The Roof, Sunday Morning

[endsthegame]

Things were starting to get a little fraught with Ben under the surface; the tension was starting to get on Ender's nerves, which meant some pressure was building, and that was never good. Still, barring locking Ben up bodily with Tahiri and taking off for Eros, never to return, there was very little he could do about it right now.

Hence, he was back up on the roof with his laptop, which was only marginally less irritating.

"I'm sorry, which research in particular are you requesting?"

Ender sighed, rubbing at his forehead. That vein was starting to throb again. "The latest research on Formic farming practices," he said, "If you please."

"I hope that's not some disguised Cincinnatus complex speaking," the little blonde female avatar said, chirpily. "You don't really have that rugged farming look about you."

"Maybe I should specialise in that next; all the new colonies are going to need food, after all. I could become a recluse."

"Just to spite me? Uncharacteristic! What next? Will you enter your rebellious teenage phase and buy a motorcycle?"

"Black leather doesn't really suit me, unfortunately."

"Probably not. Though I was referencing other takes on Jesus Christ Superstar the other day..."

"Don't say it."

"Let's face it, if you had gone for the 2000 edition, Karla would have been even more sure that the New Testament was a tortured homoromantic tale of betrayal and death. Right now, you at least stand a chance of convincing her otherwise! Look on the bright side."

"Thanks for that illuminating analysis."

"No problem. So what's next? Oooh! You could try Islam! That way, she'll learn how to be offensive to three different world religions!"

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"My research."

"Here you go. You know, I'm measuring a 50% increase in your teenage angst lately. Should I purchase you some My Chemical Romance records while I'm at it?"

Ender paused. Then laughed. "I don't think I'm that bad."

"If you say so."

[[ open! Jane bits NFB as per usual. ]]

Comments

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hinata, in the process of opening the door to the roof--sans Yei, as it was cold and she worried--caught the tail end of a laugh.

She smiled when she saw Ender. "In a good mood?" Hinata asked lightly. "Good morning, Ender."

[endsthegame]

Ender clicked Jane down to the task bar, then shut his laptop. It was only polite. "A better one than I was in an hour ago," he said, shooting her a faint smile. "And I'm sure it'll improve even more. Hey, Hinata."

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Might I ask why your mood was less than good two hours ago?" she asked curiously, settling herself down near him. "Just woke up in a bad mood?"

That he'd have been up a few hours ago didn't strike her as weird--Hinata had been, after all.

[endsthegame]

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he agreed. Which wasn't strictly lying, though it wasn't like Hinata had certain other people's lie detector skills. "But it's nice and crisp out, and I managed to get some work in. How are you doing?"

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

She had her own skills, but was not in the habit of--seeking out other peoples' problems.

"Adjusting to Fandom," Hinata said, with a soft laugh. Her jacket, being nicely bulky, hid the weight she'd lost and so it was innocuous enough to say. "I went home for the holidays, only time was running faster there. My break turned from a week to several months long."

[endsthegame]

One of several reasons why talking to her was a nice respite, honestly.

"I know what that's like," Ender said, ruefully, his expression becoming sympathetic. "I don't know whether it's the Portalocity system liking to dump us back at wildly inaccurate times, or simply the multiverse spinning at different speeds. I guess it doesn't matter."

He gave the area near him a little nod. "Sorry I can't offer you a chair."

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

"I'll survive," she said, a bit dryly. "Both situations, I suppose. There is nothing to be done in either case, unless you wished to start carting lawn chairs around?"

Which would amuse her, yes.

[endsthegame]

"Ah, but then I would lose as much practicality as I gained," he returned. "So how was your trip home, timespan notwithstanding?"

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Quite honestly?" Hinata replied, with a glance at him. "Not something I'd care to repeat. As for the chairs, they make some that fold down quite small these days."

[endsthegame]

"But they would still impede my movement no matter how small they folded," Ender replied, "At least if it's going to be anything bigger than a chair for gnomes."

He wasn't going to push her on anything she didn't want to divulge details on. Not today.

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

She would settle for not today, truly.

"No more than a backpack would," Hinata mused. "Unless that's unforgivable to you as well?"

[endsthegame]

"Ah, but now you're jumping to hyperbole," Ender noted, "I never said it was unforgivable. I just said it impedes movement."

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

"A good backpack is meant to be all but unnoticeable as you carry it," she said, smiling slightly.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony had not realized that you could actually end up on the roof of the dorms until one bored trip up the stairs found him there. Because most places, quite smartly, locked those doors because teenagers and open roofs are recipes for disaster.

"Oh, hey Ender."

[endsthegame]

"Hey, Tony," Ender said, glancing up from his laptop... which was, of course, abruptly closed back down again. Politeness and evasion all in one package. Ender was good at what he did. "What's up?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Just felt like doing some exploring," Tony replied, glancing around. "Isn't it a little cold for being up here?"

[endsthegame]

"I'm used to it," said Ender, shrugging, "And I tend to bring a really thick coat in winter. Dug up anything good so far?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Actually," Tony replied with a grin. "I've been working on this program for the satellites."

[endsthegame]

"How's it looking so far?" Ender asked, sitting up, interested. Look, anything that didn't involve personal questions was a really great thing today.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

He was lucky that Tony was there then. Because, um, hello. Science talk.

"I think I've gotten the bugs worked out of it, I just need to do a test run before implementing the program."

[endsthegame]

He gave that a thoughtful nod. "You're putting out a roaming signal, right?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Set at anomalous intervals," Tony added.

[endsthegame]

"Good idea," Ender said, mildly, though Tony didn't exactly need the praise. "When are you planning to do a test run?" Not that he needed reasons to be out of his room. Really.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to track a few of the commercial satellites as they pass over the island so I don't end up with the military trying to trace my signal," Tony admitted with a shrug. "Maybe next week?"

[endsthegame]

"Let me know when you do," he said, "I helped bring this idea to life, I might as well be there to play moral support."

Because that was totally the reason.