A/N: I heard about someone who regularly fell asleep while texting, and immediately decided to apply it to The Deep. XD
"Okay, okay…" Fontaine sketched a quick, final line. "How about now?"
Fontaine turned her sketchbook around and propped it up to stand in front of her tablet, which leaned upright against the wall. On the screen, Finn looked over Fontaine's design.
"What's with that little loop on the back?" Finn asked.
"For tow lines," Fontaine said. She flattened the sketchbook so she could see Finn. "Because we're always rescuing stranded boats."
"But, your Knights have hands for that," Finn said.
"Then it would keep the hands free to deal with other problems," Fontaine said.
"But, don't you usually work rescues in teams?"
Fontaine huffed. "Hey, designing a Knight is hard. You should try it."
Finn raised his hands with a chuckle. "And do what? Decorate my walls with my ideas?"
"I thought you liked to build," Fontaine said, poking the screen with her pencil.
"Yeah, but with what?" Finn said. "You saw what happened the last time we tried to make a Knight."
"You mean when you kidnapped Professor Fiction and me and forced us to make you a Knight?" Fontaine asked with a grin.
"Uh… I really meant what happened to the Knight."
Fontaine leaned back. "True. When you just have steel to work with, I see your problem."
Fontaine checked the door over her shoulder. It was late, but there was still a chance of Ant randomly barging in on her. If he caught her and Finn discussing Knights…
"What is it?" Finn asked, hand already moving to disconnect the call.
"Nothing," Fontaine assured him with a grin. Sometimes it seemed like Finn was more worried about her family catching them talking than Fontaine was. "Hey, if you could make a Knight, what kind would it be?"
"Something that I could use for repairs in the water," Finn said promptly. "There's only so many repairs you can make underwater with just your hands."
"I see your point. The Rover and Knights do come in handy. But, any Knight can make repairs."
"Maybe something more specialized. A laser for cracks, oversized screwdriver-"
"Duck tape dispenser?" Fontaine inserted.
"Isn't there something better than duck tape?" Finn complained.
"Mum uses a special glue for some temporary repairs," Fontaine said.
"Can a Knight use a tube of glue?" Finn asked.
"What if the Knight had an underwater welder on one hand?" Fontaine suggested.
"That's a thing?" Finn asked.
"Yes, do you live under a rock?"
"In a rock-like sub, does that count?"
Fontaine snorted. "Okay, pirate boy, I'll give you this one. So, is that a yes for the underwater welder?"
"Yes!"
Finn grabbed his own paper and started drawing while Fontaine turned to a new page in the sketchbook. The teens tossed ideas back-and-forth.
"Don't forget, we still don't have a claw."
"So, land feet are a must."
"Yeah. How well do the Knights climb?"
"The Mag Knight has spiked feet, but it doesn't do well on hills."
"I'm talking cliffs."
"Then the Shadow Knight might be best because it's lightest and still has mechanical arms. Why would you want to climb a cliff?"
"You'd be surprised at the places we get stuck."
Fontaine doodled a couple ideas for Knight hands. The more flexible, the better. If it couldn't have the tools within the suit itself, it could at least hold them. And super strong, if it might have to support its own weight.
But what additional functions could this Knight have, unless Finn wanted a glorified climbing suit? And since Finn was thinking along the lines of a repair Knight, it had to have specialized tools. Something light and multifunctional, maybe?
Another thought occurred to Fontaine. "Hey, pirate boy, the Dark Orca has issues with oxygen levels, right? What if the Knight had spare canisters of oxygen?"
Finn didn't respond.
"I'm not sure how big the canisters would have to be to supply the Dark Orca for long, though. Maybe just for your Moon Pool room. Or some sort of portable air scrubber?"
When Fontaine still didn't get a response, she lifted her head.
One of Finn's arms was laying across his papers, with his head resting on his arm. His shoulders rose and fell slowly with each breath. Finn had fallen asleep.
"Okay, I guess it is a bit late," Fontaine admitted quietly.
Fontaine closed her sketchbook and set it aside, doing her best to remain silent. She stood and picked up her tablet. She sat on her bed and set the tablet on the shelf beside her bed.
"Good night, Finn," Fontaine whispered, then turned off her tablet.
A/N: The Knight discussion was seriously me going through ideas for Finn's own Knight. XD