(via FDA warns of infection risk from 26 big-brand eye drops; stop using immediately | Ars Technica)
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to ditch 26 over-the-counter eye drop products found at big retailers—including CVS, Rite Aid, and Target—due to a risk of infection. Consumers should not buy any of the products and should immediately stop using them if they've already purchased them.
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true-life terror: be careful with your eyes and what you put into them
Ullane Wistim & Guardian Artifice | Selatak | Present Night
“I am not going in there.”
Ullane crossed her arms, looking the pale pleasure hive up and down as if it was a dog that wanted to bite her.
It was, naturally, a pale pink building with a diamond motif, though several of the diamonds had tigers’ faces painted on them; a reference to Selatak’s other name.
They stood on the sidewalk of one of the city's red light districts - laughter, whistles, and catcalls flew around them, and trolls passed in front of them often. A few lusii flew or walked the streets, often protecting their working charges from any troll who might lay an unwanted hand on them.
There were even a few street vendors - the pair could smell the warm scent of their sizzling, fried foods, hear their cheerful calling in Standard, Singlish, and the handful of other languages that made their home on the myriad streets.
“Why not?” Arty drawled. “Do you some good.”
“Absolutely not.” She hissed.
“Why? Afraid to relax? I’ll even go in with you.”
She groaned, then looked thoughtful.
“Mm, if they’re paying more attention to you instead…”
Then she looked appalled at herself.
“What am I doing.”
“What are you doing?” It asked pointedly, giving her a look just as sharp.
“You’ve been in an awful mood lately, and I know it’s not just me. I think you’re having a bad time and you need to have a better one, ASAP. For your sake, mostly, and any benefit to me is purely incidental.”
Ullane sighed, the fight going out of her.
“Fine. Might as well try. If it’s a disaster will have funny story to look back on.”
It blinked.
“I didn’t expect it to be that easy.”
She shook her head.
“I’m tired, Arty. Tired enough to try this crazy idea.”
Its face looked slightly sympathetic as it trailed her inside. It wore a maroon body, one more similar to Eileit than its purple default - a non-clown of that caste stuck out too much in Selatak.
She wore a gray tank top and a knee length skirt, her disguise tech up just in case. Arty was clad in its lavender overalls, but had foregone any tights so that it appeared more dressed for the weather.
A few trolls hung around the lobby, but whether they were clients or employees, Ullane couldn’t tell. They all wore soft, loose clothing; the typical garb for pale workers, or trolls who wanted to enjoy their services. Somewhere, soothing flute music played as well.
A pleasant-looking man at the front desk greeted them - he was cobalt, much higher than the yellow would’ve expected, with a buzz cut and more piercings than she could count.
“Hey.” He said, pleasantly neutral. “Welcome to Diamond Daze. Do you have an appointment?”
“No.” Ullane said awkwardly, fists clenching and her hidden tail gripping her waist more tightly as she started to have second thoughts.
“That’s fine.” He said, voice calm. “We should have someone free in fifteen minutes or so. Unless you have specific caste preferences?”
“No - no, I don’t.” Ullane assured the receptionist, bewildered but a bit appreciative that he’d asked.
“Any caste is fine. How much will it be?”
“An hour is a hundred caegers. Beyond that it’s sixty for every added half hour.”
“An hour is fine.” She said, swiping her card through the reader.
Arty looked around curiously, if with some hesitance. It had never been in a place like this before. Of course, it wasn’t its business, as all troll quadrants weren’t its business -
“Aren’t you cute.”
It spun around as it realized a maroon - a real one - was talking to it.
A woman, a few inches shorter than it, with dark red markings around her eyes, watched it from a few feet away. She was softer than a usual maroon, though not heavyset - she just didn’t have the hungry angles many of the caste unfortunately did. She wore a soft red crop top and gray harem pants patterned with pink paisleys.
It blinked at her.
“Thanks?” It said, unsure how to respond.
“Hm, you’re not exactly a boy or girl, are you.” She mused, but with no probing curiosity or disdain. The woman was just…observing.
“Oh! No.” It said, shaking its head. “And, I’m just here with my coworker. If you’re the one who’s free, then she - ”
The woman held out a gentle hand raised in the ‘stop’ gesture. “I wasn’t asking for her, was I?”
“But I’m not a client.” It said, puzzled.
It looked over at Ullane for support, but she was watching with a small smirk as she waited for her own paid pale and seemed to find the interaction amusing.
Of course she did. Well, time to shut it do -
- oh, that was its hand being grabbed, and it was certainly being led along insistently, almost stumbling in its black sandals.
Arty looked as bewildered as it felt. What was going on?
“I’m really not here for - ”
“You had a very strange expression as you looked around the lobby. As if you felt you weren’t allowed to be here. That isn’t a feeling I like to let leave this place.” The maroon murmured.
“Everyone is welcome here.” She said, fixing an intent look on the artifice as she stopped leading it along. “No matter who you are, or why you’ve come.”
She sat down on a plush pink couch and patted the space next to her.
It sigh-laughed at the absurdity of it all.
“No, I - it’s fine. I mean, good eye, but it’s fine, really, it doesn’t -”
She took its hand again.
Her hand was so. Warm.
“I’m a construct.” It made itself say, opening its mouth to show its metal teeth. “You don’t…there’s no point - ”
“Why not?” She asked calmly, apparently unfazed.
It blinked.
“Surely you’d rather spend your time on a troll.”
She laughed.
“I’ve had plenty of trolls.” She said with amusement. “Some of them I’d never have again. A construct, hm? That explains it. Of course you don’t feel like you belong.”
“Well, I’m not supposed to.” It muttered, ears flicking. “It’s not my place to complain, either.”
Her red eyes twinkled in amusement.
She still held its hand. It should really. Extract that. Walk away from this.
It was strangely difficult.
“Do you always lead random people off?” It asked with slight amusement.
“Only if they seem like my type of client.” She said with a smile.
It snorted.
“Really. What type is that?”
“Lost. Unsure of their place. Believing they shouldn’t be here at all - because they think it’s weak to come here, or they feel pathetic in their loneliness and hate showing it. Loneliness is not a pathetic feeling; it is a terrible torment.”
Arty did its best to keep a neutral expression.
“That’s interesting.” It said. “I know my place, though - I serve trolls.”
“Do you think I’m such a novice, I can’t tell when someone wants more than they’ve got?” She said, amused but pointed. “Clearly you’re a very, very advanced construct. Enough to have independent emotions. Enough to not let go of my hand.” She said, eyes gleaming.
Arty looked away, a strange hot feeling on its face. Oh - no. Not that. Anything but that.
It should really let go of -
“Do you mind getting your hair touched? It looks very soft.” She said in a gentle, inquiring tone.
“Huh? Ah - uh, no, I don’t mind.” It said, hating how it paused a moment. It was too old for this! It was behaving ridiculously! What was wrong with it?!
She let its hand go and gently ran hers through its fluffy fiber locks.
Arty shivered, the sensation pleasant but so strange. Which was stupid. This was no different than all the times Glas had done it!
Yes, that’s right! This troll was clearly just…interested in the novelty! It was a weird story to tell for later. Haha, did you hear I held hands with something artificial? Hilarious.
But there was none of that in her eyes. Well…it was her job, wasn’t it? To fake enjoying things like this, even with something like it? She must be a good actress.
Yes, it supposed it couldn’t blame her for trying to make a few caegers, life was difficult enough for maroons. It would have to pay her for her time, it was only fair.
It should have left at the start, after all. This was its own -
She gently rubbed its neck with those warm hands.
“You’re very tense.” She murmured.
“I’m fine.” It said automatically. “I -“
Oh, she was doing it harder now, really massaging its synthetic flesh, almost deep enough to feel the blade layers.
Right. Yes! It was a security system! This was absurd!
It got to its feet. The maroon raised her eyebrows.
“This was…interesting, but I should go back and wait for my coworker! I’m her guard.”
It spun on its heel and started to walk -
Oh, those were its shoulders under those hands, and it was being dragged - well, that was the couch again. Hello, pink couch.
“You do not listen very well.” It said in a befuddled tone.
“I’m listening to your body. You could easily throw me off or move much faster. You haven’t done it once.”
She raised her eyebrows as she put an arm around its shoulders.
“I know your type, like I said. You think you don’t need this, or that you shouldn’t. Especially something like you, made to feel you shouldn’t have needs at all.”
“I’m not.” It said automatically. “It’s a distraction. And - no troll wants to - ”
“Am I no troll?”
“This is your job, though.” It said, puzzled. “Which - not holding that against you, but - ”
“I only pick clients I want.” The woman said calmly, massaging its shoulders again. “I’m not some forced laborer. I am a professional and take on those who need me.”
She smirked slightly.
“And ones I think are cute.”
She used her spare hand to gently brush a finger against some of the maroon freckles on its cheeks and nose.
Arty’s mind stopped working for a moment.
It opened its mouth to talk and all that came out was static.
The woman giggled.
How much of a faux pas would it be to literally melt into the couch, it wondered.
Its face was so hot, it already had a head start!
It had to get ahold of itself. This was stupid. It was so stupid and it should really just - scare her somehow, put her off, it would be easy -
It would be mean. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
It chittered slightly in frustration.
“Hate being vulnerable, hm?” The woman said, amused.
“Who likes it.” It muttered.
“Believe it or not, some people do, with the right person.” She said with a dry tone to her amusement.
It sighed.
“I don’t need to learn to like it. I need to focus on what I was made for.”
“Yet you melt at a smidge of genuine affection.”
It resolutely did not respond to that.
She hummed and rested her head on its shoulder, which sent another jolt through its body.
“Still so tense. Oh - you need something to do, don’t you? I should’ve guessed, you’re a construct.”
It chittered again, a bit flustered at being so easily read, as she scooted back on the couch and took out a game of checkers from her sylladex.
Its ears raised in interest.
“What color do you want?” It asked.
Her eyes twinkled.
“Black.”
—
Ullane looked distinctly ruffled when she came out from her appointment, and Arty politely reminded her to get herself re-oriented in the bathroom before they left.
Her mind might be elsewhere now, but she’d hate not being seen as composed in public later; better to protect her from that.
The woman - Rose, they’d learned her professional alias was - waved to it as Ullane came back out and they left. It waved back, more shy than it would like.
Checkers had been fun. Something else to focus on. Then it had paid her, of course.
It was all a little surreal.
“So.” Arty said as they walked out of the door, back into the warm Selatakian air. “Seems like yours was good?”
“A little too good.” She muttered. “I started wagging my tail, and…thought they might try to cull me, but they didn’t mind.”
“No, they’re…very open minded there, apparently.” Arty said, bemused. “I told her I was a construct, showed her my teeth - she didn’t care.”
Ullane blinked. “Huh.” She said.
“I know, right? In Selatak?” It laughed a little, slightly nervous. “I did choose it because I saw there weren’t any clowns involved, so I figured it was more likely to be safe for you…but that was. A surprise.”
It waited for her inevitable disgust. Her judgment.
Instead the yellowblood just snorted softly.
“What’s it matter, really.” She muttered. “Odd, but so much is odd now. Don’t think I’ll ever understand, but…Glas’s right, not that I’ll tell them.”
It blinked.
“Glas is right about what?”
“I shouldn’t be so fussed about you.” She said with slight amusement and resignation. “That’s what mine told me…said I should put my energy more toward myself. That of course I was tired. Didn’t like hearing it at first, but…they kept making me talk about my life, and it was…fun, actually.”
The porcupine-firefly troll looked a bit embarrassed.
“Neither of us tell Glas about this, no matter what.” She said urgently. “Pact?”
“Pact.” Arty agreed heartily. “No using this against each other.”
Ullane looked relieved.
If it was honest, that was how the artifice felt as well.
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