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."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

HE SHOULD GET A BETTER VOCABULARY THEN.

"Is that really all we do?" Kathy snorted. "Prance around in skirts and teeny tops, making sure our hair and makeup look good? Just so we can hopefully catch some guy's attention?"

C'mon, Kathy. Cade had mentioned hiding weapons!

"And take all his stuff while he's staring, yeah," Cade replied. "And possibly shooting him in the kneecaps or whatever his species' equivalent is."

That stopped Kathy cold for a second.

"Wait, what?"

"It's what all the girls at home do."

Granted, all the girls Cade knew were either pirates or girls who worked in cantinas where pirates hung out, so...your experience may vary.

"...So all the girls you know use sex and sexuality for material gain." Kathy was back to being angry.

"Well, not Sia," Cade relented. "She just uses being scary."

She'll love you for that description, Cade.

"Do you ever talk to girls?" Kathy demanded. "Or are you too busy mouthbreathing and staring at their chests?"

Kathy had her arms crossed defensively over hers. In no small part because she didn't have much chest to speak of.

"I talk to a lot of girls," Cade said. "I just don't think it's that hard being one."

Kathy threw up her hands in disgust--and then slowly began tilting over backwards. Stupid null-G. "Well, maybe you're super-lucky and come from a magically egalitarian country where the genders are created equally and PMS is cured by delicious chocolate that helps you lose weight, but for those of us who don't get to dabble in girlhood for a day or two can tell you that you don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Could Cade ignore the fact that Kathy was currently doing the world's slowest backbend while she made her point? That would be keen.

No, Cade could not. He snickered. "Need a hand back up?"

At least he wasn't a total dick?

Was it possible to blush in null-g? Kathy was giving it a shot. "Yes please," she mumbled, after trying to kick herself back into a sitting position and failing.

"You're overthinking it," said the boy who grew up in space. "Stay closer to the wall and do small movements."

Practical Philosophy, Monday

Re: Talk.

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