space complexity

"It is beyond confounding to me that two people so serious as you and I could have created a child so..."

Vibrant. Energetic. Bright-eyed. Cheerful. Agreeable.

"It surprises me too, Egil. But I try not to question it. After all, I'm worried we might someday forget just how much we love his enthusiasm. I want him to know how much he's celebrated - not just by us, but by everyone else, too."

Of course, there was the additional fact that Shulk was not specifically so serious as he was prone to bouts of focus far beyond the general, socially-accepted level. Egil? Absolutely, deadly serious. But Shulk was just...built differently, in that way.

"Vanea adores him," mused Egil. "It makes me wonder if I myself was like that as a child, though I cannot recall anything of the sort."

"If I had to guess, you probably felt constrained by the pod, even if you didn't have the same amount of energy as Valdi does. Adjusted for your different growth rates, you probably were a lot like him."

It was so like Shulk to find an analytical solution to an issue of sentience, of sociology, of humanoid growth. Though, more and more, he approached interpersonal situations with an eye to the emotions involved, even if he handled those emotions in that same analytical manner.

Becoming a parent had been part of that change, unquestionably. In time, it would probably be Shulk who noticed some corresponding changes in Egil, and brought them to his partner's attention. As he saw fit to, which could be a toss-up.

For now, they had Valdi to focus on. He got into everything, though he never intended to be mischievous, so Shulk and Egil had spent many a late night working on a new toy to catch his fascination. Valdi figured out some of the puzzles at a truly astonishing rate - soon enough it would be time to give him his own parts to play with. First wooden toys, then...

Well, then he'd be on to helping his papas in the workshop firsthand!