#mobile and gadgets

[refersmss]

Motorola Edge 50 Pro Launching in India on April 3, 2024

Motorola enthusiasts in India can mark their calendars as the highly anticipated Motorola Edge 50 Pro is confirmed to make its debut in the country on April 3, 2024. The official announcement has sparked excitement among smartphone enthusiasts, eager to experience the cutting-edge features and performance offered by the latest addition to the Motorola lineup.

https://www.refersms.com/www-refersms-com-motorola-edge-50-pro-launch-india-2024_03_18/

[thisisrealy2kok]

Siemens S55 (2002)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Subprime gadgets

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THIS SUNDAY in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON: YA Fantasy, Room 207, 10 a.m.; Signing, 11 a.m.; Teaching Writing, 2 p.m., Room 213CD.

The promise of feudal security: "Surrender control over your digital life so that we, the wise, giant corporation, can ensure that you aren't tricked into catastrophic blunders that expose you to harm":

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

The tech giant is a feudal warlord whose platform is a fortress; move into the fortress and the warlord will defend you against the bandits roaming the lawless land beyond its walls.

That's the promise, here's the failure: What happens when the warlord decides to attack you? If a tech giant decides to do something that harms you, the fortress becomes a prison and the thick walls keep you in.

Apple does this all the time: "click this box and we will use our control over our platform to stop Facebook from spying on you" (Ios as fortress). "No matter what box you click, we will spy on you and because we control which apps you can install, we can stop you from blocking our spying" (Ios as prison):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

But it's not just Apple – any corporation that arrogates to itself the right to override your own choices about your technology will eventually yield to temptation, using that veto to help itself at your expense:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Once the corporation puts the gun on the mantelpiece in Act One, they're begging their KPI-obsessed managers to take it down and shoot you in the head with it in anticipation of of their annual Act Three performance review:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/08/playstationed/#tyler-james-hill

One particularly pernicious form of control is "trusted computing" and its handmaiden, "remote attestation." Broadly, this is when a device is designed to gather information about how it is configured and to send verifiable testaments about that configuration to third parties, even if you want to lie to those people:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/08/your-computer-should-say-what-you-tell-it-say-1

New HP printers are designed to continuously monitor how you use them – and data-mine the documents you print for marketing data. You have to hand over a credit-card in order to use them, and HP reserves the right to fine you if your printer is unreachable, which would frustrate their ability to spy on you and charge you rent:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/02/hp-wants-you-to-pay-up-to-36-month-to-rent-a-printer-that-it-monitors/

Under normal circumstances, this technological attack would prompt a defense, like an aftermarket mod that prevents your printer's computer from monitoring you. This is "adversarial interoperability," a once-common technological move:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

An adversarial interoperator seeking to protect HP printer users from HP could gin up fake telemetry to send to HP, so they wouldn't be able to tell that you'd seized the means of computation, triggering fines charged to your credit card.

Enter remote attestation: if HP can create a sealed "trusted platform module" or a (less reliable) "secure enclave" that gathers and cryptographically signs information about which software your printer is running, HP can detect when you have modified it. They can force your printer to rat you out – to spill your secrets to your enemy.

Remote attestation is already a reliable feature of mobile platforms, allowing agencies and corporations whose services you use to make sure that you're perfectly defenseless – not blocking ads or tracking, or doing anything else that shifts power from them to you – before they agree to communicate with your device.

What's more, these "trusted computing" systems aren't just technological impediments to your digital wellbeing – they also carry the force of law. Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, these snitch-chips are "an effective means of access control" which means that anyone who helps you bypass them faces a $500,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence for a first offense.

Feudal security builds fortresses out of trusted computing and remote attestation and promises to use them to defend you from marauders. Remote attestation lets them determine whether your device has been compromised by someone seeking to harm you – it gives them a reliable testament about your device's configuration even if your device has been poisoned by bandits:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/05/trusting-trust/#thompsons-devil

The fact that you can't override your computer's remote attestations means that you can't be tricked into doing so. That's a part of your computer that belongs to the manufacturer, not you, and it only takes orders from its owner. So long as the benevolent dictator remains benevolent, this is a protective against your own lapses, follies and missteps. But if the corporate warlord turns bandit, this makes you powerless to stop them from devouring you whole.

With that out of the way, let's talk about debt.

Debt is a normal feature of any economy, but today's debt plays a different role from the normal debt that characterized life before wages stagnated and inequality skyrocketed. 40 years ago, neoliberalism – with its assaults on unions and regulations – kicked off a multigenerational process of taking wealth away from working people to make the rich richer.

Have you ever watched a genius pickpocket like Apollo Robbins work? When Robins lifts your wristwatch, he curls his fingers around your wrist, expertly adding pressure to simulate the effect of a watchband, even as he takes away your watch. Then, he gradually releases his grip, so slowly that you don't even notice:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/ppqjya/apollo_robbins_a_master_pickpocket_effortlessly/

For the wealthy to successfully impoverish the rest of us, they had to provide something that made us feel like we were still doing OK, even as they stole our wages, our savings, and our futures. So, even as they shipped our jobs overseas in search of weak environmental laws and weaker labor protection, they shared some of the savings with us, letting us buy more with less. But if your wages keep stagnating, it doesn't matter how cheap a big-screen TV gets, because you're tapped out.

So in tandem with cheap goods from overseas sweatshops, we got easy credit: access to debt. As wages fell, debt rose up to fill the gap. For a while, it's felt OK. Your wages might be falling off, the cost of health care and university might be skyrocketing, but everything was getting cheaper, it was so easy to borrow, and your principal asset – your family home – was going up in value, too.

This period was a "bezzle," John Kenneth Galbraith's name for "The magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." It's the moment after Apollo Robbins has your watch but before you notice it's gone. In that moment, both you and Robbins feel like you have a watch – the world's supply of watch-derived happiness actually goes up for a moment.

There's a natural limit to debt-fueled consumption: as Michael Hudson says, "debts that can't be paid, won't be paid." Once the debtor owes more than they can pay back – or even service – creditors become less willing to advance credit to them. Worse, they start to demand the right to liquidate the debtor's assets. That can trigger some pretty intense political instability, especially when the only substantial asset most debtors own is the roof over their heads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

"Debts that can't be paid, won't be paid," but that doesn't stop creditors from trying to get blood from our stones. As more of us became bankrupt, the bankruptcy system was gutted, turned into a punitive measure designed to terrorize people into continuing to pay down their debts long past the point where they can reasonably do so:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/bankruptcy-protects-fake-people-brutalizes-real-ones/

Enter "subprime" – loans advanced to people who stand no meaningful chance of every paying them back. We all remember the subprime housing bubble, in which complex and deceptive mortgages were extended to borrowers on the promise that they could either flip or remortgage their house before the subprime mortgages detonated when their "teaser rates" expired and the price of staying in your home doubled or tripled.

Subprime housing loans were extended on the belief that people would meekly render themselves homeless once the music stopped, forfeiting all the money they'd plowed into their homes because the contract said they had to. For a brief minute there, it looked like there would be a rebellion against mass foreclosure, but then Obama and Timothy Geithner decreed that millions of Americans would have to lose their homes to "foam the runways" for the banks:

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/08/how-treasury-secretary-geithner-foamed-the-runways-with-childrens-shattered-lives/

That's one way to run a subprime shop: offer predatory loans to people who can't afford them and then confiscate their assets when they – inevitably – fail to pay their debts off.

But there's another form of subprime, familiar to loan sharks through the ages: lend money at punitive interest rates, such that the borrower can never repay the debt, and then terrorize the borrower into making payments for as long as possible. Do this right and the borrower will pay you several times the value of the loan, and still owe you a bundle. If the borrower ever earns anything, you'll have a claim on it. Think of Americans who borrowed $79,000 to go to university, paid back $190,000 and still owe $236,000:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

This kind of loan-sharking is profitable, but labor-intensive. It requires that the debtor make payments they fundamentally can't afford. The usurer needs to get their straw right down into the very bottom of the borrower's milkshake and suck up every drop. You need to convince the debtor to sell their wedding ring, then dip into their kid's college fund, then steal their father's coin collection, and, then break into cars to steal the stereos. It takes a lot of person-to-person work to keep your sucker sufficiently motivated to do all that.

This is where digital meets subprime. There's $1T worth of subprime car-loans in America. These are pure predation: the lender sells a beater to a mark, offering a low down-payment loan with a low initial interest rate. The borrower makes payments at that rate for a couple of months, but then the rate blows up to more than they can afford.

Trusted computing makes this marginal racket into a serious industry. First, there's the ability of the car to narc you out to the repo man by reporting on its location. Tesla does one better: if you get behind in your payments, your Tesla immobilizes itself and phones home, waits for the repo man to come to the parking lot, then it backs itself out of the spot while honking its horn and flashing its lights:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

That immobilization trick shows how a canny subprime car-lender can combine the two kinds of subprime: they can secure the loan against an asset (the car), but also coerce borrowers into prioritizing repayment over other necessities of life. After your car immobilizes itself, you just might decide to call the dealership and put down your credit card, even if that means not being able to afford groceries or child support or rent.

One thing we can say about digital tools: they're flexible. Any sadistic motivational technique a lender can dream up, a computerized device can execute. The subprime car market relies on a spectrum of coercive tactics: cars that immobilize themselves, sure, but how about cars that turn on their speakers to max and blare a continuous recording telling you that you're a deadbeat and demanding payment?

https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/miss-a-payment-good-luck-moving-that-car/

The more a subprime lender can rely on a gadget to torment you on their behalf, the more loans they can issue. Here, at last, is a form of automation-driven mass unemployment: normally, an economy that has been fully captured by wealthy oligarchs needs squadrons of cruel arm-breakers to convince the plebs to prioritize debt service over survival. The infinitely flexible, tireless digital arm-breakers enabled by trusted computing have deprived all of those skilled torturers of their rightful employment:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

The world leader in trusted computing isn't cars, though – it's phones. Long before anyone figured out how to make a car take orders from its manufacturer over the objections of its driver, Apple and Google were inventing "curating computing" whose app stores determined which software you could run and how you could run it.

Back in 2021, Indian subprime lenders hit on the strategy of securing their loans by loading borrowers' phones up with digital arm-breaking software:

https://restofworld.org/2021/loans-that-hijack-your-phone-are-coming-to-india/

The software would gather statistics on your app usage. When you missed a payment, the phone would block you from accessing your most frequently used app. If that didn't motivate you to pay, you'd lose your second-most favorite app, then your third, fourth, etc.

This kind of digital arm-breaking is only possible if your phone is designed to prioritize remote instructions – from the manufacturer and its app makers – over your own. It also only works if the digital arm-breaking company can confirm that you haven't jailbroken your phone, which might allow you to send fake data back saying that your apps have been disabled, while you continue to use those apps. In other words, this kind of digital sadism only works if you've got trusted computing and remote attestation.

Enter "Device Lock Controller," an app that comes pre-installed on some Google Pixel phones. To quote from the app's description: "Device Lock Controller enables device management for credit providers. Your provider can remotely restrict access to your device if you don't make payments":

https://lemmy.world/post/13359866

Google's pitch to Android users is that their "walled garden" is a fortress that keeps people who want to do bad things to you from reaching you. But they're pre-installing software that turns the fortress into a prison that you can't escape if they decide to let someone come after you.

There's a certain kind of economist who looks at these forms of automated, fine-grained punishments and sees nothing but a tool for producing an "efficient market" in debt. For them, the ability to automate arm-breaking results in loans being offered to good, hardworking people who would otherwise be deprived of credit, because lenders will judge that these borrowers can be "incentivized" into continuing payments even to the point of total destitution.

This is classic efficient market hypothesis brain worms, the kind of cognitive dead-end that you arrive at when you conceive of people in purely economic terms, without considering the power relationships between them. It's a dead end you navigate to if you only think about things as they are today – vast numbers of indebted people who command fewer assets and lower wages than at any time since WWII – and treat this as a "natural" state: "how can these poors expect to be offered more debt unless they agree to have their all-important pocket computers booby-trapped?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/29/boobytrap/#device-lock-controller

Image: Oatsy (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oatsy40/21647688003

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[avoidmint]

Happy Birthday to the bastard man (affectionate) who got me into this fandom!

[fruitiermetrostation]

You searched for gadget icon set - Vandelay Design

[yourfuturemachine]

This electric moped can be folded and stored under a desk

[acmeoop]

Another Three-Point Landing “The Amazon” (1983)

[cyberneurotism]

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Transformers aren't cars, They are Alien-Robot-People that can Turn into cars (And other Vehicles,) and are thus exempt from this list.

[timetrek24]

🇰🇷 Transport yourself back in time with the Samsung SPH-WP10 watch phone! Released in 1999, this groundbreaking device marked Samsung's foray into the realm of wearable tech, combining the functionalities of a mobile phone with the convenience of a wristwatch.

⌚️ The SPH-WP10 was ahead of its time, boasting impressive features such as a built-in antenna, phone dialer, and LCD screen. Despite its compact size, it packed a punch, allowing users to make calls and send text messages on the go.

⚙️ Equipped with innovative technology, the SPH-WP10 supported basic phone functions and offered a sleek design with a digital display. Its futuristic appeal was enhanced by features like a built-in speakerphone and vibrating alerts.

💾 Despite its limited memory and basic functionalities compared to modern smartphones, the SPH-WP10 paved the way for future advancements in wearable technology, showcasing Samsung's commitment to innovation and user convenience.

🌟 The SPH-WP10 may have been a relic of the past, but its impact on the evolution of mobile communication is undeniable, earning its place in the annals of tech history.

[suckinitup]

points at mark. he’s really smart and very creative when it comes to gadgets and suits. let him turn that shit into a hobby and follow the classic hobbyist pattern of making shit for his loved ones. this man does NOT know how to use his words but he has shown several times that he cares thru his actions and i think that would translate with his gadgets in a really fun way. I think he made his wife a gorgeous little music box

[nightmaretour]

Packing for a two day trip for the nearest large pride festival is like an able bodied person packing for a week long holiday. There is no such thing as travelling light when you're physically disabled

[thisisrealy2kok]

Motorola V400 (2003)

[sekingadgets]

Realme NARZO 70x 5G

Quick Specs

Dimensity 6100+ 5G

5000mAh Large Battery

6.72-inch 120Hz FHD+ Display

6GB RAM + 6GB Dynamic RAM

50MP AI Camera

45W SUPERVOOC Charger

Realme NARZO 70x 5G smartphone launched in India with mid-range price and powerful performance. Really the smartphone provides very good multitasking and daily use experience at a mid-range price. It has MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G processor which is performance so much good.

Read More

[poorvikasmartgadgets]

Vivo V40 Pro: The Ultimate Professional-Grade Smartphone

In the rapidly evolving world of smartphones, the Vivo V40 Pro stands out as a masterpiece of innovation and design. With its cutting-edge technology and professional-grade imaging capabilities, it’s a device that promises to redefine what we expect from a smartphone. Whether you're a photography enthusiast, a tech-savvy professional, or someone who demands the best in mobile technology, the Vivo V40 Pro has something to offer.

Professional-Grade Imaging with ZEISS Optics

The Vivo V40 Pro's exceptional imaging system, developed in collaboration with ZEISS, a name synonymous with high-quality optics. The ZEISS Multifocal Portrait and Telephoto Portrait Camera allow you to capture stunning portraits with remarkable detail and clarity. With the ZEISS Style Portrait feature, you can select from various professional bokeh effects, such as the Distagon, Sonnar, and Biotar, to bring out the best in your shots.

The Vivo V40 Pro is equipped with a 50 MP ZEISS Ultra Wide-Angle Camera and a 50 MP ZEISS OIS Main Camera, ensuring that every photo is sharp, vibrant, and rich in detail. Whether you're capturing expansive landscapes or intimate portraits, the V40 Pro's camera system delivers professional-grade results every time.

Sleek Design, Robust Durability

The Vivo V40 Pro isn't just about performance; it's also a design marvel. As India’s slimmest phone with a 5500mAh battery, it combines elegance with endurance. The 3D Curved Display enhances the phone’s visual appeal, while the IP68 Dust and Water Resistance ensures it can withstand the elements, making it both stylish and durable.

Available in Ganges Blue and Titanium Grey, the V40 Pro offers a choice of colors that are as sophisticated as they are unique. The Infinity Eye Camera Module Design adds a touch of luxury, making this smartphone not just a device but a statement.

Unmatched Performance with MediaTek Dimensity 9200+

Under the hood, the Vivo V40 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor, a 4nm powerhouse that delivers flagship-grade performance. With an AnTuTu score of 1,590,000, this device is built to handle even the most demanding tasks with ease. Whether you're gaming, streaming, or multitasking, the V40 Pro ensures a smooth, lag-free experience.

The V40 Pro also features 12GB RAM with an additional 12GB of Extend RAM, giving you the freedom to run multiple apps simultaneously without any slowdown. With 512GB of internal storage, you'll have ample space for all your photos, videos, and apps.

Display and Sound: A Feast for the Senses

The Vivo V40 Pro's 1.5K Ultra Clear Sunlight Display is designed to impress, with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2800×1260 resolution that ensures vibrant, lifelike visuals. Whether you're watching videos, playing games, or simply browsing, the display remains clear and bright, even under direct sunlight.

For the first time in the V-series, the V40 Pro introduces dual stereo speakers, providing an immersive audio experience that complements its stunning visuals. Whether you're listening to music, watching movies, or playing games, the sound quality is rich, detailed, and truly immersive.

Advanced AI Features: Smarter and More Efficient

The Vivo V40 Pro is packed with advanced AI features designed to enhance your daily experience. The AI 3D Studio Lighting and AI Aura Light Portrait features ensure that your portraits look professional, even in challenging lighting conditions. The AI SuperLink and 360° Omnidirectional Antenna ensure that you're always connected, even in areas with weak signals.

With Funtouch OS 14, the V40 Pro offers a smooth, customizable user experience. From personalized lock screen styles to advanced multitasking capabilities, the V40 Pro is designed to adapt to your lifestyle, making every interaction seamless and intuitive.

Conclusion

The New Vivo V40 Pro smartphone has a professional-grade tool designed for those who demand the best. With its cutting-edge camera system, sleek design, robust performance, and advanced AI features, the V40 Pro is set to redefine the standards of mobile technology. Whether you're capturing stunning photos, enjoying immersive media, or staying connected on the go, the Vivo V40 Pro is the perfect companion for the modern professional.

[reploidbuddy]

I don’t know if I'll ever get to write the rest of the story (big plan on my wall chilling there for a year+ if not two+ that I never managed to finish lmao) I thought I’d post the little I got for a first chapter of a Silver-centric Forces AU I had.

It's been sitting here for months it's almost sad, let's get it out here as a treat

***

A rough, cold, metal hand jolted Silver back awake.

“You’re starting to get on my nerves, boy.”

Silver glared down at the table, his loosely closed hands catching in the blurry edges of his vision. He put every inch of his concentration into keeping his psychokinesis inactive. If he showed even a spark of it, or a trace of a light under his painted hands, he’d never get out of here. If he would ever anyway.

They had kept him down on his chair awake repeating the same questions over and over for way too long, and his lack of sleep frankly made words take more energy than he was willing to put in.

And that static that had taken over his mind the second they had carried him into the Tower… this place was full of Phantom Ruby copies, wasn’t it?

Frankly, he couldn’t remember anything out of this room. He knew they had broken down his front door, he knew they had dragged him inside, he knew they had brought him in here… but how long it had taken or how anything beyond this room had looked like, he couldn’t recall. He’d forget why they brought him here if they kept him long enough.

“Don’t make me ask you another time.”

“I already told you,” he growled. “The Infinite showed up, and she vanished.”

Silver had never thought of it twice whenever his mother vanished. Some days, he’d wake up and she’d be nowhere in sight, or she’d go out mid-afternoon only for him to find her asleep in the morning. Never at the same time, never the same length, sometimes accompanied, sometimes waiting for another, sometimes alone. It only ever took one glance from the mink, one second of that soft look in her eyes, and Silver knew she’d soon be gone for a while.

But he had always known better than to ask where she went, and she had known better than to tell him.

He hadn’t thought of it any more when The Infinite had showed up, assuming she’d use the confusion to leave, as she had before…

Until it had been five full days of absence and his door got broken down as he prepared for bed.

The hard hand gripped his head quills, forcing his gaze up toward the harsh lamp and the red mask glaring him down.

“Where was she going?” hissed the rabbit, mask almost making him look covered in blood.

“No one knows where anyone goes when The Infinite comes…” grumbled Silver.

“It wasn’t about The Infinite and I think you know it.”

“Even if it was the case, I don’t know where she went.”

The rabbit slammed the hedgehog’s head down on the table. “Where was she going?”

Silver took a deep breath to keep his hands dull, faking to swallow with difficulty. “I don’t know.”

The rabbit’s voice grew again, making Silver’s fuzzy mind ache. “Where was she going?”

“I don’t know!”

The rabbit practically threw Silver’s head down, turning to his colleague in the corner, arms crossed. “Let’s get the bucket.”

In forty-eight hours, his answer hadn’t changed. As his front door was kicked open and three pairs of armored hands grabbed onto him to ask about her whereabouts, his answer had been clear.

I don’t know.

As they dragged him to the tower, flashed a light in his eyes, and asked of her whereabouts over and over, his answer had remained the same.

I don’t know.

And as they grabbed him by the quills, dragged him off of his chair and shoved his head down in a bucket filled with water over and over, he yelled the same three words.

I.

Don’t.

Know.

The cross-armed rabbit didn’t move from his spot as Silver was thrown down coughing. “This is useless, he doesn’t know.”

“Then what are we doing with him?”

A pause, and both rabbits brought their hands to their heads, fingers brushing the red mask.

The one standing above Silver let out a huff, and firmly grabbed Silver by the back of his chest fur, the sudden yank pulling a hiss out of him. He stomped out of the room, dragging Silver along in the darkness.

What had happened? How had these two even gotten their answer?

The static in his head grew too strong for him to wonder any further, closing his eyes at the dizziness taking over him and shutting out any other noise.

Eventually, two doors boomed open, and his face met the hard, dry ground. He sat up with a groan, looking back at the Tower’s closed doors.

He simply sat there for a while, staring at the still doors and wiping his nose, reddening his hand. He wanted to get up, but his legs had grown numb, and it was like he had forgotten how to move them.

The sky darkened, and several cold drops fell on his quills.

He should at least walk under the roofs.

He stumbled up, trailing his feet to the first street. He kept going, passing by the provider points, though his eyes remained glued to the ground. He walked and walked, wandered around the city for a while, letting the rain run over him until the silliness of the scene sank in. No one went out on walks when it rained, especially in this part of town; the roofs out here leaked on the outside; the parts that didn’t sit on top of the interior were never worth repairing.

…Wait. Why had he gone on a walk if it rained? Had the rain started midway? When did it start?

His mind felt light, as if he had suddenly rid himself of an annoying itch that had made him want to scratch his brain directly, an itch so bad that not feeling it made everything odd and empty.

He stopped as a speck of white appeared at the corner of a wall. He looked up, meeting with wide crimson eyes. Lithium.

“...Silver?”

He silently looked back at her, legs and jaw stuck in place, as if trying to collapse, yet unable to.

…Why was he under the rain again?

The white rat jogged the few steps separating them and brought him in a tight hug.

“We found your place ransacked, we thought they had gotten you!” Despite the surprise in her voice, she kept her words quiet, almost whispers. “Where were you? What happened to your face?”

Where he had been… where had he been? It seemed like he had walked in the rain for days if not forever. And what was wrong with his face…?

“I… can’t remember.”

Lithium pulled away, looking into his eyes for a moment. Her image blurred as his eyes unfocused on their own. He blinked it away. Wherever he had been, he hadn’t slept much.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” she said.

“My bed.” Or was it his? “And making myself dinner.”

Lithium frowned, that serious frown when her mind turned into a corkboard full of pictures and red threads. It must have been a while since that had happened, right?

“How long has it been since you found my place ransacked?” said Silver.

“Three days.” She patted his shoulder, slightly pulling. “Come on, let’s get you to my place, Pops will be relieved to see you.”