For hc-bingo
Sep. 15th, 2019 11:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Where Monsters Hide
Summary: In which Luke makes a different choice regarding Ben.
Prompt: Insomnia
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Luke almost didn’t need Ben to say that he was having sleep difficulties thanks to some unknown presence invading his head. But even getting that confirmation was enough to make his blood turn into ice. Ben — being attacked mentally in his sleep, and Luke could all but do nothing to stop it —
Or could he? He thought of the Jedi texts in the archives. Maybe there was a way to help Ben. Stop...whatever was invading his head.
“Ben,” he said, “How about we do some reading together? Just to help with your sleep problems.”
“Is there some sort of ritual I have to do?” Ben said.
Luke chuckled. “No rituals, Ben. No worries.”
***
The advantage of working in an archive was that you had quite a few resources to draw on. Even looking through the resources, Luke was amazed at, simply, how much they had. Ben stood next to him, seeming almost rigid, like a bird preparing to fly. He was expecting easy answers. Luke just didn’t know if he could find them.
Ben’s hopeful expression seemed to falter a bit. “You’re afraid.”
“For you, Ben. As I’ve always been.”
“Sorry,” Ben said.
Luke turned to look at him, smiled. “It’s normal, Ben. Of course I worry about you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing my job, would I?”
Ben shrugged. “I guess.”
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t scared for you,” Luke said. “Ah — I think we found it.”
It was a pretty hefty tome, Luke would say that. Even looking through it, Luke had to cough even as the pages wafted up dust, and he had to squint at the handwriting that seemed almost messy in nature. It didn’t help that one of the first things Luke was able to decipher was “Pazaak is love, pazaak is life”. Apparently, the writer, Atton Rand, thought that writing in the Jedi texts was some sort of joke. But once he actually stopped kriffing around, he gave some pretty useful advice. (And apparently that pazaak joke was pretty relevant, considering one of the tips in the text involved mental pazaak. Probably sabaac, now)
Luke chuckled softly even as he read over it. Apparently, he thought, Atton Rand was at least good at getting your attention.
“Well,” he said, “Looks like we found something. Your homework, Ben, should you choose to do it, is to practice Atton Rand’s techniques, and I don’t mean writing jokes in the Jedi text...as tempting as it is.”
Ben snorted. “I would never.”
Luke chuckled softly again. “I figured that.”
He clapped Ben on the shoulder, gently. “Take care of yourself,” Luke said. “Drink a lot of blue milk. Warm blue milk, I should say. Watch funny things. Keep practicing your techniques — ”
Ben wrinkled his nose, playfully. “Okay, Mom.”
Luke laughed. At bare minimum, it was good to hear Ben cracking jokes. Very Han-like jokes, actually. Ben used to feel self-conscious about not looking as suave and dashing as his father, but even if Ben more resembled a dark-haired version of Anakin (with Padme’s interesting moles, and some of her features), a lot of his mannerisms and quirks showed that he was his father’s son, through and through.
The love they shared wasn’t always easy. After all, there were times when Luke was afraid of Ben as well as for him. Afraid of what he would become if Luke wasn’t looking out for him. But Luke loved him nonetheless, stars willing.
***
“How did things go with your uncle?”
Poe was the one who greeted Ben as he walked out of the Enclave. Ben wouldn’t say that his fluttery feelings that he’d started feeling around Poe had really subsided, if he was to be perfectly honest. Was there room for someone like him in Poe’s future, even as just a casual date?
“Good,” Ben said. “I mean...” He shrugged. “I actually have tools to deal with my nightmares.”
“That’s great!” Poe’s eyes brightened even as he spoke. “Honestly, Ben, I am worried for you...”
Even that admission was enough to make Ben’s heart skip a beat. “It’s okay,” he said. “I have...confidence that I’m going to be okay.”
Poe grinned. “Good to hear.”
Ben swallowed. “Poe...if I make it to next morning, do you want to go to a holo sometime?”
Even that question was enough to make him feel like he was jumping into one of Yavin’s waters without so much as checking the temperature. He was likely in for a nasty surprise.
Poe nodded, looking excited. “You know I wouldn’t turn down a chance to spend time with you, Ben. Ever.”
“Great! Maybe after I finish at the Enclave — hopefully my uncle won’t mind — ”
“Either way,” Poe said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Summary: In which Luke makes a different choice regarding Ben.
Prompt: Insomnia
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Luke almost didn’t need Ben to say that he was having sleep difficulties thanks to some unknown presence invading his head. But even getting that confirmation was enough to make his blood turn into ice. Ben — being attacked mentally in his sleep, and Luke could all but do nothing to stop it —
Or could he? He thought of the Jedi texts in the archives. Maybe there was a way to help Ben. Stop...whatever was invading his head.
“Ben,” he said, “How about we do some reading together? Just to help with your sleep problems.”
“Is there some sort of ritual I have to do?” Ben said.
Luke chuckled. “No rituals, Ben. No worries.”
***
The advantage of working in an archive was that you had quite a few resources to draw on. Even looking through the resources, Luke was amazed at, simply, how much they had. Ben stood next to him, seeming almost rigid, like a bird preparing to fly. He was expecting easy answers. Luke just didn’t know if he could find them.
Ben’s hopeful expression seemed to falter a bit. “You’re afraid.”
“For you, Ben. As I’ve always been.”
“Sorry,” Ben said.
Luke turned to look at him, smiled. “It’s normal, Ben. Of course I worry about you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing my job, would I?”
Ben shrugged. “I guess.”
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t scared for you,” Luke said. “Ah — I think we found it.”
It was a pretty hefty tome, Luke would say that. Even looking through it, Luke had to cough even as the pages wafted up dust, and he had to squint at the handwriting that seemed almost messy in nature. It didn’t help that one of the first things Luke was able to decipher was “Pazaak is love, pazaak is life”. Apparently, the writer, Atton Rand, thought that writing in the Jedi texts was some sort of joke. But once he actually stopped kriffing around, he gave some pretty useful advice. (And apparently that pazaak joke was pretty relevant, considering one of the tips in the text involved mental pazaak. Probably sabaac, now)
Luke chuckled softly even as he read over it. Apparently, he thought, Atton Rand was at least good at getting your attention.
“Well,” he said, “Looks like we found something. Your homework, Ben, should you choose to do it, is to practice Atton Rand’s techniques, and I don’t mean writing jokes in the Jedi text...as tempting as it is.”
Ben snorted. “I would never.”
Luke chuckled softly again. “I figured that.”
He clapped Ben on the shoulder, gently. “Take care of yourself,” Luke said. “Drink a lot of blue milk. Warm blue milk, I should say. Watch funny things. Keep practicing your techniques — ”
Ben wrinkled his nose, playfully. “Okay, Mom.”
Luke laughed. At bare minimum, it was good to hear Ben cracking jokes. Very Han-like jokes, actually. Ben used to feel self-conscious about not looking as suave and dashing as his father, but even if Ben more resembled a dark-haired version of Anakin (with Padme’s interesting moles, and some of her features), a lot of his mannerisms and quirks showed that he was his father’s son, through and through.
The love they shared wasn’t always easy. After all, there were times when Luke was afraid of Ben as well as for him. Afraid of what he would become if Luke wasn’t looking out for him. But Luke loved him nonetheless, stars willing.
***
“How did things go with your uncle?”
Poe was the one who greeted Ben as he walked out of the Enclave. Ben wouldn’t say that his fluttery feelings that he’d started feeling around Poe had really subsided, if he was to be perfectly honest. Was there room for someone like him in Poe’s future, even as just a casual date?
“Good,” Ben said. “I mean...” He shrugged. “I actually have tools to deal with my nightmares.”
“That’s great!” Poe’s eyes brightened even as he spoke. “Honestly, Ben, I am worried for you...”
Even that admission was enough to make Ben’s heart skip a beat. “It’s okay,” he said. “I have...confidence that I’m going to be okay.”
Poe grinned. “Good to hear.”
Ben swallowed. “Poe...if I make it to next morning, do you want to go to a holo sometime?”
Even that question was enough to make him feel like he was jumping into one of Yavin’s waters without so much as checking the temperature. He was likely in for a nasty surprise.
Poe nodded, looking excited. “You know I wouldn’t turn down a chance to spend time with you, Ben. Ever.”
“Great! Maybe after I finish at the Enclave — hopefully my uncle won’t mind — ”
“Either way,” Poe said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 07:12 pm (UTC)You convey such warmth in the interactions between the characters.
Aw, Ben has feelings for Poe. It's sad how he ends up.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 07:33 pm (UTC)Thank you so much! I’m glad I succeeded in my goal; I always want to at least make my portrayals of characters three-dimensional, and adding warmth is one of my go-to techniques. And yeah, I love Ben and Poe both, and it is sad where Ben ends up (Poe too).
no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 10:07 pm (UTC)"Don't call me that. It makes me feel like that old hawkbat Vrook! You haven't heard of Vrook, let me tell you..."
Pleeeeeeze ignore the Revan novel. Pleeezeee humanity and all that is good and kind insists that you do! It is an abomination that must not exist! Even Nihilus cries over it and Sion is paralyzed in pain that he cannot endure because of it.
I'm going to post a link of a reeally scathing review of that book, god it's hilarious.
You're welcome! You're definitely really getting good at writing.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 10:42 pm (UTC)I saw your post on it! I may have to check out the review in its entirety.
And thank you so much!
no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 11:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-15 11:41 pm (UTC)