A man stood in the store, beginning to explain just how some of their products worked. Most that entered the store were just looking around - window shopping, as it were - but it appeared the individual in question was truly interested in what they had to offer. They had come in with a purpose, walking straight to a particular model and checking out the giant tablet embedded in the wall. Attempting to use their finger at first, they were a bit taken aback when, as they reached out, the tablet began to move.

Lighting up the screen, a loud "Welcome, Éric Altira" echoed through their ears, and they looked around to see if everyone else could hear. The first thought was how the machinery knew their name, but the next was why no one else reacted. Realizing it had implanted a voice in their head, they nodded curiously before listening to the tablet begin to play information about the product in front of them.

"This is your first time in one of our depositories. Would you like some basic information to start with?"

The ravenette's eyes quivered in interest before opening their mouth to respond. However, even before they could open their mouth, the tablet beeped and loaded, showing pictures of the company and reference art. It began to explain the nature of the company, its "genius" founder, and what the products could do, intriguing the customer to no end. Of course, they'd heard countless things about it all on the news - a popular topic those days - but nothing compared to hearing about it in person.

"You may have realized by now that our technology is very human-friendly. In fact, we pride ourselves on the level of realness that we can provide. For instance, based on your facial features and body language, you would like to know more. And because your eyes are dilated, your answer is 'yes'. I will continue."

The program began to configure itself to tell more. It first started with information more suited to the customer buying experience, telling of all of the models they had available and their functions. It then proceeded to go into the costs, programs, add-ons, and custom functions they could provide for an extra service charge. Of course, for what it was, the price was extremely low, but that was mainly because of the founder's interest in the topic, their expertise, and their background. All of these allowed this to become mainstream. If it were anyone else, it wouldn't have been possible.

Regardless, the ravenette continued to be informed about the process, listening closely. As the tablet finished all the information it had, the person nodded before an employee came to help out. They turned to the person and they began to talk about the model they were interested in. It was one of the more advanced, specialized models, more suited to helping out in a residential area with children and/or pets.

"The base cost of a model like this would be around 5,000 iruna. You could pay in monthly installments, all at once, or we have a program that assists in lowering monthly costs. In addition, if you are an employee of any Akahito company, the cost will be lowered to 2,000 iruna. Please note that this discount for employees only covers 2 models total."

"I'm not an employee," the ravenette hummed, rubbing their chin, "but, should you even be selling these? And for that ridiculous price, too."

"Sorry?"

"Well, with everything going on with your CEO...I mean, how do I know these things aren't going to malfunction? And a friend of mine told me they talk back, too."

The employee gazed at the ravenette with great boredom. Like any job, these people would be here and there, trying to get anything they could for as little as they could. They were about as understanding as a porcupine. Still, at least they had listened to what the tablet had to say, and at the very least, they hadn't started off with screaming. Those people were always the hardest to deal with.

"Yes, our models do have semi-sentience. For that very reason, we do have stipulations that ensure they aren't mistreated. They get free maintenance and there is a need for them to have some time to themselves. We ask that you treat them as you would your neighbor."

"A machine?"

"Yes. That is our founder's wish."

"You mean that 19-year-old trust fund kid? Please. He gets his daddy's money and decides to play "adult". Clearly he doesn't know a thing about this. I have to treat a machine like a person just to buy it? Why don't I just get a maid?"

"I understand that this may be a bit different from what you're used to. However, our founder is not a bad person. In fact, I agree with what he is doing here. As such, if you don't like our policies and do not wish to contribute to the technological revolution, we ask that you kindly leave. We do not need your business, and frankly, we don't want it either."

"Can you speak that way to a customer?!"

"Yes, indeed."

"Another thing wrong with your 'founder'. He clearly knows nothing of how to run a business let alone control his disobedient employees. Mark my words. This company is going to sink faster than the Titanic!"

The employee just nodded and waved passive-aggressively as the livid individual left. Placing their hands above their head, he sighed. He would really have rather the customer just said outright they wanted the model for free. They could provide that, granted they simply requested it to their regional PR team. About one hundred people in each region got a free advanced model simply because their founder wanted the technology to be more widespread. Regardless, it wasn't really his problem. The models were better off left alone from those kinds of people.

Chuckling, the employee turned back to see the model the ravenette was interested in purchasing. He smiled wide as the android chuckled with them. The two of them seemed to think the same thing. One of the best parts of that job was not only the immense benefits offered, but the ability to have the latest technology of the company at his disposal. Making a rapport with the androids was always fun.

"I dodged a bullet there!" the android snickered, "No one wants to work for someone like that. Even us."

"You know I wouldn't do that to you. They would've had to go through screening anyway. Well, don't sweat it, 'kay. Sooner or later, someone will come and take you back with them, and then you'll have 5,000 to spend. Lucky ducky."

The employee chuckled as the android pondered what it would spend the money on. Of course, because of their creator's wishes, they all had their own likes and dislikes and personalities. It definitely required more time and money to fund the research, but in the end, the brunette had done it. Either way, they were well on their way further into the technology renaissance.

Turning their attention to the television behind the register, the employee hummed, watching as the news turned on. It was of no great shock to see they were at it once again, people trying to slander an inventor for no real reason. As the reporter began to give the introduction to their biased spiel, they asked questions to "passer-byes", each and every one of them giving a negative response to the question.

"How do you feel about the new line of products Enkidu has come out with?" they scoffed, leading an already unfair question to a short-looking individual.

"Well, I, for one, wonder just how much a single person can play god. That kid sits up in his mansions and toys with robots. When the little freak came out with his plan to make them look just like us and do chores around the house, it was fine. But, really! Making them act like us, too. Does he really think those scraps of metal are alive?"

"And you, sir?"

"I heard from my friend that - "

"There's no way an idiot like you has any friends," the employee huffed.

"- there's a stipulation that makes you give a robot time off. Then there's whole thing with 'treating them amicably'. My friend really wanted one, but, it's really just useless if you can't do whatever you want with your own belonging."

"Yeah, I feel the same," another individual scoffed, laughing haughtily, "They also give the money you used to purchase the robot to the tin buckets. I mean, I get the kid's loaded, but, if he was gonna give that cash away anyway, shouldn't he spend it on actual people instead of his toys? What's a robot going to do with thousands of dollars anyway?!"

There was so much wrong with what they all said. Perhaps the employee was biased in their own way, but all the regulations were there for a reason. In many ways, the things Haru Akahito created lived. They perhaps didn't feel pain, but they definitely had goals, ideals, and even hopes and dreams. He made sure of that. So making something like that work 24/7 without consideration was only bound to be seen as something tyrannous.

"And now, a special interview with the elusive creator of Enkidu. Maybe he might actually make sense this time!"

The camera panned to a conference room, swamped with all kinds of reporters. At a podium was a very unamused brunette. He had his chocolate hair pushed back to reveal his bored expression, boring jade eyes hidden by his sunglasses staring down at all the reporters clamoring for his attention. From time to time, he would flinch and then subsequently glare at the cameras with the flash on, but he retained an air of coldness. He fiddled with the titanium earrings and a matching necklace he made himself, each with its own purpose. Though no matter what he was wearing or what he looked like, he had always been subject to reporters and the like since he was born.

The male looked straight into the microphones in front of him, flicking one boredly. It gave a screech as the feedback was relayed to the audience. Some groaned at the sound, but he only gave a shrug and sighed, waiting for the conference to actually start. When, eventually, such a thing finally came, he straightened his posture, a certain someone coming into his mind suddenly. He supposed he had to look somewhat good in front of the media.

"Good morning, I guess," he sighed, his eyes darting to a strand of hair that had seen to fall down, "You have thirty minutes. I don't care what you ask about, so just blurt it out."

At once, the reporters all became clamoring for his attention, holding their own microphones to their lips as they babbled on and on to the cameras behind them. There were maybe three hundred pairs of camerapeople and reporters there, most from different countries. Regardless, he cared very little about who they were as people or if he liked them or not. He was just there because his father had suggested it and someone very special agreed. Despite his own thoughts on how people viewed him, she seemed to take it a little more intently. So he supposed the very least he could do was give it a shot.

"Mr. Akahito, is it true that your new models of the Bari series are all individually tailored to the customer?"

"...You're an idiot. There are about two million websites on that. Use your fat fingers to look it up. I'm not a salesman."

"How do you come up with so many designs for new robots? Is there any breakthrough you owe to - "

"I don't make robots."

"Then," another person piped up, making the brunette sneer by coming uncomfortably close to the podium. "do you believe you create life?"

"No, I don't make that either. I make bodies and I make rules for my androids and they come to life themselves."

"You make rules, Mr. Akahito?"

"Isn't that what I said, idi-"

"You say these things are alive." A flinch, "Let's say that's true. What gives you the jurisdiction to imbue them with morals - or 'rules' as you put them - and feelings when you, yourself, don't have any?"

There was a silence that spread across the area. No one objected to the individual's question. Rather, they were all curious to see both how he would react and how he would respond when such a thought was posed to him. That was how it had always been, so he wasn't so surprised any longer. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't bear any ill will towards them all for that. At the very least, he could still think of them as intellectually inferior. Because they were. All of them.

"I don't have any morals?" he questioned, tilting his head with dead eyes peering into the reporter's before giving a sarcastic smirk for just a moment. "What makes you say that?"

"Aside from your complete lack of empathy -," A snicker escaped the brunette's lips, but he had no smile on his face. It was a hollow and dead chuckle filled with sinister belief. "I have here multiple occasions where you've proved your inability to understand ethics. When you were five years old, you forced another child to jump off of a cliff out of sheer amusement. During your sixteenth birthday, you severely crippled an attendee because he had made a remark about your mother. And within your own company, creating these "living creatures", more than one hundred people have died. There are countless more. Would you like me to continue?"

"Usually, I would let you keep acting like a moron, but I'd like to leave this century."

"So you admit to - "

" 'Silence is not consent'," the male quoted with suddenly sparkling eyes, giving a smile to one of the cameras before his expressionless look appeared again, "When I was five years old, I didn't go out of the house at all because of my mother. When I turned sixteen, someone did make a remark about my mother. He was kicked out, fired, and put on a blacklist for my family's companies, so he might have crippled self-esteem, but his body is fine. And no one has ever died in my workshops."

"Well, of course, you would say that, but - "

"Your voice is very annoying. How did you ever become a reporter like that? Whatever. Who's next?"

The room was silent again for a while, most not expecting his lack of reaction. There had been much controversy surrounding the male's "disability", making most believe he would be sensitive to it. But again, he didn't really care what they thought. Even as the reporter continued trying to get him to ask why he was qualified to "play god", he simply ignored them. It wasn't at all interesting, so he didn't care.

"I-Is it true that you'll be getting married soon?"

The atmosphere surrounding the brunette changed, replacing his cold and uncaring demeanor with one of complete excitement. Though he cared very little about most topics, when it came to technology or family, he was extremely interested in it. So he began to babble away with great vigor, explaining anything and everything he could. And because his reaction made him talk more and more, people followed along, wanting as much material from him as they could get a hold of.

"Yeah," he shimmered, his cheeks turning a little pink as he fiddled with his hands and swayed from side to side, "I-I hope. I'm trying..."

"C-Congratulations! Tell us more?"

"I-I'm trying to earn her love and be good for her so we can start a family. I want to go on lots of dates with her and I want to have a big wedding and I want lots of kids. Oh, but...I shouldn't say anything yet."

The interview continued, allowing just a handful of other questions before the brunette was able to leave. He gave a sigh of relief, all of his energy drained from the interaction with other people. Really, if she didn't encourage him to improve his public image, he never would have tried to open up to them. It wasn't like he cared about what people thought of him, after all, and listening to idiots preach to other idiots wasn't something he enjoyed. Still, since he put up with it and didn't make any big mistakes, he was very much looking forward to the reward he would get. Maybe she would pet his head.

The ride home was almost painful that day. He had already missed out on seeing her that morning, particularly because his father had dragged her away on an early flight. It was something about an emergency, but he wasn't listening when the man's secretary told him. He was just upset that she had been taken away and he wasn't even able to say goodbye. No doubt his younger brother was also left in the dust. Haru frowned, leaning against the car window. It was just so hard being good.

As he came home, he heard the nonsensical babbling of his baby brother, immediately taking him out of the arms of his main nanny. It wasn't that the woman wasn't good at her job, but he wasn't fond of her anyway. Why would he be? He really hated having to leave Bastien alone while he went off and worked. Before he had started his own company, it would have been the two of them hanging out. Of course, Haru would do his research and tinker around with electronics, but Bastien would be able to be in the same room as him. Being separated was no easy feat.

"The young master had a quarter bottle of his formula and a few banana slices for dinner. We were all very proud of him today - "

"Should we go meet (Y/n)?" the brunette grinned, completely ignoring the nanny in favor of making funny faces at his brother.

Bastien agreed, murmuring something in whatever language it was babies spoke. Like his elder brother, he really liked the girl. She was the best player in the house; even better than the male that held him which was really saying something. And she always came up with new games that they could play which really fed the new craving he had for learning. So he was always happy to hear her name, not that he really knew why she was in the mansion. After all, it wasn't like she was in any way blood-related or an employee. Those were the only people Bastien knew, after all, considering he never left the house.

Excitedly, Haru ran up to the second floor to find the younger girl. Of course, his facial features probably didn't give away his true emotions, but he was completely filled with energy and anticipation nonetheless. That was why the little brunette in his arms was so affected, soaking it all up and matching his enthusiasm. Waving his arms and squeaking, he tried to exhibit that same amount of eagerness, making his brother coo at him. Bastien replied with a hearty "baa" but, try as he might, his older brother couldn't decipher what that meant.

Haru had to completely stop himself when he arrived at the (h/c) haired girl's room, knocking to give her notice of his presence. She had told him he had to wait five seconds before entering to calm himself down. There had been more than a few scenarios before the rule was made where he burst in on her in delicate situations. Her being naked didn't really register for him, especially when he just wanted to see her, hence the rule. Now she was able to rest a little easier, knowing he wouldn't just come in as he pleased any longer.

"Come in," her voice called out, the brunette beaming that a few seconds of waiting was cut off.

Then he paused himself. Was that true? He came to the conclusion that "no, it was not true" and that he should still wait out the remainder of the time he had. Though just three more seconds, he felt so bored, and he rocked on the ball of his heel to entertain himself, bouncing Bastien in his arms to amuse him as well. When the brunette was absolutely certain he had waited for the full extent of time she previously asked for, he opened the door slowly. In many ways, he was just waiting for her to scold him, but since it never came, a small smile made its way onto his face.