Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

The weekend had been a quiet one, except that it seemed he was going to be without a roommate from now on. That suited Ender fine - if anything, it was a luxury he hadn't had in a long while. Not that Ichigo had ever been much of a disturbance.

He opened up the store early that morning and moved into the workshop, a new laptop lightly slung over his shoulder. He finally had a new project in mind, one that might actually exceed what he was capable of, mechanically, but it was a start.

He set the laptop down, called up some schematics from the computer, and got to work.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben, eyes still looking exhausted even for him, stopped into the shop. "Ho, Ender."

[endsthegame]

"Ho, Ben," Ender replied, shutting his laptop schematics down immediately.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyebrows went up. "Working on something interesting?"

[endsthegame]

"Seeing how close I can get to turning this laptop into a desk," he said, simply. "How are you?"

[momslilassassin]

"Wondering if Master Atreides knew I needed a break," he said with a very tiny smile. "I'm not sure if the desert appeals to me, though."

[endsthegame]

"It's our week off," Ender noted, "You can always snag somewhere Rancor-infested to go."

[momslilassassin]

"I don't think it'd be the same without you there," Ben replied, his smile getting a little more genuine.

[endsthegame]

"Unfortunately for you, I am going to the desert," Ender returned, "I'll keep you updated if I burn my ankles."

[momslilassassin]

"That'd teach you not to use sunscreen, kreetle," Ben replied. "Are you going to ride one of those giant beasts?"

[endsthegame]

"I'd like a chance to get near them," he said, truthfully.

Mostly because it was an alien species with its own language he didn't know.

[momslilassassin]

"You know that if you get eaten when I'm not there to watch it, I'm going to be unhappy, right?" Ben asked, really concern in his eyes despite the teasing tone.

[endsthegame]

"Don't worry, Skywalker," Ender assured him, "If something tries to eat me, I'll make sure to let it know you're chewier."

He leaned back in his seat. "Any idea where you'll be going?"

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe to Aravis's homeland," Ben said. "It's hard to get a new perspective on things if everyone is going with you, right?"

Other people might refer to this as "running away."

[endsthegame]

Other people who weren't Ender who if he wound up falling back into canon would spend the rest of his life 'running away'. "Just remember you're coming back to the thick of things eventually."

[momslilassassin]

"Eventually is better than right now," Ben said. "I need a break from my family."

He blew out a breath. "All versions."

[endsthegame]

"Let me know how it goes," Ender said, tilting his head. "As far as I know, I'm thankfully not related to you."

[momslilassassin]

"You're way too rational to be a Skywalker," Ben said with a little grin.

[endsthegame]

"I'll take that as a good thing." Well, it was. In some ways. "I think the expression's 'call me'."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not leaving for a bit," Ben said. "Aravis hasn't written back to say yes. I could just end up in a cabin in the woods for a week."

[endsthegame]

"I'll make sure to keep the bears at bay."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Big stick?" he guessed.

[endsthegame]

"I don't need a big stick," Ender assured him, "That's too conspicuous. Like your lightsaber."

[momslilassassin]

"I keep my lightsaber tucked away most of the time," Ben declared with a sad lack of innuendo. "What would you use?"

[endsthegame]

Ender tapped the side of his head.

Then he tapped the side of his legs.

[momslilassassin]

"I don't think feeding your legs to the bear will help," Ben decided, grinning.

[endsthegame]

"Ah, mockery," Ender said, dryly, "A refuge for small minds."

[momslilassassin]

"Well sometimes using words helps. I don't like to read minds," Ben said.

[endsthegame]

"I use my mind and my feet, bantha-boy."

[momslilassassin]

"I don't think you can outrun that worm," Ben said finally. "I'm not sure I could outrun that worm."

[endsthegame]

"We were talking about bears," Ender pointed out, tilting his head. "I think the worms would require a different kind of strategy."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's cheeks went pink. "Sorry," he said. "I keep circling back to class. That thing was huge!"

[endsthegame]

"It was pretty big," Ender had to agree, with a natural knack for understatement. "But I wonder what physiological differences it has with anything from Earth, considering how little moisture Arrakis supports." Which would also, if he was thinking that way, probably determine how to fight one off.

[momslilassassin]

Ben, naturally, had thoughts about that. "Wonder if it works anything like the sarlaac," he mused, "which doesn't move, but is a lot larger than it appears to stretch under the sand and find as much moisture as possible."

[endsthegame]

"But the worms always seem to move," Ender noted, "So it can't be the same process."

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe they know where the water is underground?" Ben postulated. "But they're so big, so they have to keep moving or else risk depleting it completely."

[endsthegame]

"But then why grow so big?" Ender asked, "A smaller surface would mean less exposure to the sun, and less of a need to keep moving to conserve water."

[momslilassassin]

"We should ask Master Atreides," Ben decided. He gave Ender a tiny, resigned smile. "Add it to your information about bugs."

[endsthegame]

"Terrestrial bugs are of the phylum Arthropoda," Ender informed him, "Worms are Nematoda, Nemertea, Annelida..."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyebrow went up. "So you memorized Fiona's books, then?"

[endsthegame]

"Memorization is a pretty poor substitute for learning," Ender remarked, "I did learn biology before Battle School, you know."

Miracles upon miracles, Val had taught him.

[momslilassassin]

"So you've always liked bugs?" Ben replied.

Ben's sense of humor picked the worst times to show up.

[endsthegame]

"Biology," Ender corrected, "That's more than just bugs."

I did always get to be the bugger in 'buggers and astronauts'.

[momslilassassin]

"So you're spending a lot of time studying plant life these days, too, then?" Ben replied. "Or the migratory patterns of teal deer?"