[ Careful, says his tone. Hux's hair is damp and his shoulders are bare. This is because a giant toddler threatened to come and get him directly, which Hux isn't entirely sure he wouldn't.
He radiates the kind of patience that only his job has made the norm. ] I was in the fresher, calm yourself.
[ Setting the comm on a shelf, he tugs on a soft robe (they definitely didn't have ones that luxurious on the Finalizer, someone has been splashing out with his new credits) and starts running an oil through his hair. Ren can fucking well have this conversation as Hux finishes what he was doing, the impatient child. ]
The anger fades into something else, some sullen, adolescent embarrassment, as he sees Hux on the comm. Especially considering the state Hux is in, because he's never seen him in anything less than, well, you know. Fully dressed. So he at least looks away until Hux-- now in a robe-- speaks again. Ren, for his part, is still in a black sweater and black jeans, because he doesn't have his assortment of tattered capes and tunics at the moment.
But his arm-- stiff as it is-- is now free from the sling. So he can fake being at 100% a lot easier than last time they communicated.
He tries to sound totally cool and collected, leader-like, as he bites out his response: ]
We haven't had an opportunity to properly speak yet.
[ YES, GOOD. FEEL STUPID. Where could Hux even escape to on this moon, that's the real question. He gets a lot of satisfaction out of Ren's mood turning into shabby humiliation, glancing back at the comm eventually. ]
I was under the impression you'd conscripted a new general.
[ Really did not appreciate the disrespect from Cold, or that Ren allowed it. ]
An ally. [ He snaps that back quickly. 'Partner in crime and bad influence' might be more accurate. There's a budding friendship there, but Ren doesn't know yet how to define anything with Leonard. So 'ally' it is, as far as Hux is concerned. ] He's no threat to your rank.
[ Though let's be honest: he totally thought the disrespect Leonard threw at Hux was hilarious. ]
[ Hux pretty much suspects Ren loved watching someone tool with him, why wouldn't he. ]
I don't have a rank on this moon. We're completely outside of our galactic borders, somewhere beyond the Outer Rim, who knows for sure? There's no First Order, certainly, but there does seem to be an abundance of Resistance personnel swaggering around as if they own the place.
[ He eyes the comm pointedly, changing into a black shirt to one side of the camera. ]
That girl, she's making waves. Why haven't you dealt with her?
[ His eyes flash with anger at Hux's question, as if the General is his superior officer. ]
Because, as you've pointed out, there's no First Order here. [ His words are gritted out, teetering on the brink of an outburst. Calm, calm, keep calm, don't fly off the handle again... ] I have no intention of losing the freedom I have, not over the girl or anyone else.
[ Testy in return, he huffs and finishes dressing before stepping back into view, the brief silence allowing him to soothe his frayed nerves a little. ]
They're going to kill me the first chance they get. You know that, don't you? [ Head down, he concentrates hard on buttoning a waistcoat. His fingers slip once although his voice is even. ] The laws on this moon won't matter when they make it look accidental, somewhere out in the wild. They've as good as admitted it.
Assassinations require subtlety. When has Kylo Ren ever been subtle about anything in his life?
However, when Hux says that last bit, Ren leans forward with interest. Much as he hates the general, much as his own loyalty towards the First Order wavers more with every passing day, he still has to hold back a growl. That they'd be so smug and arrogant, assured of their own righteousness, that they'd make such threats without fear... That overrides the doubt that's been plaguing him, replaces it with white-hot fury. ]
[ It's the reaction he was hoping for, would expect from a supposed superior, but even though Hux has always taken the safety of his men seriously it's odd to see Ren give a shit. Mostly he told him to hear a cold agreement that could prepare him to face the reality of the situation ...
But whatever Ren's reasons are, if it puts Hux in the same corner as such a powerful Force-user then so be it. He's never scorned the strength the other man controls. ]
All of them to a degree. [ He swallows and straightens, clasping a wrist behind his back to keep himself upright when what he really wants to do is sit down with his head in his hands and think of a way to kill every rebel in residence. His chin tips up. ] I'm spending more time at the Perimeter Guard while my ... training is in progress. [ Imagine how galling that is, to be a general and then a grunt in the span of a day. To translate his meaning; he's not sleeping at the apartments. Washing, yes, but that's a necessity he can't forgo. ] That's where you can find me, if you've need.
[ If he hadn't recently been shot at-- in public-- by Dameron, Ren likely would have reacted to the news very differently. He would have reacted in the way that Hux was expecting, with indifference and, perhaps, insultingly-worded 'advice' on how to prepare for the inevitability.
But right now, he takes it as a personal insult, a slight against his own perceived weakness, because he had, for the most part, been doing his best to keep his violent impulses at bay. If he attacks one of the rebel scum, even in self defense, he knows full well that he will always come off looking like the instigator, regardless of the truth.
A mad beast to be put down, as the gunshot wounds in his hip and shoulder remind him daily.
And this is the result: they've grown so bold, so certain that there will be no repercussions, that they threaten Hux openly and without fear. ]
Very well. [ Trying his best to sound measured, like he isn't itching to grab his lightsaber and hunt some Resistance fighters. ] I'm sure I don't have to remind you to carry a blaster. The pilot-- Dameron [ He spits the name out with so much contempt. ] won't hesitate to shoot in broad daylight.
[ He has carried his personal blaster and a secreted blade since Starkiller Base failed, purely to protect himself from any potential threats. They don't do anything against the fucking Force but he's fairly sure he could clip Dameron, at the very least. Hux isn't a bad shot.
His brow knits with the same backhanded offence when he infers that Ren has been attacked. If that's so, then what hope does Hux have? ]
You can't let them do anything to you. [ Ren is, so far, Hux's only defence strategy, albeit a wildly unreliable one. ] They can't be allowed to attack the Supreme Leader and live, if that's what you're saying Dameron did. Can't you [ wAVING A HAND ] get in his head without letting him know it's you? Weaken him, somehow.
I don't know. Snoke never sat me down over a cold one and explained the intricacies of your mystical acrobatics! [ Just enjoy the ludicrous imagery there for a moment. Okay, good. ] You've interrogated enemies before, I would assume you can root around in their mind and do damage on purpose.
[ It's unfortunate Hux doesn't have the Force, even though he disdains it. Fears it. ]
He almost laughs at the absurdity. Almost. But Hux, surprisingly, gives him an idea with his remarks about the Force. Ren's all brute strength, physically and with the Force. Even his attacks on Poe's mind were all about wreaking blunt force havoc.
He's never tried to truly use the man's mind against him before. ]
[ Coming up with a new plan to destroy his enemies AND disappointing Hux? This is the best day Kylo Ren's had in weeks!
Anyway, Ren's distracted for a moment, clearly hung up on whatever plan he's cooking up, until Hux mentions Cold. Then his attention snaps back to the comm, gaze sharp. ]
I haven't found him to be abrasive. [ Said with an air of "SO I GUESS THE PROBLEM'S YOU."
...
Ren is, as ever, a child. ]
He helped me out of a... situation. That's how I came to know him.
[ It's like walking on landmines, talking with Ren. ]
Hmph.
[ And yet, Cold lets Dameron live. Pathetic tactics. Hux pulls a scarf on, taking the comm with him as he dresses for the outdoors; his greatcoat has the FO insignia removed from the sleeve. He wants to go out and get some air, stuck in a room with Ren's simmering moodiness suddenly feels stifling. Hux gives off an air of dismissal even though he deigns to ask, ]
[ And the sad truth is: Cold didn't even find him until the aftermath, when Ren was left bullet-ridden and bleeding in an alley, not by Dameron, but his totally Force-insensitive pal who just happened to be there. That part, Ren's deliberately omitting, because it's utterly humiliating.
He opens his mouth, ready to snarl that he will not be dismissed, but then stops himself. A rare show of self-control. Indeed, despite everything, he's become a touch more relaxed the past few days. THIS IS REN WHEN HE'S SLIGHTLY RELAXED. ]
Just-- [ Still scowling, as he grudgingly says: ] Try not to die.
[ Because, for as much as he loathes Hux, it's good to have... something of an ally after months trapped in a city crawling with Resistance fighters. Finally. ]
[ A thin smile is Ren's reward for controlling his temper, the General looking more like himself in his usual coat as he steps outside the door, heading out of the community apartments. One good thing about the world here: it has wonderful caff venues. ]
The only reason I would consent to die is to give you justification for killing the lot of them. Fortunately for them, I hate them a lot less than I like being alive.
[ He looks back to the comm, humour fading. ]
Don't die either. If you abandon me on this moon crawling with rebels I'll grab one of the necromancers out there and make them strangle your Force ghost.
[ Jim means nothing to Ren. If he had, the outburst might have been met with some kind of a response-- an outburst of anger and violence, likely. Rather, the tirade washes off of him harmlessly, his only reaction being the ghost of a smirk on his lips as the pair leaves.
He may have a bloody nose. He may be scraped and bruised and have the dregs of Poe's disgusting vomit on his pant leg, but he feels an elusive sense of ease right now, the kind that comes from pure release. And beyond that, he's not alone. He has the Force, and he has... Hux. Of course, they' had been making small strides towards something less strained with hostility and aggression, but this is the first time they've ever truly been on the same side, united, without any underlying schemes or conflicting agendas. No masters to impress.
They work much better together than apart.
And yet... The praise comes as some surprise, drawing Ren out of his thoughts and back to the bar. As ever, he takes it like a dog that's been starved of affection for too long, even as he tries not to make it obvious. ]
It appears we still make a good team.
[ An allusion back to their encounter with the giant snake. Ren looks around the bar, at the tense crowd still eyeing them and the destruction brought on by the fight with Poe. His hand shifts comfortably against Hux's, handholding being something that's become oddly familiar in the past month. What's unexpected is the offer of a drink. Ren blinks, then reaches out to grab a fistful of napkins, offering some to Hux, for the bloody nose. ]
I could. Not here, though. We've overstayed our welcome.
[ Accepting the tissues with only momentary hesitation, he tries not to think too hard about how good it feels each time they combine their efforts to achieve a common goal. Maybe it's kickback from the Force that makes it all the more satisfying, is that how it works? Could be. Hux likes to doubt it has anything to do with other, more sentimental possibilities. ]
We could check into a hotel for the night and have room service deliver medicine for my nose and [ gLANCING DOWN AT THE VOMIT STAIN, blergh, so unhygienic it makes his eyes hurt to look at it, ] fresh clothes. That would be faster than roaming around the city in search of both.
[ If you think it's bad to look at, Hux, imagine what it's like to EXIST WITH IT ON YOUR CLOTHES. And it's a testament to Ren's general inexperience with tawdry affairs that his mind doesn't go to anything untoward when Armitage suggests a hotel room and a change of clothes. It all sounds quite practical. And convenient. ]
Let's do that. The sooner I can get out of these pants--
[ Ren pauses.
Okay, so when he puts it like that, it sounds tawdry. ]
[ Luckily for Ren, Hux is distracted by keeping his head tilted back to avoid more blood seeping out of his nose as they leave the pub. With Dameron who-knows-where it's an issue of security to ensure Ren keeps the Force at his disposal, which means Armitage is tugging him along more often than not and the sight of them, he supposes, must be ridiculous. Snoke would have surely sneered.
Hux makes sure their hands don't part for a moment, no matter how many roads they cross. ]
I'll put the charge on my account. I ... owe you, for slapping Dameron down like the akk-dog he is. [ A swelling black-eye peers sidelong. ] You're not going to order black robes, I hope.
[ Thin lips twitch, a frittering of amusement beneath the jab. ]
[ He dabs away at the blood on his own face, wincing a little when he presses too hard on his nose, still a bit tender from the fight. That they likely make a ridiculous pair, bleeding, disheveled, and holding hands, doesn't seem to concern Ren at all as they walk out into the city's streets. They're stronger like this, and that knowledge alone has Ren practically exuding a menacing confidence at any passersby.
Ren glances sidelong at Hux, the stern glower he's been directing at those around them fading into something softer, the beginnings of a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. One thing they can always agree on: POE DAMERON IS THE WORST.
And then, at Armitage's remark, Ren lets out a short, surprised laugh. ]
I was thinking gold.
[ HA.
...
Seriously, though, good riddance to Snoke.
Ren's quiet for a few moments as they make their trek towards their destination, a little nagging feeling chewing away inside before he blurts out: ]
That man, in the bar. That was him, wasn't he?
[ Jim. Hux's friend. The one he'd felt in the general's heart before. ]
[ The double-take is one that fathers a smirk of his own, amusement riding high despite the way he huffs and tries not to show it. Kriffing gold ...
His mirth is sidelined by an anxiety to do with Jim once Ren asks about him, however. He considers lying, denying that he even follows what Ren means, but it would be pointless. He's awfully perceptive when he isn't touching a person, Hux isn't foolish enough to effectively lie to his Force-face. So, he sighs and looks away, lips sharply turning into a frown; he looks and feels like shit and Ren has vomit on his legs, what harm can there be in the truth at this point? ]
He seemed to be a decent person. I knew he was invested in Dameron, I avoided the topic of ... well, everything, so his absolute defection now is effectively my fault. I suspected he would turn on me once he knew who I was.
[ Stupidly, he hoped otherwise, and Armitage dragged out as much time with Jim as possible while skirting the subject of the First Order. ]
It turns out he's as predictable as any of the rebel scum.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice; 1/how long will this go
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DONE
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[ Careful, says his tone. Hux's hair is damp and his shoulders are bare. This is because a giant toddler threatened to come and get him directly, which Hux isn't entirely sure he wouldn't.
He radiates the kind of patience that only his job has made the norm. ] I was in the fresher, calm yourself.
[ Setting the comm on a shelf, he tugs on a soft robe (they definitely didn't have ones that luxurious on the Finalizer, someone has been splashing out with his new credits) and starts running an oil through his hair. Ren can fucking well have this conversation as Hux finishes what he was doing, the impatient child. ]
What is it?
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Well.
Now he feels foolish.
The anger fades into something else, some sullen, adolescent embarrassment, as he sees Hux on the comm. Especially considering the state Hux is in, because he's never seen him in anything less than, well, you know. Fully dressed. So he at least looks away until Hux-- now in a robe-- speaks again. Ren, for his part, is still in a black sweater and black jeans, because he doesn't have his assortment of tattered capes and tunics at the moment.
But his arm-- stiff as it is-- is now free from the sling. So he can fake being at 100% a lot easier than last time they communicated.
He tries to sound totally cool and collected, leader-like, as he bites out his response: ]
We haven't had an opportunity to properly speak yet.
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I was under the impression you'd conscripted a new general.
[ Really did not appreciate the disrespect from Cold, or that Ren allowed it. ]
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[ Though let's be honest: he totally thought the disrespect Leonard threw at Hux was hilarious. ]
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I don't have a rank on this moon. We're completely outside of our galactic borders, somewhere beyond the Outer Rim, who knows for sure? There's no First Order, certainly, but there does seem to be an abundance of Resistance personnel swaggering around as if they own the place.
[ He eyes the comm pointedly, changing into a black shirt to one side of the camera. ]
That girl, she's making waves. Why haven't you dealt with her?
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Because, as you've pointed out, there's no First Order here. [ His words are gritted out, teetering on the brink of an outburst. Calm, calm, keep calm, don't fly off the handle again... ] I have no intention of losing the freedom I have, not over the girl or anyone else.
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[ Testy in return, he huffs and finishes dressing before stepping back into view, the brief silence allowing him to soothe his frayed nerves a little. ]
They're going to kill me the first chance they get. You know that, don't you? [ Head down, he concentrates hard on buttoning a waistcoat. His fingers slip once although his voice is even. ] The laws on this moon won't matter when they make it look accidental, somewhere out in the wild. They've as good as admitted it.
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Really.
Assassinations require subtlety. When has Kylo Ren ever been subtle about anything in his life?
However, when Hux says that last bit, Ren leans forward with interest. Much as he hates the general, much as his own loyalty towards the First Order wavers more with every passing day, he still has to hold back a growl. That they'd be so smug and arrogant, assured of their own righteousness, that they'd make such threats without fear... That overrides the doubt that's been plaguing him, replaces it with white-hot fury. ]
Which one threatened you? The pilot?
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But whatever Ren's reasons are, if it puts Hux in the same corner as such a powerful Force-user then so be it. He's never scorned the strength the other man controls. ]
All of them to a degree. [ He swallows and straightens, clasping a wrist behind his back to keep himself upright when what he really wants to do is sit down with his head in his hands and think of a way to kill every rebel in residence. His chin tips up. ] I'm spending more time at the Perimeter Guard while my ... training is in progress. [ Imagine how galling that is, to be a general and then a grunt in the span of a day. To translate his meaning; he's not sleeping at the apartments. Washing, yes, but that's a necessity he can't forgo. ] That's where you can find me, if you've need.
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But right now, he takes it as a personal insult, a slight against his own perceived weakness, because he had, for the most part, been doing his best to keep his violent impulses at bay. If he attacks one of the rebel scum, even in self defense, he knows full well that he will always come off looking like the instigator, regardless of the truth.
A mad beast to be put down, as the gunshot wounds in his hip and shoulder remind him daily.
And this is the result: they've grown so bold, so certain that there will be no repercussions, that they threaten Hux openly and without fear. ]
Very well. [ Trying his best to sound measured, like he isn't itching to grab his lightsaber and hunt some Resistance fighters. ] I'm sure I don't have to remind you to carry a blaster. The pilot-- Dameron [ He spits the name out with so much contempt. ] won't hesitate to shoot in broad daylight.
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His brow knits with the same backhanded offence when he infers that Ren has been attacked. If that's so, then what hope does Hux have? ]
You can't let them do anything to you. [ Ren is, so far, Hux's only defence strategy, albeit a wildly unreliable one. ] They can't be allowed to attack the Supreme Leader and live, if that's what you're saying Dameron did. Can't you [ wAVING A HAND ] get in his head without letting him know it's you? Weaken him, somehow.
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What... exactly would you have me do with the Force now?
[ He's asking out of sheer morbid curiosity. Just how do you think the Force works, Hux??? ]
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I don't know. Snoke never sat me down over a cold one and explained the intricacies of your mystical acrobatics! [ Just enjoy the ludicrous imagery there for a moment. Okay, good. ] You've interrogated enemies before, I would assume you can root around in their mind and do damage on purpose.
[ It's unfortunate Hux doesn't have the Force, even though he disdains it. Fears it. ]
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He almost laughs at the absurdity. Almost. But Hux, surprisingly, gives him an idea with his remarks about the Force. Ren's all brute strength, physically and with the Force. Even his attacks on Poe's mind were all about wreaking blunt force havoc.
He's never tried to truly use the man's mind against him before. ]
In a sense, yes. I can.
[ Thanks for giving him a fun idea, Hux! ]
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... Right. Well, then. Good luck? [ Squaring his shoulders as he stares at Ren. ] Who was Cold when you met him? He's abrasive.
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Anyway, Ren's distracted for a moment, clearly hung up on whatever plan he's cooking up, until Hux mentions Cold. Then his attention snaps back to the comm, gaze sharp. ]
I haven't found him to be abrasive. [ Said with an air of "SO I GUESS THE PROBLEM'S YOU."
...
Ren is, as ever, a child. ]
He helped me out of a... situation. That's how I came to know him.
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A situation such as Dameron opening fire in broad daylight?
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His voice goes tight. Keep that anger at bay, Kylo. ] Perhaps.
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Hmph.
[ And yet, Cold lets Dameron live. Pathetic tactics. Hux pulls a scarf on, taking the comm with him as he dresses for the outdoors; his greatcoat has the FO insignia removed from the sleeve. He wants to go out and get some air, stuck in a room with Ren's simmering moodiness suddenly feels stifling. Hux gives off an air of dismissal even though he deigns to ask, ]
Are we done?
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He opens his mouth, ready to snarl that he will not be dismissed, but then stops himself. A rare show of self-control. Indeed, despite everything, he's become a touch more relaxed the past few days. THIS IS REN WHEN HE'S SLIGHTLY RELAXED. ]
Just-- [ Still scowling, as he grudgingly says: ] Try not to die.
[ Because, for as much as he loathes Hux, it's good to have... something of an ally after months trapped in a city crawling with Resistance fighters. Finally. ]
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The only reason I would consent to die is to give you justification for killing the lot of them. Fortunately for them, I hate them a lot less than I like being alive.
[ He looks back to the comm, humour fading. ]
Don't die either. If you abandon me on this moon crawling with rebels I'll grab one of the necromancers out there and make them strangle your Force ghost.
action;
[ Jim means nothing to Ren. If he had, the outburst might have been met with some kind of a response-- an outburst of anger and violence, likely. Rather, the tirade washes off of him harmlessly, his only reaction being the ghost of a smirk on his lips as the pair leaves.
He may have a bloody nose. He may be scraped and bruised and have the dregs of Poe's disgusting vomit on his pant leg, but he feels an elusive sense of ease right now, the kind that comes from pure release. And beyond that, he's not alone. He has the Force, and he has... Hux. Of course, they' had been making small strides towards something less strained with hostility and aggression, but this is the first time they've ever truly been on the same side, united, without any underlying schemes or conflicting agendas. No masters to impress.
They work much better together than apart.
And yet... The praise comes as some surprise, drawing Ren out of his thoughts and back to the bar. As ever, he takes it like a dog that's been starved of affection for too long, even as he tries not to make it obvious. ]
It appears we still make a good team.
[ An allusion back to their encounter with the giant snake. Ren looks around the bar, at the tense crowd still eyeing them and the destruction brought on by the fight with Poe. His hand shifts comfortably against Hux's, handholding being something that's become oddly familiar in the past month. What's unexpected is the offer of a drink. Ren blinks, then reaches out to grab a fistful of napkins, offering some to Hux, for the bloody nose. ]
I could. Not here, though. We've overstayed our welcome.
[ UNDERSTATEMENT.
Also, he really needs to change his pants. ]
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We could check into a hotel for the night and have room service deliver medicine for my nose and [ gLANCING DOWN AT THE VOMIT STAIN, blergh, so unhygienic it makes his eyes hurt to look at it, ] fresh clothes. That would be faster than roaming around the city in search of both.
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Let's do that. The sooner I can get out of these pants--
[ Ren pauses.
Okay, so when he puts it like that, it sounds tawdry. ]
--and... into clean pants. The better.
[ Yes.
...
Let's go. ]
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Hux makes sure their hands don't part for a moment, no matter how many roads they cross. ]
I'll put the charge on my account. I ... owe you, for slapping Dameron down like the akk-dog he is. [ A swelling black-eye peers sidelong. ] You're not going to order black robes, I hope.
[ Thin lips twitch, a frittering of amusement beneath the jab. ]
I can't afford those sort of theatrics.
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Ren glances sidelong at Hux, the stern glower he's been directing at those around them fading into something softer, the beginnings of a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. One thing they can always agree on: POE DAMERON IS THE WORST.
And then, at Armitage's remark, Ren lets out a short, surprised laugh. ]
I was thinking gold.
[ HA.
...
Seriously, though, good riddance to Snoke.
Ren's quiet for a few moments as they make their trek towards their destination, a little nagging feeling chewing away inside before he blurts out: ]
That man, in the bar. That was him, wasn't he?
[ Jim. Hux's friend. The one he'd felt in the general's heart before. ]
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His mirth is sidelined by an anxiety to do with Jim once Ren asks about him, however. He considers lying, denying that he even follows what Ren means, but it would be pointless. He's awfully perceptive when he isn't touching a person, Hux isn't foolish enough to effectively lie to his Force-face. So, he sighs and looks away, lips sharply turning into a frown; he looks and feels like shit and Ren has vomit on his legs, what harm can there be in the truth at this point? ]
He seemed to be a decent person. I knew he was invested in Dameron, I avoided the topic of ... well, everything, so his absolute defection now is effectively my fault. I suspected he would turn on me once he knew who I was.
[ Stupidly, he hoped otherwise, and Armitage dragged out as much time with Jim as possible while skirting the subject of the First Order. ]
It turns out he's as predictable as any of the rebel scum.