fandomhigh | Dealing With Loss [Friday, October 1, after classes]

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Dealing With Loss [Friday, October 1, after classes]

When the students came into the room, they would see Ben and Anakin talking quietly with an older blond man who resembled them both rather closely.

Ben turned around and smiled at the assembled group. "Hey. I'm betting the next few days might be pretty tough on a lot of you," he began, "which is why I want you all to meet my dad." He waved his hand towards the older man. "This is Luke Skywalker, the Grand Master of the Jedi and, even if this totally blows all of my teenaged disdain out the airlock, a pretty astral listener."

Luke gave his son a slightly bemused look. "Thank you, Ben."

Ben ran his hands through his hair. "So, yeah. I don't want any of you to feel alone on this weekend where we kind of get beat over the head with family time." He smiled. "So you can borrow my dad." He looked around at the rest of the students. "Anyone got something they need to talk about?"

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"I'm not expecting anyone; actually, I needed to call home and tell them not to come." They had taken it better than he had expected, but Barret's voice -Barret's voice coming from the other side of the room- had made him flinch nevertheless. "Things in this island and things in my world...they don't add up."

'Hey Tifa, Zack is around where.' Sure, Cloud hadn't noticed Zack wasn't around, but the point stood.

"So your dad came for the weekend." He had seen Anakin...somewhere, probably in the welcome picnic and some other random...somewhere. "That must be...nice." Cloud was such a smooth talker.

"It's completely astral," Ben said, beaming. "He's so busy that I can never be sure his schedule won't interfere with stuff like this." His expression turned more serious. "You told people not to come visit?"

Astral was good right? Cloud would assume it was good. "Well, there is always time for family." Which didn't make him a hypocrite, word.

"Well...yeah." Somehow Ben's serious face made him a little more self-conscious. "It's complicated." People loved to use that excuse, and when it was really true, it certainly didn't have the same effect. "And in return I'll be heading back for the weekend myself. Which is better, in my opinion." Even if Gaia was a sorry gray planet, it was a sorry gray planet with the people he cared for.

"Dad helps save the galaxy," Ben said. "Family comes second."

There wasn't any bitterness to that, just an acknowledgment of fact.

Raised eyebrow was raised. Galaxy sounded a lot better than world. "So your father is a hero", he said finally.

"I don't think I can actually grasp the concept of someone saving a galaxy, or helping to", added carefully. "But the fact he is here now means that, second or not, family holds great significance." Look at him, being all mature. Cloud was almost wishing Tifa had come now.

"More so after Mom died," Ben said with a little shrug. "Priorities were different before."

What the hell did I just walk into!?

Cloud was trying to swallow his tongue by now. "I'm sorry to hear that"; said, well aware it mean next to nothing coming from an unknown. "But you are here, and you made this club, and you are willing to deal with a bunch of people thinking they have the right to sulk all the time." And weren't in the Apathy Club, mind you.

"So I think you are an example to follow."

Ben shrugged. "I don't think I'm much of an example, but I figured that students who have lost people might benefit from a place where it's okay to talk about it."

Cloud mirrored the shrug. "It will suffice, I think."

And only because it was about time. "I'm Cloud, by the way."

"Ben," Ben replied. "Nice to meet you, Cloud."

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Dealing With Loss [Friday, October 1, after classes]

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