COMMUTATION 1.1

"The current Heiress? Yeah, she's useless. We bullied her off Chittr within a couple of weeks of her joining it. I made sure to take part in it, you know, have to be seen doing my part. I've even heard some of the clowns have taken to praying for her - that she dies quick, to spare her further embarrassment. (Laughter.) Anyway, I've heard she's, you know, one of those, anyway. Of course she's going to be treated like this."

Excerpt from an interview with Jacque Dhorse, the CEO and founder of Chittr.

The scuttlebus to the nearest subgrub is comfortable, for the definition of comfortable that lowbloods are permitted. No one higher than olive ever uses these, and the olives and golds realistically don’t use them either. Olivebloods are too seclusive, and goldbloods tend to fly instead. Scuttlebusses are one of the few modes of transport that don't require haemotesting though, which is nice. You zone out to the buzz of music from your grubpod. You always feel like a bit of a poser listening to Troll Siouxs and the Banshee when dressed in essentially frat troll clothes, but it’s not like anyone else can hear it right now.

Arriving at your destination, you get off the bus. It trundles away as you stare after it, procrastinating just a little bit longer before you do your “rounds”. Your mind assigns them scare talons automatically. You’ve been trying to shake that habit.

Well. There’s nothing to it but to get to it. Up and at ‘em, Bonnie! You’re gonna do great. You slap your cheeks through your mask, eliciting a stare or two from the other people at the outskirts of the ‘grub. Off you go! Don’t pay attention to the stares, they’re just trolls that don’t know you yet.

You stroll past a couple of lawnrings, whistling to the tender tones of the Banshee’s shrieks. You don’t know how Siouxs managed to get one to feature on so many tracks. Burgundies have weird powers. Time for your first hive visit for today!

ZHANNE MORTIS is one of those weird burgundies. Half-here, half-staring into space, she’s facing away from you as you let yourself in with the key she lent you. She turns as she hears the door, and her lopsidedly long hair flips over her shoulder. Her side shave has been recently cut. You eye it with poorly disguised desire, sensory stims are the best... For now, you keep your hands to yourself.

Both her horns are filed down to stumps, a consequence of them breaking a long time ago. Other trolls have taken it as a political statement, though you know better by now. She’s not really the kind to do something so shocking with active intent. It’s more like an accidental inevitability.

If pressed, you’d describe Zhanne as having a variety of PROBLEMS. Accidentally catapulted into fame by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she has now inherited the slew of issues associated with gaining a following out of nowhere. An otherwise reclusive and morbid girl, she’s been handling this change with a surprising amount of grace.

Interrupting your musings, she suddenly speaks, peering at your face intently.

ZHANNE: i have decided_
ZHANNE: i am adding new pronouns: corpse_ corpse_
ZHANNE: in addition to she_ her_

Her eyes are as wide as leafwater saucers but you have sort of presumed that’s just kind of how she looks. Sort of a spooked girl. She continues to stare, peering, seemingly awaiting a response. You know she isn’t looking for your approval, but you nod anyway.

BONNIE: yeah, uh
BONNIE: that’s cool!

You take the opportunity to start talking now that you're sure you have her attention.

BONNIE: so, hey
BONNIE: you said you wanted some tips about trying to maintain an image, right?
BONNIE: that's what you said over chittr, anyway

ZHANNE: that's right_
ZHANNE: i've_ blown up_ as they say_
ZHANNE: not that i'm enjoying it_
ZHANNE: kind of like actual_ blowing up_ seems unenjoyable_

BONNIE: haha, yeah
BONNIE: so, what exactly do you want to know?
BONNIE: it's not like i'm the most in the public eye but you know how it is
BONNIE: you're the target of a harassment campaign or two and you pick up on the tips and tricks, and i'd rather you get ahead of them!

ZHANNE: yes_ so_
ZHANNE: let me explain a bit_
ZHANNE: as you probably know_ a protest action i took_ received a disproportionate amount of attention_
ZHANNE: surviving_ an encounter with a drone_ en route to a swatting event_
ZHANNE: it's not exactly common_
ZHANNE: even for golds_ i think some people say_ they're somehow resistant to being picked up?
ZHANNE: something about gravity_ and of course the armour prevents optical beams_

She shakes her head as if to drag herself back on topic by rejumbling her thoughts into the correct order.

ZHANNE: anyway_
ZHANNE: so_ there's already rumours about_ any potential rustblood abilities i might have_
ZHANNE: even though_ this is all on video_
ZHANNE: and you can see_ what happened_
ZHANNE: i do have something_ that did help_ but it's nothing that fancy like_ theorising i'm secretly a cerulean_
ZHANNE: some trolls are really weird did you know that_

ZHANNE: so_ in confidence_
ZHANNE: i can speak with the dead_

This is, perhaps, the least surprising thing you've ever heard about someone, ever. You can't help but giggle, and your reply is lighthearted.

BONNIE: could never have guessed!
BONNIE: talk about nominative determinism, am i right

Zhanne seems a little nonplussed, but she cuts off your attempted explanation of what that is with the explanation she's heard it before, and continues unabated.

ZHANNE: it's the dead_ that told me_ you can sort of_
ZHANNE: evade?
ZHANNE: a drone on its way_ to another target_
ZHANNE: it's about the pathfinding they do_ if you get in front of it_ in the right way_
ZHANNE: you can delay it_
ZHANNE: and walk away without getting hurt_
ZHANNE: it's just that_ someone actually caught it on camera_

ZHANNE: it wasn't my plan_
ZHANNE: and now_ they're probably going to patch that_
ZHANNE: which sucks_

BONNIE: understatement of the century, wow
BONNIE: soooo... yeah, that's the stuff that happened, yeah
BONNIE: but what do you wanna do about it!
BONNIE: it's in your p- hooves!
BONNIE: just gotta tell me what exactly you want so i don't go horribly off topic haha

ZHANNE: yes_
ZHANNE: of course_

There's something about her which seems so preoccupied. As if she's staring at something else, trying to puzzle out exactly what's going on. You're just happy you're free of psionics, because being able to hear the dead sounds like an awful lot of hassle, you know? Seems distracting.

ZHANNE: how do i correct rumours_
ZHANNE: and how do i lie_

And it goes from a pleasant, not quite carefree but not burdened atmosphere to one that's still laughing but laden with the dread weight of knowledge.

BONNIE: you can lie!
BONNIE: but the fun thing about correcting rumours is
BONNIE: you don't!
BONNIE: you just don't!

And there's a pain in your eyes to rival that of the most overused image macros.

BONNIE: you don't get to correct rumours!
BONNIE: they're there forever until you die!
BONNIE: just look at the heiress!

ZHANNE: oh_

BONNIE: lying is mostly just keeping to one simple story though
BONNIE: it's not that hard, just do it over text
BONNIE: and keep it simple and also stupid

ZHANNE: i see_
ZHANNE: well_
ZHANNE: can i offer you some tea_
ZHANNE: i forgot_ to do that_

BONNIE: no i think i'm good
BONNIE: i don't like to drop the mask
BONNIE: not because i think you're sick! it's just a comfort thing

ZHANNE: don't worry_
ZHANNE: it's fine_
ZHANNE: we're both trans_ i get it_
ZHANNE: but yes_ that is all then_
ZHANNE: i'll be seeing you_ more often?

BONNIE: for sure!

Concluding your conversation, Zhanne affably chases you out the door with threats of trapping your soul in a jar if you stay too long. You protest a little, but amble outside, a smile on your face. Just getting to talk about things with someone who gets it makes everything easier.

Onwards to your next charge! Not that they're actually your charges. You just kind of do this as a hobby, because you're just like that.

Prologue

The video starts. A young woman with grey skin and yellow eyes stands in her(?) respiteblock, looking into the camera. She wears a varsity jacket poorly embroidered with what’s presumably her own name. It’s accented with her signclade, in bronze, and it looks to have been frond-sewn on. Her horns stick out to either side of her head, before tapering off, and one of them has a tag in it as a form of adornment. She wears a cute mask that has a bovine motif to it, which reads “got milk?” in large letters.

Behind her there are an assortment of flags in various pastel colours. Underneath these, her recuperacoon hasn’t been properly drained, and the sopor slime hasn’t been cleaned off from when she woke up and climbed out of it. Just out of frame, to the left, is a laundry cocoon. A couple of empty energy drink cans decorate the floor like conquered trophies.

-- BEGIN VIDEOLOG --

BONNE?: hello, everyone! and welcome to my grubtube channel
BONNE?: my name is bonnie belleh!
BONNIE: i’ve started this channel because there aren’t many resources for girls like us out there
BONNIE: and i wanted to help the community out a little!
BONNIE: the power to change things is in our paws! i mean, hooves!
BONNIE: i hope you’ll accompany me in learning how we can band together and meaningfully impact our surroundings

She stumbles a little on the transition into the next topic.

BONNIE: to start with, let me introduce myself properly
BONNIE: i’m bonnie, as i said before, and my pronouns are she/her
BONNIE: i’m a bronzeblood, but the exact details of my signclade aren’t really important!
BONNIE: i don’t believe in the ancestry stuff, really
BONNIE: and before you ask, no, i’m not telling you where i live! (giggles)
BONNIE: so, with my introduction out of the way, let’s get to what you’re here for

BONNIE: presumably, you, like me, want to change something about alternia
BONNIE: else you wouldn’t have clicked on this video!
BONNIE: i’ll be honest: the situation out there is pretty dreadful
BONNIE: us warmbloods have it pretty bad, and it’s only gotten worse
BONNIE: heiress apparent lilith sphyra is one of the most fronds-off heiresses this planet has seen
BONNIE: and her lack of authority and unwillingness to reign in her prospective court has drastic consequences for those not born to privilege

BONNIE: the colder haemocastes going unchecked means more wanton culling than ever
BONNIE: any warmer hue that gets too popular gets an early visit from the imperial drones, which we’ve started to call swatting
BONNIE: for those unaware, while during collection season the worker drones demand pails else you be culled, an out of season visit is only ever for “peacekeeping” reasons
BONNIE: peacekeeper drones are equipped with special weapons and cull with extreme prejudice
BONNIE: but i’ll go over the mechanics of swatting properly in a later video
BONNIE: we’re seeing highbloods call on drones at an unprecedented rate
BONNIE: it’s even affecting the more temperate colours of the spectrum

BONNIE: it’s clear that something has to change
BONNIE: something has got to give, and i’m not intending for it to be us
BONNIE: together, we can protect ourselves
BONNIE: a drone strike doesn’t have to be the end if we’re there for each other
BONNIE: a single highblood can’t stop a group of burgundies
BONNIE: so come, brothers and sisters
BONNIE: we have nothing to lose but our chains!

*click*

======-> Be the moobeastgirl.

You shut the camera off. A successful first video, you think to yourself. Well done Bonnie! You’re going to make it! You hope people think the stolen line at the end of your video is funny, and that those in the know will successfully figure out what it means. If there’s one thing you’re very, very good at, it’s making sure you speak in two languages.

As mentioned, your name is BONNIE BELLEH. You have a variety of SECRETS. One of them is that you’re secretly an anarchist. Another is that you’re not quite what you seem. You’re very good at keeping these, though, even if you’ve practically put one online for everyone to see, now. Ah well, it’s not like anyone’s going to find it, right? You earnestly wish that whoever does find it uses it for good.

You stand in your respiteblock. As previously described, it’s a little messy. You look behind where you were sitting, and realise there’s sopor on the side of your cupe. Eugh, and now that’s in the video. You’re not going to do another take, though. You put it out of your mind, and set your mind to what’s next. What will you do?

Well, now that you’ve gotten what passes for work out of the way, you should probably go socialise. It’ll let you forget about having to clean, at least. Well, it won’t let you forget, but you can pretend to ignore them and remain anxious the entire time. It’s not like that’s much of a change from usual.

Exiting your hive before you can feel worse, you start the trek towards the scuttlebus stop. You live a little way out from any local towns or cities. Some of the more reclusive bronzebloods tend to. It’s encouraged to group up for safety, but you had your reasons to stay separate. Anyway, a twenty minute walk isn’t too far. Plus, the advent of drone-based delivery means your life got a lot easier, if a lot more insecure. Looking up, you spy the full red moon hanging in the firmament.

You don’t know why, but you suddenly get the feeling it’s going to be a long, long night.