Seto stood back to view the result of his work.
Yukiko now stood, looking like a doll that had shrunk in its clothes, wearing Seto's clothing. It was actually quite cute, with the sleeves nearly dragging to the ground and her pant legs so long that she looked like she had sprouted roots. "Ku?"
Seto sighed and pulled her shirt, or rather, his shirt, over her bust, as the shirt kept falling too low...
"It will do for now."
"Bo..." Yukiko looked down at herself and tugged at the falling pants. "Boku."
"Soon you will have to learn to speak my language, Yukiko. It seems you have a built in learning system, so I won't have much trouble with that. It already looks like you can understand most of what I say."
"Ku ku." She looked at him with her large, soft eyes in confusion. "Most of what I say.. some of what I say." He decided.
The thought occurred to Seto that perhaps he could buy her clothes at the moment, but his watch told him that all clothes shops would be closed at this hour. It wouldn't matter, wouldn't have mattered actually, since he had someone who did custom made clothes at his service. Wouldn't have mattered.. Except he did not want anyone to see his robot. Of course, he realized, he would have to take her shopping with him, he couldn't simply guess her size.
Hmm.. there should be a way to cover up her ears, which were the only thing that extinguished her from any normal human girl. Seto would need a hat. Seto, did not, wear hats. Dilemma!
All while Seto ran over these things in his head, Yukiko was gazing around the room with her newborn eyes slightly wide. Everything was so new to her that it almost hurt her eyes to take it all in. Of course, she could not feel pain.
"Perhaps Mokuba has hats." He concluded. Yukiko turned her gaze on Seto.
"Ku ku ku ku-ba?"
"Mokuba." Seto said absently, trying to think where his brother would keep his hats, if he had any.
"Mo mo bo kuba ba." Yukiko said, appearing to be pleased with herself.
She picked up a pillow. "Kuba mo?"
"That's a pillow." Kaiba said, brow furrowed as he continued to ponder things.
"Ku bo." Yukiko squeezed it. It was very fluffy.
Seto reached a conclusion. All hats of Mokuba were probably in the closet, where they kept the coats and suitcases they needed when they were headed out the door. He carefully closed the curtains, and to be sure, threw a blanket over Yukiko. No one must see his precious-he was almost sure that by now he would have spies on his tail. Paranoia was a form of Seto Kaiba's excitment. It HAD occurred to him that Yukiko may have been misplaced government property. Pfft. Damned government. Finders keepers.
Yukiko peered out from under the blanket. "Boku?"
"Stay here." He said shortly, and briskly walked out the door, locking it behind him.
Yukiko shuffled back under the blankets and waited.
In his rush, Kaiba had almost knocked into something partway down the stairs, and that something happened to be Mokuba. What timing.
"Seto?" Mokuba questioned sleepily. In the dimmed lighting that the house was programmed to set at this hour, Mokuba's half-lidded stare glimmered with sleep. "What are you doing?" He asked in a half-asleep voice.
"Nothing.. nothing, Mokuba. Just getting something I forgot out of the closet by the front door." Seto could not bring himself to outright lie to his kid brother. He suspected that in the future, Mokuba would come to know about his little findings. He hoped he could trust him to keep a secret when that time came.
"Go back to sleep Mokuba. You need it." Seto told his kid brother.
"Oh.. well, I was just going to get a drink of water." Mokuba said, rubbing his eyes.
He looked very cute in his pajamas, which were of fancy making, and his sleepy look and messy hair. "Good night Mokuba." Seto brushed past his brother and continued downstairs.
He reached the closet door at last, and clicked on the little light inside the large closet. He looked at the top shelf, and to his delight, found a hat. It was a sailor hat that Mokuba had once owned, now discarded for Mokuba's change in taste for style. Seto dusted it off and stretched it, testing the size. It seemed to be right. This would also have to do. Seto wondered if Mokuba's other clothes would fit Yukiko. Probably not.
As he opened the door to his room, he was caught of guard when a white flurry lunged at him, knocking him into the hallway.
"Bokuuu!" Yukiko shouted, smiling naively, the shirt ever falling from her bust to reveal.
Seto flushed and herded her back into his room and shut the door behind him, locking it once more.
"Don't..surprise me like that!"
"Boooku." Yukiko put on a concerned face and folded her arms like she had seen Seto do when he was in deep thought.
"Now then.." Seto jammed the hat over her head.
Again, the confused expression. "God, this robot has more moods than most people.." Seto observed.
"Ku?" Suddenly Yukiko's face was in his. "Ku." She said, smiling sweetly, and touched noses with him.
How adorable.
Seto took a step back and viewed the hat. It was a bit silly, and looked out of place with the rest of her, and also messed her long hair up a good deal, but it covered those mechanical ears well. Good job. Now she was suitable for public eyes. Not that he would take her into public places without first finding out if she was government property.
Yukiko tilted her head from one side to the other, watching him with human eyes. The hat sat on her head cocked to one side.
First thing to do was to call his tailor.
^_^ n_n ^.^ n.n ^^'
"....You quit."
"I quit. I don't like the amount of respect I've recieved from you, Mr.Kaiba. It's hard to work with someone when there's so much tension between us. I was always afraid I would do something wrong around you, but now that I've gathered the courage.. I quit, sir. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find some other tailor. Hopefully you will get along with them more than you and me have, Mr.Kaiba." Said the man on the other end of the phone, still quite grumpy to be called at three in the morning.
Seto's hand clenched the phone tightly in his fury. Just when he needed his tailor the most, the twit had quit on him.
"I will make certain that no other man in this country will hire you, you will find no reprieve from the poor man's curse." Seto growled deeply. "You might as well have retired early, Matsuo. Good day." He hung up the phone, did not wait for the response. He was sure the man was trembling in his boots anyway.
"No matter," Seto thought to himself, calming a bit. "I will simply find a new tailor. Possibly one better than the last." Seto spit on the memory of Matsuo, also satisfied to be rid of him at least.
Seto set to finding a new custom clothes tailor and by this, he turned on the same computer he had not touched earlier. An internet search was in need.
Local custom tailors....
A very small list appeared on his screen. There were only five tailors in his area.
He clicked on one of the names. A picture of a woman loaded, and beneath her picture were facts about her.
Specializes in woman's and young girl's clothing. Experienced, easy to work with and quick to answer employer's needs.
Ms. Chitose Hakana.
Currently unemployed.
E-mail to ask.
Seto quickly summed up an E-mail, careful to not let any specific details slip. Sent.
He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, a bit tired. He glanced at the clock. Three thirty. How time passes. A small ding brought him to attention. He had recieved an E-mail. The sender was LadyChitose@apakamail.com. Already he had gotten a reply!
"Dear employer," It began. Employer? This would mean, surely...
"I have read your E-mail carefully and understand your requirments. The soonest I can be at your service will be in exactly seven hours from now. Thank you for employing me.
Sincerely,
Miss Chitose Hakana.
Seto smiled. Things were coming together now.
@};- ~ -;{@ @};- ~ -;{@ @};- ~ -;{@
Chitose sat at her computer and a smile formed on her lips. She was sure now. She knew it. She brushed back her dark hair, and stood up to stretch. She would be at the address her employer had given her at exactly ten in the morning, which gave her time to catch up on a little sleep before she could be at his service. She would not be late, she knew.
He had not left his first name, only his last. Kaiba. Kaiba Kaiba. She knew that name well, and worry formed in her heart. Kaiba, cold Kaiba of his machines. She frowned, but left her computer to the warmth of her bed. Good night.
* ( * ( * ( * ( * ( * ( * (
Seto waited patiently in his bedroom. He glanced at the clock: nine fourty-five. Only a few minutes.
Seto had tidied up Yukiko as much as he could. The hat now sat straight upon her head, the shirt tucked into the pants, a belt for the pants. Pant legs rolled up, sleeves rolled up. Nothing he could do about how low cut the shirt fit her. The top of her breasts (who would bother to put breasts on a machine?) were exposed to the bare eye. Yukiko almost looked decent. He had not bothered with socks.
The small speaker at his door buzzed and a voice crackled into the room. "Mr.Kaiba, you have Miss Chitose Hakana here to see you." Seto made sure to lock Yukiko into his room and went down the stairs, to find Miss Chitose in his guest room. She sat properly, arms crossed on her lap, posture straight, in one of the comfortable guest chairs. She wore a polite pink skirt and coat, simple and without jewlery. Ms.Chitose had long dark brown hair and brown eyes. Other than those details, she was a pretty woman in a conservative manner.
"Ah. Good day, Ms.Chitose." Seto began politely. Chitose nodded.
"I'm sure you are ready to work right away?" She held up a rather large bag. "I brought as much as I thought I would need."
"Good. Follow me." Seto turned and briskly made his way up the stairs and led her to a different room, his fitting room. The room old Matsuo had used. Seto had not asked him to come back for his equipment, which was put away neatly on shelves. Measuring tape, spare cloth folded neatly, scizzors thread and needles of all kind. "It seems as though I have efficient equipment." Chitose stated, and placed her bag on the floor. "Good. I shall bring the one who needs to be clothed." He came back a second later with Yukiko. "This is my cousin, she's a little slow so you won't be able to get clear answers out of her. Dress her well. Oh, and do not remove her hat. She becomes agitated if you do." He left, not wanting to stay and watch.
Hanaka turned to Yukiko. "What's your name, dear?"
Yukiko blinked solemnly. "Yuki. Boku! Boku boku!"
"Yuki! A lovely name. Now, will you pick out some materials you'd like?"
''~( -.- )~'' ~(.- )~'' ''~( -.)~ ''~( y )~'' ''~( -.- )~''
Seto sat outside in the hall, legs crossed. He thought deeply about his situation. No known company in the world, in America or Japan or anywhere else had made things such as what he had found. In fact, he was the most advanced in his area. And even he, Seto Kaiba, had not come close to even dreaming about creating something such as Yukiko.
But then, he wondered, what was the use of this technology? Why had it been so closey made in its likeness to a real human girl, an attractive one no less? Now that such a thought crossed his mind, he doubted it had been a tool of the government. The government was only concerned with bettering their society or protecting it, not concerned with convenience in society. The government did not train maids or make comfy chairs for its people. Following this thought was the presumption that the robot was a luxury item. Perhaps some underground company was designing them as an aid to humans. A robot that would make a lovely companion, a girl shaped robot to fulfill your every wish and dream... it seemed like normal human MALE thinking to him. Seto snorted aloud. So it was almost settled to him. It was likely that there would be more of this kind in the future. Seto would probably find himself faced with a law suit if he tried to reproduce the series of robots. But, there was something else that tugged at his conscious mind. Why had he found it in the trash? Was it defective? A rough draft of the anonymous company's actual plans? If so, why would anyone be careless enough to leave it in the trash where any scientist could happen upon it and steal their hard work?
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the dressing room opened. Behind the door, Yukiko was dressed gorgeously. She wore a pleated, velvet skirt in black, black velvet boots lined in red artificial fur, knee high stockings with black ribbons at the top where they ended. She also wore black velvet gloves, also lined in the red fur.
"...You did well. I am impressed by your work." He said to Hanaka.
"Thank you.. I let her pick out all the materials. I dressed her as nicely as I would.. my own child." Hanaka stroked Yukiko's hair almost lovingly.
Seto sensed some deep emotion when she said "My own child." He brushed it aside, figuring that she was a widow who had lost her own children. A thought struck him and he looked up quickly, and was relieved to see that the hat was stil firmly in place.
Hanaka must have read his mind, because she pulled out something.
"Since your cousin seems fond of hats," Hanaka said sweetly, "I made her a new one to go with her new outfit." In her hand was a lovely hat, matching in black velvet and trimmed fur. It had two black ribbons trimmed in red lace on the sides.
"Now she is suitable for the public." Seto thought.
END OF CHAPTER
Yukiko now stood, looking like a doll that had shrunk in its clothes, wearing Seto's clothing. It was actually quite cute, with the sleeves nearly dragging to the ground and her pant legs so long that she looked like she had sprouted roots. "Ku?"
Seto sighed and pulled her shirt, or rather, his shirt, over her bust, as the shirt kept falling too low...
"It will do for now."
"Bo..." Yukiko looked down at herself and tugged at the falling pants. "Boku."
"Soon you will have to learn to speak my language, Yukiko. It seems you have a built in learning system, so I won't have much trouble with that. It already looks like you can understand most of what I say."
"Ku ku." She looked at him with her large, soft eyes in confusion. "Most of what I say.. some of what I say." He decided.
The thought occurred to Seto that perhaps he could buy her clothes at the moment, but his watch told him that all clothes shops would be closed at this hour. It wouldn't matter, wouldn't have mattered actually, since he had someone who did custom made clothes at his service. Wouldn't have mattered.. Except he did not want anyone to see his robot. Of course, he realized, he would have to take her shopping with him, he couldn't simply guess her size.
Hmm.. there should be a way to cover up her ears, which were the only thing that extinguished her from any normal human girl. Seto would need a hat. Seto, did not, wear hats. Dilemma!
All while Seto ran over these things in his head, Yukiko was gazing around the room with her newborn eyes slightly wide. Everything was so new to her that it almost hurt her eyes to take it all in. Of course, she could not feel pain.
"Perhaps Mokuba has hats." He concluded. Yukiko turned her gaze on Seto.
"Ku ku ku ku-ba?"
"Mokuba." Seto said absently, trying to think where his brother would keep his hats, if he had any.
"Mo mo bo kuba ba." Yukiko said, appearing to be pleased with herself.
She picked up a pillow. "Kuba mo?"
"That's a pillow." Kaiba said, brow furrowed as he continued to ponder things.
"Ku bo." Yukiko squeezed it. It was very fluffy.
Seto reached a conclusion. All hats of Mokuba were probably in the closet, where they kept the coats and suitcases they needed when they were headed out the door. He carefully closed the curtains, and to be sure, threw a blanket over Yukiko. No one must see his precious-he was almost sure that by now he would have spies on his tail. Paranoia was a form of Seto Kaiba's excitment. It HAD occurred to him that Yukiko may have been misplaced government property. Pfft. Damned government. Finders keepers.
Yukiko peered out from under the blanket. "Boku?"
"Stay here." He said shortly, and briskly walked out the door, locking it behind him.
Yukiko shuffled back under the blankets and waited.
In his rush, Kaiba had almost knocked into something partway down the stairs, and that something happened to be Mokuba. What timing.
"Seto?" Mokuba questioned sleepily. In the dimmed lighting that the house was programmed to set at this hour, Mokuba's half-lidded stare glimmered with sleep. "What are you doing?" He asked in a half-asleep voice.
"Nothing.. nothing, Mokuba. Just getting something I forgot out of the closet by the front door." Seto could not bring himself to outright lie to his kid brother. He suspected that in the future, Mokuba would come to know about his little findings. He hoped he could trust him to keep a secret when that time came.
"Go back to sleep Mokuba. You need it." Seto told his kid brother.
"Oh.. well, I was just going to get a drink of water." Mokuba said, rubbing his eyes.
He looked very cute in his pajamas, which were of fancy making, and his sleepy look and messy hair. "Good night Mokuba." Seto brushed past his brother and continued downstairs.
He reached the closet door at last, and clicked on the little light inside the large closet. He looked at the top shelf, and to his delight, found a hat. It was a sailor hat that Mokuba had once owned, now discarded for Mokuba's change in taste for style. Seto dusted it off and stretched it, testing the size. It seemed to be right. This would also have to do. Seto wondered if Mokuba's other clothes would fit Yukiko. Probably not.
As he opened the door to his room, he was caught of guard when a white flurry lunged at him, knocking him into the hallway.
"Bokuuu!" Yukiko shouted, smiling naively, the shirt ever falling from her bust to reveal.
Seto flushed and herded her back into his room and shut the door behind him, locking it once more.
"Don't..surprise me like that!"
"Boooku." Yukiko put on a concerned face and folded her arms like she had seen Seto do when he was in deep thought.
"Now then.." Seto jammed the hat over her head.
Again, the confused expression. "God, this robot has more moods than most people.." Seto observed.
"Ku?" Suddenly Yukiko's face was in his. "Ku." She said, smiling sweetly, and touched noses with him.
How adorable.
Seto took a step back and viewed the hat. It was a bit silly, and looked out of place with the rest of her, and also messed her long hair up a good deal, but it covered those mechanical ears well. Good job. Now she was suitable for public eyes. Not that he would take her into public places without first finding out if she was government property.
Yukiko tilted her head from one side to the other, watching him with human eyes. The hat sat on her head cocked to one side.
First thing to do was to call his tailor.
^_^ n_n ^.^ n.n ^^'
"....You quit."
"I quit. I don't like the amount of respect I've recieved from you, Mr.Kaiba. It's hard to work with someone when there's so much tension between us. I was always afraid I would do something wrong around you, but now that I've gathered the courage.. I quit, sir. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find some other tailor. Hopefully you will get along with them more than you and me have, Mr.Kaiba." Said the man on the other end of the phone, still quite grumpy to be called at three in the morning.
Seto's hand clenched the phone tightly in his fury. Just when he needed his tailor the most, the twit had quit on him.
"I will make certain that no other man in this country will hire you, you will find no reprieve from the poor man's curse." Seto growled deeply. "You might as well have retired early, Matsuo. Good day." He hung up the phone, did not wait for the response. He was sure the man was trembling in his boots anyway.
"No matter," Seto thought to himself, calming a bit. "I will simply find a new tailor. Possibly one better than the last." Seto spit on the memory of Matsuo, also satisfied to be rid of him at least.
Seto set to finding a new custom clothes tailor and by this, he turned on the same computer he had not touched earlier. An internet search was in need.
Local custom tailors....
A very small list appeared on his screen. There were only five tailors in his area.
He clicked on one of the names. A picture of a woman loaded, and beneath her picture were facts about her.
Specializes in woman's and young girl's clothing. Experienced, easy to work with and quick to answer employer's needs.
Ms. Chitose Hakana.
Currently unemployed.
E-mail to ask.
Seto quickly summed up an E-mail, careful to not let any specific details slip. Sent.
He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, a bit tired. He glanced at the clock. Three thirty. How time passes. A small ding brought him to attention. He had recieved an E-mail. The sender was LadyChitose@apakamail.com. Already he had gotten a reply!
"Dear employer," It began. Employer? This would mean, surely...
"I have read your E-mail carefully and understand your requirments. The soonest I can be at your service will be in exactly seven hours from now. Thank you for employing me.
Sincerely,
Miss Chitose Hakana.
Seto smiled. Things were coming together now.
@};- ~ -;{@ @};- ~ -;{@ @};- ~ -;{@
Chitose sat at her computer and a smile formed on her lips. She was sure now. She knew it. She brushed back her dark hair, and stood up to stretch. She would be at the address her employer had given her at exactly ten in the morning, which gave her time to catch up on a little sleep before she could be at his service. She would not be late, she knew.
He had not left his first name, only his last. Kaiba. Kaiba Kaiba. She knew that name well, and worry formed in her heart. Kaiba, cold Kaiba of his machines. She frowned, but left her computer to the warmth of her bed. Good night.
* ( * ( * ( * ( * ( * ( * (
Seto waited patiently in his bedroom. He glanced at the clock: nine fourty-five. Only a few minutes.
Seto had tidied up Yukiko as much as he could. The hat now sat straight upon her head, the shirt tucked into the pants, a belt for the pants. Pant legs rolled up, sleeves rolled up. Nothing he could do about how low cut the shirt fit her. The top of her breasts (who would bother to put breasts on a machine?) were exposed to the bare eye. Yukiko almost looked decent. He had not bothered with socks.
The small speaker at his door buzzed and a voice crackled into the room. "Mr.Kaiba, you have Miss Chitose Hakana here to see you." Seto made sure to lock Yukiko into his room and went down the stairs, to find Miss Chitose in his guest room. She sat properly, arms crossed on her lap, posture straight, in one of the comfortable guest chairs. She wore a polite pink skirt and coat, simple and without jewlery. Ms.Chitose had long dark brown hair and brown eyes. Other than those details, she was a pretty woman in a conservative manner.
"Ah. Good day, Ms.Chitose." Seto began politely. Chitose nodded.
"I'm sure you are ready to work right away?" She held up a rather large bag. "I brought as much as I thought I would need."
"Good. Follow me." Seto turned and briskly made his way up the stairs and led her to a different room, his fitting room. The room old Matsuo had used. Seto had not asked him to come back for his equipment, which was put away neatly on shelves. Measuring tape, spare cloth folded neatly, scizzors thread and needles of all kind. "It seems as though I have efficient equipment." Chitose stated, and placed her bag on the floor. "Good. I shall bring the one who needs to be clothed." He came back a second later with Yukiko. "This is my cousin, she's a little slow so you won't be able to get clear answers out of her. Dress her well. Oh, and do not remove her hat. She becomes agitated if you do." He left, not wanting to stay and watch.
Hanaka turned to Yukiko. "What's your name, dear?"
Yukiko blinked solemnly. "Yuki. Boku! Boku boku!"
"Yuki! A lovely name. Now, will you pick out some materials you'd like?"
''~( -.- )~'' ~(.- )~'' ''~( -.)~ ''~( y )~'' ''~( -.- )~''
Seto sat outside in the hall, legs crossed. He thought deeply about his situation. No known company in the world, in America or Japan or anywhere else had made things such as what he had found. In fact, he was the most advanced in his area. And even he, Seto Kaiba, had not come close to even dreaming about creating something such as Yukiko.
But then, he wondered, what was the use of this technology? Why had it been so closey made in its likeness to a real human girl, an attractive one no less? Now that such a thought crossed his mind, he doubted it had been a tool of the government. The government was only concerned with bettering their society or protecting it, not concerned with convenience in society. The government did not train maids or make comfy chairs for its people. Following this thought was the presumption that the robot was a luxury item. Perhaps some underground company was designing them as an aid to humans. A robot that would make a lovely companion, a girl shaped robot to fulfill your every wish and dream... it seemed like normal human MALE thinking to him. Seto snorted aloud. So it was almost settled to him. It was likely that there would be more of this kind in the future. Seto would probably find himself faced with a law suit if he tried to reproduce the series of robots. But, there was something else that tugged at his conscious mind. Why had he found it in the trash? Was it defective? A rough draft of the anonymous company's actual plans? If so, why would anyone be careless enough to leave it in the trash where any scientist could happen upon it and steal their hard work?
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the dressing room opened. Behind the door, Yukiko was dressed gorgeously. She wore a pleated, velvet skirt in black, black velvet boots lined in red artificial fur, knee high stockings with black ribbons at the top where they ended. She also wore black velvet gloves, also lined in the red fur.
"...You did well. I am impressed by your work." He said to Hanaka.
"Thank you.. I let her pick out all the materials. I dressed her as nicely as I would.. my own child." Hanaka stroked Yukiko's hair almost lovingly.
Seto sensed some deep emotion when she said "My own child." He brushed it aside, figuring that she was a widow who had lost her own children. A thought struck him and he looked up quickly, and was relieved to see that the hat was stil firmly in place.
Hanaka must have read his mind, because she pulled out something.
"Since your cousin seems fond of hats," Hanaka said sweetly, "I made her a new one to go with her new outfit." In her hand was a lovely hat, matching in black velvet and trimmed fur. It had two black ribbons trimmed in red lace on the sides.
"Now she is suitable for the public." Seto thought.
END OF CHAPTER