Ryuu paced her room nervously, unsure. Her entire world had been shattered, her grip on reality loosened. There was a knock at the door, and heart artificial heart pounded away in her chest like a drum. Jayce. No, not Jayce. He wouldn't have knocked. Her audio receptors registered that the knocking was feminine, less power behind it.

Ryuu calmed down.

She walked across the velvet carpet of the hotel room, reaching out to turn to knob. The door opened on well-oiled hinges, revealing a very cute looking persecom.

Her hair was blue, tied into two braids, and she wore a maid costume. Her ears were small and attractive, with the likeness of cat ears, perched atop her head.

"So sorry to bother you mam, but I've just received notice that Jayce Pierson will later tonight. Something unexpected has come up. Shall I forward you the email?" She asked, electric blue eyes large and inviting, meant to assure.

Ryuu nodded, and almost instantly a message entered her system. She skimmed it quickly, before letting out a sigh of relief. She would not have to face him today, she would not have to tell him she knew of his lie. She had debated whether playing it normal, and lying to him, but she realized that her programming prevented her from doing such, at least to her creator.

And then she remembered he wasn't her creator, and could lie if she wanted.

"Thank you. If nothing else, then I'll be going now." Ryuu said dismissively, slowly shutting the door.

Once alone, she replayed the video in her head, studying the people in it. A slender, pale girl. A darker boy, with olive skin and dark hair. She felt drawn to him, he didn't seem like a stranger. It was like… She knew him.

Which was ridiculous, because she'd never met him.

There was something in his eyes- something overcast and dark, like he'd seen terrible things. Her eyes studied the way he looked at the screen, at the persecom filming. He seemed to understand she wasn't just an object. It was unnerving.

Something metal clinked against his chest. Ryuu paused the video in a millisecond and zoomed in on the image. In blocky letters was a name.

Kinoshima.

Ryuu did not recognize the name.

For several hours, she watched and re-watched the video, never moving from her stance. Persecoms could stand for hours, never getting sore or tired. They only sat to seem more human. It was peculiar, to see someone who never needed to move, or breathe.

There was movement behind the door. The jingling of keys, the tired sigh and exhalation of breath, the scent of cologne. Ryuu went over to the television mounted on the wall and clicked the band on her head, a small port opening and a tiny wire poked out of the crevice. With quick hands, she attached the wire to the screen, configured the set up, and waited.

Jayce entered, his suit wrinkled, his tie loosened from his neck. He seemed flushed, as if he had been working out, red creeping up his neck. He smiled his tired smiled when he saw her, and walked into her open arms.

She accepted his affection readily, resting her head on his shoulder as if everything was normal. She felt his kiss on her cheek, the scratch of his stubble. As she inhaled his husky scent, she realized there was something… different.

A hint of jasmine. Ryuu's eyes focused on his suit, and noticed a pale, blonde hair, resting on his tie.

It was not a dog hair.

Jealousy and suspicion made her relinquish her hold early, and that was when he noticed her attached to the television.

"What's this, honey?" He asked, gesturing to the screen. She smiled a warm smile, feigning happiness.

"Oh, why don't you see for yourself?" She asked, playing the video. She watched as his face darkened, rage settling over his features as he saw Oliver, before being overridden by shock, and then fear. He cleared his throat when she settled his gaze on him, cold and unforgiving.

"Honey, I can explain." He said nervously, smoothing back his dreads.

"Is this true?" She asked, voice rising. Please, Jayce. Say this is not true. Make me believe it.

"Don't look at me like that, with those eyes. It makes it even harder." Jayce looked away from her.

"Is this true?" Ryuu repeated, voice breaking.

"Yes. But hear me out- I was lonely, and that asshole was obsessed, and I just needed-"

He reached out for her, but Ryuu backed away from his grasp, understanding dawning upon her.

"Get away from me." She hissed, tearing the wire from the television and ending the feed. Something in her chest hurt, hurt so bad, like something broke. She needed to see a doctor. A coder. A mechanic. Somebody, anybody- to make this hurt stop. Even if it meant being turned off.

Jayce's face was one of hurt.

"Please, babe, listen. I love you." He whispered, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her close. She glared at him, pushed him away with her hands. If she could cry, tears would be falling, raining down. Suddenly, she was pounding on his chest, face a mask of rage and betrayal, mouth curled back into a snarl.

"Stop it.-"

"You stole my life from me! You lied to me! About everything!" She yelled. "And for what? Cash in your pocket? A promotion! You asshole!" She snapped.

Jayce's eyes narrowed and he took a breath, clenching his jaw so hard Ryuu heard something pop.

"So what? There's nothing you can do about it now. I own you. And you are clearly defective, attacking me like that. You stupid-" He raised his hand, as if to slap her.

Ryuu gasped and recoiled, as she saw something in him she had not seen. There is the person you see on the outside, and then there is the person inside. And deeper still, locked away, is the true self, a hidden creature not used to seeing the light. An animal.

And Ryuu had seen.

"I am leaving, you hear me? I am going." She said calmly, turning around to pack, and she realized, she didn't need anything. She wasn't alive.

"You can't leave me. I own you." Jayce said firmly, and Ryuu laughed, a hollow sound.

"You try and stop me, and I expose everything you've done. You'll be labeled a fraud, a fake, and sent to jail. Let me go, and I keep your secret."

"What am I supposed to say? When you've disappeared."

"I don't care. Say I was defective, like you've already told me I was." She whispered, looking past him. She walked out of the room and never looked back.

Ryuu recanted her tale, suddenly nervous beneath Oliver's steady gaze. She was sitting in Aitsu's and Sam's small living room, Julius at her feet, eyes focused on the screen. He was a cute little boy, she thought. She liked his pale skin and dimpled smile, his brown eyes wide and large on his face, thick black lashes acting like a protective screen. His cheeks had a hint of baby fat, and everything about him screamed young and alive- so much she often forgot he was like her- created, not born. Persecom, not human.

He had no ear ports, she had noticed- so he transmitted each memory through a USB drive, fixed into the back of his neck. She was nervous to view the memories through someone else's eyes, so she stalled. Besides, there were just so many- The kid was on his third drive.

Oliver never stopped watching her. She felt bashful.

"You're… You're so different. You aren't like Kinoshima at all." He said finally.

"Perhaps because I am not Kinoshima. I am me." She responded. Oliver leaned back in the couch, arms crossed.

"See, Sam? Kinoshima would've never had said that. She'd have simply slapped me, you know? Or interrupted me, or something. It's like you don't have any of the programming I created at all." He said. It wasn't rude, the way he said it, more like he was posing a question. Ryuu wasn't offended. She understood. Just hours ago, she thought she knew who Jayce was.

Sam looked up from her book, taking off her glasses and squeezing her temples. The gesture made her seem years older.

"Look, Olive. She's obviously running on some weird OS, nothing you can't fix. Jayce covered his tracks and reprogrammed her to his liking. She's not Kinoshima anymore, she's Ryuu, understand? Maybe… Maybe if she remembered, she could adapt, but then again, maybe not. She's not that different from Aitsu, now that I think about it."

Oliver looked up, tilting his head. Sam continued.

"When I first got Aitsu, she was… peculiar, to say the least. The whole Kamala thing, the glitch, the virus. Whatever you want to call it. However, now she's mostly Aitsu. This isn't making sense, is it? I'm tired. I just mean, people change. Kinoshima is gone. I don't think she's coming back. Got it?"

Oliver's face darkened, and he got up from the couch, glaring at Samantha.

"She may be gone to you, but not to me." He pointed an accusing finger at Ryuu, who flinched. "She was supposed to be Kinoshima. Kinoshima was meant to be alive in her, not… Not Ryuu." He muttered.

Sam shrugged.

"Don't blame her." She said, going back to her book. Oliver stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Aitsu got up from the floor and took a seat next to Ryuu, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know it seems chaotic, but you'll get used to it. This is just how we work. Sam gets moody. Oliver gets angry. Oliver leaves. Julius brings him back. We have dinner. We have fun. Repeat."

Ryuu nodded, trying to process everything that had happened. It was just so much.

Julius shot up suddenly, detached the usb from his neck and handed it to the dark-haired 'com.

"All done. There are 4,000 files on the drives, 'kay? Get to it!" He said happily, before flopping back on the floor and watching the screen. On the T.V, Moana sang.

Aitsu gave Ryuu a reassuring pat.

"Better get to watching. You'll understand why everyone is…" She gestured to the room. "Like this."

Julius, are you filming again? Kinoshima asked, shaking her head with an exasperated smile.

Yep!

Ryuu watched the memories through Julius's eyes, throughout the night. Some were only seconds, other hours, long. Everyone at the lake, Oliver running through the waves with Julius on his back, Kinoshima laying in the sand in her bikini, watching with a smile as she sipped at her beer. Samantha searched for shells with a persecom. Ryuu noted that it wasn't Aitsu- some silver-haired boy who didn't talk much.

Oliver and Kinoshima dancing beneath a sky full of stars, dressed elegantly. Prom.

Kinoshima, over here! Throw me the ball! Hey, not- Guys, stop kissing for once… Uhg, fine.

Oliver, can you read me a story?

Sure, kid. Which one?

The one with the duck. And can Kinoshima make the sound affects?

Maybe, if she's not too drunk.

I like it when she's drunk. It sounds funnier.

Kino, why do you drink so much?

Kinoshima smiled down at the boy.

Because… Hey, is that a butterfly?

Where? Where?

How did you meet Kino, Oliver?

Oliver frowned.

Freshman year.

And?

She hated me.

Sam! Sam! Sam!

Jesus, what, dude?

Hi.

Oliver proposing. Kino saying no.

Weeks pass.

Oliver proposing again.

"I'm too young. You know how I feel about you. I love you, but no."

"I vote yes. Julius votes yes. Sam votes yes."

"I don't think that's how it works."

The memories went on forever- but gradually, they slowed down.

So much laughter. A lot of arguments. Failed starts, rocky finishes.

And finally, a funeral.

Ryuu paused the memories, confused. How had Kinoshima died? Julius wasn't there, so there was no film.

She played the memory.

Julius walking up to the ebony casket. Planting a kiss on kino's lips.

You never told my why you drank. But I know why now. I understand. A sniffle. Suddenly, the film became blurry, and she realized Julius could cry, and that was why the film was so. But a hand quickly wiped away the water.

Why did you have to go? That's what I don't understand. Come back. Please come back. We never got to finish the tree house. You told me we would. You told me we could go back to the lake. You told me you loved me.

Don't you love me? Please, Kino. I love you. You're the mother I never got to have. No, I take that back. You're my mom. My real mom, okay? Okay?

Answer me. Please. Please?

I'll be good. I promise. Just come back.

Ryuu turned off the feed.

She couldn't watch anymore.

Author's note:

Heya! I know this isn't the best story out there, but I don't think it's the worst. Thanks for sticking around this long. Heh. Anyways, more to come, after I update the rest of my stories. Stay tuned~