Mowgli: Claims Pillow Possession “a Strategic Necessity.” Refuses to Relocate. Demands Treaty Recognising Midnight Sprawl as Sovereign Territory. Continues to Sigh Dramatically

Akela: Rodgit Sighting Sparks Emotional Spiral. Declares “All Men Are Temporary.” Refuses Blanket Access. Performs Operatic Yowls from Shelf Void.

Poe: Infiltrates Mummy Two’s Lap. Launches Campaign of Sudden Affection. Whiskers Detected in Forbidden Zone. Denies All Charges. Claims “It Was the Wind.”

This Week in Underland:

• Bureaucrats, Bed-Hogs, and Broken Laptops:
  We’re being price-gouged by pet transporters, robbed by Amazon, and held hostage by logistics. But the cats are cuddly, the rain is moody, and Salt in the Wound is nearly here.
• Rabies, Refunds, and Rage-Naps:
  Capitalism is failing. Mowgli is thriving. River is performing. Palestine is still burning. Bureaucracy is still bullshit. But we’re still standing. Barely
• Salt, Syllables, and Screaming into the Void:
  Our new anthology Salt in the Wound drops June 19th—the same night River takes the mic at Queer Vocal Voices. Expect justice. Expect resistance. Expect tears at 2:30am BST.

As usual, it’s been a strange week in Underland. We’re slowly dismantling our flat, which has been deeply satisfying for us, and absolutely terrifying for the paws. They’re very suspicious of anything changing. That said, it’s led to some top-tier cuteness: Mowgli has taken to sleeping on Celia’s pillow every night, one paw draped protectively over my shoulder. We’ve realised we both sleep better when all three of them are snuggled in bed with us.

We also have an anthology coming out soon, Salt in the Wound. If you’re a writer whose work centres on justice in any form, we’d love for you to consider submitting. The anthology will be released on the same day I am the featured spoken word artist at the Queer Vocal Voices open mic night—19th of June 7pm CST (which means I will be performing around 2:30am BST… should be fascinating). I’m both incredibly excited and incredibly nervous.

We’ve been doing a lot of mental unpacking while physically packing, which has led to many tears and just as much laughter. It’s a strange, beautiful thing sharing your life with someone who fits so perfectly. Even when emotions run high, the support we have in each other feels like a kind of magic. I’ll say it a million times: I’m so goddamn lucky.

The past two weeks have also been intense and eye-opening as we’ve turned our focus to Gaza. I’ve been learning a lot about Palestinian artists and journalists work that offers a small window into the lives and resilience of people shaped by unimaginable horror. It’s harrowing to witness, but all the more reason not to look away.

Things are moving. We’re still in a bit of a “limbo” state, but between all the projects, passions, and the looming move, everything is starting to feel much more real. We’re also learning what people actually respond to on social media (turns out y’all have the attention span of a flea—who knew?).

Trying to “build a brand” is a strange and slightly yucky feeling, especially since neither of us has any real interest in being a brand. What we do have—what we always have—is writing. That’s what we can offer the world, whether it’s enraging or beautiful. So even when it feels like it’s not enough, we’ll keep using our voices. Because it’s what we do.

Until next time

xR

Yup, another week, another round of ‘getting there’. I am feeling mostly over it all. It’s raining today. The kind of rain that you want to stab with your fingernails and hug at the same time. I don’t know how to explain that any more than that.

Everything feels like a lot. It isn’t. In the grand scheme of life. In comparison to others and their lives. But for me. For us. Navigating bureaucracy and trying to figure out the logistics is a special kind of challenge. River is better at it than me. Marginally. I just look at forms and they haze over into an eye test I can’t see.

I am still excited. Just bored of the waiting, I suppose. The mundane bullshit of the Western world feels overwhelming and simultaneously inconsequential.

On Friday I ordered a Jumper laptop from Amazon. Yes, I know. But morals v money. What are you going to do? So it came. It didn’t work.

It arrived. It didn’t work.
We were going to pack up the desktop, get ready. It didn’t work.

So I returned it.
I didn’t want my money back, I just wanted the damn thing replaced.

But no. That’s too ambitious for the labyrinthine scam we call corporate America.
You know the rules:
I pay, you give me a product. That’s capitalism, right?

Apparently not.
Instead: I pay, you send me a faulty product, then make me wait at least two weeks to maybe get my money back, during which time I cannot afford the replacement because… you still have my money.

Make it make sense.

Nope?

Still nothing?

And then. Just for shits and giggles, we are working with a pet transportation company.

So apparently their rabies vaccine needs a booster because it will be a week out of date.

Except every rule we’ve looked at says they don’t need rabies vaccine if they have been in the UK for more than six months (they have).

Advertim.

“Because they already have it. They have to have the booster.”

What?

So confused.

Worried about money and knowing that people are just making shit up is very frustrating. Are they going to pay for it? Nope. Of course not. Damn, I hate paperwork and pen pushers and rules that apply and don’t. When they feel like it. If they feel like it.

Anyway.

Hope you’re having a great week.

—Celia

Genocide.

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If this resonated, share it on Bluesky (or anywhere folks still have an attention span longer than a moth after a sleepless night), leave us a comment, or check out our latest anthologies

Poetry Collection, ‘Is this all we get?’

Prose Collection, ‘ Fifth Avenue Pizza’