Room 424 [afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Ben hadn't really had much of a chance to talk to his dad that week: lessons with his grandfather (who was still kicking his butt with a lightsaber without moving. It was annoying), a date with Tahiri (which he would definitely be doing again. Yes.), classes, clubs, stopping in on his weekly trips to bother Ender, Kaylee, and Aravis...for a not-so-social person, he had managed to fill up his schedule pretty well.

But he'd promised Tahiri that he would ask his dad about starting a dance troupe--mostly to see if he could get Luke to crack a smile--and so he was lounging on his bed with his comlink, pretty happy for the first time in a while.

Naturally, that couldn't last.

When he clicked his comm shut a few minutes later, he'd not only forgotten to ask about the dance troupe, he'd learned that Centerpoint Station had been fired again, Jacen had kidnapped Tenel Ka's daughter for use as a bargaining chip (because that had worked so well with the Jedi), and Jaina was on the trail of Alema, who Luke was still convinced had murdered Mara.

"Kriffing hell," Ben muttered to himself before settling down on the floor to build something loud and complicated.

Mmm. Repression.

[OOC: Door closed, but he's loud enough to be heard in the hall...]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"I always have to think about it," Ben said, voice getting a little sharp. "I'm not allowed to miss."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Me neither." Triela's eyes narrowed sharply with her tone at the suggestion that she might be less than dedicated.

[momslilassassin]

"Then it shouldn't also be for relaxation," Ben said stubbornly. "Every time I shoot, I'm taking a life. Where's the relaxation in that?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela frowned at him. "Doing something you're good at is generally relaxing in my experience."

And what was wrong with taking lives anyway?

[momslilassassin]

Ben frowned back before turning his attention back to a bit of metal and his screwdriver. "Not in mine."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"You seem pretty good at this droid thing," she points out, perhaps a bit pedantically.

[momslilassassin]

"I don't sleep much," Ben replied. "This one's more complicated than my usual ones." He nodded his head towards three little droids in the corner. "Those just do errands and clean the room."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Hey, that's pretty convenient." Suddenly Triela actually seemed interested. "If this one's more complex... what does it do?"

[momslilassassin]

"Eventually, fly a starfighter," Ben said, "but I don't have one yet."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"You're building a droid that's a pilot?"

Triela was... actually impressed.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "It'll do mostly the navigation and mechanical repair, but yeah."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"That sounds like it's pretty difficult." And if there was one thing Triela respected,it was competence.

[momslilassassin]

"That's why it's taking a while," Ben said with another nod.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"How long have you been at it, then?" She sounded intrigued in spite of herself.

[momslilassassin]

"Since November," Ben said.

When his mom had died and he'd needed a Project.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"And how much long do you think it'll take?" Never let it be said that Triela was sensitive to any subtle emotional cues someone might have been dropping.

[momslilassassin]

"A couple years, probably," Ben said. "I need stuff from home and every time I go back I forget to bring things with me."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"That's a pretty long-term project," Triela pointed out the obvious. "That's an impressive thing to undertake." She almost sounded... envious?

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged. "It's something to do."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," she agreed. "I... guess I'll let you get back to it then..."

She wasn't used to being awkward around people.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Thanks," he said quietly.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Good luck," she offered as she pushed away from the door to head back to her room.