Private Finished Learning How to People

Sela just smiled at Neon. They weren't sure if they actually saw their "family" as family. Not in the way people used the term.

Symlink's invitation to play was happily taken up by Sela, who no longer wanted to think about what a family was. Their hand was soft but hard to explain. Condensed gas didn't have skin. It was a numb feeling.

"What do you want to play? I'm still learning games played here. I know hide-and-seek, tag, telling stories, and drawing with chalk.

The concept of the game wasn't bad. It was something they would play in their dream world. Not something they would play in the awake world.

They looked down for a second, then raised their head up to look at Symlink. "Um... I don't think that'll work. The rock may go through me if I throw with too much force. I don't want to hurt anyone if that happens..." Admitting their concerns made them feel like such an inconvenience. They were ruining the fun idea Neon had simply because of how they existed.

Sela didn't comment on the pronouns discussion. It wasn't something they cared about. Genders and pronouns seemed like things people used to individualize themselves. Sela acknowledged themself as an individual didn't see the need to use gender identities. It was making them something more than they were.

"A board game sounds fun! I wish I could make illusions. Connecting with the awake world is hard... It feels like I'm not... there..."

Sela smile said, Are you sure about that? Were they themself sure about that? Symlink and Neon were speaking to them, but only the current version of them. At any time, this version could be replaced with another.

"You are, yes," they replied quietly as they focused intently on the illusion. Their voice returned to normal as they continued. "You want to play chess? I know some of the rules, but I've played and seen similar games. I want to try!"

The giggle went right over Sela's head. They assumed Symlink made a joke they didn't catch onto, something that happened often enough for them to not bother asking questions about anymore.

Neon's visual explanation of chess helped a lot. The verbal explanation? Not so much. Sela understood most of it, but they weren't an auditory learner. They learned by seeing, then doing.

"I understand now." Or they thought they did. They weren't completely confident in their understanding. When it came to people, nothing was as simple as it seemed. "Can I make the first move?"