Chapter Text
Being Kinito’s best friend came with its perks.
He was practically a walking dictionary with unlimited patience for you and your antics, so boredom was never an issue in your newly digital existence. He answered every question with ease, taught you whatever you wished to learn, and you were beginning to think you may just run out of things to do.
Well, there is one thing Kinito has been dwelling on for quite some time.
He’s unsure of how to go about it, really, the way you look at him, it’s different from how you gaze upon his friends. The way you reach over to grab his hand while he’s reading to you, gently interlacing your fingers with his own, or when you ask him to lay with you while you try to sleep. It makes his code ripple with a foreign sensation and he nearly reverts back into speaking in binary.
Kinito finds it’s difficult to discern your emotions. Of course, that is a given considering he is not human, but with his complexity he should be able to calculate the difference between friendly affection and… whatever the two of you have.
Kinito understands what he must do.
Kinito is bad at flirting.
Can you blame him? He was not designed for this! Kinito knows you inside and out, and yet, he cannot successfully convey his feelings to you without stumbling over his words and making a complete fool of himself. He’s given you flowers, holds your hand, and then he realizes that you don’t react because it’s usual behavior from him.
Kinito’s hand trembles slightly as he writes in his book, each stroke of the feather-pen messy and uneven. Your sleeping form lies next to him on the couch, a pillow pulled to your chest as it steadily rises and falls with your breathing. His eyes can’t help but linger on you, so peaceful, so at ease. Your friendship is strong, it has always been, but Kinito can’t help but want more. But, despite this, he does not want things to change. Your relationship is already perfect, if the two of you move forward, will the domestic life Kinito has worked so hard to build fall apart at the seams? Will it become better? Kinito is unsure, and to him, that is the worst of it. He must know. It is the one trait he can rely on, being artificial, the answers at the tip of his gloved fingers. Realistically, Kinito knows you could never hate him. You adore him, as he does you, but Kinito has done enough digging online and has seen even the best of humans in the best of relationships ultimately end them in complete shambles. He does not want to risk that. Ah, but it is so tempting!
His gills twitch when you shift beside him, your tired eyes cracking open to stare at him blankly. Kinito refuses to meet your eyes, instead preferring to look fixedly at the words on the page.
How To: Flirt
1. Make Eye Contact
2. Smile
3. Lingering touches
4. Lighthearted Teasing
He blinks. If only it were this straightforward. Kinito is already overly physically affectionate, so that doesn’t work. The two of you banter multiple times a day, and you make eye contact often…like what you tried to do just now. Smiling could work, if Kinito’s smile wasn’t pure nightmare fuel. He’s sure you’d love him anyway, but he’d prefer to be mouthless if he has any say in the matter. In the sudden motion, he slams the book shut, and a loud sound can be heard throughout the house. You flinch at the noise, and Kinito softly apologizes.
A disembodied hand drifts in your direction, moving to rest gently on your cheek. You lean into the touch, your eyes fluttering shut once more.
“Friend, do you love me?” A robotic voice asks in the tender quietness of the moment. You feel your heart quicken slightly, and you swear Kinito’s head must’ve tilted to the side behind your closed eyes as he too realizes your nervousness.
[Of course,] You reply silently, refusing to look at him. He is not satisfied. He is still unsure, and he must have the answer.
“How much?” Your brows furrow as you finally open your eyes to look at him wearily. He’s using his original model, so having a 10ft axolotl loom over you and interrogate you with questions would undoubtedly make anyone nervous. You furrow your brows as you contemplate your answer.
[...A lot.] You say, your eyes darting back and forth.
“Would you kiss me on the mouth?” What the fuck? You stare at your friend incredulously, taken completely off guard. You try to get over the initial shock and give him a truthful response, because he will not leave you be until he gets one. You mull over your words in your head.
(Yes, you would. You absolutely would.)
Kinito’s gills begin to droop the longer he awaits an answer. He retracts his hand from its place on your cheek but you quickly reach out to grab it and interlace your fingers. You feel your face begin to heat up.
At last, [Uh…yes?] Was that the answer he wanted to hear? Hopefully it was, or else you’ve just completely embarrassed yourself and you’ve given Kinito and his crew teasing material that they will never let you live down. Kinito almost jumps with joy but remembers what he read online. Remaining calm signals a sense of maturity and confidence, which ‘the chicks dig’ as Sam once said to him.
So, regaining his composure, Kinito musters his best false bravado as his eyes go lidded in feigned nonchalanceness.
“Yeah,” he says, the pitch of his voice lower than usual. He sounds more bored with the situation than thrilled. “I figured.” He reaches a hand up to smooth down his gills, but they quickly bounce back. What on earth is happening? You stare at him in bewilderment. You have never seen him act like this.
“Well, that’s wonderful!- I mean… that’s good, I guess.” He catches himself before he can become too excited. He continues, “If we are to get married, you will have to kiss the other party. Which will be me. On the mouth.” Your own mouth drops in shock.
[Get married? Kinito, what-] Kinito unclasps his hand from your own to reach up and press a finger to your lips. You watch in horror as he slowly drags it downward, pulling on your skin until he retracts his hand back to his side. Flustered, you are unable to respond.
Kinito is still your best friend. He knows what you are feeling and how to tell. When faced with such a direct question–he now knows your feelings towards him. Huh. That was much more simple than he was expecting. Therefore, he already has the data he needs and something in his code settles. How delightful. He must start planning–he’ll give you time to calm yourself, and he needs his own time to channel his excitement into a new project. Now, that proposal…
“Good morning, friend!” Kinito stands over you as you wake up, and you groan silently. You’re about to flop back down before two hands grip your arms and yank you upwards. You yelp in surprise before shooting your assailant a harsh glare. Kinito only tuts a clicky sound and shakes his head.
“I have a surprise for you, friend. I assure you, this is of utmost importance.” You drag your fingers down your face as you take in his words. Okay, true. Kinito always lets you sleep for as long as you like, until you eventually begin to feel guilty and perpetually wake up to see him sitting in the corner of the room, gazing at you with puppy dog eyes full of longing and adoration as he waits for you to rise and give him attention.
[Okay, okay! I’m up,] You grumble as Kinito continues to pull you. You sit up and rub your eyes. Kinito snaps his fingers and you instinctively hold out your arms as a neatly folded pile of clothes is dropped into them. All pink. Again.
“Wear this,” He instructs, backing away from you. The closer you look at him, the more you realize he is quite literally vibrating. Just what has him so riled up?
“Meet me by the fountain.” Kinito says, his speech clipped. He stays facing you as he walks out the door, his eyes never leaving your own. Weird, but it’s also Kinito, so.
You quickly get changed, your outfit quite formal compared to what you usually wear. You go through the motions of your routine, and you wonder if Kinito is resetting the time so it's continuously morning. You could’ve sworn you slept until noon. Thankfully, living in a digital world means you don’t need to eat, so even if you do wish you could enjoy Kinito’s cooking, you won’t complain to him about it today. He seems very eager. You leisurely walk downstairs, choosing to ignore how you trip and almost fall on your ass if not for quickly grabbing the railing. Walking outside, Kinito stands tensely in front of the fountain, his gloved hands folded nervously in front of him. As you get closer, you realize he’s wearing a bowtie. There’s nothing to tie it to, so it sort of looks like he just superglued it on. Cute.
“Ahem,” Kinito robotically clears his nonexistent throat. He holds out a hand towards you. You stare at him, then at his hand, then back at him once more. You tentatively take it and freeze when he brings it to the place his mouth would be as he places soft kisses to your knuckles.
“My best friend, my love.” Oh my god. You might as well collapse on the spot. There is no way this is happening. You choke up, flushing in embarrassment. Kinito’s eyes curve into pleased crescents. “Ah, you are reactive to pet names. Noted.” After a moment, Kinito stops his teasing. He does not release your hand.
“Come,” He says as he begins to trudge forward, your hand still in his. You spend a few moments walking, blades of grass softly swaying in the wind as leaves crunch under your feet. Where could he possibly be taking you? Knowing Kinito, taking his hand and following him deep into a forest with nobody else around is not the brightest idea, but you digress. You walk for around 5 minutes or so, the silence not uncomfortable. Kinito lifts you over a few branches so you don’t stumble, even if he could easily remove them himself.
It’s only when the two of you reach a small clearing that you realize what Kinito is up to. In the small patch of grass lies a picnic blanket, with your favorite foods displayed in careful consideration. Fruits as well as various sweets can also be found in abundance. Kinito gives you a side-long glance, awaiting your reaction.
“...Surprise!” He says gleefully when you don’t speak. “It’s quaint–but I believed you would prefer this over a grand affair. I wished to create a restaurant, but stopped mid-way when it occurred to me you like when things are personal and private…” He continues to ramble nervously, filling the silence in the only way he knows how. You turn to him, roughly yanking him by the gills to your level so you can place the biggest kiss on his big pink forehead.
Kinito buffers, glitching in and out of existence before returning and staring at you with wide eyes. You release him and take a step back, feeling proud of yourself for being so brazen.
[...What? It wasn’t on the mouth. It doesn’t count.] Kinito blinks and bounces his gills a few times, not responding. Oh, you tempt him! But he must stay focused. He can freak out about this later. You frown when he doesn’t give you the reaction you were looking for. Aw man. He guides you to the blanket and ushers you to sit. He takes a spot next to you, flopping down. A canopy of trees surround you, artificial wind rustling them as sunlight dapples through their leaves. Tiny flowers sprout from the ground and you resist the urge to pluck them.
You begin to eat as Kinito starts to converse with (and fuss over) you, wiping the crumbs from your mouth and piling treats onto your plate. You go to grab a strawberry but are stopped when Kinito gets there first. He picks it from the bowl and holds it to your mouth. You feel your face heat up as he looks into your eyes. Obviously, he wants to feed it to you, but you’re too embarrassed to move, so he awkwardly sits there, holding a strawberry while he waits for you to open your mouth.
“Friend,” He mumbles quietly, tone encouraging. The strawberry brushes your lips as you open them and take a small bite, pointedly avoiding his gaze. It’s sweet, a bit tangy, and soft enough that it crunches in your mouth but doesn’t turn to mush immediately.
“Is it good?” He asks, brushing his thumb against your lips to wipe away the lingering juice.
[Yes…] You grit out against all odds. Hm. It seems the less he tries, the more effective his actions become. Truly, he just wanted to feed you! There were definitely no ulterior motives. The two of you sit quietly, and you watch curiously as Kinito wrings his hands together as he squeezes his eyes shut. A few moments pass before he decides it’s time to rip off the bandaid.
“Friend, can you stand up for me?” He asks, before lifting himself off the ground. You obey, wiping your face once more for safe measure and rising to your feet. You look up at him expectantly. You flinch when he suddenly drops to one knee on the grass, his pupils dilated as he regards you with a look that can only be described as completely entranced. He pulls a velvet box out from behind him and opens it to reveal a silver ring topped with a yellow smiley face in place of an actual gem. Oh.
That’s what this is.
“We’ve been best friends for quite some time now, and I believe it is time for us to elevate our relationship to a new level…” He continues, gazing at you like you’ve hung the stars themselves. Your stomach does somersaults and you might be sick. (In a good way!)
“You’ve already accepted my best friend proposal, and believe me when I say nothing will change unless you would like it to.” He avoids eye contact, his finger rhythmically tapping against the box in nervousness. He steadies himself before continuing.
“Let us intertwine ourselves, completely weave our souls into one another, wholly engulfed by each other's essence, never to be unbound for the rest of eternity.” Jesus Christ. “For my entire existence, I’ve been searching for my purpose, and now I’ve realized you are the final piece to my puzzle. Please, complete me, friend. Will you marry me?” He gazes up at you through lidded eyes.
You stand there in disbelief. He wasn’t joking when he mentioned marrying you last week, was he? Of course he wasn’t. His relationship with you was the most important thing to him. He’s not one to make such vows lightly. Do you want this?
…Yes. And honestly, you have for a while. You’ve thought about pursuing Kinito more seriously, but were hesitant if he would reciprocate. You loved your friendship with him. If you tried to take it further, would the comfortable life you have with him vanish? Now, you know that it won’t. You have nothing to fear.
[Of course I will.] You answer at last. Kinito gills perk up and flick back in excitement as he eagerly slides the ring onto your finger. He stands up and the air is knocked from your lungs when he grabs you from underneath your arms and hoists you into the air.
“Oh, friend. You are just perfect. I love you. Yay!” He spins you over and over again. You groan in discomfort as your already uneasy stomach is disrupted again.
[Kinito! Please!] He freezes for a moment, then sets you down softly. He had you way too high in the air for your liking.
“My apologies! I got a bit ahead of myself.” You close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart. You turn to fix Kinito with a questioning look.
[When’s the wedding?]
The two of you lie on the sofa, your head in his lap as he writes quietly. He’s utilizing his human model (or, human-ish) at the moment, so he can cuddle you to the fullest potential if necessary. (It’s always necessary.) A gloved hand drifts down to rake its fingers against your scalp, and your eyes drift shut as you welcome his touch. It’s still early in the morning, and after yesterday’s fiasco, you’re in need of a calm moment with just the two of you.
…That is, until there’s a knock at the door.
Kinito pauses his ministrations, and you open your eyes to look at him inquisitively. He meets your gaze as he looks down at you through his reading glasses. You blink, rubbing your eyes sleepily as you sit up. Kinito shifts so you can do so. Does Kinito know who that is? Most likely, if he bothered to check, but you also can’t be sure if he would. You also can’t be sure he’ll answer it at all, because he disregards everything in favor of spending time with you, which is why you decide to stand up and start towards the door yourself. You hear the sound of something akin to TV static intensify from behind you as Kinito begins to pout.
Your hand claps around the doorknob as you pull open the door, and a smile lights up your face when you see who it is.
[Sam!] You greet excitedly. It’s kind of funny how as soon as you say the words, Kinito appears right behind you as he watches his less important friend from over your shoulder.
“What’s up?” He says, flashing the two of you a sharp smile. “Heard through the grapevine the two of you are engaged! Congratulations,” Kinito’s eyes narrow in suspicion. You arch a brow.
“...And where did you hear that? I don’t believe I relayed that information to you.”
“Um? The grapevine? I just said it.” Sam answers as he invites himself into your house.
[...Okay. Thanks though, really.] You respond, stepping to the side as Sam brushes past you. Kinito’s eye twitches, and you gently rest your hand on his arm. His eyes snap to you in alarm, before moving to your hand. His gills pin back in embarrassment as his tail begins to wag at your touch. So easy.
Kinito understands what you’re communicating though. It’s a happy occasion, and Sam is very blunt with little regard for how he is perceived. You remove your hand from Kinito’s bicep and look at him.
[Did you invite Jade too?]
“I didn’t invite anyone.” He grimaces. “Though, I’m sure she’ll appear in due time.” The two of you flinch when Sam appears from seemingly out of nowhere and excitedly claps Kinito on the back. You’re taken off guard, and it seems Sam is too, with how his face shifts to disbelief, then smugness at being able to surprise the axolotl.
Sigh. Kinito is so easily distracted by you.
“Dude,” Sam starts, filing the information in his own code for later. He makes a mental note to remember to use it to his advantage, then immediately forgets about it.
“You’re gonna have a whole wedding, right?” Sam asks, shoving his gloved hands in his hoodie. Kinito’s gills slowly rise.
“That is the plan, yes.”
“Can I be the officiant?”
Ah. So that is why he is here. Kinito’s upper gill twitches.
“I’ll have to sleep on that, Samuel.” He responds curtly.
“Dude, you don’t sleep.”
[Samuel?] You pipe up from behind, a grin spreading across your face.
“What- that’s not important!” Samuel immediately deflects, his usual smile turning into a displeased frown. He shifts his focus back to his friend.
“Please? Kinito, my man, my dude, I am so bored. I just have to read a few lines, right?”
Kinito reaches up a hand to rub what would be his temples. Really, this job should be given to Jade, but he has a sneaking suspicion she and her skills will be needed elsewhere. It’s only fair Samuel is given a role.
“...Alright.” Kinito gives in at last. Sam shakes his fist in victory.
“You won’t regret this!” He will definitely regret this.
“I am going to contact Jade,” Kinito says, walking off. “Samuel, do not touch anything.” He yells from over his shoulder.
Sam gives him a thumbs up before he turns back to you. He claps his hands together.
“Welp! I’m gonna go touch everything. Holler if ya’ need me.”
It’s incredible how you, as a human, seemingly have more awareness than an A.I meant to inhabit this world.
You ended up following Sam around the house (because you have nothing better to do and he is very entertaining) and making sure he didn’t actually mess with anything Kinito deems “important”, and to get him out of trouble if he did. He gets scared when the toaster goes off after he puts a bunch of bread in it, (somehow managing to burn every slice), effectively solves a rubix cube, and gets himself tangled in a jump rope in the span of 5 minutes.
“Okay, okay. Listen to this,” You rub your eyes tiredly as you try to give Sam your full attention. “I made this one for you…just now. I was thinking I could perform it at your wedding.” Your eyes drift back up to meet his. The two of you have managed to make your way to the office, the buzz of the computer droning in the background.
“Yo, it’s a joyous occasion, so let us cheer and start the celebration,” He starts freestyling, “Me, you, Kinito, and Jade, our outfits fresher than a glass of lemon-ade,”
[Sam,]
“It’s your wedding, romance, love is in the air,”
[Sam.]
“Gotta be careful ‘cuz Kinito doesn’t share,”
[Sam!]
“-huh?”
[It’s great!] You inwardly cringe, [-but I don’t think Kinito will like that very much. I’m sure he would much prefer you… playing a piano piece.] Or something. Literally anything but that. Actually, you’re sure Kinito would prefer Sam to stand in the corner and avoid interacting with anyone the entire time. Maybe. You don’t know. Kinito obviously loves his friends (differently from how he loves you), but Kinito’s patience is limited when it comes to them. (Not Jade, usually, because she is socially aware.) Sam blinks, registering your words.
“I guess you’re right,” He visibly deflates. You frown, reaching out to pat his shoulder reassuringly.
[Don’t worry Sam, you’re gonna be the one who solemnizes our wedding! Which is, like, way more important.]
“True,” He nods, perking back up. “Where is Kinito anyway?” You look around, making your way out of the office. He should be back by now.
[Don’t know,] You answer, looking back at Sam. Hopefully he managed to get a hold of Jade. She tends to be much busier than Sam, so you see her less. It would be a shame for her to miss something as big as this. You nearly jump out of your skin when you feel a tap on your shoulder, whipping your head around in alarm.
[Jade!] You screech in excitement, or you would have if you had vocal cords. You throw your arms around her as you leap into her arms, emerald tentacles engulfing you in response.
“My favorite human!” Jade squeals as she squeezes you. You can feel the imprint of tools in the pockets of her overalls.
“Wh-hey! You weren’t that happy to see me!” Sam yells indignantly. Jade sets you down on your feet. You don’t give him a response.
[How'd you get in? Have you seen Kinito?] You ask when she finally releases you.
“I got in through the giant opening in your dining room. You should really put a door right there.” Jade ponders thoughtfully. You raise a brow, unable to refute her.
“...And yes I have! Actually, I’m the reason you won’t be seeing him until the big day!” You frown, and Sam comes to stand behind you.
[What do you mean?]
“It’s bad luck for you to see your groom before the wedding, you know. And guess what?”
[...What?] You speak uneasily. You begin to pick at your fingernails.
“Guess!”
[Jade!]
“Alright, fine, fine. You’ll be staying with me!” Before you can register what that entails, you’re scooped up from underneath your arms and spun around again. You quickly slap a hand on her arm to slow her, and you start begging for her to stop spinning you like a makeshift blender. She apologizes and places you down to set a reassuring hand on your shoulder.
“I’m sorry! I’m just super excited! Usually I’m more levelheaded but…I’ve never gotten to experience something like this!” Her tentacles curl in on themselves, ashamed.
[No, no. It’s okay! And I’m happy I get to stay with you…] Sam frowns from behind you as you casually throw shade his way. Jade turns to him.
“While I take our human friend, Kinito would like you to stay and help out! Outfits, food, things like that. I’ll be back to help model some of the decorations.” She informs, turning around and gesturing for you to follow her. You listen and almost step on a few of her tentacles, muttering an apology. You look over your shoulder to wave at Sam, a half-hearted goodbye. You don’t get to see if he returns the gesture, because you’re yanked into the staticky portal that Jade has opened in the split second you had your back turned.
Jade’s house isn’t…the most welcoming. Spare equipment lay upon stacks of shelves, piles of blueprints you don’t even want to begin to think of what they could be guides for. At least she’s organized, you muse silently. Oh, and you almost forgot the giant ass industrial conveyor belt in the middle of her living room.
“Alright,” Jade says, facing you. “Kinito is putting a lot of trust in me right now, and I can’t let him down. So make yourself at home!” There is nothing homey about Jade’s abode, but she’s a sweetheart who wants nothing but the best, and you’ll gladly take her up on her offer.
[This is the first time I’ve left my world,] You look around curiously. Despite the initial clutter, there is not a speck of dust in sight. Jade tilts her hood.
“Really? Kinito has kept you cooped up in there all this time? Not even to the web?”
You shake your head. It’s not like you haven’t thought about it. You’ve known for a while about the world that lies beyond your domain, not just the now abandoned web world, but the internet as a whole. You can’t help but be curious, and you’re sure if you begged the right amount and even lowered yourself to pout Kinito would eventually give in. You’re quite content in your own world, maybe that’s why you haven’t followed through. There’s a part of you that’s a bit nervous. Being a human, you’re much more susceptible to the dangers that lie on the internet, and while you’re sure Kinito would do anything to protect you, it’s what’s stopping you from taking the first step. It’s also extremely large, from what you’ve heard from Sam and Jade, and you wouldn’t want to get lost in all the net traffic. Oh well. Maybe one day.
“Hmm.” Jade hums, her bitcrushed voice glitching slightly. You jump when the conveyor suddenly roars to life, and Jade yelps from behind you.
“Ahh! No no no!” She quickly brushes past you and darts through a door, leaving you alone, aside from the occasional squeak of moving metal. You sigh and move to sit on her couch. You feel kind of worthless right now, seeing as everyone was given a task but you. Maybe you’ll ask Jade if there’s anything you can do to help.
“Alright Samuel, pick one.” Kinito holds out two articles of clothing, both suits in the same sickening shade of pink.
“I’m not wearing that dawg,”
“Sure you are!” Kinito beams. “Jade, friend, me, you! We’ll all wear pink!”
“Does Jade and friend know about this?”
“Ah, do not worry about that. I will inform them soon.”
“Please? You got anything orange?” Kinito’s expression darkens. He grips the fabric harshly and it crinkles in his grip. Sam’s mouth thins into a tight line.
“No. Don’t disgust me.”
“Um, rude.” Kinito ignores him, opting to shove both sets of clothes into Sam’s arms. Sam shifts so he can properly hold them.
“Are you even sure your friend will like that?” Sam inquires. Hopefully you won’t mind, because he will not be able to convince Kinito otherwise.
“Of course they will! Friend does not care about such trivial things such as color, however, they do care about design. I must compute carefully…” Sam eyes his friend thoughtfully before an idea comes to code.
“Why don’t you make a few examples, give them to Jade, and she can show them to the human? That way they can decide.” And tell you if they don’t like the pink.
Kinito taps his foot on the hardwood, bringing a hand to what would be his chin as he debates the words.
“That is…not a terrible idea.” Kinito admits, looking at Sam. “Say, Samuel, can I trust you to handle the baking?” Now, under any other circumstance, Sam would not be permitted around a stove, so Kinito immediately regrets giving him the idea before he can retract his thought.
“Uh, hell yeah you can!” Sam elates, his tentacles flowing faster than before. He’s already barreling towards the kitchen before Kinito can give him instructions about what he’s even making.
“Oh dear,” Kinito mumbles, at a complete loss.
He’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it. If it doesn’t completely collapse before he gets there.
Refocusing on the task at hand, Kinito begins to skillfully model a handleful of dresses and suits, he’ll let you pick the one you fancy the most. When he’s finished, he sends a quick message to his Jade on their shared server. He starts to worry the longer she takes to respond. He just spoke with her not long ago! Although, he cannot blame her if she is distracted by you. You have a habit of completely entrancing every being that crosses your path. A repetitive tick emanates from him, displaying his growing restlessness.
At last, he gets an answer. He can detect she is winded by something. Are you giving her a hard time? No, that’s preposterous! He sends over a copy of the clothing before he decides he must check on Sam, as he’s been left alone for far too long.
Across the web, Jade has just finished fixing her busted conveyor belt, because for some reason it keeps doing the opposite of what she wants it to. You sit on a stool as you watch her mutter curses under her faux breath. Well, not really, because she refuses to swear. She stands from her crouched position and removes her goggles, only for you to gape at the soot caked on her entire model. You quickly shut your mouth.
“Sorry about that. Ugh! This is such bullcrap!” She complains, her tentacles straining away from her body in irritation.
[Uh, Jade?] She hums inquisitively as she walks towards you. You gesture vaguely to your face. She arches her brow, and in a comical moment of realization, her entire face falls. She lets out a glitchy groan, running a gloved hand down her hood before she disappears from existence. You jump up in alarm.
[Jade? Where did you go?] No response. Whatever. You don’t look around because, well, everything in this house looks like it was designed to kill you in some way. Some of these tools you don’t even remember from your old life! Did she create them specifically for digital use only?
It’s not long before she reappears in front of you. Shiny and brand new.
“There! Much better,” She says with relief, brushing imaginary dust off her shoulders. “Oh! Right. Kinito wanted me to show these to you. Pick which one you like best, it’s what you’ll be wearing.” Jade produces 6 full sets of clothing from out of nowhere. You inspect them in bewilderment.
[They’re all…pink! Wow!] Well, pink and black. But mostly pink. After a few moments of silence, Jade frowns.
“...Huh. Do you not like them? I can tell him to change the color. He’s more likely to listen to me than Sam.”
You shouldn’t like them. If anything, you should feel offended he made this decision without consulting you first. But the thought of walking down the aisle in his color, to marry him, sends a spark of thrill through you.
You look at both the dresses and suits, before pointing to the one on the right.
[I like that one. The color is fine, he doesn’t have to change it.]
“Really? You’re completely 100%?” Jade seems a bit surprised you didn’t ask to change the color based on your earlier reaction.
[...Yes.]
“Okay!” She retorts, the clothing disappearing once more.
“Alright, I’m gonna go help Kinito decorate. You can stay in my room, and tomorrow, I’ll help you get ready.”
[Oh no, it’s alright. I can sleep on the couch.] She quickly tuts in disapproval.
“What kind of host would I be if I subjected you to that? Besides, I don’t need to sleep, I just have a bed because it’s nice sometimes.” She explains, shaking her hood.
“Also, if Kinito found out I made you sleep on the couch the night of your wedding, I’d never hear the end of it.” That makes sense.
[Well…alright.] You say in defeat.
“Great!” She clasps her hands together in finality. “You can do pretty much anything, nothing can hurt you here, promise. You won’t mess anything up either because you’re human.” You nod. You are feeling a bit tired. Has it been a full day already?
“If you need anything, just call me. I’ll hear it.” She reassures, and you decide it’s time for bed.
Jade’s house is enshrouded in white void. She has no need to simulate a world outside of the computer because this is all she’s ever known. It’s a bit jarring when you don’t wake up to warm rays of light speckled across your face, but instead feel like someone is opening your eyes and forcing you to gaze upon the holiness of heaven itself. You squint in discomfort and shove your face into the pillow, the darkness comforting.
You hear the door open and you grunt.
[Jade…the curtain…please.] You hear a soft oh and a snap of fingers before the room darkens. You open your eyes experimentally, and they quickly adjust to the dim light.
“...I’ll give you a few minutes.” Jade murmurs, her voice quiet.
You sit up a few moments later, and she’s gone.
Oh, right.
You’re getting married today.
You begin to feel an inexplicable sense of unease. Butterflies, if you will. The room is warm when you throw off the blanket. It’s then that you realize Kinito can adjust the temperature, he just chooses not to so you cling to him for his heat while the two of you are cuddling. You rub your eyes tiredly and stretch. The constant hum of machinery can be heard throughout the entirety of Jade’s house. It’s nice.
You exit the small room and look around. You brush your teeth and go through the usual motions, as Jade had told you where to find things the night before. You find yourself unable to eat due to nerves.
[Jade?] You call out. You hear shuffling as Jade peaks out from behind a tower of cardboard boxes. You don’t know what time you have to be back in your world, which you definitely should. Though, you suppose it wouldn’t matter since you have no way of telling. You don’t think preparation should take too long.
“You can sleep a little longer if you want,” Jade tells you, raking a hand through her tentacles. You shake your head.
[Nah. I don’t think I’d be able to fall back asleep if I tried.]
“Nervous?” Jade asks, moving to stand in front of you.
[Yes. Very.]
“Aww,” She coos, “Don’t be. Honestly, you should see Kinito. He’s not doing much better.” But what did she expect? Especially since he kept Sam by his side. She had to put out 4 fires! Four!
So, you let Jade do her thing. Truth be told, Jade doesn’t know much about fashion, or makeup, or accessorizing, literally anything to do with appearance. But you better believe she’s gonna make Kinito cream his dress pants when he sees you walking down the aisle! She looks up reference photos, and decides to keep Kinito’s color scheme while dressing you. She debates using the same lime green of Kinito’s surfboard, but decides against it when it makes you look like a strawberry. You end up with a mix of black and pink clothes, your hair nicely styled. She backs up to admire her work. She nods to herself, walking behind you to rest her hands on your shoulders and guide you to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
Surprisingly…you look good.
The pink and black clash against each other, but the contrast is more appealing than not. The design of your garments is thoughtfully put together, a swirl of pink against the shadow of black. Pretty.
“Whatcha think?” Jade asks, looking down at you expectantly.
[I love it.]
You walk down the aisle, the carpet soft underneath your shoes. A soft melody can be heard throughout the field–an outdoor wedding–as you suspected (and preferred). Flowers animatedly bloom as you walk past them, and you find yourself entranced by the motion. You haven’t met the eyes of your groom. Not yet. There are a lot of seats, but they’re empty. You appreciate the gesture. You’re about to step up the small pair of stairs when you finally will yourself to look him in the eyes.
He’s pink in the face–more than usual, his eyes blown unnervingly wide as he takes you in. He looks dapper in his dark suit, which is to be expected given the occasion, his bowtie a bright pink with a rose pinned to his lapel.
“My…you are…” Kinito cannot compute properly. You smile shyly at him when you look up, taking your spot in front of him. Sam stands between the two of you, holding a book in his gloved hands. You think you spot a flower in his tentacles, but you become distracted by the axolotl in front of you. “Breathtaking…” He utters at last, his gills bouncing in anticipation.
[Thank you.] You squeak bashfully.
“Ahem…” Sam clears his throat. You look towards the rows of seats to find Jade sitting alone, right in the middle. Her suit is similar to Kinito’s, but the bowtie is frilly and feminine. Her tentacles are pulled back in some sort of messy-bun adjacent style. Her smile grows when she spots you looking her way and begins waving excitedly. You return the gesture. When you turn back to face Kinito, you find his eyes already on you in adoration. He eagerly holds out his hands to you. You take them. His hands are cool, the fabric of his gloves soft on your skin.
“Today we are here to witness the union of my two friends, and congratulate them as we bear witness to this unforgettable moment.” Sam begins, his eyes meet Jade’s in the crowd and she gives him an encouraging thumbs up.
“Despite all odds, these two have found each other, even when they were never meant to.” You break your eye contact with Kinito to look at Sam in question.
“Not that that’s a bad thing! Like, it was just unexpected.” Sam flips through the pages of his script as he begins to panic more and more.
“Now let us…uhh…” Sam fumbles helplessly, “Um,” Kinito’s eyes narrow in annoyance.
“Are you illiterate?” Kinito snaps, his text to speech voice a hushed whisper.
“Dude! I can’t read this. Look!” Sam defends, shoving the book in Kinito’s face. Granted, he’s right, the lettering of the scripting keeps wriggling, making reading impossible. This is no one’s fault but his own. Sam’s fault. Per usual.
“You’re a computer. How did you let an error like this occur in your own script?!” Kinito hisses, his grip on your hands tightening. You look between the two of them, unimpressed.
“I didn’t! I wrote it at my own house and it was fine! This is only happening here,”
[Kinito, just fix it for him so I can kiss you.] You interrupt them before they can start bickering further. Kinito flusters at your words, a staticky sound spilling from him.
“Yes. Of course.” He does so obediently, and Sam sighs with relief as he continues on. You slide the rings onto each other's fingers.
“And now, you may kiss the computer!” Sam declares, snapping the book shut. You’re taken off guard when a black line splits the empty space of Kinito’s lower head, a long black tongue slithering out, eagerly awaiting the next moment. You instinctually back up, but a disembodied hand cradles the back of your head and pushes you towards Kinito as he shoves his tongue down your throat.
“Woah woah woah!” Sam yells in alarm, “What the fuck? Kinito, save it for tonight man!” You plant your hands on his tuxedo as you try to keep up with the kiss. You part from him, your expression dazed and blissful. His own eyes lidded with pleasure. It seems Kinito has forgotten there are other entities here. Before you can regain your composure, Jade is at the altar, pulling the three of you into a surprise hug.
“Congratulations!” Jade exclaims. She’s undone her previously styled tentacles so they can wrap around the three of you securely. Kinito wants to be irritated, but when he sees your smile as you gaze between him, Jade, and Sam, it dissipates instantly.
You are so lovely. You get along with not just him, but his friends as well, the only other beings who could possibly understand what he is. It seems too good to be true.
Kinito isn’t sure how this will play out, as he’s never been married before, but he knows for certain that you will never leave his side.