Work Text:
Ami is starting to understand Aoi’s fascination with tea- there’s an elegance to it. The surface ripples as she taps the side of the cup. The cup itself has been glazed using a primitive Earth method that results in lots of imperfections- but said flaws make for a visually interesting finish. If she had her way, Ami would have opted for a perfect, symmetrical cup- if she had then she never would have had the chance to appreciate this thing that’s in her hands now.
She looks over to Aoi who is staring up at the night sky. As a sex bot, a gynoid, she must have heat and touch sensors. She cannot taste the tea, cannot smell it, so she appreciates it in her own way. The warmth of a fresh cup. The reflection of the stars on the deep green surface of the liquid. It’s become difficult to think of her as a robot and not just because she keeps insisting she is a human.
“I am glad to see you’re enjoying your tea now, Ami. Isaku-sama ordered it in bulk ten years ago. I fear I will need to buy more soon.”
Ami feels a twinge of jealousy. She doesn’t give in to the cruel urge to drop her cup. “He was important to you,” she whispers. This is not a revelation. Aoi talks about her previous owner quite often. He’s the whole reason she’s faking being human.
“Yes, it has been lonely here without him. And I had not been able to return to town without his assistance until you arrived and came with me.” Aoi smiles down at her tea. “I am happy that your spaceship crashed on the estate, despite the damage.”
Ami blushes and takes a sip of her tea.
“I am, too.”