Chapter Text
Beneath his feet, the dried autumn leaves crunched, leaving an oddly satisfying sound in Simon's ears. The park was filled with families, friends, lovers, androids, and humans. He found himself smiling at the sight.
He sat on a bench by the playground, listening to the laughter of little children. The area was surrounded by guardians, making sure their kids don't get themselves into trouble. Cold air swept the area, rustling the trees and bumping the balloons sold by a brunette in a cap.
Simon looked around, taking in he atmosphere. Some faces were unique, others shared among androids. A slim woman with a ponytail played in the seesaw with a little girl. Another of the same model had shorter hair in blonde, holding hands with a guy of asian descent. One more bought a balloon shaped like a sheep. Hell, it even moved around like one.
Suddenly, an android in roller skates whizzed by, followed by a dog. Simon could hear the man squeal "Woohoo!" in the distance, followed by a dog's bark, as he inadvertently crashes into an automated recycling set. He could see people nearby rushing to his aid as he yelled "I'm okay!" from the chute.
"At least he wore a helmet." Simon stated as he observed the scene, people working together to help the man up.
To think, some months ago, this would never be a possible sight to see.
The man selling balloons rushed to the commotion screaming, carrying a first aid kit. "Excuse me, is everything alright over there?"
Simon furrowed his eyebrows. If the seller is there with a kit in his hands, where are all his balloons?
Looking back, he saw that the saller was still there, servicing a family of 5. Oh.
Beside the seller android was another of the same model. Standing there.
Something about how he stood there unsettled Simon, yet nobody seemed to mind.
He stared at him, waiting for the look alike to do anything. The robot, noticing Simon, waved and smiled. Simon gave a little wave before looking back to the skater in the set.
The dog was being pet by several other people while the skater walked alongside the seller model. "You had a few scratches on your knees. You sure showed that set who's boss! Haha. These band aids have nanobots that help reconstruct your skin. Do you need anything, Jason?" The androids stopped walking.
"Oh, me? Uh." Jason stuttered, then lit up. "You know what? I've always wanted to try ice cream. How much is it?" His wavy hair jumped with him. "Oh, no sir. This one is on the house. Keep on trying new things, friend!"
A few seconds later, another of the same model walked up to them, ice cream in hand. Jason nearly vibrated in excitement. He gasped. "rA9! Jerry! Thank you!" He said, nearly ripping the cone out of the android.
"Anything for adventurers." The androids spoke in unison, bowing. Simon squinted.
The android held his skates in one hand and the treat in the other, walking towards the dog from earlier.
Jerry and... Jerry smiled to each other, then proceeded to go back to whatever the two of them were doing. Simon leaned forward, eyed the skater-help duo, then at the seller Jerry.
The seller, seeing his gaze, motioned him to come over, interpreting his stare as hesitation to approach.
Simon blinked in surprised. "Why not?" He thought, going to Jerry #1. Besides, theres an airplane balloon he'd been eyeing for a while now. It looked so detailed and cool.
"Come! Don't be afraid. Balloons are for all." Jerry #1 felt inviting, like those others from earlier. "My name is Jerry." Much like the helpers. "What can I get you?"
"The airplane, please." Simon linked for a transaction, but Jerry stopped him. "No need." He said, handing the flying plane to the PL600. Simon reached out, but stopped halfway.
Do I... deserve this...?
Simon looked distant, pulling his hand back. Jerry's face fell.
Hse slowly put the balloon in Simon's hand and closed it. Simon looked at the seller. He smiled. "Sir. Balloons are for all. Child, human, or android."
Simon gripped the airplane moving around, a bit in shock. This Jerry reminded him of Markus, the droid who led androids to freedom. Someone who made him feel worth... something. He had flashed a somber smile looking at the balloon.
Reminiscing or wishing? Jerry couldn't quite tell. The view flashed through all the Jerries in the area, filling each with a feeling of unexplainable sadness. Some even stopped working for a few seconds. It was a bittersweet sight.
"W-what's your name?" He asked, attempting to get rid of the depressing atmosphere. Simon looked at him, looking lost. "Me? Yeah. My name is Simon."
Jerry nodded. "Simon, we hope we'll be seeing you around more often."
He was taken a bit aback by the statement. He blinked several times and snapped out of it. "Me too."
He walked the opposite direction, heading towards a bench with a less crowded scenery. The seller Jerry took notice as more people came to get balloons.
List: Simon, Android under "Make Happy", he communicated with the others.
Nobody gets in this park and leaves sad or self loathing.