Dathomir [Saturday afternoon, Fandom time]

[momslilassassin]

The trip to Dathomir had gone quietly. The planet had fit Ben's criteria: off the beaten path but still livable (so no Hoths, thanks), temperate, and largely unexplored.

He hefted the backpack he was carrying into a more comfortable position on his back, and glanced over at Ender before beginning to walk through the forest in front of them, leaving the shuttle parked behind. "This is the planet my uncle won in a card game decades ago," he said. "Singing Mountain is a few klicks that way."

Well, Ben's definition of "a few" was closer to fifteen. "Is this what you had in mind?"

[OOC: For the bff. NFB due to distance.]

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[endsthegame]

"I have plenty of other things going on in my life," Ender said, steadily.

[momslilassassin]

"Name three," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"Are you really going to resort to elementary school tactics?" Ender asked, blatantly ignoring the question.

[momslilassassin]

"If it gets me a straight answer for once, absolutely," Ben said.

[endsthegame]

"I have the play, my classes, and until recently, the student council," he said, patiently, "Right now, I hang out with Fiona and Karla. Does that answer your question to your satisfaction?"

[momslilassassin]

Not remotely and that was obvious in the expression on Ben's face, even in the semi-darkness.

"Does Fiona know why you're so interested in entomology?"

[endsthegame]

"Fiona has her own problems to worry about," he said, mildly. "She's removed her own ability to eat."

[momslilassassin]

Ben paused in mid-chew. "What?"

[endsthegame]

"Yeah," Ender said, wryly. "We've got an interesting batch this term."

[momslilassassin]

"They're giving us a run on being more screwed up," Ben said dryly. "Not that anyone should really want to win that title."

[endsthegame]

Ender shrugged. "And Karla's from a world with completely different cultural codes," he said, "It's interesting to observe."

[momslilassassin]

"She taught me how to do something she called airwalking," Ben offered. "I prefer skywalking."

He thought he was funny.

[endsthegame]

"So how was the air in comparison?"

[momslilassassin]

"Strange," Ben said. "I still don't think I'm supposed to be able to do that."

He gave Ender a look. "And don't think I haven't noticed you changing the subject."

[endsthegame]

"Snap," Ender said, sarcastically.

[momslilassassin]

Ben huffed out a breath. "Learning everything there is about bugs isn't going to bring the buggers back," he said softly. "Let it go."

[endsthegame]

Ender eyed him, steadily. He didn't mention the bugger in Special Collection, if it was real at all. "Of course not," he said, "Bringing back the Formics would be a nightmare."

[momslilassassin]

Ben curled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees. "You're already in a nightmare."

[endsthegame]

"And here I thought I'd been in high school," Ender said, tilting his head. He bit down on his protein bar again.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes were flat. "We're a thousand lightyears from anyone who knows either of us. We're here because you wanted the break. Are you going to tell me why or are you going to keep doing this deflection poodoo until we're both old?"

[endsthegame]

"That's insinuating I'm deflecting anything."

Sigh, Ender.

"I don't deflect anything. I don't have anything to deflect. Anything I might want to hide is accessible for anyone who talks to back home." A beat. "My life does not belong to me, anyway."

He sounded awfully okay about that.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sighed. "Who does your life belong to, then?"

[endsthegame]

"Anyone and everything. The people back home," he said, mildly. "It's Val who made sure I could never return to Earth, but she's hardly the only cog in the machine."

He shrugged. "The point is that what I've got is in here," and Ender pointed at his head, "And about three years of classes far below my level. If I'm lucky."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's heart lurched a little painfully. It was no gift to be empathic. He stretched out a leg to prod his foot against Ender's since they didn't really do hugs.

"So Val's at school to make sure you stay put, then?"

[endsthegame]

"I put out a feeler a few months ago," Ender said, conversationally, "That was their response. What I've got left is to spend time on what's really bothering me."