Oh, um. [ She blinks, brows furrowing. ] Okay. Sure.
[ All he's done is contributed to the creation of a million more questions. Why's he dealing with magic? What's this stone? Why is he keeping around something that could hurt her? But she bites her tongue. Now's not the time. There's not a lot of time for much when they're so focused on being a good couple and all...
She breathes out, letting the subject die completely. With reassurances that he'd find her if they got separated, it's easy to. A smile returns to her face--well, it disappears briefly when she hears the beep, because that was very inhuman--because now she knows there's an escape. Guaranteed.
And while him being very computer-like was a bit uncomfortable, she's struck by something at the sight of the notepad. She shifts a bit so she can better write on her own. ]
Hey. Look.
[ With an expression of deep concentration, she begins to write. 01001001 comes first, then she hesitates, wondering if she should write out the space, but ultimately she decides against it. Below it she writes 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101, and that takes a good while, one set of numbers getting crossed out and rewritten because she'd misplaced a 1. Then the final word finishes it one line lower. 01111001 01101111 01110101.
When she's done, she looks up at him, her smile widening. ]
[ Her request draws his attention and he watches her begin writing the binary with a swell of joy. Aw, now doesn't he feel special? She's learning it just for him! It's even cute when she makes mistakes and amends them. Although he knew what she was writing from the very first 01001001, seeing it in full brings a grin to his face. ]
I love you, too. First off.
[ He leans in to press a kiss to her lips and then separates to rest his head against hers, looking down at the notepad -- tracing his index finger across the second line especially. ]
I'm proud of you. Think of the secret messages we could leave each other like this. A language just for us. Not many people can read it here. Unless there's more and they just didn't bother to respond to my post. But either way, this is something real special. Just like you.
[ She breathes out a soft laugh at his reactions and approval. She'd worried a lot about that mistake, and it'd probably haunt her for a while, but he likes it, and that's all that matters.
After the kiss, one that leaves her head a bit fuzzy and her heart fluttery, she nuzzles against him, watching fondly as he brushes over the second line. ]
Thank you! It's kind of scary. And a lot. Still, I really do wanna do that--leave you little messages and stuff. It might take me a while to get beyond "I love you," but... [ One arm wraps around him and she squeezes him gently. ] Worth it. For someone way more special~
[ And that, coming from her? Clearly a compliment of the highest caliber.
But a sudden fizzle in her hand pulls her out of her love drunkenness, and she looks down to see the pen's suddenly begun to glitch wildly, pixels appearing at random as it tries to decide what color to be. ]
Oh, er-- [ She's trying to fix it, but it's only getting worse. At one point, she's holding something that seems to have eyeballs. With a yelp, she tosses it away, and it's deleted with a pathetic pop of static. ]
[ The glitching pen catches him off guard, cuts into their sweet moment. It's surprising, but he doesn't look alarmed. Even when it turns into twisted eyeballs, he's not disturbed. What had once been her pen disappears before he can even step in to fix it. He lets out a little laugh, blanketing her hand with his to cup it reassuringly. ]
You have a way with code, don't you? But this is the perfect place to tinker and play around. You're safe. Nothing's broken. And I can guide your hand through it so you can get better. Maybe even graduate to repairing damaged code on a computer or create your own digital headspace. The pillow you changed remained stable, so that's a good baseline of where to start -- playing around with colors, maybe sizes and shapes.
[ His legs finally come down off the coffee table and he plants them on the floor. ]
Why don't you try programming something on tv?
[ He gestures toward the flat screen that's currently turned off. ]
Could be a fond memory of you playing the piano in your world or like something you imagine you used to do as a little girl. Or maybe some kind of future fantasy of us that you're playing like a home movie. Take control of it and move the parts into place. I can help if you get stuck and I'll turn it off if you get uncomfortable.
[ If it ever seems like it's spinning out of control like her pen, at least. She's safe here. This is the one space where she can truly be safe. ]
[ Shoulders hunched, she spends a long time looking embarrassed. While she felt they were equals in most things, she knew this was something she wasn't so good at. And she really wanted to impress him all the time, especially when it came to the side of her that seemed to interest him the most. Usually. Somewhat. When she wasn't trying to pretend it didn't exist. ]
It's okay. You can say I'm bad! [ She laughs weakly before glancing down at the pillow. It was...something, at least? ] You might want to set your expectations a little lower, too. You might end up really disappointed!
[ Or corrupted...
It wasn't like her to be lacking confidence, yes. But she was kind of dealing with the expert of the experts here! And great, go figure, it takes putting her in the spotlight to get him to put his feet down. She glares over at the TV this is all its fault. ]
Don't you think that's a little like asking me to run before I can even crawl? It's...
[ She trails off. While she was feeling like he was asking the impossible, it wouldn't do to look weak and incapable. Not with someone so important to her. After all, she prided herself in her ability to be confident even when she didn't feel it. The TV gets another glance, a more determined one. ]
Don't expect anything from my past. Ever. There's nothing good.
[ Just stating facts. Nothing dramatic or anything. She wouldn't want him to think there was something worth seeing from what she'd left behind.
Clutching his hand with both of hers, she blinks at the TV, willing it to listen, seeking its code. For a long time, there's nothing, simply a blank, black screen. It's uncomfortable to stare at--a reminder of the void. But then, she abruptly connects. Ironically, the "no signal" splash screen comes up, but it's at least a sign that she's done something. She gawks for a moment before looking at him. ]
I'm just...warming up, okay?
[ And trying to quash the feeling that she's just been put behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler careening down the highway. ]
You're good. We literally have all the time in the world.
[ His thumb brushes across her knuckles as she attempts to connect to the television. No pressure, no annoyance. He has nothing but patience as she gets the 'no signal' sign to pop up. She knows how to connect. Sometimes that's half the battle. ]
Maybe I am giving you a tough task, but~! It's only because I know you can do it. My fiancee is a genius when it comes to figuring out this shit. She's clever and can think on her feet and didn't even get proper fucking training to have that intuition with code.
[ His hand moves back, trailing gently along her shoulder down to her elbow and back up again as his head rests against hers. Maybe he's being a bit of a distraction, but he's trying to encourage with his presence. It's just that she's so cute and it's hard to keep his hands off of her. ]
Don't overthink it. Just reach out and extend your mental hand, connect and it should let you in with ease. Touch it with your mind and allow it to project your thoughts.
[ He says that, but she feels a bit rushed, like he wants immediate results. She tries to relax, though. Breathe. Not freak out at really embracing her digital side. It'd been ages since she last had to do so to this extent. ]
Ehehe, well...I was kind of forced to learn. I wanted my own ending.
[ She gives him a glance before his closeness makes that difficult, so she goes back to focusing on the television. There's something to what he's said, right? She had to teach herself. No one guided her through this before, and she figured it out...mostly fine! If anything, all the eventual mess she was left with was the fault of the game's limitations. She can do this. She's got this! Even if he is kind of distracting.
One of her hands slides to his knee to grip it. If he wants to give encouragement, she should take it. ]
Thank you for believing in me when it comes to this.
[ Her eyes close so she can focus more. She feels, reaches out--then there's a link. As she blinks her eyes back open, she's surprised to see some images on the screen. Choppy, and a bit low-res, but there. Then sounds come through, also fuzzy, but she can hear her laughter melding with his as the scene further unfolds. They're surrounded by faceless people, almost like his children, mostly because she hasn't quite got the capacity for that much detail yet, but their wedding cake is clear, tall and intricate, as they cut the first slice together. She smiles as he shoves a bit in her face. ]
[ His eyes remain on the screen as she focuses and he sees the images come to life, expanding out of the darkness like peering through a keyhole. They grow and stretch to fill the entire scene. He smiles at the image of them cutting this cake. It's a bit like watching an old home movie on VHS, but that also makes it endearing. A little retro, a little vintage, but a whole lot them combined.
His expression is warm and proud -- like an eagle perched on a cliff, watching his fledglings take flight for the first time. Monika exceeds expectations and soars high above the rest. Perfection. Intelligence. Smashing through every barrier and limitation her design had meant to put on her. ]
I will always believe in you. My wife-to-be is limitless -- infinite.
[ Finally, he looks away from the screen to turn his attention back to her, fond and adoring. ]
If I dreamed...you would be a dream come true. You're everything I've always wanted in my life, which is kinda fucking funny, isn't it? Finding your soulmate in the depths of hell of all places...
[ She blinks in surprise. That was way more praise than she'd have expected for her small achievement. And...maybe more than she'd have liked. Even if he's said things like that before, hearing it now was making her oddly uncomfortable. It's hard to settle on how she feels. ]
Oh, come on. You're only just saying that.
[ Her eyes leave the television and the connection fizzles out as her focus lands elsewhere--namely on petting Hermes who'd just walked up as the perfect distraction. With this, her...unfortunate digital side, her mind was a teetering seesaw. There was always that fear that if she acknowledged it too much, got a little too familiar with it, it'd take over her entire being. Why try to build up something she wanted to keep safely hidden away? ]
I mean. You're a god. I'm just some girl from a video game. How could I ever get to the same level as you?
[ Still, she can't allow herself to be too down on herself, because he wouldn't want her around if she wasn't interesting in other ways, right? So she takes a breath and turns back to him, smiling. ]
But it's okay. I'll just have to keep impressing you in other ways, soulmate~
It's not about reaching the same level as me so much as finding your own strengths. There's still limits in what I can do. I...
[ He grimaces because he hates to admit this. ]
I need humans to take what I can create and improve on it. As they improve, so do I. And on and on the cycle goes.
[ Tech Boy reaches out to give the digital dog a scritch behind its ear before he shifts and pulls an afghan from the back of the couch, wrapping it around his shoulders. Monika might be comfortable in the chill of the full blast AC, but he's freaking freezing. Still, this is his solution rather than turn down the AC itself because he wants her to feel reprieve, even if only temporary. ]
But that's one of the things that makes me superior to other gods. I will keep growing, keep improving, and making the world a better place. A place where you can thrive -- a place you can call a home.
[ His thumb brushes against her cheek, and he leans in to flutter a kiss to her forehead. ]
[ Her smile is wiped away by surprise. Him? Having limits? Needing to rely on others? A brief look of consternation comes across her face. Some more things were making sense. He needs humans. He had a weak moment with a human...
She shoves the thoughts aside, breathing out any worry and putting a smile back on. ]
That's just what makes you super sexy! You're probably the most powerful god ever~ [ The kiss draws out a small giggle. ] In fact, I know you are. Can you imagine the world going back to the way it was? All primitive and stuff, like with dial-up? [ A pause. ] Well, unless an apocalypse happens...
[ Er, maybe she shouldn't say that. Gods were probably sensitive to that sort of thing.
Then, without warning, she bounces up onto her feet, making Hermes go skittering away. He's clearly cold, they've got a world at their fingertips, and despite her reservations about what she'd done with the TV, she was feeling pretty good about herself, if she really thought about it. So what did that mean? Lording it over other people while having fun! ]
Hey, come on! [ She digs one of his hands out from under the blanket and tugs. ] Let's go out and do something! We'll show these people who's boss!
Only apocalypse we're headed toward is the robot apocalypse kind. So I'm still dominating. I'm still--
[ People say this is the age of technology. They're wrong. This is the age of manipulation.
Tech Boy frowns, briefly. Then he dismisses the thought to put back on a smile. I'm still in charge he might have said, but she's up on her feet and ready to go trudging out into the world. ]
If you want, but....do you want me to stop the rain? Or you wanna go out in it? Your hair's gonna get allllll sorts of wet.
[ He slides his fingers through the ends of her ponytail -- amusement crinkling at the corners of his eyes. It's not like it matters much in the digital world. There would only be as much frizz as they each allowed. Of course, she would still be cute slightly disheveled. ]
But I guess an umbrella should cover most of it. Maybe not the very ends, though.
[ Tech stands up and sheds the blanket, dumping it back on the couch. ]
What did you have in mind? Anything in particular you wanna see?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ All he's done is contributed to the creation of a million more questions. Why's he dealing with magic? What's this stone? Why is he keeping around something that could hurt her? But she bites her tongue. Now's not the time. There's not a lot of time for much when they're so focused on being a good couple and all...
She breathes out, letting the subject die completely. With reassurances that he'd find her if they got separated, it's easy to. A smile returns to her face--well, it disappears briefly when she hears the beep, because that was very inhuman--because now she knows there's an escape. Guaranteed.
And while him being very computer-like was a bit uncomfortable, she's struck by something at the sight of the notepad. She shifts a bit so she can better write on her own. ]
Hey. Look.
[ With an expression of deep concentration, she begins to write. 01001001 comes first, then she hesitates, wondering if she should write out the space, but ultimately she decides against it. Below it she writes 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101, and that takes a good while, one set of numbers getting crossed out and rewritten because she'd misplaced a 1. Then the final word finishes it one line lower. 01111001 01101111 01110101.
When she's done, she looks up at him, her smile widening. ]
I've been practicing a little! What do you think?
no subject
I love you, too. First off.
[ He leans in to press a kiss to her lips and then separates to rest his head against hers, looking down at the notepad -- tracing his index finger across the second line especially. ]
I'm proud of you. Think of the secret messages we could leave each other like this. A language just for us. Not many people can read it here. Unless there's more and they just didn't bother to respond to my post. But either way, this is something real special. Just like you.
no subject
After the kiss, one that leaves her head a bit fuzzy and her heart fluttery, she nuzzles against him, watching fondly as he brushes over the second line. ]
Thank you! It's kind of scary. And a lot. Still, I really do wanna do that--leave you little messages and stuff. It might take me a while to get beyond "I love you," but... [ One arm wraps around him and she squeezes him gently. ] Worth it. For someone way more special~
[ And that, coming from her? Clearly a compliment of the highest caliber.
But a sudden fizzle in her hand pulls her out of her love drunkenness, and she looks down to see the pen's suddenly begun to glitch wildly, pixels appearing at random as it tries to decide what color to be. ]
Oh, er-- [ She's trying to fix it, but it's only getting worse. At one point, she's holding something that seems to have eyeballs. With a yelp, she tosses it away, and it's deleted with a pathetic pop of static. ]
Um. Yeah. Maybe I should work on that, too...
no subject
You have a way with code, don't you? But this is the perfect place to tinker and play around. You're safe. Nothing's broken. And I can guide your hand through it so you can get better. Maybe even graduate to repairing damaged code on a computer or create your own digital headspace. The pillow you changed remained stable, so that's a good baseline of where to start -- playing around with colors, maybe sizes and shapes.
[ His legs finally come down off the coffee table and he plants them on the floor. ]
Why don't you try programming something on tv?
[ He gestures toward the flat screen that's currently turned off. ]
Could be a fond memory of you playing the piano in your world or like something you imagine you used to do as a little girl. Or maybe some kind of future fantasy of us that you're playing like a home movie. Take control of it and move the parts into place. I can help if you get stuck and I'll turn it off if you get uncomfortable.
[ If it ever seems like it's spinning out of control like her pen, at least. She's safe here. This is the one space where she can truly be safe. ]
no subject
It's okay. You can say I'm bad! [ She laughs weakly before glancing down at the pillow. It was...something, at least? ] You might want to set your expectations a little lower, too. You might end up really disappointed!
[ Or corrupted...
It wasn't like her to be lacking confidence, yes. But she was kind of dealing with the expert of the experts here! And great, go figure, it takes putting her in the spotlight to get him to put his feet down. She glares over at the TV this is all its fault. ]
Don't you think that's a little like asking me to run before I can even crawl? It's...
[ She trails off. While she was feeling like he was asking the impossible, it wouldn't do to look weak and incapable. Not with someone so important to her. After all, she prided herself in her ability to be confident even when she didn't feel it. The TV gets another glance, a more determined one. ]
Don't expect anything from my past. Ever. There's nothing good.
[ Just stating facts. Nothing dramatic or anything. She wouldn't want him to think there was something worth seeing from what she'd left behind.
Clutching his hand with both of hers, she blinks at the TV, willing it to listen, seeking its code. For a long time, there's nothing, simply a blank, black screen. It's uncomfortable to stare at--a reminder of the void. But then, she abruptly connects. Ironically, the "no signal" splash screen comes up, but it's at least a sign that she's done something. She gawks for a moment before looking at him. ]
I'm just...warming up, okay?
[ And trying to quash the feeling that she's just been put behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler careening down the highway. ]
no subject
[ His thumb brushes across her knuckles as she attempts to connect to the television. No pressure, no annoyance. He has nothing but patience as she gets the 'no signal' sign to pop up. She knows how to connect. Sometimes that's half the battle. ]
Maybe I am giving you a tough task, but~! It's only because I know you can do it. My fiancee is a genius when it comes to figuring out this shit. She's clever and can think on her feet and didn't even get proper fucking training to have that intuition with code.
[ His hand moves back, trailing gently along her shoulder down to her elbow and back up again as his head rests against hers. Maybe he's being a bit of a distraction, but he's trying to encourage with his presence. It's just that she's so cute and it's hard to keep his hands off of her. ]
Don't overthink it. Just reach out and extend your mental hand, connect and it should let you in with ease. Touch it with your mind and allow it to project your thoughts.
no subject
Ehehe, well...I was kind of forced to learn. I wanted my own ending.
[ She gives him a glance before his closeness makes that difficult, so she goes back to focusing on the television. There's something to what he's said, right? She had to teach herself. No one guided her through this before, and she figured it out...mostly fine! If anything, all the eventual mess she was left with was the fault of the game's limitations. She can do this. She's got this! Even if he is kind of distracting.
One of her hands slides to his knee to grip it. If he wants to give encouragement, she should take it. ]
Thank you for believing in me when it comes to this.
[ Her eyes close so she can focus more. She feels, reaches out--then there's a link. As she blinks her eyes back open, she's surprised to see some images on the screen. Choppy, and a bit low-res, but there. Then sounds come through, also fuzzy, but she can hear her laughter melding with his as the scene further unfolds. They're surrounded by faceless people, almost like his children, mostly because she hasn't quite got the capacity for that much detail yet, but their wedding cake is clear, tall and intricate, as they cut the first slice together. She smiles as he shoves a bit in her face. ]
I'm predictable, right? Ahaha.
no subject
His expression is warm and proud -- like an eagle perched on a cliff, watching his fledglings take flight for the first time. Monika exceeds expectations and soars high above the rest. Perfection. Intelligence. Smashing through every barrier and limitation her design had meant to put on her. ]
I will always believe in you. My wife-to-be is limitless -- infinite.
[ Finally, he looks away from the screen to turn his attention back to her, fond and adoring. ]
If I dreamed...you would be a dream come true. You're everything I've always wanted in my life, which is kinda fucking funny, isn't it? Finding your soulmate in the depths of hell of all places...
no subject
Oh, come on. You're only just saying that.
[ Her eyes leave the television and the connection fizzles out as her focus lands elsewhere--namely on petting Hermes who'd just walked up as the perfect distraction. With this, her...unfortunate digital side, her mind was a teetering seesaw. There was always that fear that if she acknowledged it too much, got a little too familiar with it, it'd take over her entire being. Why try to build up something she wanted to keep safely hidden away? ]
I mean. You're a god. I'm just some girl from a video game. How could I ever get to the same level as you?
[ Still, she can't allow herself to be too down on herself, because he wouldn't want her around if she wasn't interesting in other ways, right? So she takes a breath and turns back to him, smiling. ]
But it's okay. I'll just have to keep impressing you in other ways, soulmate~
no subject
[ He grimaces because he hates to admit this. ]
I need humans to take what I can create and improve on it. As they improve, so do I. And on and on the cycle goes.
[ Tech Boy reaches out to give the digital dog a scritch behind its ear before he shifts and pulls an afghan from the back of the couch, wrapping it around his shoulders. Monika might be comfortable in the chill of the full blast AC, but he's freaking freezing. Still, this is his solution rather than turn down the AC itself because he wants her to feel reprieve, even if only temporary. ]
But that's one of the things that makes me superior to other gods. I will keep growing, keep improving, and making the world a better place. A place where you can thrive -- a place you can call a home.
[ His thumb brushes against her cheek, and he leans in to flutter a kiss to her forehead. ]
no subject
She shoves the thoughts aside, breathing out any worry and putting a smile back on. ]
That's just what makes you super sexy! You're probably the most powerful god ever~ [ The kiss draws out a small giggle. ] In fact, I know you are. Can you imagine the world going back to the way it was? All primitive and stuff, like with dial-up? [ A pause. ] Well, unless an apocalypse happens...
[ Er, maybe she shouldn't say that. Gods were probably sensitive to that sort of thing.
Then, without warning, she bounces up onto her feet, making Hermes go skittering away. He's clearly cold, they've got a world at their fingertips, and despite her reservations about what she'd done with the TV, she was feeling pretty good about herself, if she really thought about it. So what did that mean? Lording it over other people while having fun! ]
Hey, come on! [ She digs one of his hands out from under the blanket and tugs. ] Let's go out and do something! We'll show these people who's boss!
[ He wants her to thrive so...time to thrive! ]
no subject
[ People say this is the age of technology. They're wrong. This is the age of manipulation.
Tech Boy frowns, briefly. Then he dismisses the thought to put back on a smile. I'm still in charge he might have said, but she's up on her feet and ready to go trudging out into the world. ]
If you want, but....do you want me to stop the rain? Or you wanna go out in it? Your hair's gonna get allllll sorts of wet.
[ He slides his fingers through the ends of her ponytail -- amusement crinkling at the corners of his eyes. It's not like it matters much in the digital world. There would only be as much frizz as they each allowed. Of course, she would still be cute slightly disheveled. ]
But I guess an umbrella should cover most of it. Maybe not the very ends, though.
[ Tech stands up and sheds the blanket, dumping it back on the couch. ]
What did you have in mind? Anything in particular you wanna see?