[IC] Empatheias Inbox

[angelofnaboo]

Recipient: Padmé Naberrie Amidala
Alignment: Daimonia
Homeworld: Naboo

✧ | ✉ | ☿

crystal • letter • in-person

Please note in the header if it is Voice/Image/Letter/Action and what date this contact was initiated.

Comments

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

-- ah, hello, Padmé, this is Natsume Tak-- uh, Takashi. It's Takashi. I've been, um, saving my money for a while and I think I have enough to find a place of my own.

[Have a very long and awkwardly hesitant pause.] Only, I'm...I've never gotten my own place before and...I'm not really sure how and--

-- and really, you don't need to bother yourself if you don't want to, but if...you have any ideas about...where to...and how...

U-Um, that'd. That'd be nice.

[Huuuuuge sigh, because asking for help is hard.] Thank you. I-- um. I suppose I'll talk to you soon.

voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

[When she replies to this message, she can't help but sound amused. It's very much like the young man she knows.]

Takashi, if you need help, it would be an honor for me to assist you. However, maybe you'd like to tell me if there's an issue with the friend you said you were living with before?

Re: voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

[Her amusement is evident, but it does nothing but make Natsume feel more at ease. If she's amused, that means she isn't irritated. He'll sound a little embarrassed when he replies.]

No, no, not at all, she's been very kind to me. I just...I want to take care of myself. I don't want to have anyone worried about me.

voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

[Why ever would she be annoyed or irritated by him? She adores him as the sweet young man he is.]

Takashi, dear, part of being involved with other people is worrying about them. Don't you worry about your friend if you don't hear from her after a while? Or Kyan-san, your dog?

But if you're seriously interested in finding a place of your own, it need not be in the middle of nowhere. There is an empty apartment above the one where Anakin and I live. I'm sure that Master Kenobi would like a buffer between himself and us.

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

[Bit by bit the natural nervousness Natsume has about every social interaction is melting away, at least when it comes to Padmé. It'd probably be troubling to her, but she's truly one of the handful of people's he's met who's never given him reason to fear them.

There's a pause, full of a mixture of emotion -- excitement, hope, confusion, then earnestly:]

Right above yours? Are-- are you sure?

voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

[If he told her that, she'd be even more honored. Her relationship with Natsume is different from the one she has with Luke, but similar. She enjoys both

Even if the young man seems to need a lot more assurance than Luke.]

Yes, of course, Takashi. You'd be close to people who care for you and can help if you need it, but you'd still be on your own at the same time.

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

[That's one thing Natsume will probably take a lot of time to get over -- needing to be constantly reassured.

But now he pauses a moment and, when he replies, there's a soft note of wonder in his voice.]

I've...only one other person's ever wanted me to be near them. I'm...

...thank you.

voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

[THat is but one way that he's so much like Anakin that it hurts her, but in a good way. And the almost awe in his voice is so sweet that she smiles gently before speaking.]

Takashi. This isn't like your home. This is a good chance for you to find a family that wants you and you want it. I'm only sorry that my family seems to be a magnet for trouble.

Besides, Anakin and I are both very fond of you. Don't forget that.

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

...I like your family. Any sort of trouble would-- would be worth it, I think. If you truly wanted...um. Wanted me to stay close to you.

[The shyness in his voice suddenly makes him sound a lot younger than he is, a yearning that he's kept locked up tightly for years and years.] I won't forget. I promise.

voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

I like them most of the time too. Even if they get on my nerves. Although, I suppose that's part of being family.

So, when do you need help moving your things? I can come over today since I'm not working.

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

[There's a faint hint of wistfulness in Natsume's voice now -- clearly he has no idea what's normal in a family.] I suppose, as...as long as you all care for one another it's worth it, right?

Oh! Oh, um, I don't really have many things, but...if you'd like to come over that'd be very nice. [Look at him, getting better at accepting help!]

Re: voice; 5/1ish

[angelofnaboo]

It's true that familial love does make things easier to digest.

[You know, being related to mass murderers and the like...]

Of course I can come over. After you give me directions.

voice; 5/1ish

[natzoom]

[Have a pause, then a flood of embarrassment, followed by a mental map of the city, the way from Padmé's to Natsume's place marked carefully.]

S-Sorry, I should have started with that.

voice 5/7

[mislighted]

[It's been a long, hard day, half filled with grief, and half with joy. By the time he works up the courage to contact Padmé, he sounds like he's been crying. He doesn't have it in him to worry too much about how that may come across; once she hears the news, he's sure she'll understand.]

Padmé. Something's happened. I need to speak with you.

[If she already knows what has happened, if she's run into the same person that he has... She'll need to speak with him, too. There's no avoiding this. Besides, he made a promise to be honest with her.]

voice 5/7

[angelofnaboo]

[She's spent the last few days feeling half on edge. Since running into her daughter, she's not quite sure how to handle herself. Mostly stiff and going through the motions of being a normal human being is how she's coped, but trying to talk to Anakin about it all has been on the edge of her emotions.

When he contacts her so upset, however, her own turmoil is easily set aside to help him. She'll find balance for herself along the way, she's sure of it.]

I'm nearly home. We can talk while I cook dinner.

[She pauses.]

Or does this need to be handled first?

[mislighted]

[Padmé really should take care of her own emotional state more often, even though Anakin is obviously the one who's worse at it.]

I don't know how much attention you'll be able to pay to the food when you hear about it.

[Under ordinary circumstances, that would have come off as a joke. Right now, he's being completely serious. Once they get started, food will be the last thing on their minds, if they can even bother stomaching it at all.

This reminds him of a similar conversation they had not so many weeks ago, and he thinks better of his vagueness. He doesn't want her to assume he's hurt someone yet again, but he doesn't want to broadcast this, just in case someone could overhear it. He doesn't completely understand this new power yet, so he'll be cautious.]

It's not going to get any worse if we wait, however. I'll meet you there.

[With that, he hurries home, but with the distance, it takes him a few more minutes to get there than she needs.]

[angelofnaboo]

[Considering track records at the moment, Padmé is handling things a lot better right now than he is. She's not in denial, but she's definitely tense and it's starting to show around the edges of her personality.]

On a scale one to ten, how bad is this? Fifteen?

[Because she really cannot handle many more fifteens. Just... one month without a fifteen, please.

Regardless, she speeds up both her shopping and walking, not wasting time to reach him. She's a little surprised that she beats him to the apartment and she leaves the bag of groceries on the counter, folding her hands in front of her as she paces and waits.

When he enters, her eyes are on him immediately, checking for any damages or changes to his person, both physical or mental. Nothing appears to be wrong, but she can tell. She abandons her pacing and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a tight hug that helps her shed some of her own anxiety.]

Tell me what's wrong.

[mislighted]

No one is dead or injured, Padmé. I swear.

[Except maybe Anakin, on the inside, but he's not going to broadcast that where people might pick up on it. But emotionally, this feels like a twenty, so he'll refrain from picking numbers and causing her undue panic.]

It's... It's something between the two of us. Someone from our galaxy is with the newcomers. I'll tell you the details when I get there.

[This is definitely something he wants to discuss face-to-face anyway, so he moves at top speed, sound just a bit out of breath as he speaks over the crystal. Before he can say anything else, he's at the front door, and he's forced to slow down as he steps inside. Running was a nice distraction, but as soon as he sees Padmé, the flood of feelings come rushing back. The hug is the one thing that helps him rein himself in, and he holds her as tight as he can without hurting her to get there. If she's watching, she might notice the nearest of his emotion flowers growing small new buds, only for them to wither before they blossom.

There's no holding it all back now. Without any preamble, he just blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.]

I saw Leia. Our Leia. She's in Verens.

[He doesn't know if she's run across their daughter yet or not, but if she hasn't, that seems enough of a bomb to start this off with. He doesn't want to overdo it right away, even if it's a struggle not to ramble and rant about the whole thing at once.]

[angelofnaboo]

Prefacing this conversation with that doesn't exactly help things, Anakin.

[She can't help the biting tone to her words. So many things have happened in a short time and any time he is so anxious over something, it's always spelled trouble of the worst kind.

But the moment she's in his arms, it's like all of that melts and she holds onto him like she needs him to live. Her face is buried in his shoulder, slowly breathing to calm herself and to keep the panic down.

No matter what it is, they'll handle it together. They promised each other.

His words stop her thoughts cold and she pulls back, dark eyes hooded with trepidation and excitement.]

You've seen her? [Her breathing hitches and she manages to give him a half-hearted smile, one that lets him know she already knew.] She's beautiful, isn't she?

[mislighted]

I didn't want anyone to overhear us before I could talk to you in person.

[He really doesn't want to speak to anyone but Padmé about it, but he knows he'll have to bring a few others in on his feelings eventually. He's been taught to deny his emotions for so long, it's still not easy to open up about the truly painful things without blowing up to anyone but her.

Being held helps more than he can say, and he leans into her, drawing her close against him and barely able to keep himself from rocking back and forth to try and soothe them both.

When she pulls back, he fears the worst, but her smile just reflects his own heart. She already knew. He tries to smile back, and though it shakes and won't stay in place, it's as full of love as any of the one he wore while making grand declarations for her.]

One of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. She gets it from her mother.

['And she gets her temper from me' is what nearly follows, but her reaction is still so fresh that making bad jokes at his own expense seems crass. He's no Obi-Wan, and he takes this too personally to brush it off.]

[angelofnaboo]

[She watches his face, reading it for signs that she's almost afraid to see. What's there is fear, pain, love, and anxiety.

Without commenting on his compliment, she pulls his face down for a kiss, trying to find balance for them both. He's a tactile person and draws it out of her when they're alone. Besides, honestly, she's as ready to fly apart as he is. He'll probably be angry or hurt later when he realizes she's known for days that Leia was here, but she's not sure what to do at this point.]

Let's sit down and you can tell me about how your meeting with her went. I will tell you about my own later.

[mislighted]

[He'll think about the fact that she's met Leia as well when she's ready to say it. For now, the kiss grounds him further, and it allows him to forget what's on his mind for the moments it takes him to kiss her back and run his flesh hand over her cheek and into her hair.

He moves at her command when they separate, practically carrying her to the couch as he goes. When he finally settles down, keeping her as close as she allows, he suddenly has trouble finding the words. He has so many things he needs to describe, so many emotions to try and work through, that he doesn't know where to begin. It takes him a minute or two of biting his lip and looking at the pattern on their rug to finally decide.]

She said I should be dead. I don't know how she meant it, but...

[He shakes his head, dragging his eyes back up to look at his wife properly. He doesn't know how to explain the tone in their daughter's voice at that moment, but he hopes his attempts get the point across.]

She wasn't pleased to find out that it was me she was speaking to.

[angelofnaboo]

[She lets him direct her to the couch, practically able to still feel how anxious and upset he is without words. His hand in hers feels like her own lifeline. She waits patiently for him to speak as she concentrates on keeping herself from shaking apart finally.

Padmé's mouth opens, but words don't come out for a minute. The reasonable part of her mind understands what her daughter feels and why her words are so negative. But she is a person and she feels their loss of Leia as they get her deeply.

When she speaks, it's quiet and pained.]

She sees Bail and Breha as her parents. They raised her shortly after her birth. It's understandable.

[The room grows dim and tears form in her eyes, though she fights to keep them back.]

We are strangers, at best, to her.

[mislighted]

[The heat of his own emotions is rising, but he ignores it in favor of Padmé. He's a wreck, truthfully, but she needs him as much as he needs her right now.]

No.

[He turns to place his lips on her forehead, just for a moment, trying to help her focus on him instead of the thought that is clearly bringing her pain. He knows how she feels better than anyone else could, but he still wants to do something to ease her pain. All he's ever wanted if for her to be happy, and he can do so little to help her in moments like these.]

Just because she didn't know us as a child does not mean that we have to accept that she never will, or that she doesn't care. She does. That much I know.

[It might not be a pleasant opinion, but he knows that Leia has one on her birth parents. He hopes that her feelings for Padmé is kinder, but it's still not nothing at all.]

[angelofnaboo]

[At the feel of his lips against her skin, the tears she's been fighting fall. Padmé raises a hand to cover her mouth as the dam she's built cracks. Her words come out in tight sobs as the air continues to grow darker around them both.]

She has no idea who I am, Anakin. None. Luke.... he knew. But to my daughter, I'm a stranger.

Perhaps that will change. I want it to change. It doesn't make it hurt less.

[She lifts her head, eyes red and watery.]

I...I never once thought this could be our fate.