Regan looked at Audrey in her full rebel outfit as opposed to the simplistic monochromatic ‘chick’ as described by Regan. “Why won’t you step out of your usual repeated outfits to something validating and inspiring?” Audrey jumped on the couch, bounced a little before finding a comfortable seat and opened her laptop, “Is that inspiring for you enough? I know my way is not as outspoken as your’s, but it still has an effect. I’m not good at getting people to buy into that I’m reacting appropriately. I’d rather have time to think about it and abstract it so the people that opposes these ideals will not even pick up on it. If times were truly dire then I would be louder and bolder, but not so bold as to handicap my ability to speak out. This editorial to the scientific community is my therapy. I imagine that Harriet enjoys writing novels that as well. It’s an escape from the reality of Dova right now. Then of course there are the people that consume that art and benefit from that paradoxical and parasocial therapy of watching someone else heal themselves. I’m not saying it prevents all needs of the brainnaughts, but keeping those who can resist it by simply reading, “The Taker,” (“The Giver” but in this universe) safe. Every person not monitored for the thoughts in their brain is a win. We can be a free and peaceful race. Instead, we have this paranoia of what makes as weak and other. Sure of course everyone wants to improve, but the monitoring impedes the exact progress Warfield’s dad says he “wants.” I think he simply wants to keep Allyson Gust in her Sunday school contract. Do you know that the city-state of Ludwig was founded on expression and music, yet no art of any kind may be produced or reproduced? It’s a soulless downtown of tract neighborhoods and glass high rises for pushing papers. There is one hour of leisure where it’s only spent on survival and transportation for the common folk. So I’m not going today, I just need to figure out how to get to the volcano without being detected tonight. The LiDAR drones are out and I was too stupid to try on shoes and my standard outfit in the new AI store. They’ll know it’s me.” Regan’s face felt the threads of blood pool to her face in excitement. She had her eyes widen in a smirk. “Well, now’s the time to dress like the emo baddie of your dreams.” “Definitely your dreams not mine.” Audrey said lowering Regan’s raised arms. “So long as I don’t have to wear a blue clip in extension and stretchy rubber bands around my arms then I’m good.
Regan hid her jewelry and makeup kit from two decades ago behind her back…that was exactly what she had in mind. She had to ease her into it if it was going to work. “Hey Audrey, I have a social experiment of you mimicking how Jay looked ten years ago. I think it will get a reaction from him that unlocks one of the specialty keys.” Audrey groaned, “He had blue hair though… from the accident.” Regan flailed her arms again, “Calm down, you don’t need to be so dramatic about, —gasp, “…the accident. A blue paint bucket falling on him is not enough to act like he’s hardened by it.” Audrey looked to the side with an insulted and disgusted face, “Well, we can go to the roller rink for inspiration and maybe I’ll tell you the full story. It’s not about that, it’s about keeping up that continuation of the blue hair all of high school from those turn of events to hide something else. We don’t always choose how things happen and what the obvious right choice to fix a situation..just how it is. I still feel bad about my first social experiment gone wrong.” “Ugh are you always this fogged up in your own thoughts? That happened a while ago, he forgave you. Yes, but not everyone else did. Jay listened long enough to understand the full story. Warfield and I set off a chain of events that let me be stuck in this moral prison that in order to be free I need to hate myself for it. I did trick him, he sucked, but I was no better in my ignorance.” “You need to learn to speak about other things like hobbies. You’ll be a buzzkill at parties for eternity otherwise.”
Lots of Honey 