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

[glacial_queen]

"You sure?" she asked. "Because I can be there in minutes. Literally minutes."

Even less if Raven teleported to her and then right to the island.

"Or, hey, if you want, you can come visit here instead? Lucivar would love someone new to drag out of bed before breakfast."

Somewhere without memories to haunt him for a little while. Where he'd be surrounded by people who understood the point of throwing oneself into work to avoid thinking.

"The worse thing to happen here so far is the dressing down Warren and I got from Mrs. Beale for being ponies for four days."

[momslilassassin]

Thank you, Karla, for giving him a way to not talk about himself.

"Four days? We were only ponies for two here. Did you rampage Mrs. Beale's kitchen or something?"

[glacial_queen]

Well, after being friends with them for so long, she had to pick up something, didn't she? More than even Ender gave her credit for sometimes.

"Kaeleer moves at double speed," she reminded. "We've been here almost two months already. Soon we'll be packing up and heading to Haven for a bit. It's almost midsummer here. And no," she added, sounding distinctly sulky. "No rampaging. But pony hooves and hardwood floors...and Warren spilled some ink when he first turns...and, look, I didn't mean to knock over the table, but I was pony-sized, you know?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben's laugh was a thin version of his normal one, but he was trying. "You should've seen Ender and me try to figure out stairs," he said. "It took fifteen minutes."

[glacial_queen]

Thin, but there. Which meant Karla was going to try to spin her pony woes into as amusing a tale as possible for as long as she could.

"Thank the Darkness for Craft," Karla said, wrinkling her nose. "I didn't even bother. I just made an air-ramp and walked. The straight staircases didn't look too difficult? But Uncle Saetan is apparently a giant fan of curves and angles in his stairs. One thing I learned? There's no graceful way to eat oatmeal without hands."

[momslilassassin]

"Ender had wings," Ben complained. "I got a horn and a popsicle on my ass."

[glacial_queen]

There was nothing wrong with being a unicorn. MOTHER NIGHT, BEN.

"Did anyone beg him for a pony ride?" Karla asked. "Because that's how Warren spent his four days. Khary practically turned into a four year old girl at the idea of getting to ride a flying pony."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "I don't think anyone's crazy enough to ask Ender for a pony ride."

[glacial_queen]

"Oh, Ben, you tempt me so," Karla teased. "You know now that if Ender ever turns into a pony and I don't, I'm going to ask him for a ride."

You know. In like fifty years.

[momslilassassin]

"And you'll get his withering 'I'm not even going to acknowledge you asked me that' look," Ben said merrily, "and you'll deserve it."

[glacial_queen]

"That's fine," Karla countered, voice lofty. "I make it a habit to treat myself to something frivolous and fun every time he gives me that look. So either way, I win."

And who knew? Maybe he'd surprise them both!

[momslilassassin]

"I just try not to get that look," Ben said, laughing. "I've met with some success."

[glacial_queen]

"Yeah, but you don't get Ender pony-rides either," Karla said. "See all the joy you're missing."

Uh, Karla? You didn't get Ender pony-rides, either.

[momslilassassin]

"You've never ridden Ender," Ben pointed out.

Loooooooooong pause.

"Not dirty."

[glacial_queen]

"No, but my response is," Karla assured him. "But I'll take the high road and just let you imagine what it was. Because I'm good friend like that."

[momslilassassin]

Ben was blushing profusely. "Thank you?" he said a little weakly. "Because, you know--"

Ben didn't talk about that. Ever.

[glacial_queen]

MUCH TO KARLA'S COMPLETE AND UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT, BEN.

"I know," Karla sighed. "I know. I mean, sure, sometime I'm going to take you out and get you drunk and try to get all the details out of you, but that's just, you know. A thing. Like making up awesome poems and measuring your face in plastic monkeys."

One day, Karla would be hurt to discover SHE had never been invited out to see bendy Twi'lek dancers.

[momslilassassin]

"We should do that soon," he said. "The getting together part. I probably won't spill all of the details about me and Ender, though."

Those he tended to text to people. Because he was smart.

[glacial_queen]

Karla would just make sure that Ben's phone was in a prominent location on the table was all.

"We should," she agreed, trying not to sound overly wistful. "Before you two take off."

FOR FOR-PRACTICALLY-EVER

"I'll even forgo the interrogation of sexytimes."

[momslilassassin]

"Thank you," Ben said. "That's just for us."

When he was sober, anyway.

[glacial_queen]

Which was the point of her entire plan!

"Only because you refuse to share," Karla pouted--before bursting out laughing and adding, "Not dirty! Really not dirty."

[momslilassassin]

There was a slightly stunned silence as Ben processed that. "Um."

[glacial_queen]

"NOT. DIRTY!" Karla repeated, though it might have been hard to make out through the giggling. "Seriously! Very happy with the non-dirty sharing we already don't have! Very!"

[momslilassassin]

"Good!" Ben sputtered. "Because um."

That's very coherent, Ben. Thank you.

[glacial_queen]

"Because it's all the wrong ever and then some?" Karla asked.