MY CANDLE BURNS AT BOTH ENDS.

            ‘  you don’t SOUND like you know a whole lot, nuts-n-bolts.  ‘

     if it was a REAL imp droid, it definitely wouldn’t be this – talkative. might be a decoy, some latest scheme to weed out the rebels which all seemed to be bleeding out the bulkheads these days – but all weevil knows is it’s just his job to make the exchange. anything else… well, trouble got passed on up the foodchain. 

          ‘  CREDITS, lofty. or ration cards. we’re nice like that.  ‘

                  ❛     i am much better at honesty. and the truth is the                   whole rebellion thing is a new concept to me. i apologize                   for all of my lies, but do not give me such a cheeky nick–                   name. i am k2-so.      ❜

                  first mission on his own is -––– well. there are details that can be missing from the mission report. kaytoo didn’t realize that without cassian on his side the concept of getting full disclosure on the objective and subjects involved was a very important missing piece. the droid is always learning -– something his original programming didn’t allow. but at least his original programming taught him to not accept such a uncivil nickname.

he gives a look of mock offense, eyebrows furrowed and mouth in a tense line as though the idea of being a liar was new and unwelcome. as though he thought his words believable. maybe to someone who didn’t know him so well that would’ve been true. 

“have i ever lied to you?”

yes, he has and that question is so foolish, so very stupid that he wants to reach between them and take it back. if kaytoo could see through the first statement he would be able to see the lies in this one. but what was a better answer? the truth? it felt harsh and cruel. it was harsh and cruel. and he was unsteady when it came to friendship, more used to doing what it took to get someone to do whatever he needed, whatever he was told to make them do. even friendship with a droid who had been set to kill him seemed somewhat fragile in his deadly hands. 

“no, you’d never told me that but i believe it.” 

a sigh. a breath.

“i didn’t kill you because i thought it would be useful to have an imperial droid around, if i hadn’t been able to reprogram you well enough i would have killed you.” 

                  ❛      would you like an approximation of the amount                   of lies you’ve spoken to me specifically, or would you                   rather me leave the question as a rhetorical one,                   captain ?      ❜

                  it’s deadpanned ; kaytoo doesn’t need to be a droid to feel the lie within cassian’s words. the captain is a liar. he is also a murderer and a soldier and more than once the droid has seen him do things that make even his hands tremble. but above all else, the captain has somehow become a friend. an absolute comrade, and the first state of loyalty that kaytoo situated after his reprogramming. he works with and for the rebellion, but first and foremost is a loyalty to cassian. that’s where they are now. but they were once on opposing sides, ready to kill one another.

                  the droid rathers the harsh cruelty of reality. he doesn’t have feelings to be hurt ( or does he ? it’s messy to start considering such possibilities ; the weight of being given a personality within this programming gives space to consider such nonsense ), and when species are able to speak droid-like of their motives and plans, everything becomes a bit easier for him to process.

                  ❛      i am very good at ripping heads off of bodies. i                   could’ve done it before you even considered to re––                   draw your blaster and yes, i have seen and remember                   your reaction time.      ❜

                  there is the truth now. perhaps if he was another human, he would call it the ugly truth. perhaps as a human, it would sting. instead, he is glad for the truth and welcomes it. at least he wouldn’t have to try and make some messy attempt of lying as well, as if to pretend the same charade.

               ❛                                               yeah.     ❜

              peeta really just wants to shake his head     no,   no,    NO,     don’t you see?    tucking it in won’t   FIX   anything !   the next pair of pants will catch, too.   and the next.   and the next after that.   the safety pin may keep the hems tucked into this shoe but it certainly won’t stop the ache radiating down into his thigh or the pressure that pinches his hip.   so what good is it, really?      he kind of just… squints at her for a second.  tries to work out her suggestion in his head enough to formulate a coherant answer.

                   ❛      effie, i   —— …  what if it gets sore again.     ❜

                   a weak argument.   his voice is exhausted   ;   he doesn’t think he’s ever felt this tired.   it weighs on him like the entire sky.         and the last thing he wants to do is walk around in circles to just confirm the inadequacy he’s never doubted in the first place. 

                  the young victor seems uncomfortable and sure, effie understands. the victors always need such adjusting from their savage, primitive life to the splendor and privileges of the capitol and the limelight. just because effie has been assigned twelve and this is her first chance to really do her duties as a caretaker doesn’t mean she doesn’t know exactly what she needs to do. why, if the damage done to peeta’s leg happened within his home district, he would’ve surely died ! nevermind the fact he got it from the games, but she knows the boy feels a gratefulness to those that saved his life. so what if it’s a cold metal fake leg ? the world knows, but it’s out of sight, out of mind. why, with the pant leg tucked into his shoe so expertly, even effie trinket herself can almost forget its imperfect existence !

          it takes exactly thirty-one seconds of blabber chat and – a fat snort, the following chuckles muffled by the back of his hand. 

               ‘  someone must have had fun re-wiring your CIRCUITS. i’m no IMP and i’m no rebel, neither – you here for the parts? i was told a unit looking like you might be coming by to exchange.  ‘

                  confusion radiates the circuits from the laughter, a readied stance to run or fight or whathaveyou, but the words stop kaytoo. oh. right. he stands tall, all seven feet of circuits and mass to hopefully regain some composure with the other. next time he should remember to ask a few more details of his mission instead of just being told one sentence and running with it. strategic analysis concludes that this was not the best route for the mission, but at least kaytoo is amongst a neutral zone. perhaps that is why cassian allowed the droid to go in so blindly. he is sure the captain will have several laughs when asking for the story of his first successful ( successful ! ) mission alone.

                  ❛      chirrut, yes, ah, yes -––– hello. how -––                   are you ?      ❜

                  kaytoo fidgets -–– if that’s even possible for his own mechanisms, and looks down upon the blind man. he was looking for chirrut, yes, but now that he has found him, he doesn’t know how to approach the subject. a shift in posture, and the droid continues his ( attempt ) to speak.

                  a quick knock ( for manners ) and he lets himself in ( for the lack of ) as hot pie walks into gendry’s and immediately goes to take his jacket off. by now gendry must be used to this.

     “Actually, it’s fine, I — you got it       in one.”

  There’s a matter of technicality, of course. As in technically she never made it to receiving her library science degree. As in technically the last time a library employed her was, oh, seven or so years ago. But she’d rather think of herself as a librarian than anything else in her history, so she’ll take it anyway.

  Alice looks into her coffee cup and laughs, mostly because this baby-faced stranger just made her happy. And maybe, just a little bit, because this baby-faced stranger is so flustered.

     “I promise, it’s fine. You don’t have       to run off just yet. — You got a sixth       sense about librarians? Or just a lot       of experience people-watching?”

                  ❛      -–– really ? you’re not just busting ? i got                   that right ? wow !      ❜

                  hope is proud of herself, and proud that she didn’t make an absolute fool of herself. in fact, the stranger is smiling at her and seems okay with it. she breathes a bit easier -–– the kind of people the city can bring around don’t always take some comment from a stranger with a smile ––- and smiles widely back. perhaps a bit sheepish, but there’s a chuckle at herself there too. a sip of her own drink, and she feels more welcomed within the others’ presence.

                  it’s a good thing groot was paying attention, because if he didn’t he would’ve surely stepped upon the little girl. humans are so small compared to him, but this one is an even smaller package than some of his friends. he bends lower, to be closer to her height.

                  ❛      i am groot.      ❜