the truth, for once

April 2088. Gwen Palmer is 35. Andreas Tsoukalos is 33.

previously: terrible love // but Gwen miscarried

warnings: miscarriage

You can have everything you deserve if you work hard enough, if you fight for it. The career, the man, the family. Just be smart enough, fierce enough, dedicated enough, sexy enough, and you can have it all.

Except that it’s not true. 

Gwen must have known it wasn’t true or realistic, especially for everyone else. Maybe, deep down, she even knew it wasn’t true for herself. But who cared as long as she was winning? For a long time, she thought she could bend the universe to her will. For a long time, she actually did. 

what you deserve (SNU & DAC, spring 2088)

Sierra Nova University and Dresden Arts College

Spring, 2088

*** warnings: abortion vs. pro-lifers


It was weird, Melissa now realized, how little she actually worried about the possibility of this happening. Melissa was a good girl, mostly. Daydreamy and whimsical, sure, but always headed in the right direction. She didn’t sleep around that much. She took her birth control pills. She asked her partners to wear condoms, too. And still?

It seemed wrong. It seemed unfair. It seemed like her pills had a manufacturing error or an incompatibility with some rogue herbal tea. It seemed like it should be absolutely anything but the biggest mistake of her life. 

Because, oops? Just like that? Oops, there went her plans. Like, oops, she dropped her phone in the toilet. That’s an oops. This was more than an oops. 

postcards from your next major crisis

February & March 2088.

*** content warnings: miscarriage, blood

#1: Cora Lawrence is doing just fine, thank you very much


Her life is complete, Cora tells herself. She doesn’t need a man. Especially not one like Luis-Fucking-Talbot. She is twenty-seven years old. Her biological clock is set to silent mode and folded away in her sock drawer. She owns prime real estate in downtown Sierra Nova and an investment portfolio that would impress most people twice her age. She buys fancy coffee and drinks it in silence after doing an hour of yoga at sunrise. This is going to be an incredible day, and Luis Fucking Talbot can go screw half his college campus if he wants to. Cora is filling her cup with zen, and it tastes just fine.

He probably has loads of STDs anyway.

a short break from reality, #2: get lost

March 2088. Liza Hathe is 19, Robbie McCullough is 18.

* picture heavy! try refreshing the page if they don’t all load


It was easy for Robbie and Liza to get used to the exciting new sights and tastes of the jungle.

But it took a little more effort for them to get used to their new crew. This is a group with strong and awkward personalities.  

a short break from reality, #1: bugs

March 2088. Justin Kim is 27, Stephanie Nova is 28, Willow and Lily are 6, Benji is 19 months. 

* briefly NSFW

“Bugs,” his landlord said. 

The whole street in the plaza where Justin had just set up his brand new shop was infested. They closed up everything to fumigate for bugs. [SCCO mod removal error.] Unfortunately, for a worker-bee like Justin, there was no time to move his workbenches and equipment back home. No time to drape his works in progress. No opportunity to back up his files for remote work.

“It’s temporary,” his landlord offered. “I won’t be charging you rent for the weeks we’re closed down.”

“Well, I certainly hope not!” Justin said. “But what about my items? Are those sprays toxic to fabrics? Are people expected to bring those pieces into their homes?”

Martha rolled her eyes. “What exactly do you expect me to do about it? There’s bugs, so we fumigate. That’s what they said to do, so that’s what we’re doing.”

the breath before

March 2088. Dakota and Delphie Deppiesse are 17, Shannon Brett is 16, Eric Powell is 16, Jacob Collins is 15.

soundtrack: “Closer” by Tegan and Sara

previously: Delphie and Dakota's last story on the LH blog // Shannon and Jake flirt in church

Shannon was bored of being Shannon. Good little southern belle, made of sweet tea and peaches, singing in the church choir, basically betrothed to the preacher’s grandson since she was two. Sometimes she wanted to strip off and step into an entirely different life.

For now, a little makeover would have to do.

terrible love

February 2088. Gwen Palmer is 35, Andreas Tsoukalos is 33, Luisa is 21 months.

* warnings: domestic/psychological abuse

soundtrack: "Terrible Love" by The National

previously: when Luisa was conceived 

last night…