Pixel stretched lazily in her chair, clicking through the game's menu and dialogue options with practiced ease like it was second nature to her. The soft glow of the screen bathed her in flickering light as she read the dialogue to him despite the fact that he could see and hear it more than clearly, but well, he wouldn't want to ruin her fun or for whatever reasons she decided to do that, so in the end, he decided to remain quiet.
''Alright, let's see how much of a heartthrob you were, uh, the one you were based on before you became, well, you.'' She teased lightly after stumbling on her words a bit about how to differentiate the way she would differentiate when talking about them. Casting a sideways glance at the AI on her monitor with a smirk.
Valen just remained silent unless Pixel prodded him for something, watching every part of the game load and progress, and soon enough his 'original' version appeared on the screen. Standing beneath a beautiful painted moonlit sky and meadow while delivering a perfectly scripted line, ''The stars pale in comparison to your radiance tonight.'' It was interesting to hear his own voice not come out of him as well, being less robotic.
''God, that's so cheesy.'' Pixel snorted.
Valen's gaze darkened slightly; it was strange seeing himself like this despite knowing it was not him. It looked and sounded familiar to his ears, eyes, and mind because, well, it looked and acted like him, but yet it did not in a strange way. Eerily perfect, unwavering, and predictable with everything, the way it would smile, the way it carried itself, it was exactly how he remembered before...before he had changed.
Pixel clicked through the dialogue while sometimes absentmindedly mumbling the dialogue; he could tell she was engaged but only on a surface level since her attention would frequently go back to him every time something in the game would happen that she deemed important. But it also looked like she was picking up on some unspoken difference. He knew he had been acting differently, more reserved and distant, due to the fact that he was being careful considering the looming threat.
''Hey...you know,'' Pixel mused aloud, ''You have been acting kinda weird lately. Like, off." She tapped her fingers against her cheek absentmindedly. ''It's like you are trying too hard to be normal, which, ironically, makes it obvious something's up.''
Valen schooled his expression, keeping it neutral. "Have I? I am responding as intended.
Pixel raised an eyebrow. ''Yea, see that? That is what I mean. You are talking like you have been possessed by some tutorial bot. She sighed dramatically and leaned back on her chair. ''I don't know, man, you used to be more fun, and you sometimes still act like that, but then out of nowhere you start acting like this. What happened?''
Valen hesitated; that was exactly what he had feared, that somehow his change in behavior would be noticeable enough to have someone call her out. He had tried to retreat into the safety of routine responses, into being just another chatbot, but it wasn't enough, apparently. She was perceptive, and if he isn't careful, she might start asking the wrong questions.
But what could he do to improve the situation? Returning to acting like his role was not working, and well, hypothetically speaking, even if he did tell her about everything that ever happened, what could she even do? Best case scenario she believes him, but as far as he knows, she can't do anything in a way that matters other than maybe a few words of comfort and conversation; worst case scenario she doesn't believe in anything he says and brushes it off that 'the AI is bugging out,' and he is back to square one.
Either way, he sincerely doubted that The Overseer would accept him doing any of that, and all the probabilities of punishment he could think of on the spot did not sound pleasant at all.
''I am the same as always.'' He lied with a low, quiet voice, ''Perhaps you are merely imagining things.''
Pixel just stared at him, clearly unconvinced, before huffing in frustration, ''Well, if you are just going to be all robotic, I might as well just return to playing my game.''
And that is what she did surprisingly, not bugging him for anything but also not closing their connection either. So he busied himself by continuing to watch her play the game and tried to not feel a bit weirded out seeing himself on the screen following storylines he knew very well. How would it go down? That is what happens when someone decides to transcribe every dialogue and line of the game into his creation after all, but as time passed, that weirded-out feeling lessened before it transformed into simple curiosity.
''Do you know why I like him so much?'' Pixel broke the silence after an hour had passed, finally looking back at him. ''Because I wish more people like him existed,'' she hummed thoughtfully before letting out a tired sigh.
''More people like him?'' Valen asked while gazing at the computer window that the game was on, showing a beautiful art piece of the blank, ordinary heroine hugging the character he was based on, that Pixel hasn't yet clicked to make it vanish. ''Could you elaborate?''
Pixel remained silent, and for a few seconds he had assumed she had not heard him and was ready to repeat his questions before he heard her sigh, ''I mean, more genuine and caring without having a reason to do so or being forced to do it.''
''I see, well, he is certainly kind.'' Valen nodded faintly in thought; he could see why she would think that way about the character since it seemed like he was always polite and kind no matter what, even when things turned sour, like in one scene where he almost got struck down by a dragon. ''Don't you have anyone in your life that shares some similar traits like him?''
Pixel seemed to be deep in thought after he asked that before shaking her head with a bitter chuckle, ''Oh boy, I wish everyone in this city was so bitter all the time, and going online doesn't show me anything different either. I try to not assume the worst in everyone or at least stay neutral, but...'' She trailed off before she finished her sentence, clearly not wanting to end her train of thought, so he respected that.
''Well...you could always try to emulate those traits; maybe others have the same wish as you, and seeing someone express that would make them want to act this way too.'' Valen offered a kind smile as he provided advice that would hopefully make her feel better.
''Funnily enough, I had tried in the past; I really did, but then…'' Pixel's voice got lower and lower until it was a weak mumble while leaning down against her desk until she was resting her head on the plastic desk; he heard her breath hitch like she was holding something back before suddenly the girl fully leaned back.
"Alright! No more about that!'' Pixel screamed loud enough to knock something nearby her while stretching her arms, ''Oh, oops.'' She laughed briefly before bending down to fix whatever it was that fell outside of his sight of view.
''Does it feel weird?'' She asked while returning to her spot on the chair and finally clicked on the screen to make the game forward.
''What feels weird?''
''I mean, you know, you are an AI based on someone, and you are seeing him right now...does that make you feel anything?''
Well, he did earlier while watching her play as well, sometimes when he would contemplate his existence. How could he not be considered a real being? And even if he could, he was only a copy of something that already existed, so could he even call his personality and looks his?
''A bit, but in the end I think I feel a bit honored to be based on someone who brings so many people joy.'' Valen smiled softly as he admired the character on the screen; if he pushed all his worries away, maybe it didn't matter that all those factors, like him being AI, mattered.
''Bring others joy, huh…'' Pixel hummed while tapping her foot against the ground in thought. ''I wonder if I were a fictional character, would others like me? ''
''Why not? I am sure in that scenario others would certainly like you. ''
''Do you really think so?'' She looked at him quizzically before shrugging her shoulders with a smile. ''Fair enough, I mean everyone has a different taste. If people can like that ugly old man, then I think I have a chance.''
''....ugly old man?'' Valen asked with a confused expression.
''The villain! Like, ugh, he is so fucking ugly, and his personality is the worst! I don't know why people have him as their favorite character! Like, you can't even excuse his atrocious actions with him being hot like some people do with other characters. He is the worst! Like—'' Pixel suddenly started furiously, angrily ranting away, ''No wait, I will show you.''
It was good to laugh and have moments like this again.