hadriel | [Video]

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[Anakin is nursing a burned leg - thanks, fire - looking like his usual peppy, happy self.]

Eclipse, leave it alone. [He shows a curious cat sniffing said leg and coaxes it into his lap. Another cat, one that is smaller, with a face that is almost too adorable for words follows in Eclipse's dainty footsteps, laying over Anakin's leg. There. That's better, right?]

Thank you, Ravager. [No, really. This is the terrifying Darth Vader. With a pair of sweet cats.]

I swear this is the last I do for you, Hadriel. Unless there is a burning building filled with cats, you are on your own.

[Cats > People. Obviously.]

Hux? Are you alive? [That's a nice way of checking on someone, right?] Maedhros? Fingon? What about you?

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[He pales slightly, imagining his kids wanting the same for him. Can he blame them? No.

Down the whiskey goes, burning his throat and his chest.]

There is some justice.

[He saw Anakin pale as he refilled his glass, thoughtful. He knew what Darth Vader had done, everyone did. But he also heard rumors of what had happened on the second Death Star, how Vader apparently saved Luke from the Emperor.

He knew Brendol would have never done anything like that for him.]

Indeed there is.

[He trailed off as he threw back his second glass of whiskey despite the burn in his throat.]

[Luke, in better circumstances, would have never doubted that he was loved. Anakin would have never abused him.]

Now we have cats. [And the great General Hux is doing housework while the mighty Darth Vader cooks.]

You don't need to be the man your father envisioned.

We do. [The arrangement worked for him though he never thought he would find himself living with Vader, Ren, and a bunch of cats.] We are rather fortunate to have them.

[He chuckled at that comment, shaking his head.] I'm certainly not the man my father thought I would be.

'Thin as a slip of paper and just as useless' was what he apparently what he said about me to the ruling council after the Emperor's death. And he made it clear what he thought of me growing up. I'm certainly not what he envisioned, especially since I'm sure he didn't expect me to survive this long.

I'd say you turned out extraordinary under those circumstances. [A little rigid, OCD and definitely too tense a lot of the time, but he can talk to Hux at least without him looking horrified or judging him.]

It's weird to think I could've taken care of you. If I had survived, that is. [He was practically on death's door ever since Mustafar.]

Thank you. I grew up under the instruction of Admiral Sloane- I believe you knew her in your future. She served with Vader on the Executor before her promotion.

[He had a great deal of admiration for Rae Sloane, he knew she would have been a strong Emperor.]

Between the both of you, I have no doubt I would have been in good hands.

[Strange to think Darth Vader would have been a better parent but he doesn't doubt that.]

I look forward to working with her. [Brendol would have been a different story. You know the trash compactor? Yeah. That would've been his room.]

You might have been scared by the suit, but I would've let you be a kid.

[To some degree. Vader isn't Anakin. Not entirely anyway.]

I'm sure I would have been.

[He's not going to lie about that, he's not quaking in fear now. In fact, he chuckles as he played with his glass, amused.] I grew up learning how terrifying Vader was, meeting you in person when I was five would have been scary.

I can understand that. [He raises his glass in a small toast to his future self.] Tall, masked, suited... I must look like a nightmare come to life.

Most Imperial officers, my father included, were scared of Darth Vader.

[He laughed at that, raising his refilled glass as well as a toast.]

I only know of a few who weren't terrified of you.

It sounds lonely and useful.

[He finishes his glass in one gulp, chuckling as he feels light-headed.]

My only friends.

[He reached over to fill up Anakin's glass again.]

The cats certainly aren't scared of you here.

[He snorts and accepts the refill, swirling the liquid in the glass.]

Do I look like a monster to you? Besides, they like what they are given and they return it.

No, you don't. [Unprediable, yes. Emotional...but despite the Force choking several weeks back, Hux saw Anakin as human. He wasn't the dark mechanical Vader of the Imperial years.]

That is how Millicent is, though I expect she's more intelligent than she lets on.

[His emotions are dangerous and they can sway without warning. Hux just happened to be on the wrong end of it then.]

Thanks. [He enjoys another mouthful of whiskey, gazing at his companion curiously.] They all are; they put up with us.

[Hux downed his glass, glad that they had a couple of bottles of whiskey. He was feeling warm, considerably more relaxed by now. He wasn't sure if getting drunk with Anakin was a good idea but at the moment, he didn't care after spending the afternoon cleaning up Kylo's things.

He looked back at Anakin before he was distracted by one of the cats coming over to him.]

That's very true.

[Anakin grins and stands up, wincing for a moment before he gets his balance.]

Feel like playing a game, General? [Something to get their minds off of their worries and their fears.]

That sounds good, what did you have in mind?

[He chuckled as he watched Anakin before carefully standing up as well to get a couple more bottles from the kitchen cabinets. If they were going to get drunk, might as well do it properly.]

We have some cards, I believe.

[Anakin has a horrible idea. He has to go about this carefully. Slowly.]

What about poker? [He'll add the stripping part in a little later. He wants Hux nice and drunk ~~so he can laugh at this night for many days to come~~.]

That's fine. I warn you I'm very good at it though.

[At least he was when he was sober. Enough whiskey and that well-trained facade cracked like glass. He was out of uniform at least, wearing a loose pair of black pants and one of Ren's oversized t-shirts that he had grabbed earlier.]

I thought you might be.

[Bring it, General. Anakin finds the cards and begins to shuffle them between them. His mechno-arm is quite versatile and soon he is dealing them their hands.]

We'll decide a wager once we see a clear winner.

Fair enough.

[Hux picked up his cards, setting his expression into something very neutral as he looked them over. Even his thoughts went quiet, he was used to playing games with Ren so it was a habit by now. No cheating, Anakin!]

[He grins to himself, ordering his cards. He glances at Hux now and then, measuring him and, frankly, he is impressed. His grandson has taught him a thing or two!

He makes his first bet and sips on his whiskey.]

Be gentle with me if I lose. [Ha ha.]

Don't be too hard on yourself if you lose, I've learned to play when I was young. [he smirked as he made his bet, looking at Anakin.]

I'm calling you. What do you have?

That doesn't raise your percentages any. [It just means he can lie better. Anakin cocks his head and sighs, laying down his hand.] Three of a kind.

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