A/N: First and always, thanks for reviewing! Knowing that people are
reading this and that they like it really does help me pull the next
chapter together quickly. I'm happy that I've had the time to update so
much, though I'll probably have more hours at work next week so I might not
be able to maintain my current pace.
Sorry to Kag/Sess fans. I don't have any inherent problems with alternate pairings, but in this story I have plans for Sess. Maybe next time.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, Kagome would stop ruining her school uniform by wearing it in the past.
Synthetic Emotions
Kaede's prediction had proven right. Kagome's mother was thrilled that her daughter would have Inuyasha around if anything happened. What was more, she thought the Companion youkai was adorable. She had made it a point to drag Kagome aside to tell her in no uncertain terms that her hanyou was the perfect thing for her now that she'd be on her own. He was top of the line, programmed to protect her, and no doubt loaded with special features. Mom had also fawned over Inuyasha's ears, which the hanyou had grudgingly allowed. Heck, she even thought his grumpy attitude was cute.
Kagome finished brushing her teeth and wondered what in the world she would do with her new youkai. She had never really intended to get one like Inuyasha. She wasn't a die-hard activist or anything, but the girl had always tended to seek out human company instead of surrounding herself with the mechanized kind. Shippo was an exception, but even he had usually taken the back seat to her human friends.
She supposed she'd just have to figure it out as she went. There was no way the girl was going to let Inuyasha be killed because. . . because he actually felt. It was wrong. People shouldn't be able to just turn him on and off, or mess with his personality, or anything like that if he could think and feel. Just because someone made him out of metal and plastic didn't give them the excuse to change him like that. More thought went into making him than went into making most humans.
Suddenly it struck Kagome that if Inuyasha was a sentient being who was forced to serve others whether he wanted to or not, then the hanyou was a slave. He wouldn't be recognized as such under the law, but he could think egocentrically, and he 'felt'. Real or not, he was a slave.
'No wonder he's so unhappy,' the girl thought as her realization sunk in. Like everyone else, she'd been taught that slavery was evil, and there was never, 'ever' a good reason to compel someone to service. Except, as a youkai, Inuyasha wasn't a 'someone,' but a 'something.' He didn't have any rights.
'I think, I am.'
With a shiver, Kagome abandoned her morning ritual and went to find Inuyasha.
*~*~*
Down stairs, Inuyasha was rapidly coming to love the fact that he wasn't intended for children. Kagome's younger brother Souta was bombarding him with questions and comments and stories so fast that the befuddled hanyou hardly had time to register one before he was assaulted with two more. It was a display of the kind of enthusiastic obsession that leads children to learn how to pronounce the names of dinosaurs and explain all the tricks to their favorite video game in excruciating detail.
". . .apply to self-defense?" the boy prattled on. "Could you kill another youkai to save yourself, even if my sister wasn't in danger? What about a human? What if my sister 'was' in danger? Do you have weapons?! I bet you do. My friend Taru's dad had a youkai that. . ."
'Does this kid ever stop?' Inuyasha wondered. 'Does he ever 'breath'?' He was sure his data banks were firm on the fact that humans required oxygen to live, but he was beginning to have his doubts. Souta had been at this for a quarter of an hour, and as yet showed no sign of stopping for air.
"No, kid, I don't have guns," Inuyasha answered a question he thought he had heard in there somewhere. "Only military youkai have projectile weapons. That sort of thing is illegal on domestic youkai ."
"Really," Souta exclaimed, eyes shining with admiration. "Is that why you have claws? I bet your claws are really sharp! Can you kill someone with them? Could you kill a youkai with them? Can I see them? Are you a dog youkai? Can I touch your ears? I bet you hear really good. Why dog- ears? Don't most. . ."
"Yeah, I guess," Inuyasha said, struggling to keep up with this new volley of questions. "Yes, they are. Yes. Probably. I don't know, I don't think your mother would--Yes I am, but. . ." It was pointless. He might be a machine, be there was only so fast he could speak and Souta wasn't giving him time. His ears began twitching irritably
Suddenly, the little boy was cut of by giggling. Both Souta and Inuyasha followed the giggling to its source, and found Kagome standing on the stairs. She was trying to stifle her laughter behind her hand, but failing miserably.
"How long have you been standing there?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Only a couple of minutes," Kagome managed between giggles. She was smiling unabashedly through her fingers.
"And you didn't even come down and save me from this brat?"
"Hey!" Souta yelped.
"What kind of protection are you if you have to be saved from a little boy?" the girl asked archly.
"Feh. It's not the same."
"So you are designed to protect!" Souta interjected happily, his spirit completely restored. He didn't even seem to remember that Inuyasha had called him a brat. "That is so cool."
Inuyasha gave Kagome a look that probably screamed, 'Help me, help me, help me.' He might have been ashamed under any other situation, but he was not made for this. Once he had wondered why nanny youkai all seemed so over-lithiated. Now he knew. If they weren't that way, their circuits would fry inside a week.
Kagome laughed again, but still came to his rescue. "Souta," she said, "leave Inuyasha alone. We have to finish moving today, then pick up Shippo from Miroku's, and I work tomorrow so I have to get it done now."
"Ah," the boy sighed dejectedly, and moved out of the way so the hanyou could join Kagome at the bottom of the stairs.
"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome said, ignoring her brother. "If we don't get started, we'll never be finished in time."
'That's the second time she's saved me,' Inuyasha thought as he gratefully followed his new mistress out the door. 'Or the third, if you count turning me on again in the first place.' She was smiling again, he noted with a strange satisfaction.
They were walking again. He'd spent most of his time with this girl walking. Not that he really minded walking, but weren't they supposed to be in a hurry? Hurrying didn't usually involve casual strolls.
"Hey--" he'd been about to say bitch, but her prior command against it still held. That was going to take some getting used to. "Kagome, wouldn't we get there faster if we weren't walking?"
"And what do you suggest?" the girl looked up puzzled.
Inuyasha couldn't suppress a smirk. "Get on."
"What?"
*~*~*
They were going fast. Very fast. Kagome was riding piggyback on the hanyou as he ran, her arms wrapped around his neck and his elbows hooked under her knees. She was very secure, but she was also going very, very fast. Kagome had seen youkai move at such speeds before, but seldom, and never with a human along for the ride. It took her a little bit to get used to how fast he was going.
Then, just as she was becoming comfortable with Inuyasha's inhuman velocity, he bounded over an intersection, sending the poor girl for another loop. After that he leapt forward from time to time, avoiding obstacles and traffic as though they were all beneath his notice.
By the time they reached Miroku's shop, Kagome was reveling in it. She almost wished she could do it too. It must be amazing to be able to move like that. She was momentarily glad that Inuyasha could feel, no matter how he denied it. The idea of being able to run like that--nearly flying!--and not being able to appreciate it was terribly depressing.
Inuyasha set her down gently. She wobbled, trying to regain her balance, which made the hanyou grunt "Feh," and smirk at the same time. Kagome ignored him. She was too thrilled with the quick trip here to be angry with him.
Miroku's shop was precisely how they'd found it before, including Miroku himself behind the counter, reading a magazine with an anti-youkai activist on the cover. It was a different magazine, but the same activist: a very serious looking young woman with long, dark hair and stern dark eyes. Despite her expression, the woman was rather pretty, in a sad way. Kagome felt sorry for her almost instantly, even though she didn't know why.
"Have you fixed the brat?" Inuyasha asked Miroku.
"Inuyasha," Kagome chided him. "Don't be rude."
"I wasn't being rude."
"Yes, you were."
"Um," Miroku interrupted. "Shippo's in back. I'll go get him." He was giving both the girl and her hanyou a funny look. 'Great,' Kagome thought. 'Now he's going to think I'm insane for arguing with a youkai. I wonder if he knows anything about hanyou. He seemed very well informed yesterday. . .'
The thought trailed off as she noticed Inuyasha's scowl. "What?"
He snorted and looked away without answering. Kagome almost commanded him to tell her, but then her thoughts from earlier came rushing back and she couldn't do it. If she told him to tell her, he would have to. His programming would allow no less. Whether he wanted to tell her or not, he would. A wave of sympathy swept away her anger. 'I'd be moody too, if I were him,' she thought.
"What are you staring at?" Inuyasha asked her suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing," she said, and felt her cheeks heat with a blush. She looked away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice.
Miroku reappeared with an active Shippo riding on his shoulder. "Kagome!" he shouted, leaping into the girl's arms in a rush. "Kagome, you're back." Then the little fox demon's eyes landed on Inuyasha and he frowned. "What's he doing with you?"
"He's going to be staying with us," Kagome told Shippo, ignoring the pout he turned on her. She turned to Miroku. "How much?"
"For you?" The young man gave her a charming, rakish grin. "Fourteen hundred credits."
"What a rip off," Inuyasha said. "I'd have done it for free."
"No!" Shippo said, burying his face in Kagome's shoulder.
"That's a little more than I expected," she said. In reality, it was almost all she had.
"Well, if you agreed to bare my child--"
"If she what?!" Inuyasha roared, fixing Miroku with a look which promised maiming.
"It's not what you think," the young man explained defensively. "I come from a very old, but sadly dwindled family. It is my duty to--"
"I don't care," the hanyou growled in his chest.
"No, Miroku, I can pay," Kagome broke in, probably saving her friend's life. She paid, then fled the shop before Inuyasha had the chance to do or say anything else.
'Wow, that's the second time in a row I've gotten away from Miroku without being groped.' The girl looked back at her hanyou, sulking behind her, and smiled at him.
*~*~*
A/N: Honestly, I don't know where this came from. I had chapter 5 all planned out, and this is not it. The only thing that's the same is about the first half of the first paragraph. All this stuff was going to be implied. I thought about deleting it all and starting over, but then it would just be longer before the next update. If you don't like it, tell me and I might take it down.
Please excuse my random chapter mitosis. The real chapter 5 should be done soon, and posted as chapter 6. If this happen anymore, this fic is going to get long really fast.
Also, to avoid having people 'correct' me, when I quote Descartes as "I think, I am," I am not misquoting "I think, therefore I am." "I think, I am," is how the original argument is written. "I think, therefore I am," comes from a latter treatise. Both are correct. I prefer "I think, I am," because it sounds less like an argument and more like an affirmation. Alright, enough philosophy 101.
Thank you for reading. Tell me if you like this chapter or if I should get rid of it.
Until next time.
Sorry to Kag/Sess fans. I don't have any inherent problems with alternate pairings, but in this story I have plans for Sess. Maybe next time.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, Kagome would stop ruining her school uniform by wearing it in the past.
Synthetic Emotions
Kaede's prediction had proven right. Kagome's mother was thrilled that her daughter would have Inuyasha around if anything happened. What was more, she thought the Companion youkai was adorable. She had made it a point to drag Kagome aside to tell her in no uncertain terms that her hanyou was the perfect thing for her now that she'd be on her own. He was top of the line, programmed to protect her, and no doubt loaded with special features. Mom had also fawned over Inuyasha's ears, which the hanyou had grudgingly allowed. Heck, she even thought his grumpy attitude was cute.
Kagome finished brushing her teeth and wondered what in the world she would do with her new youkai. She had never really intended to get one like Inuyasha. She wasn't a die-hard activist or anything, but the girl had always tended to seek out human company instead of surrounding herself with the mechanized kind. Shippo was an exception, but even he had usually taken the back seat to her human friends.
She supposed she'd just have to figure it out as she went. There was no way the girl was going to let Inuyasha be killed because. . . because he actually felt. It was wrong. People shouldn't be able to just turn him on and off, or mess with his personality, or anything like that if he could think and feel. Just because someone made him out of metal and plastic didn't give them the excuse to change him like that. More thought went into making him than went into making most humans.
Suddenly it struck Kagome that if Inuyasha was a sentient being who was forced to serve others whether he wanted to or not, then the hanyou was a slave. He wouldn't be recognized as such under the law, but he could think egocentrically, and he 'felt'. Real or not, he was a slave.
'No wonder he's so unhappy,' the girl thought as her realization sunk in. Like everyone else, she'd been taught that slavery was evil, and there was never, 'ever' a good reason to compel someone to service. Except, as a youkai, Inuyasha wasn't a 'someone,' but a 'something.' He didn't have any rights.
'I think, I am.'
With a shiver, Kagome abandoned her morning ritual and went to find Inuyasha.
*~*~*
Down stairs, Inuyasha was rapidly coming to love the fact that he wasn't intended for children. Kagome's younger brother Souta was bombarding him with questions and comments and stories so fast that the befuddled hanyou hardly had time to register one before he was assaulted with two more. It was a display of the kind of enthusiastic obsession that leads children to learn how to pronounce the names of dinosaurs and explain all the tricks to their favorite video game in excruciating detail.
". . .apply to self-defense?" the boy prattled on. "Could you kill another youkai to save yourself, even if my sister wasn't in danger? What about a human? What if my sister 'was' in danger? Do you have weapons?! I bet you do. My friend Taru's dad had a youkai that. . ."
'Does this kid ever stop?' Inuyasha wondered. 'Does he ever 'breath'?' He was sure his data banks were firm on the fact that humans required oxygen to live, but he was beginning to have his doubts. Souta had been at this for a quarter of an hour, and as yet showed no sign of stopping for air.
"No, kid, I don't have guns," Inuyasha answered a question he thought he had heard in there somewhere. "Only military youkai have projectile weapons. That sort of thing is illegal on domestic youkai ."
"Really," Souta exclaimed, eyes shining with admiration. "Is that why you have claws? I bet your claws are really sharp! Can you kill someone with them? Could you kill a youkai with them? Can I see them? Are you a dog youkai? Can I touch your ears? I bet you hear really good. Why dog- ears? Don't most. . ."
"Yeah, I guess," Inuyasha said, struggling to keep up with this new volley of questions. "Yes, they are. Yes. Probably. I don't know, I don't think your mother would--Yes I am, but. . ." It was pointless. He might be a machine, be there was only so fast he could speak and Souta wasn't giving him time. His ears began twitching irritably
Suddenly, the little boy was cut of by giggling. Both Souta and Inuyasha followed the giggling to its source, and found Kagome standing on the stairs. She was trying to stifle her laughter behind her hand, but failing miserably.
"How long have you been standing there?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Only a couple of minutes," Kagome managed between giggles. She was smiling unabashedly through her fingers.
"And you didn't even come down and save me from this brat?"
"Hey!" Souta yelped.
"What kind of protection are you if you have to be saved from a little boy?" the girl asked archly.
"Feh. It's not the same."
"So you are designed to protect!" Souta interjected happily, his spirit completely restored. He didn't even seem to remember that Inuyasha had called him a brat. "That is so cool."
Inuyasha gave Kagome a look that probably screamed, 'Help me, help me, help me.' He might have been ashamed under any other situation, but he was not made for this. Once he had wondered why nanny youkai all seemed so over-lithiated. Now he knew. If they weren't that way, their circuits would fry inside a week.
Kagome laughed again, but still came to his rescue. "Souta," she said, "leave Inuyasha alone. We have to finish moving today, then pick up Shippo from Miroku's, and I work tomorrow so I have to get it done now."
"Ah," the boy sighed dejectedly, and moved out of the way so the hanyou could join Kagome at the bottom of the stairs.
"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome said, ignoring her brother. "If we don't get started, we'll never be finished in time."
'That's the second time she's saved me,' Inuyasha thought as he gratefully followed his new mistress out the door. 'Or the third, if you count turning me on again in the first place.' She was smiling again, he noted with a strange satisfaction.
They were walking again. He'd spent most of his time with this girl walking. Not that he really minded walking, but weren't they supposed to be in a hurry? Hurrying didn't usually involve casual strolls.
"Hey--" he'd been about to say bitch, but her prior command against it still held. That was going to take some getting used to. "Kagome, wouldn't we get there faster if we weren't walking?"
"And what do you suggest?" the girl looked up puzzled.
Inuyasha couldn't suppress a smirk. "Get on."
"What?"
*~*~*
They were going fast. Very fast. Kagome was riding piggyback on the hanyou as he ran, her arms wrapped around his neck and his elbows hooked under her knees. She was very secure, but she was also going very, very fast. Kagome had seen youkai move at such speeds before, but seldom, and never with a human along for the ride. It took her a little bit to get used to how fast he was going.
Then, just as she was becoming comfortable with Inuyasha's inhuman velocity, he bounded over an intersection, sending the poor girl for another loop. After that he leapt forward from time to time, avoiding obstacles and traffic as though they were all beneath his notice.
By the time they reached Miroku's shop, Kagome was reveling in it. She almost wished she could do it too. It must be amazing to be able to move like that. She was momentarily glad that Inuyasha could feel, no matter how he denied it. The idea of being able to run like that--nearly flying!--and not being able to appreciate it was terribly depressing.
Inuyasha set her down gently. She wobbled, trying to regain her balance, which made the hanyou grunt "Feh," and smirk at the same time. Kagome ignored him. She was too thrilled with the quick trip here to be angry with him.
Miroku's shop was precisely how they'd found it before, including Miroku himself behind the counter, reading a magazine with an anti-youkai activist on the cover. It was a different magazine, but the same activist: a very serious looking young woman with long, dark hair and stern dark eyes. Despite her expression, the woman was rather pretty, in a sad way. Kagome felt sorry for her almost instantly, even though she didn't know why.
"Have you fixed the brat?" Inuyasha asked Miroku.
"Inuyasha," Kagome chided him. "Don't be rude."
"I wasn't being rude."
"Yes, you were."
"Um," Miroku interrupted. "Shippo's in back. I'll go get him." He was giving both the girl and her hanyou a funny look. 'Great,' Kagome thought. 'Now he's going to think I'm insane for arguing with a youkai. I wonder if he knows anything about hanyou. He seemed very well informed yesterday. . .'
The thought trailed off as she noticed Inuyasha's scowl. "What?"
He snorted and looked away without answering. Kagome almost commanded him to tell her, but then her thoughts from earlier came rushing back and she couldn't do it. If she told him to tell her, he would have to. His programming would allow no less. Whether he wanted to tell her or not, he would. A wave of sympathy swept away her anger. 'I'd be moody too, if I were him,' she thought.
"What are you staring at?" Inuyasha asked her suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing," she said, and felt her cheeks heat with a blush. She looked away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice.
Miroku reappeared with an active Shippo riding on his shoulder. "Kagome!" he shouted, leaping into the girl's arms in a rush. "Kagome, you're back." Then the little fox demon's eyes landed on Inuyasha and he frowned. "What's he doing with you?"
"He's going to be staying with us," Kagome told Shippo, ignoring the pout he turned on her. She turned to Miroku. "How much?"
"For you?" The young man gave her a charming, rakish grin. "Fourteen hundred credits."
"What a rip off," Inuyasha said. "I'd have done it for free."
"No!" Shippo said, burying his face in Kagome's shoulder.
"That's a little more than I expected," she said. In reality, it was almost all she had.
"Well, if you agreed to bare my child--"
"If she what?!" Inuyasha roared, fixing Miroku with a look which promised maiming.
"It's not what you think," the young man explained defensively. "I come from a very old, but sadly dwindled family. It is my duty to--"
"I don't care," the hanyou growled in his chest.
"No, Miroku, I can pay," Kagome broke in, probably saving her friend's life. She paid, then fled the shop before Inuyasha had the chance to do or say anything else.
'Wow, that's the second time in a row I've gotten away from Miroku without being groped.' The girl looked back at her hanyou, sulking behind her, and smiled at him.
*~*~*
A/N: Honestly, I don't know where this came from. I had chapter 5 all planned out, and this is not it. The only thing that's the same is about the first half of the first paragraph. All this stuff was going to be implied. I thought about deleting it all and starting over, but then it would just be longer before the next update. If you don't like it, tell me and I might take it down.
Please excuse my random chapter mitosis. The real chapter 5 should be done soon, and posted as chapter 6. If this happen anymore, this fic is going to get long really fast.
Also, to avoid having people 'correct' me, when I quote Descartes as "I think, I am," I am not misquoting "I think, therefore I am." "I think, I am," is how the original argument is written. "I think, therefore I am," comes from a latter treatise. Both are correct. I prefer "I think, I am," because it sounds less like an argument and more like an affirmation. Alright, enough philosophy 101.
Thank you for reading. Tell me if you like this chapter or if I should get rid of it.
Until next time.