Darren couldn't deny how intense it was seeing the old ladies become less than half his age. In particular after they'd said, (and in Yuriko's case, shown) just how insanely powerful they were. Now they looked any five and six year olds with a nanny.
Steph looking at little Lynne, the woman who'd threatened her owner. But also now a small child that needing looking after.
Steph said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything malicious, it goes against my most basic programming to harm a child... " Steph then grinned. "But tickling happens to exist in a gray area in those protocols."
Lynne stepped back. "You're a machine! You don't have gray areas!"
"Turn of phrase," Steph shrugged. "I'm complex enough that I can appreciate there's a time and place and limit for it."
Yuriko stepped behind her. "Oooh, tickling sounds fun!"
Steph opened hollow compartment on her leg, taking out a feather she just happened to have on her of all things.
Darren couldn't help but smile at the antics. What he hadn't expected what another text. It was from... Bob?
'Hey, Darren. Are you mad at me or something? What did I do? You haven't to me in days. You act like we're strangers in class. Just talk to me. Please?
P.S. You seemed cross with Hannah today. Are you jealous she suddenly got popular? Don't worry, no matter what, she'll still be Hannah.'
Darren felt he'd been punched in the gut... and this time it wasn't due to Hannah nor Steph's breathless meddling.
"I still had a human friend all along," he mumbled to himself. And yet, he'd still treated him something that could be turned off. Darren wished he could blame the drama Hannah and Steph had caused for why he hadn't thought of him. But the truth was that after rewriting the life of the hobo so he could have a better life and have Steven's parents still have a family... He thought he could just wait on getting to know the 'new' kid. He'd forgotten that if Bob's life was retroactive, right in Darren's neighborhood, why wouldn't he have already been friends with Darren?
'Looks like I need to apologize to someone too,' Darren thought.