Part o' the Preserve [Sunday evening]

[momslilassassin]

Most people didn't view an invasion as a Great Date Night, but Ben and Tahiri weren't exactly most people.

"These don't seem very much like the other gremlins," Ben replied, making a little face when he got sprayed with blood from a poorly executed lightsaber swipe.

[OOC: For the girl.]

Comments

[weetuskenraider]

"It was worth a try?" Tahiri offered, slashing out at one of the other gremlins when it tried to make a flying bite-tackle at her elbow.

[momslilassassin]

Ben hissed as the gremlin slashed through his sleeve and drew blood. "It was," he agreed, snicking off the creature's head.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri did the same with the gremlin that had come after her, albeit less neatly. "So we can't say we didn't give it a shot," she concluded, and jerked her chin to indicate the third, most sluggish but also probably the most mad because of that, gremlin heading for them.

"I think I liked it better when the only kind we had to deal with bit us and ran off and made us act weird."

Which was a little bit sad, wasn't it?

[momslilassassin]

"I didn't have to kill them," Ben agreed. "Wanted to off myself, maybe, but they weren't actively vicious."

[weetuskenraider]

"You'd better be joking about that." Tahiri managed to keep her tone light, for the most part. If she'd had her blaster on her, she could have gotten the third gremlin from here, but she'd run out all her power packs yesterday and hadn't had a chance to clean the blaster yet anyway.

"And those didn't ever start off looking cute and fuzzy. Can you believe these are the same things that just wanted hugs a couple of days ago?"

[momslilassassin]

"No," Ben said, making a face as he looked down on the gash in his arm. "I have kriffing terrible luck with pets."

[weetuskenraider]

It was just a gash, yes, but this was the first time they'd ever gone to fight things together that Ben had gotten visibly injured; a tiny twinge of apprehension spiked in Tahiri's Force-sense. It took a lot of effort not to let herself leap the gap between herself and the third gremlin and cut it in two just in reaction to that.

Keeping a cautious eye on it instead, she moved closer to Ben and asked, "You're okay, right?"

Shh. She didn't sound scared.

[momslilassassin]

"Fine," Ben said, flashing her a quick smile. "It's not even going to scar up."

He didn't know that for sure, of course, but he could tell she was concerned. Yes. Not scared.

[weetuskenraider]

Not really scared. Not panicking, either, though if she let herself she could've done both.

"Okay," she said, and just for good measure, repeated, "okay. Do you think they're thinning out around here?"

[momslilassassin]

"I think you could use a change of scenery," Ben said, walking closer and waving his lightsaber threateningly at the remaining gremlin. "Look. It's not that bad."

[weetuskenraider]

"I could probably use food," Tahiri noted, trailing a step or two behind him. Okay, yes, and a change of scenery; she just thought it would give him a tiny bit less of a reason to worry if she focused on the food.

That would work.

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave the gremlin one last look, then strapped his lightsaber back on onto his belt and reached for her hand with his good arm. "And we can swing past the clinic for a bandage."

[weetuskenraider]

"I could use a good long shower," Tahiri said, squeezing his fingers and shooting the gremlin a warning look of her own for good measure. "But a bandage is a good start. And ice cream . . ."

[momslilassassin]

"And then another shower," Ben said, laughing.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri grinned wryly. "Yeah, that. Definitely."

[momslilassassin]

Ben moved into a clearing, checked in the Force to make sure there wasn't some sort of gremlin ambush waiting and then leaned in to kiss Tahiri. "I'm fine," he said quietly. "Relax."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri clung to him just a little fiercely, and reached out in the Force to double-check on him for herself. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? It should've been an obvious option.

"Okay," she said slowly, feeling a bit stupid. "I trust you. I just . . . sorry."

[momslilassassin]

Ben held on just as tightly. "It's okay," he said, voice soothing. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri kept holding on for a while before she finally let her grip ease up. "I suppose I should actually let go of you at some point."

[momslilassassin]

"It would make it easier to get ice cream," Ben agreed with a little smile, reaching for her hand. "Feeling better now?"

[weetuskenraider]

She let go of him, any reluctance assuaged by the ease of taking hold of his hand. "I am. Let's get you patched up, and then demolish a sundae bigger than both of our heads."

This was not a statement on anyone's ego, just for the record.

[momslilassassin]

"If the gremlins messed with the ice cream shop, I'm going to be upset," Ben declared.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri looked almost horrified when she looked at him. "We should've thought to defend it."

[momslilassassin]

Ben was already increasing his pace toward town. "Next time we'll remember," he vowed.

[weetuskenraider]

"First stop next time?" Tahiri asked, putting in the extra effort to keep pace with him and his annoyingly longer legs.

They had the best priorities ever, clearly.