Marred Souls

tandy didn’t miss new orleans. she missed her mom, but she didn’t have as close of a relationship with her. true things were better than they had been, but she was family, but not as close as some people were. her family was at the end of day that role belonged to tyrone. he was her family, her best friend. even that word felt silly. he was more than any word could possibly fit. still she was grateful she had him. he inspired her to be a better person, while accepting her as it. he looked at her as if she could be anything, do anything. unlike her horrible upbringing. she loved that about him. 

tandy was walking through the park, making small daggers. she was trying to keep in practice, since she wasn’t looking for a fight, but it helped keep her calm. the simple act of creating the daggers was a release. she felt as though she was alone and threw the dagger into a tree. it felt good, so she created another one and another one, until she had to stop. she saw another person near by. she didn’t know the young man, then again she didn’t know many people. she looked at him 

❝sorry if i am bothering you❞ she actually didn’t, but what could this guy do about it? she continued to throw the daggers against the trees, making it clear she didn’t care. 

Unexpectedly Rick's eyes moved to the side, noting sharp daggers from the other person's hand fleeting into the tree.  He huffed and swiftly turned his neck towards the blonde.  Since arriving in Sallow Hills, Rick hadn't seen many with other powers, or let alone talked to others outside of the irritating ones he worked with. " Is that suppose to scare me?" The words plunged from the rims of the male's mouth in a peeved tone. " You're going to have to do a lot better than that." 

 He glanced back to the dent he made in the tree before bashing it again with his fist.  A scowl sat between both laterals of Ricks's cheeks, following with another huff. He shut his eyes, with a groan following. Rick supported the back of his head against the tree and lifted his hand, running his fingers through his brunette hair.  

" You kind of are, but I just want to be left alone. Can't you go do that somewhere else" The words staggered from his lips in aggravation. After a moment, his hazel hues opened again, looking at the other, who had to be the same age as him, if not slightly older. Not only was Rick stuck here with no way to get back home, but he hadn't seen Beth yet, which to his astonishment, concerned him. 

╷╷╷╷╷ kate && rick tyler

― ･❪ ❁ ❫･ ―

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K A T E  was  still  reeling  from  her  fight  with  steph.    it  had  been  a    …    well  a  bit,  but  she  couldn’t  get  it  out  of  her  head.    she  couldn’t  get  it  off  her  chest.    she  buried  herself  in  her  work,  and  when  the  bar  didn’t  have  anything  to  do,  she  was  in  the  cellar  in  the  make-shift  gym  she’d  thrown  together  there.    but  she  knew  it  wasn’t  healthy.    she  was  better  than  this,  she’d  been  working  on  this.    she’d  been  preaching  to  bruce  about  being  better  than  this.

╷╷╷    so  she  was  forcing  herself  to  walk  around  every  day,  to  get  out  and  release  some  of  the  tension  she  was  carrying  with  her.    reminding  herself  that  steph  wouldn’t  be  gone  for  good  -  that  she  wouldn’t  abandon  kate.    they  just  need  to  talk,  whenever  steph  was  ready.    she  wouldn’t  push  the  other  girl,  she  wouldn’t  force  her  to  come  back.

╷╷╷    as  she  was  walking,  she  heard  someone  banging  on  something.    she  could  nearly  feel  the  frustration  in  the  air.    she  could  walk  away,  but  she  wouldn’t.    that  wasn’t  in  her  blood.    so  she  turned,  moving  towards  the  noise.      the  kid  couldn’t  have  been  much  older  than  the  kids    -    steph,  cass,  tim.  

╷╷╷    ❝you  okay?❞  she  asked.    she  shoved  her  hands  in  her  pockets,  glancing  from  the  boy  to  the  car.    the  rage  that  ran  through  his  body.    what  was  it  that  was  getting  to  him?

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As Rick heard a woman speak, he huffed and swiftly turned his neck towards her. Since being here in Sallow Hills, he hadn't talked to many people outside of the irritating ones he worked with, but this woman he recognized, even if they had only carried a brief hi and bye previously. "Can we not do this." The words dropped from the rims of his mouth in a disgruntled tone of voice. The male loosened his fist and extended his fingers out.

 The hue of Rick's eyes dropped to the ground with the heel of his shoe tugging at the dirt. After that, the male returned his glance to the woman. A scowl sat between both laterals of Ricks's cheeks, following with another huff. He hated when people did this, even Beth.  No one gives a crap; it just is pleasantries, and in truth, he had every reason to be angry as he was. 

" I'm not hurting anyone, just want to be left alone." The words staggered from his lips in aggravation. Not only was Rick stuck here with no way to get back home, not that he had a deep connection to it, outside of the few items he had discovered linked to his parents. Although he had chosen to help protect his teammates in the end, Rick had not given up on revenge for the ones who took his parents from him.

Beth Chapel didn’t know what to think of the Sallow Hills. but she was trying to make the best of it. she had Courtney here, which was wonderful, because the two girls had become close back home, and even Beth considered Courtney a true friend. she was happy she had found a few true friends. she had also considered rick tyler a friend, whatever he considered her. he was far too much of a typical guy and probably would never admit it, but she knew they were friends. she missed her parents, but she was trying to look on the bright side. 

she was walking through the town listening to music, leaving her job at the library. she loved working there. she had always been a big reader, in books she could find bravery, and friends, and adventure. even though she had friends now, she wasn’t as brave or adventurous as them, so books still allowed her some escape. as she turned a corner, she saw a cloud of black smoke and looked at the young man emerging from it. after all something like this shouldn’t shock beth. her friends had abilities. heck she saw a man become complete ice in front of her eyes. still this was different, and she felt her jaw open ❝just a few moments❞ she managed to get out. ❝what just happened?❞ she asked curiously

The bend between the right side of Tyrone’s mouth curved into a part smile “ I’m okay.” He spoke quietly, with a gust of air leaving his lips, even though she didn't ask him.  As the male stood up, he could feel one half of his body slightly twinging. “ Lost my balance." Tyrone lied through his teeth, with an unnatural laugh following. He had never been good a lying; in fact, Tandy often said he was too honest. Maybe that was true, but Tyrone had been raised in a catholic household, honesty and respect were embedded in him.

“What are you doing out here? I thought I was alone.” The question fell from both brims of his mouth in a dim yet curious tone of voice. Tyrone hastily shifted his glance up towards the girl. The two hadn’t ever spoken to each other in Sallow Hills; though it was hard to know everyone, he would always be concerned for those around him. It was never safe; he learned that the hard way from living in New Orleans. “You good?” Tyrone was trying to quickly avert the conversation in a new direction in the hope maybe she wouldn't ask about what she just saw.

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K A T E  let  the  kid  ramble,  let  him  get  all  his  thoughts  out.    he  didn’t  seem  like  a  trouble  maker,  especially  once  he  started  talking  about  tandy.    whoever  it  was    …  well  she  understood  needing  to  get  back  to  people.    to  make  sure  they  knew  you  didn’t  abandon  them.    

╷╷╷    she  thought  carefully,  debating  on  how  much  she  wanted  to  say.    but  in  reality    -    well  she  wasn’t  an  idiot.    armes  sallow  had  asked  her  and  steph  to  run  an  investigation.    people  here  knew  even  if  they  pretended  they  didn’t.    it  was  a  small  town,  harder  to  get  lost  in.    harder  to  hide  secrets  in.      and  god,  if  this  kid  was  alone.    or  with  someone  else  who  was  the  same  age  as  him.    she  couldn’t  let  kids  just  run  around  and  get  hurt.    then  again,  that  mentality  was  exactly  what  had  made  steph  explode  on  her.  

╷╷╷    ❝no  need  to  apologize.    you  lost  someone,  or  were  taken  away  from  them.    i  was  too,  most  of  us  here  were.    i  have  a  sister  back  at  home  that  needs  me.❞    she  stepped  forward,  holding  a  hand  out  to  him.    ❝i’m  kate  kane.    and,  well  i  don’t  know  exactly  what  you  and  your  friend  have  been  through  but  i  can  make  some  guesses.    you  have  some  kind  of  ability,  and  you’ve  been  using  it  to  help  people  in  secret.❞

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A small smile shaped itself between the curve of Tyrone's mouth as the woman introduces herself. " Nice to meet you" The words spread from his lips in a still tone.  After a brief moment, he dropped his head, with both hands sliding in the pockets of Billy's hoodie. The tips of his fingers lightly brushed against the fibers. Being far away from his family made missing his brother even more dominant.  Another gust of air skimmed between both rims of his mouth. Tyrone lifted his chin while his dark chocolate eyes warily watched the woman step closer to him.

He bent his eyebrows with a baffled expression sitting across both laterals of his cheek. Tyrone could accept a lot; even some of that included the notion that others were like Tandy and him; after all, he learned that when he met The Runaways months back, this felt different, though. " No offense, but I find it hard to believe you understand."  The words strayed from the male's lips in a crushed tone." I barely get it."

After a steady moment, Tyrone lifted his right hand, running his fingers through his short locks. Distress and uneasiness remained in his eyes. " My body is literally a portal to the dark-force dimension, unless your Tandy, whose powers are linked to mine, I don't think anyone can get it, not really."  Another sigh faintly fell from the brims of his mouth.

Annabeth looked at the male for a moment trying to think of what to even say. She knew Luke had hated the gods for everything and had even sided with Kronos thinking that had been the best option for people. “It’s what it should be about at least. No more trying to defy the odds and change the world forever” she said.

“I don’t pretend the life I knew is gone. Trust me coming to this new place hasn’t been easy in the slightest especially when everything I knew is all still there. But the last time I checked we can’t get back to that world right now so we have to deal with what we got. Let me guess you want to get back so you could still make deals for Kronos and who ever else you make deals with?” she said crossing her arms against her chest slightly. 

“And I’m glad I’m not like you because I’m not betraying the life that I have known for years. The life that you led me to since you were the one who brought me to the camp in the first place. I made so many friends there and I could never do what you are doing” Annabeth said. 

A snide laugh split from Luke's lips at Annabeth's jarring remarks. It was inconceivable that at one period, the two were comparable to family. Though Luke never spoke it, the memory of Thalia and him taking in Annabeth when she was just seven years old still echos in his dreams. The three quickly became a resilient team, fighting monsters, but presently, Annabeth was a stranger to him.  It pained him more than he was ever willing to admit out loud or even subconsciously. Luke's smirk faded to a scorned scowl stretching across both laterals of his cheeks.

" Why do you remain loyal to the gods who have done nothing but  cause injustices and only serve the good of themselves?" The words skimmed from the rims of his mouth in a vile tone. The demigod glided his feet forward. Annabeth's staunch loyalty to the gods was irksome. He tilted his head to the side as his alluring celeste eyes glanced at the woman for a lingering moment in a menacing gaze.

" I'd rather go down as a villain, fighting for what needs to be changed than continue to follow a society that doesn't benefit all." He spoke in a low but commanding tone. The gods were greedy, and the only person he ever recognized to give a crap about him was his mortal mom and Thalia. All of whom were not in Sallow Hills, but that didn't mean Luke wanted to cater to this society, abandoning his past and critical mission with Kronos.

“Isn’t it a little too cold to lay here? It is still winter after all” Magnus asked. This was who he was; someone who cared a little too much. He had always been someone who put other people and their needs above his own. He even lost himself in other people, forgetting that he had a beating heart of his own and a life to live. Everything that had happened back home had been overwhelming and it had reminded Magnus that he was a little too caring from time to time. He never knew how to shut off that part of his brain, he always felt everything a little too much. And that was a very exhausting way to live. But he would much rather be there for people at their lowest than to just ignore it all. 

Tilting his head to the side, the warlock flashed him a soft smile. He had been trying to run away from the truth. That Alec didn’t remember him, that to him he was nothing but a pretty face in a sea of average ones. That he was nothing more than a question mark. It wasn’t easy to cope with, it wasn’t easy to accept. And that was the thing, he refused to accept it. Why should he? No, he had to find a solution. He had to find a way out of this confusion and heartbreak. Because he had finally married the love of his life and he would be damned to lose him to the magic of this city.

Both of Luke's eyebrows arched, while a mischievous smirk shaped itself between both curves of his mouth as he turned his head to the sound of the man's voice. His alluring celeste eyes glanced at the other for a lingering moment,  followed by lifting his body further. The breeze hit against Luke's cheek once more as it blew the strands of his blonde hair in front of his face. Luke coiled the rims of his mouth in a half oval as he puffed the hair away from his eyes. 

"  Hmm. I lived in Colorado at one point; this isn't what I'd call cold"  The words glided from the rims of his mouth in a casual tone.  Luke had seen the man around, though he was sure the two had never talked. He hadn't befriended many people at Sallow Hills, despite being here for a couple of years now.  Not that he had time for any of that. All of this was stalling the mission, and the demigod needed to return to Mount Olympus sooner than later. 

Luke could almost detect the power radiating from the other, which made this meeting and interaction that much more intriguing.  Like another he had met just days ago, it was clear he wasn't a god either  but certainly something." So is this the part where  you pretend to be a mundane?" The words fell from the rims of his mouth in a joking tone. "I'm Luke. Luke Castellan." He spoke in fearlessly before laying back down

╷╷╷╷╷ ᴍᴇʀʟɪɴ && ʟᴜᴋᴇ ᴄᴀsᴛᴇʟʟᴀɴ ┆ 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬

                                                             ― ･❪ ❁ ❫･ ―

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M E R L I N  watched  the  shoes  carefully,  trying  to  detect  what  they  were.    the  other  hadn’t  answered,  and  merlin  suspected  they  were  some  form  of  magick.    even  if  he’d  never  seen  anything  of  the  likes.    though,  to  be  fair,  he’d  never  seen  someone  use  magick  so  openly.    for  the  most  part,  even  people  without  his  experiences,  kept  their  magick  close  to  them.    they  didn’t  show  it  off.    because  it  could  be  used  against  them.    people  could  try  to  use  them  for  gain,  or  try  to  hurt  them  out  of  fear.    

╷╷╷    but  this  person  showed  none  of  that.    they  had  no  fear.    was  it  cockiness?    or  was  magick  just  accepted  where  he  was  from?    if  he  was  cocky,  was  it  for  the  right  reasons?    or  would  it  end  up  biting  him  in  the  ass?    

╷╷╷    merlin  shoved  his  hands  in  his  pocket,  taking  a  step  towards  the  other.    ❝seriously,  though.    are  they  magick?    i’ve  never  seen  a  magick  like  it,  and  i’ve  seen  a  lot.❞    i’ve  done  a  lot.    but  that  would  be  reserved  for  later.    once  he  knew  if  the  other  could  be  trusted  or  not.    

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The growing curiosity from the other male was monotonous. Luke's smirk faded as a neutral expression shaped itself between both corners of his mouth. The demigod's alluring celeste eyes glanced at the other for a lingering moment. He was growing further curious about their vigorous power. Perhaps that is why they wanted to know about Luke's.  Evidently, the other man wasn't a god, but he was something. " Not exactly" The words glided from the rims of Luke's lips in a cryptic tone.

The demigod wouldn't offer any of his truths without something in return. "I'll tell you what, you tell me about you, and then I'll reveal the source of this" Luke had not told anyone about his roots since he ran away. On paper, it sounds fun to be of two worlds, but it was anything but that. The gods were greedy, only thinking of themselves, caring nothing for their kids.  He had never even spent time with Hermes until he began to question the very system that they all existed in.

The demigod recognized that the only person to give a crap about him was his mortal mom, although, in time, he couldn't stand her outbreaks, leaving and never seeing her again. As a boy, hearing stories of what the future held was terrifying, but unquestionably there was truth to his mom's words.

"I'm Luke. Luke Castellan." He spoke in a fearless tone. There was a time that Luke worried more, but once he realized that he could remold the world, everything shifted, including his alliances with his friends. He'd rather Thalia and Annabeth follow him, but if they didn't, he still wouldn't stop. The time to follow the gods was over. Luke intends to be the hero who will overthrow them and create a new society.

   isabelle started walking in a general direction without any other motive than to simply stride. to get away from the stranger that kept insisting to have her go back to his place. albeit she gave a verbal warning that seemed to work for the time being, who knows what else they had up their sleeve. she left for their benefit since she didn’t want to engage in a fight. not that she would’ve hesitated if left with no other option. she missed the days that she would spar with other people like jace and clary.

  she noticed an individual soaking up the sun lying on the grass. without hesitation she lightly jogged towards him. maybe this’ll do the trick.  hopefully he would come to understand her intentions. “hey! haven’t seen you in forever.” she cheered with a grin on her face. then, she bent down to meet him at eye level. her grin quickly erased and turned into a rigid expression. “please pretend you know me. there’s this person that’s been trying to get me to go out with him.” she explained in a whisper, turning her head over her shoulder and pointing by pursing her lips. from this distance, it was difficult to make any identification. 

 isabelle then turned back to face him flashing another smile. “weather’s pretty nice today, huh?” 

A mischievous smile shaped itself between both curves of Luke's mouth as he turned his head to the sound of the woman's voice. His alluring celeste eyes glanced at her for a fraction of a second. " Well, won't this be interesting" The words glided from the rims of the demigod's lips in a still tone. " Please tell me we aren't going to make mundane conversations" He crossed both arms as his back leaned against the surface of the  tree trunk.

 The gods were greedy, and the only person he ever recognized to give a crap about him was his mortal mom and Thalia. Although that didn't mean Luke wanted to cater to another society, abandoning his past. Looking forward, the demigod noticed the people the woman was referring to. He shrugged, followed with a disapproving stare before turning his attention back to the woman.

" I guess I could start with my name. I'm Luke. Luke Castellan." He spoke in a fearless tone. There was a time that Luke worried more, but once the demigod realized that he could remold the world, everything shifted, including his alliances with his friends. 

Padme watched the males movements as he turned to face her and then step closer to the point there was little space between them. “Obi-Wan must have got onto my ship when I was getting everything ready. I didn’t think he was going to follow me. And If I knew I would have not let him do what he did.” she said softly.

“I let no ones deception take me from you. At the end of the day the only thing that matters to me is my family, including you. Not Obi-wan or Clovis, not anyone else but you, our children, and my family back on Naboo. You guys will always come first” the female said reaching out for his hand. She took his left hand into her own hand and looked up at him.

“I have known you since you were a little boy Ani. All those years of knowing you and if I had to choose anyone it would always be you. My love for you has never changed and it will remain that. I will always love you” she said.

She couldn’t understand how Anakin would have thought that what they had was real. When everything that she felt was all but real nothing more. She cared about him no matter what, even in this new world that they were in. It was there chance to be happy and not have to worry about any Jedi or Palpatine trying to ruin anything.

@brokenxtragedies​

 As Padme reached out for his hand, Anakin fell silent. Steadily he turned his body back towards the woman. The sith's blue-tinted hues drop from the right side of Padme's temple to her eyes. Gradually he moved closer and fought to catch his breath as he gazed into her chestnut eyes for a  moment. It felt as if time froze with their eyes linked. When he was a boy, Anakin believed she was an angel because he had never seen anyone more beautiful, and though time has passed, that has not changed. He had not been this close to Padme in what felt like light-years ago.

 Once she took his hand and interlinked their fingers, Anakin's heart throbbed more rapidly. For the first time since Mustafar, serenity encompassed him.  A small exhale slid from his lips. "I felt defenseless. No matter how much power I possess, I couldn't save people. " He paused and took another step forward. "What's the point of being the chosen one if you can not protect your family." Anakin's voice cracked as the words skimmed from the rims of his mouth in an unsteady tone. 

 His forehead fell into her temple. After a lingering moment of staring into each other's eyes, Anakin snapped out of his trance. The sith had known joining the dark force was treading with the treacherous territory but had never intended to stay on the dark side. Anakin just wanted to save his wife, then he'd come back to the light, but the power he possessed through the dark force became intoxicating,

 All these years, the Jedi had lied to Anakin, convincing him that the way of dark force was precarious, but it wasn't; in fact, it was the very reason his wife was standing next to him right now. The light side of the force controlled Anakin's powers, but with the dark, he was free.  "I had to protect you." He said in a severed tone before pulling away from her once more. 

luke felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. his father was once again lost to him. luke knew he couldn’t help his father if he ddn’t remember him. how could he save his father from the darkness gripping him, and help him find the light? was it even possible? luke nipped that doubt in the bud. of course it was. his father had shown signs of conflict when he was darth vader. somewhere deep inside of him, he didn’t want this. he didn’t care for power. not in the way most people did. like the emperor did. he wanted power to.. help. he wanted to help luke’s mother, to protect her, at least what he found out through research. he wanted to save luke from his master. was it really the same as wanting to power to destroy? 

❝no fa.. anakin. you are my father.❞ he felt pain, he didn’t have leia, or han, and he had never felt more alone. after loosing his aunt and uncle, he had met ben, who he lost again. luke didn’t want to loose his last family he had alive. ❝please❞ he asked. he wasn’t gonna give into the sadness that was about to take him whole. 

at the mention of his mother, luke nodded ❝yes, because they thought you were evil, to far gone. i know that’s not true.❞ he had seen it. he risked his life to save luke from a similar fate as himself. ❝father search your heart, you know its true. i sense a conflict in you. you know i am not lying❞ 

Listening to the presumptuous claims cut at Anakin sharply as his mind recollected over all that followed his fall. It was like a faded nightmare that infinitely lived within his thoughts, haunting him. The sith's eyebrows creased into a stiff wince as a thin gust of air peaked from his lips. Both lines of his teeth clenched together as a strenuous grunt fell from his mouth. " Stop talking."  Anakin spoke in a combative tone. " Who are you to say the Jedi are not the true adversary of the galaxy." The long black robe dragged as he pushed his feet wearily closer towards the other male. 

The sith began to pivot his body in rigid and harsh circles. "All I had ever desired when I was a kid was to become a Jedi in hopes to protect people" He spoke in an aggrieved tone. "As I grew older, it became clear my ideas didn't always align with the Jedi, but I stayed because I wanted to help planets who were defenseless without us." His voice cracked before trailing off. Countless planets relied on the Jedi's aid, and several times the council chose to abandon them if it would sacrifice the mission. "They didn't always share my sentiments. Cared more for the mission than people, so don't you dare tell me who is evil ."

Confusion and uncertainty coasted through his thoughts. The more the other spoke and insisted on Anakin turning back to the light, the more Anakin was reminded of his wife. Padme had unyielding faith in him as well.  During  The Clone Wars, she was perhaps his most significant advocate.  "There is no conflict. I did what was necessary to protect my family and will not apologize for that. " The words skimmed from the rims of his lips in a firm tone before halting his movements. 

― ･❪ ❁ ❫･ ―

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T A T O O I N E!  so  this  was  the  anakin  skywalker.    the  one  from  the  stories,  from  the  beginning  of  the  wars.    well,  not  the  beginning.    you  could  trace  some  of  it  back  farther  than  finn  had  been  able  to  dive  into  before  he  was  pulled  here.    but,  the  beginning  of  the  modern  wars.    anakin,  who  was  father  to  luke  and  leia.    who  inspired  the  first  order,  inspired  kylo  ren.    what  would  the  man  in  front  of  him  think  of  the  legacy  that  he  had  made?    would  he  prefer  the  way  the  first  order  remembered  him,  or  the  way  the  skywalkers  remembered  him?    but  it  wasn’t  like  finn  could  just  ask  that.    could  he?    no.    this  was  a  weird  time  thing.    he  couldn’t  just  go  around  blabbering  about  the  future  otherwise  things  could  change.    one  small  difference  and  everything  could  be  different.    

╷╷╷    but  wasn’t  being  here  in  sallow  hills  a  change?    unless  anakin  always  had  a  time  when  he  was  here  that  just  wasn’t  in  the  stories.    which  in  that  case  meant  that  there  was  a  way  to  get  home.    right?    the  thoughts  hurt,  as  they  all  tried  to  make  sense  in  his  head.    he  didn’t  know  about  time  travel.    he  didn’t  know  about  any  of  this.

╷╷╷    ❝there  wasn’t  much  sentient  life  on  d’qar  before  my  …  my  family  set  up  post  there.    granted,  that’s  part  of  the  reason  it  was  picked.    but  it’s  why  not  a  lot  of  people  know  it.    tatooine  though!    that’s  …❞    he  couldn’t  just  say  everyone  knew  tatooine.    people  knew  tatooine  because  of  anakin !    ❝i’ve  heard  of  the  planet.    sand  everywhere  right?    my  friend,  rey,  came  from  a  place  like  that.    though  i  have  more  bad  memories  than  good  with  jakuu.❞    damn  jakuu.    the  only  thing  it  was  good  for  was  bringing  him  to  poe  and  rey,  which  he  supposed  was  a  pretty  massive  thing.    but  still.    damn  jakuu.

╷╷╷    ❝that’s  what  happens  a  lot  though,  with  whoever’s  in  charge.    every  source  of  power  i’ve  ever  seen  lead    -    they  make  decisions  about  who  is  more  or  less  worthy  of  life.    it’s  complete  bantha  shit!    before    …    well  before  i  was  brought  here,  i  had  a  chance  to  change  that.    to  help  rebuild  some  of  the  universe  with  structure  that  would  value  everyone.❞

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Anakin lowered his head in a meek nod, with his blue-tinted eyes falling to the ashen concrete. For a split second, he sat in stillness—memories of the sith's life as a Jedi tread through his thoughts.  " All I had ever desired when I was a kid was to become a Jedi in hopes to protect people" He spoke in an aggrieved tone. The recollection of meeting Obi-Wan and Qui Gon Jinn inhabits his thoughts.

Anger of what it all came to be still eats at him. That day perpetually changed his life. He wasn't just a slave anymore. Later, Anakin was swallowed with guilt for leaving his mother and consequently not there to save her. With the engine still sitting in his lap, the sith's fingers prodded at the ragged and uneven timing belt. Another small exhale skimmed from both rims of his mouth.

" As I grew older, it became clear my ideas didn't always align with the Jedi, but I stayed because I  wanted to help planets who were defenseless without us."  His voice cracked before trailing off. Countless planets relied on the Jedi's aid, and several times the council chose to abandon them if it would sacrifice the mission.  " They didn't always share my sentiments. Cared more for the mission than people."

Because people were complicated, Anakin often struggled to connect to anyone, though there was a sense of tranquility he felt around the presence of this man whom he did not even have his name. The closest friends he had ever had felt that with were Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, but lost both.

Katara was not familiar with cars or anything modern that this city had to offer. So whenever people talked in car lingo, she was just utterly confused and perplexed. And that was evident in the way she was just staring at the blonde who was looking at the car. A car that wasn’t even her’s to begin with. Sometimes she cursed herself for being so kind. For constantly feeling like she needed to help other’s even when they may not deserve her helping hand. Just standing there, taking in the words he was saying, she sighed softly. It didn’t sound good, that’s all she could understand. This only made her want to get better at cars and motorcycles. That way she wouldn’t just stand there and look like an idiot.

What she was good at however was reading people. She had always been told that she had a way of understanding even the most vile of people. Even though Zuko was chasing them, trying to kill one of her best friends, she still in a way understood him and felt for the young prince. It must be hard having so much weigh on your shoulders. Must be hard not having a single parent that cares for you. Playing a little with her hair, Katara felt how nervous she was getting. The other reminded her of Zuko. 

“Just because you are used to feeling a certain way it doesn’t mean you should be” the brunette waterbender told him. “But I am not here to make you talk to me. We don’t even know each other” clasping her hands, she shrugged.

Anakin pulled his mechno arm away from the vehicle as he heard the woman's comment and steadily turned his glance towards her.  His fingers prodded at the ragged and uneven wires. " Perhaps. But emotions are complicated."  The sith spoke in a stoic tone, with a low exhale emitting itself from his lips.  The tint of his blue eyes retained sorrow and anguish. Emotions from pain and torment consumed Anakin.  As a Jedi, it was one's duty to disconnect from their feelings, which was always hard for him.  

" That's  something my wife would say." His eyes dropped as another sigh coasted away from the rims of his lips. Anakin and Padme were different in innumerable ways; she was kind and gentle, whereas he was coarse and rough, comparable to sand.  Despite that, they loved each other, or so he believed until the betrayal. The thought of everything the two went through on Mustafar still tugs at his heart.  Katara reminded Anakin of the same kindness Padme had; apparent empathy and concern for others.

" I'm fine."  His voice was almost mute. Anakin moved his eyes back up slowly and kept a glance on the woman. He paused briefly. He had never done well with speaking about how he felt. Instead, the sith learned early to hold in his thoughts; it was the Jedi way.  "There's nothing to say. Now back to car repairs." Anakin rapidly shifted the conversation's aim in hopes there would be nothing more said around his torment. He knew what he did was necessary to protect his family and destroy the Jedi, the true adversary.  " Will your friend will be alright not having a car for a while ?"