fandomhighdorms | The Roof, Tuesday Morning

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The Roof, Tuesday Morning

There used to be a time that Ender spent most of his nights up here. He hadn't realized until now that he slept slightly longer, and longed less for quiet and solitude than he once did-- he hadn't forgotten why he used to come up here, but he had forgotten to do so for... over a year now.

And since Ben seemed interested in doing the nostalgia tour of Fandom one last time before they left, well, it was time to change that.

He went up with a thin blanket very early in the morning, shortly after hitting the pool. Wrapping it around his shoulders, he sat down on the ground and waited - for Ben, and for anyone else who might make their way up onto the roof, the way they always had even when he hadn't wanted them to.

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With no classes to get to and nowhere that he particularly needed to be over the course of the break, Sparkle was just taking it easy. It was early, but Sparks had never been much for sleeping in, especially not when he was sharing a room with somebody, and just sitting around inside all day was not exactly his idea of fun. He could cause all sorts of mischief all over the island this week, sure.

But it was early. And early meant that, before mischief, he needed a smoke.

It wasn't that the wrapped-in-a-blanket look was easy to miss or anything, but Sparkle did linger back for a moment with his cigarette in hand before making his way over, careful to stand downwind because even he was capable of being courteous, dammit, and lifting his chin at Ender.

Guy-nod.

"Missed you in class last week."

"Had to haul the boyfriend out of some trouble," Ender said. He didn't chin-lift or guy-nod back - they were artifacts of guy culture he had missed his education in until such a point that trying to fit back into it just made him feel like he was playing theater.

"Sorry about that," he added. "Not that I had much of a final planned, anyway."

To Sparkle's credit, he didn't bat an eyelash at the boyfriend bit. But he did file away that his favourite teacher had one. Sort of... made him feel better about this place all over again. Which was something he'd been trying to avoid.

"Yeah, well. Tara did okay, I guess." Sparkle sat himself down on the edge of the roof, back to the rest of the island, and shrugged. "Had us all talk about how much we owed this place, or... the people here, or something. Your boyfriend okay?"

"As okay as he's going to be," Ender said frankly. "But he didn't lose any limbs, so I'm not going to scrutinize it too much."

He could have been kidding. He sounded like he could be kidding, in fact. He definitely wasn't.

For what it was worth, any day that you got through with all your body parts still attached was a good day in Sparkle's book.

Sparkle didn't have many bad days.

"Limbs. Gotta love..." he waved his cigarette around, vaguely, "... limbs."

Seriously. He was a fan.

"So, word on radio is that you're leaving, huh? Does that mean congratulations are in order, you survived this crazy-ass place right through high school and now you've earned your freedom?"

"'Freedom' is a complicated word in this case," Ender said. "I'm being drafted to govern a colony, and there was never much choice about it."

He shot Sparkle a wry smile. "But yes. After four years, I'm leaving. I think I've done my time."

Sparkle, for his part, couldn't imagine being drafted to govern anything. And now he was making a bit of a face at the thought.

"For what it's worth," he offered, "I think you... probably won't suck, doing the governing a colony thing. You listen. And you actually seem to hear what it is people are saying, when you do."

That right there, that was the important part, if you asked him. Not that anybody was asking him, fine. But still.

Ender quirked a slight smile.

"I'm going to give it a good shot," he said simply. "But I think I'll retire as soon as I get the chance."

He shot Sparkle a searching look. "How long are you in for?"

There was a moment's silence while Sparkle took another puff from his smoke, and then he shrugged and shook his head.

"At the rate I'm going? Probably until I get deported. Lewis figures this place must be a good influence on me or something. Haven't been arrested yet, so I'm probably cleaning up my act. I don't think Lewis understands how fucking nuts this place is. I have a demon for a boss, I mean, like, shit. I'd have to be playing slasher movie on people in the streets for anyone to get upset with me around here, it feels like."

And even then, he couldn't be too sure.

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