Saga - ST Every Me, Every You - Character Bites/Drabbles (not UDC)

Title: Every Me, Every You
Author: Ewok Poet
Characters: See individual drablems
Timeframe: All over the place
Rating: From G to PG-13
Genre: Character study, poetry, drabble, whatever may creep in..
Canonicity: Canon and Legends, depending on what I decide to write

Summary: They told me drabbles are limited by 100 words. So, I wrote some to test myself because I'm typically writing these 2K-5K story chapters. What happened was some mix up between drabbles and poetry, in form of character studies.

A/N: I will be posting these in the order I write them. Whenever I feel like it.

I also have another, competitive drabble thread for Ultimate Drabble Challenge VIII.

 

Index

Click on the spoiler to see which characters I covered in the drable set.

The Force Awakens

Post 01 - March 10th, 2017

Spoiler

Captain Phasma, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, R2-D2

Post 02 - March 18th, 2017 *should've been 17th *

Spoiler

Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Armitage Hux

Post 3 - March 24th, 2017

Spoiler

Maz Kanata, Chewbacca, BB-8, C-3PO, Unkar Plutt

Post 4 - March 19th, 2018 *leftovers from one year ago*

Spoiler

Lor San Tekka, the Millenium Falcon, Supreme Leader Snoke, Constable Zuvio, Sarco Plank

 

01 Helmet

Stormtroopers. New Order’s Soldiers. Most of them in plain white with black accents, only selected few with a red pauldron signifying their ranking.

And then, there she is, with her shiny, darksilver armour.

So many soldiers doubt that there, in fact, was a woman behind that helmet. There had been this rumour that she was, in fact, a droid, or that somebody had used a synthetic voice for a man in order to confuse the underlings that the First Order had been more accepting of female soldiers.

But the woman behind the helmet has the power none of them do.

***​

02 Mask

His most prized possession. He was never sure about its authenticity and if there was anything below a layer of melted plastoid and remains of a breathing apparatus.

But he wanted to believe.

He had to believe in something – his mother was too busy with the betrayal of her former allies, his father secretly yearned for the freedom of his past, his uncle searched the stars for clues to an order brutally destroyed.

All wrestling the ghosts of the past. Nobody to turn to.

He ended up battling the fiercest of all ghosts.

And disfigured mask formed a disfigured picture.

***​

03 Green

The colour she had only seen in an alien or two and heard about from the kind of spacers not coming to Jakku all that often, it was now surrounding her.

Giving her monochrome life a new meaning.

Making her realise how young she actually was, something she often kept forgetting.

Showing her the kind of a vibrant world that she could only see in her dreams.

But it was only when she rushed down the cobble stone stairway that she began to realise that this was not a dream.

And green stood for lives that she was to save.

***​

04 Leather

He knew that animals were stripped off their fur and leather once killed. Such was the cruel, bloody world, where he had previously been a mere product himself.

He had nobody to tell him fairy-tales and comfort him by telling him that there had been so many cursed maidens, princes and foundlings saved once somebody had given them new clothing.

Walking towards the scattered tents, he was convinced he had lost the only life he knew and the stranger he had just saved.

But he had gained an identity beyond just a number and garment not produced for cannon fodder.

***​

05 Hibernation

Tucked away in a dark corner, he dreamed of the world where he would be awoken again, like the ruins of a town lost to time, like a story a refugee forgot to bring along, holding onto dear life.

He used to save the day. He bore many battlescars and they were all there, no polish could have ever removed them. He was often the only sane man – in lack of a better term – of the bunch. And then he withdrew.

But he was not gone.

He was waiting for the day he was going to chart the stars again.

 

Really? I didn't respond to this?

Well, of course I loved these. Loved them. They were almost like haiku, sketching personalities in a few short words. Especially agree with Findswoman:

She is still a cipher, in so many ways.

I liked the one for Kylo Ren as well; that he is desperately searching for something, someone to anchor him, to act as a mentor or an exemplar. All he has is the mask, on to which he can project whatever he wants, since he has no way of learning any other truth.

I hope you do more, Ewok Poet!

 

Bravo on your first set of drabbles! They're a string of beautifully polished little gems. You do a fabulous job of capturing the essence of each character in a short space; they're almost like haikus in the way the length restriction strip the story down into its purest form. I could also tell exactly who each drabble represents without checking the spoiler.

I loved this line from "Mask":

It just sums up Kylo's[/quote] entire worldview so concisely. Like the mask, his picture of Vader is twisted and warped, and either none of those absent figures bothers to correct it, or he stubbornly holds on to it as solid and real as the mask in their absence. Very sad, either way.

"Hibernation"
Lovely how you've given a sense of humanity--for lack of a better word --to R2-D2. You've given him such a sense of yearning, which is perfectly in keeping with his sense of loyalty to Luke in his absence

And he will!

It just struck me that there is a sense of yearning and absence running through all of these little gems; some, like Finn and Rey find what they have been longing for and fill the void, while some do not, but all these little sketches are beautiful. Again, bravo. Looking forward to seeing the next batch of drabbles!

 

These are beautiful; concise and exquisite. They are like those little papercut designs that are so very intricate and yet fit into your hand. Poetry.

Helmet is a perfect shorthand for Captain Phasma, the head of the unit, the one with the voice that is different from the others. She literally stands taller than the rest, and her “shiny, darksilver armor” lends an even greater sense of separate but still part of the whole. She is the leader, regardless of whatever anyone should think of her because of her gender or her isolation.

Mask is a vivid insight into Kylo Ren. He has been abandoned by those who have turned to chasing ghosts, and he winds up chasing ghosts himself because it’s all he has been taught. With nothing but ghosts and chaos to instruct him, it’s no wonder that he idolizes the most chaotic ghost of all.

I like the double meaning of Green: both as a term meaning “new” and the color itself. Rey is untrained and untried, she is a green girl from a world of gray and beige set in a red-black galaxy. She is hope. She is the new beginning, the start of Spring. She has never seen such vivid color before, but then again the galaxy has never seen her before, either. Beautiful!

Leather is such an interesting approach to Finn. He re-images and re-imagines himself in that jacket. He knows it comes from pain (the animal who died to produce the leather, the newly-found friend who gave it to him before disappearing) but as he literally sheds his old carapace of the Stormtrooper armor, he adopts the jacket to become an individual, not a common soldier; a man, not “cannon fodder.” All from an item of clothing that wasn’t his to begin with.

At first I thought Hibernation was about Luke, but peeking under your spoiler tag I see it’s really Artoo, which makes such sense. This is such lyrical writing: “he dreamed of the world where he would be awoken again, like the ruins of a town lost to time, like a story a refugee forgot to bring along.” Just gorgeous writing there. Artoo is the keeper of the legend, and most literally, since he carries it inside him. He was there from the very beginning and he holds the key to the future.



These are all so exquisite that it’s hard to pick just one to be my favorite, but I would have to say Green. You really captured the character’s essence and optimism in that one.

 

I could never pick one. Not gonna try! (But I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that Ewok Poet gives us a few more!!! Prettyprettypretty please?)

 

Will do, and then come back to respond. STUPID ADHD SOMETIMES, E.G. NOW.

I saw that it took harder to get and I apologise. But since you eventually got it, yay.

That was a weird pattern, but I am glad that it didn't come out awkward. *sigh of relief*

Me too. She is awesome!

"I'm living the life of a poet...I'm a jetster in the ancient court..."

You did, but it took me until now to respond to your response to this. XD

MORE OF HER, I say.

There's such a thing as an "emotional anchor", which can even be a place. But it's kind of advanced for him, it's for the more emotionally mature folk - he's only capable of classic projections.

WOW.

His Vader can be whatever he wants him to be. His Vader is a blank canvas.

Literally.

They filled the void inside of each other and then drifted off into the void...

Whatsounddogeesemake?

That last word is the biggest compliment ever and U KNOWZ IT1!!!!!!1

They might not be smart enough to think at all.

Perfectly said. It could...almost become a poem on its own.

Green girl...that's perfect, too. She is a tree in the desert that is NOT an illusion. SHE is the vivid colour.

The scene where he gazes into the camera wearing it is all of that, and more. Isn't it?

Do androids dream of electric sheep?

Because she is the light of hope. And thank you.

 

06 Wrinkles #1

He was more likely to notice hers than she was to notice his.

In reality, he had been a decade older and had lead a far rougher life. There must have been things that she never found about, or wanted to, in the first place.

But had she asked him, perhaps she could have finally cracked that hard nut, locked him open and found out that each wrinkle represented a yearning for a life she never had to live, or a worry for the one they could not save.

The last time she held him, she could see only his crow’s feet.

***​

07 Wrinkles #2

He had memorized every wrinkle on her face – from the first that had appeared when she smiled in that chilly passage, to the deepest one upon their son’s betrayal, the one he could not even see, for her had not been blessed by the gift she had, but he still knew that it had been there.

These wrinkles used to be something to tease her about, alongside comments that he had had far less of them. But once the mysterious girl brought them together again, her wrinkles were more beautiful than ever. And it was like their embrace flattened them.

***​

08 Silver

With silver in his hair came stories of times less idealistic than he had previously thought. Cracks in silverware of the old system’s perfection. The silverscreen of how things used to be and what the heroes were like, ripping apart before his eyes.

It became clear to him that those whose honour he fought to restore, those he almost gave his life to avenge were nowhere near as idealistic. They had been creatures of habit, driven by rules and frightening shackles discipline narrowing their views.

If only there had been a balance between their hard ways and his soft touch.

***​

09 Mother

She would not have approved of his you-only-live-once attitude. That much he knew and each time he had way too much fun, she had been on his mind. She would have probably said that it was so obvious that he had been raised by his father, silently denying her own mischievous strike from back in the days.

But that night, running through the maze of evil, he felt her pulse in his veins, her heart beating inside of his own, her fighter’s engine pushing him forward.

She would have been proud of the son she could not be there for.

***​

10 The Foil

Balancing on a thin line between the holographic blue and jet black, he could feel his reds fade, but he had never been the one to show his weaknesses to anybody. The rules were simple – there were none and his life was like walking on a wire, with fire underneath his feet.

How does one give orders to masses when an embodiment of chaos controls you and a distorted figure controls both of you from a safe, faraway place?

He took a deep breath, stepped into the open and raised his hand. The masses, after all, couldn’t sense his struggles.

 

Wow! Another wonderful grouping of drabbletry! I loved both of the Wrinkles, but at first had trouble telling one from the other...then I decided it didn't matter. Silver had me very puzzled for a while, but I think I figured out that it's Luke, pondering whether the old Jedi Order knew something about training that he didn't. I loved the one for Poe, I like the idea that he was thinking of his mother when he went up against Starkiller. And Hux actually seemed a little sympathetic (although I totally want him dead by the end of Ep IX!)

 

Wow, you really have a gift for writing these! I had to peek for "Mother," because I'm not very familiar with that character's backstory, but the others were once again instantly recognizable. "Wrinkles 1 & 2" are a lovely tribute to Han and Leia. They remind me a bit of the story from the OTP thread's "elderly love" challenge. They see past the wrinkles, and at the same time see all those wrinkles as precious because they represent all the good and bad times they've been through together. Their love is strong, despite those bad times and all the things that have driven them apart. Their embrace is so bittersweet in light of what we know will happen next.

I think my favorite of this batch is "The Foil", because as Findswoman and Mistress_Renata note, it's a fascinating peek into the mind of a character who seems very determined and unyielding on the outside. It could not be easy to deal with that pair of towering egos and still stay composed. I love your use of colors as metaphors for the characters:

Awesome imagery!

Great job, and keep 'em coming!

 

Thanks for your comments, everybody. Third batch coming right up, so I can show how I can do the "S" thing right!

---

Beloved stars? That can be read two ways...and I love that.

As for the rest...this song inspired me. I've loved it ever since I was 11. This band is marvellous in so many ways - they have a music video where a pudding becomes a rock star. So prophetic!

As you might have noticed, this was a partial inspiration for a vignette on a subject that does not exist in this continuity.

Correct. I love that character and I'm annoyed that they killed her off already!

He's evil. But they're creepy and unpredictable. He's just a henchman to them...

Agree on the last thing - that's about as sympathetic as I got. "Aww...YOU CAN DIE AT THE VERY END."

Now, that's inspiring. If somebody picks up on that plot bunny and runs away with it, I won't mind.

Nothing to add, already responded to the other two commenters, given how intriguing that particular bit was, so I'm just sitting here and nodding.

More coming, r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-right up.

 

11 Calling

She had seen it all, to the point where no being other than herself could impress her, ever, to the point where her own eyes no longer mattered. After all, she had to close them to crowds of swindlers, lowlifes, ladies of the night and those who only dwelt underground.

But a girl so simple, whose look in her deep brown eyes made her believe that she was in love with the world, reminded her of what she was there for. Suddenly, her senses were elevated. Everything that mattered was the light calling to the next to carry the torch.

***​

12 Rage

He knew that this had nothing to do with him. Although he made them all members of his family, Humans were ground-dwellers and thus further away from the stars and unable to grasp the idea of him being a member of their family. He could have intervened. He could have protected his savior and mentor with his own venerable body, but it had been too late. The platform was narrow and one had to fall – the one he swore to protect.

Traitors were not to be a part of his family. His rage had the power of thousands of stars.

***​

13 Roll

Roll. Though he had never been a gambler.

Roll. Though he had never been the one to wander around mindlessly.

Roll. Roll. Roll. At some point, there had to be a creature worthy of carrying his message, capable of engaging in the horrors he had seen without losing that thing they referred to as life.

Net. Temporary immobility. Destination unknown. Undetermined location. Safety threatened.

And then, there she was. As lonely as he had been, lost in the desert, with no signs of her Masters.

Mission was to be accomplished. They just had to keep on rolling, rolling, rolling.

***​

14 Bystander

Bystander, even if he was rarely ever on standby.

A stuntman, even though he was not a man.

Anxious, even though anxiety was not a part of the official package.

That is what happens when you’re an advanced universe’s equivalent of a wooden doll that has come alive, but will never become a real boy.

Still, he senses – in a very broad sense of that word – that this time, he is not going to be close to action. But he wants to leave his mark.

That may mean interrupting, being where you are not wanted and panic. And more panic.

***​

15 The Brute

He devotes his greymatter to rationing grey matter to those less fortunate than him. Eyes so small that one can never know what he thinks. Presence quite frightening. Demeanor of a brute. Manners of a slaughterer.

He is standing between the beggars on what used to be a beach of gold and the little that they need to survive. He is making sure that they will depend on him and never want to leave, though there might be a true beach of gold waiting for them somewhere.

Nobody’s fate should be in his hands. But he starved everybody into submission.

 

Straight to the point, never a word too much. Full of emotions.

Yes, I do like your drabbles.

 

Comment blah blah someday soon. Thanks. <3 The last set of TFA stuff coming up and that's all I have. The next was supposed to be Rogue One, but I might as well do TLJ. I need to rewatch both, so I dunno.

 

16 Search

His life had been a tangled web of interspersed searches, eventually becoming a single search.

His search was over long ago, when he found like-minded people and settled down.

The young man’s search was over when he first saw a glimpse his white beard.

The evil ones’ search was over the moment they set their foot on the sand.

A terrified young man’s search was over the moment he saw blood smeared on his helmet.

And he was gone. His purpose had been fulfilled – everybody found what they were looking for.

Somebody else’s search was yet to begin. Without him.


17 Bird

So many years. Hunting. Being hunted. There were the times when it was a bird of prey, there were the times when it was prey. Most of all, there were the times when it was both.

Not all lost birds return to the beastmaster. This one does, and the circumstances resemble one of those spacer tales told after one drink too many. Make that ten drinks.

Old bird of prey. Old beastmaster. Together, one last time. From the eggshell of safety, to the belly of the raven.

The bird makes it.

The beastmaster does not.

The torch is passed on.


18 Plans

He always had plans. The most sinister of them.

There just had to be the right time to put them to action and the right people to serve them to.

Each new beginning presents multiple ends. Each new beginning makes comparisons for how things used to be inevitable. And the fragile protoplanetary disk of peace may start falling apart before there is an actual planet orbiting the young star. Some wreckage just fails to materialise into a solid structure that would not be vulnerable to sudden impact.

And that was his chance. He gathered his people and ran with it.


19 Order

The problem with the lawless worlds is that somebody ends up calling themselves law, after all. For, if you position yourself as the iron hand of law, you shall gain authority. And he knew this.

The problem with the fellow sentients, or one of many problems, had always been that cursed, pervasive need for structure. And you had to give them what they wanted, right – give them their ration-pack and let them eat it.

In some way, this planet belonged to him. He controlled who comes, who goes. He controlled who could get away with it and who could not.


20 Scavenger Avenger

The blind leading the sighted, to their death. The non-breather one leading the breathers to their ultimate suffocation. Present wherever trouble could brew, nowhere to be found where failure was an option.

Why Jakku?

It was the only place where he had not made an enemy…yet. It was the only place matching the level of despair that he was so keen to feed on.

But he made one small change – at this point in life, it was more interesting to watch the troublemakers eliminate one another. After he had provided them with the tools of the trade of killing, naturally.

 

Wonderfully insightful of the major and minor characters. Their dreams, fears, weak spots, and strengths all come to life eloquently.