Ben, Ender & Val's hotel room [Sunday afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Ben stared at his daughter, sitting inside the suitcase he was trying to pack.

"Ice cream," she told him, narrowing her eyes.

"Packing first," Ben replied, crossing his arms.

"ICE CREAM!"

"Ow," Ben said, holding his hands over his ears.

[small: OOC: For the boy and any other visitors!]

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[endsthegame]

"Or we're going to have to start building more privacy screens on the ship," Ender said.

[momslilassassin]

"I say we do both," Ben said, grinning.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled. "It can't hurt for when she gets older, anyway."

[momslilassassin]

"Exactly," Ben said. "Plus if we're going to get started on another family member, she needs to get used to us not being at her every whim."

Good luck with convincing a toddler of that, Ben.

[endsthegame]

Ender winced a little. "That was... complicated when my siblings were young."

[momslilassassin]

"How complicated?" Ben murmured.

[endsthegame]

"Peter grew up resentful that Valentine had stolen all of his attention, and that got worse when I was born, because now Valentine was stealing my attention, too, and so forth," Ender sighed.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sighed too. "Hopefully that won't be passed along," he said softly. "I'm pretty sure they'll know they're our first priority."

[endsthegame]

"My parents claimed we were," Ender said. "I'm not so sure, in retrospect."

[momslilassassin]

"Well, have a third child at all was probably enough to fuel some of Peter's...Peter-ness," Ben said.

[endsthegame]

"I think my parents were, in some respects, more interested in making their point than in the genuine details of child-rearing," Ender said softly.

[momslilassassin]

Ben wrapped his arms around Ender's waist and leaned his head against his shoulder. "And we're going into it with the exact opposite goal. We want our kids to be kids for as long as possible, and we want to see it all ourselves."

[endsthegame]

"So we should probably not work out our religious issues over them," Ender said wryly. He wrapped his arms around Ben, too, pulling him closer.

[momslilassassin]

"Well, it's going to be weird if they start calling the Hive Queen and the Hegemon 'sacred texts', but other than that, I'm open," Ben said, kissing him again and tempting the wrath of the toddler.

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed, sinking into it-- which was exactly when the toddler latched herself onto his leg. "Noooo!"

[momslilassassin]

Ben let out a rueful laugh. "Hello, Val."

[endsthegame]

"Here comes the fun police," Ender said wryly.

[momslilassassin]

"Hey, fun police," Ben said, crouching to Val's level. "Is it time for a nap?"

[endsthegame]

Val pulled a face. "No kissing?" she asked.

Ender sighed.

[momslilassassin]

"We'll still keep kissing because we love each other," Ben explained. "But we'll take a break if it bothers you."

[endsthegame]

Val frowned at him. "Why?" she asked.

"Oh boy," Ender murmured.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sat down on the floor. "Because, for some humans, it's a way to express physical affection," he said. "Like a hug, but better." He smiled up at Ender. "Or when we knock our foreheads together."

[endsthegame]

"Looks weird," Val complained, giving him a Very Serious big-eyed look to go with it.

She was trying to comprehend. And probably picking up more words than Ben might think.

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe," Ben agreed, "but we like it. And remember, there's going to be a lot of stuff to see in the different galaxies that might look weird, but we don't judge it, right?"

[endsthegame]

"Whyyy?"

Ender sighed. "She's a Wiggin child all right." He touched Val's little head. "Though I don't think she quite gets the explanation - or the question - yet."