The Chronicles of a Developer

The Surprising Surge of Serenity and DEFCON 3 Declaration

The early morning sunlight seeped through the gaps in the curtain, bathing our hero in a soft, warming glow. A new day had dawned, and despite his body protesting with the persistent irritation in his throat and sporadic bouts of coughing, his spirit was undeterred. A wave of unusual contentment washed over him, and he felt emotionally buoyant, a sensation alien to his usual morning constitution. He couldn't quite place his finger on the whys and wherefores, but he figured, why look a gift horse in the mouth?

Taking advantage of his high spirits, he reached out to Saška. No, not with a Hallmark card spewing cheesy sentimentality or a Shakespearean sonnet bursting with eloquent declarations of love, but with something far more 'him': A link to his blog - his digital realm where he penned his thoughts and musings, his digital fortress of solitude. And if that wasn't enough of a glimpse into his geeky core, he followed up with a snapshot of a book titled '*Transformers for Machine Learning*'. For most, it might be a convoluted text better used as a doorstop, but for him, it was his casual morning digest, his daily shot of intellectual stimulation.

While the lad's emotions continued their confusing dance, he started to mentally map out his next move. His compass pointed steadfastly towards Denmark, an icy jewel nestled in Scandinavia. Ranuka, a name from his past and a potential anchor in his future, had extended an offer for him to stay at her place, a proposition he was almost ready to take her up on.

However, the wheels of his plan screeched to a grinding halt. Ranuka wanted more time, a pause, a break in the rapid progression of events. She needed to ruminate over the prospect of their cohabitation. And so, he found himself in a frustrating game of wait-and-see, his operations on standby, his life in limbo.

Back at home base, he found himself in the familiar and loathed territory of the parental lecture theatre. Oh, they were at it again, serving their dollops of wisdom, advice, and criticism like they were running a charity soup kitchen. Their words, however, fell on deaf ears. You see, he'd recently adopted a new habit he charmingly dubbed '*Do NOT give a fuck about what others say*'. An endearing mantra, indeed! Their comments were swatted away like annoying flies at a summer picnic, his determination fortified by the current DEFCON 3 state of his life, a not-so-subtle nod to his love for all things tech and geeky.

As the clock ticked away, marking the passing of the day, Saška remained noticeably silent. She was likely shackled by the demands of her job, a slave to the relentless grind that constituted gainful employment. But as the evening wore on, the prospects of hearing from her dwindled. He glanced at the time – 8:05 pm. He shrugged and let out a chuckle at his wild emotional roller coaster, a bumpy ride that bore the uncanny resemblance of an adult-rated circus - raunchy, unapologetic, and ridiculously entertaining.