Aliens have arrived on Earth, and no one knows what they want yet. But Rin has their own things to worry about, like moving into a new flat, and figuring out what's going on with their two roommates.
This is a fun, wholeheartedly enjoyable novella. All the characters are distinct, memorable, and likeable, and I enjoyed their interactions. The emergent found family warmed my heart. The plot itself is quirky and strange, but mostly lighthearted. It is not the most fast-paced story, but nothing dragged. There isn't a huge amount of tension, and the climax isn't the most dramatic, but it still felt surprisingly satisfying. It's a very cozy story, and I love it for that.
Overall, it was an excellent short read, I definitely recommend this.
More detailed thoughts, with spoilers, below:
aromantic, asexual, agender MC of color; Indian MLM secondary, aromantic asexual secondary with SPD
Pete seems autistic to me, but it's not explicitly stated.
The aliens are adorable. I love their hats, their internet phrase-laced words, their obsession with cute animals. They are absolutely precious.
I was somehow surprised that there were literal were-cockroaches in this story. Somehow I expected it to have symbolic meaning. Definitely adds to the quirkiness of this story, but in a good way. The author's bio mentions pet cockroaches, and I can see it in the story.
A couple moments in this story were surprisingly Real. Before 2020, I would have read about aliens arriving on Earth and life just proceeding as normal and thought that wouldn't happen. But now, when it sort of feels like the apocalypse is happening, I get it. Sure big events may be happening, but when can you actually do about it? Cry in the shower or have a panic attack? So people just go about their normal life the best they can.
I also related to Rin's feelings surrounding coming at as aromantic and asexual. It's awkward and most people don't even know those words, so it's just easier to be vague.
