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tfa_kink2016-01-13 02:14 pm
themodawakens) wrote in tfa_kink2016-01-13 02:14 pm
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PROMPT POST #2 - CLOSED
This post is closed to new prompts!
prompt post one
+ All comments except fills should be posted anonymously.
+ All prompts should focus on TFA characters. You can't post OT or PT-only prompts.
+ One prompt per comment please.
+ You can request both kink and non-kink content
+ Crossovers, characters from the other media are allowed, but must relate to the 2015 movie in some way.
+ All prompt comments should begin with a pairing tag (eg Rey/Finn) or Gen for no pairing.
+ Use 'Any' when prompting for any pairing at all (eg Kylo/Any or Any/Any)
+ Anyone, everyone, no one? Use "Other." (e.g. Poe/Other)
+ Warn for common triggers, please
+ NO PROMPTS FEATURING CHARACTERS UNDER 18 IN SEXUAL SITUATIONS.
+ don't hijack other people's prompts.
+ prompts should not exceed ~250 words.
+ also, while this is not really a rule I can enforce, please try to limit yourselves to fewer than 5 prompts per page.
+ reposting prompts is currently not allowed.
+ no prompts based on real life tragic events. e.g: 9/11 au, concentration camp au, etc
+ PLAY NICE
Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-01-27 03:43 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-01-27 06:35 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-01-28 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)1. Would you be okay with modern AU?
2. Would it be acceptable if one pair was established and it was more of them trying to accept that the other pair was going to be a relationship and deal with that?
Re: Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-01-31 12:31 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-02-03 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Ben/Poe Kylo/Hux Multiple Personality Disorder...
(Anonymous) 2016-02-04 12:18 am (UTC)(link)FILL | Meeting in the Middle [1/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-02-07 04:17 am (UTC)(link)Poe had been there from the beginning. He had known Ben for almost his entire life. He had been there back when everyone believed he was just Ben Solo. He had been there before anyone had ever heard the name Kylo Ren. A part of Poe wished he hadn’t been so young when it happened, maybe then he would be able to better remember how he came to know Ben and Kylo as different people. Maybe then he could help others understand them.
From what he recalled, Ben was always different. He ran hot and cold. One minute he would be playing happily with Poe and the next he would be shoving Poe away and running from the room screaming and crying. He remembered that their parents were concerned with Ben’s behavior but did nothing of it. Every child had tantrums though. It was just taking longer for Ben to learn to control himself. For Poe it didn’t change the fact that Ben was his best friend. The fun he had with Ben was far more important than a few accidents when Ben lose control of himself.
Poe remembered the night he grew up, at least mentally. It was the night his parents got the phone call. He was six which meant Ben was four or maybe five. It was late and Poe remembered waking up thinking it was weird that someone was calling their house so late at night. He remembered sneaking towards his parents’ room and listening through the door as they spoke in hushed voices to someone on the other end of the line. He remembered the bone chilling question that left his mother’s lips. “What do you mean Ben is gone?” That moment would define the next two years of his life. Without Ben he was adrift. He remembered walking around those first few months as a zombie. He remembered his parents trying to comfort him, telling him that Ben wouldn’t want him to worry himself sick and that Ben’s mom, Leia was very important and that she made sure there were lots of people out looking for him. He remembered jumping every time the phone rang hoping and praying that it would be someone saying they found Ben.
He remembered when a year and two months in his mom’s friend and employer, Ben’s mom Leia, came over talking about how one of her co-workers had been the one to take Ben. Poe remembered how his mother’s face. She thought Leia lost it at first; that Ben’s mom in her grief had taken to blaming those around her. Poe’s mom sent him upstairs telling him this wasn’t the sort of thing he needed to hear. He sat on the steps and listened though. He listened as Ben’s mom explained that one of her rivals at work, a man she called Senator Snoke had started talking about how sad it was that Ben was gone because she would never see what he would become. She told to Poe’s mom, Shara Bey, that the man had always been weird about Ben. Always asking about him with a weird look in his eyes. Leia had never thought anything of it until the most recent comment. Poe remembered his mom was unconvinced but that she would help Leia look into it.
After that his mom was busy a lot. She had retired from being a detective when Poe was born. She had instead become a body guard for Ben’s mom. For Ben’s sake and for Ben’s mom she started reaching out to contacts and turning over stones. Poe remembered it was a long time before his mom fixed things. He knew now that it took nearly ten months to build a case that would allow them to search Senator Snoke’s properties.
He remembers his mom picking him up from school the day they found Ben. He remembers her trying to explain what had happened to Ben. “He’s been hurt.” She said. “A man hurt him and it will take him a while to recover. He may not be the same as he was.” Poe knew now what she had been trying to say. Shara Bey was saying that Ben had been abused physically, starved, and tortured for something that wasn’t his fault. He knew now that Snoke, a rival senator had taken his hatred for Senator Leia Organa out on her young son, hitting him, beating him, and trying to convince him that his parents didn’t love him to try in an effort to turn him against them.
When Poe got to the hospital that first day he wasn’t allowed to talk to Ben. Ben was undergoing tests. He got to watch though. He and his mother stood next to Senator Leia Organa as the doctors poked and prodded Ben. Ben’s dad, was in the room, shouting at the doctors to be more gentle and holding Ben’s hand, the gruff man the only comfort he had in that cold room. Ben looked different, Poe remembered. His short a fluffy curls were now long tangled greasy knots with clumps of blood. He was taller, thinner, and ghastly pale. He shook with fear every time someone touched him. He was dirty and a bit bloody but none of that stood out to him as much as the dark marks littering Ben’s arms and legs. They were small letters written in a childish scrawl that Poe recognized as Ben’s.
Poe remembered talking to Ben in the days following his recovery. He would beg his mom or dad to drop him off at the hospital. He also remembered that the hot and cold feeling he always had when playing with Ben was now a thousand times worse. Some days Ben was the sweet and shy boy Poe had always known. He knew what had happened to him during the two years he had been gone but seemed largely unaffected by it. He told Poe remembered missing his parents and little details but little else. Other days he was cold and angry. He hated being touched and he hated his parents for not protecting him from it. On one memorable occasion Poe saw Ben get a faraway look in his eye and shift from one to the other. The marks on his arms continued to appear. No matter how many times the nurses took the pen Ben was using away he always found more. Poe remembered the day he finally worked up the courage to ask about it.
“Ben? Why do you always write on yourself?”
Ben responded first by pulling out the Ben and writing ‘Poe asked’ just below his left wrist. “So Kylo knows what happens while he’s gone. He does the same for me.”
Of course that didn’t make sense to Poe. “Who’s Kylo?” he remembers asking.
Ben looked unsure for a second, as if he was trying to figure out what to say. “He’s the other me. The one who protected me from the bad man. He’s always been there I just never really had a name so one day I wrote him a note and asked him to pick one. He decided he wanted to be Kylo.” That confused Poe even more but in some ways but it explained what he had always known inside. There were two Bens.
From what Ben told him the doctors, and even his parents were less impressed with Ben’s explanation. They sent him for tests and tried to figure out what was wrong. Poe hadn’t understood completely back then. He just knew that Ben was never in school even though he was finally home. Poe made it up by coming to Ben’s house to see him instead. He remembered both Ben and Kylo being upset that no one seemed to understand. He remembered listening to them talk about his countless appointments with specialists and how he just wanted to go back to real school so things could be normal again. He didn’t want to be home schooled anymore he whined. His cries went unanswered for nearly six months before the doctors finally conceded. They gave a name to what they all knew was wrong. Dissociative Identity Disorder.
They said that they thought it was because of trauma but Ben kept insisting that wasn’t true. Kylo had always been there, he just didn’t know it because he didn’t remember. It wasn’t until he woke up with bruises and broken bones he couldn’t explain that he tried to communicate with Kylo. Communicating with them became crucial to their survival while they were with Snoke.
Having a name for it changed little for Ben and Kylo though. It didn’t really make any difference he supposed. They still wrote on their body and it was something Poe knew Leia was trying to break them of the entire summer following Ben’s return. Now that they had a name for Ben’s condition she said he could go back once he could control his urge to write all over his body. She gave him notebooks instead. The notebooks soon littered every room of the house because if there wasn’t one at hand they would go back to writing on themselves. Poe would even keep small notebooks in his back pocket in case Ben ran across the need while they were hanging out. It took nearly a month of skin clean of pen ink Ben’s mom conceeded he would be allowed to go to school when it resumed.
Poe remembered being excited that he could see Ben in school. Apparently Ben had been so ahead in his studies when he was taken, was able to test back into Poe’s grade after a few months of home schooling. Ben’s mom even asked that Ben be placed in Poe’s class in the hope that a friendly face could help. With Ben back Poe expected it would be the best year yet. He thought that Ben would be welcomed back by their classmates but somehow everyone knew what happened. They sensed that Ben Organa-Solo was different, more different than before and they hated him for it. A few brave souls even dared to mock him. Kylo broke their fingers. Poe, who had always been popular with people, struggled to deal with the fact that no one liked Ben. He was forced to choose between Ben and his other friends on more than one occasion and though he always chose Ben it didn’t seem to get better. No one outside of their families seemed to see Ben was worthwhile, and Kylo too. It was a trend that continued through middle school, then high school, and it was a change that Poe was still waiting for now, their junior year of college. He was starting to be doubtful that it would ever come.
Poe pulled himself from the memories he had gotten lost in and finished brushing his teeth. He left the small, messy bathroom in their two bedroom apartment and moved back to the room he shared with Ben. When he entered he grabbed a clean shirt and dared to look over to the bed where a very distracting tall man with dark hair lay. His chin-length hair framed his long delicate features like a halo. Poe, looked down at his bag against his better judgement failed to pick it up and head out to class. Instead he found himself leaning over to kiss his boyfriend.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing Dameron? I don’t want your slobber all over me.” Poe chuckled and pulled away. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last but he had no desire to disturb Ben’s volatile other half.
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [1/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-02-08 12:24 am (UTC)(link)Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [2/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-02-10 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)“Good morning Kylo. You know you have a bed of your own if you don’t want me mistaking you for my boyfriend.” Poe answered looking down at Kylo. Until he got up it really would be hard for Poe or anyone else to differentiate him from Ben.
Kylo shifted, curling deeper into the covers. “This bed is warm and you should be heading to class. Leave me be Dameron.” Kylo complained trying to hide from Poe by curling himself farther under the covers.
“Fine, fine, I’m leaving.” He heard Poe grabbing his bag but didn’t dare look out from the warm blankets. “Tell Ben I love him. And you’re not too bad yourself Kylo.” Poe shouted on the way out the room.
“Leave me alone Dameron!” Kylo shouted even though Poe was out the door and nearly out of the apartment. Kylo reached out to the part of their mind where Ben resided. Poe says he loves you. No response. Not surprising, Ben was usually exhausted after a night of… activities with Poe. Have to do it the old way then. Kylo thought to Ben as much as himself. He reached a long arm out from under Poe’s duvet and grasped around until he found the notebook that was left on Dameron’s bedside. He pulled it under the covers and grabbed the pen attached to the spiral binding. He opened to a blank page and wrote ‘Poe said he loves you.’ Before replacing the pen and pushing the notebook away.
He fell back asleep for an hour or so before giving into the high pitched beeping of the alarm that Ben had set on their phone the night before. Ben stirred in the back of their mind but remained mostly unresponsive. Kylo reached out from under the covers to shut off the annoying device before pushing away the covers so he didn’t try to curl up within their embrace once more.
Kylo pulled himself out of the warm bed and padded across the floor leaving the mess Poe and Ben called a room. He padded through the hallway until he stepped into the bathroom. He pulled himself into the old shower in the corner, staring at the pink cracked tiles next to the faucet. The apartment was ancient but it had been clean and rent had been cheap for a two bedroom close to campus. Plus the landlord didn’t recognize him and Ben as the son of Leia Organa which was always a plus. He grabbed his shampoo, apple as opposed to Ben’s strawberry and washed his chin-length curls out. Then he picked up the conditioner he shared with Ben and ran in through his hair before grabbing his bodywash, vanilla as opposed to Ben’s favorite citrus scent. He lathered up, making sure to wash extra hard to get Poe’s scent out. He was glad when it was gone from his body. Kylo liked Poe but Poe was more like his brother than anything else and he didn’t want to smell like he just had sex with Poe. That was Ben’s business.
He turned off the shower and grabbed his towel off the rack. He quickly dried off his body before wrapping it around his hair while he went to grab clothes from his room. As big of a pain as it was to go through the hassle of getting ready for class it meant he could wash and dress to his tastes rather than waking to Ben’s. Today he wore a black t-shirt with a charcoal grey cardigan, black skinny jeans and the worn black converse he and Ben both loved. He would grab a few scarves to complete the outfit after he dried his hair. He headed back into the bathroom to blow dry his hair. It was a task that always took longer than expected and Kylo was fairly certain that was why Ben usually just pulled it up in the mornings. Kylo liked to leave it down though. It was a signal that would warn their little cousin and her boyfriend not to talk to him until after lunch if they happened to see him on campus. Kylo hated mornings in general. It didn’t help that he had to take a course titled ‘Public Speaking and the Art of Debating’ this morning. The course was required for all students and without it they wouldn’t be able to graduate next year. Since they could take it at any time during their undergraduate career there would be students from all levels. It was a sure recipe for disaster.
Kylo headed towards the door, grabbing the scarves that had been discarded along the way the night before. Once he reached the end of the trail he collected his bag. He checked to ensure both his black notebook and Ben’s blue one were in there. They were for class so they knew who had to focus on studying what. He also ensured small purple notebook they used to pass information when the other was too distracted was in there too. Kylo looked at his phone once more. He would have time to grab coffee before class if he hurried.
He headed towards campus at a brisk pace, stopping only to slide in the door of the local coffee shop on the way. There was no line today. It seemed to be a stroke of luck. He headed up to the counter only to brush against a man who sideswiped him in his rush to exit. The man’s green eyes were wide with rage after a few drops of searing hot coffee spilled on his hands as he bumped into Kylo. “Watch where you’re going.” The other male snarled his vibrant red hair glinting in the sunlight as he stormed out.
“You watch where you’re going!” Kylo shouted back; though the man was already halfway out the door. Kylo stomped up to the counter and placed his order with a growl. “Large Coffee. Black.” He grunted placing his money on the counter. His coffee was retrieved quickly the morning attendants used to Kylo’s rapid mood swings. No one was willing to cross him after the recent display with the redhead.
He left the small shop and hurried the rest of the way to class. He didn’t pay any attention to anything around him. Instead he was too busy stewing with rage over the encounter with the redhead. He didn’t know why he let something so stupid make it mad. You know why. It was Ben. Kylo was always more passionate equal in both joy and rage. Ben was withdrawn and shy… he never showed his emotions. That was the way of it. At least the way it was for them.
Kylo had reached the building with only two minutes to spare. He headed into the classroom that he had been assigned on his schedule, a room he hadn’t been in since he was a freshman taking some of his other gen-ed credits. There weren’t many seats left, his coffee run getting him in the door with only a minute left. The only remaining spot was next to… him. The redhead from the coffee shop. He tried to calm himself. He couldn’t be caught shouting in class. Kylo closed his eyes and counted to ten.
Ben opened his eyes. He was used to this by now. He could vaguely recall Kylo was upset about something, ah, the coffee and the redhead who bumped into him. Ben walked over to the man deciding he should ignore the whole incident. “Excuse me?” he asked the redhead. “Is this seat taken?” the redhead waved him off in a manner that Ben could only assume meant that the seat was unoccupied. He could see the redhead finally look up and raise an eyebrow at Ben’s appearance by his side.
“You should be careful to watch where you’re going.” The redhead whispered.
Ben could see why this man seemed to grate on Kylo’s nerves. “As should you.” He answered in an even tone.
If the redhead wanted to answer he never got the chance. Instead the professor walked in. He was an older man with greying hair, he had a no-nonsense air about him. Ben pulled the blue notebook out of his bag and opened it to a fresh page. ‘August 29th’ he wrote. ‘Public Speaking and the Art of Debating’ he underlined the course title and prepared to take notes.
“I have here copies of the course syllabus. They will be distributed among you. They will describe your weekly readings and what is expected of you in this class. Today however, I would like to get an idea of where you are at. One by one each of you will come up in a pair with the person sitting next to you. You will state your name and major for the class and then I will give you a topic and a view point and you will spend five minutes arguing it. Your classmates will determine the winner of each round and I will use this to better structure this course to what I see as being most beneficial to you. We’ll start with you two.” The old man pointed a gnarled finger to a pair in the front of the room the tone in his voice leaving no room for argument. Ben watched as the pair stood, stunned by the quick turn of events. Ben used the time they spent introducing themselves to do a few mental calculations. It seemed he would be debating with the redhead. Lovely. Based on the sigh to his right the redhead had figured it out as well.
It took almost half the period before it was finally Ben and the redhead’s turn. The other male walked forward, head high, holding himself with a military precision that Ben recalled from the soldiers his mother often met with for her job. When they reached the front the redhead spoke first. His vibrant hair color contrasting with his pale skin. “Breácan Hux. Political Science.”
Ben thought for a moment the name sounded familiar but he couldn’t quite place it. “Ben Solo. BioMed.” It had taken ages for Ben and Kylo to agree on a major even after they had both agreed that it would be best to take the same courses rather than trying to run themselves ragged doing their own thing. Biomedical Engineering was good for a pre-med track, plus it had a technical aspect that both Ben and Kylo had always enjoyed. It would be a good jumping off point.
“All right boys, I hope you’re up to date on your current events. Two days ago Senator Leia Organa presented a bill that would require educators to take regular training seminars that would educate them on how to handle a variety of mental health disorders their students might suffer from. Ben you are for, Breácan, against. Breácan you will start.”
Ben eyed the professor. He was almost certain the man knew who he was. How frustrating. Not at much so as hearing the redhead open his mouth however. “The idea that educators should be required to take courses on medical conditions that they will likely never encounter is absolutely ridiculous. If these conditions were so prevalent then they would be taught in university. Since they are not taught by accredited universities, which have far more input on the matter then it is likely that they are unimportant.”
Ben knew this proposed law and arguments against it like the back of his hand. He was the reason his mother had written it and he had proofread it alongside her aides more than once during the summer. “The idea of implementing a continuing education program is not new. In fact many states already require educators to attend in-services and outside courses to further their education. The bill Senator Organa proposed merely ensures a focus is placed on dealing with the mental wellbeing of a child. The CDC published a report stating that between 13-20% of children are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. These affect their school life as well as their home life and many teachers are ill-prepared to deal with even common struggles like anxiety or ADHD. Beyond that, research for these disorders is always changing so even universities that include a course on the mental wellbeing of children will be out of date by the time a teacher needs to apply it. This bill clearly protects the welfare of children and is long overdue.”
The redhead, Breácan, hadn’t expected that. Ben saw a bead of sweat fall from his forehead but the other man’s face remained stoic. “While many of these disorders are common, they are also commonly misdiagnosed. In children the most common misdiagnosis are for ADHD and as many as one million have been misdiagnosed according to studies. Allowing teachers to play armchair psychiatrist is not only unhelpful but it could actually harm these children. Not to mention that if this bill is supposed to support children suffering from mental health conditions the money could do more good assisting children and their families with seeking treatment directly.”
Ben zoned out. It seemed Kylo had wanted a piece of the redhead as well. Ben allowed himself to fade so that Kylo could have his turn. “Now who is ridiculous? I don’t doubt the mental healthcare system needs further funding but to merely throw money at an issue will not make it go away.” Kylo explained, his feelings coming through in a way they hadn’t during Ben’s cold explanation. “Education will. If teachers are aware, then parents who might otherwise overlook serious conditions as their child acting out will have a way of seeking treatment. It may be the best opportunity for many of these children as well because of the stigma that remains surrounding mental health. This is a valuable opportunity to help children and it is not your place to squash it simply because you are too dull to understand the importance.”
Breácan was about to speak up once more when the professor called it. “Time. In the future let’s steer clear of personal insults.” The old man chided focusing on Kylo. “Now, class who do you think won the debate.” Unlike previous debates where other students spoke up with a good-natured cheer for one or the other everyone remained silent. It seemed they knew not what to say. The professor took the classes cue and moved on. “We’ll call it a tie. Next.”
Kylo returned to his seat, his heart racing. The look on the other male’s face, the pale skin flushed from exertion, made him feel something strange. He simultaneously wanted to punch the other male and ask him a question just to hear his voice again. Still, if the redhead truly believed what he was saying about their mother’s bill then Kylo would be better off having nothing to do with him.
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [3/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-02-17 12:27 am (UTC)(link)The other man chuckled under his breath. “I wanted to know if you really believed the crap you spewed during our debate.”
Brea’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected that. “Really? That’s what you want to ask?” He was kind of surprised. He knew the engineering student was passionate during their debate but he had thought it was all over the coffee incident this morning when the dark haired giant hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. “You provided valid points but it is not the government’s duty to care for children. If parents are unable to handle their children then perhaps they shouldn’t have them. Educators, at least in the public school system are employees for the city or township they work for which is overseen by the state which is overseen by the government as a whole. To educate these teachers on information parents should be responsible for knowing is a burden on taxpayers. The system should not be required to halt for those too weak to keep up.” It was extreme, even for him it was extreme. The truth was for all he believed in the failings of democracy he didn’t actually think of the mentally ill as a burden. The government should care for them just as they cared for all of their citizens. It was just... he just wanted to be right. He was a political science major set to complete both his undergrad and graduate degrees within four years. He couldn’t be shown up in a debate course by an engineer.
“You’re unbelievable! You actually think that? Are you a fucking fascist? Is that why you want to get into the political scene? So you can strong arm the government until you destroy it and rebuild it in your own image? That’s totally fucked up.” It seemed the dark haired male was angry with him and it brought him a little bit of joy watching the other male get all worked up. It was almost… he was almost attractive with a scowl on his face. Shame. Almost wasn’t what Hux was into.
Hux shrugged. He wanted to see if indifference was the way to go. In his experience it usually wound people up more. He hadn’t expected the response he got. The dark haired man, Ben his mind helpfully supplied, seemed to change before him. He could see him counting to ten mentally and watched as his body let go of all of his stress. “You’re despicable.” He watched Ben, walk from the room. He picked up his bags and headed across campus for his job as a TA.
The next few days were boring for Brendol Hux. With classes just starting he didn’t have any homework and he only had one friend on campus, a friend who was preoccupied with her part time job. It meant he spent a lot of time alone, in his room, with his wonderful cat but he could only spend so much time working on his thesis before he became bored. It got so bad that he was almost excited to go back to his public speaking and debate course. Working up Ben the biomedical engineering major seemed like fun now.
That morning, Brea dressed in one of his favorite button downs. It was a charcoal grey and went well with the black suspenders he connected to his slacks. He layered a black lightweight cardigan over it and longed for the coming days when he would be able to wear a blazer without becoming uncomfortably hot. He was rather pleased with the look even if it wasn’t as formal as he would have liked. He check his hair in the mirror one last time to ensure it was properly placed before heading out. This time he skipped the coffee shop. He didn’t want to work Ben up over something so stupid. He’d rather rip apart the other man’s political ideology.
It should be noted that Hux felt a slight attraction to the other man. He wouldn’t admit to it of course or even consciously recognize it for what it was. A crush. He was just like the little boy who pulled the pigtails of the girl he liked. Instead in his conscious mind he just saw him as a rival. When he entered the room he sat in the back same as before, glaring at any students who tried to switch seats in an effort to ensure Ben would sit next to him. He watched the door and waited for the taller male to arrive. Unlike the previous lecture where the dark haired man stumbled in at the last moment, this time Ben Solo arrived with several seats left. Still, Brea got lucky, Ben sat down next to him with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile on his face.
Hux couldn’t help but try to dig at him as he sat down. “You didn’t get enough last time?” he asked. He was looking at his notebook pretending not to pay too much attention to the engineering major next to him.
He watched the way the man named Ben Solo looked at him from the corner of his mind. “You’re entitled to your opinions even if they’re the radical ideals of a man who has no true experience in government beyond watching the men in your daddy’s pocket grovel before him.”
Breácan was taken a back. No one should know about that. It was true Hux wasn’t a common name but not many people knew about his father, a retired military general who had been fortunate enough to marry a young heiress late in life. He was one of the biggest donors to many extreme right-wing campaigns. He was the sort of man could bring about the rise and fall of government officials but he was always quiet about it. How did Ben Solo know? He couldn’t ask, that would make him look foolish. He had to find another way. “My father has nothing to do with this. Bringing him up shows just how out of your depth you are.”
“Whatever you say.” A chuckle from the other man before another raised eyebrow. Ben Solo looked up at Brea for a moment and smirked like he knew a secret. Hux frowned. He wasn’t certain why it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t the other male worked up? Why did was he becoming so worked up? He pulled out his notebook, resigned to the fact that he would have to give up before he made a fool of himself when heard the other male speak up again. “If you’re trying to wind me up you’re going to have to work harder.” Hux didn’t have the opportunity to respond even if he wanted to because the professor walked in.
The lecture was fairly boring, it included tips on public speaking that had been grilled into Breácan from the minute he could talk. It only dampened the mood by how boring it was. By the end of the lecture he was in a rush to get out just so he wouldn’t have to listen to the old professor drone. Any excitement he had about the course was gone and not even the prospect of another debate assignment at the end of the month could improve it.
The next time he went to class it was the same. The time after that was too. Hux’s mood remained sour throughout. The freshmen he served as TA for were incompetent, his courses were far too easy and overall they were rather boring. Still, he didn’t allow himself slip in any course. He practiced so that he could be fully prepared for the debate. The professor had paired them up based on their proficiency during the first debate which meant that Breácan would be arguing against Ben Solo once more. This time he had the advantage of receiving his topic in advance as well. It was a well-known topic, ‘The Pen is Mighter than the Sword’. Hux would be arguing for while Ben was against.
The morning of the debate started much like any other day. Hux expected everything would continue as it had the past few courses, he figured by now that the first course had been a fluke. It wasn’t until he saw the smirk on Ben Solo’s face when they were called up to the podium that he began to feel differently. This time as it was a formal debate rather than the practice session given at the start of the term Hux would start with opening statements. “Today I would like to argue that the pen, or the written word is more powerful than the physical force, or sword, that man wields while my foe attempts to prove the opposite.”
Ben responded. “My opponent would like to state that the pen is more powerful than the sword. It is my intention to prove the opposite.” The smirk still had not left his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it.
“I would like to begin my argument by explaining how the written word shapes our society in a way that the sword cannot.” Breácan began. “General William Westmoreland once said ‘The military don’t start wars. Politicans start wars.’ While the man’s grammar may leave something to be desired Westmoreland provides a valid point. The military is commanded by those in power to deploy troops. Those in power, politicians often write speeches explaining to the people exactly why they should be supporting war. The speeches are written in advance so that they may be tested and perfected. War is always premeditated. It always begins and ends with the written word through speeches, treaties, declarations, proposals, and accords.” Hux looked to the man across from him, still smirking. He wanted to wipe that smirk of his face. “Revolutions are incited by the written word. From the American Revolution’s Declaration of Independence and countless packets arguing for freedom to Karl Marx’s manifesto. A document that became the basis for communism throughout the world. Even religious purges from the crusades until now were the result of the written word.”
Hux looked at his opponent once more. Ben Solo was still smirking. He would have to wait until the other male provided his arguments before he could counter though. “My opponent provides very interesting arguments however it should be noted that any power the pen may hold is created behind the threat of the sword. How could the pen truly be powerful if it is reliant on the sword? Beyond that most of my opponents arguments are the result of fear mongering but what is it the people truly fear? A pen? No. It is the threat of the sword, the threat of violence that makes men give in. People do not fear Marx’s Communist Manifesto they fear the violence that erupts from it.” Hux was again surprised by how eloquent the other man was. It was so rare that he met someone who could truly match his turn of phrase and he found himself enjoying it despite the smirk that still graced Ben Solo’s face. “What my opponent fails to note is that wars may be made official by politicians but they are certainly not started by them. No, it is an act of violence that starts war whether it is the Nazi occupation of Europe, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, or Pearl Harbor players enter the battlefield because of a violent event that stirs action. Manifestos and religious texts are very much the same. They could not physically do harm unless their sheer size or a hardback binding caused a concussion I am unaware of. These words mean nothing without the unstable socioeconomic climate that incites violence. In conclusion the pen only holds power because the sword is there to back it up.”
Hux was impressed but he had prepared for this. “I believe that my opponent brings up a valid point however we must remember that the written word is what shapes our society. We are not barbarians who run around hitting one another to incite violence. We are a civilized people who read the news, enact legislation, and write literature supporting our actions. This information is what leads to action. Every course is incited by the pen. The sword can only intimidate and even that is not nearly as effortless as that of the pen.”
The man across from him nodded, the smirk still fully affixed on his face. “My opponent brings up a valid argument as well, in fact his word, while not written is a perfect example of what the pen can do. Tell me however…” Ben Solo walked out from behind his podium and over to Hux. “Are your words mightier than this?’ Hux saw a fist and fell to the ground clutching his abdomen. He had been punched in the gut. Ben Solo was a fucking crazy person who concluded a perfectly reasonable argument by punching him in the gut.
Hux laid on the ground for what seemed like ages but couldn’t have been more than a minute, maybe two. He sat up using his arms to brace himself and saw their classmates staring in stunned silence. The professor wasn’t much better. The man had made no motion to do anything about Solo’s unhinged actions. It was like the man thought this was a perfectly valid form of argument. Breácan rubbed a hand across his face. That was when it came to him. It was his turn to smirk. “As you can see my opponent has just proven my point, or at least he will have when I press charges against him.”
The class clapped and the professor seemed impressed as well. Solo was still smirking but he offered Hux a hand to stand up the rest of the way. The professor finally decided to speak up. “Well I certainly don’t want anyone to be forced to follow up that masterful argument. It seems those of you who haven’t yet gone will have a reprieve for now. We’ll continue next class, you’re all dismissed.”
Hux was still in shock but he couldn’t help but be pleased with his performance. Still, Ben Solo punched him. What the hell was wrong with that guy? Hux stalked over to where Ben was currently picking up his bag, Hux’s own bag on the chair next to it. He turned for a second to see who remained in the room. Apparently everyone left in a rush. The possibility of another punch being thrown was less exciting than getting out of a three hour lecture an hour early. “Solo, what the hell was that?” Hux asked trying to keep his anger at bay.
Ben Solo turned, the smirk from before still firmly placed on his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it. “Hmm? It was a debate. I was just proving my point.”
Hux felt his anger rising further. Was this guy for real? “I don’t think that punching people is part of a regular debate.”
The smirk grew bigger. If that was even possible anyway. “Maybe you’re just not debating with the right people.”
Nope. That was it, Breácan couldn’t resist anymore. He threw a punch of his own. Ben reeled back for a moment but when he recovered the smirk was still there enhanced by a split lip. “See, you seem to like it yourself. Also, now that you’ve hit me you can’t file charges so, I win.”
Was this man insane? “Are you kidding me? You wanted me to hit you to prove your point. You are the most unreasonable person I’ve ever met Ben Solo!” Hux was shouting. He knew it but he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t get his normally even temper back under control.
“Kylo.” The taller male stated as if that somehow explained everything.
“What?” Hux replied a wary look entering his eyes.
“I go by Kylo.” With that he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and rushed out leaving Hux alone and rather confused. Who the hell went by a name like Kylo?
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [4/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-03-04 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)“Hey baby cakes! What’s wrong?” Poe asked when he entered the door focusing a raised eyebrow at Ben’s icepack. Poe was usually good at telling them apart. Most of the time Ben wasn’t sure how he did it. This time however he was confident it was just because Kylo ignored his injuries when he shouldn’t.
“Kylo has a crush. He punched him in the face to prove a point. Of course, Kylo picked one who punched back.” Poe set down his bag and walked over to where Ben was sitting as the kitchen bar. He kissed Ben’s cheek. Ben blushed. Even after the entirety of high school and most of college Poe’s affections never failed to make Ben feel bubbly inside.
“For some reason I’m not even surprised at this point.” Poe chuckled and leaned over Ben’s head to look at his homework. Poe was a dual electrical and mechanical engineering major. In the beginning they had a lot of the same core engineering courses but now almost all of their classes were different. Poe was always interested in hearing about what was going on in Ben’s classes. “What do you want for dinner?” Poe asked enjoying the rare moment to tower over Ben while the taller man was sitting.
Ben shrugged. “Maybe pasta? Something soft so I don’t have to worry about biting this swollen lip?” Ben asked hopefully.
“Of course. Mac and Cheese?” Poe responded. The two of them were in college and they often used whatever excuse they needed to eat comfort food.
“Sure.” Ben smiled despite how much it hurt his lip.
Poe pulled Ben’s icepack away from his lip and gave him a kiss. “And while I cook you can tell me all about what went down with Kylo’s new crush.”
Ben shut his notebook and tried to stop himself from smiling. A smile would sting far too much. “Ugh, where to start?” Ben exaggerated. There was far too much to tell Poe and the two of them were Grade A gossips. He watched Poe pull out the pasta and the pots. “Okay, so remember the ginger fascist whose daddy thinks he can win elections with his cash?”
Poe grimaced already sensing where Ben was going with this. “No? No! No way. Don’t tell me Kylo has a thing for fascist assholes.”
Ben chuckled at Poe reaction. His lip burning as it was stretched. He dabbed it with a nearby napkin thankful when he pulled it away from his lip and it wasn’t covered with blood. He was glad his laughter hadn’t reopened the wound. “You know he likes to fight. Besides, this guy gives as good as he gets.”
Poe chuckled. “It sounds like match made in heaven between their desire to fight and a constant topic of argument. Does the ginger menace feel the same though?”
Ben looked down at his lap for a moment considering what he had seen in his own interactions with Hux. “Mmmmm… Yes. I think he might. He seems lost though. Lost and a bit confused. The second class he really thought I was Kylo and would shout at him... or well me. Since Kylo began laying low during this course he grew comfortable that the first class was just a fluke. Kylo told me the look on his face was priceless when he realized the battle he would be in for today. The man doesn’t seem to see it.”
Poe laughed out loud as he set the water to boil on the stove. He almost spilled some in the process. Ben watched him with amusement. When Poe finally managed to get the water on he pulled himself up to sit on the nearby counter so he could face Ben while they spoke. “Well I mean DID isn’t what most people jump to when they see the two of you. It doesn’t help that you and Kylo probably already agreed to make him guess. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to date one of you without knowing about the other.”
Ben shrugged. “Listen, if he’s going to be making out with this body he better be as worthy of Kylo as you are of me. If he can’t deal with both of us then this won’t work.”
Poe nodded. “Of course, but he doesn’t even realize there’s two of you. How long do you think it will take to guess?”
“It took Finn almost two months before Rey took pity on him and told him.” Ben countered. “Then again, this guy seems like an encyclopedia of knowledge. Finn didn’t even know what DID was.”
“We can only hope.” Poe countered, stepping down from his makeshift seat on the counter to add pasta to the now bubbling water.
“Speaking of Finn,” Ben began. “Did you hear he got a part time job teaching kids classes at the gym in town?”
Poe shook his head. “Phasma’s place? No, he hadn’t told me yet. He’s supposed to be my best friend. How do you find out before me?”
“Well, Rey and Finn were talking about it at lunch. Neither of them actually told me they just forget that I can hear them when they try to whisper because they are incredibly loud. Don’t worry you’re still his favorite.” Ben winked at his boyfriend.
Poe stirred the pasta looking down to hide his smile. “Well we can’t have everything Ben. Besides you’re my favorite. Just don’t tell Kylo.” He finally looked up and offered Ben a wink of his own.
Ben made a face. “As much as I appreciate that I think Finn would be hurt if he knew your bromance wasn’t real.”
“You wouldn’t tell him would you?” Poe pouted sarcastically. “Our bromance is real. It’s just my heart belongs to another and his does too no matter how you try to deny the fact that he’s going to marry your little cousin.”
Ben huffed. “He can’t marry Rey. We’re getting married first. They have to wait their turn.”
“We agreed not to get married until after we graduated. What if those crazy kids can’t wait?” Poe teased the way he always did when they brought up Rey and Finn. Ben and Kylo still hadn’t gotten over the fact that their genius baby cousin graduated high school early, found a boyfriend, and was attending the same college as them.
“They’ll wait.” Ben argued, putting a swift end to the conversation. He had been waiting for years to marry Poe and he would be damned if Rey and Finn stole their thunder. Of course, his marriage would be more of a ceremony since legally both he and Kylo couldn’t be married to different people and it wasn’t fair for one to have more than the other. Ben steered the subject in a different direction “Seriously though, I think Finn showed me a thousand pictures of BB from when he followed Rey home last weekend. He may love your dog more than you do at this point. Don’t be surprised when he and Rey file for joint custody.”
Poe looked horrified. BB-8 was his dog, the eighth pup born to a pair of roly-poly little corgis all named after their sire BB. He had been a birthday present from Ben when he and Poe were sophomores in high school. Sadly their apartment didn’t allow animals so while Poe and Ben were at college BB spent a lot of his time following around Poe’s mom while she guarded Ben’s mom meaning that when Rey visited her father and inevitably her aunt and uncle she would encounter BB. Poe often jokingly blamed her for the small dog’s weight gain but Ben knew it was Kylo. His other half feigned distaste but loved to give the small animal treats when no one was looking.
“I’ll never give BB to them!” Poe shouted, a bit louder than necessary. He nearly spilled the water on his way to drain the pasta from the sink because of his excitement. Fortunately only a few stray drops made their way to the floor. The rest remained in the pot until Poe had the chance to empty it into the sink. Once only the pasta remained in the pot Poe grabbed the milk, butter, and prepackaged cheese dust and began to stir.
Ben stood and moved his notebook to the corner so that they had room to eat. Then he walked around their kitchen island to grab some bowls and forks for their dinner. While they were preparing food Poe rounded back around the topic of conversation as he often did until he got the full story. “So Ben, back to Kylo mysterious redhead, when do I get to meet him?”
Ben shrugged. “Dunno. Probably after they become friends or at least after I become friends with him before he figures out the difference.” He pulled the spoon from Poe’s hand a used it to scoop the gooey macaroni and cheese into his bowl.
“Well I look forward to it. If Kylo likes him he probably has a redeeming quality somewhere.” Poe quipped.
“I suppose he must.” Ben responded. “Kylo doesn’t like many people after all.”
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [5/?]
(Anonymous) 2016-03-16 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)Poe sighed and tried to pull himself from his thoughts. He knew this was a possibility. He always had, he thought he had made peace with it and yet every time Kylo got a boyfriend got himself all worked up. The door to the apartment opened suddenly causing Poe to jump and slam his textbook shut. It appeared he hadn’t pulled himself far enough out of his mind.
“Hi Dameron.” Kylo rushed past to his room his face beet red.
“Hi Poe!” Rey chirped brightly following after her cousin.
“Hey man!” Finn greeted, shutting the door behind them. He came and sat across the table from Poe.
Poe Dameron raised his eyebrow at the scene he just witnessed. “Um… hey. What was…?” he pointed in the direction of Kylo’s room.
“Oh, Kylo got his ginger all worked up and kissed him to make him shut up. Then the ginger said that if he wanted to touch him he damn well better buy him dinner first and so I guess they’re going out on a date tonight.”
“What?” Poe asked. This summary seemed chaotic and chaos was so very, very Kylo.
“Yeah, so Rey’s helping him find something decent to wear.” Finn answered sheepishly.
Poe chuckled. “I see. Good luck with that. Kylo’s room is a mess.” He wondered what Ben would think of all this. He hoped that he might get the opportunity to ask him soon.
Finn laughed. “Are you doing okay, man?”
Poe blinked. He was suddenly nervous he was letting his insecurities show. “Yeah, I mean, I miss Ben. Kylo’s been so busy courting his angry ginger that I haven’t had much time with my boyfriend but other than that I’m good.”
Finn nodded. “I don’t know how you do it, man. I can’t imagine what I’d do if Rey had another boyfriend. Even if it wasn’t really Rey, I just seeing her with someone else would hurt.”
Poe paused, he heard the shower turn on. It seemed Kylo was showering while Rey raided his closet. “It does bother me a bit but I’ve known Kylo and Ben since we were toddlers. Ben and Kylo are so different and I can’t be with both. I love Ben and Kylo differently. Kylo is like that annoying brother you always fight with while Ben is just light and beauty and everything I could ever want in life and even though it’s hard because they share a body I just try and convince myself that Kylo deserves to have someone see him the way I see Ben and that I can’t get in the way of that. I tell myself that a lot.”
Finn nodded though it was clear from the look on his face that he still had trouble understanding. Poe didn’t blame him understanding Ben and Kylo was a difficult task that had taken him several years to master. They sat in silence as the shower turned off, neither really sure what to say on the subject at this point. They remained silent as several doors slammed and Rey began to shout at her cousin. “So, how was your visit to the Skywalker-Organa-Solo compound?” Poe asked. It wasn’t really a compound, just a cul-de-sac in a residential neighborhood where Ben’s parents Leia and Han lived in one house with Rey’s dad Luke living next door. On the other side Han’s best friend Chewie lived and with the Damerons only a few blocks away it was kind of like being at a circus.
Finn began sweating. “Is it always that… crazy?”
“Yep.” Poe answered knowing better than to ask what had happened.
“I loved it.” Finn whispered. “They were all so nice and inviting and it was chaotic rather than orderly and stifling.” Finn had gone to a military boarding school so it was always hit or miss how he’d react to ‘the distractions of the outside world’. “Rey introduced me to BB-8. He’s so cute.”
Poe laughed. “Isn’t he! Mom’s always sending me pictures of all the cute things he does.”
“Yeah. He definitely…” A knock at the door interrupted Finn.
Poe looked to the door. “Is Ginger Spice picking Kylo up?”
Finn shrugged in response. Poe stood and made his way to the door. He looked through the peephole and saw a flash of red. He pulled the door open. “Can I help you?” he asked looking the man he could only assume was the ginger fascist up and down.
He was tall. Much taller than Poe. He was nearly as tall as Ben and Kylo. Just Kylo’s type. Ben always liked how much smaller Poe was. It made it easier for him to wrap himself around Poe like some kind of wild octopus. Kylo liked someone tall. It was much easier to argue with someone at your eye level and as much as Kylo denied it, arguing was how he showed his love. He was well dressed too. Poe could only hope that Rey managed to tame Kylo’s hair enough so he wouldn’t look out of place with his well-dressed fascist. The man wore slacks that showed off his long legs paired with a button down, and form fitting vest and a skinny tie. Yeah, Kylo might need more help than just Rey. And damn, was that man’s hair red. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen hair as red as that. It was like a sunset.
The redhead cleared his throat and Poe collected himself enough to stop staring. “Hello, I’m looking for Kylo. Is he here?”
Poe nodded and stepped aside. “Yeah, he’s just letting his cousin torture him until he looks his best for you. I’m his roommate, Poe. You can come in and wait.” He gestured to the couch where Finn was sitting. “This is Finn, He dates Kylo’s cousin.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hux.” The ginger… Hux said politely. He was stiff and continued to stand at attention the way Poe had always seen military personnel do when he was growing up. He vaguely recalled Ben mentioning the redhead’s father was some sort of financial backer for less than savory campaigns. He wondered if the man somehow has connections to the military that he used to drill rigidity into his son.
The three of them sat in silence. Poe’s normally good natured humor failing him. Finn gave him a look and he forced himself to try. “So, what drew you to Kylo?”
Hux smirked. “He’s annoying and unbearable and he kissed me. I told him if we were going to kiss, he better buy me dinner first. I didn’t expect him to ask me out.”
Finn tried to stifle a laugh.
Poe smiled. “Of course he did. Kylo probably took it as a challenge.”
At that moment Kylo came out, his normally well cared for but unmanageable hair tamed into a nice top knot by Rey and held in place with more hairspray than his redhead’s slicked back locks. Poe noticed Kylo wore a ripped pair of black skinny jeans and an old t-shirt he favored. He also wore an oversized sweater that somehow served to dress up the look. Overall Rey did a good job. He looked like Kylo, just if Kylo actually put more than a few minutes of effort into how he looked. He was still underdressed compared to his redhead which would no doubt be a hot topic of conversation the moment the other two left.
“You ready?” Kylo said offering a small and rare smile.
“Yes. You’re late.” Hux countered.
Kylo smirked and looked at the clock on the wall. Kylo knew it was two minutes slow but Hux didn’t. “It looks to me like I have a minute to spare. Perhaps you’re just early Hux.”
Hux looked at his watch and then held up his phone to confirm the time. “No, you’re late. Now, let’s go.”
Kylo smirked at his audience and followed Hux out the door.
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [10/10]
(Anonymous) 2016-06-18 02:59 am (UTC)(link)