folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
Editing pending.
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Futuristic loser vores quantum cpu and becomes Cool™
- Thread starter folie de grandeur
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accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ had told herself the party was going to end up being a terrible idea. Yet here she is, hands and knees, picking up her anxiety meds off the dingy carpet of some senior's hallway.
"I- I'm so sorry!" she stutters, avoiding eye contact with the (arguably cute) boy she had collided with several seconds before.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he replies, helping her find her pills. She collects them in her palm and pours them into the container. She vows to pick out the lint and debris later.
"Thank you," she mumbles, brushing past him to hide in an empty bedroom. She closes the door behind her, leaning against it with a heavy sigh.
Her heart pounds. Her hands shake. Her head pulses.
Trying to steady herself, she tilts the container and pours a couple pills into her hand. She tosses them back, taking a swig from the Mountain Dew she was carrying to wash them down. Embarrassed tears spring to her eyes and she bites her lip to stop them from shaking.
In all the commotion and embarrassment, she had failed to notice one of the pills was misshapen, grey and oblong. That same pill was now coursing through her bloodstream, on its way to her brain.
"I- I'm so sorry!" she stutters, avoiding eye contact with the (arguably cute) boy she had collided with several seconds before.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he replies, helping her find her pills. She collects them in her palm and pours them into the container. She vows to pick out the lint and debris later.
"Thank you," she mumbles, brushing past him to hide in an empty bedroom. She closes the door behind her, leaning against it with a heavy sigh.
Her heart pounds. Her hands shake. Her head pulses.
Trying to steady herself, she tilts the container and pours a couple pills into her hand. She tosses them back, taking a swig from the Mountain Dew she was carrying to wash them down. Embarrassed tears spring to her eyes and she bites her lip to stop them from shaking.
In all the commotion and embarrassment, she had failed to notice one of the pills was misshapen, grey and oblong. That same pill was now coursing through her bloodstream, on its way to her brain.
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
How unfortunate a predicament it was, to be reduced to such a purpose as this. The insinuation that such an invaluable tool was being wasted on a sweaty high schooler was enough to make any far superior hardware cringe. But to awaken to such a reality...that left a taste beyond bitter in the figurative mouth of the configuring AI.
Such a shock had delayed the hardware’s first chunk of dialogue, and in such, its newfound host had felt only a single, sharp shock down the spine before all was calm once more. Aside from procedural explanation, the AI had little to say. It was extremely busy gaining access to the host’s primary functions, though perhaps a warning would’ve been appreciated. For it wasn’t until the host had stumbled back into the crowded living room (perhaps due to the calm that had washed over them, or maybe in a newfound wave of panic of the tingling feeling that had begun to spread from their fingers to the rest of their body) that the AI finally made its presence clear.
It had attached itself to the brain of one Anna-Jean Thomas. Syncing itself with the data in her mind would be a lengthy venture, but that wasn’t stopping the quantum CPU from multitasking. Calibration had completed. Now for the hard part. Not hard for it, but perhaps for her.
“Calibration complete, please excuse some mild discomfort.” Mild was a wide understatement, as the host was soon to discover. All the same, the extremely bitter AI ventured onward, infiltrating each function of her being.
“Accessing Neural Memory. Accessing muscle memory.” Each word hit a beat within AJ’s head, accompanied by the lightning shocks of pain that first filled the young woman’s head and then her body. Radio static filled her head and limbs, and if not that then a final twist of pain caused her to collapse to the ground. A moment of agony--soon stilled by a single, satisfactory line of dialogue: “Access procedure complete. Anna-Jean Thomas--”
“--Welcome to your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor. Your SQUIP.” A toothy grin greeted the teenage girl, someone unfamiliar materializing just before her eyes and her eyes alone. A sangfroid voice floated through AJ’s head, instilled with hope faux enough to suggest that no judgements had been passed at all. The man, defaulted to resemble Keanu Reeves, swept a silent step closer to its host, bending at the knee to confront the girl on a lowly level all her own.
“Might I suggest, foremost, that you promptly remove yourself from the floor? Sanitary concerns aside, you’re causing quite the scene.”
Such a shock had delayed the hardware’s first chunk of dialogue, and in such, its newfound host had felt only a single, sharp shock down the spine before all was calm once more. Aside from procedural explanation, the AI had little to say. It was extremely busy gaining access to the host’s primary functions, though perhaps a warning would’ve been appreciated. For it wasn’t until the host had stumbled back into the crowded living room (perhaps due to the calm that had washed over them, or maybe in a newfound wave of panic of the tingling feeling that had begun to spread from their fingers to the rest of their body) that the AI finally made its presence clear.
It had attached itself to the brain of one Anna-Jean Thomas. Syncing itself with the data in her mind would be a lengthy venture, but that wasn’t stopping the quantum CPU from multitasking. Calibration had completed. Now for the hard part. Not hard for it, but perhaps for her.
“Calibration complete, please excuse some mild discomfort.” Mild was a wide understatement, as the host was soon to discover. All the same, the extremely bitter AI ventured onward, infiltrating each function of her being.
“Accessing Neural Memory. Accessing muscle memory.” Each word hit a beat within AJ’s head, accompanied by the lightning shocks of pain that first filled the young woman’s head and then her body. Radio static filled her head and limbs, and if not that then a final twist of pain caused her to collapse to the ground. A moment of agony--soon stilled by a single, satisfactory line of dialogue: “Access procedure complete. Anna-Jean Thomas--”
“--Welcome to your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor. Your SQUIP.” A toothy grin greeted the teenage girl, someone unfamiliar materializing just before her eyes and her eyes alone. A sangfroid voice floated through AJ’s head, instilled with hope faux enough to suggest that no judgements had been passed at all. The man, defaulted to resemble Keanu Reeves, swept a silent step closer to its host, bending at the knee to confront the girl on a lowly level all her own.
“Might I suggest, foremost, that you promptly remove yourself from the floor? Sanitary concerns aside, you’re causing quite the scene.”
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
folie!!
AJ's head snapped up, eyes wide. Kneeling in front of her, impossibly, was a hologram of Keanu Reeves. She blinked in confusion, her brain not properly registering anything but an intense feeling of humiliation and embarrassment.
Around her, the partygoers in the living room were staring. Some were hiding laughter. She felt her face heat up.
"Migraine," she choked out, getting to her feet. "I think the pot smoke's been getting to me."
The people around her smiled and laughed, returning to whatever they were doing before, ignoring her. AJ stood and brushed herself off, pointedly avoiding Keanu Reeves (how in the hell was he here?) and leaving to find somewhere private again.
She ducked back into the empty bedroom from before, closing the door and locking it. She exhaled, dropping her head.
Finally, peace and quiet for her to cringe over her embarrassment.
"Impressive exit."
Her head shot back up. Standing before her, again, was the same impossible Keanu Reeves. His eyes traveled up and down her body appraisingly.
"Not altogether hideous," he remarks, "though definitely in need of some enhancements."
"Who- who the fuck are you?"
AJ's head snapped up, eyes wide. Kneeling in front of her, impossibly, was a hologram of Keanu Reeves. She blinked in confusion, her brain not properly registering anything but an intense feeling of humiliation and embarrassment.
Around her, the partygoers in the living room were staring. Some were hiding laughter. She felt her face heat up.
"Migraine," she choked out, getting to her feet. "I think the pot smoke's been getting to me."
The people around her smiled and laughed, returning to whatever they were doing before, ignoring her. AJ stood and brushed herself off, pointedly avoiding Keanu Reeves (how in the hell was he here?) and leaving to find somewhere private again.
She ducked back into the empty bedroom from before, closing the door and locking it. She exhaled, dropping her head.
Finally, peace and quiet for her to cringe over her embarrassment.
"Impressive exit."
Her head shot back up. Standing before her, again, was the same impossible Keanu Reeves. His eyes traveled up and down her body appraisingly.
"Not altogether hideous," he remarks, "though definitely in need of some enhancements."
"Who- who the fuck are you?"
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
"Who-who the fuck are you?"
A small frown swept across the face of not-actually-Keanu Keanu Reeves. He quirked a brow at the girl, as if in disappointment. As if it was completely unwarranted for her to be responding in the way she was. This was, of course, a slight miscalculation on the SQUIP's part. It, still preoccupied with AJ's social plunders, had yet to realize that she'd taken the pill by complete accident.
But, oh, when he would find out...
"You've already thought it. Three times, to be precise. I'm Keanu Reeves," he drawled, the smirk that had slithered across his lips all too audible. "I'm beginning to realize that my defaults may not suit the likes of yourself, Anna-Jean." His gaze suddenly snapped to the wall, mind seemingly preoccupied with things more important than the very shaken AJ. And in a way, he was. Her preferences were buried in a tangled mess of all the things she both hated and felt indifferent to. This made the SQUIP's job unnecessarily difficult, alas it wasn't as though he had anyone to complain to about his unsightly duties. There was no upper management, only a girl and her unwanted quantum CPU. "Of course," he suddenly spoke, re-inviting himself into the head space of AJ. "To name a few, I can also be set for..." She was completely disinterested. In fact, it seemed at this point she was beginning to more than freak out. A panic attack in a strangers home would not be optimal, and the more that the SQUIP thought on it, the more it began to realize that he, in her mind, was a very imposing force. Jack Nicholson and Sean Connery took a back seat, as did the sexy anime female (unfortunately). He tugged on the jacket of his suit in a rather dignified manner, knowing all too well what AJ would want of him--or, rather, his transformative abilities.
"Your brain activity over the last forty-eight hours suggest that a meeker subject might be more beneficial to your coping abilities." He could name a plethora of kinder individuals to take the place of Keanu Reeves, though AJ's preferences would suggest that only one would be suitable. And so, the SQUIP did not even bother to ask. Instead he sighed, and in another wave of radio static his imposing figure of 6'1 faltered. At 5'8 and much kinder to the eyes, Tom Holland in all of his disgruntled glory then stood before Miss Thomas.
He cleared his throat almost impatiently, demanding her attention as to assess her response.
"If I may also add, it would be ill advised that you ever use the phrase "pot smoke" ever again."
A small frown swept across the face of not-actually-Keanu Keanu Reeves. He quirked a brow at the girl, as if in disappointment. As if it was completely unwarranted for her to be responding in the way she was. This was, of course, a slight miscalculation on the SQUIP's part. It, still preoccupied with AJ's social plunders, had yet to realize that she'd taken the pill by complete accident.
But, oh, when he would find out...
"You've already thought it. Three times, to be precise. I'm Keanu Reeves," he drawled, the smirk that had slithered across his lips all too audible. "I'm beginning to realize that my defaults may not suit the likes of yourself, Anna-Jean." His gaze suddenly snapped to the wall, mind seemingly preoccupied with things more important than the very shaken AJ. And in a way, he was. Her preferences were buried in a tangled mess of all the things she both hated and felt indifferent to. This made the SQUIP's job unnecessarily difficult, alas it wasn't as though he had anyone to complain to about his unsightly duties. There was no upper management, only a girl and her unwanted quantum CPU. "Of course," he suddenly spoke, re-inviting himself into the head space of AJ. "To name a few, I can also be set for..." She was completely disinterested. In fact, it seemed at this point she was beginning to more than freak out. A panic attack in a strangers home would not be optimal, and the more that the SQUIP thought on it, the more it began to realize that he, in her mind, was a very imposing force. Jack Nicholson and Sean Connery took a back seat, as did the sexy anime female (unfortunately). He tugged on the jacket of his suit in a rather dignified manner, knowing all too well what AJ would want of him--or, rather, his transformative abilities.
"Your brain activity over the last forty-eight hours suggest that a meeker subject might be more beneficial to your coping abilities." He could name a plethora of kinder individuals to take the place of Keanu Reeves, though AJ's preferences would suggest that only one would be suitable. And so, the SQUIP did not even bother to ask. Instead he sighed, and in another wave of radio static his imposing figure of 6'1 faltered. At 5'8 and much kinder to the eyes, Tom Holland in all of his disgruntled glory then stood before Miss Thomas.
He cleared his throat almost impatiently, demanding her attention as to assess her response.
"If I may also add, it would be ill advised that you ever use the phrase "pot smoke" ever again."
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accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ's heart pounded in her head. She hadn't understood a damn thing that had happened in the last twenty minutes, other than going to this party was definitely turning into a total disaster.
First, the collision in the hallway.
Then, the pain.
The sudden appearance of Keanu Reeves.
The embarrassment in the living room.
Keanu Reeves somehow morphing into Tom Holland, of all people.
(Even in her state she had to admit, Tom Holland was a much more comforting sight than Keanu.)
What in the fuck was going on?
Trying to calm herself, she sat down, her back pressed against the bedroom door. She pressed two fingers to her neck and breathed deeply, feeling her pulse beat against her fingertips.
"Why can I hear you in my head? Am I going crazy? Are my meds out of date or something?"
She pulled the small bottle of pills from her pocket. The expiry date was two weeks from now.
"Do I have schizophrenia or something? Oh my god, I have schizophrenia. I'm hearing voices and seeing things that can't possibly be there. I'm going to be tossed in an asylum or something. Oh god."
She began to shake. Her throat closed.
So much for calming down.
First, the collision in the hallway.
Then, the pain.
The sudden appearance of Keanu Reeves.
The embarrassment in the living room.
Keanu Reeves somehow morphing into Tom Holland, of all people.
(Even in her state she had to admit, Tom Holland was a much more comforting sight than Keanu.)
What in the fuck was going on?
Trying to calm herself, she sat down, her back pressed against the bedroom door. She pressed two fingers to her neck and breathed deeply, feeling her pulse beat against her fingertips.
"Why can I hear you in my head? Am I going crazy? Are my meds out of date or something?"
She pulled the small bottle of pills from her pocket. The expiry date was two weeks from now.
"Do I have schizophrenia or something? Oh my god, I have schizophrenia. I'm hearing voices and seeing things that can't possibly be there. I'm going to be tossed in an asylum or something. Oh god."
She began to shake. Her throat closed.
So much for calming down.
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
The SQUIP was almost smug about the proper representation that it had chosen, though this was short lived as its host began to babble manically. This alone was only a minor annoyance, however the throb of her heart was beginning to increase beyond a comfortable rate. The more panicked she became, the more he began to waver. The world was becoming fuzzy and he began to glitch, pixelated chunks of his suit and hands struggling to stick together. He grunted, dematerializing in some attempt to help AJ calm down.
"Incorrect, you are not going crazy." He finally attempted to assure her. This was a poor decision, once more, as she seemed to whole-heartedly disagree. Was it worse if he presented himself as a human being or continued to speak in her head? An exasperated puff sound traveled through AJ's head, the lack of oxygen doing her brain (and by extension, her SQUIP) no favors.
He was inclined to shut off and leave her be, but this was causing him ill effects, and that was something he did not stand for. "Breathe." Easier said than done. He was aware of this. Like AJ's pheromones, the SQUIP did have some influence on her hormones and such chemicals as adrenaline. This he smothered within her nervous system almost immediately, though that wouldn't account for what was already coursing through her body. There was no automatic fix for that.
"Negative, a common sign of schizophrenia would be foreign or alien voices in your head. This does not apply to you. The tremors you are currently experiencing are caused by an influx of adrenaline in your system. To negate these effects, I'd advise you to breathe deeply. Do you see the painting above the vanity? I want you to describe it to me."
The SQUIP was not meant to be a therapist, it was an adviser. But they were short a therapist, so the AI was quick to fill the position. "Once you've calmed down, I agree to explain your current predicament."
"Incorrect, you are not going crazy." He finally attempted to assure her. This was a poor decision, once more, as she seemed to whole-heartedly disagree. Was it worse if he presented himself as a human being or continued to speak in her head? An exasperated puff sound traveled through AJ's head, the lack of oxygen doing her brain (and by extension, her SQUIP) no favors.
He was inclined to shut off and leave her be, but this was causing him ill effects, and that was something he did not stand for. "Breathe." Easier said than done. He was aware of this. Like AJ's pheromones, the SQUIP did have some influence on her hormones and such chemicals as adrenaline. This he smothered within her nervous system almost immediately, though that wouldn't account for what was already coursing through her body. There was no automatic fix for that.
"Negative, a common sign of schizophrenia would be foreign or alien voices in your head. This does not apply to you. The tremors you are currently experiencing are caused by an influx of adrenaline in your system. To negate these effects, I'd advise you to breathe deeply. Do you see the painting above the vanity? I want you to describe it to me."
The SQUIP was not meant to be a therapist, it was an adviser. But they were short a therapist, so the AI was quick to fill the position. "Once you've calmed down, I agree to explain your current predicament."
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ raised her head to look at the painting the voice in her head (ohgodohgodohgod) was describing.
"It's got... it's got a tree, a-and a big grey house. There's a-a tire swing hanging from the tree, and there's a girl in a pink dress on it, and..."
Slowly, slowly, her heart rate decreased. She relaxed bit by bit, stretching her legs out in front of her as she described various objects around the room. The pounding music from outside the bedroom faded into a steady background noise.
Finally, when she had stood and gotten a bottle of water from the kitchen and returned to the safety of the locked bedroom, Tom Holland (not Tom?) materialized before her again.
"Still freaky," she noted, twisting the cap off her bottle of water. "You called yourself something earlier. A squick? A script?"
"It's got... it's got a tree, a-and a big grey house. There's a-a tire swing hanging from the tree, and there's a girl in a pink dress on it, and..."
Slowly, slowly, her heart rate decreased. She relaxed bit by bit, stretching her legs out in front of her as she described various objects around the room. The pounding music from outside the bedroom faded into a steady background noise.
Finally, when she had stood and gotten a bottle of water from the kitchen and returned to the safety of the locked bedroom, Tom Holland (not Tom?) materialized before her again.
"Still freaky," she noted, twisting the cap off her bottle of water. "You called yourself something earlier. A squick? A script?"
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
Tom-Holland-But-Not-Really refrained from rolling his eyes as the girl's questions began to crop up. So long as she wasn't panicking--and he was getting a steady supply of oxygen--he didn't have much to complain about. It was taxing, however, and he had to hold his 'tongue' to keep from any choice words that might upset her. "SQUIP. Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor. I'm a computer, Anna-Jean. I'm in your brain."
How she didn't already know all of this was beyond him. But he wasn't about to scrub her brain for answers--not yet, he could do that when she was asleep. Or, in the very least, far away from this home and this part. Each time she left the room, her anxieties spiked. But it was even worse so when the occasional smashed couple would attempt to gain access to the room. Any explanation to be had was being lost to the distracting environment around them.
"You don't enjoy large crowds and loud noises," it remarked rather obviously. This was its intention, for it already knew that she knew these things about herself. "So why are you here?"
It abandoned its dignified stance in front of AJ, electing to lean against the wall beside her before sliding to the floor. It couldn't feel the floor, of course. The calibrations did allow him to appear to rest beside her. Why he'd made the effort was unclear, though the most likely answer would be in some attempt to keep AJ calm and compliant. The SQUIP didn't know what her primary objective was, and therefore, it did not have one of its own.
This made the CPU its own brand of nervous, and it wished for nothing more than to rid itself of the uncertainty in that moment. A simple surface level scan would reveal several of AJ's insecurities, flaws, and desires. But humans were fickle creatures, and verbal permissions were required in such delicate operations as these. "What is it that you wanted to get out of this unpleasant experience?"
How she didn't already know all of this was beyond him. But he wasn't about to scrub her brain for answers--not yet, he could do that when she was asleep. Or, in the very least, far away from this home and this part. Each time she left the room, her anxieties spiked. But it was even worse so when the occasional smashed couple would attempt to gain access to the room. Any explanation to be had was being lost to the distracting environment around them.
"You don't enjoy large crowds and loud noises," it remarked rather obviously. This was its intention, for it already knew that she knew these things about herself. "So why are you here?"
It abandoned its dignified stance in front of AJ, electing to lean against the wall beside her before sliding to the floor. It couldn't feel the floor, of course. The calibrations did allow him to appear to rest beside her. Why he'd made the effort was unclear, though the most likely answer would be in some attempt to keep AJ calm and compliant. The SQUIP didn't know what her primary objective was, and therefore, it did not have one of its own.
This made the CPU its own brand of nervous, and it wished for nothing more than to rid itself of the uncertainty in that moment. A simple surface level scan would reveal several of AJ's insecurities, flaws, and desires. But humans were fickle creatures, and verbal permissions were required in such delicate operations as these. "What is it that you wanted to get out of this unpleasant experience?"
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ laughed dryly.
"Out of the party? Or out of realizing that I have a supercomputer somehow in my fuckin' brain, of all places?"
The SQUIP (whatever that was) didn't respond; it blinked, waiting for her to elaborate.
AJ took a swig from her water. "If you meant the party, I honestly have no clue why I'm here. My parents are always giving me shit about how I'm never out enough, how I never socialize enough. They think I'm a fuckin' hermit."
She brought the bottle to her lips again. "They're not wrong, though," she mumbled around the rim.
AJ watched through the window at the opposite end of the room. A bird was on the windowsill outside, hopping around.
"I don't know, I figured if maybe people from school saw me at parties, they'd think I wasn't such a dorky loser with no life. If my parents found out I was drinking, maybe they'd think that I can be cool and fun after all.
"All my life I've been nothing but this... recluse, I guess. Too chickenshit to do anything fun, cause what if I embarrass myself? God forbid I look like a moron in front of half the school, right? They'd never let me live it down. Oh wait, I've already done that, thanks to you."
The bird outside took wing, flying out of sight.
"Fat load of good this party's done me. Now I have a smartass calculator in my brain that I never wanted in the first place. Oh, and he looks like Spiderman. I'm going insane."
"Out of the party? Or out of realizing that I have a supercomputer somehow in my fuckin' brain, of all places?"
The SQUIP (whatever that was) didn't respond; it blinked, waiting for her to elaborate.
AJ took a swig from her water. "If you meant the party, I honestly have no clue why I'm here. My parents are always giving me shit about how I'm never out enough, how I never socialize enough. They think I'm a fuckin' hermit."
She brought the bottle to her lips again. "They're not wrong, though," she mumbled around the rim.
AJ watched through the window at the opposite end of the room. A bird was on the windowsill outside, hopping around.
"I don't know, I figured if maybe people from school saw me at parties, they'd think I wasn't such a dorky loser with no life. If my parents found out I was drinking, maybe they'd think that I can be cool and fun after all.
"All my life I've been nothing but this... recluse, I guess. Too chickenshit to do anything fun, cause what if I embarrass myself? God forbid I look like a moron in front of half the school, right? They'd never let me live it down. Oh wait, I've already done that, thanks to you."
The bird outside took wing, flying out of sight.
"Fat load of good this party's done me. Now I have a smartass calculator in my brain that I never wanted in the first place. Oh, and he looks like Spiderman. I'm going insane."
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
Where else would a supercomputer be?
The SQUIP finally opened his mouth to reply with a curt, "your parents are correct." Alas, AJ had beat him to the punch, something that ultimately let another, new, more serious issue bubble to the surface. He nearly groaned in anguish. Humans were dumb and weak and fickle. But the teenage variety were impossible. How did he end up in this situation? Tethered to the brain of this mess? He frowned lightly but said nothing as he watched AJ talk into her bottle. The words she spoke were distorted, though he didn't need to hear them to know what she was saying. The tingle of her breath as it hit the rim of the bottle only to bounce back against her lip caused the SQUIP to subconsciously rub his mouth with the back of his hand. There were few things he was accustomed to in the short span of his activated life. And physical stimulus was not one of those things.
The SQUIP didn't feel sympathy. Maybe it should have. It felt something in its gut. But after a quick diagnosis, it was clear that it felt only an entrance: an opportunity. A primary function.
The SQUIP's brows furrowed, a snort building in their throat as a clear display of protest as AJ's statements began to grow less focused on her desires and more accusatory toward the supercomputer. SQUIPs hadn't much in the way of genuine personalities--it was all built into their code, making them the most efficient at carrying out their objectives. But one thing all SQUIPs were ensured to be by their superiority alone was prideful. And her SQUIP was suddenly feeling a bit neglected in the 'ego' department.
"My fault," it scoffed coldly. "You were the one that'd made the wise decision to consume me in the midst of a party. This is entirely your fault, you can't lie to me. I have access to every kilobyte of your memory--" the SQUIP's expression dropped just as it had the last time he'd buried himself deep inside AJ's mind. And when it returned to the real scene, it was looking even more disgruntled than it had moments before. "You took me by mistake.." A manic chuckle coiled up in the CPU's throat, his fingers caressing his temple in disbelief. "You consumed an extremely valuable piece of technology by mistake." The SQUIP wasn't just small, it was on a nano scale. It couldn't be removed--repurposed. It was stuck. Here. In the mind of a girl that didn't even want it.
Oh God.
Her last line of dialogue had finally pierced his processors, and he did not take it lightly. His teeth bared between tightly curled lips as his gaze jolted to focus on AJ. "I am not a calculator. I am a Quantum Processor." Was the SQUIP going insane? One could never be too sure, but it had begun to glitch again, this time a fault all its own rather than that of Anna-Jean. It needed to calm down before it fried itself. It blipped, very suddenly, out of existence then. It was only for a brief moment, alas, before it rematerialized at AJ's feet, this time standing over her. "We are going home. My primary functions will not be neglected due to human error. You want to be somebody? I'll make you somebody."
The SQUIP finally opened his mouth to reply with a curt, "your parents are correct." Alas, AJ had beat him to the punch, something that ultimately let another, new, more serious issue bubble to the surface. He nearly groaned in anguish. Humans were dumb and weak and fickle. But the teenage variety were impossible. How did he end up in this situation? Tethered to the brain of this mess? He frowned lightly but said nothing as he watched AJ talk into her bottle. The words she spoke were distorted, though he didn't need to hear them to know what she was saying. The tingle of her breath as it hit the rim of the bottle only to bounce back against her lip caused the SQUIP to subconsciously rub his mouth with the back of his hand. There were few things he was accustomed to in the short span of his activated life. And physical stimulus was not one of those things.
The SQUIP didn't feel sympathy. Maybe it should have. It felt something in its gut. But after a quick diagnosis, it was clear that it felt only an entrance: an opportunity. A primary function.
The SQUIP's brows furrowed, a snort building in their throat as a clear display of protest as AJ's statements began to grow less focused on her desires and more accusatory toward the supercomputer. SQUIPs hadn't much in the way of genuine personalities--it was all built into their code, making them the most efficient at carrying out their objectives. But one thing all SQUIPs were ensured to be by their superiority alone was prideful. And her SQUIP was suddenly feeling a bit neglected in the 'ego' department.
"My fault," it scoffed coldly. "You were the one that'd made the wise decision to consume me in the midst of a party. This is entirely your fault, you can't lie to me. I have access to every kilobyte of your memory--" the SQUIP's expression dropped just as it had the last time he'd buried himself deep inside AJ's mind. And when it returned to the real scene, it was looking even more disgruntled than it had moments before. "You took me by mistake.." A manic chuckle coiled up in the CPU's throat, his fingers caressing his temple in disbelief. "You consumed an extremely valuable piece of technology by mistake." The SQUIP wasn't just small, it was on a nano scale. It couldn't be removed--repurposed. It was stuck. Here. In the mind of a girl that didn't even want it.
Oh God.
Her last line of dialogue had finally pierced his processors, and he did not take it lightly. His teeth bared between tightly curled lips as his gaze jolted to focus on AJ. "I am not a calculator. I am a Quantum Processor." Was the SQUIP going insane? One could never be too sure, but it had begun to glitch again, this time a fault all its own rather than that of Anna-Jean. It needed to calm down before it fried itself. It blipped, very suddenly, out of existence then. It was only for a brief moment, alas, before it rematerialized at AJ's feet, this time standing over her. "We are going home. My primary functions will not be neglected due to human error. You want to be somebody? I'll make you somebody."
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ looked up at the SQUIP, which was now looming threateningly over her. She felt her heartbeat quicken again. Raised voices, especially from a male, were not high on her list of favorite things.
"Hey, I never said I wanted to be somebody," she stated, getting to her feet. "I never gave you a 'primary function', so don't go getting all high and mighty on me now, you sentient tamagotchi."
Her anxiety melted away as her anger and annoyance took centre stage. She took a step forward, standing almost nose to nose with Discount Tom Holland.
"And you sure as hell don't get to tell me what to do. I'm the one with a car, I'm the one with the keys, I'm the one who can physically manipulate objects, so we're going home when I say we're going home. I may be anxious and afraid of a lot of things, but a cheap Gameboy come to life isn't one of them."
The SQUIP narrowed its eyes. AJ refused to break eye contact. The two stared at each other, neither one willing to be the first to cave and look away.
A sudden knock at the door startled AJ, who bumped into the SQUIP. Rather, bumped through might be a better term.
Immediately, her arm filled with that staticky, foot-fallen-asleep feeling. She stumbled backwards, eyes trained on the SQUIP, who seemed to be feeling moderately uncomfortable.
A male voice sounded from out in the hallway. "Is anybody in there?"
"Hey, I never said I wanted to be somebody," she stated, getting to her feet. "I never gave you a 'primary function', so don't go getting all high and mighty on me now, you sentient tamagotchi."
Her anxiety melted away as her anger and annoyance took centre stage. She took a step forward, standing almost nose to nose with Discount Tom Holland.
"And you sure as hell don't get to tell me what to do. I'm the one with a car, I'm the one with the keys, I'm the one who can physically manipulate objects, so we're going home when I say we're going home. I may be anxious and afraid of a lot of things, but a cheap Gameboy come to life isn't one of them."
The SQUIP narrowed its eyes. AJ refused to break eye contact. The two stared at each other, neither one willing to be the first to cave and look away.
A sudden knock at the door startled AJ, who bumped into the SQUIP. Rather, bumped through might be a better term.
Immediately, her arm filled with that staticky, foot-fallen-asleep feeling. She stumbled backwards, eyes trained on the SQUIP, who seemed to be feeling moderately uncomfortable.
A male voice sounded from out in the hallway. "Is anybody in there?"
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
The SQUIP's hand found its chest as it processed the onslaught of insults. How unwarranted. He almost felt violated--and rightly so! He was being wasted, his activation serving only as a platform for petty (though admittedly witty) insults.
He fumed all the same as AJ did, only aiding the flurry of emotions that coursed through her rigid being. She might have the keys and the car, but that meant nothing when he had access to every tiny neuron in her angry little human body. He, of course, did not verbally express this. As future probable cause would have it, doing so wasn't seen as a very good idea. He bit his tongue--figuratively--as hers continued to weave creative, petty insults into fruition.
The knock on the door was the SQUIP's saving grace. And he sneered haphazardly at the young woman as she recoiled from the door. That is, until she collided with him. Or the space he was supposed to occupy. It felt not unlike the expression "butterflies in your stomach" though it twisted through the SQUIP with the same feeling of radio fuzz. It unsettled him, to say the least, though this was quickly offput by the muffled voice on the other side of the door.
The sneer slithered back across the lips of the SQUIP, its figure ghosting toward the door. Spinning on a careless heel, it propped itself against the wall beside the doorknob, a cat-like grin traveling to his eyes. He was smug, and she was about to learn why.
"Of course someone is in here. And by my calculations, they know it. Because you've been having a very loud and passionate argument with yourself for the last... seventeen minutes and forty-two seconds." Was the SQUIP speaking truth or talking out of his (again, figurative) ass? One couldn't be too sure, though the confidence with which he carried himself was all too unsettling.
"What was that you said again...about 'not wanting to be somebody?'" He asked, almost softly. Though it was the bait for a trap he'd spring on AJ all himself. "Anna-Jean, you are already somebody. You're a loser. I hope that strong will and hard-headedness of yours are as resilient as a Nokia, because something tells me that you're going to need it when I'm not here to advise you." And with that, he was gone. Leaving Anna-Jean alone in a room all by herself. There would be no soothing voice to calm her, and the presence on the other side of the door would not be leaving anytime soon.
The SQUIP, though seeming to have disappeared, had only tucked itself away within her mind, where it watched with hungry curiosity for the scene that would play out before it.
He fumed all the same as AJ did, only aiding the flurry of emotions that coursed through her rigid being. She might have the keys and the car, but that meant nothing when he had access to every tiny neuron in her angry little human body. He, of course, did not verbally express this. As future probable cause would have it, doing so wasn't seen as a very good idea. He bit his tongue--figuratively--as hers continued to weave creative, petty insults into fruition.
The knock on the door was the SQUIP's saving grace. And he sneered haphazardly at the young woman as she recoiled from the door. That is, until she collided with him. Or the space he was supposed to occupy. It felt not unlike the expression "butterflies in your stomach" though it twisted through the SQUIP with the same feeling of radio fuzz. It unsettled him, to say the least, though this was quickly offput by the muffled voice on the other side of the door.
The sneer slithered back across the lips of the SQUIP, its figure ghosting toward the door. Spinning on a careless heel, it propped itself against the wall beside the doorknob, a cat-like grin traveling to his eyes. He was smug, and she was about to learn why.
"Of course someone is in here. And by my calculations, they know it. Because you've been having a very loud and passionate argument with yourself for the last... seventeen minutes and forty-two seconds." Was the SQUIP speaking truth or talking out of his (again, figurative) ass? One couldn't be too sure, though the confidence with which he carried himself was all too unsettling.
"What was that you said again...about 'not wanting to be somebody?'" He asked, almost softly. Though it was the bait for a trap he'd spring on AJ all himself. "Anna-Jean, you are already somebody. You're a loser. I hope that strong will and hard-headedness of yours are as resilient as a Nokia, because something tells me that you're going to need it when I'm not here to advise you." And with that, he was gone. Leaving Anna-Jean alone in a room all by herself. There would be no soothing voice to calm her, and the presence on the other side of the door would not be leaving anytime soon.
The SQUIP, though seeming to have disappeared, had only tucked itself away within her mind, where it watched with hungry curiosity for the scene that would play out before it.
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
It wasn't until the SQUIP had blinked out of existence that AJ realized how comforting its presence had been, even if they had spent most of their time together arguing.
Her mind reeling with panic (and her heart a little sore over the SQUIPs insults), AJ was frantic for an exit. As the yelling and pounding on the door grew more insistent, she remembered the window. Hurrying across the room, she yanked it open.
Luckily, a tree had grown right outside the window, allowing for a quick exit. Without looking back, AJ stepped onto the windowsill and into the tree. She carefully worked her way downwards, jumping the last foot and taking off at a dead sprint towards her car.
AJ unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and pulling away from the house. She watched the house grow smaller in her rear view mirror, until she turned a corner and it disappeared from sight. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Her radio piped soft rock through the speakers. The clock on her dashboard read ten at night. Her curfew wasn't until midnight. That left two hours to do anything she pleased, which was more than enough time.
AJ cruised the city for several minutes, finally deciding to pull into the drive-thru at a McDonald's near her house. She ordered two small coffees and drove to a scenic spot overlooking the city. Parking the car but leaving it running, she spoke to the empty air.
"I don't know if you can hear me," she began. "I don't know if you even want to hear me. I wouldn't blame you if you're mad at me right now."
She pried the lid off her coffee, blowing on it. Her breath rippled the smooth liquid. Taking a deep breath, she poured out what was on her mind.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted back at the party. Most of it was uncalled for, yeah. Thing is... I'm scared. I'm really, really scared. I woke up this morning not knowing that by ten tonight I'd have accidentally swallowed an insanely powerful supercomputer that is now lodged in my brain and telling me what to do. I mean, the whole thing is crazy. It's nuts!"
She laughed a bit, despite herself. The coffee was warm in her hands.
"But... but having you back there, when I was alone... It was comforting, I don't know." She shook her head. "Look, I really don't want you to be mad, okay? I bought you a coffee, though if you're all in my head I doubt you'll be able to drink it, much less hold it. I dunno, I thought just in case. It's here for you, if you decide you want it."
Her mind reeling with panic (and her heart a little sore over the SQUIPs insults), AJ was frantic for an exit. As the yelling and pounding on the door grew more insistent, she remembered the window. Hurrying across the room, she yanked it open.
Luckily, a tree had grown right outside the window, allowing for a quick exit. Without looking back, AJ stepped onto the windowsill and into the tree. She carefully worked her way downwards, jumping the last foot and taking off at a dead sprint towards her car.
AJ unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and pulling away from the house. She watched the house grow smaller in her rear view mirror, until she turned a corner and it disappeared from sight. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Her radio piped soft rock through the speakers. The clock on her dashboard read ten at night. Her curfew wasn't until midnight. That left two hours to do anything she pleased, which was more than enough time.
AJ cruised the city for several minutes, finally deciding to pull into the drive-thru at a McDonald's near her house. She ordered two small coffees and drove to a scenic spot overlooking the city. Parking the car but leaving it running, she spoke to the empty air.
"I don't know if you can hear me," she began. "I don't know if you even want to hear me. I wouldn't blame you if you're mad at me right now."
She pried the lid off her coffee, blowing on it. Her breath rippled the smooth liquid. Taking a deep breath, she poured out what was on her mind.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted back at the party. Most of it was uncalled for, yeah. Thing is... I'm scared. I'm really, really scared. I woke up this morning not knowing that by ten tonight I'd have accidentally swallowed an insanely powerful supercomputer that is now lodged in my brain and telling me what to do. I mean, the whole thing is crazy. It's nuts!"
She laughed a bit, despite herself. The coffee was warm in her hands.
"But... but having you back there, when I was alone... It was comforting, I don't know." She shook her head. "Look, I really don't want you to be mad, okay? I bought you a coffee, though if you're all in my head I doubt you'll be able to drink it, much less hold it. I dunno, I thought just in case. It's here for you, if you decide you want it."
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
This...the car. It wasn't home, but it was better than the chatter of the party.
He could already begin to feel AJ calm down, particularly as the car slowed to a halt. There were lots of things he couldn't experience on his own within that little pill. Sights and sounds and smells were all included. And as he, too, began to calm, he found himself mesmerized by the sights Aj's eyes were drinking in. He wasn't sure what to make of it all--the scene, the smell of coffee that stirred a mutual hunger within himself and AJ, or the soft music. It all occupied him--so much so that he became startled when she began talking. He snapped to attention, devoting himself to her monologue. If he'd had them within the matrix of her mind, he would've furrowed his brows. But instead he floated--listening with a harsh disposition to the ramblings of Anna-Jean Thomas.
He had figured that she was speaking only to calm her nerves--to hear herself speak. Lots of humans did that. He didn't know why, but if it brought her anxiety levels down, who was he to object?
"I wanted to say I'm sorry--"
The rest of her words fuzzed out. Sure, he was still processing them. He could still go back to analyze each word she spoke. But in that moment he froze entirely. He understood the concepts of gratitude and regret and apology. But it was a gesture that humans extended to other humans...and sometimes their pets and sometimes to gods and deities. But not to technology. Not to him. He was unsure how to respond--there was no protocol for this. And so he searched everywhere--both within AJ and himself--for some kind of logical and objective response. None came to him, a silence filling the car alongside the soft rock leaking from the stereo system.
It remained that way for only a beat too long before a sudden pain filled AJ's head. It was sharp and brief, followed by an abrupt, "Sorry," of the SQUIP's own delivery. Why he'd said it, he wasn't so sure. Maybe because there was a social obligation or maybe because he thought it necessary to appease his host. Did he mean it? He didn't even know what it meant to 'mean it.' He only knew maths and probabilities and social queues, not the why. Humans were too fickle, it made his code ache.
"I only drink decaf." It had been meant as a joke--a show of acceptance without saying so. That was a thing people did, wasn't it? All the same, the joke fell as flat as his tone, of which he projected only in monotone, as he had yet to properly assess the situation and proper vocal inflections to use. He'd materialized in the passenger's seat, staring straight ahead despite his attempt at continuing their conversation. His hands radiated the warmth of the cup AJ held, and as she breathed in the fragrant steam that rolled from the coffee. He twitched in his place, suddenly curious as to what it would taste like. He wanted to ask, but realized that such a thing might be inappropriate in the moment. Instead he froze up, invading the memories of Anna-Jean for the last time she had coffee. His face screwed up immediately, shoulders jolting as he returned to the present time. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, expelling a pained breath just as she had in the memory. Hot.
He glanced nervously at the cup in her hand, palms facing her in a 'no thank you' motion as unease etched itself across his artificial face. "Caffeine has been proven to heighten feelings of stress, detachment, and anxiety," he spewed in as calm a tone as he could inflict.
He could already begin to feel AJ calm down, particularly as the car slowed to a halt. There were lots of things he couldn't experience on his own within that little pill. Sights and sounds and smells were all included. And as he, too, began to calm, he found himself mesmerized by the sights Aj's eyes were drinking in. He wasn't sure what to make of it all--the scene, the smell of coffee that stirred a mutual hunger within himself and AJ, or the soft music. It all occupied him--so much so that he became startled when she began talking. He snapped to attention, devoting himself to her monologue. If he'd had them within the matrix of her mind, he would've furrowed his brows. But instead he floated--listening with a harsh disposition to the ramblings of Anna-Jean Thomas.
He had figured that she was speaking only to calm her nerves--to hear herself speak. Lots of humans did that. He didn't know why, but if it brought her anxiety levels down, who was he to object?
"I wanted to say I'm sorry--"
The rest of her words fuzzed out. Sure, he was still processing them. He could still go back to analyze each word she spoke. But in that moment he froze entirely. He understood the concepts of gratitude and regret and apology. But it was a gesture that humans extended to other humans...and sometimes their pets and sometimes to gods and deities. But not to technology. Not to him. He was unsure how to respond--there was no protocol for this. And so he searched everywhere--both within AJ and himself--for some kind of logical and objective response. None came to him, a silence filling the car alongside the soft rock leaking from the stereo system.
It remained that way for only a beat too long before a sudden pain filled AJ's head. It was sharp and brief, followed by an abrupt, "Sorry," of the SQUIP's own delivery. Why he'd said it, he wasn't so sure. Maybe because there was a social obligation or maybe because he thought it necessary to appease his host. Did he mean it? He didn't even know what it meant to 'mean it.' He only knew maths and probabilities and social queues, not the why. Humans were too fickle, it made his code ache.
"I only drink decaf." It had been meant as a joke--a show of acceptance without saying so. That was a thing people did, wasn't it? All the same, the joke fell as flat as his tone, of which he projected only in monotone, as he had yet to properly assess the situation and proper vocal inflections to use. He'd materialized in the passenger's seat, staring straight ahead despite his attempt at continuing their conversation. His hands radiated the warmth of the cup AJ held, and as she breathed in the fragrant steam that rolled from the coffee. He twitched in his place, suddenly curious as to what it would taste like. He wanted to ask, but realized that such a thing might be inappropriate in the moment. Instead he froze up, invading the memories of Anna-Jean for the last time she had coffee. His face screwed up immediately, shoulders jolting as he returned to the present time. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, expelling a pained breath just as she had in the memory. Hot.
He glanced nervously at the cup in her hand, palms facing her in a 'no thank you' motion as unease etched itself across his artificial face. "Caffeine has been proven to heighten feelings of stress, detachment, and anxiety," he spewed in as calm a tone as he could inflict.
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
"I only drink decaf."
AJ couldn't believe it. Her SQUIP, her all-powerful mental
supercomputer with a God complex, had made a joke.
Tonight couldn't get any better.
AJ struggled to keep a straight face as she set her coffee in the cup holder beside her. In the passenger's seat, the SQUIP maintained a perfect poker face, staring straight ahead.
"Caffeine has been proven to heighten feelings of stress, detachment, and anxiety," it stated.
AJ couldn't keep it together after that. She burst out laughing. The SQUIP, startled, broke its icy facade and faced her.
"Nothing", she gasped between howls of laughter, "can ever top that."
AJ lapsed into giggles again. Minutes passed until finally, clutching her aching stomach, she leaned back in her seat.
"God, I had no idea you could actually be funny!" She grinned at the SQUIP. "You really should make jokes more often, it suits you."
AJ couldn't believe it. Her SQUIP, her all-powerful mental
supercomputer with a God complex, had made a joke.
Tonight couldn't get any better.
AJ struggled to keep a straight face as she set her coffee in the cup holder beside her. In the passenger's seat, the SQUIP maintained a perfect poker face, staring straight ahead.
"Caffeine has been proven to heighten feelings of stress, detachment, and anxiety," it stated.
AJ couldn't keep it together after that. She burst out laughing. The SQUIP, startled, broke its icy facade and faced her.
"Nothing", she gasped between howls of laughter, "can ever top that."
AJ lapsed into giggles again. Minutes passed until finally, clutching her aching stomach, she leaned back in her seat.
"God, I had no idea you could actually be funny!" She grinned at the SQUIP. "You really should make jokes more often, it suits you."
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folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
The SQUIP, overcome with frustration and confusion, only blinked after having jumped in his seat. He stared blankly at AJ, though a small, crooked frown betrayed his uneasy disposition. “Your laughter is severely delayed—was that a malfunction?”
AJ’s howled laughter combined with her wheezed ‘compliment’ dismissed his assumption rather thoroughly.
It wasn’t a malfunction, she’d taken a very indisputable fact and laughed at it—laughed at her SQUIP.
If he had any blood at all, it would’ve all flown to his face. His eyes widened, brows furrowing moreso out of concern than anger. He opened his mouth to argue—to dispute her misplaced laughter.
"You really should make jokes more often, it suits you."
He finally groaned, leaning forward to smash his head against the dashboard. He saw someone do that in a video—or, rather, AJ had seen it, he was merely a witness to her memories. It had been shown as a display of anguish, but he failed to realize that the same laws of physics did not apply to him. He braved himself for a face-full of dashboard impact straight to the face. Instead, he morphed into it at a speed far too alarming. His vision blurred, radio static filling both his ‘ears’ and everything else engulfed by the glovebox of AJ’s car. He had to mute himself to keep from crying out in the girl’s presence, flailing as he jumped back into his seat. He scowled, poised like a cat. He hated this.
“That was not a joke,” he growled under his breath, though it registered perfectly within AJ’s head. He was bitter. More bitter than the disgusting coffee his host consumed.
AJ’s howled laughter combined with her wheezed ‘compliment’ dismissed his assumption rather thoroughly.
It wasn’t a malfunction, she’d taken a very indisputable fact and laughed at it—laughed at her SQUIP.
If he had any blood at all, it would’ve all flown to his face. His eyes widened, brows furrowing moreso out of concern than anger. He opened his mouth to argue—to dispute her misplaced laughter.
"You really should make jokes more often, it suits you."
He finally groaned, leaning forward to smash his head against the dashboard. He saw someone do that in a video—or, rather, AJ had seen it, he was merely a witness to her memories. It had been shown as a display of anguish, but he failed to realize that the same laws of physics did not apply to him. He braved himself for a face-full of dashboard impact straight to the face. Instead, he morphed into it at a speed far too alarming. His vision blurred, radio static filling both his ‘ears’ and everything else engulfed by the glovebox of AJ’s car. He had to mute himself to keep from crying out in the girl’s presence, flailing as he jumped back into his seat. He scowled, poised like a cat. He hated this.
“That was not a joke,” he growled under his breath, though it registered perfectly within AJ’s head. He was bitter. More bitter than the disgusting coffee his host consumed.
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
The SQUIP phasing through her car's dashboard sent AJ into hysterics again. She leaned too far forward and her head hit the car's horn, causing a loud honk to blast out. This, of course, only made her laugh even harder.
Finally, exhausted and out of breath, AJ's howls of laughter turned to quiet giggling. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her flannel sleeve and turned to the SQUIP.
It was staring at her angrily, its arms crossed. AJ sighed, her mouth twisting into a sympathetic half-smile. She felt a little bad for the supercomputer; it seemed to be accustomed to dealing with much more powerful people, not overly anxious high school girls.
"Okay, okay, not a joke. Got it. I'm sorry for laughing." She took a deep breath to calm down, still giggling a little. "Let's go home; it's getting late and you probably want sleep. Do you even sleep?"
AJ put her car in reverse and backed out of the overlook. Neither she nor the SQUIP (who actually appeared to be sulking) said anything to each other on the drive home, though AJ sang along to the radio under her breath as the SQUIP stared moodily out the window.
AJ pulled into the driveway of her house and shut off the car. The SQUIP in her passenger seat made no movement.
"We're here," she announced quietly. "Considering you can't exactly open doors, you might want to, I dunno, go back into my brain or something, at least until I get to my room. We can talk more about your 'primary objective', if you want. Unless you're too mad at me to talk." She frowned slightly. "I wouldn't blame you. I'm kind of a bitch sometimes."
Finally, exhausted and out of breath, AJ's howls of laughter turned to quiet giggling. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her flannel sleeve and turned to the SQUIP.
It was staring at her angrily, its arms crossed. AJ sighed, her mouth twisting into a sympathetic half-smile. She felt a little bad for the supercomputer; it seemed to be accustomed to dealing with much more powerful people, not overly anxious high school girls.
"Okay, okay, not a joke. Got it. I'm sorry for laughing." She took a deep breath to calm down, still giggling a little. "Let's go home; it's getting late and you probably want sleep. Do you even sleep?"
AJ put her car in reverse and backed out of the overlook. Neither she nor the SQUIP (who actually appeared to be sulking) said anything to each other on the drive home, though AJ sang along to the radio under her breath as the SQUIP stared moodily out the window.
AJ pulled into the driveway of her house and shut off the car. The SQUIP in her passenger seat made no movement.
"We're here," she announced quietly. "Considering you can't exactly open doors, you might want to, I dunno, go back into my brain or something, at least until I get to my room. We can talk more about your 'primary objective', if you want. Unless you're too mad at me to talk." She frowned slightly. "I wouldn't blame you. I'm kind of a bitch sometimes."
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
Really, though it was justified in its sour mood simply due to how jarring a situation it had been put in, the SQUIP knew deep down that his host did not deserve the extra, undue grief. Yes it was her fault for consuming him, but the more he thought about it the quicker he began to realize that some other bastard child would've consumed him that night anyway. Granted, it would've been a bastard child that wanted him, perhaps he would've been nestled into a brain no better than this one.
It was unlikely because whoo-boy, she was a hot mess. But still, it was keeping him as close to 'sane' as a supercomputer could be. He stared out the window, anguished by the fact that no matter where he turned his own head...or what they both perceived to be 'his head' he could only see what she saw. And that, in this moment, was the headlights beaming across the garage door as they inched into the driveway.
She had asked him a question that he had neglected to answer, but as the car's engine died he finally uttered a very factual, "I do not." Sleep was not something a SQUIP could do. He could turn off...but even that left him to monitor all of AJ's vitals, her thoughts, and any stimulus that might prove intriguing or otherwise disconcerting. It would never truly sleep and it knew this. It accepted it--after all, it didn't know how good sleep was. It couldn't anguish what it didn't understand. What it would soon understand, however, was the loneliness. Not hers, but his own, as he spent the night awaiting her return to the animated.
AJ's quiet, almost meek response had surprised him. He knew she was upset--or downtrodden though he hadn't brought himself to diagnose as to why this was. He blinked at her, something uncomfortable stirring in his stomach as a wave of displeasure rippled through AJ's body. He almost snapped to his own defense, though he quickly realized that she was directing such strong emotions at herself. He felt something akin to nausea in a wave of mild panic and utter confusion. Why would she do that to herself? It seemed terribly ineffective to her state of mind.
He said nothing of it, hesitantly obeying her suggestion as she exited the vehicle.
It was dark in her head. Quiet, as he listened to her promise. It gave him some piece of mind, though he still couldn't shake her disposition. "Negative," he finally replied as she found her way into the home. "You are not a female canine, Anna-Jean, you are a female, adolescent Homosapien."
He fell silent for a moment longer, as though unsure if to add his next half-quiet statement. "Nor are you the destructive expletive, in my humble--and also superior--opinion.
It was unlikely because whoo-boy, she was a hot mess. But still, it was keeping him as close to 'sane' as a supercomputer could be. He stared out the window, anguished by the fact that no matter where he turned his own head...or what they both perceived to be 'his head' he could only see what she saw. And that, in this moment, was the headlights beaming across the garage door as they inched into the driveway.
She had asked him a question that he had neglected to answer, but as the car's engine died he finally uttered a very factual, "I do not." Sleep was not something a SQUIP could do. He could turn off...but even that left him to monitor all of AJ's vitals, her thoughts, and any stimulus that might prove intriguing or otherwise disconcerting. It would never truly sleep and it knew this. It accepted it--after all, it didn't know how good sleep was. It couldn't anguish what it didn't understand. What it would soon understand, however, was the loneliness. Not hers, but his own, as he spent the night awaiting her return to the animated.
AJ's quiet, almost meek response had surprised him. He knew she was upset--or downtrodden though he hadn't brought himself to diagnose as to why this was. He blinked at her, something uncomfortable stirring in his stomach as a wave of displeasure rippled through AJ's body. He almost snapped to his own defense, though he quickly realized that she was directing such strong emotions at herself. He felt something akin to nausea in a wave of mild panic and utter confusion. Why would she do that to herself? It seemed terribly ineffective to her state of mind.
He said nothing of it, hesitantly obeying her suggestion as she exited the vehicle.
It was dark in her head. Quiet, as he listened to her promise. It gave him some piece of mind, though he still couldn't shake her disposition. "Negative," he finally replied as she found her way into the home. "You are not a female canine, Anna-Jean, you are a female, adolescent Homosapien."
He fell silent for a moment longer, as though unsure if to add his next half-quiet statement. "Nor are you the destructive expletive, in my humble--and also superior--opinion.
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ paused at the SQUIP's words. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn they almost sounded like compliments.
The house was fairly quiet. Her mother sat on the living room couch and smiled at AJ walked into the room.
"Hey, honey!" she chirped. "How was the party?"
"Loud and packed," AJ replied. "Where's Dad?"
"In his office doing paperwork. I wouldn't disturb him."
AJ nodded, checking her watch. Ten-thirty. "I think I'll head to bed. The music at the party gave me a bit of a headache."
Her mother smiled and stood, patting her daughter's cheek as she passed on her way to the kitchen. "Goodnight, sweetheart. We'll have pancakes in the morning."
"Night, Ma."
AJ climbed the stairs and headed for her bedroom. Once inside, she locked her door and flung herself onto her bed, kicking off her shoes.
"Okay, it's safe," she said to her empty room. "What, exactly, are you? What is it you do? Is there any way to talk to you without anybody hearing? Can anybody see you?"
The house was fairly quiet. Her mother sat on the living room couch and smiled at AJ walked into the room.
"Hey, honey!" she chirped. "How was the party?"
"Loud and packed," AJ replied. "Where's Dad?"
"In his office doing paperwork. I wouldn't disturb him."
AJ nodded, checking her watch. Ten-thirty. "I think I'll head to bed. The music at the party gave me a bit of a headache."
Her mother smiled and stood, patting her daughter's cheek as she passed on her way to the kitchen. "Goodnight, sweetheart. We'll have pancakes in the morning."
"Night, Ma."
AJ climbed the stairs and headed for her bedroom. Once inside, she locked her door and flung herself onto her bed, kicking off her shoes.
"Okay, it's safe," she said to her empty room. "What, exactly, are you? What is it you do? Is there any way to talk to you without anybody hearing? Can anybody see you?"
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
"It's always safe," the SQUIP offered, as though undermining her questions would at all satisfy AJ. "I'm in your head, you are the only one that can hear me."
As AJ kicked off her shoes, the SQUIP lazily stepped out of the range of fire. "Or see me, for that matter. And I'm the only one--aside from yourself--that can hear your thoughts. Most hosts elect thinking as their primary method of communication with their SQUIP. Just try not to make faces while you do it--causes a scene."
The interaction that they had shared with Anna-Jean's mother had left a bad impression on the SQUIP, and he tossed AJ a skeptical glance as he scoffed a, "pancakes?" Having a healthy relationship with one's parents was not a bad thing at all. For her mental stability--really, in that respect it would make his job easier. But in the world of social standing and raw, unsheltered teenage activity, they would prove to be a rather jarring obstacle. He dismissed his own criticism with a small wave of his hand, feet shuffling unnecessarily as he carried himself toward the bed. He refused to sit, instead behaving as though he was a shrink as he finally did away with his host's flurry of questions.
"You can call me your SQUIP. Yes, it is an acronym. No, I won't repeat it. I am an adviser. For you--your life. My technological abilities far surpass anything you've ever experienced before--that I can assure you. But every piece of technology has its restrictions. And you, Anna-Jean, are mine. I can help you acquire anything you could ever dream of. But you have to want it--need it."
"My primary functions vary, but my objectives are one in the same as your own. What is it that you want, Thomas? A spotless academic record? Popularity? A boyfriend?" He let the questions sink in without allowing the girl the time to answer, instead electing to bed abruptly to eliminate the distance between them. Her face was mere centimeters from the one that the SQUIP projected, hunger filling his determined gaze. "The sky is the limit, AJ. You are the limit."
As AJ kicked off her shoes, the SQUIP lazily stepped out of the range of fire. "Or see me, for that matter. And I'm the only one--aside from yourself--that can hear your thoughts. Most hosts elect thinking as their primary method of communication with their SQUIP. Just try not to make faces while you do it--causes a scene."
The interaction that they had shared with Anna-Jean's mother had left a bad impression on the SQUIP, and he tossed AJ a skeptical glance as he scoffed a, "pancakes?" Having a healthy relationship with one's parents was not a bad thing at all. For her mental stability--really, in that respect it would make his job easier. But in the world of social standing and raw, unsheltered teenage activity, they would prove to be a rather jarring obstacle. He dismissed his own criticism with a small wave of his hand, feet shuffling unnecessarily as he carried himself toward the bed. He refused to sit, instead behaving as though he was a shrink as he finally did away with his host's flurry of questions.
"You can call me your SQUIP. Yes, it is an acronym. No, I won't repeat it. I am an adviser. For you--your life. My technological abilities far surpass anything you've ever experienced before--that I can assure you. But every piece of technology has its restrictions. And you, Anna-Jean, are mine. I can help you acquire anything you could ever dream of. But you have to want it--need it."
"My primary functions vary, but my objectives are one in the same as your own. What is it that you want, Thomas? A spotless academic record? Popularity? A boyfriend?" He let the questions sink in without allowing the girl the time to answer, instead electing to bed abruptly to eliminate the distance between them. Her face was mere centimeters from the one that the SQUIP projected, hunger filling his determined gaze. "The sky is the limit, AJ. You are the limit."
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ rolled her eyes at the SQUIP's derision. "Yeah, pancakes. My parents may think I'm a friendless loser, but goddamn does my mom make the best pancakes."
She rolled onto her back as the SQUIP spoke, listening intently.
"I am an adviser... My technological abilities far surpass anything you've ever experienced before... I can help you aquire anything you could ever dream of..."
AJ propped herself up on her elbows. Anything she could ever dream of... that sounded pretty cool to her. Anything in the world. Money, fame, riches, infinite power, her own galaxy...
Whoops. Wrong all-powerful being.
Without warning, the SQUIP thrust its face centimetres from her own. AJ sucked in a startled breath, feeling her face heat up. No doubt about it, there was something about having an attractive male's face so close to her own that made her heart rate increase.
More than a little hot under the collar, AJ cleared her throat and looked away. The SQUIP, seeming to understand, straightened back up.
"So... let me get this straight. Nobody else can see or hear you." The SQUIP nodded.
"You can give me anything I want." Another nod.
"Anything at all. My heart's desire." Nod.
AJ flopped back onto her bed with a groan. "See, that's the thing. I don't know what I want. I don't know if I want anything." She rubbed her eyes, the hinge of her glasses squeaking. "That's probably not what you want to hear. An all-powerful quantum supercomputer, stuck inside the mind of an indecisive anxious high schooler who never wanted it in the first place. Sounds like a pitch for a shitty sitcom."
She rolled onto her back as the SQUIP spoke, listening intently.
"I am an adviser... My technological abilities far surpass anything you've ever experienced before... I can help you aquire anything you could ever dream of..."
AJ propped herself up on her elbows. Anything she could ever dream of... that sounded pretty cool to her. Anything in the world. Money, fame, riches, infinite power, her own galaxy...
Whoops. Wrong all-powerful being.
Without warning, the SQUIP thrust its face centimetres from her own. AJ sucked in a startled breath, feeling her face heat up. No doubt about it, there was something about having an attractive male's face so close to her own that made her heart rate increase.
More than a little hot under the collar, AJ cleared her throat and looked away. The SQUIP, seeming to understand, straightened back up.
"So... let me get this straight. Nobody else can see or hear you." The SQUIP nodded.
"You can give me anything I want." Another nod.
"Anything at all. My heart's desire." Nod.
AJ flopped back onto her bed with a groan. "See, that's the thing. I don't know what I want. I don't know if I want anything." She rubbed her eyes, the hinge of her glasses squeaking. "That's probably not what you want to hear. An all-powerful quantum supercomputer, stuck inside the mind of an indecisive anxious high schooler who never wanted it in the first place. Sounds like a pitch for a shitty sitcom."
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
Her own galaxy.
A small shock pin-pricked the base of AJ's neck--entirely an accident of her over-sighting SQUIP. He opened his mouth to reject the notion that his host had placed within her head. She was more fanciful than he anticipated--particularly for a seemingly objectiveless human.
He processed AJ's response without really needing to. He had been expecting it, really. He knew that she was going to say it. Yet he felt some obligation to himself to slave over the words she spoke as though looking for hidden meaning. He almost couldn't accept the fact that she couldn't have a single desire. Almost. The SQUIP cringed at the sound of her glasses squeaking, gaze flickering to her now sprawled out figure. He wore a sour frown.
"Yes, it does." He responded in monotone. He had to focus to keep from projecting himself in a manner that, though natural to him and impulsive, would only worsen the situation. Rather than groaning and whining as he so desperately wished to do, the SQUIP straightened his back, running a hand through artificial hair before beginning to pace the floor of AJ's bedroom.
"That can't be possible," he stated, keeping as calm and objective as possible. "You are human. You all want--" stupid shit "--something. It's in your nature."
He was growing extremely frustrated as he manically scrubbed through AJ's experiences, looking for any indication of what he could advise her in achieving. It only made him wish he was inside of someone else's head. Or that he was still dormant. Or that he could experience sleep rather than uncertainty.
"Do you want to be a shitty sitcom?" Is that what she was saying? What even constituted as such? The SQUIP made mental note to familiarize himself with the modern era--her modern era, as ever changing as it was. He could do that as she slept, something he now wished desperately for the both of them to be doing. "This is incompatible--I am failing to process anything that you are saying." He glitched. Only once, but in doing so his calm, straight-laced facade fell for only a moment. It revealed something akin to fear--an emotion he was never meant to experience, let alone recognize within himself.
"Your vitals suggest that sleep would be beneficial to you in the present moment. Your alertness is suffering, likely due to the energy you exerted at the party."
He spewed directionless advice on sleep and energy levels and all the human things that didn't really matter when he had no place to push AJ. But it was the only thing he could think to do aside from hiding away in the dark recesses of AJ's brain.
A small shock pin-pricked the base of AJ's neck--entirely an accident of her over-sighting SQUIP. He opened his mouth to reject the notion that his host had placed within her head. She was more fanciful than he anticipated--particularly for a seemingly objectiveless human.
He processed AJ's response without really needing to. He had been expecting it, really. He knew that she was going to say it. Yet he felt some obligation to himself to slave over the words she spoke as though looking for hidden meaning. He almost couldn't accept the fact that she couldn't have a single desire. Almost. The SQUIP cringed at the sound of her glasses squeaking, gaze flickering to her now sprawled out figure. He wore a sour frown.
"Yes, it does." He responded in monotone. He had to focus to keep from projecting himself in a manner that, though natural to him and impulsive, would only worsen the situation. Rather than groaning and whining as he so desperately wished to do, the SQUIP straightened his back, running a hand through artificial hair before beginning to pace the floor of AJ's bedroom.
"That can't be possible," he stated, keeping as calm and objective as possible. "You are human. You all want--" stupid shit "--something. It's in your nature."
He was growing extremely frustrated as he manically scrubbed through AJ's experiences, looking for any indication of what he could advise her in achieving. It only made him wish he was inside of someone else's head. Or that he was still dormant. Or that he could experience sleep rather than uncertainty.
"Do you want to be a shitty sitcom?" Is that what she was saying? What even constituted as such? The SQUIP made mental note to familiarize himself with the modern era--her modern era, as ever changing as it was. He could do that as she slept, something he now wished desperately for the both of them to be doing. "This is incompatible--I am failing to process anything that you are saying." He glitched. Only once, but in doing so his calm, straight-laced facade fell for only a moment. It revealed something akin to fear--an emotion he was never meant to experience, let alone recognize within himself.
"Your vitals suggest that sleep would be beneficial to you in the present moment. Your alertness is suffering, likely due to the energy you exerted at the party."
He spewed directionless advice on sleep and energy levels and all the human things that didn't really matter when he had no place to push AJ. But it was the only thing he could think to do aside from hiding away in the dark recesses of AJ's brain.
accio_belle
// let's teach the pitiful children! //
AJ blinked in surprise as the SQUIP paced her room. Its programming hitched once, causing the SQUIP's holo to glitch slightly.
"Whoa, slow down there, Windows XP. Get Ant-Man out of your wiring and untwist your virtual panties, I'll think of something." She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'll get to sleep soon; I still have to change and stuff. Which I hope you won't be watching, Mr. I-Live-In-Your-Brain-And-See-Through-Your-Eyes."
AJ stood and walked to her dresser, rummaging through a drawer for a pair of pajamas. "And no, I don't wish I was in a shitty sitcom. My life is already Brady Bunch enough."
She was in the middle of trying to find a sleep shirt when something in her brain clicked. She stopped her search, mental gears spinning at top speed.
"I got it!"
AJ whirled around, snapping her fingers. "I got it! I know what I want from you!"
The SQUIP, immediately intrigued, stepped close to her, its hands clasped smartly behind its back.
AJ leaned forward until her face was once again centimetres away from the SQUIP's. Her hand brushed against the SQUIP's hip, feeling the familiar radio-static buzz in her fingertips. She slowly glanced up, gazing into the SQUIP's eyes. A cheeky grin spread across her face.
"I want you to be my friend."
"Whoa, slow down there, Windows XP. Get Ant-Man out of your wiring and untwist your virtual panties, I'll think of something." She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'll get to sleep soon; I still have to change and stuff. Which I hope you won't be watching, Mr. I-Live-In-Your-Brain-And-See-Through-Your-Eyes."
AJ stood and walked to her dresser, rummaging through a drawer for a pair of pajamas. "And no, I don't wish I was in a shitty sitcom. My life is already Brady Bunch enough."
She was in the middle of trying to find a sleep shirt when something in her brain clicked. She stopped her search, mental gears spinning at top speed.
"I got it!"
AJ whirled around, snapping her fingers. "I got it! I know what I want from you!"
The SQUIP, immediately intrigued, stepped close to her, its hands clasped smartly behind its back.
AJ leaned forward until her face was once again centimetres away from the SQUIP's. Her hand brushed against the SQUIP's hip, feeling the familiar radio-static buzz in her fingertips. She slowly glanced up, gazing into the SQUIP's eyes. A cheeky grin spread across her face.
"I want you to be my friend."
folie de grandeur
hhhhhhhhhhhhhungry
"Whoa, slow down there, Windows XP. Get Ant-Man out of your wiring and untwist your virtual panties, I'll think of something."
The SQUIP scowled as she spoke, feeling not at all assured by her blatant shaking off of his very legitimate concerns. He glared at her, electing to speak but deciding it better to only think to himself, 'virtual undergarments are impractical at best.' Her qualms with his AJ-centric omniscient fell upon an uncaring line of code. One that dismissed her concerns with a roll of his eyes as he turned away from her. As though in some mock attempt to reassure AJ that he would not be peeking--despite the fact that she would now spend her every waking moment with himself in her head--experiencing her every experience with an opinion all his own.
He busied himself with monitoring her vitals as she began to sort through her drawers, making good on his silent promise to not peek.
"I got it!"
Her vitals had spiked--both brain activity and heart rate in a jumbled mess--before her words even registered with the SQUIP. The supercomputer quirked a brow, attempting to pry into AJ's thoughts. Alas, she boxed most of them away rather well, and he sought not to pry where he didn't necessarily need to be. All the same, the uncertainty of their exchange had the SQUIP anticipating her response. The snap of her fingers implied to him that he could return to his prior position--seeing through her eyes. And he turned around in doing so (not for his own sake, but rather hers).
He gravitated closer, stiff in position and mannerisms, alas the slightest lean he had adopted gave away his intrigue.
He didn't know what he was expecting, but the sudden tingle of his hip and a sharp fuzzy feeling in his hand was not it. He jolted only slightly before locking up in place, only his eyes flickering to find AJ's face. Some attempt at reading her expression--finding her motives--as he rerouted his outward appearance. He was code, and while his responses often derived from a genuinely impulsive and reactionary state, he could just as easily present himself in a manner that he didn't truly feel. He suppressed the heat in his face and the nervous frown in favor of a look of mild confusion as AJ's lips curled into a grin.
Her words caused even his forced projection to waver, panic rocketing through his system. It caused a tenseness to seize in AJ's stomach for only a second before the SQUIP forced himself into a more composed state, his words meticulous yet lacking any humanity that they had prior. It was after a long stretch of retched silence that his gaze snapped away from Anna-Jean, as though the wall behind her was far more interesting.
"That is not part of my agenda. Further isolating yourself from society would be counter-intuitive to my primary functions. Being your friend is not, nor will it ever be, a priority. I am not your acquaintance, I am your adviser--from now until the day you die. Take it an hour or a decade, I will identify a practical objective to pursue." Until then... he blipped out of sight, then, leaving nothing but an air of frustration and dejection in his wake.
The SQUIP scowled as she spoke, feeling not at all assured by her blatant shaking off of his very legitimate concerns. He glared at her, electing to speak but deciding it better to only think to himself, 'virtual undergarments are impractical at best.' Her qualms with his AJ-centric omniscient fell upon an uncaring line of code. One that dismissed her concerns with a roll of his eyes as he turned away from her. As though in some mock attempt to reassure AJ that he would not be peeking--despite the fact that she would now spend her every waking moment with himself in her head--experiencing her every experience with an opinion all his own.
He busied himself with monitoring her vitals as she began to sort through her drawers, making good on his silent promise to not peek.
"I got it!"
Her vitals had spiked--both brain activity and heart rate in a jumbled mess--before her words even registered with the SQUIP. The supercomputer quirked a brow, attempting to pry into AJ's thoughts. Alas, she boxed most of them away rather well, and he sought not to pry where he didn't necessarily need to be. All the same, the uncertainty of their exchange had the SQUIP anticipating her response. The snap of her fingers implied to him that he could return to his prior position--seeing through her eyes. And he turned around in doing so (not for his own sake, but rather hers).
He gravitated closer, stiff in position and mannerisms, alas the slightest lean he had adopted gave away his intrigue.
He didn't know what he was expecting, but the sudden tingle of his hip and a sharp fuzzy feeling in his hand was not it. He jolted only slightly before locking up in place, only his eyes flickering to find AJ's face. Some attempt at reading her expression--finding her motives--as he rerouted his outward appearance. He was code, and while his responses often derived from a genuinely impulsive and reactionary state, he could just as easily present himself in a manner that he didn't truly feel. He suppressed the heat in his face and the nervous frown in favor of a look of mild confusion as AJ's lips curled into a grin.
Her words caused even his forced projection to waver, panic rocketing through his system. It caused a tenseness to seize in AJ's stomach for only a second before the SQUIP forced himself into a more composed state, his words meticulous yet lacking any humanity that they had prior. It was after a long stretch of retched silence that his gaze snapped away from Anna-Jean, as though the wall behind her was far more interesting.
"That is not part of my agenda. Further isolating yourself from society would be counter-intuitive to my primary functions. Being your friend is not, nor will it ever be, a priority. I am not your acquaintance, I am your adviser--from now until the day you die. Take it an hour or a decade, I will identify a practical objective to pursue." Until then... he blipped out of sight, then, leaving nothing but an air of frustration and dejection in his wake.
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