photophobic | [IC CONTACT]

[IC CONTACT]

You should know where to find me.
But if you leave a message here, I will see it.

You could have spared him. [Yes, him. Not us, and definitely not me.
There's a clearly defined distinction being made here, not that Kylo himself would likely be able to explain it if challenged to.]

The choice over his head. The suffering and sacrifice. You came here. You saw him. His distress. You had what he needed. And you did nothing.

No, doing nothing would mean not coming at all.

I take my responsibilities seriously, Kylo Ren. There was a great risk coming to the Meadows that day and I gave him all that I could in that moment.

[That Stephen isn't immediately met with scorn probably betrays more of Kylo's secrets than he would have chosen to reveal. Stephen's choice to confront them had meant something. Just as his choice to contact them now continues to mean something.

What, Kylo isn't sure. He has very little to measure against.]

...Did you know I wouldn't.

[You know. Try and take the future by force.]

[It doesn't really matter what Kylo is referring to directly, but Stephen can make several educated guesses.]

Not going in, no. There were several ways it all could have gone, each with their own ramifications attached.

There was no way for me to know going in which I'd be walking into, so I had no guarantee you wouldn't.

It was part of the risk.

[But he also knows how well many of those scenarios would have ultimately gone. And some of them were very not good.]

Edited 2019-12-13 19:44 (UTC)

And you feel like you got what you wanted. When you came here.

I could split hairs about what I wanted not exactly being the way I’d frame it, but yes, I did. And something in addition to that.

[Force that... really is irritating, isn't it? He's not generally on the receiving end.]

Which is.

Incredible potential.

[Well, it's hardly the first time he's heard that.
But incredibly, irritatingly, it still works. He hates it.]

For what. And don't waste my time with some useless, empty response that isn't an answer.

Chances are any answer I'll give will fail to satisfy. Whatever I would have to offer you right now is something that can't come from me.

[There's the sound of creaking metal and a faint clang, the noise of the ocean cutting off.]

Don't mistake me for somebody else.

[Not quite useless enough to get Kylo to hang up. And he's very pointedly not snapping anything about somebody else.]

What do you mean, right now.

It means at another time, we can discuss this. But right now? I have another appointment.

[His footsteps start again, then stop abruptly.]

Oh, and before I forget, do you drink tea?