nexus_crossings | Take Two

Mick noticed the rather large bird perched beside Ben and wondered what sort of creature it was since it was much too large for a normal crow or raven. A magic one from the Wilds? The guitarist had heard stories about certain strange creatures living within the woods and forests around the Nexus. Still, he pondered on Ben's question, as he sat down next to him.

"Good question, mate. Are you planning on getting engaged? That's fantastic. I want to ask Ziggy to marry me one day but I know he's got to get over Hiroki first. Time is a good healer as they say."

He nodded and found himself looking at the crow once more.

"I'd just go with your gut feeling and make something nice for her. Flowers, a nice meal, a good setting. Some good music. That sort of thing. What sort of things does she like?"

Morrigan caws when she notices Mick. Ever observant, the Corviknight watches over Ben protectively. He's met Mick before, but she hasn't.

Ben listens to Mick's explanation. "I was there when that happened. Those wounds take time to heal - I didn't know Hiroki well, or Ziggy for that matter, but I knew he was close to Ziggy and how much his loss hurt him."

He makes a sound of approval at the idea.

"Flowers. That sounds like a good idea - maybe I could invite her to a Nexus restaurant. There are some good ones here, and she's not a picky eater. Neither am I."

"You were there? It must have been hard going through that and seeing Ziggy that distraught. I---wouldn't even know what to do if I were there. Just wanting to hold Ziggy and make him feel better. It's all you can do really."

The guitarist offered Ben a sad smile and then focused on brighter things since Ziggy was slowly getting past the bad memories associated with his dead fiance. At least that was what Mick was getting from him. As for a date or something for a special girl? The blond wanted to help Ben out.

"Yeah, a Nexus restaurant sounds a good bet, mate. How about flowers at the table? I had those delivered to our table when me and Zig had a date."

It was cute.

Fashion has never been an area of expertise for Han — he can tell when something is expensive, most of the time, but he doesn’t know much more about what makes clothing stylish. Even with his untrained eye, he can tell when someone who doesn’t normally wear a cape is wearing one, though. It shows that the kid is probably trying to impress someone. It’s his guess, anyway.

“I wouldn’t hold anything back.” Han says, wondering if this was advice he could bring himself to follow. “Say everything you want to say because it’s better to fall on your face than not to know where you stand.”

Then he shakes his head and realizes that wasn’t really the question. Ben wasn’t asking what to say, he was asking how to make the occasion special. Two different things. His brow wrinkled thoughtfully, while he tried to come out with an answer …

“I’d think you’d have to find a way to make it personal. There’s flowers and candlelight and whatever, but you’re not proving that you know what’s special to them unless you make it personal.”

Edited 2021-05-05 02:21 (UTC)

"I'll admit I'm a little nervous about saying the right things," Ben says, blinking. "But I think I have a better idea of what to do." He smiles, pleased to see Han. It's been a while. He figures Han would have experience with this particular issue, and he trusts his father's judgement more than his own. Ben still has issues trusting himself and his own calls.

It's true that Ben's dressing more fancy than he usually does, and with an eye to impress someone. The cape in particular is a dead giveaway. He's never been a particularly subtle man, especially when it came to his feelings. He also makes no particular secret of the fact that he likes the cape.

He nods when Han gives his suggestions. Ben had been thinking something similar - how to make the occasion special for the two of them.

"Personal. You mean I should tailor it to the sort of thing she likes? I have a few ideas there."

Rey has tried to make a habit of dropping in more often than she truly feels the right to -- it still feels wrong, somehow, to sneak away from her universe when others can't always. Even though time seems to pass independently here from home, and when she returns nothing's changed. It still feels like cheating, and more to the point, like intruding on the life Ben has made for himself independently of her.

She knows of his plans, but she's pushed them firmly to the back of her mind, to be re-examined when they know for sure if he can ever return to their home galaxy. It's not a prerequisite for a yes, but she'd prefer knowing how their life together might look before they begin.

She wanders up sometime after he's asked his question of the others, taking in the sight of him in his blue cape with a tiny smile.

"You're getting a lot of use out of Lando's gift. It suits you."

Ben is visibly startled, and his ears flush red when Rey finds him. He hadn't expected to be approached by the person he was talking about, but he's pleased. He's been working on research in the Library, and he thinks there's been progress made. There's still work to be done but there's a start.

Going home doesn't seem impossible anymore, and that's brightened his mood considerably. Ben Solo has always been a creature split in two - two sides of the Force, two sides, two minds, two worlds. It's a strange irony that's cropped up throughout his life.

She might see his throat twitch with an anxious gulp before he talks. Clearly he's been thinking over this for a while.

"I was thinking of going out to eat sometime. Your choice of place."

She hadn't overheard his prior conversations, but she knows he gets a bit flustered when touching upon the matter of their relationship. It's not surprising; she's no more experienced than he is in such matters. She just hides it a little better.

"You know I'll never say no to Nexus food."

Or any food, really, but the sheer variety here delights her. She's been known to sneak some Earth snacks back home to present to the select few who know that she comes here. And, on one occasion, to surprise Finn with something called a Funfetti cake for the date they'd picked out to be his birthday. Neither of them knew their real ones, so they'd made some up, and perhaps they'd both gone slightly overboard with the festivity. But she stands by the decision to bring cake.

Ben hoped that he'd become less anxious about it as time went on, but that didn't really happen. He's just shy, and he covers it with a small smile. If she had heard him talk, he'd probably have died of sheer embarrassment.

For his part Ben knows his birthdate, but it hasn't really been something he celebrated because he didn't think it was something to celebrate. He might bring it up next time it comes around. He's picked up a taste for baked goods.

"Do you have any place in mind?"

Rey has no idea. She's made it a habit to try as many of the different foods here as she possibly can, which means she's rarely visited the same place twice and has rarely had the same food twice unless she found it particularly irresistible.

There is one Earth food, though, that she's found it difficult to replicate back home. Perhaps because they lack anything precisely like a tomato.

"There's a pizza place that's nice? The quieter one, maybe, so we can hear ourselves talk without resorting to using the Force, and don't feel like we need to give up our seats to a group of teenagers?"

Is this what normal people do on dates? Probably, but she's honestly a lot more partial to just being somewhere alone together. By the time she comes here she's generally had her fill of people looking at her and asking things of her, and though no one really does that here, she still prefers the quiet.

Ben has developed an appetite for Nexus food, and it's been a while since he had something to eat from his own home galaxy. Pizza is one of those things that he likes to eat.

"That sounds like a good idea." Not that Ben minds teenagers, exactly, but he likes having his privacy. And he likes having real conversations without the use of telepathy. "I think I know the one? The quieter one. I go there myself sometimes."

As for Ben, he's still learning on the fly how dates work. Neither Luke nor Snoke taught him about things like this, which he's actually rather proud of. A lot of things he's had to teach himself. Including how to have dates. He still looks visibly nervous.

"What's your favorite topping?"

Rey is exceedingly glad that she'll never have to go out with a Ben Solo who learned dating tips from Snoke. Yikes.

She's never asked for this sort of advice, herself. She's not the kind to ask for advice at all, particularly these days when there's no one really left to ask the things she'd really wish to. But she's confident that they can manage dinner, conversation, maybe a movie on his sofa later, with his small menagerie of creatures trying to squeeze in for some attention.

As for pizza... has Ben met her?

"... Yes? Honestly, anything. I haven't found one I've disliked yet. Trust your instincts; whatever you're craving is just as likely to be my fault as anything."

Ben wants to wipe everything about Snoke and Palpatine from his brain entirely. He still feels tainted by them.

There's something comforting about the animals' presence. Morrigan chirps, nodding to Rey. The last time Rey saw her, she was small enough to perch on Ben's arm. Now she's fully grown, and larger than Ben himself is.

He chuckles a little. "I think my appetite's grown sharper since the dyad reconnected."

A very excited pokemon runs up to Ben and Morrigan, sending a telepathic communication as his little feet close the distance between them. Francour the meowstic is eager to see two such wonderful friends and trills loudly.

Morrigan! Morrigan and Ben! Francour suddenly trips over his feet, but rather than landing face first, floats carefully just above the ground as Mantis carries him the rest of the way. Unlike the eager pokemon, Psycho Mantis gets to hide his amused expression behind his mask.

It does little to hide his amused tone, however. "You both traveled between planets. A journey through space motif might help. Ask her at night, a place with stringed lights and an comfortable location for two."

Borrigan caws in excitement when she sees Francour, flying over to greet them. She's clearly trying to hold back given her size and strength, but she's thrilled to see an old friend.

"Hello, Mantis." Ben nods in greeting. "A journey through space motif might be a good idea. In our galaxy, people travel through space as casually as your people use cars and planes. We aren't the only world like that, but we're one of a few."

He sends a telepathic message to Francour. You've grown. Mantis has taken good care of you, clearly.

Mantis slows his stride when Morrigan lands, setting Francour back down in the process. The meowstic keeps running until he's face first in the fluff of feathers and trying his best to hug the giant corviknight. Somewhere in the midst of black feathers comes a satisfied mental sigh as Francour enjoys the company.

Best bird. Morrigan is so pretty! Mantis nods at the assessment of Morrigan and offers a gentle stroke with the back of his hand along the side of her face.

"She looks just like Ben. Tall, dark, and broody." Mantis tilts his head to one side. "You can get an abundance of glow in the dark stars or something similar. There's a lot of ways to bring the vastness of space into a room or a venue."

"She looks like me?" Ben can't help but be a little amused. He has to admit his hair's the right color, and maybe his nose if someone squinted. "I'm not sure how she'll take that." Morrigan caws a little, sounding suspiciously like laughter.

"She thinks it's funny. That's how." Ben chuckles a little. "It's Rey. She's an even less fussy eater than I am. She grew up on a desert junkyard planet, so she didn't have much say in that." Unlike Rey, Ben never actually went hungry, but he can relate to the loneliness and lack of connection with others. "She might like glowing stars. They'd be quirky for a galaxy like ours."

"You have all the looks and aesthetic of a raven. It might be what Rey really likes about you as far as your appearance goes." Mantis laughs with Morrigan and rises up on his toes to nuzzle her head with his own.

"May I suggest starlight and flowers? She's not used to verdant places, so you can get her more with the sense of awe by surrounding her with plants."

"My guess, Ben, is that she just wants you to speak your truth directly from your spark. If you're talking about a proposal, that is." Megatron glances shyly away. "It's what I did, when I asked his permission to court him. I haven't exactly proposed, it's not time yet...but he damned well knows my intentions. But when I asked to court him, I just told him, very clearly, that I could not forward with things without telling him that I was going to fall in love with him...that I could already feel it beginning, in fact."

He shrugs. "Some people would have called that crazy, given that we hadn't known each other very long, but it would have been very dishonest to hide it."

"Rey and I were enemies before this. A lot's changed since then, including the two of us." Ben touches his chest, where his heart is. He has no spark, but that's his equivalent.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time. Getting it right, too." Ben can't help but be nervous. "I'm glad things are working out between you. Loki's a good friend of mine."

"I know you had a difficult time. I won't say 'journey' even though I thought of it, because I refuse to sound like Drift." Megatron smiles. "But she loves you, you know that. I don't think you'd be here if she didn't. Even more materially than when I say I wouldn't be here without Loki; she literally brought you back; Loki made me decide not to let myself die."

He puts his hand over Ben's. "That's how I know that whatever you do will be perfect," he says, with a wider smile. "Are you sure some of this nervousness isn't the feeling that maybe you don't deserve this? I know sometimes I have that feeling. But the universe doesn't give us what we deserve. Often that's a misery, but once in a while it's a blessing."

"I think the bond's why I didn't just disappear after I died. It tethered me to a physical body. The Force just took me elsewhere to heal, and drew her here when the right time came." Ben shrugs. "I'm glad not to be a Force ghost."

"I...sometimes think I don't deserve good things. But there are people here who want the best for me besides just Rey - more than I ever imagined, and from places I never expected - and I'm not going to give up on myself now. I still can't believe it."

"Good. You did what you had to do, and now you get to do what you want to do. That's a good thing." Megatron sighs. "Did you know that Soundwave and I are friends again? I never thought that would happen, either."

Edited 2021-05-16 06:05 (UTC)

"I never thought I'd be friends with an Eliksni, but Variks is one of my best friends. I'm glad you made up with Soundwave." Ben wonders whether he'd ever get along with Rey's friends, or if - understandably - too much harm had been done for them to ever be truly comfortable around him.

"Variks seems like a good person. I'm sorry we didn't get much of a chance to talk at your party. Thank Starscream for that, I suppose." Megatron sighs. "I'm glad of it, too, and so's he, but the person who is happiest about it is, of course, Ravage, who spent far too much time feeling rather like the two people she loved best in the multiverse were playing tug-of-war with her--even before we actually were."

His cheeks colour briefly, the energon flush under silver mesh all too easily visible. "Have you met their daughter? They took in a young femme who was recovered from a bad situation; she's the same frame-type as Ravage, and turns out--unsurprisingly, given that Ravage's frame-type was experimental--she may actually be a close genetic relative, not just to one, but to both of them. You will like her a great deal, I think. Her name is Viridian."

He studies Ben for a moment. "Rey and you will have to make peace with her people one or two at a time; are you worried about that? If I can be friends with Rodimus and Minimus, I do think it's possible."

Edited 2021-05-16 18:13 (UTC)

Who wears capes in real life? Apparently this guy does. She doesn't know him particularly well but for some reason she hadn't pinned him as a the type, but it could be standard in dress where he originally comes from or have a meaning she's unfamiliar with. With that in mind, she settles on not teasing him about it. Jill won't ask, either, unless the opportunity arises or he offers the information to her somehow. It's a quick decision but one she thinks will pan out more favorably. The bird, too, is curious, but she figures that's a subject that's easier to broach albeit not one she opts to confront in the moment.

Something's up and she's keen to be more aware of what it might be that's going on.

Jill waves lightly in greeting upon approach and she gets in a 'hey,' before he clues her in somewhat. One arm folds over her torso and takes the elbow of the other while it rises so she might clasp her chin lightly while speaking to him. She's attentive, opting to wait a moment before answering in case he has more to add. When he appears to have finished, she nods faintly.

"Shouldn't you know what's best? Don't think on cliches or how other people do it, cater it to what you know about her and what she might like." She hesitates a second, settling her weight onto her right side with her hip jutted out just a touch. "But if it were me, I'd want it to be simple and private and to hear someone's honest feelings. Nothing extravagant. I'd want it to represent our relationship as it is, with a sincerity of who we both are... if that makes sense?"

"Hello, Jill, It's been a while. Good to see you again - hope you've been well."

Ben perks up when he notices the familiar face. Jill's the down-to-earth type, so he trusts her judgement on matters like this. As for Ben, he is still cautious about his own decision-making. He's messed up before - a lot - and while his social skills are improved he's still uneasy about them.
He's not at all self-conscious about the cape, though. He has a weakness for them, and he thinks the dark blue of this one looks attractive on him. Ben allows himself a little bit of vanity. Jill's right that it's partly his culture and upbringing and partly all on him.

"Thing is...I don't exactly trust my own judgement on these matters, though I think I have a better idea of what to do now. I kind of learn things through making mistakes. Painful ones, a lot of the time, but hey - it's better than never learning at all."

Ben manages a wry smile. He's well familiar with the school of hard knocks. The Corviknight caws, and Ben gently rubs the scruff of her neck, between metallic feathers. "Don't worry, Morrigan. This is Jill Valentine. She's a friend."

"Oh, you know how it is. Gotta keep busy, right?" She responds in a way that's evasive but equally honest and it has her crack a toothy smile. "I'm alright. Not in a dilemma like you, at the very least."

It's untrue. She had strong feelings for her partner, but it wasn't something she could easily just address. She wants to, desperately, but there were a number of things that factored into her avoidance. She'd died for him. You can't discount that and the last thing she wanted was for him to not realize he only felt a certain way because he owed it to her or the loss was still seeping in, heavy and weighted like a rigid statue; immovable. Jill also was aware he wasn't the type to be manipulated like that so part of it is her own fears and frustrations, but just as likely her worries about change. They've been friends close to two decades. You don't just suddenly decide you've been in love this whole while on both ends, right?

Surely not.

But that's something that resides on the edge of her thoughts right now rather than forefront. It doesn't trickle in nearly as much as it might were she left alone with just herself. Instead, she simply lifts her head as if to question her current companion further.

"That's fair, but if you want to be with someone -- and you want it to be long-term, maybe forever? -- then you have to learn to trust your instincts on it. It's not fair to them, is it?" She'd like to think that she makes a good point, but Jill questions herself now, too. She'd spent too long being controlled by Wesker that autonomy still feels like a luxury. "You're right, though. You know actions can speak louder than words -- but words are important sometimes, especially when it comes to feelings."

She smiles in the direction of the creature, some large bird. A pet? It suits him, she thinks. Mysterious and dark, ultimately beautiful she thinks.

"I often run on denying my feelings, if I'm honest with you." And she is being so as she approaches further with caution. She's not sure if she should offer the bird a hand like she might a dog to sniff it so she doesn't. "Beautiful bird, by the way. I wouldn't have taken you for a bird guy but it kinda fits, huh? Personally, I've always wanted to get a dog. Border Collie, maybe."

Ben nods, considering. "Yeah, you're right...but sometimes if you've made enough bad calls, trusting your own judgement isn't so easy." That, and his social skills were badly stunted. They're better than they were. At the very least he can interact with society, keep control over his temper, and talk to other people. As far as he's concerned, that's a big step up.

He, too, values his own freedom and the good luck of a second chance, and knows it isn't to be taken for granted.

"She's a special bird, a Pokemon called Corviknight. Her name is Morrigan. I don't own her - she comes and leaves as she wants, but she's always on call if I need her help." Ben strokes her, and the Pokemon shuts her eyes. "Her kind are known for their size and intelligence. There's a sizeable Pokemon population out in the Wilds. Sometimes they choose people to live with, and I figure she decided she'd be happy with me. She's safe to interact with, just a little protective. She knows she can trust you now."

Morrigan opens her eyes again and squawks, more friendly this time.

Seeing the Corviknight greet Jill, he smiles a little. "You seem like a dog person. I tend to surprise people with the bird thing, but I'm fond of them."

"Unfortunately, I understand where you're coming from." She nearly grimaces, but it's more edging toward a somber smile. It speaks with a greater volume than her words alone do, but she offers little more in way of describing what she means by it. It's hard to say how much more she might reveal if questioned, but she doesn't seem to be fully against offering some details. Otherwise what would the point be of admitting to it?

"I see. I've never seen anything like her before." Pokemon must be the species? She doesn't know. Maybe it's something from another world entirely. Anything seemed likely here. "Yeah, huh. That must mean she's drawn to you in that case. Animals can see the good in people, I think, better than people can see it in themselves."

It's a little nudge of encouragement without it being overwhelming. She's not the type to go for it unless she feels it strongly and maybe with time she'd come to pushing and shoving, but for the moment it's a little more evened out if not sensible. Jill doesn't want to push him too hard if he's not certain of it even if it is something you have to get used to. Regardless of whether or not you have or need the confidence in the long-run, getting there by force alone never really does the trick.

"Ha ha, yeah? I guess I'd like something to hunt with that I can rely on. I don't think coming and going would be something I'd be comfortable with, so I'm definitely not a cat person." Jill doesn't expound too much, though, since that's not the real subject at hand. "So, any ideas already, though? Anything you're considering? If so, you could run 'em by me and I could try to lend a hand with my perspective?"

"My trust in myself....isn't the best. It's the same with you? If you don't want to elaborate, it's fine." Ben will discuss his own past, though he isn't proud of it at all. "Not the same, but we may be able to understand each other there. I promise you I won't judge you for anything. I can't."

"Yeah - it's hard to explain, but the Pokemon have been here in the Nexus long before I was. Like most of the animals and people here, they're imports from the world they come from. People don't go in the Wilds as often as they used to for a few different reasons - there are dangerous animals there, and there are people who don't welcome visitors the way the larger Nexus does. The anti-violence field isn't as strong. I go there, but I'm not known for good sense, and I'm careful where I step."

Force-users are powerful, but far from invulnerable, and Ben has had enough losses and close shaves that he knows better than to tempt fate.

He shifts. "Sure. I apologize ahead of time if it's awkward. None of my mentors, and I've had several, particularly trained me for situations like this. But I think as the saying goes, two heads are better than one."

"A little, yeah. Sounds like you and I went through some shit." She doesn't so much ignore his question as hesitate on it. There's a pause, but she meets his eyes, clear that she has some inner turmoil and difficulty in describing what she's gone through. It's complicated. "...for close to four years, I was under control of a mind control serum. I could see what I was doing, feel it."

She gestures widely, walks a little when she talks to keep herself busy. It makes her feel less like his eyes are on her even if they are. She'd rather him look at her than look away when she says this, anyway, but there's only so much she can do. She inhales sharply through her nose and looks slightly over her shoulder at him. Her eyes are a little glossy, clear that she's withholding a lot of details. Four years, after all, is a long time.

"I was made to do the very opposite of what I fought against during that time. I injected people with viruses, fought for my enemy and did reconaissance for him. I ensured his survival." She injected him with what he needed to survive once or twice, at his behest. A gift to her as a reminder she was trapped, that she did it. Jill doesn't mention that her blood was used to strengthen the virus he was concocting, but that held weight to her, too. Heavy on her shoulders. It was a burden she didn't know how to hold yet couldn't share.

"I see. I suppose that makes sense. It happens where I'm from, too. Generally it becomes an intrusive species, though." She hasn't seen enough of them, though, she thinks? for it to be considered that, however. Either way she's happy to have the topic of discussion not be herself. "I didn't know there was an anti-violence field. But I also haven't tried to start a fight. I don't suspect I'll need to, but do you know where it draws the line? Just in case."

If she can show up here, so can Wesker. He might be easier to subdue if there's a way to avoid fighting but she knows ultimately she'll want to bring him down. Even if she might not be able to on her own.

"Romance is awkward, I think. None of mine prepared me for feelings outside of the job and what I got was 'don't let it get to you,' essentially. I think the best way to gauge things is by our own ears at this point."

"Mind control serum. Of all the treacherous..." Ben breathes in heavily. "I was a space tyrant, and did a lot of terrible things that come with that territory. And while I was groomed for that role - I lived most of my life with a very powerful dark wizard in my head, who stoked all my worst qualities - I made my own bad choices, so I don't have the excuse of mind control. I hate who I was and what I did...but it can't be undone."

He bows his head a little. Ben isn't proud of who he was as Kylo Ren, but he owes Jill the truth as she told him hers. Kylo is still part of him, his history and experiences, and his actions are Ben's. But he sympathizes with her situation. The idea of being under someone's total control like that, someone who's a hated enemy at that, is incredibly disturbing.

"It was an old enemy of my family, and he enjoyed watching us tear ourselves apart. He chose me as his tool to help him do it. I turned against him and fought to stop him, but too late and after a lot of damage had been done. My friend...she helped me realize that I was on the wrong path. She was badly wounded. I died to make sure she made it home safely, and I woke up here."

Snoke used more subtle methods than that for leading Ben under his sway, but Ben suspects that if it hadn't been for his and Palpatine's influence he would have grown up all right. But the voices had been there since he was a baby, too young to understand what they were saying to him, manifesting as bad dreams and night terrors. And when he was older they set to work twisting him into a weapon against his own family. So he'll never know what he would have been like if he'd grown up free of them.

Still, he finds Nexus politics easier to talk about.

"There aren't hard and fast lines, but if you see territory marked by blue banners, that's controlled by the Eliksni of House Winter. They have had a harsh history that has left them territorial and distrusting of strangers. I sympathize, given my own history with abandonment and anger - but that wouldn't do me any favors with them. The field isn't infallible, and people have found ways around it before. So I don't completely trust it, though it's saved me in the past."

"It was his form of revenge against me. Can't say I can think of anything worse." There's a nervous, chittering little bit of laughter. It's clear it's not something she talks about much let alone thinks of. Out of sight, out of mind, in control. It takes her a moment not to think of him as the creature called a tyrant made through viral experimentations in her world and she pauses to listen. "You've changed, though. That takes a lot and... regardless of the reason behind it, you've made that decision. It's more than I can say for anyone I've fought against. Some things you can't walk back from, choice or not. You have to live with them."

She obviously blames herself for her actions despite the fact she has no reason to, but it's still something she struggles with. Enough that she offers a faint touch of her hand to his shoulder. It's awkward, but the intent is genuine; it doesn't hold any false promises or echo any sweet lies. It just is.

"Sounds like a real asshole," she starts simply, even if casually, as another form of reassurance. Her own brand. "But you still managed to change, to hear her above the other voices. That's what stopped me, too. I struggled to fight against he serum, but when my partner entreated me, when he called me, it was like my brain would short circuit. I was hissing and it felt like my brain was being shocked, but I fought against it even though it had me down to the most primal levels of thought. It was my last chance."

She didn't think she'd escape. To this day, she's still in awe. Chris had put down his weapons and come for her despite the fact she'd hurt him -- kept hurting him -- and for that, she's forever grateful.

"I see. So the best way to get in a scuffle is to go past them... not that I'm suggesting I want to really damage someone or anything, but," she looks to the side, trying to spot a banner and start to form a mental map, "But if I can come here, people from my world can come here. I have to plan for the dangerous ones."

It's clear she's very take-charge and wouldn't let anyone else put themselves in harm's way for her sake.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what you went through. It can't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is, is it?"

"My grandfather and uncle stopped him the first time. Didn't put him down for good, unfortunately, but it took a long time to come back from being thrown down a reactor shaft and figure he had a grudge. My uncle...Luke Skywalker...my relationship with him was complicated. I used to look up to him, but he saw something in my head while I was sleeping that made him consider killing me. He decided against it, but I saw him with his lightsaber over my bed and panicked."

Ben sighs. He doesn't forgive Luke, exactly, but he has a better understanding of what happened now, and he figures both of them were tricked.

"It still feels strange, but it's slowly getting better. I have more friends now - and for someone like me that means a lot. For what it's worth, I see you as one of them. What I told you I don't tell everybody." Ben nods gloomily, but accepts the gesture of comfort. He smiles weakly back, his own gesture. "That's one way to put it. I'm glad you had someone who was able to pull you back. We're both lucky to have people like them in our lives."

"We have a deal with them," Ben explains. "They don't attack us and in exchange we stay off their territory. For what it's worth I don't think they're inherently bad people, just bitter and angry and desperate. I can understand those things. I made a friend who's a member of their species, though not affiliated with that group, and he explained where they're coming from."

He knows Jill's universe has some very dangerous creatures and people in it, and doesn't particularly want to meet them. But he's glad to know there are more people who are practical. The Nexus isn't always nice, and occasionally someone with bad intentions slips through.

"You're right, you know. I can't undo what I did...but if I'm alive I can work where I can to do what's right now."

"Once of those types. Been there, but they're usually not human by that point." Jill watches him briefly and there's a flicker of discomfort in her eyes. Even if something terrible happened to him and he couldn't control it, to think that the way they'd go about preventing it was just killing your nephew didn't jive well with her. "There's other ways to do things than just... that. At least I'd like to think so."

But she was a romantic in that sense; she believed in hope and survival, regardless of cost. She believed that there had to be another way until there absolutely was no other option at all. Which is a little funny considering Jill is also a card-carrying pessimist.

"Yeah? Thanks." She smiles, all crooked teeth and true grin; it reaches her eyes and has her age show with little wrinkles beneath them. It's something rare for her, for it to be completely real rather than a side act meant to deflect. Her response is to carry on with a playful little punch to his bicep. "We're both fortunate, yeah."

She listens carefully about this and it isn't exactly her ideal but she'll take what she can get. You can make due with perimeters when you know them and slip through the cracks of laws and rules if you learn them.

"Then we're the same in that. It's what I'm trying to do." She gestures a little, not quite ushering him but suggesting they get a move on. "C'mon, drinks on me. You can tell me all about this gal of yours."

"It involved some kind of dark magic and cloning, I suppose would be the best way to describe it to an outsider. I can't say I paid that much attention to how it worked. I didn't have that many lines back then - but that sort of thing was one of them."

Ben was never fond of that kind of Sith magic, and even less so now that he had been a victim of it. He barely bothers to hide the disgust and contempt he feels for the Emperor when he speaks.

But he brightens a little when he feels the touch to his arm. "I would never have described myself as lucky, but...I guess I am." He's still here, after all, and he has opportunities that he sometimes wonders whether or not he deserves.

"Her name's Rey, and I'll be happy to tell you all about her," Ben says, but he's clearly eager about the idea of a drink. "What were you thinking of? There are a few places for a drink available here."

"I still have a hard time believing in magic, but I know plenty about the horrible things science can do. And I can understand, especially as an outsider how it would be easy to not find it relevant or how to catch on." She reassures him, though she also doesn't know the levels of how far he went. As a friend, however, she might just put him in an armbar until she's satisfied with her frustration -- or something equally awkward.

"Cloning, to some degree, is used in the genetic experiments they do -- often on humans -- that I combat. Science sometimes doesn't know when to stop, especially when power or money is involved." Jill knew that too well, unfortunately.

She beams a bit at him, not quite jumping but there's a little pep in her step!

"You went through some shit, you survived, you're here, and you've got your girl. What's luck if not that?" She doesn't necessarily believe in luck (mostly because if she does, hers is pretty crappy), but sometimes she'd like to think other people had good luck. That fortune was on their side. Sometimes the universe just did good by someone.

"Rey, got it." Though Jill's started off, she hesitates when he asks where they're headed. "I was thinking the first I saw, but if you have a preference, by all means. I think we both prefer the same kind of atmosphere." As in anything but a night club, no pounding music or annoying dancing on the floor. That seemed to be both of their MOs. "If you saw my partner, I think you'd know him from a mile away. About six feet tall, just shy of three hundred pounds. I haven't seen anyone that's nearly his size here."

"We have cloning and bioweapons where I come from, too," Ben says, able to follow. Certain kinds of technology always seem to surface - he knows stories of the Clone Wars that took place long before he was born and which set the stage for everything that came afterwards. "They were used as weapons in war. Our galaxy is different from yours, but perhaps not so different."

They were both weapons themselves, at some point in their lives, and he feels he can connect with that. Ben is a weapon no longer.

He chuckles, a low sound that comes from deep in his chest. "I tend to stick out in a crowd, too. Six-foot-three, black clothes. I'm used to being the tallest man in a room." When he was younger he was always tall, though he had been skinny and long-limbed rather than barrel-chested as he grew into them. He's met taller, especially here.

Jill's instincts are right. Nightclubs aren't Ben's style - he prefers places where he can blend in, one more hunched figure with shadowed features and little to say. He tries to socialize, but it still feels strange. "There's a place I know close by where we both can get a drink and a bite to eat. That'll do."

"From what I gather, bioterrorism is usually just used to cull crowds and make people ill -- or die. Where I come from, as you already know, it's used to turn people into weapons and mutate them." But it sounds like despite hers being science and his being 'magic' that they're pretty similar. Of course, it's a downer to talk about this sort of thing so she tries to focus on the subject at hand -- or, at least the reason this conversation all started: someone might just be getting married on the horizon. Even as much of a dour pessimist that Jill can be, she still gets touched by that sort of thing.

"That's fair. I didn't realize you were quite that tall, though." She says while having to look up to meet his eyes. She calls herself five-five but she's a few centimeters short of it; he's nearly a full foot taller than her. Funny. "Guess I tend to be drawn to people who don't fit in... or maybe it's standing out?" A compliment rather than something awkward.

Jill prefers quiet places if she's out and about and if there's music, she prefers classic rock that isn't blaring with bass and beating so hard she can feel her heart jump in her chest. Atmospheric music in the background, if you will. Who knows? Maybe there'll be an old beat-up jukebox she can play some Springsteen or AC/DC on. She won't hold her breath, though.

"Then lead the way." She still walks like she's leading, however. Just a step ahead.

"From what I've seen, a lot of worlds here have things in common. Including similar problems in some cases." Ben listens curiously. "But some good things are there in common, too. I feel very lucky that we're having the conversation we are, and to have people in my life who care."

Ben shrugs a little. "Size isn't everything, obviously. Rey beat me in a fight twice, and I'm a head taller than her. It's a matter of how you use the skills you have and natural talent. We're...in sync. It's complicated, but we have a psychic bond that's unique to the two of us. We can talk to each other that way, and know how the other one is doing. It can be awkward, but it's also very helpful."

He leads the way, finding the place he's looking for about ten minutes ahead.

It isn't surprising to hear that there's commonality between worlds, even ones that seem vastly different than hers (like his). It's strange to think about space travel, about other planets being inhabited even if she was sure life was 'out there' somewhere. They just have means to travel such a distance that it's not like a shrimp or amoeba that's considered their life. Humanoid life is less expected.

"I never know how to express my gratitude when I get close to someone. I guess having their back and being honest with them instead of closed-off says a lot, but that tends to be 'normal' for the average person." Suggesting she's not like the average person, apparently.

"Oh, I can beat Chris. No problem. I'm strong, but my strength is in speed. It's the little hits built up rather than one good hit that's much stronger, if that makes sense?" She wouldn't call the bond she has with Chris to be a literal psychic bond, but maybe figurative. Ben, she imagines, means pretty literal considering. "It means there's a different slew of challenges when you train together, right? Chris generally can predict my movements, even when I try to sneak in a lariat or right hook instead of using kicks. It comes with knowing someone well, I think."

The walk's pleasant and she's happy to have company and to provide it for the moment, but she grows all the more curious about Rey -- especially when offered the information about their unique bond. Made for each other, she supposes. It's a nice feeling to find that fit and to acknowledge it, to get there.

Take Two

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