[ Sometime shortly after she found out about you-know-who. ]
If you picked up on any of my emotional state last night, I'm sorry. I don't know how to keep things from a tether the same way I can keep things from other Force users.
[And catches Luke while he's trying to figure out how to approach her to ask if she's okay.]
Good timing, I was just about to reach out to you about that. Are you alright? Hey now, I wouldn't go that far. It's not about what I deserve. It's about if I can maybe help you with whatever's going on. Because you deserve support. This a text conversation or do we need to meet up?
[ She wouldn't say she's entirely okay, but a decent night's sleep has gotten her off the edge of hysterics, at least. ]
I'm better than last night.
That's kind of you, but this really is something you should know whether or not you still want to help me after. And it probably is better explained in person.
[ No, she really couldn't have, not least because Kylo wasn't letting her out of his sight until she seemed more emotionally stable and less physically exhausted. But hey, maybe he could've explained instead.
There's a knock on his door a few minutes later. She looks... tired. And resigned, somehow, but also faintly apprehensive of all the bad ways this could go.
This Luke isn't the one who'd thought her too dangerous to teach. He won't immediately banish her from his sight, probably. ]
[ She wrinkles her nose and smooths her hair self-consciously in an attempt to look at least somewhat more put-together. She's trying, here.
She follows him in almost dazedly; everything seems oddly distant this morning, including her emotions. Maybe she'd just felt all of them last night and didn't have room for any more. His question takes her by surprise, and she has to honestly think about it, which is enough of a tell that something's wrong even if she hadn't said anything. ]
[Luke laughs softly, just a little chuckle. The hair smoothing is a cute gesture though.]
You just look like you're going through a lot, emotionally I mean.
[Basically, Luke's tapping in to that intuitive way of using the force that he's had but never realized combined with little bits of tether feedback. Sheer intuition combined with bits of familiarity.]
I'll take that as no.
[He sets a plate in front of her with a hand pie on it before returning with a steaming cup of tea.]
Here, I've gotten into the habit of keeping pastries around for snacking on.
[They were Leia's favorite, but that's for a different day. Or just.... for never.]
Eat it now or later. Whatever works for you.
[Fetching his own cup of tea, he settles into his chair.]
But this isn't about me, this is about you. Whenever you're ready.
[ She manages an attempt at a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. ]
It's a fair assessment.
[ She knows she can't hide her emotional state from one of the few people here who don't even need to look at her to determine it, but that doesn't make it any easier to launch into the thing that's caused it.
She appreciates the food, and she'll get to it, provided she isn't summarily thrown out -- but she doesn't want to attempt to explain anything about Palpatine with her mouth full of pastry. She does, however, pick up her tea, taking comfort in its warmth. ]
I found out who my parents were. Sort of. Who one of them was, anyway.
[He's trying. Luke might not quite know why she's so tense, feels so upset, but he can at least try to keep the atmosphere from getting too tense.]
I've been there, so it's familiar ground.
[Even without the tether, she's pretty easy to read right now. That something is clearly Very Wrong. What she says next? Definitely not what he'd been expecting.]
Not what you were expecting I take it.
[A lopsided smile. After all, he's learned a lot about his parents since arriving here.]
... You're worried I'll think differently about you because of it.
[Between their tether, the Force, and everything? Something that transparent would be next to impossible to hide.]
I'd blame me!
[This is a serious conversation, but Luke's face can't help but show his bemusement. Seriously Rey?]
And I'm the son of Darth Vader.
[Reaching out there's an awkward hand patting Rey's. He's not really good with this sort of thing. Sorry.]
Rey, I can't judge you for who your family is. And I wouldn't want to even if I could. Who you're from doesn't change who you are.
[Sorry, if she wanted some sort of big reaction to the news, not going to happen. If his dad is actually Vader, why can't her grandfather be the emperor? If anything there's something poetic about it. Their families being so closely tied to each other.]
[ Look, Luke. She'd get it if you didn't want to be reminded of that guy. She doesn't want to be reminded of him, and she's going to have to go kill him one day.
However, she is visibly relieved when his response is kind. She shouldn't have doubted him, but it's difficult not to fear losing all the connections she's managed to gain here. She'd been alone for too long not to harbor that fear on some level regardless. ]
I know you wouldn't want to hold it against me. But Vader -- your father isn't Palpatine. I've spoken with him -- he and Kylo are the ones who told me, and they were both oddly kind about it. It was a very strange experience.
[To be fair, he doesn't really know that much about Palpatine right now. Not like he's faced him personally yet. Not that it'd change his response.
The noticeable relief would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Hopefully he'll have enough time to get her used to people consistently being on her side.]
He's still done... a lot of things. A lot of not great things.
[Though it's hard to place the man he's experienced before, that he's heard terrible things about with the man he's been tentatively getting to know here.
Though.... if Vader and Kylo both had the same reaction apparently it's a Family response.]
Vader [A pause, try again.] My father. He knows more about Palpatine than we probably ever will. Or at least more than I will anyway.
[Though honestly, he's definitely learned just how little he knows about anything at this point. So who knows anymore?]
But even if Va-he'd been not okay with it, that wouldn't change my mind. You're not your family and I trust you.
[Does she at least feel a little better now? He certainly hopes so anyway. She's not going to loose his support any time soon.]
[ Rey has come to her own conclusions about Vader that have a lot to do with her own experience with Kylo, but now isn't the time to get any more twisted up in the overall Skywalker mess. Luke has to work things out with both of them on his own, without her trying to defend either of them too hard. She knows it because she'd feel the same. ]
I shouldn't have doubted you.
[ She manages a tentative -- but genuine, this time -- half-smile. She supposes it is fitting that they both learned a world-altering truth about their family in this place where it's possible to at least sit down and try to untangle some of it together. ]
I wonder if Leia knew, back home -- or if you did. It's something your father sensed about me, but Kylo didn't know until he heard it straight from Palpatine himself.
[ She can't help but shudder faintly at the idea of the man. He must be positively ancient by now, yet still powerful enough to remain in hiding and gather resources, to reach out in the Force and try to tempt her to the Sith throne in her dreams. ]
[Luke and Vader will get there, slowly. Luke and Kylo... that's a lot more up in the air. Mostly because they seemed to have settled into this unspoken rule of just avoiding each other.]
You've been through a lot, I get it.
[Does that stop him from reaching out and playfully poking her forehead? No, no it doesn't.]
Just try to remember for next time, okay? I've got your back and that's not going to change.
[Well, maybe with old him that would change. But that's not Young Luke's problem, old him is a cranky old asshole and probably smells. Gross. Forget he exists please. Her smile, small as it is, gets met with one from him. That's much better, not because of the smile, but because she genuinely feels a little better than she did before.]
I don't know, it's hard to say what we'd learn in all that time. It's hard for me to even imagine it.
[But that's a worry, once again, for the future. This is the present and he's intending to remain grounded in the moment.]
You think you can manage eating now?
[As he enjoys his tea. Like an old man. The affects the old people have on the young'uns isn't to be underestimated.]
[ Rey finds herself blinking back wetness in her eyes at Luke's assurance. She'd love to believe the truth of it; that nothing so entirely out of their control will damage their friendship. Maybe it will even prove true so long as they're here. ]
Thank you, Luke. I'm going to have to talk to a few others about this later -- Ezra, at least, deserves to know, and I don't want anyone from home to ever be able to accuse me of having hidden anything. But you've made it easier to begin.
[ She's still a little shaken by everything, but the siren call of pastry cannot be ignored forever. She picks hers up and bites into it gratefully, and manages not to stuff the entire thing into her mouth like the starving gremlin she used to be only because she's not quite back to herself. Give her time. ]
[And it will, because Luke will make sure of it. Hopefully they'll have plenty of time to really cement that and prove to her that people won't just abandon her when it's convenient. At least not the people worth her time anyway. And Luke would like to think he's worth her time. At least right now anyway.]
I can't see Ezra reacting any differently than I did, Rey. Or any of the others for that matter.
[And if Ezra did? Well, that'll just show Luke that maybe he doesn't know the other guy as well as he thinks he does. Not to mention hurting Rey like that would absolutely be grounds for a fight. Which... wouldn't end well, because Ezra is definitely much closer to Jedi-hood than Luke is. But it'd be for the principle of the matter.]
Place like this, we've got to look out for each other. Because if we don't, then who will?
[And while he doesn't overtly watch, the fact that she's actually eating something does fill him with satisfaction of a sort. Which might leak through their bond just a little bit. Sorry not sorry.]
[ Rey is feeling slightly more optimistic now that she's said the difficult thing out loud without bursting into flames or something equally dramatic. Food is helping. ]
I don't expect anyone to outright curse my existence, really. I just don't want to be looked at any differently than before.
[ It's not as bad in some ways, here. She's not the only Force user she knows, and she's not being held onto as a last hope for her side in this war. She imagines if people back home knew it could get more complicated; there were those among the Resistance who sometimes glanced at her with a wary eye because they didn't understand the Force. Even Poe, who'd spent enough time around her to know her reasonably well, still seemed to bristle at her Force training instead of just coming out to fight. ]
Leia kept it a secret a long time, you know. About her and Vader. From what I understand it was difficult for her when people learned.
[Bursting into flames? Seriously Rey? Sure Palpatine's an awful person, but it's not like she's the grandchild of evil incarnate or anything and his place isn't exactly a religious center. Yet.]
Why would they? You're you. Your grandfather is your grandfather. It's not like he raised you or anything.
[A pause.]
And even if he did, your actions still speak more than your bloodline does.
[At least... he hopes so. He'd like to think that it's the same for him as well. Who he is and what he's done, that means more than being Vader's son. More than being Anakin's son either for that matter, though Anakin's name is quite impactful in how most people looked up to him. Still, Luke's hoping to make a name for himself outside of all of that.]
Yeah, I'm not surprised. From Princess and leader to daughter of their enemy? That'd be a lot for some of those people to swallow.
[Sure, he doesn't really know the Resistance that well yet. But them having issues with Leia isn't exactly a hard thing for him to imagine.]
[ Look, look. It honestly felt like she might spontaneously combust out of sheer will not to be a Palpatine. Maybe if she got angry enough about it she could channel some of that energy into making her grandfather catch on fire instead when she gets back home? ]
People are ... a little wary of Force users. Understandably so. And since he's just appeared again after years of being presumed dead, I imagine how it would look if I suddenly revealed this back home.
[ It's a little safer here in that regard. If nothing else, it's clear she is making a genuine effort to follow the Jedi way. No one can say she's not trying. ]
[He totally gets that honestly. Because his first reaction to finding out who his dad is was probably pretty similar. Though odds of her grandfather randomly bursting into flames probably pretty low. They're never that lucky.]
You're probably right.
[Though he's not exactly pleased by this. More so annoyed. They'll want their help, what they can do, but also apparently be really, really awkward about the fact that they can do it. Make up their minds.
Maybe it's part of why he ends up a grumpy old hermit. Maybe best not to think about this too much.]
Maybe not there then. But things are different here.
[Anyone who can't tell that Rey is nothing like her grandfather is a lost cause as far as Luke is concerned. So he's not going to worry about them too much.]
[ She munches on her pastry and sips her tea thoughtfully for a minute. It might be best to leave this one alone, but--]
Have you talked to Kylo any more?
[ If she and Kylo can work out some of their problems, surely Luke could manage it as well? It would be more harmonious for her, at the very least, if she weren't tethered and forcebonded to people with such tension between them, and she didn't ever want to be forced to choose a side if it came to that. ]
[Not the change in conversation he'd been expecting, so he looks confused for a minute before looking sheepish.]
No, not really.
[But to try and salvage things.]
I just thought he'd need a bit more time or something, I don't know. I don't want to force anything with him.
[Getting to know his nephew would be nice, but he's aware that he fucked up a lot in the future. More so than with Kylo than with Rey even and Rey hadn't exactly been overjoyed when she'd found out his identity either.]
[ It hadn't felt like a sudden change in her head, only because she had Kylo had been on such tenuous ground after their prior conversation when she'd revealed her tether choice. And with Vader stressing the importance of family connection -- it seemed like something they ought to all sit down and sort out with one another. ]
I don't know if he'll ever approach you on his own, honestly. He didn't respond especially well to learning I'd tethered to you.
[ She's still not actually sure where they stand on that matter, honestly. Kylo had put aside his anger long enough to treat her kindly, but she's not sure that'll be the case now that she's not at risk of wandering off into the forest in a traumatized daze. ]
[Luke, who'd... mostly forgotten Kylo was even here with everything that's been going on. Not guilty exactly, but uh...avoidant absolutely. But not the point that he'd outright deny anything if asked about it.]
I mean, from what little I've heard about things I'm not really sure I blame him. I wouldn't want to talk to me if I was him. You almost didn't at first either, it felt like.
[An uphill struggle, this. Dealing with the many screw ups and just general wrong-ness of his future self. But it's not like he can avoid them forever at this rate. Plus, maybe it'll help him avoid the same pitfalls when he actually gets older.]
But if you want me to talk to him sometime. I can try.
[ Rey's largely come to see this Luke and the other one as entirely different people, not least because she's fairly determined to make sure this one doesn't go back to his time and repeat the same mistakes. It might not change things for her or Kylo, but maybe there's another version of them somehow, who won't be hurt. ]
I was angry with you back home, and upset with myself for the way things turned out. But you're not that person. I think you should try, for both of your sakes."
[ If this place was good for only one thing, it would be the second chances it had given all of them. Rey doesn't want to see any one of them waste it. ]
[Well, good. Because that's how he'd prefer it. Old grumpy hermit Luke is clearly.. a weird hidden sibling or something. Maybe he and Leia are secretly triplets? Yeah. Though making sure he doesn't make the same errors just in case is probably for the best.]
You're right. I'll see if I can't come up with something, it just might take some time.
[After which he'll fail and then resort to 'for Rey's sake we need to talk and at least try to get along'. But she doesn't need to know that. Yet.]
[ Sometime outside of the official celebration, Rey has left a small wrapped parcel at Luke's door with a tag indicating that it's meant for him, from her.
Inside he will find a framed sheet of paper with sketches of himself and Leia as they were back home -- though perhaps slightly less unwashed-looking, in his case. They are standing together and looking thoughtfully at a figure on the other side of the drawing, one who quite closely resembles Ben Solo -- minus the trappings of Kylo Ren, dressed in simple black clothing. His expression is less readable, but the overall effect of the three figures together is one of tentative, fragile hope. ]
[Aww. The drawing will get put into a position of honor. Luke'll be sure to cherish it. Both because it's a gift from Rey and because of what it kind of represents.
In return, at some point, Rey will find a nice package of Premium, Grade A Junk. But the best kind. The kind that can be turned into new things. The kind that's hardly even worn. It's the best kind of thing to turn into something new.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text; @just_rey
If you picked up on any of my emotional state last night, I'm sorry. I don't know how to keep things from a tether the same way I can keep things from other Force users.
You deserve an explanation.
no subject
Good timing, I was just about to reach out to you about that.
Are you alright?
Hey now, I wouldn't go that far.
It's not about what I deserve. It's about if I can maybe help you with whatever's going on.
Because you deserve support.
This a text conversation or do we need to meet up?
no subject
I'm better than last night.
That's kind of you, but this really is something you should know whether or not you still want to help me after. And it probably is better explained in person.
Should I come to you?
no subject
That's good at least.
Whatever it is, I think you should know that I'm not likely to let it affect us. So of course I'll still want to help you. That's not going to change!
Sure. I'll put the kettle on.
no subject
There's a knock on his door a few minutes later. She looks... tired. And resigned, somehow, but also faintly apprehensive of all the bad ways this could go.
This Luke isn't the one who'd thought her too dangerous to teach. He won't immediately banish her from his sight, probably. ]
no subject
[Great way to greet Rey, Luke. Good job. Open the door and instantly insult her.]
Come on in.
[Because apparently he's turning in to a mom friend at the ripe old age of 19. Probably partially fueled by taking care of a twin 9 years his junior.]
Have you eaten anything?
[And back to finishing up the tea he goes, knowing Rey will follow. After all it's not like this is the first time they've done this now.]
no subject
[ She wrinkles her nose and smooths her hair self-consciously in an attempt to look at least somewhat more put-together. She's trying, here.
She follows him in almost dazedly; everything seems oddly distant this morning, including her emotions. Maybe she'd just felt all of them last night and didn't have room for any more. His question takes her by surprise, and she has to honestly think about it, which is enough of a tell that something's wrong even if she hadn't said anything. ]
I don't know. Probably. It doesn't matter.
no subject
[Luke laughs softly, just a little chuckle. The hair smoothing is a cute gesture though.]
You just look like you're going through a lot, emotionally I mean.
[Basically, Luke's tapping in to that intuitive way of using the force that he's had but never realized combined with little bits of tether feedback. Sheer intuition combined with bits of familiarity.]
I'll take that as no.
[He sets a plate in front of her with a hand pie on it before returning with a steaming cup of tea.]
Here, I've gotten into the habit of keeping pastries around for snacking on.
[They were Leia's favorite, but that's for a different day. Or just.... for never.]
Eat it now or later. Whatever works for you.
[Fetching his own cup of tea, he settles into his chair.]
But this isn't about me, this is about you. Whenever you're ready.
no subject
It's a fair assessment.
[ She knows she can't hide her emotional state from one of the few people here who don't even need to look at her to determine it, but that doesn't make it any easier to launch into the thing that's caused it.
She appreciates the food, and she'll get to it, provided she isn't summarily thrown out -- but she doesn't want to attempt to explain anything about Palpatine with her mouth full of pastry. She does, however, pick up her tea, taking comfort in its warmth. ]
I found out who my parents were. Sort of. Who one of them was, anyway.
[ There's just... really no good way to say it. ]
no subject
I've been there, so it's familiar ground.
[Even without the tether, she's pretty easy to read right now. That something is clearly Very Wrong. What she says next? Definitely not what he'd been expecting.]
Not what you were expecting I take it.
[A lopsided smile. After all, he's learned a lot about his parents since arriving here.]
... You're worried I'll think differently about you because of it.
[Not a question.]
no subject
I think I wouldn't blame you for it. Much.
[ She might resent it, find it unfair -- but she understands why he might find it difficult to see her the same way.
She takes a steadying breath and then looks up again. She's not going to hide from it. ]
My father was Palpatine's son. My parents left me because he was looking for me. And it's likely he killed them, though no one knows for certain.
no subject
I'd blame me!
[This is a serious conversation, but Luke's face can't help but show his bemusement. Seriously Rey?]
And I'm the son of Darth Vader.
[Reaching out there's an awkward hand patting Rey's. He's not really good with this sort of thing. Sorry.]
Rey, I can't judge you for who your family is. And I wouldn't want to even if I could. Who you're from doesn't change who you are.
[Sorry, if she wanted some sort of big reaction to the news, not going to happen. If his dad is actually Vader, why can't her grandfather be the emperor? If anything there's something poetic about it. Their families being so closely tied to each other.]
no subject
However, she is visibly relieved when his response is kind. She shouldn't have doubted him, but it's difficult not to fear losing all the connections she's managed to gain here. She'd been alone for too long not to harbor that fear on some level regardless. ]
I know you wouldn't want to hold it against me. But Vader -- your father isn't Palpatine. I've spoken with him -- he and Kylo are the ones who told me, and they were both oddly kind about it. It was a very strange experience.
no subject
The noticeable relief would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Hopefully he'll have enough time to get her used to people consistently being on her side.]
He's still done... a lot of things. A lot of not great things.
[Though it's hard to place the man he's experienced before, that he's heard terrible things about with the man he's been tentatively getting to know here.
Though.... if Vader and Kylo both had the same reaction apparently it's a Family response.]
Vader [A pause, try again.] My father. He knows more about Palpatine than we probably ever will. Or at least more than I will anyway.
[Though honestly, he's definitely learned just how little he knows about anything at this point. So who knows anymore?]
But even if Va-he'd been not okay with it, that wouldn't change my mind. You're not your family and I trust you.
[Does she at least feel a little better now? He certainly hopes so anyway. She's not going to loose his support any time soon.]
no subject
I shouldn't have doubted you.
[ She manages a tentative -- but genuine, this time -- half-smile. She supposes it is fitting that they both learned a world-altering truth about their family in this place where it's possible to at least sit down and try to untangle some of it together. ]
I wonder if Leia knew, back home -- or if you did. It's something your father sensed about me, but Kylo didn't know until he heard it straight from Palpatine himself.
[ She can't help but shudder faintly at the idea of the man. He must be positively ancient by now, yet still powerful enough to remain in hiding and gather resources, to reach out in the Force and try to tempt her to the Sith throne in her dreams. ]
no subject
You've been through a lot, I get it.
[Does that stop him from reaching out and playfully poking her forehead? No, no it doesn't.]
Just try to remember for next time, okay? I've got your back and that's not going to change.
[Well, maybe with old him that would change. But that's not Young Luke's problem, old him is a cranky old asshole and probably smells. Gross. Forget he exists please.
Her smile, small as it is, gets met with one from him. That's much better, not because of the smile, but because she genuinely feels a little better than she did before.]
I don't know, it's hard to say what we'd learn in all that time. It's hard for me to even imagine it.
[But that's a worry, once again, for the future. This is the present and he's intending to remain grounded in the moment.]
You think you can manage eating now?
[As he enjoys his tea. Like an old man. The affects the old people have on the young'uns isn't to be underestimated.]
no subject
Thank you, Luke. I'm going to have to talk to a few others about this later -- Ezra, at least, deserves to know, and I don't want anyone from home to ever be able to accuse me of having hidden anything. But you've made it easier to begin.
[ She's still a little shaken by everything, but the siren call of pastry cannot be ignored forever. She picks hers up and bites into it gratefully, and manages not to stuff the entire thing into her mouth like the starving gremlin she used to be only because she's not quite back to herself. Give her time. ]
no subject
I can't see Ezra reacting any differently than I did, Rey. Or any of the others for that matter.
[And if Ezra did? Well, that'll just show Luke that maybe he doesn't know the other guy as well as he thinks he does. Not to mention hurting Rey like that would absolutely be grounds for a fight. Which... wouldn't end well, because Ezra is definitely much closer to Jedi-hood than Luke is. But it'd be for the principle of the matter.]
Place like this, we've got to look out for each other. Because if we don't, then who will?
[And while he doesn't overtly watch, the fact that she's actually eating something does fill him with satisfaction of a sort. Which might leak through their bond just a little bit. Sorry not sorry.]
no subject
I don't expect anyone to outright curse my existence, really. I just don't want to be looked at any differently than before.
[ It's not as bad in some ways, here. She's not the only Force user she knows, and she's not being held onto as a last hope for her side in this war. She imagines if people back home knew it could get more complicated; there were those among the Resistance who sometimes glanced at her with a wary eye because they didn't understand the Force. Even Poe, who'd spent enough time around her to know her reasonably well, still seemed to bristle at her Force training instead of just coming out to fight. ]
Leia kept it a secret a long time, you know. About her and Vader. From what I understand it was difficult for her when people learned.
no subject
Why would they? You're you. Your grandfather is your grandfather. It's not like he raised you or anything.
[A pause.]
And even if he did, your actions still speak more than your bloodline does.
[At least... he hopes so. He'd like to think that it's the same for him as well. Who he is and what he's done, that means more than being Vader's son. More than being Anakin's son either for that matter, though Anakin's name is quite impactful in how most people looked up to him. Still, Luke's hoping to make a name for himself outside of all of that.]
Yeah, I'm not surprised. From Princess and leader to daughter of their enemy? That'd be a lot for some of those people to swallow.
[Sure, he doesn't really know the Resistance that well yet. But them having issues with Leia isn't exactly a hard thing for him to imagine.]
no subject
People are ... a little wary of Force users. Understandably so. And since he's just appeared again after years of being presumed dead, I imagine how it would look if I suddenly revealed this back home.
[ It's a little safer here in that regard. If nothing else, it's clear she is making a genuine effort to follow the Jedi way. No one can say she's not trying. ]
no subject
You're probably right.
[Though he's not exactly pleased by this. More so annoyed. They'll want their help, what they can do, but also apparently be really, really awkward about the fact that they can do it. Make up their minds.
Maybe it's part of why he ends up a grumpy old hermit. Maybe best not to think about this too much.]
Maybe not there then. But things are different here.
[Anyone who can't tell that Rey is nothing like her grandfather is a lost cause as far as Luke is concerned. So he's not going to worry about them too much.]
no subject
[ She munches on her pastry and sips her tea thoughtfully for a minute. It might be best to leave this one alone, but--]
Have you talked to Kylo any more?
[ If she and Kylo can work out some of their problems, surely Luke could manage it as well? It would be more harmonious for her, at the very least, if she weren't tethered and forcebonded to people with such tension between them, and she didn't ever want to be forced to choose a side if it came to that. ]
no subject
No, not really.
[But to try and salvage things.]
I just thought he'd need a bit more time or something, I don't know. I don't want to force anything with him.
[Getting to know his nephew would be nice, but he's aware that he fucked up a lot in the future. More so than with Kylo than with Rey even and Rey hadn't exactly been overjoyed when she'd found out his identity either.]
no subject
I don't know if he'll ever approach you on his own, honestly. He didn't respond especially well to learning I'd tethered to you.
[ She's still not actually sure where they stand on that matter, honestly. Kylo had put aside his anger long enough to treat her kindly, but she's not sure that'll be the case now that she's not at risk of wandering off into the forest in a traumatized daze. ]
no subject
I mean, from what little I've heard about things I'm not really sure I blame him. I wouldn't want to talk to me if I was him. You almost didn't at first either, it felt like.
[An uphill struggle, this. Dealing with the many screw ups and just general wrong-ness of his future self. But it's not like he can avoid them forever at this rate. Plus, maybe it'll help him avoid the same pitfalls when he actually gets older.]
But if you want me to talk to him sometime. I can try.
no subject
I was angry with you back home, and upset with myself for the way things turned out. But you're not that person. I think you should try, for both of your sakes."
[ If this place was good for only one thing, it would be the second chances it had given all of them. Rey doesn't want to see any one of them waste it. ]
no subject
You're right. I'll see if I can't come up with something, it just might take some time.
[After which he'll fail and then resort to 'for Rey's sake we need to talk and at least try to get along'. But she doesn't need to know that. Yet.]
holiday gift
Inside he will find a framed sheet of paper with sketches of himself and Leia as they were back home -- though perhaps slightly less unwashed-looking, in his case. They are standing together and looking thoughtfully at a figure on the other side of the drawing, one who quite closely resembles Ben Solo -- minus the trappings of Kylo Ren, dressed in simple black clothing. His expression is less readable, but the overall effect of the three figures together is one of tentative, fragile hope. ]
<3
In return, at some point, Rey will find a nice package of Premium, Grade A Junk. But the best kind. The kind that can be turned into new things. The kind that's hardly even worn. It's the best kind of thing to turn into something new.]