Stark Industries [all day Friday]

[momslilassassin]

It was Friday, so Ben was behind the counter as usual.

Instead of checking his comlink for news from home, he was reading up on more modern, Earth-based terminology.

Like what Ender might have meant when he called Ben his partner at the shop on Monday.

"Ohhhhh," Ben said softly, a huge, dorky smile crossing his face.

The good mood was going to last today.

[OOC: Open! Jaina's call comes first.]

Comments

[solo_sword]

Getting back to Coruscant had involved a lot of immediate activity in trying to get things settled and telling people and getting information and yet for as hard as it was, Jaina preferred it to when all that was done and she had time to herself again.

She'd considered making this call before she'd even left Hapes, and she'd say she'd waited to get more information about what was going on- which was true- but she just really didn't want to have to make this call.

But she had to do it, so she called and maybe hoped that he wouldn't pick up, because this would be horrible to leave on someone's voicemail.

[momslilassassin]

"Skywalker," Ben answered promptly, still sounding happy.

[solo_sword]

Of course he had to sound happy.

Jaina didn't. "Hey, it's me."

[momslilassassin]

He had an immediate bad feeling about this.

"Jaina?"

Please don't tell me...

[solo_sword]

"Yeah." It wasn't like Ben was the first person she'd had to tell about this, so she was trying to tell herself it shouldn't be that difficult. Even though it really, really was. "We need to talk."

[momslilassassin]

He looked down to realize his free hand had gripped the counter so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"Everyone okay?" he asked very, very quietly.

[solo_sword]

"Ben," she said, trying to say this as gently as possible, "Mara's dead."

She refused to use 'your mom' there. Wasn't happening. This was one of those times she felt it very important to keep the timelines clear.

[momslilassassin]

There was a very long pause on Ben's side of the line as he shoved aside his memories of this very same moment from a few years ago and struggled to get his emotions under control.

"Oh," he finally managed.

[solo_sword]

"I'm sorry," she said, hating the words even as she said them because they never really did anything to help.

[endsthegame]

"Hope you don't mind Thai today," Ender said, as he came into the shop slightly later than usual. "I went for a walk and wound up there--"

[momslilassassin]

Ben glanced up, then bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Not hungry," he whispered.

[endsthegame]

That was not good in any way at all.

Ender crossed the distance to the counter and tossed the take-out bag on top, then slipped past it, half-squatting down on the floor so he could reach out and tug Ben into a hug.

[momslilassassin]

Ben clung tightly. "Jaina called."

There wasn't anything else to say.

[endsthegame]

"Mara?" Ender asked gently.

He couldn't think of anything else that would make Ben this upset.

[momslilassassin]

He nodded silently.

[endsthegame]

Ender pulled Ben's head into the crook of his neck where it met his shoulder. He ran his fingers over Ben's back as soothingly as he knew how, and didn't say anything else.

[momslilassassin]

Ben couldn't find it in him to cry--there was just a strangling tightness in his chest that he couldn't seem to breathe past--but being close to Ender helped a bit.

"I'm okay," he finally managed, even though that wasn't true. He was just more okay than he'd been before Ender had showed up.

[glacial_queen]

Karla was not hiding from anyone. That would be silly! It was possible that Lucivar was looking for her, but that was TOTALLY COINCIDENCE. As for why she was in a wing of the Hall far away from where she could usually be found?

ALSO COINCIDENCE.

But since she was here (reasons for being so notwithstanding), she thought she should give a few people back at Fandom a call to pass the time until Lucivar stopped shouting to catch up because she missed them.

Ring ring<>

[momslilassassin]

This time Ben checked to see who was calling before he picked up. "Karla?"

[glacial_queen]

"Kiss kiss! Have you begun missing me dreadfully yet?" Karla asked, grinning over the phone. "I'm coming back for a visit soon, but only after I've been properly longed for."

Guess who was going to feel like such an ass for this after finding out how Ben felt?

[momslilassassin]

Ooh, ooh, was it Karla?

"I miss you," Ben said, not sounding much like himself.

[glacial_queen]

IT SO WAS.

"Apparently so," Karla said, grin fading. "Because, wooow. You sound like--" at the last moment, she stopped herself from saying 'like someone died'. It was Ben. Someone might have. "Down. You sound down. You okay?"

[momslilassassin]

"There have been better days," Ben wildly understated. "Jaina called. Fandom Jaina."

[glacial_queen]

Ben: Warlord Prince of Understatements.

"She did?" Karla asked, instantly wary. "Is she okay? Tahiri? Your father? Did Daala do something--wait, no. She wouldn't know what Daala was up to. She's...how many years behind you?"

Oh, Karla. So close, but so far from reaching it...

[momslilassassin]

"Right now, about four," Ben said softly.