Workday thoughts

Your work day drags on, with your thoughts constantly going back to Emi. Her cough is worrying, though you’re not sure how to address it without getting her caught. Still, she seems healthy otherwise, so it’s not an immediate concern just yet.

The main thing you hear from your coworkers, however, is excitement about the big unveiling of Hybrids. A lot of the people you work with are younger, single men, so naturally the idea of attractive, attentive women who are devoted to them is appealing. You hear several mention that they got approved for an ‘adoption’ over the weekend, for various types of Hybrids. One of the few women at the shop even mentions that she got approved for a male Hybrid, something you weren’t even considering.

You mostly stay quiet and listen, as they talk about the fees (surprisingly reasonable), and the paperwork (less reasonable), and generally share the excitement of the idea. It’s a little concerning to see how quickly people are just all right with considering Hybrids as pets, despite how human they are. But you’re not trying to make waves here, where your protests would do little to change things and only cause problems.

You understand the appeal, for sure, but it definitely feels…odd. You think of your growing relationship with Emi, and you chuckle to yourself. You don’t have a lot of room to talk, actually. It’s only been a couple days, and you’re already sleeping together. Hell, if you had to label it, you’d probably say she’s your girlfriend. But still, you consider her a person, not a pet.

Either way, it’s not like you can affect things right now. And who knows, maybe the Hybrids are happy how things are. Emi was treated as a failure, but she said that the others were kept better. You sigh, shaking your head. It’s not worth worrying about right now. You’ve got plenty of things you need to handle as is.

Regardless of all that, you’re relieved when you finish the day and head home. Once again, your thoughts turn to Emi, as you wonder how well she handled being alone. Parking your car, you head up to your apartment. You practically jog to your door, unlocking it and heading in.

When you open the door, you hear strange sounds you can’t identify coming from the inside. You set down your keys as you listen. Walking into the kitchen, you see the remnants of a plate of food, so at least Emi ate while you were gone. The tv is on in the living room, but that’s not the sounds you heard. More curious than concerned, you turn towards the bedroom, and you hear it again, more clearly this time.

You chuckle as you hear it, fairly certain you know that sound. Heading towards your bedroom, you hear it clearly now, as you push open the door.