#unfocused

[anthonochthonios]

Shining C

[garthnightmare]

134-alien performers

McDonagh would give them one thing: the Starline Lounge was truly one-of a kind. She'd grown up on a station: Vesper, Low Mars Orbit, so she was no Grounded rube whose eyes glazed over at the first sight of off-world architecture.

But the Starline was something else. Most Solan stations were squat and boxy, with clusters of antennae growing thickly over their roofs and huge antigrav units cobbled haphazardly to their anteriors.

The Starline was elegant, a graceful circular construction that illuminated the stellar twilight with a halo of phosphoresance. It hung like an ornament placed into a gallery for display. MacReady had picked the 1950s for her Ancient History dissertation, and the curved and finned lines of the station's systems, encircling the main structure, recalled those wonderful buildings she'd seen in the sims.

As their transport shuttle drew nearer and nearer, holographic displays shimmered into view, displaying the name, STARLINE, in Latin, Han and Quartec, and dozens of other scripts she couldn't recognise.

A low whistle made the hairs on her neck stand on end. "Pretty impressive, huh?" Max Zoff smiled, his pinstriped thighs spreading disagreeably. She did her best to return the gesture, more a baring of teeth. "Yeah, it sure is something. Very pretty."

"You can tell it ain't human-made," Max agreed. "Gotta hand it to the bugs, they got us beat when it comes to space. But we'll get there, huh?"

McDonagh said nothing, and he drummed his hands on his thighs. Then, he smiled and said, "Hey, since you're a Starline virgin, try and follow my lead. Don't stare too much, play it cool, you know? They like to think we're all little kids and they're dangling the spaceship keys in the light. But if we play our cards right, they'll know they're dealing with the big guns."

"Sure," MacDonagh offered. "I'm pretty used to looking unimpressed, so it should be easy."

"Attagirl," Max said, ignoring- or not noticing- the insult.

"Five minutes to docking," a synthetic voice chimed. "Please prepare to disembark."

The ship slotted smoothly into the docking bay, and as they stepped out of the airlock onto smooth, rich carpet, MacDonagh couldn't help but feel a little impressed.

They were greeted by a smiling android in gold and chrome, who directed them through to their table.

Arth was already seated. He waved one set of arms at them, gesturing to them to sit.

"Ah, Solans. Be welcome. Come, we have a lot to discuss. There are many drinks here that are suited to your palette…"

"Of course. Whisky sour for me, and the lady will have an amaretto…"

"Actually," McDonagh put in, "I'm going to have a club soda. Better to keep a clear head."

Max's smile didn't flicker, but his eyes betrayed a shock to the system. He clearly hadn't appreciated it.

The lights overhead dimmed, and an awed hush spread over the deck.

"What's going on?"

A spotlight picked out the main stage, a scintillating sheen of sky-blue.

"You'll enjoy this," Arth rasped, his mandibles rattling approvingly. "One of the Lounge's most famous acts."

MacDonagh felt the song before she heard it. A sort of low, vibrating hum that seemed to come from everywhere all at once.

Then, without quite remembering how, there was something standing on the stage, something that seemed to shift and shimmer and slide between existing and not existing all at once, and the air was filled with the music.

[cat-mermaid]

when i say i'm unfocused/scatterbrained today, this is wat you're in for

[subjectiveduality]

antsy today

[letsummerneverend]

Well, Timo you've got two months to work on your speech making skills. Get on that.

[mimikiwiriri]

im crashing OUUTT im struggling w focusing so much. i be doing ANYTHING but the task at hand it's so annoying💔 I was gonna write my fanfic, yeah? I also brought out my school chromebool (I write on my phone) to work on the essay i nedded to do at thesame time. Like, writingmaxxing. ANYWAY i only ended up doing the essay💔💔 bexause i couldnt come up with shit for my fanfic

i had to do notes (not graded (mostly)) & questions for science (graded) and it took me SIX. HOURS. TO DO ONE SECTION. I kept on gettingv sidetracked (running around in my hallway thingie, doomscrolling, fanfics, or doing another assignment) so i literally coudlbt focus at the task at hand🥹

I lowkey struggle with focusing and completing a task straight up IT'S SO ANNOYING. i can only lock in when it's near the due date, which is horrid for one class: english.

in english, we we hzve to do book reviews, yeah? Two per quarter. theyre both due at the same timz and you can only get the second after you do the first. it genuinely throws me off SO BAD

Anyway if anyone has any solutions im desperate🥹 im actially getting worse at locking in as the days pass I KEEP ON FORGETTING BASIC STUFF TOO💔

[jeanforrester]

i'm at a loss for words

il est trés [silent].

my mind is filled with words i have not said and my body with things i have not done

maybe i wouldnt be trying to hold my mind together

maybe my mind wouldnt be loosening at the seams

scraping my thoughts off the floor trying to

pull it all together

if my mind werent so full

of the thing i havent said

i make my face scared

(or scarce)

and hope people will be forgiving

[oddestishottest]

06/28/25