For genprompt_bingo
Apr. 21st, 2021 05:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Sticks and Stones
Summary: Poe has a brief misunderstanding with Ben.
Prompt: Internet/Social Media
It was supposed to be a normal day, getting reacclimated to Tumblr and everything of that sort. The year of our Lord 2017, a year after Poe had reconciled with his father and admitted that he had been being an insufferable idiot. That Kes Dameron had messed up in places raising his son, but he had fundamentally meant well. Normalcy restored.
And now...
Looking through the Darkpilot tag, Poe wasn’t quite expecting some of the vitriol that had leaked over there. Not really. After all, no one had had this sort of vitriolic reaction to hero/villain ships in the past (and John Doe was a hero, there was no doubt about it, despite his limited screentime), not in the 2000s, at least.
Things really did change. Not always for the better. Of course, it hadn’t helped that John and Jacen, the two characters that Poe was shipping, had done some pretty shitty things to each other over the course of the TV show Lost Stars.
What stung the most was seeing one Tumblr post.
Poe stared at his phone screen for a while, feeling like his brain had just crashed. He thought back to those error reports that he would get on his parents’ old computer sometimes. The “Not Responding" bit in a program. The error message that said that a program had suffered a critical error and needed to close, we apologize for the inconvenience, stuff like that. Yadda yadda.
It was a good approximation of what Poe's brain looked like and felt like right now, at least.
***
Poe and Ben (also known as KyloRen) had been friends since high school. Ben had been that awkward kid that Poe couldn’t help but protect, and in turn, Ben protected him. Like some overeager puppy dog. Poe lay back in his chair; he supposed that he should have seen the complete strangers' takes on Darkpilot coming, but Ben...
Poe had defended the Kira/Jacen shippers. It wasn’t their fault, he thought, that they shipped a certain hero/villain ship that definitely had its controversial moments as well. Things like when Kira was captured, for example. He’d defended them, even writing a post on his Tumblr, BlackLeader, about ships he didn’t ship, Kira/Jacen being among them. It had been an idea he’d gotten back in his Harry Potter days, when someone had talked about saying good things about ships that weren’t usually someone’s cuppa.
And this was the thanks Poe got?
In that moment, Poe was torn between throwing his phone across the room and wondering if Ben’s account just got hacked. Ben...wouldn’t just do that.
***
***
The truth was, Poe had mostly gotten attuned to the idea he loved Ben Solo when the both of them were on their senior year of high school. When Poe got a flutter in his chest when Ben laughed at his cheesy jokes, when Poe was observing how pretty Ben was getting — and in their college years, when they’d escaped everything by going to Lost Stars roleplaying groups and conventions. He’d been in love with Ben, though he’d been too foolish to do anything about it then.
The doorbell rang. Poe’s dog, BB, started barking. Poe got up, looked out the window, and saw Ben.
Carrying flowers, at that. Poe supposed Ben thought it was the best he could do in the end.
He opened the door, barely catching BB as the Yorkiepoo leapt on Ben. Ben petted him, while also adjusting the flowers — red roses — in his other hand.
“Ben, they’re beautiful,” Poe said.
“I thought I’d have to apologize,” Ben said. “I mean, the post was old, but I shouldn’t have accused John/Jacen shippers of being antis. Especially not you.”
“Ben, I get it,” Poe said.
“No, I hurt you and...I didn’t want you to think that I was lying about you being my friend. The man I love. You’re both these things.”
Poe smiled. “I know, Ben. I know.”
They put the flowers down just then, and Poe kissed him, and it felt, in that moment, like everything was going right for the first time since Poe had seen that post.
Summary: Poe has a brief misunderstanding with Ben.
Prompt: Internet/Social Media
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Well, I guess in terms of getting my worries about antis out, it’s now or never.
It was supposed to be a normal day, getting reacclimated to Tumblr and everything of that sort. The year of our Lord 2017, a year after Poe had reconciled with his father and admitted that he had been being an insufferable idiot. That Kes Dameron had messed up in places raising his son, but he had fundamentally meant well. Normalcy restored.
And now...
Looking through the Darkpilot tag, Poe wasn’t quite expecting some of the vitriol that had leaked over there. Not really. After all, no one had had this sort of vitriolic reaction to hero/villain ships in the past (and John Doe was a hero, there was no doubt about it, despite his limited screentime), not in the 2000s, at least.
Things really did change. Not always for the better. Of course, it hadn’t helped that John and Jacen, the two characters that Poe was shipping, had done some pretty shitty things to each other over the course of the TV show Lost Stars.
What stung the most was seeing one Tumblr post.
KyloRen:
Antis going on about how Kira and Jacen is abusive, but seeing John and Jacen as a guilty pleasure? The level of hypocrisy in fandom never fails to amaze me.
Poe stared at his phone screen for a while, feeling like his brain had just crashed. He thought back to those error reports that he would get on his parents’ old computer sometimes. The “Not Responding" bit in a program. The error message that said that a program had suffered a critical error and needed to close, we apologize for the inconvenience, stuff like that. Yadda yadda.
It was a good approximation of what Poe's brain looked like and felt like right now, at least.
***
Poe and Ben (also known as KyloRen) had been friends since high school. Ben had been that awkward kid that Poe couldn’t help but protect, and in turn, Ben protected him. Like some overeager puppy dog. Poe lay back in his chair; he supposed that he should have seen the complete strangers' takes on Darkpilot coming, but Ben...
Poe had defended the Kira/Jacen shippers. It wasn’t their fault, he thought, that they shipped a certain hero/villain ship that definitely had its controversial moments as well. Things like when Kira was captured, for example. He’d defended them, even writing a post on his Tumblr, BlackLeader, about ships he didn’t ship, Kira/Jacen being among them. It had been an idea he’d gotten back in his Harry Potter days, when someone had talked about saying good things about ships that weren’t usually someone’s cuppa.
And this was the thanks Poe got?
In that moment, Poe was torn between throwing his phone across the room and wondering if Ben’s account just got hacked. Ben...wouldn’t just do that.
***
From BlackLeader:
Ben, seriously, what the fuck? I stick up for you, for all Kira/Jacen shippers, on my Tumblr, and you accuse me of being an anti for shipping John and Jacen? What is your problem?
From KyloRen:
I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know if it’s any comfort, but it was made before seeing your post on defending Kiracen.
It was an old post. Tumblr’s not good at showing dates. I’m sorry, Poe. I never wanted to hurt someone I love.
From BlackLeader:
I did some sleuthing and you’re right. And wait, you love me?
***
The truth was, Poe had mostly gotten attuned to the idea he loved Ben Solo when the both of them were on their senior year of high school. When Poe got a flutter in his chest when Ben laughed at his cheesy jokes, when Poe was observing how pretty Ben was getting — and in their college years, when they’d escaped everything by going to Lost Stars roleplaying groups and conventions. He’d been in love with Ben, though he’d been too foolish to do anything about it then.
The doorbell rang. Poe’s dog, BB, started barking. Poe got up, looked out the window, and saw Ben.
Carrying flowers, at that. Poe supposed Ben thought it was the best he could do in the end.
He opened the door, barely catching BB as the Yorkiepoo leapt on Ben. Ben petted him, while also adjusting the flowers — red roses — in his other hand.
“Ben, they’re beautiful,” Poe said.
“I thought I’d have to apologize,” Ben said. “I mean, the post was old, but I shouldn’t have accused John/Jacen shippers of being antis. Especially not you.”
“Ben, I get it,” Poe said.
“No, I hurt you and...I didn’t want you to think that I was lying about you being my friend. The man I love. You’re both these things.”
Poe smiled. “I know, Ben. I know.”
They put the flowers down just then, and Poe kissed him, and it felt, in that moment, like everything was going right for the first time since Poe had seen that post.
