#enkindledrage

“ i don’t let people in. it simply isn’t worth it. ”   …     @enkindledrage   said.

⤷ SOURCE: You Season 4 Starters / ACCEPTING

EMPEROR PALPATINE’S former Press Secretary studied the boy in front of her with a frown present on her aged visage, piercing blue eyes clouded with melancholy.

⠀  ⠀ ⠀  " You know, kid, I once had the same philosophy. ” Shi’al admitted, letting out a quiet sigh. “ It was a necessity, if one was to be bound in servitude to the Emperor. He was a temperamental man; should one displease him, he would … eliminate their loved ones as punishment. Keeping myself distant from all others, closing myself off to those I loved most — that was the only way that I could protect them. In the end, though, isolating myself … it did far more harm than good. ”

* question prompts | accepting

     "sort of." true, near death experiences are FREQUENT, in her life. running from things with the potential to kill her... possibly even more so.

she can't even blame it on the war. danger has been a CONSTANT presence by her side for as long as rey can remember. sometimes she wonders if it's her fault it's constantly here. if she's somehow a harbinger for things inevitably going wrong, a bad luck charm just barely scraping by.

but now is hardly the time for introspection. they're in the middle of a lightspeed chase, after all, swinging the falcon around wildly through space as deftly as they can to avoid the warships shooting at them.

rey's too busy concentrating on NOT being BLOWN UP to explain to seth that she really can't control other people wanting so badly to kill her.

"it's been particularly BAD lately. can you flip that switch for me?" her head inclines to indicate one just beneath a blinking red alarm. rey has both hands on the steering gauge, eyes darting back and forth across the monitors to keep her gaze on their pursuer. "any idea how we can lose them, by the way? if you think you could hit their engine from here, feel free to man the gun."

i killed them , the thought rings so clearly in his head it's nearly palpable. a strangled choke , something between a sob and a suppressed laugh , answers. his hands are stained with the blood of 3 men , now and forever , no matter how often he tries to wipe them clean-

it's seth's voice that grounds him, reeling him back towards reality.

❛  we’re gonna survive this, right?  ❜ ― @enkindledrage

all of this . . . it was to save his brother. ben solo would do it again, a thousand times over, if it meant his safety. ben swallows back the hard lump in his throat.

❛ definitely, ❜ he whispers. a shaky smile tugs at the corners of his lips, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes . if he's learned ANYTHING from the great han solo other than how to shoot a blaster , it's that sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it; showing fear can mean death. ❛ if we stick together. i'm not going to let anything happen to you. ❜

☆ ───── DRAMATIC & PROTECTIVE RELATIONSHIP PROMPTS | are you all right? where are you hurt? (for juni) asked by @enkindledrage

     it's strange -- having someone that's not finn traveling alongside her. rey's used to the SOLITUDE that comes with long flights alone -- missions only she can complete, tasks that test her and her training in every sense of the word.

she's not used to sharing space in the ship with someone OTHER than bb-8, with someone who sits in the cockpit beside her. someone who can take some of the tasks off rey's pre-flight checklist, so that her usual routine is interrupted and she's left ready to go sooner than expected.

she hasn't spent MUCH time alone with seth. admittedly, rey has been busy, lately, wrapped up in her own problems -- she's had a lot on her mind. perhaps this mission will be an opportunity to get to know him better. they do seem to work well together; as well as rey can work with anyone. once the autopilot is engaged, there's nothing left to do, and so she turns towards him, curiosity etched in the expression on her face. "so... did you VOLUNTEER for this, or did leia ask you to come with me? because the last time we went on a mission together... we did almost get blown up."

* critical role starters | accepting

     "oh, REALLY?" it's yelled over her shoulder with mock-surprise; she only barely holds back an eye roll. rey twists her arm to push her lightsaber under the helmet of another stormtrooper, shoving a path through the crush that's closing in on them. "because i'm at cocktail hour aboard the halcyon!"

she grits her teeth, spinning around to fire off a blaster shot with her free hand. the space between them is filled with guards. even more stand between them and the exit, but, like he'd said, seth is giving hell as good as she is, moving so quickly the fight is only a BLUR.

"you're not hearing me," rey repeats, ducking out of the way as another blaster aims at her head, spinning her blade to deflect the shots back. "the whole thing is rigged with explosives. we have to get out of here now."

there isn't exactly time to ARGUE about it. even less time to worry about what they'd come for in the first place.

with a few more swipes of her lightsaber, she's finally close enough to hear seth without SHOUTING. "can't you fight and plan an exit at the same time?"