for the wear. No fighting happened. It was fine.]
[That's amazingly vague, and he can't figure out what it's supposed to mean, except that Kylo doesn't want to tell him anything. Whether that's to hide what really happened or just because he doesn't want to speak to Anakin is unclear.]
I'm surprised you don't have a stronger opinion about it, considering the circumstances.
[Anakin is toeing a dangerous line, but he ignores that. He'd rather take the risk to get the information he wants, even if it means goading Kylo.]
[Ugh, okay, it looks like the vague isn't quite working. That's really no surprise; he imagines Anakin is about as stubborn as he is, if not more. He supposes he'll try to put a positive spin on it, just to avoid mention of the whole... collapsing tunnels deal.
His voice is still somewhat dull, like he's hesitating to share, but at least he says more than one word this time.]
It was... a good opportunity. Not having anything to do was driving me mad.
[Completely avoiding the issue of Luke seems like a good plan for now.]
[Avoiding the collapsing tunnels might be a good idea, actually. Nobody needs Overprotective Dad Anakin to reappear and ruin everything yet again.]
Really.
[That's still frustratingly unspecific, but he has a bit more to work with now. He'll just have to use that to push Kylo a bit more. He tries to keep his voice neutral, but he can't hide the curiosity in it. He's no great liar.]
Sitting around and doing nothing would do that to anyone, wouldn't it? I'm glad you found a way out of that.
I suppose. I've never been one to like sitting around and doing nothing.
[Which is why he makes a terrible Jedi.]
They've even allowed me training equipment at the house now, which helps somewhat.
[He's alright with talking about himself, even if it's with the terrible Light Side version of his grandfather. As long as he can keep anything resembling the Incident from happening again...]
[Well, Anakin can see why. If it keeps Kylo busy and quiet, without risking him being allowed out on his own, it's worth the potential risk.]
I'm surprised they'd underestimate you that much. You got lucky.
[For once, Anakin sounds genuinely amused when talking to his grandson. Even ignoring the issues they've had, he knows Kylo can be pretty impressive when he wants to be. Letting someone that strong get even stronger is ridiculous.]
[Anakin's voice is as noncommittal as he can manage while also sounding amused as hell. That is, not very, but he's trying really hard.]
I can't imagine you're feeling satisfied with just that, though. You can only do so much with inanimate objects.
[A potentially dangerous idea is starting to form in Anakin's mind, but whether Kylo will accept it or not remains to be seen. He'll have to tread cautiously here.]
[How dare you. He's been doing great! Totally trustworthy and law abiding and all of that. He hasn't harmed a flea.
Ren decides not to actually respond to that with any more than a brief twinge of defensiveness, however. He supposes that's better than Anakin trying to argue. Maybe. But he ends up being thoroughly distracted by the next statements as he tries to discern what kind of meaning there might be behind them.]
... Yes. That is true.
[There may be no image involved, but there's a definite sense of Kylo's full cautious attention being on the man on the other side of the connection. Is he trying to accuse him of trying something unsavory? Is he saying Kylo isn't patient enough to wait for further opportunities?]
[The nervousness given off by Anakin is matched by Ren's own anxious hesitation, and he pauses for several moments as he considers the question. It's fairly obvious that the Jedi means to offer himself up for the task, rather than anyone else. Ren isn't sure if that's a deal breaker or not.]
Help out how, exactly.
[He's not really interested in getting practice in how to escape a Force choke, thanks.]
[Anakin doesn't hesitate to answer. He was hoping to be asked this, so he's prepared when it comes.]
Sparring. Practicing forms together. That kind of thing.
[The nerves are really amping up now, but he does his best to project his genuine interest at Kylo, to make sure his good intentions come through as much as possible.]
Practicing alone gets dull, and there's no one else there to tell you where you're slipping. I'm tired of it.
[Kylo sounds mildly offended, having no idea what Anakin is referring to. Why would he be tired of practicing alone—he has his own mentor here in Obi-Wan, doesn't he? Would they not be training together?
... he has to admit he's a little amused by the thought of correcting the other man, though. It's so strange to think he's actually older than his grandfather at the moment.]
[Anakin laughs, guessing that Kylo's disbelief comes from the fact that Obi-Wan is around. They've been meeting up often enough that even Anakin has noticed, though he tries not to interfere.]
I've been practicing with the same man since I first held a lightsaber. He's great, but he can't help me get out of this rut when he's the same as he always is.
[Obi-Wan is fantastic, but when you've seen the same moves over and over for a decade, no matter how improved, you start to get a little bored.]
Besides. I haven't seen what you're capable of yet. Are you interested?
[He supposes that's fair; Kylo himself has had two separate teachers and likely started his training later in life than Anakin did, so he hasn't experienced such a thing yet. (Though he did tire of Luke's methods in general rather quickly.)
... and it is a chance to practice with a different style of lightsaber combat, even if he's still working back up to his full capabilities with his left hand, since his right is mostly useless now.]
I might be.
[He just needs a little more incentive. He's waiting to see what else Anakin is willing to offer.]
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lostapprentice) wrote2035-01-06 02:37 am
Voice, sometime after luke and kylo's bogus journey
Kylo. It's been a while. How was your trip with--
[He almost says “your uncle”, but he thinks better of it at the last moment and goes for something more neutral.]
Luke?
[He sounds rougher than usual, but he's better than he was a few weeks ago, after Padme vanished. There's little risk of Vader appearing at the moment.]
your face is bogus!!
He expects to get yelled at if he suggests even the slightest amount of trouble, and he's not really interested in that, so he's not planning on sharing any details without some serious digging.]
... fine.
[And technically it's true. Neither of them came out of it terribly worse for the wear. No fighting happened. It was fine.]
no subject
[That's amazingly vague, and he can't figure out what it's supposed to mean, except that Kylo doesn't want to tell him anything. Whether that's to hide what really happened or just because he doesn't want to speak to Anakin is unclear.]
I'm surprised you don't have a stronger opinion about it, considering the circumstances.
[Anakin is toeing a dangerous line, but he ignores that. He'd rather take the risk to get the information he wants, even if it means goading Kylo.]
no subject
His voice is still somewhat dull, like he's hesitating to share, but at least he says more than one word this time.]
It was... a good opportunity. Not having anything to do was driving me mad.
[Completely avoiding the issue of Luke seems like a good plan for now.]
no subject
Really.
[That's still frustratingly unspecific, but he has a bit more to work with now. He'll just have to use that to push Kylo a bit more. He tries to keep his voice neutral, but he can't hide the curiosity in it. He's no great liar.]
Sitting around and doing nothing would do that to anyone, wouldn't it? I'm glad you found a way out of that.
no subject
I suppose. I've never been one to like sitting around and doing nothing.
[Which is why he makes a terrible Jedi.]
They've even allowed me training equipment at the house now, which helps somewhat.
[He's alright with talking about himself, even if it's with the terrible Light Side version of his grandfather. As long as he can keep anything resembling the Incident from happening again...]
no subject
[Well, Anakin can see why. If it keeps Kylo busy and quiet, without risking him being allowed out on his own, it's worth the potential risk.]
I'm surprised they'd underestimate you that much. You got lucky.
[For once, Anakin sounds genuinely amused when talking to his grandson. Even ignoring the issues they've had, he knows Kylo can be pretty impressive when he wants to be. Letting someone that strong get even stronger is ridiculous.]
no subject
[Lucky, humph. He supposes he does appreciate how stupid some of the locals can be at times, but this isn't a result of them underestimating him.]
They're aware enough of my abilities. I've simply been proving myself trustworthy.
[Well... it's true that he hasn't done anything violent to anyone since he came back to life, but trustworthy may be a stretch.]
no subject
[Anakin's voice is as noncommittal as he can manage while also sounding amused as hell. That is, not very, but he's trying really hard.]
I can't imagine you're feeling satisfied with just that, though. You can only do so much with inanimate objects.
[A potentially dangerous idea is starting to form in Anakin's mind, but whether Kylo will accept it or not remains to be seen. He'll have to tread cautiously here.]
no subject
Ren decides not to actually respond to that with any more than a brief twinge of defensiveness, however. He supposes that's better than Anakin trying to argue. Maybe. But he ends up being thoroughly distracted by the next statements as he tries to discern what kind of meaning there might be behind them.]
... Yes. That is true.
[There may be no image involved, but there's a definite sense of Kylo's full cautious attention being on the man on the other side of the connection. Is he trying to accuse him of trying something unsavory? Is he saying Kylo isn't patient enough to wait for further opportunities?]
I'm working with the hand I've been dealt.
no subject
The real test is still ahead, however. Anakin tries to be nonchalant about it, but a sense of nervousness inevitably comes across the connection.]
What do you think of having another set of hands to help you out?
[AKA, what if Anakin, specifically, helped him out with that?]
no subject
Help out how, exactly.
[He's not really interested in getting practice in how to escape a Force choke, thanks.]
no subject
Sparring. Practicing forms together. That kind of thing.
[The nerves are really amping up now, but he does his best to project his genuine interest at Kylo, to make sure his good intentions come through as much as possible.]
Practicing alone gets dull, and there's no one else there to tell you where you're slipping. I'm tired of it.
no subject
[Kylo sounds mildly offended, having no idea what Anakin is referring to. Why would he be tired of practicing alone—he has his own mentor here in Obi-Wan, doesn't he? Would they not be training together?
... he has to admit he's a little amused by the thought of correcting the other man, though. It's so strange to think he's actually older than his grandfather at the moment.]
no subject
I've been practicing with the same man since I first held a lightsaber. He's great, but he can't help me get out of this rut when he's the same as he always is.
[Obi-Wan is fantastic, but when you've seen the same moves over and over for a decade, no matter how improved, you start to get a little bored.]
Besides. I haven't seen what you're capable of yet. Are you interested?
no subject
... and it is a chance to practice with a different style of lightsaber combat, even if he's still working back up to his full capabilities with his left hand, since his right is mostly useless now.]
I might be.
[He just needs a little more incentive. He's waiting to see what else Anakin is willing to offer.]