roguesquadron | hurt/comfort meme

hurt/comfort meme

the hurt/comfort meme

It is in times of distress that hope is truly found. How you handle those periods of duress is a mark of character. Whether you're the one in pain, providing sanctuary, or even if that ache is mutual, hurt/comfort is all about empathy. Connecting with the people around you.

Instructions:

→ Post with your character (note name, canon [if relevant], and preferences in the subject line).
→ Others reply by either generating a number between 1-21 for a prompt, ~~or go off script, I'm not the boss of you~~.
→ Go forth and connect.

Options:

o1. injury: somehow, you've been injured. the severity, whether a mortal wound or "just a scrape" is up to you.
o2. sickness: thinking of calling out of work today? chances are you've got a common bug...or worse.
o3. fear & anxiety: careful where you throw that "scared to death" nonsense...it might just be an omen.
o4. loss of senses: you're missing one of those fundamental six senses, whether it's your sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, or the Force.
o5. despair: the idea of hope looks more and more like a pipe dream right now.
o6. breakup: and we are never ever ever ever getting back together. ever.
o7. makeup: but you called me up again tonight...
o8. rescued: it's time for one of you to get your damsel in distress on.
o9. bad romance: i knew you were trouble when you walked in.
1o. loss: one of you has just experienced a loss of some kind; can you cope?
11. insanity: for whatever reason, "reason" is lost to you. you're seeing and hearing things. sometimes dead people.
12. tired/insomnia: is it the caffeine or the fact that you never leave your damned senatorial office? whether it's just lack of sleep or lack of energy, this exhaustion is bone-deep.
13. addiction: something's got you hooked, and you might just need a helping hand to give it some distance.
14. nightmares: okay, now you're definitely seeing dead people. do you dare go back to sleep?
15. blackmail: you've been caught and the evidence is compromising. do you seek help or vengeance?
16. separation/homesickness: whatever it is, the nostalgia's got you missing something (or someone) awfully.
17. betrayal: your trust has been violated, but is it a real or imagined slight?
18. stranded: you're stuck. maybe someone crashed your only ship for the 50th damn time. are you sure this isn't reality tv?
19. sins & guilt: the weight of your past deeds is like holding a world on your shoulders. maybe it's time to seek some help, atlas.
2o. secret: loose lips sink spaceships.
21. wildcard: "take your script and shove it, meme."

[adapted and remixed from here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

::He knew it was only about fifty/fifty odds, but one never knows until they try.::

Assuming its not locked. I've noticed that people sometimes get a bit... odd, when it comes to people taking their discarded things.

::His eyes raise to the top of the dumpster and he stretches out in the Force to sense if it was locked... and flicks a hand in its direction to make the lid go up and rest against the wall of the building behind it. Quietly, of course. A bump is much less noticeable than a bang.

He gives what just happened a moment to sink in.::

Of course, I can offer an alternative. I was starting to get hungry anyway. We can eat and talk someplace public, of course.

::He's hardly going to expect Ezra to go anywhere he might not be able to escape from easily if he decided to panic.::

[Ezra opens his mouth, about to make a dismissive remark about being able to get around locks, but the words never make it out of his mouth. Instead, there's an open mouth to match an open lid, and wide eyes and a quick rush of fear. That was definitely the Force, and Force-users in Ezra's life are few and far between, and most of them not the kind he wants to meet! He stumbles back a step, hand dropping to his hip, where his lightsaber's attached to his belt. Doesn't draw it, because Garth'zel doesn't feel like an Inquisitor, and he hasn't attacked Ezra yet. Not that that's necessarily a guarantee of anything either]

And why should I trust you? Why do you even care?

::Well then. He had been expecting surprise, but not fear. A bit of an over-reaction if you ask him. He just raises an eyebrow.::

You mean besides the fact that if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already? What would I even gain from it?

::He spreads his hands to show the lack of anything in them and shrugs.::

I can't make you come with me, of course. It's your decision. But a little advice, if I may. It's best to keep your lightsaber out of sight lest the wrong person sees it.

::His own is well hidden in his coat. A little slow to get to, yes, but it isn't like he can't buy himself time to get it out if needed.::

[Ezra bristles a little at that advice, reading criticism into it. Whether or not it's a valid point is entirely beside the point.]

Maybe that would help if it was a lightsaber? [Just a touch of sarcasm there.] In case you couldn't tell, though, it's a blaster.

[This time he does unhook the weapon from his belt, holding it up and blatantly pointing it so that Garth'zel can clearly see the nozzle. Not exactly a polite thing to do, but manners kind of get abandoned when he's jumpy.]

You didn't answer my question. Why do you care?

Edited 2017-01-19 23:06 (UTC)

A bit odd looking for a blaster.

::Just an observation. He'll let the matter drop there.::

It's... primarily curiosity, I suppose. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Force-users aren't exactly common these days. So when I sensed one radiating his emotions...

::He came to investigate. Obviously. And frankly, he's use to having a ship with other people in it. Being entirely alone feels wrong. He's not quite ready to, but it's getting to be about time to rebuild.::

Well, yeah, that's because I made it myself.

[Using spare parts and anything he could scrounge, and whatever components his friends were willing to donate. He knows it's not pretty, and it still has a couple faults he hasn't been able to work out, but it does the job, so it's good enough.

Good enough to feel a little bit defensive about it.

But he'll let it drop, too, in favor of giving Garth'zel the flattest of looks. Really. Force-users "aren't exactly common." No, really.]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The Force is a myth.

[Never mind that clear display just now. But in case that hint isn't obviously enough, Ezra scowls and lowers his voice.]

Do you want to get us both killed? You can't just go around calling people Force-users! What, have you been living under a rock?

::Garth'zel looks around pointedly at the lack of people nearby before looking back at Ezra.::

More like I spent a very, very, long time in carbonite. As in everyone I knew are long gone. I'm still getting up to speed.

::Then his expression and the feel of him in the Force both go cold.::

I can deal with any... problems... if they occur.

::His expression and general presence lightens after a moment as he gives Ezra a sardonic look.::

Any other questions?

[Garth'zel must not have had to deal with anyone with seeker droids, then. Ezra's paranoia is hard-earned here.

Though he's not so jaded that he doesn't blink in surprise, then in uncertain incredulity, punctuated by a shiver down his spine at the change in Garth'zel's Force presence. Maybe this conversation isn't such a good idea.]

Wait, seriously? You've been frozen since before the Purge? That's- at least fifteen years!

[Then again, Ezra doesn't always think to listen to even his own common sense.]

::A mere fifteen years. That's so cute.::

Try three thousand. I knew Satele Shan personally.

::Then, since it was unlikely this kid knows anything of the Order's history from that far back, he adds,::

She was Grandmaster of the Order, and an interesting and formidable woman. I have a great deal of respect for her. Although I think that's getting into things best talked about elsewhere.

[The name doesn't mean anything to Ezra, and not just because it was so long ago. He didn't grow up in the Temple, didn't have access to teachers or records to teach him about the Order's history. No, all he had was Kanan, and Kanan's holocron, and only barely enough free time to scrape through some basic training and a few stories that focused on more recent times.

Still, he doesn't need to be familiar with any specific Grandmaster to catch the significance of what Garth'zel just said.

He knew a Grandmaster. He respected her.

Implying that he's part of the Jedi Order.

Ezra relaxes minutely, lowering his saber hilt back down.]

Three thousand... I didn't know carbonite could do that.

[He's awed. He has to shake his head to bring himself back into focus.]

Well, I don't know what things were like three thousand years ago, but here it's not safe to talk about... about stuff in public. Even an alley like this could have something hiding in it. Where did you have in mind?

Believe me, I didn't know people could last so long in it either.

::It's said utterly dryly. It's a mixed blessing. On the one hand, dying in it would not have been good. On the other, he wouldn't have to learn to cope with his wife and friends being dead.

He considers things for a moment.::

How about we get you that food first? Save you from getting distracted by your stomach trying to join in on the conversation.

::He gives him a wry smile.::

Having been one once, I know what teenaged boys are like. My name is Garth'zel, for the record.

[Ezra eyes him for a long moment, chewing on his own words as he tries to decide how exactly he's going to respond. Street-born caution says not to trust anyone, not to just take Garth'zel at his word. He could be making the whole carbonite thing up, could just be trying to get Ezra to...

...to what? The other side of logic points out that he technically already has Ezra alone in a dark alley somewhere. If he really had bad intentions, wouldn't he be doing what he intended right here? And why not pick a story that's slightly more believable?

The two sides war on equal ground for a moment before a third side weighs in with a dull ache. His stomach's not empty enough to growl yet, but it's getting there fast. Why not, it argues, let Garth'zel feed him? He'd be somewhere safe in public, and he'd be buying time to get a better read on the man. It'd solve the immediate problem of what he's going to eat for dinner, too.

It's the third side that tips the scales, getting Ezra to finally clip his lightsaber back to his belt.]

Well, if you're sure you can afford it...

[If his own smile's a little wry, it's only because Garth'zel should also remember just how much a hungry teenage boy can eat.]

...I'm Ezra.

[It's the fact that Garth'zel is probably a Jedi that gets him an honest name.]

Believe me, once I could actually see again, one of the first things I did was check if an emergency bank account still existed.

::He skips a beat.::

A lot of interest has built up. I believe I'm fully capable of making sure a teenager has enough to eat.

::And then some. He doesn't let himself think about how much money there is in the account. There are entirely too many zeros and he still goes a little bit into shock when he thinks about it too much.

He turns to leave the alley, glancing back at Ezra.::

I saw someplace earlier that looks decent. One of those little places with both indoor and outdoor seating. The weather's nice enough we could do either.

[Ezra isn't exactly used to how bank accounts work, since, you know, that requires having money and being willing to hand it over to someone else. He never had that much when living on his own, and he's not the one who deals with the finances on the ship, so...

Yeah. Banks really aren't something within his personal experience.

Even so, he knows how they theoretically work, and his eyes widen just a little at the thought of a sum of money collecting interest for three thousand years.]

I'm surprised your bank was even still around.

[One last moment of hesitation, then he follows Garth'zel. Not like there's any reason for him to stay in that alley. Not like anyone's going to be looking for him there.

(If they're even looking for him at all...)

His mood dampens with that whispered thought in the back of his mind.]

I think I'd prefer to eat outside.

[Easier to run if he needs to, and he'd probably get looks from people inside, since he hasn't been able to shower in more than three days.]

I am, too. Although, it's nice my foresight has paid off. Granted, I wasn't expecting it to still be relevant after this amount of time.

::It's a pity his main account was long gone. That one had even more money in it to collect interest. Oh well. It's not like he's not set for life as it is.

He shakes his head slightly as he firmly tells himself to keep his mind on track. One thing at a time. Starting with food.::

Outside it is.

::Then he can think about shoving this child into a refresher. Although a good place to talk might come first. Speaking of...::

Know any good locations to talk? I've been on-planet for less than two days, so I'm still familiarizing myself with the area.

[Ezra hasn't actually been here much longer than that. Just three days on his own and a couple days before that while his crew tackled their latest task. Just a milk run, just another job from Vizago that hadn't quite been shady enough to turn down when they were low on funds. They hadn't planned to be here long, so scoping out the place had been kept relatively minimal, just enough to do the job and get out.

Ezra hadn't counted on getting stranded alone when the Empire had swooped in on things.

Which means no, he doesn't necessarily know the safest place to talk. If he had to hazard a guess, though...]

There's a place that's probably safe enough I can take you to after we eat. We- I was supposed to meet some people there to talk, before, you know, stuff happened. They wouldn't have wanted people listening in, so call it a hunch, but I bet the place is clean.

We should still check. Just because it's been swept prior to the time the meeting was supposed to happen doesn't mean it's still clean.

::Checking will take him mere minutes, so they don't really lose any time.

The place he saw to try is only minutes away so it isn't long until they're able to settle in at one of the outside tables. He gives Ezra a little grin before he starts looking at his menu.::

Don't go choosing the most expensive thing now.

I know that. [Just a touch defensive.] Look, you asked for suggestions, and that's the best I've got. Anywhere else is a shot in the dark.

[Picking up a menu, he finds his own seat, one that puts his back to the wall of the building. Some cautious habits just never leave you, no matter how long you've been off the streets. As he scans the card, he wrinkles his nose at Garth'zel's comment.]

Expensive stuff isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's usually just hyped up more than it's worth, and they never give you enough. Doesn't always taste that great either.

[Look, most of his experience with expensive food comes from the garbage bins behind fancy restaurants. His opinions might be a little skewed.]

I'll have a bantha sandwich and a meiloorun fruit salad.

[Not the cheapest, but still what he considers reasonably priced things. Especially once you consider the size that bantha sandwiches usually come.]

And a cup of juice. [A beat.] Please?

::Garth'zel raises an eyebrow slightly.::

I wasn't criticizing.

::Calm down, kid. He was just stating what needed dealing with once they finally went there.::

A lot of it is simply eaten as a status thing, yes. It shows off wealth and sometimes power. I mainly keep track of such things for what they may have to tell me about individual people.

::It's given him useful insights on his fellow Sith. Who were more interested in the trappings of power and wealth than it actually using it for something worthwhile.::

Nerf stew for me and Corellian ale.

::After the droid's left with their orders, Garth'zel steeples his fingers together and looks at Ezra over them.::

What do you know of Taris' history?

[Ezra eyes Garth'zel doubtfully at the denial of criticism. Too many people would have definitely been criticizing him there for him to be willing to believe that just at his insistence. Not when he doesn't really know the man.

He'll let himself be distracted from that topic, though, and from the topic of what wealthy eating reveals. He could tell Garth'zel a thing or two about what he picks up from what other people order for food, but that in turn might reveal a little too much about himself. Garth'zel doesn't need to figure out that Ezra used to be (and sometimes still is) a pickpocket.]

Taris?

[He shrugs, noncommittal.]

There was a plague here once that made it dangerous? I don't know a lot more than that.

[He kind of quit going to school around the time that he got orphaned, so history isn't one of his strong points.]

Why do you ask?

::Yeah, Garth'zel doesn't recommend trying to pick his pockets. It's not liable to end well.

He snorts at the description of the plague.::

"Dangerous" is an understatement. It turned people into man-eating monsters. Just one bite was enough to infect someone. Assuming they lived long enough, given if a rakghoul is trying to take a bite out of someone, it's because it intends to eat them. The nekghouls were worse though, because they could use the Force.

Thanks to an orbital bombardment, all this used to be in ruins. The Republic let what was left of Taris rot until somewhere around my lifetime. Then someone decided it was time to try to rebuild.

::You may not have asked for the history lesson young man, but you're getting one.::

[Ezra grimaces at the description, eyes sliding to the left as though to make a quick scan of the streets. He may not have asked for a history lesson, but he's not one to ignore a threat when it's mentioned.]

Did they get rid of them all? Or do those things still exist?

[It occurs to him after he asks that Garth'zel might not know. He has been frozen for the past three thousand years, after all.

Still, Ezra can't imagine deliberately coming to a world where you knew something like that existed without bothering to ask any of them had cropped up.

Besides, he must have brought them up for a reason.]

::Hey, Ezra's the one who mentioned the plague, Garth'zel was just saying what the plague was.::

Taris was still well-infested with the things in my time. Although they're apparently under control now. Hopefully wiped out entirely. It sometimes cropped up on other planets but fortunately, the rakghoul plague generally got stamped out quickly on them due to not getting much of a foothold before being noticed. It was still a mess to deal with, mind, but was considerably easier to clean up than here.

::The droid arrives with their food and Garth'zel stops talking for the moment to get started on his food and drink. Ezra probably won't be paying attention to anything that wasn't his own food for the next few minutes anyway.::

[What, the rakghoul are the reason why Garth'zel asked Ezra about Taris's history to begin with?

(Yeah, Ezra's jumping to conclusions there.)

Garth'zel is right that the food is going to distract Ezra, though. Three days of living on what food he could steal or scrounge up from the garbage means he's reaching eagerly for the sandwich the droid brings him.

It isn't until he's halfway through it that he finally pauses, swallowing.]

So, why'd you come here? If it was infested in your time, what made you think coming here now would be a good idea?

::Right. Ask him something when he's in the middle of a mouthful of stew, why don't you? He finishes chewing and swallows first before answering.::

I wanted to see how it changed. I spent time reading about the major shifts that happened since my time, of course; but reading about them is quite different from seeing them for myself.

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