Chapter 1

Warning: Language (Was definitely in a curse-y mood when writing this), OOCness

"So, tell us about yourself- Kagome was it?" A woman dressed in what screamed I'm-a-kindergarten-teacher asked politely, peeking over her clipboard that shielded her brightly colored lips. Seated across from her, the girl in question nodded, her posture less than perfect in the seat and her feet slipping out of her flats every so often.

Kagome would be lying if she said she didn't feel slightly out of place in the elegant room. Clearly, she had underdressed for the event in her tank top and shorts. She shrugged it off; she was used to the feeling at any other outing with her family.

"I'm like most twenty-something year olds," She admitted with an uncaring shrug. "Trying to live on my own, swimming amongst the endless bills, trying to remember to feed myself." She looked up and around, the strain hurting her eyes slightly. She nodded again to confirm that was all she had to say.

It had been her friend, Ayumi, who referenced her for this paid volunteer opportunity. Knowing that Kagome was in between jobs after recently graduating college and attempting to find a job opening in her vast field of business. She scoffed at the thought. Yeah, she graduated, but she felt unworthy putting on that graduation, she felt like she didn't know shit. She maintained fairly decent grades aside from having to work full time but now that it was over she felt like a lost kitten. Her father constantly warned her that there wouldn't be a job with open arms after she graduated. He was right and the search began. At a desperate attempt for cash and not wanting to ask her parents for help, Kagome took her friend up on her offer. All she really told her is that they needed beta testers for their product that they planned on releasing said products to the public in the following years. Kagome simply needed to make note of any malfunctions and report weekly to the company.

"And like most twenty-something year olds," The woman began with a chortle, "Would you say that long-term companionship is difficult to attain?"

Kagome leaned back in her chair, biting her lip in search of an answer. "You mean dating?"

The woman across from her simply nodded with a shrug, her ankles now crossed to the side of her. Kagome then remembered an etiquette class she took back in high school, how crossing your legs was now scandalous and crossing your ankles was the only way to keep employers from shooting their gaze up your skirt. Kagome glanced at the clock. When was this so-called check coming?

"Preciously." The slender woman rose from her seat and glided across the room in her heels delicately. Kagome internally bit back a laugh. Where the hell was she going? "Our company is striving to assist with committed companionship for a vast variety of men and women who struggle with finding a suitable partner that meets all of their needs."

Kagome stared at her blankly, smacking her lips once. She was definitely listening now, but her mind was listing countless things that this company insisted she trial. Lord help her if it was a sex toy.

"It might be easier if I just show you what I mean." Urasue, Kagome figured out finally glancing at the golden name plate of the desk, waved at Kagome to follow her to a door different from the one they had entered in. Kagome followed with interest but had her guard up. Again, her thoughts went to her father. He was very persistent in expressing that he didn't like her going to some "random-ass"- as he called it-business where Kagome would be tricked and sold as a slave.

The corridor was mainly empty, except for the cliché janitor whistling away while he mopped the floor. Urasue waved at him slightly as she punched in an authorization code for a vault like door they came across. Kagome took note of the obvious change in demeanor of the interviewer. Noticing as such, Urasue turned around to face her again before opening the vault.

"Ayumi recommended you partially for your open-mindedness." She seemed scared that Kagome would dart for the exit. Kagome only grinned at her, assuring her that she was interested in what was on the other side of the door. Urasue shifted through her notes on the clipboard and circled a section with her fingernail tilted towards Kagome. "This would be your compensation for participating in our trial."

Kagome's eyes were nearly punched out of her sockets. There could be a ruthless sex machine on the other side of that door and she would say yes. Kagome motioned for her to continue to open the vault.

As soon as she did so, they were caressed with a rush of cold air. The white tiles of the room were spotless no longer as Kagome strode in. The air was crisp and clean almost like the standards of an operating room.

'fucking shit what did I get myself into.' Kagome said mentally to herself as she gazed at the sight before her.

"Meet our genetically modified protypes, that we like to call Shikons!" She presented with her hands up in the air as if she had just done a backflip.

Anatomically, they looked human, but their distinctive features screamed youkai. Kagome had never come across an actual youkai in the small province she was from. They were heavily segregated from human civilization forming their own powerful districts. The humans were no match considering how much longer the lifespan of their demon counterparts were. There were five prototypes enclosed in a glass display cases sitting upright with nothing but a mere tightly bound cloth over the pelvis. All their heads were shifted down and their eyes were shut. Only one out of the bunch was female as far as Kagome could tell.

"Our company has collaborated with scientists taking youkai DNA, a little clay, a 'lil makeup yadda yadda and boom! Shikons! Lifelong companions for the heartbroken, the disabled, the—anyone really." She giggled to herself.

Kagome continued to say nothing, peering into the glass. Something about this didn't seem entirely legal.

"So they're not- like, real people, right?" Kagome asked for assurance. 'God please fucking say no.'

"They're incredibly realistic, right?" Was all Urasue said with an overbearingly happy nod. "These are just a few of our prototypes of course, the test we had you take prior to your interview was necessary to pair you up with the Shikon whom we feel would be most compatible. Our spectrum has over twenty personalities. The one assigned to you, we already have a potential eager client waiting so we have to make sure it's in tip-top shape, ready to go."

Kagome thought it over. It was no different than a take-home pet, right? All she had to do was interact with it, note any fallacies, collect her paycheck and ride off into the sunset on her imaginary horse.

"So they're not—like, real people?" Kagome asked again, not quite believing her that first time. Her laugh wasn't exactly a good enough answer for her.

"Like I said, our technology has combined youkai DNA, for a lifetime warranty, with a little help from…" Urasue began to mumble so Kagome couldn't quite make it out. "and all that science combines to get-"

"Boom, Shikons!" Kagome sighed, it was clear that the interviewer didn't deem Kagome smart enough to fully understand the complexity of the science behind it. "Yeah I heard the first time. Where do I sign?"

Urasue bit hard onto her own teeth and tried her best not to lose her composure. At least she had a willing participant; this was a step in the right direction.

Kagome was now back at home in her apartment, hours after the somewhat intense screening to make sure she was a qualified candidate to be a beta tester. She was seated in front of her couch in her living room sipping her coffee as she scanned through the "work-in-progress" owner's manual. The sound of the doorbell easily broke her concentration. She swore she had reread the same sentence far too many times.

"Damn that's some quick shipping." Kagome said rather impressed, setting her coffee mug on the table. She dusted herself off, hoping that would suffice for a first impression for her Shikon.

Presented at the door was a pretty tiny delivery boy compared to the towering crate beside him.

"Miss. Higurashi?" He asked, referring to the clipboard in his arm. Kagome threw up her signature socially-awkward peace sign. "Great, I just need a single signature."

"Jesus Christ, how tall is this thing?" Kagome asked, lazily signing her name. "It's light right?"

"You shouldn't have to move it around much. May I?" The delivery boy asked, wheeling in the crate into her apartment before she could protest. He took the crate off the apparatus and lied it flat, clipping away the zip ties for extra assistance. "That should do it."

"Thanks." Kagome smiled, inwardly cursing herself for not having spare change lying around to give the helpful delivery guy.

She showed him the way out and eagerly went to investigate the crate like a present left behind from Santa. Kagome snatched the owner's manual from the ground and continued reading.

"Each Shikon comes with a kukui nut lei equipped with state of the art technology that subdues the Shikon in the event of a mal-the fuck? That's an interesting safety feature. It is not recommended this be taken off for the first ninety days of use." Kagome looked over at the crate with a dumbfounded expression. "I'm gonna need some wine."

AN: I suppose you could say this is very loosely inspired by Chobits, Hal, and Big Hero 6 but with some darker undertones.

This story is more or less outlined already, to avoid abandonment, so expect a chapter every week. Most likely Fridays. I really don't picture more than 12 chapters but we'll see.