Ethics, Tuesday, February 10, 2015, 2nd period

[sith_happened]

Do you hear the sound of mechanized screaming, kids? Do you have a bad feeling about this?

Good. It's terrifying robotic toddler week!

"The issue of ethics is about more than simply the greater fate of the galaxy - or your personal relationships," Obi-Wan said. He was trying not to side-eye the robotic toddlers too much; did you have to make them so creepy, Anakin? "Within our old Order, it was said that a Jedi did not truly become a Master until he had trained a younger Jedi. Caring for another is a daunting task in its own right."

It's so they don't get attached! It's very Jedi! And not all Anakin just being a jerk!

...it was about 80 percent Anakin being a jerk.

"Depending on your universe of origin, it's entirely possibly you're expected to either take care of younger siblings as a primary caregiver by now or be preparing to marry in the next five years." His lips quirked up. "And Fandom has certain...quirks...regarding Valentine's Day and children unexpectedly popping up, so think of this as preparation if small children you never met wake you up Saturday morning."

Obi-Wan's eyes darted briefly towards Anakin. "...As that is apparently a risk you take by attending this school."

HE HADN'T KNOWN.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE JOY THAT OJ WOULD BRING HIM.

Anakin shrugged. "It happens. They don't stick around for very long." He pointed back to the droids. "We've paired you up. You'll each get one baby for the week--they are old enough to walk, but are not yet toilet trained. They also don't like napping, but need to once a day."

They also hated baths like burning but he'd let them discover that for themselves. "Today you get to name your little darlings and figure out childcare arrangements for the week."

"Good luck," Obi-Wan said. At least the thought of the students dealing with such an ornery baby-- ah, the idea that the students would be learning something truly important, he meant, truly-- was enough to bring amusement back to his voice. "But know that if you abandon the babies, we will know."

Comments

Pair up!

[sith_happened]

The teachers have thoughtfully paired you all up! No need to thank them, especially since the babies all start crying the moment you pick them up:

Cosette Fauchelevent & Barry Ween (boy)
Ichabod Crane & Amy Raudenfeld (girl)
Soren Bearstar & Karina Lyle (boy)
Ronan Lynch & Elsa of Arendelle (girl)
Kira Yukimura & Minako Aino (boy)
Alex Mack & Alana (girl)
Kathy Li & Celia Bowen (boy)
Joker Moreau & Garik Loran (girl)
Eleanor (Lamb) Holloway & Andros (boy)
Carmilla Karnstein & Kaylin Neya (girl)

Re: Pair up!

[gavegoodface]

"We can put a restraining bolt on it," Face said, keeping his hands by his sides and refusing to touch the droid.

Re: Pair up!

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry was looking at his "son" and wondering if he could put an image inducer on it to make it look better.

"This thing is fucking creepy."

Re: Pair up!

[wildandbrave]

"I don't think you ought to say that in front of him," Cosette said quickly, looking like she meant it despite how she was clearly trying (and failing) to hide her own extremely dubious expression.

Re: Pair up!

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Well him hearing bad language isn't going to make him any less creepy," Barry said leaning in close to look at the robot. "I wish I knew about this thing ahead of time. I could have gotten the lab baby-proofed. You think they'd mind if I took him apart and put him back together? I'd like to see how this guy ticks."

Re: Pair up!

[wildandbrave]

"I meant calling him 'creepy,'" Cosette replied. Madame Thénardier used to insult her looks within earshot, and loudly, all the time; she had strong feelings about it. "And I should think they would mind. Perhaps they'll let you do it after the assignment is over."

Which felt like a very long time now that she thought about it.

"I don't suppose they'd allow us to use a different doll instead? I've got a perfectly nice one in my room, even if it doesn't --"

She leaned over to pick up the droid baby and winced.

"-- cry so much."

Re: Pair up!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Oh no."

That thing would just look at Elsa and she'd freeze it in a block of ice. Or her dog would chew on it. Or her dog would chew on the block of ice. There was a reason she had already long decided that she was never having children. Anna could carry on the royal line of Arendelle. All power to her. Elsa was going to cross her legs and be very ice queen about the whole... thing.

Re: Pair up!

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

Well, her partner looked about as sour as he could look when he realized what this assignment was. He could take care of Chainsaw but something that resembled a baby.

Nope. He'd just leave that thing with a nanny that he'd hire or something.

Re: Pair up!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

At least they would be able to agree on that point!

"I am never having children," Elsa declared, looking up at her partner, slightly more pale than her usual. "If I was ever on the fence about that fact before, this really, really cements that."

She hadn't even touched it yet.

Re: Pair up!

[not_a_moonie]

Alana looked distinctly dubious as she accepted the droid. Kids? She liked kids, sure. She wanted some someday. But this was not that day, and this ... thing ... was creepy.

"Why is it crying already?" she wondered aloud, bouncing the 'baby' in her arms in an attempt to get it to shush.

Re: Pair up!

[thegc161kid.livejournal.com]

Alex didn't really know a lot about a kids and her one experience with babysitting hadn't turned out all that well.

Still she was thinking that maybe this assignment wouldn't be that bad when she heard her 'baby' start crying.

"Is it normal for them to cry like that?" she asked.

Re: Pair up!

[not_a_moonie]

"I think so?" Alana said, sounding distinctly unsure. "I mean, everybody else's is, so..."

She frowned at the baby hard. "It's a creepy little thing."

Re: Pair up!

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

Was Karina the only one not particularly horrified this time around about the baby thing? Looking at the rest of the class so far it appeared that way.

Which amused her deeply.

Besides, she had another objection.

"Can't I have a girl this time?" she asked. "I had a boy last time!"

Okay, yeah, her objection was not particularly serious.

Re: Pair up!

[sith_happened]

"You get what you get and you don't get upset," Anakin told her.

Thank you, Juliet's preschool, for teaching him such a valuable rhyme.

Re: Pair up!

[beautifulsenshi.livejournal.com]

Minako looked totally dubious about this. "Robots? We don't get real kids?" she asked, looking slightly askance at her charge. "I like real babies! I'm good with them!"

Re: Pair up!

[justwantedfriends]

"Do you know how to make real babies stop crying?" Kira was an only child, she never had to really deal with babies. "I don't think I'd trust our teachers with real babies."

Re: Pair up!

[beautifulsenshi.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't, like, Professor Skywalker have kids? I mean, he can't be that terrible at babies, right?" Minako asked rhetorically. "...I am not sure I want the answer to that, nevermind."

"But I totally do. Know babies, I mean," she reached out and picked up their bundle of joy, offering fingers for it to chew on, or whatever robot-babies did to amuse themselves. "They're cute. I mean, toddlers are even cuter, but babies aren't hard. They just get frustrated easily because you don't understand what they're saying."

Re: Pair up!

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was giving the baby dubious looks, but she wasn't as out and out horrified of it as some of her other classmates were. She had experience dealing with kids, at least, even if none of them were as deeply unsettling as the droids were.

She picked up their 'son' and winced when it started crying. "Shh, shh," she said, looking around for something she could offer it, like a bottle or a pacifier or something. To keep it quiet until she found something, she offered the...baby...her pinky to suckle instead. "What are we supposed to feed them?" she asked, finding that to be even more important than naming it. "Can they handle real food, or are we supposed to pretend, or...?"

Re: Pair up!

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

"...maybe it doesn't need to eat?" Celia suggested dubiously, reaching out to gingerly pat the thing on the head.

Yes, it was a thing, still. Not a baby. Sorry, robot baby, but Celia was going to need a bit of time to warm up to you.

Re: Pair up!

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy darted a dirty look at Anakin. "Do you really think he passed over a way to make caring for this thing even harder?" she asked in an undertone. "I'm betting it eats and needs changing, too."

This was one topic Kathy would be super-happy to be wrong about, just saying, Anakin.

"So...we should name it," she added, looking down at the baby. "Him, I mean. We should name him. And figure out how we're taking care of...him."

Re: Pair up!

[nobloodymessiah.livejournal.com]

Did she have to actually name the doll? How much trouble would she get in if she locked it in a drawer all week? They'd know, they had said. And?

She was trying not to resent a stupid robot doll, and waiting for her co-parent to materialize.

Re: Pair up!

[nolizardhere]

"I can probably reprogram it," Andros offered by way of opening.

Re: Pair up!

[nobloodymessiah.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Eleanor asked, brightening considerably. "We could make it sleep all week. I wouldn't mind caring for a comatose robot baby."

Lock it in a drawer. It was asleep. It wouldn't know the difference.

Re: Pair up!

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod looked less than pleased. "What kind of assignment is this?"

He stared at mechanical baby.

Re: Pair up!

[notamascot]

Kaylin looked horrified. No one would even trust her with a pet of any kind. Probably not even a pet rock. This could only end badly.