Ren Waugh-Solo (behindthemask) wrote in thedisplaced, @ 2017-12-11 08:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log/thread, kylo ren / ben solo, rey (cl) |
log; Kylo Ren & Rey
Who: Rey & Kylo Ren
When: During the Winter Ball
Where: Tumbleweed Hotel's grand ballroom
What: Kylo asks for a dance. And an apprentice - again.
Rating: Low-ish.
Status: COMPLETE.
Kylo had promised El he would ask people to dance, and Rey was a person, and he was asking her to dance. Of course he also suspected that she would say no, because it felt as if every time he interacted with her, there was a pull back or a rejection. He wasn't certain if he understood it, or if it just annoyed him, and probably, truthfully, it was a terrible idea to ask her, but there she was and here he was, and there was a break happening between songs. He stepped up beside her, his gaze on the dance floor for a moment before he turned, as casually as he could manage, even though his gaze belied the casual tone in his words: "Will you dance with me?" Rey, at the moment, had her eyes fixated on the dance floor as people began to disperse with the ending of the song. She'd decided that if she was going to be here, she was going to socialize, and she'd reached out to people she'd never spoken with before about dancing. With a drink in one hand and her free hand pushed into her pant pocket, she was essentially indisposed in thought. So, when she heard the question, she didn't necessarily register the other key pieces of information. "Sure," she replied, before turning to look at the person who had asked her. And her face fell from a large, excited smile, to a look of confusion. Well, that had been unexpected, and a flicker of surprise danced in Kylo’s eyes before he clamped down on it,, replacing it with the obvious of course he’d expected her to respond yes, who wouldn’t want to dance with him? His lips turned up in a pleased smile as he held out his hand to her. Maybe he’d benefitted in catching her off guard, but if he wasn’t going to take hold of the opportunity presented, he’d make a very poor Skywalker. Or Solo for that matter. “I wouldn’t have expected Jakku to hold many opportunities to learn dancing,” he remarked mildly. She hesitated for a moment as her eyes studied him. Her history with him had not been forgotten; even though it was officially years ago from her perspective. And yet, ever persistent, he'd still reached out to her time and time again. It did not make sense to her as to why he was so damn insistent. Most people would accept the rejection and not open themselves up to further incident. But, he wasn't most people, clearly. And there were people all around them. How would it look to those who didn't know their history? If they saw her suddenly refute his offer after she'd looked so thrilled before she saw who it came from? Her jaw set and she took in a breath before hesitantly taking his hand. "It was not a subject I was able to learn from holos, no," she agreed, tone stiff. "I suspect Leia made sure you learned?" Kylo took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor, a certain satisfaction in doing so. He suspected the number of times he would get that opportunity were limited, so he’d just enjoy it while it lasted. “Don’t worry,” he told her smoothly. “I can teach you. Son of a Republic Senator and all the privileges that come with it,” there was some ice in his tone. “She might not have had time to teach me herself, but she certainly made certain I had the best tutors.” He slid a hand around her waist pulling her in, but maintaining the proper distance between them. “It’s not the only thing I could teach you,” he added as he waited for the best of the music before taking a step. "I don't need instruction," she returned. This wasn't necessarily true. She was still learning how to navigate this type of social gathering and her other partners had smiled at her politely, but it was clear that it wasn't something she was used to doing or had much opportunity to have done so in the past. But she was trying and she felt as though she was getting better with each trip out to the floor. "I'd have been quite grateful to my parents for giving me such opportunity," she bit out. She took in a breath and placed her hand where she remembered Poe had told her to when she'd danced early on with him. She maintained the distance as well. Her gaze flashed to him once again and her fingers twitched with mild annoyance. "Yes, I'm sure." Kylo snorted at the obvious criticism in her tone. “Oh I’m very grateful,” he replied smoothly. “But really it wasn’t so much the giving me something, as them wanting me to not embarrass them in front of the galaxy, so it comes with a price.” It was easy for her to criticise, even at this juncture, when Kylo was realising maybe he’d made a few mistakes along the way, it didn’t mean he was ready to let his parents off the hook. She didn’t know what his life had looked like. He looked down at her intently, his feet moving them through the dancers in the floor automatically. It was easy to know where the openings would be if one was paying attention. He didn’t have to watch around him, so he could focus in on her. “What are you afraid of?” He asked her. “You don’t have anyone else showing you things.” She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Was that how he really saw his privilege? It seemed a small price to pay in her mind. "I'd think that would be the view of any parent. Wouldn't a child be a reflection of you? So of course you wouldn't want them to embarrass you. But, I suppose, I don't really know," she scoffed. She didn't need to make reference to her own background. It was clear as day there. She didn't really know because she did not have what he had. No family at all. She'd have been willing to spare any parent embarrassment if it meant she was allowed to have one. She moved with him, allowing him to lead, her shoulders still tense as she did so. She was keeping on guard now and she would likely curse herself later for not having been doing so earlier. "I don't trust you," she replied, easily, but she cast her eyes away from him after saying so. He was persistent and she did not understand why. Worse, yet, was that he did have a point. Which was beyond frustrating. She could ask for help if she so wished but there was a block that had been put in place as of late. Every time she'd begun instruction, her tutor would leave. It happened repeatedly in Chicago and it had occurred here as well. Maybe if she did accept his offer it would make him leave. That was a thought. Of course, she doubted it. “That much is obvious,” Kylo returned dryly. She could hardly make it any less clear that she didn’t trust him, which was nonsense. He didn’t want to fight with her. She was strong enough in the Force to be a worthy opponent, yes, but that wasn’t what he wanted. He had learned a lot over the years - he wanted to share it, and it would be nice, although it seemed impossible, for someone to recognise that. And Rey ought to. “I taught Leia some things when we were at the apartments together. She trusts me.” At least enough for him to teach her simple exercises. "I don't have any interest in harming you," he added, wondering even as he said it, if this was the sort of thing that made him sound threatening, as Eliot had mentioned before. Maybe it was and he shouldn't say it, but it was frustrating when people seemed to think that he had some nefarious motive for what he was suggesting. "And you do need a teacher." "And yet here we are again," she remarked. They'd never danced together before, and if she had any say it would never happen again, but they'd had this conversation multiple times. He didn't waiver. She was unable to properly grasp as to why that was. Was he so desperate for an apprentice that he was willing to face rejection repeatedly? "Han trusted you," she then replied, gaze moving back to him now, with coolness displayed across her features. She watched him for a moment before adding on, "No. I don't think you would harm me. It would be quite foolish of you to do so." The song was sounding as though it was coming close to an end now, for which she was rather thankful. She wanted to pull away and retreat to Poe and Finn's sides. "Maybe," was all she managed to say to the final remark. Kylo's gaze wavered in its intensity, and in its focus at her words. Han had trusted him, and he could protest that he had been foolish to do so, obviously. If he had been smarter, than he would perhaps still be alive, but it would undo whatever point it was he'd been trying to make with her, which was that she could trust him, and underneath all of that was the reality that he wished he could undo that moment with his father. His jaw tensed as he realized the song was ending, and she was pulling back, and he hadn't convinced her - again. Probably he never would, and it would be a lot easier if he would let it go. She and the Traitor, were the only real witnesses to what had happened on Starkiller Base. The entire world might think they knew, but they knew only what had been presented on a film screen with some cinematic score lurking in the background. Kylo didn't have to have watched the film yet - he'd watched enough other films with Eliot to guess. He stepped back; dropping her hand. "It's an opportunity and you'd be foolish not to take it," his words came out smoothly as if his heart weren't pounding with the emotion she had pulled up. He bowed just slightly. "Thank you for the dance, Rey." |