we just have a few questions.

[blacklisle]

The Interrogation Meme

Your crimes were unspeakable, your lies were innumerable, but finally you've been caught. They bring you in, sit you down, and chain you up. No matter what power you have, no matter how strong you are, you're not going anywhere, so get comfy.

It's going to be a long night.

Rules

1. Post with your character, canon, and any prefs. Note whether captor or captive.
2. Tag around to other characters.
3. Roll for an option.

RNG OPTIONS

1. Truth serum: You know this person isn't going to confess easily, but you've got a surprise for them. This serum ought to loosen their lips a little.
2. Torture: The old-fashioned way might work best for this particular subject. How about those thumbscrews?
3. Bargain: You've got something they really want, or really need. If they fess up, if they tell the truth of the matter, they'll get it.
4. Blackmail: So, remember that night about ten years ago...? You know something they don't want the rest of the world to know and you're going to use it.
5. Seduction: Just because they're tied to a chair doesn't mean you two can't have a little fun, right?

Comments

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Dust storms," he mumbles under his breath, because he knows those happen here and just traveling out to this spot, he's seen enough houses to begin to have an idea of how residents build to stay a little cooler and a little less sandy.

He won't argue about sleep, though. "I have something for you, in the morning. Good night, Ben."

[hadthehighground]

“Good night.” A note of relief that he’s being allowed to rest. The lamp getting turned off and the darkness surrounding them. Though he is left with his own thoughts as the familiar silence descends. Thoughts he didn’t much like entertaining these days as he ruminates over the conversation.

Eventually though, Ben drifts off into sleep. Though even then he would find no reprieve as the nightmares then come. The man tossing and turning at various points in the night. Occasionally muttering to himself along with a whimper now and then.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra jerks awake at that much noise, of course, too much on guard and uncomfortable to be sleeping very deeply.

He knows that nightmares sound like, the feeling in the Force of a nearby sleeping mind in distress. Everyone on the Ghost had them sometimes. Everyone but the infant twins, the little complex he'd more recently called home, too.

Usually, he woke him and he had the wherewithal, he'd push some calm and warmth into the Force. It couldn't fix everything, but it couldn't hurt either, had been his thought process.

Except, here and now, it just might do more harm than good, if he spooked Ben badly. He shifts and stares up at the cave's ceiling, deeply disliking how much he feels like he's flying blind.

[hadthehighground]

Likely a wise move on Ezra’s part to leave him alone. Any sort of intrusion with the Force could easily frighten him and get a bad reaction. The nightmare continues for awhile, but eventually he awakes suddenly. Sweat beaded on his brow as he takes a few deep breaths. The fact that he’s closed himself off and that sleep still clung to him causes Ben to forget that Ezra is even there. The man sighing as he drapes his arm across his forehead. Staring up at the dark ceiling.

“Master Qui-Gon…” he calls brokenly. His barriers dropping just enough to let just a little bit of the Force in. Ben reaching out as if wanting someone to save him from drowning. “Are you there master?” But after several moments of silence he gave up. Yet again there was no answer and he just turned over, the gates closed again, as he tries to go back to sleep.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Now that was new, to Ezra. Not the name. He can even call up images of the man, in his memory, from that shared meditation in the Coruscant Temple that had spiraled out of control. He knows how Master Qui-Gon died.

But he doesn't remember hearing Obi-Wan call out to his master before. And Ben might be...confused, but he'd been awake, let his guard down enough for his presence to flash in Ezra's sense of the Force.

Luke had said in his time Ben came back as a ghost, that his father had too, but stayed silent. And Ezra had believed him, in part because he'd felt when Kanan's spirit moved on, after he destroyed the Lothal temple.

Luke hadn't mentioned Qui-Gon Jinn appearing.

Ezra shifts around restlessly, wide awake now, trying to fit together all these bits of knowledge, to work out what might be going through Ben's head.

[hadthehighground]

Whatever is in his head, Ezra won’t find out, at least not right now. Ben just sighs as he starts to drift off again. Completely unaware of a slight shift in the Force, like a gentle breeze that blows through the cave and settles on the troubled Jedi. Reflexively Ben’s body relaxes and he manages to slip into a dreamless sleep. Perhaps someone was looking out for him after all.

The rest of the night would be uneventful. It wouldn’t be until the suns started to rise that Ben would stir again.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra feels the shift, but aside from a feeling of benevolence, he's not sure if it's distinct enough to be called a presence - or maybe he's just not attuned to it. He doesn't reach to try to find out more, either, lest he risk disturbing Ben or chasing the whatever it is away. It's just another bit of possible hopeful information to file away.

Ezra's had a lot of reason to rise early over the last few years, and it doesn't seem like he's going to be getting more sleep, so he gets up at the first sign Ben is awake. First things first, go to the entrance, and shake out his cloak. Then he goes sorting through his pack again, and comes up with a sealed tin of tea leaves. Not the fanciest, not exactly what might be found on Coruscant, because he's been traveling through the Outer Rim on what credits he could discreetly eeks out. But it's a good substitute for a blend he remembers Obi-wan liking.

Not quite willing to break the silence, he shyly goes to set it on the 'kitchen' table.

[hadthehighground]

Ben is a bit startled when he realizes Ezra is there and it takes him a moment to remember all of that from yesterday. However that doesn’t stop him from going about his daily routine. Which meant cooking himself a meager breakfast and getting ready for work.

As he’s preparing his food, he looks over at the object Ezra sets down. The man finally breaking the silence between them as he gives the boy a confused look. “What’s this?”

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Tea." Ezra shrugs awkwardly, watching the older man. "It's just tea I thought you'd like."

He almost adds, 'you still drink tea, right?', but swallows that impulse down.

[hadthehighground]

Ben blinks at him for a moment before looking down at the tin. Picking it up he takes off the lid and inhales. The fragrance of the leaves bringing a soft smile to his face.

“It’s been a long time,” he admits. Tea was a luxury out here. Water was precious and leaves are expensive in a place like this. It’s a thoughtful gift. Only someone that really knew him would do something like that. His gaze going back to Ezra, thoughtful and curious again.

Setting the tin aside he proceeded to rummage around his collection of belongings. Which wasn’t a lot admittedly, but he managed to pull out a dusty little teapot. Cleaning it off, he also went over to the vaporator. Turning the machine off he pulled out the large collection container that was about half full. It was with that he filled the little pot and set it on the heating element.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra lets out the breath he'd been holding, when he sees Ben smile. He's drunk enough tea at this point in his life that his guess had been sort of educated, but it's nice to see he picked out something ok.

"I know it's not, like, the best," he says, self deprecatingly, anyway, and adds, as a joke, "We can just agree between ourselves there's no implied shade on wisdom, yours or mine."

[hadthehighground]

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is very nice. … Thank you.” The words are sincere as he takes the tin and pours a small amount of the leaves into the pot’s basket. Ben’s eyes having lit up at the opportunity to actually have tea in… he didn’t know how long. Because of that he had no business being picky.

Though there is a bit of a pause, and another thoughtful look is passed to Ezra. “Well… I must admit I’ve not done much to maintain my own wisdom.” A little bit of a sad smile ghosted his features as he turned back to the pot. Ben reaching for a couple cups as well.

“You… heard me last night, didn’t you?”

[ezra_of_lothal]

"You're welcome," Ezra replies, meaning it, and smiling brightly for a second before his expression sobers, and nods slowly, eyes still bright, but shifting to sympathetic.

"I...did. Still, far from the worst night's sleep I've ever had," he tells Ben, which is true, because he's had some doozies.

[hadthehighground]

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes. Wincing a little bit at the thought even as Ezra tried to make him feel better about it. “I’m not used to having anyone else here.” That was part of the appeal of this place. There was no one around for miles and he could deal with himself in complete privacy.

“But… maybe that’s why you’re here. Perhaps he sent you.”

[ezra_of_lothal]

"You don't have to apologize about that," Ezra says, quiet but firm.

He considers Ben's hypothesis, for a moment. "Maybe." Speaking more rapidly, "And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better or convince you to trust me. I mean, if I had something like clearer instructions from Master Jinn, I'd tell you. I don't. But it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten nudges from a dead master. And there was a shift in the Force last night."

[hadthehighground]

He now has Ben’s rapt attention. Staring at Ezra for several moments, considering what he said. He desperately wants to believe that his old master did have something to it. That his attempts to reach him were not completely in vain.

But before he can say anything the teapot whistles and he turns away. Pouring the tea in the cups and then handing one of them to Ezra.

“Come.” Ben beckons Ezra to follow him to a little flat spot of ground not far away. The sunlight streaming through the rocks and warming the space. It’s there that he sits, legs folded with his cup of tea. Blowing on the steaming cup, he then takes a sip. Closing his eyes for a brief moment he lets out a contented sigh. It has been too long.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra follows without hesitation, and sits. He ducks and smiles down at his cup, pleased at the happy sigh from Ben. Then he waits a little longer to let his cool a little before he takes a sip. Then he keep slowly sipping, eyes darting towards Ben to try to take cues.

Is this tea and talking, or tea and quiet?

Eventually he ventures, "You can ask me anything. My life's been a special level of weird for a while now, so my answers might not make much sense. I guess there's a few things I might have to...not tell you. But you can ask."

[hadthehighground]

“No Ezra,” he interrupts. “I don’t want you to tell me.” Ben’s dull eyes are now sharp and focused, as if trying to look into his very soul. The cup of tea gripped tightly.

“I want you to show me.”

And with that he lets out a breath and closes his eyes. His body relaxing in a motion he knew well, and yet felt foreign. He was so very out of practice. Yet it was clear he was trying to settle into some sort of meditation. Attempting to open himself up again, but this time he was trying a little harder.

[ezra_of_lothal]

He freezes mid sip, thinking that request through. Well, the main issue he'd been having with figuring what to tell Ben was not wanting to trip Ben's own paranoia. There's a few conversations with Knight Luke Skywalker's he'd never told anyone about, but mostly because he'd figured Obi-wan wouldn't want to know. Ezra doesn't have any secrets he wouldn't trust Ben with, per se.

"That...should work," he hazards. "As in, I know how." He puts his cup down, muttering, and shifting to get to the inside pocket of his spacer's jacket. "A focus would be good."

A moment later, he triumphantly holds the green kyber crystal orginating from Ilium that been the focus of his now disassembled lightsaber.

"Only...are you sure you want to dive right in?" He trusts any version of Master Kenobi to be competent, but there's not way around the fact that Ben is obviously rusty in making use of his connection to the Force. It might not be exactly like the times Ezra pushesd himself too far, early in his own training, but surely there was the risk of some sort of strain?

[hadthehighground]

There’s a twitch of his brow as Ezra brings out the crystal. Ben’s eyes opening slightly to look at it with a mix of emotions. There were no kybers here. Not anywhere in his cave. Ben had made sure of that.

“One step at a time,” he tells Ezra. No he wasn’t planning on diving into it. That would be far too overwhelming for him. His steps were wobbly ones, like a newborn Eopie. His strength far weaker than any Jedi master should be.

But there was something he needed to know. There was clearly a connection between the two of them. Or there should be he thinks, but it’s feeling very one sided. There was only one way to know for sure if Ezra really was telling the truth. The Force would know.

So again he closed his eyes and reached out. Except he wasn’t blindly groping through the darkness, trying to find something that may or may not be there. This time he was reaching for Ezra.

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Ok, joint meditation, going slow, coming right up," he replies, wriggling a little to get into a more comfortable position for what might be an extended period of sitting.

At first all he does is loosen his grip on his presence a little, which he has been hiding, if not as rigidly as Ben was. And then he'd been carefully trying to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself, so as not to jolt Ben.

Now he blooms into teenaged padawan, in the Force, a mix happy/nervous/relief. But he lets Ben do the reaching right this second, just tries to focus on his breath and try to let those emotions smooth out.

[hadthehighground]

Still gripping his cup as it needing to ground him, Ben’s brow creases as he focuses. Trying to will up the strength to search the Force, to search Ezra, to search his feelings. The cosmic energy welcomed him like an old friend, the light piercing the darkness for the first time in years. Yet like a babe he had to learn to walk again.

Then he felt it. There was something there. A tether that could only be a bond of some sort. His side had atrophied but it was there nonetheless.

“How…” he murmurs in confusion even as he touched it. How could it be? There was a very select few people that he had this connection with. How could he forget any of them?

[ezra_of_lothal]

On Ezra's end, the bond that had felt empty flairs to life. Ezra can't help feeling a stronger flood of relief, but in the space of the breath, he curls his hand tighter around his kyber, and he flips to a steadier, warm reassurance.

The young man has his own traumas, and griefs, and brushes with the Dark, but for Ben he, it's easy to hold to trust, patience, and love.

"See?" he murmurs. "Wasn't sure where to start."

[hadthehighground]

He had barely started to explore it and already Ben was overwhelmed. Feeling Ezra’s emotions affected him in a way he wasn’t quite expecting. So much that he withdraws and gasps, looking a bit shaken. He hasn’t felt such a thing since…

“Yes I… see what you mean.”

He swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in check.

“I’m sorry it’s just… a lot.”

[ezra_of_lothal]

"It's ok," Ezra says, immediately, carefully curling his presence in again, and resolving to be very careful with the reawakened bond.


"We can just sit and breathe and finish our tea. I know I'm not handling this all...exactly smoothly, but you're in the pilot's seat, here, alright?"