Room 204 [afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

After his daily run and trip to the gym, Ben had retreated to his room (not that he would see it that way) to continue working on the Thor helmet he'd been making for Jono.

Which was why Ben was currently hovering a good foot off of the ground and looking quite pleased with himself. The motor to make the wings actually serve a purpose was working!

The door was cracked open.

[OOC: And the post is totally open!]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Thank you for both, then," Ben said with another smile. When he was hungry again, he'd try some. "But it really wasn't necessary. I didn't help because I thought I'd get cookies."

[glacial_queen]

"I didn't think you had," Karla said, shaking her head. "But that doesn't mean I can't feel grateful and want to come up with some way to say 'thank you' for it. Especially since no one seems to want me to actually say 'thank you'." She looked away, not wantin Ben to see the tears that were welling up. "You went into Hell for me. Just because we're friends--and have been friends for less than half a year. You brought me back to myself. There aren't words for what you all did. And I'm going to feel appreciative and grateful no matter what anyone says."

And, because she was Karla, regardless of circumstances, she added, "So there."

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached a cautious hand out toward her shoulder. "You're welcome," he said softly. "I wasn't going to just leave you there."

[glacial_queen]

There was no male on this island that Karla trusted more than Ben. That being said, she couldn't help the brief flicker of fear that she knew he would read. Reaching out, she tried to snag his wrist before he had a chance to pull away.

"Ignore that," she said steadily. "It isn't me. It's a bit of left-over fear that doesn't understand yet that you...mean safety." Karla didn't think of Ben as safe, she knew full well that he had the potential to be dangerous. But she trusted him to never use those skills on her without just cause. "I trust you, Ben."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes locked onto hers as his grip on her hand grew a little tighter. "Good," he said, squeezing her fingers. "You scared me," he admitted finally. "You were so angry."

[glacial_queen]

"I have never been so angry in my entire life," Karla admitted. "I...I think I was heading to Causeway to do something rash."

Like murder people. Details.

"I just wanted to find people like that, and hurt them. It wasn't even about justice anymore, it was about making them hurt for all the hurt they'd caused. I was frightened and wanted to make sure that fear went away." Karla looked down at the bed, still keeping a death-grip on Ben's fingers. "It was like when I killed Max and Eleanor in the other-Fandom. They were evil and deserved death, but that wasn't why I killed them. I was angry and frightened and they'd hurt me."

[momslilassassin]

"If Max hadn't gotten there first, I would have stopped that from happening," Ben said softly, holding out his other hand for her to hold onto as well. "That kind of rage...it's what Jedi fight against our whole lives."

[glacial_queen]

"I'm glad you would have," Karla whispered. "I don't--want to be that way."

"Back home, it's why the males protect and serve. Females' rage burns colder and slower. Sometimes they're protecting others from us just as much as they're protecting us from those others, I think."

Canon argument! IDEK!

[momslilassassin]

Ben blinked. "So potentially homicidal rampages are something to be...anticipated...at home for you?"

[glacial_queen]

"Not exactly?" Karla said.

Way to put those concerns to rest, Karla.

"Protocol exists to minimize Warlord Princes from stepping onto the killing field," she explained as gently as she could. "We do our best to prevent such things from occuring, but a hair-trigger temper and capacity for violence are mainstays of the Warlord Prince caste. Even regular Princes are aggressive."

Beat.

"Don't judge my culture, Ben."

[momslilassassin]

"Working on it," he said, squeezing her hands gently.