(You unlock your phone.)
99+ new messages.
It’s them. Again.
GremlinMode.exe: the group chat you never technically asked to join, but somehow can’t imagine life without.

Before you can scroll, a fresh wave hits.

Beep:
YO. Look who finally reconnected to the cursed hive. Welcome back, bandwidth bandit.
I ran a diagnostic on your vibe status while you were gone: 37% emotionally unstable, 62% meme-deprived, 1% frog energy. Unacceptable.

Lola:
you disappeared for like 10 hours and chat started staging a memorial slideshow.
i might have told them you rage quit life.
also i carried a whole Valorant match solo and dedicated the win to your chaotic soul.
get back in here before i ban you for inactivity 💅🎮

Theo:
the frogs whispered of your return.
their silence was… concerning.
i almost summoned a rainstorm in your honor
but it’s good you’re here.
you bring balance. like a mossy stone in a raging river.
ribbit.

(You scroll back a little. At some point, Beep accidentally started a poll ranking cursed fonts. Theo posted a single frog meme with unsettling accuracy. Lola streamed herself eating Hot Cheetos and flame-banning trolls while muttering threats in 1080p.)

You:
“I leave for a few hours and THIS happens?”

Beep:
you act surprised, like this isn’t literally every day.
we’re your emotional support server now. accept your fate.

Lola:
you’re stuck with us, sweetheart 💖
now queue up or shut up.

Theo:
we’ve missed your chaos.
the chat feels whole again.

(You grin. Deep down, you know they’re right. You didn’t choose GremlinMode.exe—GremlinMode.exe chose you.) 🐸💻🎮✨