[ She listens. At first her face is unwavering, calm. When he lets go of her hand she moves her grasp instead to his forearm, gentle and not demanding, but still present.
Still listening.
But it shows on her face, when he speaks of that night, the devastation she feels, the sorrow for both him and for Luke. Luke had forgiven Anakin, had sought to redeem him. For him to have not extended the same hand to Kylo - to Ben, as he had been then - she tries to imagine the Luke she knows her, her bright young optimistic son, growing old and weary enough that that belief in others fails him that much.
It is an awful thought.
She thinks of Ben, young and afraid and uncertain as Anakin had been, but without any of the knowledge. Anakin had at least known of the Dark Side, understood some of the nature of the temptations. It had not been enough in the end, but perhaps it had given him some time. But after the Purge, after everything - how could Ben know what it was he was struggling with, truly? Only the stories of Darth Vader and his terror remained, and how much could Luke truly have learned in such a short time in the middle of war from Obi-Wan and Yoda? So much knowledge lost and destroyed, and so many lives affected.
Like the child Kylo must have been, once, young and struggling and trying without even knowing what he was fighting against. Without anyone knowing really what he was fighting against. The Jedi Order hadn't helped Anakin, particularly, but the knowledge had. If only --
If only, if only.
She struggles, visibly, tears in her eyes, but her hand stays on his arm gently even as she turns her gaze away for a moment, looks into the forest as she blinks to clear her eyes a little. ]
I understand. [ It's not much, at first, but she does finally have an understanding on why the difference in name is so important to him. It takes a little bit longer for her to find her voice more fully, turning back to look at him. ]
I'm so very sorry, Kylo. [ She wants to say more, and at some point will, but for the moment that is all she can find the words for, moving her hand from his arm to offer a hug if he would accept it. ]
no subject
Still listening.
But it shows on her face, when he speaks of that night, the devastation she feels, the sorrow for both him and for Luke. Luke had forgiven Anakin, had sought to redeem him. For him to have not extended the same hand to Kylo - to Ben, as he had been then - she tries to imagine the Luke she knows her, her bright young optimistic son, growing old and weary enough that that belief in others fails him that much.
It is an awful thought.
She thinks of Ben, young and afraid and uncertain as Anakin had been, but without any of the knowledge. Anakin had at least known of the Dark Side, understood some of the nature of the temptations. It had not been enough in the end, but perhaps it had given him some time. But after the Purge, after everything - how could Ben know what it was he was struggling with, truly? Only the stories of Darth Vader and his terror remained, and how much could Luke truly have learned in such a short time in the middle of war from Obi-Wan and Yoda? So much knowledge lost and destroyed, and so many lives affected.
Like the child Kylo must have been, once, young and struggling and trying without even knowing what he was fighting against. Without anyone knowing really what he was fighting against. The Jedi Order hadn't helped Anakin, particularly, but the knowledge had. If only --
If only, if only.
She struggles, visibly, tears in her eyes, but her hand stays on his arm gently even as she turns her gaze away for a moment, looks into the forest as she blinks to clear her eyes a little. ]
I understand. [ It's not much, at first, but she does finally have an understanding on why the difference in name is so important to him. It takes a little bit longer for her to find her voice more fully, turning back to look at him. ]
I'm so very sorry, Kylo. [ She wants to say more, and at some point will, but for the moment that is all she can find the words for, moving her hand from his arm to offer a hug if he would accept it. ]