Fourth Floor Common Room; Wednesday Afternoon [11/14].

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Even though he knew it was just a silly school assignment, one that truthfully didn't have any bearing on anything of any real significance in the world, Sidon couldn't help finding himself wholly dedicated to his little robot baby for Ethics class. Perhaps it was just what happened when you were the product of a war-torn world; his memories of the Calamity were fuzzy, it was true, but there was no denying that he's lost a great deal. All of Hyrule had, and they'd spent decades just trying to rebuild. So new life was precious; every new soul made the hope for the future that much stronger. So he took it seriously, even if he knew deep down it wasn't real. It made him feel better, like he was doing something good, anyway.

Besides, he'd kind of grown a little fond of little Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third from the moment he discovered she wouldn't potentially kill him from electrical shock. And in the last twenty four hours, she had quickly become the most spoiled robot baby probably to ever be assigned to a student at this school. He couldn't help it! He wanted to make sure her every little need was met (and not just because the wailing sound they made was really quite terrible). And it wouldn't all be a waste, either, since he planned to ask Miss Syndulla and Mr. Jarrus if they knew of any places on the mainland where he could donate all of Steelquake's things once the assignment was over, so they could then go to another child who might be in need.

He's even taken some time to study up on how humans raised their children, generally, which was a rather broad category, it turned out! But, since he was the parent here, he wanted to make sure she had a good solid Zora upbringing in their short time together, too. And that meant being reared communally, which was why they were going to be spending their time in the common room today, where could set down some blankets and pillows for Steelquake, surrounding her with many of the toys he'd picked up for her, especially the stuffed animals, especially all the ocean themed ones, the fish and the sharks and octopi and crabs, and he certainly hoped Steelquake would have a great love for stories, because stories was what she was getting, eagerly and boldly told with the sea critters dancing in front of her as they became the actors for the marvelous tales he was weaving.

And though it obviously kept her quiet and entertained, it was pretty clear which one of them was enjoying it more.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third.

[[fun fact: if you look up the word 'extra' in a Hylian dictionary, it just takes you to a big ol' picture of this guy. Open common room is open!]]

Comments

[chirpchirpchirp]

True story: Vette sometimes wandered to common rooms not of her own floor entirely because, if she was going to stage a grand caper involving making off with somebody's Sugar Bombs, she sure as heck wasn't going to be doing it so close to home that someone would immediately suspect her of that particular crime.

Today, the fourth floor was going to be the hapless victim.

Or... would have been, if she hadn't taken three steps into the common room, spotted the Zora, spotted the toys, and stopped in her tracks.

"Um?"

She was confused. She was so very confused.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

It probably would be a little difficult to find the actual robot baby somewhere in there among all those toys...

"Hm?" The great shark princess was just about to save a school of clownfish from a bunch of mean alligators when Sidon noticed someone had come in; he turned his head and immediately grinned when he saw who it was. "Oh! Vette! Wonderful! Come meet Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third! I was just telling her a story to help pass the time until she's ready for a nap, though I suppose it may be a while, as we've just gotten to quite the most exciting and thrilling part! Haven't we, Steelquake?" His grin was entirely on the baby now, playing with those aforementioned Gentletoes, because she did seem to enjoy that.

"To be continued, little one," he said. "We're perhaps overdue for an intermission."

[chirpchirpchirp]

"Steelquake?" Vette really couldn't talk when it came to names. After all, she called herself Vette. But, in her defense, she'd been eight at the time. "You're babysitting?"

She made her way into the common room, looking at the baby in equal parts curiosity and utter confusion.

... Oh, that was some weird human uncanny valley poodoo going on right the heck there.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Temporary parent," Sidon offered by way of explanation and a smile. "It's our most recent assignment for Eth--"

And now that uncanny valley poodoo was quickly realizing that the story was stopping and decided to make it very clear that she did not approve of this change of plans.

"No, no, no!" Sidon gushed quickly, attention diving right back toward the robot and her toes before he swept back up the shark princess and danced her in a few waves in front of her. "It's alright, Steelquake, see? The princess is still here, and oh! Watch out!" He chuckled a little as the shark made a dive for the baby. "She's coming in for kisses!"

Complete with sound effects and tickling the baby's belly with his other hand, which worked like a charm.

For now.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette was staring at this whole scene with a mixture of something between quiet awe and utter confusion on her face. Sidon definitely seemed to be taking to the assignment, whatever it was, and she couldn't deny that he seemed to be doing a great job of it.

It was just, there was so much stuff here, for a baby who, was kind of just a glorified droid.

She took a seat not far off, picking up a stuffed octopus and looking it over in bemusement.

"Does she actually play with all of these?"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"No," Sidon admitted a little sheepishly, though Steelquake was definitely clinging to the princess shark at the moment...and chewing on it. Which effectively kept her from yelling, at the very least. "I honestly wasn't sure what she'd like, and figured, this way, she'd have plenty to choose from and she certainly has picked out some favorites. She mostly just enjoys clinging and chewing at the moment, and watching them move around. I don't think she entirely understands the stories, either, but it's very clear she likes to listen, and she gets terribly upset when I stop."

He found it fairly fascinating himself, seeing what worked, what didn't, sticking with what did and trying to develop from it.

"Don't you," he bopped the baby lightly on her nose with his finger, "you funny little shrimp. You are a most excellent listener! Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third! The greatest listener on the whole island!"

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette took a few seconds to entertain herself by waggling some of the octopus tentacles around with her fingers. She grinned slightly as she looked up again.

"She's not the interrupting sort, except with the whole crying thing, huh?" She gave a soft laugh. "Or maybe she just wants to eat all the toys. Either way, you seem to have a handle on this, huh?"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Well," Sidon noted with a laugh, "if it is toys that she eats, she will surely be exceptionally well fed! And, yes." He took a moment to preen a little proudly right then. "I must say I do feel I've got a handle on it, yes. Granted, I've only had her for about a day now, there's still quite a bit of the week left and sleeping is still something she doesn't seem to fond of doing, but I'm certain I can crack that particular puzzle in no time. I'm excited to see how she'll take to the animals at the shelter tomorrow, too. Surely, between playing out here today and accompanying me to work tomorrow, she'll finally be worn out from all the excitement to have a more restful slumber."

...he hoped.

Not that he minded terribly, of course, but he did rather try to not be a bother to Paris, and a screaming robot baby was yet another thing on the very considerable list of Things Paris Does Not Enjoy, and he couldn't entirely blame her, either.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Eh, Paris had tried to use her as a living shield against puppies. Vette had opinions about Paris.

Mostly that her suffering was delightful.

"I mean... maybe," she said, slightly dubiously, even as she leaned in to make the octopus wave hello to the... baby. Droid. Thing. "From what I understand, sometimes babies just have a difficult time sleeping for no obvious reason at all."

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina had, like, totally trailed up behind Vette (she'd done it to see if Vette would notice; and because more practice was never a bad thing) but after lingering outside the common room for a few minutes, she wandered right on in.

And took in the tableau.

"Oh my gosh, what is that??????????????"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon didn't need to turn his attention away from Steelquake to recognize that voice and tone, no, and he chuckled a little, still distracting the robot baby with some air-swimming fish.

"This," he informed her proudly, "is Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third, and it is my esteemed honor t be her temporary parent for the next week. Come and say hello, Nina! I know she'll be wonderfully excited to meet another delightful friend."

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina's eyes went wide as she took in that name, Sidon's obvious pride, and the whole... air-swimming fish.

Honestly, her thoughts basically boiled down to: !!!!!!!!!

"Well, if you insist!!!!!!!!!!!" she said, since it was Sidon and a... baby, she supposed, though she pitied it with that name. So much teasing was going to happen on the schoolyard when the child was older. Nina wandered over, clasping her hands behind her back. "That's quite a name for the baby!!!!!!!!! Are you, like, babysitting?????????????"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"She was named by Dr. Aphra," Sidon explained with a chuckle. "I assure you, Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third is not even remotely a Zora name, though I do find it rather endearing all the same, especially since her toes are, indeed, quite gentle. I have been assigned to be her temporary parent for the week, as part of a lesson for Ethics class, I suppose to teach us the responsibility of taking care of a child, and I fully intend to do a excellent job of it."

As proven by the fact that he moved in to tickle Steelquake and snuggle a fish against her cheek with a few blub blub blub noises (that's the sound fish made, apparently) when she started to whine and fuss from Sidon's attention being diverted to something that was decidedly not her.

[bookbeltof_love]

And, wouldn't you know it, but Nina melted at the blub blubbing.

Oh no. Too cute.

"Awwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!" she said, kneeling down on the blanket. "Oh my gosh, what a cutie!!!!!!!! I just bet her toes are the most gentle!!!!!!!"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"They truly are!" Sidon assured her with a laugh, a delighted burst at first that settled down into something softer and pleased, and he shifted over to make a bit more room. "You can see for yourself, if you like. She likes having her gentle toes tickled. Isn't that right, sweet Steelquake? Would you mind showing my very good friend Nina your gentle toes?"

The gurgling Steelquake gave in response was either an agreement or one of her hazel burps building it.

Probably the latter.

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina's own laugh wasn't soft, but it was entirely unfeigned.

"Do you think she understands you??????? At such a young age?????"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Probably not, no," Sidon admitted with a chuckle, "but does it matter either way? From what I've researched, and it hasn't been much, I've only gotten her yesterday, I'll likely not have her long enough to develop any language skills, but it does seem that, were she a real child, it would be an incredible benefit to have someone speak with her as if she could. Eventually, after all, she would, and I rather enjoy it, anyway. She responds favorably to the sound of my voice, at any rate, and if that soothes her and keeps her from crying, that I shall continue to talk to her for as long as she's delighted and entertained."

As if Sidon needed that much of an excuse to talk at things, anyway.

[bookbeltof_love]

"You do have a lovely voice," Nina said encouragingly. "Like, if you weren't a prince, you'd make a totally great bard or something??????????"

Though she had no idea what his singing voice was like, but half of any good bard's job was telling stories anyway.

[chirpchirpchirp]

It was a sentient nightmare robot and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

"Help," Vette stage-whispered to Nina. "Steelquake keeps staring at me."

[bookbeltof_love]

"I mean, like????????" Nina, that wasn't a sentence. "At her age, I don't think she can really see you?????????"

Nina's stage-whisper was just as bad as Vette's, for the record.

[chirpchirpchirp]

"I'm pretty sure she sees me," Vette countered. Because that was a perfectly reasonable counter-argument. Probably helped along with the fact that the baby's eyes had been locked on her ever since it noticed she was there. "She's not a puppy, her eyes are open and they work and everything."

Also: Robot.

[bookbeltof_love]

Psh, as if Nina was going to understand robots.

Nina shrugged, not the slightest bit apologetic.

"Maybe she likes you????? I mean, she's Sidon's baby for the week and he likes you!!!!!!!!!"

Nina was sometimes terrible.

[chirpchirpchirp]

"Okay, but Sidon likes everyone," Vette protested, a little more quietly, her cheeks going hot. "And Steelquake isn't Sidon!"

[bookbeltof_love]

"He doesn't like everyone as much as he likes you," Nina said, in a sing-song sort of voice. "But, like, he has great taste???????? And I bet the baby thinks so too!!!!!!!!!!"

Nina thought Vette was pretty awesome, so.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette... flailed. And attempted to hide behind the stuffed octopus.

"You're being silly now," she accused, shaking her head and ducking down a little bit. "Come on, stop that."