Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

As far as periods of his life Ender didn't want to relive went, this weekend could have been worse. Or that was the theory, at least. It had been a long time ago, and there had been wars and struggle afterwards, ten times worse than anything Peter had ever done to him.

And yet still, this weekend clung to him worse than he'd expected. Maybe it was because he'd never quite wiped Peter-the-monster from whatever place he occupied in Ender's mind; Ender didn't know.

It was foolish to linger on it, but no amount of emails helped him shake it.

He tried to distract himself by talking to Jane across the day, about anything from Shakespeare to philosophers to the work Sel Menach, Shakespeare Colony's xenobiologist, was doing.

But it didn't quite go away.

[[ open! ]]

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[dollpocalypse]

As it happened, Topher hadn't had the world's greatest experience with Peter this weekend either, which was what brought him to the store to talk to Ender.

Well. That and restocking on some parts. Someone had demanded one of his last lightbulbs.

"Hey," he said as he entered, picking at a bacta bandage on his hand.

[endsthegame]

"Topher," Ender greeted. His eyes traveled towards Topher's hand immediately. "I see Ben's been looking after you this weekend."

Sadly, after several years with the Jedi, he knew bacta when he saw it.

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh. Um, yeah. He, uh, he did."

Eloquent.

"Your weekend go okay?"

[endsthegame]

"As well as these weekends ever go," Ender said wryly (and avoiding giving any details whatsoever). "How about yours?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Crappy," Topher complained, leaning on the desk. "I, uh. Wanted to ask you, uh, some stuff. Actually."

[endsthegame]

Ender was starting to have the feeling he knew what this was about - he knew the tell-tale signs of Peter's interference better than anyone.

He shut his laptop and sat back, regarding Topher from behind the desk. "Fire away," he said. "I'm an open book."

... ahahahahaha.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher fiddled with the bandage some more before he continued, then tried, "It's just... was Peter always... I mean, is he, like. Okay? To live with?"

That 'genius' badge was probably being confiscated as they spoke.

[endsthegame]

"He's ruthless and highly ambitious," Ender said, seeing no point in talking around it. "But that's not what you're asking, is it?"

[dollpocalypse]

Topher shook his head. "I mean. I kinda figured that part out."

You know, with the robots and the political thing and all of that.

Finally, he just bit the bullet and asked. "Was he, like, kind of an asshole as a kid?"

[endsthegame]

Ender barked a laugh for no reason he'd explain to Topher. "Peter?" he asked. "No, he was a complete angel."

Sarcasm, Topher.

[dollpocalypse]

Okay, the sarcasm flew over his head. A bit.

"'Cause, I mean... this weekend he was sort of a dick," he said after a minute, still picking at the bandage. "So I wondered. If he was to you too."

[endsthegame]

"Valentine and I used to call him a slumbitch, and for a good reason," Ender said.

Not that he intended to go into any of the details at all. "He's gotten better over the years. Marginally."

[momslilassassin]

Ben arrived at lunchtime with soup, sandwiches and coffee. "Ho, kreetle," he said with a small smile.

[endsthegame]

Ender glanced up, his mouth forming a faint answering smile right away. "Ho," he said, rising up out of his chair. "I'll go close up the door."

[momslilassassin]

"Okay," Ben said, cheeks turning a little pink. "It's nice to see you tall again."

[endsthegame]

Ender walked past him and shut the door, putting on the Closed sign. "Sorry about that," he said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben looked surprised. "What's there to apologize for?"

[endsthegame]

"I... have no idea," Ender admitted, after a moment's worth of thinking about it. "What does one say when you turn into a child on someone?"

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, Fandom, again?" Ben offered with a little smile. "Really. I'm okay if you're okay."

[endsthegame]

Ender walked towards him, reaching out to take the sandwiches from him. "Let's put this stuff down," he said, and headed into the workshop.

[momslilassassin]

Ben noticed that Ender hadn't exactly answered his question, so he closed the door to the workshop behind him as he entered, then put the soup and coffees down on the table, and turned to give Ender his full attention, not saying a word.

[endsthegame]

"I'm fine," Ender said, after he'd put the sandwiches down himself. "If that's what you're wondering about."

He looked up, realising that he wanted to do something - and wondering if impulses like that would ever be less of a shock, or less disorienting.

[momslilassassin]

"A bit," Ben admitted, leaning back against the table. "Peter was a little sleemo."

[endsthegame]

"A marubo in the making," Ender agreed. He righted himself. "But technically speaking, that was a long time ago." He took a few steps towards Ben.

NFB

[endsthegame]

"Andrew? I just lost contact with Tony's lab."

Ender looked up, alarmed. "Did something happen to it?" he asked. "Is someone gunning after him again, or is this an island-wide thing--"

"No, I just can't access it anymore. I'm locked out of the systems," Jane said. "I'd accuse you of paranoia, but right now I'd rather find the marubo who did this--"

"Could just be Tony," Ender pointed out, and relaxed. "Maybe he's finally found the ports you're using to break in."

"No, this is too sophisticated for you meaty things," she said dismissively. "Unless someone launched an EMP..."

Ender sighed. "I'll take it up with him later," he said.