That song. It was you! Wasn’t it? It had to be you.

Timeline/World: Through the Looking Glass – Atheria 3rd Generation
Current Date: December 4, 2058

Character: Kayne Romero
Race: Halfling – Feline / Vampire
Age: 37, physically about 21
Current residence: Atheria City, Eresiel
 

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We don’t really have much of a thing such as radio stations anymore; at least, not live ones. The system has stations it sort of creates based on the filters the user—us, d’uh—puts into place. There are days when I could be looking for all classical music and possibly even just from one particular musician, or even composer, on other days, I could be feeling more in tune with the idea of smooth jazz. Your filter settings set up your radio for the day. You can save those settings too and just go back to them whenever.

There are preset; you can even listen to these old things they called podcasts, you can listen to old world news, you can even be updated on the weather if you’d like. There just aren’t people sitting in a booth somewhere, doing the talking at a microphone thing anymore. There’s not much of a need, I guess, it makes sense. Not quite that many of us in here after all.

Personally? I don’t mind. I find that I’ve tuned into Theron’s countless generators more often than not. There are so many in the system that I don’t even know when he sleeps. I mean, I get that he’s been doing it all for years but it’s baffling to imagine all the recording sessions he must’ve done just for all of us to have these generators to turn to when we need them for any reason.

Now and again, I’ll set up my musical filters to something that’s a bit more pop. At least, I think that’s what they called it back then. Maybe not. There are a few songs in a list that I’ve saved, and I base the filter on these songs, ask the system to shuffle some of the ones I’ve already listened to with new ones and there we go. When I’m on that filter, it’s not so much that I pay close attention to the songs themselves, it’s more along the fact that I listen to them for the beat of them. They get me moving when I need to.

There’s one song that’s been on and off in my list and every time I realize it comes on, I tell myself that I have to find it in the list and find out who it is so I can add it to my favourites. The thing is, though, is that I get swept up in the song, I forget to add it to my favourites, and while I could dig through hours of songs at the end of the day when I remember I heard it, I don’t really want to.

I’ve done that at least five or six times now.

Yesterday, however, well, I got lucky. The song so happened to be playing right as I was getting done with my day and it was my fourth before last song on the list. Going back to find it was worth the effort and when I logged it into my short list of favourites to base the filter on—and always have on my playlist when I listen to it—I was surprised, to say the least.

Now, I know that there are a few in our community who are seriously musically talented. I know we have at least the two groups that were together once—and still get together now and again, I think—and there are other artists and creators. I just don’t think I’d expected this one song to have come from our generation.

I did a double take and, possibly because I need things to be very clearly defined or however you want to look at it, I ran a search through our database to find out if, just maybe, the song had been a remix or a cover. Turns out, it was an original piece and looking up the lyrics, I found out that the whole thing, from the beat to the background music, to the vocals and everything in between was original, and it was beautiful.

It’s really not that I think that no one can compare to the musicians of old; I think it really is more from the fact that I really do tend to zone out when I listen to music as a whole since it’s more like in the back of my mind and it’s just to keep that very mind from being quiet. So, when I do find a song that makes it onto my list, it really has to be special. All I’d found to add to my list at this point—three other songs—had all been pieces from artists from way back then. From before the world ended.

So, I guess I just didn’t expect to come face to face with something so recent, even though I know I could have but again, I don’t tend to listen to the music for the lyrics or anything really. It’s there as background noise and that’s the important part. The beat still has to be there, the harmonics and the rest but, yeah. I’m actually stupidly pleased about this discovery, and I’ve run through her discography and there are several other songs that I do like. None enough to add to my favourite lists, but I’ve added her to my list of singers that I do quite like.

Final Word Count: 894

Do I not deserve some sort of explanation to what that was?

 
Timeline/World: Through the Looking Glass – Atheria 3rd Generation
Characters: Kayne Romero
Race: Halfling – Feline / Vampire
Age: 35, physically about 21
Current residence: Atheria City, Eresiel
Final Word Count: 737 words
 

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I’m not sure I remember exactly when dad sat me down to explain half of my bloodline. It’s not that I didn’t have a vague understanding of what vampires were, but it seems as though, from a young age, there hadn’t really been any blood desires in me. I ate the food my parents fed me and that really was just that. I guess that the vampire side of things was just dormant, but dad figured that, at one point, I was better off at least knowing what I was all about.

I mean, I do have memories of dad getting this shot that left him out for the count for a shorter or longer while, but I was so young during those that I couldn’t properly wrap my mind around it.

In a way, I think that maybe, he told me about what my bloodlines really were so that I could potentially be aware of the shots, in case it ever became a necessity for me to need them. It makes sense, I’d rather know what I was potentially in for instead of waiting until it was done and then asking myself if I hadn’t deserved some sort of explanation for what that had all been about beforehand.

I still was pretty young when he did tell me about it all. Not too young that I couldn’t make sense of most of what he was telling me but still young enough that I admit I might have been a little grossed out at the thought of drinking blood. Yup, that’s me. Kid-Kayne who didn’t like the idea of drinking blood despite the fact that he’s half-vampire.

Takes all kinds, right?

Blood is fine at this point. I don’t have any issues with it. I didn’t have any issues with it then either; I think it really was more the idea that I could potentially have to drink the stuff. That idea still weirds me out a little and yeah, I’m half-vampire but that never turned out to be a necessity for me. I enjoy food like everyone else, though I’m picky about certain cuts of meat. So, take that as you will.

Who knows, maybe it is this thing with blood that kept me from opting to be a vet, but I know that’s not really it. I just don’t like the idea of handling animals if they’re hurt and while I know that being a vet requires giving shots and at-times operating and all, it’s that part that gets to me. It’s why I went into the general studies of animal biology. It doesn’t really mean much in terms of jobs, though I do spend a good bit of time through the doors, looking at tracks and scat and just anything that might help in locating animals, or discovering new things or you know, animal stuff.

Vague, huh? Yeah, I have days like that. I am how I am, that’s not going to change, and I’ve learned to slow down a bit because I barely made it with my brain intact to our getaway last year. Not that I had been going crazy but I’m sure it’s been written in a file somewhere on my fine, fine self that I had a wild hawk hanging onto my arm and tucked into my coat somewhere back in April of last year. It had been in our yard and its wing was broken; I wasn’t going to leave it there.

Yes, I’m also aware that drawing it close into my coat—something I only did once we got closer to the town since it was starting to fidget—was a dangerous thing and that at any time, it very well could have tried to rip my throat out and that could have been an unpleasant end to little old Kayne.

Yet, here I am, I’m fine, the hawk healed fine, and Faith even let me know when it was time to release it so I could be there and all. It was pretty sweet to watch it fly away. It circled a few times before heading off and I don’t know that I’ve seen it again. I know it was tagged so we could keep half an eye on it, as could be necessary but I haven’t heard anything from it since but that’s all right. I don’t need that hawk in my life anymore, no thanks.

First off, I’m not doing this to be a nice person. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.

 
Timeline/World: Through the Looking Glass – Atheria 3rd Generation
Characters: Kayne Romero
Race: Halfling – Feline / Vampire
Age: 34, physically about 21
Final Word Count: 667 words
 

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You know you need a break from things when you’re talking to a wild animal as though it was human and could understand you. I mean, I was aware that I was overdue a vacation, we’ve been planning one for most of winter but we were waiting on spring to settle a little so we could potentially see more animals while we were out there—youngs and all.

Thing is, I think we’re leaving in a couple of weeks from now so I know it’ll do me good but I know I’ve probably gone off the deep end already. I mean, it might not be all that unusual for people to talk to their pets, but this is no pet, it’s a wild animal and I’m pretty sure it could have done me more harm than not. I mean, the beak on these things is dangerous and don’t get me started on the talons but it was clear that its wing was broken so I did what any sane person would do.

I approached the hawk carefully; I was talking to it soothing too, as though somehow that would serve any purpose. I wasn’t doing this thing to be a nice person, though, not really. I was doing this because it was the right thing to do. Predator or otherwise, that hawk would have died if I hadn’t helped it. I was prepared to be harmed but it was surprisingly calm as I approached it. I wish I’d had something to cover its eyes and all but I hadn’t really thought that far. I mean, who brings that kind of random thing with them when they’re talking walks? Not me.

It took some manoeuvring; I’m not going to lie. It must have sensed that I wasn’t out to do it any harm; can predators sense other predators and know when we’re not doing that very predator thing? I don’t know, I guess it doesn’t really matter either, not really. Anyway, I sat down on a log not far from where it was on the ground and I sort of just waited, I talked to it quietly, I bid my time. I could have complained about the cold but I don’t really feel it that much.

I wouldn’t even be able to begin to say how long I stayed there, waiting. My hand held out just slightly, barely. It was in pain, it had no reason to trust me whatsoever; I was something much bigger than it was and I could have been out to end its life, but I wasn’t.

The only thing I’m glad for is the fact that I do favour leather and my jacket at the time was leather with warm sheep-fluff stuff inside; sure, the talons did a number on the sleeve but at least my skin stayed out of harm’s way and that might be the most important part, I’m not going to lie. It had issues keeping its weight even on my arm, it wasn’t all that surprising considering its broken wing, but I moved it as close as I dared to myself, mostly to keep it from the wind, and we started the very slow trek back to Faith.

All in all, I’m surprised it didn’t try to peck at me or rip me apart with its talons. It could have done that at any time but it didn’t. It started stressing when I approached the town though but by that point, I’d managed to open my coat and well, that was just asking for it to get to my throat at this point but I tucked it into my coat, it could no longer see anything and that’s how I finished my way to the clinic.

The look on Faith’s face when I opened my jacket is something I’m not likely to forget any time soon. Really, though. I was just trying to do the right thing and at times, the right thing requires taking a few risks.

Do those marks look like they were made by an animal to you?

 
Timeline/World: Atheria – 3rd Generation
Characters: Kayne Romero
Race: Halfling – Feline / Vampire
Age: 33, physically about 21
Final Word Count: 611 words
 

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Don’t ask me why I went into the studies of animal biology. It’s just what it is. I didn’t even think I’d like it and to be honest, I hated it at first. I didn’t get into that studying to be a vet either. I can’t stand the thought of operating and shots and just, I can’t. Which, yeah, ha ha, laugh all you want, the half-vampire who doesn’t like blood. It’s not that I don’t like blood but I don’t like causing harm, and while handling pets isn’t causing harm, giving them their shots just is a big fat not-happening with me.

I think I went into biology and the study of all things animals—wild and not—because I thought I could learn something interesting.

It might also have to do with the fact that, when I was young, I remember seeing tracks in the back yard and I couldn’t even begin to tell you what these tracks belonged to. That might very well have stayed with me all this time and has led me to wanting to learn more about animals, about what they eat, what they look like, their weight, their tracks, their habits and all of the rest.

So sure, when I started in with the course load, I hated it because it had nothing to do with what I wanted to know. It was only some months later that we finally started learning more about things that did interest me so I’m glad that I stayed with it as long as I did.

It took me a little longer than what had first been planned to finish going through the course load but I did finish and I found myself with a pretty good ‘report card’ because somehow, even through these higher-types studies, the system still sees fit to send us little report cards and I was pretty happy with the looks of it.

It’s been a few years now and I admit that I haven’t lost that little nip of passion for identifying things as they roam through our yard, or even when I step out through one of the doors. I think I would have been a good tracker if there had been any need for that.

I mean, I know I could do it, especially for the wild game that gets brought in to the market now and again but that goes right back to that thing I mentioned about not liking to harm animals or see them harmed in any way. I’m just a huge softy in the long run.

A softy who now handles his phobia of heavy storms better but I still need help now and again but that’s okay. I can accept that I can’t do it all on my own.

I wish I could go back in time but keep this knowledge I have now. I would go back to that day with the tracks, I would study them. I would ask myself if these looked like animal tracks—from what I recall, they did but they could have been from something else—and then I’d just dig through all the knowledge that was crammed into this brain of mine until I found out what had left these tracks.

Sadly, there is no such thing as turning back time—not in any way that wouldn’t screw something over—and I’m content enough to open up a virtual reality session now and again and just play a game of mock hide-and-seek. I set the system to create a few different tracks from random animals and I try to figure out what they are.

How about I just go into this closet and come out tomorrow?

Timeline/World: Atheria 3rd Generation
Characters: Kayne Romero
Race: Halfling – Feline / Vampire
Age: 31, physically about 21
Final Word Count: 545 words

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The first time it happened, I think my parents looked for me for a while. I came out once it was over, curled into bed and didn’t say a thing about it. Next time it happened, it was a case of repeating the actions, but dad found me and had me explain what I was doing, while I was doing all I could to get back into the closet.

My issue with storms isn’t so bad anymore. It’s still there but I can manage to mostly get through it without having to hide in our closet until it passes. I’ve done it once when we moved in together, then just explained the issue and we’ve found means of helping me cope. Not that I wasn’t coping back home. My blackout curtains, the noise-cancelling headphones, I had everything and I could just hide out in my room while it was all happening but sharing a house with someone you love while they’re not aware of the issue just yet, or how bad it is, is something else entirely.

Now I mostly meditate my way through, mostly.

I can’t explain where the fear of storm originates from. I’m not sure it’s even just a ‘fear’ at this point as it feels more like a terror or maybe even a phobia. Docs say I’m handling it much better now than I did while I was young, of course. I know better now, I have other means and others I can better rely on to help me through. Plus, we haven’t really had a bad storm in a long time, except for one about five years ago. It took the power out of the whole city for a few minutes until the generators had all kicked in to take care of the problem.

Plus, it’s not even just one element, it’s everything together. I love sitting there and watching the rain, all on its own, hit the panes of the windows, the little sound it makes is soothing. I also love watching lightning as it lights up the sky, but put the rain, the lightning, add in wind and even some hail on occasions and it becomes absolutely unbearable for me, I just can’t do it. It might be that the sound is too much. Or there’s just too much happening at once and my mind can’t focus on it all and becomes disoriented. I don’t know. Docs don’t know. No one can really explain away the source of most fears and phobias, after all.

So I just deal. We have a little weather station in a nook in the bedroom, it’s attached to a small bit of weather equipment on the roof, it’s been pretty accurate so far—except for freak storms but I know that these can hardly be predicted, after all. When the screen brings up the mention of a possible upcoming storm, I just start to mentally prepare, I go through the list of these things that help me through and I get that gathered.

Once or twice, the station was wrong but it’s been pretty dead-on right for the most part, so I’m not about to diss its use. I know I’m not the only one with that particular setup in their home.