My Future Self Is Ruining My Life!

By the time Michael got back to the house, the lights were on in the kitchen. He opened the door to the familiar sight of his parents preparing dinner. He smiled and joined them, offering to chop the vegetables for the sides as an opportunity to practice his knife skills.

He followed the guidelines that appeared in his vision as he chatted with his parents about the week. He discussed his progress with the application and the finished renovations downstairs. He mentioned some of his ideas for the next phase of renovations - a kitchenette.

While this made sense based on the eventual plans for the space, his parents were quick to reinforce that the presence of a kitchenette would not change that they wanted Michael to eat dinner with them whenever possible. Michael had no issues with this, of course, since he also valued dinnertime highly. It was important for him to keep up with the family and share their days, and at the same time it was also a great break from his usual constant practice and focused efforts.

Tonight's dinner was a roast with vegetables and a great salad, so Michael didn't even need to prepare any supplementary food for his nutrition plan. This was a good thing, as he was almost out of ingredients anyway - eating to this nutrition plan was really expensive!

Soon his sisters came in from outside and it was time for dinner. The usual conversation took place, with everyone sharing the events of the week, until Michael's turn came around. In rapid succession, he shared the details of the Mathematics competition, the project on Sunday with the Librarian, and the fact that he should be done with his parents' project by the end of the following weekend.

The subsequent stunned faces from the family were something with which he could sympathize. "You think it's a lot to hear about, try living it!", he cried internally.

His parents' stance was similar to what was discussed on Thursday - they were supportive, but increasingly concerned that he might be overloading himself. He once again reassured them that he would stop as soon as it became too much. Looking for a change of subject, he mentioned his exploration of chess and piano - two hobbies that appealed to one each of his parents. Rowena quickly offered a number of books that she had on both piano and music theory, and while Flavius didn't have any books on Chess, he offered to play anytime Michael wanted to.

Michael smiled, appreciating their well-wishes, concern, and support. In the end, these new hobbies might even bring him an opportunity to get closer with his parents.

The rest of dinner went by smoothly, with folks chatting about their plans. Michael made clear that Saturday would largely be spent working on the project, and Sunday he'd be working on the project for Mr. Maddox. His parents planned to take his sisters apple picking on Saturday, which Michael was fine with missing. Everyone was in a good mood.

Michael offered to clean up, which his sisters happily accepted, and they then went to watch a movie in the living room. The orchestral sounds of an old musical wafted into the kitchen as Michael quickly washed the dishes. His movements were swift, methodical, and precise, and he focused on making each movement count as well as practicing his breathing. His attempts paid off, as he saw minor improvements to his dexterity, coordination, and an unknown willpower attribute. He also saw improvements on his cooking and cleaning abilities, which pleased him immensely.

He decided to start with the easiest pieces - the bonus rewards he'd received from the recording. Basic Enhancement Modules he was familiar with, and he asked the System to display them.

"Oh? Please do."

>

"…Okay, while I might still be a little freaked out about the… nanoconstructs… all of those functions are really, REALLY cool."