Today is some strange holiday Miss EDI had told everyone was a human holiday called Valentine's Day and, even though she told everyone a long story of what it was about, Damocles still doesn't understand what's so special. Everyone, at least the humans, are handing out cards and small bits of candies. He and Cassia get some too, but he knows it's because Miss EDI, their own aunt, said everyone should get a card if you brought any for other kids. That way no one was left out, she said, but Damocles knows he's getting cards just because the other kids were told to.

His sister wanted to give out Valentine's cards, but he didn't, so he doesn't have anything to hand out to the others when Miss EDI tells everyone it's time. He sits at his desk instead and watches his sister run around to everyone with a big smile even if they give her the same looks they always give her and him. They don't have angry faces, but Damocles can tell they aren't nice when he always gets a weird feeling in his chest whenever they look at him that way.

He sighs and looks down at the coloring page Miss EDI passed out to the whole class to color and give to their parents for Valentine's Day. He loves his mommy and daddy, so he's colored the pictures of what Miss EDI calls 'hearts' for them, but, now that he's done, he just sits and waits for it all to be over. He doesn't say thanks or smile at the kids who just drop cards onto Cassia's desk or toss them at his hands, but he wants them to be nice to his sister when she hands hers to them. They should be nice to her because she's been nice to them no matter what, no matter how mean they are to her.

"Hi, Damocles." He looks up to see Gelta, his sister's only friend and the only other person who's nice to him and her. "I got you a card." She smiles and hands over a purple heart covered in Blasto and more heart stickers. "Happy Valentine's Day."

His mandibles flicker as she turns to leave a much bigger card for Cassia, her best friend. When she looks back to him, he smiles softly and, remembering what his daddy always told him was polite, nods. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiles once more before moving on, leaving him to sit alone again.

With nothing to do, Damocles starts to color in whatever spaces are still white on his cards for his mom and dad. Cassia sure is taking too long to give cards, but she seems happy whenever he watches her, so he doesn't hurry her up.

When Miss EDI approaches, a box in her hand, he flutters his mandibles in surprise. He doesn't think he did anything wrong today, but there always seems to be something he does that grown ups don't like. Sometimes it's fun, but that's when he knows he's doing something bad. The other times, when he doesn't know what he's done, though, aren't very fun and he hopes this isn't one of them.

"Damocles," Miss EDI says, tilting her head as she smiles that warm smile she always seems to have for him and Cassia. "I got you a present."

She bends down so he doesn't have to look up at her and lays a small red box on his desk. Reaching for it, Damocles rumbles in curiosity, not knowing what it is. He's seen some of the other kids give each other boxes like this, but neither he nor his sister have gotten any yet. It's because of that that he's shocked when he opens it to see five pieces of chocolate inside and he trills in happy excitement as he grins to her.

Then he realizes something, and a frown drops his mandibles. "But what about Cassia?"

Miss EDI chuckles softly and nods once. "I have a box for Cassia on my desk. I will give it to her once she returns from handing out her Valentine's." Standing, she lays a hand on his shoulder. "Happy Valentine's Day, Damocles."

He nods in return, purring softly as he stares down at his gift. "Thank you, Auntie EDI." He was told it's not fair to call her auntie when in school because it could upset the other kids and get them to be even more mean to him and Cassia, but they aren't around, so he lets himself add a warm vocal chirp to his words of thanks.

She doesn't seem mad at that as her smile doesn't fade and she instead pats his shoulder before returning to her little desk. The desk isn't really for her to sit, because she doesn't need to sit because she's a robot, but it does hold all her things for teaching and, special for today, his sister's present for today. He thinks that's why she's standing there now instead of walking the room, to protect Cassia's chocolates so that the other kids don't steal it.

When Cassia runs out of her cards with Gelta being the last one she gives to - and gives her own little box where Damocles knows she made a friendship bracelet for the present - she returns to her desk and trills in joy at all the cards she has. She grabs them and starts to count, and Damocles knows that, even though they were told to, not all of the other students gave her cards even though they brought some for the rest of the class and their friends. Still, Cassia doesn't seem to care as she opens and starts to read each one.

While busy reading her cards, Miss EDI comes over with Cassia's box of chocolates. "Cassia?" When she looks up, Miss EDI takes one of Cassia's hands in hers and lays the small box on it. "Happy Valentine's Day, little Vakarian," their aunt says with a chuckle, using the words to make Cassia, and even Damocles, smile a little. "You showed great generosity today without expecting anything in return. I am proud of you."

"What's generosity?" Cassia looks to Damocles, rumbling in confusion, but he doesn't know what it means either and shrugs.

"I means being kind and giving," Miss EDI answers and crosses her hands behind her back. "Your parents will be very proud as well."

Someone calls Miss EDI away just as Cassia flickers her mandibles shyly and Damocles rumbles for his sister, happy for her to get compliments. Gelta even returns with a big smile and, as soon as she looks through her gifts, finds the box from Cassia, and opens it to find the bracelet she braided, squeals and jumps from her seat. Running around to Cassia's side, she wraps her arms around Damocles' sister and squeezes tight, making excited noises but not really saying any words.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Gelta squeals again and hugs Cassia before holding her hand out. "Can you put it on?"

Cassia grins and nods before taking the bracelet. It's colorful with their favorite colors, purple for Cassia and orange for Gelta, and it matche the one his sister wears too. It looks a bite big for her wrist, but Damocles thinks his sister made it that way for a reason. He's sure he heard mommy say something to Cassia when she was making it, but he wasn't paying attention to it. Still, the bracelet wraps around Gelta's wrist a few times and ties together, so Cassia must have meant to do that.

Not able to give anything to the two girls, and not wanting to really have a girly bracelet, Damocles stands up to take his Valentine's to his backpack in his cubby. It's almost time to go home anyways, so the faster he can leave and go home, the better for him. This way, he just has to wait for Cassia and Gelta to get ready, but he sometimes he can force them to hurry up if he's already done. At least, he thinks, he doesn't have to wait for them to get all their gifts together because he can already see them stacking the cards together into a neat pile, sharing their Valentine's with each other.

They share so much that he isn't really surprised anymore.

When Miss EDI returns to the room after walking through the older classes, she stands before the entire class and makes a rumbling noise like mom does when trying to get Damocles and his sister's attention. It must be a sound everyone is used to as the all the kids stop talking and laughing. Miss EDI waits a second before smiling, crossing her hands behind her back, and saying, "Today has been a very enlightening day, and one that has let us all share in a human holiday. Perhaps, next year, we can add other cultures' traditions into the event and make it something even more special." She nods once and smiles. "We are done for today. I would like to thank you all for being so generous today with your gifts. I will see you after the weekend break."

Everyone jumps out of their desks fast, sometimes even bumping into each other. Rushing to their cubbies to grab their backpacks, a lot of them block the way as they stuff their presents into their bags. Damocles, his sister, and her friend wait until he can push through the others and grab their bags. Cassia is too nice to push and usually wants to wait for the other kids to move, but Damocles really doesn't want to stay here, so she waits for him with Gelta.

He comes back with the three backpacks and hands Cassia's Blasto and Elviria backpack to her and Gelta her pink and flowery one. His is already ready and one his back before they even get all their stuff packed away, and he hops from foot to foot, wanting to be outside in the open instead of in this small room alone. At least outside, he can be warm and see the sun even if they are with a bunch of kids waiting for their parents to walk them home because they aren't old enough to walk on their own like the oldest class. Damocles and Cassia usually have to wait until either Gelta's daddy or brother take them home, or until Miss EDI can walk them home once every other kid goes home.

Damocles moves to sit on his rock by the far corner of the school house. It is far enough to stay away from the other kids, but close enough so that Miss EDI doesn't get mad at him for being where she can't watch him. The other kids used to like to sit up here, but, ever since he started sitting on it before they had a chance to make it outside on some days, they stopped. He guesses they thought it was gross now because he sits on it, but that's okay to him.

It's just my rock now.

From his rock, he can watch his sister and Gelta play only a little bit away from him. They sometimes want to sit with him, and he lets them, but they get bored and Gelta says it's too hot, so it's not everyday. Right now, they are sharing some of the candy Gelta got from the classmates as they play with some of the dolls they usually bring in their backpacks. He doesn't like girly games, but it's fun to watch them laugh and walk their dolls across the green grass.

It's good that the yard outside of the school is mostly grass and there are small rocks by Damocles' because sand would make a mess and they'd all have to take a bath when they got home, but it also means that Cassia doesn't have to worry about her favorite doll, a human would long yellow hair and a red dress, getting dirty. She once took some of her others outside to the beach and they got to where they couldn't move and she got sad. No matter what, mommy and daddy couldn't clean them, so Damocles and his sister learned not to take their favorite toys outside to the sand again.

Pulling his backpack to his lap, Damocles opens it and digs out the box of chocolates Auntie EDI gave him. The candies are small, maybe a bite each, but he knows that's because his mom and dad want them to eat dinner before chocolates or sweets. They are usually okay with a little bit, maybe with their after school snack, so he isn't afraid of trying one.

Popping a dark colored candy into his mouth, he chews it and chirps at the taste. It tastes like fruit on the inside - one of the sour oranges that are so much work to peel - and the darker chocolate mommy sometimes likes to eat instead of the normal chocolate. He takes the time to enjoy the taste, humming and clicking his mandibles before it becomes too mushy and he has to swallow. Lifting his chin, he lets it slide down his throat.

Suddenly, he hears the sharp cry of his sister and he snaps his head down, coughing a bit as some of the wet chocolate didn't go down. He wipes at some that spilled out of his mouth and onto his mandible with his sleeve before standing up to see what's made his sister upset.

His sister cries softly, her favorite doll broken in her hands as an older, bigger kid stands above her. The krogan laughs loud enough that he has to tilt his head back, and Damocles recognizes the boy immediately. He's supposed to be special because he's older than them and older than them krogans are some kind of good luck or something. He doesn't care one bit, though, and jumps off his rock.

"What's the matter, whelp? Did I step on your human dolly?" The boy laughs again, yanking the toy out of Cassia's hands and throwing it back to the ground to stomp on it some more. Cassia cries out louder, vocals keening as she jerks back at the loud snap. "What's wrong? Too ashamed of what you are that you have to play with human toys?"

Damocles shoves some of the krogan's friends out of the way even though they are bigger than him. "Leave her alone," he growls, making fists with his hands as a strange tingling starts to tickle his plates.

"Or what?" The krogan leans down to stare Damocles in the eyes as he makes an angry face. "What will you do, freak?" He uses a big hand to shove Damocles back, making him stumble a step, and that makes the kid laugh. "Look at you. Just like your daddy. All talk and no action." He leans back and crosses his arms, half smiling. "You don't have the quads."

Cassia sniffles, not really crying tears like mommy, but her keens loud enough to hurt Damocles' ears, and the sound makes him even madder. "You're a fucking jerk!" Damocles doesn't hear his sister say bad words too much, but he knows that one and grins in glee at his sister, but the krogan boy only gets madder.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" The boy uses his foot to push Cassia, making her use her hands to catch her fall.

Instantly and before the krogan can react, Damocles growls with his vocals and screams. Tingling feeling growing into a fiery feeling as he balls his fist and punches the boy. His hand is covered in a bluish black smoke as he watches it smash into the krogan's nose and the boy flies to the ground with a loud crash and orange on his face. The boy grunts as the other gasp in surprise, and Damocles knows he's going to get in trouble, but can't seem to care. Still seeing himself covered in that weird smoke and feeling the rush of when he eats too much sugar throughout his body, he rushes for the boy, but a hand grabbing his wrist pulls him to a stop him.

He looks down and the looks of worry on his sister's face makes that tingling feeling go away so fast he feels tired. "Miss EDI's coming," she says, her mandibles fluttering in fright as she looks to the boy. His friends are quickly backing away as she frowns. "What'd you do?"

"He deserved it," Damocles says loud enough for Miss EDI to hear as she comes over with a frown she often wears when scolding someone in class. "He was being mean to Cassia."

"That does not validate violence." Moving to the krogan boy, she offers a hand up, but he hits it away and gets to his feet on his own. "I will have to contact your parents." She looks to the twins and frowns, her eyes sad. "Both of your parents."

Cassia rumbles sadly and releases Damocles' hand, but he doesn't move or get sad. He knows what he did was right and he knows that, no matter what, he doesn't deserve to get in trouble. Anyone who gets mad just doesn't understand what it's like.

No one understands what it's like to be me and Cassia. No one.

"Cassia, Damocles, and Srack. Follow me." Miss EDI points a hand towards the upper porch of the schoolhouse. "I need to contact your parents."

"Okay, Miss EDI," Cassia says softly, looking to her friend before dipping her head and quietly collecting the broken pieces of her toy.

Damocles can't stop the angry and sharp look he gives the krogan boy and gets one back, but he won. He knocked the boy down and made him bleed, so he won no matter what punishment he gets. Next time, he will be harder if the boy, Srack, tries it again. That, and the other kids will know better than to be mean to Cassia.

Miss EDI places them on one side of the porch and Srack on the other. Both boys stare in anger at the other, but Damocles also stares in hate for the boy that broke his sister's favorite toy and has left her in keens and sniffles even now. She doesn't deserve to be punished when she was the one without her toy, a toy that Srack broke and laughed about. Not to mention the mean word he called her that finally made Damocles punch the krogan hard enough to knock the bigger boy down.

After all the other kids have gone, Miss EDI - because she's not their auntie right now because she won't listen to Damocles and Cassia - uses her omnitool to call Damocles, Cassia, and Srack's mommies and daddies. Even though he knows he didn't do wrong, he can't help the anxious tickling in his chest at the sad looks on their faces. All he can do is hope they understand.

Damocles' mom and dad are first to arrive. They come to Miss EDI and talk with her just out of where Damocles can hear what's happening. He looks to his sister as they wait and watches her look out towards the little city they call home. When her eyes suddenly widen and look away, down to her toy's pieces in her hands, Damocles looks to see what's made her so scared.

Stomping towards them is a pair of grown up krogan. One is green like Rym and the other, the mommy, has orange colored plates just like Scrack. Damocles also thinks they must be Srack's parents because they both have anger on their faces and in their heavy steps as they come towards the schoolhouse.

Reaching out, Damocles takes his sister's hand and squeezes. "It's okay. Don't be scared."

"I'm not scared." Cassia takes a deep breath and lowers her keens. "I don't think you did anything wrong."

"Me too," he says, rumbling strongly at what he knows is true.

"What the fuck did your little bastards do?!" The dad krogan comes to Damocles' parents, and he thinks the man will push his dad, but he doesn't.

Damocles can even hear his daddy's snarl as he turns from Miss EDI to the krogan. "They defended themselves." He looks to Damocles and Cassia, waving a hand for them to come over. They do, hearing their daddy say, "And I don't doubt they'll prove my suspicions."

The mommy krogan snorts as Srack almost runs to her. "Your kids will say anything to blame our son."

Mommy doesn't say anything to them when Damocles and his sister come to her. Instead, she makes a mean frown and looks to both of the krogan who stand so much taller than her. "You're telling me your older kid would just let a little boy beat his ass for the fun of it? You're so full of bullshit it's coming out of your ears."

"Srack doesn't cause any trouble." The dad pokes a finger at mommy, but she swats it away. "They no doubt learned from you both."

Daddy steps between Srack's dad and mommy. "Touch her again and you'll learn what happens when you touch any of my family." When the man snorts, as if he won, daddy looks to Cassia. "Cassia, can you tell us what happened?"

"What makes you think we'll believe your whelp?" The mommy krogan lays a hand on Srack's back. "We should have Srack's side."

"Alright." Mommy crosses her arms. "How do you explain the broken toy in my daughter's hands?"

Srack pretends to be sad and dips his head before stepping closer to his mom. "It was an accident. I said I was sorry, but Damocles attacked me." He looks up to his mother before his dad. "He used biotics to punch me in the face. I think he broke my nose because I heard a snap and it was bleeding."

The dad gets extra angry at that even though Srack's nose looks just like it did before, not even bleeding anymore. "This is the last fucking straw! You're bastard freak used biotics on my son!"

Mommy drops her hands and starts to glow blue. "Call my son a bastard or a freak again and you'll see what real biotics can do."

"Not to mention how I can show you all the ways to take out your kind with me bare hands," Daddy adds, a deep growl coming off him like he's a speaker.

All the parents stare at each other before Miss EDI steps between them, using her hands to push them apart. "We have heard Srack's side of the story. It is time for Cassia and Damocles'." Looking down to them even though Srack's dad snorts and crosses his arms, still mad, Miss EDI smiles and nods at Cassia. "Go ahead, Cassia."

Cassia grips her broken toy as she looks up to mommy and daddy. "Me and Gelta were playing in the grass when he came over and started asking her where her 'stupid fucking brother' was. She was scared and said she didn't know." She frowns and looks to him with an angry face. "I told him to leave her alone when he started to try and grab the toy out of her hands, grabbing it too, but he only pushed me and stepped on my toy instead-"

"That's a lie!"

Mommy looks to the krogan mom and moves her chin towards Srack. "Keep your kid quiet. We were quiet when he told his story. Show some respect."

"He'll do whatever the hell he wants-"

Miss EDI stops the krogan dad with a raised hand. When he goes quiet, she looks back to Damocles' sister. "Continue, please."

"He broke her," Cassia says, holding her toy up to their mommy and daddy. Mommy frowns and gently takes the pieces, holding them in her hands but not saying anything. Instead, she nods and Cassia keeps going. "I screamed and that's when Damocles came over. He told Srack to leave me alone and he started saying mean things." Damocles knows what's next and watches his sister trill in worry as she almost whispers. "I called him a 'fucking jerk', but he pushed me." She looks to him. "That's when Damocles punched him. But he didn't mean it!" she adds quickly, chirping at mommy and daddy.

Their parents looked down to them and Damocles couldn't really understand their faces. They didn't really look sad or mad, but not happy either. Almost like they were thinking. Afraid for his sister, Damocles steps forward and lifts his chin. "I did mean it. He was being mean and I wanted to protect Cassia."

"This is all lies," Srack's mother says, looking at Miss EDI. "You can't honestly believe this shit!"

"Judging by the state of Cassia's toy, I believe Srack was the one to begin this conflict." She looks down to Cassia. "And I believe Cassia's story. I have no reason to believe she, of all people, would lie no matter the consequence." Turning to the adults just as the krogan begin to growl in anger, she lifts a finger. "But, because this is a situation in which one side says opposite of the other, there is no true solution but to administer punishment to each side." She looks between Srack and Damocles, and Damocles lowers his mandibles in sadness for not being believed. "You are suspended from school for the next week." Back to the parents. "Damocles and Srack are not allowed to join the classes for said time, but must still complete designated assignments at home."

Srack's parents shake their head as they make wordless sounds, but daddy and mommy simply nod in 'okay'. But that must not make the krogan happy as they look to Damocles and make a very angry, hateful face. "I want you both," he says, looking up to mommy and daddy, "to make amends for your runt."

"Okay," mommy says, and Damocles almost worries until he sees her half smile, "As soon as your runt replaces my daughter's toy. Accident or not, he still broke it with his fat foot."

The dad makes a fist and steps forward, but daddy's warning growl stops him. The dad looks to daddy, then mommy, before stepping back in place. "Let's go, Kura. We don't have to put up with this shit."

Even though they all got in trouble, the krogan family are still very mad when they pound their feet down the steps and away from the schoolhouse. When they are finally gone, Miss EDI looks to daddy and mommy, a frown on her face. "Garrus, Shepard. There needs to be a talk of responsibility concerning violence as a reaction to bullying."

Mommy raises a brow. "So they're supposed to accept being pushed around? Don't they put up with enough shit?"

"If I allow them to reciprocate with violence, I must allow the entire school to." She shakes her head and crosses her hands behind her back. "They are my family, but I must be fair to protect every student's right to learn in a safe environment."

Mommy sighs and looks to daddy, neither speaking. They still seem to talk to each other, though, as daddy soon nods and looks down to Damocles. Kneeling down to face both him and Cassia, daddy lays a hand on Damocles' shoulder. His voice is soft and rumbling as he talks. "Son, you must understand that violence is not the answer."

"But-"

Daddy shakes his head. "No protest. You must accept this punishment and not do this again. Understand?"

Confused and hurt that his choice to defend his sister is wrong, Damocles frowns and ducks his head. His vocals are gone so he doesn't get mad as he whispers. "Yes, daddy."

"Alright, now that that bullshit is over, let's go home." Mommy waves Cassia over and opens her backpack, places the toy pieces inside. Next, she offers her hand to Damocles and, surprised, he takes a second before finally taking the friendly hand holding. Cassia takes daddy's hand as they walk down the steps and towards home.

He's still mad at his dad, and, when daddy steps to his other side, he refuses to look up at him. How he could be so wrong hurts and Damocles thought his parents would forgive and understand more than anyone.

"Damocles?" At his dad's voice, he looks up and readies for more scolding. Instead, he sees a smile and hears a soothing rumble. "I'm sorry I had to pretend to get mad at you."

"Pretend?" Damocles tilts his head, rumbling in confusion. "Why?"

Mommy squeezes his hand. "Most parents think that fighting back is wrong. We think that's a load of shit."

Damocles sees his dad nod, looking from Damocles on one side to Cassia on the other. "But there is a rule to this. Don't start the fight, just be the one to finish it." He looks to Damocles and offers a hand, which the little turian takes quickly. "If you hurt people first, you are no better than Srack and other bullies."

Damocles can't believe what he hears, can't believe his daddy was just pretending to get mad at him. He looks to mommy to see if daddy is pretending again and asks, "Really?"

Mommy nods and smiles. "Under one condition." Damocles frowns, rumbling in worry, but his mom doesn't stop smiling. "You're 'punishment' is going to be learning." He groans and she and daddy chuckle. "Not like that. We're going to teach you just like we did with shooting."

Damocles' eyes widen as he looks to his sister, then back to going between mommy and daddy. "What about Cassia?"

"If she wants to join." Daddy chuckles and looks to her, and Damocles sees her grin and nod as she chirps in excitement. "Then it's settled. I'll start teaching you how to spar and mommy will begin to work with you on biotics and control."

Damocles stops in his steps and the others have to too, looking to him with curious looks. Grinning, he hugs first daddy's leg, then mommy. He can't really say any words, too excited to be able to start to learn grown up things and be more like his parents, but his mom and dad seem to understand and chuckle each, patting his back.

"Now," mommy says. "Let's get some food to restore your reserves."

Damocles doesn't know what that means, but food sounds good, so he nods fast, grabs their hands, and pulls them towards home.