Second Floor Common Room, Tuesday Afternoon

[endsthegame]

Ender didn't get out much, and for the most part, he preferred life that way.

But he could only spend so much time holed up with the droid and his work without Valentine's voice prodding at him; and while that was rarely enough to actually move him to do something-- listening to an imagined voice was a little silly-- he felt like humouring it today.

So Ender made himself some tea, and sat down. He even turned on the television, seeking out a documentary on extreme engineering that looked interesting.

He blamed Stark.

[ open! ]

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[endsthegame]

Ender just smiled at her, a little crooked, and finished his tea.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela couldn't help smiling a tiny smile back and shaking her head. "Your an odd one, Ender."

[endsthegame]

"Somehow," Ender replied, putting his glass down, "I don't think I'm the only one in the room that technically fits that."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela looked around the room, empty but for the two of them for the moment, and laughed. "Odd and observant," she corrects herself.

[endsthegame]

"I'm actually blind as a bat," Ender said, seriously.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"That explains why buttons on your uniform were done up crooked at the dance," Triela teased.

[endsthegame]

"And now I think you're blind, too."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Not even close," Triela snorted in amusement. "You don't replace someone's eyes just to leave them unable to see."

[endsthegame]

"Bionics?" Ender asked, looking up to meet those eyes now.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Cybernetics, if there's a difference between the two." She widens her eyes slightly, but they look just like most other peoples' eyes.

[endsthegame]

"It's a nice job," Ender said, looking away again. "You did say you did missions."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. The whole point of the project was to test human enhancement. Small teams are easier to keep hidden and to coordinate, after all."

She had an odd sense that Ender would understand that.

[endsthegame]

He nodded once, processing it. "Like a scalpel," he said. "Not bad."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"It worked," Triela's grin was predatory. "They got what they were looking for."

[endsthegame]

Something like sympathy flitted across Ender's features, but it quickly slipped back where it belonged. He had no illusions; she either had caught it, or wasn't paying as much attention as he thought. "You're still walking," he said, "That says enough."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Whether she noticed or not Triela gave no sign.

"Considering that if they hadn't picked me for modification I'd almost certainly be dead..." she shrugged. "There's worse places to be."

[endsthegame]

Ender had his own ideas about that, but they were still one messy ball of confusion and he'd wittle them down on his own time. "Sure," he said instead, "I'm always in favour of being alive, myself."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"For as long as you can manage," she agreed with a nod.

[endsthegame]

"Pretty much," Ender agreed.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I figure I've got another couple of years in me at least," Triela snorted wryly.

[endsthegame]

Ender nodded. "I might have a few decades," he said, "Give or take."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"You started making plans for them yet?" Triela asked.

[endsthegame]

"I think I'm done with plans," he said, "For now."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela eyed him in silence for a long moment.

"Made one too many, huh?" It was a guess, but not one without basis.

[endsthegame]

"A couple," Ender said, "And no plans at all. It doesn't matter, anyway. I'll be in school until I'm eighteen."

Or until he decided it was enough and he found a way out of here.