Beyond - Legends "Tells" (Lando/Tendra, one-shot) [repost]

I was so pleased to see Lando and Tendra pop up in @divapilot's fic today that I thought I'd dredge this up from the old boards

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She wasn’t his type.

Of course, there were those of his acquaintance who would joke that she was exactly his type: breathing. But Lando Calrissian took pride in his impeccable taste. Like a wine connoisseur, he could choose to pick through the multitudes on offer to find one that suited his discerning palate. On the other hand, like any Corellian, he sometimes knew that any old ale would do.

It was crude, and yet he was no crass playboy; Lando was a gentleman. He never led a woman on, nor engaged in a relationship with anyone who expected more from him than he was willing to give, and doing so had kept his bachelorhood – and heart – safe. Love was a game to him, and just as when he was playing sabacc, he donned a facade to increase his odds of winning. He knew what to give away, what persona to adopt, and which cards to keep close to his chest.

Even when he’d embarked on his wife-quest, finding a loving companion was not his foremost concern. He wasn’t ashamed to admit it had been money – marriage was a contract after all, one that he intended to benefit from. And if he was lucky enough to find some kind of companionship with the woman, well, that was just a bonus.

It wasn’t as if he’d been envious of those among his acquaintance who had found their life partner in marriage. He had never aspired towards finding a true love match as Han and Leia had found in each other. Couples like them were rare – people for whom the game had never really been necessary. And yet it was a small sting to his pride that even the Rogues seemed to be settling down and having children.

It wasn’t that he was jealous – except, perhaps it was.

The moment he had met Tendra the game hadn’t seemed so important anymore. He would never forget what Luke had said to him later as they had been fleeing Sacorria, blunt in that gentle way that only Luke could be.

“You shook her hand – like a normal person.”

Lando hadn’t kissed her fingertips, or extolled her beauty, or tried to charm her with all means available to him. It really hadn’t been like him at all – or perhaps it had been exactly like him. The way he was around his closest friends, away from the table where he did not need to keep such close concentration on the hand he was dealt.

And so he found himself sitting, not in a fancy Coruscanti restaurant known for its fine dining and long waiting lists, but rather a more informal bistro he often frequented with Han and Leia that catered more to the family set. He’d never taken any of his dates anywhere, literally, so close to home.

But as Tendra walked in through the door, he knew it had been the right choice. She smiled warmly at him, and he rose to greet her as she walked towards the table. Ever the gambler looking for tells his keen keen eyes appraised her. He knew to watch the way she walked, where she looked, the way she held herself; all indicators of her state of mind and what she was thinking. And naturally he allowed himself a moment to linger on her physical appearance. She was dressed smartly in a gown of a deep purple hue, with a modest neckline and cut just above the knees. Haughty Coruscanti fashion designers and socialites might unkindly deem her to be plump, but Lando found her figure entrancingly shapely, his gaze halting slightly at the swing of her hips before lifting to meet her face in greeting.

With a smile that did not fail to reach her eyes, Tendra approached the table and Lando extended his hand as he stood. She shook it gently and then reached in to kiss his cheek. Not quite the way a lover would, Lando analysed, but at the very least acknowledging a level of acquaintance and affection for him. He smiled in return and pulled out her chair, as not all of his gentlemanly ways were simply posturing, before returning to his own seat.

“How was your trip?” Lando started the conversation on a neutral plane. After the Corellian debacle, Tendra had returned to Sacorria to ensure that her family had come through the crisis alright. She had only returned to Coruscant on the appropriately named Gentleman Caller that afternoon.

“As well as can be expected,” Tendra replied, picking up her menu and studying it. A move, Lando knew, meant she didn’t really wish to discuss it. But she continued; “My father was not pleased about me returning, but in the end I persuaded him, and the authorities never even knew I was there.”

“Good.” Lando also knew that had Tendra’s father had not given his permission, she would have been cut out of her inheritance. And while that in itself was not a deal-breaker (not that they’d made any deals) he felt reassured that Tendra would not have to worry about her situation in the capital. He would of course have helped her out in any way he could, but he imagined Tendra did not want to swap a dependency on her father onto that of another man.

Tendra looked up to meet his eyes, and he did not need any acute skills of observation to see that there was affection for him there. “I took a tour of Dometown today,” she told him fondly.

“Oh?” Lando wondered whether she noticed the hitch of nervousness in his voice. “I could have arranged that for you,” he added more smoothly.

“I know,” Tendra smiled. “But I wanted the unofficial, warts-and-all tour.”

Lando chuckled. “You were checking out my assets.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all,” he waved a dismissive hand. “It shows good business sense.” To be honest, he was impressed, since it was exactly what he would have done in her situation. In fact, what hehad done, running an extensive check on her father’s business dealings. “Did you approve?”

“It is a risky venture,” Tendra admitted. “You’re banking on people being able to accept the lack of scenery for the lowered cost of living below ground. From what I understand the lower-levels of Coruscant are considered unsavory, and gentrification can take time.”

“You have to bet big to win big,” Lando pointed out.

Tendra nodded. “It has potential. But I wouldn’t underestimate the power of a blue sky.” She laughed self-consciously, smoothing down her hair in what seemed to be a nervous tick. “I’m sorry, I’m sure you didn’t invite me to this lovely restaurant for my amateur assessment of your business ventures.”

“No, you make a good point,” Lando answered truthfully. Although, to be honest, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about this convergence of his romantic life and his business life. In the past he had always been careful to keep them separate...well, except for that production with Mara Jade, but even then it had just been for show. “You must have seen a lot of inner-business workings in the Sacorrian government sector."

Tendra smiled, casing down her gaze modestly. “I was more of a flimsy-pusher than anything else,” she replied. “But I grew up hiding under the desk in my father’s office. I’ve picked up a thing or two.”

“I’ll bet.” Lando realised that he actually appreciated her take on his business. Most women usually feigned interest in his work and he quickly changed the subject to allow them to talk about themselves, but he felt no need to do that with Tendra. For a brief moment, he imagined what it would be like for them to be partners in the business as well as romantically involved. But he brushed that thought off quickly. It was far, far too early in the evening, and their acquaintance to start down that path.

“So,” Tendra began, obviously trying to sound nonchalant but the small glances she threw him while trying to keep her gaze on her cutlery gave her away completely. “Have you heard much from Lieutenant Kalenda? I understand she was wrapping up the Corellian investigation.”

Was she seeking out information on a potential rival, or simply being conversational? Lando couldn’t be exactly sure. The two of them had met briefly during the Corellian crisis and Belindi had expressed an interest in him, so it would stand to reason she was curious.

“I believe she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel,” he replied evenly. “Or so Luke tells me.”

Tendra nodded and seemed satisfied with the answer. “How is Luke doing?”

Lando chuckled. “As well as Luke does,” he answered. “He’s back on Yavin, saying he’s happy to get back to the peace and quiet, but I don’t believe him.” In truth, he worried about Luke being alone so much, which was partly the reason he'd invited him on his quest to begin with.

“You think he’s secretly disappointed you no longer require his services on your wife-hunting expedition?” Tendra smothered a smirk.

“Well, you never know,” Lando answered playfully. “There may come a time when I would need such assistance again.”

“No,” Tendra said softly, and leaned over the table to take his hand. “I don’t think you will.”

Lando grinned at her confidence and the clear affection that lay behind it. He was used to forward women – just never one that was so genuine in her approach. Tendra had lain her cards on the table without even making a bet, confidant that the hand would still be hers.

No, he thought to himself, she wasn’t his type at all.

Except perhaps she was.

 

Oh this was terrific. There are few Lando fics out there and even fewer Lando/Tendra ones. I love how in character ths is. As a gambler, he's an expert at reading people's expressions and mannerisms -- their "tells" -- but here he is discovering his own. His world is shifting, and he's aware of it and analyzing it.

Tendra is marvelous; smart, witty, savvy. A perfect match for him.

The're two of a kind.

yeah, I went there.

 

Oh, natch there's the super-duper duper! characterizations! Insightful and perfectly showcased without belaboring the points. Lando is very much IC and Tendra is wonderful. Forthright without being obnoxious about it Something I know he finds refreshing.

 

This is great. Lando was served so poorly by the EU, and that may be part of why he doesn't get many fics about him, but that makes me want to see more of them to put right some of those wrongs. It's really good to see some of the complexity of his character here, that he is growing and changing, and how Tendra might be part of that

 

D'aww, this was sweet!

Nice to see Lando coming to his senses and abandoning his manchild shtick through meeting somebody like Tendra. And it's "truth on television", really. I know so many men who had extremely specific ideas on what is attractive and then they just met a person who is great in all possible ways, but it usually took that person's action to notice it. Stupid menz.

Love the bit about Tendra returning to check on her family before this, as I can imagine that A LOT of things would change, for good (been there, done that). And the bit about "spending time under her father'd desk". I'm sooo going to reference that in TBS.

 

Oh! This was great. I love Lando/Tendra fics and I agree that there are far too few of them (perhaps I should dig up my old one). I just love how you show the depth of these characters who don't get a whole lot of time in the EU, let alone fanfic.

 

Aww, I love this! Lando being the surface pragmatist but falling for Tendra anyway -- that is just adorable, and really fits with what I know of their story in the books. (Though as with most stuff, it's been a while since the last time I read it.)

See, this is the kind of stuff that just amazes me. Great characterization here! It really fits with what we know about him in the movies and EU, and really digs into what's going on underneath. With Lando, there's always a lot more going on than you see. That outward persona is real to an extent, but there's always something more too -- that's why he ends up helping out in ROTJ and still being around all of this madness years later.

Also liked this. Sometimes that kind of thinking can be unhealthy, but occasionally it provides a kick to go do something positive too. People are so complicated.

The part where we get into the "tells" is awesome.

This is just great for the insight that it gives, that there was something that Lando saw in Tendra right away. Maybe not love at first sight, but trust and seeing the other fully rather than as a player in a game.

Here we see Tendra's "tells" too, the nonverbals that Lando picks up on thanks to his observational skills. I like how it shows us something about how they're slowly developing a relationship here and the genuine happiness that they find in each other's presence.

Another section that I really liked, since it reminds us that Tendra's a businessperson too, and quite a match for Lando in that department. It's just sweet in this odd way -- one can imagine that someone with a different personality might find either of them troubling over this trait, but they "get" each other here. Also had to grin at the wording. I'm sure Tendra finds Lando's assets to be just fine.

Squee! That is, I really liked this part! It's just lovely.