I don't. [ Paul pauses in order to rephrase. ] No. I don't think she would ever want me to hurt... but, I don't think she can understand what life is like. Not yet. Not until she's here with us.
[ Her questions of his mother are left unanswered as the visions claw at his mind. He hears them, but they hardly seem relevant to what he is seeing. Hearing. Feeling. He struggles to focus on her in the present with how his mind is pulled in so many places. Why do these visions come to him now of all times?
Because she's here. The visions are of her —— her paths.
An insurmountable force feels as if it weighs on him. This moment, this choice can shift so many things around them. A born member of a house sworn loyalty to the Atreides, naturally gifted in ways that the Bene Gesserits honed. A woman who knew how both houses of the Atreides and Harkonnens functioned due to her time in each one. A woman with great potential to shift the balance of power as the Imperium stands on the edge of a knife on Arrakis. Paul stares at her as that awareness settles on him.
Bastila Shan is a force in the Known Universe.
Does she know?
Did the Bene Gesserits know? Had that been why they chose to train her? ]
My sister wants me to go south. [ His voice, still quiet above a whisper, has become haunted. Far away. ] She wants me to see. She and my mother want me to become what they want me to be. What they think I am.
[ ᴋᴡɪꜱᴀᴛᴢ ʜᴀᴅᴇʀᴀᴄʜ.
The tone in his voice remains as he continues: ] You have so many paths. So many possibilities——futures. All the paths at your fingertips, Basi. Just waiting for you to take a step down the one you desire. Not the ones anyone else desires.
[ He blinks once, twice, trying to pull himself to the present. His mind only focuses on her figure. Standing behind her as she stands before roads that stretch far beyond what he can witness. Bastila glances over her shoulder at him. He reaches out to touch her. In the present, the hand on the side of her face opens. Fingers stretch out to brush along her cheek.
"I survived, Paul, and so did you. We survived together, even though we were apart."
Eyes stained with the spice addiction lock onto hers. He sees her and sees her at the same time. Paths begin to converge and fold on one another. One by one they disappear until only one is left remaining in front of her. Paul simply stares at her in both places as the sudden feeling of powerlessness grips him.
"I want to be with you."
She steps forward on the one remaining path. A path tinged in gold.
That force upon him feels as if it has begun to disintegrate. Like sands pouring down the dunes. The choice made——the path she will walk set. Allegiances decided and her power placed in a destiny. All the ways of describing it swirl in his mind as he feels himself center in the present once more. The feeling of the tent, the sounds of the Fremen, his heavy breathing along with her calmed one.
The smell of cinnamon as the wind blows through the camp. Spice. ]
Me. [ Another blink as his vision finally focuses properly on her. His tone remains as it has been the last several moments, but he is here with her once more.
His body aches from the tension he had been under. His mind already setting through the stages to force his body to calm. His other hand raises to her other cheek. Fingertips move the strands of hair away from her face. Then, he leans forward to meet her. Sweat glistens on his skin as he stops millimeters away from resting his forehead to hers.
Paul gives her a tired smile. ] What would my lady have me do for her?
no subject
[ Her questions of his mother are left unanswered as the visions claw at his mind. He hears them, but they hardly seem relevant to what he is seeing. Hearing. Feeling. He struggles to focus on her in the present with how his mind is pulled in so many places. Why do these visions come to him now of all times?
Because she's here. The visions are of her —— her paths.
An insurmountable force feels as if it weighs on him. This moment, this choice can shift so many things around them. A born member of a house sworn loyalty to the Atreides, naturally gifted in ways that the Bene Gesserits honed. A woman who knew how both houses of the Atreides and Harkonnens functioned due to her time in each one. A woman with great potential to shift the balance of power as the Imperium stands on the edge of a knife on Arrakis. Paul stares at her as that awareness settles on him.
Bastila Shan is a force in the Known Universe.
Does she know?
Did the Bene Gesserits know? Had that been why they chose to train her? ]
My sister wants me to go south. [ His voice, still quiet above a whisper, has become haunted. Far away. ] She wants me to see. She and my mother want me to become what they want me to be. What they think I am.
[ ᴋᴡɪꜱᴀᴛᴢ ʜᴀᴅᴇʀᴀᴄʜ.
The tone in his voice remains as he continues: ] You have so many paths. So many possibilities——futures. All the paths at your fingertips, Basi. Just waiting for you to take a step down the one you desire. Not the ones anyone else desires.
[ He blinks once, twice, trying to pull himself to the present. His mind only focuses on her figure. Standing behind her as she stands before roads that stretch far beyond what he can witness. Bastila glances over her shoulder at him. He reaches out to touch her. In the present, the hand on the side of her face opens. Fingers stretch out to brush along her cheek.
"I survived, Paul, and so did you. We survived together, even though we were apart."
Eyes stained with the spice addiction lock onto hers. He sees her and sees her at the same time. Paths begin to converge and fold on one another. One by one they disappear until only one is left remaining in front of her. Paul simply stares at her in both places as the sudden feeling of powerlessness grips him.
"I want to be with you."
She steps forward on the one remaining path. A path tinged in gold.
That force upon him feels as if it has begun to disintegrate. Like sands pouring down the dunes. The choice made——the path she will walk set. Allegiances decided and her power placed in a destiny. All the ways of describing it swirl in his mind as he feels himself center in the present once more. The feeling of the tent, the sounds of the Fremen, his heavy breathing along with her calmed one.
The smell of cinnamon as the wind blows through the camp. Spice. ]
Me. [ Another blink as his vision finally focuses properly on her. His tone remains as it has been the last several moments, but he is here with her once more.
His body aches from the tension he had been under. His mind already setting through the stages to force his body to calm. His other hand raises to her other cheek. Fingertips move the strands of hair away from her face. Then, he leans forward to meet her. Sweat glistens on his skin as he stops millimeters away from resting his forehead to hers.
Paul gives her a tired smile. ] What would my lady have me do for her?