Our story binds us like right and wrong | September Catchall

[lasergrenades]

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker, and you!
Date: Throughout September
Location: Sky Sector, KPD Headquarters, Healers Guild, and around Keeliai
Situation: Pepper is living life mostly as usual, and Devin is getting over some denial about being stuck here.
Warnings/Rating: None yet, will add as needed.


A. [Pepper] KPD | Throughout September | Open

There is, thankfully, less to do at work this month. It's still pretty warm, but not stifling like the first part of August. The heat seems to be keeping crime down, for the most part, and Pepper is glad to be a little less busy. She works more days than nights this month, patrolling in street clothes more often than not. When she is in armor, it's on those few times when she has night shifts.

B. [Pepper] Jade Dojo | Mid-September | Bakura

The first time Pepper sparred against Bakura, it did not go exactly as planned. She'd let the issue go, probably for longer than she should have, because there was a) nothing she could do at the time, and b) things had seemed quiet on the dark, scary shadow demon front. Neither of those things were the case any longer, and Pepper isn't content to sit back and let this unfold without trying to do something.

"It's been almost two years since I hit you," Pepper said quietly, brushing her thumb along Bakura's jaw where she'd struck him. "We never talked about why I did that."

C. [Devin] Water Sector | Early September | Open

Being naturally a few degrees cooler than the average human, the heat doesn't both Devin as much as it might some people. He continues his 'hobby' of learning the city, mapping and memorizing the streets. He's in Water Sector most of the first half of this month because he can find an easy place to cool off if he wants to. It's an interesting area. His irritability is still on display from last month, though the cause of it remains uncertain.

D. [Devin] Sky Sector | Late September | Open

Devin spends more time in Sky Sector the second half of the month, familiarizing himself with the gardens and occasionally asking about the old palace when anyone will answer. He also spends a little time looking at the Foreigner housing; it's been almost six months since he arrived here, and while he'd much prefer to return to his home world, he's saved up enough to transition out of the Hotel soon. Klaus may have grown more polite, but the vampire is aware he's still an object of consternation.

E. [Devin] Healers Guild | Early September | Kylo

Every two weeks or so, Devin appears at the Healers Guild to meet his vampiric needs under medical supervision, as he's requested. He doesn't allow anyone to be in the same room with him when he actually consumes the blood, however.

By now he's at least a passably familiar face in the Guild, and most of the regular staff and volunteers have learned that bothering him immediately after he's finished is an unwise idea. There's something faintly wild at the edges of him, something less restrained as he starts to stalk his way to the exit, hoping to find a quiet place to be alone.

OOC: Let me know if you want anything specific or feel free to put up your own starter!

Comments

[annihilist]

"And did those ways typically involve violence or the threat of violence?" Devin inquires mildly. "Because that doesn't count as leadership. I get the feeling you'd prefer if people actually listened to you because you had something meaningful to say rather than fear the amount of pain you can inflict if they disagree."

Intimidation had a place in leadership, under the right circumstances, but not the kind that went hand in hand with cruelty. Kylo doesn't seem to have been given any other models to learn from.

[no_light]

"Well..." He finds himself floundering and scowls, eyes flickering to find something else he can pretend to be occupied with. He can't even tell when this conversation has turned serious, and he's certainly not sure he enjoys the twist... but neither does he like being seen only as an unruly child.

"I fight my own battles," he says curtly, his posture unknowingly straightening into the way he would stand while addressing Snoke or quarrel with Hux. "I don't send soldiers to do anything which I don't have the stomach or skill to do myself. I don't tolerate weakness from them, but I'm not monstrous to my own troops as you seem to think I am."

[annihilist]

Interesting. At least Devin has managed to get Kylo thinking with something that isn't his lizard brain. It's good to see that's possible, despite their past interactions.

"You haven't given me the impression of restraint up until now," Devin points out. Granted, he's been prodding Kylo a lot. "And you're not exactly an unbiased party on your own behavior, but it is good to hear that you're attempting more than intimidation. All the same, if any of them have seen your temper on display, you'll have to work harder." Devin studies him for a moment. "What is it that you're fighting for?"

[no_light]

"I've never had a reason to show restraint around you," Kylo scoffs. He crosses his arms in front of his chest. "You've been rude to me, so I was rude in turn. Besides, you're neither my master nor my colleague, I don't owe you anything."

That's easy. Answering the question he had asked is less so. He knows what the First Order and Snoke fight for, but kriff if he still knows what he is fighting for. He hasn't known that in what... maybe a year by now.

"I fight for myself and the Dark Side of the Force. That's all you need to know."

[annihilist]

Devin offers Kylo a wry, knowing little smile for that reply. "No, you don't owe me," he agreed. "But I'd have been more impressed if you'd responded with politeness. It takes more work to respond to an asshole with control."

There's not quite hesitation in Kylo about his 'cause', and not for the first time he wonders how long it's been since the younger man was given a guiding hand that didn't promise to strike him in the same breath.

"That doesn't sound like it means much of anything," Devin comments, not unkindly. "Have you any idea what the point of it all is? Do you care about the world your actions will create? Do you have goals?"

[no_light]

"Of course!" he snaps, bristling again only to deflate a moment later into sullenness. "I had many goals at home, back my own and my Master's. I served Supreme Leader Snoke, and was his student and enforcer. I was Master of the Knights of Ren. I worked with the troops of the First Order. But none of that matters here, does it? I've been here for a year and a half now. Everybody else from my universe has been gone since last year."

And he has lost faith that he will return, and also the wish to return, if he's honest. He just doesn't know what to replace it wit.

[annihilist]

Devin almost - almost - pities Kylo, but keeps in mind that pity will do the young man no good. That would only enrage him further. Little of the specifics of that explanation is familiar, other than the militaristic aspect. Some kind of grand, megalomaniacal hierarchy.

"You're rudderless," Devin said simply, with neither judgement nor overt sympathy. Everything Kylo just listed used the past tense. "Alright then. That's as good a place to start as anywhere else. What did you find important about the life you led in your world?"

He's almost as curious to see if Kylo continues to answer him as what the actual answer might be.

[no_light]

It's not exactly pleasant to talk about this with Devin, but the lack of judgement or pity makes it a little easier. Keeps him from bristling, at least.

"Studying the Force," he answers without hesitation, "I was a... to use more general terms, I was more on the mystical than the military side, though my powers were used in warfare. But the Force was important to me." He shrugs. "I have been studying here, too, and teaching. I... guess I like teaching."

[annihilist]

While Devin is mildly surprised that Kylo gives him a straight answer, devoid of sniping. Even more so that teaching, of all things, is what the young man admits to enjoying. He's not sure Kylo has the best temperament for it, but he has time to learn.

"I wouldn't have taken you for the lifelong-learner type, but I can't say I argue with the general principle," he replies, the corners of his mouth twitching up for a moment. "War is hell, isn't it? Turns all attention towards annihilation and survival and leaves little room for less violent pursuits."

[no_light]

"But learning to annihilate and survive is part of understanding the Force, at least the Dark Side of it. They go well together." He frowns, thinking now. "I'm not sure if there's ever been a time when the Dark Side was powerful, and not at war. Even when the Emperor ruled, there were always those who opposed him."

He starts walking, but not to get away from Devin this time, just because the foyer of the Healer's Guild isn't a good place for this conversation. "I don't have a problem with war, just with how some people in the First Order fight it."

[annihilist]

"I should have guessed as much, from something that calls itself the 'Dark Side'," Devin returns wryly, following after Kylo yet keeping an appropriate distance between them since the younger man isn't bustling away. "Presumably there's a 'Light Side' as well, in keeping with tradition."

The vampire's life was it's own kind of war, but he didn't enjoy that. It was simply what he felt had to be done. "Let me guess: they use brutality where brutality is not called for."

[no_light]

Kylo pauses, thinking about that for a moment before responding. "The bruality doesn't bother me, I'm brutal, too. But not all leaders are willing to do their own dirty work. That's distasteful. There's also projects like Starkiller. Planet killers. Things like that shouldn't be used. The Supreme Leader knows that true power lays only in the Force, yet he uses methods which..." He cuts himself off. Even here, even after all that time, it feels strange to criticize Snoke so openly.

"It doesn't matter. There is a Light Side, and it is my enemy."

[annihilist]

It's intriguing what Kylo considers problematic, and typically he's the kind of person Devin would behead and think nothing of - but he has a heartbeat, and so it's not on the table as an option. The information is still useful, especially if they come to blows again.

"Is it your enemy because you cannot stand for their ideals or actions; or because it's the opposite of the side you follow?" Devin prods, raising an eyebrow at him. "And if this Dark Side of yours is most powerful when it's at war, and you win this latest one - what happens then? If there is no one left to fight, where does your power come from?"

It seems to Devin that if the Dark Side runs out of enemies to annihilate, it's going to turn in on itself, and he wonders if Kylo can follow that line of logic.

[no_light]

There are a lot of people who would probably rejoice at Kylo being beheaded, even here. Funnily enough, if you asked Kylo he would have assumed Devin to be one of them. Hell if he understood the way things were changing between them, but it was sure unsettling.

Point in fact, he wasn't walking out on him, wasn't even drawing his lightsaber, not even now. He just crossed his arms and gave an irritated huff.

"There will always be someone to fight. Even the proper Sith in Bane's tradition had the Rule of Two - a Master and an Apprentice, and the Apprentice would kill the Master once he surpassed him, to be eventually killed by his own Apprentice. But that's not how my group works. The Knights of Ren are seven and all serve under our Master, Snoke. There is also the military which doesn't respect us properly. We won't ever run out of enemies."

And he was fighting his hardest battle against himself anyway, but he sure didn't plan to share that.

[annihilist]

Kylo isn't alone in not knowing the full implications of their newly established rapport.

Apparently, the ultimate result of that Sith rule and the source of Kylo's power isn't dawning on him, and Devin rolled his eyes. "You do realize you're just going to end up killing each other until you go extinct, or until someone bigger and badder wipes you out, don't you? You're going to have to adapt, eventually. Perhaps not in your lifetime - although I suppose that could be something you're counting on. Change is not meant to be easy."

[no_light]

"The Sith will have to adapt, maybe, but they haven't in a thousand years. But I'm a Knight of Ren, not a Sith. We forge our own path anyway." Yet towards the end his voice lost some of the confidence, for he found himself that he wasn't much of a knight of anything right now, in this place. He had students, yes, but there was no saying yet if they'd follow him into darkness and even if they did there weren't enough to rebuild the Knights of Ren. They didn't have a master to teach them either.

"You don't have to worry about me," he said wryly, "you won't get rid of me so easily."

[annihilist]

"It has never been my intention to get rid of you," Devin replied, arching an eyebrow. Teach him something, yes. Getting rid of him would eliminate that possibility. "What is the difference between the Sith and your merry band of knights, then? Aside from numbers."

[no_light]

"The Sith are completely dark, they stand in a tradition thousands of years old. The Knights serve Supreme Leader Snoke and my Master wanted me to stand both in the Dark and Light and use the power of both." Not that it had worked all that well for him, but it was the plan.