voidtreckernet | Video: Ice Bucket Challenge x2

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Video: Ice Bucket Challenge x2

[Once again the teenage boy stands in front of the screen, clearly within one of the showers, there is a bucket at his feet. Once again he's shirtless, his braid down his back this time. Instead of a smile there is a cold look in the boys eyes, no emotion on his face as he looks into the camera. He tilts his head and when he does smile, there is very little feeling behind it.]

Cheater and a coward. That's what I was called for... well. I don't suppose it matters, eh? This is what everyone wanted.

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys. Time for take two.

[Duo bends forward and takes the bucket in both of his hands and lifts it as if it weighs nothing at all. Up over his head it goes... he upends it... and in seconds he is soaked in a bucket of ice water that is clearly more ice than water. For a few seconds he is still and then a near painful shudder rocks his whole body before he drops the bucket behind him and steps out of the shower.

He pauses before reaching out to turn off the feed.]

You'll get your three bears.

[The feed ends.]

[ooc: The shower Duo was in will be locked for at least 24 hours after this! ^^ He's done the challenge so everyone should be happy now~ Yes? Duo is a good boy again?]

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[ By the time Duo finally cleaned up and made his way to the kitchen, Luke was bent over a pot on stove, carefully stirring as he stared down at it. He glanced up slightly once he sensed someone approaching, waving Duo over to take a seat where he could. ]

[It took him a while to get himself up and a while longer to get himself out and back to his room to change out of his went clothes and into warmer stuff, including a hoodie.

His hair was still damp and he hated that. It hung across his shoulder, the hood of the hoodie was pulled up as he stepped into the kitchen with his arms wrapped about himself. Duo stopped and looked puzzled.[

Hell're you doin...?

[ Luke treated him to a small smile, offering him a wink as he pressed a finger to his lips, before he finished up what he was working on. Gathering up two mugs, he poured the mysterious contents in each... which turned out to just be hot chocolate. ]

We didn't have this stuff on the planet I grew up on; my friend had to introduce me to it in my second year of school, and even on Prefsbelt is was very rare. It always made the tough days a little better.

[Duo fell quiet then, truly puzzled. He knew what he could smell but he wasn't sure why or why this guy was being so secretive about it... Until he finally explained. And it clicked. Duo had the common sense not to point out that the drink was very common where he came from... Because when he got right down to it, he'd never actually tried the stuff till he was in his teens anyway.]

I guess so...

[Duo moved closer and peered into one of the mugs. Then glanced at Luke.]

Pity they don't have marshmallows here.

[ Luke gave him a blank stare at that, not quite sure what he was talking about. ]

Marshmallows?

Mmhm, squishy sweet things that melt into a gooey mess... Really good with hot chocolate.

[Duo wrapped his fingers around the mug and leaned in to take a deep breath of the warm, chocolatey aroma]

[ Luke's eyes widened slightly, looking like his mind had been blown. ]

That sounds amazing...

[ He grinned, before taking a sip of the hot chocolate, a pleased smile coming to his face. ]

[Duo blinked, this guy really hadn't heard of marshmallows but he knew what hot chocolate was? Maybe one day he'd work on changing that. But for now he just needed to work on getting some warmth back in his bones.]

Uh-huh, it's pretty good. Should try it sometime.

If we end up on a world that has them, you'll have to grab some.

[ After all, Duo would know what they look like. ]

I didn't get many treats like this growing up, especially before the academy. Taking the chance for something like this, especially after a bad day, helps a lot.

[Duo sipped at his drink and looked around for somewhere to sit]

Could probably make it easy enough... Uhm... is it okay to... [He pointed out the door, the dining carriage was close enough for them to sit and not stand around awkwardly. He started walking out.]

... Guess we're alike in that. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had hot chocolate...

Oh! Right.

[ Luke tossed him a sheepish look as he followed him out. ]

I was trying to sneak some into my father's palace before I came here. I seriously needed it after everything that happened, and I think he forgets I need to eat sometimes.

[Duo sipped at his hot chocolate some more as he walked, and then shot an odd look at the other guy.]

Only sometimes?

[ Luke had been half way to taking another sip, before he let out a laugh, nearly sputtering into his cup. ]

Okay, all the time.

[ He gave Duo a sheepish look. ]

He has a good excuse.

[Once in the dining car he dropped into the nearest booth and sat with his legs pulled up onto the seat with him, knees to his chest. He was still chilled, though the hot drink was helping.]

Whatcha mean?

[So far Luke was just confusing him.]

What kinda excuse is a good one?

[ Luke settled across from him, falling silent as he wrapped his hands around his warm mug, gazing down at it as the liquid settled. ]

My father... didn't exactly make the best life choices when he was younger, and made a lot of mistakes.

[ He flicked his gaze up, giving him a pointed look. ]

Chief among them was a failure to communicate.

[ He shrugged slightly, as if to say he's taking his own responsibility for that as well. ]

It ultimately escalated to the point where my father was severely injured, to the point his means of surviving involves walking around in a respirator and an environmental suit, essentially. He has to get food through injections or a feeding tube now.

Edited 2020-05-06 00:06 (UTC)

[Duo just gazes back calmly, so far as he was concerned he hadn't done a thing wrong, and there wouldn't have been a need to tell strangers his private business if people had just been able to understand that fun came in many forms, not just the fun they decided... But he wasn't bitter or anything. Though maybe more of the hot chocolate would help take that edge off with it's sweetness. So he had another sip.]

Damn. That sucks. I'm sorry about your dad. No matter his life choices, no one deserves that.

No.

[ Luke flinched at himself, with how quickly he said that. He took a deep breath, pausing for another sip of hot chocolate as well to take the edge off. ]

My father isn't the best man in the galaxy, but no one deserves that.

[ He paused, sparing Duo a small smile, as if he knew what he was thinking. ]

[It's not like Duo could really judge badness, he'd done some bad stuff himself over his short lifetime. Far too many bad things, lots he didn't really enjoy thinking about.

He gave a little shiver and glanced up in time to see that smile. It confused him, but he didn't have much energy to return the smile. There were no patented Duo Maxwell grins to pull out to fool the masses.]

So... [Another sip.]... Why'd you come find me?

[ Luke paused a moment, as if considering the appropriate way to answer. ]

I suppose the easy answer is I'm one of the leads for this team, and it's my job.

[ He finally let go of his mug, folding his arms together as he rested them on the table between them. ]

But the real answer is I could sense your pain, even from the other side of the train, and I couldn't let that stand, knowing I had a hand in contributing to it.

Hn...

[Duo frowned, not quite liking that people could sense those things... and wondered how hard it would be to put a lid on it in future. He slowly rolled his mug between the palms of his hands, not really looking at Luke.]

I don't like the cold... A cold breeze? Hell, snow I'm fine with. Just throw on a scarf. Cold enough to get in my bones? No.

[ Good luck, Duo; there are times even he wishes there was an on/off switch. The little confession did bring a smile to his face though, remembering fondly his first night off Tatooine, and how cold he had been. ]

I can understand that.

[Duo frowned, very much hoping the guy didn't and he wasn't trying to peek into his mind... he very much doubted Luke would be smiling if he was though, so Duo relaxed a little. Growing up on the streets as he had, he'd seen a lot of death. Even on the colonies the winters had been unforgiving for those living on the streets. Duo counted himself as one of the lucky ones to have survived. Not many had...]

Sorry you got caught up in it.

[ Luke smiled faintly. ]

I'm sorry for contributing to everything.

[Duo gave a slight shrug]

Is what it is, man...

You made an assumption about me. People usually do. [But it was one of this first times he'd ever felt actually bullied. Normally he can take things in stride. Duo wasn't sure why it had felt different this time.]

Just because people usually do, doesn't mean it's right.

[ He inclined his head respectfully. ]

Please, don't be afraid to set boundaries. We should all strive to be better, and it starts with being kinder to each other.

Video: Ice Bucket Challenge x2

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