fandomhigh | Practical Philosophy, Monday

For once, Ender had sent out an invite to his students to show up to the Danger Shop, not the lawn. Entering through the doors would get them into what looked like a large airlock, with rounded walls in stark whites and greys. There was a bigger door up ahead; Ender was standing right in front of it.

"It's a little warm outside," he said, "And it's been a quiet week. So I thought I'd try something different."

He reached out and rapped his knuckles on one of the walls. "Different for you, but not different for me," he said. "My old school used this technique to prompt us to think out of the box. I'm going to give you some time to adjust before we talk this time. Call it a lesson in perspective."

Then he opened up the door and hurled himself into the room ahead, folding his legs under him. Zero gravity meant that his momentum carried him. He caught his movement on the opposing wall with extreme grace, bouncing off at a different angle, and then another one, and then another.

Eventually he hooked his feet under a set of handholds. The way he was standing, the opening from the door was right above him. He had to look up to look at his students.

"There are a lot of issues involved in what Fandom does to us," he said. "Issues of consent. Issues of privacy. Issues of bodily autonomy. It can be easy to disregard that sometimes it's useful to experience something from a different point of view - not that that makes any of those other issues irrelevant. Orient yourself. Then we can share some experiences."

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Gert was very, very wary about entering this thing, and it showed. She gripped a handhold near the entrance tight with both hands and wasn't even going to think about letting go and descending (ascending?) further into the room.

Cade waved from where he was perched on the side of the wall. "It's fun," he said. "Like freefalling. You're not scared, are you?"

"No," Gert grumbled at once, which was a huge lie. "It's just weird. I don't want to bump into people."

"Like you even like these people," Cade scoffed.

Sorry, other people.

"C'mon. It's not gonna kill you."

"Yeah, that's exactly why I don't want to bump into them," she groused. "Plus that one guy looks like he's about to hurl," she added, nodding toward Flick, "and I don't want to be any closer to him when he does. Or anyone who might be having a similar issue."

"Then scrunch your legs down and jump away from him," Cade counseled, "but not too hard. You'll bounce around the room and then I'll laugh at you."

"Sweet of you," Gert said dryly, but she looked a little more comfortable now that he'd explained how to move. "I'll try it in a minute. Let's just see if he's actually gonna puke first."

Actually she was just working up the courage to move. Shhh.

"If he does, we're all gonna have to leave because that will be really karking nasty."

Thank you, Cade.

"It'll probably congregate by the airlock, too," Gert grumbled helpfully. "If I'm understanding the physics correctly."

She paused, maintaining her death-grip on the handhold with nine fingers even as she released one finger to twirl in a small circle. "Yay."

"So you should probably get in first before he yaks and it ends up all over you."

Cade was super sympathetic.

Gert looked as if she wanted to argue with that, but after opening and closing her mouth once or twice, she decided that she couldn't.

"Surprisingly well-reasoned, Skywalker," she said, sounding sincerely taken aback.

Then she uncurled her fingers from around the handhold and slowly moved to the next one, asking over her shoulder, "Happy now?"

"Karking thrilled," Cade said dryly.

Practical Philosophy, Monday

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