Room 204 [morning]

[momslilassassin]

Ben had gone to bed an almost-sixteen year old guy pushing six feet tall.

He woke up four years old and, well, really short.

He blinked bright blue eyes as he assessed the situation, realized the nanny droid was nowhere to be seen and flashed a little smile.

He was soon out of bed and working on dismantling a droid that teenaged Ben had been putting together for months.

[OOC: Door closed, post open!]

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[endsthegame]

"There's always someone," Ender said, slipping off the bed.

He walked towards the door, frowning. "When did you get here?"

[momslilassassin]

"A while," Ben finally concluded. "It's loud here."

At least compared to a moon full of Jedi.

[endsthegame]

That didn't tell him much.

Ender frowned. "No orders...?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben shook his head. "What would we be ordered for?"

[endsthegame]

"Anything," Ender said, his frown getting deeper. He backed away from the door so he could sit again. He didn't know what was expected here, and that made him both fearful and quiet.

[momslilassassin]

"Don't be scared," Ben said softly. "There's nothing bad out there."

Not like the weird tentacle monster on Haven.

[endsthegame]

The boy got a wary look.

Ender berated himself for seeming too transparent. Then again, he was in a new environment. It was predictable.

"There's always something bad out there," he said, quietly. "You can rely on that."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded solemnly. He knew that, but he also knew that Mom and Dad were out there fighting against whatever was bad.

He wouldn't say that aloud. That was for little kids.

"But nothing close," he clarified. "You can go down to different rooms and not get eaten."

[endsthegame]

"It's not the things that show up in your face and eat you that you have to be afraid of."

[momslilassassin]

"They're the things you have to worry about first," Ben argued.

[endsthegame]

The argument was dumb, and it was starting to irritate him. Of course you dealt with the immediate threat first, but it was usually just that: immediate.

"Until you don't," he said, simply. Maybe he'd find out more outside this door.

[momslilassassin]

"When don't you?" Ben asked, frowning.

[endsthegame]

"When the bigger threat wants you to focus on the immediate one so it can make things worse while you're distracted."

[momslilassassin]

"Oooh," Ben said, eyes wide. "Like how the Vong made everyone hate the Jedi so they could take over the galaxy!"

[endsthegame]

"I don't know that example," Ender said, casting him another look over his shoulder. "But pretty much." He'd heard people talk about the teachers being the enemy rather than the students.

[momslilassassin]

"How come you don't know about the Vong? Everyone knows about them!"

[endsthegame]

"Because you know a different everyone than me."

Maybe the boy was hallucinating something. Ender knew sometimes people made things up just to keep themselves company.

[momslilassassin]

Ben frowned again. "Maybe. I'm Ben. Who are you?"

[endsthegame]

"I'm Ender," he said, looking back to the door. "And I'm going to try and leave."

[momslilassassin]

"Okay," Ben said, still solemn. "Don't get eaten."

[endsthegame]

"I won't," Ender said, and curled his fingers around the edge of the door, and tugged on it until it opened.

The hallway was... less than impressive.

[momslilassassin]

"Can I come too?" Ben asked softly.

[endsthegame]

It made Ender pause in the doorway.

"Sure," he said, after a moment. He was small, and probably a liability, but Ender couldn't leave him behind.

[momslilassassin]

Ben flashed him a little smile and fell silently in step behind him.