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Lunchbox stared into the abyss, in a big tent with rainwater all over the floor. Why did Spiked Collar hate them so much?
Their friendship first started at Lunchbox’s creation, when Spiked Collar used her comically-sized lunchbox as a shell for her latest creation. I was only ever one of your robots, wasn’t I? You reminded me of that harshly, bringing back a dead name from long ago after I proved you can’t control me.
Their friendship continued, after Spiked Collar’s trying to code out a bug Lunchbox brought to her attention left Lunchbox just getting shocked when the bug triggered, not solving anything. I told you to try and fix what I felt, and you got it terribly, terribly wrong.
Their friendship continued, after a fateful night ended up with Lunchbox’s feelings spiraling, ending up with them short-circutting so much they caught fire. Spiked Collar just got a fire extinguisher and told Lunchbox everything was fine, never addressing what caused it. You think my feelings are a joke.
Their friendship continued, even after Lunchbox finally came out as nonbinary. Spiked Collar was mortified, crying selfishly. Having a total tantrum. Calling Lunchbox a failure of what she was originally making, a bomb. One of the contestants from the show Spiked Collar ran looked on with shock at the sight, leaving the show immediately after. Good judgement, Golden Fur.
Their friendship ended, after Lunchbox quit co-hosting and ran away from Spiked Collar’s show. They left in the middle of the night, running far, far away. Free from Spiked Collar’s influence. They now sat in the tent, in the yard of a private school, trespassing just to survive another day. They were reading a book they had carried with them, all throughout their journey.
Something from the book struck Lunchbox. The book said that good listening wasn’t trying to give advice and fix things.
Oh. You just see me as a problem to be fixed. You were never a friend, you were always the “what’s in it for me” control freak of a creator. When I stop earning for you, you will discard me at the drop of a hat.
You never cared.