[ And he is. About an hour later, Kylo's black car pulls up outside. A few minutes after that, he's ringing Padmé's doorbell with a package in his arms. ]
[ Padmé has spent that hour finishing up her work so she can devote her full attention to Kylo during their time together. By the time he arrives, she's tidied up her desk and changed into jeans, boots, and a sweater; just in case they actually get into the dirt, she'd rather leave anything easily ruined behind. ]
Kylo, come in. [ She opens the door with a bright smile, automatically greeting him and stepping aside with a curious look at the package. ] What do you have there?
[ Between the car and Padmé's door, Kylo thinks and rethinks his gift a good dozen times- but his disquiet evaporates in the moment she welcomes him inside. And he is welcome. There's no doubt. ]
Something from the farm.
[ He unwraps the insulating layers and presents her with it: a bottle of very much the right colour milk. ]
I thought you might appreciate something familiar.
[ Of course he's welcome. He's her family, she cares for him dearly, and that's all that matters to her.
When he says he has something from the farm, she does not for one instant suspect that it might be blue milk. The sight is absolutely familiar, and for a moment all she can do is stare at it with a dropped jaw. But then she's grinning broadly and reaching out to take the bottle from him. ]
[ It's exactly the reaction he'd hoped for. His smile is sly, his delight at her surprise entirely clear. He watches her like she's the one giving him a gift. ]
[ No, he can't help it. He laughs, his face breaking into a completely ridiculous grin that he will absolutely refuse to admit he's capable of later, because what he's telling her is absurd. It's utterly absurd. But it's true, and part of him has been wanting to yell it since he first opened his eyes and saw the giant, hulking creature he'd made.
[ There's a bantha here, on this planet? It's so absurd that it's funny, and his grin just pulls a delighted laugh out of her. ]
I can't believe it. That's incredible. Has something like this happened before?
[ She doesn't doubt him, not in the slightest; the bottle in her hands is most certainly bantha milk. Whether this is a usual occurrence in this land of oddities is of particular interest to her though. ]
[ It is incredible. Kylo's no stranger to power- he's capable of immensely terrifying things well beyond the limits of regular human beings. But creating life? No. There is nothing in him that can make things better.
Or so he thought.
He nods, his lips still pulled into a strangely warm, unpracticed curve. ]
It's a power my friend shared with me. We... [ he pauses, a rush of fierce, powerful joy rising. He'd like Padmé to meet Ronan. ] We dream together.
[ This is the first time she's seen Kylo so happy. It's amazing and completely heartwarming to see that smile on his face, and she sincerely hopes to see it again in the future. ]
The things that can happen here are strange, but also awe-inspiring. [ She muses on the matter for a moment with a small shake of her head, her own smile still firmly in place. ] Thank you for sharing it with me, Kylo.
[ He wants to thank her, for being someone he can tell- it's a strange thing to hold a secret with such potential for warmth rather than destruction. There have been times the sheer joy of what he's discovered with Ronan feels as impossible to contain as the fury of his pain, ready to burst through his skin if he dares dwell on it.
But he hasn't the right words, so he simply watches the delight on her face. He did that. This is his work. ]
[ He doesn't have to say anything for her to feel that something is different. The change isn't superficial, something to be brushed off when the moment passes, but a deeper state of being. She might not understand the reasons for it, but she will enjoy each and every moment of it and strive for him to do the same. ]
More than ready. Let me put this away. [ Heading to the kitchen, she carefully stores the bottle to enjoy later, then returns to the main living space. A coat from the closet, keys from a bowl by the door, and she's back to smiling at her grandson who is so very tall and handsome. ]
[ He spins the car keys idly in his hand as she gets her things together- it's a tic that matches one of his father's, though he isn't consciously aware of it. He'd be far more likely to link it to the smoothly fluid lightsaber flourishes he finds himself describing though the air in the the space between taunt and attack, if asked.
But the keys belong to the car that his father gave him, an object that belongs firmly here, in this world. He opens the door for her, stalks around to the other side in long, purposeful strides and folds himself behind the wheel, lips tugging into a curl as he starts the engine and peels them away from the curb.
It's not piloting, but it doesn't have to be. ]
You said you'd worked a garden, as a child?
Edited (i accidentally a whole word) 2019-01-29 01:52 (UTC)
[ Cars weren't a completely foreign concept to Padmé, similar vehicles existing across her own galaxy, but they aren't quite the same. Things here feel just different enough to be special to Earth, and she's glad to see Kylo embracing this world as she has been.
With her hands folded in her lap, she watches him as he drives, only occasionally glancing out the windows at the city around them. He's far more important than the view. ]
Yes, my family lived in the mountains when I was small, before I began my political career. I have very fond memories of those days.
[ He glances across. It's not exactly necessary- he could simply reach out with his senses to feel the soft smile playing across her face- but for all his protestations to the contrary Kylo finds it exceptionally difficult to let go of the past. He lost Padmé once before, something that sits at the back of his mind and rears up from time to time, urging him to do something, anything--
But she's here now. Right there. His lips quirk, and his attention slides back to the road. ]
Mountains. [ He pauses, mulls it over. He begins to build an image in his mind. ] On Naboo? There must have been... mountain streams. Waterfalls.
There were, yes. [ Her smile grows exponentially, her love for Naboo shining just as brightly as the love she has for her family. She wishes she could show it to Kylo, walk with him through the stone streets of Theed and the grasses of the Lake Country. But they'll never have that chance, a fact she steadfastly refuses to think about during her precious time with him. ]
Naboo is full of rivers and lakes, and waterfalls are everywhere, including the capital city. You can hear the roar of the water from the throne room. [ She misses that comforting sound of rushing water, nothing else coming close it here. ]
[ It's difficult not to be affected by the depth of her love for the planet of her birth, her home- it spills out of her as she speaks, too much for her words to contain. ]
Perhaps, one day, you could show it to me. [ He pauses, briefly. There's almost no way she could know what he'd meant by that- a realisation that flashes over his face rapidly. ]
[ Her love for her home defines her, it always has. For the last 16 years, she has lived her life for the people there, doing everything in her power to make their world and the galaxy at large a better place. As much as she is coming to love Earth as well and all the opportunities it affords her, she will always miss Naboo with her entire being.
There's both confusion and sadness at his initial suggestion because her heart breaks at every thought of how she will never know Kylo in their universe, but then that wide-eyed fascination returns when he reveals another thing about himself she hadn't known. ]
Is it because of your connection to the Force, or something that was given to you here?
[ It's never easy, trying to explain how he does any of the things he does, but he has a particularly deep well of patience to draw from when it comes to his grandmother. His eyes stay steady on the road, but his lips tug towards a soft curve. ]
I find the connection through the Force. I could follow your thoughts to any memory you wanted to share with me.
[ Of course that isn't all he could do with the ability... but he isn't keen to advertise that aspect of his power. ]
[ Distantly, Padmé wonders if Anakin is able to do something similar; they've never discussed his Jedi abilities in great detail. But that's something she can ask him later. Right now, her focus remains on her grandson who has never been anything but wonderful with her. ]
Then, of course, I'll share my memories of Naboo with you.
[ How could she not, when she has no idea of the state it might be in by his time? The thought flits through her mind, leaving a streak of heartache in its wake that she tries steadfastly to push through with an affectionate smile. ]
I could show you when I first met your grandfather, as well. If you'd like.
[ He supposes in a way what he's suggesting is not that much different from asking Padmé to tell him stories- a theory he finds supported by the subject of her offer. These are things she wants him to have, slices of her history she thinks he would like. He nods. ]
Anything you want to share with me. The things you want me to have. I knew nothing of either of you in our own galaxy.
[ He pauses as if he hears the way his voice drifts towards bitterness, as if he notices the way his fingers are tightening their grip on the wheel. But if he was making an attempt to banish it, he fails. The tension under his words lingers. ]
[ Padmé reaches out to gently rest a hand on his arm, offering her support and love through a soft touch. If they weren't driving, she would have hugged him in that moment, but this will have to do. ]
It will be, Kylo. Life can be whatever you wish to make it here.
[ She believes that with her whole heart. It's an idea she's embraced herself, turning down a different path than politics in order to explore who else she might be without it consuming so much of her life. Not that she regrets her career for a single moment, but knowing what she does of the future that awaits her in their galaxy... This is a chance she refuses to waste. ]
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[ And he is. About an hour later, Kylo's black car pulls up outside. A few minutes after that, he's ringing Padmé's doorbell with a package in his arms. ]
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Kylo, come in. [ She opens the door with a bright smile, automatically greeting him and stepping aside with a curious look at the package. ] What do you have there?
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And he is welcome. There's no doubt. ]
Something from the farm.
[ He unwraps the insulating layers and presents her with it: a bottle of very much the right colour milk. ]
I thought you might appreciate something familiar.
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When he says he has something from the farm, she does not for one instant suspect that it might be blue milk. The sight is absolutely familiar, and for a moment all she can do is stare at it with a dropped jaw. But then she's grinning broadly and reaching out to take the bottle from him. ]
How did you get this?
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I'll tell you, if you can keep a secret.
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Of course I can keep a secret.
[ And she's more than a little eager to learn this one. ]
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[ No, he can't help it. He laughs, his face breaking into a completely ridiculous grin that he will absolutely refuse to admit he's capable of later, because what he's telling her is absurd. It's utterly absurd. But it's true, and part of him has been wanting to yell it since he first opened his eyes and saw the giant, hulking creature he'd made.
He made something. ]
I dreamt her. I brought her out from a dream.
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I can't believe it. That's incredible. Has something like this happened before?
[ She doesn't doubt him, not in the slightest; the bottle in her hands is most certainly bantha milk. Whether this is a usual occurrence in this land of oddities is of particular interest to her though. ]
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Or so he thought.
He nods, his lips still pulled into a strangely warm, unpracticed curve. ]
It's a power my friend shared with me. We... [ he pauses, a rush of fierce, powerful joy rising. He'd like Padmé to meet Ronan. ] We dream together.
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The things that can happen here are strange, but also awe-inspiring. [ She muses on the matter for a moment with a small shake of her head, her own smile still firmly in place. ] Thank you for sharing it with me, Kylo.
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But he hasn't the right words, so he simply watches the delight on her face. He did that. This is his work. ]
Ready to take a drive?
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More than ready. Let me put this away. [ Heading to the kitchen, she carefully stores the bottle to enjoy later, then returns to the main living space. A coat from the closet, keys from a bowl by the door, and she's back to smiling at her grandson who is so very tall and handsome. ]
no subject
But the keys belong to the car that his father gave him, an object that belongs firmly here, in this world. He opens the door for her, stalks around to the other side in long, purposeful strides and folds himself behind the wheel, lips tugging into a curl as he starts the engine and peels them away from the curb.
It's not piloting, but it doesn't have to be. ]
You said you'd worked a garden, as a child?
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With her hands folded in her lap, she watches him as he drives, only occasionally glancing out the windows at the city around them. He's far more important than the view. ]
Yes, my family lived in the mountains when I was small, before I began my political career. I have very fond memories of those days.
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But she's here now. Right there. His lips quirk, and his attention slides back to the road. ]
Mountains. [ He pauses, mulls it over. He begins to build an image in his mind. ] On Naboo? There must have been... mountain streams. Waterfalls.
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Naboo is full of rivers and lakes, and waterfalls are everywhere, including the capital city. You can hear the roar of the water from the throne room. [ She misses that comforting sound of rushing water, nothing else coming close it here. ]
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Perhaps, one day, you could show it to me. [ He pauses, briefly. There's almost no way she could know what he'd meant by that- a realisation that flashes over his face rapidly. ]
Your memory of it. It's an ability I possess.
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There's both confusion and sadness at his initial suggestion because her heart breaks at every thought of how she will never know Kylo in their universe, but then that wide-eyed fascination returns when he reveals another thing about himself she hadn't known. ]
Is it because of your connection to the Force, or something that was given to you here?
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I find the connection through the Force. I could follow your thoughts to any memory you wanted to share with me.
[ Of course that isn't all he could do with the ability... but he isn't keen to advertise that aspect of his power. ]
I would see it as you do, in your mind.
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Then, of course, I'll share my memories of Naboo with you.
[ How could she not, when she has no idea of the state it might be in by his time? The thought flits through her mind, leaving a streak of heartache in its wake that she tries steadfastly to push through with an affectionate smile. ]
I could show you when I first met your grandfather, as well. If you'd like.
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Anything you want to share with me. The things you want me to have. I knew nothing of either of you in our own galaxy.
[ He pauses as if he hears the way his voice drifts towards bitterness, as if he notices the way his fingers are tightening their grip on the wheel. But if he was making an attempt to banish it, he fails. The tension under his words lingers. ]
I intend it to be different, here.
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It will be, Kylo. Life can be whatever you wish to make it here.
[ She believes that with her whole heart. It's an idea she's embraced herself, turning down a different path than politics in order to explore who else she might be without it consuming so much of her life. Not that she regrets her career for a single moment, but knowing what she does of the future that awaits her in their galaxy... This is a chance she refuses to waste. ]