( open. )

[apoptotic]

Who: anakin skywalker + you
Where: the station
When: days 165-166
Summary: man wakes up from bender to find all his problems still there
Warnings: violence well that took no time

I. EVERYBODY WAS KUNG-FU FIGHTING
SOMETHING SOMETHING FAST AS LIGHTNING.

[ after days spent comatose, anakin sleeps almost half a day. he might have continued sleeping but for a rather brusque awakening. not that he could blame ahsoka. were the roles reversed, he would have been waking her every hour on the hour, and likely earned himself a punch for his efforts.

that's gratitude.

rest is the obvious treatment for his sense of malaise, and anakin does try. considering a few hours later find him in the training hall, the results were about as successful as one would expect.

he was brought down during the time set aside to adjust. almost two weeks were spent aware of nothing while the others singlehandedly pissed off an entire population. he has a lot to catch up on.

his lightsaber remains clipped to his belt, which is the only reason his target(s) live still in one piece. with a sword, with a staff, with anything permitted to him, anakin takes down target after target in a demonstration that is all elegant violence and brash grace. his lungs ache, his muscles burn — but that’s the point. action does not necessitate thought. ]

II. DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A DROID, MAN
YES, IT HAS TO BE A DROID, MAN.

[ though at this point, it resembles nothing. spare parts in a pile on a table in the hangar, through which anakin sorts through for whatever he needs, stripping them out if need be. his fingers move with the ease of experience. the lack of ai is a crass limitation, but he doesn’t need an intelligent droid.

even with an audience, anakin doesn’t look up, too busy completing the first part: an arm, which he tests the articulation of by having it extend and close around his finger. ]

There’s a chair if you plan to keep watch, [ he observes idly. ]

III. THE THIRST OPTION
AKA I HAVE NO EXCUSE.

[ —or he’s seated on the edge of a pool after a swim to cool off, a glove over his mechanical arm, and focused entirely on the surface of the water. he holds his hand, palm out. a stream of water rises, collects into a ball before his hand. his fingers tremble from the exertion, and his brow furrows, and the ball collapses.

the force remains weak. his once instinctive awareness, blunted. anakin swallows thickly.

he’s still more ripped than kylo ren, though. ]

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( closed | ahsoka )

[apoptotic]

[ in the nesting decks, there is a change. by sight, nothing: a man sleeping too deeply to be called sleep, as he has been for the past eleven days. his hands remain folded above his abdomen where they had been placed. untroubled, for the first time in a long time. more than in his waking hours, more than when he sleeps.

the change is one only to be found in the mental. since he fell into his coma, anakin skywalker
dreams.

he dreams sensations. warmth. safety. a sweet feeling of peace. eyes closed but aware: of teasing fingers, light as a butterfly’s kiss, tickling the back of his hand; of a warm breath fanning against the side of his neck; of a presence in the force so luminous he goes blind with eyes shut.

past, present and future blend until discrepancy between them no longer exists. perhaps this moment had happened; perhaps it is yet to. time, in his dreams, has ever been a still pool. neither a current or a progression; a state of being that crystallizes events. ( the bitter cruelty of watching what is to be with the finality of what once was. )

the room around them has no substance. they lie on a bed without a bed existing. he sees with a lack of light. nothing is real. nothing but the figure lying beside him, brushing the backs of her fingers against his cheek, a truth in dreams as in life. her whisper comes sweetly. wake up, my love.

he fights it. turns his head. the moment is preferable. forever would be better. he catches her hand. her fingers slip out of his like water. her hands frame his face, palms hot against his skin, and her eyes, when he looks at her, glitter in the darkness.

wake up, anakin.

white light paints the inside of his eyelids dark red. anakin’s eyes slit open. when he turns his head, a tear stretches from the corner of his eye toward his ear. someone is with him. he feels her in the force; he feels the warmth from her closeness. he passes a hand over his eyes, eradicates the evidence of tears, and twists his head to find ahsoka.

he studies her face a long time. then in a voice thick with from disuse, ] You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Snips.

[snippycup]

[She has been watching him for hours, and marks the exact second he exits that coma. She had been waiting for it for so many hours that it startles her when it finally happens. And she waits. And waits. When he doesn't stir, she panicks and reaches for him in every way she knows how. A hand on his arm, a twining of the Force, and through the maze of the Nest.]

Anakin?

[He's dreaming. She can see it -- more importantly, she can feel it.

Instantly, she feels as if she is witnessing something she shouldn't be. There is the sense of eavesdropping, but after all the knowledge she had gained, she can't pull herself away from it. This is the piece she's missing, the link to children and grandchildren. She gets a sense of who it is, but her eyes never manage to open to her face, she can't place the voice in memories fabricated and not her own. She doesn't hear or see her the same way Anakin does, despite their kinship.

But her mind draws closer. She can feel his resistance to stir, watches him turn away from her. Something in her chest twists. The desire and serenity Anakin feels from the gentle hands and vibrant eyes. She nearly falls to its spell -- never had she experienced such...longing. Such sorrow.

She swallows, blinks back tears that aren't her's. Why didn't he tell her? Why was he carrying the burden alone?]

Wake up, Anakin.

[Firmer, she forces herself to pull away from his mind, lest she fall victim to his overwhelming emotion. And when he turns over to face her, wiping away tears, there is hardly any relief to be found on her face.

She is somewhat gaunt from lack of sleep, even moreso from the nightmares she had given herself by sharing minds with Kylo Ren. The only sustenance she has had in the last twenty four hours had been meager rations gathered out of habit rather than desire. She has been sick over him for days, and all he has for her is that stupid nickname.]

Who is she?

[She can't stop her voice from cracking like she had stopped the tears. It isn't jealousy -- not quite. But it's definitely a close cousin. Who was this woman who Anakin was prepared to throw his entire life away for? The woman who he felt he couldn't trust his own Padawan with?]

[apoptotic]

[ anakin frowns. genuine confusion ripples between them. he does not draw the connection between the question and his dream, not initially. if ahsoka’s appearance was surprising, the break in her voice secures his attention. ]

Ahsoka?

[ the thought of her is pride and affection and a baseline worry born the moment he accepted her as his padawan. anakin can no more let it go than he can stop the suns from setting. concern bleeds across, concern cut by surprise. he meets resistance when he tries to lift his head. scanning his surroundings, anakin recognizes where he is — where he first awoke — and he knows the cause, finding it with a clumsy hand tossed behind his neck.

he yanks the cord out without flinching. the headache that comes on is abrupt, and expected. anakin eyes the end suspiciously before tossing it away from him. he had not been back since the first day. did not like the thought of being “plugged in.” did not trust it. he would not have come back willingly.

he does not remember coming back. ]

Why am I here? [ he does not feel ill, headache aside, but something feels off. not just his lack of memory. not just ahsoka’s appearance or her behavior. he struggles to get out, to sit up. his movements feel sluggish to him, like he has not used his limbs for some time. ]

What happened?

[snippycup]

You've been in a coma.

[Swiftly, one hand swings over the side of the pod to press into his chest with strength that doesn't belong to her, but to the symbiote she is bound to. He isn't going anywhere yet. Her emotions bleed furiously through their link -- she's relieved, she's angry, she's hurt and she can't find a way to lean on one emotion more than the other.

But she knows one thing, and that's that she wants answers.]

By the time I found out, we were already planetside. I don't know how long it's been -- but it's been a long time.

[He hasn't answered her question, but she doesn't ask again. Her hand pressed against his chest turns to a fist. She thought he was really gone -- and not gone in the sense that he was dead, but worse. Present and get devoid of things that made him himself. A shell. She can't voice it, for fear that the worst hasn't yet past.

After all, Anduin was taken so abruptly...]

Don't sit up so fast.

[apoptotic]

[ surprise and her augmented strength keep him down. anakin opens his mouth, breath issuing between parted lips. he stares at ahsoka like she sprouted a second head. she wouldn't lie to him. he does not believe she is lying. but that cannot be true.

a coma? that doesn't— he would—

his adam's apple bobs when he swallows. rather than look at her, anakin focuses on a random point in the ceiling. the headache has become a piercing thing behind his eyes. before he can lose himself to irrational denials, he ventures quietly, ] Approximately how long was "a long time"?

I just noticed the cut text on this log jfc - also guess which prompt

[narcissithstic]

[It's a numbness. An aching strain that he knows (in spite of what his senses try to tell him) isn't his own. Artificial, shared like the taste of food he's never eaten or the scent of rich perfume from planets he's only learned of in passing. Where Anakin has been asleep— lost in dreams or perhaps the vast nothingness that lies beyond even the Force itself— Ren has been working tirelessly against the tide to strengthen his mastery of the creature he plays host to. If unearthing a collapsed starship is a sign of anything, so far, it's worked.

And there before him, success: water coalesces beneath Anakin's fingers— and then suddenly, like a padawan losing their sense of focus, it's gone. Drops back into the pool and leaves only a faint rippling tide in its wake.

It shouldn't make him proud. In truth, part of his mirth is dulled as a running parallel to the man Kylo Ren watches from a distance, but the rest of him feels...validated. Made more valuable by Anakin Skywalker's failing in that brief moment than all that he'd accomplished in the last few weeks. Cathaway challenged him to defend his usefulness, a wound that left him aching, fearful. If the greatest Sith Lord the galaxy has ever known struggles now to play as a child might, it's an advantage he desperately needs.

Still, there is a bond between them. Perhaps...] It's easier if you do not fight it.

[Like a stray animal, Ren stands staring at Anakin's back, perfectly still and guarded no more than a few feet off. And like a stray animal, it seems Kylo Ren doesn't know when to stay away in spite of being unwanted.]

u brought it on urself

[apoptotic]

[ it was too much to hope that none would have seen. as was hoping that ren might have been the one killed. anakin's lip curls. he has not forgotten the bruise stark around his padawan's neck. nor has he forgotten the promise made. the screech of lightsabers no longer dismays him.

though, in that moment, it is hard to tell which offends him more: ren's very presence or that he would dare offer suggestions. as if anakin needed any assistance. he needs counseling.

too angry to ignore him, anakin is, however, petty enough not to turn. ren is no better than to him than an insect, and anakin intends to treat him as such. his voice is surprisingly level: an indication of danger. ] Is that what you told Ahsoka?

brings so much on

[narcissithstic]

You are upset.

[thank you, Darth Obvious

He says it to note the razor's edge in Anakin's voice. A coldness so sharp it could cut, should he press hard enough to meet it.] I was... [a beat, careful:] perhaps too aggressive when I rose to meet her challenge.

[From all he's seen, for all he's felt, he knows what Skywalker's padawan means to him. Not to mention Ahsoka had been thorough in her warning.

And yet—] We've since come to terms.

[apoptotic]

[ perhaps. after he choked her. anakin's smile is a cruel line. ]

What would those terms be? [ ahsoka had not told him that part. makes sense that she wouldn't after he expressly warned her to keep her distance.

guess who's grounded in 2016. ]

II. ILDE OPTION

[erbier]

[ She does take the chair, crossing her legs to a feminine position. She folds her hands neatly in her lap, watching. She comes from a world with none of this technology. She finds it somewhat interesting, but mostly infuriating. It is an exercise of patience and will to force herself to study it, observe it. Angel had gifted her quiet a large dump of information, and now it was just a matter of slowly making sense of it all through experience.

She does not interrupt him immediately. Satisfied to observe, to let him work. ]

[apoptotic]

[ as she is satisfied with watching, he is satisfied forgetting her presence.

as long as he has memory, anakin worked with his hands. always good at it. as a child on tatooine, handling mostly the used, the rebuilt and the scrap; to coruscant, a padawan in the temple, surrounded by top of the line technology. he gained the same reputation by which he and his mother had been bought: he can repair anything.

build, too, as he is, making something out of nothing. the lack of two organic hands does not impede him. the feedback he receives in his prosthesis is more useful than nervous impulses. for one thing, he lacks all sensation of pain. for another, it is stronger, more resistant to shocks. every finger innervates as naturally as those with which he was born.

it is the closest he gets to peace, improving upon an apparatus. the closest he comes to the serenity preached by the jedi. meditation is a frustrating endeavor on a good day. but give him something to do and his mind quiets. a picture of what he wants; what he needs to get there; every step he must take mapped out before he takes the first one. and then he follows the schematic. ]

[erbier]

[ She would understand that. She felt the same about her garden, at peace when she had something purposeful in front of her. Performing her tasks created a protective bubble all around her which let her forget the world outside. She notices, at least, the calmness of his presence, the most peaceful she has seen him, when he's been awake. How interesting.

She waits for a natural pause in his work, a moment to stretch or contemplate, before she speaks up, ]

It is good to see you.

[apoptotic]

Awake or in general? [ a jape, though one spoken so drily it is easy to miss.

he quirks an eyebrow at her, more an indication of attention, then lowers his eyes again to the task at hand. ]

I.

[decommission]

Hope you don't mind an audience.

[ Steve's just off his training routine - if you can call it a routine yet. The trip to Avera kind of interrupted what he'd started earlier.

He watches from the side, follows Anakin's movements, but every so often his gaze flickers to the weapon his broodmate isn't using. There's a wary prickle at the sight of it, the same weapon he'd seen Kylo Ren use to cut down those men. ]

[apoptotic]

I'm used to one. [ spoken without ego. constant scrutiny was a marker of life in the temple.

exhaling through his mouth, anakin steps away from his latest victim. the surface bears the marks of blows where he failed to measure his enhanced strength. it takes some getting used to, tapping into heights previously only accessed through the force.

the staff in his hands turns in a tight arc, passes to the other to repeat the gesture, more play than training. his prosthesis does not need the exercise; it barely needs look-over after significant use. yet he goes through the motions with his right as he does with the left. ]

[decommission]

[ As he watches Steve leans a shoulder against a nearby dummy, arms crossed over his chest. He remains quiet, not wanting to distract at first. The metal arm holds his attention again. Even having seen it once before, he's amazed at how easy it moves.

Some time passes before he speaks again. ]

Looks like you're feeling better. [ Faint relief there. One other person still hasn't woken up yet, and likely won't, given what the Prince had explained.

(he doesn't ever plan on resting in one of those pods) ]

[apoptotic]

I'm awake. [ mildly spoken. allowing the staff to rest at his side, anakin regards steve with trace humor. if he cannot laugh at his luck, he will go crazy(ier.) on one point, they are agreed: anakin had no desire to sleep in a pod before, less so after.

steve's curiosity is easy to pick up on even without their bond. anakin's wrist flexes in response to the scrutiny. not ashamed. not accustomed, either. ]

Used one of these before? [ he holds out the staff: an offer. ]

II

[whowhatnow]

Is there? Whoops, didn't even notice.

[He says with a click of his tongue, like a part of him is disappointed that his spying has been found out. He steps out from his spot, folding his arms - he's been here for a while, and honestly, he was a bit concerned about showing his face around this guy. It didn't go very well the last time, but it seems like he's less of a nuisance now. Probably.]

[He gestures to the arm, obviously interested judging by the curious look on his face.]

What's that you're making? A robot?

[apoptotic]

It's called a droid. [ aka yes. it's a robot.

anakin has not yet raised his head. a small jerk to his finger, it pulls free. frowning, he picks up the droid in order to tighten the arm's grip. ]

[whowhatnow]

A droid? Ooh, fancy.

[He tilts his head, watching him work. Honestly, he doesn't know half as much as he should about things like this. He knows they exist. They're pretty cool. But the work that goes into them? He doesn't really have a clue about it.]

What kind of droid are you making?

[apoptotic]

You're very fond of speaking.

[ doubling down on awkward first impressions. ]

II

[circumspector]

[ She sees him working, and Prince said to focus, it would help her move on past the hurt, so she takes note of it -- for later. Anything robotic takes her eye easily, something from home she misses. In that moment, she needs to do a great deal to get even remotely up to par for what expects of herself ( what other sirens are ), and promises herself not to get distracted.

But later on, when she's exhausted herself and out of anything else to do, she backtracks to see if he's still working, curious as to what it might be. Takes with her an assortment of broken parts from her since exploded datapad. Bundled up in her hands carefully and carefully she approaches him. Skittish, mostly because she always is now. But she won't get better at handling other people unless she forces herself. ]

Hi, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I saw you were working and I thought... you might be able to use these.

[ She offers them up then, the small bits and pieces she hadn't used herself. Might be useful, might not be, but she'd never known the robotics obsessed to not hoard parts. Granted they were all usually crazy but when did that ever mean anything really? ]

[apoptotic]

[ it is hard to sneak up on a jedi. harder for ones privy to the other's thoughts. anakin, however, makes a convincing show of being unaware until it becomes obvious she deliberately sought him out.

she's young; anakin does not think her older than he is. and odd. he notes her uncertainty, which compels him to be a little kinder than he might otherwise be. ]

Where did you get them? [ he holds out his hand, letting her drop them into his palm. the glove sits over his arm again. it muffles what sound of metal clicking against metal there may have been. ]

[circumspector]

[ She steps up to drop the pieces into his palm, careful to make sure they don't fall and get lost on the floor. The dim shine as they caught the light of the hangar.

That and it helps not meeting his eyes, feeling the warmth prickle up her neck as she clears her throat in the effort of picking her words. It's embarrassing really, the ridiculous upshoot of everything going to hell so quickly. It's not a loss of control she wants to admit to. ]

They're from my datapad. [ Once she's let go of the pieces, they settle back to her side, fiddling with her own skittishness. ] I sort of... exploded it? [ Then more hurriedly: ] By accident. [ cause that somehow made it better. ]

[apoptotic]

You exploded your data pad, [ he repeats. that's…

…amazing, actually. how exactly does one explode a data pad accidentally? there's a story here more interesting than the surviving pieces. but anakin closes his fingers around them. whether in the droid or elsewhere, he will give them new, hopefully longer-lasting life. ]