[There is a Johan sitting on his bed. Same bed, same room, same window with a metal spider hanging outside it behind him.]

I should be grading papers right now.

. . . how weird is it . . . even though I know I'm going to worry like crazy about some of my kids . . .

. . . I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be? Even if everything I had ( Read more... )

[There is a very red-faced Johan popping up on the screen. He looks a little desperate.] Um, has anybody seen that data spider around? It got into my flat and I think it was recording me and then it got out before I could catch it. Uh, if you get it, don't watch it! I just, uh, want to take what's on there off there because, um . . . Okay I was ( Read more... )

[Hey, Anatole, look. It's a set of fingers ( Read more... )

[Oh hey look it's a Johan. Who . . . . looks more or less like himself, except for a bit more puppy fat in the cheeks and disproportionately-large hands. And anybody who sees enough of him to guess his height can have a laugh at his expense, because he can't be more than about 4'8" . . . like he wasn't already short enough. Which means he's ( Read more... )

[There is a Johan. His eyes look a little red. There's also a Ruby, curled up in his lap. She looks pretty down, too.

A few seconds of silence. Then he speaks.]

It's funny. You think you're over being here, and then . . .

[He sniffles, then wipes an arm violently across his eyes as though he's afraid to let anybody know he's still crying.] ( Read more... )

The face of a serious-looking Johan is looking solemnly out, toward . . . whoever may answer.]I have a question ( Read more... )

Hey, Anderson.

. . . don't get any ideas. I told you I wasn't sticking around. [The camera pans around a room that, with benches in, could probably seat about 40 people, if they squeezed a little. The two windows at the front practically glitter, and the reflection of the boy turning the Forge in a small circle to display a scrubbed floor and ( Read more... )

Hey, everybody . . . I'm dropping my Forge off with Matt today to get it bzzzztd. I'm going to wait at the library so I can look at this stuff I brought back . . . it's really weird.

You probably won't be able to bzzzt me on here but if you want to meet me at the library, I'll be in that one big study room ( Read more... )

I can't leave Ruby out here any longer, I think she's getting sick . . . and her leg isn't healing anymore ( Read more... )

[There is a rather scared-looking Johan on the Forge. In the light behind him his face looks partly black, but that's just because yellow light does very funny things to blood. Ruby is on his shoulder, but she's not her usual chittering happy self--her tail is curled tightly around the back of his neck, her fur is on end, and she's baring a tiny ( Read more... )