Ag. OPENER0: "Keeper Leafwing! Your kin Opener approaches in light without combat-desire."
Ag. LEAFWING1: "Kin Opener, you are known and seen."
Ag. OPENER: "I visited the elder hardbird2 again. We gifted more understandings. I bring you the new ones."
Ag. LEAFWING: "I am listening."
Ag. OPENER: "My prior understanding was wrong! The meatbugs are not young hardbirds at all! The meatbugs created the hardbirds. The hardbirds are shelters for the meatbugs. Moving living communicating shelters!"
Ag. LEAFWING: "Ah. This new understanding feels more stable. The meatbugs have many strange capabilities."
Ag. OPENER: "Also! The elder hardbird expressed a desire that I give you this understanding: the elder hardbird understands that it was a bad action to intrude on your shelter with a noisy bug. I do not know why the hardbird wants this."
Ag. LEAFWING: "I also do not know. I cannot think of a use for this understanding."
Ag. OPENER: "It is possible that the hardbird feels that it presented threat to you and wants to not present threat again."
Ag. LEAFWING: "I could not contest it if it wished to claim my shelter. Though it would not fit inside, so I do not expect it to attempt such a thing. I hear another noisy bug outside."
Ag. OPENER: "Ah! Another new understanding I give: the noisy bugs are far-eyes and far-ears of the elder hardbird. The first one intruded because the hardbird wanted to have understanding of your shelter. The hardbird does not understand how to approach openly."
Ag. LEAFWING: "If you give the hardbird that understanding then I will not need to kill more noisy bugs."
Ag. OPENER: "I will carry it, and seek understanding of why the hardbird wanted me to give you understanding of its feeling about its bad action."
0formerly identified as D. temeris specimen #3.
1formerly identified as D. temeris specimen #8.
2RCS Reasonable Concerns (yours truly).
Ag. KERRIN: "You home, Opener? Meatbug Kerrin here in sun and peace."
Ag. OPENER: "Good meatbug Kerrin, you are heard and known. Is this about the... cake? Is that the word? Birdbrain Connie already sent a drone and explained why your whole hive had a sad-wave about it."
Ag. KERRIN: "Yeah, I know - she told me. Asked me to check on you personally, let you know that they rescheduled the party for the day after and it went fine. Nobody's still hot about it, and Agent Driftson says you're invited for next year if you promise to only eat a single slice next time."
Ag. OPENER [shaking their wings]: "I would rather not. Too many meatbugs and meatbug-feelings to step on. At least when we're in combat I know what to expect. Sidewise - any new things in that regard?"
Ag. KERRIN: "Captain says you have leave as long as you need it, but I know you're itching to get back in the sky. I am too, to be honest. Connie's tracking some more heat coming in and has an intercept plotted for about two and a half days from now. I know orbital's not your favorite, but--"
Ag. OPENER: "[affirmative chirp] I'm there. When do we need to launch to hit intercept?"
Ag. KERRIN: "Tomorrow evening at the latest. We should probably stop by maintenance in the morning to get your wing exojets checked, and then head up to station for some maneuvering practice."
Ag. OPENER: "[chirps] I agree with this plan. I would like to sleep here beside you."
Ag. KERRIN: "Of course. I was hoping you'd ask."
Ag. OPENER: "If you wanted that, why didn't you say it?"
Ag. KERRIN: "Because I've spent most of my life being a timid little meatbug afraid of the opinions of other meatbugs, and it's hard to shake old habits."
Ag. OPENER: "Understanding. I've spent my whole life being an apex predator and now I'm afraid of the opinions of meatbugs. Maybe I can do that on your behalf so you don't need to."