Techie looked like a cross between a marathon runner and a man high on stims: cheeks flushed and eyes dazed, pupils blown open wide. That was incredible. He’d never, ever felt this amount of peace. Even while he slept the nightmares crawled into his veins. But now? Techie could sense that he was free.
“H-how…? No, I should be thanking you!” He leapt forward without a care, pulling him into an instinctive hug. This touching thing was growing on him.
Shyly, Techie takes his hand and scoots a little closer to his imposing figure. Then his eyes slip shut, and all that is left is for him to wait. Techie tries to dispel the warm blush over his cheeks from the point where their skin touches, but the entire world feels like it has narrowed to that single point of contact.
Kylo closed his eyes and connected with Techie. His own mind was focused and sharp, cold. He was grounded in the room, and amplified their breaths, amplified the sensations of their joined hands.
Quietly, he focused on the breaths, and tuned everything else out, pulling Techie with him.
His mind starts to soften around the edges like cotton, welcoming Kylo inside rather than expelling him. Techie willingly opens himself to Kylo, showing him pages upon pages of his story, of his life. From a distance, he felt his presence within his mind and felt comforted, secure.
He didn’t have the tools to understand what was happening, what he was doing, but he trusted Kylo. It was odd, but Techie did. Maybe he was desperate for a friend, or for more.
Shyly, Techie takes his hand and scoots a little closer to his imposing figure. Then his eyes slip shut, and all that is left is for him to wait. Techie tries to dispel the warm blush over his cheeks from the point where their skin touches, but the entire world feels like it has narrowed to that single point of contact.
His eyes widen with sudden hope. There’s thinly veiled anxiety on his face, as though what he’s about to agree to do will leave him defenseless. “I… Th-thank you,” Techie breathes. “What sh-should I, um, do?”
He shook out his hair and took his overcoat off. “First of all, sit down comfortably. This will not be able to help you shed everything off right away, but if you practice, you should gradually become more and more comfortable with your anxieties. It’s mostly breath exercises that end up soothing your mind.”
He listened carefully to Ren’s words and then seated himself, crosslegged, in front of him on the floor. Techie leaned his back against the soft, thick covers on the bed and let his mechanical eyes slip shut. There was silence for a few seconds, but not an unconfortable one.
He cracked open one eye. “The breathing… Can you sh-show me what r-rythym to follow?”
“Slow and natural for you? It…” He hesitated. “I suppose it would be easier to show in feelings than words. I could… If you would allow us to be connected, in our minds, I could show you what I do so you could mimic it. I will do my best to use my words if you’d rather avoid that.”
“Could you? Sh-show me?” Techie’s shoulders slumped. “If I think too m-much by myself about my breathing, I start to get light-headed… Having you guide me w-would be comforting.”
Techie was well aware that he was a neurotic, paranoid mess. But maybe Kylo Ren could bring him some peace? He already found him handsome and didn’t mind his company…
His eyes widen with sudden hope. There’s thinly veiled anxiety on his face, as though what he’s about to agree to do will leave him defenseless. “I… Th-thank you,” Techie breathes. “What sh-should I, um, do?”
He shook out his hair and took his overcoat off. “First of all, sit down comfortably. This will not be able to help you shed everything off right away, but if you practice, you should gradually become more and more comfortable with your anxieties. It’s mostly breath exercises that end up soothing your mind.”
He listened carefully to Ren’s words and then seated himself, crosslegged, in front of him on the floor. Techie leaned his back against the soft, thick covers on the bed and let his mechanical eyes slip shut. There was silence for a few seconds, but not an unconfortable one.
He cracked open one eye. “The breathing… Can you sh-show me what r-rythym to follow?”
Kylo Ren, in full uniform, mask and hood on, knocked on the door to General Hux’s brother’s room. It was still shocking that Hux had a brother whom he wanted to help. But he was willing to give it a try.
Disheveled and lacking sleep, Techie slunk out of bed and staggered over to the door, typing in the unlock code and watching it whoosh open with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. He hadn’t slept in close to five cycles now, and at any moment he was liable to be knocked over by a stray breeze of recycled air.
When he sees who it is at the door, Techie freezes.
Kylo stared at the man, frozen as well for a moment. The man did not look well, and something inside of him made him feel… Bad for the boy.
“General Hux expressed a wish for us to become acquainted,” he finally said. “Is it a bad time?”
“Ah, n-no,” he replies, unfocused gaze drifting around a spot somewhere behind Ren. “You can…come inside.” Techie shifts to press himself against the doorway, a rather nonsensical way of letting him pass.
Kylo hesitated but entered the room and looked around. He then reached out to take his helmet off. “I do not mean to intimidate you,” he said. “The General told me about your general background. I hope you’re settling in nicely?”
Techie closes the door and stumbles over to sit on the edge of his bed. “Oh, th-thank you… It’s kind of you to ask, Commander Ren.”
For a moment, he debates on whether he should be totally honest. The other techs are cold to him, he doesn’t have any friends yet, and his horrible nightmares keep him up all night.
Techie hesitates for too long; the silence turns awkward.
He let the silence stretch for a while before sighing. “There is no need to be this formal. I do apologize if I was harsh to you earlier, my wish here is to make you feel safe on the Finalizer. Please do not be afraid of me.”
“It isn’t you,” Techie confesses. “Everything is scary to me. I’m in a new place, and getting adjusted is hard. I used to live in constant terror, and I don’t….know how to switch that off!”
He hangs his head and rubs at his eyes with his palms, they’re even more red around the rims, and the dark bags more pronounced.
He looked at the man in silence for a long moment before he spoke again.
“Do you want me to teach you? I could help you learn how to meditate. It allows a person to sleep in peace, to relax, to center on here and now, and drive the fears away.”
His eyes widen with sudden hope. There’s thinly veiled anxiety on his face, as though what he’s about to agree to do will leave him defenseless. “I… Th-thank you,” Techie breathes. “What sh-should I, um, do?”
Kylo Ren, in full uniform, mask and hood on, knocked on the door to General Hux’s brother’s room. It was still shocking that Hux had a brother whom he wanted to help. But he was willing to give it a try.
Disheveled and lacking sleep, Techie slunk out of bed and staggered over to the door, typing in the unlock code and watching it whoosh open with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. He hadn’t slept in close to five cycles now, and at any moment he was liable to be knocked over by a stray breeze of recycled air.
When he sees who it is at the door, Techie freezes.
Kylo stared at the man, frozen as well for a moment. The man did not look well, and something inside of him made him feel… Bad for the boy.
“General Hux expressed a wish for us to become acquainted,” he finally said. “Is it a bad time?”
“Ah, n-no,” he replies, unfocused gaze drifting around a spot somewhere behind Ren. “You can…come inside.” Techie shifts to press himself against the doorway, a rather nonsensical way of letting him pass.
Kylo hesitated but entered the room and looked around. He then reached out to take his helmet off. “I do not mean to intimidate you,” he said. “The General told me about your general background. I hope you’re settling in nicely?”
Techie closes the door and stumbles over to sit on the edge of his bed. “Oh, th-thank you… It’s kind of you to ask, Commander Ren.”
For a moment, he debates on whether he should be totally honest. The other techs are cold to him, he doesn’t have any friends yet, and his horrible nightmares keep him up all night.
Techie hesitates for too long; the silence turns awkward.
He let the silence stretch for a while before sighing. “There is no need to be this formal. I do apologize if I was harsh to you earlier, my wish here is to make you feel safe on the Finalizer. Please do not be afraid of me.”
“It isn’t you,” Techie confesses. “Everything is scary to me. I’m in a new place, and getting adjusted is hard. I used to live in constant terror, and I don’t….know how to switch that off!”
He hangs his head and rubs at his eyes with his palms, they’re even more red around the rims, and the dark bags more pronounced.
Kylo Ren, in full uniform, mask and hood on, knocked on the door to General Hux’s brother’s room. It was still shocking that Hux had a brother whom he wanted to help. But he was willing to give it a try.
Disheveled and lacking sleep, Techie slunk out of bed and staggered over to the door, typing in the unlock code and watching it whoosh open with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. He hadn’t slept in close to five cycles now, and at any moment he was liable to be knocked over by a stray breeze of recycled air.
When he sees who it is at the door, Techie freezes.
Kylo stared at the man, frozen as well for a moment. The man did not look well, and something inside of him made him feel… Bad for the boy.
“General Hux expressed a wish for us to become acquainted,” he finally said. “Is it a bad time?”
“Ah, n-no,” he replies, unfocused gaze drifting around a spot somewhere behind Ren. “You can…come inside.” Techie shifts to press himself against the doorway, a rather nonsensical way of letting him pass.
Kylo hesitated but entered the room and looked around. He then reached out to take his helmet off. “I do not mean to intimidate you,” he said. “The General told me about your general background. I hope you’re settling in nicely?”
Techie closes the door and stumbles over to sit on the edge of his bed. “Oh, th-thank you… It’s kind of you to ask, Commander Ren.”
For a moment, he debates on whether he should be totally honest. The other techs are cold to him, he doesn’t have any friends yet, and his horrible nightmares keep him up all night.
Techie hesitates for too long; the silence turns awkward.
Kylo Ren, in full uniform, mask and hood on, knocked on the door to General Hux’s brother’s room. It was still shocking that Hux had a brother whom he wanted to help. But he was willing to give it a try.
Disheveled and lacking sleep, Techie slunk out of bed and staggered over to the door, typing in the unlock code and watching it whoosh open with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. He hadn’t slept in close to five cycles now, and at any moment he was liable to be knocked over by a stray breeze of recycled air.
When he sees who it is at the door, Techie freezes.
Kylo stared at the man, frozen as well for a moment. The man did not look well, and something inside of him made him feel… Bad for the boy.
“General Hux expressed a wish for us to become acquainted,” he finally said. “Is it a bad time?”
“Ah, n-no,” he replies, unfocused gaze drifting around a spot somewhere behind Ren. “You can…come inside.” Techie shifts to press himself against the doorway, a rather nonsensical way of letting him pass.
TechieHux 