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Tweak says, "Hmmm...you're strange!"

Padmé Amidala Skywalker (i_cannot_follow) wrote in makebelievelog,
@ 2013-04-06 23:42:00

Entry tags:

carol peletier, padme amidala

Who: Padmé Amidala-Skywalker, Carol Peletier
What: Run-in in the library
When: Sunday, April 7, 2013 - morning
Where: Library
Rating/Warnings: Low, will update if necessary
Status: Closed / Incomplete

Padmé was, perhaps, taking the research into impending motherhood a bit far. She had been perusing books for children of various (young) ages. She had gotten a number of parenting style books and even a few DVDs. She had watched those when on her own in the rooms. There was so much information and sorting through it was mentally overwhelming. But it didn't change how excited she was about all of it. She was 12 weeks along, and there was no way that the remaining time could ever prepare her fully, but she couldn't wait to have a family with Anakin.

She had also started to wonder what she could teach her child. The idea of politics had lessened in her mind, almost like a fog clearing out. The desire to help those who needed it, who were less privileged, was still strong. She wanted to teach that. But she didn't quite know what else to pass on, which had left her wondering about hobbies or things she ought to be doing or learning to better herself as a person rather than just as a parent.

But for now, she had a moderate size stack of books and was headed to a table to sort through and give a look when the top book slid off the stack and fell onto the floor. She paused to pick it up and, in that moment amidst trying to balance the books in one arm and bending over, someone else came into her path. She smiled, ever polite, and said, "Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. I suppose I picked up one too many books."

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notmylittlegirl
2013-04-14 03:36 pm UTC (link)

Carol really liked this place so far, but she hadn't suffered here. She didn't want to know about all of the bad things, really. She kind of just wanted to bask in the things that she hadn't had in so long. It might not be long before she wasn't able to do that, but she was going to enjoy it while she could. "Well I'm glad for the same for you that it's good here for you too."

It really didn't seem so bad to her. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe the bad wasn't so bad when it all boiled down to it. In any place you were there'd be good and there'd be bad. Some of what had been described to her sounded pretty bad, though. "I heard some of the bad, and it definitely sounded scary." She nodded, remembering the idea of Reavers had been scary when they'd been mentioned. Carol couldn't help but think that if bad was temporary it was something that most people could grin and bear and get through. But she came from a world where the dead rose and were walking. "I got people here, luckily. Even just being here I don't know what I'd have done without them." Carol smiled thinking about Daryl and the others.

Carol couldn't help the wide smile. "It'll be exciting for you to have the baby. Because you're going through it and it's new for you." Carol started a bit at the question, thinking back to Sophia and how long Daryl had searched for her. Carol shook her head, though, her smile falling. "No, she's not. My daughter passed away." And that was a light way of saying it. Carol knew that what happened to her wasn't so light.

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i_cannot_follow
2013-04-15 10:47 pm UTC (link)

Padmé nodded at the remark about it sounding scary. It had been scary; if Anakin and company hadn't come, she wasn't sure she would have been able to fight her way out of the storage closet and back to the castle on her own. The invasion had lasted long enough that being at the castle had been a necessity. "Having people who you care about here can be invaluable, both when the scary comes and - when it doesn't. I know I'm grateful for those from my home that are here and for those I've met that I wouldn't have otherwise. I... there seems to be a slight cultural barrier, at times, that I wish weren't there."

"It's an opportunity I wouldn't have at home, so I'm really excited." Padmé's expression sombered immediately at what Carol said. "I - am so sorry. I can't imagine."

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notmylittlegirl
2013-04-17 07:42 pm UTC (link)

Carol wasn't exactly a warrior. She could fight if she needed to, but it wasn't her strongest suit. She wished that she had more drive to fight, but she didn't. She was willing to do whatever she had to in order to survive, but she wasn't going to jump up to be one of the warriors of any group. That wasn't the sort of person that Carol was, and it would never be the sort of person that she would be. "I think that if I didn't have people I knew I would be lost." Carol chose to share that little tid bit. "Everyone here, thus far, has been nice so far." And she hadn't met anyone that was particularly bad as of yet. Daryl was potentially the worst person around and she cared about him. And there was nothing wrong with Daryl or anything. He was a good man.

"Well, I'm glad that you get the chance." Carol nodded, but she took the moment to give the other woman a tiny smile. "I don't think anybody really can. I never could have before. But you didn't do anything, so you don't need to be sorry." Carol wasn't so raw now. She could handle talking about it a bit better than she used to be able to.

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i_cannot_follow
2013-04-18 09:47 pm UTC (link)

Padmé paused to sit the stack of books she had down on one of the library's tables before admitting, with mild hesitancy, "I was a politician before I came here. I was in the Apprentice Legislature at age eight was a full Apprentice Legislator by age eleven. I've not taken a break from politics, at one level or another, before. Between the people I have here, and the people I've met here, I've started to be able to explore something besides - politics." She looked at Carol, smiling a little back at her. Padmé wasn't going to pry further than offered, but was genuine when she said, "I'm glad you have people who help give you direction. I know everyone's situation is different, but it's definitely something I wish for others here."

She knew that, in a few years time, she would die in the setting at home; from the time Leia and Han were from, Padmé was long dead. She knew there was a (potentially slim) chance that death didn't stick in the Land of Make Believe, but mentioning such a thing seemed like a horrible idea. Rather, Padmé turned to the topic of thanking Carol. "Again, thank you for helping with these books - and for the kind words. I think you're the first mother I've met here, or among the first," Padmé didn't know if there were any who hadn't mentioned it. "As small as it is, it's nice to know I'm not alone in - my excessive reading."

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notmylittlegirl
2013-04-19 11:27 pm UTC (link)

Carol hadn't ever met any real politicians, so meeting a female one was definitely different for her. She couldn't help but take the other woman in for a moment. "When I think of politicians I think of fat, bald, white men." She admitted, but tacked on, "So it's real neat that you were one." And she did mean that. That was the kind of role model that she would have liked Sophia to have. She hadn't had a good one like this woman, though. She seemed much smarter than Carol by far, as far as the older woman was concerned."But it's real good that you get to try other stuff." She added with a smile to the younger woman. "I don't think I'd have settled in real well it it weren't for my friends. I can't imagine how hard it is for someone that comes in and doesn't know anyone."

Carol waved the other woman's thank you off as she sat the books she held down, following the other woman's lead. "You're welcome, don't think nothing of it." She smiled and shrugged a little. "You're supposed to be nervous and wanting to prepared. It's the sign that you're gonna be a good mom 'cause you care so much."

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i_cannot_follow
2013-04-22 12:14 am UTC (link)

Padmé was certainly rather curious, if not a little amused, at the idea of politicians equating fat, bald, white men. But she did know that, in some cases, patriarchal societies seemed to have problems with men coming it power and abusing it; but there were matriarchal societies that she knew of as well, so she didn't assume patriarchal or matriarchal of any societal structure or political system without being told or having indications otherwise. She knew of the Nightsisters from seeing the cartoon about the Clone Wars, though they were only a part of the society on Dathomir. Noghri of Honoghr were Matriarchal as well, as was the entire planet of Hapan. Hapan was, perhaps, the most extreme case. Padmé had read a little on it to find out about a Princess that would (or did?) have a child with one of Leia and Han's sons. But if she had gone into a list of planets where equality wasn't the case, it would've taken her all day. It was unfortunate. If by gender or by class, people generally didn't go into politics with the idea of trying to represent those less fortunate and, instead, went in with the prominent question being what they could use to their advantage to gain power. If anything, knowing Palpatine's deception and betrayal had opened Padmé's eyes to that unfortunate fact.

"Thank you. It really was - rewarding, at times." But 13 years, plus any unofficial involvement at younger ages down to eight, really did mean Padmé needed to get a life outside of politics. She just wasn't entirely sure how. "And I'd like to be able to teach him or her more than politics... and I'd like to have more things to keep me occupied. I just don't know what, exactly. I'm going to have to change my current job, at least temporarily, too."

"I do wish there were a way to tell who has no one and help a little, however small. It can be a task to figure out who knows who here, though." She added after a beat, her mind straying to her own confusion upon arriving. She was sure others likely had the same experience.

The explanation of caring so much made Padmé smile because, in truth, it was at the core of why she was nervous. She cared. She wanted to do this right. She knew how she was raised, but she didn't imagine raising her own children that way. It wasn't anything against her parents or their decisions, but she wanted her kids to have a chance to just be kids. It made her feel a bit warm inside and, as a whole, a little more on track. "I really do hope so. It's silly - speaking in front of an entire Senate was something I got used to, but the idea of one small being is terrifying."

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