This could happen everyday and you wouldn't get tired of it

The smells of the soup came up at him in a cloud of steam as he lifted off the lid of the pot. It was a mix of spices, vegetables, and something else, something he couldn't put his finger on but it made his mouth water in such a way that he didn't really care. He ladled out a bowlful, sprinkled a little bit of grated cheese on top, and helped himself to another hunk of bread. Fresh, and warm, it made his mouth water just as much as the soup did. Once he got seated again, he freshened his glass of wine, then took a moment to just wallow in the simple pleasure of a good, a really good meal.

With the very best intentions

Do you GET it? Do you get what I'm trying to do here?

I... I... but...

Because I don't think you DO. I think you still have some misconceptions about what is going on here.

You... you can't...

DON'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO. DON'T.

Aah!

... yes. Well. You are going to listen now, and you are going to remember what I am going to say. Most importantly, you are going to UNDERSTAND. Do you hear me?

I... yes! Yes, I hear you!

... good. Because I would hate to think that after all is said and done, you had the wrong idea about what caused all this. You need to know that things happened the way they did because in truth... in honesty... there could be no OTHER way they could have turned out.

I... I'm listening... haaah...

Good... that's good... I'm glad to have your undivided attention. So. From the beginning...

Mister Rostrum

The robot didn't say much, and didn't draw any attention to itself. It just quietly did its duties, working through lunch until the end of the day, when it cleaned up its desk and went home. It didn't turn on the radio when it got in the car, its expression didn't change when someone cut it off in traffic, and it maintained an adequate space cushion at all times. When it got home, it changed out of its work clothes and promptly went to sleep.

In the morning, the robot got up, got dressed, and got to work. As it was walking back to its desk from the copier, it was greeted by a coworker who paused long enough to ask it if that was a new haircut. The robot shook its head, not mentioning that it hadn't changed it's look in the seven years since it had been hired.

Look where I'm going

Oh my god! Oh my god oh my god. Are you okay?

I... oog... I think s- augh!

Yaa!

... um. Maybe. I'm just going to stay down for a bit.

You, uh, er, yeah.

What happened, anyway? You came out of nowhere!

I don't know, I was just running down this way, and next thing I knew, you were there in front of me.

Huh. Weird. Okay, gimme a hand, I'm going to try getting up again.

Are you sure? I mean, maybe you should-

HURK!

Aaah!

Haaghk... ghk... okay... maybe i should... i should...

Oh god! Oh god oh god oh god!

what? what's... wha-?

Oh god, there's so much blood... hold still! Don't move, okay? Don't move again. Just- just hold still.

urgh... oogh...

Help! HELP! Somebody! Please! PLEASE, HELP! HELP!!

Out of time and out of keys

You find yourself surrounded by a half dozen figures. While this is never a particularly good situation to be in, it isn't helped any by the arm you broke when you smashed through the doors. You've been nursing it as you've made your way from room to room, trying to find the way down to the cellars and the holding cells, but from the way it's been sending lightning bolts of pain up through your shoulder you can tell it's not going to feel any better this month.

You manage to take down the first couple of attackers with kicks, one to the sternum, one to the throat, but it still hurts. It's not easy keeping your balance and your defenses up while holding your arm still, so when the pain rips its way out of your throat, you do your best to disguise it as a battle-cry. You don't know if the remaining attackers believe it, but since you've just kicked someone in the groin so hard that there was an audible crack.

You think you're going to actually make it through with nothing worse than the overpowering need to vomit from the pain when the last guy manages to break a knife out of a display case.

"... well, shit."

Speechless Speech

Oh... man.

... whoa.

That was... was...

Yeah...

I mean, it just...

And then when it...

But the part where it...

I know! I mean... WHOA!

I get you, man, I get you.

You know what?

What?

I don't even want to see it again. Like, that would just cheapen it.

No, yeah, I understand. Any more, and... it would just fall apart.

But as it is...

Yeah, as it is...

Wow.

Whoa.

It's the little touches

Mustard mustard mustard... Trevor was really looking forward to this sandwich. Reaching over the dragon, he got the mustard out of the fridge, and made his way back to the counter where the rest of the ingredients were already laid out. Slicing off a piece of cheese and dodging a dagger that had been thrown at him, he set to work constructing some culinary art worth eating.

Almost done, he thought, nibbling on a scrap of meat, so what's missing? It took a moment of puzzling on his part, but then it struck him like a bolt from the blue. An explosion distantly rumbled. If this was toasted, just a little bit... mm! Trevor started looking for a frying pan as a man across the room started bellowing and running.

Home can be the tenderest place

...and that's why- what are you looking at?

Your eyes. They're lovely, you know.

Yes, dear. You tell me every night.

They're so... warm. I could stare in to them all night.

As much as I'd love to let you, I need to sleep at some point, you know.

I know, I know... doesn't mean I can't enjoy them while I can, though.

Of course not, dear, I wouldn't dream of stopping you.

Mmmm...

Mmm... I love you too, dear.