Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Ender was happy to go back to work after the cruise. His hands were itching to get to work on something. He got into the nitty gritty of the operation today for just that purpose, and by the time lunch came around, he already had his hands covered in cables and grease.

He let the mouse-droid zoom around his feet. He still hadn't named it.

[ open! ]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, Ender," Ben said, poking his head through the doorway. In his hands he held a piece of flimsie with a list of supplies on it. "I need some stuff today."

A week on a boat without something to build had left him a little twitchy.

[endsthegame]

"I don't think we carry 'stuff'," Ender said, pulling away from his project. His hands were still covered in grease when he padded up to Ben. He wiped some of it off on his pants-- he'd be doing laundry anyway.

[momslilassassin]

"Funny," Ben deadpanned. "I need an inert power insulator, a power cell, something to mount a crystal on, a handgrip, and a couple of energy modulation circuits, and some cycling field energizers, if you carry them."

If it sounded like he was building a weapon, well, yes.

[endsthegame]

Ender's eyebrow lifted. "Who are you trying to kill?" he asked. "Besides the obvious."

[momslilassassin]

"No one in particular," Ben said, eyes lighting up a bit. "Dad told me that I can build my lightsaber."

[endsthegame]

"Components for one glowy sword of light," Ender said, reaching for the list, "Coming up."

[momslilassassin]

Ben handed it over happily. "It'll take almost a month to build the thing, probably," he said. "I'm sure Granddad will tell me when he was a young Jedi, they had to build lightsabers in caves in the dark on some abandoned moon or something."

[endsthegame]

"When your Granddad was a young Jedi, pigs flew and princesses were noble," he said, taking the list back towards the workshop.

[momslilassassin]

"And everything was full of kittens and rainbows and flower petals rained down on all civilized planets," Ben said, snorting. "Except for how that didn't happen."

[endsthegame]

"From what I can tell," Ender said, before he headed into the magazine, "People got a lot angrier and more violent, if that's what suits him that day."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "It's a big galaxy," he said. "He can find or make up a story to prove whatever his point is that minute."

[endsthegame]

Ender came back with a few boxes. "You don't need a big galaxy for that," he said, "Just an unoccupied mind."

[momslilassassin]

"Not sure his mind is ever unoccupied," Ben said thoughtfully. "So, what are you working on?"

[endsthegame]

"Getting some grunt work in on my satellite," he said, plonking the boxes down on the desk. "I vacationed too much last week."

For his standards.

[momslilassassin]

"Me too," Ben admitted. "I didn't even bring anything to tinker with while we were out there."

Mostly because looking at the equipment had made him feel guilty about his fight with Kaylee.

[endsthegame]

And Ender did look at him, because that was a little unusual. "Did you oversleep?" he asked. He didn't think that was likely.

[momslilassassin]

Ben shook his head. "Just didn't feel like bringing it," he said.

Which was true, to a certain extent.

[endsthegame]

"Maybe your granddad was right about those pigs flying."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wrinkled up his nose. "No. I didn't have the parts I needed when we left."

Also sort of true.

[endsthegame]

"And now you do," he said, letting it go to some extent. "But I'm not at liberty to give it to you for free."

[momslilassassin]

"Of course not," Ben said, reaching into his belt pouch for money. "I wouldn't want your boss coming after me."

[endsthegame]

"I'd rather not see my boss in the hospital," Ender agreed. He read the price aloud. It was fairly arbitrary.

[momslilassassin]

Ben handed over the money without a thought. It was lightsaber parts. Ben wouldn't have cared if Ender had asked for the price of a small moon.

"I'd rather not put him there. It would be awkward for everyone," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"I think I'd laugh," Ender said, snagging a bag for him while he was at it. "Probably bad form on my part."

[momslilassassin]

"Especially if you want to stay employed," Ben said, nodding.

[endsthegame]

"It'd be worth it if you managed to float him upside down while you were at it," Ender said, straightfaced. He shoved a few boxes into the bag with care. He didn't want to break anything.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "I could do that," he said. "But I think paying for things to start with might save everyone a lot of bother."

[endsthegame]

"Probably."

Ender offered him the bag.

"He'll be happy to see you coming in for something that isn't distracting me."

[momslilassassin]

"That's absolutely why I did it," Ben deadpanned. "I live to make him happy."

[endsthegame]

"Like I've said," Ender replied, "You're all heart, Skywalker."

[momslilassassin]

"Make sure not to spread that around," Ben teased, taking his bag. "See you later, Ender."