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

[momslilassassin]

"Perhaps someone will tranq him and take him off the floor," Ben countered.

[endsthegame]

"Making plans already?" Ender replied.

[momslilassassin]

"Only if his flailing gets worse," Ben said, tilting his head. "Yikes."

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed. "Stop judging and start eating," he said.

[momslilassassin]

"Yes, dear," Ben said, giving Ender a grin. "Try the cake. It's really good."

[endsthegame]

Ender took a bite of one of his vegetables. "In a minute."

[momslilassassin]

Ben chuckled. "Of course you'd eat vegetables at a dance," he said fondly. He lowered his voice. "There's milk over by the punch, too."

Because Ben was a sap.

[endsthegame]

Ender glanced that way, his mouth curving into a smile. "Thanks," he said honestly. "I had been planning to avoid the punch just in case."

[momslilassassin]

"I know," Ben said, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. "That's why I made other arrangements."

[endsthegame]

"I hope there's some other takers, or that might've been a waste," Ender said, though he was still smiling.

[momslilassassin]

"Guarantee that if the governor tries some, there'll be others too," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"Let's hope I never decide to jump off a bridge," Ender said dryly.

[momslilassassin]

"Well first we'd have to build one worth leaping from," Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"Who knows what the Formics still have lying around outside of the area we've explored," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm still holding out for a swimming pool," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"I'm not sure the Formics were so keen on swimming," Ender said dryly.

[momslilassassin]

"Most insects aren't," Ben admitted with a grin. "Maybe they'll be an exception."

[endsthegame]

"Well, you're our other leading expert in sentient bugs," Ender said. "What's your verdict?"

[momslilassassin]

"Probably not," Ben admitted. "Bugs breathe through their shells."

[endsthegame]

"We'll just have to build our own pools," Ender said, and shot him a wry look. "Maybe that can be another one of your projects."

[momslilassassin]

"The grapes only need a little bit of watering daily right now," Ben mused. "I can get started on the pool."

Ben didn't know what to do with time on his hands.

[endsthegame]

Well, there was a reason Ender knew to give him excuses to channel some of that time into worthwhile pursuits.

And Ben's own efforts were starting to pay off - people had started to look to him as a kind of community events leader, which Ender could only encourage.

"We have a backyard," Ender said. "Unless you'd rather dig a public one."

[momslilassassin]

"One for us first," Ben said, "and then one for everyone else once I've gotten better at this."

[endsthegame]

"If I wind up breaking my foot on something in the pool the first time I use it," Ender said, "It'll be your fault."

He'd make excessive use of the pool if they got one. Hush.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm a better engineer than that," Ben said with a quick grin.