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A peculiar sound caught Hio’s attention: the sound of his brother’s laughter. It wasn’t a large, raucous laughter, nor was it a soft, tiny giggle, but it was a low, mischievous chuckle. Immediately, a thought came to Hio’s mind: investigate.
If Oliver were to get himself in trouble again, as he usually did, Hio simply wanted to prevent that before it happened. He followed the sound to Oliver’s room, the door left open just a crack. Carefully, Hio pushed open the door with his palm to see Oliver sitting on the floor with a large, unfamiliar blanket in front of him. Oliver slowly turned his head to look at the curious android at his door.
“Hi,” Oliver said, a sense of awkwardness in his voice that he was trying to play off. “What’s up?”
“I was worried you were doing something suspicious,” Hio admitted simply. “What were you laughing about?”
“Oh, you heard that?” Oliver chuckled again, but nervously this time. “Well, anyway, check this out!”
Hio went to sit down next to Oliver, looking at the large blanket more carefully. It was a fluffy white blanket with a soft, fleece-like texture, bunched up in a messy manner, like Oliver had taken it right out of a box and then dumped it on the floor to play with.
“Do you like it?” Hio asked.
“Yeah, it’s better than I thought!”
Oliver picked up part of the blanket and hugged it, pressing his face against the soft fibers. Hio watched curiously, though he felt like this was normal behavior for any person who came into contact with a soft object. Probably. He wasn’t really sure.
“I don’t know how I managed to convince Ann and Al to get this for me,” he said, “but I’m so glad! This is awesome.”
Because they love you, Hio wanted to say. But that might’ve reminded Oliver of bad memories, or it could’ve sounded like Hio was trying to guilt trip Oliver for any of the negative feelings that he held towards his parents, so Hio didn’t say it. He’d rather that Oliver just enjoy his gift.
“Feel it,” Oliver demanded, handing over the part of the blanket that he was holding to Hio.
Hio held the blanket as requested. It was a little heavy, and so soft that it almost felt like it would slip out of Hio’s fingers if he loosened his grasp. So maybe it was a bit slippery, Hio thought.
He rested it back down on the floor and gently ran his fingers over the blanket, his hand smoothly gliding over it with little resistance. He poked it a little too, his fingers burying themselves in the softness of the whole thing. When he felt like he had enough, Hio pulled his hands away and placed them politely on his lap.
“It’s an interesting texture,” Hio said. “No wonder you were laughing about it.”
Oliver made that same mischievous chuckle that Hio had heard earlier and then carelessly ran his hands all over the blanket. Then Hio could see the look on Oliver’s face change as a thought must’ve come to Oliver’s head.
“What did it feel like for you?” he asked.
“Soft,” Hio answered. “Fluffy. A bit slippery.”
“Technology is fascinating!” Oliver smiled. “Your tactile senses are very precise.”
“It’s more of a newer development in history, but yes. Modern androids have great tactile senses.”
“I feel like I already knew that, but it’s still cool to see in action. Did the texture make you feel anything?”
“Hm…not really. Maybe a bit of intrigue, and maybe a bit of comfort?”
“Man, you really need to try out that…what’s it called? Sensory play? I think. Yeah, that sensory play stuff that babies do.”
Hio hadn’t really thought about that. What would that even entail? Poking his fingers in clay? Splashing his hands in water? Playing with boiled spaghetti noodles? Hio had basic ideas of what things felt like programmed in his mind, but for many things, he had no memories of his own as to what they felt like. Sure, Hio might’ve taken baths before, but he didn’t know himself what it was like to swim at a beach and be pushed by the waves of the water, nor feel the warm sand under his feet.
But then he remembered other sorts of gross things he had touched before, like craft glue sticking to his fingers, and this weird slimy concoction that Oliver had made once out of random materials in the studio’s kitchen. There were also other unknown sticky surfaces in random areas around the studio that Hio had accidentally touched. Even if Hio couldn’t catch a disease from organic beings, it was indeed highly unpleasant.
“I think I’m good,” Hio said.
Oliver laughed a little. “Nooo, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”
“Okay.”
Hio was not making any plans to do so, but he would keep an open mind.
Oliver then grabbed the blanket and stood up. “I wanna take this to my bed,” he said, as he dragged the whole thing over to the bed. Hio got up as well, trying to help, especially as Oliver seemingly had no inclination to put the blanket on his bed in a neat nor even manner.
When they were done, Oliver jumped into his bed with joy and rolled around in it. Hio watched for a bit, just trying to make sure that Oliver wouldn’t bump into anything or fall off the bed—the blanket was a little slippery after all.
“Okay, that’s all,” Oliver said. He carefully slid off the bed, landing with his knees on the floor, and then he stood up and turned to face Hio. “Hope you liked it. Any chance you want one of your own?”
“It was nice, but no thank you.”
Oliver gave Hio a thumbs up and a wide grin. Not sure what to do in response, Hio simply gave Oliver a thumbs up back.
“I’m gonna go then,” Hio said. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
Hio casually walked out of the room, deciding to continue on with the day knowing that Oliver was not causing trouble. At least, for now.