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meadowlarking2019-11-20 05:33 pm
TEST DRIVE MEME 007
Welcome to the Meadowlark test drive meme! After waking up in strange and rather worrisome conditions, characters will need to begin to live their lives in this new world. All TDM threads take place after the arrival process, so please assume that the initial adjustment period has passed – in which the characters were found after being dropped off in a random part of the city and had to live in a safehouse for four days before hitting the streets. Now it's time to see the bright sights and sounds that New Amsterdam – and beyond – has to offer.
All Meadowlark test drive memes will not be game canon because of the nature of our arrival logs. Please feel free to carry on relationships that make sense, but please keep in mind that the TDM may not reflect current circumstances in game.
All applicants can use threads from the TDM for their samples.
NOTE: The PCs have chosen to call themselves "the Displaced," and that's become the common parlance to refer to them.
There is very little that can smooth over the experience of your arrival in this world. Coming to your senses in a van, drugged and restrained, only to be carefully helped out by the unknown guards and nurses and then abandoned in an alleyway. What comes after is relatively straightforward: you're found by others and taken back to a safehouse that is hidden under an old hover bike shop. You aren't the first group that this has happened to: there are others not from this world who have experienced the same, with no recollection of how they came here. Like you, they have few answers about what's happened to them. Maybe this knowledge brings you a growing sense of futility, or perhaps it inspires a deeper determination in you. But even as you begin to think on what to do next, life has to go on.
All of the new arrivals will be given a fake ID and a background that will lend them access to entry-level jobs. It may be overwhelming, but their fellow Displaced have found their footing enough to be able to help the newcomers. Two Morningstar agents will be around to take care of world integration and IDs – the rest will fall to the Displaced who arrived before. It would take at least a month's wages to put down a deposit on even the smallest apartment in the city, so everyone has a grace period before they have to leave the safehouse – and then some, depending on the kindness of who's running the show.
Morningstar's veteran agents will also make their purpose clear if asked: they are a group dedicated to fighting corruption and righting the wrongs of this world, though they're in the process of rebuilding the organization's branch in New Amsterdam from scratch, and they know that the people in charge of those efforts wouldn't mind a little help. It will be made expressly clear that this entire arrangement to get the Displaced situated in the world is meant to be kept a secret, and that especially includes Morningstar's assistance. Letting the world know about their involvement could cause big problems.
> EXPLORE THE CHANGES
Despite the lack of answers about why you're here, your fellow Displaced will be able to give you a rundown of the changes they've recognized in each other. Anyone who had powers before will find them gone. Anyone who was once an AI or in a completely artificial body will find that their current body is now fully human. Those with cybernetics will find that they've remained mostly untouched, though any primitive ones may be replaced with temporary ones that are improvements on the previous models.
◉ NEW ABILITIES. In the place of any powers that were lost, there is now a new power. These abilities are unique to each of the Displaced and seem to update over a certain period of time, with the changes appearing thanks to critical emotional events. One thing that's apparent is that the power seems to be linked to the Displaced individual's personality or life before this one, shaped according to who they happen to be. When this power appears, their chest glows with a blue light that shines from their sternum, and it can be triggered by anything: natural inclination or a moment of great stress. If someone's out in public when this happens, they might want to duck under cover lest the blue glow from their chest and the unusual power's appearance draws unwanted attention.
◉ EMPATHY BOND. No matter the circumstances or the conditions, every skin-to-skin touch of the Displaced triggers this empathy bond. Whether they touch hands, brush cheeks, or knock into one another on accident, they'll be met with the emotions of the person they've touched. Every instance of skin-to-skin contact will trigger an immediate empathic bond, letting you feel the other person's emotions and vise versa. While there's nothing that can be done to completely prevent this, someone can either decide to hold on and continue sharing that level of emotional intimacy, or let go and end the shockingly vulnerable exchange. If someone is particularly tactile but not fond of sharing their emotions, they might want to invest in a fashionable pair of gloves.
◉ MEMORY SHARE. Through a recent event, the Displaced unlocked the ability to share memories similarly to how they can share emotions. While unknown at first, the Displaced soon learned that they could share a memory with each other the same way they could share emotions. All they need to do is focus on a memory and touch the skin of their fellow Displaced, and then they could pass this experience along. These memories are shared through the eyes of the giver, granting the receiver a unique insight into the thoughts, feelings, and sensations during a specific moment in their life.
◉ DREAM SHARING. Once one, two, or five Displaced fall asleep, they may be able to find each other in their dreams. These dreams lead to the dreamers themselves feeling lucid and somewhat in control of their surroundings—though the control itself is ultimately dependent on the dreamer and how well they come around to understanding what's going on. Dream logic applies with the flow of time, but no one is able to spend their entire lives there. Lost powers are still gone for any of the Displaced, but they can use their dreams to practice any new ability that they've received. Memory shares and empathy bonds are just as possible within these shared dream states—if anyone doubts that another Displaced is really there, they can test the empathy bond to see if it activates.
◉ POWER SHARES AND UNIONS. The Displaced can share something of themselves with another Displaced by offering them an object that comes out of their chest. This object is meant to be symbolic of the person it comes from and significant to them in some way. When someone else takes hold of this object, they will get a sense of the owner's essence, along with temporary access to their in-game ability. Only when they give the item back do they give up the power in question. In addition, the Displaced are able to act in unison and create a fusion of their powers, making it so they can fight someone else with them at once. This ability is there from day one, but the power's ability will only ever present at its current stage.
> THE NETWORK
When the Displaced first showed up, Morningstar set up a private network for all of the Displaced to use in order to communicate. Most of the veteran Displaced are old hands at using the implant now, and will be happy to provide any necessary information on how to utilize this new tool and understand its application in daily life.
Early on, every newcomer receives access to the encrypted network, only available to you and the others like you, making contact between you easy and safe. Familiarize yourself with this network and dig in. Perhaps you're hoping to find some bigger answers, ask about the current nail polish trends in New Amsterdam, or want to play a game of "hot or not" among the Displaced.
◉ IDENTIFICATION. Everyone who gets set up with an ID gets access to Morningstar's network. In order to ensure that none of the Displaced stand out like sore thumbs, Morningstar's agents El and Gaby ensure that everyone has a name that makes it so they fit in among society. All usernames are thusly formed as firstname.lastname, with some room for creativity (Ziggy Stardust had a brief cameo, after all).
◉ PRIVATE COMMUNICATION. There are private, one-on-one modes of communication available as well, though without the security of Morningstar's encryptions, they're much less safe. You can make calls, send texts, make videos, and even interact with others in a VR simulation—however, it's made very clear that the government has a means of tracking this communication. Big brother is always watching.
The day of April 26th is known to all United Nations citizens: it's Resolution Day. To everyone around the world, it's the day when the last known AI lifeforms were completely eradicated in 2101. While some might say that it's the day that the UN claimed victory over the AI, to people the world over it's the day that humanity managed to keep themselves from being wiped out. Little will be said in detail about the holiday itself, but a remedial bit of research will cover the six-year-long Xelkoven War between humans and AI. The war itself was started when the home security unit AI Elysian killed 50 households full of people, and the war itself was named after the largest artificial intelligence distributor at the time: Xelkov. Ultimately, a billion humans died in the war, and there was the very real risk that the rest of humanity could have followed if they hadn't devised a method to put down the AI for good.
The citywide celebration of Resolution Day starts early and finishes very late, so whether you choose to join in the fun, learn more about the history of the festival, or take advantage of the revelry for other, more nefarious goals, you'll have plenty of time.
As the festival sprawls wildly throughout the streets of New Amsterdam, it gives even the most desolate parts of the city new life with bright lights, noise, and plenty of food. Most businesses are closed for the day, but not all of them—if you've gotten yourself a restaurant, street cleaning, or corporate PR job, you might find yourself stuck on a double shift. Better snatch what small moments of enjoyment you can!
> ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES
Anything you'd think would be at a festival in the year 2512 is definitely at this festival. Food, games, dancing, alcohol, free stuff? It's all there for your enjoyment. While the city streets will be full of people, this isn't a bad day to try networking. Want to get a new job or find a way to pry some information out of someone when they're least likely to remember you? Try to butter them up—or use the powers you've been granted to get your way. If anything goes badly, at least you can slip back into the crowd.
◉ GAMES. Care to play a game? All attendees can play for free. Some games —like the hoverblade racing, the augmented reality fightboxes, and the street-wide bouts of laser tag—require a partner or a competitor, so you better hope someone's willing to do you a solid or bring out your competitive side. For anyone who's interested in something a little less hands-on, all of the city's biggest VR arcades will have setups with all the latest games. Hoping to get noticed for your gaming talent? This might not be the day to try to stand out, but anyone's down to try.
◉ FOOD TRUCKS. It's time to try the delicacies of New Amsterdam. Hundreds of food trucks have turned out today in droves with high hopes that they'll come away turning a profit. Down for some Mexi-German fusion? Or perhaps you're hoping that pad thai still tastes the same with grasshoppers? Share your food – or give away whatever you don't like. Food trucks are the hub of activity, and the busiest ones might be worth the time, but you'll be standing in line for a while.
◉ NETWORKING. There are other opportunities with the city being flooded with festival-goers. Whether someone is on a mission to try to test the current sentiments toward Morningstar or simply wants to charm some corporate execs, this might be the time to get it done. Whatever your cover story is, make it good. Whether you claim you're hoping to pitch an idea for some new tech or are more interested in seducing – or squeezing – some information out of them, following them into the next bar or karaoke booth may give you the perfect chance. But you might want a lookout to watch your back, a co-conspirator to keep them plied with drinks, or maybe you'll need a voice of reason to stop you from squeezing too hard. Discretion is the name of the game. Everyone can agree upon that.
> HISTORY LESSONS
Aside from your typical booths of free samples, charitable causes, volunteer applications, and white chocolate-covered beetles, you'll find an opportunity to learn about Resolution Day’s history. There are various stands available where—thanks to the augmented reality application of your neural implant—you can view videos about the origins of the festival and the reasons for celebrating. If you haven't done your initial search yourself, you'll be able to buff up on it here.
◉ VR SIMULATIONS. If you'd like to feel like a hero, the UNA are running several virtual reality simulations where you can be taken to the battlefield to fight alongside fellow soldiers, working to bring the outwardly robotic AI to submission. The virtual reality simulation interacts with your neural implant to give you the most realistic experience possible. If you don't ground yourself enough, you'll be certain that the sights, sounds, and smells around you are real as you march in formation toward the brutality waiting up ahead. Feel free to team up with a partner on a side mission, or maybe try to keep someone from plugging in for what could be a traumatic experience. Eerie, heart-wrenching music plays when you die, but is promptly followed by the image of several corporate logos reminding you that they sponsored this day and this event.
◉ SYMPATHIZERS. If you're uncomfortable with the concept of eradicating all AI, no one will understand why. AI sympathizers are not present among the native population. Everyone in this world has been raised with the understanding that AI only wanted to destroy humanity, and that everyone is lucky to be alive in spite of it. They have a deeply ingrained fear, and anyone claiming to formerly be an AI or android won't receive a very friendly response.
Traveling down from the hectic main city streets reveals a different side from the gloss and promise of New Amsterdam. Economic disparity runs rampant throughout the city, and many people are pushed to desperation, looking to find other ways to make ends meet. In the darker shadows, many illegal activities thrive, out of view of the authorities—or perhaps known and supported by corrupt individuals. Maybe you're out exploring, completing a task for Morningstar, or working a job in the place you excel. Whatever brought you to the rougher parts of town, you may want to watch your step, or else find the city eating you as it has so many others.
> ORGANIZED CRIME
Organized crime still has a strong foothold in the world, with gangs and more established families working with drugs, weapons, property, and black market cybernetics, to name a few. These organizations are sprawling units that regularly recruit new members into their ranks, so long as they can prove themselves by passing the intensive hazing. While there are two main mob entities in New Amsterdam—the Riverstone Mob and the Petrov Family—there are a handful of gangs that otherwise roam the streets. Some are loosely sponsored by the mob, while others are fledgling groups trying to gain clout. More than anything, these groups know they don't have the power of the corporations or government, and do everything to seize more power when they can.
◉ JOINING UP. Catching the eye of the mob is difficult, but not impossible. Getting into the larger gangs is less difficult, but they're still wary of anyone who doesn't know the ins and outs of how to duck surveillance, traffic drugs and supplies, and intimidate people without catching flack from the NAPD. The best way to start getting attention is through their clubs, casinos, and illegal gambling dens. Getting inside isn't always easy: it might take a few weeks of legwork to get an invite, but someone could try to strongarm their way inside or use some chicanery to make it a smoother endeavor.
◉ ESCAPE PLAN. Whether you went in to cause trouble or accidentally caused it by breathing the wrong way, it's good to have an escape plan in place. Does that mean fighting all the goons available? Maybe. What about stealing a hover bike and getting away? The good news is that hover bikes can fit where hover cars can't.If you've got the skills, you'll be able to weave through the chaos of the city and make a clean getaway. Just don't let the chase run for too long, or you'll have law enforcement on your ass as well.
> FIGHT CLUB
No matter the occasion outside, New Amsterdam's fight club events are held every evening. The bouncers at the door don't have too many scruples on who they let inside. All they care about is whether someone has the money to pay the cover charge.
The interior of the fight club reveals the sophistication of a business that's used to uprooting itself regularly. All the fights take place in a large cage in the center, and you remain on your feet while you enjoy the show. There is a special VIP section if you've been lucky enough to receive an invite or bribe your way in – just keep in mind that these invites are scarce, and you will have to have done something spectacular to earn the attention from someone high up the food chain. Regardless of where you end up, there is one rule: what happens in the fight club stays in the fight club. This tenant is law, and everyone's heard stories of the different (and sometimes extreme) lengths that have been taken to maintain it.
◉ FIGHT. It's time to sign up and test your chops against other fighters. Many of the fighters boast illegal cybernetic enhancements, so it would be a really good idea to have someone on hand who knows some first aid. Fights can either happen in duos or in one-on-ones depending on the signups for the evening.
◉ RINGSIDE CHAT. You might just want to enjoy the show, or use the opportunity to grill the bartenders for information. Just be careful not to make a fool of yourself. Asking too many questions might catch the wrong kind of attention – the kind that might find you being thrown into the ring, whether you wanted to be there or not. For all the blood spilled, these fight clubs thrive on discretion, so whatever you do, try to keep it quiet.
Life in New Amsterdam was once all festivals and people avoiding association with organized crime. Life in New Amsterdam these days is full of drama, citywide disturbances, and everything else that might be expected of an action film in progress. While there aren't many answers for what's happened to the Displaced, there is enough chaos going around that it seems like it may be connected to their arrivals.
The worst part is that New Amsterdam seems to struggle. Rather than being an anonymous backdrop to those action films, New Amsterdam is a bustling city full of life that never asked to be at the heart of this. When trouble hits, most repairs and restorations focus on helping those with money, while others are left forgotten living in tents and hoping for a helping hand. Recent circumstances have called for improvements in this area—there is more charitable work than ever before in New Amsterdam—but it's still a trying time.
Where the Displaced stand in all of this varies, but it's hard to ignore a city in trouble.
◉ DISPLACED VERSUS DISPLACED. Whether it's by manipulation of an outside force or through inhaling weird monster gas, sometimes the Displaced are at odds with one another. When some of these few heroes are fighting, it means that the city can be left in even greater danger. Other times, the Displaced might not be able to control themselves. Feeling a sudden surge of vengeance and hoping to follow through on it? That monster gas might be the cause. Want to finish out a nasty deal to get something back important? The monster gas won't be an excuse, but maybe someone can pretend it was. Life as a Displaced is wild sometimes.
◉ THE UNITED NATIONS ARMY. In fact, it's so wild that sometimes they come up against the extremely dangerous soldiers of the UNA. These soldiers are the military arm of the United Nations government. They aren't the average soldier, however. Dressed in thick black armor that acts as an exoskeleton for their bodies, they are basically invulnerable to any and all attacks. When fighting as a unit, they work perfectly in unison, making it so that they can quickly move to deny almost any and all attacks. They're also extremely resistant to any mental or emotional compulsion or manipulation, making them hard nuts to crack. Ready for a bossfight? They're the soldiers for it.
◉ MONSTERS. As for unconventional threats, there are the monsters. These creatures first turned up in giant form when the first batch of Displaced arrived, stomping all over New Amsterdam. The less unique version of the monsters are around 400m high, have lizard-like features, and tend to show up by tearing down a portion of New Amsterdam's city wall. And that's the less unique version. More unique monsters vary in size and make, seeming to be an amalgamation of a number of different creatures. Half-snake, half-dog? Seems odd, but it happens. The one consistent feature of all these monsters is they all have golden irises. Suffice to say that running into these creatures could be a problem.
Feel free to branch out and explore! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics. Sneak through the city checkpoints and set out into the wilderness. Try to hop on a train bound for one of the world's five spaceports to see one of the colonies—though bear in mind the cost and difficulty of one of these joy rides. Experiment with some insect based versions of your favorite recipes. Perhaps you'd prefer to engage in some illegal street racing, spend some time getting used to the technology, or try to become a social media celebrity. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure!
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it takes him a while. leia, probably, would call him a coward. he might agree with her. but han's been running from one thing or other longer than ben's been alive, and old habits are hard to break.
he couldn't say what brings him back. what stuttering spark leaps and roars to full in his chest. he's lost this boy twice over, and failed him times innumerable. han's done a lot of impossible things in a life rife with them. but that one. hoo boy.
he'd like to say leia's not the only reason he responds. there's a little of rey in it, too. that scrappy little punk who'd look for the good in anyone, given half a chance. but eventually, it comes: )
Probably not. The smell alone'd do them in.
Didn't expect to find you here.
( in which 'here' might mean 'dead'. or might just mean 'here'. some nebulously defined universe far, far away. )
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( since the last time they'd seen each other he'd been driving his saber through han's ribcage. the look of startled surprise as it cut across his father's face had lingered long after han's body had disappeared and the planet had fragmented beneath his feet. )
How long have you been here?
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( he's not even bitter. not really. just tired. resigned. he's known for years that ben hated him, but he'd never thought —
he stops himself. dark roads, black deeds. he knows not to follow that path. )
Long enough. You?
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( he had been among the first to be brought here, almost a year ago now. strange to think that such a thing was even possible, and yet here they are.
there's a significant pause as he considers where to even go from here. nothing really feels adequate. )
You were right, you know.
About everything.
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he's spent years agonizing over all the ways he screwed that one up. no stranger he to flaws and faults alike. there was a time he would have given anything for ben to have said those words to him with conviction. which is exactly why he doesn't believe that this — any of this, really, but especially that — is real.
anything, he'd promised him once. he'd meant it. he would have burned worlds for his son. han never had luke's sense of right and wrong, he only had survival or death. it went beyond legacy. though, in a way, ben was never his legacy. he was luke and leia's, a child of all that mystical force mumbo jumbo bullshit. he barely even saw himself in the kid, physically or otherwise. that hadn't stopped the love, for all that he was terrible at showing it.
ben was supposed to be the bright and shining star they all expected to lead the jedi into a prosperous new age of peace that all of them bled for. he'd expected retirement to look a little different. grandchildren, maybe. luke herding a passel of force-sensitive children to some great enlightenment that han's still not wholly sure he believes in. and leia.
well. whatever he imagines for her would be a disservice one way or another. leia's always done things her own way.
but this? it's too perfect. neat bookends. not the messy thrust of a cauterizing weapon. and it pisses him off. the anger surprises him with its sudden, roiling intensity. it rips upward from his gut to his heart, stopping just long enough to seize his lungs in a vice before it gets all the way to the heavy lines of an engraved frown on his face. )
So who are you, really?
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( that much, he'll find, hasn't changed much. this world and its ways had a way of doing that to a person, hitting them in unexpected ways that were meant to challenge them.
or perhaps the force really did have a strange sense of humor. though it was difficult to think of the force being anything but distant here. unreachable.
something he was still struggling to come to terms with.
unseen, he rubs fingers across his mouth. hesitating before adding. ) Rey will be glad that you're here.
( "glad" seems like a strange word to be using, but decides that it is the one closest to the truth. for his part, kylo hasn't settled on how he feels just yet, and hasn't entirely dismissed the fact that he's in some kind of shock. )
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he wets his lips. he hates these blasted things — communicators, really? )
Where are you?
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( which is both a fact and a concession to the fact that han might think better of seeing him right now. )
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finally, he just sends a location ping. )
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still. it's encouraging that he is given it, perhaps. or is it? he doesn't linger too long trying to figure it out but instead makes for his hoverbike and sets off immediately. seconds tick over to minutes that feel like hours. finding parking is always a nightmare, so he stows the bike in a discreet corner and makes for han, bike helmet tucked beneath his arm. )
There are better places to eat than this, ( offered by way of greeting. an awkward suggestion that they go somewhere less public for what will doubtless be a difficult conversation. )
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they never really talked about it — add one more thing to the long list of all that went undiscussed between them. but he always knew. she'd get this look about her, and for a few days afterwards there would be this unshakable sadness that clung to her like cobwebs every time she looked at him. tragedy follows everything touched by the skywalker name. han never took himself for invincible. lucky, sure. but not invincible.
he'd anticipated death would come a thousand different ways for him. not once did he think it would come at the hands of someone he loved. loves.
because love is not something easily shaken or stolen. ben's done horrible things, and han would never condone it. he's killed innocents, and the blood on his hands can't be washed or willed away.
but he'll always be that little boy that wanted to be a pilot. who followed him around, who listened to his stories, who played with that godforsaken pair of dice that had struck him once as lucky. han remembers holding him while he cried, telling him to toughen up when he skinned his knees, looking at him and being struck all in awe of the fact that this little life was his and leia's.
— he remembers, too, all the times he wasn't there. duties, missions, every excuse he could muster. it got harder as ben got older and the sweet innocence of youth gave way to a surly recalcitrant teenager not only wrestling with emotions but also with the ebb and flow of the force. ben's failure isn't only his own.
han's seated at a table. he got into the habit fairly young of taking up more space than strictly necessary. a way to try and make other people mind their own business and stay the hell out of his. when ben appears, helmet tucked under his arm, for a moment superimposed over him is the child he was once, learning how to maneuver his first hoverbike. leia always insisted on the helmet. han said a few knocks to the head builds character.
he stands. little slower than he used to, but straight enough. anything. it's an echo. )
Since when did I ever complain about the food, huh?
( some good-natured bitching, but he always ate what was put in front of him. whether that was learned in the gutters of corellia or the trenches of a neverending war is irrelevant. food was food. )
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there's also something else, something cautious, in how he holds himself now. not quite a skitterish fathier, but close. )
I suppose a man that spends his time in the company of Wookiees would develop a robust palate.
( it's not a dig, for all it must sound like one. wookiee cuisine wasn't for the faint of heart — and could be, in some cases, quite lethal to anyone foolish enough to try.
the helmet is set down on the table. ) Sit down, I don't mean you any harm.
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( it's said with derision. han might not like pain, but he never runs away from it when it's necessary. for survival's sake. for pride's. pick a reason. the truth is, ben could run him through again right here and it wouldn't teach him any lesson he wouldn't unlearn just by looking at him. it's not masochism. it's.
(hope.)
he puts one hand down on the table, perhaps to steady himself, perhaps just as a grounding touch, and then with the other he reaches out. sets his hand on ben's shoulder, squeezes once. then away. )
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( a soft, contemplative hum. he could call han's bluff, of course, but he won't because frankly, that is a conversation neither of them is ready to have just yet.
and then han's hand is on his shoulder, squeezing it in a way that makes this suddenly so very real and his gaze drops ㅡ though it's not quickly enough to hide how his expression wavers. uncertain and eager by turns.
then he draws in a sobering breath, expression schooling itself into something closer to the usual impassive veneer. control. he is still in control. )
So, what are we having?
( head canting as he looks, finally, at the area and at the food truck nestled in the corner. )
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everything he's ever learned about forgiveness came from luke and leia. his sense of it comes in fits and starts, but he tries. takes a seat. his posture is deliberate — open, easy. what was once cocksure is now simply confident. han's no jedi, but he's still spent most of his life now as a formidable man and that carries over in his comportment. if there's a ghost of unease, some semblance of... fear, it's better hidden than ben's uncertainty.
the scar's new. looks like it came from a lightsaber. rey, he wonders? or luke? )
Hell if I know. Why don't you pick?
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he cycles through the menu, settling on spicy tortilla roll-ups, and then orders and pays for them both. while he waits, his finger tap-tap-taps against the surface of the table. )
What do you remember?
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he clears his throat. they both have their tics. )
Starkiller Base.
( it's vague. probably not enough. so after a moment he relents, though he's still looking at ben. all the ways he's changed. not just the scar but the age. has it really been so long? )
The bridge.
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( that had been the hope, hadn't it? destroying the base. saving the girl. he can rest easily knowing he accomplished that much, at least. )
I killed Snoke not long after.
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snoke being dead is something else entirely. he doesn't know the whole story — how could he, fractured and fragmented as it was? news didn't travel nearly as fast as it should, and luke's self-imposed exile didn't help.
(he'd been so angry for so long at luke, but even then he'd recognized the fact that no one would blame him more than the man himself. how many nights has luke sat up looking at the very same stars han was out flying in and wondered what-if?)
but. ben's teacher. not exactly sith, certainly not jedi. whatever he was, leia had felt him. han isn't about to mourn him or anything he represents, much less his hand in the creation of kylo ren.
he recognizes the cynicism in himself, a thought curls into form the way words burn on paper in a fire, that's two father-figures down, huh? but he's too old and too damn tired besides to say it aloud. he's not some upstart punk who gets off on using words as warfare. he isn't looking to wound, and it would. instead, as the food arrives, he gestures for ben to take first pick.
he wishes he could believe it was a good thing. that something he said at the last got through, finally, to ben. but he recognizes that it's far likelier the result of an internal power struggle in the order. )
I bet the universe wept for that one.
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( decimated as it is. hux very likely suspects something, even if he can't be sure what. "a cur on a leash," is what smoke had always likened the other man too, and kylo ren is only now beginning to see how he hadn't been speaking solely of hux.
the food proves to be better than expected, for all his stomach churns as he bites into the pastry shell, chewing thoughtfully. )
But there weren't many alternatives. ( and snoke kept asking for things that he was increasingly reluctant to give. leia, and then rey. ) And Hux would have seen the base rebuilt, his weapon restored. The galaxy doesn't need another planet-killer.
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leia had argued once for mercy, where alderaan had received none. how'd she put it then? the new galactic senate shouldn't be founded on bones and ash. she'd always had the flair for a good speech. but he thinks now if they'd done a better job of stomping out the last dying gasps of the old empire, maybe the first order would have stayed a dead dream. but who would they have been then? just the purveyors of a new brand of tyranny. han's mouth tugs down into a frown. )
So what changed?
( you. your mind. everything. han has no delusions — he'd pleaded with the whole of his heart, but. he's never had that expressiveness of self. how many times in ben's life did han say he loved him? he can't think of a time. once, maybe, before the boy knew what words were, when it carried no risk in the speaking. )
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A brave girl made a bold play.
( had come for him, despite knowing the risk, as han had. had come to him, sure that he would turn, and a part of him (small and still wary) regrets that he had not been able to follow her as she had hoped. )
And the monster finally showed me its true face. ( then, clarifying: ) You were right. Nothing I would have given him would have been enough, and I was running out of things to offer.
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Well.
( well. )
Took you long enough. ( it's better than i told you so. ) But I'm glad.
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his head inclines, a concession to this. )
I've never been one for the easy road.
( none of them are. )
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han shakes his head, reaches at length for one of those pastry... things. )
Well, you didn't inherit much else from me. Guess you needed to get something.
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