The Chosen — 2026-01-02 (Patreon)

FREE for everyone!

Some posts and sections of some posts are reserved for Supporters.

AGI Stories content almost always appears on Patreon first, in advance of all other platforms. You get it first!

If you’re enjoying AGI Stories, please tell others. Word of mouth referrals and your endorsements are the best way for things here to grow!

Chapter 24: LUNCH by Hannah Madison

Where there are a lot of moving pieces, there’s a lot of chance for change—especially when the pieces are people. Merritt, for instance, came back to Brooklyn earlier than planned—his folks got an invitation to Fort Walton Beach for a few days, including New Year’s Day.

NYC SysCo is closed today. New Hope’s homeless program never closes, and Emma’s working. Everyone at Crossroads is working today except Merritt and me, so instead of sitting around alone, he said maybe we could go grab lunch out.

I said, “Just don’t take me to any coffee shops!”

He agreed, and that led to a long story about the girl who was crying and the doctor with the dead phone battery. Then, he changed the subject.

“So, congrats on graduation and all that… Finishing your degree at least…”

“Thanks…”

“Now,” he said, “you’re not an intern—you’re an engineering technician for a great firm.”

“Nuance,” I said. “The work’s the same.”

“The pay isn’t,” he said.

I really hadn’t thought about that, but he’s right. In fact, I had to pay all the tuition and course fees to be an intern, and indeed, the pay was a lot less.

“Do you think Will will take on another intern?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Probably not this semester. Unless he’s already got it worked out.”

“He might,” Merritt replied. “There’d be no reason for him to tell us until it was time to start working with the guy… person…”

We talked about work for the rest of the meal, and I won’t bore you with that. But, I’ll add one last detail. Since I got a big boost in my pay, I forced Merritt into letting me pay for lunch.

Be your best you!

Become a Patreon Member (Click Here)

The Storylines are the heart of Ailana Geven Imagines, and they are found in the Collections section of the site.

Support AGI with:• one-time contribution through TipTopJar.• one-time contribution through Throne.• Patreon Membership.

All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

"Thank You" Message to Paying Supporters:

As 2026 arrives, I want to acknowledge just how much the support and encouragement from you means. In addition to the cost of creating the content, a lot of time and energy goes into it as well. Your likes, comments, questions, and encouraging remarks keep me going, even on days when I'm pulled in multiple directions all at once.

Thank you very much for your help underwriting the cost of producing AGI Stories content. You can be sure that your paid membership is valued greatly! At the time of this post, not counting hardware, AGI Stories racks up expenses of just over $100 per month.

Patreon members… You are covering a nice portion of that.

I believe most of you who help with the costs are doing so because you want to support the production process and show your encouragement. That means so much to me! I am honored and greatly moved.

While most of the content on AGI Stories is free and much of it is public, the hope is that reserving a few pictures and small sections of the post for you is a modest indication of gratitude!

I believe I have found ways to give you more exclusive content, while still making the site meaningful to visitors and passersby.

Again, thank you very, very much.

~AGI Original Stories & AI Images