Chapter Text
Rey was standing outside the shop, admiring her handiwork. Truthfully, she was surprised with how the sign turned out. It turned out good. The new name now shone proudly in the morning sun. Mist clung to her feet and she shivered, the cold of the mountains descending in the town while the moon was out. She didn’t really cared thought, because the early hours chill would soon leave its place to the hot midday sun of summer. A day in Jakku was nothing like a day in most towns. You could travel a few days north, or south, anywhere in fact, as long as it wasn’t Jakku, and find a cooler place than this hell. For her though, it was home.
She didn’t remember how she ended in a place like this. What she remembered was how her parents had left her there in the worst possible care. Unkar Plutt did possess a lot, but his wealth didn’t necessarily prove his capability of taking care of a four year old child. But Rey was now able to take care of herself now. That was probably the thing she was the proudest of: she could take care of herself , and she was damn good at it. She had a job - hell, she even had her own business. She had stopped waiting for her parents some time ago; hoping for someone she could barely remember was futile. Living in the present gave her something to look forward to and didn't drag her mind to the past. If they wanted to be a part of it, they just could come back.
And there she was, practically glowing with pride over the new name of her shop. Metal petals seemed like a fitting name for a place that literally pulled scrap pieces and broken shards of glass together to form various objects, and her specialty, flowers. Despite her horrible headache, she was bursting with energy, greeting all the other morning birds that strolled down the narrow streets.
Coming back inside, she cleaned her hands and got to work. Maybe actually doing something would chase away the ache growing in her head. She pressed her fingers into her temples and worked them in circles to ease the pain. Frowning, she looked outside to the rising sun.
“I hope today is going to be a good day,” she sighed.
The two ladies arrived right on time, as per usual. Rey could always count on them to bring her some warm tea. To this day, she still wondered how they could keep it warm all from their little house. Greeting both of them, she listened to the old women’s dreams and thoughts while sipping the tea. They all sat down on their benches in the workshop and got to work.
“The tea is as delicious as ever,” Rey thanked the elders with a smile.
“Of course my child! But tell me, doesn’t your head hurts after last night?” The smaller one inquired.
Rey mumbled. “The headache is ripping my forehead apart, but work is work”. She shrugged, putting down her cup.
“Perhaps you should rest a little more… you already painted the front window with the new name, which is quite fitting, but it is already dry and it is still six in the morning, dear. Sleep is important, especially for you young people,” The taller one gestured to her with her small knife, her black eyes scrutinizing her from behind her thick round glasses. “Go to bed, we can see the black under your eyes”.
Both women dismissed her with a last check, and Rey wandered outside, not wanting to upset either of them. They were her closest friends, including Maz. It seemed that all her closest acquaintances were old ladies. Perhaps it was a sign. But she hardly minded.
Rey dug into her pockets, finding a few quarters to spend. Thinking about Maz made her realize she hadn’t had breakfast, and she was hungry. Desperately so. Walking the roads - now swarming with folks running their business, she crossed the main place and got on the tramway that led to the other side of town.
She looked out the dirty window, observing small children getting themselves ready for school, something she never had the chance to attend, and other playing with stones on the side of the road. Some people walked their dog; others were running, already late this early in the morning. As the tramway continued its way further from the high concentration of houses and shops, the fewer people she could observe on the sideways. Maz’s place was located at the very end of the town, opposed to Rey’s apartment. The ride was worth the while, she thought. Descending of her transport, she saluted the conductor and continued the ride by foot. She breathed the cleaner air of the suburb and looked to the mountains. She was tired, sure, but she was happy.
Finally she stepped in the bakery, a warm smell of bread and sugar floated to her nostrils. She sighed and looked around. The bakery was full of people coming for their breakfast, for a little treat to begin their long day, or simply to enjoy their time. That last statement was very much Rey’s case. She greeted the workers that she knew by names because she visited daily. Taking her sweet time at the counter she looked at the pastries, her belly rumbling. God, she really was hungry. It was at that moment that a small silhouette creeped her way out of the kitchens, having seen Rey entering from afar.
“Rey Glasser!” She cried out, attracting the attention of the other clients.
Rey sighed. Maz was Maz, as always, no matter how old she was.
“Good morning Maz,” she smiled despite herself.
Maz was the smallest person Rey knew. She barely got to Rey’s hips. But the small woman had a never ending well of energy and sarcasm. Nobody fooled the old lady. Her shop was
the gossip place, surprisingly, and if you wanted to know something, you just had to stop by and ask for it. That morning, people were buzzing.
“What’s happening here, somebody won the war or what?” Rey asked, leaning towards the old woman.
Maz shook her head and rolled her eyes. “According to the news, a wizard just entered town. It’s good for business, and people won’t stop talking about it…I’m surprised you didn’t hear anything about it”.
Rey’s brows jerked up. “A wizard?” As long as her shop wasn’t the target of anyone…as long as her shop wasn’t the victim of some magic tricks, she could live with that.
“See for yourself, girl” a mustached man gestured to the window that faced the highest mountain circling Jakku.
Across the clouds and mist, she could see a giant walking… thing. She couldn’t really describe it from that far away, but she could tell that the thing was massive, and impressive. Rey had some difficulties figuring how she hadn’t seen the thing already - it was hard to miss. The castle, she would call it a castle, was made of dark stones, shiny pieces of metals and black wood. It looked ominous, like it promised death.
“Who the hell lives in that thing?” Rey asked the other customers.
Most of them shook their head, sighing; they didn’t know either, but Maz, as always, had the answer.
“Kylo Ren.”
***
Rey was eating a donut on a bench right outside the bakery. The air smelt like flowers, which was surprising, because no flowers grew in Jakku nor in the summer. The treat was heavenly and she would have greatly enjoyed her free time if it wasn’t for the looming black silhouette hovering a few meters higher in the mountains of Jakku. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the castle while chewing her glazed sweet pastry.
She didn’t like the castle, it looked dangerous. And if the owner really was Kylo Ren, it wasn’t an appealing prospect for the town… If Kylo Ren and his castle were just up the mountain, it also meant war was next door. She’d gladly throw the wizard and his castle away, throwing at the same time all the unnecessary death and suffering a battle for victory would bring. She didn’t need this inconvenience when her life was finally looking like it was back on tracks. The thick black plumes of smoke seemed to mock her from afar. The sight of life coming by with big puffs from the chimneys worried her. She bit her lips. She was no one. She couldn’t do anything against someone as powerful as Kylo Ren. Rey was not delusional, she stayed down on earth, she knew what she was able to do, and especially what was out of her grasp. She could handle herself with a staff against tugs, but not against a wizard and his moving castle. She’d stay out of his way. Better safe than sorry.
On her knees rested a small pink box full of colorful macaroons, courtesy of old Maz to congratulate Rey on her new building. She planned to share them with the duo still sitting at the store, who sat working on some new metal objects. Finally, she tore her eyes from the now immobile fortress and looked at her half eaten meal. As long as no ill-mannered wizard caused her trouble, she was fine with this. Absolutely fine. She swallowed the remainder of her sweet, waved at Maz from the wide windows, and took the pink box along to the tramways.
The road was now buzzing with villagers, most of them observing the castle, talking about it and clogging the streets, to Rey’s frustration. As if she had the time for that. The Grand Place was so full that the tramway had to stop, the passengers having to get down and finish their way by foot.
What even was the point of having tramways if they couldn’t use them? Rey wondered, sighing. Her annoyance only grew by the minute. She loved quiet, vast places; solitude was not a problem for her, unlike most people from Jakku. The sky was endless, and so were the possibilities of, one day, finding the good one. Bursting with energy, a group of small kids knocked her and she dropped the precious box on the stones of the street.
Rey bent down, disappearing in the crowd and took the box, fortunately, most of the macaroons were intact, and only a few had rolled out and got squished by shoes. She sighed, getting back to her small height and wiped some cream and jelly off her pants. They were already worn, the fabric rough and dirty. Holding the box more carefully, she decided to take the back streets to get home. They were charming, and certainly they would be quieter.
***
“Oh Mister, tell us your name!”
Most of them were shouting to him, trying to look appealing, which was a lost cause. Under all their makeup and their ridiculous gowns, they looked more like clowns than respectable ladies.
Rey scoffed, somehow attracting the cold gaze of the mysterious man that was overwhelmed by the attention of these ladies. She immediately looked away. She had made eye contact and it was almost as if he had screamed ‘HELP’ at her. Rey had never seen his face in Jakku. The town was small, everyone knew each other and it was uncommon to stumble upon a stranger. She could tell he wasn’t from here: everyone here was small. And he was not. He likely was the tallest man Rey had ever seen. And he radiated power, his height surely helping. No, it definitely wasn’t every day that she could meet a stranger. Especially one that looked so… noble.
She had wanted to ignore him and go on with her life. However, Rey was known for her compassion, and after the beginning of her new life, she wasn’t going to throw that quality away. She would not like to be stuck in the middle of a horde of females, or males, or anyone, really. She didn’t really appreciate the look of others on her plain face, a face that almost always seemed to be covered in dirt, and even thought everything radiating from the young man screamed attention, from the glimmer of his red necklace and those of his earrings, down to the shine of his black hair and the luxuriousness of his clothes, he definitely was not comfortable at that moment.
Her shoulders sagged. She had the feeling she was about to do something very stupid. Already regretting her actions, she opened yet again the pink box, picked a jelly macaroon and swallowed it. For luck, Rey tried to convince herself.
Before she could change her mind, she threw a handful of the remaining macaroons at the ladies. Time seemed to stop, and the pastries landed on the complicated hair and dresses of the young women. The move didn’t go unnoticed, and soon, most of them shrieked in distaste, immediately forgetting the man in front of them to take care of their jelly soaked belongings.
Rey waved her hand at the stranger, urging him to get out of his situation. He gladly joined her.
“Thank you!” he exclaimed, pushing back a strand of dark hair from his eyes. “I appreciate it.”
Rey simply nodded.
“No problem sir, good day to you”. She greeted him, then closed the pink box and decided to continue walking, away from the shouting and the shrieking. Unfortunately, the man followed her, insistent.
Rey found that he was persistent when he kept following her along the small alleys. She looked at him from behind her shoulder. It seemed that even if she walked as fast as she could, his big strides kept him a few steps behind her. She had already quickened her pace, and she realized trying to run away from him was useless. They kept turning down roads, her trying to shake him off, him still following, insisting, persisting. Lord, he was like a lost child.
“What can I do to thank you?” His deep voice called to her again.
He had been following her for a while now, and she had decided to take the long way home, not wanting this persistent man to discover her dwelling. He’d offered her things, all of which she refused. Rey didn’t need unnecessary trinkets. She had all she needed. She neither had use of potions and spells; apparently, the strange looking man was a wizard.
How fitting.
However, Rey was content living her life as it was, and when she was not, she always found a way around difficulties and things that upset her. But the sorcerer still insisted. He wouldn’t leave her until his debt was paid. The man really was getting on her nerves.
She whirled around to face him, and found that she had to crane her neck to see his face.
“Okay! Fine! I’ll tell you what I want! Leave me alone please! That’s it, simple right?” She couldn’t help the irritation that flowed in her voice as she talked.
He shook his head, looking straight into her eyes.
“That’s merely a… a demand.” He observed, surprised. It seemed that he always had his way with people. Ladies, Rey thought.
Rey scoffed. She clearly was getting annoyed, and the man seemed clueless. Lord, was it so difficult to understand? She thought about it again, shaking her head.
“A flower,” she finally exclaimed.
“Excuse me?” He stepped closer.
“Give me a flower, a real one, and disappear from my sight.” She was done being sweet and kind, she was exhausted, and getting up early this morning after a night of drinking wasn’t a good idea. She was hungry too, and all she wanted was to go home.
The wizard stopped after her, closed his gaping mouth and considered the demand, it was rather unusual. After a moment, a smile curled his full lips.
“As you wish, mademoiselle.”
His tall frame bent down to salute her and from his pocket he protruded a beautiful, fragile-looking thing of green and white. A plant. She had no idea what sort of flower it was, but the delicate petals and the long stem formed a natural work of art. Her eyes grew big with fascination as the man offered her the little bud. He slowly lowered the small thing into her calloused hand. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to do - this was truly a miracle. She stared at the bell shaped flower. Rey couldn’t deny the fact that the man indeed was a wizard now. She had always been a sceptic. Tales and legends were great stories to tell to children, but they were only that: stories. And she had never seen any flower like this one, this was no desert plant. Some pretty thing like this could not grow in Jakku. Nor could it grow in the mountains surrounding the town. Simply holding something as rare as this was impossible, yet there she was, holding it so lightly that it could almost fly in the wind was she not careful enough. She didn’t want to crush the flower.
The man was smiling, content and appreciative. He bowed again and his red necklace glinted in the sun, almost glowing like a fire.
“I believe you now are satisfied, desert flower?” He crooned.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. ‘’Thank you for the…” she hesitated, “…flower”. She looked down at the plant. She had no name for it, and it upset her, even more because he just had called her a desert flower.
“We call it a snowdrop where I’m from,” he remarked upon seeing her hesitant expression.
“Snowdrop,” she repeated, amazed, before she caught herself and looked apprehensively at the man. “Thank you,” she quietly whispered, “I’ll go now, and please… Do not follow me.”
“As you wish, little flower,” he kissed her hand farewell and gazed at her with those dark eyes. “To the pleasure of seeing you again.”
“I don’t want to see you again!” Rey nearly shouted, suddenly uncomfortable. She snapped back her hand and wiped the kissed skin on her clothes. His lips had touched her hand and it was positively burning.
“We’ll see,” he murmured, straightening himself to his giant height, before disappearing into thin air with a cloud of black smoke.
Rey didn’t know what to do with herself. She was still holding the flower, the snowdrop, she quickly remembered, like she was holding on for dear life. Her heart was beating fast, far too fast for her liking. Rey shook her head. She had to get home and give the snowdrop some water; surely it would dry up fast in this heat? She always loved plants and green things, and finally having some diversity within her collection wouldn’t hurt, but that would only do if the flower was still alive. She couldn’t wait to get home.
Her unpleasant meeting with the wizard completely forgotten, she nearly ran to her shop. Once there, she dropped the box of macaroons and immediately climbed the steps to her room. Oh how was it going to survive? She needed to head to the library after work, but for the moment she assumed that it could hold on with water and sun for a while. Once she was assured that everything was alright and her snowdrop sat on the shelf right next to her window, bathing in the warm rays of light in a small glass full of water, she went back to her workplace in the store on the first floor.
She greeted the clients, and was amazed to find the place so full. Fine gentry from every corner of the town, dressed in sumptuous clothes saluted her. Rey showed them all of the most expensive pieces while they continued to admire the colored glasses forming all sorts of different shapes.
Rey smiled. If she could sell her prettiest scrap to these people, surely they would talk about her work to others, assuring she would have work, money to pay for the place, and enough to offer gifts to her loyal employees.
“Miss Rey! How pleasing is it to finally meet you!”
“I only heard great things about all that you do!”
“Dear, what you make is simply magical!”
They all told her, more or so. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she kept smiling and offered her thanks modestly. Between the light conversations she still could hear gossip, secretive talks about Kylo Ren, how he was supposed to be tall, handsome, how he stole the heart of women and killed the men that looked at his face. She learned that he was quite feared and that he wore a mask to intimidate his enemies. Or anyone, Rey shook her head.
She managed to sell a lot of small glass cats, among other things; they seemed to be popular, and they made good gifts for younger children. Finally the last customers left the store, shouting through the half closed door:
“We will make sure to send some of our friends your way!”
Rey bid them goodbye and turned the closed sign, yawning as she did so. It had taken quite some time to finally please all of the clients. But she couldn’t waste time now either. It was time to work. She opened the oil lamp of her work desk and looked at the scrap clinically, her mind racing. With this piece of metal, I could build a small dog. With this old wrench, I could make the back of a tiny bench. With that small rod I could… make a snowdrop.
She put on her magnifying goggles and spent some time working through her colored glass, looking for the perfect ones to make the finest petals. This one would take long to make. It was an arduous task, but it had to be as good looking as the original. The evening went by tediously and when the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, she knew it was time to take a break.
She popped her back and stretched, groaning. The lights of the street lamps were burning bright as the world around them shifted to the night. The crickets were loud and the air still warm from the sun. Her throat was sore, she had forgotten to drink while working, and the perpetual headache was creeping its way back into her skull. The store was silent, the couple of old ladies having left earlier. She appreciated the quiet sounds of nature, smiling.
Then suddenly, she heard the bells of the front door jingling.