[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
[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.]