“Okay, 1, please knock next time. 2, this is not the reason I’m in Temporal, it’s just, like, a perk? And 3, this isn’t –”
“Look, it’s fine, Dev, you do y…yyour own thing, I’ll absolutely remember to knock –”
“No, listen, this isn’t some sort of smug intellectual nobody-else-is-my-equal whatever garbage. Look, I know sometimes I can get a little up my ow— sometimes I can get a little stuck up about grades and projects and stuff, but I’m trying to be better about that, and that’s not what this is about! Like, I spent 5 years thinking I was just asexual, and honestly, not sure this doesn’t still count? I’ve never felt sexually attracted to anyone else, but a few months ago I was hanging out by myself, felt like experimenting a little, and I ended up really liking it. So it just became something I do now and then, but like, it’s not an ego trip thing, okay?”
“Okay, yeah. I, uh, I get what you’re saying, sorry if I like, hit a nerve or…”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Just, I’ve already spent a bunch of time beating mys— having internal negative self-talk about, do I just think I’m better than everyone, are other people just not good enough for the amazing Dev Malim or what. And I’ve mostly gotten past that by now, but I just really don’t want anyone else thinking that about me. Y’know?”
“That makes sense, yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Thanks. That’s all I wanted to say. Anyway, this is already an awkward conversation, it’s gonna be even more awkward to listen to again from under my blankets in half an hour, so uh, talk more later, okay?”