WHO: Boba Fett, Connor, and Peter Parker WHEN: During Mission 004 WHERE: Assigned housing WHAT: Closed starters for "family" interactions NOTES\WARNINGS: Probable mentions of teen parenthood, familial death, and general familial dysfunction
[ In the kitchen, Fett is faring somewhat better than his hapless housemates upstairs. He finds two already-prepared bottles of formula in the refrigerator—a small mercy—and, doing his best to let his mind go blank, brings one over to the sink. He has to take one of his gloves off for this next part and that alone leaves him feeling uncomfortably exposed.
Connor doesn't know what he's asking.
Fett runs the tap, using his now bare hand to check the water temperature. He's waiting for it to be hot enough to warm up the cold bottle of formula, trying hard, again, not to think about how he knows this trick.
It's while he's waiting by the tap, focusing about nothing, that he notices the console. It's affixed to the side of a cupboard, digital text laid out in several lists—and, Fett he, each list is headlined by each of the names of the house's current occupants: him, Connor, and Peter. That gets his attention. Naturally, Fett looks under his own name first. The top entry reads:
Calm a crying baby
'Working on it.' Fett thinks. His eyes move to the next few entries:
Read a book to someone
Give your spouse a kiss
Attend a neighborhood function
Give your neighbor a house-warming gift
Start a book club
Teach your child a skill
Keep your helmet off in the house
It's a list of tasks, Fett realizes. Not unlike the ones Aurora sometimes assigns them. Is this Eos's doing? Fett reads through his list again, incredulity slowly giving way to cold anger. They really are just karking with them at this point, aren't they? It's not enough to be forced to cohabitate with one another, now the AI expects to order them around their roles like dolls in a dollhouse.
Fett turns his head sharply away from the console. He's just... going to pretend he hadn't seen it, for now. He knows he'll have to reckon with it sooner or later, but at the very least, he's not going back in that room without his helmet.
...Calm a crying baby. He'll start there.
It'll be a few minutes before he has the bottle of formula sufficiently warmed up. At that point, he'll head back upstairs. He won't announce his presence just yet, instead waiting outside the door to see what progress—if any—his housemates have made with the baby. ]
[his expression falters, something between a blank stare and confusion, when Peter suggests that the baby might have been programmed to act this way just to be mean to whomever may hold it.]
Normally, features like that would be able to be deactivated. [a flurry of thoughts run through his mind. is it a test? are they being monitored with how they treat the AI infant? is this AI connected to a larger database?] If it's a test, I can think of what they could be testing, but I'm not sure why.
[the pink elephant comes out and Connor watches the interaction, barely taking a whole second to process it and follow suit. another round of cooing, he tries to engage with the baby more and encourage it to cheer up thanks to this
elephant noise??? Connor is doing his best. so is Peter. he is so absolutely engrossed in this activity that he only half-registers Fett's return. he picks up his heartbeat from a scan out of his peripheral, but keeps his focus on the baby.]
[And maybe for Connor, his Stress Levels? Probably. Definitely. Hang in there, buddy. Peter is so engrossed, too, that he's just as surprised to see Fett pop back in. If he's totally honest, he thought maybe the guy just totally flounced out of this situation (which is fair, because Peter would do the same if he wasn't a do-gooder with a hard head, honestly).]
You think she takes real baby formula?
[For the record? Not a lot of progress. But the crying has at least significantly dimmed from the downright feral outrage the baby's cries had been moments before.]
[ Fett doesn't say anything to the apology, mostly because right now he'd prefer not to think of the request that had necessitated it—and the fact that he's going to have to abide by it at some point if he wants to complete his assigned tasks. He also doesn't verbally respond to Peter's question because there's only one way to find out. ]
Give me the baby.
[ 'Calm a crying baby.' It's not the worst item on his list, so he may as well start there. Plus, after seeing their panic and confusion just figuring out how to hold the baby, Fett doesn't quite trust Peter or Connor to feed it without causing further agitation. ]
[Connor's LED flickers yellow at Fett's suggestion. it isn't a suggestion, really - more of an order. Peter is easy to read, all skin and wide eyes and macro-expressions that assist in understanding emotions.
All Connor can work off of Fett is tone of voice and vitals. it's not that he doesn't know how to hold a baby, it's that he's never held a baby. he thought he was doing well. are babies supposed to be handed off constantly to find a source of comfort? how is it supposed to form a connection? and why does he feel protective of it?
but he complies anyway, because it needs to stop. he's less clumsy in his handling than Peter, methodical in the way he hands it off to Fett and asking a personal question along with it:]
[Peter looks between the two of them, split between profound interest in Connor as a robot-guy and Fett as a crouching tiger, hidden dad (and to be honest, the dad thing is something he's less equipped in than robotics, so it's just as captivating).]
That'd be awesome if you do, because we both clearly have no clue how to deal with kids.
I mean, I've been an only kid, and I don't have any cousins or anything like that...
[May and Ben really had very, very few family members, and he's not even sure where his mom's side of the family even is. He thinks maybe he's got grandparents somewhere? Maybe another uncle or aunt? It's a big question mark.]
[ It doesn’t matter how much Fett has been reminding himself that the baby isn’t real; when Connor hands it over to him, he still feels his stomach drop. Still, his movements quickly conform to old instincts, cradling the baby securely while keeping any of her exposed skin from touching the cold plates of his armor. She’s still being fussy, but the exchange doesn’t provoke any renewed shrieking. So far, so good.
Fett’s so focused on the task at hand that it takes him a moment to process Connor’s question and Peter's babbling afterwards. Experience with children? Even without the benefit of seeing Fett's face, they might be able to read the reluctance into the lingering pause that follows, and the single terse syllable afterwards: ]
Some.
[ What is he supposed to say? Not children, just infants and 20-year-old estranged grandchildren who’ve tried to kill him? He doesn’t want to talk about it.
As if sensing the sudden discomfiture in her minder, the baby in his arms begins to squirm. Fett turns his attention back towards her, offering her the bottle of warmed formula. Mercifully, the nursing instinct wins out and she takes it, a few moments of quiet finally descending upon the house.
Fett doesn’t even bother with a sigh of relief. He looks up at Connor and then Peter. ]
There’s something in the kitchen you should see. [ There’s a grimness to his tone, like he’s sharing something he’d rather not. ] On the side of the cabinet next to the sink.
[some. Connor is inclined to ask, but Fett's short answers and dismissive tone is telling him to hold his tongue. not that that ever really stopped him. judging from Fett's natural ability to hold the baby, it's a little more than some. more than the two of them put together, anyway.
his eyes follow every one of Fett's movements. how he tends to the baby, how the baby is even programmed to take formula. he wonders where it goes, or if it dissolves.]
I'll go look, then. Maybe you can join us, since you've been able to calm her down.
[he gives Peter a sidelong glance and his movements are delicate, hardly any sound as he steps around him to make his way to the kitchen. normally, he'd call from the other room when finding a new piece of evidence information, but that could cause more of a fuss. now he's forced to wait. he whispers to himself, then finds the both of them sooner than waiting for them both to arrive, possibly in the hallway.]
One of the tasks is give your spouse a kiss. I don't see how that would be helpful in this situation.
[Peter is wondering much of the same, with regards to the baby: how the heck is it consuming formula? Where does it go? It's clearly real stuff and not those magic toy bottles that look like they're emptying. He doesn't have much more time to question anything because Connor's already on the move.]
Hey, wait for me...!
[Connor does not, in fact, wait for him. Instead, he nearly runs back into Connor in the hallway, where he Peter looks thoroughly confounded.]
Hold on — tasks? What tasks? It sounds more like Truth or Dare for you guys.
[ Fett follows more slowly, both because he's already seen the list and to avoid jostling the still-feeding baby. He joins the other two just in time to hear their little discussion.
(Did the droid have to bring up that one task in particular?) ]
They're not supposed to be helpful. They're making us act out our roles in this... family.
[ He does not sound pleased using that last word. ]
That's why they gave us the baby. We're meant to act like we're actual parents. Or spouses.
[ Fett thinks he'd find second trip into the Sarlacc less agonizing. Unfortunately, he didn't get to choose this mission. He'd like to have a few words with whoever did... ]
[sorry, Peter. Connor's able to process bits of information by just barely glancing at it, which is why they're nearly running into each other in the hall.]
Truth or dare is a game, and would imply that the participants are having fun. [no one has smiled since arriving.] I wouldn't define this as fun. The other tasks involve more social activities. [he glances pointedly at Fett - the task of removing the helmet remains unsaid. back to Peter:]
Then, you're supposed to fill the role of our child. I know what a family is, but I haven't experienced one as you two have.
[another glance at Fett, because he isn't sure if he's experienced family, either. he's only working off of tone of voice.]
I'm having a hard time understanding how Eos thinks forcing strangers together will encourage what people describe as a 'warm' environment.
And you don't even look old enough to have me as a son! What's even their process in deciding who goes where? Or what their goals are? [Looking at the list in question, he's immediately struck by even the concept of a crying baby in his vicinity.] I've barely been able to hold onto a girlfriend for more than a few months; I can't be a — a dad!
[ As much as Fett agrees with both assessments that the situation they've been placed in is both obnoxious and nonsensical, he sees little point in standing here rehashing that fact. Yes, this is terrible. No, standing here criticizing Eos isn't going to make it any less terrible. ]
Eos is playing the same game as Aurora, [ he says impatiently. ] You think she engineered the labyrinth or the cursed toys for our benefit, too? This is a test, just like everything else.
[ Which means, as much as Fett hates it, he isn't going to stand here and let them fail. He thinks back to his own list of tasks. There had been one about teaching his "child" a skill, hadn't there? His visor turns towards Peter. ]
Come here, [ he orders tersely. ] I'm going to teach you how to hold a baby.
It's ... a challenge that I can understand is uncomfortable for all parties involved. Keep in mind this is only for a limited amount of time.
[he isn't made for this. he doesn't think he's quite at uncomfortable-level territory, but he is definitely toeing the line. all attention back on Fett, he's not giving up when it comes to trying to get more information out of him. even if it means cheating.
aka, poke the bear.]
Fett is old enough to have had several children, even grandchildren. If there is supposed to be some benefit to our situation, I'd like to think that we can all learn from each other.
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etrayalogs2024-07-20 04:44 pm
no subject
Connor doesn't know what he's asking.
Fett runs the tap, using his now bare hand to check the water temperature. He's waiting for it to be hot enough to warm up the cold bottle of formula, trying hard, again, not to think about how he knows this trick.
It's while he's waiting by the tap, focusing about nothing, that he notices the console. It's affixed to the side of a cupboard, digital text laid out in several lists—and, Fett he, each list is headlined by each of the names of the house's current occupants: him, Connor, and Peter. That gets his attention. Naturally, Fett looks under his own name first. The top entry reads:
'Working on it.' Fett thinks. His eyes move to the next few entries:
It's a list of tasks, Fett realizes. Not unlike the ones Aurora sometimes assigns them. Is this Eos's doing? Fett reads through his list again, incredulity slowly giving way to cold anger. They really are just karking with them at this point, aren't they? It's not enough to be forced to cohabitate with one another, now the AI expects to order them around their roles like dolls in a dollhouse.
Fett turns his head sharply away from the console. He's just... going to pretend he hadn't seen it, for now. He knows he'll have to reckon with it sooner or later, but at the very least, he's not going back in that room without his helmet.
...Calm a crying baby. He'll start there.
It'll be a few minutes before he has the bottle of formula sufficiently warmed up. At that point, he'll head back upstairs. He won't announce his presence just yet, instead waiting outside the door to see what progress—if any—his housemates have made with the baby. ]
no subject
Normally, features like that would be able to be deactivated. [a flurry of thoughts run through his mind. is it a test? are they being monitored with how they treat the AI infant? is this AI connected to a larger database?] If it's a test, I can think of what they could be testing, but I'm not sure why.
[the pink elephant comes out and Connor watches the interaction, barely taking a whole second to process it and follow suit. another round of cooing, he tries to engage with the baby more and encourage it to cheer up thanks to this
elephant noise??? Connor is doing his best. so is Peter. he is so absolutely engrossed in this activity that he only half-registers Fett's return. he picks up his heartbeat from a scan out of his peripheral, but keeps his focus on the baby.]
Welcome back. I'm sorry if I offended you.
no subject
[And maybe for Connor, his Stress Levels? Probably. Definitely. Hang in there, buddy. Peter is so engrossed, too, that he's just as surprised to see Fett pop back in. If he's totally honest, he thought maybe the guy just totally flounced out of this situation (which is fair, because Peter would do the same if he wasn't a do-gooder with a hard head, honestly).]
You think she takes real baby formula?
[For the record? Not a lot of progress. But the crying has at least significantly dimmed from the downright feral outrage the baby's cries had been moments before.]
no subject
Give me the baby.
[ 'Calm a crying baby.' It's not the worst item on his list, so he may as well start there. Plus, after seeing their panic and confusion just figuring out how to hold the baby, Fett doesn't quite trust Peter or Connor to feed it without causing further agitation. ]
no subject
Something about that doesn't sit right with me.
[Connor's LED flickers yellow at Fett's suggestion. it isn't a suggestion, really - more of an order. Peter is easy to read, all skin and wide eyes and macro-expressions that assist in understanding emotions.
All Connor can work off of Fett is tone of voice and vitals. it's not that he doesn't know how to hold a baby, it's that he's never held a baby. he thought he was doing well. are babies supposed to be handed off constantly to find a source of comfort? how is it supposed to form a connection? and why does he feel protective of it?
but he complies anyway, because it needs to stop. he's less clumsy in his handling than Peter, methodical in the way he hands it off to Fett and asking a personal question along with it:]
Do you have experience with children?
no subject
That'd be awesome if you do, because we both clearly have no clue how to deal with kids.
I mean, I've been an only kid, and I don't have any cousins or anything like that...
[May and Ben really had very, very few family members, and he's not even sure where his mom's side of the family even is. He thinks maybe he's got grandparents somewhere? Maybe another uncle or aunt? It's a big question mark.]
no subject
Fett’s so focused on the task at hand that it takes him a moment to process Connor’s question and Peter's babbling afterwards. Experience with children? Even without the benefit of seeing Fett's face, they might be able to read the reluctance into the lingering pause that follows, and the single terse syllable afterwards: ]
Some.
[ What is he supposed to say? Not children, just infants and 20-year-old estranged grandchildren who’ve tried to kill him? He doesn’t want to talk about it.
As if sensing the sudden discomfiture in her minder, the baby in his arms begins to squirm. Fett turns his attention back towards her, offering her the bottle of warmed formula. Mercifully, the nursing instinct wins out and she takes it, a few moments of quiet finally descending upon the house.
Fett doesn’t even bother with a sigh of relief. He looks up at Connor and then Peter. ]
There’s something in the kitchen you should see. [ There’s a grimness to his tone, like he’s sharing something he’d rather not. ] On the side of the cabinet next to the sink.
i did not get this notif omg
his eyes follow every one of Fett's movements. how he tends to the baby, how the baby is even programmed to take formula. he wonders where it goes, or if it dissolves.]
I'll go look, then. Maybe you can join us, since you've been able to calm her down.
[he gives Peter a sidelong glance and his movements are delicate, hardly any sound as he steps around him to make his way to the kitchen. normally, he'd call from the other room when finding a new piece of
evidenceinformation, but that could cause more of a fuss. now he's forced to wait. he whispers to himself, then finds the both of them sooner than waiting for them both to arrive, possibly in the hallway.]One of the tasks is give your spouse a kiss. I don't see how that would be helpful in this situation.
no subject
Hey, wait for me...!
[Connor does not, in fact, wait for him. Instead, he nearly runs back into Connor in the hallway, where he Peter looks thoroughly confounded.]
Hold on — tasks? What tasks? It sounds more like Truth or Dare for you guys.
[KISSING???]
no subject
(Did the droid have to bring up that one task in particular?) ]
They're not supposed to be helpful. They're making us act out our roles in this... family.
[ He does not sound pleased using that last word. ]
That's why they gave us the baby. We're meant to act like we're actual parents. Or spouses.
[ Fett thinks he'd find second trip into the Sarlacc less agonizing. Unfortunately, he didn't get to choose this mission. He'd like to have a few words with whoever did... ]
no subject
Truth or dare is a game, and would imply that the participants are having fun. [no one has smiled since arriving.] I wouldn't define this as fun. The other tasks involve more social activities. [he glances pointedly at Fett - the task of removing the helmet remains unsaid. back to Peter:]
Then, you're supposed to fill the role of our child. I know what a family is, but I haven't experienced one as you two have.
[another glance at Fett, because he isn't sure if he's experienced family, either. he's only working off of tone of voice.]
I'm having a hard time understanding how Eos thinks forcing strangers together will encourage what people describe as a 'warm' environment.
[this is not warm.]
no subject
[He holds his arms out, looking puzzled.]
And you don't even look old enough to have me as a son! What's even their process in deciding who goes where? Or what their goals are? [Looking at the list in question, he's immediately struck by even the concept of a crying baby in his vicinity.] I've barely been able to hold onto a girlfriend for more than a few months; I can't be a — a dad!
no subject
Eos is playing the same game as Aurora, [ he says impatiently. ] You think she engineered the labyrinth or the cursed toys for our benefit, too? This is a test, just like everything else.
[ Which means, as much as Fett hates it, he isn't going to stand here and let them fail. He thinks back to his own list of tasks. There had been one about teaching his "child" a skill, hadn't there? His visor turns towards Peter. ]
Come here, [ he orders tersely. ] I'm going to teach you how to hold a baby.
no subject
[he isn't made for this. he doesn't think he's quite at uncomfortable-level territory, but he is definitely toeing the line. all attention back on Fett, he's not giving up when it comes to trying to get more information out of him. even if it means cheating.
aka, poke the bear.]
Fett is old enough to have had several children, even grandchildren. If there is supposed to be some benefit to our situation, I'd like to think that we can all learn from each other.