Rutherford B. Hayes Campfire, Sunday Morning

[endsthegame]

There had been a lot of parties on the island over the week. Ender hadn't visited any of them, as per expectations. But morning found him out by the campfire again, this time armed with a bag of marshmallows which he set aside.

Calmly, he poked the fire into action, spark into flame, and sat back to watch it dance. He draped one arm over his knee, made himself comfortable.

And waited to see if anything would happen.

He had all the time in the world. In one manner of speaking.

[ open campfire! ]

Comments

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

It was a fire, which immediately drew her; in fact, she was starting to wonder how she'd get to meet people once they returned to the dormitories. These were just so convenient.

"Good morning," she said as she settled on one of the logs.

[endsthegame]

"Good morning," Ender returned with ease, registering her stride and dress on auto-pilot. "Here to talk or here for marshmallows?"

He could pick his strategy based on either, and it sounded nice and normal; he was even thinking about fitting in a classic Fandom are you new?.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Here to meet someone," she said, perfectly comfortable with things being upfront.

"You're welcome to keep the marshmallows to yourself."

[endsthegame]

"Just what I always wanted," Ender told her, amused, "A stack of marshmallows to hoard."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Might as well get this out of the way; she was starting to think, with so few people here and her life intermixed with so many of them, it would be best just to say.

"I can't eat. But I'm sure someone will come by soon enough and insist you share."

After the first sentence, she too was amused. The mental image of a siege for marshmallows was kind of fantastic.

[endsthegame]

She couldn't eat. That was a new one, but it was easily catalogued with the rest. They'd had an interesting crop of students this time. "That's why I have the fire," he said, laconically, "To fend them off."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"So you asked me earlier to see if you would need to ready the defenses?"

She wasn't quite smiling, but the ends of her lips were curled.

[endsthegame]

"The thought crossed my mind," he said.

Ender didn't actually give a lot of thought to matters of strategy lately, but that was just as well.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"I guess I'm the lucky one then."

She waited a moment to let the joke fade before tipping her head towards him.

"I'm Fiona."

[endsthegame]

"Hi, Fiona," Ender replied, finding his own deadpan beat before he smiled, once, in welcome. "I'm Ender. Unlike you, damned to the vagaries of the gastro-intestinal system."

He was interested.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," she said with better humor than she thought she would have been able to muster; perhaps it had to do with the simple and immediate acceptance of her condition. It could have also been the smile.

"I used to like the vagaries of the gastro-intestinal system. Nice to meet you, Ender. New or old here?"

[endsthegame]

"Old, for whatever it's worth," he told her, "In terms of Fandom, it's generally easier to measure more in terms of how jaded you've gotten. I still run into about two things that surprise me every week."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Oh? And what did you run into this week that surprised you?"

She might have missed something, after all. And the more information the better.

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf was in a foul mood this morning. Fouler than usual.

No reason why. Really.

And look he'd just happen to be walking by the campfire and spied what was going on.

"It is too early in the day for toasted marshmallows," Worf stated gruffly. "One must eat a more nutritional breakfast if you are to maintain proper conditions for the human body."

[endsthegame]

"Good morning, Worf," Ender returned, deciding to take that as Worf's equivalent of a greeting. "I had breakfast a few hours ago."

You know, around five AM.

"My conditions are fine."

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf responded with a grunt. "Very well. Though I find this to be highly irregular."

[endsthegame]

Ender just smiled vaguely at him. "So you're not here to collect on my marshmallows," he surmised.

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"No. I am not. Toasted Marshmallows and s'mores are usually done in the evening," Worf replied gruffly. "It is too early for myself to partake."

[endsthegame]

Everything Worf did was gruff. Ender had stopped letting it bother him a long time ago. "Is it early enough to sit down?" he asked, "Or are we going to debate marshmallows upright all morning?"

He was here for a purpose, after all.

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"I was not debating," Worf bristled as he sat down. "Merely pointing out the usual situations where marshmallows and campfires are concerned."

[endsthegame]

"Thanks," Ender told him, ignoring his bristle just as much, "I'm not really acquainted with the world of marshmallow-toasting." That wasn't even a lie, just an easily exploited truth to draw in a crowd.

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf eyed Ender suspiciously. "Then perhaps you would be better off researching such customs before attempting them."

[endsthegame]

"I was hungry," Ender said, simply, and waved around the stick not dirty he'd left on the floor. "Unless spearing a marshmallow is a cultural offense."

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"Not to my knowledge," Worf replied. "It is merely unorthodox."

[endsthegame]

"So I should avoid it if I want to stick with my peers?" Ender asked him. He was a little amused, honestly; he wondered if Worf would even realise he was making a joke.