Second Floor Common Room, Saturday Morning

[endsthegame]

It wasn't often that Ender chose to leave the solitude of his room or the relative silence of the roof for potentially busier waters, but he'd been trying to make a good show of seeming to be more social over the past few months. A trip to the common room was warranted.

After some consideration, he finally came down from the roof - where he'd spent some time on some fascinating research just brought in from the colonies via ansible - and took a seat in the common room, flipping channels on TV until he hit a particularly senseless reality TV show. He upped the volume to a very audible level.

It wasn't that he was actually watching (or if he was, it'd fall more into the category of observing); he was more interested in seeing if the noise would draw anyone in, or if the very nature of reality shows would keep people far, far away.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

It was a slightly grumpy Arcerian cat that prowled into the second floor common room today. Someone was getting pretty tired of being cat-shaped. Someone also thought that bue-painted claws was an affront to her catly dignity.

She stalked over to where Ender was sitting and glared. She wanted pettings, damn it all.

[endsthegame]

The Arcerian cat was certainly not the usual kind of pet kept around the dorms, which left Ender with the suspicion that it was human, not animal - for as much as you could seperate the two. He glanced at the cat, considering its stance, and then lifted a hand, moving it slowly towards the feline's head with an unspoken question.

"Student?"

That was another question entirely.

[glacial_queen]

Karla bumped her head on Ender's hand. "Rrrr," she growled, but friendly-like. She rose up on her hind legs, resting her fore-paws on the cushion next to Ender's legs. Resting against her chest ruff was a small Sapphire pendant.

[endsthegame]

That narrowed down the field.

He brushed his fingers over the fur behind her ears - for he was fairly sure it was a she, now. "I see you've finally been bit by the animal bug," he said, gently. "It won't last long."

[glacial_queen]

Karla growled a little at that. As far as she could tell, it had already been too long. But he was petting her, so the grumpiness didn't last too long. Climbing up onto the couch was a little tough--she was a small little cub, but with some undignified scrambling of her rear end and paws, she managed to pull herself up onto the couch.

His lap looked comfy. She decided she was going to claim it as her own.

[endsthegame]

Ender adjusted his position on the couch to allow her to settle there. It hurt slightly where her paws impacted, but he could deal with that. "Someone's looking after you?"

[glacial_queen]

"Rrrow," she growled in the affirmative. Though whether or not Ender could read tonal inflections of a species that didn't even exist in his world was another story.

She wanted to knead a bit with her claws, but out of deference to Ender, she contented herself with batting at his hand and purring growling with love.

[momslilassassin]

"You're out of your room," Ben teased as he walked into the room.

[endsthegame]

"And you've succesfully managed to use your eyes," Ender observed.

[momslilassassin]

"I am a Jedi," Ben drawled as he flopped onto a nearby sofa. "We're known for our amazing observational skills."

[endsthegame]

"Consider this my round of applause," Ender said, wryly, and flipped the channel to something Ben might appreciate more.

As it turned out, it was a documentary on airplanes.

[momslilassassin]

"Oooh," Ben said, glancing up. "Ancient history."

[endsthegame]

"Just some marshmallows for your mind, Skywalker."

[momslilassassin]

"I like marshmallows," Ben declared, which was certainly shocking for Ender to hear. "Starting your run for student council already?"

[endsthegame]

"I've been campaigning since the end of the spring semester," Ender said, wryly.

[momslilassassin]

"I might vote for you," Ben said lazily. "Maybe. I haven't decided yet. Will you be giving out food?"

[endsthegame]

"I might," Ender returned, lightly, "If someone'll help me set up my stand."

[momslilassassin]

"What if I was planning on running against you?" he asked.

He wasn't.

"Maybe I'd make your stand wobbly."

He wouldn't.

[endsthegame]

"I'd fix it," Ender said, and threw him a look that was almost smug.

It was a very obviously affected smug.

[momslilassassin]

Ben tossed a pillow at him. "I'm very sneaky," he said. "Maybe you wouldn't notice until it was too late."

[endsthegame]

"I'd convince my crowd it was intentional," he said.

[momslilassassin]

"You have a crowd now, kreetle?" Ben teased.

[endsthegame]

"Ah," Ender said, wiggling his eyebrows, "You underestimate my powers."

While underestimate wasn't the right word...

[momslilassassin]

"Hardly ever," Ben said. The smile he flashed wasn't half as teasing as the others had been. "I'm sure you'd find a way to get back at me anyway."

[endsthegame]

"I could paint your underwear in your sleep," Ender suggested, "Or rig your speeder to play showtunes when you drive."

[momslilassassin]

"Why would you be interested in my underwear?" Ben asked, laughing.

[endsthegame]

Ender shrugged his shoulders once, and failed to look sheepish. "I believe that's a common type of prank," he volunteered, "Although the paint would be my own personal touch."

[momslilassassin]

"Would it be dipping them in paint, or covering them in stencils?" Ben asked. "It's important for me to get a mental image of the wrath of Wiggin."

[endsthegame]

"A full-on dye," Ender assured him. "Maybe pink with flowers."

[momslilassassin]

"What if they're already pink with flowers?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"I'll dye them blue, and put firetrucks on them," he said, "I'm not too fussed about your secret gender identity, Skywalker."

[momslilassassin]

Ben tossed another pillow at him. He was going to run out of pillows soon. "Yes," he said dryly. "I secretly long for the big boobs of last week."

[glacial_queen]

Karla looked up from her perch on Ender's lap and yawned a greeting. Well, if anyone asked, it was a greeting.

She did follow it up with a 'pet me if you value your robes' look though. In some ways, it was good to be a cat.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blinked. The Force was telling him who it was, but it took him a second. "Karla?" he finally said, trying not to grin too hard.

[glacial_queen]

That grin earned him a baleful glare. She brought up a paw, extended all of her claws--still painted a bright blue--and flexed them at him. "Mmmrrr..."

[momslilassassin]

"You're very ferocious and not at all fuzzy," he said, eyes sparkling. "Really."

[glacial_queen]

Perhaps he had missed the sharp claws and long fangs? Karla rose up, padded off Ender's lap and over to Ben to give him a closer look. "Grrrr...."

[momslilassassin]

"You're not going to hurt me," he said with a tiny smile. "I know you better than that."

[glacial_queen]

Stupid Jedi. He was right, she really wasn't about to claw or bite him.

So she tried to headbut him instead. Right in the shoulder. Take that, smug Jedi

[momslilassassin]

"Oof," Ben said, tipping back a little. "Happier now?"

[glacial_queen]

The great thing about being a cat was that they do smug very, very well. Even without reading her emotions in the Force, Ben was likely able to tell the answer was yes.

Interestingly enough, cats also do expectant well. Once she was done looking smug, she flopped down beside him and looked up.

Scritches now.

[momslilassassin]

"Subtle," Ben laughed, reaching out to scratch between her ears. "How long have you been like this?"

[glacial_queen]

'Since Thursday,' she said. Except what came out was a kind of "Rowl murr." Ben could translate that as he pleased.

Karla sat, contended with the scritching for a few moments, until she became aware of a lurking, menacing otherness from behind her. Glancing backwards she saw that her Nemesis had indeed returned. "Rawr!" she growled (fairly adorably, since she was still just a kitten) and pounced. At the very last moment, her tail writhed out of the way, almost as if it were being yanked away by Craft. She paused, then pounced again, faring no better a second time. The tail just waved mockingly, remaining maddeningly out of reach.

Even pretending to be casual and then pouncing with no warning failed to help her catch her nemesis. She turned to glare at Ben. He was supposed to be able to sense emotions and whatnot. Couldn't he sense the evil, the malevolence that the wicked thing exuded? A little help here!

The tail beckoned and again she leaped, this time rolling off the couch. Curse the dratted thing!

[momslilassassin]

Ben burst out laughing. "Karla, that's your tail. It's attached?"