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'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.

[endsthegame]

"That's what you say now," Ender said, poking him in the side.

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out to tickle him lightly. "Brat."

[endsthegame]

"Behave, you," Ender said. "We're at a party."

[momslilassassin]

"I didn't give us a dark corner," Ben said. "Horrible oversight on my part."

[endsthegame]

"You can try that next time," Ender said. "The people I've spoken so far have been really positive about your work."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's cheeks went pink. "Really?"

[endsthegame]

"You might make a better peace-time Jedi than you think," Ender teased. "But yes, they did. They trust you."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm glad," Ben said, surprised by how true that was for him. "I was worried I was going to end up being 'guy who hangs out with the governor' rather than 'Ben.'"

[endsthegame]

"I did tell you that wasn't going to happen," Ender said fondly. "You've been putting yourself out there to make these people feel welcome. You've given them ways to have a good time regardless of how hard adjusting to the new circumstances might still be. This dance alone is a beacon of normalcy for a lot of the new colonists, and I do believe it was your idea."

[momslilassassin]

"Well it was a natural progression from the game nights aboard ship," Ben said, still blushing. "Happy colonists mean less work for you."

[endsthegame]

"The colonists do notice when you care about their wellbeing, Ben," Ender said wryly.

[momslilassassin]

"I'd have to be pretty heartless not to," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"There are plenty of people who wouldn't care," Ender said, "Or who'd care but wouldn't take action."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Well, that's not really me."

[endsthegame]

"I know," Ender said. "Which is why I didn't think you'd have any trouble leaving your own mark in the first place."