Demiurge

@FanLit I really love your comment. It was super insightful 🖤

I mean, you're obviously entitled to your opinion. Depending on skin undertones, white metal can wash a person out or just look cold. I like the gold so it's gold 🤷‍♂️

@Mattyboy I do like the drama @drpaladin Hi! Perhaps strangely, I gave the collar a lot of thought. Including River's pale ass skin tone and blue eyes, the fact that I assumed both would want the collar to be noticeable, and my personal preference. I could totally see where you might think platinum! That would've been gorgeous, but I felt the gold would just fit better. Also, with so many very sporkly diamonds, the gold would add nice contrast.

@weinerdog I don't know why, but I've never received a HOW!!!!????? and I'm into it. Going to strive for that reaction more now 😄

Is this it, what you want, what you wanted? Do you need love? Am I enough for you? In time, you’ll find I’ve got my baggage, too “Just let me fucking look at it!” I snapped. Kenji’s one good eye was full of anger and irritation. The other had swollen closed at this point. His face was twisted in a grimace, and it occurred to me that this was the most emotion I’d ever seen on his face. He finally tore off his suit jacket and motioned toward me. I rolled my eyes and took his face i

Forcing a smile, I followed Kenji into another fancy restaurant. This one apparently had sushi. I was going to be out of my depth as per usual. I glanced down to my slim fit blazer covered mesh shirt and cringed a little. My hair was a mess from the wind too. Next to Kenji, I couldn’t imagine what I looked like. It was his day off and he was still dressed to the nines. We were guided to a secluded part of the restaurant where a round table with a white tablecloth sat in the middle of the room. T

I was trying my best. That was the best place to start. I forced myself to give Kenji grace and sometimes he was home for dinner. He was trying. Kenji was reserved, nearly severe sometimes, but he could also be sweet. He’d started making more of an effort after the night we argued when Ai and I had gone to the tattoo shop. He’d said he would do better, and he had been. I smiled as I worked pomade through my hair. I could see him in the mirror. Kenji sat on the edge of the bed in what could be t

Sliding my fingers over the silky sheets, I fought off the wave of disappointment when they didn’t reach someone on the other side of the bed. It was something I was, unfortunately, getting used to. I'd been in Japan a total of four days and I'd woken up alone every day except for the first. Scrubbing my hands down my face, I groaned. My phone was ringing, and I glared at it. It was on the bedside table plugged into the charger, which I hadn't done. Other than that, I might not have even known i

@drpaladin okay, hear me out...time is an illusion and I have no grasp of it That being said, new chapter will be up today. 🖤

@NimirRaj lol the core memory you unlocked with The Birdcage reference. Love it 🖤

@NimirRaj I too was a little confused at how much hostility Alec got. I think a lot of it has to do with the belief that people with mental illness like acting the way they do. That they want to continue struggling as a bid for attention or something. Or that they don't see their own irrational behavior and wish they could do better. Mental illness is a huge hurdle for many and I'm not sure everyone fully grasps how difficult it is. Thanks for your comment 🖤

@NimirRaj Big ooft. In all fairness, I could see why he'd grate on some, but he was a teenager when they imploded. Also, when you think someone broke your heart and then they peace out, it's really easy to blame them for anything without reflecting on your own behavior. Seeing them again after a hot minute could shake the nice little narrative you wrote for yourself. Which is where I was thinking Finn's brain was going when I wrote this. Also also, keep in mind, I generally don't have any characters that aren't deeply flawed and just because Alec's got a mental health diagnosis, doesn't mean he's the only one with MH struggles. I don't know if that helps, but thank you for reading! More than once apparently. What an honor that my writing's worth that much of your time 🖤

@weinerdog Yesssss and yes. Much yes

Through dinner, I had managed to calm down a bit. By the time we’d eaten, taken a small tour of the neighborhood around the hotel (we’d been driven for this part), and arrived back at the hotel, I was feeling much better. I was, however, exhausted. Which meant that when I walked into the hotel room, the last thing I wanted to do was argue with Kenji. He was at the table and was one of the first things I saw when I came in through the door. The set of his shoulders was rigid as he stood in f

I didn’t think I’d be bothered to be honest. This wasn’t permanent. It wasn’t like I’d never see Alec again. I had to remind myself that I was happy for him. I had to remember that he’d made choices to make himself happy and I was doing the same. I kept repeating all of this to myself, but it wasn’t improving my mood. I wasn’t going to be there while Alec tied up loose strings in Washington. I wasn’t going with him on this new journey. We were going to be states apart and it had hit me all