Greensboro, North Carolina; Wednesday Afternoon [ 05/06 ].
It was just that sort of day, where the familiarity of how it just felt should have tipped Valentine right off the bat. In a subtle way, it probably did, since she wasn't at all surprised to fine the black car parked at the end of the driveway or the ban leaning against it, waiting for her, looking even a little fatter still from last time.
"Let's walk," Graff said, and Valentine was already rerouting her course for the woods. She fell easily into step with him as they skirted around the bend and through the faint path, off of which still settled shrines of mutilated squirrels and funeral pyres.
"And here I thought maybe this time you'd at least bring flowers."
He didn't say anything and, whether or not he was waiting until they were further away or she gave him something to say, she wasn't sure. So she didn't say anything for a while herself.
"I thought they court martialed you."
"They did."
"Then what are you doing here?"
Graff hesitated again, which was all Valentine needed to know.
She scoffed a little. "Third time's a charm?"
"Any more cliches you'd like to throw at me, Valentine? I thought Demosthenes is supposed to be one of the greatest, creative minds and original voices of our time."
"He is. But he's on vacation right now. He likes to save his brilliance for audiences more worthy to receive it, too. What do you want this time? Can I suggest we try giving him a pony instead?"
"We received a request. For a transfer."
Significance settled heavily on Valentine. "...ah."
"He just sent it, and not a word. Not even to his friends."
"Friend," Valentine corrected. "Singular. I thought you guys took monitors away..."
"We're denying the transfer."
"Of course you are. But you're approving another one, instead, aren't you?"
Graff didn't need to say anything. Valentine knew he was right, and he knew that she was thinking of the list of persuasions he had on hand. They've been through this so many times that Valentine was pretty sure that, as soon as she saw his car, she knew. It seemed all too perfect, too. Seventeen. The last year where something like this would even work. Perfect timing for the last resort to keep Ender to stay put. He wouldn't go anywhere if Dear Sister Val was there with him.
Not to mention that they were basically handing her a chance to be somewhat normal on a silver platter, with a nice pretty bow.
"Another medal in it for me this time, too?"
"Another medal you won't accept?"
"There go all my summer plans, too. I was going to go climb Mount Kilimanjaro this June."
"That a bit lacking in ambition for a Wiggin, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, well, it's not like I can save the world. Or take it over. Those've already been done."
"Is that a yes?"
"Bastard. Like you have to ask. Like you would have bothered coming if you didn't already know it was."
[[ eeeee, establishly! NFI, NFB, obvs, but OOC is yay, especially since it's not WTF Saturday yet ]]
"Let's walk," Graff said, and Valentine was already rerouting her course for the woods. She fell easily into step with him as they skirted around the bend and through the faint path, off of which still settled shrines of mutilated squirrels and funeral pyres.
"And here I thought maybe this time you'd at least bring flowers."
He didn't say anything and, whether or not he was waiting until they were further away or she gave him something to say, she wasn't sure. So she didn't say anything for a while herself.
"I thought they court martialed you."
"They did."
"Then what are you doing here?"
Graff hesitated again, which was all Valentine needed to know.
She scoffed a little. "Third time's a charm?"
"Any more cliches you'd like to throw at me, Valentine? I thought Demosthenes is supposed to be one of the greatest, creative minds and original voices of our time."
"He is. But he's on vacation right now. He likes to save his brilliance for audiences more worthy to receive it, too. What do you want this time? Can I suggest we try giving him a pony instead?"
"We received a request. For a transfer."
Significance settled heavily on Valentine. "...ah."
"He just sent it, and not a word. Not even to his friends."
"Friend," Valentine corrected. "Singular. I thought you guys took monitors away..."
"We're denying the transfer."
"Of course you are. But you're approving another one, instead, aren't you?"
Graff didn't need to say anything. Valentine knew he was right, and he knew that she was thinking of the list of persuasions he had on hand. They've been through this so many times that Valentine was pretty sure that, as soon as she saw his car, she knew. It seemed all too perfect, too. Seventeen. The last year where something like this would even work. Perfect timing for the last resort to keep Ender to stay put. He wouldn't go anywhere if Dear Sister Val was there with him.
Not to mention that they were basically handing her a chance to be somewhat normal on a silver platter, with a nice pretty bow.
"Another medal in it for me this time, too?"
"Another medal you won't accept?"
"There go all my summer plans, too. I was going to go climb Mount Kilimanjaro this June."
"That a bit lacking in ambition for a Wiggin, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, well, it's not like I can save the world. Or take it over. Those've already been done."
"Is that a yes?"
"Bastard. Like you have to ask. Like you would have bothered coming if you didn't already know it was."
[[ eeeee, establishly! NFI, NFB, obvs, but OOC is yay, especially since it's not WTF Saturday yet ]]