Meh, I'm not so sure what brought this up... Oh yeah. I've always wondered about all those Vocaloid fangirls, and their obsessions with certain Vocaloids... I certainly hope nobody thinks they actually have a chance with a singing computer. Anyways. So, I thought, 'what would happen if a human fell for a Vocaloid? Or if a Vocaloid fell for a human?' I was originally planning to do this fic in reverse, with Luka being the Vocaloid, but I decided to change it. I'm still not too sure about this one... The writing style seems a bit off, but oh well. *shrugs* It is how it is.
Warnings: Very light yuri.
Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid, and I never will.
. . . .
She's coming.
I can hear the pattering of her feet as she approaches the doorway. I can hear the creaking of the door as she opens it and greets me with a phony smile as she walks in. I can see her running her hand through her soft pink hair; she does that when she's nervous. I know this, because I've been with Miss Luka for as long as I can remember. From the moment I was given a voice to the moment I was shipped off to her residence. Luka is a kind woman. She cares for me, she checks for bugs in my system daily, and she feeds her family. Am I family? That, I'm not so sure of.
I am a machine. I am not programmed to feel.
I am programmed to sing.
"Good afternoon, Miku," she says wearily. Luka is sitting at the dining table, lazily writing something in her notebook. Luka loves to write. Although I have never read any of her works, I'm sure she's good at it. She is the most amazing person I've ever met... Am I supposed to be thinking such things? Master said machines are not meant to have emotions. If these "feelings" dancing around in my circuitry aren't true, I have no clue what they are. Loyalty? Devotion to my new master?
"Good afternoon, Miss Luka," I reply stiffly. I wish I could speak with more feeling towards her. I care for her so much. "Would you like me to sing to you?" Luka loves music. She loves my voice, as well. What troubles me, is that she doesn't reply and returns back to writing in her notebook. Is she in pain? She seems to be hurting; does she have a virus? No. Humans are not machines. They can catch illnesses, such as the flu, but cannot suffer from computer viruses. Finally, Luka gives me her attention.
"No... Not today, Miku. I don't think a song will help me all that much right now," she huffs softly. I sit up from my position on the comforter. I am... I am concerned. For Luka.
"Is something wrong?" I ask. No. That didn't come out in the way I wanted it to. "Can I help you with anything?"
Luka looks up from her notebook and flashes me one of her radiant smiles. "I-It's nothing, really... Nothing you need to worry over, but..." She inhales. "Do you remember Gumi?" I do. I remember Gumi clearly. I have every detail of that young human girl stored in my memory files. File GUMI. Short green hair. Orange tinted goggles. A somewhat dingy personality. Very close to Luka. I never liked her.
"I remember," I tell her. "I remember everything about her."
Luka's smile dims. "Of course you do. Everything seemed to be working out so well, but... I guess every relationship has its limits. Today just happened to be our limit, I suppose." It takes exactly 3.25 seconds to process Luka's words. She and Gumi were in a close relationship. Their close relationship reached its "limit". I haven't heard the word limit before. I decide to save it along with Unit GUMI's file. That way, I would know what the word limit meant if I ever forgot.
"Are you saying your relationship with Unit GUMI has ended?" I ask. I'm hoping Luka says yes, and tells me that she will "get over" Gumi, as most humans say. Again, I am bewildered at my conflicted feelings for this woman.
"Miku, please don't call her Unit GUMI," Luka pleads with a sigh. "I loved her. I really did, and I know she tried to love me back. That's all that counts in the end." She fiddles with a lock of pink hair. "Rin was the only one who could get her to smile, though. I know she's truly happier with her."
Unit RIN. I add her to my memory files.
"I'm so sorry..." I answer, "About your loss."
Luka stands up and places a hand on my shoulder, the other hand moving to gently touch my face. My circuitry begins to heat up as her fingers lightly touch my cheek, but she stops and shamefully rests her hand on my other shoulder. I try to hide my obvious disappointment, a "feeling" that I've felt more than once. Her fingers are pressing into my back, her eyes suddenly looking misty. Is this how humans react to heartbreak? I store this new information in my Unit HUMAN file.
"It's not your fault, Miku," she says.
She pulls away, and instantly I want her to be near me again. My voice box's settings are raised two octaves higher as I tell her, "But I want to help you! I don't want to see you so sad." Luka stares at me. She looks unsettled.
"Why can't you let me help you?" I ask her quietly.
She's silent. The only noises resounding around the house is the pattering of steady rain and the screams of young human children as they run for shelter. I hear the doors of several other neighboring houses as the children safely return to their shelters. Then she sighs.
"Okay, if you're really that desperate," she concludes. My lip components are stretched into a small smile. I rarely smile, but today is an exception. I have never been outside of the Megurine residence before, and I feel a sharp pang of excitement. Excitement. A "feeling" I haven't felt before.
I add it to my short list of emotions in my Unit FEELINGS file.
. . . .
"What is our destination?"
"The mall," Luka replies. I note that she sounds much more at ease, and has brought her notebook with her. I'm glad that she's back to her original self; I felt so... Depressed when Luka had been moping approximately 10.36 minutes ago. When going to the mall, I soon learn, a human, especially if female, doesn't usually go without company.
"Do you remember Meiko?" Luka asks.
"Yes," I confirm. Unit MEIKO. Very close to Luka, though not in the same manner as Unit GUMI. Short brown hair. Loves the human concoction "sake".
"Come on, Miku," Luka laughs. "Loosen up a bit. You don't have to talk like a machine all the time; you do pick up human terms and save them in your... Your "memory files", right?"
"Affirma-" Don't talk like a machine. "... Yeah." Human terms sound so strange and foreign, I hardly bother to use them. Words like "yeah", "sure", and "okay" are simply not words a machine would speak. But if it makes Luka happier... I suppose I could use them once in a while.
Luka's car parks in an empty spot. The rain is still pouring down heavily, and others are holding up human devices called "umbrellas" as they scuttle towards the safety of the mall. I can feel the droplets of water soaking my clothes. Unfortunately, Luka has forgotten her umbrella.
"Ah, I knew this would happen," she mutters. "I'm glad I brought my jacket." She pulls her arms out of the jacket's sleeves and beckons me closer. I obey.
"Hey, Miku," she says. "I'm going to cover both of us with my jacket, seeing as I forgot my umbrella. Stay close to me." Luka pulls me closer to her, and I feel the soft patter of raindrops as they stain the fabric of her jacket. I can feel her warmth, her heartbeat as she waves at a brunette woman pacing at the mall's entrance.
"Meiko! Meiko," she pants as she dives under the mall's canopy. "Sorry we're... Late..." I pay no attention to Meiko as she scolds Luka in mock anger. Instead, I focus on the warm "feeling" I get whenever Luka turns to flash me a knowing smile. Does Meiko not know about Gumi?
We enter the mall, and instantly I'm blinded by all of the new shapes and colors. Luka pats me in reassurance, and Meiko shoots me a confused look. "Who's the new girl?"
"Ah, I can't believe I forgot to tell you," Luka groans apologetically. "This is Unit HATSUNE MIKU, official Vocaloid." I'm grateful that she used the term "Unit". I only feel comfortable with Luka using my first name. I only allow those who are closest to me to address me as Miku.
"You mean those singing robots?" Meiko says bluntly. "I hear they have real pretty voices... I wish I had one of those. I hear Crypton might be creating new Vocaloids."
"That sounds interesting," Luka hums nonchalantly. Her hand is still entwined with mine, and at the moment, that's the only thing my processor can think about. The way her fingers squeeze mine every now and then, and the way her long hair brushes against my shoulder. Even with her hair wet, Luka still manages to look elegant. I feel my face heating up.
"You don't sound so interested," Meiko teases, and her face lights up when she notices a cafe nearby. "Hey, I'm feelin' kind of hungry, by the way. Why don't we go eat there?"
Luka looks longingly at a boutique. "Eh, why don't we go shopping first, and then we can-" She breaks off with an irritated squeak as Meiko grips her arm and fruitlessly tries to drag her to the cafe; people are busily filing out. I notice some staring at me in shock, as if they recognize me. That is to be expected, though. Shortly after my release, Crypton had advertised me everywhere in the area, from on billboards to television commercials. However, I was just a prototype. Luka had purchased me before anyone else could, and I was glad that it had been her that had bought me.
I'm pulled in along with Luka and Meiko.
Meiko has a cup of strong coffee in her hand. Seeing as she can't have her sake at the moment, she settles for something different. Luka looks worriedly at Meiko as she gulps down a large mouthful of unsweetened coffee. I'm unsure of what to do. Unsure. Another "feeling" to add to my steadily growing list of emotions. I secure it in the file Unit FEELINGS. As the process is completed, I notice Meiko staring intently at Luka. Luka does not return the stare, and instead squeezes my hand again. Luka might not know it, but she turns to me for comfort more times than she can even remember. She's so vulnerable, despite her appearance...
"Luka, I know you," Meiko begins. "You don't usually come to the mall with me along with your prized Vocaloid prototype. Something's wrong."
I feel Luka's hand go rigid. She feels so cold now...
"I-It's nothing," she says. "Just... Some problems with Gumi." She blinks away what looks like rain forming in her eyes. What were they called? I believe the word was tears. I remember them pouring down her face when she had a nasty fight with Gumi in the past. Despite their seemingly loving nature, Gumi was the only one who could get Luka to cry.
"Problems, huh?"
"It... It didn't work out, I guess..."
"... You two broke up?"
Luka doesn't need to say anything, because the moment Meiko speaks those four words, she breaks down in a silent fit of sobs. She doesn't care if the other customers stare, or if some of them start to whisper. Locks of her beautiful pink hair hide her disheveled face, and Meiko doesn't do anything to try and comfort her. She stares, as if this had already occurred some time ago, and gently, she pulls Luka up from her sitting position.
"Luka..."
The woman tilts her head upward.
"Go get yourself cleaned up... I'll be waiting here..."
. . . .
"Luka?"
"I'm n-not done yet."
I've been waiting in the bathroom stalls for quite a long period of time now. Luka hasn't locked her stall door, but I don't wish to disturb her. It appears Gumi's breakup with her has had much more of an impact than I had imagined. Humans are such emotional creatures; their hearts are so fragile. So easy to break, yet so hard to mend. I find this strange.
Luka finally steps out from the bathroom stall. Her face is red. She walks up to the bathroom mirror, checking her appearance. I want to tell her she looks pretty, even on her worst days. But Luka would most likely be embarrassed.
"I... I'm so sorry... About everything." I apologize quietly.
Luka, surprised, looks up from her mirror. "What?"
I stare. She doesn't know... I was built to sing for her, and yet I couldn't help these... Feelings that I feel for her. Machines, as Master always said, were not supposed to feel. If that is true, then why am I always so flustered around Luka? Am... Am I not a machine? No. That can't be; I was built, manufactured. I don't have a human heart, yet I feel budding affections for this woman. I am not human, yet I still love.
So I attempt to convey my feelings through words.
"I... I believe I'm in love with you..."
Luka's mouth is agape, not moving, not speaking. Her face is flushed, and her eyes are wide. She's shocked; I can tell. I can't blame her, though. I would be shocked as well if my friend confessed her love for me. She starts to speak. "M-Miku... You... Y-you what...?" Her voice wavers.
"I love you," I repeat. "I love you, I love you so much, even though I'm not supposed to. I am a machine. Machines aren't supposed to feel anything... But I have feelings for you, Luka." Master's cold words ring in my ears; Humans feel. Machines don't. Humans cannot love machines, and machines cannot love humans. Simple as that, Unit HATSUNE MIKU. Remember that...
I remember. It doesn't mean I have to listen.
Luka's eyes are tearing up again; is her heart breaking, all over again? She doesn't look sad or in pain. She looks... She looks happy. Note: Tears sometimes form when humans are feeling happy. Store in: Unit HUMAN. Process complete.
"Miku, I-I forgot to tell you something as well... I can't believe I've held this back from you for so long..." Luka finally says, striding towards me from the bathroom mirror. I notice how tall she really is; a few inches taller than me. Jitters are sent throughout my circuitry as her hands grip my shoulders once more, her gaze gentle and serene as she leans down and looks me in the eyes. I can feel the heat radiating from her face in waves; Note: In some cases, humans may heat up whenever close to others they feel strongly towards. Store in: Unit HUMAN. Process complete.
"I love you too," she whispers, and I feel her mouth connecting with mine. I can feel my circuitry sparking in shock. The moment passes by all too fast, and Luka quickly pulls away.
"I'm not saying it again," she informs me, awkwardly brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. She opens the bathroom door and it shuts behind her with a clang. I'm standing in the middle of the womans' bathroom, my systems in a frazzled mess.
Happiness. Add to Unit FEELINGS.
Love. Add to Unit FEELINGS.