Mechanical
Summary: The Noah Clan finds Akuma useful weapons, never mind that they’re self-aware. Rhode, on the prowl for Akuma to torment, overhears Sachiko conversing with her friend.
Prompt: 030. Machine
Disclaimer: D. Gray-man series and characters do not belong to me.
The Noah Clan thought the Akuma very useful weapons.
Useful weapons, and nothing more. The human shapes they took on were shells to hide the machine. They weren’t people, they killed people-and if the Noah Clan felt contempt for ordinary humans, they felt nothing at all for the Akuma.
For the most part, this did not perturb the Akuma. They were bound to the will of the Earl and the Noah Clan, and as weapons they were nothing if not loyal. Besides, the Akuma started off as automatons, and after a certain point they were so consumed by the Dark Matter that made them that nothing mattered except killing.
It was the Akuma which had evolved to Level 2 that existed somewhere in between. When an Akuma evolved to Level 2, it developed a sense of self. The Level 1 Akuma put on an act to blend in, and after Level 3 an Akuma no longer bothered with pretense. But the Level 2 Akuma went around looking like human beings, thinking their own thoughts-most likely entirely different thoughts than the person whose body they wore. Weapons with personalities didn’t bother the Noah Clan, because they didn’t care what the Akuma thought so long as they functioned properly and followed orders.
Rhode Camelot loved Akuma. For one thing, they were good at killing those dull and worthless human beings she so hated. Then there was the cruel elegance of the way dead people’s bodies were used to hide the new Akuma, their souls to power them. Best of all was the Akuma themselves. They were machines, but once they acquired a sense of self they could feel almost like real people. Akuma didn’t want to die.
Rhode enjoyed toying with them. It was like the Millennium Earl had created a special gift just for her.
By this point, the Akuma had developed a considerable fear of Rhode Camelot.
Rhode was taking a stroll through Edo one day, pleased with the way the Akuma bowed to her in the Japanese fashion. The Level 2 Akuma of Edo were a particularly fearful group, ever since the proportion of Akuma in Japan had reached the stage where they were forced to begin preying upon each other. Relatively few Level 2 Akuma were on the streets, but the ones that were quaked in fear in sight of Rhode.
Holding her parasol to keep of the sun, Rhode idly considered taking aside an Akuma to play with. Tiki away on a mission, and although Skinn had stopped back at the Edo mansion, he was in bed with a stomachache and had refused to make muffins with her. Lacking other playmates, Rhode was bored enough to amuse herself with an Edo Akuma. Unfortunately, most Edo Akuma were already so terrified they weren’t much fun.
Rhode, assured of her safety in a city that practically belonged to her, wandered down side streets until she’d reached a tangle of narrow alleys. Maybe she’d run into a more interesting Akuma in an out-of-the-way area. The alleys twisted and turned, hiding anyone who might be farther down the alley. She trotted along dirt-packed lanes in near silence, on the hunt. Wooden houses lined the lanes. Now and then a gate to a tiny shrine interrupted the buildings, and stone lanterns peeped through dark leaves. Even if she didn’t find a good playmate, it was fun to explore, thought Rhode.
Right before a crossing of tiny alleys, Rhode heard a voice singing a folk song. The words were in either an older form of Japanese or a very thick dialect, because Rhode could hardly make out any of the meaning. But the singer gave the song a bright tone with a plaintive undercurrent. She sang with enthusiasm and emotion that made up for her lack of finesse.
Wondering whether it was an Akuma or one of the humans who’d somehow survived this long, Rhode snuck to the streetcorner and peered around a bush. The singer had vanished. From around the corner of a wooden temple, Rhode could here her song reach an end. Rhode stepped carefully along to the side of the building, careful not to make a sound.
“Hello, Kawamura!” exclaimed the girl who had been singing.
“Good afternoon, Sachiko,” said Kawamura-who had a woman’s mature and lilting voice-gravely.
Rhode stopped at the corner of the building, within earshot of the speakers. She heard a faint creak of boards as Sachiko seated herself on the porch, presumably next to Kawamura.
“You know, Kawamura, I’ve been considering some things,” said Sachiko.
“Oh dear,” said Kawamura, and Sachiko laughed.
“It hasn’t been long since I evolved to Level 2, and I’m wondering who exactly I am,” said Sachiko thoughtfully. “I mean, I know who I am. But this isn’t my body, and the soul stuck to me isn’t my soul either. ‘Sachiko’ isn’t even my own name!”
Rhode leaned against the worn slats of the wall. She’d never heard Akuma discussing who they were before. Of course, she hadn’t bothered listening to Akuma’s conversations before, but she was fairly certain they weren’t usually this introspective. Rhode decided to eavesdrop awhile longer instead of interrupting them.
“It’s natural to wonder about these things when you become a Level 2,” said the Akuma called Kawamura.
“But, but, there’s more,” said Sachiko. She sounded excited in a flustered way, but not upset. “I was wondering about free will.”
Out of sight, Rhode raised her eyebrows.
“Free will?” repeated Kawamura.
“Yeah, free will. I know that I exist now, but I don’t know if I have choices!”
“You chose to come speak to me just now,” said Kawamura.
“I decide things in my everyday life now, but I didn’t mean that. I mean…” Sachiko lowered her voice, embarrassed. “…if I have to follow the Earl’s orders, am I really free?”
There was an extended pause. “The Earl is our creator. Do you not wish to obey him?”
“Of course I want to!” squealed Sachiko. “And our great Noah masters too! It’s just I can’t decide about it myself.”
“Perhaps it doesn’t matter, since we perform the task we were created to perform,” said Kawamura patiently.
“Yeah, but…” Sachiko sighed. “Maybe it would be nicer if we chose ourselves to serve the Earl and the Noah Clan."
Rhode had the urge to leap out from behind the building and order this Sachiko to self-destruct. Upon reflection, though, perhaps it would be more fun to leave Sachiko around so she could continue her futile philosophizing. She’d still be living a mechanical life of obedience to the Earl and the Clan of Noah. Let her suffer her lack of freedom. There was something stupid and amusing about a tool worrying about its choices, thought Rhode, laughing to herself.
The two Akuma’s conversation had turned to the lack of humans in Edo, so Rhode slipped away to follow the hidden alleys back to the main streets.
On her way home, Rhode began to wonder if giving Akuma a sense of self had not been a mistake.
But it didn’t matter, she thought. They had no choice but to obey.
Prompt: 030. Machine
Disclaimer: D. Gray-man series and characters do not belong to me.
The Noah Clan thought the Akuma very useful weapons.
Useful weapons, and nothing more. The human shapes they took on were shells to hide the machine. They weren’t people, they killed people-and if the Noah Clan felt contempt for ordinary humans, they felt nothing at all for the Akuma.
For the most part, this did not perturb the Akuma. They were bound to the will of the Earl and the Noah Clan, and as weapons they were nothing if not loyal. Besides, the Akuma started off as automatons, and after a certain point they were so consumed by the Dark Matter that made them that nothing mattered except killing.
It was the Akuma which had evolved to Level 2 that existed somewhere in between. When an Akuma evolved to Level 2, it developed a sense of self. The Level 1 Akuma put on an act to blend in, and after Level 3 an Akuma no longer bothered with pretense. But the Level 2 Akuma went around looking like human beings, thinking their own thoughts-most likely entirely different thoughts than the person whose body they wore. Weapons with personalities didn’t bother the Noah Clan, because they didn’t care what the Akuma thought so long as they functioned properly and followed orders.
Rhode Camelot loved Akuma. For one thing, they were good at killing those dull and worthless human beings she so hated. Then there was the cruel elegance of the way dead people’s bodies were used to hide the new Akuma, their souls to power them. Best of all was the Akuma themselves. They were machines, but once they acquired a sense of self they could feel almost like real people. Akuma didn’t want to die.
Rhode enjoyed toying with them. It was like the Millennium Earl had created a special gift just for her.
By this point, the Akuma had developed a considerable fear of Rhode Camelot.
Rhode was taking a stroll through Edo one day, pleased with the way the Akuma bowed to her in the Japanese fashion. The Level 2 Akuma of Edo were a particularly fearful group, ever since the proportion of Akuma in Japan had reached the stage where they were forced to begin preying upon each other. Relatively few Level 2 Akuma were on the streets, but the ones that were quaked in fear in sight of Rhode.
Holding her parasol to keep of the sun, Rhode idly considered taking aside an Akuma to play with. Tiki away on a mission, and although Skinn had stopped back at the Edo mansion, he was in bed with a stomachache and had refused to make muffins with her. Lacking other playmates, Rhode was bored enough to amuse herself with an Edo Akuma. Unfortunately, most Edo Akuma were already so terrified they weren’t much fun.
Rhode, assured of her safety in a city that practically belonged to her, wandered down side streets until she’d reached a tangle of narrow alleys. Maybe she’d run into a more interesting Akuma in an out-of-the-way area. The alleys twisted and turned, hiding anyone who might be farther down the alley. She trotted along dirt-packed lanes in near silence, on the hunt. Wooden houses lined the lanes. Now and then a gate to a tiny shrine interrupted the buildings, and stone lanterns peeped through dark leaves. Even if she didn’t find a good playmate, it was fun to explore, thought Rhode.
Right before a crossing of tiny alleys, Rhode heard a voice singing a folk song. The words were in either an older form of Japanese or a very thick dialect, because Rhode could hardly make out any of the meaning. But the singer gave the song a bright tone with a plaintive undercurrent. She sang with enthusiasm and emotion that made up for her lack of finesse.
Wondering whether it was an Akuma or one of the humans who’d somehow survived this long, Rhode snuck to the streetcorner and peered around a bush. The singer had vanished. From around the corner of a wooden temple, Rhode could here her song reach an end. Rhode stepped carefully along to the side of the building, careful not to make a sound.
“Hello, Kawamura!” exclaimed the girl who had been singing.
“Good afternoon, Sachiko,” said Kawamura-who had a woman’s mature and lilting voice-gravely.
Rhode stopped at the corner of the building, within earshot of the speakers. She heard a faint creak of boards as Sachiko seated herself on the porch, presumably next to Kawamura.
“You know, Kawamura, I’ve been considering some things,” said Sachiko.
“Oh dear,” said Kawamura, and Sachiko laughed.
“It hasn’t been long since I evolved to Level 2, and I’m wondering who exactly I am,” said Sachiko thoughtfully. “I mean, I know who I am. But this isn’t my body, and the soul stuck to me isn’t my soul either. ‘Sachiko’ isn’t even my own name!”
Rhode leaned against the worn slats of the wall. She’d never heard Akuma discussing who they were before. Of course, she hadn’t bothered listening to Akuma’s conversations before, but she was fairly certain they weren’t usually this introspective. Rhode decided to eavesdrop awhile longer instead of interrupting them.
“It’s natural to wonder about these things when you become a Level 2,” said the Akuma called Kawamura.
“But, but, there’s more,” said Sachiko. She sounded excited in a flustered way, but not upset. “I was wondering about free will.”
Out of sight, Rhode raised her eyebrows.
“Free will?” repeated Kawamura.
“Yeah, free will. I know that I exist now, but I don’t know if I have choices!”
“You chose to come speak to me just now,” said Kawamura.
“I decide things in my everyday life now, but I didn’t mean that. I mean…” Sachiko lowered her voice, embarrassed. “…if I have to follow the Earl’s orders, am I really free?”
There was an extended pause. “The Earl is our creator. Do you not wish to obey him?”
“Of course I want to!” squealed Sachiko. “And our great Noah masters too! It’s just I can’t decide about it myself.”
“Perhaps it doesn’t matter, since we perform the task we were created to perform,” said Kawamura patiently.
“Yeah, but…” Sachiko sighed. “Maybe it would be nicer if we chose ourselves to serve the Earl and the Noah Clan."
Rhode had the urge to leap out from behind the building and order this Sachiko to self-destruct. Upon reflection, though, perhaps it would be more fun to leave Sachiko around so she could continue her futile philosophizing. She’d still be living a mechanical life of obedience to the Earl and the Clan of Noah. Let her suffer her lack of freedom. There was something stupid and amusing about a tool worrying about its choices, thought Rhode, laughing to herself.
The two Akuma’s conversation had turned to the lack of humans in Edo, so Rhode slipped away to follow the hidden alleys back to the main streets.
On her way home, Rhode began to wonder if giving Akuma a sense of self had not been a mistake.
But it didn’t matter, she thought. They had no choice but to obey.