Third Floor Common Room; Early Saturday Evening [ 06/13 ].

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine found comfort in a lot of the small things about early twenty first century technology that called up what she was used to. Today, it was managing to get her hands on e-books. E-books of political theory and discourse. Sure, she was plenty familiar with Locke, almost as familiar with Locke as she was Demosthenes, both past and future, but it amused her and she actually did find it interesting, thank you.

She just wasn't so big of a nerd that she'd just curl up in her room with it all day.

Okay, she was that big of a nerd, but she was trying to make it seem like she wasn't, so she went ahead and brought it out to the common room, made herself a sandwich, and curled up on the couch instead. This way, she may be a nerd, but she wasn't a recluse.

She wondered if she should go track down Ender after last night's boat note, but he'd be fine, she knew. And he was all about distance lately, anyway.


[[ my overworked brain demands idle wastes of time. Open! ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben was twitchy, and tired of being in his room, and hungry.

A common room would solve all three of those problems.

"Oh, hi, Val," he said softly as he came into the room.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine looked up from Locke and her drifting awe at things that were, and gave Ben a soft smile when she saw that it was him. Her eyes, of course, went toward where the braid had been and, of course, she didn't bother shielding the fact that she'd done so. "Hi, Ben," she said back, shifting a little as if to make more room on the couch, although there was plenty even where she was. "How's it going?"

[momslilassassin]

"Fine," Ben lied cheerfully as he sat down. "What are you reading?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"My favorite thing to read." Valentine shifted the e-book console so that Ben could have a look. "Some old dead guy's thoughts on civil society and contract theory."

[momslilassassin]

"Sounds like a fun Saturday," he teased. "Planning on applying any of it?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"'No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions,'" Valentine quoted off the screen. "Generally a good idea, right?"

Which was not, of course, an answer.

[momslilassassin]

"It's hard to argue against," Ben agreed.

He smiled.

"And you didn't answer my question."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"He goes on," Valentine said, "to mention that if you do do what you ought not to, you may have to pay the consequences..."

Still no answer. Maybe she was building up to it. Maybe not.

[momslilassassin]

"Only may?" Ben replied. "That's very realistic for a man who writes philosophy."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Some of them will do that," Valentine said with a grin. "He believes that man's most natural state is one closer to anarchy, but the reason we still fall into civil societies is because we come to understand that we're more likely to succeed if we go along with it."

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned a little forward, fascinated despite himself. "Because if you take whatever you want and there's no society, there's nothing to stop someone else from taking whatever they want?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine grinned easily at Ben's interest, at them having the discussion in general. "Exactly," she said. "So I could take from you or you could take from me, but it's much harder for someone to take from either of us if we're backing each other."

[momslilassassin]

"At least from the idiots that live in the other valley," Ben said, eyes twinkling. "We don't have to invite them."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"And why not?" Valentine asked, tilting her head. "If they're idiots, they might need all the help they can get."

[momslilassassin]

"And our society must help those who can't help themselves?" Ben asked.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Our society," Valentine said with a grin, "must help those who might screw things up for us if we don't keep an eye on them."

[momslilassassin]

"Our society is going to be very, very busy, then," Ben replied, grinning.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine looked rather agreeable to that fact.

"Most of the good ones are."

[momslilassassin]

"What I wanted a slacker society, where I live off of whatever edible stuff falls off a tree nearby?" Ben asked.

He'd die of boredom in a month.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Forget boredom...

"Because everyone wants to be lead by a malnourished lazy ass."

[momslilassassin]

"I'd have to be in charge?" Ben asked.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"If you want a leader," Valentine said with a nod. "Because everyone else would just be sitting around, eating whatever just fell of the nearest tree, too, probably. Until some other society looks at you guys and says, 'hey, these guys are idiots. Let's either kill them or take them over.'"

[momslilassassin]

"Could I come up with a suitably pretentious title like Hegemon?" Ben replied. "Maybe a hat?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"I think," Valentine said, "both of those would be appropriate. I'm not sure if Locke here says anything about either of them specifically, though."

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned his head back against the sofa, more tired than he wanted to admit. "Does Peter wear a stupid hat? Or is he more of a swoopy cape guy?"