Enough room to breathe, but not much more room beyond that, and fear nearly chokes off the rest. Only for a moment, though, before blazing anger beats it back, cracking the ground enough to snuff some of the flames out, and shattering patches of ice from his fear. "Yeah?" Ezra rasps out, clawing at Kylo's hand with a glare that's too angry to see any hint of a sheen in the man's eyes. "Sure- couldn't tell- right now! What if- it was me? What if I- was your kid? You don't- know! Don't know- if I lied-"
He cuts himself off there, because there's a time for words, and a time to act, and he can't afford to wait to see how Kylo's going to react. The man might just get even more angry and tighten the grip he already has. Ezra reaches for the Force, hoping he rattled Kylo just enough for this to work. Pieces of the broken ground lift, their own threat as they hover. Then the first one snaps forward, straight for Kylo Ren's arm.
Kylo Ren's rage only intensifies at the poor attempt at a rebuttal, pulling Ezra closer so he can stare him right in the eyes. His power is only amplified by his chaotic emotions, and the chunk of earth flying his way breaks harmlessly before it can reach them, showering them with a bit of dirt and grass.
"My child would know how much I cared for them," he hisses, the temporary dark side coloring to his eyes fading. "And I won't have you implying otherwise."
At the very least, Ezra gets what he was going for—Ren shoves him away, letting the boy go free.
As quick as he can, Ezra scrambles back from the man, even if distance will only help so much against someone as strong in the Force as him.
"Yeah, well, kids don't always hear the messages their parents want them to hear - or get to." Bitterness creeps into his voice past the rawness in his throat, and his hand comes up to rub at the forming bruises. For a moment, he can't help but feel intensely jealous of Ren. He still has parents who can tell him they love him.
Ignoring the way the broken ground is now sloughing into mud, Ezra keeps edging back. He wants to leave, to put distance between himself and Kylo Ren, but also don't want to turn his back to him.
"You don't know the future," he repeats. "I bet your parents said the same thing about you."
I REFRESHED WHILE WRITING THIS TAG AND LOST IT I'M SO MAD
Whatever Ben's parents might have wanted to do, what he sees as their abandonment of him isn't something he can just forgive and forget. And unfortunately, it applies to the Han and Leia here who have yet to make those mistakes—his past still overshadows everything he does, as much as he refuses to admit it.
It doesn't mean that he can keep the pained look off his face at the mention of his parents' intent, though.
"I won't make the same mistakes."
He's determined to do better than them, in every possible way. But ultimately, that means he has no plans for children at all, for fear that he might follow in the awful footsteps that created someone like him.
It's that pained look that keeps Ezra from saying something truly biting, though for a moment he's really tempted to. Still, he's made his point (or at least he thinks he has) and the man's no longer holding him by the throat. He should probably call it quits while he's ahead.
"No," he agrees levelly. "You'll make different ones." He says that with the conviction of someone who's seen that future happen, but really, he doesn't need to be from that future, or have a vision of it, to feel as sure as that. People make mistakes. That's just the way life is.
But he's going to let Kylo draw his own conclusions about that tone because he's done here. Assuming the man lets him, he's going to start backing off, intending to leave without actually turning his back on him.
He has no doubts he'll make mistakes. As much as he tires to avoid them, even he knows they're inevitable.
"At least they'll be mine."
Kylo does indeed allow Ezra to back away, and shows no movements towards pursuing, either. He's just as done with the conversation as Ezra is.
"Don't forget what I said," he calls out after the boy, not intending to let him forget the original purpose behind the conversation. No matter his feelings towards his family, they're his responsibility. It's his right to know what happens to them.
Ezra doesn't respond directly, though by the tightening of his mouth, it's certain he heard what Kylo said. He's not about to make any promises, though. Promises like that only get you in trouble when you're the kind of person who makes split second judgment calls on what to do in any given situation. If Ezra ever ends up in a situation like that last one again, where he knows something's happened or will happen to Kylo's family, then he's going to call whoever he thinks will be able to help him the most.
Besides, he doesn't owe Kylo any kind of promise.
Instead, he makes his escape from the park as soon as he possibly can.
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He cuts himself off there, because there's a time for words, and a time to act, and he can't afford to wait to see how Kylo's going to react. The man might just get even more angry and tighten the grip he already has. Ezra reaches for the Force, hoping he rattled Kylo just enough for this to work. Pieces of the broken ground lift, their own threat as they hover. Then the first one snaps forward, straight for Kylo Ren's arm.
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"My child would know how much I cared for them," he hisses, the temporary dark side coloring to his eyes fading. "And I won't have you implying otherwise."
At the very least, Ezra gets what he was going for—Ren shoves him away, letting the boy go free.
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"Yeah, well, kids don't always hear the messages their parents want them to hear - or get to." Bitterness creeps into his voice past the rawness in his throat, and his hand comes up to rub at the forming bruises. For a moment, he can't help but feel intensely jealous of Ren. He still has parents who can tell him they love him.
Ignoring the way the broken ground is now sloughing into mud, Ezra keeps edging back. He wants to leave, to put distance between himself and Kylo Ren, but also don't want to turn his back to him.
"You don't know the future," he repeats. "I bet your parents said the same thing about you."
I REFRESHED WHILE WRITING THIS TAG AND LOST IT I'M SO MAD
It doesn't mean that he can keep the pained look off his face at the mention of his parents' intent, though.
"I won't make the same mistakes."
He's determined to do better than them, in every possible way. But ultimately, that means he has no plans for children at all, for fear that he might follow in the awful footsteps that created someone like him.
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"No," he agrees levelly. "You'll make different ones." He says that with the conviction of someone who's seen that future happen, but really, he doesn't need to be from that future, or have a vision of it, to feel as sure as that. People make mistakes. That's just the way life is.
But he's going to let Kylo draw his own conclusions about that tone because he's done here. Assuming the man lets him, he's going to start backing off, intending to leave without actually turning his back on him.
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"At least they'll be mine."
Kylo does indeed allow Ezra to back away, and shows no movements towards pursuing, either. He's just as done with the conversation as Ezra is.
"Don't forget what I said," he calls out after the boy, not intending to let him forget the original purpose behind the conversation. No matter his feelings towards his family, they're his responsibility. It's his right to know what happens to them.
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Besides, he doesn't owe Kylo any kind of promise.
Instead, he makes his escape from the park as soon as he possibly can.