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Roboben's decision
Jul. 21st, 2013 06:55 pmOne, two, three...
It was like a dance; with every step there was a sway to his hips as he swung his practice saber, spinning and leaping into the air, coming down in a roll, shifting into a crouch, then getting back to his feet. He continued, swinging his other arm now, wielding his second saber.
Every move was swift and precise, his eyes closed. Even without the Force, he was aware of his surroundings and didn’t need any extra senses. He had done this day in, day out. It was all second nature to him; every swipe, strike, jab, turn, flip. For hours, he would continue this, alone. His body was in prime condition. He had never felt so strong, so in control.
Finally opening his eyes, he looked up at the nearby clock and noted that it had been just over three hours. That would be good enough for today. Nodding faintly to himself, he replaced the practice sabers he’d borrowed and toweled off his face and bare torso. When he trained, he tended to wear only a pair of low-slung, well-fitted cotton pants. They were less restrictive than other garb his fellow students tended to sport.
Exiting his preferred training room, he padded down the hall in bare feet, not acknowledging any of those whom he passed. He never did and they had all grown used to this attitude by now. His room wasn’t far from here, and he was nearly home free when a familiar voice called to him.
“Ben!”
It was his Grandfather. His namesake.
Giving slight pause, Ben glanced back over his shoulder toward the much older man as he jogged over to catch up to him, flashing him a fond yet sad smile. It was always sad nowadays, when Grandpa Ben looked at him. He saw it in others as well, but he seemed to notice it most from this man.
“Good afternoon.”
Ah. Small talk. The ginger boy gave a curt nod and turned to continue on his way, completely uninterested.
But of course, that just meant Grandpa Ben would rush along to keep stride. He wasn’t even sure what he was going on about. Birthdays or something. Ben had never had the best sense of time, so he couldn’t think of whose birthday was coming up. It didn’t matter, anyway. He wouldn’t be participating in any dull festivities.
“... your mother would want you there, you know.”
Hm. If it was his mother he was bringing up, that meant only one thing:
“Dad knows I hate big celebrations.” Which was, honestly, a very recent development. He used to be able to enjoy them because he would pair up and sneak away with someone. That was no longer an option. “He won’t care if I miss his and Aunt Leia’s birthday. She hates celebrating it anyway.”
He could hear the frown in his grandfather’s voice as he spoke. “Now Ben, you know that it’s a day to celebrate their lives and they would appreciate your presence. Especially your Aunt. Especially this year.”
Blue eyes narrowed faintly, knowing precisely what he was getting at. Why she would need support, and why from him in particular. Shaking his head, he rounded the corner, nearly to his room, where he would be able to escape from all of this pestering. “I won’t be in attendance.” “But Ben--” “Do not make me repeat myself.”
His grandfather stopped, brow furrowed as he watched the ginger boy continue on in silence. Ben didn’t need his Force abilities to know how he’d hurt him with such a curt response. Things had been rocky around the praxeum lately.
For everyone...
Once in his room, he went about with showering the day’s training away, feeling himself in better spirits once he was clean. Well, he didn’t feel much of anything, but the load on his shoulders was a bit lighter. He made his way to the window, glancing out... there were children, students, all milling about. It was a warm day.
He remembered a time when he used to enjoy running around, playing, sparring out in the warm air. But those times were gone and would not again return. That was a life that was no longer his.
Closing his eyes, he let out a soft breath and slipped into a shallow meditation. There was a decision he needed to make. An offer he’d received. A very, very tempting one... an assignment that would take him off-planet, across the stars, as far as he could ever want to go and beyond. There would be new experiences and decent company.
Adventures, work, money.
A new life.
He had told Hallie he’d think about it, certain that she had made the offer rather seriously, despite the mischievous grin on her face at the time.
The more he thought about it now, the more he wondered why he hadn’t agreed immediately. Maybe because of the attachment he still held to his mother, because of a sense of loyalty to his family that was fading more and more with each passing day. Distance sounded so appealing. He would become a new person out with her. It didn’t matter to him that he would essentially be her sidekick.
He couldn’t live out his life here, day after day, cut off from the Force with everyone knowing, with everyone pitying him. The sadness he always saw in their eyes was too much to have to look at anymore. It wasn’t fair that while he tried to forget and move on, everyone else had to constantly remind him of the things he had lost, of what he’d become.
No more.
His decision was made. He would tell Hallie at dinner.
Then, they’d go from there.
It was like a dance; with every step there was a sway to his hips as he swung his practice saber, spinning and leaping into the air, coming down in a roll, shifting into a crouch, then getting back to his feet. He continued, swinging his other arm now, wielding his second saber.
Every move was swift and precise, his eyes closed. Even without the Force, he was aware of his surroundings and didn’t need any extra senses. He had done this day in, day out. It was all second nature to him; every swipe, strike, jab, turn, flip. For hours, he would continue this, alone. His body was in prime condition. He had never felt so strong, so in control.
Finally opening his eyes, he looked up at the nearby clock and noted that it had been just over three hours. That would be good enough for today. Nodding faintly to himself, he replaced the practice sabers he’d borrowed and toweled off his face and bare torso. When he trained, he tended to wear only a pair of low-slung, well-fitted cotton pants. They were less restrictive than other garb his fellow students tended to sport.
Exiting his preferred training room, he padded down the hall in bare feet, not acknowledging any of those whom he passed. He never did and they had all grown used to this attitude by now. His room wasn’t far from here, and he was nearly home free when a familiar voice called to him.
“Ben!”
It was his Grandfather. His namesake.
Giving slight pause, Ben glanced back over his shoulder toward the much older man as he jogged over to catch up to him, flashing him a fond yet sad smile. It was always sad nowadays, when Grandpa Ben looked at him. He saw it in others as well, but he seemed to notice it most from this man.
“Good afternoon.”
Ah. Small talk. The ginger boy gave a curt nod and turned to continue on his way, completely uninterested.
But of course, that just meant Grandpa Ben would rush along to keep stride. He wasn’t even sure what he was going on about. Birthdays or something. Ben had never had the best sense of time, so he couldn’t think of whose birthday was coming up. It didn’t matter, anyway. He wouldn’t be participating in any dull festivities.
“... your mother would want you there, you know.”
Hm. If it was his mother he was bringing up, that meant only one thing:
“Dad knows I hate big celebrations.” Which was, honestly, a very recent development. He used to be able to enjoy them because he would pair up and sneak away with someone. That was no longer an option. “He won’t care if I miss his and Aunt Leia’s birthday. She hates celebrating it anyway.”
He could hear the frown in his grandfather’s voice as he spoke. “Now Ben, you know that it’s a day to celebrate their lives and they would appreciate your presence. Especially your Aunt. Especially this year.”
Blue eyes narrowed faintly, knowing precisely what he was getting at. Why she would need support, and why from him in particular. Shaking his head, he rounded the corner, nearly to his room, where he would be able to escape from all of this pestering. “I won’t be in attendance.” “But Ben--” “Do not make me repeat myself.”
His grandfather stopped, brow furrowed as he watched the ginger boy continue on in silence. Ben didn’t need his Force abilities to know how he’d hurt him with such a curt response. Things had been rocky around the praxeum lately.
For everyone...
Once in his room, he went about with showering the day’s training away, feeling himself in better spirits once he was clean. Well, he didn’t feel much of anything, but the load on his shoulders was a bit lighter. He made his way to the window, glancing out... there were children, students, all milling about. It was a warm day.
He remembered a time when he used to enjoy running around, playing, sparring out in the warm air. But those times were gone and would not again return. That was a life that was no longer his.
Closing his eyes, he let out a soft breath and slipped into a shallow meditation. There was a decision he needed to make. An offer he’d received. A very, very tempting one... an assignment that would take him off-planet, across the stars, as far as he could ever want to go and beyond. There would be new experiences and decent company.
Adventures, work, money.
A new life.
He had told Hallie he’d think about it, certain that she had made the offer rather seriously, despite the mischievous grin on her face at the time.
The more he thought about it now, the more he wondered why he hadn’t agreed immediately. Maybe because of the attachment he still held to his mother, because of a sense of loyalty to his family that was fading more and more with each passing day. Distance sounded so appealing. He would become a new person out with her. It didn’t matter to him that he would essentially be her sidekick.
He couldn’t live out his life here, day after day, cut off from the Force with everyone knowing, with everyone pitying him. The sadness he always saw in their eyes was too much to have to look at anymore. It wasn’t fair that while he tried to forget and move on, everyone else had to constantly remind him of the things he had lost, of what he’d become.
No more.
His decision was made. He would tell Hallie at dinner.
Then, they’d go from there.
