"So why do you have all these cards anyways?" Ahsoka asked, flipping through the flimsi cards. All of them were ridiculously bright, some of them with ridiculous embellishments, others more minimalistic. She paused at one of the cards and held it up to Padmé. "And I'm pretty sure this one isn't appropriate."
"Hm?" Padmé looked up from her own pile of cards and grimaced at the one Ahsoka was holding. "Who's it from?"
Ahsoka flipped the card open. "No name," she replied. She cleared her throat and started to read, "My dear Senator Amidala, it was a pleasure meeting you at the Charity—"
"Definitely not," Padmé said, snapping the card shut. "You can throw this one out."
"Gladly," Ahsoka said, tossing the card into the trash receptacle. She opened another card—this one brighter, with a picture of a small family pasted on the front. "So…who are these cards from?"
"Constituents," Padmé replied, smiling at the picture Ahsoka showed her. "Most of them are already given cards back—a default one, but I like to change the messages to show that I've at least…looked at their card."
Ahsoka and Padmé looked at the mass of cards spread out over the living room.
"Must take a while," Ahsoka commented.
"It's worth it," Padmé said matter-of-factly, taking note of a card. "And besides, you've already seen that I don't bother modifying every one of them."
"True," Ahsoka said. She folded over some cards, took note of them on the little pad of flimsi that Padmé had given her when she had reached the apartment. While Ahsoka would admit that responding and reading through cards wasn't exactly how she thought her political lesson with the senator would go, she supposed this was better than sitting through an actual Senate meeting.
Although, Ahsoka realized after her fiftieth card, this was a lonely process. Most of the cards were well-meant, but there were more than a few occasions when Ahsoka read a card that she quietly slipped into the trash receptacle. If Padmé noticed, she didn't say anything.
"Padmé?" Ahsoka asked after a while.
"Yes?"
"Do you just ever get cards from…friends?" Ahsoka closed the card she was reading from.
Padmé paused. "I suppose so," she said. "But everyone's so busy—holiday cards aren't exactly something people are worried about in wartime."
Ahsoka looked pointedly to the pile in front of them.
"Well, this is different," Padmé amended.
Ahsoka shrugged in agreement. But as Padmé continued reading through the cards, Ahsoka took the opportunity to slip out to the refresher. She slipped a pen and a blank card off the pile of cards on the desk and, once she reached the refresher, Ahsoka scribbled a quick message. Her handwriting wasn't as nearly as neat as those of the people who sent cards to the senator, but…Ahsoka was satisfied.
When she walked out of the refresher, she set the card down in front of Padmé.
"Happy holidays, Senator," Ahsoka said.
Padmé's eyes widened briefly—and then, with a soft smile, she took the card. She opened it, and Ahsoka suddenly felt awkward—as one usually would when having their words read in front of them—but when Padmé looked up, Ahsoka found nothing but happiness.
"Thank you," Padmé said.
Ahsoka smiled. "You're welcome."
A/N: as always, reviews/follows/favorites are greatly appreciated!