AN: This fic is not only takes place in Chobits universe, but also inspired by Saber Marionette's Maiden Circuit. Also I did more alternations to fit modern days, such as the existence of wifi and smartphone. Originally, the small persocoms are the equivalent of laptop, but here, it's the equivalent of a smartphone. I already asked my brother and yeah, he confirmed that a smartphone made in 2016 can have better processor than a laptop made in 2002. About 4-8 times, even. Oh, and by the time this fic takes place, Takeru is in university, so does Heath. Oh, and "kyuu", the sound Riku made, sounds like "Q" or 9 in Japanese. So expect the chapter titles is any word that starts with q or 9 followed by any word.
Takeru Fujiwara stand in front of a building. The persocon shop. He is not poor, he just isn't sure should he really buy a persocom. He doesn't communicate with people that much, so a large persocom that he can leave at home would be suffice. But wait, even people who have large type persocom don't leave theirs at home. For example, Hasekura Heath, his senpai at the university's Stride club. He is always with his persocom, Kuga Kyosuke. It's not only because Kuga is such a ridiculously capable persocom with so many built-in features, but also, he is one of the few black-eared persocom. He does not have an OS installed to him. Instead, he have a special chip that gives him emotions, feelings, and sapience. Called "Self Chip.", which is what distinguishes black-eared persocoms with the normal ones. The self chip usually is installed to a custom made persocom, but it is possible to install one to the mass-produced still, the self-chip is outrageously expensive. Not to mention, no one can guarantee what kind of personality the chip will give. It is very random, just like humans born with random personalty. And that's why, so far Takeru haven't seen black-eared persocom other than Kuga. To say Kuga is close with Heath is... An understatement. Kuga is rather quiet and sneers a lot, without saying anything...And Heath would still get it. Sure, even nowadays persocoms have built-in wifi in them, allowing them to connect to other appliances... But it's not only that in Kuga's case. He seems to be able to ... Connect to Heath himself. You don't see a guy with a male persocom everywhere, you know
Perhaps what Takeru wants is not just a persocom. He wants someone, not something. Someone who can connect to him just like Kuga to Heath. He can buy a normal persocom with the money he saves from all those Stride tournaments... But not enough to buy a self chip. Takeru decided to go back home to his apartment... And on the way home, he saw a blonde boy wrapped bandages. But it's not the boy's cute face nor naked body. It was the black ears. Who the hell would dispose a black-eared persocom !? The self-chip is outrageously expensive, why would you dispose of such an expensive thing !? But more importantly, black-eared persocoms have feelings just like humans, so what kind of heartless bastard would casually dumped it naked like this? /
Even he look stoic outside, Fujiwara Takeru still have heart. He just can't keep a blind eye of a persocom dumped just like that, especially if it have black ears. He was looking for the reset button... And why does it have to be down there?
Takeru, being Takeru, he just casually press it, then, the boy unwraps himself, opened his eyes, and... says nothing but "kyuu" sound.
Cute as it is, it doesn't intrigue Takeru at all. Right. first thing to do, gotta see his capacity by connecting it to a monitor. Even he doesn't have a persocom, he often see how to treat one. Especially on university... Which you would always see some connected to the command tablet, for making papers, because , well, university student being university student. Tasked with this and that by the professors. Or alternatively, you would see the professors uses one for the presentation.
His TV goes on blue screen the second it is connected to the boy. Damn. Do black-eared persocoms need a special monitor or command tablet ? Takeru took out his command tablet. Even though he often borrowed his friends' persocoms to finish tasks from his professors, at least he used his own command tablet. That broke too. Time for the reinforcement. Takeru reached out for his phone, the good ol' Nokia, and pressed a number
"Moshi-moshi, good evening Kuga-san. Do you have some time for a while?"
"I'm driving, Fujiwara. Wait,I'll connect myself to the speaker and mic for Heath. " How nifty. Kuga have a phone built-in equipment, and he can safely drive while multi-task. "
"There he done, Fujiwara. For what did you call Kyosuke for?"
"Senpai, do you have any problem connecting Kuga-san to any other appliances-say, the monitor, or the command tablet? Or do black-eared persocoms need special command tablet? "
"Why are you asking that? Got a persocom on your own? And it has black ears ?"
" Sort of. Find him on the trash heap."
"Wait...You're picking it up from the trash heap? The hell? How can a black-eared ones ended on the trash heap? "
"Yeah. I don't know, but at least I know I'm not lying to you. He breaks all monitors I had here after I connected them to him. So I wonder if black-eared persocoms need special command tablet?"
" So far as I remember, no. But maybe it have something to do with the initial set-up... Hey, Kyosuke, when Kadowaki created you, is there anything specific with your initial set-up?"
"No. "
So there is something wrong with this boy after all, Takeru said in his mind.
"Also, is it common for a black-eared persocom to have a baby's personality?"
"No, again. But.. The personality created by the self chip is so randomly generated , so I do think there is a low chance it could happen... Very low that is. Also, black-eared persocoms can learn techniques from manually taught, just like humans. Although most people still sticks to installing. Is there anything you can ask?"
"Senpai, can you please come here and scan this boy? The only black-eared persocom I know only Kuga-san. "
There was a silence, until Heath flipped out when he heard that last request.
"... Don't you just said that kid destroys all of your gadgets? And you asked me to bring you Kyosuke to scan him... Knowing it might break him? THERE IS NO WAY I CAN LET YOU DO THAT, FUJIWARA, NO! "
"Heath, calm down...Even if I didn't scan that boy, there is still option. Why don't bring him to Kadowaki ? If that boy really is a black-eared persocom, Kadowaki must know him, as he is the only one who can make the self chip,"
"Kadowaki? You mentioned him before, Kuga-san."
"Yes, he was the one who created me. He attend the same university with you and Heath, you don't know? If scanning the boy isn't an option for me, bringing him to Kadowaki is the only option. If it's just this, you can agree, Heath? "
"..."
"He nodded. It was an okay. Still, sorry to say this, Fujiwara... But we cannot do it now. Heath have to attend Diane-san meetings-
"Screw it, Kyosuke. Just drive to Fujiwara's place." Takeru knows Heath's relationship with Diane is rather salty and he will try to escape her whenever he can, even though Diane is ... well, suffice to say she is the incarnation of Kishimojin.
" ..."
"Did you just sneer at me !? Dammit, Kyosuke, I''ll cover everything even if Diane explodes, so just go to Fujiwara's already!"
"You heard him, Fujiwara. We're on our way. I'm going to disconnect , then."
Not long after that, Fujiwara heard the girls in the neighborhood are screaming. Why wouldn't they, Japan's number 1 model is walking in front of you. Not to mention his persocom is equally as handsome as him ...
Takeru immediately opened his door, and the second Heath and Kuga was in his room, Heath panicked as he saw the naked blonde boy.
"Dammit, Fujiwara, give him some clothes first! It seems your size is similar to his! Here, cover yourself with this! " Heath throwed the blanked to the naked persocom. The blond boy just cooed.
"Kyuuu! "
"Heath blinked." Wow, this boy really is something... I don't believe he is the same black-eared persocom like you. Kyosuke."
"Nobody ever said all black-eared have to be high-spec custom made, Heath. " Kuga nonchalantly said as he took out the command tablet. Heath just looked at him, confused.
"Kyosuke, you heard Fujiwara on the phone. The boy cannot be connected to any monitor. "
Kuga ignored Heath, and he walked closer to the blonde, opened his ear, pulled out the cable from his ear, plug it to the command tablet, and sit beside the blonde. He then opened a blank painting draft on the tablet, drawing a huge 9 on the screen, then erased it. Kuga then gives the tablet to the blonde, the tablet still connected to Kuga.
"Oh... I get what are you trying to do, Kyosuke... You're trying to taught this boy manually! "
Kuga nodded. Before the blonde can open his own ear , Kuga stopped him, and forced the blonde to put his fingers on the screen. The blonde looks confused, but then he mimics what Kuga did before.
"It's like teaching a baby..." Takeru commented on what Kuga did. Before Heath panicked because the boy is still naked, Kuga quickly grabbed some clothes from Takeru's wardrobe and dressed the blonde in that-which suprisingly fits him so much, and tied his hair into a ponytail. Well, he is a model's persocom after all.
"Kyosuke. Connect to Kadowaki's persocom. Any of them. Connect yourself to the command tablet again. Show this boy to Kadowaki."
After the humane way he speaks and behaves just now, when he tried to connect himself to make a call, with the white line in his eyes, Kuga now seems... So robotic, as a persocom he is, Takeru thought. And all persocoms are much more robotic than him.
"Yo, Kuga-shi! What's wrong? Don't you just have maintenance two days ago,"
"This time it's not me. Connect any of the mini persocom over there to the command tablet, I'll show you what Heath wanted you to see. "
A green haired man appeared on the screen, wearing a glasses, with a short blonde girl-wait, it's just Kohinata. "Hmm~ Hasekura-shi's reccomendation, eh? Well, again,I'm not into stride, but... That's ... What's this !? A black-eared persocom I haven't seen before !?"
"We are just going to ask you about this boy, but it seems even you don't know anything. Fujiwara said all of his monitors broke the second it's connected to this boy, so I don't want to take the risk of breaking Kyosuke, but we still have to scan this boy... "
"Hmm... How about contacting Mayuzumi-shi?"
"That Mayuzumi ? Suwa Reiji's persocom? That you said was your second best persocom after Kyosuke?"
"Yes, that one. I have his number, I'll ask him. "
"Won't it trouble him? "
"I don't think it will." Takeru immediately took a picture his drawer. "I know him"
There was a picture of small Takeru, and a little boy in the same age, with purple hair and eyes. Suwa Reiji.
"How old are you when this picture is taken, Fujiwara? I don't think he remembers it. " Heath cleaned off the dust off the old picture, and boy it was from more than 15 years ago.
"Doesn't matter! Ask Kuga-shi to take a record that picture , send it to me, and Ill attach that to the request mail I'm going to send to Suwa-shi! "
"Do this kind of gamble... Works? Do he even remember this?"
"Let's just hope, Hasekura-shi. All right, I'll mail you when Suwa-shi gives his reply. See you until that, then!
After Ayumu disconnects the phone, Kuga's eyes returned to normal, but then he gently put his hand on the picture and asked.
"Fujiwara, can I borrow this for a while ? I'm going to send this to Kadowaki. "
Takeru nodded, and as white line goes on Kuga's eyes as he scanned and send the picture, and when he's done, Heath pulled his hand.
"With that, Fujiwara, we're done here. See you tomorrow at the campus."
"Be careful with your sister, Hasekura-senpai."
Before they left, Takeru saw Kuga sneered again at Heath. Will this boy be even more emotional than that?