The Algorithm of Affection: A Pre-Nuptial Study!

Friends, Formulas, and a Fleeting Flurry of Feelings ♥️💘

The news of Freen's… unique approach to pre-nuptial courtship had, predictably, reached the ears of her two closest confidantes: the ever-observant Heng and the perpetually bewildered Nam. They found Freen in her study a few days later, surrounded by charts, diagrams, and what appeared to be a color-coded system for categorizing Becky's responses.

Nam leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "So, let me get this straight. You took Becky out for coffee… and interviewed her?"

Freen looked up from her meticulous notes. "It was a structured data-gathering session, Nam. Efficiency is paramount in the initial phases of the protocol."

Heng, who had perched silently on the edge of a bookshelf, finally spoke, his voice low and dry. "Did you at least offer her a flower? Or perhaps compliment her… carbon-based structure?"

Freen frowned. "Such gestures lack empirical value at this stage. My priority is to establish a comprehensive understanding of her cognitive and emotional frameworks."

Nam groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Freen, you're treating this like a lab experiment, not a… you know… a getting-to-know-someone thing."

"The principles are similar," Freen countered logically. "Both involve observation, data collection, and the formulation of hypotheses based on empirical evidence."

Just then, Becky's friend, Irin, found Becky in the university library, surrounded by textbooks but with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she recounted her coffee "date."

"So, she literally had a notebook out?" Irin asked, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Like she was grading your answers?"

Becky chuckled, shaking her head. "Not exactly grading. More like… meticulously documenting. Every answer, every sip of my Thai iced tea. Apparently, my preference for extra ice says a lot about my sensory profile."

Irin raised an eyebrow. "And what profound insights did she glean from your caffeine choice?"

"Something about a potential inclination towards higher levels of sensory stimulation," Becky said, a playful smile on her lips. "Honestly, it was bizarrely endearing. She's so… earnest about it."

"Endearing?" Irin repeated, a teasing tone in her voice. "Becky Armstrong, are you actually… enjoying being scientifically analyzed?"

"It's certainly… different," Becky admitted. "And honestly, beneath all the logic and the data points, she's genuinely trying to understand me. It's just… her way of doing things."

Back in Freen's study, Nam was trying a different approach. "Look, Freen, I know you like your systems, but romance isn't a formula. It's messy, it's unpredictable… it's about feeling something."

"Feelings are a byproduct of neurological activity," Freen stated, pointing to a complex diagram of the human brain. "And neurological activity can be influenced and, to a certain extent, predicted through understanding stimuli and responses."

Heng sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Perhaps you should try… less stimuli and more… just being present with her."

Freen considered this. "Being present… implies a passive state of observation. My protocol necessitates active data acquisition."

Meanwhile, Irin was giving Becky some equally unhelpful advice. "You should totally mess with her, Beck! Next time she asks you a logical question, give her a completely illogical answer. See how her brain processes that data!"

Becky laughed. "Tempting, but I actually kind of want to see where she's going with this. It's like watching a very intelligent, very socially awkward robot try to learn how to be human."

Freen's next "data-gathering session" with Becky involved a trip to the university's botanical gardens. Freen had chosen the location for its diverse array of flora, believing it would provide ample opportunity to assess Becky's aesthetic preferences and her capacity for pattern recognition. She came armed with a plant identification guide and a series of questions about symmetry, color palettes, and the Fibonacci sequence as it appeared in nature.

As Freen meticulously pointed out the logarithmic spirals in a sunflower head, explaining the mathematical efficiency of its seed arrangement, Becky found herself more interested in the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves and the gentle breeze rustling through the bamboo.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Becky said softly, tilting her head back to look at the canopy above. "The way the light catches the different shades of green…"

Freen made a note. "Positive aesthetic response to natural light and verdant color spectrum. No overt mention of mathematical principles observed in plant structures."

Later, as they stood before a vibrant display of orchids, Freen asked, "Observe the intricate patterns of the petals. Do you find the symmetry aesthetically pleasing, and can you identify any recurring mathematical ratios in their structure?"

Becky gazed at the delicate blooms, a thoughtful expression on her face. "They're stunning. The colors are so vibrant, and the shapes are so delicate. I guess there's a kind of balance to them, but I'm not really thinking about the math." She glanced at Freen and smiled gently. "They just make me feel… happy."

Freen made another note. "Emotional response prioritized over analytical observation of mathematical principles. Further investigation into the correlation between aesthetic appreciation and emotional states is required."

As they walked through the gardens, a sudden gust of wind sent a flurry of petals swirling around them. For a fleeting moment, the structured logic of Freen's "study" seemed to dissolve in the unexpected beauty of the natural world. Becky laughed, reaching out to catch a falling petal. For a brief second, her hand brushed against Freen's. A strange, unfamiliar sensation, a tiny flutter that defied logical explanation, sparked within Freen before she could categorize it. She made a note: "Brief physical contact. Record physiological response in subsequent interactions." But the feeling itself remained, a curious anomaly in her otherwise ordered world.