The Wiggin Family Home, Greensboro, North Carolina, Thursday Morning

[lockestheway]

Peter stared at his essay again, good and long as it was. It detailed everything, or at least everything he could confess to considering his chosen spin and the fact Bean's whereabouts had to remain secret.

He had thanked the leaders who had proposed to elect him as the next Hegemon. He had admitted candidly that he was not a viable candidate

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

Reading the email, Natalie got about halfway through a '... WHAT' before she decided that actually, she wasn't that surprised. Not really. With Peter's obvious ambition and poorly veiled disdain for normal teenage things, something like this should maybe have even been expected.

(It was still a little surprising. But she might not admit that.)

She shook her head and settled down to read through the essay. Only after that did she type up a replying email:

Well, good thing your stint as a fox didn't last longer, then.

- Nat

She probably had other things to say, too, but she figured a certain Natalie-like laconism was always a good first bet.

[lockestheway]

Peter opened up the email, fully expecting some kind of... something-- big, serious, maybe some condescension or recognition of what he'd been doing.

Instead, he got... well, Natalie being Natalie.

He managed to cough up a surprised laugh as he read it.

That was a terrible pain in the ass.

No questions?

-- Peter

[whenshewasnice]

It was practically Natalie's job not to provide people with the reactions they were expecting. Seemed that way sometimes, anyhow.

Essay was fairly thorough. I'm failing to be really stupendously surprised, really.

[lockestheway]

I'll choose to take that as a compliment and not a slight to my character, Peter wrote back. It appears I won't be joining any of you to play cheerleader at graduation this time. Sorry about that.

[dollpocalypse]

You okay?

It was Peter, so if he wasn't, he wouldn't say so. But it was also Topher, and the fact that it even occured to him to ask was probably a little bit miraculous. So.

[lockestheway]

Yeah, that was downright... bizarre, Topher.

I'm absolutely fine. I'm just weighing my options.

[dollpocalypse]

?

Eloquent.

[lockestheway]

Weighing my options. It's a term you might have heard of.

Sorry, Topher, but you'd earned that.

[chief_cheerio]

The main thing Quinn had learned about Fandom over the last two years was that wasting time on disbelief just made you look like a rube. Besides: Once she admitted it was possible, she wasn't even that surprised.

So:

I hope you didn't do this just to get out of the pompom thing. Stay safe. - Q

Which was about as much concern as she felt she could express.

[lockestheway]

The pompom thing would be markedly less dangerous and more desirable right now, trust me, Peter wrote. Send me pictures of graduation.

It never hurt to try social graces, right?

... well, it usually did. He just had different things to worry about now.

[chief_cheerio]

Sure. You're going to take the time to look at them in your trying-not-to-get-killed-hideout?

Quinn didn't mind the social graces, the timing was just a bit ... incongruous

[lockestheway]

If I get stuck in a tunnel underground somewhere, I'd need something to do. But I'm not hoping for that, no.

[icecoldfrost]

From: Frost, Emma Grace
To: Locke <***********>
RE: our deeds disguise us

Darling, point me at one person at Fandom High that is entirely truthful, and then I shall feign surprise. Until then, do try not to become roadkill.

Regards,
~ Emma

[lockestheway]

From: Locke
To: Frost, Emma Grace
RE: our deeds disguise us

Surprise isn't asked for or expected. Your wishes, however, are appreciated.

If you have any tips on avoiding homicidal connections-wielding psychopaths, however, as I'm sure someone at Fandom must, I'd appreciate that even more.

Regards,
Peter Wiggin (Locke)

[momslilassassin]

From: Ben Skywalker
To: Peter Wiggin <*********>

Note how I'm not calling your departure an unexpected and unnecessary grad gift to your brother and me, and not just because Achilles is kriffing scary. (And it's not because I like you overly much, either, so don't have a heart attack thinking that.)

I saw Bean's not as dead as previously imagined, so your timeline and Ender's might not be that drastically different. That doesn't mean you should underestimate Achilles, as he's still REALLY KRIFFING SCARY.

Really. A lot. Don't be a dumbass about him.

--B.

[lockestheway]

From: Locke
To: Ben Skywalker

I've been made very aware of how dangerous Achilles is. Don't worry about that.

Look after my brother. And under no circumstances tell him I said so.

Regards,
Peter Wiggin (Locke)

[momslilassassin]

From: Ben Skywalker
To: Peter Wiggin

Wouldn't dream of it. Watch yourself, too: he'd miss you.

Ben Skywalker (Ben)

PS: If you feel the overwhelming urge to kick Bean, do it.

[lockestheway]

From: Locke
To: Ben Skywalker

He is an arrogant little brat, isn't he.

Peter.