Skit 13: Parenthood

[protosshaze]

I got to see a baby once. It was very small, and they said I could be the godmother.

I heard that you have to be married first before you have a baby. Why is that? What happens if you aren't married first? Asbel isn't married... But then, I'm not a baby. Are there different rules if the child is older?

Comments

[whistles_the_blues]

[Have a grouchy robot.]

You don't have to. Some people just want to make things needlessly complicated.

[protosshaze]

Oh? So you don't have to get married.

[whistles_the_blues]

There's no real rule that says you can't, people have been having babies before marriage was even a thing.

[protosshaze]

In the secret base.

[whistles_the_blues]

Secret base?

[protosshaze]

Where the babies come from.

[whistles_the_blues]

...What?

[protosshaze]

Isn't that amazing? There's a secret base just for babies!

[whistles_the_blues]

I guess? There's a secret base for babies? Where did you hear that?

[protosshaze]

The person calling them beansprouts told me.

[whistles_the_blues]

Right.

[Okay. He doesn't buy that for a second.]

What else did they say?

[protosshaze]

It was a natural place, so maybe in a cave or a tree.

[whistles_the_blues]

So there's a cave or tree... Or something that babies hideout in?

For some reason I doubt that, but it would be interesting to see.

[protosshaze]

But where else would they come from?

[whistles_the_blues]

[Okay... He wasn't prepared to answer this question.]

Maybe they're built?

[protosshaze]

They're like us?

[whistles_the_blues]

Ye-No. Kind of. Actually, forget I said anything.

[protosshaze]

Why? Did you say something bad?

[whistles_the_blues]

No, it's just complicated. They all hang out in a secret base, that's simpler.

[protosshaze]

Oh... Okay.

[whistles_the_blues]

Maybe I'll explain it to you later.

[Dictated]

[therealrisette]

[Whoops, someone left her journal out today. A very young voice speaks.]

How old are you, Miss? I'm this many!

[Someone's a bit too young to understand that the person talking through the magic book can't see her... but she seems very proud of whatever number she's signaling!]

[Dictated]

[protosshaze]

This many what?

[Dictated forevs~]

[therealrisette]

[The voice giggles - an eerily familiar, if much more youthful giggle.]

Years old, silly!

[Everyone understands what "this many" means, right? And Shiori at least understands the phrase "years old". That's what you say after the number!]

[protosshaze]

[ah but Sophie knew Cheria as a child, so it's very familiar indeed]

Cheria, is that you?

1/2

[therealrisette]

[Before the girl can answer, Rise's voice comes through the journal, sounding much farther away.]

"Shiori-chan?"

[The little girl draws a sharp breath, suddenly losing interest in the magic book. Or at least, pretending she was never talking to it in the first place.]

2/2

[therealrisette]

Oh, there you are! Have you been talking to Mama's journal?

[Rise makes it sound more like a game than an accusation, so Shiori just giggles without answering.]

I thought so! Who is it?

[Rise glances over the transcribed entry, and gasps in surprise.]

Sophie-chan?

[Crap... awkward questions about parents and children are not helping Rise keep playing the mommy role. Hopefully, Shiori distracted her away from that subject...]

[protosshaze]

Oh, Rise-chan. Was that your daughter? She sounded like you.

[therealrisette]

[Ugh, she's still not used to people asking about "her daughter"...]

Uh... yeah, I guess? Her name's Shiori.

Shiori, this is... Mama's friend Sophie.

"Hi, Sophie-neechan!"

[Rise's blushing so hard right now... she feels like she's accepting this whole situation as normal just by acknowledging it...]

[protosshaze]

Hello, Shiori-neechan. [she has no idea what that word means]

[therealrisette]

[Shiori giggles as if Sophie just made a really funny joke.

Rise, however, totally saw that coming, and sheepishly explains.]

She's calling you Big Sister Sophie... just Shiori-chan is fine...

[How did she end up explaining some of the finer points of Japanese honorifics to Sophie about her own daughter of all things?

But at least it's keeping her from having to explain how she has a daughter (and who she has one with) in the first place.]

[protosshaze]

I like being a big sister. Pascal calls Hubert "Little Bro" all the time.

[therealrisette]

[Okay, that was a really cute response. And Shiori throws even more adorable on top of it.]

"Yay! I wanna meet Sophie-neechan!"

[Rise is so not used to being the rational adult! But she tries...]

Maybe if she's not busy, she'll let us come visit sometime!

[Actually, she'd been planning to bring Shiori to the castle, ever since she found out she could. If only to get a break from all this emphasis on ~family~ here...]

Would that be okay, Sophie-chan?

[protosshaze]

Of course! Where are you?

[therealrisette]

[Shiori excitedly answers - she knows this one!]

"Home!"

[Rise chuckles and elaborates for her.]

We're not in the castle, but we can be back there in a few minutes! Maybe we could meet in the lobby?

[She's actually kind of excited about bringing her daughter over to meet her friends... if she doesn't think about it too hard.]

[protosshaze]

Okay. I'll wait in the lobby.

[... and Action!]

[therealrisette]

Okay! We'll see you there!

[And Rise closes her journal before she can broadcast herself being even more frighteningly maternal over Shiori. Because she's definitely going to fuss over her a bit before taking her anywhere.

But all things considered, they actually show up at the lobby fairly quickly! Sophie would obviously recognize Rise walking in, and it wouldn't take much of a guess to surmise that the tiny toddler holding her hand is Shiori.

As soon as Rise points Sophie out, Shiori breaks away and rushes forward, smiling and waving. And Rise rushes to catch up with the little ball of energy...]

Hey~!

[She's sure she's supposed to be scolding Shiori for running away like that, but she's actually smiling - almost proudly. For some reason, it's a relief that Shiori isn't as shy as she was at her age...]

"Hi! Are you Sophie-neechan?"

[The tiny girl beams up at Sophie as Rise catches up behind her.]

[protosshaze]

[Sophie loves kids and is delighted to meet Rise's. She lights up in a smile, reaching out to take Shiori into her arms. She's strong enough to hoist the girl into the air]

Yes, I am. I'm happy to meet you, Shiori-chan.