Accidental Video; Horrible Roommates Being Horrible

[darthvaderfanboy]

[The video turns on haphazardly, staring up as if someone had flung it across the room and accidentally turned it on. Which, incidentally, is exactly what happened. There's a red glare as Kylo's lightsaber comes into view. He slashes at someone just out of view, missing them, and instead taking out part of the couch.]

I've had it with you! I'll make you wish you'd died as a child!

[Then his toe hits the video, sending it spinning and landing in another spot.]

Oh like I'm going to be scared of a pathetic version of Darth Vader. You have no idea how many times I wanted to abandon you on Hoth.

[There is a loud clambering as Hux got out of the way and when the video settles he can be seen with his blaster in his hand, eyes shining with a mad fury.

He raises the blaster and fires a few shots aimed at Kylo, but a few shots hit the walls and destroy the couch.

Kylo blocks the blaster shots with an almost contemptuous ease, his lightsaber twirling in front of him in a back and forth pattern. He stops the last shot in midair, sending it sailing back towards Hux.]

Is that the best you can do? My mother is a better shot, you Tarkin-wannabe.

[Now he was just hitting below the belt.]

You did not-

[Hux barely manages to dodge the reflected blast, which hit the opposite wall, leaving a deep mark. He's back on his feet to fire a few more shots with a growl of fury. He doesn't care where they land, he just wants to make Kylo suffer.]

Oh, please, you just sit and talk to your grandfather's helmet. 'I will finish what you started' - that's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. You're just an embarrassment.

[Kylo goes very still for a moment, the video's skewed perspective making him look about seven feet tall. Everything nearby him begins to rattle with the power of the Force. Then, with a roar of fury, they all lift up, and began hurling themselves at Hux.]

I have more power than you could ever dream of! You think firing off your little superweapon gives you power? You're nothing. Just a bastard who got lucky.

[Hux's expression turns ugly, he's spent his entire life being called a bastard no matter how much he tried to put his past behind him.]

My little superweapon? The superweapon I could use to command the power of the stars when I destroyed the entire Hosnian System? I destroyed the Republic, their Senate, and their entire fleet in a moment while you sulked like a litt-

[He paused suddenly as he noticed the device, walking towards it.] You idiot, you left your phone on.

[Kylo looks over his shoulder at the phone. Great. They'd just broadcast that entire argument to the network. Now everyone knows about the Hosnian System. With a frustrated growl, he picks up a nearby lamp, and throws at Hux's head, not caring if it actually connects or not.]

This is your fault, you smug moron.

[Their physical altercation is done. The bickering is far from over.]

Comments

[darthvaderfanboy]

Maybe if you'd thought this through from the beginning, we could have avoided the whole thing.

[After all, he'd let Hux be the one to pick out the apartment in the first place. Therefore, this was Hux's fault entirely.]

[therewillbeorder]

You realized you could have solved all of this by moving out, right?

[Hux can only do so much of Kylo doesn't meet him half way.]

You never take any responsible for your mistakes or actions, Kylo Ren. It's always someone else's fault. Your parents, your uncle, me, other officers. You never have stopped to think perhaps you're the problem.

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Kylo sits down heavily on the only chair that survived their attacks on one another. It's like Hux is channeling his inner voice, the one that always says he'll never be as strong as Vader, the one who tells him the perfection he looks for will never be found. He looks small for someone usually so large in presence. He clutches at the sides of his mask with both hands.]

...You're right.

[The words comes out so softly as to barely be audible.]

[therewillbeorder]

[At first Hux thought he hadn't heard correctly, sitting up despite how the blood rushed to his head in the process. The anger he had felt over losing Starkiller because of Kylo Ren seemed to fade with those two words he never expected to hear.

He wasn't sure what to say as looked at Kylo thoughtfully. He had never seen the other man like this, reduced down. He wouldn't apologize for it, though, he knew he was right and it was something Kylo had needed to hear.]

Thank you.

[His voice was quiet, not gloating or smug. It probably was the most genuine thing he had said to Kylo.

He knew Kylo wouldn't understand why he said that but he felt more calm than he had in a long time.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

[If ever there had been a way to toss water on the fires of Kylo Ren's anger, that was it. All of the rage he'd felt toward Hux was completely fizzled out.

He'd expected the general to use the opportunity to kick him while he was down. When the opposite happened, he looked back up, surprise on his face underneath the mask. So this is what it took for them to have a genuine conversation, without anger or sarcasm getting in the way.]

[therewillbeorder]

[It had been a constant battle between them for the last five years with Starkiller's loss only making it worse. He had nearly left Kylo on the planet, he wanted him to suffer for taking away everything Hux had worked so hard on.

He said nothing for a long moment before looking over at Kylo. Over the last five years, he had learned to read Kylo even when he had the mask on but this was something entirely new. He didn't know how to interpret this and he hated feeling at a loss.]

I've never heard you say anything like that before.

[darthvaderfanboy]

I never had a reason to listen before.

[He doesn't mean that in a sarcastic way. He's always had someone around to excuse his behavior. His parents blamed it on his affinity for the Dark Side. His uncle had looked the other way until it was too late. Snoke had made a point of singling him out, telling him he was special, pretty much from the time he was born. Now, he was all alone here, and was finally forced to take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. He didn't like what he saw there.]

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux looked away again, not sure what to do with the fact that the emotions he was feeling weren't the typical ones of anger and frustration. It was strange and it felt uncomfortable. He wasn't ready to forgive Kylo for Starkiller just yet but it didn't feel like the anger was going to boil over and explode anymore.]

So what do we do now.

[Because things obviously had already started to change. He didn't know what to do about it or what it meant just yet.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

How about a truce?

[They'd done the worst and all they'd managed to do was destroy their apartment. If they kept going, all they were bound for was a self-destructive path that led nowhere.]

When we first came here, we had an agreement. I'd protect you and you'd find allies. I haven't forgotten.

[Despite all else, his temper tantrums, immaturity, impulsiveness, and overall anger issues, Kylo Ren didn't easily break his word. It was one of his few good qualities.]

[therewillbeorder]

Alright. I can agree to a truce. No killing each other, no undermining each other.

[Hux knew that finding allies would be difficult now but he wasn't deterred.]

I wonder what we'll do now that we're not trying to kill each other.

[darthvaderfanboy]

I don't know about you, but I've got training to work on.

[Between his grandfather, Ahsoka, and the force pike Maketh made for him, they're going to keep him busy. Kylo doesn't mind. When he's left to his own devices, that's when terrible things tend to happen. Or he'll just continuously snipe at Hux for hours on end. Both are not good.]

[therewillbeorder]

At least you'll be busy now. It's never good when you're idle.

[Hux honestly didn't know what to do with all this new free time away from the First Order, his star destroyer, and his base. He had some files on his datapad, projects he had always wanted to work on, at least.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

I can't imagine what you're going to with your free time. Have you ever had any before?

[Hux seemed to live to work. Kylo couldn't ever recall him taking so much as a day's leave of absence, not for pleasure, or even if he was sick.]

[therewillbeorder]

No, not since I became an officer before I was 20.

[He wouldn't have known what to do with a day of absence. He never allowed himself to be laid low by illness either, working through exhaustion if he had to.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

Hux, that was almost fifteen years ago.

[He says the words slowly, as if impressing upon the general a fact he might not be fully aware of. Now, Kylo may have been obsessed with becoming a Sith Lord, but even he knew there was times when he had to relax and have fun, lest he go crazy.]

[therewillbeorder]

I suppose I just never really thought about taking any leave in that time.

[Which seems strange now that Kylo has pointed it out. He knows he's always kept busy with the burden of reestablishing the Empire but he never realized how long it had been.]

I didn't know you took time off. Is that what you were doing when you said you had to do 'Force things'?

[darthvaderfanboy]

There's a rumor among your officers that you're really a lifelike droid. Now I see why.

[The man barely ate or slept as it was. One of these days, he was just going to burn up like a star going supernova.]

Unlike some people, I know when I need time to relax.

[therewillbeorder]

I'm not surprised.

[He wasn't ashamed of it. If it meant that he got what he needed to done then it was worth any sacrifice.]

Really? I can't picture what you would do to relax. Sit on a beach somewhere?

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Kylo tilts his head, a tic that he tends to do when he's amused.]

Try going to a cantina and taking on the entire bar.

[What? Fighting is his preferred form of meditation.]

[therewillbeorder]

Sounds relaxing.

[He's not surprised in the least.]

I suppose being here is a bit of a forced vacation.

[darthvaderfanboy]

Then learn to relax a little. You act as if you're still in charge of a ship with hundreds of people on it.

[therewillbeorder]

That's easy for you to say, I've lived my life like that. It's not so easily forgotten.

[Honestly, he doesn't even know how to relax.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

You've modified your behavior before. You can learn to do it again.

[Calm himself, lower his blood pressure, attempt to get rid of that ulcer he's no doubt named after Kylo.]

[therewillbeorder]

It took me learns of intense training to do so, when I was training to be an Imperial officer.

[The medic droid hadn't been amused when he had decided to call the ulcer 'Ren' but it was so fitting. At least he has been fitting better in his time here but it's slow steps.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

Consider it a new form of training if that's what it takes. Find something else to do besides picking fights with me. You're bored right now.