Family was quite the sour topic in the City. Even in the Prospect Garden, a place so separated from the rest of H Corp., fear and resentment and all those other emotions remained, making the air thick with something bitter-tasting.

Compartmentalization was invaluable to Hong Lu. If a person used their whole energy for every emotionally exhausting task, they would distort within the month. Strife was common, but so were scrapes on the knees after a fall. Hong Lu had to get up and keep walking anyways; the scrape wouldn't hurt if he didn't let it, and if it did, then he could always ignore it in favor of processing the sting later.

The logic behind his words felt abnormally shaky today, like a dilapidated structure clinging to vinyl foundations to keep from falling. But that was fine.

(requested by kxnekossan and anonymous)