Zlorp: “Wait, wait—explain this again. They ingest boiling liquid to become less tired?”
Meeb: “Yes. They call it ‘coffee.’ It’s served in fragile ceramic vessels, and they hold it like it’s sacred plasma.”
Zlorp: “And then what?”
Meeb: “Then they sit still and pretend to be awake while their internal systems panic.”
Zlorp: “Fascinating. And the brown sludge—it smells like regret and productivity.”
Meeb (nodding solemnly): “They line up and trade paper for it. Sometimes they even get foam art on top. Swirls. Tiny leaves. Unsettling bears.”
Zlorp: “Wait, are they… communicating?”
Meeb: “No. They’re just looking at glowing rectangles and typing with their thumbs. Occasionally, one yells ‘latte’ and another screams back.”
Zlorp (horrified): “Do they… enjoy this?”
Meeb: “Unclear. Some show symptoms of delight. Others… weep.”
Zlorp: “Earth is chaos.”
Meeb: “And yet—here we are, addicted to their cat videos.”