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This is obviously inspired by TADC. But I also feel like this is in character for Grace.
An eerie, robotic melody brought you to the don’t go crazy room.
You found Grace with a microphone to his lips, singing. Rocky sat beside him in his ball, trilling the song in his own language. The screens surrounding them showed two people, bike riding across a dirt path. At the bottom of the screen were lyrics to a song.
Your face twisted. “Why the hell are you singing Daisy Bell?”
Ryland lowered the microphone. He reached his hand out to the laptop next to his leg and hit the keyboard. The song finally stopped.
Grace smiled. “I was just showing Rocky some earth history. This was the first song using computer speech synthesis in 1961.”
Rocky clapped two of his claws together. “Yes yes. Very interesting.”
You shuddered. “Dude, this song is horrifying! It’s creepy, and it’s used in horror movies.”
Grace’s face crinkled in amusement. He readjusted his glasses.
Rocky tilted his carapace. “Does friend not like song, question?”
Grace chuckled and patted Rocky’s ball. “It appears they do not.”
Grace pulled himself to his feet and approached you. You eyed him in confusion.
He took a big inhale and opened his mouth. “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do~”
Your face fell in horror, taking a step back. “No, stop it!” you cried, like an owner scolding their dog.
Grace paused to hold in a snicker. He extended his hands out to grab yours. His thumbs rested across your knuckles as he tugged you towards him.
“I’m half crazy, all for the love of you!” Grace continued, his voice growing louder.
You let him pull you across the room with a sigh. Rocky scuttled towards your leg, looking between you and Grace.
“What is Grace doing?” Rocky asked.
You let out a long sigh. “He’s torturing me.”
Rocky stared at you. “Oh.”
Grace stopped singing and let out a wheeze. He spun you around as Rocky followed.
He turned his head to Rocky. “Rocky, sing the next part!”
“It won’t be a stylish marriage?” Rocky said, his voice confused. He was a lot more off key than Grace.
Grace shook his head. “I can’t afford a carriage,” he sang slowly.
In unison, Grace and Rocky said, “But you’ll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!”
Grace let go of your hands. Your torture finally ended.
You slowly clapped with a deadpan expression. “Nicely done, fellas.”
Rocky lifted his carapace higher, like he was puffing his chest. “Thank.”
Grace rubbed your back to placate you. “You wanna pick out the next song?”
You shrugged and grabbed the laptop on the floor. You situated the device on your lap.
Imagine Ryland as your older brother (but not by blood)…
He’s there to pick you up if you’re too drunk to drive back home, maybe from a bar or a get together with friends. He always pays the bill when you go out to eat with him, despite his teacher's salary. The staff at the diner you frequent assumed you were blood related siblings until you corrected them.
Ryland offered you one of his oversized jackets after a bad storm/ cold weather, which you never returned. If he’s feeling mean, he’ll tease you whether he’s getting his shirt back (it’s no, it’s always a no). Ryland forces you to ride bikes together, insisting that it’s good exercise. You can never keep up with him while riding around hills and need to take frequent breaks.
When he’s engrossed in a project, whether it be work or otherwise, you bring him back to reality. You practically have to pull him away from his work to make sure he’s eaten. And afterwards, make him play a game (maybe a video game or a board game) or watch an animal documentary.
You get into frequent bickering spats (which you typically instigate), but it’s always playful and never taken too seriously. You like to piss Ryland off by declaring that the Earth is flat or insisting that lizard people are real. It’s such an easy tactic to ruffle his feathers, and he falls for it every time. It’s a strategy you pull when he isn’t listening to you or ignoring his own needs.
I like to imagine you’re one of the few people to call Grace by his first name. Grace is basically a nickname for him, but you’ve always called him by his first name because that’s how he introduced himself to you. Or maybe you’ll shorten it and call him ‘Ry’ instead. And you probably call him a nerd (derogatory), all the time. Ryland sometimes talks about you at school, maybe in passing with his students. His colleagues know of you as well.
Your sibling-like relationship with Ryland makes it more heartbreaking when he’s taken away to work on Project Hail Mary. You are someone that Stratt notes when Ryland (against his will) boards the Hail Mary to save Earth. You’re also the person Ryland wants to be brave for, and that’s something that helps him when he regains his memories.
Yeah he’s seen the movie! He was looking forward to it and actually met the author before!
Oh, that’s cool! Meeting an author after reading a book is such a cool experience. I imagine it must feel even more surreal given that the movie became a blockbuster hit.
I went into the movie completely blind, and I only knew that Ryan Gosling was in it. I watched it with my roommates (two of whom that already watched it). I was totally convinced Rocky was gonna die.
And I vividly remember commenting on the scene where Blip-A is trying to send a message to Hail Mary. I said something like, “it could be a bomb”. And then Grace said the same thing. It got a good laugh out of my friend and me.
Love imagining Ryland as my older brother (I say as someone with a great older brother who’s into aerospace already 😂)
Aw, that’s a funny coincidence! Did he watch PHM? I’ve grown up with sisters, so I have no idea what it’s like having a brother (you could say I became the brother, though…)
Idk, Ryland just gives off older brother vibes. Or like, the kind of guy to pretend to be a stranger’s boyfriend at a bar to get a creep away from them. And probably takes that person to their car if they wanna go home. Grace doesn’t have any close connections with anyone on Earth. I wanna imagine the reader as his little sibling, let me have this!!
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what do u think the reader's relationship is with Grace? Is it like older bro vibes?
I’m projecting here, but I imagine Reader is in their 20s. Don’t take my words as fact, though! That’s just my interpretation. So, Grace is an estimated 10ish years older than them (pre-PHM mission).
Grace makes some pop culture references Reader doesn’t get, and vice versa. Grace doesn’t know what Vine was in my eyes, much to Reader’s dismay. But he makes slang jokes, given that he’s a middle school teacher. I like to think Reader is horrified each time he does this, like why is a 30-year-old man saying “67”? During one of the school’s holiday breaks, Grace probably forces them to watch all of Star Wars, and he info dumps during the entire marathon.
Grace might give off older brother vibes, in the sense that he’s on speed dial if Reader is in an emergency or he intervenes if they feel unsafe at a bar. The way I’ve written Grace so far, though, doesn’t entirely articulate that. I’m trying to write him in a platonic relationship with Reader so far! That’s something I’ve been more interested in these last couple of years.
Summary: Your relationship with Ryland is just on a friendship level, but that doesn’t stop others from assuming you’re in a romantic relationship with him.
You walked out of the apartment lobby with Ryland, passing two elderly women near the entrance.
“Are those two together?” whispered one of them.
“No. I think they’re just neighbors…” said the other woman.
Ryland held the door open for you. You turned to Ryland, holding back a snicker. He shook his head in response.
Most of the time, the assumptions people have with your relationship with him is humorous, but a little annoying. But sometimes, this assumption can be used to your advantage.
You were out with Ryland at a bar, which is something you occasionally did with him.
He left you momentarily to order drinks, and as he made his way back to you, another patron was chatting with you. He could tell by the way you folded in on yourself that you were uncomfortable.
Ryland, with a tight smile, handed you your drink. He got between you and this other person, lifting his head a little higher and squared his shoulders.
Ryland turned towards you. “Hey, who’s this?”
The patron quickly excused themself. You breathed a sigh of relief and took a big sip of your drink. Ryland asked if you wanted to leave, but you wanted to at least stay and finish your drink first.
And then, you’ve had to step in for Ryland before. He was at the bar while you went to the bathroom. After returning, you noticed a woman talking to him.
Ryland didn’t look entirely uncomfortable, but his leg was bouncing slightly against the floor. His index finger tapped against the beer bottle in his hand.
Quickening your pace, you appeared behind him, hooking your arm over his elbow. You puffed out your chest. He tensed at first, then visibly relaxed once he saw you.
You smiled brightly at the woman, fingers gripping his arm. You didn’t have to say a single word to get your point across.
Back off.
The woman looked between you and Ryland, cogs turning in her head. She took a step back, murmured something, and left. Ryland slumped his back against the bar stool, smiling up at you awkwardly.
You released your arm from his. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, pushing his glasses up. “Yeah. I think she was trying to get my number or something.”
You arched a brow. "Did you give it to her?"
He shook his head. "You stepped in before she could."
You gave him a lopsided smile. “Wanna leave? This place is getting too loud for me, anyway.”
Ryland finished the rest of his beer and pulled himself to his feet. He threw out the bottle in a recycling bin as you both left. You pushed the door open, holding it for Ryland. The cool night air hit your face, a breeze rustling your clothes.
You elbowed Ryland. “I forget how toned you are. Your arm is all muscle.”
You gestured to his arm that you held inside the bar. “Damn, what are they feeding you at school? You’re built like a Ken doll.”
Ryland waved his hand, heat creeping onto his cheeks. You held in a chuckle at his embarrassment.
“Sometimes it’s helpful when people assume we’re a couple.”
Ryland nodded, his hair even messier from the wind. “Yeah. Yeah, sometimes it is.”
You are anemic, and it’s something you don’t take care of consistently. Thankfully (or unfortunately) for you, Ryland is always around to remind you to take care of your symptoms.
He nags you to take your iron pills because you don’t take them as often as you should. You don’t like some of the nausea side effects it comes with. He hovers nervously if you stand up too fast and the world around you spins from a dizzy spell. You might lean on him to get your bearings, too. You bruise easily, which Ryland might tease you for, commenting that you bruise like a peach.
When you’re feeling especially tired, Ryland lets up on the nagging. He’ll put on your favorite show or movie with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders. He’ll fix you a quick snack, consisting of a small bowl of mixed fruit (it's iron rich food, something Ryland deliberately made for you).
After snacking on the fruit, you’re quick to fall asleep. You feel at peace, accompanied by Ryland on the couch with the television faintly playing in front of you.
On the Hail Mary with Grace, you see how he hugs himself when no one is around or presses his knees to his chest to comfort himself. Or the way he leans against Rocky’s xenonite ball. You’re the only person on the ship to provide him human touch, but you’ve never considered yourself touchy feely.
With the memories of your past life slowly resurfacing, you were never great at or had much of an interest in physical affection. Grace, of course, respects your boundaries, but you see the way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not looking. Hell, even Rocky reprimands you if you’re alone with him or if you’re both watching Grace sleep.
“Why won’t you give friend Grace an embrace? Bad bad bad companion!” says Rocky, the octave in his voice sharp.
You’ve had enough of Rocky’s (well meaning) comments.
So, you start with little actions. Rubbing Grace’s back if you’re near him or elbowing his side after teasing him. But when you find Grace uncharacteristically quiet in the lab, you need to provide him physical comfort. He's hunched over on a table with a computer in his lap.
Awkwardly, you shuffle towards him. You slowly extend your hands towards him. “Do… you want a hug?”
Grace looks dumbly at your face, then your hands. He slid the computer onto the table. He wraps his arms around your back, melting into your touch. Your limbs tense as you gingerly rub his back. You feel yourself relax into the embrace, and he pulls away, rubbing his face.
“Sorry if that made you uncomfortable…” his voice trails off.
You wave your hand. “No, no, it didn’t. I’m just…” you pause. “Not really touchy feely. But I wanna be better at it, for you.”
He furrows his brow. “I don’t want you to accommodate yourself for me. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”
You take a step toward him. “But I want to! Promise I do.”
You grab his hand, staring at him intently. “We’re the only humans out here in space. I feel like it’s reasonable if you need some hugs to get you by.”
Grace turns away, a little embarrassed. You squeeze his hand, and he doesn't pull away.
You run into Rocky later, on his side of the barrier. He’s fidgeting with a device in his claw. He tilted his carapace towards you, trilling.
“You helped Grace? Amaze amaze amaze!” He makes jazz hands.
Jazz hands are a gesture both you and Grace taught him and it's something that Rocky uses whenever he sees fit. You think it's cute that he's using some of earth's culture.
You let out a small sigh, fighting off a smile. “You didn’t have to spy on us.”
“No understand. I hear the embrace.”
Your smile widens. “I know, Rocky. I was just teasing.”
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I'm a firm believer that Grace is somewhere on the aroace spectrum, so I had to write something about it. I'm still trying to figure out Grace's voice, so my apologies if this is ooc!
Ryland Grace x Reader (platonic)
“I was asked to be an advisor today for a club from one of my kids," Grace said.
You lifted your head from your computer, sitting on the couch. Grace was huddled next to the coffee table, where a few ungraded papers were stacked. You lowered the top panel to give Grace your undivided attention.
Grace avoided eye contact, staring at the ungraded paper in front of him. There was a ballpoint pen next to the paper. The pen body was illustrated with foxes leaping in a field. The pen was a gift from you, something that you found while running errands.
“Oh yeah? What’s the club about?” you responded.
He scratched the back of his hair. “An LGBTQ+ club.”
You blinked. “Oh, nice. Did you… not want to be an advisor for that?”
He sighed, brows furrowed. “I don’t mind being the advisor. It was like… the nuance of the question, I guess?”
You pressed your lips together.
Grace's face looked conflicted, his jaw tight. “She thought I was gay, and that wasn’t the first time someone had assumed that.”
His shoulders sagged. “I don’t know what I am. I was with Linda before. Heck, she even thought I was gay before we started dating.”
You nodded. “Sexuality is confusing.”
He let out a tired sigh. “As is life.”
Grace pushed away the paper, fiddling with the pen in his hand. “I’ve never given romance much thought. I was with Linda because she asked me.”
He rubbed at his face underneath his glasses. “And I wasn’t really upset when we broke up.”
You bit your lower lip. “Do you…” you took a deep inhale. “Do you think you’re asexual?”
He turned towards you. “Eh, I’m not sure. Maybe?”
“And it’s fine if you don’t know. Don’t label yourself if you’re not comfortable with it.”
He nodded, crossing his arms. “Yeah, true. I know I’m a guy and I like science.”
“Did you agree to be their advisor?” you asked.
He readjusted his spot on the floor. “I said I’d think about it.”
Grace clicked the pen between his thumb and forefinger. You slid beside him on the floor and reached your hand out.
He locked eyes with you, uncertainty in his gaze.
“I think it’s sweet they asked you to be their advisor. It means they trust you.”
He stopped fiddling with the pen.
“And you can still be their advisor and not be gay or whatever. It means you support them and their endeavors as a club.”
He dropped the pen and ran a hand through his hair. “I… I know.”
You squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to figure yourself out like you’re a super complicated math equation, dude.”
Grace interlocked his hands with yours. “But it’s so much fun finding the answer.”
You rolled your eyes. “That’s something only math lovers say.”
He chuckled, a smile growing on his lips. You gently elbowed his side.
You released your hand from his and pulled yourself to your feet.
He cleared his throat. "Thanks."
You smiled at him. Grace grabbed his pen and returned to the essay on the table.
You turned back to the computer, pulling it onto your lap to continue working.
This is my first time writing for PHM, so I apologize if this is ooc! I've been thinking about this movie since... May. I'm surprised it's taken me so long to finally write something about it.
You’re next-door neighbors with Ryland Grace. You were new to the apartment complex, and he was the first person to make you feel welcome. He takes you out to diners, and in return, you take him out to your favorite places around town.
You quickly realize his meals are typically TV dinners, so you run errands with him for actual meals. The meals are nothing too complicated, and there are always leftovers for him to take for lunch at school.
You find an old bike while thrifting with Ryland. If you try biking without a helmet, he will lecture you on the importance of bike safety. You also encourage him to get more home decorations while thrifting. His apartment is sparse in terms of decor, and you always find something new for him to liven up his home.
You like to listen when Ryland yaps, typically science related. He’s quick to apologize if he thinks he’s talking too much, but you always assure him you like listening to him talk. Sometimes you’ll ask him science related questions because you like to hear how his brain works, and he always explains it in a way you understand. And of course, he’s just as happy to hear you talk about your interests!
He likes to go to your apartment when he needs another person around. He’ll use you as a body double for his teacher responsibilities, like grading papers or starting new lesson plans for his students.
On the weekend, you have a movie night. He always falls asleep first before the credits end, tucked in a blanket and leaning against you. He always sits at the opposite end of the couch, but slowly shuffles closer to you as the movie continues, not that you mind. You feel bad waking him up so he can sleep in his own bed.
You visit his apartment every so often, but your place is the hangout spot. Ryland is usually behind on chores, so having you around gives him the motivation to clean up his space. And whenever you're in his home, you typically clean it up by vacuuming the floor or wiping down the counters. He’s appreciative of your help and “compensates” you by paying for your food next time you go out to eat.
You know he is physically affectionate, but he is too shy to initiate touch. So you make sure to give him hugs or a pat on the back. Over time, he gets more comfortable initiating hugs or squeezing your shoulder.
His glasses are never where they are supposed to be, so you always remind them if he left them on a counter or on the top of his head. You also remind him to clean them every so often because the lenses are constantly smudged.
You see the dark grooves under Ryland’s eyes and schedule a nap time once a week. Ryland sleeps, but not enough an adult man should be sleeping per night. You put something on your television as background noise, close the blinds, and turn off the lights. You hand Ryland a blanket, and he’s out on your couch within ten minutes. You join him on the couch, occasionally falling asleep too. Ryland wakes up each time feeling refreshed with an overwhelming amount of gratitude to have you as his neighbor.
And then, as time passes, you see Ryland less and less. Until you stop seeing him altogether. You go to his school to find some answers, but no one knows about his whereabouts. You reach out to the police and try to make a missing person report, but your efforts are declined. For a long time, you are left wondering what happened to Ryland Grace.
For legal reasons, the characters are 21+ for this imagine!!
Natsuki:
She doesn’t drink a lot, and when she does, she drinks in company with the others. She enjoys sweet drinks or canned drinks, like Surfside (all strawberry flavored). She also likes lemonade mixed with Pink Whitney. She can only have two drinks because she can’t handle her liquor. She keeps herself in check with the amount she’s drinking, though. Unless she’s having a bad day and needs to let loose. She doesn’t want to become too reliant on it, like her dad.
Sayori:
She tried a drink once and decided it wasn’t for her. The most she will drink is a mocktail. She prefers to stay sober and act as a caretaker for the others. She’s always the designated driver if they go out to a bar. She probably offers to take other people home if they seem too inebriated. She feeds on the drunken behavior with her bubbly personality, so she isn’t missing out on the drinking experience. She makes sure her friends are drinking enough water and stops them if they’re overindulging. She’s the kind of girl who tucks the drunkies into bed with a bottled water and a kiss on the forehead (she always asks beforehand)!
Yuri:
She canonically (or at least implied) drinks wine. She’s a wine girl through and through. She experiments with a different kind of wine (she definitely goes to vineyards), but red wine is her favorite. She drinks the most out of the girls, but never enough that it’s worrisome. She always has the best picks for what drinks are the best. She likes to unwind after a long day with a cup of wine and a book in her lap.
Monika:
She, like Natsuki, is a social drinker. She likes espresso martinis the best, or any coffee flavored drink. But she’ll crack open sparkling alcohol (Truly, White Claw), typically with Natsuki. She’ll have most drinks offered to her, but she’s partial to coffee related alcohol. She normally doesn’t drink more than two or three.
Summary: You move around in your sleep a lot, which wouldn't be an issue, but issues arise when your asleep in her bed.
Ragatha x Reader | Pomni x Reader (seperate)
Pomni:
Pomni shut the door behind her after having a picnic with Jax in the makeshift fort. Her tired face brightened slightly when she saw you, curled up in her bed.
You were asleep on your back, legs bent. Your head was awkwardly tilted to the left with your mouth. Pomni smiled lightly and approached you. She joined you on the bed, looking at you with slight concern.
She hovered her hands over your crooked head. Before she could make a decision, you spoke.
“No…” you groaned. “The turkey…”
Pomni stifled a snort. “Turkey?” she asked quietly.
Your head moved back to a normal position.
“Are you awake?”
“Mmm…” you whined.
Pomni rolled her eyes and slid under the sheets. She tucked you in and moved to her side, back facing you. As she closed her eyes, a pair of arms flung onto her side.
Pomni muttered your name and slid your arms back to your side. You rolled closer to her and released a loud snore. She felt a little exasperated, but couldn’t help but chuckle.
She started to move you, but your eyes flung open. You gasped like you were catching air after being underwater. You pulled yourself upright, eyes wide.
Pomni leaned back in surprise. “Oh my God—”
Your voice was hoarse with sleep. “Whuh happened?”
Pomni sighed in relief. “Sorry, I was trying to move you when you were sleeping.”
You hummed, wiping at your eyes. “I take it I was in your space, then?”
She nodded. You started to peel off the sheets, crouching off the bed.
“Hey wait— where are you going?”
You pointed to the door. “I’m gonna go back to my room. I don’t wanna bother your sleep, y’know?”
She pouted at your admission, putting her hand to her chest. “You don’t have to go.”
You paused. “You want me to stay?”
Pomni stared at you. “Yeah.”
You relented and returned to your spot. “Alright, but if something happens again tonight, I’ll probably just go.”
She chuckled and rested her head. She shifted closer to you, a gentle smile on her face.
You closed your eyes, your body naturally drifting towards her. She snaked her hand and locked your fingers with her. She gave your hand a soft squeeze.
You fell asleep with a tired smile on your face.
Ragatha:
You were already asleep when Ragatha entered her bedroom. She had finished helping Kinger with a new project he wanted to show everyone. She rubbed her eyes and found you curled up in her bed, your head propped awkwardly on the pillow. Snores emitted from your open mouth, a relaxed expression on your face.
Ragatha looked at you fondly and tiptoed to the bed. She crawled beside you, carefully readjusting the sheets to her liking. You continued to snore, unaware of her presence.
She giggled quietly, and you shifted in your sleep. Your leg jutted awkwardly and your foot grazed her dress. Your head lolled to the side and rolled off the pillow.
She reached her hand out and tried fluffing up the pillow. She bit her lower lip, debating if she wanted to move you back slightly. But she didn’t want to disrupt your rest.
She let out a sigh and lowered her body, resting her head on the other pillow. She shimmied closer to you, chest pressed against your back.
Suddenly, you flung your body sideways and whacked your limp hand onto her forehead.
Ragatha let out a startled cry. “Oof—”
You awoke with a gasp, pulling yourself upright.
You grunted, drool lining the edge of your lip. “Huh?”
Ragatha rubbed her forehead. She gave you a small smile. “Hey…”
You took a moment to process the scene. “I woke you up again, didn’t I?” you said, voice hoarse from sleep.
Ragatha shrugged. “Uh— I just came into bed. You were moving a lot and hit me by accident.”
You let out a long sigh and slowly shifted to move. You started to pull the sheets away from you.
Ragatha’s voice came out panicked. “W-wait! You’re leaving?” Her voice cracked.
You turned your head slowly. “Yeah? It isn’t fair for you to deal with my annoying sleep shit.”
She curled her fingers around your wrist. “I don’t want you to leave.”
Warmth fled from your stomach. The sleepiness fogging your mind started to evaporate. You opened your mouth, then closed it.
“I can stay,” you responded in a whisper.
Relief grew on her face. Her shoulders relaxed, and she lowered back onto the bed. You rested your head on the pillow. She wrapped her hands around your waist and pulled you to her chest.
She rubbed your back. Warmth enveloped your senses, and you fluttered your eyes shut.
Your voice was muffled. “‘M sorry if I disrupt your sleep again.”
Ragatha shook her head, moving her hand towards your head. “You’re never a disruption.”
You didn’t respond, pressing your forehead into her chest. She huffed softly and your body relaxed, drifting off to sleep.
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You were about to crawl into bed when a firm knock on the door stopped you. You furrowed your brows. That knock was too aggressive to be Pomni or Ragatha.
You crossed the bedroom and as you reached for the door, it swung open.
Caine busted in, floating above the floor.
"Hello, my dear!" Caine said in his boisterous showman voice.
You blinked and retracted your hand. "Hi…"
"I know bedtime is soon, but…" Caine paused for dramatic emphasis. "I've got an idea that I would like to try on one of you lovely humans."
Dread filled your stomach. You didn't like where this was going. You rubbed the back of your neck.
You pointed to your bed with your thumb. "I was just about to sleep—"
Caine spun excitedly. "Why, that's what I need from you!"
You tilted your head. Where was he going with this?
He leaned his upper body towards you, ushering you to your bed. "I would like to tuck you into bed!"
You planted your feet on the floor. "Why?" you said slowly.
"I researched and that's something humans enjoy, correct? To be tucked into bed?" Caine gazed at you for confirmation.
You placed your hand on your chin.
"I can't remember the last time I was tucked into bed. I feel like that's something typically for kids or like for romantic partners…" your voice trailed off.
"Nonsense! Off to bed with you!" exclaimed Caine.
Caine firmly coaxed you into bed. He grabbed at the sheets as you awkwardly rested your upper back onto the pillow. True to his word, he tucked you in with the sheets up to your chin.
He reached his hand out to you, likely to give you a head pat. You grabbed his wrist before he could pat you.
"What's the point of doing this, Caine?"
He cocked his head to the right. "Oh! Would you like a bedtime story, too? I read humans enjoy that!"
You narrowed your eyes. "No, why are you tucking me into bed?" your voice came out exasperated.
Caine lowered his head. He toyed with his hands, locking his fingers together.
"Well uh…" Caine started. "I thought it would give you some comfort."
You let go of his hand. "Comfort."
"You guys just experience a huge spectrum of feelings I don't understand," Caine admitted.
His voice became uncharacteristically quiet. "And I thought… this might help."
Realization clicked in your head. Caine makes an attempt to try— but more often than not, his efforts cause more problems.
He scratched at his top hat. "I uh… I tried this with Zooble first." He grimaced. "But they didn't appreciate the gesture."
Letting out a tired sigh, you pulled the sheets off and reached for Caine. You awkwardly tapped the top of his head, like you were giving him a head pat.
Caine's body tensed and dial up noises emitted from him. He physically buffered and his eyes turned into lines of incomprehensible code. His limbs jolted left and right before he shook himself like a wet dog.
He rubbed at the bottom of his teeth. He cleared his throat and floated away from you.
"W-well, I'll let you sleep! I know how much you humans need your rest."
Technically speaking, your digital mind didn't need physical rest. But you enjoyed the solitude of your bedroom. You rubbed at your eye.
"Goodnight, my little dream-catcher!" Caine said.
Caine disappeared in a swirly blur.
Resting your head on the pillow, you turned to the side. Your mind was left wondering about Caine, but you decided sleep was more important. Despite the nagging thoughts in your head, you fell asleep.
