Milliways, Thursday evening

[momslilassassin]

Ben had been to some stupidly decadent restaurants (being the son of Luke Skywalker had its privileges), but this one blew even those most ridiculous on Coruscant out of the water.

"This is barvy," he muttered to Ender as their waiter led them to their table. "Look at all of the people here. And...other beings...of course."

Ben hadn't been knocked so completely off-stride in years.

[OOC: For the boy and great SP justice.]

Comments

[endsthegame]

"Small and kind of werd," Ender said, "And she makes it surprisingly hard on me not to sigh and go 'no, you're not' whenever she pretends to be vacuous and 'a dancer'."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "It's kind of funny to see her not exceptional at that yet."

[endsthegame]

"She's learning," Ender said wryly. "Very slowly. I'm sure she has some of the students fooled."

[momslilassassin]

"I kind of hope so," Ben said. "I can't imagine Palpatine being all that gentle with perceived failures."

[endsthegame]

"One of the reasons I'm trying not to call her on it," Ender admitted. "She has reasons to be the way she is right now."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "I wish I could tell her what a horrible human he is, but she's got to know it."

[endsthegame]

"She probably believes it's necessary right now," Ender said. "Or rather, he is."

[momslilassassin]

"She always was pragmatic," Ben agreed. "Idealism was for Dad."

[endsthegame]

"They tempered each other, I think," Ender said. "No wonder Luke's been searching."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "He misses her."

[endsthegame]

"He needs an anchor," Ender said quietly.

[momslilassassin]

"He really does," Ben agreed.

[endsthegame]

"It's moments like this I really wish some other relative of yours would slow down enough to help him," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said softly, biting his lip. "But Aunt Leia and Uncle Han have their own things going on. It's just us, really."

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed quietly.

"Maybe one of these days, if he can't find anything else, we might have to ask him to stay with us," he said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Not for a while, though. We get to have a life for ourselves, too."

[endsthegame]

"Maybe he'll surprise us and find his own way," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

"I really hope so," Ben said. "He deserves to be happy."

[endsthegame]

"He does," Ender said softly. "Unfortunately, that's rarely meant much in the scheme of things."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded, biting his lip. "Nice things don't happen just because you're a good person," he agreed.

[endsthegame]

"So we'll have to keep an eye on him," Ender said quietly.

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out to give Ender's hand a squeeze. "Well, he is family."

[endsthegame]

"Better yet, he's your father," Ender said, "And my father-in-law. I think there's some precedent there, across history."

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe just a little bit," Ben admitted with a laugh.

[endsthegame]

"But at least everyone else is safe and sound," Ender said, sobering. "For as much as they ever are, in your family."