And you've explicitly rejected Ben Solo, but that hardly changes anything.
[Since he's still Ben to her and to Han, at least, just as Anakin is still Vader, even if he might currently not be wearing that black armor Vader is known for.]
The Force. So what did the Force tell you was happening earlier today?
[She follows that up with some estimation of just how long ago her confrontation with Anakin was. Because surely that couldn't have been missed through the Force.]
And he's more your grandfather than Anakin Skywalker ever will be.
It may not to you, but that's because you're an idiot. Though I guess you got your refusal to accept the future from your father.
[Because despite what she says, he knows how important blood is, that her refusal means little in the grand scheme of things. All of their fates are connected to Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader.]
Nothing that was my concern. I sensed you overreacting, but that's nothing new.
[There's bitterness there over the past that he refuses to share with her, though that's mostly because we don't know what it is yet.]
At least Darth Vader's spirit was there to guide me when I needed him. Organa has never been anything but a story to me.
Edited (you know i typed this originally and changed it and looking back this just makes more sense) 2017-02-23 01:36 (UTC)
[There's a lot there making Leia's irritation spike. Which she knows is what Kylo wants, but her mood being as strained as it is, his responses get to her more than they would on any other day. The temperature around them spikes quickly, before reverting back to normal.]
I don't know if you're being deliberately difficult or if you truly sensed nothing.
[Because honestly with Ben, she can't actually tell. In general, she leans toward him being difficult.]
I know what I saw and how he was behaving. But if you didn't tell him, that's what I need to know.
[Kylo continues being deliberately obtuse by responding to her initial comment with only a hum, but the hint of red that comes to the shadows around them doesn't exactly speak to him being open or good-natured...
He takes a step forward so as to tower over her, disdain clear in his face and voice.]
And? What did you plan to do if I had told him? Scold me?
[He can tower over her all he wants, she's not backing down. She meets his gaze easily, even if she hates the obvious disdain in his posture, her expression stony and unreadable.]
No, but I'd assume you would know how irrational he is, even with Obi-Wan's continued presence. And that if he follows through on his threats, he'll receive a visit from that thing that took you.
[She says it very matter-of-factly, even if she hates bringing up whatever that thing was. Because she knows it's not a good memory for Kylo, and it's not a good memory for her, either. But it's not a risk she wants to take, if only because she doesn't want Anakin going anywhere near Bail.]
[There's an obvious tension that runs through him, the threshold of the door cracking under his feet as his jaw clenches and his lips twitch. But he doesn't respond immediately, nor does he pay any attention to the brief frost that forms under his feet before melting.]
If he kills after hearing what that thing does, then so be it. His foolishness is not my concern.
[her eyes flit down to the ground beneath Kylo as it cracks, but she quickly returns her focus to his face. She isn't about to comment on his obvious reaction, because she already knows the reason for it, and feels bad enough for bringing it up in the first place.]
Is he aware?
[because well. She never bothered to check, she doesn't want to talk to Anakin enough to bother checking if he knows the consequences of this world. But to clarify--]
If he doesn't believe in it, that's his own stupidity at work. And I have no concern for his well-being, but if knowledge of that is enough to deter him, then he should be made aware. He certainly didn't seem to care about any consequences to his actions earlier.
[It's a question the answer to which Kylo thought was obvious. Surely Obi-Wan or Jinn would have informed him? He finds himself annoyed by the idea they haven't.]
Has no one bothered to tell him what happened to me? [He sees that as one of the major deterrents to killing here, so surely someone would have been smart enough to inform Anakin if they were that worried about him killing.
His fists clench by his sides as he glares off to the side. He really didn't want to get dragged into Skywalker nonsense again, but he knew the little amount of peace he could get was always going to be limited. It was nice while it lasted.]
I have to do everything myself. [Since Mother is too irrational to try to inform him, apparently.]
You expect me to keep tabs on every conversation he has here?
[She gives him an incredulous look at that. While yes, she does keep tabs on Anakin's more serious problems, for the most part, keeping track of his conversations is just next-level stalker shit. Especially when Leia is happy, for the most part, to avoid him at all costs. She can't quite pretend he doesn't exist given how much of a danger she knows Anakin to be.]
And your complete lack of concern with his actions is more logical?
[Her own irritation with Ben's accusations and stubborn refusal to see that her worries aren't just her being paranoid causes the temperature to rise even more. Sure, she may have threatened Anakin, but the consequences of killing people here were far from her mind when she was only focused on protecting Bail and making sure her point was understood. Calmly warning about that reaper creature during something like that is not only impossible, but also presumably less likely to be believed by Anakin.]
Ask Obi-Wan if you want to know whether he's been told about that. Obi-Wan is the one who seems to mistakenly believe Anakin is still capable of being a reasonable person. As long as he stays away from my father, it's not my responsibility to warn him of that.
[And if anyone knows, it would probably be Obi-Wan. At least, that's what she believes.]
[It's a selfish logic, but it's logic. And he intends to stick with that. Selfishness has served him fairly well lately, and having this nonsense brought to his door, as if he's supposed to be responsible for it himself, is infuriating.]
Then don't think it's— [But just then, an astromech-sized droid with four wheeled legs rolls up, bumping into the side of Kylo's leg as it lets out a few harsh stuttering beeps, kzzt-kzzt-kzzt. The man scowls down at it, though his tone is less angry.]
Not now, V9.
[The droid lets out a few questioning noises and turns towards Leia, the apparent blaster affixed to its top swiveling threateningly as its lights blink red.]
No— [he says, reluctantly, then adds with a mumble] —as much as I'd enjoy it.
[She's not threatened by the droid so much as she's surprised. She glances down at the angry little murderbot, her attention momentarily diverted thanks to its arrival. She doesn't know where Ben might have found this, since she's certainly seen nothing like it around here.
As he mumbles, her attention switches from the droid back up to Ben himself. She raises her eyebrows, a questioning look on her face, which, with any other conversation partner, would prompt further explanation. But this is Ben, and Ben seems to go out of his way to be difficult. So--]
Training droids to attack people can't help the Enforcers' opinion of you.
[She's still mad and on edge about Anakin, but she can't resist commenting on it. Not when the droid is right there, with something like a blaster stuck to it.]
[And Kylo isn't going to stand here and let Leia continue with her misconceptions.]
Attack is a strong word. All it does is paralyze. [And ankles, mostly. It's still wonderful, though, and Kylo is more fond of it than he should be, probably. Said droid straightens up, pulling its wheeled legs closer to itself so its body stands slightly higher, as if proud.]
If you have to know, I restored it. It was apparently freezing people, so I destroyed it and took the parts.
[The blaster-looking piece was actually a petrifying beam, but it's better not to let Mother know about it literally turning people to stone at one point.]
[As if "paralyze" isn't just as serious a word when it comes to a droid built by someone known to nearly all of Verens as a murderer. Her gaze quickly flits back down to the droid once more, but it doesn't linger there. Ben, after all, is more interesting and important than his droid.
And here is where the conflict lies, because Leia is still on edge--her stiff body language giving that away--and she has things to do and people's safety to ensure, but part of her, a selfish part, wants to seize this chance to get to know a bit more about Ben. Because she's not sure how long, if ever, it will be until Ben offers up more information about himself like this.
She sighs, glancing away once again as she tries to sort through these conflicting thoughts.]
...I didn't know you could build functional droids. I'd like to hear more about it, once things are sorted.
[There, that's the biggest concession she can make to her more selfish wants, not that she expects Ben to actually agree to that.]
[And she would be absolutely right to not think he'll agree. He looks down his nose as he regards her, reinforcing the distance between them.]
There are many things about me that you will never know while we're here. Don't bother hoping that will change.
[Seeing its master treat her with obvious antagonism, the little droid also gives its own stern kzzt-kzzt. It probably doesn't quite reach the threatening effect it was going for. Kylo just nudges it back inside as he halfway turns to do the same.]
Are you done now? I was in the middle of something.
[The something was only a conversation with Hux, but it's still something he deems more important than the interruption.]
[She tilts her head, her eyes narrowed at him, for both his attitude now and for his refusal to accept this Anakin situation as anything serious. The droid and its angry buzzing are all but ignored by Leia at the present moment, since it's no danger and Ben clearly isn't talking any further about how he built it or repaired it or whatever he managed to do to make it actually functional.]
I guess I should thank you, at least. For not telling him.
[and she's just as determined now to find out who it was that did tell him.]
[And if she has nothing else to say, he'll turn to close the door behind him. He'll be trying very hard to not let the intrusion rouse his temper that much, but the day has effectively been tarnished.]
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lostapprentice) wrote2035-01-06 02:37 am
no subject
[Since he's still Ben to her and to Han, at least, just as Anakin is still Vader, even if he might currently not be wearing that black armor Vader is known for.]
The Force. So what did the Force tell you was happening earlier today?
[She follows that up with some estimation of just how long ago her confrontation with Anakin was. Because surely that couldn't have been missed through the Force.]
And he's more your grandfather than Anakin Skywalker ever will be.
no subject
[Because despite what she says, he knows how important blood is, that her refusal means little in the grand scheme of things. All of their fates are connected to Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader.]
Nothing that was my concern. I sensed you overreacting, but that's nothing new.
[There's bitterness there over the past that he refuses to share with her
, though that's mostly because we don't know what it is yet.]At least Darth Vader's spirit was there to guide me when I needed him. Organa has never been anything but a story to me.
no subject
I don't know if you're being deliberately difficult or if you truly sensed nothing.
[Because honestly with Ben, she can't actually tell. In general, she leans toward him being difficult.]
I know what I saw and how he was behaving. But if you didn't tell him, that's what I need to know.
no subject
He takes a step forward so as to tower over her, disdain clear in his face and voice.]
And? What did you plan to do if I had told him? Scold me?
[He's so terrified.]
no subject
No, but I'd assume you would know how irrational he is, even with Obi-Wan's continued presence. And that if he follows through on his threats, he'll receive a visit from that thing that took you.
[She says it very matter-of-factly, even if she hates bringing up whatever that thing was. Because she knows it's not a good memory for Kylo, and it's not a good memory for her, either. But it's not a risk she wants to take, if only because she doesn't want Anakin going anywhere near Bail.]
no subject
If he kills after hearing what that thing does, then so be it. His foolishness is not my concern.
[He's trying very hard not to care.]
no subject
Is he aware?
[because well. She never bothered to check, she doesn't want to talk to Anakin enough to bother checking if he knows the consequences of this world. But to clarify--]
If he doesn't believe in it, that's his own stupidity at work. And I have no concern for his well-being, but if knowledge of that is enough to deter him, then he should be made aware. He certainly didn't seem to care about any consequences to his actions earlier.
no subject
Has no one bothered to tell him what happened to me? [He sees that as one of the major deterrents to killing here, so surely someone would have been smart enough to inform Anakin if they were that worried about him killing.
His fists clench by his sides as he glares off to the side. He really didn't want to get dragged into Skywalker nonsense again, but he knew the little amount of peace he could get was always going to be limited. It was nice while it lasted.]
I have to do everything myself. [Since Mother is too irrational to try to inform him, apparently.]
no subject
[She gives him an incredulous look at that. While yes, she does keep tabs on Anakin's more serious problems, for the most part, keeping track of his conversations is just next-level stalker shit. Especially when Leia is happy, for the most part, to avoid him at all costs. She can't quite pretend he doesn't exist given how much of a danger she knows Anakin to be.]
no subject
[The temperature is slowly rising, Kylo's annoyance at his family's stupid problems starting to get the better of him.]
But I suppose no part of your hypocritical, paranoid idiocy is logical.
no subject
[Her own irritation with Ben's accusations and stubborn refusal to see that her worries aren't just her being paranoid causes the temperature to rise even more. Sure, she may have threatened Anakin, but the consequences of killing people here were far from her mind when she was only focused on protecting Bail and making sure her point was understood. Calmly warning about that reaper creature during something like that is not only impossible, but also presumably less likely to be believed by Anakin.]
Ask Obi-Wan if you want to know whether he's been told about that. Obi-Wan is the one who seems to mistakenly believe Anakin is still capable of being a reasonable person. As long as he stays away from my father, it's not my responsibility to warn him of that.
[And if anyone knows, it would probably be Obi-Wan. At least, that's what she believes.]
no subject
[It's a selfish logic, but it's logic. And he intends to stick with that. Selfishness has served him fairly well lately, and having this nonsense brought to his door, as if he's supposed to be responsible for it himself, is infuriating.]
Then don't think it's— [But just then, an astromech-sized droid with four wheeled legs rolls up, bumping into the side of Kylo's leg as it lets out a few harsh stuttering beeps, kzzt-kzzt-kzzt. The man scowls down at it, though his tone is less angry.]
Not now, V9.
[The droid lets out a few questioning noises and turns towards Leia, the apparent blaster affixed to its top swiveling threateningly as its lights blink red.]
No— [he says, reluctantly, then adds with a mumble] —as much as I'd enjoy it.
no subject
As he mumbles, her attention switches from the droid back up to Ben himself. She raises her eyebrows, a questioning look on her face, which, with any other conversation partner, would prompt further explanation. But this is Ben, and Ben seems to go out of his way to be difficult. So--]
Training droids to attack people can't help the Enforcers' opinion of you.
[She's still mad and on edge about Anakin, but she can't resist commenting on it. Not when the droid is right there, with something like a blaster stuck to it.]
Where did you get this?
no subject
Attack is a strong word. All it does is paralyze. [And ankles, mostly. It's still wonderful, though, and Kylo is more fond of it than he should be, probably. Said droid straightens up, pulling its wheeled legs closer to itself so its body stands slightly higher, as if proud.]
If you have to know, I restored it. It was apparently freezing people, so I destroyed it and took the parts.
[The blaster-looking piece was actually a petrifying beam, but it's better not to let Mother know about it literally turning people to stone at one point.]
no subject
And here is where the conflict lies, because Leia is still on edge--her stiff body language giving that away--and she has things to do and people's safety to ensure, but part of her, a selfish part, wants to seize this chance to get to know a bit more about Ben. Because she's not sure how long, if ever, it will be until Ben offers up more information about himself like this.
She sighs, glancing away once again as she tries to sort through these conflicting thoughts.]
...I didn't know you could build functional droids. I'd like to hear more about it, once things are sorted.
[There, that's the biggest concession she can make to her more selfish wants, not that she expects Ben to actually agree to that.]
no subject
There are many things about me that you will never know while we're here. Don't bother hoping that will change.
[Seeing its master treat her with obvious antagonism, the little droid also gives its own stern kzzt-kzzt. It probably doesn't quite reach the threatening effect it was going for. Kylo just nudges it back inside as he halfway turns to do the same.]
Are you done now? I was in the middle of something.
[The something was only a conversation with Hux, but it's still something he deems more important than the interruption.]
no subject
I guess I should thank you, at least. For not telling him.
[and she's just as determined now to find out who it was that did tell him.]
no subject
Don't bother.
[And if she has nothing else to say, he'll turn to close the door behind him. He'll be trying very hard to not let the intrusion rouse his temper that much, but the day has effectively been tarnished.]