Fixer-Uppers, Monday

[endsthegame]

It might have been break week, but that had never meant much to Ender, who considered most of his classes diversions at best. And so, at the start of break week, he was back in the shop testing one of the Bluetooth earpieces he and Ben had been poking at for weeks.

Of course, Ben didn't know that said Bluetooth research wasn't just about long-distance time-and-space communication.

"Jane, can you hear me?"

"Perfectly clear, captain," she replied through the Bluetooth. "But you have got to get me a better resolution camera on this thing. I can count the pixels."

Ender ignored her complaint. "Good," he said. "It's still too unwielding to be used covertly, but at least we know you can make contact with it. Though we should really try this outside the wifi zone."

"I am a wifi spot," she retorted. "But fine, let's go outside. I do enjoy watching you tan."

He sighed. "After lunch, Jane," he promised, and pried the Bluetooth off his ear.

[[ open, and Jane is NFB as always. ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, kreetle," Ben said, walking into the shop with a bag of sandwiches and smiling. "It's finally warm outside!"

[endsthegame]

"I noticed," Ender replied, "Though barely, what with me only having to walk all the way through town to get to work in the morning."

He looked fairly amused, though.

[momslilassassin]

"Hush you," Ben replied. "Maybe it was snowing when you were walking. It's not completely out of the question around here."

[endsthegame]

"In which case I would be terribly grateful you let me know about it," Ender said, shutting his laptop.

[momslilassassin]

"You should be terribly grateful at all times," Ben declared, flopping into his usual seat.

[endsthegame]

"I'm practically alight with joy right now," Ender said, in a monotone, and reached for the sandwiches.

[momslilassassin]

"I can tell," Ben said snickering. "Who needs the sun when you're around?"

...sorry, Bean.

[endsthegame]

Bean would like to take his completely non-ironic narrative take on that line and keep it, thank you, and maybe enjoy pissing you off the next time he saw you, Ben.

"Presumably, the vegetation," he said. "Any other weather reports I need to know about?"

[momslilassassin]

"Nope," he said easily, "unless it's raining kiwis in here on the half-hour or something."

[endsthegame]

"I haven't noticed any fruit here today so far," he said, "Give it until later into the afternoon. It's a holiday."

[momslilassassin]

"It is?" Ben frowned. "How long does Easter last anyway?"

[endsthegame]

"Technically speaking, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday," Ender said, "Though I was trying to talk about break week." A beat. "I'm heading up to New York with Tony tomorrow, by the way."

That trip had gotten postponed for a while. Probably a good thing, considering at least now it came off as less 'running away'.

[momslilassassin]

Much! Ben didn't even freak out about it this time!

"How long will you be gone?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Back by graduation, right?"

[endsthegame]

"Just two days," Ender promised. "I'm not planning to skip anything."

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben said with a quick smile. "There are a few seniors who'd get upset with you."

[endsthegame]

"Well, if I did wind up skipping, I'd be back in time to get hollered at in person."

[momslilassassin]

"And hit the free brunch on Sunday," Ben added.

Shhh. He enjoyed free food.

[endsthegame]

This was not a secret, no. Ender shot him an amused look. "I think that's from your shortlist, kreetle."

[momslilassassin]

Ben pointed at the bag of lunch. "I have it on good authority that you eat too. Sometimes. When I remind you."

[endsthegame]

"I could be eating crackers in New York that Sunday," he replied. "I've been known to do that from time to time."

[momslilassassin]

"I've been warning people about your hard-partying ways," Ben said. "'Eating crackers' means drugs, right?"

[endsthegame]

"Yes," Ender said, flicking a piece of sandwich his way. "It's all the rage, and you know how I like to cave to peer pressure."

[momslilassassin]

"That's the second thing I mention," Ben made up. "How you can't have an opinion of your own until you check with four people and poll the radio squirrels."

[endsthegame]

"We can't all be naturally modest and sagely like you," Ender deadpanned, "Some of us need help."

[momslilassassin]

"Fortunately I'm writing a book to address all of your needs in that area," Ben told him. "The working title is 'How to Be Astral.'"