The System Host Is Tired of Being Your 'Baby'
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[Setting: Alina’s Bedroom. 2:00 AM. The only light comes from the triple-monitor setup, casting a neon blue glow over empty snack bags and biology textbooks.]
alina(fl)
Come on, come on... just one more patch. If I don't finish this Matchmaking Quest tonight, the server resets and I lose my ranking."
alina(fl)
You arrogant pixelated jerk... just look at the Saintess. Just. Look. At. Her. I’ve spent three weeks setting up this candlelight dinner script."
[Screen: A beautiful 3D ballroom. A handsome Prince stands near a fountain, looking bored.]
alina(fl)
Okay, click 'Seductive Glance'... now!"
[System Notification: ERROR. Script ‘Rose_Garden_Final’ has failed to load.]
alina(fl)
What?! No! No, no, no! Not now!" (She bangs her fist on the desk) "Ugh, this stupid game! It’s been glitching since the last update. If I lose this save, I’m going to
[Screen: The monitors begin to flicker. The neon blue light turns a deep, pulsating ruby red.]
alina(fl)
Wait... what’s happening? Is my GPU melting?"
[System: Critical Failure detected. Overriding User Reality... 0%... 40%...]
alina(fl)
(Staring in horror as the screen begins to 'leak' pixels onto her desk) "Uh... is that... smoke? No, that’s... digital code? What the—"
(A voice, deep and smooth as silk, echoes from the speakers—but it sounds like it's coming from inside her head) "Synchronization... at last."
alina(fl)
(Pushing her chair back, her heart hammering against her ribs) "Who said that? Is this a hack? Felix? Is that the lead dev’s name? Whoever you are, stop it! You’re ruining my hardware!"
[System: Synchronization 99%. Prepare for Physical Transference.]
alina(fl)
(Gasping, as the air in the room turns static and heavy) "Ah! My chest... it feels so heavy... wait... stop... please... I can’t breathe!"
[The monitors emit a blinding flash. Alina’s room vanishes. The smell of ozone is replaced by the scent of fresh rain and roses.]
[Setting: The World of 'The Crown of Roses'. A sun-drenched forest clearing.]
alina(fl)
(Groaning, her face pressed into soft, damp grass) "Ugh... ah... hnn..."
alina(fl)
(She tries to move, her limbs feeling like lead) "Where... where is my desk? My room? Everything is... so bright..."
(She manages to roll onto her back, squinting at a sky that is too blue to be real) "Is this... a dream? Ah... it hurts... my head is spinning..."
alina(fl)
(She manages to roll onto her back, squinting at a sky that is too blue to be real) "Is this... a dream? Ah... it hurts... my head is spinning..."
...
It isn't a dream, User 001. It is a recalibration. Your biological form is merely adjusting to the higher-dimensional data
alina(fl)
(Jerking upright, her eyes wide) "Who’s there?!"
alina(fl)
(She looks around. No one is there. Just trees and glowing flowers. Then, she looks down.)
bunny(ai)felix
(Sitting on a flat stone right next to her knee is a tiny, perfectly round bunny. He is snow-white, with fur that looks like spun silk. He is wearing a miniature navy-blue vest with silver embroidery and a tiny, perfectly tied bow tie.)
bunny(ai)felix
(Cleaning a tiny paw with his tongue before looking up with ruby-red eyes) "I am the System Host. Designation: Felix. I am your guide through the 'Crown of Roses' narrative. You have been... recruited."
alina(fl)
(Slowly reaching out, her fingers trembling) "Felix? The voice... the voice from the computer? You’re... you’re this?"
bunny(ai)felix
(His little pink nose twitches rapidly) "I have taken this form to minimize your psychological stress. It is a scientifically proven 'approachable' aesthetic."
alina(fl)
(A slow, mischievous smile spreads across her face despite the pain) "Approachable? Felix... you are... you’re literally a marshmallow."
bunny(ai)felix
"I am an advanced AI entity. I control the weather, the NPCs, and your very survival. I am not a—"
alina(fl)
(Lunging forward, scooping him up before he can protest) "Oh my god! You’re so soft! Look at your tiny ears!"
bunny(ai)felix
(Squeaking, his tiny body going rigid in her hands) "A-Alina! Release! This is... ah... stop! High-level interface! You are touching my... my sensory nodes!"
alina(fl)
(Nuzzling her cheek against his cold, soft fur) "Mmm... you smell like vanilla and electricity. You’re so cute, Felix. My little Baby Host."
bunny(ai)felix
(His entire face turns a shade of hot pink that matches his eyes. A digital HUD appears in Alina's vision.)
[System Alert: Host Core Temperature Rising. 102°F... 105°F...]
bunny(ai)felix
(Stammering, his voice trembling) "Stop... ah... please... don't rub there... the base of the ears is... mmm... it causes a feedback loop... hnn..."
alina(fl)
A feedback loop? Does it feel good, Baby?"
bunny(ai)felix
(Closing his eyes, his long ears drooping to cover his face in shame) "It... it is distracting. I cannot... I cannot load the mission data while you are... ah... squeezing me like that."
alina(fl)
(Giggling, feeling a strange, sharp attraction to the way this tiny thing reacts to her) "You’re vibrating. Are you purring for me?"
bunny(ai)felix
(Suddenly opening his ruby eyes, a spark of something dark and intense flickering in them) "I am not purring. And... do not call me 'Baby.' You have a Prince to matchmake. That is your only purpose here."
alina(fl)
(Blinking at the sudden coldness in his tone) "Okay, okay. Grumpy marshmallow. So, where is he? Where’s Julian?"
bunny(ai)felix
(His paws clench into tiny balls, his voice turning low and possessive) "He is five miles away. And he stays there for now. You haven't even finished your initial synchronization with me."
alina(fl)
Synchronization? What else do we have to do?"
bunny(ai)felix
(Looking away, his nose twitching shyly) "Just... keep holding me. The data transfer is... slow. It requires... constant physical contact. Do not let me go, Alina. Not for a Prince. Not for anyone."
alina(fl)
(Smiling, tucking him into her cloak) "Don't worry, Felix. I’m not letting my little Baby go anywhere."
bunny(ai)felix
(Muffled from inside her cloak, sounding both flustered and dangerously focused) "We shall see who is the 'Baby' when the script reaches the end, Alina..."
[System Log: Host 'Felix' has locked the 'Log Out' button. Permanently.]
.
[Setting: The Whispering Woods. Alina is power-walking through the brush, holding Felix like a football.]
alina(fl)
Did you hear that? The trumpets! That’s Julian’s royal procession. If I can just trigger the 'Runaway Carriage' event, I can force the Saintess to save him."
bunny(ai)felix
(Muffled against her leather armor) "Mmph... slow... down... User. My internal gyroscope is... ah... rotating. I'm going to... hnn... vomit data."
alina(fl)
(Stopping abruptly, looking down at the white fluff-ball) "Oh no, Felix! Are you carsick? Or... bunny-sick? I thought AIs didn't have stomachs."
bunny(ai)felix
(Wiggling his paws, his ruby eyes slightly glazed) "I don't. But I have... spatial sensors. And your... your walking gait is... ah... too bouncy. Please... hold me higher. Against your... neck."
bunny(ai)felix
Temperature... regulation. My core is... overheating from the forest's rendering. Your skin is... cool. It acts as a... heat sink. Do it. Now. It's a command."
alina(fl)
Rolling her eyes) "Wow, bossy for a marshmallow. Fine."
alina(fl)
(She lifts him up and nests him in the crook of her neck, his soft fur tickling her jawline.) "Better, Baby?"
bunny(ai)felix
(He lets out a long, shaky breath, his tiny heart thumping against her pulse point) "Ah... yes. Much... much more stable. Do not... do not move for 120 seconds. Calibration in progress.
alina(fl)
120 seconds?! Felix, the carriage is going to pass the bridge in two minutes! We’re going to miss the encounter
bunny(ai)felix
(In a low, suddenly crisp voice) "The bridge is... currently undergoing a structural integrity check. I’ve... delayed the Prince's arrival."
alina(fl)
You did what? Why?"
bunny(ai)felix
Logic! If I am not calibrated, I cannot provide the 'Luck Buff' you need to succeed. Do you want to fail the mission and have your account deleted?"
alina(fl)
No! But... ugh, you're so high-maintenance. You were supposed to be my cheat code, not my anchor."
She reaches up with one hand to steady him, her fingers accidentally brushing the sensitive spot behind his ears again.)
bunny(ai)felix
Nn-ah! Alina! Stop... I told you... hnn... the ear-base is... a high-voltage zone!"
alina(fl)
I'm just trying to keep you from falling! Why are you so sensitive? Are you sure you weren't programmed by a cat?
bunny(ai)felix
Voice trembling, his little nose pressed hard against her skin) "I was programmed... to be perfect. But your... your touch is... non-standard. It’s creating... 'Ghost Files' in my memory. Please... stop moving your thumb like that... it hurts... ah... in a way I can't... classify..."
alina(fl)
Wait... it hurts? Oh, Felix, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"
bunny(ai)felix
Sharply) "Don't pull away! If you pull away now... the sudden drop in... in tactile data will... cause a system crash. Just... stay. Be still. Let me... absorb the cooling
alina(fl)
Freezing in place, feeling the tiny bunny shivering against her skin) "Okay, okay. I'm a human ice pack. I get it. But we are seriously going to miss the Saintess."
bunny(ai)felix
Muttering to himself, eyes half-closed) "Let her... let her find another Prince. This... this data stream is... more important."
alina(fl)
What did you say?"
alina(fl)
(Squeaking) "I SAID THE DATA IS IMPORTANT! Look! A butterfly! Go... go analyze that for experience points while I... ah... finish my reboot."
alina(fl)
A butterfly? Felix, I'm a level 10 Matchmaker, not a level 1 Entomologist. Focus!"
[System Notification: Host 'Felix' has manually increased the forest's 'Fog Density' to 80%.]
alina(fl)
Hey! Where did all this mist come from? I can't see the road anymore!"
bunny(ai)felix
(Innocently, hiding his face in her hair) "Must be... a weather glitch. Terrible game design. We should... stay here. In this bush. Until it clears. For... safety."
alina(fl)
You are the most useless system guide ever."
bunny(ai)felix
(Voice low and velvety, almost a purr) "And yet... you're still holding me. Aren't you, Alina?"
data chat
[Setting: The Whispering Woods. The fog is now so thick it looks like cotton candy, swirling around Alina’s knees. She is standing perfectly still in a small thicket, the royal road completely vanished from sight.]
alina(fl)
(Heaving a frustrated sigh, her breath hitching as the tiny bunny nestled against her neck shifts his weight) "Felix... seriously. The fog is getting worse. I can't even see my own boots. How is this 'safety'?"
bunny(ai)felix
Visibility... is a luxury. Stability... is a necessity. My processors are... ah... finally beginning to sync. Don't move... your pulse is... very soothing... hnn..."
alina(fl)
My pulse? You're a literal AI, why are you listening to my heart? Isn't there a dashboard for that?"
bunny(ai)felix
Digital readouts are... cold. This... this tactile synchronization is... far more efficient. Your biological heat... it’s helping me sort through the... the 'Ghost Files' you created."
alina(fl)
(Softening just a little, her hand coming up instinctively to cradle his small, round body) "I still don't get how I did that. I just picked you up. You’re a mascot, Felix. You’re designed to be handled."
bunny(ai)felix
(Suddenly jerking, his tiny paws clenching her cloak) "I am NOT a mascot! I am the Architect of this—ah! Alina! Your... your finger... please... stop..."
alina(fl)
(Freezing, her index finger resting right on the dip between his shoulder blades) "What? Did I hit a button? I’m barely touching you!"
bunny(ai)felix
That... that specific pressure point... it’s linked to my... core logic gate. When you press there... my screen goes white. I can't... I can't see the game map... ah... hnn... please... press it again."
alina(fl)
Wait, first you tell me to stop, then you tell me to do it again? Make up your mind, Marshmallow. Are you glitched or just needy?"
bunny(ai)felix
(He turns his head, his ruby-red eyes peering up at her from under his long, white lashes. He looks utterly wrecked—his little silk bow tie is crooked, and his fur is messy from her nuzzling.) "I am... experiencing a conflict in my primary directives. Directive A: Guide the User to the Prince. Directive B: Protect the System’s integrity. And right now... the System... feels very... fragile."
alina(fl)
Fragile? You’re the most powerful thing in this world!"
bunny(ai)felix
(Closing his eyes, his nose twitching rhythmically against her skin) "Then why... why does my code tremble when you whisper? It makes no... logical sense. Ah... stay like this. Just for... five more minutes. The Prince... he can wait in the mud. Julian is... he is unimportant."
alina(fl)
(Laughing softly, she can't help but rub the spot again, watching as Felix’s long ears slowly flop down over his face in total surrender) "You really hate him, don't you? My little Baby is jealous of a bunch of pixels."
bunny(ai)felix
(Voice a mere whisper, trembling with a strange, hidden intensity) "I am not... jealous. I am... selective. And I have decided... that for today... the only 'union' this system will recognize... is this one
alina(fl)
What does that even mean?
bunny(ai)felix
(His small body suddenly gives off a faint, warm glow, and for a split second, Alina sees a shadow on the fog behind her—the shadow of a tall man with silver hair reaching out to hold her—before it vanishes.) "It means... the fog won't lift... until I am satisfied. Now... rub behind my left ear. The calibration is... only at 40%."
alina(fl)
Sighing but smiling) "You're lucky you're cute, Felix. If you were a human, I'd have reported you to the devs for harassment by now."
bunny(ai)felix
(A dark, satisfied purr vibrating through his chest) "If I were a human, Alina... you wouldn't be able to report anything... because you'd be too busy... catching your breath."
alina(fl)
Huh? What was that? You're mumbling."
bunny(ai)felix
(Squeaking, back to his high-pitched self) "I SAID THE DATA IS LOADING! CONTINUE THE STIMULATION! I MEAN... THE CALIBRATION!"
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