we are not in a town

unauthorized fucking thing!!!!!!

(warning: loud chirping throughout)

• He is terrifyingly good at pool and darts. Like not fun, not casual. It’s equal parts focus, training and an alarming amount of competitive rage.

• He can twerk. Very well. Apparently J.J. taught him?? Shane does NOT consider it dancing and usually doesn’t mention it, but one day the question “who here can actually twerk” came up and yeah, he can. Ilya is still begging him for a repeat performance.

• Sometimes he seems sincere and a little clueless. He is not. He is, in fact, committing to a bit solely to annoy Ilya. The best part: it works every time.

• He is a grumpy morning person. Silent. Judging. Once he drinks one of his absolutely cursed smoothies he suddenly turns into a functioning human again. Nobody who has tried the smoothies understands why.

* New student, very small. Grace said it was pebble. Pebble is small Earth rock. Pebble likes name.

* He found out Eridians have no gender rules.

* Students brought him mineral sample. After he stopped crying he said he loves show-and-tell game. Human naming conventions oddly literal.

* I told him Earthsun grew bright.

* I took him up atop atmosphere bypass elevator to look at stars.

* He woke up from nap and found me still with him. I did not wait on his chest; he says I am heavy like “elephant” and he “couldn’t breathe.” I laid my arm over him instead, kept him close, feeling safe. He said “cuddle” was warm.

* Before class he heard younglings singing.

* He has plants in house from sprouts on ship. Plant grew “bud.”

* Engineers got seawater temperature right. He took off shoes and stood in water, sighing. He didn’t care about pants getting damp. Cried until shirt was also damp. Humans very endlessly wet.

* He missed “Doritos.”

* Adrian helped food scientists make taumoeba dried paste. Made it crunchy after heating. We fused it into triangle form. Told him it was Tauritos. That made him laugh-cry. Laugh-cry is rare and precious.

* He remembered Eridians have no gender rules.

* We made him celebration outfit. Used metals he calls pretty. He can see frequencies named “colorful” and “shiny.” These make humans happiest.

* I gave him hug when he wasn’t expecting it. Easier to hug close now with exosuit. Hug when Grace sitting down so he does not fall over.