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WHO: Kylo Ren and YOU
WHAT: Day to day life; includes some training in the gallows, exploring Kirkwall and such
WHEN: Throughout the remainder of April/Cloudreach 9:44
WHERE: Gallows, Kirkwall, etc
NOTES: Nothing of note but I'll update if that changes

Gallows

With his lightsaber in hand, Kylo can be found training rigorously in various forms. He's careful to practice at a distance from anyone else, should they get too close. Starting his training, feet planted firmly and hand holding his weapon out as if to point it at an unseen target, he swings and swirls the lightsaber in his hands in fluid motions. Each time he avoids hitting the dummy directly, occasionally stopping his blade on either side of the target. The last thing he wanted to do every time he trained was to break a training dummy.

He focuses on more than just his blade work, however, practicing his breathing, the bend of his knees as he strikes, and keeping his body a firm immovable object against his opponent. Eventually he takes a break, brushing his messy shock of black hair from his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, the glowing red light withdrawn into the hilt once more.

During his point of resting, he stretches his arms, reaching down to his toes or crossing them one over the other to loosen each muscle. The rigors of training gave him something to channel his energy into, finding focus in his thoughts through the effort he expends with his blade.

Kirkwall

Having washed the sweat and grime from training away, Kylo can be found exploring the markets and other points of interest within Kirkwall. Lowtown was bustling with life as he browsed the Market District, winding streets drawing his attention now and again as he went from shop to shop. It was far from home, but it was starting to feel as such once the routine had set in.

Stopping at a food stall, Kylo turns over a piece of fruit with a careful gaze as he examines it for any flaws. Eventually he would make his way towards the the next shop, stopping to see the wares that Lowtown had to offer.

Wildcard

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"No, but... maybe there?" It was a frivolous thought, when it came. He'd walked by the merchant before. They sold sea glass fragments and other useless trinkets. Nothing Rey would probably be interested in, and yet he wanted this one thing.

He holds her hand, steady in his, and leads the two of them to the little stall, the merchant immediately stepping aside to let them look once he's nodded to them. He saw it almost immediately - a simple bracelet made of sea glass and a strip of leather. The color reminded him of the ocean and he hoped it would remind her of her dreams of the island that had given her such peace. Reaching for it, passing money to the merchant before he does, he holds it up to her to indicate wanting to put it on her wrist.

"I thought since you gave me this... that you might like the gesture." He places his hand to the necklace she'd given him as he speaks, giving her a look of complete sincerity that might have looked a bit too serious and disarming to someone not used to him. He wanted to make her happy, even if it was with something as simple as this.

Edited 2018-04-23 05:02 (UTC)

Rey follows along as he leads them to the stall, curious what had caught his eye. She sometimes stops and looks at things that jewelers sell, as well as trinkets like these, but she almost never buys anything. Aside from the pendant she now wears around her neck and the leather wristband she's worn for years, she's never worn much jewelry. It's not that she doesn't find beauty in such things, just she can't quite justify it.

When he purchases the bracelet and then holds it up she's not quite sure how to react.

"Ben... you didn't need to buy me a gift." She's so used to her practical lifestyle that the concept of people giving her things because they like her is still weird to her, even if she's gotten comfortable with getting things for others.

Still, she holds her hand out for him, a slight smile touching her lips.

"Before... all of this - gifts weren't exactly top of my list. People weren't. But when I think of you I just want to be different. Or try. I feel like I forgot what it felt like to feel connected to someone." And then the Force had ripped that all out from under the both of them. This place only made it more obvious how misplaced some of his views had been. He had lived for Snoke for so long that he forgot who Ben Solo was. He hadn't wanted to remember.

"My-" He falls quiet, feeling as if the words are stuck in his throat like a rock, forcing himself to continue, "My father used to do little things like this. Bring me or my mother things when he'd go away for a while. You made me remember that." It had been a poor substitute, but in those early years he remembered being happy, remembered clinging onto every bit of affection, every toy or game, his father would give him. He'd wanted so badly to be like him. Somehow it had all gotten muddled up in other feelings.

"And this- it looks like it came from the sea and I remembered that feeling you had when you would see the island in your head and I wanted to give you a little piece of that. Even if I don't always give you that same feeling." His fingers wrap around her arm as he secures the bracelet, thumb rubbing circles in her skin once it's there. Gifts were a poor substitute for people but he wanted her to think of him whenever she looked at this.

This is the first time she's really heard him talk of Han since she'd angrily asked him why he'd hated him. They'd had a few brief conversations touching on parents, and more than a few about Snoke, but the subject of Han... It makes her heart ache for Ben and fills her with rage in the same heartbeat. It's something she'll struggle with, that he could kill his own father. Even though her parents had left her, sold her, she didn't think she could do such a thing.

Her fingers trace over the sea glass piece of the bracelet as he speaks of the island in her head. The island that she knows now was Ahch-To. She had been dreaming of that place for as long as she could remember, had thought it some beautiful land once, that she had surely come from and that her parents would one day take her back to.

Exhaling, her emotions a whirl of melancholy that he likely hadn't been trying to evoke, her fingers continue down her arm to take his, gently pulling her arm away from them and taking hold of his hand.

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

Edited 2018-04-23 22:55 (UTC)

He can feel the dissonance in her emotions swirling between anger and then melancholy. He knows it isn't entirely directed at him when she takes his hand and he nods in understanding. What he's done can't be undone and he won't deny her anger for it. He couldn't change the past but he could keep taking steps toward the future he wanted.

"You're welcome." He squeezes her hand lightly, looking upon her with reverence once his gaze lifts from the bracelet she now wears. His own melancholy beat like a steady pulse between them. He can't change what he's done in the past but he could make this flourish between them in whatever way he knows how.

He can't make up for any of his misdeeds but he can bask in her presence, like the selfish and greedy creature he is - full of desire for her and for it to be returned. Something as small as this made him feel as if he'd taken a step closer to her and the thought both exhilarated him and terrified him.

"We should move on... if you want to." He planned to follow her wherever she wanted to go. They could stop back and look at those pieces of scrap and junk again or eat or just walk together, taking in the sights.

She nods her head, giving him a soft smile as she pulls away, keeping his hand as she turns, starting down towards the docks.

"Let's go walk somewhere a little less crowded." They might stand out less, be able to talk a little more freely. She can feel her mood affecting his and feels a little guilty for that, because most of it isn't his fault. She does appreciate the bracelet, but talking of the island had brought up a lot of feelings that had followed her from there.

He follows even without her hand to lead him. His thumb brushes over the back of her hand every so often as they walk together and he takes in the sights, the smell of the water wafting up as they near the docks.

Most importantly, he watches her. Her hand was dwarfed by his yet her hold on him was no less strong. He can feel the guilt through their connection and he wants to soothe it, to reassure her that he is well aware of his mistakes and accepts them. Just as he needed to come to accept that when they leave this place - if they do - they'll be on opposite sides again.

He won't dwell on it. She's here now and hadn't left long before he got here too. He could feel himself wanting to stay, wanting to forget the life he'd built back home and his mistakes along with it.

"If I'd known the island wasn't a happy place for you, I would have thought better about the bracelet. The last time I saw it, I only knew it was somewhere you wanted to be besides Jakku." He remarks, though it's without any real regret in his tone. He only goes by what glimpses of her thoughts and feelings he has through the Force.

"It's not that the island wasn't a happy place. It used to be. In some ways, it still is." It's difficult to explain, she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as they walk, looking down at the bracelet on her wrist.

"It was where Luke was. Where I was, every time we connected through the Force." Except for the last time, anyway. She looks up at him, squeezing his hand gently. "I do like this bracelet. It'll remind me of you." Something broken and worn down, but still beautiful.

"The Force was pulling you towards him before you knew he was even there." Or perhaps not. Perhaps it was something about that place. He remembered, when he'd been young and unsure of his destiny, Luke's desire to find artifacts as he and the rest of the students had learned from him. The search had often taken them to far off places, places he hadn't seen in some time. Perhaps this had been one of them. Yet it still didn't explain why she saw that place.

"So now we've both given each other something to tie us together." His necklace hadn't left his throat since she'd given it to him. He'd probably never take it off, an unspoken affirmation of his devotion to her.

She doesn't say anything in response to his observation that the Force had been pulling her towards Luke, because she doesn't know if that's correct. Maybe, but if the Force had wanted her to encounter the old Jedi, it was likely so that she could see plainly that things needed to change. That the Jedi that he had tried to revive could never be revived the way he wanted them to be.

Smiling a little she turns as they walk, taking his other hand and walking backwards. She trusts him and the Force to keep her from tripping over anything or running into anyone.

"We were already tied together."

He keeps a careful watch on her steps and on their surroundings. If she so much as stumbles he would catch her in a heartbeat. Still, having her face him is captivating. Her smile is like sunlight and the confidence she has that he won't let her fall warms him inside and out.

Playfully, he tugs her towards him, catching her by the waist as he dips his chin, his nose brushing just above her brow and his lips brushing over her temple. He smiles too, though his smiles are never quite as instant and forthcoming as hers. He always smiled with a hesitance, as if he was still unsure if he remembered how or was even allowed to show such emotion.

"Maybe I like the idea being able to make others guess where you got such a gift, why we both have the same necklaces." He won't say specifics but he knows the pilot is here in the city as well. He wouldn't hesitate to admit he got a smug satisfaction from the idea that the pilot might question, that others who knew her might question. It was like a secret they shared, just as their bond had been, and he felt prideful in keeping it just between them. To have little stolen moments like this to savor between the two of them made him feel greedy and wanting.

She lets out a little yelp as he pulls her towards him, surprise rather than alarm, her hands moving to brace herself against his chest as he brushes his lips against her temple. Leaning into him she smiles a little wider at his words, that smug satisfaction hanging in the air around him. It's strange, but she kind of enjoyed this too, that they were somehow together but the only two really aware of it. But she knows she this isn't all she wants, stolen moments together. There's no reason for it, really.

"Oh, are we not telling people we're... whatever we are?" The terminology is something she isn't sure of. Dating almost seems too casual, but lovers is too much. She shifts, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into him, turning her head so her cheek is pressed against his breastbone.

He actually falters for the barest moment, thinking that she might actually want to tell people about him. He wasn't exactly someone to be proud of, he thinks. While none of his crimes were reflected here in Thedas he hadn't forgotten them.

"If- if that's something you want to do, I won't object." He had no one to tell. Being with her made him happy and would definitely continue to do so but would Obi-Wan condemn her as Luke had? He didn't want to picture it. The thought made him nervous. Her arms around him leave his thoughts steady and he pushes back the worry, resting his chin atop her head while his arms go around her as well.

She is a little nervous about what Obi-Wan will think, but she also trusts that Obi-Wan will react better than Luke may have. He already knew of the bond between them, and he hadn't immediately put her out on the street.

"I'm not saying we go around making out in the halls of the Gallows," Rey says slowly, although the thought of it does make her smile a little. "But I don't want to hide. I'm not ashamed of this." She tilts her head back, looking up at him. "I'm not ashamed for people to know that I care for you."

Her words were enough to ease his own worries. If she wasn't ashamed then what reason did he have to be? He follows her movements, as she looks up at him he leans in to her. His nose brushes up against hers though his lips don't meet. He liked being close to her, liked being able to see clearly in her mind the exact moment when her heart might jump or the flicker of a thought passing through that made her smile.

"You're right. I'm not ashamed either." He presses a kiss to her forehead and retreats again to look down at her. From someone on the outside they were just like every other lovesick couple. There was no shame in that.

"You're really sure he's not going to try and turn me into bantha fodder, though?" He his brows raise, definitely skeptical.

She's a little disappointed when he retreats without kissing her, but the close proximity is just as intimate, the kiss to her forehead making her eyelashes flutter. It makes her happy to hear him say he's not ashamed of this, of them. Part of her had wondered, if maybe that part of him still clinging to the dark was rejecting her.

He doesn't even need to specify who he means by 'he' and she can't help the smirk that touches her lips as she slides her hands up his back, fingers cupping his broad shoulderblades through his shirt.

"I'm a big girl, Obi-Wan lets me make my own choices." Maybe she does care a little if he doesn't approve, but she would do her best to convince him that the two of them together are stronger than they are as individuals.

"I'm glad you chose me then." This time is somewhat unspoken. He still wondered why she hadn't killed him. He still believed one day it would be a choice she came to regret, but that felt like a time and a place that were far away. This was more than he deserved - she was more than he deserved.

Giving in, he presses his lips to hers, his hands on her hips holding her against him. Thinking about kissing her and doing so were two separate things. His thoughts definitely still wandered regardless, remembering their fumbled kisses in the dark of his room, how blistering hot he'd felt pressing her against him with his hands on her hips as they are now.

She regrets the way things went in Snoke's throne room, but she doesn't regret the choices she made then. Whatever their fate, she knows it's entwined for good or ill. She can hope for the best, especially right now.

When he kisses her she arches up on her toes to press back into him, letting out a quiet hum in the back of her throat. It's strange how oddly light simple gestures like this make her feel, warm even when the cool breeze off the ocean is blowing in. She doesn't hold that position long, her heels dropping back to the cobblestones, but she keeps her mouth close to his, her head angled up.

"Where do you want to go next?"

Any bad thoughts he'd had seem to be chased away just by the way she makes his stomach do flip flops when she kisses him back. The cool breeze was nothing compared to the warmth that spread from his lips all the way down to his his toes. When she drops back down to her feet he chases her again, kissing her once more before she speaks.

"Maybe we could get some food before we go back? Unless you have shopping to do." He could quite literally go anywhere with her and somehow find wonder in it because she was with him. He also couldn't mask his thoughts, that he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the day with her. If she had work to be done he wouldn't bother her, but the image in his mind slips back to this morning when he'd woken up with her curled up in his arms. He could do with more of that and more of her kissing him.

That he chases her back down as she tries to pull away is somehow both endearing to her and evocative of their relationship. One of them always chasing down the other. She bites back the smile on her face, shaking her head at his question, even as thoughts of that morning cross her mind. She's not sure if they're hers or his, but it doesn't matter, because they make her feel cared for.

"I never say no to food. But I have everything I need back at the Gallows, this trip was more just for fun."

There's a slight pang of guilt at her comment about the food. He's glad, not for the first time, that she can have about as much as she needs to eat here. She deserved it as much as she deserved a family that wanted her. He might not be able to be that, but seeing her smile was enough.

"Well I'm glad we could go together and I was able to give you back some of what you've given me." It wasn't anything extravagant, but he'd thought of her. That was enough, wasn't it? His fingers trace the shape of her cheek, as he felt he'd done a thousand times by now. He didn't smile but the look in his eyes was no less tender.

She's getting used to the feeling of his fingers on her face, even if it's still new. They'd spent a lot of their time since deciding to bridge this gap between them with little touches. Reaching up with her hand she captures his, leaning up for one last kiss before pulling away from him.

"I know a place that does fried fish and chips. Come on."

He wanted to lean in again, to chase her lips that retreated again, but the promise of more kept him steady. He sucks in a breath, trying to center his thoughts. Food. Right. Food was what he'd suggested.

"Sounds delicious." His words might seem on target but his thoughts were filled with how small she was even if she stood only half a foot shorter than him. Her hands were easily engulfed by his, her mouth fit to his as if it belonged there - two halves of a whole. He should be thinking of food but his thoughts were filled with her. They had none of the carnal desire he'd felt moments ago but something more warm and calming like a summer breeze. It was a feeling he couldn't even admit to himself, let alone say to her.

She leads him in the direction of the food cart, her hand tight in his. It's obvious it's a place she's visited with some frequency, because she knows exactly where they'll be this time of the day. A smile touches her face as she feels the warmth and calm coming from him, a balance in the Force between them.

A few turns down streets close to the docks and the cart comes into view, stopped and without customers for the moment. Rey exchanges pleasantries with the middle-aged woman behind the cart as she hands over coins in exchange for two good sized pieces of fried fish with chips wrapped in parchment. She smiles as she turns and hands Ben his, before starting in the direction of the dock that the Inquisition uses for the Ferry that brings people to and from the Gallows. Obviously this is a ritual for her, and walking and eating has become a habit.

"The woman back there's husband is a fisherman. Her fish is always fresh, caught this morning. It's the best place in town for this."

The food smelled amazing and he was glad Rey had lead the two of them here. He hadn't bothered to find little things like this, to make himself at home the way she has in so many small ways. When the two of them stop in front of the cart he listened, watching Rey's exchange with the woman. He gives the woman a nod as the two of them head towards the dock with their food.

"I'm guessing it's somewhere you come to eat a lot?" He takes a careful bite of his food as the two of them walk together, making note of their surroundings. The food was delicious, a salty sweet aroma filling his senses as he lets himself indulge. It was definitely better than food rations in the vastness of space.

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