Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Back on the island after a week in Rio.

It wasn't really all that hard to get used to, really; soon he was chatting with Jane as he went about some minor repairs, and sending out emails to Alai to make sure they'd have a chance to talk about the current situation live sometime soon.

Otherwise, he was mostly quiet. He was enjoying the return to less busy waters.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, kreetle," Ben said, walking in at the usual time with food.

[endsthegame]

Ender leaned away from his computer to glance Ben's way. "Ho, Ben," he called, shutting his laptop. "What've we got?"

[momslilassassin]

"Salad," Ben said solemnly.

Ben was a big liar.

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a look that implied he was very dubious about that one.

"Finally decided to start eating your greens?"

[momslilassassin]

"To make up for all of that buffet-eating last week," Ben said.

[endsthegame]

"Your arteries should be crying right now," Ender agreed.

[momslilassassin]

"They've gotten used to my lifestyle," Ben said, laughing. "Turkey sandwiches today. With lettuce."

[endsthegame]

"I guess that involves some greenery," Ender capitulated, and reached in the direction of the bags. "I'll take it."

[momslilassassin]

"Next time I can bring you one with sprouted things on it," Ben threatened, handing over the bag.

[endsthegame]

"Sprouted things?" Ender asked. "I take it that's the official designation."

[momslilassassin]

"Yep," Ben lied. "I checked."

[endsthegame]

"I don't think I want to know where you checked," Ender decided.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed at him. "I am a trained investigator."

[endsthegame]

"Then investigate where half my breakfast went this morning," Ender teased good-naturedly.

[momslilassassin]

"Gremlins," Ben replied immediately.

[endsthegame]

"I've never seen a red-headed gremlin before in my life."

[momslilassassin]

"It's a new sub-species," Ben said, nodding.

[endsthegame]

Ender shook his head. "Just sit down and eat lunch," he said, sounding amused, "before you wind up stealing mine again."

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out to ruffle Ender's hair. "Okay," he said, smiling doofily at him.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled back, not quite as doofily, but just as sincerely. "So," he said, "Anything exciting happen today so far?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben frowned. "Squall took my candy in class," he said. "We were exploring vague, open-ended statements as a way to pretend you can read someone's mind."

[endsthegame]

Ender frowned curiously. "So you were learning how to be a quack?"

[momslilassassin]

"I think we were learning how to get people to feel you are especially insightful and thus trustworthy," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"By pretending you know something you don't?" Ender hazarded. "Not really an innovative technique."

[momslilassassin]

"It doesn't have to be innovative if it works," Ben replied.