Still arriving, still leaving. Still polishing broken things so that they could be held without cutting your hands.

That's a great ending. Sharp and visceral. For a long time reading, I thought Nina was much older. She's wiser than her years, as they say. I can't say the ending was a complete surprise though. You're someone much too imaginative for "they made friends for life".

As for AI, I feel the same. Even if it's not a creative post, I'm turned off by the AI imagery everywhere. Have you noticed now everyone (brand,gym,event, anything) seems to be using those same-looking AI advertisements for whatever product they're offering? How on Earth is that supposed to make you stand out...