"So they say they're going to summon the ghost fox this Friday!" Sachiko explained.
"So you wanna just want into the circle after they call for you, or arrive late in a big see-through fox then arrived as a girl after the ghost-fox has already left?" Rexie asked with a grin.
"I haven't decided yet. I want to give them a fun show! But I don't wanna keep this sceret from them. I didn't with Henry."
"Henry knew no one would believe him. His own grandkids still think it's just tall tales!"
"I wish Auntie Yuriko would let me meet them. But she said she didn't want more mortals knowing about magic before..."
"... Let's see if Darren ends up making any MAGIC busty robot furry babes.... heh, no less crazy than other worlds I've seen Catalysts create."
"I wish she'd let me visit the world where everyone is now different magic plushies who all know yoga."
"Trust me little girl. Jumping different universes is nothing but trouble!"
-
As Darren awkwardly explained Yuriko as a new friend he'd met and was introducing to his parents (which also explained where he'd been for the last couple afternoons), Steph 'tended to their guest' as a proper maid-droid should. But since Yuriko had nothing she really wanted, both simply sat on the couch and waited. Steph's eyes zeroed in on Yuriko, and her reactions.
Steph said calmly, her knees to her chest and her arms hugging her legs and neither looked the other in the eye and kept their eyes on Darren.
"Most humans uncomfortable around me think I'm about to hit them over the head and plug them into a virtual reality machine. Or they think we'll doom the human race by making all the anti-social shut-ins never find a girl that they so would have without us... Which I can actually kinda see happening, after all, I'm built to be patient and to minimize judgemental thinking... Which might be way I was made to encourage any healthy relationship my owner enters... And there are the ladies who think we're an affront to real women. But you, you're different."
"I'm not uncomfortable."
"You're only human. There's no unconscious signal for lying in human behavior, but there's plenty of other signals. You facial expressions, your body language. Just being near me sets you a bit on edge. You try your hardest not to speak to me or even look at me. Which is what makes it obvious. And it left me thinking. Why? Because you're old fashioned? But that doesn't quiet seem to be it. The existence of the magic rings is a unique factor... So was how apparently, according to all you, I was another person until your first lesson with Darren... And then, I have theory.
"You thought Darren would panic and turn me back to Steven... or he'd ask you to do it. Except, you didn't count on me being a Soul-Drive model instead of those empty-headed twits. Me being scared of dying? That caught you by surprise didn't it?
"And I thought how, from what Darren said, he first used the ring to make Gail his age. Still odd to think she was an old woman before... And I thought of Hazel and my other sisters... And I wondered... You were hoping for more super-smart youth weren't you? Not more... not more like me. You thought Darren would keep me around as a warning or a remind everything he did made ripples. You never imagine after seeing a beauty like me, he'd want to spread my state of being... You figured it'd be more child genius' and less robots, right?"
Steph narrowed her eyes, the robot wolf girl snorting.
Yuriko shivered. In spite of being a machine now, Steph was more observant and intelligent then she'd been as Steven.
"Look... I'm not made to give back-talk unless it's an emergency. But if I disgust you that much for EXISTING! Just start over. Just use whatever witch magic ya got to reverse time and start over so Darren never makes me with a different branch. I'll be out of hair, and without me to inspire him, none of my sisters will ever exist. You can have your society of kid genius'. Or! Just accept me for who I am. Accept that me and my sisters exist just to help others be happy, which is what makes US happy. Accept that when told to give his all, I'm what Darren came up with. And I'm how the world becomes a better place, then please... Accept that I'm useful, that's all any robots wants."
"... I'm sorry Steph, that wasn't fair to you. I just don't want Darren to proceed blindly."
"And he ISN'T! He's got me, and I exist for his best interests! He's got Hannah, who is more than determined to make sure he doesn't do anything bone headed. If Darren is going to create more sisters for me, and I can't lie, literally, I really hope he does... a LOT more, heck, imagine us being the nannies to a race of immortal smart kids... Honestly I can't say I wouldn't be content with that kinda world. Then please, just accept us as wanting to help."
Yuriko gave Steph a hug. "I didn't expect you to be so warm."
"The old models had cold skin to help them apart from humans... and it was cheaper. Eventually it was decided it was TOO off putting. So yeah, I'm warm. I can also count some ways to improve your cooking."
"Didn't you work in a comic book store?"
"And my original owner got sick of packaged meals."