Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

"...me head over heels on gasoline--"

"Turn that off."

Jane let the music play for a few more seconds before she switched it off. "What, you don't like it? And here I thought all humans liked inane pop music."

Ender rubbed his forehead, then cast a glance towards the shop. "Howard is a much quieter taskmaster than Tony ever was," he said, "And I'd like to keep the place that way."

Which was naturally when the sound systems of the shop kicked in, and Ender was forced to get up and switch all of them off manually before he got fired for disturbing Howard's midday tweaking session. Or whatever else the man got up to when Ender didn't see him.

[[ open! apparently this song is a thing for me today. ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, kreetle," Ben said, coming in with lunch. "I promise a tutu-free conversation today."

[endsthegame]

"I'll accept that, if there also aren't any penguins involved," Ender told him. "I could also do without the voicemail of Tony applauding the strength of your thighs."

[momslilassassin]

Ben turned a lovely shade of crimson. "Um."

[endsthegame]

"Thighs of steel, Ben?"

Ender could put on a magnificent straight face.

[momslilassassin]

"I never said that!" Ben insisted, still blushing wildly.

[endsthegame]

"You're going to pull more than a groin muscle one of these days," Ender continued. "Dangerous sport, getting drunk with these guys."

Sure, it had been a week ago, but considering what else had happened that day, he hadn't really felt like making fun of Ben for it.

[momslilassassin]

"You could come with us next time," Ben suggested. "It'd probably stop us from ending up in another country..."

[endsthegame]

"Or buying a penguin sanctuary?" Ender said dryly. "Topher called me, asking what penguins ate. I'm definitely coming along next time."

[momslilassassin]

"That was mostly Tony," Ben said, "but I think Bobby threw in twenty bucks too."

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a wry look. "In other words," he said, "Talk to Tony about limiting access to his trust fund when he's drunk, along with turning his phone off."

[momslilassassin]

"Probably," Ben admitted. "Warren too when he comes. They bought the bar last time."

[endsthegame]

"Did they at least sell the bar again afterwards?"

[momslilassassin]

"I don't think so?" Ben replied. "I think it's named after unicorns now, too."

[endsthegame]

"Somehow, I'm not seeing the upside of Tony Stark owning a bar."

[momslilassassin]

"The bar serves pancakes now?"

Not helping, Ben.

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a dry look. "You know your stomach isn't for thinking with..."

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned at him and pushed the bag of burgers closer. "But it's so good at decision making..."

[endsthegame]

"Debatable," Ender said, reaching in to get a burger. "Going by some things I'm starting to read in your Jedi archives..."

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached for a container of fries, looking interested. "What have you stumbled across?"

[endsthegame]

"So far, I seem to keep getting sidetracked by discussions about various Force philosophies," Ender admitted. "There isn't all that much about the Sith that I've found so far."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled fondly at him. "Of course you have. I should have let you into the library a lot sooner."

[endsthegame]

"The Living Force, the Unifying Force..." Ender chuckled. "No wonder you've got this many Force sensitive sects spread out across the galaxy."

[momslilassassin]

"Rainbow aspects," Ben added, nodding. "It's millennia of us trying to understand the essentially unexplainable."

[endsthegame]

"So do you still buy either of these two particular theories?" Ender wondered. "I always saw you as more of the living-in-the-moment kind, but you've dealt with your fair share of timeline and predestination messes."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm more of a Living Force guy," Ben said, "though I certainly see the appeal of the Force not having a light side or a dark side--that makes it seem much closer to Karla's Craft."