new era log iii: ben and annie

[forcelegacy]

It had been an exciting few days!

Well, not to Ben, but people seemed pretty happy. Grampa was off doing work and Sammi was uh, somewhere, the twins were doing their usual machiney stuff and.. oh yeah! Cora came to the praxeum finally.

That sure took long enough. She probably had to go into the baby level classes though, since she didn't wanna do anything with the Force. He thought about going to talk to her but she'd been sticking close to Jacen and he didn't really like him very much, so he tended to do stuff alone. Unless Annie was around! Annie always wanted to hang out and do stuff. He wasn't sure where he was right now, though.

He had intended on going to look for him, but he made the mistake of going through the kitchen on his way to searching, and had gotten very distracted by fresh blue milk and cookies. Thus, he was lingering there, stuffing his face happily.

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[forcelegacy]

Giving a squeal, Ben kicked his feet a little and swam away just a bit, looking down and seeing Annie's silhouette in the water. He dove back down and swam toward him, going to pull the bigger boy up to the surface...

"No tickles!"

... so he could sulk at him for tickling him.

[soloboys]

Laughing as he popped out of the water, Annie was only inspired... to tickle him again! Now at close quarters and able to breathe, he could get to his sides.

"No slugs either, but it hadn't stopped you!"

[forcelegacy]

"Nooo! No no stoppit, Annie!"

Ben complained, but with a smile. He squirmed and swam off toward shore, which wasn't far. They were going to play chase if Annie came after him like he wanted him to!

[soloboys]

Well then, Ben was in luck! He swam after him, making good time, being the slightly larger of the two. When he hit shore, he hefted himself out practically already running.

"I'll get you!" Called, trying not to laugh.

[forcelegacy]

"No you won't, I'm really fast! Really REALLY fast!"

Ben called back, laughing, so happy as he always was, to be out playing with his best cousin! He booked it, a little slower than usual because his shorts were sticking together from being wet, though he didn't seem to notice it at all.

[futurespouse]

Until a pair of strong hands caught him.

Not Anakin's, of course.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere."

Annie just barely managed to slow his speed not to go crashing into them.

Mara smiled, impish. "Wet as a mop and running shoeless. You get that from your father. And you--" Looking at Anakin briefly. "--must have borrowed it from your Uncle too."

"Hello, Auntie." He just smiled in return, biting his lip. Oop, well there went the chase.

[forcelegacy]

Ben gave a surprised shout but his grin only blossomed further when he saw who it was.

"Mom!!" He loved his mom so much, more than anything! Annie was a very, very close second. Oh, and Dad was in there somewhere too.

"We decided to go swimming and then I fell but Annie kissed it better than we did go swimming and I found a slug, and then I pushed it into Annie's face, then he tickled me and I ran away!"

There! Since she missed it all, looking for him.

[futurespouse]

Mara slowly raised a brow at that description.

Firstly, because it was fast. Secondly, because there were other things they'd apparently borrowed from Luke's conduct... hm.

"That sounds like an eventful afternoon. Aren't you tired out from all of that?"

Annie absolutely wasn't, but he politely said nothing, assuming that Mara wanted her son to clean up.

[forcelegacy]

"Nope! Never tired when I play with Annie."

Ben leaned against his mother, hugging her as he smiled adoringly up at her. That was a blatant lie of course, but he didn't mean to lie! It felt good to think about playing with Annie all the time and not get tired at all.

"He's my best friend, okay, Mom?"

[futurespouse]

"Okay, darling." She agreed, swiping some wet hair aside of his face and giving him a tutting pat. "What say you and your best friend go change into dry clothes and then join me for dinner in the inner city? I think a small trip is in order, since you aren't very tired."

[forcelegacy]

"Really!?"

He perked up and went to hug her again, giving her a big squeeze, before going to do the same to Annie, tugging at his arm afterward. "Come on, let's go, we gotta get dry and dressed so we can go for dinner, Annie!"

[soloboys]

Mara crinkled a wave at the two boys as they went, the one tugging the other. Anakin gave a brief smile and thanked her for the invitation softly as he stumbled after Ben, turning only once they were out of Mara's ear shot to catch up to his speed.

[forcelegacy]

"I'm so happy we get to go to dinner together. Do you like being with our family? Do you miss your family?"

Ben hugged Annie's arm as they walked, happy to keep him close and chat with him. Playing and Mom always put him in a really good mood.

[soloboys]

Annie looked a little startled to be asked such direct questions. Usually, Ben was more or less self-revolving... which far from feeling put off by, he liked about his friend. Anakin was a very private person, however friendly he might strive to be. Ben had an easy, natural friendliness and openness that reminded Annie of the nature of the Force; so much energy and always so honest in its directions.

"I'm happy for it, too. Although, Ben; we did leave our clothes at the bank when you started running off..." He pointed out lightly, knowing that would be enough of a diversion from the other topic. But then, deciding after a pause that... it might be all right to talk about; but only with Ben; he went on, "I like being with your family, yes. I wouldn't like it all the time though, or not so much as you do. And I often miss my own." He didn't think the topic would be pressed; but it felt rather nice, to have been asked at all.

[forcelegacy]

"I'll tell Auntie Leia and Uncle Han they have to come see you, then."

Nodding to himself, Ben was very sure! He wanted to do something really nice and help Annie out and that sounded pretty easy, so... he would just make it happen!

"Oh, uh, we can just remember that our clothes are there and go back later. They'll be there. Unless a fish grows legs and steals them... but that's not going to happen." A pause, and he gave Annie a conspiratorial look. ".. I hope."

[soloboys]

"Oh, no." Anakin shook his head, lightly letting go of Ben's hand-- to stretch. "You don't have to do that. They're very busy. And besides-- even if they come, I'd still miss them." Possibly a very strange thing to say, so he said it under his breath before moving on. "...A fish maybe could steal our clothes. If there's a strong wind." However, more likely... "I bet Auntie Mara remembered to scoop them up and will scold us about being thoughtless later."

[forcelegacy]

"Oh. Yeah, you're right, she probably did."

Ben frowned when Annie pulled away to stretch. He went quiet for a moment, sticking his hands in his wet pockets as they meandered along toward the praxeum, nearly there. Quite suddenly, he turned, going to grab his cousin and give him a tight hug.

"... they do love you. And they'll come see you. And they miss you, so don't be sad, Annie. I don't like it when you feel sad."

Maybe Ben was a bit more perceptive than he let on.

[soloboys]

Annie went very still. His eyes had widened just faintly in surprised... and he felt only more surprised that ben had managed to surprise him.

It took a longer moment then usual for him to regain himself and when he had, he gave a warm, placid smile and went to hug the other boy in return. Ben was all sweetness, really... and would be ever so talented, one day!

"I'm not sad, Ben." He assured lightly. Maybe when he was younger he had been. But through the Force he'd learned how to combat it-- through indifference. He cared for people, but he had no real attachment to his family. He did not mind if he never saw his mother again, so long as she was happy and healthy. That he could feel in the Force and that was enough. He didn't mind if she or his father loved him less; so long as they loved, it was all right. He really didn't feel entwined, in the way he knew Ben did, with his family.

Perhaps the only person he came close to that feeling with was Ben himself. But even then, sometimes, he wondered if he wasn't trying to convince himself to feel more than he really did, or could. He knew he was connected to Ben on a deeper level-- but he also knew that connection would end prematurely, and so he did not feed into it the way he saw Cora feeding into hers with Jacen. Fully, unabashedly.

"I know that they love me and miss me and that I'll see them soon. I don't mind the wait; they're very busy. In the meanwhile, I get to have dinner with you; so I'm very, very happy." He assured, drawing back and giving another brief smile, bumping foreheads with him before backing up a bit.

[forcelegacy]

Looking skeptical, Ben gave him a light frown, but didn't argue the point, going to take Anakin's hand, swinging their hands as they entered the building and made their way toward their room.

"Okay, Annie. As long as you're happy."

... which he really didn't think his cousin was, but again, was not going to argue. He'd think of ways to make Annie even happier soon enough! He didn't like it when he felt so empty, which was more and more often these days.

[soloboys]

"I am!" He agreed again, watching their arms swing and feeling, at least, very content for the moment. He'd be even more content when he wasn't sopping and when he had something warm to eat, so...

"Let's hurry! Auntie Mara looked ready to go already."

[forcelegacy]

"Oh! You're right!"

Ben nodded and took off at a run, pulling his cousin alongside him. "Let's hurry, then! I'm hungry!"