Second Floor Common Room, Wednesday Morning

[endsthegame]

It was too cold to go on the roof by now, and so whenever Ender woke up early, or couldn't sleep, he took a walk through the dorms. It gave him the time to himself he always craved-- but after a while, what he wanted would change, and by the time the sun had come up and the rest of the dorms had started stirring, he'd found himself on the couch.

He'd watched old documentaries until he got bored with them. So he'd switched it on to the next channel, and found some silly show about wormholes that wasn't really close to science as he knew it.

It wasn't educational, but he had to admit the silliness wasn't bad sometimes.

[ open common room, la ]

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[momslilassassin]

Ben poked his head into the common room on his way downstairs to see which teachers were holding office hours today. "Good morning!"

[endsthegame]

Ender looked up from the show, maybe a little embarrassed at how much he'd gotten into it-- hiding that one as well as anything else. "Ho, Ben," he answered. "You're cheerful."

[momslilassassin]

"I remembered to look at the water before I showered today," Ben said, "and avoided...whatever it is that's coming out of the taps."

[endsthegame]

"Ten tips to survive Fandom High," Ender replied, "Number two: 'look out below.'" He hadn't checked the taps. It'd probably be better if he postponed his shower until tomorrow.

[momslilassassin]

"Number three being 'you're not too good to turn into an animal?'" Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"Number four: if your last name's Skywalker, no tip is going to save you," he returned, waggling his eyebrows for a moment. "Or so I'm told."

[momslilassassin]

"I've never liked you that much," Ben told him, grinning.

[endsthegame]

"Good, because you smell worse than a pig's bottom."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, very nice," Ben said, tossing a nearby pillow at Ender. "It's got to be better than you, tauntaun breath."

[endsthegame]

His reflexes kicked in and he grabbed for the pillow, snatching it so it didn't strike him across the face. "Maybe you should take a shower," he said, seriously, and passed it back.

[momslilassassin]

"It seems like a waste of bottled water," Ben replied, catching the pillow and hurling it back. "But a toothbrush? Those are cheap."

[endsthegame]

Ender caught it with a little more juggling. He kept it this time, eying Ben steadily, as if his opinion really didn't matter and pay attention now, please.

And then he flung the pillow straight at Ben's head. "Look out below."

[momslilassassin]

Ben flung out a hand and reached into the Force. The pillow began rotating in a slow circle.

Show off.

"Impressive," he said, doing his best imitation of his grandfather. "Most impressive."

[endsthegame]

"I wish I could say the same," Ender said, authoritatively, "But you just showed your hand pretty bad." He wasn't going to acknowledge the pun, no.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smirked at the pun anyway. "I'm a Jedi," he replied. "This is hardly a state secret."

[endsthegame]

"Maybe not where you come from," Ender noted, "You played away an advantage you had over me."

He couldn't quite stop mocking Ben-- in a way, it was making fun of his own background. Maybe Val had had a point.

[momslilassassin]

"It's hardly the only advantage I have over you," Ben replied lazily.

[endsthegame]

"I'm sorry I don't have a ridiculous haircut."

[momslilassassin]

Ben threw the pillow at Ender instead of replying.

[endsthegame]

The pillow hit his hands with a smack, sending him a little bit backwards in his attempt to catch it. "And now you're unarmed."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm never really unarmed," Ben said. "I just don't have a pillow."

[endsthegame]

"But you don't have anything to throw at me," he countered. "Which is a step in the right direction."

[momslilassassin]

"Because violence is never the answer," Ben said solemnly.

[endsthegame]

"Because it'd be easier for me to tackle you if you don't have anything to throw at me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Planning on doing that soon?" he asked, flopping onto the sofa near Ender.

[endsthegame]

"I was thinking about it," Ender confessed, "But it'd be too much effort."

[momslilassassin]

"I'd hate for you to expend the dreaded effort," Ben said, seeing if he could poke Ender with his feet.

[endsthegame]

"I could effort your face full of mud," Ender countered without much fire, eying Ben's feet.

[momslilassassin]

"No mud in the common room," Ben replied, grinning.

[endsthegame]

"I know what your magic can do," Ender said, seriously, "You don't know anything about mine."

[momslilassassin]

Up went an eyebrow. "You can make matter just appear."

[endsthegame]

"Just like that."

Ender eyed him. Duh.

"Except that physics doesn't work that way."

[momslilassassin]

"That's what I thought," Ben said. "I took a class on supernatural physics and everything, just to be sure."

[endsthegame]

"So wrong guess."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm tired of games this week," Ben said, sighing.

[endsthegame]

Ender bit back the response that bubbled up-- the instinctive one, the old one where he'd mock Ben and force him forwards at the same time. He wasn't Ben's commander, and he didn't want to be.

"I'm tired of games for a lifetime," he said instead.

[momslilassassin]

Ben closed his eyes. "I'm going to need to play one and win when I go home. Now? I just don't want to think about it. Or think at all."

[endsthegame]

Ender studied him for a while, weighing his options. "This series doesn't make sense at all," he said, finally. "The physics are miles away from anything approaching reality."

That was an invitation.

[momslilassassin]

Ben cracked his eyes open and focused on the television. "Any cute redheads?" he asked with a small smile.

[endsthegame]

"I wasn't really paying attention," Ender confessed, shifting into a position that was a little more relaxed. He could deal with his curiosity later.

[momslilassassin]

"You were too wrapped up in the bad physics?" Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"They made for a nice distraction," Ender shrugged, and tried to make it sound like he hadn't actually been looking for one.