Ruin the Kaiju: Part Two (special preview)

A small beeping noise stirred you from your slumber. You inhaled sharply, sitting up and rubbing the corner of your eye as you woke from the small nap. The lab was quiet, save for the beeping coming from the monitor you had been working on.

“I’m up, I’m up,” you cleared your throat. “I was just resting my eyes.”

The little pink bunny dragon on the screen hopped around. “You should go home and rest,” Ruin suggested.

“No. It’s fine,” you murmured. You adjusted our back and cracked your neck. “I just need to get a little more done is all.”

“You’re working too hard,” Ruin typed out.

You looked over the screen then turned and gave a soft smile to Ruin in their tank. “I can at least stay until Meyers comes back.”

Ruin wiggled in the tank, hitting against the glass in protest.

“I’ve worked more awful hours than this, don’t worry,” you said as you got back to work. “I can feel a breakthrough with this code coming.”

Another message typed out on Ruin’s screen. “How can you feel that?”

You reached for your cup of coffee, which was now cold, and took a sip. “I dunno, it’s just a feeling. I’ve done this so much, I grew a sense for it.”

“I know this could take a long time. But how long do you feel it will?” Ruin asked.

“That’s different,” you chuckled. “Gosh, I dunno. There’s groundwork already. But finding just the right designone to help you…could be months. Years even.” You glanced back to Ruin who shifted in their tank. “Hopefully not years.”

“It’s okay.” Ruin replied.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from anything. All this time you’ve spent down here working on this project. It’s been a long time as it is. If this takes years, I just hope I don’t suck up too much of your life.”

Your heart fluttered a bit from the sentiment. “Not much life to suck up. So don’t you worry about me.”

Ruin sloshed in their tank while their little avatar on the screen grew a worried expression. “What do you mean?”

“Hmm, well-” you thought for a moment. You didn’t want to sound too depressing to Ruin, even if all you did was work sleep and eat most days. “Aside from my planned vacation every year, there’s not much. Not dating, no pets-”

“You’re not dating anyone?” Ruin asked.

You shook your head. “Not for a while. I moved out here for this job, and it’s taken up a lot of time.” You flinched and quickly looked back at Ruin. “Before you! Don’t worry. I didn’t have much of an exciting private life before this.”

“Oh.” Ruin’s little avatar went still for a moment. “Have you had a partner before?”

You shrugged. “A couple.” You stood up and went to the coffee machine to refresh your cup. “Nothing very serious.”

Ruin wiggled in their tank. “Have you ever been in love?” They typed.

You walked back to the screen to read it then smiled. “Who knew such a creature as you could be a romantic.” You sighed and pushed your lips to the side. “I’ve loved people. But I don’t think I’ve ever been in love like that.”

“What would your dream romance be?” Ruin asked.

You laughed. “Oh gosh! I’m in my thirties now, Ruin. I would just be happy with someone who's nice to me and doesn’t mind computer parts laying everywhere.”

“Really? That’s all it takes?” Ruin’s avatar looked surprised.

You exhaled slowly, gazing at the screen and pondering over the question. “I don’t know how it is for you, but here, as you grow up, you realize that fairy tales and romance novels only get a percent of romance correct. You grow up and you realize that it’s the basic things that matter. Not the grand things, the movie things-” You press your lips into a tight line then click your tongue. “Romance isn’t a series of tests or grand gestures. Romance, at its core, is the mundane things, the things you take for granted. At least, from what I think of it, romance isn’t what you expect. It should be comfortable, not breathtaking.”

Ruin’s avatar bobbled on screen.

“I’m sorry!” You laughed. “That’s just my opinion. I know you love your romance movies and everything. To each their own.”

“No. It’s nice knowing. I thought it seemed exhausting sometimes.”

You smiled. “What are you looking for, Ruin? Who would be your ideal partner? And they can be as romantic and breathtaking as you like!”