❝ Wherever the sword of rebellion is drawn to give man liberty ❞

[dedicateyourheart]

{ i am on the side of that rebellion }
💮 esen 💮 insu 💮

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[dedicateyourheart]

Though being among leadership himself, Esen doesn’t see a lot of Insu. It makes sense. Insu is the face of their movement. As such, he wears the biggest target on his back. In addition, of course, as the face and leader of their rebellion, Insu’s just plain busy. Even when he’s running, even if he’s hiding on worlds unknown, he’s working toward their collective goals.

On those rare occasions when Insu does risk coming to his homeworld, there are many chapters he can seek refuge with. He’s somewhat of a celebrity among the rank and file, most of them never having breathed the same air as their glorious savior, let alone sharing a meal or a conversation with him.

Esen was once like that. But the longer he’s been a part of this. The more he’s seen Insu – really seen Insu. Insu the man, not the savior, the leader, the face of the movement. Insu, the young man who works selflessly for a people who happily accept that he’s somehow a villain to them. Insu, who doesn’t sleep enough, who sometimes forgets to eat. Insu, who’s so lonely underneath his pleasant façade. So it’s been some years now that Esen has chosen to view him as a friend, not just a comrade and superior.

Esen’s smiles when Insu shows up are different from those of the people who idolize him. They’re gentler, warmer. It’s like welcoming an old friend home. Once all the fanfare’s settled and before any business can drag him away, Esen pushes through the small crow that sprung up around Insu and claps a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“Welcome home, chief.”

[incitement]

His homecoming is often exhausting, especially when it gets to be longer and longer between returns. It's always nice to come home, even if he's taking a huge risk every time he does so. Especially as the movement grows larger. While it's great to see how it takes on a life of its own in his absence, it's great to watch as more people come over to his side, it always means more people to cause a bigger buzz when he returns. Hushed whispers aren't so quiet anymore when the whispers number in the hundreds or thousands. People's excitement about his return always risks pointing directly to where he is.

His homecoming is exhausting with all the work that has to be started immediately and all of the people trying to get his attention, but it's always nice to come home.

When it comes to the masses, or even most of those under him, Insu's smiles are more professional. They're genuine but not necessarily warm. He tries to speak and act warmly to everyone around him, everyone he interacts with and he means every bit of it, but he could never always get it into his expression. Not until he sees Esen pushing through the small crowd that's gathered around. Esen, one of maybe two people he feels like he can be himself with (the other being Django, though that's between him and the bounty hunter. He's not keen on letting anyone who's part of the rebellion know just how close he is with one of the men chasing him). Esen who is the only one who makes sure Insu is taken care of even when Insu can't find the time to take care of himself.

"It's good to be home. It's been a while." A long while this time. "Wasn't sure I'd end up running into you before I have to go again."

[dedicateyourheart]

“I got lucky you landed in my part of the world,” Esen quips. If Insu comes back, he always tries to make it a point to be where he’s at, but it’s a big world and the rebellion is widespread. Movements like these are built on hope and Insu is the embodiment of that. So, he has to spread himself around fairly to his followers. Esen couldn’t afford to leave his post to travel halfway around the globe for dinner with someone he looks on as a dear friend.

Maybe it’s a little selfish of Esen to want some of Insu to himself out of the work they’re doing. Well, there are so few who would butt into Insu’s affairs late at night to make sure he gets a hot meal before bed. Or even that he gets a few hours of sleep. More than that, Esen wants to ensure Insu has something outside of the work. Someone he can talk to as a person, not merely an ally or a subordinate.

Prying Insu from the adoring crush of people around him, Esen grins and leads his friend away.

“Mom’s been expecting you. She made a veritable feast to welcome you back.”

Esen’s lucky. He’s under the radar and can actually maintain a few relationships outside of their allies and supporters. Being someone who’s more involved with the logistics than the actual boots on the ground has insulated him and his family from the brunt of the government’s efforts against them.

[incitement]

When Insu is returning home, he often tries to get some sort of message to Esen about where he intends to go, on the off chance his dear friend can be there as well. But sometimes, a little something gets lost in the decoding of a coded message, or the message never makes it in the first place, or something comes up and that particular spot is no longer safe for Insu. There's also just the simple possibility that it's not feasible for Esen to drop everything and make his way to the other side of the world if that's where Insu happens to be.

It doesn't always work but the attempt is always made.

Maybe it is a little selfish for Esen to want some of Insu to himself, but Insu needs someone like that. He needs someone who'll selfishly drag him away from his work when he's been at it too long. He needs someone who'll sit him down in front of a hot meal and make him get some proper sleep. He needs someone to 'selfishly' force him to disengage for a little while. Others don't give him the chance to disengage from his work to take care of himself. Nor does Insu give himself the chance. He needs someone like Esen, who doesn't feel so guilty for pulling Insu away, and for giving him a little something outside of his work.

Insu smiles at his dear friend and dramatically presses his hand to his stomach. "Oh, I don't remember the last time I've had a meal that didn't come in a wrapper or out of a can."

Esen is lucky, and Insu is forever grateful that he's willing to share that luck with him. Insu has had to cut ties with all of his family and friends, even going as far as publicly denouncing some of them. He's not spoken to or even seen any of them since this whole thing started. It's not safe. He won't risk meeting them in secret, nor will he try to get even so much as a message to them. No contact. Even after cutting ties with them, it's not hard to figure out that they're being watched, that those looking for him are just waiting for him to slip up and go back to his loved ones. It's hard, but it's necessary.

So the fact that Esen is willing to share his family means so much to Insu. It allows him the chance to once again have a little of something he had to give up for the cause.

[dedicateyourheart]

Esen grins, throwing an arm around Insu's shoulder as he drags him away from their allies (and, for a lot of them, Insu's adoring fans). He knows from their years together that many of their rank and file idolize Insu. It's harder for those who don't spend any significant time with him to see him as a person and not just some ideal. Esen was once like that.

But he's empathetic. That's exactly why he joined this movement. He wanted to effect change that would help the people of their world. Insu was bigger than life among the rebels. Charismatic, electrifying. Being good-looking didn't hurt, either. It earns Insu many admirers.

However, the longer he worked through the ranks and got closer to Insu, the more he saw that this man, this inspirational man, would work himself to death for this cause. He couldn't tear himself away for the work. But malnutrition and lack of sleep would hurt them all. So he started pulling Insu away. For a few minutes. For a few hours.

Over their few years together, Esen introduced Isnu to his mama and his sisters, started bringing him home for meals when he'd visit their homeworld. All to help him take a break from their work. But also to help him see the faces of the very people he's helping, to give him a more intimate sense of belonging.

"She made a bunch of your favorites. She's missed you." Esen looked his friend over and sighs. "She's going to tell you're too skinny and try to fatten you up again."

[incitement]

Being an idol and an inspiration, the object of so many's admiration and the leader of a large-scale rebellion, it's exhausting. But he can never let anyone know that. He has to be always available and ready to do whatever needs to be done. He wants to always be available. There's always something to be done, there's always someone who wants his attention. And he wants to do everything and be everywhere, he wants to give his attention to those who want and need it. It's not feasible, but it's what he strives to do.

Which is why he needs someone like Esen in his life. He needs a friend like Esen who'll look out for him when he won't look out for himself. He needs a friend like Esen who'll be a friend to him when no one else will. It's not as though he can make them easily in his current position. People either don't want to risk getting too close to him, what with him being a well-known target of their government, or they mistake being yes-men for friendship. If they agree with his every idea and never challenge him, they are friends. He's tried to tell them that it doesn't work like that (well, more specifically he's told them that he doesn't need people to simply agree with him all the time), but that's the one thing he says that they don't seem terribly keen on listening to.

"You say that like she doesn't make my favourites every time I come home." Insu laughs and lightly pats Esen's chest as his friend leads him away from their allies. "I've already told her time and time again that this is just how I am!" Ever since he was young (as though he isn't still young), he's always been particularly lean. "Do you think she'll ever listen to me?"

[dedicateyourheart]

Esen laugh brightly and shakes his head. "I think she knows. But she likes having an excuse to feed you. I really think cooking for others is her love language." His smile tempers, but remains warm. It's always good when Insu can come home. As easy as it might be to assume he knew what he was in for when he essentially established this rebellion, the truth is Insu's still a young man and being unable to come home has to be hard.

And did any of them really expect their movement to grow into a real force back when they were plotting and planning in basements, garages, and abandoned warehouses?

"C'mon. I can only steal you away for tonight. Tomorrow, others need you. I'm pretty sure the rest of leadership wants to meet with you before you have to vanish again."