Rey (jakku_survivor) wrote in valloic, @ 2021-03-19 08:49:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log |
WHO: Rey & Poe Dameron
WHAT: Rey reunites with Poe - and BB-8!
WHERE: Leia Luke & Poe's apartment
WHEN: Backdated to Rey's arrival. After this.
WARNINGS: None!
STATUS: Complete
Leia had indicated there was a somewhat of an induction process to go through, informal as it was - it would provide a new arrival like Rey with the things she needed to settle here. However for now, Leia had offered the option of Rey returning to her home first, to not only clean up a little, rest if she needed, but most importantly to see Poe. For Rey, the fact he was here was motivation alone to head back with Leia. How bleak their chances for survival had seemed back home was the reason she needed to reunite with him, and see for herself that he was okay too, above all else in this strange new world. She wasn’t dead, as she had first thought. Battered, bruised, but very much alive.
Leia had told her that the ace pilot had a bit of an encounter recently and as a result was convalescing at the moment, though he probably wouldn’t mind a visitor. And whilst Rey thought it had to have been something wholly unpleasant to actually get Poe off his feet, she was reassured it was nothing a bit of rest wouldn’t heal.
As she was shown in, and encouraged to see Poe right away, Rey went to his door, but hesitated just a moment. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming sense of relief, or disbelief, something powerful. Perhaps it was because of the entirely strange experience of arriving here, or the fact she hadn’t even had time to process what had happened to her only moments ago, confronting Palpatine, finding the strength of the Jedi past she’d finally been able to reach out to and feeling the last of her life fade, as she could only hope that she’d done enough, that the Resistance could triumph, and the two people she cared for most in the galaxy would be safe.
And now she was going to see him again, finally Rey knocked, not quite able to wait as she followed by calling out. “Poe- it’s Rey-”
***
Poe was getting antsy with the whole ‘taking it easy’ thing. Back home, medical care was minimal and there was seldom time to indulge in time for healing because there was too much going on and you had to get back to it. Still, under Leia’s watchful eye, he was listening to the doctors and not returning to his normal activities yet. He’d gotten enough lectures from her and Penny and Ella and basically every other person he’d met since arriving in Dark Vallo that he didn’t want any more.
When he heard a familiar voice, he was convinced that he was either hallucinating or had slipped into a coma and was having a very vivid dream. At least until he felt her hugging him. “Rey! You’re back!” It was a relief to see her again.
***
Rey hadn’t really waited to be welcomed in, but she could sense well enough he wasn’t sleeping as she pushed through the door she barely took sight of Poe before she was wrapping him in a tight hug, with no sign of letting go quickly the embrace wasn’t just for the fact he was here too - it was for everything, what they’d been through back home, the fact she had hoped, at one point that she would be holding Finn and Poe and that the threat of the Emperor, Kylo Ren and the Final Order would be gone.
She felt her eyes sting a little, but his words confused her and she finally pulled back and let him out of her hold, giving a small sniffle as she tilted her head to look at him, did he mean Exegol? It seemed a strange way to say it. “Back?” She asked. “You mean here-?” She shook her head slowly as if to indicate she didn’t understand.
But Rey’s confusion was thrown aside as suddenly a cacophony of excitable beeps and warbles heralded BB-8’s arrival, who Rey supposed had dutifully kept watch near Poe’s door - clearly happy to see Rey too. Her reaction was equally bright and she couldn’t hold back from kneeling to put a hand affectionately on the little droid. “It’s good to see you too BB-8”. More enthusiastic beeps followed and she turned to look at Poe again, a brow arching. “What sort of trouble am I supposed to stop you from getting into?” She asked. BB-8 having more or less tattled that Poe clearly needed someone keeping tabs on him?
***
“Snitch,” Poe said in the direction of the droid. “It wasn’t my fault. Crazy things happen here sometimes. I was out on patrol, on a defense team that is specifically meant to prevent people from getting hurt by said crazy things, and I got attacked. I’ll be fine.”
The droid’s interruption made him forgot for a moment that she seemed confused when he said she was back. “Leia keeps trying to get me to be a bartender instead. I know Hannah would probably hire me, but I feel like I’m more useful on the defense team.” He had a feeling that Rey would back Leia though. Just like Penny. And Ella.
***
Rey’s brows only arched higher in a look that clearly stated she was not entirely convinced, it was not, as he said, his fault. BB-8 just made a low ‘woooo-ing’ noise. She wasn’t completely void of concern, however. “You were attacked?” Helpfully BB-8 chimed in, animatedly swivelling his head about. “What does he mean by birds?” She queried, a slight amusement about her, because really that couldn’t be true.
Her confusion wasn’t answered, but for now she wasn’t too concerned. “You as a bartender?” It wasn’t mockery, but a slight disbelief as if she was trying to imagine such a thing. She couldn’t picture someone so devoted to what he did as Poe working behind a bar, but Rey supposed it couldn’t be the same here, no Resistance, no X-Wings, as far as she knew. It wasn’t their world, things wouldn’t be the same. Whether or not she thought it best Poe chose a job somewhat more safer, she knew the sort of person he was. “Of course you do. If it has something to do with protecting this place.” Sounded very much like Poe, to her.
***
Shooting a glare at the droid, Poe sighed. “Yes, they were very aggressive birds,” he said. “I wasn’t the only one who was hurt by them.” The clinic had filled up during his time there and, from perusing the network, it was clear that the turkeys were extremely dangerous.
“I’m glad you missed them though,” he said. “Didn’t need you ending up back in the clinic.” He still hadn’t quite realized that this Rey didn’t remember being here before, though BB-8 was quick to roll into his legs and make a series of beeps that left him confused. “Wait, what? What do you mean this isn’t the same Rey?” He looked at the young woman. “I don’t understand.” His head was still fuzzy from the meds so he was going to blame that.
***
It was a little harder to laugh at the thought several people needed medical treatment as a result, not that Poe’s misfortune alone was really so amusing. “It’s just ..not every day you hear about birds causing that kind of chaos.” As if to defend her reaction, just a little.
Her gaze narrowed just a touch as if she was confused by BB-8’s observation, and really as he seemed confused too, Rey almost seemed offended by such words, mostly because she didn’t understand either, with no frame of reference for what he was talking about.. “What do you mean?” She demanded in return from him, having to stop herself from shoving him in the shoulder given he was not still completely healed. Even if BB-8 had been the one to point it out. “Of course it’s me! Did that bird get you in the head?” ‘Same’ didn’t make much sense though and really she could be somewhat less explosive about it with Poe, but she clearly had a short temper for such accusations.
***
Poe focused on BB-8’s beeps and whirrs and then realized what the droid meant. “You don’t remember being here before,” he said. “You don’t remember the Dark Vallo. Or how we escaped to this place.” That was odd, and yet not the oddest thing he’d experienced. In some ways, he also thought maybe it was good that she didn’t remember what they’d gone through there. Or how close she’d come to death during the escape.
“I guess that’s a thing that can happen,” he said. “People come and go all the time. It’s random and unexplained.”
***
Rey listened, carefully so, in case Poe offered something familiar to her, but all she could do was shake her head in reply, remembering none of the things he had spoken of. Though it did trigger the reminder of what she had seen in the wreckage of the second Death Star. The Dark side image of herself, the way things could have gone she supposed, if she had chosen Kylo Ren’s path, over that of her friends, the family she chose.
“The last thing I remember is Exegol. Palpatine.” She seemed a touch disheartened, as if she’d missed something important of Poe’s experience here. “Well- it’s still me. I’m still the same Rey that went through everything with you back home. In our galaxy.” As if somewhat determined to cement herself in his life, even if it’d been a little different here, as if fear of losing him had unintentionally risen within her. “What about Finn?” she asked, feeling a sudden pang at the very idea she might not see him again too soon. “Is he here? Has he been?”
***
It took a few seconds for Poe to register the implications of what Rey just said. “So you don’t remember that we won,” he said. “And no wonder you don’t remember being here.” He couldn’t really think about that too hard or it would make his head hurt far worse.
“No, Finn hasn’t been here, at least not that I’m aware of,” he said. “Luke and Leia are here. And a few others from earlier in our world. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi.” He wasn’t sure if she would recognize the names or not since he didn’t think she’d grown up on the stories of the Clone Wars the way he had.
He moved to hug her again. “I am so glad you’re here.”
***
“No-” She said softly, feeling her heart practically swell at the thought of it, she’d not known if she’d truly done enough to aid the Resistance in time, but she’d hoped so. His confirmation meant everything to her- even if she’d never have been able to see it. “Thank the Force-” She didn’t really want to talk about “I just hoped the Resistance got the chance they needed. And you, and Finn would be safe.” And if Poe had been aware of the war’s end, it meant he survived it.
“Leia brought me here- and she told me about Luke. But he’s too young to know who I am.” She was still processing that. “Obi-Wan Kenobi? This place is- impossible.” So she knew the name, but knew only a little of him. He had trained Luke, when he first learned of the Force, had he been among the voices that she heard when she finally reached out and connected with the Jedi of the past - somehow, she’d just known who was with her.
Rey happily received the hug and nestled into his shoulder, so glad to have her friend here, especially when she thought she’d never see him again. It was going to be so hard to be here without Finn, and she knew without having to say a word, that Poe would feel the same, that thought only made her squeeze him that bit tighter. “Me too.”
***
“Wait til you try all the food they have here,” Poe said. “It’s incredible. There are so many different varieties and the flavors are just…” Well, it was nothing like what they survived on at home and was by far one of the best things about being here.
He did wish that they had Finn with them. Then things would really be as close to perfect as they could be. For now, he was going to be happy to have Leia and Rey though.
***
“Really?” Food, well for one raised on rations, and for the pair of them living on the rations the Resistance had available - it didn’t allow for much choice, and really there were days where the least of their worries was what was available for dinner. The idea of choice and availability and even something Poe would describe as incredible well, that alone was exciting. “Can you show me?” she asks.
Rey settled back again, quiet for a moment as she was thoughtful. “Sounds like you’ve really settled in here.” Which was reassuring, Rey right now was feeling bemused, a little lost and wondering how she was ever going to properly accept that she was here now, apparently for good. “Not like you at all.” She teased, for someone constantly looking for trouble like Poe, not that they really had a choice.
***
Poe nodded. “Of course. My friend, Ella, is an amazing cook. And there are restaurants and pubs that serve all sorts of things. My friend, Hannah, has a place called the Leaky Cauldron. We’ll go there too.” Then she could likely meet a lot of the people that he and Leia had been stuck with in that other, far less pleasant version of Vallo. The people who would already be familiar with her.
“And shush,” he said. “It’s actually kind of nice to have a break from the constant chaos.”
***
“That’s something to look forward to- I’m going to have to make sure I keep up with my training.” She half joked, though there wouldn’t be much these days that would distract her from doing all she could, to become a better Jedi.
“I can understand that.” Rey said more soberly, nodding a little. War wasn’t something any of them wanting to be involved in - and here, well it seemed for the most part they were safer. “Maybe I’ll find my place here too?” She started to stand, letting out a sigh and having to reconcile that it would take some time to get used to the way things were here, but Poe gave her hope that she might. “I’m going to get cleaned up- you keep resting.” She warned with a smile, leaving him with BB-8 for now.