[Which will not last, but for now, it has been quiet on the negative front. It's not something he'd encourage to continue, but it has its benefits. Peace isn't something Kylo has known in a long time.]
I'm certain that will change soon enough, knowing this place.
[Ben's sureness that things will change just makes Leia frown. Sure, history is on his side here, but she'd like to think things are bound to change here at some point.]
You should be more optimistic, Ben. There's no proof things aren't taking a turn for the better here.
[As she speaks, Leia reaches for Kylo, placing a hand gently on his arm.]
[Kylo doesn't move, but he glances at Leia with little emotion in his face. There's not even disdain, really, unlike usual. His usual hatred and revulsion is being tempered, for whatever reason.
That doesn't mean he's going to start agreeing with her, though...]
There's no proof they are.
[He's not about to think everything is going to be nothing but flowers and sunshine, even if he does want to stay. He's already admitted before that a part of him craves that conflict, anyway.]
[In any other situation, that lack of disdain that she's come to expect from Ben might cause her to be instantly suspicious. Instead, she takes it as another reason it's fine to stay here. Ben is warming up to her finally, not berating her or leaving or anything. The longer they stay here, the better she can get to know him.]
You can stay pessimistic even when looking at something like this?
[The lake is certainly a sight to behold; Kylo can't deny that, since it's part of why he's here. But Leia speaks as if he doesn't think of every negative thing that could happen if he's left to his thoughts.]
It's easy to look at something beautiful and think about losing it.
[He doesn't want to, but he knows that eventually, they have to leave. If there were a way to prevent that, he would absolutely take it.]
Then why think about losing it? We could just stay here. It would be a lot nicer here, wouldn't it?
[Her attention is fixed fully on his face, and her grip on his arm tightens ever so slightly. If Ben wanted to stay, too, that would be even better. More time to get to know him here and to learn about him as a person.]
[The answer comes more easily than it should, really, but he feels it so strongly at the current moment that he can't help it. His expression twitches uncertainly, a hint of something morose in his eyes.]
I don't know if I can let myself believe it's possible.
[That hint of something morose is more than enough for Leia to be more insistent in her desire to stay here, and for Ben to stay here with her. She doesn't want Ben to be upset, and he clearly wants to stay here too, so if she can just convince him it's possible and he doesn't need to worry--]
We've been here for over a year. If we couldn't stay here, don't you think we would've left by now?
[The traitor. Rey. Father. It's come far too close for him to be able to hope.]
Even if I left and never returned, and I could never realize what happened...
[Kylo shakes his head, his gaze sinking towards the sand. He feels that somehow he would still sense that despair. Not to mention how his attitude would affect those he left behind.]
[Well, not all of them. Padme, Galen Marek, Luke. They left and haven't returned. But there are just as many that left and did return, and it's that hope she feels the need to latch onto.]
There's bound to be a way to stay here. You can stay here with me, your father, and your grandfather.
[As his gaze drops toward the sand, Leia moves her other hand to rest on his arm. There's no need to be sad, that's not at all what she wants for him. She wants him to be happy about the chance to remain here.]
[It's true that he can't entirely refute the possibility of staying in Verens more permanently, but he's still skeptical. He's seen where false hope can lead...]
... perhaps.
[He's certain she's referring to Organa rather than Skywalker when she says grandfather, though it's not as if it matters. Neither of them have done much to approach him, and he'd rather focus on those who have actually put in that effort. Even if—]
I still don't understand your desire to get close to me.
[That's it. It's not that difficult to understand, in her opinion. Ben's made a lot of choices that disgust and terrify her, yes, but she wants him to be better. She still loves him, because he's still her son, even if he might say otherwise.]
[It's all too easy to point out how family can easily mean nothing, even if Elios' influence has gotten in his head enough to not shake off her touch. Unfortunately, there's only so much that can do to make him forget his family's issues.]
[Well that comment is enough to make Leia frown, and even slightly break the delusion she's under. Only slightly, because as much of a rejection as that is, it's not enough to fully make her realize something is wrong here.]
I can accept he is my biological father, but that doesn't mean I have to accept him as a person or as part of my family.
[Not that it's the same, how she views Anakin and Ben, but that point isn't something she's sure how he'd react to.]
[Just saying he's her son doesn't solve the issue for him. There's so much more to the situation than just being family—it's not as if he hasn't done horrible things, and she knows that.]
[That's the heart of the matter, most likely. Because it is because he's her son. That's part of the main argument there. He's her son, he's hers and Han's, even if he hasn't been born yet in her time. It's her responsibility to look out for him, care for him, and make things better for him, and it's a responsibility she readily accepts.]
It's more... you're mine. I'll have watched you grow up.
[Kylo sighs, shaking his head. It seems like she's making the same mistake her father did, in their attachment to their children. He'll make sure not to follow in those footsteps—and it's certainly made easier due to not having any children, and not having any woman he's interested in.]
Of course it would be something as trivial as that...
[He casts his gaze out onto the lake once more before taking a step away and turning cityward, his tone absent of the vicious bitterness it usually has when he's dismissing her.]
You can enjoy the fact that we're all here from afar.
[As he steps away, Leia steps closer. She may be willing to respect Kylo's need for physical distance when she's normal, but under the effects of all this, she wants to be close to him. His own wishes aren't really in her mind, not compared to just being near him.]
[With his back turned to her, his expression is unreadable. All the more reason to continue walking away—the somber look he knows must be in his eyes would probably be met with pity.]
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lostapprentice) wrote2035-01-06 02:37 am
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[Which will not last, but for now, it has been quiet on the negative front. It's not something he'd encourage to continue, but it has its benefits. Peace isn't something Kylo has known in a long time.]
I'm certain that will change soon enough, knowing this place.
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You should be more optimistic, Ben. There's no proof things aren't taking a turn for the better here.
[As she speaks, Leia reaches for Kylo, placing a hand gently on his arm.]
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That doesn't mean he's going to start agreeing with her, though...]
There's no proof they are.
[He's not about to think everything is going to be nothing but flowers and sunshine, even if he does want to stay. He's already admitted before that a part of him craves that conflict, anyway.]
Optimism has never helped me.
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You can stay pessimistic even when looking at something like this?
[This being the lakefront, in this case.]
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It's easy to look at something beautiful and think about losing it.
[He doesn't want to, but he knows that eventually, they have to leave. If there were a way to prevent that, he would absolutely take it.]
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[Her attention is fixed fully on his face, and her grip on his arm tightens ever so slightly. If Ben wanted to stay, too, that would be even better. More time to get to know him here and to learn about him as a person.]
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[The answer comes more easily than it should, really, but he feels it so strongly at the current moment that he can't help it. His expression twitches uncertainly, a hint of something morose in his eyes.]
I don't know if I can let myself believe it's possible.
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We've been here for over a year. If we couldn't stay here, don't you think we would've left by now?
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[The traitor. Rey. Father. It's come far too close for him to be able to hope.]
Even if I left and never returned, and I could never realize what happened...
[Kylo shakes his head, his gaze sinking towards the sand. He feels that somehow he would still sense that despair. Not to mention how his attitude would affect those he left behind.]
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[Well, not all of them. Padme, Galen Marek, Luke. They left and haven't returned. But there are just as many that left and did return, and it's that hope she feels the need to latch onto.]
There's bound to be a way to stay here. You can stay here with me, your father, and your grandfather.
[As his gaze drops toward the sand, Leia moves her other hand to rest on his arm. There's no need to be sad, that's not at all what she wants for him. She wants him to be happy about the chance to remain here.]
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... perhaps.
[He's certain she's referring to Organa rather than Skywalker when she says grandfather, though it's not as if it matters. Neither of them have done much to approach him, and he'd rather focus on those who have actually put in that effort. Even if—]
I still don't understand your desire to get close to me.
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[That's it. It's not that difficult to understand, in her opinion. Ben's made a lot of choices that disgust and terrify her, yes, but she wants him to be better. She still loves him, because he's still her son, even if he might say otherwise.]
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[It's all too easy to point out how family can easily mean nothing, even if Elios' influence has gotten in his head enough to not shake off her touch. Unfortunately, there's only so much that can do to make him forget his family's issues.]
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I can accept he is my biological father, but that doesn't mean I have to accept him as a person or as part of my family.
[Not that it's the same, how she views Anakin and Ben, but that point isn't something she's sure how he'd react to.]
But, I accept you.
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[Just saying he's her son doesn't solve the issue for him. There's so much more to the situation than just being family—it's not as if he hasn't done horrible things, and she knows that.]
What is the difference between me and him?
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[That's the heart of the matter, most likely. Because it is because he's her son. That's part of the main argument there. He's her son, he's hers and Han's, even if he hasn't been born yet in her time. It's her responsibility to look out for him, care for him, and make things better for him, and it's a responsibility she readily accepts.]
It's more... you're mine. I'll have watched you grow up.
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Of course it would be something as trivial as that...
[He casts his gaze out onto the lake once more before taking a step away and turning cityward, his tone absent of the vicious bitterness it usually has when he's dismissing her.]
You can enjoy the fact that we're all here from afar.
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Does it have to be from afar?
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It's better that way.