Room 204 [afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Attention world: Ben Skywalker finally got his hair cut!

Newly shorn (not quite military short, but close) thanks to the people at the spa (where he rather vehemently turned down a massage, an eyebrow sculpting and a pedicure. The staff had discovered quickly how easy it was to make him blush), he was now back in his room tinkering with a couple of projects that he was thinking of turning into holiday gifts.

The door was wide open.

Comments

[endsthegame]

"You take things personally," Ender marvelled, leaning in the doorway after a trip outside.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's cheeks went pink. "It wasn't just you," he said defensively. "Karla and Tahiri said stuff too."

[endsthegame]

"Oh, so my opinion ranks as highly as theirs now?" Ender asked, wryly amused. "Maybe I should get a dye job."

[momslilassassin]

Ben tilted his head. "Hmm. I think it would look good blue."

[endsthegame]

"I meant blond, since you obviously consider me on their level," he said, flopping idly onto his bed. "From sheepdog to flowerpot. Nicely done."

If he wasn't Ender, you could almost be excused to think he was trying to see if he could talk Ben into getting a wig.

[momslilassassin]

"I don't look like a flowerpot," Ben said, scowling over at him.

[endsthegame]

Ender grinned at him. "We'll see what Tahiri and Karla have to say about that."

[momslilassassin]

Ben tossed his pillow at him. "Okay, kreetle. Going to give up your plans to got into space and become a barber instead?"

[endsthegame]

The pillow bounced off of his shoulder, grazing the side of his head. "No," he said, "You're just too easy. I can't help myself."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm only easy compared to you," Ben said, grinning.

[endsthegame]

"Well, I'm a master," Ender said, sitting down on the side of his bed as he rubbed the patch of skin the pillow had grazed. "No one goads me into anything."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, I could goad you into things," Ben said loftily, leaning back against his headboard. "I just usually choose not to."

[endsthegame]

"Usually?" Ender asked, amused. "When have you goaded me, then?"

[solo_sword]

It'd been a while since she'd actually visited Ben, so Jaina made her way downstairs, greeting him with, "Looking good, kid."

[momslilassassin]

Ben blushed and grinned. "Thanks. I was getting compared to sheepdogs and banthas. It was time."

[solo_sword]

"This is when you tell them it's a cultural thing," she reasoned. "And show them a picture of Zekk's ponytail and say ha." Granted, Zekk might not still have the ponytail in his time, but she could provide holos anyway.

[momslilassassin]

Ben wrinkled up his nose. "I never want to have hair as bad as Zekk's. Or Kyp's, for that matter."

[solo_sword]

"Exactly. Tell them that's the route you could go, and the bantha comparisons should stop forever. I assume," Jaina admitted. "People tend to not bring up that sort of subject with me." Certain former Hapan queens notwithstanding.

[momslilassassin]

"Well, the bantha comparisons come from Tahiri," Ben said, laughing, "so I doubt that I could put an end to all teasing, even if I wanted to."

[solo_sword]

"Yeah, that's kind of her right," she agreed. "How're you doing? Besides shorn?"

[momslilassassin]

"Glad not to be in Connecticut any more," he said with a quick smile. "That was a lot of family."

[solo_sword]

"Really? I sort of liked it," Jaina admitted. Yeah, she thought it was weird, too.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blinked, looking surprised. "Really?"

[solo_sword]

Jaina shrugged. "I haven't seen our family back home all together in... longer than I can remember," she explained. "Seeing everyone together like that, weird as it is, was kind of nice."

[momslilassassin]

"Granddad smiles," he replied. "I had no idea he was capable of it."