#ferdinandanon

[askcrib]

For Valentines day, Crib and TM would find a gift basket dropped on their 'doorstep'. A box of pink and red paper for TM, and a special polishing and cleaning kit from Ferdinand for Crib. "With love from the Ferdy Family" A note on a paper heart said, tucked on the side.

They find the basket a bit late.

Crib could have sworn her boiler dropped into her feet the moment she realized what was in the basket. Polish was a luxury they seldom afforded or felt need for; they kept clean without, and any fancier shine on her usually faded off quickly. 

"How thoughtful," she said inadequately, a meek gratitude stamped in her stare.

TM made a face at the paper, adding it to the basket she keeps her extra notepads in. She was happy to have it, of course, but she only went through so much! Still, there was nothing wrong with having reserves. She insisted on opening Crib’s gift immediately, knowing the older bot would be content to hold onto it forever.

And so for the remainder of February and some time beyond, both Crib and The Mouse looked extra-shiny. As compromise, they saved the rest of the polish for a special occasion.

[askcrib]

That got another giggle out of him. "If y'say so." He leaned against her. "I wonder if that's why mum kept us away from people for so long, so we could get more of a people-shape."Looking up at her, he grinned. "I'm glad I got t'meet ya though. And even TM. I promise I'll tell you two my name when I get it first thing."

The brief touch seems to confuse her more than bother her; burning-hot furnace aside, she can’t imagine she’s all that comfortable to lean on, but it passes and she smiles again when he continues to talk.

"That’s awfully kind of you," she says gratefully. "Sure TM’ll appreciate that enough too." She fiddles idly with the plating on her fingers, before lifting her head in sudden realization. "Did you get out what you came here to talk about? Didn’t mean to derail you or nothin’."

[askcrib]

His tail twitched slowly as he mulled over Cribs words. "So... she's... hehe she sounds a lot like mum." He wrinkled his nose in amusement. "No wonder they fight. An' no wonder we did too." The silence returned for a bit. "Miss Crib... anons do kinda have to take others input. At least until we get a name, how others see is is kinda how we get shaped."

Crib tips her head at him, a tinge of confusion lining her response. “She seemed pretty set on giving you your sister’s name, but you still turned it down; from the sounds of things, you seem like you’ve got just as much autonomy an’ idea ‘bout yourself as anyone. Knowin' what you're not is just as important as knowing what you are.” Again, she shrugs her hands, and lets them settle over her knees. “Already seems like you’re pretty person-shaped, ‘r anon-shaped if you’d rather. Anyways, regardless, you don’t gotta listen to TM when she’s teasing and bein’ a brat.”

[askcrib]

"I like Crib though. It makes me think of being safe and warm. Like you are." He smiled at her, before looking down at the floor. Tracing his finger in little spirals, he tucked his knees tight against his chest. "She wanted to give me a bad name. An' she said boys were gross and bad, when I told her I wanted to be a knight. A boy knight."

Crib’s fire flares softly; she looks away, but does nothing actively to deflect the compliment. Maybe it was literal.

She breathes a little sympathetic sigh as she listens further to him, concern tightening her stare. “Oh, sweetheart,” she hushes, at a slight loss for what to say. She draws up her knees to mirror him, taking a few seconds to sort out her words before she speaks again. “..The Mouse.. has a hard time when people don’t see things th’way she sees ‘em. Even when she’s not right, or when what she thinks doesn’t really matter t’ what’s going on. Her stubbornness ain’t law.

"TM’s got reasons for callin’ herself a girl even though she didn’t have to be neither, an’ my guess is she figured since you said you were undecided you needed help, ‘r something like that. But 's up to you who you are and what you wanna be, and she doesn't get to have input on that.”

[askcrib]

He paused, tilting his head. His tail twitched, betraying his confusion. "People do that? Be mean to people they like?" Another head tilt. "I don't get robots. OR Humans." He sighed. "But you're lucky. You guys get names as soon as your born. Or made."

She takes a few seconds to look at the wall and mull over his words. A vaguely nostalgic smile touches her voice. “The Mouse didn’t get a name until some few weeks after she was activated, ‘cause she didn’t like half of nothing I tried t’ call her after I realized she needed one. Sometimes I think, that woulda been nice, bein’ able to pick an’ choose like that, or like you, but Crib’s what I were called ‘fore I could even comprehend the word was hardly a name.” Crib shakes her head, disentangling herself from that particular tangent. ”..What did TM do to you that was mean?”

[askcrib]

"Nu-uh. I don't like her very much. I don't think she likes me either. And I'm scared she'd try to give me a bad name again." He padded across the floor of the barn, settling down next to Crib. "I wanted to talk to you. Mum likes you, and I do to. You're big but sweet."

"Oh," Crib hums, glancing down at the page number then setting the book down entirely. "TM likes you quite a lot, you know. She gives you a hard time to get a rise out of you, but I don’t think it’s out of malice." She shrugs a hand. "What did you want to talk about?"

[askcrib]

"Crib?" The biggest anon poked his head into the barn. "Miss Crib? Are you here?"

Today, the tarps covering the holes in the roof slump with un-melted snow. Crib sits against the wood pile, beside the bookshelf, reading.

She glances over to the anon, confusion passing through her stare momentarily. “Hello, darlin’,” she greets, folding the book over a finger and looking up at the child fully. “TM’s outside with the boys, if you wanted to play with her.”

[askcrib]

Ferdinand wrapped her in a tight hug. "I promise we will." Taking the kids hands, she paused to glance back at TM. "And thank you for Pansy's name. It is a good name." And with a poof, they were gone.

TM waves, happy to see them go. Crib tucks away the directions for later, cherishing the pleasant lingering emotions from the hug and company.

And just like that, they were home. They settle in to read their letters.

[[fin]]