fandomhigh | Practical Philosophy, Monday

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Practical Philosophy, Monday

Yesterday's revelation that they were releasing another movie about his life had not put Ender in the best mood. It was a harsh reminder that what awaited him back home wasn't always much better than what met him here-- at least at Fandom he could expect a certain degree of anonymity.

While he tried to keep the annoyance and frustration and numerous other emotions out of his work today, it was obvious he was quieter and more distant than he usually was. He picked a topic that was as comfortably distant from his own experience as he could find, without becoming irrelevant to their story entirely.

"This is our last class," he said. "Sooner or later, you'll find yourself at your last class, period. Fandom is a school and so your stay here comes with an expiration date. Are you glad about that? Relieved? Unhappy? When you leave, what will you carry with you of this place? Mostly negative experiences? Mostly positive? Why?"

Then he fell silent.

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"Word through the grapevine says it can," Sparkle agreed with a frown. "Like the whole unwilling sex change bit, or when people turn into kids. I dunno about stuff like when our kids show up, but a lot of the 'changing into shit' stuff? It totally does. Hell, Alec turned into a panther cub while we were at the Baltimore zoo, once. Not even on the island."

Ender nodded. "There's been reports of people turning into children or animals while away," he said. "The weather effects are limited to this place, but everything else seems fair game."

"Is there any explanation for that that isn't 'it's magic'?" Karina asked, frowning. "Because, like, that's not fair."

Not that life was fair but whatever.

"Call the island sentient, blame it on the machines that keep it going, maybe a local physics field that follows people," Ender said. "Nobody knows, unfortunately."

"I wish I'd known that before I'd ever set foot on this place," she said, trying very hard to keep the whine out of her voice.

"We should take that phrase and engrave it above the school gate," Ender said.

"Where it'd be totally useful, I'm sure," she said, a touch dryly.

"It'd add a touch of irony, at least."

"I really don't think the school needs it," she said. "Do you?"

"I think the irony's already there," Ender said. "Spelling it out just makes it easier to notice."

"I guess so," she conceded. "It's not the same as giant neon warning signs though. Those would be better."

"I..."

Well, shit.

"I didn't want to know that," she said plaintively. "Except I think I should have known that before."

"It's probably something they should've put in the brochure," Sparkle mused. "'Ever dream of spending the rest of your life wondering if you'll still be a chick when you wake up the next morning? Look no farther, Fandom High is probably the screwed-up high school for you.'"

"That's terrible," she said, laughing reluctantly. "But I'd have appreciated it. As a way of knowing it wasn't the school for me."

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Practical Philosophy, Monday

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