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

[temnota]

Aleksander beamed and immediately unslung the messenger bag he was wearing and set it on the ground next to him. He bent down and gave her a big warm hug. "And how are you today?"

[biteybaby]

"Rakgronel!" she tells him while hugging him, which here means, "I'm as good as can be expected!"

[temnota]

"I am glad to hear that," Aleksander said, choosing to believe that "rakgronel" meant she was doing very well indeed. He grinned at her and patted the bag. "I have something for you."

[biteybaby]

Sunny gasps and waits patiently.

[temnota]

Making a show of it, Aleksander opened his bag and very slowly drew out the carved wooden duck. He smiled playfully as he lifted the duck in the air and made it swim through the air towards Sunny. "This little one was telling me he would like to have a home with a little girl with blonde hair and very sharp teeth and I thought of you at once."

[biteybaby]

Sunny grabs at the small ponytail on top of her head and tries to pull the hair down where she can check the color. It doesn't work, however, as her hair has not yet had much time to grow out, and is still quite short.

[temnota]

Aleksander laughed softly and made the duck gently tap Sunny's forehead. "Will you look after him?"

[biteybaby]

She grins and takes the duck, giving it a big hug.

[temnota]

Sunny's reaction was everything Aleksander had hoped and he couldn't stop beaming. "I knew I could count on you."

[biteybaby]

"Thanks!" She sets the duck safely down on the ground and pats its head, then wraps her arms around Aleksander's neck and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

[temnota]

"You are very welcome," Aleksander said tenderly, bending down so it would be easier for her to reach.

[biteybaby]

She picks up the duck and plays with it. "Plays with it" is a phrase which here means, "starts biting it".

[temnota]

Aleksander watched her for a few moments, a fond smile on his face. It was cruel of the Mansion to bring her here without her family, he thought, but if she had to be here then at least she was surrounded by people who cared about her very much.

"Good?" he asked. "I tried to find a block of wood that would be perfect for biting."

He was not entirely joking.

[biteybaby]

"Good!" she confirms, then holds the duck up to Aleksander's face, in case he wants to bite it too.

[temnota]

Aleksander grinned as he tapped the duck gently. "I am glad. And you are very thoughtful to offer me a bite but I am quite all right. I shouldn't need to bite anything for awhile."

[biteybaby]

In that case she goes back to biting it herself.

[temnota]

Aleksander watched her for a few moments, wanting to give her time to enjoy biting her new friend and find all of the best spots to bite. He was already thinking of what next to carve for her - a sheep or maybe a horse. It needed to be something that would provide good surfaces for biting.

"Will you give him a name?"

[biteybaby]

She looks at the duck. Maybe it does need a name. She has never named a duck before. Uncle Monty named a snake. He gave it a misnomer, which means he gave it a very scary name even though it was the second sweetest snake she has ever known. Maybe she should give this duck a misnomer as well.

"Smodea," she decides on, then giggles to herself. At least the duck can't make her float.

[temnota]

Smodea was a rather unusual name and for a moment, Aleksander wondered if she meant 'Asmodean' but surely not. She hadn't even met him, had she?

"What a perfect name," he said brightly. "I approve."

[biteybaby]

Sunny laughs a lot.

[temnota]

"I am glad you are delighted," Aleksander grinned. "I will have to see what I can do about finding you other little animals. I wouldn't want Smodea to be lonely."