Room 204, Sunday Afternoon

[glacial_queen]

It was sad being stuck in sweaters and sweatshirts again--and right now Karla was wearing both because it was cold, dammit--but it wasn't like there was nothing to do in Fandom. Just because they were no longer in Hawaii didn't mean they couldn't keep themselves entertained.

...It just all had to be inside. And not on the beach. And probably wouldn't involve brightly colored drinks decorated with cute plastic animals and tiny umbrellas.

Instead, Karla had decided that the boyos were going to host another movie night. Rather than let Ender choose the film, she'd grabbed one about a snake and a magical cup or something. She hadn't really been paying attention. Actually, she was planning to use it for background noise while she and Ben bitched about Ender's tan and she laughed at Ben for getting his face stuck to the table that one time.

"Kiss kiss!" she called, poking her head through the door. "I'm bored, so guess what! We're hanging out today!"

Weren't they so lucky?

Comments

[endsthegame]

"It's really a lot like politics," Ender explained, and didn't comment on Ben's choice in reading. "Everyone believes in using the one system of rule, but how we fill it in, there things get murkier. Except that people tend to feel the stakes are even higher, so the problems are more explosive."

[glacial_queen]

"And even that idea is somewhat--well, not new, exactly, not to me, but..." Karla worried at her lower lip. "Nothing like what Hobart's done in Glacia has been heard of in Kaeleer for fifty thousand years. We might not all agree who should be Queen or whatnot, but the political structure itself was agreed upon."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Same at home, sort of. Most people don't have access to the Force the way the Jedi do, but they don't doubt it exists."

[endsthegame]

"But there are different ways of looking at the Force, aren't there?" Ender said. "With struggles within the same religion, or say, the Abrahamic religions, you all agree on the political structure. But you can fight about how you use it and where."

[glacial_queen]

"But surely the Force or the god of all these religions has an opinion, right?" Karla asked. "Why don't they just say, 'This is right' and...dammit, that wouldn't work either." Her brow furrowed in thought. "Because no one has ever misinterpreted what someone says or means before in the history of ever."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "Not once," he said wryly. "I've run into dozens of different ways species view the Force. The Weequays rely on a Ball of Wisdom to tell them what to do."

[endsthegame]

"A thousand different people in one room means a thousand different interpretations of what anything means," Ender added. "That's the whole problem. And the genius of many a sentient species."

[glacial_queen]

Karla sighed. "When you say it like that, my comment of 'I wish there was a way to get everyone to agree' sounds so petty," she complained.

[momslilassassin]

"Not at all," Ben replied with a little smile. "I think we've all been frustrated with people being people."

[endsthegame]

"Frustrating is just what we do," Ender snarked.

[glacial_queen]

"Well, that's because you're males," Karla teased. "I'm sure you can't help yourselves."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not frustrating," Ben decided. "Just the rest of the multiverse."

Because it worked that way.

[endsthegame]

"Ah, self-delusion," Ender said, poking around the remains of his meal. "Now we're really getting into the human spirit."

[glacial_queen]

"See, Ben?" Karla teased. "Even Ender thinks you're frustrating."

Of course he hadn't meant her!

[momslilassassin]

"He's gotten used to my particular brand of it," Ben claimed.

[endsthegame]

"Please don't argue over me," Ender deadpanned, "My ego can't handle it."

[glacial_queen]

"Then we're agreed," Karla said with a decisive nod. "Be's frustrating, but in a way we've all gotten used to. Excellent."

[momslilassassin]

"Hey!" Ben protested.

[endsthegame]

"If it helps," Ender said, easily, "You and I can agree we feel the same way about Karla."

Though Ender had some slightly more serious reasons for feeling that way, but let's not go into that.

[glacial_queen]

"He's just saying that to make you feel better," Karla assured Ben.

No, no he wasn't.

[momslilassassin]

"If you need to think so," Ben replied with a quick grin.

[endsthegame]

"Mhm," Ender said, which managed to answer absolutely nothing while still projecting the idea of an answer.

He was brilliant that way.

[glacial_queen]

"I do," Karla teased. "It helps me fall asleep at night."

[momslilassassin]

"Then we're all happy in our delusions," Ben replied, reaching out to poke her.

[endsthegame]

"The perfect medium for any human being," Ender said, "And the cycle is once again complete."