[Branch flies in one one of the little whizzing flying toys. It's one of the only ways he can cover that much ground easily, short of hitching a ride.]
[He lands on a little unused work table, turns it off, and hops off the toy.]
Hey. Why did you want to see me?
[He looks up at him with some mild concern, wondering if he thinks he's going to be forced on the mission.]
[Boba glances around to make sure they're alone and kneels on the floor to get as level with Branch as possible.]
I made you something.
[He pulls out a small baton-like item that's a little longer than the width of Branch's head (not counting the ears). One end has a grip handle with a small guard.]
It's called a stun baton. It's like a bat, but if you press this button [he points to a small button on the handle] while this part is touching something [he points to the longer part that's more geometric in design] it'll electrocute it. A short shock will immobilize a big person and a long one can knock someone out.
[He gently sets it on the table. He does not fidget nervously. He holds himself very still and waits for Branch to react.]
[Branch tries it out, careful to point it well away from Lucky, pushing up the guard and watching it spark before withdrawing his finger.]
[Branch is used to getting gifts now that he's a part of village life again. People get a little crazy about them and trolls have come up with more gift-giving holidays than it seems possible, even quarter birthdays and half birthdays.]
[But he went 20 years without gifts. Without people even really acknowledging his existence that much. Once or twice a year, at most, when he went into the village and kicked up a fuss about Bergens while getting supplies. It was his own fault that they didn't want anything to do with him, with how he pushed them all away.]
[Still, he'd been alone. With only Poppy's invitations as a gesture of acknowledgement and welcome. The only other way he'd managed to feel close to the rest of the village had been the gifts he delivered in secret on the night of the Harvest Moon. But he'd been anonymous and unknown, too afraid that the others knowing it was him would lead to them trying to get close when he was too afraid to let them in.]
[20 years is a long time to go without others really showing appreciation for your existence.]
[But there's more to it than that because of what the gift is for.]
You made this for me?
[His eyes are a little glassy.]
[This gift is... it's something he couldn't have even imagined getting. Not because it's too violent. (He absolutely plans to use it if necessary, just like he'd been fine with all the claw traps in his bunker getting tripped by enemies.) But because it's not something he ever thought someone would think to do on their own, without him asking for it.]
[He never thought someone might give him safety he could hold in his hands. Give him a way to fight and protect - himself and others, because he did want to protect the latter, too. He especially never expected it from a big person, nor did he expect a child to be thoughtful enough to think of it.]
[He looks up from the gift to meet Lucky's eyes.]
Lucky, I - I don't know what say.
I've never had anyone give me something like this before. I've never been able to fight back against big people.
[It communicates a lot that Lucky isn't saying, but is obvious by the gesture. He cares and wants Branch to be safe. Branch can see it for what it is, see it as a gesture of reaching out, of care and kindness, from a child that struggles to trust.]
[A child like the child he'd once been. He knows what that feels like. Knows how hard it is.]
[With others, he might have been a little more reserved in his gratitude. But not here. Lucky deserves all the sincerity and gratitude a gesture like this warrants. Branch radiates it. It is real and sincere; he's just not keeping it as close to the vest as he would if it were a gift from one of his friends his age. He holds the baton like it's a precious thing - because it is.]
Thank you. Thank you for trying to help me stay safe. And for giving me a way to protect other people, too.
[He snorts at the fact Lucky stole it right out from under Miguel.]
[But he also knows that if Miguel finds out he might try to limit Lucky's time in the lab. That makes it even more meaningful. He knows Miguel wouldn't freak but he might put down some limits.]
If he figures it out, I'll tell him I got someone to help me design it and that I stole the components myself.
The big guy and I don't get along anyway and I already thoroughly enjoy sneaking into his lab and messing with his stuff. So he'd probably believe it.
[A layer of protection for the kid. No loss if he and Miguel butt heads anyway.]
[The staff is a little too long to store in his hair. It'd poke out if he ever extended it, so he reaches into his hair for a little pair of snippers and extends a long tendril, then cuts it off. He puts the snippers back into his hair and starts braiding the tendril, the end under his foot, doing it impossibly fast with nimble fingers. His people make a lot of things out of their own hair, including their pods. And they learn to braid almost as quickly as they learn to talk.]
[(He's found, fortunately, that he can cut his own hair apparently, even if little else can break or cut it. Which is good when he still might need the occasional hair cut.)]
[As he talks to Lucky, he knots it together to fashion a holster of sorts so he can carry the baton at his back.]
You're not going on the mission are you? No one's making you? That Jamie kid said the witches - whatever they are - could sing songs that could mind control kids. And we don't know what the other witches can even do.
[He doesn't want him to go somewhere where they could suck the life out of him. It feels all too close to what happened in the past at home, just a less violent way of consuming them.]
I know you can fend for yourself. [Lucky's made it very clear he's independent and talked about fighting and weapons.] But that could get you from a distance.
He saw me building it. I just didn't know if he would let me have the power cell.
[Boba ducks his head at Branch's questions. He wasn't expecting there to be long-lasting consequences when he told Branch he was worried about being forced to fight. That was just supposed to help him get out.]
No one's forcing me, but I want to help. I'm a good shot. I could wear earplugs! Or a helmet that blocks out sound!
[He doesn't want to stay behind and just wait. He can do things now! He's not a liability!]
[To go that quickly from being afraid of being forced, to wanting to help, shows that the wanting to help is the instinct underneath - Lucky just didn't want anyone else to control him.]
[At first, Branch wasn't putting much thought to this - he'd actually thought Lucky just wanted to see them all off. But finding out he wants to go leaves him feeling incredibly anxious.]
It's good that you want to help. [He nods his head back and forth.] And yeah, you could find a way to block the sound. But one thing I know is... it's that bad things happen, even if you think you're ready for them. And sometimes there's nothing you can do about it.
We don't know what we're up against. And you're a kid [He holsters the baton in its new holster and holds up his hands] and I don't think that means you're not capable. It just means it'd be terrible if something took away your future because you deserve to have more of one.
[He holds a tiny hand over a heart much bigger than its physical size would suggest.]
I've known people like the ones we're facing. That want to - to consume kids.
[He goes for honesty because he can tell this is a kid that needs it, whose trust can easily be broken. He can hold this close to the vest or he can be honest about it. If Lucky were an adult, he'd withhold it.]
They almost got me when I was a kid. I just don't want them to get you.
I know bad things happen, and I've known those people too.
[Tyranus, Jabba, Durge, Libkath, the Republic... Aurra, maybe. Boba's met a lot of beings who want to hurt kids, or didn't let the fact that he was one stop them.
He looks at the ground, frustrated. Branch isn't going to be convinced. Boba shouldn't even be trying to convince him. Boba can make his own decisions, and he definitely doesn't need anyone's permission!]
Okay, I'll stay here, but you have to be safe too.
[He hates it. He hates that this kid knows that, has faced that. It makes something twist and knot in Branch's chest.]
[Branch debates whether he should do it, but he decides to slowly lower himself down from the little table, wrapping his hair around the table leg to have something to dangle from as he slowly slides down to the ground. Once his feet gain purchase, his hair withdraws again, back to its shorter length.]
[He walks closer, body language a little hesitant, afraid he's crossing a boundary here. But he wants to reassure and his people are very tactile. Despite his many years alone, he's started to learn to communicate with that part of his people's language again. It's starting to feel more natural.]
[And he has a very strong feeling Lucky has lived a life where he probably hasn't gotten any comfort in a while.]
[He approaches slowly and just gently places a tiny hand on Boba's knee, watching to make sure he doesn't recoil or seem uncomfortable. It is so gentle, Boba will barely feel it. Like the brush of a dandelion.]
[Branch finds himself wishing he could meet his eyes better, at the same height. And reach a human-sized hand to his shoulder.]
I will be. [He withdraws his hand, not wanting to be too pushy.] I know how to hide from big people when things get too dangerous. I've had to know how to do that my whole life.
[He reaches back to tap the handle of the holstered baton.]
And you just made it so I can be even safer.
[His soft impression morphs into a smile.]
Trust me, if I'd had this thing a year ago, I'd have solved a few Bergen-sized problems in half the time.
[Boba watches Branch and holds very still, and not just because he doesn't want Branch to feel threatened. He's never been put off by Branch's stature. The galaxy is a big place with species of all shapes and sizes-- he doesn't give a second thought to making accommodations.
The gesture itself is unexpected. The faint pressure lingers even after Branch pulls away.]
My dad taught me self-defense when I was a kid. He said it was a way of life.
[He remembers the words of the Resol'nare-- the six tenets of being Mandalorian-- but he doesn't remember what they mean. He knows armor, self-defense, education, and language are all part of it.
He looks back at Branch. He can defend himself with the stun baton, but that won't help him if he loses it. Or if he goes back to his planet without it.]
I can show you how it works. That way when you go back you can make your own, or something like it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
[He lands on a little unused work table, turns it off, and hops off the toy.]
Hey. Why did you want to see me?
[He looks up at him with some mild concern, wondering if he thinks he's going to be forced on the mission.]
no subject
I made you something.
[He pulls out a small baton-like item that's a little longer than the width of Branch's head (not counting the ears). One end has a grip handle with a small guard.]
It's called a stun baton. It's like a bat, but if you press this button [he points to a small button on the handle] while this part is touching something [he points to the longer part that's more geometric in design] it'll electrocute it. A short shock will immobilize a big person and a long one can knock someone out.
[He gently sets it on the table. He does not fidget nervously. He holds himself very still and waits for Branch to react.]
no subject
[Branch is used to getting gifts now that he's a part of village life again. People get a little crazy about them and trolls have come up with more gift-giving holidays than it seems possible, even quarter birthdays and half birthdays.]
[But he went 20 years without gifts. Without people even really acknowledging his existence that much. Once or twice a year, at most, when he went into the village and kicked up a fuss about Bergens while getting supplies. It was his own fault that they didn't want anything to do with him, with how he pushed them all away.]
[Still, he'd been alone. With only Poppy's invitations as a gesture of acknowledgement and welcome. The only other way he'd managed to feel close to the rest of the village had been the gifts he delivered in secret on the night of the Harvest Moon. But he'd been anonymous and unknown, too afraid that the others knowing it was him would lead to them trying to get close when he was too afraid to let them in.]
[20 years is a long time to go without others really showing appreciation for your existence.]
[But there's more to it than that because of what the gift is for.]
You made this for me?
[His eyes are a little glassy.]
[This gift is... it's something he couldn't have even imagined getting. Not because it's too violent. (He absolutely plans to use it if necessary, just like he'd been fine with all the claw traps in his bunker getting tripped by enemies.) But because it's not something he ever thought someone would think to do on their own, without him asking for it.]
[He never thought someone might give him safety he could hold in his hands. Give him a way to fight and protect - himself and others, because he did want to protect the latter, too. He especially never expected it from a big person, nor did he expect a child to be thoughtful enough to think of it.]
[He looks up from the gift to meet Lucky's eyes.]
Lucky, I - I don't know what say.
I've never had anyone give me something like this before. I've never been able to fight back against big people.
[It communicates a lot that Lucky isn't saying, but is obvious by the gesture. He cares and wants Branch to be safe. Branch can see it for what it is, see it as a gesture of reaching out, of care and kindness, from a child that struggles to trust.]
[A child like the child he'd once been. He knows what that feels like. Knows how hard it is.]
[With others, he might have been a little more reserved in his gratitude. But not here. Lucky deserves all the sincerity and gratitude a gesture like this warrants. Branch radiates it. It is real and sincere; he's just not keeping it as close to the vest as he would if it were a gift from one of his friends his age. He holds the baton like it's a precious thing - because it is.]
Thank you. Thank you for trying to help me stay safe. And for giving me a way to protect other people, too.
no subject
If you're going into battle you need a weapon.
[It's easier to say that than to put words to any of the emotions he's feeling.]
I stole the power cell from Miguel.
[He risked losing what freedom he still has to make sure Branch is able to defend himself. He hasn't let himself think about why.]
cw: light cannibalism ref
[But he also knows that if Miguel finds out he might try to limit Lucky's time in the lab. That makes it even more meaningful. He knows Miguel wouldn't freak but he might put down some limits.]
If he figures it out, I'll tell him I got someone to help me design it and that I stole the components myself.
The big guy and I don't get along anyway and I already thoroughly enjoy sneaking into his lab and messing with his stuff. So he'd probably believe it.
[A layer of protection for the kid. No loss if he and Miguel butt heads anyway.]
[The staff is a little too long to store in his hair. It'd poke out if he ever extended it, so he reaches into his hair for a little pair of snippers and extends a long tendril, then cuts it off. He puts the snippers back into his hair and starts braiding the tendril, the end under his foot, doing it impossibly fast with nimble fingers. His people make a lot of things out of their own hair, including their pods. And they learn to braid almost as quickly as they learn to talk.]
[(He's found, fortunately, that he can cut his own hair apparently, even if little else can break or cut it. Which is good when he still might need the occasional hair cut.)]
[As he talks to Lucky, he knots it together to fashion a holster of sorts so he can carry the baton at his back.]
You're not going on the mission are you? No one's making you? That Jamie kid said the witches - whatever they are - could sing songs that could mind control kids. And we don't know what the other witches can even do.
[He doesn't want him to go somewhere where they could suck the life out of him. It feels all too close to what happened in the past at home, just a less violent way of consuming them.]
I know you can fend for yourself. [Lucky's made it very clear he's independent and talked about fighting and weapons.] But that could get you from a distance.
no subject
[Boba ducks his head at Branch's questions. He wasn't expecting there to be long-lasting consequences when he told Branch he was worried about being forced to fight. That was just supposed to help him get out.]
No one's forcing me, but I want to help. I'm a good shot. I could wear earplugs! Or a helmet that blocks out sound!
[He doesn't want to stay behind and just wait. He can do things now! He's not a liability!]
no subject
[At first, Branch wasn't putting much thought to this - he'd actually thought Lucky just wanted to see them all off. But finding out he wants to go leaves him feeling incredibly anxious.]
It's good that you want to help. [He nods his head back and forth.] And yeah, you could find a way to block the sound. But one thing I know is... it's that bad things happen, even if you think you're ready for them. And sometimes there's nothing you can do about it.
We don't know what we're up against. And you're a kid [He holsters the baton in its new holster and holds up his hands] and I don't think that means you're not capable. It just means it'd be terrible if something took away your future because you deserve to have more of one.
[He holds a tiny hand over a heart much bigger than its physical size would suggest.]
I've known people like the ones we're facing. That want to - to consume kids.
[He goes for honesty because he can tell this is a kid that needs it, whose trust can easily be broken. He can hold this close to the vest or he can be honest about it. If Lucky were an adult, he'd withhold it.]
They almost got me when I was a kid. I just don't want them to get you.
no subject
[Tyranus, Jabba, Durge, Libkath, the Republic... Aurra, maybe. Boba's met a lot of beings who want to hurt kids, or didn't let the fact that he was one stop them.
He looks at the ground, frustrated. Branch isn't going to be convinced. Boba shouldn't even be trying to convince him. Boba can make his own decisions, and he definitely doesn't need anyone's permission!]
Okay, I'll stay here, but you have to be safe too.
no subject
[Branch debates whether he should do it, but he decides to slowly lower himself down from the little table, wrapping his hair around the table leg to have something to dangle from as he slowly slides down to the ground. Once his feet gain purchase, his hair withdraws again, back to its shorter length.]
[He walks closer, body language a little hesitant, afraid he's crossing a boundary here. But he wants to reassure and his people are very tactile. Despite his many years alone, he's started to learn to communicate with that part of his people's language again. It's starting to feel more natural.]
[And he has a very strong feeling Lucky has lived a life where he probably hasn't gotten any comfort in a while.]
[He approaches slowly and just gently places a tiny hand on Boba's knee, watching to make sure he doesn't recoil or seem uncomfortable. It is so gentle, Boba will barely feel it. Like the brush of a dandelion.]
[Branch finds himself wishing he could meet his eyes better, at the same height. And reach a human-sized hand to his shoulder.]
I will be. [He withdraws his hand, not wanting to be too pushy.] I know how to hide from big people when things get too dangerous. I've had to know how to do that my whole life.
[He reaches back to tap the handle of the holstered baton.]
And you just made it so I can be even safer.
[His soft impression morphs into a smile.]
Trust me, if I'd had this thing a year ago, I'd have solved a few Bergen-sized problems in half the time.
no subject
The gesture itself is unexpected. The faint pressure lingers even after Branch pulls away.]
My dad taught me self-defense when I was a kid. He said it was a way of life.
[He remembers the words of the Resol'nare-- the six tenets of being Mandalorian-- but he doesn't remember what they mean. He knows armor, self-defense, education, and language are all part of it.
He looks back at Branch. He can defend himself with the stun baton, but that won't help him if he loses it. Or if he goes back to his planet without it.]
I can show you how it works. That way when you go back you can make your own, or something like it.
no subject
I'd like to learn how it all works.
[He smiles a gentle smile at him.]
I promise we'll do that when I'm back okay?
no subject
Yeah, we can do that.
[He finds himself genuinely looking forward to it.]
I think people are getting ready. You should probably go too.