The tea party passed fairly uneventfully. The Noblis family was the highest ranked family there at the gathering. Though this party was hosted by the Rouser family at their own home, decorum dictated that the Noblis ladies in attendance were the ones who led the conversation. Both at the table for adults, and the children's table. Ten-years were all old enough to understand their place in society and etiquette. This was why they were able to be included in societal functions such as this. Violetta stayed on very safe topics, such as embroidery, music, art appreciation, and due to the unique nature of her family's interests, historical artifacts at the history museums. She had been grilled by her mother before the tea party about what she could and could not say.
Victor saw his little sister wanting to alienate Violetta by beginning to open up such topics. He was pleasantly surprised however when Violetta not only rose to his sister's provocation, but rose above it as well, even discussing some things he had not even learned yet in school. Victor would enjoy it if he could have ignored all the other guests and just spoke to Violetta.
Though Violetta didn't care for the dull and often incorrect Ruby, her brother Victor was another story. He was smart. He spoke about the music classes they would take this year as their first year, and what many of the art classes would entail. He had never paid attention in History class, because it was soooo booorrrring. He, like a lot of the other children present, didn't know how to give much input in regard to this subject. Violetta however mentioned some of the exhibits at the museum, and how not much in their world has changed historically speaking. She actually made it sound interesting. He suddenly had a new goal for when school started. He was going to get full marks in history from now on. He couldn't inherit his family's title anyway. He knew this was going to his eldest brother. So now he had a new plan forming in his little scheming mind. Most of which involved him impressing the lovely Violetta with his new-found love for all things historical to prove his worth to the Noblis family.
On the way home Violetta reported to her mother all the things they spoke about. Laura was pleased with Violetta's progress. She decided to let Violetta go back home this weekend to spend time with her father.
…
…
Violetta was so excited to be back home in the workroom. Though she was upset her mother didn't come back with her, she was still happy to spend time with Heath and her father. She had told them all about the things she had learned at the tea party, and her father handed her notebook for her to keep her observations in. He did however instruct her not to keep any information in there about Heath because of his special circumstances.
Violetta and Heath had completed the robot, and had just put in and attached the last part. Now, now after so much labor, they were going to meet the fruit of their labor. Violetta hit the power button, and they waited with baited breath. Lights began to flicker, showing that power and electricity was moving through the machine.
Steam began to pump, and gears large and small began rotating. The pure mechanical sounds whirled through the silent workroom as two children's eyes gleamed with excitement. And then…
Nothing. All machinations stopped. No movement, no steam, no rotating gears.
"Maybe we need to stick her in the sun, " Heath suggested questioningly.
"Maybe right," Violetta conceded With a bit of deceit in her throat.
The children placed the robot near the overhead door on a chair and opened the door to allow the sunlight to hit the robot. While the robot gathered some sun, Heath had brought Violetta her lunch. She ate while staring at the robot, her little brain turning round and round in her head at all the possibilities of what could be wrong mechanically with her creation. Heath stayed watching Violetta, he knew she had forgotten already, but he had some chores to do at home, and he couldn't stay with her after lunch. He turned to the robot thinking she forgot about him again. He sighed. When he sighed he caught Violetta's attention immediately. She looked over at him looking at the robot and sighing. Poor guy. He must have really wanted this to work as much as she did. He didn't have much time to play with her today, because he had stuff to do this afternoon. Surely leaving the robot in the sun as long as they had was good enough to give it another try. She didn't want Heath to leave disappointed.
"Let's try it one more time before you gotta go," Violetta finally broke the silence.
Heath sat up straight and looked at her in surprise. She usually forgot all about everything when she was concentrating like that. It wasn't so much in her expression as it was a certain look in her eyes. Once she got that look in her eyes an earthquake couldn't snap her out of it. Unless…
"You figured something out?"
"Not really," Violetta wrinkled her nose. "But maybe the sun helped a little." Violetta turned to Heath with a proud grin. A spark in her eye lit up as she said, "Let's try again. You do it this time."
Heath took a deep breath, still happy Violetta didn't forget him this time. He pushed the button. The robot stayed on just a little longer this time. But again shut down pretty quickly. Could it be a problem with the power-cell? Violetta sighed. If it was a problem with the power cell, she was going to have to spend all of her allowance again to get a new one. She rubbed the back of her neck thinking again. She really wanted Heath to see it turn on. Heath turned to Violetta.
"V, I gotta go now?"
Violetta hugged him. Heath slowly wrapped his arms around her. And patted her back. Since her parents had split up she seemed to rely on him more. He knew she was upset about her robot, and wanted to stay for her. But if he did that, he would get in trouble and possibly be grounded by his mother. Then they would lose time with each other instead.
Violetta was not as upset about the robot as Heath thought. She was just trying to comfort him because she thought he was upset about it. She's had so many mechanical failures and successes that this one was just another puzzle she wanted to figure out. But to Heath, this was his first time to help build something so complex, and it didn't work!? Nonsense! She would figure this out for him! Heath kissed her forehead and told her, "Don't stay out here too long."
Violetta nodded determined to figure this out tonight.
Once Heath left Violetta opened up the still sitting robots chest piece and took out the power-cell. She examined it, tested it, and then put it back. The power-cell was fine. Was it the wiring? She didn't notice the billowing grey storm clouds that had long since formed. She didn't notice that the wind had picked up and the weather was getting worse by the second. She didn't even notice that on the display behind her a lightning ball storm warning was being broadcast.
She had just turned on the robot for one more test, when suddenly she was grabbed from behind and dragged from her robot.
"Violetta Dione Noblis! Are you crazy!?" Her fathers voice roared behind her. He ran with her into the house and shut the door. Right after he shut the door, a series of lightning balls discharged and danced over anything and everything before attaching themselves to something metal. The overhead door to the workshop, still open to the elements, revealed so much metal to the lightning balls. One struck the still powered on robot, knocking it over. The robot jumped up, looking at its surroundings. The robot hid a little further into the workshop, to hide from the other lightning balls.