Shakespeare Colony [A month later]

[momslilassassin]

They'd waited for the weather to turn more reliably warm and dry before hosting an outdoor dance in the center of the village. The fight over music had been mostly smoothed over by agreeing to vary the selections between what the colonists who'd arrived recently liked and what the natives had become used to after Ben had offered to provide enough droid spoken word albums to last the entire dance to break the impasse.

Because everyone had agreed that droid spoken word albums were the worst.

And now, in the fine tradition of dances everywhere, no one was dancing in the area cleared for that purpose as everyone gathered in nervous groupings around food and drink tables, staring at people across the floor and hoping someone would ask them to dance.

Ben sighed and tugged at the tie around his neck. "Should we draw names from a hat or something?" he asked Ender.

Comments

[endsthegame]

"I could try stepping on your feet," Ender offered.

[momslilassassin]

"I could kick you," Ben replied, "and then we could watch all of the colonists try to imitate our new dance--"

[endsthegame]

"You can start planning the colonial kickboxing competition next week," Ender said. "Keep your head in the game."

[momslilassassin]

"Providing an excellent example of the benefits of pairing off?" Ben asked innocently.

[endsthegame]

"Sorry?" Ender said, feeling as if he'd just missed some joke.

He was having to focus on his feet more than he was used to.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed and moved a little closer. "We're trying to show that being a couple is a good thing, right? And that dancing won't kill you."

[endsthegame]

"Presumably," Ender said. "I haven't been dancing too long yet." His mouth quirked a little. "I don't think we're alone anymore, though."

[momslilassassin]

"Who'd Val drag out with her?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"Not Akbar," Ender said. He squinted. "...I think it's Ix."

[momslilassassin]

"Interesting choice," Ben said. "Better than Sel, at least."

[endsthegame]

"You say that now," Ender said, chuckling a little, "But before you know it, Sel's going to get ideas..."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed along "...would he even remember what to do with those kinds of ideas?"

[endsthegame]

"I don't know," Ender said. "Maybe Sel can bust a move..."

[momslilassassin]

"And now I'm mentally scarred," Ben declared.

[endsthegame]

"It's good for you," Ender said. "Though after this next song, I'm going to go back to find out what food you managed to rustle up..."

[momslilassassin]

"Sausages," Ben said, "fruit on sticks...someone's probably spiked the punch by now."

[endsthegame]

"This isn't Fandom," Ender pointed out. "But... sausages was all you could do?"

At least Ben'd gotten them to regulate the volume to a tolerable level.

[momslilassassin]

"Some local birds are roasting too," Ben said, "and bread and sweets--it's me. Of course there's food."

[endsthegame]

"Good," Ender said. "I was starting to worry."

[momslilassassin]

"I just didn't want them to blow it all for one party, you know?" Ben replied. "They really wanted to impress you."

[endsthegame]

"I'd hope it's not bad enough that they'd want to raid all the food stocks," Ender said lightly. "But you - and the team - did a really good job."

[momslilassassin]

"Thanks," Ben said, beaming. Compliments from Ender still warmed him to his toes. "You should tell them so."

[endsthegame]

"I will," Ender promised. "Tomorrow. Right now I'm just here as your plus-1."

[momslilassassin]

"You think so?" Ben said. "So you don't have to dance with Sel to make him feel better about never getting to dance with Val?"

[endsthegame]

"Nope," Ender said cheerfully. "I'm your arm candy."