Aunt Laarni Comes to Visit: Lux Readopt Tryout
By me
By me
Laarni ran a tired hand through her hair, staining the white strands with the motor oil that still clung to her fingers. She had just put the finishing touches on the gift she was making for her niece, Mars. Which was good, because she was already late for their annual Christmas get-together. She hastily shoved her creation into a large box, before burying it in packing peanuts and sealing it shut with packing tape. After that she was out the door and in her car, swiftly on the way to see her family.
Once she arrived, she headbutted the door since her hands were occupied with the large box, and broke out in a wide smile when she heard small footsteps galloping towards it. The door handle shook and the door flew open, revealing a young pink and black Kalon with an excited gleam in her eye.
"Hey, Mars," Laarni said with a nod, hands still busy holding the box. Mars grinned and turned to look into the house.
"Moms! Aunt Laarni is here and she has the biggest box I have ever seen in my entire life."
"Let her in then, space kid." That was Ari, Laarni's sister (though not by blood). Laarni took the invitation and stepped in, banging the side of the box against the door frame as she did so. She winced, but kept going, hoping that the cardboard hadn't done any damage.
Mars led Laarni to the living room of the house, where Ari's wife Leonie was already settled on the couch. She eyed Laarni carefully, no doubt taking notice of the oil that stained her hair, but Laarni ignored it and gave her a polite smile. Mars flopped down on the couch beside her mother, and Laarni set the box down on the floor in front of them. She couldn't help but notice that Mars hadn't taken her eyes off of it, and she stifled her laughter. As Laarni settled down on the floor beside the box, Ari walked into the room with a plate of cookies which she set down on the coffee table before joining her wife and daughter on the couch.
"So what's in the box?" Ari asked, eyeing it curiously. "Is this what you've been teasing Mars about for the past couple of months?" Laarni nodded happily.
"You bet. Merry Christmas, Mars. I hope you like it," she replied, pushing the box towards the young Kalon. Mars lept from the couch and launched herself at the box, sending cardboard and packing peanuts flying all over the room.
This was the part that Laarni had been most excited for. She'd been working on Mars' gift for the last couple of months, tweaking the programming and making sure it was durable enough to survive life with a child. It had been pretty tough, but Laarni was proud of the work she had done. Apparently, Mars was too.
"Oh my god Aunt Laarni, this is the best!" the young Kalon practically screamed, causing Laarni to start laughing. Ari chuckled and Leonie sighed, though both were smiling.
"You built a dog? That's...pretty amazing actually," Leonie said as Mars finished brushing away the last of the packing peanuts. "Does it make much mess?" Laarni shook her head.
"Nope! It's designed to not need much maintenance. Doesn't need feeding, watering, or to go to to the bathroom. Although-" She turned to Mars. "-it's solar powered, so on darker days it might need plugging in to charge. I've put some instructions in the box for you about that." She stood up, leaning down to pick up the robotic dog. "Alright, Mars; what are you gonna name it?"
"Rex," Mars replied immediately, excitement shining in her eyes. Laarni grinned, lifting the robot and hitting a button. The lights in its glass eyes flickered on, and she pressed another button.
"Say his name again, Mars."
"Rex!"
The robot suddenly came to life, startling Leonie and causing Ari's eyes to grow wide. Laarni placed Rex back down on the living room floor, where he started to run in circles around Mars. The young Kalon was laughing almost uncontrollably with excitement, reaching down to pet the robot at every chance she got. Laarni laughed along with her, pleased that her gift had been so well received.
"Aunt Laarni?" Mars suddenly piped up. Laarni gave her a quizzical look.
"What's up?" she asked.
"You're the coolest aunt ever."
Once she arrived, she headbutted the door since her hands were occupied with the large box, and broke out in a wide smile when she heard small footsteps galloping towards it. The door handle shook and the door flew open, revealing a young pink and black Kalon with an excited gleam in her eye.
"Hey, Mars," Laarni said with a nod, hands still busy holding the box. Mars grinned and turned to look into the house.
"Moms! Aunt Laarni is here and she has the biggest box I have ever seen in my entire life."
"Let her in then, space kid." That was Ari, Laarni's sister (though not by blood). Laarni took the invitation and stepped in, banging the side of the box against the door frame as she did so. She winced, but kept going, hoping that the cardboard hadn't done any damage.
Mars led Laarni to the living room of the house, where Ari's wife Leonie was already settled on the couch. She eyed Laarni carefully, no doubt taking notice of the oil that stained her hair, but Laarni ignored it and gave her a polite smile. Mars flopped down on the couch beside her mother, and Laarni set the box down on the floor in front of them. She couldn't help but notice that Mars hadn't taken her eyes off of it, and she stifled her laughter. As Laarni settled down on the floor beside the box, Ari walked into the room with a plate of cookies which she set down on the coffee table before joining her wife and daughter on the couch.
"So what's in the box?" Ari asked, eyeing it curiously. "Is this what you've been teasing Mars about for the past couple of months?" Laarni nodded happily.
"You bet. Merry Christmas, Mars. I hope you like it," she replied, pushing the box towards the young Kalon. Mars lept from the couch and launched herself at the box, sending cardboard and packing peanuts flying all over the room.
This was the part that Laarni had been most excited for. She'd been working on Mars' gift for the last couple of months, tweaking the programming and making sure it was durable enough to survive life with a child. It had been pretty tough, but Laarni was proud of the work she had done. Apparently, Mars was too.
"Oh my god Aunt Laarni, this is the best!" the young Kalon practically screamed, causing Laarni to start laughing. Ari chuckled and Leonie sighed, though both were smiling.
"You built a dog? That's...pretty amazing actually," Leonie said as Mars finished brushing away the last of the packing peanuts. "Does it make much mess?" Laarni shook her head.
"Nope! It's designed to not need much maintenance. Doesn't need feeding, watering, or to go to to the bathroom. Although-" She turned to Mars. "-it's solar powered, so on darker days it might need plugging in to charge. I've put some instructions in the box for you about that." She stood up, leaning down to pick up the robotic dog. "Alright, Mars; what are you gonna name it?"
"Rex," Mars replied immediately, excitement shining in her eyes. Laarni grinned, lifting the robot and hitting a button. The lights in its glass eyes flickered on, and she pressed another button.
"Say his name again, Mars."
"Rex!"
The robot suddenly came to life, startling Leonie and causing Ari's eyes to grow wide. Laarni placed Rex back down on the living room floor, where he started to run in circles around Mars. The young Kalon was laughing almost uncontrollably with excitement, reaching down to pet the robot at every chance she got. Laarni laughed along with her, pleased that her gift had been so well received.
"Aunt Laarni?" Mars suddenly piped up. Laarni gave her a quizzical look.
"What's up?" she asked.
"You're the coolest aunt ever."