An emoji love story

In an age where Tinder and Grindr are verbs, and text is the dominant form of communication, it’s easy to imagine a love story that takes place entirely on one’s phone. What would that look like if it took place entirely in emoji? We decided to find out. Here’s our rendering of an emoji romance. Watch out: It’s NSFW, but only if your boss reads emoji.

At our very first Real Future live journalism show in Los Angeles earlier this month, we looked at the ways that technology can intercede in modern romance. Can the intricacies of erotic fiction be learned by a bot? Can you pay random workers to crowdsource intimacy? Can internet-connected toys enhance your sex life? Clearly, the world’s preeminent emerging digital language—emoji—could not be ignored.

Dubbed ’emoji porn’ by one audience member, the video might make you blush, which is proof positive that our favorite little characters are more than just chuckle-worthy. They are symbols laden with meaning, capable of carrying a narrative forward and maybe even making you .

Cara Rose DeFabio is a pop addicted, emoji fluent, transmedia artist, focusing on live events as an experience designer for Real Future.