fandomhigh | Practical Philosophy, Wednesday

It was a somewhat tired-looking Ender that met them outside today. He hadn't slept well last night, and he had no doubt his class would suffer because of it. Ah, well; it wasn't like the fate of the planet rested on his shoulders.

"I spent some time talking to some of you about attachment last week," he said. "It's as good a topic as any to head into further, considering that the most notable event of the week was the invasion of a series of clones... and I'm not sure how interesting discussing the ethics of cloning would be."

Or pink ponies, for that matter.

"So. Attachments. Do you need them? Don't you? When do they go 'too far'? Human social structure relies on them - in so many ways - but for us personally the experience of them can differ wildly, depending on our circumstances. Sometimes it may be advantageous to avoid them altogether, to get rid of distraction. And sometimes they can suddenly come through in unexpected ways, as our friends swoop in to clear debris and fight battles we thought we had to face alone."

He shrugged lightly.

"I have a complicated relationship with the notion myself," he said. "I'm an introvert. I prefer to keep my circle small, so it doesn't suck up too much of my energy, and so I can rely on the fact that those I care about are invested enough to stick with me."

To a point. Ender's real thoughts on the matter were rather more complicated.

"Some of you are social butterflies. Some of you aren't. Some people have a near traumatic reaction to the end of the summer - the time of year when all the graduates leave. I wonder how all of you'll handle that."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ender snorted. "Not really," he said. "It just makes you a teenager. Not everyone is my brother."

"Or you," Cade said, "or Ben, or my father..."

"All my ambition amounts to making up for something terrible I did when I was young," Ender said, "So don't envy me. As for Ben, his chief ambition was to follow me, at least for a while, until he figured himself out."

That turned permanent, but still.

"He's still doing that," Cade pointed out.

"Luck of the draw," Ender said.

"For you or him?" Cade asked with a smile.

"Both of us, in retrospect," Ender said, "But you shouldn't have tried telling me that when I was eighteen."

"Were you being a stubborn bastard about it?" Cade asked.

"I put off mentioning anything about my feelings towards Ben for over two years," Ender said. "Partly because he had a girlfriend. Partly because I'd decided that I wouldn't be able to provide any kind of life for him that he'd be able to thrive in."

Cade snorted. "How do we manage to run the psychological gambit from 'let's rule the galaxy' to 'I'm not good enough for them'?"

"By being human," Ender said wryly, "and having the bad fortune of winding up in positions of responsibility far too young."

Cade heaved a sigh. "We're a karked up family, aren't we?"

"Yes," Ender said. He shrugged. "But so are most families. The only problem with ours is that our choices have a better chance than most to affect two galaxies."

Cade nodded. "I don't want that responsibility at all."

"You can still disappear," Ender noted. "Your uncle did. And from what I glean, whatever trouble my daughter is stirring up, it's not the deadly kind."

Cade nodded, chewing at his lower lip. "I might."

"But I'm not going to condemn you if you find yourself in trouble at the forefront of whatever's brewing, either," Ender said. "We seem to have a knack for that. Just keep in mind that there's a choice."

Cade nodded again. "I'm not exactly filled wit the urge to be killed before I hit twenty."

"Go visit your aunt," Ender said dryly, though he wasn't entirely kidding.

"After I have a big party at your house on Naboo," Cade threatened.

"I'm sure I'll rise from the dead to be upset about it," Ender deadpanned.

Cade made a face at him. He didn't like remembering that particular reality of his version of the galaxy.

~~Considering Ender's canon fate, Val Skywalker might have a surprise for him yet.~~

"Oh, hush," he said. "You'll still have this version of myself, and I can't croak until your father's born."

"Doesn't mean I want to think about it," Cade muttered.

"People die," Ender said.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - NFB

makemyownway.livejournal.com - 2014-07-11 22:17 (UTC) - Expand

endsthegame - 2014-07-12 01:05 (UTC) - Expand

makemyownway.livejournal.com - 2014-07-12 11:53 (UTC) - Expand

endsthegame - 2014-07-12 11:57 (UTC) - Expand