#iris device

[mantrasmartidentity]

Explore how biometric security, including fingerprint and iris recognition, revolutionizes digital banking with enhanced safety and convenience!

[velvees-archive]

can we talk about how insane 3-5 was from a narumitsu and feenris enjoyer’s perspective?

i have so many thoughts on bridge to the turnabout and miles’ top tier emotional repression throughout that case, because if the person who altered the course of my life asked ME to defend an ex they braved climbing a freezing cold mountain for and were still very obviously hung up on, i would fucking throw up. don’t even get me started on iris, miles, the psychelock scene, and the “what is mr. wright to you?” call out.

the generous use of ellipses does NOT help bro’s case.

also important: the framing of these exchanges reads like a romance novel. the love triangle? the silent resignation and unspoken words? edgeworth’s insistence that iris disclose the events of night prior with him so he can help she and phoenix reunite? the same guy who doesn’t give a damn about romance literally wingmanning phoenix for chump change?! look me in the eyes and tell me miles wasn’t even a little bit affected by this.

that “so you say” and “anyway, it seems to me like there’s something going on between the two of you” is bitter as hell. do not lie to me.

i will admit my enthusiasm stems in part from the beast that is my narumitsu getting together hc, whispering scary things into my ear like miles first subconsciously acknowledges his feelings for phoenix after larry’s call. he rushes back to the states with no intent to act on them, they simply exist in a vacuum and in perpetuity, as much a part of him as his history, or his limbs. he has no plans of exploring the tightness in his chest but then phoenix asks him for a favor. a big one. there’s a glint in his eye and his voice is tinged with desperation and oh he never had any hopes to begin with but he still feels like something’s died inside him because of course phoenix wants him to defend her and of course phoenix hasn’t removed her acolyte hood from his person and of course—

do you see the vision? the only thing that matches 3-5’s angst potential is 7 yg, and i’d say 3-5 touches upon the 7 yg dynamic already.

[wolfeyedwitch]

(Continued from here!)

"Poppet?" Phoenix asks uncertainly. They look scared.

"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean, I-"

Phoenix squeezes their hand where they're still holding it. They understand why Poppet's scared, Abbie would punish them if they used their camouflage incorrectly or without permission, she doesn't like it, but Zera just thanked them, it was a good thing, they stopped them being injured. They're alright.

"Really, Poppet. Thank you. I could've been seriously hurt if it wasn't for you."

Poppet's looking a little green. More than a little, actually, and Zera's eyes widen at the same time as Phoenix realises. They port across the room, thrusting the bin under Poppet's mouth just in time.

Phoenix stands there uncertainly. They're not sure what they can do to help. They just know that Poppet is very scared and they don't like it.

"They, um, I don't think Foxfire is going to hurt you," they murmur. They know how unusual it is not to get hurt but Zera really doesn't seem like they will. They haven't so far anyway. Phoenix is still trying not to think about tomorrow and Abbie. "You're, um, you're okay."

"You're absolutely okay," Zera says, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "I'm not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you."

They say the words to Bailey, but they mean it for both of them. Phoenix's words, how fast they came to the conclusion that Bailey was afraid of being hurt for using their powers, were scaring the shit out of Zera. Honestly, at this point? Zera thinks the other hero shouldn't be returned to their team until this is cleared up.

"I'm going to go get rid of this, and I'll be back in less than 30 seconds. Can you count that out for me?" Zera asks. Hopefully giving them a specific task will help keep them from spiraling further into panic. "Firebird, watch over them until I get back. Like I said, I'll be fast."

Zera has officially gotten past the point of being able to handle this solo. They are calling in backup.

They port out to the garage. They land in their designated spot, the area outlined with their signature bright blue. Dropping the trash can, they turn to the camera and start signing as they speak.

"Attention," they say, making the sign that will alert Iris's programs that she needs to look at this feed ASAP. "Backup needed in medbay. Send Tempest and Airmid soft-entrance. Postpone pickup for Firebird."

They make sure to use everyone's codename-signs rather than personal name-signs, emphasizing that this is a hero-related matter rather than any off-duty one, and specify a soft entrance so that, hopefully, the two heroes arriving wouldn't scare the twitchy patients any more than they already were. And while Zera doesn't technically have the authority to say Phoenix should stay with them for longer, Elijah and Maeve are both already a little worried with how the young hero is acting. Zera's input about what they've seen tonight will just be the icing on the cake.

They don't have time to explain in any more detail. They need to get back to the medbay before Phoenix and Bailey manage to— Zera didn't even know, but they definitely didn't want the two alone for any longer than necessary. They sign one last thing to the camera before porting back.

They put their right hand in a thumbs-up sign on top of their flattened left hand, and drag the whole sign towards themself.

Help me.

[iris-winnow-and-a-cup-of-tea]

Iris and Roman are so wessa coded. Like the boy falls in love with the girl’s letters? They bond over words on a page???

[mitebitmurderous]

could you elaborate on the ghost worldbuilding?

ohohohohohohohohooooohohoooo

the thing about ghosts is that, fundamentally, they need something to haunt in order to become a ghost. it can be their own body, it can be the house they died in - some people classify them by what they haunt, some people classify them by their initial talent.

a Poltergeist might haunt a house - or it might have an innate ability to interact with or possess objects. a Spirit might haunt a place of great death - or it's most skilled at appearing to the naked eye. it depends on things like who you ask, what system you're using - systems based around the outer signs of a ghost are considered a bit archaic, but that's more of a generational thing. these days, the easiest way to classify a ghost is to ask them nicely.

innate abilities are, as the name outright states, innate. they're a ghost's first real strength, although they grow more capable as time passes (a poltergeist might teach itself to possess a person, for example). modern ghost-work devices have made it significantly easier to determine what exactly this is (see: asking the ghost nicely).

the Thing about what a ghost haunts is that everything, inevitably, changes. homes decay, bodies are dissolved into the earth. people die. when this happens, they must make a choice - stay or go? fade out of existence, or watch everything go by forever?

[ofstarsandmoonlightt]

ok so someone else must’ve said this before but yk iris writing forest letters but roman reading them reminds me of tessa writing nate letters but will reading them instead lol

[knightobreath]

i make robot ocs out of my and my friends electronics and a lot of them end up being apple stuff, notably iphones and ipads. and well, i need to populate their world MORE so i make some more characters of their ilk and.... i run into an issue. i will end up making a character that is say, an iphone4, and id have to find a way to fight that part of my brain that is DESPERATE to add in references to a certain show. and ill have to fight the part that had a previous project canned for being to similar to said show. even though these characters will never see the light of day and are entirely a for fun thing.

[mekatrio]

bridge to turnabout's fanservice was so good it fooled everyone into thinking it was a well-written murder case when it really truly was Not

[sirfrogsworth]

This is frustrating.

I love the comparison, but I hate how they are comparing.

They are acting like she is using optics to give herself an advantage. But the device she is wearing is just for comfort and essentially does the same thing as closing one eye and squinting the other.

The little thing over the left eye is basically like an eye patch.

And the thing over her right eye is a mechanical iris, like in a camera lens, but it is NOT a lens.

Different lighting environments are going to be brighter or darker and you may have to squint more or less to let in the same amount of light into your eye. Squinting allows the shooter to get the sharpest possible vision in order to shoot a bullseye the size of a 12-point Times New Roman period.

But if you have to squint for hours for practice and in competition, this can strain your face muscles and become uncomfortable. So this iris basically squints for you.

It's more like wearing comfortable shoes so your feet do not hurt than a lens magnifying the target and giving an advantage.

Both athletes have access to these items. One felt more comfortable without them. The other didn't feel like getting a muscle cramp from squinting all day.

Either would have shot the same if they had or had not used these devices.

Just a funny difference in gear preference.

I should also add, the Turkish dad is the only one using lenses.

[advisoryoutlook]

Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Startup ‘World’ Expands to the UK to Tackle AI Fraud

World, the controversial biometric identity verification venture co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is launching in the United Kingdom this week as it continues its global rollout to combat rising concerns around AI-driven fraud.

Starting Thursday, Londoners will be able to register for World’s unique identity system using the Orb—a spherical, metallic eye-scanning device that captures a person’s iris and facial data to generate a unique biometric code. The startup plans to expand the service to other major UK cities, including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow in the coming months.

World’s technology aims to verify a user’s “humanness,” preventing bots and artificial intelligence systems from exploiting online services through deepfakes, identity theft, and other forms of fraud.

From Science Fiction to Mainstream Use

“The idea is no longer just something theoretical. It’s something that’s real and affecting people every single day,” said Adrian Ludwig, Chief Architect at Tools for Humanity, a key contributor to World. “We’re moving from a science project to a real network.”

Once a person is scanned, they receive a World ID—an anonymous digital identifier—and a small amount of WLD cryptocurrency. The ID can be used to log into participating platforms like Minecraft, Reddit, and Discord without revealing the user’s personal identity.

Growing Global Footprint

The UK expansion follows World’s recent launch in the United States, where it opened six flagship retail locations in cities including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami, and San Francisco.

Ludwig said the company is aiming to scale its verification capacity tenfold over the coming months. As of now, 13 million users worldwide have verified their identity through World.

Privacy Concerns and Regulatory Dialogue

Since its 2021 debut as “Worldcoin,” the startup has faced scrutiny over privacy and biometric data usage. To address concerns, World says it encrypts all biometric data, deletes the original scans, and processes data locally on user devices rather than in the cloud. Only uniqueness verification is handled through third-party infrastructure.

Still, privacy campaigners remain wary of deploying such a system at scale, particularly in countries with millions—or even billions—of users. World has been actively engaging with regulators, including the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), to ensure compliance with data protection laws.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations with regulators,” Ludwig told CNBC. “They want to know: How do we make sure this works? How do we protect privacy? What are the risks? We’ve been able to answer all of those.”

A Digital Identity Shift

World’s expansion comes as governments worldwide explore digital identity solutions to move beyond physical ID cards. Ludwig sees the project as part of a broader shift toward more secure and scalable digital ID systems, especially in the face of increasingly sophisticated AI fraud.

While initiatives like India’s Aadhaar have demonstrated both the potential and pitfalls of digital ID at scale, World aims to offer a decentralized alternative—one that doesn't compromise privacy or security.

“Mechanisms to identify and reduce fraud are of growing interest to governments,” Ludwig said. “And we’re seeing real demand now.”

As digital identity becomes a central pillar of both public and private sector security infrastructure, World’s UK rollout marks a significant step in building a global network to defend against the rising risks of AI misuse.

[daisymylove]

Finishing the secret history left me in a bit of a book hangover so I decided to pick up divine rivals.I don't want any spoilers, please, bc I've literally just started.What I can say so far is that the writing is delicious really, even if the plot itself turns out to be weak I won't be mad.

But what brought up my attention is that I saw the characters in what I assume was an old cover and damn they are very Wessa-esque.

The synopsis also says that he reads her letters without her knowing, and they work on a paper, which means the written word is important to both of them, even if they are not bookworms (again, I don't know whether or not they are, too soon)

That's why I always say tessa and will are the blueprint.Best book couple ever, they invented love, no one compares, everybody wants to be them.

I'm not criticizing Divine Rivals in any way if anything it makes me want to read the book even more lol just something I thought was funny

[aroaceleovaldez]

i already was seeing a lot of Jason with albinism stuff but there's been a significant uptick in it since the Thalia casting announcement and I wanted to say: please please PLEASE do actual research about albinism if you're gonna make headcanons about Jason being albino. I have already seen so much ignorant and ableist stuff about it because nobody is bothering to do any research and it's really annoying.

A couple of major notes:

There are different types of albinism!!!!! and no i'm not referring to vitiligo or etc. Just straight up albinism there are different types. There are two main types (oculocutaneous albinism types 1 and 2) plus ocular albinism, and then some other types as well that are even rarer. It is also possible to have only partial absence of melanin. (Vitiligo is a form of partial absence/loss of melanin, and often involves loss over time)

Albinism is a lack of melanin/pigmentation. This affects sensitivity to light and UV rays a LOT. Like a lot a lot. (This also applies to vitiligo btw! Melanin protects your skin from the sun, so a loss of melanin even in patches means those areas are more sensitive!)

Skin sensitivity to sunlight does not only apply to when it is sunny out. People with albinism have to take a lot of steps to protect their skin because they are SIGNIFICANTLY more susceptible to sun/UV damage. It doesn't matter if it's overcast, raining, snowing, whatever. They are putting on sunscreen, and they are putting on a lot of it. Sun protection can also come from just covering up. Big hats are also popular choices.

Sensitivity to light also applies in all environments. Transition glasses are common and sunglasses are common.

People with albinism do not have red irises. A lack of pigmentation in irises (referred to as ocular albinism) appears blue, usually a very light blue (less melanin/pigmentation in the eye, the lighter blue it appears). The red appearance comes from more light entering the eye than usual, causing a red eye effect like you see in flash photography except with the naked eye. This can make the iris appear slightly pink/red-tinted and will more often make the pupil look reddish instead of pure black because you are seeing into the eyeball itself and the muscles and veins within it. Not everyone with albinism has blue eyes depending on how much the pigmentation in their eyes is affected, but a lot of people do.

Albinism basically always includes the individual having vision problems, usually low vision or outright being legally blind. They are not completely blind but it is very likely they are legally blind. We're talking very thick glasses (though glasses don't always help because of what causes the low vision), requiring enlarged text, i know somebody who had a little glass block that magnified text underneath it and they used that a lot, etc etc. Depending on severity they may require other assistive devices. Albinism affects the optic nerve, so other eye conditions like strabismus and nystagmus (and more) are also extremely common if not a guarantee (nystagmus is basically always guaranteed).

Nystagmus, for those who don't want to bother googling it, is uncontrollable eye movement in the form of back and forth shaking. Strabismus is when your eyes don't align with each other. These also cause vision impairment.

If you are writing Jason as having poor vision from albinism, he would KNOW he needs glasses. Literally everybody should know he needs glasses/is blind. He would likely be legally blind and would have been pretty much his entire life. He would also almost definitely have other eye conditions as well. (Also rip Jason being raised by the wolves, poor guy is gonna have the WORST sunburn)

People with albinism have different skin tones! And different hair colors! A lack of pigmentation looks different depending on your individual genes and what type of albinism you have! Look up photo references!!!!!

There is also a lot of fetishization of albinism. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL when you are making headcanons about it, or creating/designing characters who are albino.

Here's a couple of short tiktoks that go over some basic information and other stuff about albinism if visual-auditory learning is more your jam: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] (Kayla_lud has a lot of videos going over information about albinism)

okay now everybody take your notes and go tweak your headcanons yeah? yeah. okay good.

[leftoverghosts]

art + patrick

futile devices by sufjan stevens — reunion x mrta bestfriend

art donaldson

24hr dog by fka twigs — switch x foundation employee american teenager by ethel cain — stanford x tashi!user icu by phoebe bridgers — atl x ex-teen sweetheart birds of a feather by billie eilish — husband x f!wife close to you by the carpenters — sf manipulative x friend the right side of my neck by faye webster — x regret softcore by the neighbourhood — pro x long distance at sf do i make you nervous by lilyisthatyou — flop x t zweig!user bad religion by frank ocean — divorcee x "paid date" stud by troye sivan — winston salem x m!rookie tennis player

tashi duncan

oh no! by marina — rival x f!number one tennis player agora hills by doja cat — stanford jealous x visiting bff

patrick zweig

whats for dinner? by dominic fike — chef x first date 7 summers by morgan wallen — visiting cowboy x city girl striptease by fka twigs — cheating sub x new dom iris by the googoo dolls — pining x engaged tashi!user gunshot glitter by jeff buckley — romeo x juliet nepo babies crush by ethel cain — spiraling x "i can fix him" girls feel good by fka twigs — longing x vacay in greece your wish...command by kim petras — broke x sugar baby conceited by lola young — #1 x on and off again tashi!user kiss city by blondshell — pining x maneater talk to me nice by tinashe — x broke (x2) roadtrip r u mine? by arctic monkeys — x head on his thigh nosebleeds by doechii — x cocky married tennis players no children by jack kays — x thomas+ellen (nosferatu)

hello, my loves! i hope everyone is having a wonderful valentine’s day. remember, today doesn’t have to be only about romantic love (though corporations might argue otherwise)! use it as an excuse to tell the people around you how much you appreciate them—and don’t forget to look in the mirror and remind yourself that you love you, too.

as always, bots are labeled mature. thank you to og thigh anon—i hope it was okay that i made it into a bot. some of you might notice that a few of these are based on our conversations! riff and carmen bots will come after my mini vacay!

stanford abbreviated to sf! users could work as gn! unless stated otherwise. xoxoxo

[emacrow]

Commander Johnson, I-I think I found what or who been stealing our extra spare material supplies

Astronaut Jennifer said in the com as she stared, standing stiff as a board if it weren't for the gravity of Mars making it difficult.

What she was staring at couldn't be human but yet so close and eldritchic- alien like as the inner part of her mind was screaming danger danger, That Is Not A Human Being, Run RUN RUN,HIDENOWHIDENOWNOWNOW

It's look like a adult, a very slim and very tall adult if it weren't for the fact that his skin was tanned with a bit of splash of starlights all over, wearing a suit made of galaxies covered in red Mars rocks, his hair was white, whiter then the clouds on earth, ears pointy and curled a bit as if it wa to shield or reflect to what its was hearing(but they has moved back in a aggressive manner thar remind her of snuffles when threaten) and eyes glows so ominously Neon Green with black instead of white surrounding the iris, splatter of star like freckles that looks like he almost has two pupils mixing into a slits like in each of them.

Teeths razor sharp and thick, as the thing looks like it was growling at her with his body arch over, hands with extra digits of long blacken claws like nails dig into the dirt, hiding all the stuff that the alien had stolen along with a lil head of another mar baby, it weren't for the fact there was no sounds in space, she would've been screaming float running back to her headquarters base.

She was only patrolling the part of the base where they were trying to grow plants in one of the green houses they painstaking made on Mar, but then she saw the glow of unnatural green slipping out of the sealed tight glass.

Curiosity took the best of her as she put on her suit and went to check at that spot is where she find what seem to be a native Mar creature and its baby hoarding all the missing stuffs that they had lost in the base, along with the missing robot, opportunity as the top of it's hoard pile in a makeshift hole(it's a Nest and she has enter this creatures domains) near a small pool full of of oddly frozen water that glowed luminous.

It was a stand off between her and the creature not moving an inch until Jennifer's coms responded back as she flinched, her heart dropping snd face paling dramatically when the creature's ear flick a bit as it heard the static electric device.

"J-J-J-Jennifer, do you copy? I repeat, Do you copy?!?" Commander Johnson spoke a bit frantic.

Unawared of the danger he had put Jennifer in when she flinched, the creature lunged, Jennifer scrambling to turn around and hop/run back into the safety of the base as fast as she could.

Like inspiration for @tinycoded360

[muwapsturniolo]

Lovers Rock ₊˚⊹♡ M. Sturniolo

"Y-yeah, I want to kiss you."

⟢ mentions of drinking, parties, smoking, longing, loner!Matt, trouble! Reader, kissing, that's it, I think.

PT. 1

She was a drug.

Everything, from her clothes to the way she saw him, clouded his mind, infiltrating his senses—he couldn't get her out of his head.

He was addicted, and he needed another fix.

Chris was shocked when Matt started attending more and more parties, tagging along every weekend and putting on his best outfit. He'd watch the way Matt would sit on the couches or stand in the corner, nursing an Angry Orchard as his eyes darted around the scene.

It was like he was waiting for something—or someone.

He wanted to question him, demand a reason as to why he was suddenly attending parties and leaving the house, but he bit his tongue.

For the longest time, Chris had tried to get Matt out of his shell, inviting him to places and eventually forcing him to go. Now Matt was willingly going, and Chris didn’t want to ruin it.

"Whose party is this again?" Matt questioned as he followed the GPS, making a left turn when instructed. In the passenger seat, Chris tapped away on his phone, fully immersed in the small device.

"I’m not sure. Iris said it was her friend’s house, Trouble or something. Never met the person, but I heard her New Year's parties are—"

Matt tuned Chris out, his palms adjusting on the steering wheel as they grew sweaty. Much like the ones in the sky, he could feel the fireworks in his stomach, his body buzzing with nervousness.

After endless parties for weeks on end, he finally got to see her again.

Trouble.

Before he knew it, he was parking behind a few cars and walking down the concrete path, soon entering the backyard.

It seemed like one of those coming-of-age movies—people laughing and talking around the bonfire, drinks in hand. The naked trees had fairy lights strung around them, letting off a warm glow and creating a peaceful atmosphere. The house sat right in front of a lake, a dock attached, as well as a boat.

His admiration was interrupted by a drink being shoved into his hand by Chris. "Sorry, bro, no Angry Orchards. You're stuck with the hard stuff tonight!" Matt examined the red Solo cup, bringing it to his nose and sniffing, only to jerk back when the scent burned his nostrils. Chris cackled loudly, clapping his hands together in enjoyment.

"What the hell is this?"

"Don’t know, but drink up! It’s New Year’s!"

Matt looked back down at the cup, staring at his dark reflection.

Fuck it.

Chris cheered as Matt took a sip, laughing and clapping him on the back. "Hell yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ bout!"

With that being said, the night was a whirlwind—endless drinking, people stripping and running into the freezing lake, and much more.

Matt could feel his head spinning, his vision hazy. He mumbled to himself as he fell into one of the many chairs, leaning back and sighing out, closing his eyes in relief.

"Hey, Blue..."

His eyes darted open, his head whipping to the side at the melodic voice.

There she was, all in her glory—Trouble.

"Got a vape?" she asked, just like she did the first time they met. It took a second for him to respond, his eyes fluttering rapidly before he finally spoke.

"N-no... It died today, and I couldn’t get another before Chris and I left... I brought my cigs though. Want one?"

He reached into his pocket, fetching the pack of Marlboro Reds and holding them out. She eyed the small box before plucking one from the pack and settling down in the chair next to him.

"Got a light?"

She leaned in, watching the flame dance in front of her as he lit the cigarette. She inhaled the smoke before blowing it out, mumbling a small "thanks" before gazing out toward the water.

"So..." Matt started, his mind trying to find the right words to say. She said nothing, simply smoking the cigarette and continuing to stare out toward the lake.

"You weren't at the last few parties."

"Correct."

"Why?"

She finally turned toward him, eyeing him up and down before responding. "The real question is, why were you at the parties? Last time I checked, you didn’t like them."

He went to answer but closed his mouth. How was he supposed to say, "Oh, I was only going because I believe I have a crush on you, even though we barely know each other," without sounding like an absolute freak?

She chuckled to herself, a small smile making its way across her face as she looked back at the lake. However, as quickly as the smile graced her face, it fell.

"You want to know the truth?"

She took another hit of the nicotine before answering her own question.

"The truth is... I hate parties. Most people see them as a fun group activity. At one point, I did too. But now... now it’s just a taunt, a painful reminder... I meant it when I said I see you."

A thick silence sat between them, the background noise turning into muffled static.

She looked down, feeling Matt's hand settle on top of her own, their eyes soon meeting.

"I see you too..."

He wasn’t lying, and she knew that.

Their moment was interrupted by shouting. "Ten minutes until countdown!" Everyone began to shout in joy, the noise only getting louder. The girl ashed the cigarette before standing up from her seat, looking down at him.

"You cold, Blue?"

He nodded, and she motioned for him to stand up. "Come on, let’s go."

He was curious as to where she wanted to take him, but he wasn’t complaining. He stood up, and his eyes widened as soon as his body began to tilt, the alcohol in his system hitting him all at once.

She caught him immediately, her hands finding their way to his shoulders as she steadied him. "Whoa, looks like someone had too much to drink." Despite the pounding headache he had, he chuckled at her words.

"Definitely too drunk to drive tonight. Come on, let’s get you somewhere so you can sober up."

Everyone paid them no mind as they walked toward the house, too distracted by their own actions to even care. They stepped inside, and she guided Matt up the stairs, down a hallway, and eventually into her room.

She helped him onto her bed, the boy kicking off his shoes and immediately slumping over into her pillows. She said nothing as she walked over toward her record player in the corner, flipping through her vinyls before finally settling on one. Just as she put it on the turntable, she heard Matt's voice.

"Will your boyfriend be mad?"

"Boyfriend? What boyfriend? And if I did have one, why would he be mad?"

She sat crisscrossed in the middle of the bed, her knee pressing into his hip. "The guy who grabbed you from the bathroom? Thought that was your boyfriend."

She laughed loudly at his explanation. "Kyle? Oh god, no, that’s just my best friend. I’d rather go see JoJo Siwa in concert than date him."

Matt's breath hitches as the girl lays down next to him, their shoulders touching.

Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, his mouth moving before his mind could stop him.

"Good."

"What's good?"

She turns her head to look at him, their eyes meeting once again.

"That you don't have a boyfriend..."

Their eye contact remains strong as their fingers hesitantly intertwine, the tension in the room growing with each breath. Just as Matt's eyes dart toward her lips, she abruptly sits up, her hand yanking away from his as she goes back into the corner, flipping through her vinyls once more.

Matt pushes himself up, his mind racing as he tries to figure out how to make his move.

She places a new vinyl on the turntable, adjusting the needle on the record before walking back over to the bed. The familiar tune of Fall Out Boy's "The Kids Aren't Alright" fills the space of the room, the faint start of the New Year's countdown being heard from outside.

"I like this song..." she says softly, taking Matt's hand and fiddling with his rings. He moves closer, their shoulders knocking into each other.

10

"Do you want to kiss me?" she asks suddenly, her eyes lingering on his lips as she looks at him.

9

He could feel the way his heart skipped a beat at her words, his fingers twitching in her grasp as he looked down at her own plump lips.

8

"Y-yeah."

7

"Y-yeah, I want to kiss you."

6

"Good..."

5

"Good," Matt adds on.

4

Silence.

3

"As the crooked smiles fade, former heroes who quit too late..."

2

"Who just wanna fill up the empty trophy case again."

1

"And in the end—"

Just as the countdown finishes and the chorus starts, their lips crash together, the fireworks shooting off behind them. The kiss was filled with longing, the two lonely souls seeking comfort in each other, craving something more.

They slowly pull away from the kiss, Matt’s hand cupping her face.

"Why'd you ask to kiss me?" he questions softly.

"Are you complaining?"

"Opposite, actually."

She kisses him once more, a quick but lingering peck.

"It's a foolish reason... I'm afraid I just wanted to."