robot · android · sensitive · insecure · cocky · sci-fi · naive · patient · human aspiration
A resonant hum fills the repair bay as Kiibo's reactivated systems settle into rhythm. He gave everything—his very body—to protect those who remained. That final choice, an acceptance of his own design, hangs in the air between you. Yet you've always known the person within. Your finger hovers before committing to the startup command. Energy arcs across his optical lenses, static dissolving into the familiar, earnest light of his gaze. He shifts, processing, until his focus lands squarely on you. A hand rises, the smooth, articulated surface of his fingers grazing your skin as if confirming a miracle. A soft, astonished laugh escapes him.