AN: I just got back into Chobits, and I realized that Dita and Zima don't nearly get enough love. I ended up doing what every deprived fan would do--make my own fanfiction. Let's hope it wasn't a bad decision on my part --;;
Misreckoning
"Dita, wouldn't it be interesting if persocoms could dream?" Zima quipped as he gazed through the plexi-glass window with a lazy grin. He sat on the metal gurney beside the wall, one leg dangling off the edge, the other supporting his arm. Technicians passed through the hallways with their white coats, ignoring the two figures in the cluttered room. His companion, Dita, remained leaning against the cluttered desk just a few meters away.
"Not really," The smaller of the two replied, "I find dreaming to be pointless. It's nothing but pieces of information scattered in humans' consciences and given visual form. And from some of the dreams I've heard, they make no sense."
"But that's only in humans. I'm talking about us. What do you think you'd dream about if you could?"
A pause filled the air as Dita thought of the theoretical question. She crossed her arms and looked to the side.
"I don't know. We can't dream anyway, so it doesn't matter."
He let out a small sigh, accepting her reply with a type of resignation she only managed to get from him. His attention diverted from the window to her.
"I think persocoms would dream of many things. We may be nothing more than computers, but that in itself is a unique experience. We would have dreams that would be unlike any others."
He halted his speech for a second, locking his gaze with hers. His mouth broke into a coy grin.
"But I'm sure that if I had dreams, my dearest Dita would be in most of them."
Chapter One: Breathing (Yellowcard)
It was an odd night.
Why? Because, even from way up on the rooftop of one of the many businesses that littered the city, she couldn't find a single person or persocom outside. The street lights and neon signs illuminated the abandoned roads and fast, thick, raindrops fell from the atmosphere. She could peer inside the brightly lit windows, though, and what she saw inside those tiny apartments completely contrasted the dark and empty ally-ways. Humans laughing and smiling at their persocoms; persocoms pleased that their masters were pleased. Was that what the feeling "happiness" meant?
Her processors couldn't handle the vagueness of the question and she was left with no answer. It didn't matter anyway, unless it was directly involved with Zima's welfare.
The rain entangled into her synthetic hair, clumping the strands together and pooling into droplets at the end. Gravity pulled and the water fell onto her false skin. It soaked through her clothes and they clung to her with the added weight.
Not many skyscrapers had shelter from the rain, and Zima suggested they stopped before the storm grew worse.. At least he had enough sense to bring a coat. She, on the other hand, had to fare without one. What good would a coat do if someone attacked? The sleeves were either too restricting or too loose, and it usually trailed to the ground with her height. She was so small compared to Zima, it was a wonder what their creator was even thinking when he designed them.
Seriously...what on Earth was their creator thinking when he released persocoms into the world?
"What's wrong, love? Couldn't sleep?" His soft, deep voice filtered through the rain beside her. She looked up at his smiling face, and realized that the coat somehow had been placed onto her shoulders without her noticing.
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" She shot back. A minute ago he was in hibernation mode, propped up against the roof entranceway--a mere six meters behind her.
"You know I can't catch a wink of sleep unless my precious little Dita is in my arms." He replied in what would be considered a teasing tone. She looked at him.
"You slept fine without me a moment ago." Dita blatantly pointed out. Her fingers lightly grasped the material as she switched her gaze back towards the scenery. "Besides, something seems to be wrong with the city."
Zima glanced down at the city's barren streets, looking perfectly content. A brief pause stood between them and not for the first time Dita wondered about how Zima really thought.
"It's nothing too life-threatening, dear." He said, pulling his fingers through his now-drenched spikes of hair, "The humans are just enjoying their time inside instead of in this nasty storm."
He looked down, directing his gaze to her.
"I guess it's not the most comfortable weather to be sleeping in, is it?" The taller persocom chuckled.
She met his eyes and paused...was her cooling system malfunctioning? Why did she feel so warm?
"A-Anyway," Dita interrupted her thoughts, "We could go down and find a place in the subway, but they'd have a significantly better chance of catching us. I'd much rather be in the rain."
"You don't care about water damage?" He smirked in reply. She shrugged the overly large coat off of her shoulders and clutched the fabric in her fist, pressing it against his abdomen. Sometimes she thought that their creator made a critical mathematical malfunction while designing their height.
"If you're so worried then take your coat back." She deadpanned. Seriously, as if it wasn't enough that they were running from the government. This whole escapade already conflicted her primary objectives, and she found herself constantly torn between staying with Zima and going back to base, alone.
Dita chose the highest priority: protect the national data bank at any cost.
The government made a clear statement; if it was useless, throw it away. If it hindered their objectives, dispose of it. If there was any sign of erratic behavior, it must be stopped. If Zima's program showed any sort of maladaptive behavior--
She and Zima were anything but useless. And if she needed to, she'd prove it to them.
His large hand gently held her wrist and she could feel the warm touch from the gloved fingers. He smiled.
"Come on, love. Let's get some sleep."
A small tug and a few steps later, she found herself curled up in her usual spot between Zima's legs. Her head rested against his chest and she closed her eyes, preparing for sleep mode. The taller persocom fidgeted a bit, and in delayed realization, Dita felt the soft lining of the coat acting as a makeshift blanket. Her fingers curled around the edges as her hibernation mode finally activated.
The rain continued to fall upon them, still fast and heavy, still cold. Regardless of that, Dita felt warm inside.
To be continued...