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Tweak says, "Just my allergies."

Gordon, Barbara Gordon (batgirlbabs) wrote in snapthread,
@ 2019-10-08 00:14:00

Entry tags:

barbara gordon, galen marek (sw)

Who: Barbara and Galen
What: Sibling time
Where: Galen's house
When: Today

The second Barbara realized that Galen was among those who had suddenly reverted to some younger versions of themselves she was off to check on him at his home. The last thing they needed was a younger version of him wreaking havoc on the town. She had a small hope that maybe he was from some point in his life before all of his trauma, but from what she knew of his past that was highly unlikely.

In any case she'd gone to his house knocking at the door but letting herself in after a moment. "Galen?" She called his name just to make sure he knew she was coming.

"It's Barbara," She added just in case he didn't remember her. As she came in she saw snacks littered the floor and the flamingo was making itself at home, the bird was strange, but it was just one more weird thing about this place. And then her eyes landed on Galen, "There you are," Or ... she thought it was him, he was younger than he'd been, just a boy really and it was toeing the line of being very sweet seeing him like this. Of course she kept that to herself, she'd wait until she was sure he knew her and trusted her before she started pinching his cheeks and telling him how cute he was.

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killerofstars
2019-10-08 07:34 pm UTC (link)

Galen. Starkiller heard the name but paid it no attention. That wasn't his name after all. His master gave him his name. It was Starkiller. He was going to become powerful in the Force, and he was going to help his master defeat the Emperor and rule the galaxy along side him. That was what he was told at least.

Then the woman appeared. Galen was caught off guard. So someone had entered his house.

Staring stunned at the woman, she was greeted immediately by the beast that was tending to his needs, but himself and Frank just stayed in their spot on the floor with the snacks listening to Lucario bark and growl pointing at him while talking to the woman. Straightening his back to show dominance, Starkiller spoke. "Who are you?" And just like that, Frank responded also with his trademark HONK! Starkiller stood up and prepared for a fight, after all that's what his master always told him. Be prepared. Though despite all his instincts telling him to fight her, he found himself not wanting to.

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-08 08:27 pm UTC (link)

It was definitely Galen, that look on his face and the way he sat up straighter as he asked who she was. But before she could respond Lucario approached her and began speaking in the way Pokemon did, pointing at Galen and well - even if she didn't really speak Pokemon she understood him enough to know what he was getting at. "It's okay, I'll take care of things." She promised him, though how exactly she did that remained to be seen.

"I'm Barbara," She told him a second time as he got to his feet. "You might not remember me but we're friends." She added, speaking to him gently, though not so much that he might feel condescended to, just trying to keep things calm as they talked. "I would have come sooner but I didn't actually realize you were here." Not like this at least, she'd have come to check on adult Galen eventually too when she hadn't heard from him in a few days, but now that she knew he was a kid? Well needs were a little more immediate.

"Have you eaten any real food today, Galen?" She asked him looking at the pile of snacks he'd been going through on the floor.

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killerofstars
2019-10-08 08:36 pm UTC (link)

The way the pokemon betrayed him made Starkiller scoff. "Traitor." The kid tossed loosely, not truly understanding the gravity of such actions yet. "What is that thing anyway?" He asked politely, obviously unsure what to actually make of it. "Is it some sort of Wookie with out fur?" Truly, Starkiller had no idea what to make of it. Though that would be for another time.

"I don't know any Barbaras." Starkiller responded flatly overly cautious. "Why would I need to be friends with anyone, especially some old lady." He quipped. "My master provided me with everything I ever needed." Which honestly, wasn't a lot, but it was to make him stronger. More prepared to fight Jedi.

Looking at the stuff he had eaten. "That was sustenance." Starkiller responded stubbornly. "What more do I need than what I had?" Then came the indignant look. "And who are you to tell me what I need?"

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-09 03:22 am UTC (link)

"He's just worried about you," Barbara said shaking her head as Galen accused the Pokemon of being a traitor. "This is Lucario, he's a pokemon," She was surprised to be making introductions, but guessed that if she'd woken up as a child she'd have been weirded out by her own pokemon too. "He's a friend of yours, you two train together." She added, because she had a feeling friends were something that Galen didn't have a lot of at this point in his life.

She fixed him with an unimpressed look when he called her old, but didn't rise to the taunt, "I don't know your master." It felt safer to go with something like that than to remind Galen that his so called master had killed his family and then raised him only to betray him in the end. "But I am your friend, we met a few months ago, I was there when you found Lucario."

As for his food, "It's going to make you sick if you keep eating that and not any real food." She warned him, "I'm your friend too, like Lucario. I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

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killerofstars
2019-10-09 07:09 pm UTC (link)

"Why would it be worried about me?" Starkiller spoke before Barbara finished but then glanced to the towering pokemon. "So he's my pet?" The teen questioned and was greeted with a bark from the pokemon who then snapped it's head towards Babs as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Starkiller was mostly confused with any and all of the things being mentioned.

"I woke up here.." Starkiller started as he looked around. "Days ago?" Now it was confusing. "I've only." Starkiller looked around. "I've been here longer?" Normally the anger would flare up, but it was more fear in him now as the snack in his hand fell from his grasp. He knew well what was likely going to happen. He had been away from his master for months, and Vader was going to straight up kill him.

Turning to the only adult here. "No no no no." He started. "I have to get back, I need to explain to master Vader that I didn't run.." There was a small quiver in the teens voice. H-how do I get back?"

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-10 08:19 pm UTC (link)

Barbara was doing her very best not to laugh that it was now Galen calling Lucario his pet rather than anyone else. "He's just confused," She soothed Lucario gently as she shook her head. "He's not a pet, he's a companion." She told him. "He helps you, you two respect one another." Maybe Lucario was essentially a pet, but the difference had always been important to Galen so Barbara wouldn't undermine it now just because Galen had turned into a kid about it all.

"It's been a few months now," She agreed nodding as Galen started to catch on to some of what she'd been telling him, but rather than it being the sort of reminder she'd hoped it might be instead she saw him start to worry about the realization that he'd been away from his Master for longer than he'd thought.

"Oh Galen," She felt bad for him, the kind of fear in his voice was heart breaking and she hated that he'd ever been under the influence of someone who would instill his kind of fear into a child. "It's okay, you don't have to go back there." She promised him, "This place is safe, no one is going to hurt you here. You've been making a life here, with Lucario and the flamingo." She told him, "You've been making some friends, me for once." She added, "And Leia." Because even if things hadn't gone quite the way Galen had wanted them to with her Barbara thought they still considered one another friends.

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killerofstars
2019-10-11 02:28 am UTC (link)

The thing was his companion? His friend? Looking at Lucario, while it looked back it felt right. Like it was supposed to be just as that. Welled up there was respect for the beast, despite not knowing what it is, though Starkiller (surprisingly) apologized. "My apologies, for referring to you as my pet."

Though it was all short lived because the young Starkiller was in sheer panic mode.

"No." Starkiller shook his head. "That's not my name. It's Starkiller and my master is going to find me and he's going to hurt me for running.." Starkiller and staggered back looking to the flamingo and to Lucario who wore a look of concern. How did it do that? "No no no no.." He was shaking his head hyperventilating, till he just crumpled to ground in defeat. "He.." He wasn't going to cry. No. Not now. He was stronger than that. "I'm supposed..." Starkiller looked to the woman. "I'm supposed to help him destroy the Emperor.." Sniffled some. "I can't.." He shook his head because nothing was adding up for him.

Other than yes, she was right - the young Starkiller was absolutely a fan of Leia. She was nice to him too.

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-11 03:21 am UTC (link)

As charming as it had been to see Galen find it in himself to see Lucario not as a pet but his companion that moment was all too brief before he was worried about his master and whatever punishment he might earn having been pulled into this world.

"He's not going to find you," She said, without correcting him about his name, if he wanted to be called Starkiller for now he could be, it was far more important to her that she got Galen calmed down than to make him answer to a name that still felt wrong at this point in his life. "He's not going to find you and he's not going to hurt you, I promise." She assured him, moving forward even as Galen staggered back before falling to the ground.

Barbara knelt then as he looked up at her. "It's okay, I promise." She told him gently, "No one is going to hurt you here. I won't let them." And she meant that too, she wouldn't allow any harm to come to Galen here, and most especially while he was like this, still young and scared. "We're all stuck here." She reminded him, or told him for the first time, depending on how you looked at it. "But that means your master can't find you here too." She added just to soften the blow of his finding out that he was stuck here.

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killerofstars
2019-10-12 04:55 am UTC (link)

This woman, was trying to tell him that his master wasn't going to find him. That wasn't possible, and Starkiller shook his head frantically. "You don't understand." He pleaded. "He always finds what he looks for." He sniffled more visibly shaking. And just the fact that he and they were stuck made it all worse. "When he does.." His eyes looked to Barbara. "He's going to kill everyone." That fact, strangely panicked him more than anything. The fact that he wasn't going to protect Babs or Leia - his master was just going to slaughter the town. That was what pained him.

Nebula. The name stood out in his head, unsure of the why but it also was comfortable.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he hugged his own legs while looking at the ground. He didn't even have a lightsaber of his own yet. He was just to build one. More sniffles. "I don't want him to come here.." There was a sting in his eyes, as he fought back the tears that were begging to be released. There wasn't going to be any waterworks. His master repeatedly beat them out of him. To be strong was what mattered.

"He always finds what he's looking for.." Starkiller repeated his voice breaking up.

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-12 08:07 am UTC (link)

"He's not going to kill anyone," Barbara promised him, putting her hands on Galen's shoulders to try and steady him, to soothe him a little out of the fear of his master who he thought might come looking for him. "He cannot find you here, I promise you Galen." She told him firmly trying to catch his eyes to make Galen listen to her and understand.

It was heartbreaking seeing him like this, a scared and worried child compared to the hardened young man that she knew normally. It was a little like the differences she saw in her boys back home too. Those points when they were younger and brighter to that point in their lives where things turned darker for them. Though she supposed she'd been like that too, it was just harder to see it in herself.

"I know Galen, I know." She said it softly, "You didn't ask to come here, none of us did - but you've been here with me and Lucario for months now, he hasn't found you in all of that time. We've kept each other safe all this time. And I promise you, he will not find you here." She wished she could make him understand, make him remember but he was so young now and he didn't seem to have any memory of this place before this week. But sometimes you just needed an adult figure to tell you things were going to be alright. She could do that for him, if he'd allow it.

"He hasn't found you in all this time that you've been here." She reminded him, hoping that would help too.

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killerofstars
2019-10-14 04:46 am UTC (link)

There were hands on his shoulders, and his eyes went to the woman's eyes. This woman has been here with him since he arrived. She guided him, and offered her support. Barbara was in his support network. She wouldn't lie to him, and she'd keep him safe. Despite being a young teen being trained to be a ruthless killer, the tears ripped free from his eyes. Just as if a relief was brought forth to him.

Starkiller lunged forward wrapping his arms around the woman's middle burying his face in her shirt coming completely undone. The relief of safety, that he had never thought he needed was finally bringing forward. Where it was coming from, Starkiller wasn't sure, but he just knew that it was there. Finally feeling as if he could just let go of the anger in his soul.

Starkiller cried.

It wasn't short lived either. It felt as if he had to release the emotions of many years of torment and misery, which was weird feeling. Though when he finished he pushed away from Barbara sniffling and wiping his face almost ashamed of himself, not able to look her in the eyes. The flamingo came up and rubbed against him, which Starkiller pet it's head. "His name is Frank.." He told her before looking. "I asked Lucario if it had a name and he didn't - so I gave him one..." He paused for a moment before looking back to her. "I'm hungry." Was all he said, just coming full circle back to the reason she showed up to start with.

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-14 07:56 am UTC (link)

Barbara hadn't been totally certain how Galen would react, she hoped that maybe she could calm him at the best, she'd feared maybe he'd get angry at the worst. She hadn't expected the way he suddenly clung to her, or the tears. But she didn't try to push him away either.

Hugging Galen just as tightly as he held on to her Barbara allowed him to cry out all of that fear and anger and pain that had been building up in him for all these years that he'd been with his master already, she rubbed an easy slow circle against his back while he cried himself out and only let go of him when he pushed himself away, letting him be the one to decide when he'd had enough.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, pleasantly surprised when he told her that he'd named the flamingo. "It's a good name," She assured him with a smile. "I'm glad he's got one now, he needed one." Especially since the flamingo wasn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

And when he told her he was hungry, Barbara finally broke and she laughed softly, ruffling his hair gently. "I'm not surprised if you've only been eating junk all this time." She teased him. "Do you want to come over to the house? I can make us something to eat. You can come too." She added looking over her shoulder to Lucario.

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killerofstars
2019-10-14 09:16 pm UTC (link)

To be fair, Starkiller hadn't expected the reaction really either. It was a lot of emotions he had jumbling around his head. It just finally something broke, in the teen that had it all come rushing out. Just the embrace alone was enough to cause Starkiller to lose his shit all over again.

Nodding he stood up from where he was, still wiping his face. How embarrassing. Later, he was sure he'd give himself trouble for his behavior, though in the now, he felt refreshed. Reborn almost. "Yeah." Starkiller commented about going with her. Looking around at the mess he made, before his eyes popped to Lucario who barked at him. "Yeah yeah." Starkiller responded as a teen would. "I'll clean it up when I get back."

Picking the bird up under his arms like it was some comforting security blanket he looked to Barbara. "What do you have to make?" HONK! the bird responded also looking to Barbara. "I want pizza, but Frank can't have it. He has to have fish or something."

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-15 07:04 am UTC (link)

Barbara was on her feet once more as Galen stood, giving him a moment to wipe at his tears. She couldn't help but laughing a little when Lucario seemed to be chastising him about the mess he'd made. It was the sort of thing she could see any normal teen doing, and she couldn't help but be pleased by it, Galen deserved just a little bit of normalcy, and sure almost nothing about this place was normal, and you couldn't really call getting a talking to from a pokemon normal, it was better than what he'd had before.

As for the flamingo? Well she supposed she could live with that for now. They were all going to go back to her place and she'd figure out something for them to eat. "I'm not sure I've got the stuff to make pizza, but we can look." She told him tipping her head in the direction of the door so they could all set out.

"As for Frank," She couldn't wait to tease Galen about that later, that he'd named the flamingo. "I might have some tuna, we'll see." She didn't know how any of this had become her life, but it had and she was going to make the most of it. "Come on you guys, let's go see what we can find."

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killerofstars
2019-10-15 05:25 pm UTC (link)

Starkiller was bounding in front of Barbara as the shift in personality from what he was in before. The food, was now all that mattered. "Come on Lucario!" Spinning around to walk backwards he started towards the door. "Barbara is going to make pizza." Yes, he heard her - no he wasn't paying attention to the odds. "She even said so!" With that Starkiller was out the door with the honks of the flamingo sounding off from the door way.

Before he poked back in the door looking to Babs, a some what serious look on his face.

"Um. If I ever had a sister.." He paused obviously bashful about the feelings he had. "I hoped she was anything like you. You're pretty great..." He paused shifting uneasily while looking at the pink bird who was stuck to Starkiller's whims with how he carried it. "Even if you're weird and old." He finally followed with a devious smirk and leaving the door way. "C'mon! You're slow he screamed from the front yard.

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batgirlbabs
2019-10-16 08:31 pm UTC (link)

She just rolled her eyes when Galen announced that she as going to make pizza despite telling him she wasn't sure she could. But he seemed in high spirits so she wasn't about to go squashing that just yet. Lucario cast her a look that seemed mimic her own feelings and she just grinned shaking her head as they all followed behind Galen and Frank.

What she hadn't expected was the way he poked his head back in as she and Lucario were heading for the door to tell her that he thought maybe she was kind of great before calling her weird and old. "Oh Galen," She huffed softly but he was already back out the door again.

"Come on, we're going to have pizza." She reminded Lucario and they were all off to her house so they could have something mostly real to eat for dinner.

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