Aboard the Jade Shadow [Tuesday, Fandom time]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was grabbing a quick snack as he waited in the galley for his father to finish docking the ship on the first human-majority planet they'd seen in months and taking the chance to catch up on more reading about the Aing-Tii Monks. As soon as they restocked their supplies and checked for physical mail (Ben hoped that Tony's package would catch up with them here), they'd be heading into Aing-Tii space, which was a challenging enough flight that Luke Kriffing Skywalker looked slightly apprehensive about it.

Ben stopped being nervous by remembering that if Jacen had been able to do it, Luke would be able to do it better.

...it had never been said that Ben could not be very petty if the occasion called for it.

[OOC: Open for calls, texts, visits from the boy who's in space with him, care packages from home full of YA gay literature...]

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[momslilassassin]

Ben bit his lip and pulled his hand back. "There once was a girl from Naboo," he recited, "whose eyes were a beautiful blue. She was kissing a boy, which was giving her joy, then she looked up and asked, 'who are you?'"

As a poet, Ben made a good Jedi.

[endsthegame]

"Ah, as I thought, then," Ender said, sitting back against the wall at the back of his bunk. "Pretty bad."

Much better for his ability to think straight.

[momslilassassin]

"I'd like to hear you do better," Ben said with a smile. "And quoting Shakespeare is cheating."

[endsthegame]

"Maybe I'm merciful, and don't want to inflict my stylings on the world."

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe you're a chicken--" weird Earth phrase, still, "--and know I beat you at poetry."

[endsthegame]

"It's poetry," Ender replied, "Maybe I'm just aware that good poets don't come up with their stuff on the fly - you need to think about meter and metaphor, and free form isn't quite as impressive."

[momslilassassin]

Ben thought about that, then shook his head. "Nah, that's not it."

[endsthegame]

"You know, you can't beat me if I refuse to participate," Ender said, looking amused, and then reached over to nudge Ben in the back with his foot.

Just in case there were any awkward vibes left over from earlier.

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned and swatted at Ender's foot playfully. "No, if you cede me the field without even firing, I win."

[endsthegame]

"Ah, but on which field do we do battle?" Ender said, wriggling his (sockless) toes. "Is this the murky vale of poetic debate, or a hinterland of mindless cattle? Smart, simple, it's the choice that makes the war; Jedi, you won't make it far."

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached out to tickle those sockless toes. "Says you."

[endsthegame]

The corners of Ender's mouth came up. He pulled his foot away. "I win."

[momslilassassin]

"How do you plot that course?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"For one," Ender said, shutting his eyes as he drew up his legs and leaned further into the wall, "Mine wasn't a limerick."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, okay," Ben said, snorting. "Mine was an inferior type of poetry?"

[endsthegame]

"As well as being inferior in many other senses," Ender said, eyes still closed. "Yes."

[momslilassassin]

"Hey," Ben said, without heat. He enjoyed knowing that Ender was comfortable enough with him to drift off. "My poetry is astral."

[endsthegame]

"'There once was a girl from Naboo'," Ender quoted, "'Who got stuck in a really terrible poem...'"

[momslilassassin]

"Mine rhymed," Ben retorted, sticking his tongue out.

[endsthegame]

"Depends on what meter," Ender returned, "But since I don't intend to finish this poem, I guess we'll never know. But remind me to get you some books sometime."

Because getting Ben poetry books was totally a good idea.

[momslilassassin]

"Only if you make Tony pick them out and mail them to us," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"I don't think mr. Stark would know decent poetry if it hit him in the head," Ender said, dryly, "Which is quite possible."

He stretched his legs out, too.

[momslilassassin]

"Probably true. Maybe we could get someone to help him?" Ben's eyes drifted closed.

[endsthegame]

"That'll be some profession for me," Ender murmured. "Poetry teacher. If my career as a governor doesn't pan out."

Eyes still closed, he groped around for a pillow and tucked it behind him.

[momslilassassin]

"You were going to be a teacher anyway, weren't you?" Ben asked, poking a little closer to the weekend they didn't talk about.