Open: Well young lady, have you been good to your mother?

[biteybaby]

Sunny Baudelaire has been having quite an exciting time lately. For once, "exciting" means "filled with fun" and not "filled with terror, pain, panic, and an inordinate amount of running and hiding". Without the threat of Count Olaf and his associates finding her in an attempt to steal the Baudelaire fortune, Sunny has had more time for her studies. "Her studies" is a phrase which here means, "catching up on learning how to do things most people take for granted".

She has finally learned how to walk. She thinks the amount of words she is now able to say has increased. Magnu has even taught her a few things in sign language, which she finds is a little easier than speaking. The biggest news is that she now has five very sharp teeth, as opposed to the four she started with when she arrived.

Shortly before she arrived, Mr Poe had told the Baudelaires about an aphorism: It takes a village to raise a child. She wonders if that is why she has had so much time to grow. Her days are spent rotating around between several different guardians, babysitters, and friends, and it has been lovely. She hopes her siblings are having just as good of a time in the village of V.F.D.

Unfortunately I must report that her siblings are not having just as good of a time in the village of V.F.D., nor are they even still in the village of V.F.D. Sunny does not know this. It would probably be for the best if nobody tells her.

Comments

[ravkanwitch]

It still pains Nina in some part of her soul to call it "magic" but she's nothing if not adaptable. She only has her bone shards on her person in a pouch, so she pulls a couple out and sends them spiraling through the air, careful to keep them a good distance from Sunny.

[biteybaby]

“Wow!” Sunny says, smiling. Everyone here is so magical!

[ravkanwitch]

Nina leaves the shards whirling with a simple hand gesture and looks at Sunny speculatively. "Can you do magic, Sunny?" The mansion spirits wouldn't bring an absolutely helpless child in, would they? Then again, her abilities didn't begin developing until she was around 6 or 7. 

[biteybaby]

Sunny shakes her head no. This is why she wanted to eat the gold! Lan Wangji said it would give her magic powers called cultivations. Or something, she can't really remember exactly what he said. She makes a mental note to ask again, the next time she sees him.

[ravkanwitch]

"I see," Nina says, considering things for a moment, retracting the bone shards and send them flying back into the pouch. Khitka has finished her egg (well, she had finished it 10 seconds after Nina put it down) and is now licking the bowl around the ground of the kitchen. "Do you want to do magic?"

[biteybaby]

"Uh huh!"

[ravkanwitch]

She takes out one of her bone lights, a small piece of bone with clear windows in it, filled with a fluorescent material that's inactive right now. "If you're ever in the dark and scared and you need a little light, just say zyoma¹ and give it a good shake." She holds it out to Sunny.

¹Ravkan for 'moon'.

[biteybaby]

Sunny gasps. She hopes she does not need to use it any time soon, but she clutches it tightly anyway. "Thanks!" She doesn't have any pockets in this outfit, so she shoves it down the front of her onesie. For safe keeping.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina hopes she doesn't lose it that way but she has plenty more where it came from. They could come in handy the next time Dark rolls around. "You're very welcome," she tells Sunny.

[biteybaby]

Sunny thinks this sounds a lot easier than eating gold. Though she would prefer to have magic that helps her cook, so she picks the candlestick and starts gnawing on it again.

[ravkanwitch]

Well, it's not hurting her... Nina lets her chew on it and tidies up the bowl that Khitka was licking. "Well, what next? Do you need anything else, Sunny?"

[biteybaby]

Sunny shakes her head no. She's quite content now.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina is still reluctant to leave such a small child on their own -- but she has an idea. "Sunny, if you ever need anything or you're lost and don't know what to do, call Khitka's name and have her come fetch me."

[biteybaby]

"Kicka," Sunny tries to repeat.

[ravkanwitch]

Khitka perks her head up, hopeful for another egg. Close enough. "You've got it," Nina tells Sunny. "And my name is Nina." She fingerspells N-I-N-A; she hasn't figured out an actual sign language name yet. 

[biteybaby]

"Nina," Sunny repeats back, glad that it is an easy name to say, and she tries to repeat back the finger spelling as well.

[ravkanwitch]

"Yes. I'll always help out if you're in trouble -- or if you need help finding a snack," she gives Sunny a little wink.

[biteybaby]

Sunny nods. "Sunny too," Sunny says, which here means, "I will also help you out if you are in trouble or need help finding a snack."

[ravkanwitch]

"Thank you, Sunny," Nina tells her solemnly. "I'll see you soon." It seems like a good time to part ways and it is uneasy to leave a young child alone, but Nina knows that now that Khitka has made a new friend, she'll pop in and check on her every once in a while.

[biteybaby]

"Okay bye!" Sunny waves.