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]

"So no rush," Ender said, running his fingers along Ben's arm.

[momslilassassin]

Ben hummed happily to himself. "Not really," he agreed.

[endsthegame]

"Good," Ender said, and cupped his cheek, tugging him back in for a kiss.

[momslilassassin]

Ben let out a happy sigh and kissed back enthusiastically. "Love you."

[endsthegame]

"Love you too," Ender said, smiling against his mouth. "So ready to get on another planet with you."

[momslilassassin]

"Definitely," Ben agreed. "I love exploring and seeing somewhere new almost as much as I love ice cream."

[endsthegame]

"Which is a lot," Ender said fondly. "And the call for a Speaker we're following is-- intriguing."

[momslilassassin]

Ben waved his hand towards the bathroom, halting the water. "Tell me about it in the bath?"

[endsthegame]

"All right," Ender said. He kissed Ben gently on the cheek, then rolled off the bed, onto his feet.

[momslilassassin]

Ben followed on still slightly wobbly legs (Ender was good), heading to the tub and checking the water temperature.

He smiled. "I did all right."

[endsthegame]

"You've gotten in a lot of practice later," Ender teased fondly. He stuck one foot in the water. "Definitely decent."

He slid the rest of the way into the tub.

[momslilassassin]

Ben slid into the water in front of him and snuggled back against his chest with a happy sigh. "Hi."

All their years together and this was still one of his favorite things.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled, wrapping his arms around Ben. He kissed the back of Ben's neck. "Hi," he said. "Mm. You did good."

[momslilassassin]

Ben glowed under the praise. "Thank you. Now tell me about the Speaking request."

[endsthegame]

"It's for a man named Zacatecas," Ender said, running his hands along Ben's arms. "He has spent the past decades building up the settlement of Moctezuma, and in doing so, has given surprising room for an interesting Catholic sect to flourish. Most leaders would've driven the sect out, but he refused."

[momslilassassin]

"Why did he refuse?" Ben asked, closing his eyes and concentrating on Ender's voice. "Or is that the question you get to answer?"

[endsthegame]

"I'm curious," Ender admitted. "He's dying right now. By the time we get there, he'll be long dead - and the consequences of his choices will have become clear."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "So new leap forward in religious tolerance...or the next Crusades?"

[endsthegame]

"Or something in the middle," Ender said wryly. He slid his hand over Ben's chest. "I'll have to talk to the sect, if it still exists."

[momslilassassin]

"But the middle wouldn't be that interesting," Ben said with a smile. "What's special about this sect?"

[endsthegame]

"They hold the truth to be sacred," Ender said. "Any wisdom shared throughout history, they pursue and store, and make readily available."

[momslilassassin]

"Your kind of people, then," Ben said with a fond smile, kissing the underside of Ender's jaw.

[endsthegame]

"And now you know why I find them interesting," Ender said, laughing softly. "The sect calls itself the Children of the Mind of Christ. It was started by a young upstart called San Angelo. It'll be interesting to meet him, I think."

[momslilassassin]

"He'll still be alive when we get there?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"He's in his twenties now," Ender said. "He could be."