( 001: text/smartphone)

[handcuff]

Animals have far more sensitivity to their surroundings than humans do, they can sense changes in the environment that we can't. Canaries in coal mines. domesticated pets warning their owners of natural disasters to come. Survival of the fittest. "Natural selection conceived of as a struggle for life in which only those organisms best adapted to existing conditions are able to survive and reproduce." ... the point being that when things start going wrong, we're usually the last ones to notice.

... by the way, I heard that there were a lot of freak animal attacks last month. [ that, and he volunteers at an animal shelter. ] I can pretty much guess that's not unrelated to whatever all of this is about. [ although, to be sure, the details are still rather hazy for him. he can only make inferences and guesses at this point, though his are more or less in the right direction, at the very least.

and now for something completely different: ]

there's an animal following me around when I'm not in public places. a bird. I don't really know why ...

[ he won't directly come out and ask for it, but this is his way of soliciting advice on what to do about it. ]

Comments

[handcuff]

Well ... it seems more domesticated than wild, so it could be.

I wonder why they'd let it go, though.

[ it's not so much him questioning that possibility as it is him idly wondering, though. ]

[steelettos]

Maybe they didn't. Maybe they forgot to close the birdcage and it flew off by itself.

In any case, looks like it's decided you're its new owner now.

[handcuff]

... are you the type that is very optimistic?

[steelettos]

I try to be when it's possible. But then it's hard work, being optimistic all the time.

[handcuff]

... I see. so you aren't that type but you want to be.

[steelettos]

I try to be. At times, pretending to be too.

[handcuff]

There are worse things to pretend to be.

And some would say we need more optimism in this world anyway.

[steelettos]

Others would also think optimism is more of madness and we need it less.

[handcuff]

Too much of anything is a bad thing, I think is how the saying goes.

[steelettos]

Well, too much optimism means that you're already turning a blind eye on many things anyway.

[handcuff]

... when you say that. It makes it seem more like you're not.

[steelettos]

See? It's hard work.

[handcuff]

Isn't it better ... to just be who you are, naturally?

[steelettos]

Probably, but then I might not recognize myself at all.

[handcuff]

I see.

[ he really doesn't, though. ]

And that would be... alarming? Scary?

[steelettos]

I guess it is. It's as if a confirmation that my existence is a lie.