DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)


Chapter Two: Meeting Kai


"Hi, I'm Hayden. You must be Kai…"

As [UNIT: Hayden] stood in the doorway, he was able to get his first real look at [SUBJECT: Kai], and immediately, he mentally catalogued their differences.

His hair was short, while hers was long and flowing, with three buns artfully arranged on top of her head. His skin was pale, while hers was the same color as the deep brown leather couch behind her.

But what he noticed most of all was [SUBJECT: Kai]'s beautiful smile.

"W-Welcome," she stammered shyly… and her perplexing demeanor made [UNIT: Hayden] pause.


From the memories Eros had given him, he knew that people only stammered when they were nervous or scared, but he didn't know why [SUBJECT: Kai] seemed to feel that way.

[UNIT: Hayden] understood, on an intellectual level, that she wanted to make a good impression on him. But even if she didn't; even if he didn't appeal to her as a lifetime romantic partner, she could simply try again, and suffer no consequences for her effort besides a few wasted hours.

But [SUBJECT: Kai] didn't seem to feel that way. Instead, from the slightly bashful look in her eyes as she gazed at him, it was almost as if she were afraid to blink, for fear of [UNIT: Hayden] disappearing like… like a memory.


Memory. That would help him.

As he quickly searched through his many implanted memories, he recalled that when people gave small smiles, it was customary to reciprocate with similarly small smiles. Humans felt more secure if they sensed that their conversation partner shared their emotions, shared their experiences.

Hoping he was quick enough, [UNIT: Hayden] spouted off some manufactured line about himself answering questions about his ideal match only a few days ago, and how it was "kinda crazy" how fast everything had been from that moment to this one…

"…And now we're here," [SUBJECT: Kai] grinned, sounding slightly breathless, never taking her eyes off him.

Knowing what to do now, he gave her a warm smile.

"I guess we are."

Strange. Smiling back at her felt easier, more natural, the second time around.

Made him feel much better, and more hopeful, the second time around.

Felt right, the second time around.


After [SUBJECT: Kai] introduced him to her female extended relative, they retreated to the side for a quick conversation… but he didn't know why they felt the need to do that when he could hear their hushed whispers and excited squeals from where he was standing.

And as [UNIT: Hayden] waited for them to finished speaking, his ears caught a turn of phrase that perplexed him. He didn't know why [SUBJECT: Kai]'s cousin felt the need to call him a sleeping image of a small, oar-propelled water vessel…

…but [UNIT: Hayden] told himself that upon completion of this first date, he would go to the Eros memory archives to figure out whether or not he truly was a "dreamboat."


(End of Chapter Two.) (T-01/03/18.) (F-29/06/18.)


Chapter Two notes: (B01-C02.) [UNIT: Hayden], at this moment, is like a student taking a difficult math exam :P TECHNICALLY, he has all the required memories of how to be human, just like a student has learned everything in math class. And "obvious" things, stuff like using his legs to walk; using his mind to form words and sentences… those are like addition and subtraction :D But unplanned interactions (talking, smiling) and unusual words ("dreamboat") are like… trigonometry and calculus. They take more time, more effort, to remember and to handle… for now, at least! :P

About my main Pixelberry fanfic: Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)