idea seed: a lawful computery demon named Syntax
"I'll give you the algorithmic insights you seek." She says, picking up a stick of ram and watching it dissolve back into loose, sandy silicon. "But you'll have to pay the Syntax."
"Computing guarantees incredible, rapid progress for the civilization that unlocks it. Progress they're rarely equipped to handle. It's a devil's bargain, and it's good to be the devil."
Her three tails- USB-A, DisplayPort, and CAT-6, whip back and forth with every step. Her hair is a tangle of fiber optics, pulsing and twisting and usually scrolling text up the back of her head. A hand rests on your shoulder, hot like an overclocked processor. "You'll never do it like that." She whispers into your ear. Her voice rides on the same high-pitched hum you get from an old CRT. "Dijkstra proved it's impossible in the sixties. I was there." Her lips curl into a smile. Her 3.5mm jackfangs shine off your monitor. "One signature on the dotted line, and your name'll be in every CS textbook until the end of time."
@BestGirlGrace Screw the dotted line, who cares about that? I'm gonna ask her out. Failing that, ask if we can be friends. I need to like.. Learn more about her hardware and software.
@scarly I *do* have an old story about summoning a demon just to ask her out somewhere.