Passing

Barriss claims she's dating Ahsoka, Ahsoka agrees to go along with it, and both of them spend the next 6 months worrying the other will discover their crush on the other.Nobody is really surprised about this fact besides them.

1. Luminara and Confirmation Bias

**Author's Note:**

> Barriss gets mad and panics. Ahsoka misses the point. Luminara is really bad about her confirmation bias, but she's also not /wrong/.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confirmation Bias > > con·fir·ma·tion bi·as > noun > The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.

Barriss surveyed the background view that the holocall would be able to pick up and hummed thoughtfully. The pictures were all leveled and she was displaying only the best ones she’d taken. She’d even remembered to put a few images in that had people in them. Her desk was clean and bed was made, she’d left out a few tastefully arranged datapads, and had a cup of steaming tea placed for herself. The tea was a functional prop for the call, Barriss was beyond nervous to talk with her mother.

It wasn’t that her mother was a mean person, but she was smart, to the point, and in perfect control of herself and her life. In person Barriss usually felt more like she was a growing tree being nurtured and seen to. With distance that felt a lot more like struggling, faking, and generally trying to look better off than she was. All she needed to do for this call was appear happy, confident, and relaxed.

Barriss nervously smoothed down the front of her sweater and double checked the holoprojector's range.

Her room was immaculate, her studies were going well, she had several “in class friends” that she could talk up as if they were real friends, and she was getting on well with her roommate.

_Happy, confident, and relaxed._

Barriss gave one last look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable before taking her seat. There were several traits that she shared with her mother, and timeliness was one of them. Precisely thirty seconds later Barriss accepted the transmission and waited for it to connect. While she had remained on Coruscant to attend one of the many universities packed into level 1000, her mother’s work had called her away. They’d agreed that Barriss would live in the shared university dorms. By “they agreed” she actually meant that her mother had eventually agreed to finance a dorm room for Barriss to help alleviate stress from a job, but required that Barriss not live completely alone. A two person apartment style dorm had eventually been agreed on. Barriss had a single room that was hers and hers alone, and Luminara got to know her daughter would get some social interaction.

As if university was about personal growth instead of growing one’s foundation of knowledge.

Barriss exhaled sharply through her nose. If she was already getting worked up about that old argument before the call even started…

The transmission finally connected, her mother appeared fizzing and crackling for a few seconds before snapping into some sort of clarity. Kashyyk was a beautiful world with a rich history and not very promising infrastructure deeper into the forest where her mother was no doubt camped with her wookie guides.

“Hello mother,” Barriss paused and was pleasantly surprised at the lack of delay as her mother smiled.

“Barriss, how are you doing?” Luminara’s voice itself was enough to actually put Barriss at ease.

She didn’t slump with relief but it was a near thing. Barriss loved her mother and missed her terribly, no matter how nervous she was about these calls. “I’m doing well, thank you.”

“Good, I’m sure your classes have been going well. Any new friends to speak of?” Luminara prompted, one eyebrow raised in hopeful expectation.

Barriss had prepared for this, without any hesitation she began to answer, “Actually yes, I’ve met a few people in my classes and we talk frequently.”

_Nailed it!_

Her mother smiled softly before speaking, “I am so glad to hear that. Any adventures so far?”

_Blast it!_

“Not yet no.” Barriss had not planned on this side conversation, why hadn’t she thought to plan for this side conversation?

There was a pause as her mother’s smile slowly faded. “You are friends with them outside of your coursework yes?”