Otherways: Sucking It Up (for notdarkorlight)

[skywalker_twin]

She figures that a time comes in one's life when admitting that the only prat in any situation is yourself is not only wise, but necessary.

Which is why she has a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, no-crust, with a side of two chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.

It's also why she sets it in front of that Force-be-damned brother of hers, a look of resignation on her face.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did," she says. "I suppose I'm a little too used to getting the things I want. I don't know. But consider this a peace offering. Me and the brother I knew in this place used to share them all the time. I thought you might like them."

Comments

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

"Understandable."

She won't sit until he ivites her. So she stands. She fidgets a little.

Yay for awkwardness!

"Um, right. Anyway, I should probably go." She may be giving the plate an empty stare.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

Right... he doesn't know her... only thing he knows is what she told him and what his father told him. Right... lets see how awkward we can get here.

"Or you could sit and have the other cookie and half the sandwich."

He's trying. Give him a bit.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

She hesitates for a second before sitting across from him.

She takes half the sandwich tentatively and then takes a bite.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

There's a bit of awkward silence there for a bit.

"He told me the same thing you did but I'm not inclined to believe him. And you're still a stranger to me." He sighs. "I'm not sure I know what to believe."

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

Leia sighs, munching thoughtfully.

"Yes, well. It's unfortunate, because the only way to prove, without a doubt is for us to reconnect on a Force-givin level. But, seeing as how you have issues with that whole mind-touching thing, it's safe to say that we're screwed and you'll just have to learn how to trust people again and take them at their word."

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

"I don't have issues with it."

The cookie is gone so he takes a bit out of his half of the sandwich. "I just don't take well to people invading my mind without so much as asking. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want someone just going into your mind without your say so."

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

She blushes at that comment. The Emperor always invaded her mind, to give her orders. She welcomed that invasion, thought it an honour.

"Um...yeah. Sure."

She finshes the rest of the PBJ in silence.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, he wasn't her and where he was from there was no Emperor. Just criminals who liked to tear apart the minds of children. Idiots who thought they could get away with everything. He goes quiet.

"Invading someone's mind without permission is worse than being nearly killed."

It's how he sees it. And yet he's invaded people's minds before that had the audacity to cross him.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

She looks away. "It's how I usually get my orders from the Emperor," she says quietly. "Without warning, right here." She taps her forehead.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head. "That's worse than death." Those eyes watch her for a moment though. It's possible that he'd let her try again... just with ample warning or actually asking.

Notice... neither of them have touched the milk.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, as Leia reaches for the cookie, she automatically reches for the milk...

"I was told it was an honour. Emperor's Hand, they called me. Able to hear his exalted voice from anywhere in the galaxy."

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

"Then they lied to you."

It's as simple as that. If some ignorant being told her that it was an honor then they lied. And he's not going to stop her from reaching for the milk.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

She dunks the cookie before biting into it. "Yeth, well, seeing as how he," swallow, "trained me, I had no reason to believe otherwise."

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

"I know otherwise. There's no honor in invading minds. No matter what the reason. Ask first. Then there might be some honor in it."

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

She finishes the cookie and drinks half the milk in one gulp.

She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and gives Luke a searching look.

"Can I show you something? In here?" she asks, tapping her temple. "Maybe it will help you understand everyone's confusion at your presence?"

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

And there might be some reluctance but he gives a slight nod to her. "Sure."

Which means the shields he'd thrown up the first time around come down.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

And then she's opening her own mind to him, as well, getnly brushing against his and inviting him in...

Where he will see her memories of Lukey, of how he had greeted her when she first arrived and the time they had spent together in this place.

And it's followed by the memory of finding out what had happened to her baby brother, how he had disappeared.

Tears are falling from her eyes by this point.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

And he frowns a bit at that. The memories. He doesn't remember any of that but at the same time he does. Just not strongly. After all... a lot of stuff got pushed to the back of his mind then.

There's no telling when in the world it happened but he's suddenly beside Leia and wrapping his arms around his sister. He wants to cry but there's no way he can. He's locked so much stuff up that its almost not possible.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

And she's turning to hug him close.

"No one abandoned you, my brother," she says softly. "You were taken from us and no one could get out to find you."

And she lets him in deeper, seeing how her life had been and how she had been at odds with the brother from her time and place only to find a loving, affectionate little boy who loved her very, very much.

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

Now he feels bad for accusing his dad of abandoning him. It's what he'd thought. It's the only thing he'd known. All he'd known.

And those aren't tears... really they're not. Okay... maybe they are.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

And then she's pulling gently away from him mentally and swallowing a sob.

"Father really pulled a number when you disappeared. Mother and I, we had to stop him from doing something stupid. He was ready to cut a hole in the wall."

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

"I should find him."

He's not moving away from his sister though. He shakes his head. "I accused him of abandoning me. I didn't know. I think I made him hate me."

Which is a whole lot worse than Leia's mistake from earlier or rather it hurts a lot worse.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

"I'd be careful how you do it, though. He's not easilly mollified."

[notdarkorlight.livejournal.com]

Luke sighs and just lays his head on his sister's shoulder. "Shouldn't of said what I did to him." He whispers. Now see... things would've been fine had he allowed Leia to do the mind thing earlier.

[skywalker-twin.livejournal.com]

Yes, but he didn't know then, and she neither did she.

Only thing left to do is pray that bridges have not been burned down.

"Oh, and be weary of mother. She's...hormonal."