[b]Pope:[/b]

And there it is again. Miraculously Blue has obviously said something right. Or… wrong in an interesting way? “There’s an answer to that one, but it’s yours to give - not mine,” Pope says, amused. No, amused is the wrong word. “I’ve got two thoughts about that. You identify with humanity, but you aren’t them, and they’ll never let you forget that. Especially when you’ve gotten so good at this, most of the reminders are coming from you, now. I can’t imagine that going to a place other than self-loathing, self-resentment.” He thinks about it. “I won’t say anything so trite as asking if you wished you were human. What I was thinking is you can’t identify with neither androids nor the blooded, so you must want to be something else.”

Then, pinning Orange with those wide eyes, he says. “You noticing I say ‘blooded’ instead of ‘human’? It’s not to be edgy, I don’t like creating distance that way, it’s just that I find ‘biologicals’ to feel far too clinical. I’m trying to be be inclusive to those living, breathing people who don’t identify as human by saying it. [i]That[/i] is the kind of thing you must want for yourself, right? What would you really see yourself as, what do you want to shuck this shell for - the shell in the shape of a humanity who won’t have you, the shell that casts you among the androids you feel you belong with even less. Tell me everything about what you see, just, let me say the second thing first.”

No, seriously. This is actually just how his brain works. He looks back to Blue again. He’s not smug for these reads, he’s [i]apologetic[/i]. Like having identified it, he’s identifying with it. There’s empathy here, not just sympathy. 

“The second is that your fortunes are always going to be tied to whoever people mistake you to be. When humans see you as an android, that only matters because being an android matters. And when people see you as a furry, that wouldn’t matter if it didn’t matter to [i]be [/i]a furry. You’re going to have to learn to identify with the people you’re being misidentified as, that’s how this works. That change you really want, that change you actually crave? That’s social, not systemic.” 

He obviously knows both are important. He’s just not sure that you do.

“I know how different you and I are. But them?” This thumb jerks back over his shoulder towards the street like a catapult arm flinging its shot, “They don’t. And that counts for something, between us. At least until… Tell me about it. What’s going to crack out of that maid-apron chrysalis?” 



[b]November:[/b]

[b]New Group Chat: 3V, November, ProvocativelyFickle, JuntaSThompson[/b]
[b]JuntaSThompson: [/b]Just
[b]JuntaSThompson: [/b]It's fine, just keeping this group open for later in case I need it
[b]ProvocativelyFickle: [/b]Secret best friends chat?
[b]JuntaSThompson:[/b] Honestly, kind of, yeah 
[b]ProvocativelyFickle:[/b] I can’t wait to not tell Numb about this, they’re not going to know they should be so jealous!!!

A pebble scatters across bare rock face - if you weren’t so far away from it, you could hear the bounces sound like tic, tic, tic. 

You have more time.