Room 317 [after workshops]

[tatooine_doofus]

After his workshop with Mr. Winchester, Luke came back to his room to convince Artoo that Leia had gone home.

Artoo, still in the closet, remained unconvinced.

"I wouldn't lie to you about this," Luke told the door, rolling his eyes. "She came, she saw him, she had ice cream, she went home. Really."

Artoo let out a mournful whistle.

"Fine," Luke said, flouncing back to his bed. "I'll be over here, practicing levitation with Yoda who's a turtle again, thank the Force."

Yoda? Not thrilled by getting spun through the air again, but he couldn't talk any more, so no one cared.

The door was cracked open.

[OOC: Conversation between Luke & Rikku is locked to them and the topic is NFB, thanks!]

I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

Comments

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Something else we don't talk about," Luke said with a wry smile. "But he remembers all of it. It was his consciousness, just, um, put into a new body. It's why he looks so miserable all the time."

[the_merriest]

Rikku shivered. "Did he ... have a choice in that? Moving to a new body instead of moving ... on, I mean. There are some people that would ... kinda resent that."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I think he did," Luke said softly. "He wanted to stick around. He thought that dying would be too easy, I think."

[the_merriest]

"That's ..." She took a long breath to consider. "That's ... commendable. I think."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke nodded. "He's trying...he's trying so hard...that's it's kind of painful to watch some days."

[the_merriest]

Rikku bit her lip. "You said he's got a lot to make up for. At least he's understanding the ... the size of it, right?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"He's decided that it means he's not allowed to ever be happy again," Luke said, wrinkling up his forehead.

[the_merriest]

Rikku facepalmed. "Well, that's ... one way of doing it, isn't it."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"A really stupid way," Luke replied, rolling his eyes, "not that he wants to hear that from me."

[the_merriest]

"That's ... kinda missing the point, isn't it?" She put her hands on her hips. "Hey, and why shouldn't he listen to you? You saved him and all, right?!"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I love him to death," Luke said, "which means I'm not ruling out the possibility of killing him. And you've met him. Did he strike you as a type to take advice?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku considered for a moment. "Oh. I guess not. Kinda a shame, 'cause it sounds like he really needs it. I mean, there's making up for things and then there's just sitting around kicking yourself 'cause you kinda like it."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke snorted. "Yeah, he's totally in that second category. Hopefully his friends can move him from it--he certainly isn't taking it from me."

He finally pulled back from the hug. "So that's it," he said with a slightly wobbly smile. "The whole messy deal."

[the_merriest]

"Maybe he will. Some day. Yeah?"

Rikku tucked her hair back and gave him a long look. "That's ... wow. A lot. Are you ... I was gonna ask if you're okay but that's probably the dumbest question ever, huh?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"No, it's nice of you to be worried," Luke said with a shy smile. "And I'm fine. Really."

[the_merriest]

"Of course I'm worried. Luke, you're my friend, yeah?" Rikku bit her lip. "And that's ... I mean, I'd be worried anyway, 'cause whoa. But ... is there something I can do? I ..."

She leaned in again for a long hug. "Thank you, for ... for trusting me with this, you know?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke hugged her back. "I don't exactly share this with just anyone," he said quietly. "So thanks for being a person I would."

[the_merriest]

Rikku squeezed, not planning on letting go just yet. "I ... wow. I can't imagine you would. That's ... it's pretty personal, yeah? I ... it means a lot, that you did. You know, for me."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled. "I trust you," he said quietly.

[the_merriest]

"Yeah," she said, still holding on. "Thank you. For that. It's ... you know. Big, and I'm ... uh. Honored? Wow, that sounds dumb. I suck at words sometimes."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"You're doing fine," Luke said with a smile. "I kind of dropped a moon worth of issues on you."

[the_merriest]

Rikku smiled a bit wryly. "I dropped a dead friend out of the sky into your onion dip. And if I didn't cry all over you about that mess, then you got off light. I think maybe we're even."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke wrinkled up his forehead. "If you say so," he said, clearly not thinking that was balanced at all.

[the_merriest]

Rikku shivered. "Just ... you know. I was a total wreck about that, and people were ... there for me. Yeah? And ... I don't know. I probably sound crazy. But that's friends for you, right? I mean, not just the ones you kinda talk to and you think they're nice. The real ones, that have to put up with you when you're ... I don't know. I am crazy, maybe."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke gave her a kiss on the cheek. "If you're crazy, then so am I, and we're in good company."