FIC: Inui/Robo-Kai
Yeah...I got duped into this by my strange plot bunny that's been gnawing on my foot from usermmmdraco 's lil thing on robots...so yeah >.>;
Title: Tinkerer
Author: Nataku/Marourin
Rating: PG
Series: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: InuixKaidoh
Author’s Note: Weird rambling short thing in response to a strange plot bunny gnawing on my foot thanks to a robo-Kaidoh idea.
Tinkerer
Robots were very useful things.
He knew this.
Inui had many of them…he was called the “Tinkerer”, famed for his careful and precise creations that were mass marketed.
He made creations of steel and wires that performed tasks no human could…machines that did a man’s every bidding.
He made creations that entertained, did menial labor…
…that did just about anything.
But he wasn’t satisfied.
He sighed and focused his bespectacled gaze on the new blue print. The cold steel no longer held passion for him and he became…lonely. All around him were the harsh edges of his creation, a reminder of just how inhuman he had become by being the father of the machines. He was the “Tinkerer”; he made living creatures of steel. Living dead creatures…alive and dead, more dead than alive perhaps.
Inui looked down at his hands, staring at them. The same hands he’s stared at for twenty-eight years.
They were lonely hands.
~
The “Tinkerer” smiled softly as he sat on the bench, watching his newest creation flutter down on steel wings, chirping lovely sounds, like music boxes turning on delicate axles. Tiny metal bars strumming the eerily haunting tunes that lulled like a mother’s voice. Metal feathers gleaming in the sunlight, perching on a set of strong shoulders.
Synthetic shoulders.
Shoulders made from steel and chrome, lined over with plastic.
Inui watched as KAIDOH walked slowly through the garden, the metal birds fluttering about him-he assigned it a gender and created it to be such-and landed on him eagerly.
The “Tinkerer” learned as he went along, admiring idly the smooth form of KAIDOH. More human than his other creations…lovingly wrought with his hands still bandaged from delicate work. He smiled a little, watching as the mechanical-yet-not creation moved, then sat down on the ground, looking with wide, cat-like slate eyes.
Gentle hands crafted of steel stretched out and a tiny mechanical bird fluttered in a rough yet soft and hard palm, chirping it’s metallic song as KAIDOH lifted it to his face, watching with eyes that Inui swore sometimes looked at him with understanding. There was a surge of pride as he imagined a father might feel as he watched the utterly human eyes shifting to him and the stoic face of the robot reflecting what might have been a smile if the mechanics allowed it to.
At that thought Inui frowned and leaned forward, observing KAIDOH closely, taking in the metal body, his mind running over the thoughts quickly, ‘hming’ to himself.
He thought about his creation…of how wonderful he came about…and thought of the steel cage he had trapped it in. He imagined the strong steel and plastic shoulders softening, becoming warm to the touch, firm but soft. He imagined those eyes set in a face that could shift and express emotion…of a body that would move smoothly.
His eyes light behind his square framed glasses, excitement moving through him.
Maybe…for once in his life he could create something that was a living dead creature…one that was more alive than dead.
~
The “Tinkerer” was excited.
It was KAIDOH’s 3rd birthday.
He had spent 3 years working on the robot, originally designed to take care of his aerials and now was so much more. He spent less and less time out of his house now, every spare moment was in the garden, watching his creation with the metallic creatures, now including kittens and puppies and anything else that seemed to make the slate eyes brighten.
It fascinated him, his KAIDOH seemed to understand…so much better than even the few people that Inui surrounded himself with. The robot would listen to him and look at him with those human slate eyes, telling him volumes without a voice.
He had worked hard, long and hard, but it was worth it. KAIDOH’s shoulders were now soft…he even had skin. He felt warm to the touch. His face could show the emotions that were locked in the slate of his eyes. He even had hair and Inui often liked to sit on that bench with KAIDOH leaning against his leg, stroking that soft black hair as he watched the aerials chirping, fluttering about on metal wings.
He would talk softly to the robot, feeling slate eyes gaze at him as he spoke about everything and nothing…
…and today was KAIDOH’s 3rd birthday.
His mind told him that it was an AI system installed in a robot with a small glitch and KAIDOH couldn’t really feel anything…couldn’t really have emotion and expression. He still couldn’t help but smile as the robot’s face seemed to brighten as he came with a small box, wrapped in green paper with a simple white ribbon.
“Happy birthday, Kaidoh.”
He wondered when it happened…when he named him…him, the robot. He watched as gentle hands took the box and open with childish care and slate eyes look at the small plastic box of tubing and wires.
“It’s a voice for you, Kaidoh…you can talk when I put this in.” there was excitement welling in the “Tinkerer’s” chest as he saw eyes widen.
“Shall I install it now?”
He laughed at the enthusiastic nod, then gently reached out and opened the robot’s throat, working diligently to connect the wires and insert the artificial voice box. He had spent a long time perfecting it.
“I…Inui-sempai…fshuu…”
The “Tinkerer” smiled.
It was perfect.
~
He still liked to sit on the bench and watch the aerials flying through the air on metal wings. Kaidoh would still sit on the grass by his feet, warm as he leaned to the inventor’s leg, silent except for the occasional hiss as pale, slender fingers moved through soft hair.
“…Inui-sempai…?”
“Yes, Kaidoh…?”
“You’re warm, sempai.”
The inventor smiled, his head tipped back, feeling the warm breeze and listening to the sweet music ringing out in the air.
“Of course I am…I’m alive.”
There was a pause and slate eyes focused intently on him.
“…does this mean…that I’m alive too?”
Inui blinked, looking at the tanned form sitting at his feet and wondered what he should say…wondered what the real answer was supposed to be.
“Of course you are, Kaidoh.”
His heart seemed to lurch slightly when he saw a soft smile, so rare on the…could he still call him a robot?
“I’m glad, sempai.”
“I’m glad too.”
~
Inui never left his house anymore.
He seemed to forget about friends and family…and when he got a divorce notice in the mail he blinked at it before getting distracted by the sound of the aerials chirping in that artificial garden.
He had built a fake sun for it, a fake weather system.
No matter when it was he could sit on that bench and gently pet Kaidoh’s hair, watching metal birds fly through a plastic sky and metal puppies chase metal kittens while his finest creation played with them in his rough voice.
He forgot about a lot of things these days.
He no longer attended meetings for product development.
He didn’t even attend his own divorce, instead signing the paper and mailing it with his ring.
None of it affected him anymore, positively or negatively.
The nest egg he was living on made sure he didn’t have to work to pay his electric and scrap bills and let him stay in that synthetic Eden he constructed from his bare hands.
He didn’t mind how empty his life would seem to be to others…
…because he had him.
He had Kaidoh.
He had that bench that he could sit on and just watch as his life became composed only of those fluttering aerials and Kaidoh’s deep voice as his fingers moved through silken hair
~
He was talking softly to Kaidoh again when it happened.
He had ignored much about his life…and it was starting to show.
He had caught a cough when his artificial weather system programmed the garden for a winter day, and when he coughed into his pale hand, it came away flecked with red.
“Inui-sempai…why are you so cool?”
He looked into slate eyes, his own underlined with heavy shadows beneath his glasses. His body was thin and malnourished, haggard.
But Kaidoh still saw him the same as he did everyday, his head resting gently on a bony thigh.
“I’m…not sure, Kaidoh…”
His hand raised to his chest, feeling the rattling in his chest, his eyes lusterless, but warm…so warm it made up for the lack of warmth in his body.
“We used to be the same warmth, Inui-sempai…you’re colder now.”
The “Tinkerer” looked faintly surprised as that strong, young form got up off the ground and sat in the bench next to him.
He was so warm.
Arms went around him, hard and soft and gentle…
…but oh so warm.
“That feels good, Kaidoh…it’s warm now.”
“You’re cold, sempai.”
Of course I am…because I’m dying.
“Then am I dying too?” this time, finely crafted fingers of steel and fake flesh ran gently through lank black hair, brittle and unkempt.
Of course not, KAIDOH. You’re still warm you silly thing.
Title: Tinkerer
Author: Nataku/Marourin
Rating: PG
Series: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: InuixKaidoh
Author’s Note: Weird rambling short thing in response to a strange plot bunny gnawing on my foot thanks to a robo-Kaidoh idea.
Tinkerer
Robots were very useful things.
He knew this.
Inui had many of them…he was called the “Tinkerer”, famed for his careful and precise creations that were mass marketed.
He made creations of steel and wires that performed tasks no human could…machines that did a man’s every bidding.
He made creations that entertained, did menial labor…
…that did just about anything.
But he wasn’t satisfied.
He sighed and focused his bespectacled gaze on the new blue print. The cold steel no longer held passion for him and he became…lonely. All around him were the harsh edges of his creation, a reminder of just how inhuman he had become by being the father of the machines. He was the “Tinkerer”; he made living creatures of steel. Living dead creatures…alive and dead, more dead than alive perhaps.
Inui looked down at his hands, staring at them. The same hands he’s stared at for twenty-eight years.
They were lonely hands.
~
The “Tinkerer” smiled softly as he sat on the bench, watching his newest creation flutter down on steel wings, chirping lovely sounds, like music boxes turning on delicate axles. Tiny metal bars strumming the eerily haunting tunes that lulled like a mother’s voice. Metal feathers gleaming in the sunlight, perching on a set of strong shoulders.
Synthetic shoulders.
Shoulders made from steel and chrome, lined over with plastic.
Inui watched as KAIDOH walked slowly through the garden, the metal birds fluttering about him-he assigned it a gender and created it to be such-and landed on him eagerly.
The “Tinkerer” learned as he went along, admiring idly the smooth form of KAIDOH. More human than his other creations…lovingly wrought with his hands still bandaged from delicate work. He smiled a little, watching as the mechanical-yet-not creation moved, then sat down on the ground, looking with wide, cat-like slate eyes.
Gentle hands crafted of steel stretched out and a tiny mechanical bird fluttered in a rough yet soft and hard palm, chirping it’s metallic song as KAIDOH lifted it to his face, watching with eyes that Inui swore sometimes looked at him with understanding. There was a surge of pride as he imagined a father might feel as he watched the utterly human eyes shifting to him and the stoic face of the robot reflecting what might have been a smile if the mechanics allowed it to.
At that thought Inui frowned and leaned forward, observing KAIDOH closely, taking in the metal body, his mind running over the thoughts quickly, ‘hming’ to himself.
He thought about his creation…of how wonderful he came about…and thought of the steel cage he had trapped it in. He imagined the strong steel and plastic shoulders softening, becoming warm to the touch, firm but soft. He imagined those eyes set in a face that could shift and express emotion…of a body that would move smoothly.
His eyes light behind his square framed glasses, excitement moving through him.
Maybe…for once in his life he could create something that was a living dead creature…one that was more alive than dead.
~
The “Tinkerer” was excited.
It was KAIDOH’s 3rd birthday.
He had spent 3 years working on the robot, originally designed to take care of his aerials and now was so much more. He spent less and less time out of his house now, every spare moment was in the garden, watching his creation with the metallic creatures, now including kittens and puppies and anything else that seemed to make the slate eyes brighten.
It fascinated him, his KAIDOH seemed to understand…so much better than even the few people that Inui surrounded himself with. The robot would listen to him and look at him with those human slate eyes, telling him volumes without a voice.
He had worked hard, long and hard, but it was worth it. KAIDOH’s shoulders were now soft…he even had skin. He felt warm to the touch. His face could show the emotions that were locked in the slate of his eyes. He even had hair and Inui often liked to sit on that bench with KAIDOH leaning against his leg, stroking that soft black hair as he watched the aerials chirping, fluttering about on metal wings.
He would talk softly to the robot, feeling slate eyes gaze at him as he spoke about everything and nothing…
…and today was KAIDOH’s 3rd birthday.
His mind told him that it was an AI system installed in a robot with a small glitch and KAIDOH couldn’t really feel anything…couldn’t really have emotion and expression. He still couldn’t help but smile as the robot’s face seemed to brighten as he came with a small box, wrapped in green paper with a simple white ribbon.
“Happy birthday, Kaidoh.”
He wondered when it happened…when he named him…him, the robot. He watched as gentle hands took the box and open with childish care and slate eyes look at the small plastic box of tubing and wires.
“It’s a voice for you, Kaidoh…you can talk when I put this in.” there was excitement welling in the “Tinkerer’s” chest as he saw eyes widen.
“Shall I install it now?”
He laughed at the enthusiastic nod, then gently reached out and opened the robot’s throat, working diligently to connect the wires and insert the artificial voice box. He had spent a long time perfecting it.
“I…Inui-sempai…fshuu…”
The “Tinkerer” smiled.
It was perfect.
~
He still liked to sit on the bench and watch the aerials flying through the air on metal wings. Kaidoh would still sit on the grass by his feet, warm as he leaned to the inventor’s leg, silent except for the occasional hiss as pale, slender fingers moved through soft hair.
“…Inui-sempai…?”
“Yes, Kaidoh…?”
“You’re warm, sempai.”
The inventor smiled, his head tipped back, feeling the warm breeze and listening to the sweet music ringing out in the air.
“Of course I am…I’m alive.”
There was a pause and slate eyes focused intently on him.
“…does this mean…that I’m alive too?”
Inui blinked, looking at the tanned form sitting at his feet and wondered what he should say…wondered what the real answer was supposed to be.
“Of course you are, Kaidoh.”
His heart seemed to lurch slightly when he saw a soft smile, so rare on the…could he still call him a robot?
“I’m glad, sempai.”
“I’m glad too.”
~
Inui never left his house anymore.
He seemed to forget about friends and family…and when he got a divorce notice in the mail he blinked at it before getting distracted by the sound of the aerials chirping in that artificial garden.
He had built a fake sun for it, a fake weather system.
No matter when it was he could sit on that bench and gently pet Kaidoh’s hair, watching metal birds fly through a plastic sky and metal puppies chase metal kittens while his finest creation played with them in his rough voice.
He forgot about a lot of things these days.
He no longer attended meetings for product development.
He didn’t even attend his own divorce, instead signing the paper and mailing it with his ring.
None of it affected him anymore, positively or negatively.
The nest egg he was living on made sure he didn’t have to work to pay his electric and scrap bills and let him stay in that synthetic Eden he constructed from his bare hands.
He didn’t mind how empty his life would seem to be to others…
…because he had him.
He had Kaidoh.
He had that bench that he could sit on and just watch as his life became composed only of those fluttering aerials and Kaidoh’s deep voice as his fingers moved through silken hair
~
He was talking softly to Kaidoh again when it happened.
He had ignored much about his life…and it was starting to show.
He had caught a cough when his artificial weather system programmed the garden for a winter day, and when he coughed into his pale hand, it came away flecked with red.
“Inui-sempai…why are you so cool?”
He looked into slate eyes, his own underlined with heavy shadows beneath his glasses. His body was thin and malnourished, haggard.
But Kaidoh still saw him the same as he did everyday, his head resting gently on a bony thigh.
“I’m…not sure, Kaidoh…”
His hand raised to his chest, feeling the rattling in his chest, his eyes lusterless, but warm…so warm it made up for the lack of warmth in his body.
“We used to be the same warmth, Inui-sempai…you’re colder now.”
The “Tinkerer” looked faintly surprised as that strong, young form got up off the ground and sat in the bench next to him.
He was so warm.
Arms went around him, hard and soft and gentle…
…but oh so warm.
“That feels good, Kaidoh…it’s warm now.”
“You’re cold, sempai.”
Of course I am…because I’m dying.
“Then am I dying too?” this time, finely crafted fingers of steel and fake flesh ran gently through lank black hair, brittle and unkempt.
Of course not, KAIDOH. You’re still warm you silly thing.