Racha pecked furiously at the keys of his computer, pulling up the group chat for independent sophonts.

Racha_crow519 (he/him): @Lonely did u write this? [link]

jellyJoanne (ze/zir): Hi Racha!

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): Oh, that. ;-;

GlodB00bs: link doesnt work on my pherotab, tldr pls?

bestNicole (any): oh st*rs

Lonely (ze/zir): @Racha_crow519 Yes.

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): @GlodB00bs its a story about a dog whos friends with this girl, but the girl gets stuck in a cave and people dont get why the dog is barking so the girl... TT-TT

BaskingBird: 0_o

GlodB00bs: i regret asking.

jellyJoanne (ze/zir): WTF @Lonely Why would you write that?

Lonely (ze/hir): Because it’s sad @jellyJoanne

GlodB00bs: are you feeling ok?

bestNicole (any): “Because it’s sad” LOL edgelord

Racha_crow519 (he/him): Its a heavy-handed critique of the affini

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): whut

Lonely (ze/hir): Nowhere do I mention affini in the text.

Racha_crow519 (he/him): oh COME ON

BaskingBird: <lurks interestedly>

Racha_crow519 (he/him): I can’t find a good section to copy-paste but you said the dog isn’t understood because it’s trying to communicate an emotion that no human can remember. That has to be about how the affini’s whole philosophy is providing for everyone so that nobody suffers.

jellyJoanne (ze/zir): Im confused

Racha_crow519 (he/him): @jellyJoanne Ze’s saying that the affini make it so sophonts can’t imagine suffering, so if anything happens that an affini doesn’t think is a problem then it won’t get fixed.

GlodB00bs: Ohhhhhhh

jellyJoanne (ze/zer): Huh. IDK

Lonely (ze/hir): You are free to make that interpretation, but it’s equally valid to call the story a critique of humanity.

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): objection.meme

Racha_crow519 (he/him): You know that Conni was already weirded out by that watch, and apparently you refused meds which probably got you on a watchlist. Are you TRYING to get Class O’d?

jellyJoanne (ze/zer): “Conni” (-_- ) Racha you total prepet

Racha_crow519 (he/him): ITS NOT LIKE THAT

bestNicole (any): Racha & Conifer sitting in a tree, C-O-L-L-A-R-E-D

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): Come on guys, this isn’t about him.

Lonely (ze/hir): The ticking of a clock is soothing, why is it strange to want a version I can carry with me? And that is not entirely accurate about medication, I have been working with a psychiatrist to find the right dosage for mood stabilizers, as well as stimulants to manage my dopamine dysregulation. My objection was to being excluded from the process of determining the best course of action for me.

GlodB00bs: why would a watch weird out an affini?

jellyJoanne (ze/zer): @GlodBoobs oh, you weren't here for that chat? Racha thinks Lonely is using the watch to ward off affini rhythms

GlodB00bs: would that work???

Lonely (ze/hir): Unlikely.

Lonely (ze/hir): I wanted an analog watch whose tick I could feel, so I asked for one. Like I've said before, I value decisions.

bestNicole (any): You want to make decisions so much you “decided” to write about stuff that’s making me cry irl?

Lonely (ze/hir): I can recommend several fix-it-fics if you’d like. 

bestNicole (any): ...yes

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): But you can’t be sure that the doc didn’t add anything else into the meds, right?

GlodB00bs: brb

Racha_crow519 (he/him): MY POINT IS, you constantly do stuff that squicks affini, and you’re gonna get yourself neutered.

Lonely (ze/hir): [link] [link] [link] The first one is has some excellent prose, although I thought the preface where the author said she wanted to ‘put fertilizer on my cereal’ was uncalled for.

73FloatingKyle (they/she/he): k thnx

Lonely (ze/hir): @73FloatingKyle If they were inclined to do so, I cannot stop them.

Racha_crow519 (he/him): You know that there are basically no terran rebellion factions anymore, right? Your people signed the treaty almost five of my years ago, four of yours. Whatever secret plan you have, nobody outside the compact can help you.

Lonely (ze/hir): @Racha_crow519 I have done nothing to directly harm myself or anyone else, nor have I repeated any specific action that has directly brought discomfort to those around me.

Lonely (ze/hir): Rest assured, harming the Compact is the furthest thing from my mind.

jellyJoanne (ze/zer): what about harm... to my heart?!?!

Lonely (ze/hir): There’s a full list of content warnings in the description. At the risk of sounding dismissive, “DLDR.”

 

    A knock came at Racha’s door. “Hey, birdie, are you ready for our picnic?” The perfect, melodic voice of Conifer Yew tingled every feather on Racha’s body.

    “Just a minute, I’m finishing something!”

    “Take your time, little one.”

 

Racha_crow519 (he/him): G2G. 

Racha_crow519 (he/him): We are NOT DONE talking about this.

Lonely (ze/hir): Understood.

GlodB00bs: Have fun~

 

    Racha set down the tablet and took a moment to preen himself before opening the door. “Hi Conni, sorry to make you wait.”

    “Don’t worry, flower. It simply gives me better appreciation for the time we do spend together.” Conifer fluttered the vines that he had arranged in an imitation of wings, revealing a relatively large picnic basket. “Shall we head out?”

    “Please yes.”

    As they walked, Racha gave a short trill of mixed emotions. “Lonely is up to yet further nonsense.”

    “Oh dear. What was it this time?”

    “Ze wrote this short story about a girl and a dog running away from a place called Utopia-”

    “Me-topia?”

    Racha whistled with laughter. “No, you big roost, it’s a Terran English word for perfect city. Anyway, it’s all sad and tragic and ze refuses to apologize.”

    “Well, there’s no rule saying- sorry, one moment.”  Conifer pulled out his tablet and set it to silent. “Ugh. You know my neighbor, Acaulescent? She’s been venting at me all day about her collaborator, Perennial.”

    Racha gave a confused chirp. “Collaborator?”

    “Sorry, I don’t know the word for it in your language.” Conifer gave an exhausted susurrus. “Anyway, let’s both leave our troubles behind for now, okay? I want this picnic to be perfect.”

    “Agreed,” said Racha. He didn’t say anything further, but was suddenly grateful to be cold-blooded. A mammal might have blushed when they noticed, as he did, that the basket contained an envelope perfectly sized for adoption papers.