Glitchy Word Processor

Ren / she/her / 18+

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Useful tags

Writing - #ren writes / AO3

Book binding - #book binding

Misc - #ren rambles

Current Projects

Send Her My Love updates every other week(ish)

Restore is in-progress

Worlds Apart is complete

#gridpride prompt fills from @thegridisforeveryone

Reblogs on my fics are welcome!

Chapter 23 of Send Her My Love is up! This is a companion fic to Worlds Apart.

Fic summary:

Quorra frowns at her phone. She mostly looks at social media for memes and cat videos, but her notifications are filled with people tagging her on a post from some celebrity news site. The thumbnail shows a photo of her and Sam laughing, leaning into each other as they walk down the street. Next to it is a link to an article, titled "Has Sam Flynn Found Love at Last?"

She pretends to gag.

"What's that look about?" Sam asks. He's sitting next to her on the couch, scratching Marv's ears with one hand and holding a tablet with the other. Probably messaging Tron. Quorra turns her phone so he can read for himself.

"Aw, man," he mutters. "Again?"

"I don't understand," she says. "Why does everyone think we're dating?"

Sam rubs at his eyes. Marv whines in commiseration.

"I don't know. Users are weird about this stuff. Most of them are like, obsessed with romantic relationships. Especially other people's relationships."

"But you're not like that," Quorra says. Sam sighs.

"I don't usually have those kinds of feelings. And I think other people's feelings are their own business."

Tabloids have been an exploitive nuisance Sam's entire life. From their theories about Flynn abandoning him as a child, to speculation about his dating life and sexuality in his late teens and his twenties. This is just another benefit of seeing Tron on the Grid. Their relationship is just for them. No prying eyes or opinions he didn't ask for.

"Good," Quorra says. "Besides, it'd be too weird if you tried to hit on me. You're more like a sibling than a counterpart."

"Back at ya."

"Stay the night," Able says. It's a stupid idea, and a worse suggestion.

Tron is a blot of darkness against the windows, unreadable. Nanos ago he tried to scare the life out of Able, sneaking up on him in the shadows. Now he's returning the favor.

"Here?" The uncertainty in Tron’s voice clashes with the menacing figure he cuts. Able isn't moved.

"Would you rather sleep alone in that cave of yours?"

"…Are you sure?" Tron asks. This is not an answer.

"You never could relax when you were alone," Able says, grumbling a little. "Just stay here and rest. One night away won't kill you."

Privately, he acknowledges that this is not an answer either.

He and Tron speak with some regularity—out of necessity. But they haven't talked in years.

"I miss her, you know," Able says. He turns away from Tron, towards Yori's old suit. The only real source of light in the room. "She would hate that we can't get along without her."

Tron doesn't have a response to that. In fact, he's silent for so long that Able thinks he fled.

Until a gentle hand catches his wrist.

"One night," Tron says. He's close, strong despite the scars, and watching Able with those dark eyes. He tries to remind himself how frustrating the monitor can be. It doesn't help much.

"This is embarrassing," Clu sighs. He and Tron each take one of Flynn's arms, hoisting the user to his feet. He's dead weight, drunk and laughing and no help at all. Tron can sense Clu's annoyance as other patrons of the EoL point and snicker. Tron adjusts his hold on Flynn, protective.

"You can stay," he says. "I've got him."

Clu raises a brow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Tron says. "I'll make sure he gets back to the portal in time."

"Alright." Clu extracates himself from their Flynn-sandwich. "Just don't let him fall in the sea."

Flynn swats at his program, grumbling. Tron keeps him from tipping over. "That happened—one time."

Clu snickers, side-stepping the user's swipe. "Be careful. Both of you."

"Yeah, yeah," Flynn grumbles.

Clu returns to the bar as Tron steers Flynn towards the exit. Programs in the crowd gawk and laugh, and Tron can't really blame them. They're an odd sight—the System Monitor half carrying an impaired user through a club. Still, the crowd's laughter is good natured. They part to let the pair pass.

Once they've finally made it in the elevator, Tron leans against the back wall, holding Flynn against his chest. It's nice to have the user to himself, behind closed doors.

Flynn seems to agree. His head lolls against Tron's shoulder now that they're still. His breath is warm; it tickles Tron's circuits.

"Hi, Tron," Flynn murmurs, sleepy.

"Hi, Flynn."

The user presses closer, looks at Tron with glassy eyes and leans in for a kiss. He tastes like the drinks he downed earlier, and he's all but buzzing with energy. Tron holds him tighter as the elevator plummets. Flynn hums into his mouth.

"You're hot," he sighs.

"My temperature is within standard parameters."

"Was that a joke?"

"Maybe." Tron tries not to smirk. "You're drunk."

"Nuh-uh," Flynn says, insulted. He hiccups. Then sighs dramatically, dropping his head back to Tron's shoulder. "Oh man, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, but this might be a bad time."

Trepidation prickles up Tron's spine.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Mmmm. Ok. But promise—you'll be honest with me. No matter what."

"I promise."

Flynn looks up at him with big, sad eyes. Completely earnest.

"Would you still love me if I was a gridbug?"

Tron doesn't know what he expected.

"Of course," he says, deadpan. "You already act like one."

Music is the last thing Quorra expected to hear in a Basic med center. It's slow and soft and lovely. For a moment, as she drifts back towards consciousness, she thinks she must be home in Arjia.

And then she remembers.

She was traveling with Ada when they were attacked. Another program helped her fend them off. After that… they came here.

Ada is asleep in the bed next to Quorra's. The medic who helped rescue them sits at a little desk in the corner. Tablets and charts litter the tabletop, but she's engrossed in what looks like a sampler.

Quorra holds her breath as she watches her play. She's beautiful, her dark eyes intense with focus, her mouth quirked in a self-satisfied smile. Her clever hands dance across the keys, weaving notes together in a tapestry of sound. She nods along, feeling the music, and her hair sways with the beat.

Quorra has never seen a Basic show such love for something outside their function. She's never seen a Basic act so much like an ISO. The flood of affection she feels comes on so quickly, it's almost embarrassing. But, these cycles, she takes her joy where she can get it.

After a few micros the music tapers off. Quorra sits up, wincing, and then those lovely dark eyes are on her.

"Can you play it again?" she asks.

Chapter 22 of Send Her My Love is up! This is a companion fic to Worlds Apart.

Fic summary:

Chapter 12 of Restore is up!

Chapter three of Send Her My Love is up! This is a companion fic to Worlds Apart.

Fic summary:

Strays will be completed

Send Her My Love will update every other week

Restore will continue to update

More drabbles and oneshots will pop up sporadically

Chapter six of Restore is up!

Chapter two of Send Her My Love is up! This is a companion fic to Worlds Apart.

Fic summary:

Chapter one of Send Her My Love is up! This is a companion fic to Worlds Apart.

Fic summary:

Chapter five of Restore is up!