Here is the (hopefully awaited) story by Ayamekashi and Infinity Ryen!
Disclaimer: Sadly, neither Aya nor Ryen owns Gravitation….
Just an Android
Mode 1: Bite Mode
"Shuichi, get down here!"
The little boy impishly stuck his tongue out in the direction of his mother's aggravated voice, not caring that she couldn't see him; or rather, because she couldn't see him. He continued creeping up the stairs. It was the first family reunion his family had in years, the first he had ever attended actually, and he was already bored. He wondered why his relatives had to hold the dinner at his house.
His family, sister included, claimed that he was antisocial but Shuichi didn't care that he was considered strange. He had more interesting things to do than engage himself in pointless conversation with strangers. They would probably just stand around feeling too awkward and tongue-tied to actually say something anyway.
Still, even this dreaded event had its perks. Shuichi had always been curious about how things worked, which was apparently unusual for his age. One thing he couldn't understand though, was why his parents always got so mad when he pulled an object apart and separated it into countless little components when they were always boasting about his intelligence. There was even a time his mother threw a ladle at him; he didn't get it, her laptop wasn't functioning anyway.
But this wasn't the time for musings, he reminded himself. It was time for adventure, missions, exploring, sating curiosity, and gaining knowledge. It was 'time'. It was time to discover the joy and pleasures of the human anatomy.
Cautiously pushing Maiko's room door open, he looked around, silently thanking his relatives for distracting his sister long enough to get his objective achieved. Once inside, he pushed the door close. He was careful to leave it ajar so he would hear if someone was approaching. His eyes immediately fell on his target. Ah, there it was - his sister's Barbie doll.
Heart thumping with apprehension, he reached out for it and –
"What are you doing?"
Shuichi nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around guiltily, hiding the doll behind his back. Seeing who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you…"
Ryuichi, the cousin he just met that day, stared at him suspiciously. "What's that you're holding?"
Panicking, Shuichi stuttered, "No-nothing! I'm just – uh – cleaning Maiko's room! Yeah, that's it; I'm cleaning her room." Realizing something, he bossily added, "Hey, why are you here? You're not supposed to come upstairs!"
This time, it was Ryuichi who shifted his eyes guiltily. "But they're so boring…." He added a mutter, "Why do I have to come anyway? All I want is to continue my experiments in peace…my salt crystal if gonna turn out crumbly if I don't add more sodium solution soon…"
Catching his mutter, Shuichi's eyes widened. Could this be true? Could he have found his…?
"Jeez, who cares about what I'm doing here anyway. Lemme see!" Without warning, Ryuichi suddenly grabbed the doll from Shuichi's hands. Staring at Shuichi, then the doll and back to Shuichi again, he mumbled, "…You didn't look the type who likes dolls…."
Mortified, Shuichi burst out, "Of course I'm not! I just wanted to see what's inside the doll! I don't like being around people! Why can't they leave me to do my investigations in peace?!"
Ryuichi stared at a red-faced Shuichi in stunned silence before tackling him. "Soul mate!"
Winded, Shuichi wittily replied, "Uh, what?"
The other boy happily clasped his hands, a starry look in his eyes. He repeated, "Soul mate!"
Shuichi felt the same; they were definitely on the same wavelength. Eagerly clasping Ryuichi's hands back, he gained an identical maniacal – err, starry – look as he proudly proclaimed back. "Soul mate!"
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before pulling into a tight hug. "Soul mates!"
Ryuichi let go, grinning madly. "Now, that that's done, let's get back to the original mission!"
Shuichi had a feeling they were going to get along very well indeed. Excitedly agreeing with his new partner in his crime, he squealed, "Resume mission!"
They both dove for the Barbie doll, Ryuichi pulling on the doll's left hand and leg while Shuichi was tugging on the right side. Shuichi glared at Ryuichi. "Let go!"
The other boy yelled back, "No way!"
Okay, so maybe their new partnership wasn't so perfect after all. But that wasn't important to Shuichi. Why, one might ask: it was because while the two boys were grappling over the doll, they heard a popping sound. Both immediately fell silent as they stared at the doll.
They were snapped out of their reverie when footsteps were heard. Silently reaching a temporary truce, they frantically performed first aid on the doll.
Maiko opened the door to find two boys looking in opposite directions, whistling innocently. Not fooled for a second, her eyes immediately fell on the doll. Picking it up, her jaw fell open in horror as the doll's head fell to the floor and rolled to a stop at Shuichi's feet.
Her aura was blood red scary. "Shu – ich – chiiiiiii."
Both boys simultaneously beat a hasty retreat; Ryuichi made it but Shuichi was caught. He desperately yelled, "Save me!"
Ryuichi didn't stop running. "I still want to live!"
"But you're my soul mate!"
The yell faded out as Ryuichi got further. "Well, this soul mate has a stomachache right about now!"
And so, this was the touching story of how two destined soul mates met in the most emotional way ever: this is according to Ryuichi. This was the most painful meeting ever: this is according to Shuichi. Guess who was right?
-Ten years later-"Shu-chaaaaaaaaan!"
Shuichi continued tinkering away on his latest android, R3T3. He had learned to ignore his cousin when he was this high, having learned his lesson from the time Ryuichi created a walking washing machine. While he was sure it was a useful invention, he still didn't appreciate being considered dirty laundry; the taste of detergent remained in his mouth for a week.
"Shuichi, are you ignoring me?"
Still not looking up, he retorted, "What do you think?"
Beaming, Ryuichi exclaimed, "You're talking to me so the answer is no!"
"…"
"Come on, are you still made about the underwear-folding machine?"
"…"
"I said I'm sorry! I didn't know it would cut your clothes up into triangles and paint heart shapes all over them…."
"…"
Pouting at Shuichi's lack of response, he tugged at the sleeve of Shuichi's lab coat. "Anyway, come see this!"
Resigned as Ryuichi started manhandling him, he allowed his cousin to drag him into his part of the house and into the lab. The place was a mess, with bits of wire, tools and components all over the place.
Letting Shuichi go once they were inside, he took hold of a white sheet covering what Shuichi assumed was a machine. Ryuichi excitedly beamed at him while pulling it off with grand flourish. "Look at this!"
Shuichi's jaw dropped open in amazement as he slowly walked closer, inspecting Ryuichi's latest creation. He had always known Ryuichi was a genius but this surpassed even his highest expectations.
The male android had blond hair and angelic features. The limbs seemed to connect seamlessly. Shuichi studied its long white fingers. There was no trace that the android was exactly what it was: an android. Looking at it now, with the eyes closed, Shuichi could almost believe it was a real sleeping human.
"Do you like it?"
Startled, Shuichi blinked before replying. "It's perfect! I didn't know you've been working on this!"
Pleased with Shuichi's excited response, he said, "Of course you didn't know! It's supposed to be a surprise present!"
Confused, Shuichi echoed, "Surprise? For what?"
Ryuichi rolled his eyes. "I knew you would forget your own birthday. Happy birthday, Shuichi!"
"My birthday…? Oh yeah, today is my birthday!" Shuichi then frowned, slowly saying, "You mean, you made this for me? It's mine?"
Ryuichi nodded empathetically, "Yeah, it's all yours!"
"But it's too much for a present! All the time and effort you spent on it! I can't accept – "
Ryuichi firmly interrupted. "It's yours. I've programmed it so that it will respond to you and only you."
Touched, Shuichi stared at him for a moment before chocking out, "All right then. Thank you."
Ryuichi smiled. "Go on. Activate it."
Shuichi leaned over the android, frowning. The activation button wasn't at its usual spot. "How?"
Ryuichi's smile widened. "Bite its left ear."
Nodding, Shuichi said, "Got it. Bite it's left – what ?!" He spun around to glare at Ryuichi. "Why, of all things, do I have to bite its ear?"
"Well, it's a new version. See," Ryuichi gestured at another android Shuichi hadn't noticed, "that's its twin. I call this series KUMA666. It's standard activation."
Shuichi sulkily muttered, "Fine," before gingerly biting the android's ear. Nothing happened. He looked questioningly at Ryuichi.
Ryuichi gave him an encouraging grin. "You have to bite at an exact angle of 37.29 degrees above horizontal."
Shuichi stared at him before going ballistic. "Why do you have so much time to even measure the precise angle?! You're too free!"
His cousin only nodded sagely. "Yes, I am. Aren't I?"
"…You're not supposed to agree that easily!" Shuichi threw a wrench towards the other man. "Go repent a little!"
XXX
Two hours later, a wheezing Shuichi slid to the floor, exhausted. He had finally managed to activate his android after only five hundred and one tries. Mopping his sweat away, he tiredly told Ryuichi, "I'm done. You're turn."
Ryuichi beamed at him before stepping up to his own android. He calmly pressed an unseen spot on its neck before looking at Shuichi. "I'm done."
Shuichi stared at him in disbelief. "Why is yours so easy to activate?! Why can't I just activate mine like that too?"
Ryuichi pondered over that for a moment. "Um…because it's more fun to see you biting it?"
"…Ryuichi."
"Yes?"
"Please do me a favor"
"What is it?"
"Die."
He forgot his irritation towards Ryuichi when his android opened its eyes and sat up. Shuichi's breath caught. Ryuichi really was brilliant. Even the android' eyes were so human-like – a beautiful molten gold, full of intelligence and fire. His android, yes, it was his, was focusing those piercing eyes on Shuichi now. He opened his mouth and –
"Hey brat, where's the food?"
Um, what?! Shocked, Shuichi glanced at his cousin. If this was Ryuichi's idea of a joke, Shuichi was going to make sure he wouldn't live to attend his next birthday. But no, Ryuichi was surprised too, if the widened eyes were any indication. "Ryuichi, what's going on?"
"I – I don't know. Something's wrong. I was sure I implanted the Sexy Maid mode. Wait – " Ryuichi hurried over to his desk and began to rummage through multiple disks. Shuichi could hear him muttering feverishly, "Submissive Uke mode, Goldfish mode, Toenail Fetish mode…"
Shuichi tuned him out, disturbed. Why did he even come up with such weird modes…I seriously don't want to know what goes on in his mind…
"Found it!" Ryuichi triumphant yell earned his full attention. Ryuichi's eyes scanned through the label before whispering, "Oh no."
'Oh no'? That instantly got Shuichi worried. He grabbed the disc from Ryuichi's hands and read out loud, "Cold Bastard mode."
His android decided to make its needs known.
It snapped in irritation, "Wonderful, just what I need: to wake up surrounded by two idiots. Hey you," that was directed at Shuichi, "are you supposed to be my master? I'm sure it's a really great honor and I'm obviously too good for you but I have no choice but to put up with you. Why aren't you kissing my feet yet? Oh, and put a step on the food. Jeez, what lousy service." The blonde android ended its tirade by rolling its eyes with slight disdain. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
Speechless, Shuichi turned to glare at Ryuichi. His cousin nervously backed away slightly. "Um…oops…?"
"…Ryuichi?"
"Y-Yes?"
"Please really die."
Aya: Here it is! The very first chapter of Just an Android. (Grins) Hope you all like! I'm sure you guys can guess who Shuichi's blonde android is right? Heh heh. Anyone guess who Ryuichi's is? Please leave a review! (You're welcome to give Ryen a love bite too!)
Ryen: (Smile) IT'S DONE!!!! I hope you all enjoyed this. Hehehe… This is what our overly 'compact' mind thought when we are hyper-ing. I wonder does eating pocky helps? As you can see… Shu-chan is a bit OOC while Ryu-chan.. Whether he acts like normal depends on your judgment. Soo… Please leave review for us, the sane(points at herself) and the insane(points at Aya then runs off)