A Brass Night Ballet

This City

Coco climbed down the ladder before flipping open the pocket watch Serafin gave her, intent on a quick trip back to the Rita hotel to sustain herself before continuing to City Hall. But before she could do so, the robotic male voice spoke up. "Did you notice it?" He asked. "Notice what?" Coco asked in a curious tone. Her ability to understand emotions was lacking more often than not, so her guide often picked up on emotional cues far more than he did. It was one of the ways Aries was useful to her outside of light. That, and information on the history of an area they were traveling in.

"I want to see if you can figure it out," the little spherical object said, Coco frowned. "Why?" She questioned. "Just... humor me," Aries said. Coco recalled their conversation from before. There was nothing that seemed off to her. At times, Aries seemed to ask strange inquiries of her. What she thought of certain things. Of people. Of the things they said. It was an odd quality to have in a guide that was merely meant to be aiding an automatron. Though, Serafin did mention that Aries was no ordinary guide. Perhaps this is what he meant.
Nevertheless, Coco reviewed the conversation multiple times and came up with nothing of note. "Nothing seemed odd to me."

"She knew it was an automatron," Aries said. The reserved, but confident way it was phrased caused Coco to lower the pocket watch in her hand. "She is human," Coco pointed out. "I know that," Aries told her. He almost sounded exasperated. "But... don't you think its odd that she didn't feel anything odd when she actually held the baby?" "The blue veins were on her fingers," Coco pointed out. "Not enough to not feel. And you'd have to lose all the feeling in your hands to not know the difference between holding a robot and a human baby," Aries told her. "Plus, she told us that the baby needed to be with 'its' mother. Human mothers never refer to their children as an 'it.' Well, not the ones that deserve to take care of one in the first place."

Coco reviewed their conversation in her memory drive. And she realized what Aries spoke of. It was an offhanded comment spoken in a natural way, so Coco made no mention of it. However, Aries clearly noticed. "Then why would the baby be taken from her? Why would she go through the trouble of asking me to retrieve an automatron?" Coco spoke with all of the subtleness befitting that off a battering ram, and if Aries could wince, he would.

"Two ideas. One, they took it from her because they were afraid it would probably frenzy on her while she was in there. And two, maybe she cares about that robot," Aries told her. "That's if her baby was always a robot, anyway." "And if it wasn't?" Coco questioned, curious about the answer despite herself.

"Well, if she knew it was a robot and played pretend... Maybe she wanted to pretend. Glad to live the lie and pretend that her baby isn't dead. Grateful to you for giving her that choice," Aries told her, causing Coco to look back up at the window.

She could merely ask the woman. After all, she gave her what she wanted. She was sure she wouldn't mind answering the question. But... something kept her in place. An odd sensation in her springs, causing her to put a hand on her chest. That made Coco frown. She hadn't taken any damage recently. That sensation was odd. Not unlike when she lied in order to enter the Rita hotel yet... different. Instead of moving or saying anything, she flipped open the pocket watch and sent herself back to the hotel.

Coco held the record the woman gave her, unsure of herself. There was no need to even satisfy this curiosity. There were humans that likely needed her help. A job that needed to be done if the uprising was to end. And yet...she could not bring herself to move away from the record player.

"I take it you've never used a record player?" Serafin's soft but masculine voice caused her to turn around, and he gave her a gentle smile. She gave him a shake of her head. "Here. Allow me."

With gentle hands, he took the record from her grasp and set it in the record player. Coco noticed that it lay with the picture face up before he set the needle down on it. Soft static is what greeted Coco for a moment. Then...lyrics.

Close your eyes
Come to me
Feel all right
Just dance with me all through the night
Turn it out
Close to you
I feel good
'Cause I just know feeling of you
Give it to me baby…
Feel all right
I feel good
Just want you to step with me
Dance with me
Here with me...
Feel all right!
I feel good
On you...
All right…
To make a groove...
All night...
Close your eyes
Come to me
Feel all right
Just dance with me all through the night
Turn it out
Close to you
I feel good
'Cause I just know feeling of you
Give it to me baby!
Feel all right
I feel good
Just want you to step with me
Dance with me
Here with me...
Feel all right!
I feel good
On you...
All right…
To make a groove
All night…

The lyrics stopped for a moment to make way for the piano, and it was then that Coco noticed that her head was moving from side to side to match the notes. Or at least, as well as she could, considering that she never heard the song. Serafin was humming softly next to her. His silky dark hair and top hat, swaying gently.

Quite frankly, if Father informed her that music is what would cure the uprising, Coco would believe him. Not only because Father was a genius, but also because music was distracting. Oddly enchanting. The gentleness of the woman's voice, the tones of the piano... if it reached her, it would reach any other automatron. Something worth bringing up to Father once she had taken care of City Hall, perhaps?

"How did you like it?" Serafin asked with a gentle smile. Coco took the needle off of the record before looking at him properly.

"Oddly enchanting. Does music have this effect with humans as well?" Coco questioned. "Many of them refer to music as a universal language. Do you agree?" Serafin questioned. "I'm afraid I don't understand," Coco said with a frown. "You will," Serafin told her.