Seto, Ryuuji, persocom RP.

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

((Seto's lost it and built a persocom!Ryuuji. Ryuuji's not exactly happy to find a robot version of himself, and argues with it. And for a change, he loses the argument! Slightly disturbing for insanity, but that's it.))

It had taken quite a bit of money, and two weeks of Seto's time. It had caused a bit of confusion here and there, but at last, Seto had one.

It was flawless in appearance, matching Ryuuji in every aspect, even down to the eyeliner that would never require reapplication, full pouty lips, glossy black hair, gorgeous golden skin, slim but muscular build and clothes. The casing was perfect, of course.

Ryuuji's major characteristics personality wise had been programmed in, of course. Including his flaws, because Seto loved those too (he was too out of his mind to think otherwise). Seto made sure to even include their memories together as children, minus any aspect of abuse. All of those things Ryuuji had mentnioned to Seto the other night in a sorting came in handy now--he didn't include any of them.

This Ryuuji would never know Seto had gone still and refused to take off long sleeves when painfully heated. This Ryuuji was never abused by his father. This Ryuuji wouldn't have guilt issues over torturing Seto for a tiny, unimportant speck of life.

But more so, this Ryuuji would love him. Not Tom, Nightwing or anyone else. Him.

The eyes were closed now, which was a good thing, because they were the one aspect that differed on the physical appearance. Oh, they were green...a perfect, beautiful emerald green, matching Ryuuji's in every way, and could even change depending on mood--it was programmed in, and Seto had observed Ryuuji so carefully to match this effect. But they were lifeless--they had no pupil, no shine...

Still, it didn't matter.

Seto lovingly ran a hand over one oddly soft cheek. It was amazing how they sold a material for custom made persocoms that actually felt soft.... Soft lips...soft skin, even if the rest of the persocom was hard and heavy.

It was such a beautiful illusion, covering over wires and numbers and letters of code. So gorgeous in every aspect.

Seto pressed up against the for just sitting on the chair in the study so still, one arm reaching around the persocom's back, headed for the ear opposite of the one with the dice earring--he even had that duplicated. And he could give the persocom gifts! Other dice earrings to wear, and something pretty, and a shiny marble for his necklace--also duplicated.

Now it was time to find out just how the AI intertwined with the programmed characteristics, to find out how when combined this persocom would act.

You're mine. All mine.


Dark, long eyelashes, doll-smooth and lovely, fluttered for a moment, then slowly opened, beautifully blank green eyes revealed as the eyelids lifted. Soft, full lips parted, allowing a hint of white teeth to be seen as the doll simply looked at Seto for a moment as if imprinting. This person... Suddenly, a smile, every bit as bright and beautiful as Ryuuji, curved the doll's lips upwards, chin tilting slightly upwards as it stood in one smooth, graceful movement.

"Seto..." And the name was breathed like a prayer, like a hope, a dream given wings and ascending straight to Heaven. One hand reached upwards, long, delicate fingers resting so very lightly on Seto's shoulder despite the heavy metal that it was made of, and the doll corrected with a hint of mischevious pride in his voice (so like Ryuuji's when he'd got something he wanted but was scared to show how precious it was to him), "My Seto."

And that was all that needed to be said, right? Because it was his Seto, and he was Seto's Ryuuji, and they were there, and they were together, and everything was just perfect

in a way that it couldn't be otherwise. Because the real Ryuuji wasn't perfect, far from it, but this one was. Because he had been created precisely as Seto wanted. He couldn't be anything except what Seto wanted, and Seto would get what he wanted, and he would be happy. And since the doll was designed to make Seto happy, the doll's happiness would be fulfilled by making Seto happy.

And the world would be perfect, just like the two of them.


Slowly, as though afraid too much jostling would wake him (shatter the dream and take him back to the reality of the matter), Seto nodded his head and stepped closer to the doll. His own eyes were a soft blue-green, and his voice was smooth with the whispered words, "Yes. And mine. My Ryuuji."

He leaned against the persocom, one arm around the doll (something so easily broken, something that could be turned off, or have its memory wiped and something that didn't really love him), and asked, "Care to leave the study?"

"Of course. Then I can see our room." The doll smiled at Seto, leaning its head to a side so that it could brush its cheek against the warm, human hand on its shoulder. The material was soft, mimicking human skin perfectly, and it turned its head just enough to let its lips brush over the back of Seto's hand in a soft, thankful kiss. Seto had given it life.

The dark ponytail danced as he moved his head, ends of it tickling at Seto's skin, and when the doll looked back at Seto once more, it had Ryuuji's impish, gleeful smile, the one that screamed of fun to come and pleasure in the moment that was so nearly past. Fearless, and proud, the doll didn't seem to care about the idea of running into the original, instead just happy to be there. With Seto.

His Seto.

Ryuuji wanted to see the room--then of course they would leave then. No matter how loyal the doll had been made, Seto was still every bit willing to cater to Ryuuji's every whim, only now it was given to a Ryuuji that wanted that love. This Ryuuji wouldn't have to be burdened by Seto's one-sided love, or feel guilty about it.

All of his affection could be properly spent (on something that could never really love him, because it was just programmed to, no matter how you slice the issue, but Seto couldn't care, because he needed this and craved it and put every moment into his memory where he could keep it forever).

"All right, before we do, I have a present for you." Now that Seto understood how to transfigure objects he could do this one for the persocom, making it more special than the marble of energy he had given Ryuuji.

In fact, he could do more than that.

"You don't mind, do you?" Seto asked as he took out a clear marble and started to fill it with brilliant, shining light, like the one he had for Ryuuji. Only for this one...he refracted the light waves so they took on color. Whisps of green and blue swirling together started to sparkle inside the trasparent ball.

"Present?" Eyes widening, the doll watched with the utmost awe as Seto created the ball. Metal hands covered in skin reached up to wrap around Seto's own, the pale golden skin lovely against the boy's creamy-pink flesh, and it bent its head slightly forwards so as to better watch the process. Marble. Shiny shiny marble!

The light reflected in the doll's eyes, twisting like sunlight hitting water, and made the green of it seem to dance the same way that laughter danced in Ryuuji's eyes. Optical illusion, and meaningless, because it wasn't real light, only the mirror of it, but so pretty. So very pretty and Ryuuji was fake too (he lied with every smile), so maybe this was okay too. A lie on top of a lie and as long as they were pretty lies, where was the harm in it?

The doll was happy. It was getting a gift from Seto, who loved it (because it looked like Ryuuji) and it loved him (because that's what it had been programmed to do), and even if it was just a doll, it's feelings were real, weren't they? So its happiness was real, and Seto was real, and Seto was happy, so this was a happy moment for doll and human alike, one receiving a gift and the other giving it. The doll might have no light of its own, but Seto was giving it his own light, and that made up for it.

The tip of one finger brushed over the marble, and the doll laughed, the sound as delighted like Ryuuji when he'd been given something he hadn't known he'd wanted but loved anyway. "Thank you!"

When it was complete, green and blue dancing together, mixing and swirling together, creating light to reflect off eyes and skin, Seto took the marble and started to form it over Ryuuji's necklace, picturing it in his mind, and coaxing it along to create a loop. As he did, he spoke, voice so light (because it could be broken at any moment, just like Seto's fragile sanity, and protected heart. Protected with indifference, hatred, anger and illusions of strength and pride--without his sanity threading those things together, with defenses lowered for Ryuuji's sake, anything could be torn apart), "This is so you can have a piece of me with you always. And the colors are our colors, together, as they should be."

And it also served to tell him the difference between the two. The real Ryuuji's marble was just plain light, pretty and bright, but this Ryuuji's was special and far more noticable, the light's purity broken by tendrils of blue and green. Just like Seto and Ryuuji really were--never pure, never good, but not purely black either, just tainted.

"And you're welcome."

"I love you." The persocom replied, words soft and sweet as it impulsively put both arms around Seto, holding him closely in a loving embrace. Lightly, it nuzzled at his neck, and then smiled up at him, head tilted back just a little so that its locks of dark hair swung away from its clear, bright eyes. "And I'll always love you, my Seto. Always love you, always have you with me. Now and forever."

That said, it laced its fingers through Seto's, then stepped out into the living room, taking in the surroundings with wide eyes. The wall that was covered in clippings of poetry particularly caught its attention, and it walked over to read those, still holding Seto's hand. Gravely, it examined them, then quoted the last line from one that had been scribbled over with red crayon,

"Nobody loves a genius child.

Kill him - and let his soul run wild."

And at that exact moment, the real Ryuuji entered, flinging the door to his room open noisily and tossing his bag down near the door as usual. "Hey-"

And he saw his own back, and his own hair, and Seto, and froze, standing still and staring at them. "...What the hell?"

"Oh, hello." The robot turned around, a sweet smile on its lips. "You're the inferior version, yes? Seto created me based on you." Green eyes flickered over Ryuuji for a second, then the smile turned poisonous. "I can see why he needed to."

Quite confused, Seto's expression changed from (so blissfully dazed) content to baffled as he looked at the persocom. "What do you mean?"

He looked to Ryuuji, then attempted a smile. "And hello." He wasn't sure where Ryuuji had been. Had Seto missed a class by accident? It was hard to say, since they seemed to lack any real schedule.

"And I created Ryuu here because...you don't want me. I thought it was better I'm not a burden to you, but since I don't love anyone else, I made a you for me," Seto explained, looking at the persocom!Ryuuji--which he called Ryuu--occassionally, still confused by what it had first meant.

Ryuuji wasn't inferior! He just...needed to be free and couldn't love Seto.

Sliding an arm over Seto's shoulder, the hand of that arm came up to gently cup Seto's chin and pulled lightly, making the boy look at him. Words quiet and loving, the persocom explained, "He can't love you, Seto. He can't take care of you, cherish you, care for you in the way you need it. I can. I'm better than him. I can do more than he can."

And though they were quiet, they were pitched to carry, the robot wanting to make sure that Ryuuji heard everything.

"..." Ryuuji just stared at the two of them, taking in what a perfect imitation of himself the robot was. Well, of course it was. Seto wouldn't make anything that was less than perfect. But Ryuuji wasn't perfect, because he was human, so if the robot was perfect, did that make it better than him?

Shaking off those thoughts, he glared at the robot, not looking at Seto because it wasn't easy to be angry with someone you knew was insane, "You made a robot to replace me?!"

"I know.... You love me, he doesn't. That doesn't make him inferior though," Seto gently told the robot, blue eyes lovingly stuck on it, voice calm. Seto was aware Ryuuji wouldn't love him, so he wasn't going to try. He would do this his way.

Did Ryuuji have a problem with it?

A little remorseful, Seto looked at Ryuuji, eyebrows meeting together as he shook his head. "No. I'm not replacing you. But...you don't love me, and Ryuu does. We're still kindred, and you're still Ryuuji. Ryuu isn't replacing you. I just...didn't want to burden you any more."

Seto's eyes sought out the ground. "You like being free, and doing what you want, and you don't love me. You have an entire school of people to explore and spend time with. I..." Seto stopped for a second as he wrapped his arms around the persocom and snuggled close to him, "I have Ryuu. This way, you don't need to worry about me anymore. I won't bother you any longer with my one-sided love."

"..." Ryuuji seemed to be getting struck speechless a lot by Seto these days. But that was because Seto was insane and you just didn't argue with crazy people. It just didn't work. And it was probably Ryuuji's fault that Seto was so crazy anyway, so what right did Ryuuji have to complain about any of it?

Every right in the world because it was HIS FUCKING PERSONALITY AND BODY that the robot was modelled on!

...Except not, because if you drove someone insane with unrequited love, you pretty much had to deal with it, and accept the consequences of that. Because it was your fault, and your mistake, and that meant you had to take responsibility for it if you wanted to be an adult and really, Ryuuji did try to act like one more often than one would expect.

Especially with a friend's sanity on the line.

Swallowing, he tilted his head at the robot who was smirking in a manner far too smug to make Ryuuji happy (far too recognizable as well, and that could be part of what was so disconcerting about the whole mess), and addressed Seto because he still couldn't find it in himself to talk to it, "Seto - can I talk to-" And the name stuck in his throat, because damnit, 'Ryuu' was the best part of his name, the dragon part, and if Seto gave that to the robot, that left Ryuuji with the child part, and that was unfair, so Ryuuji compromised by saying, "The android? In private? I won't hurt him or anything, I just want to hear how he feels about having been created for the sole purpose of being in love with you."

Because somehow, it sounded sick to Ryuuji to have a robot made just for that. It was the emotional equivalent of a whore.

"Okay," Seto said, word faltering slightly. He wasn't too sure about that, but didn't want to argue with Ryuuji. Something was wrong.... Ryuuji seemed upset, and Seto didn't understand why. He thought he was doing Ryuuji a favor. Wasn't he?

Worried, Seto pulled away from the persocom, blue eyes trailing to the floor for a moment, then Seto looked up, clearly seeking Ryuuji out this time. "I'll go to the study and let you two talk."

"...Seto, I'm not mad at you, okay?" Ryuuji couldn't help but soften slightly at seeing Seto look so downcast. Carefully, he made himself smile, light and reassuring, "It's just a bit of a shock to walk into a room and see yourself. That's all. I just want to talk to him and get some stuff clear."

The persocom snorted. Yeah right. It knew what Ryuuji wanted and wasn't having any of it. In his place, after all, the persocom would be doing its best to get rid of any replacements. Seto was his. He wasn't sharing. He didn't make any move to hold on to Seto though, just giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze and accompanying it with a smile. "Don't worry, my Seto," And this time, the emphasis was for Ryuuji's sake, "I'll tell him all about why you need me and he'll understand."

Seto looked at one, then the other, only to see the same thing..... But not.

He knew exactly when he was looking at Ryuuji, he didn't even have to look at the necklace after all. "Okay...." It was a shaky, worried reply. Seto didn't want to upset Ryuuji, and Ryuuji could say he wasn't angry, but what if something was wrong? Then what?

To the persocom, Seto smiled softly, one hand gently patting the (fake, so painfully fake, and if just you tore it open, you'd find wires in place of veins, electricity instead of blood) plastic one over his shoulder.

"And okay.... I'll be in the study." He still wasn't completely reassured, but he left them all the same--wires and veins.

In the study, he seated himself at the desk and looked over a few notes on his laptop, and decided to write up a quick outline of how the persocom was doing and interacting. He mused on how the AI might cause the persocom to actually differ from Ryuuji in the long run, then they wouldn't be exactly the same.

Meanwhile, Ryuuji and his replacement had the argument of the centutry. Ryuuji started off as neutrally as possible, "Look, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm more than enough trouble on my own. We don't need another me."

"Yeah right! You're just jealous that Seto loves me and not you."

"No, I'm not. I just don't think that it's healthy for him to fixate on a robot."

"Chii's a robot. I'm made from the same design as her, and you wanted them to be a couple."

"That's different; she's not a copy of a real person."

"Yeah. Jealous. You don't like the idea that you've been replaced by someone that's smarter than you, prettier than you, and stronger than you. Seto needs someone who'll love him, and only him. No conditions, no resentment, no reason to distrust him. You're damaged, wounded and weak for all that you're so pretty. I'm better than you in every way that counts, and several more that you wouldn't even begin to understand."

"..."

"...?"


"...If you're a robot, that means that I'll break my knuckles if I try to punch you, right?"

"And I'll tell Seto on you."

"Tattle tale."

"If it works, use it."

"Seto's not an IT, you are!"

"Go ahead. Dehumanize me. Not like I care. Why should I want to be human when I'm better than that?"

"You are insane."

"Obviously. He based me off you."

"I'm not that bad."

"If it came down to a war between humans and dragons, whose side would you be on?"

"..."

"Yeah. Thought so. Give up, Ryuuji. Your day is over."

"My 'day'? This isn't a fucking government we're talking about. This is SETO. One of my oldest friends. He's insane, and I'm worried about him, and you're just a symptom of how deranged he's become!"

"I'm fixing what you caused."

"So what, being in a relationship with a robot is going to make everything better again? I don't think so!"

"It'll make him happy, and that's more than you could ever do, selfish brat that you are."

"...I have every reason in the world to be selfish."

"Yes. You do. I'm not denying that. But Seto doesn't deserve to be hurt by your indifference to him either."

"I'm not indifferent to him, he's my kindred!"

"And I'm his and he's mine and really, Ryuuji, what's your problem?"

"That it's insane to build a robot of someone just because you can't have them."

"You must have rubbed off on him. Well done."

"...That's not my type of insanity. I don't obsess like that."

"Still takes one to know one."

"I'm fine. Can we talk about the Boy That Made Robots now?"

"Seto? I don't think we have anything to talk about. I love him, he loves me, and if you try to destroy me, you're just robbing him of someone that cares about him. Are you that bitter about your own sucky childhood that you want him to be alone as well? He'll still have Mokuba, you know. Do you want to kill Mokuba too?"

"What?! I wouldn't ever hurt Mokuba, ever. And you - he designed you to care about him and-"

"And that's proof of how much he needs me."

"..."

"You know I'm right."

"..."

"Think about it."

"...Fine."

"Fine?"

"Don't hurt me."

"I'm not you, Ryuuji. I don't hurt people I love."

"I- he- I thought - ...It wasn't like that. I was trying to hate him; I wanted revenge."

"You hurt him. I would never do that."

"...Promise?"

"Promise."

"...Fine. Tell Seto that I went to talk to Sara about Prefect stuff and I hope you two are happy together."

The door slammed, and Ryuuji was gone.

And Seto was left waiting for the two to finish talking so he could find out what the problem was. Completely unaware of their exchange.... What could he have said anyway?

He saved the notes then continued to wait, blue-green eyes resorting to a string of code he needed to look over. Then there was always looking at the stocks and making sure everything was in order. There was plenty to do, so they could take as long as necessary.

Pleased with itself, the android returned to the study and poked his head through the door with one of Ryuuji's trademark grins, bright and unafraid of anything the world might choose to throw at it. "Seto! Ryuuji said that he's very happy for us, hope everything goes okay, and that you're an absolute genius for having solved the problem like this. He even thanked me for loving you the way that he can't, and told me to tell you that I love you best, better than anyone else and that you're the only person I love and will ever love, so that you'd know that I would never leave you or do anything except what would make you happy."

Ryuuji-bot lie through its plastic teeth? Of course. It was based on Ryuuji and created for the express purpose of making Seto happy, after all.

So...what was wrong then?

Seto looked up to the door from his computer, head slightly tilted.

Despite the pretty, fragile lies that Seto snatched and kept strong hold of, the first thing out of his mouth was still, "Okay, where is Ryuuji?" He wanted to thank him for understanding.

"He said he went to see Sara, talk about Prefect stuff. " A small frown curved the robot's lips as it sauntered into the room, hips swaying slightly, and then sat down on the floor near Seto's hair. He leaned his head against the side of the chair, undoing his ponytail with one hand and letting his hair fall loosely over his back, just begging to be stroked and petted, and then tilted his head up to look at Seto.

Green eyes wide and innocuous, just a little anger showing in the curve of his lips, it confided in Seto, "I think he's probably going to ask her on a date now that he knows he doesn't need to worry about you. He went with her to the Ravenclaw open house night, after all, and she's awfully pretty. But I don't think she's anywhere near as pretty as you are. Ryuuji's an idiot if he'd rather have her than you."

The tilt lost its upward angle, and Seto's eyes were somewhere on the keyboard now as he let a single, "Oh," drop from his lips. But he just got here....

Oh well.

Seto would just ask Ryuuji what was wrong later, for now he had his (fake and beautiful) Ryuu with him. Always.... Ryuu would always be there, even when Ryuuji wasn't.

Slowly, one of Seto's hands reached up and started to comb through the persocom's hair. His fingers wanted to rub the scalp like he did for Ryuuji at times, but what was the point?

The persocom wouldn't feel it the same way.

None of it was the same.

Comments

[fm-elric.livejournal.com]

((Psst, close your italics tag up there.))

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

((Done, thanks. XD))

[mistressshirley.livejournal.com]

((Love the music, by the way... Dresden Dolls rock my socks))

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

((Yay! So glad someone got the reference for it. XD))

[king-bakura.livejournal.com]

[ Had to read this. Heard about it and wasn't sure if it was going to happen or not. The exchange between the two was amusing, but other things were things to think upon, smile or frown - quite a bit of emotion in this RP, I think. ]