Skywalker Apartment [Friday afternoon]

[sith_happened]

Anakin was flipping through channels, looking for something to distract him.

Home shopping wasn't going to do it, and the History Channel was just a little too close to what he was trying to avoid to capture his attention.

Mindless cartoons it was, then.

[For a visitor and the other one what lives with him....]

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[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory leaned over the back of the couch, holding her coffee cup in one hand and a small pile of books in the crook of her opposite arm. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, choosing not to comment on the mood yet. He'd tell her when he was ready, and she hadn't brought up Jaina's brothers since he'd told her.

"What're we watching?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her a small smile. "Something mindless," he admitted. "There's a hunter with a speech impediment and a rabbit who won't be caught."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"If you think you can bear to keep the volume low enough for me to actually try to read, want some company?" she offered softly.

[sith_happened]

He patted the empty spot on the sofa next to him. "I'd love some company."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River knocked on the door, trying to hold on to a struggling Berthold who did not like to be carried long distances, especially not without food.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory gave the door a puzzled look, then dropped her books onto the empty spot and handed him her coffee cup. "If you set it down, remember to use a coaster!" she called over her shoulder as she hustled over to the door.

"Oh...hi, River," Rory said, and it was just by the grace of having lived in Fandom for two years that she only barely batted an eye.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Delayed wedding gift." River smiled cheerfully and placed Berthold, who clung to his blanket, in front of Rory.

[sith_happened]

Anakin struggled to hold back a grin. "Come in, River," he said as Rory took Vladdie into the other room. "And, um, Berthold."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River entered, and pushed the reluctant tentacled monster in front of her. Berthold let out a nervous squeal. "I think he's hungry," River said.

[sith_happened]

"And what does he like to eat?" Anakin asked, looking amused.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Ice cream, but too much gives him stomach cramps." River smiled again. "He'll eat anything. Including your clothes."

[sith_happened]

"That should be an adventure," Anakin commented with a smile. "Hello," he said to Berthold, crouching down. "I will not be held responsible for what happens to you if you try to eat one of Rory's books, but welcome to our house."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

A bit hesitantly, Berthold reached out a tentacle towards the new human. He sniffled, but at least he wasn't being carried around any longer.

[sith_happened]

Anakin held out a hand for Berthold to touch. "So how's Fandom?" he asked River.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"As usual." Thoughts of the most recent oddities when through her mind and were probably clear to Anakin. She found that she paid less and less attention to things like that though; her mind was elsewhere.

Berthold ignored the hand and tried to tug at Anakin's clothes instead.

[sith_happened]

Anakin frowned a little at some of the things he saw flashing through her mind. "And how are you?" he asked instead, trying to pull his sleeve out of Berthold's reach.

He looked up at River. "I've missed our conversations."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

But that sleeve was so interesting! Berthold extended a few more tentacles.

"So have I," she said quietly. His question was a little more difficult to respond to, and instead she found herself going through in her mind what things had been like recently. Concerns about the future, letting go of the past; her visit to Osiris where she unexpectedly had run into Jack and found a lot of useful information about the Academy; discussing explosives plans with Tyler; looking forward to dancing at the wedding this weekend; Oh, and that incident with Lee that had resulted in the two of them being stuck to a wall by Kerrigan. "Complicated."

[sith_happened]

Anakin seized on the last image. "You were stuck to a wall?" he asked, eyes going wide.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River nodded. "Am not allowed to beat up Lee." She didn't explain why she had done it anyway, as it was probably obvious.

[sith_happened]

"Even when he deserves it," Anakin said, a brief smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Most of the time he does. This time he asked for it." He had, literally. River couldn't hold back a grin.

Berthold on the other hand, was getting restless and nervous, and tried to slither further into the apartment, hoping to find something to hide under. Or, you know, eat.

[sith_happened]

The sofa was probably a nice place to hide under, and the sock Vladdie had dragged under it was a lovely snack.

"Principal Washburn hung you from a wall anyway?" Anakin asked.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Berthold decided he approved of the sofa, and the sock disappeared in no time. He burped.

"Kerrigan," River said. "Am uncertain on the reason behind the choice of punishment." Upsetting Kerrigan had in a way been worse.

[sith_happened]

"Whimsy?" Anakin suggested, though the idea of Kerrigan being whimsical felt...wrong.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Wrong, perhaps, but it made River smile. "And how is life here?" she asked, changing the subject.