Moctezuma, Christmas Day

[momslilassassin]

After wishfully believing Val would let them sleep in after their trek to the local cathedral to celebrate Midnight Mass with the rest of their neighbors (yeah, no way. She was up at 5:30, just like every other morning), Ben was--in the spirit of the season--bringing Ender and Big Val giant mugs of coffee from the kitchen while Little Val gleefully made confetti from wrapping paper in the living room.

The house was smelling promisingly of pork and chicken tamales--they were trying to embrace the local traditions this year, and Ben was always in favor of experimenting with anything food related.

"Merry Christmas," he said, heading back into the living room levitating two coffee mugs in front of him as he held his own in his hand. Force powers were so handy.

Comments

[endsthegame]

"Yes," Ender said. "Last thing I heard, they give out specifically Catholic licenses to colony builders, these days."

[momslilassassin]

Ben made a face. "That seems like a less great idea."

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled wryly. "'Preserving human diversity across the galaxy'."

[momslilassassin]

"'Kind of'," Ben tacked on, smiling back. "Not saying my galaxy doesn't do it too, of course."

[endsthegame]

"Your universe isn't really a good basis for comparison," Ender said, "You've got a lot more species."

[momslilassassin]

"True," Ben said, "but we still have a huge range of humans being weird, too."

[endsthegame]

"I'll give you that," Ender said. "I'm still curious how your human civilization got started."

[momslilassassin]

"Me too," Ben said. "I'm not sure we have records that go back that far any more."

[endsthegame]

"You do have a history that runs tens of thousands of years," Ender said wryly. "It makes sense you'd forget some of it."

[momslilassassin]

"Plus governments that like destroying records every few generations," Ben added, making a face.

[endsthegame]

"I like to think there's still a treasure-trove of documents somewhere," Ender said wryly.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's smile was very fond. "Maybe in the Fandom library."

[endsthegame]

"I wonder if the island's seen a lot of people from earlier eras of your universe," Ender mused.

[momslilassassin]

"It's nice to think that all that information isn't just gone forever," Ben admitted.

[endsthegame]

"If only we had a time machine," Ender said, thoughtful.

Or a Jane.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Sorry, my universe never figured that one out."

[endsthegame]

"And here I thought you were the superior universe," Ender teased.

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Maybe we learned something and decided not to go back again," he said.

[endsthegame]

"Tried to kill the wrong dictator..."

[momslilassassin]

"These things happen," Ben said, nodding Very Solemnly.

[endsthegame]

"So I'm told by very reliable sources," Ender said, pecking him on the cheek.

[momslilassassin]

Ben rested his head on Ender's shoulder with a happy sigh. "I'm sure the school has had non-Skywalkers from my galaxy show up over the years."

[endsthegame]

"There's that one teacher, isn't it?" Ender said. "The one who's always gone in summer."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Rand, right?"

[endsthegame]

"Yes," Ender said. "I'm fairly sure he isn't a Skywalker."