[Closed]

[therewillbeorder]

WHO: Armitage Hux & various
WHERE: the porter, Anakin's house and home
WHEN: evening, late at night
WHAT: Hux's new ability causes trouble
WARNINGS: none



closed to bodhi rook.

[He barely glanced at the new folder he had been given before heading out to go home. Empathy? How was that a power? He wasn't sure what it entailed, he didn't feel any different than before.

That's when it hit him.

A wave of warm happiness washed over him, nearly making him sick to his stomach. It was overwhelming, hitting him like a wave. He never felt anything like this, he didn't know where it was coming from, the street was nearly empty since it was late in the evening. He turned around to try to find the source when his gaze settled upon someone he knew all too well.]

Stop it, right now.

[He snarled, unafraid but he didn't approach any closer. He remembered the last time he had seen Bodhi.]


closed to anakin skywalker and ahsoka tano.

[It was late at night when he arrived. Perhaps this was a bad idea but he was desperate. Ever since running into Bodhi Rook, he felt under attack by the various emotions around him. It was overwhelming, he could barely sort out his own thoughts under the constant barrage.

It was what lead him to Anakin's door that evening. He wasn't sure what Anakin could do but if anyone could help him shut this new ability off, Anakin seemed as if he was the best option right now.

He knocked loudly at the door, trying to shut things out before the emotions drove him insane.]


closed to rogue.

[It was early in the morning when he got back. He was exhausted, his head hurt and all he wanted to do was to stop feeling everything around him.

He pulled his shoes off and dropped his coat as he headed into the dark house, going for the kitchen. The house was silent, there was no one around to feel anything around him. He doubted Rogue was awake and he wasn't going to disturb her. Right now he needed a drink and something to eat. There were a few empty wine bottles on the counter which made him raise his eyebrows but he went straight for a bottle of whiskey without bothering to get a glass.

After the evening he had, hopefully, the whiskey would take the edge off after hours of experiencing other emotions left him raw. ]

Comments

[prophesiedone]

[You're doomed, Hux. Plain and simple. Anakin is looking a bit sleepy - and in pajamas no less - when he answers the door. As a result, his emotions are less INTENSE, but his concern is still loud and clear. Frowning at the other man, he motions him to come inside without a question.]

What happened? Are you alright?

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux stands there for a moment trying to process the wave of emotions that hits him when Anakin answers the door. He felt the concern as he entered the house silently.

He needed to sit down and he found the touch, trying to sort out where Anakin's emotions ended and his own thoughts began.]

I have a new ability. I just came back. I can experience your emotions. Everyone's emotions.

[prophesiedone]

[Emotions - ? Confusion intertwines with concern and Anakin closes the door, nudging Hux towards the couch. He sits down too, frowning at the other man's discomfort.]

That one might be difficult. I imagine it's like trying to hear one voice in a crowded room.

[therewillbeorder]

It's overwhelming.

[He sank down on the couch, trying to shut out what he could. He still felt Anakin's concern sharply, failing to shut it out completely.]

There has to be a way to stop it.

[prophesiedone]

Mm... [He winces and bites the inside of his cheek.] Stopping it is probably...out of the question. You'll need to learn to control it and to defend yourself. Think of others emotions as...bullets. You have to deflect them.

[therewillbeorder]

I don't want to feel all of this.

[He could barely handle the emotions he felt. Being in this world made him feel things that were strange already but other people's emotions were entirely too much.]

How do I deflect it then?

[prophesiedone]

No one does.

[This is a cruel gift, especially for someone like Hux. But there is another side to it...]

You need to build a barrier. I can help you erect a wall around your mind and that should quiet the emotions you sense.

[onlydoubts]

[ The afternoon had been nice, to say the least. In a cheerful mood, Bodhi has no idea that's about to be ruined as he exits the Porter, Luke still on his mind. The giddy elation that normally he feels after spending time with his boyfriend yet to abate. Now he's off to grab a quick bite to eat at his favorite diner...

... and then he freezes, a jolt of cold fear passes through Bodhi as he recognizes the voice, and turns slowly. Followed quickly by guilt, the need to run and the resolve to stand his ground.

And really, who was he in ordering him around, telling him what to do? His emotions settle on annoyance. ]

Are you telling me where I can and can't walk now? I'm not doing anything. I'll be on my way, you on yours.

[therewillbeorder]

[He felt the guilt though he wasn't in the mood to hold that over Bodhi at the moment. The fact that he felt it was enough for him, for now. Right now all he could focus on was the noise in his head from the emotions Bodhi was having. Guilt, annoyance, and still, there was something he was happy about though he didn't want to ask him about it.]


Yes, you are. I can feel your guilt. And now you're annoyed. You must have done something, triggered something.

[He hadn't felt any emotions before encountering Bodhi, the pilot must have done something to activate this new power.]

[onlydoubts]

[ Against his better judgement, Bodhi gaped at him. How had he known he was feeling gult? He closed his mouth, no he hadn't done anything - he was just... standing here. ]

Are you okay? You're acting, well - you sound crazy.

[ Even for Hux.

Why did he care? He didn't, but was concerned what an off balance Hux could do to others; his friends. ]

[therewillbeorder]

You're shocked. Concerned.

[He felt crazy as Bodhi's emotions pressed down on him relentlessly.]

You're causing this. Stop....stop feeling things.

[It was a crazy demand but he couldn't handle Bodhi's feelings as well as his own. It was too much for him.]

I can feel it all.

[onlydoubts]

You can feel... my feelings? [ He's heard of weirder powers, and he has the briefest, flitting moment of the urge to think of something inappropriate - something he feels when Luke kisses his neck -

- but no. That would be petty, and he's not going to be that petty. ]

So... you have a new ability, you can feel emotions.

[ A low whistle. ]

Wow, the porter really must hate you. Probably not used to feeling more than a single emotion at any given time, huh?

[therewillbeorder]

All of your feelings.

[Hux was desperately trying to shut it out but failing. Bodhi wasn't even trying to rein in his own emotions, he knew he had handed the other a powerful weapon to use against him but right now, all he could focus on was stopping the onslaught. Bodhi wasn't wrong, he could handle perhaps one or two of his own emotions at once and even that was a stretch sometimes.

Emotions were a weakness, especially now.]

You feel more than one at once. Strongly.

[faithfulson]

[ It would be on the way home that a new sensation would get to hit Hux. There was a solemnity to it, a sense of responsibility and sadness, as well as feeling burdened and overwhelmed, and trying very, very hard not to let it show. It didn't take long to find the source, heading down the street, looking as spaced out as he usually did, considering he always seemed to be looking at nothing yet everything at once. ]

[ But that was clear now that Luke didn't look off into space because he was spaced himself; his mind was on that which he was responsible for, and he while he was careful to keep his emotions close to himself around other Jedi, he hadn't exactly been counting on Hux and his new power. ]

[therewillbeorder]

[It was the deep feeling of sadness which hit him first. He needed it to stop, sadness was not something he wanted to feel. It impossible to shut it out, it kept invading his mind relentlessly. He turned around, trying to find the source to try to get it to stop. He was willing to knock someone unconscious if he had to.

It didn't take him long to find the source, setting his gaze upon Luke Skywalker himself.]

What are you doing?

[Though there was a snarl to his tone, his words were still strained as he tried to focus on his anger rather than the sadness radiating off of Luke.]

[faithfulson]

[ Surprise at the voice, followed by a faint feeling of annoyance, followed by resignation, and finally back to that solemnity that seemed to surround him like a shroud. ]

Going to work.

[ That annoyance flared again, briefly, but Luke pulled himself back from it. There was no point in being annoyed over Hux; he would eventually burn himself out with how he was, and storm off. ]

Is there a problem?

[therewillbeorder]

What do you have to be so morse and sullen about?

[He couldn't help asking. It was so overpowering, Hux wasn't sure how anyone could handle such intense sadness. He had felt sad and heartbroken with the loss of Starkiller but nothing like this.]

And yes, I know you're annoyed but trust me, things could be worse.

[faithfulson]

[ There was clear confusion, and Hux didn't need powers to know that; it was clearly written on Luke's face. A frown replaced his raised eyebrow after a moment, and he folded his hands before him, tilting his head slightly. ]

...you have a new power.

[ It wasn't really a question, but there was a hint of embarrassment at being called out so easily. ]

[therewillbeorder]

Yes, and I can't say I like having to feel how sad you are. It's...

[Awful. Uncomfortable. He didn't know someone could feel that depth of emotion. Sadness was not an emotion he was familiar with as an adult. It reminded him too much of how he felt when he left Arkanis as a child.]

...unpleasant. What do you have to feel sad about anyway?

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ She'd noticed when he was gone. It was like a sixth sense, that feeling of something wrong making her check his room, the office, his phone. No contact. The memories of the last time he'd vanished were quick to tangle with the rising despair at losing her best friend and in all the hours since, it had been a constant struggle. To breathe, to think, to do anything but pray to gods she didn't believe in and beg them to bring him back. And deep down, under all the tears cried and alcohol imbibed, she tried to hold on to the hope that he would return, just as he had before. Just as she had before.

Damn this place.

She didn't sleep, not properly, the alcohol only helping to dull things enough to drift along in a fog as she lay sprawled on a couch. It was enough to keep her from first registering the sound of the door opening, or the quiet footsteps marking the presence of another person. But then it clicked and she was sitting up so fast that the world spun just a little. There was even a slight wobble in her step as she made her way slowly to the kitchen, the sight of him standing there nearly causing her to drop the half-empty bottle of wine in her hand. ]

You took too long.

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux didn't hear her coming until she entered the kitchen. He noticed the bottle that she held and he could guess how she had taken his disappearance. He wasn't used to feeling guilty, especially over something he had no control over so he downed his glass of whiskey.

That's when he noticed how quiet it was. He couldn't sense her emotions and he let out a breath of relief. He wasn't sure if she was able to somehow shield her emotions but it was a welcome relief after the day he had.]

I came back as soon as I could.

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Setting her bottle down on the counter, she slowly climbed up onto a seat, the room ceasing to spin as she finally stopped moving. She was quiet for a moment, studying him as best she could in her current state, and then finally asked the only question that needed asking. ]

Did anything happen?

[ Sometimes people returned with new memories, through whatever mechanism the Porter possessed to send them back and forth. Sometimes they forgot things. Sometimes their powers changed. What had happened to him this time? ]

[therewillbeorder]

I didn't return to my home galaxy.

[He wasn't sure what he felt about the fact that he wasn't upset about that. There were things in this world that weren't entirely terrible and he found that selfishly, he didn't want to let go.]

I did return with a new ability. I can feel the emotions of others. Except....

[He looked at her carefully but there was nothing coming from her.]

I can't feel anything from you.

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Some part of her was relieved to hear he hadn't returned home. So many others did when the Porter took them and they didn't always return... the same. Time at home changed them, and she wasn't sure she could handle it if he changed for the worst, if all their hard work was so quickly undone. ]

You're an empath.

[ Lord, she didn't envy him that one bit. She'd met them before, back at home, and she'd always been of the opinion that empathy was a million times more difficult to deal with than telepathy. ]

Well, you're in luck. You can't feel anything from me because of my mental shielding. I worked with the most powerful telepath in my world so they're pretty dang good, and it's only on my really bad days at they slip at all.

[therewillbeorder]

Apparently so. Getting here was nearly impossible with the assault of emotions.

[He had gone to see Anakin but there was only so much Anakin's hurried training tonight could do. It wasn't nearly enough but he would go back for training later.]

Which is appreciated. I don't think I could handle any more emotions tonight.

[It was a pathetic thing to admit as he drank the glass of whiskey he had poured for himself before pouring himself another.]