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Jet sits on the hospital bed in James’ lab, making sure he’s on his best behaviour while the older scientist continues his testing. Or, at least, he’s trying to be on his best behaviour. It’s proving to be a bit harder than expected to stay concentrated when the small purple robot keeps running in circles inside the lab. It’s gotten to the point where Jet worries that it might actually wear down it’s path onto the floor. James seems to pay it no mind.
Having become a frequent visitor into the Cerulean home, he has become used to seeing the small robots wander around the house. Usually they’re scuttling around, and move far too quickly to get a quick glance at them. Jet assumed they were surveillance robots. It seemed like the sort of tech James would invest in.
Today is the first time he’s seen one of them head on, instead of out of the corner of his eye.
“Hey Doc,” Jet starts “I think your robot is malfunctioning”
“Mora?” James replies without so much as glancing behind himself to check “He’s just throwing a tantrum since I haven’t been giving him as much attention lately. He’ll get tired of it eventually and find something else to do.”
“Your surveillance robot... is having a tantrum?”
“Surveillance robot? Mora isn’t a surveillance robot. Whatever gave you that idea?” he sounds amused.
“Well”, Jet looks away, cheeks tinting a little bit “they follow me around every time I walk anywhere in your apartment, but they’ll hide if I look at them. I assumed they were keeping an eye on me in case I tried to rob you or something.”
James laughs a bit at that.
“A charming thought.” he grins “But you have nothing to worry about - they’re probably just curious since you keep coming here and we don’t have many repeat visitors. They can be a little shy but it seems like Mora here has grown to like you.”
“So if they like me... they’ll run in circles nonstop?”
“No, no, I wasn’t kidding when I said he’s throwing a tantrum. He’s not used to share.”
“Share?”
“I mean, you’re here all the time nowadays Jet. And I like giving you my undivided attention” James winks at that, and Mora makes a series of beeps that sound like indignation. “I do need you to stay put for this next part, as I’ll be drawing blood and I wouldn’t want the needle to snap because you become jumpy.”
James considers his options for a minute. Kicking Mora out would be useless as he could just waltz right back in. Disabling him would take too long, and he liked to avoid it unless it was a last resort measure, so it seems only one option remained.
James picks up the small robot. It’s eight legs scramble as it looks unhappy to be off the ground. He places it on Jet’s lap and Mora stills.
“Would you mind holding him? If you pat him he’ll stay still”.
Jet isn’t used to treating robots as living things. They’re just artefacts after all. But he does as he’s told. Mora relaxes under his touch, and hums in a way much similar to a cat’s purr.
“See, I told you he likes you.” James beams at him. “Now stay still, this will only hurt a little bit”.
————
After that day at the labs, Jet is greeted by Mora every time he shows up to the apartment. He’s taken to climbing up to his shoulder, or following around everywhere he goes. Slowly over time, Fresa starts showing up as well. She’s more hesitant, always staying just outside arm’s reach, but at least she’s not hiding.
To Jet, it feels like he’s passed a test he didn’t even know he was taking.
————
“They’re so bright” Jet comments one day.
He’s been at James for a couple of days now. He got a bit beaten up last mission and the scientist thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to try out his new experimental tech for cell regeneration. They’re watching an old noir film, but Fresa seems the most interested in it. Jet’s pretty sure Mora is asleep.
“Bright?” James replies.
“Mora and Fresa. Like, no offence Doc but your entire apartment is either blinding white or very neutral tones. They stick out like a sore thumb.”
“I suppose they do. Makes it easier to find them when they’re trying to hide”
“You talk about them like they’re alive.”
“Well, after a certain point, with the level of ai intelligence they possess there’s not much difference between them and so called real pets”
“It’s nice. I like it. I like them”
James smiles, and leans into Jet’s side.
“They like you too.”