All libraries should have these luminous corners. That space near the blinds, behind the section reserved for the Quattrocento; or that seldom frequented mezzanine, obstructed by boxes and half-built ... [+]
L.N. Hunter shares an untidy home with two cats and a soulmate, and has been published in the Flame Tree Fiction newsletter, Obscura and Trickster's Treats 3, amongst others. "First Date" is in Short Circuit #07, Short Édition's quarterly review.
I watched one of those old movies the other day—you know, from when nobody wore masks. It was a little disturbing to see all those naked mouths, and sometimes it was tricky to tell what was going on, since a lot of old-timey actors weren't very good at showing their emotions in their eyes. Afterwards, I spent ages trying out different facial expressions in the bathroom mirror, trying to get my mouth to match what my eyes and eyebrows do naturally—it's hard! I got a DM from Remy as I was doing it—my SomaNet had tripped an alarm because of my elevated heartrate and breathing. It signalled everyo