#interstellar muse

Curious, he peeked inside and spotted Gio, looking thoroughly worn out, slightly damp, and completely in his element. The Spy had just finished polishing up his pride and joy...a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, sleek and pristine. Compared to Stella? It's a goddamn masterpiece...In gio's eyes anyways

With a pleased sigh, Gio wiped his hands off on a rag, taking a step back to admire his work. His balaclava hung loose around his shoulders, his hands resting on his hips as he flashed the kind of grin that could sell snake oil to a saint.

"Finally! what a beaut! Looks good as new, eh, bambina?"

He let out a rich, satisfied chuckle, shaking his head as he gave the car’s hood a loving pat.

"Ah, but what a tragedy you had me lookin' like some grease monkey out here! Tch don't trust those pesky engineers working with such a beauty like you...Such a shame I had to get my hands dirty..."

He lets out another chuckle and a small smile "But bah! Who cares! look at you now~!! a proper star, just like me~"

@the-silentsnake

*There was something inherently... fascinating about finding the Spy like this. Seeing him actually getting his hands dirty and doing manual labour was sort of like seeing a 19th century aristocrat at the grocery store: In Venya's mind, at least, it just didn't happen.

That weren't to say it wasn't a welcome sight — hell, if he could watch people fix vehicles all day and get paid for it, he would. (Perhaps that's why he was so drawn to a certain somebody.)

He leaned casually against the garage's doorframe and adjusted the collar of the flannel shirt he'd found for the occasion.*

Hey there. Looking g— I mean. Uh. You've been busy, huh? Do you not get out much? Is that why you've been prettying up your car now of all times?

*He walked over, hands in pockets, and admired Gio's handiwork.*

If you're more interested in reading it on AO3, here it is!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/87457541

Fandom: Interstellar Muse! On Webtoon. :)

★★★

Stella was finally back to writing again, typing away at her keyboard when–

The door creaked open. Stella was sort of getting used to this.

“Theia, would you please just kno–”

Stella hardly got to finish her sentence, pivoting in her chair to face Theia . 

“I have prepared additional questions.” 

In Theia’s hands were…Stella’s own unused notebook and Stella’s pen.   Fair enough, it was all Stella’s. Not like an alien would arrive on Earth already owning personal stationery materials. However, the sight made Stella immediately want to drop her head onto her keyboard. 

Unfortunately, Theia was quick to cross the room to open the notebook right in Stella’s face, forcing Stella to blink rapidly to refocus. The notebook quite literally physically blocked her from looking anywhere else.

“Every question in this notebook will focus on emotional causality. Please respond accurately.” 

Stella very quickly realized that this was not going to be a conversation anymore. She supposed it was fair, considering the interrogation she had given the scout not too long ago–but it hadn’t been this intense.

Theia quite easily pulled Stella out her thoughts with a clinical tap on the first question on the paper.

What is the purpose of a compliment?

Stella took a brief moment to think on it, hand already reaching for her chin in thought.

“That’s…Well– It depends– It’s contextual.”

“So high variability requires deeper classification?”

“Something like that.”

Theia stared blankly for a split second before sharply nodding. It was then Theia slid her finger down to the second question and tapped it once again. The tapping was starting to grate on nerves Stella didn’t even know she had.

2. Does physical proximity reduce uncertainty in relational status?

Stella squinted at it. This one was easier, at least.

“Well, for most people, sure.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, Theia. Yes. It does.” Stella deadpanned.

Stella wasn’t sure if Theia was just brushing past signs of irritation or simply being oblivious when she slid her finger down to the next question once again without preamble.

3. Do you consider my presence beneficial or disruptive?

Well, damn. Guess the third time is really a charm. 

“That’s not a fair question.” “Why?”

Stella sputtered for a moment before spitting out, “Well–well, because people aren’t… single-variable inputs.”

Stella finally rubbed her face in a moment of pure frustration(?), “Okay. You make things harder sometimes. Like, objectively. But also–”

She gestured vaguely, “...I don’t think I’d call that bad.”

Stella winced immediately–immensely regretting how that sounded. 

“Not that I want things harder. I just–ugh.”

Theia paused, slowly lowering the book. Stella might be crazy, but she could have sworn she Theia felt…less immediate than before. It was quiet after that for a brief moment. Was Theia averting eye contact? It took a lot out of Stella to not smile or chuckle at that.

Stella decided to push her luck and lean into it, maybe a bit too cheekily,, “How about you? Do you consider my presence beneficial or disruptive?”

Theia was quiet for a second.

“The question is improperly framed.”

“Oh my god…,” Stella muttered. “How so?”

“This question cannot produce a reliable output because it compares non-equivalent datasets.” Stella raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Stella sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face in the process, “Well–”

“I must return to the ship.”

“...What–?”

“Immediately.”

Stella got up herself as Theia set up to leave, leaving the notebook with Stella, “To do what?”

“A required maintenance condition has triggered.”

“...going to the scout cleanser?”

“Positive.” was all Stella got from Theia before the scout practically sped-walked out the office.

★★★

If you're more interested in reading it on ao3, here it is! https://archiveofourown.org/works/87457541

Fandom: Interstellar Muse! On Webtoon. :)

★★★

“According to our agreement, emotional expression is required.”

Stella paused, swiveling around in her office chair to see Theia in the office doorway, “...Our what? Oh. Right, right.”

A pause. Stella and Theia stared at each other for a moment. For once it seemed Theia was waiting for Stella to speak first. Stella half-turned to save her draft and close her laptop before turning back again. “Uhmm…” She tapped her fingers on her lap for a moment in thought, awkwardly glancing around the room. “Ahh..You’re–”

Theia tilted her head.

“I like how you think.” Stella shrugged, still cross legged in her chair in a way that was certainly bad for her posture.

“Clarify.”, Theia immediately replied with lightning speed. Stella paused again, then clicked her tongue in thought, “Mmm…I guess it’s pretty nice how logical you are. You’re very…consistent. I guess that’s reassuring. ” Theia just stared. Uncannily still. Were Scouts biologically incapable of blinking at normal intervals, or was this another one of Theia's quirks? 

After what felt like eternity, Theia finally let out an almost inaudible hum and casually crossed the room. Then, abusing what was apparently her only move, she planted both hands on the armrests of Stella's chair, trapping her in place. The poor chair from Coop obs let out quite the creak of protest.

“Does this suggest an advancement in the relationship? Are there phases?”

Stella’s face immediately flushed.

“Wha–?! No, I wasn't—I mean, yes, I complimented you, but that doesn't mean— “

"Are compliments not indicative of increased romantic interest?"Theia interrupted.

"...Sometimes they are."

"..."

"...Just not always."

“But did you not intend to communicate affection?" 

Stella tried not to groan as she placed her hands against Theia’s chest and gently pushed her back. “We’ll talk about that later… Like, after I finish this draft.”

Theia nodded once, “Understood.” 

She then stood upright finally and turned to leave. However, she stopped at the doorway, and without looking back said, “I will prepare additional questions.” Then walked away…not closing the door behind her.

Stella sighed.

★★★

Suppose this could work as an example of my fics!

★★★

  “Stella.”

  “Hm?” Stella hummed from the kitchen, clearly distracted with whatever human dish she was making. Theia hadn’t thought to ask her about it yet. Theia stared from the couch, awfully cozy looking for a non-abnormal. 

  It wasn’t long until Stella finally paused and glanced over her shoulder, eyebrow raised, “Yes? Did you need something?”

  Theia finally tilted her head, no expression on her face to accompany it…as per usual. “Your library.”

  “My office.” Stella corrected once again. For a superintelligent alien, Theia was starting to seem very thick. Stella couldn’t count how many times she had to correct Theia on the same exact thing. Thank everything for Stella’s seemingly endless patience.

  Theia ignored the correction entirely, supercilious as ever. “It is illogical. You express intense anxiety regarding your literary composition, yet your daily routine prioritizes the postponement of its completion…”

  The unprecedented break in Theia's speech pattern forced Stella to turn away from the stove to look at her. 

  “Without exception.”

  A beat of silence.

   "Were you keeping track?"

  "Yes."

  "You kept statistics on my procrastination?"

  "I maintain statistics on many things."

★★★

My ao3 and link to this minific:) https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienSlop

★★★