#but as soon as the real noodle came back they didn't need her anymore

[magentagalaxies]

Jessamine is Passionate About Fictional AI Sentience But Not Real AI Sentience: An Essay

one thing about me is when it comes to talk of "sentient" AI irl i 100% don't buy it like technology is not that advanced and being able to act like a person doesn't make it a person, however whenever there's a question about if a fictional AI character is sentient i will go to bat for that character's humanity 100% of a time like fuck you they have just as much of a right to personhood as anyone else

i think it's bc in fiction like. all of these characters are fake, so distinguishing between which characters are fake-real and fake-fake is like. why limit yourself to what could happen in our world. like if we're already dealing with a universe where aliens/magic/etc. exists, why can't this android justifiably be as human as anyone else? plus irl almost all AI software is developed as part of this capitalistic hell structure we're in. no matter how "real" or "human" it feels, its function is to make you contribute to its creators' wealth, and its inability to go against this nature can't help but make it feel hollow and inhuman. however, all the best AI characters in fiction are able to go against their designated purpose, often being defined by it, and often being villainized for it

in our real world, the AI's "immoral" "behavior" is a product of it being a Things that serves capitalism. it's not making choices based on a sense of self beyond what it has been told to prioritize, and a lot of times this lack of human judgment can lead to terrible consequences (e.g. mental health AI chatbots that cannot accurately judge a situation and give appropriate advice, employed because it's cheaper than hiring human staff). but in fiction? AI's immoral behavior is frequently a product of it going against its designated purpose, seeing itself as a person and having to make difficult and morally questionable choices in order to strive for the feelings of personhood and autonomy. this is a far more interesting situation ethically (while an AI itself cannot be seen as morally responsible for its actions in our world, in fiction this AI wants to be a person so badly it's willing to commit moral wrongs to achieve its goal, despite the fact that true personhood would allow it to be seen as morally responsible for these crimes) which i think is also why AI characters, especially those that, y'know, kill people, are often very polarizing figures. this conversation can even be taken a step further into the "liking a fictional character does not mean condoning their actions" discourse, but i also often think about well, if you were in the position of this AI character, would you have done the same?

personally i've always found it very easy to empathize with "artificial" characters like clones, robots, etc. and fictional AI is no different. yes, if you're watching a piece of media and expecting the logic of our world, the AI is fake, and incapable of being a person. but if you're watching a piece of media with the goal of emotionally connecting to fictional characters (who are all inherently fake) and exploring universal themes through a heightened setting, AI characters are one of the most interesting tropes to explore this with. personally, I love AI characters because there's something so vivid about knowing you were designed for a specific purpose/life path and ultimately realizing that's not the life you, personally, want to live. your designers and the world around you doesn't even recognize you as a being that should be capable of wanting anything, much less something completely different, so achieving the life you want is an uphill battle of convincing others of your humanity and, when that often isn't possible, having to resort to the most extreme tactics to claw your way out of the life you were supposed to lead. you know no matter how close you get to this ideal life, there's always going to be some part of you that keeps others from perceiving you as "human", but you learn to embrace that and see every mundane experience as a major achievement

this narrative is especially relatable to me as a neurodivergent/nonbinary person, but i think it can be relatable for many different marginalized identities in different ways, or anyone whose "humanity" has been something often denied to them. but because people are often expecting fictional AI to follow the same logic as actual AI, when i defend robot characters who want to kill their human creators, people give me weird looks like i'm advocating for that in real life. listen, if our current AI situation feasibly produced an AI who was invented for one specific purpose but somehow fucking hated her job and was able to pursue a new life and was also queer (all without any of this being by design) then hell yeah i support her, but that's not what's happening. and in our current capitalistic chatbot hellscape where every company wants to convince you that you're chatting with a super intelligent AI friend to get you to pay for a premium membership, sometimes you have to hold fiction and reality to different standards and enjoy this story about a quest for humanity while also accepting that the people this journey applies to in our real world are often the ones being taken advantage of in our increasingly AI-dominated real world.

idk this was originally supposed to be a short post about how it's funny that i'm so goddamn passionate about AI characters in media while also not being into AI in the real world, but then i got thinking about why this is specifically and came to an interesting conclusion imo. tbh it's very surprising that i don't currently have any of my own projects featuring AI characters fighting for their own humanity bc it's a theme i love so much that i've rarely seen done right and i have so many opinions on it. maybe i will write something about this at some point, but for now if you have any pieces of media you enjoy with AI who are absolutely worthy of personhood pls send them my way!

[juanarc-thethird]

The Things You Make Me Feel 6

@viceasabi

I had to make some changes but here it is. Also sorry for the long wait. ———————————————————————

Yang wakes up in the infirmary.

Yang: *Sits up* How did I get here?

?????: Jaune brought you here.

Yang: Huh?

On the bed next to her, she can see Blake and she was giving off an aura of enlightenment. She can even see a holy light rising behind her.

Yang: Blake?

Blake: *With a warm smile* Good morning Yang. Did you sleep well?

Yang: Yes I did. What happen to you?

Blake: *Makes a soft, clueless look* What do you mean?

Yang: You look… diferente.

Blake: Different?

Yang: Yeah, you look like you became one with the universe or something.

Blake: *Giggles* Oh, I see. You could say that I was able to learn the truth of this world.

Yang: Oookay? Why are you here?

Blake: I got hurt helping Jaune and he brought me here. I saw you here when I arrived, Jaune told me what happened to you and that he brought you here. The nurse let us sleep here and then I woke up before you.

Yang: I see. Oh! Speaking of Jaune. Last night I had the weirdest dream.

Blake: Really?~

Yang: Yes, I dream that Jaune was hot. Can you believe it? Our Noodle is hot, it's hilarious!

Blake: *Smile* Are you sure it was a dream?

Yang: That Jaune is hot? Of course! Are you telling me that he's sexy in real life and he's hiding it? Yeah right.

Blake: Maybe.~ What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?

Yang: I remember that... I was... I was walking.... *pause* I-I don't remember.

Blake: I see, don't worry. You'll remember it soon. Just a word of advice, be careful with The Guardian.

Yang: The Guardian? What are you talking about?

At that moment the nurse came in.

Nurse: Great! You two are awake. Blake you can go. Yang, I just want to check on you before you go.

Blake: *Stands up and leaves* See you later Yang.

Yang: *Tries to get up* Wait, what do you mean by The Guardian?

Nurse: *Stop her* Wait, I need to check on you first.

Yang: Blake Wait!

Blake left the room and Yang has no choice but to wait for the nurse to finish her checkup on her. After a while, she was able to get out of the infirmary and was walking back to her room to take a shower, eat breakfast, and then waste some time before classes started. On her way back, she hears someone making noises in the school weight room.

????: That's it! Give it your all! Just One More.

Yang: (Was that Nora? She's being loud like always)

Nora: Good job fearless leader! My turn.

Yang: (Is Jaune there? Great, he needs training) *Then she remembers what Blake was implying* (Maybe I can take a look)

She was about to enter the gym but stopped midway.

Yang: (I can't go in dressed like this. It will be suspicious. I need to change my clothes)

Yang went to change as fast as she could and comes back wearing her gym clothes. A yellow/black sports bra, black gym shorts, and yellow sneakers. On the way she meets Nora.

Yang: Sorry

Nora: It's okay. Wait, yang? I didn't know you trained in the mornings.

Yang: Y-yeah, I just start it. Wait, are you leaving?

Nora: Yes, I'm done. If I keep training, I'll fall asleep in class, again, and Ren won't cook pancakes for me, again. So, I'm leaving. But if you need a partner, Jaune is still there.

Yang: He is still training!

Nora: Yes, he has great stamina and due to his aura he can train for hours. For some reason he can recover his energy faster than he is actually burning. Even Pyrrha is starting to have trouble keeping up with him during training. Well, she's still stronger in a fight, but that's another story. Oh! Don't tell Jaune I say that, he thinks we are lying and he will train even harder, and that can be dangerous.

Yang: Got it. (Pyrrha is having trouble keeping up?)

Nora: Well see ya.

Nora walks off, leaving Yang alone at the gym entrance.

Yang: (Is it true then? Jaune isn't a noodle anymore? I guess there's only one way to be sure)

Yang entered the gym looking for Jaune. She doesn't see him, until she hears a loud growl and the sound of weight hitting the ground. She turns towards that sound and he is there. Jaune is deadlifting. Normally, the amount of weight he's lifting right now would surprise her, but today something else caught her eye.

Jaune: *Cleaning himself with a towel and drinking some water*

Jaune was sweating, all of his skin was glistening, and his white t-shirt was so wet it clung to his body, showing off his muscles.

Yang: (Oh My God! His Hot!!!!)

Jaune senses someone watching and turns around.

Jaune: *Notice Yang* Hey Yang! Good morning! *Smiles*

Yang: *Blushing* (God damn it! That fucking smile.) Hi Jaune, I didn't know you were here.

Jaune: I exercise every morning with Nora. Not many people come at this time, so it's just her and me here. To be honest, I like it that way, I feel shy and nervous when I was exercising with people. For some reason, people stared at me.

Yang: I wonder why? (Of course they stared at you, look at you! When did you become such a stud) So, are you done working out?

Jaune: No, I still have a couple of exercises to do. Nora taught me these exercises to help me with my endurance. They are simple but do their job in the long run.

Yang: Can I join you?

Jaune: Of course! *smiles* I'm always happy to do it with someone.

Yang: (Do what?~ Wow, calm down girl) Great. Let's do it then.

Jaune: Ok, first at least start with a Twisting Lung. You know how to do them, right?

Yang: Not really.

Jaune: No problem, let me show you. First of all, you will need some space. *Moves to a more open area in the gym* You should now stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, then place your hands on your waist. *Does the action*

Yang: Ok

Jaune: Move your left foot forward and bend it at the knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your right knee should also bend, almost touching the ground. *Does the action*

Yang: Ok *She watches as he does the exercise, but she gets a couple of glances at his ass.*

Jaune: Once you get to this position, twist your torso to the left and hold for 2 seconds. *Does the action*

As Jaune twisted his torso, his butt flexed in front of Yang.

Yang: Wow (Damn, his ass looks amazing. I think it's better than Blake's. Huh, I feel like I've said that before)

Jaune: Once you are done, you stand up *Stand up* and do it with the other leg and that's it.

Yang is distracted staring at his ass

Jaune: Yang? Did you hear me?

Yang: Wha?! Oh yes, yes I did.

Jaune: Ok, so let's do it. you can stand to my right-

Yang: Actually, can I stand behind you? I just want to see you do it, just to make sure I'm doing it the right way.

Jaune: Ok, no problem.

They position themselves and begin the exercise. Jaune goes down and Yang follows him. Jaune tries to focus on his breathing while Yang focuses on that sweet ass of his.

Yang: (Damn! His ass in those shorts looks amazing. If only I could get a good feeling) *She gets an idea* (Maybe if I…~)

Jaune continues to do the exercise unaware that Yang is up to something. He stands up and when he is about to go back down he hears Yang.

Yang: Wow!

Yang leaned forward, pulling Jaune down with her. Luckily, there wasn't something dangerous that could have hurt them both. Jaune was able to land on his hands. Yang, on the other hand, was able to land on something soft.

Yang: *Holding Jaunes ass with both hands while her face is buried in it. She has a strange look of lust on her face.* (It's way better than Blake's ass.)

At that moment, memories of the last training with Jaune came to mind. What she forgot she can now vividly remember. Jaune's toned body, his strong arms, his sculpted abs and his fat long sword~. She then gets up trying to understand these memories.

Jaune: *turns around* Are you alright Yang? What happened?

Yang: *Wide eye* I-I lost my balance. I'm fine.

Jaune: *Worry* It's okay. Well, that was the last one for this exercise, let's move on to the next one. Just let me find a towel so no one slips on my sweat. *leaves for a moment*

Yang: Ok (I remember now! I remember everything. How did I forget that! I remember I was trying to get my hands on jaune, but then I wake up in the infirmary. How?)

At that moment she remembers what Blake told her, "Be careful with The Guardian".

Yang: (Makes sense. Someone is protecting Jaune, and it seems that Blake had a similar experience with this Guardian guy. I mean, how could she know that someone is protecting him? Or maybe she is the Guardian?)

While Yang tried to understand his situation. Jaune came back and wiped the sweat off the floor.

Jaune: Okay, that's done. Now the next exercise is the frog stretch.. *Looks at Yang* Are you ready?

Yang: *Distracted* I'm sorry what?

Jaune: *Thinking that she doesn't know* *Sigh* Let me show you. You start with your hands and knees on the ground. You then spread your knees out to the sides of your torso as far as they comfortably go, and point your feet out in a flexed position. Keep your arms crossed at the elbows for support or stretch them forward. either one is fine. I suggest you do what you feel is more comfortable.

Yang watches Jaune take each step, but right now she can't concentrate on the exercise. She needs to find out who is this person who is protecting Jaune.

Yang: (I can't stay here anymore. I need to talk to Blake) I'm sorry Jaune but-

Jaune: *Doesnt lisent to her* Then, you gently rock back and forth for 10 reps while making sure the balls of your feet stay on the ground and your toes are pointing out. Pretty simple.

Yang: *She looks at him rocking back and forth.* (Oh Fuck me~ Who came up with this exercise? It's so erotic.)

Yang keeps looking, imagining her and Jaune naked on her bed. She is lying on her back while Jaune is on top of her, rocking her back and forth with his sword.

Yang: *Starting to feel horny* (Fuck, why does it have to be so sexy?!) *She stares at his hips* (God, I can't stop picturing him hitting my pelvis with his hips. It must feel so good~ Wait, I can't stay here! I need to find out who's behind this)

Jaune: Yang, are you paying attention?

Yang: *Looks at his face* Sorry, I got distracted.

Jaune: Come on yang, you need to focus. Just look at the way I move my hips. *Moves back and forth again*

Her eyes follow his hips like a cat looking at a toy.

Yang: (Fuck~ Why is the universe tempting me like this?! The last time I tried to make him mine, I was attacked) Think deeply (Maybe… Maybe I can seduce him. That way he would be the one to take action, and the Guardian won't be able to attack me. Yang, you're a very smart girl) Jaune, can you teach me how to do it?

Jaune: *Clueless* What do you mean? That's what I'm doing right now.

Yang: (Shit, I forgot he's a cute dummy) No, I mean if you can give me a hand to make sure I'm doing it right.

Jaune: Oooooh, ok. Just start with the correct position.

Yang: (Show time) *Gets on all fours* Like this?

Jaune: Yes, now you need to stretch your legs, and then you move back and forth.

Yang: Like this *starts moving left to right* (Just like that. Now reel him in)

Jaune: No, you have to move back and forth. You know, forward and backward.

Yang: Likes this *keeps doing the same thing* (Just a little more)

Jaune: *Getting irritated* Oh my Oum...

Jaune: No. That's is not how you do it.

Yang: (Now for the Kill) Then show me. Use your hands and show me how it's done~ *Wiggle her ass a little bit*

Jaune: I don't think it's appropriate.

Yang: (Just take the hint!) Come on, how am I going to learn if you don't teach me~

Jaune: ....Fine

Yang: (Score!!!)

Jaune: ..Just don't hit me, ok?

Yang: *Teasing* Just put your big hands on me~

Jaune: *Upset* Okay, if you're going to act like this, maybe we should stop.

Yang: I was just kidding. Please help.

Jaune: Okay, but no more jokes.

Jaune kneels behind Yang at a respectful distance and grabs her hips with both hands.

Yang: (His hands are so big~)

Jaune: Ok, now you need to move back and forth.

Jaune uses a bit of force to move her. She lets him take control and turns her head to look at him.

Yang: (Fuck~ This view is so hot.)

Yang again begins to imagine them together in her bedroom in this new position.

Yang: *bites her lip* (I can only imagine the sound of his pelvis hitting my ass~)

Jaune: *Keeps holding her hips as she moves* Keep going. You're doing great.

Yang: *Day dreaming* (Oh, you like that big guy~)

She keeps moving from side to side. Jaune tries to control her speed, but it seems that Yang is having trouble keeping a steady pace. For some reason it started to go faster.

Jaune: Ok Yang, you need to slow down.

Yang: Why? (Is it to much for you~)

Jaune: You are not doing the exercises properly.

Yang: *She moves a little faster* Then do something about it. (Just take control over me you big hunk~)

Jaune: *Using his leader voice* Stop!

Jaune firmly grab her hip and push it down as a way to stop her. Her upper body went down, while her ass remain up. This was unexpected to her, but is was perfect.

Yang: (Fuck~ I think I just came a little. Fuck The Guardian. I'll make him mine today)

Jaune: Yang, you need to listen to me. This exercise are about control, you need to-

Yang: *tries to sit down* Ouch~

Jaune: *Worry* Oh no, did I hurt you?

Yang: No, I'm fine I just *Tries again* Ouh~

Jaune: Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Yang. I did not control my strength. Please let me help you.

He gently lifts her up like a princess. Yang can't stop looking at his chest and collarbone.

Yang: (God~ I just need to make sure we're alone and this body will be mine)

Jaune: Let's go to the infirmary.

Yang: NO!

Jaune: Huh?!

Yang: *couch* I'm sorry. You don't need to take me there. It's a bit of a pain, let's not bother the nurse with this. Just take me to my room.

Jaune: I don't know Yang, it could be serious.

Yang: If it gets serious, you can ease my pain~

Jaune: How? I'm not a doctor.

Yang: You don't need to be a doctor to make me feel better.~

Jaune: Yang I can go to jail for that.

Yang:....

Jaune:...

Yang: How can you be so good at tactics and still be such a dummy? (A hot dummy~)

Jaune: That's not nice.

Yang: Just take me to my room while I'm still in the mood

Jaune: Ok

They leave the gym, and after walking a from a couple of halls they meet Mrs Evans.

Mrs Evans: Good morning Jaune, good morning Miss Xiao Long

Jaune: Hello Mrs. Evans. What are you doing here so early in the morning?

Mrs Evans: Just doing my rounds. Make sure none of the students get into trouble. By the way, did something happen to you, Miss Xiao Long?

Yang: Well...

Jaune: I accidentally hurt her back while we were exercising. So I'm taking her to her room.

Mrs Evans: Why don't you take her to the infirmary?

Yang: You see...

Jaune: She says it's not that bad and if something happens I can help her feel better.

Mrs. Evans looks at Yang and raises an eyebrow.

Mrs Evans: Interesting.

Yang: *Nervous laughter* Hehehe....

Mrs Evans: Miss Xiao Long, you have a spider on you.

Yang: Spider!!!

Yang jumps out of his arms and starts checking her body to see if the spider has moved onto her.

Yang: Where is it?! Do I still have it? Where?!!!

Mrs Evans: Feeling better Yang?

At that moment she realizes what she just did.

Yang: *Quietly* Shit.

Jaune: Wow Yang! You healed so fast!

Mrs Evans: Well, it looks like Yang doesn't need help anymore.

Jaune: Oh man, Aura is awesome!

Mrs Evans: It is, but just to make sure, I'm taking Yang to the infirmary for a checkup. Jaune, you should go and get ready for class.

Jaune: Yes ma'am.

Jaune disappears from their sight, and Yang gets very nervous.

Yang: I don't think is necessary to go to the...

A syringe flew past her, and it was close enough that she could hear the hiss as it sliced through the air.

Yang: ...Infirmary

A black shadow covered Mrs. Evans. Her eyes turned red and she stared at Yang.

Mrs Evans: You are now on my list!

In that same darkness she disappears. Yang is scared and in shocked, and later in a moment of clarity a word comes to mind.

Yang: The Guardian

[sebstanseabass]

Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 7

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER SEVEN

Lunch with Bucky was spent in a little Italian place right across the bar. It belonged to a seventy-year old Italian immigrant named Marco who invested in it with nothing but his savings when he first came to New York. Fifteen years later, his little dining place stood still through its ups and downs. In fact, business was getting stronger for Marco ever since the bar opened.  His target customers expanded from fellow immigrants to little boys who played soccer in the little league and finally to drunk bastards who wanted pizza in the middle of the night. He also started putting up a 24/7 sign and hired more people to work for him. Marco gave me a sympathetic smile as soon as he passed by you with a bottle of hot sauce he knew you liked.

"Where's the hunk?" His Italian accent never faltered. "Ditched ya?"

Lunch with Bucky was also cut short when he received a phone call from Leonard about an emergency in the White Wolf. "It's Leonard." He said. "Gotta get back to the hotel." Then you slipped in a tiny question, seeing a different phone on his hand: "Is that your phone? I thought you left it in your penthouse, that's why you crashed into our apartment."

"I borrowed Peter's old phone when we did our little fiancè act back there. Then I got my phone back after I ate all that food."

"And here you are again eating."

"Not anymore, I'm not." He chuckled, getting up from the chair and throwing his napkin gently on the table. "I gotta go, doll. Duty awaits. I'll see you around."

You were left there with two plates of pasta, one large pizza, and a hundred dollar bill that covered the whole meal. "Plus tip." Bucky then fled and hailed a cab. He gave you one last look and a small salute before getting inside then off he went.

"He had some business work to do." You replied. "Can I take these to-go please? Oh, and here." You handed Marco the hundred dollar bill and said something you have never said (not once!) in your entire life. "Keep the change."

Marco grinned, took the money and placed it inside his apron pockets. "Any chance you got four more of this?"

"Hey, that's with the tip already!" You playfully rolled your eyes and leaned back on the chair. "And you should ask the hunk that. Not me."

He started taking some plates off the table, his back a bit hunched as he did. "Who was that anyway? Finally replaced that old boyfriend of yours?"

"Old boyfriend? Marco, I'm single. Oh no, you're not at that stage now, are you?" It was meant as a joke but you did genuinely care for the old guy.

Marco stopped from picking up the plates and stood taller. "What ya talking 'bout?"

"You know," you whispered, "the forgetful stage."

"Oh fuck off." You earned a glare from him then continued to pick up the plates from the table before wiping it clean. A mother covered her three-year-old daughter's ears, with pasta noodles falling out of her mouth. She said something to Marco but was overpowered by his voice. A man in his 40's kept looking at you and Marco, probably wondering what the fuss was all about. "I'm still young!" He added. "And you know who I'm talking about. The guy you live with."

You scoffed and gave him an unbelievable look as you watched him clean, avoiding the stares people were starting to give. "That's not my boyfriend, Marco." You whispered.

"What? He's not?"

"He's my roommate." You took a sip of your bottled water. "We're roommates, nothing more."

"Well, good. I like the hunk better than that skinny roommate of yours." He bellowed laughing, holding his big, round belly. His voice echoed against the walls.

"Wait, so you thought Peter was my boyfriend this whole time?" You genuinely asked.

"Well, yeah! You were always together eating and whatnot. What was I supposed to think?"

You were supposed to argue with Marco that it was okay to be friends with someone of the opposite gender: to platonically hangout twenty-four seven, have pizza nights, movie nights, and all the things couples do but in a very platonic way. But Marco was an old man who stubbornly clung to his ancient beliefs. You didn't want to light a fire you and him. Besides, you were still on your way to earning his trust and getting a friend discount.

"Unbelievable." You mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear it. Despite his old age, Marco still had the ears of a twenty-year old.

"You and me, both. All the time I was thinking to myself, you could do better!"

Oh, God. I know where this is going. You thought. "I'm not letting you set me up with your son, Marco."

"Why not?"

"Because he's old." You groaned, wishing he would just clear the table and just get it on with your to-go Italian food.

"So was that hunk you were with!"

Tired of all the back and forths, you sighed. "Marco, can't you just give me the food? I still have work to do."

"Yeah, yeah, aight. Don't nag me." Marco grunted. "You sounding like my ex-wife back there." His voice faded once he went back towards the counter, and started placing the food in the little to-go boxes.

Your phone on the table lit up. A text message from Peter asking you if you were still with Bucky. You replied back instantly that he went back to the White Wolf. You received no more messages from him after that.

A few seconds later, a figure approached and stopped right in front of you. You looked up and saw one of your friends who also did photography back in college.

"Wanda?"

Wanda flashed you that sweet smile of hers that reminded you of chocolates, rainbows, and unicorns.

"Aria! Wow, it's so nice to see you!" She crouched down to envelope you in a warm hug, then sat across from you, where Bucky was sitting a few minutes ago. She placed her small, shiny purse right on the table, her painted nails never letting it go. "I was just walking down the street and then saw you from the window. How are you? It's been quite long, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm doing good." Wanda could be such a Chatty Cathy. She was the kind of person that never let silence take over a room. If you memory served you right, you haven't seen each other since you graduated from college. She was a year younger than you and even though you stayed in New York the whole time, you never bothered to visit her at NYU Tisch during her last year. "How about you? How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing real good too! I actually set up my own studio a year ago in Manhattan after being a wedding photographer. I now photograph models, sometimes I do photowalks. I also hold photo exhibits from time to time." Unlike you, Wanda chose to follow her passion and majored in Photography and Imaging. "It's been really fun!"

Albeit feeling happy for her, a pang of jealousy struck you. You tried your best to ignore it and said: "That's great, Wanda. I'm so proud of you. You've come a long way since then."

She grinned. "I did, yeah. How about you? How's the business thing?"

You pursed your lips. "I'm actually juggling two jobs right now. I bartend at that bar over there," you pointed across the street, "and I also started a photography business." You continued. "I just do product photos for small businesses."

It was nothing big like Wanda's. Actually, it wasn't anything compared to her Manhattan studio and photowalks and photo exhibits. Nothing at all.

Her jaw dropped. Eyes wide. "Bartending? Wow! That doesn't sound like you at all!"

You chuckled then shook your head. "Who would've thought, huh? But it's pretty convenient and it pays half of my rent."

"You're still living with the Parker guy?"

"Actually, yes I still am." You replied. "But it's just the two of us now."

"Nothing more comforting than a familiar face around, huh?" She answered. "Oh hey, it's great you're still doing photography. I thought it was just a hobby of yours."

"I fell in love with it more during college, you know that."

Wanda just nodded her head in response then looked at her wrist watch. "Right. Well, this has been fun but I have a meeting to go to at some company who wants to talk about collaborations and stuff. You know the drill." She stood up from the chair, its legs scraping the wooden floors. "It was really nice to see you, Aria. I hope we can see each other again soon."

You mirrored her and stood up, reaching for a hug. "It's nice to see you too, Wanda." You let her go, then rambled. "I'm just in the bar if you ever wanna grab a drink or maybe coffee or lunch or anything, really."

"I will." She replied.

Before walking out, Wanda placed her hand on your shoulder, matched with a tight-lipped smile; like the gesture of someone towards a family member at one's funeral. Funnily enough, it was kind of appropriate. Your career in photography might as well be dead. You haven't received any work inquiry in over a month now, and some businesses have been rejecting your photography services. It was the classic "it's not you, it's me" scenario. They just found someone better.

With Wanda out of sight, you drained your thoughts and continued to stare at the moving cars on the streets. Getting you out of your trance was Marco tapping you on the shoulder.

"You alright there, kid?" He asked while handing you a plastic bag full.

"Yeah, sorry." You answered. "Just got distracted." You relieved him of your to-go food, grabbing it from his calloused hands.

"I know that kid you were talking to."

"Wanda?"

"Yeah, yeah. She photographed my son's wedding."

"The one you kept setting me up with?"

"Not that old bastard." He answered, frowning. "The younger, hotter one. With all the cheekbones and the eyes. Got them from me." Marco looked like a taller Danny DeVito. You doubted this "younger, hotter one" of his looked anything like Marco. "She also photographed my daughter's wedding."

"Jesus. How many children do you have?"

"Five." He chuckled. "I got some great swimmers."

You made a guttural sound and rolled your eyes. "Oh, God. Did not need to know that. Anyway, I gotta go. See you around, Marco." With that, you started to walk out and headed straight to the apartment.

There was nothing much to do once you got in the apartment besides putting the leftovers inside the fridge. The bar usually opened at four in the afternoon for happy hour so you took a short nap and was able to clear you head of all the things that happened overnight.

You woke up at about three in the afternoon and headed down the bar. By the time you got there, Nick was already inside, arranging the tables and chairs that were turned upside down.

"Hey, you got in early today." You greeted him as you approached the bar counter.

Nick looked up, hands still wrapped around a table. "Yeah well, I can't let you be employee of the month every single time."

"Living right above the bar does have some of its perks." You chuckled, grabbing an apron. "Need help with those?"

He answered no but his actions said otherwise. You jogged towards him and lifted the other side of the table, placing it on the floor without making much of a sound. You walked towards the other tables then started lifting one, praying to God you won't let it slip away from your arms but of course, you still had no luck on your side. Once Nick asked you that one question ("Do you want to go on a date with me?") you didn't want to hear, you dropped the table on your right foot. Bam! You stifled the sound of pain that itched your throat. Nick shuffled towards me and asked me if you were okay. You gently shrugged him off, telling him that it was nothing and that you you recently had a concussion less than twenty-four hours ago, this was absolutely nothing.

"You sure?" He asked. His hand gripped my waist, trying to maintain my balance.

"Yes, Nick." You straightened up and tried to stretch your right foot, checking if it was sprained or not. Thankfully, it was still good for running.

He let go of you then scratched the back of his head. His eyes focused on the wooden floors. "That was not a good time to ask that."

"I don't think there was ever a good time to ask that."

"Is that a no?"

Your mind recalled the conversation you and Peter had at the elevator: "Never dip the pen in company ink, right?"

Yes, it was easier to let him down easy with no one else around. You could also tell him you'll think about it but either way, you'd still be spending the remaining minutes in the bar with the fleeting awkwardness hanging in the air. But the silence was becoming heavier each second you weren't saying anything so you just shut your mind for a second and said: "Is it okay if I think about it first?"

"Yes. Sure. Of course!" He replied, finally meeting your eyes. "Just let me know. You know where to find me. Just here in the bar. 'Cause I work here."

"I know, Nick." You snickered. "I work here too."

"Right, right." He shook his head. "I'm just gonna..." He trailed off, pointing to the tables with his thumb.

"Yeah, I'll just..." You didn't know where else to go so you just made up an excuse. "I'll just be in the kitchen."

"What are you gonna do there?"

"I think there are still some shipments there? From earlier?" Lie. "I'll take care of them. Don't worry."

"O-okay."

And with that, you left Nick arranging tables and chairs while you headed towards the kitchen, sat on the floor and scrolled through different social media platforms before one of the cooks entered the kitchen. You ignored the befuddled look she gave you. It was the sign to  stand up and walk out of the kitchen. So you did.

Once Peter walked in the doors, you grabbed a bottle of beer and removed the bottle cap. You greeted him with a smile and placed his drink on the counter. "Hey, Parker. Guess what?"

"Hey, y/n." He smiled, sitting on the stool and placing his briefcase on the counter. He immediately grabbed the beer bottle and took his first sip. "Nick finally asked you out?"

"You don't know the rules to the 'Guess What' game, do you?"

"Oh, I know the rules." He replied. "I'm just a born rule breaker. So," he stared at his beer bottle scratching the sticker with his thumbs, "did you say yes?"

"I told him I'll think about it."

"And you've thought about it?"

"Yes."

"...and?"

"I'm gonna tell him no." You walked away from Peter, pouring beer from the beer tap into a beer mug for one of the regulars who just walked in. "It's kind of hard to work with someone you're dating or you've dated. I mean, you learned that the hard way, right?"

Peter groaned, reminiscing the time he dated his co-worker, a certain Denise, for six months, stringing her along for a couple more before dumping her. He couldn't even begin to describe how much hatred Denise had for Peter. One night, you found Peter on the rooftop, writing his resignation letter. Of course, you had to throw it after sneaking up on him behind his back. Apparently, Peter couldn't take any more of Denise's death stares during meetings, lunch breaks, and any time she was around Peter. Luckily, Denise got fired the next day for some legal dispute. Peter drank his whole night away that very day and you ended up taking care of him. The next day, you told him everything he'd done that night except one thing: trying to kiss you.

"Hey," Peter hissed, "here he comes. Good luck." He swiftly left his briefcase and beer bottle on the counter, hurrying his way towards the toilet.

You gave Nick a small smile once he opened the counter pass-through. "Nick. Hi."

"Y/n. Hi!"

"So, about the thing earlier -- "

"Can I get a beer?" Interrupted a man on your left side but you couldn't care less. You put up your hand in front of his face. "In a mug!"

Before you could even say "I'm sorry, Nick, but I can't date a co-worker. It's just not right. But you're great. Not just with me" the man shooed your hand away. "Hey! The hell is this?"

You groaned. "You'll get your beer in just one moment, okay?"

The man huffed and left the counter then sat on a nearby table, flipping me off. You rolled your eyes at him and brought your attention back to Nick who was still waiting for your answer. While halfway through your short speech you have been preparing in your head, he interrupted with a: "Yeah, yeah, I know where this is going. It's fine. It's alright. I understand. I'll let you get back to work."

He started turning around but you immediately stopped him. "So this is okay, right? No weird tension between us, or something like that?"

He nodded his head and sent you a warm smile. "Yeah, everything's good. At least I tried, y'know. I'll, uh, see ya around 'cause y'know -- "

"You work here, yeah."

"Yeah. Well... " And with that, he treaded away towards the pass-through and approached some newcomers.

The man from earlier was still staring at you so you went ahead and opened the beer tap. Before the liquid even reached the top of the mug, a hand laid on top of the tap handle and turned the tap off.

"Now," Bucky's voice rang inside your ears, "how about you make me a mean drink, doll?"