Second Floor Common Room, Thursday Afternoon

[endsthegame]

After classes ended, Ender decided to spend some time out in the common room. He was hungry, so he'd fished out some yogurth and made himself a bowl, leaving the packaging out on the table in case he wanted more.

The television went on, and he sought out a documentary on heart functions which he watched with careful attention. Ender found his own ways to learn; he spent more time paying attention to the footage of the people milling around the operating room than to what the voice-over was saying.

[ open common room! ]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"No sense of humor, terrible hair," Ben teased, knowing he was pushing it. "I don't know. I can see it."

[endsthegame]

"You're the last one in the world who should be accusing anyone of bad hair," Ender said, nodding his head at the braid. "Carrot top. I don't need a sense of humor to kick your ass."

[momslilassassin]

Ben yanked at the braid. "I guess this can go if I'm really a knight now," he mused. "It's only for apprentices."

[endsthegame]

"Ladies and gentlemen, the end of an era. I'll be sad if I don't get to see it."

Really.

[momslilassassin]

"They used to cut them off with a lightsaber at the end of the knighting ceremony," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"Used to?" Ender asked, looking up at him again. He'd gotten bits and pieces of the fate of the Jedi from Ben and Anakin so far, but the details were still a little sketchy. "Going to keep it in a box?"

[momslilassassin]

"Most apprentices don't wear their hair like this," Ben said. If by "most" you meant "everyone but Ben." "And I don't know. I should ask Granddad what he did with his."

[endsthegame]

Ender had a hunch that it was mostly Ben.

"I'll play you a sad goodbye song," he promised.

[momslilassassin]

"On the kazoo?" Ben requested. "It's also traditional."

Big liar.

[endsthegame]

"You can play your own kazoo," Ender replied, "It's your tradition."

[momslilassassin]

"If I'm playing the kazoo, then you have to perform the traditional folk dance," Ben said. "I'm not allowed to do both."

[endsthegame]

"I don't dance your traditional dances, either," Ender said, raising an eyebrow. "You can get Tahiri to do it. I'll make photographs."

[momslilassassin]

"It has to be done by a guy," Ben said, improvising wildly. "It's totally easy."

[endsthegame]

"Isn't there another male Jedi on the island right now?"

[momslilassassin]

"Yes, but I haven't met him yet," Ben hedged.

[endsthegame]

Ender grinned at him. "You might want to hurry up with that."

[momslilassassin]

"He might not know the dance," Ben said. "I think he's from a different timeline."

[endsthegame]

"I have full confidence in your teaching abilities."

[momslilassassin]

"I might set up a class for the dance, then," Ben said. He wouldn't.

[endsthegame]

"I'll look forward to seeing the new guy at work," Ender said, with certainty. "Drop me a voicemail when you get back."

Hush.

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned over to mess Ender's hair up. "Maybe," he declared.

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a look.

He didn't whack Ben's hands away, though. "Amusing yourself?"

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben replied happily. "You look better this way."

[endsthegame]

"I'll let my hairdresser know," he said, and reached over to yank on Ben's braid.

[momslilassassin]

Ben twisted his head out of the way and moved to tackle Ender around the waist.

Ben was horrifically mature. Truly.