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Sort of a satirical slice of life story set in the 25th century. |
| [Introduction]
The year is 2457. Earth is vastly different from what we know in the present. After the cataclysmic events of World War 5, most of the planet is uninhabitable, nothing more than war torn, irradiated wasteland. The only real country left, formerly known as the United States of America, seems like a bustling utopia on the surface. And it is, as long as you're a human. Near the beginning of the war, the world's top scientists began to experiment with infusing animals with human DNA, making them more humanoid in appearance. These creatures were dubbed "Anthroids" and were essentially used as manual labor and cannon fodder in the military. This way, human lives were spared, at the cost of many of these artificial beings. After the war was over, these Anthroids wanted to be recognized as equals by humanity for their service and sacrifice. But of course, humans being humans, most of them rejected this notion. It's been a century since the end of the war, and after many protests and demonstrations, Anthroids are somewhat more accepted into society, but still have a long way to go to be seen as equals. Some even took humans as lovers. These humans, commonly referred to as Anthrosexuals, are often looked down on with disgust and ridicule by most others. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if one is white, black, hispanic or asian. Straight, gay or bisexual. As long as you're not an anthroid or anthrosexual, you're seen as an equal. Turns out, all humanity needed to truly bring peace between themselves was common ground. Welcome to the 25th century. |
| I never really believed in "true love". In my experience, there was really no such thing. Like that song from that old band says, "love is only true in fairy tales." Or at least, that's how I felt until very recently. My name is Jordan Reeves, age 18. Currently residing in Sector 7 of the United Nation of Eden. And if I'm being completely honest, I really hate being human. Hell, I pretty much hate the human race as a whole. With the state of most of the world, can you really blame me? Just take a look at any history book ever written. It's literally nothing but wars and endless conflict over one stupid reason or another. That, combined with how it's pretty much in our nature to cheat and backstab each other if we think it will get us ahead in life, even if the victim is someone we care for, I can only come to one conclusion... That humans are by far the greediest, most violent creature to ever exist. It was us who ruined this planet that was once so beautiful, and for what? I hear talk sometimes of colonizing mars or something like that. I actually hope we never set foot on any other planet in the universe. Because if we do, you know we will just ruin those worlds too. I've always valued animals over people, to be blunt. Which leads to the whole point of this little rant of mine. I am an anthrosexual. I didn't even realize this until just a few days ago. The community college I attend recently started allowing anthroids in as students. That's when I saw her. A snow white wolfess, with sparkling crystal eyes. I suddenly felt a strange desire overwhelm me like never before. Is this what they call love? Regardless, I must be careful. If it were discovered I was attracted to an anthroid, who knows what would become of my reputation? They say the heart wants what it wants, but...I'm just so uncertain. Should I make my move? Will she even return my feelings for her? So much pressure... |
| Someone once said, "People can only hate one thing at a time." I wonder if that was true, or if that person was full of something. There used to be a lot of hate for one group or another. Now there's two groups that are hated - Anthroids, and those who honestly love them. Me - I don't know. Never really cared for them. But, somehow, I got a lioness as a roommate - I don't make enough to get a private room, so I was forced to share, and in this neighborhood, one couldn't be picky. She pays her half of the rent, that much was true. My problem is, I had a boyfriend - key word, had. Found out the hard way that they were cheating on me, with my now ex-best friend. Lease was in his name, so, I had to leave, with my things. So, I had to find a new place. Found one, but could only afford half the rent. The lioness, Sabrina, was also looking for a place, but could only afford half. Well, we made a deal, and we both got the apartment. Basically, as long as she stayed on her side of the place, and paid her half, I stayed on my half, and pretended she didn't exist. Then, one day, I found out that my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend had "gotten engaged" and were all set to get married. I broke down at this. For whatever reason, Sabrina took care of me. This triggered something in me. I had never thought of myself as bisexual. She seemed to realize that I was having feelings for her. However, I didn't know how to explain it. She looked at me, and simply said, "We'll talk when you're ready." |
| Humans...I've lived my whole life feeling oppressed by them...Now I think I'm attracted to one of them! My name is Neko, it's Japanese for Cat and I am a Black Cat Anthroid the first of my family to attend university, and you know how they saw Black Cats cause bad luck? Seems in my family we have bad luck as first thing I do on my way to class is trip over my own feet, very un-catlike my papers spilling everywhere! And what happens after that? This human named Albert, skinny nerd, with curly brown hair and glasses is like "Oh my gosh! Are you OK? Let me help you pick up your stuff!" I've never experienced kindness from a human before it left me feeling flustered...I know if Dad knew about this he'd throw a fit! |
| As I sit across from the object of my affection in the cafeteria, I try so hard to keep myself from staring and admiring her beauty. Or at least, not make it so noticeable that I am. I can smell some kind of perfume she wears. Can't really place what kind it is. To my surprise, she looks up at me, and we both just stare at each other awkwardly before she finally breaks the silence. "Hey. Um, you're Jordan, right?" She asks shyly. I nod in response. "I know you don't really know me, but, could you do me a huge favor? I'm kind of desperate." A favor? How intriguing. I motion for her to continue. "Well, you see, I don't know if you've noticed me, but we share the same major. I need some help studying for the exam coming up, and I hear you're one of the top students in the class. Would you be willing to...you know...tutor me? I'd be eternally grateful if you did, and I'll owe you one." If ever I needed proof that there was a higher power, this was it. I couldn't just let this golden opportunity slip by! I played it cool and calmly agreed to her proposal. "Oh thank you so much! I'm Valerie, by the way. I'll meet you later in the library at 9, okay?" I nodded, and finished my lunch. I couldn't believe my luck! Now I just had to build up the courage to make my move later tonight. |
| I sat across from Sabrina at dinner. Like all carnivores, the lioness ate meat. She tended to give it a light sear, so as to not just put me off. But tonight, she had, among other things, cooked an extra steak - it was Medium. "I know that you enjoy steak cooked like this," she said, as she placed it before me. "Anything you want to talk about?" |
| So I was in the cafeteria eating my tuna sandwich when I saw a White Wolf asking help studying from a human who obviously had the hots for her and further compounding my own anxiety about my crush on a human! Like the universe is teasing me about my angst by having another Anthroid Woman tangling with a human man! 'Whatever...' I think to myself as I sip on my milk '...That wolf lady whoever she is doesn't have my problems...' See I'm not just a lower class cat...My Dad is actually a member of an Anthroid Gang known as 'The Iron Claws' they started as a means of protecting the Anthroid Community when we got little actual help from the police...My Dad was one of the Enforcers...Our Boss...Mr. Big is a particularly rare Anthroid...An Octopus the only Invertebrate Species they were able to cross with human DNA, I used to play with his daughter Calafia all the time growing up until Calafia...Was tragically murdered... |
| I met Valerie in the library later that night. Thankfully, it was empty besides the two of us. I won't bore you with the details of our study session, but after about two hours, we wrapped it up. "Thanks so much for helping me." Valerie said as we prepared to head back to our dorms. "I honestly didn't really expect you to agree to tutor someone like me, being human and all. No offense." "Oh, believe me, your concerns are justified. Most other would have refused without so much as a second thought. We humans are really such vile creatures." She looked stunned that I would say such a thing. "Why do you say that?" "Because I know our history. From the very beginning, we hated and murdered each other for one dumb reason or another, usually because one group didn't agree with another or because they were different in some way. Just look at our technology. It started with plain rocks, then spears and bows and arrows. From there, at least 95% of our creations were nothing more than more advanced ways to kill each other. It's sickening, really." "You realize you're talking about your own kind, right?" "Don't remind me. To be perfectly honest, I hate being human. I much prefer animals for company. I mean, take dogs, for example. Dogs will always stick by you to the end. They're loyal, they'll never lie to or cheat you, they never judge you. More than any human can say." "You humans can't all be bad. Just look at yourself. You agreed to help me, even though we've never even spoken until today. That's got to count for something, right?" "Maybe. But I must admit, I had a bit of an ulterior motive for tutoring you. You said you'd owe me one, so..." "Just what is it you want, exactly?" This was it. My big moment. If only I could get the words out! For a long while I hesitated, until I finally managed to say "I would like to go on a date with you!" Valerie looked like a deer in the headlights at those words. "Oh! My goodness, I...um...I wasn't expecting that." Too late to return back. It was out in the open now. "So...will you go out with me?" |
| Finally after Philosophy Class I was just about ready to return to my dorm when of all the luck in the world I bump into him...Albert again!" "Oh! Hi!" Albert said "Fancy meeting you again!" "Yeah..." He said meekly "...Hi?" Why was he so nice for a human?! "Are you OK after what happened this morning?" He asked "It looked like you took a pretty nasty spill." "Yeah I'm OK." I said "My fur provides some layer of padding." "I was about to go out to eat for dinner." He said "Would you like to join me? Do you like Chinese?" My mouth watered I'm a sucker for Chinese food! |
| Valerie seemed stunned for several seconds. Uh oh, I thought. I think I broke her. " Finally, she responded "I suppose we could go on one date, and see how it turns out. You seem like a decent kind of guy. I know this one club a couple towns away that caters to human-anthroid couples. So nobody around here should even see you there." For the first time since I couldn't even remember when, I felt myself getting warm all over, and a feeling of excitement rising inside me. She actually said yes! "Okay! When do you want to do this, then? I'm good pretty much any day." "How about Saturday night around 7? I'll meet you by the bridge out of town, and nobody will be the wiser." We both agreed, and that's how I got myself a date with the most beautiful anthroid I'd ever seen! |
| "So, anything you want to talk about?" Sabrina asked. I looked at the lioness. "Well, I think that I like you, I mean, really like you." She gave a polite smile. "I think that the feeling might be very mutual." She then kissed my cheek. |
| So we went to this little Chinese place, the other humans who were dining there were giving us odd looks but for the most part nobody said anything. "Wow!" Albert exclaimed as I began devouring my shrimp chow mein "You were really hungry!" "It's more I was tired of living off tuna sandwiches..." I said as a took a break to wipe my mouth with my napkin "I get it..." Albert said "...University is tough when you're on a shoestring budget...I don't have to worry about that because I'm loaded." "Rich parents huh?" I asked Albert fidgeted "My Dad...Is in charge of the largest computer company in the world..." I was already getting the sense he wasn't telling the exact truth |
| I met Valerie as we agreed, and she directed me to this club she mentioned. It was a discreet place, out of the way like an old prohibition speakeasy. Inside were human and anthroid couples of all types. There was food, drinks, even live entertainment. Then I found out they even had private, soundproof rooms for rent for couples to get more "intimate" if they so desired. I have to admit, it was rather awkward at first. But after an hour or so, I felt more at ease. That was when Valerie looked at me and said "Wanna head to the backrooms?" I nearly did a spit take as I was drinking a soda when she said that. Was she serious!? She wanted to have sex already? On the first date? |
| "So, what do we do?" I asked, looking at Sabrina. The lioness smiled. "Talking is good." |
| Just then a bunch of fellow students...Looked like a bunch of typical frat boy louts came in and noticed us... "Hey Guys!" Said one big burly blond football player type "Albert Moreau on a date with an Anthroid!" And they all whipped out their phones to take pictures of us but all I could think of was the last name as Albert blushed and looked ashamed "You're a Moreau?!" I exclaimed "That means..." "Yes..." Albert confessed "...My Grandfather was the one behind the process of creating Anthroids." "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it?!" One of the Frat Boys sneered |
| Before I could answer Valerie's question, that was when all hell broke loose. Suddenly, a group of thugs in dark clothes and ski masks burst into the club, firing paintball guns all over while shouting slurs and insults against anthroids and anthrosexuals. The club patrons began to rush towards the exit. Some tried to fight back, but it didn't end well for them. I was secretly half glad the thugs attacked when they did. Got me out of a most awkward situation. When we got back to my car, Valerie and I were covered in paint splotches and welts. "This is unbelievable!" Valerie said "How the hell did they even know about this place? It's supposed to be a secret!" "Someone obviously ratted." I said. "I was actually having a nice time until they barged in." She said, her smile returning. "Yeah. Me too." I said. That was when she really surprised me, and gave me a lick on the cheek. "Was that a..." "Kiss? Yep!" "So you...like me?" "Honestly, yes. I'm willing to see where this goes if you are." |
| That was when Sabrina's phone gave off a notification alert. She looked at it. "That's annoying," she said. "Some idiots trashed a night club I like going to. Hopefully they'll be made to fix the place." "What kind of night club?" I asked. Sabrina grinned. "The fun kind." |
| Just feeling pissed off...I stomped right out of there with the Frat Boys throwing cat calls at me. I went back my dorm and curled up...I had my own secrets...No one could know I had actually come to university to be a spy for the Iron Claws Gang to try to steal secrets of the human sciences to help Anthroids gain the upper hand! |
| I had not stop myself from checking to see if I was dreaming. Valerie actually wanted to be my girlfriend! "Sure, no matter what anyone else thinks, I'd say we have something real good going on. I'd be happy to be with you." So that's how Valerie and I ended up together. The next morning, there was actually a news story on the attack at the club. "Last night around ten, a group of hoodlums attacked a local anthrosexuals club, assaulting several patrons and vandalizing the place with graffiti and destroying club property. The perpetrators then fled the scene and have yet to be identified or captured. We now go live to the scene of the crime, where a protest has formed." The scene cut to a growing group of anthroids at said protest, some of them being interviewed by reporters. "This is unacceptable. This is supposed to be a place we anthroids and their lovers can come to have fun and mingle. Where are we supposed to feel safe now?" Some human passerbys were also asked for their view on the matter. "What's the big deal? They're just a bunch of animals. Freakish animals, but animals none the less. Double that for the losers that actually want to (BLEEP) them." Just then, a black wolf in a suit and tie appeared on screen. I recognized him immediately as Marvin Rex, renowned anthroid rights activist. "This attack proves just how little progress has been made in bringing humanity and anthroids together. This incident was entirely unprovoked, and was a completely pointless hate crime, plain and simple. I implore the perpetrators, because I know they're watching this, to come forward and take responsibility." I rolled my eyes at that. No way in hell would those assholes turn themselves in. They would have to find them and bring them in by force. If anyone bothered to look for them at all. |
| The news had been interesting. I wondered why someone would just trash a club for no reason. Great way to get into trouble. |
| I had turned on the news to calm down after that date...Boy did it do the opposite! I turned off the TV and put my head in my hands...Marvin Rex thought he could win us Anthroids more rights by going about things 'the right way' but we in the Underworld knew different! The only thing humans respect is power! That's why I had to continue on my mission to steal their secrets so we could take the power for ourselves! |
| I honestly wished Marvin Rex and his lot the best of luck. But knowing how humans are towards anybody they see as different, I doubted they would really accomplish anything. At least not within my lifetime. He was currently try to calm some of the protesters that wanted to take more drastic action against the humans who attacked them. "Use your reason, my friends. If we sink to their level and retaliate, it will only bring more violence against us and our lovers. If we are ever to achieve our goal, we must be rational about it." |
| I hadn't really cared for Anthroids until recently. Didn't hate them. Mostly just ignored them. Unless I needed them for something, I just didn't see them, even when they were in front of me. At least, that's how it was. I even didn't see Sabrina, at least, not until I heard about Tom and Mary - my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend - may they rot forever. "Sally, are you okay?" Sabrina had interrupted my thoughts. "Just thinking," I said. "I doubt that the police will care about who ruined the club. Doubt anyone will care. No one sees Anthroids, unless they have do. I would know." Sabrina gently placed her and on my shoulder. "I know the feeling." |
| That night I had a dream...A dream of humans and Anthroids caught in a swirling storm until they were sent hurtling to their deaths in a fiery pit! I woke up in a cold sweat! What di that dream mean? As a Black Cat I knew dreams didn't mean nothing like some humans and Anthroids... The next day my first class was trigonometry which I found incredibly boring...Math was never my subject...But then I felt a poke in the shoulder by a pencil eraser. It was Albert! He held a finger to his lips for silence and passed me a note. It read 'Sorry about last night, I have some explaining to do Could you meet me somewhere more...Private tonight?' |
| The following morning proved to be a most momentous day indeed. After the attack on the club, Marvin Rex made a shocking announcement. That he would officially be running for a seat on the Eden Council! The Council was the governing body of the country, with one councilman/woman representing each sector, and the Grand Councilor as the head of said body. There had never been an anthroid councilman before, but there was no law against one running either. Makes me wonder why none of them decided to try for it sooner. "As Councilman of Sector 7, I will see to it that the discrimination and violence against anthroids and anthrosexuals is brought to an end." No sooner than he said this, he was immediately bombarded with questions from reporters, as well as a mix of cheers and jeering from the crowd present. I honestly didn't think he would succeed. Sure, I would love for his vision to come to pass, but with humans being humans, I couldn't see it happening. Even if he did get elected, he'd most likely be assassinated within the first year, if not before the votes had finished being counted. Just then I got a text from Valerie. She wanted to meet up at. |
| "So, this wolf is trying to run for office," I said. "He'd need to get the favor of a lot of folks to have a chance of being nominated. That, or a mountain full of money." |
| Later that evening I went to meet Albert at the appointed meeting place, at the park down by the lake. Albert came by I could see he was squinting in the twilight, but my eyes could see him clear as day. "There is somewhere even more private I want to go before we talk." He said he pointed to a small island in the middle of the lake with a large weeping willow tree. "Now I know cats don't like water..." He said "...So I prepared." He pulled back some river reeds revealing a rowboat |
| I met up with Valerie at a local coffee shop. As we sat at a booth in the corner, she dropped an even bigger bomb on me than Marvin Rex's announcement. "I'd like to introduce you to my family." |
| That night, Sabrina came into my room, the lioness seeming reasonably comfortable in the near dark. "So, what are you interested in doing?" She asked. "Talking or trying something out?" |
| So I let Albert take me to the Island as we stood under the weeping willow tree Albert sighed and said "So my Grandfather is the guy behind the creation of Anthroids...And that probably crossed a few wires in my brain seeing Anthroids being created as a little kid..." "So you're Anthrosexual..." I said folding my arms "Yes but that's not the point!" He said "I discovered some...Things...Things about people funding attacks on Anthroids because they feel Anthroids are a danger to Humanity that shouldn't have been created and now they're desperate to get the toothpaste back in the tube!" |
| I didn't respond to Valerie's statement for a good long while. "Hello?" She said, waving her hand in my face. "Are you sure about that?" I finally said "What if they don't accept me?" "I'm sure they will." Valerie reassured " "Even if they don't, that's too bad, because I'm not gonna get rid of you just because they don't like you! I'm basically an adult now. I can make my own decisions, and they know it." I decided it would be better to get this over with. It was going to come up sooner or later, anyway. So I reluctantly agreed to meet her family. |
| After hearing that I turned around and began to suck on a finger claw as I thought...Things were worse than we initially thought! "Who is funding this?" I asked Albert shrugged "Shadow government." He said "Don't really know who they are the true ringleaders would never reveal their true identities." |
| Before I knew it, me and Valerie were standing on front of the porch of her family home. To be honest, I really didn't expect this to go well. I imagined it going something like pretty much every rom com ever made, with her parents instantly despising me at first sight, and maybe trying every dirty trick in the book to get her to dump me. But, to my surprise, that's not what happened. Her mother answered the door. She was pretty much identical to Valerie, except her eyes were a bright green. "Val, honey! So good of you to visit!" Then she noticed me. "And who is this?" This was it. No turning back now. "Mom, this is Jordan. He's my boyfriend." Her mother actually gasped in surprise before saying "Wonderful to meet you, Jordan! Please, come in!" What Valerie hadn't mentioned before was just how large her immediate family was. She had at least a dozen siblings, both older and younger. Most of them were very friendly and welcoming, except for her oldest sister, who just glared at me from the corner of the living room. |
| As we talked, I looked at Sabrina's fur. I wondered how it would feel it I - "Do you want to pet me?" the lioness asked. "What?" "You got that look in your eyes that folks get when they want to pet an anthroid," said Sabrina. I chuckled nervously. "Yes." "Scratching behind the back of the ears is a good start," said Sabrina. |
| I briefly thought about telling Albert the truth that I was actually a spy for the infamous Iron Claws gang but I decided against it. "So what do you think we should do?" I asked "Stick close to me..." Albert said "...Things are getting dangerous for Anthroids." |
| Valerie's family welcomed me into their home as though I was a blood relative. They were especially surprised to learn I actually hoped Marvin Rex succeeded in his running for Council. Valerie's father spoke up. "Jordan, I must confess, I used to think humans were all the same. Just a bunch of bigoted, high and mighty primates with sticks up their asses. But you proved me wrong. Not all of you are that way. Valerie tells me you agreed to help her when she really needed it without so much as a second thought. I'm glad that if she's going to be involved with a human, it's someone like you." I was speechless, as though I had just been given the ultimate compliment. "Well...thank you very much, sir. You're actually right for the most part. We humans mostly bigoted apes. I'm afraid I'm the exception, and not the rule." "Oh, come now." Valerie's mother said "Surely you can't all be that bad. There must be others like you." "If there are, I have not met them. Besides, we're both basically in the same boat, anthroids and humans that actually care for them. Everybody else sees us as freaks at best, and abominations at worst." "Enough of that, now." Valerie spoke up "Let's just focus on the positive tonight." We spent the rest of the evening getting acquainted with her family. All except her eldest sister, who barely seemed to acknowledge me. Something told me she really didn't trust me. |
| I carefully began to scratch the back of Sabrina's ears. Much to my surprise, she began to purr, much like a cat. |
| When I returned to my dorm I knew I had to call my Dad and tell him about what I just learned from Albert...However I had to go somewhere more...Private...Couldn't risk my roommates overhearing! |
| "Well, that couldn't have gone better!" Valerie said happily as we headed back to the university. "Yes. But what was with your sister?" I asked. "Oh, don't mind her. She tried dating a human before, and let's just say it didn't end well. Give her time. I'm sure she'll come around eventually." |
| I climbed into a high tree and called my Dad. "Hi Dad..." I said "Hey Neko!" He said "How's university going?" "I need to talk to you about something I just learned..." I said "Hmm?" He purred "See I just met the Grandson of the human who created us...Albert Moreau..." |
| As the year went on, Valerie and I continued our relationship in secret. We obviously couldn't meet up on campus, but we made it work one way or another. Marvin Rex's campaign, meanwhile, was picking up rather quickly. After a while, I actually started to have hope that he might really be elected. |
| There was something to sharing the same bed as a large cat. One thing I had learned was their warmth. Another thing I learned was their warmth - I was sweating! |
| So Dad told me I had to get closer to Albert to learn exactly what was going on as he and the rest of the Iron Claws worked behind the scenes to try to find out more about this Shadow Group that was aiming for our extinction! If only he knew I was actually in love with Albert when he told me to pretend to fall in love with him! As the year went on I quit university so I could come to Albert at night meeting him at his window like Romeo and Juliet only with the sexes reversed! One night as we sat on the island in the middle of the park's lake he said "You know...It could always be like this...." |
| My name’s Mason Caldwell. I’m 24 years old, and I ‘ve tried to keep myself as put together as possible, considering the chaos in the world. Anthroids. Anthrosexuals. The endless debates and protests. Honestly, I didn’t even know where I stood on any of it. My love life was a joke lately pretty much dead in the water. I was just doing my best to survive, to keep my head down and get through life one day at a time. My father, though? He had no problem letting everyone know exactly how he felt about it all. He hated the idea of humans mixing with animals in any way. Called it “an abomination” more than once. He was always convinced that sooner or later, they were going to start splicing humans with animal DNA instead of just the other way around and that terrified him. He thought we’d lose our identity, our humanity. We didn’t see eye to eye on much, but this? This was one of the biggest divides between us. He even made me promise I wouldn’t "get involved with that Anthro mess." At the time, I didn’t see the harm in saying yes. I had no intentions of getting involved with any of it. I had a girlfriend. Tina. She was everything to me back then. I thought she was the one. We worked together at AmeriCorp Technologies, building steel frames for the new-model cars. Good pay especially in the economic fallout after the war. Tina and I were inseparable. From the moment we met, it was like we hit full speed. Just two months in and we were already looking for a place to move in together. I still remember the day everything crashed. I thought I’d surprise her with a romantic weekend just something to show her how serious I was. I had been scheduled for a double shift, but I asked Jim, my supervisor, for a long break. He and my dad went way back, so he didn’t give me much trouble about it. Tina had told me she’d be visiting her parents, so I figured her apartment would be empty perfect time to set everything up. I had the whole thing planned out in my head: candles, dinner, a weekend of nothing but the two of us. I let myself in, just like she’d said I could. But the surprise wasn’t mine to give. It was mine to receive. She was in bed. With another man. I can’t even describe the way my chest felt when I saw them like someone had taken a crowbar to my ribs and just pried me open. She tried to explain, scrambling to put words together like they could undo what I’d seen. But I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t need explanations. I needed air. I tore the tickets in half didn’t even look at her again and walked out. The weeks that followed felt like I was living under a raincloud that wouldn’t lift. My friends tried to get me to go out, meet other women, move on. But I wasn’t interested. I couldn’t be. Something in me had shut down. A few months went by. The pain didn’t go away. It dulled, sure but only like a bruise you press just to make sure it still hurts. And yeah, it always did. One night, I found myself walking the city with no real direction. The glow of neon lights flickered off wet pavement, and the hum of the streets wrapped around me like static in the back of my mind. I was tired of the silence in my apartment. Tired of my own thoughts echoing off the walls. That’s when I saw it. The Rusty Note; a little dive tucked between a ramen stall and a pawnshop that hadn’t updated its sign since the early 2300s. The windows were fogged, the music muffled but familiar: someone halfway through a badly sung version of a classic love ballad. Karaoke. I figured, screw it. Maybe a drink would take the edge off. The place was warm and dimly lit. Smelled like old whiskey, fried food, and heartbreak. My kind of place. I slid onto a barstool and ordered a shot of something strong and brown, then just sat there, listening. One after another, people got up and sang half of them drunk, all of them off-key. There were old breakup songs, love songs, even a few angsty rock tracks that made the crowd laugh more than cheer. I sipped my drink slowly, letting the burn coat my throat. I wasn’t planning to sing. Hell no. But after a couple hours of watching people bare their souls or at least embarrass themselves with reckless abandon something started boiling in me. Every word they slurred or screamed reminded me of what I hadn’t let out. All the anger. The betrayal. The ache of Tina’s voice trying to explain something I never wanted to hear. Without really thinking, I stood up. Walked toward the sign-up terminal at the side of the stage. The attendant glanced up at me with a raised brow, clearly not expecting someone who looked like me to grab the mic. I picked a song one of those soul-heavy old R&B tracks that hits like a punch to the chest; a song called: Call out my name by The Weekend and waited. As I stepped onto the stage, the lights hit me, and I looked out at the crowd for the first time. That’s when I realized. It wasn’t just humans watching me. Down near the front tables were two feline-looking figures one with sleek gray fur and a sharp jawline, the other more tiger-striped with wide, curious eyes. In the back, I spotted what looked like a bear-type Anthroid; massive, with a drink the size of my head in one hand and a gentle smile on his face. This place...it wasn’t just for humans. I hesitated for half a second. My father’s voice echoed in my head, spitting venom about “those things” and how “they ain’t like us.” But then I remembered what Tina had done. Remembered the empty promises and the silence that followed. Maybe humans weren’t all that different from anyone else. So, I sang. Guess I was just another pit stop 'Til you made up your mind You just wasted my time I let it all out the pain, the regret, the loneliness. My voice cracked in places, but I didn’t care. For the first time in months, I wasn’t just surviving. I was feeling something. And I think the crowd felt it too. When I finished, the room was quiet for a second. Then came the applause genuine, unfiltered. From humans. From Anthroids. From everyone. I nodded, stepped down, and made my way back to the bar. As I passed the gray-furred feline, she gave me a nod and a soft “You’ve got soul, brother.” I wasn’t sure what that meant yet. But for the first time in a long time...I wanted to find out. |
| A couple months after the attack on the club, the place had been refurbished and reopened, but with tighter security than before. Valerie and I decided to visit it again, repeating our meet up routine from last time. As we sat at our table, Valerie placed her hand on mine and gave me a loving look, before nodding towards the backrooms. Uh oh. Should have expected this, since we were interrupted the last time. She wanted to have some private fun. But was our relationship really at that stage already? As I pondered this, she snaped her fingers in front of my face. "Hey, you still here?" I quickly regained my composure before whispering "I just don't know if we're really ready for sex at this point to be honest." She chuckled. "I appreciate that you have the decency to consider that. I won't force you, of course. But I think it would make this date all the more memorable." She did have a point. |
| We had breakfast. Steak (Medium for me) and Eggs (Sunny-side up for me). Sabrina liked hers a bit more rare, and raw - eggs helped maintain a nice and shiny coat, or so she claimed. Might be true. "So, what did you think about last night?" she asked. "We might want to not wear a sheet next time," I said. "Your fur is very warm." The lioness chuckled. "Interesting idea." |
| Albert told me he wanted to get married...I was terrified...Dad wanted me to pretend to fall in love with him to pump him for information he didn't want me to actually MARRY him! |
| Months passed. I didn’t expect The Rusty Note to become a second home, but it did. It started with that one song, that one night where I finally let it out. After that, I kept coming back. Something about the place settled me; its dim lights, worn furniture, and the strange family of misfits that gathered night after night, each of us carrying our own shadows. And that included the Anthroids. At first, I just nodded politely when they passed. A few shared drinks with me at the bar. Casual banter turned into running jokes. Names stuck. There was Brody, the bear-type with a laugh like rolling thunder. Kex, a short jackal who wore shades indoors and swore he used to be a club DJ. Even the tiger-striped girl her name was Min; gave me grief if I missed a Friday night. They weren’t just animals in skin anymore. They were people. And the more time I spent among them, the harder it became to swallow my father’s voice whenever I went to visit him. “You’re spending too much time in that part of town,” he muttered over our usual Sunday lunch in his apartment. “You know what they’re doing down there. Trying to stir things up. Make more demands. He didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in his voice. “I’ve seen it,” I said, keeping my tone flat. “You see the protests?” he asked me while flipping through the newsfeed on his living room holo-screen. “They’re marching in front of City Hall now. Demanding ‘equal rights.’ Equal to what?” “To us,” I said plainly. “They’re marching for access to healthcare and jobs. Equal housing. Not exactly asking for the moon.” He shot me a glare. “Don’t you start. You don’t get it. They aren’t like us. You can program a toaster to sing the national anthem; doesn’t mean it deserves citizenship.” “They’re not toasters, Dad.” “Don’t act like you’ve lived through what I’ve lived through,” he snapped. “You weren’t there in 2433 when an Anthroid broke containment and mauled a kid. Or when they gave those things jobs while people like me were getting laid off.” “That was years ago, don’t you think they deserve the same right we have?” I asked. They’re not human, Mason,” he snapped. “I don’t care what kind of coat of paint they put on it. They’re still animals. Programs in fur. They’re manufactured in labs, not born. I folded my arms. “Maybe if we treated them better, they wouldn’t feel like animals in a cage.” His jaw worked, but he didn’t have a comeback. Not one that made sense. I stared at my plate. Pushed around a forkful of overcooked chicken. My appetite was gone. “They bleed like us,” I said finally. “Laugh like us. I’ve seen them sing songs that tore the roof off a place. Tell me that doesn’t mean something.” He shook his head, disgusted. “That’s exactly what they want. Get close to you. Get inside your head. You’re smarter than this.” I didn’t answer him. Not that day. But I left early. The silence in my car on the way home was louder than anything he’d said. ~ ~ ~ At The Rusty Note, things were different. People; all kinds of people, just wanted a safe place to be loud, or broken, or real. That’s when I first noticed her. She came in late. Always did. Sat in the same shadowy booth near the back, hood up, sipping from a glass she barely touched. What drew my eye wasn’t anything obvious; it was the stillness. She had this calm around her, like the rest of the world didn’t touch her the same way it touched the rest of us. At first glance, I thought she was just another human regular. Auburn hair fell in soft waves across her shoulders, and her skin had this warm olive tone that practically glowed under the neon. She had the kind of presence you didn’t want to interrupt, not because she was intimidating, but because you felt like whatever she was thinking about mattered more than what you were. I watched her out of the corner of my eye for weeks. Then came the night she finally stepped onto the stage. She moved with a hesitation that told me this wasn’t routine for her. She adjusted the mic like she didn’t trust it. Then she selected her song: Fleurie – Breathe. I feel the pages turning I see the candle burning down Before my eyes, before my wild eyes I feel you holding me, tighter I cannot see... Her voice was light at first; like the hush before a storm, but it carried. God, did it carry. Every note was soaked in something fragile and raw. It didn’t feel like a performance. It felt like a wound she had finally stopped hiding. And then I saw it. As she turned slightly mid-verse, the long coat she wore slipped just enough for a glimpse of something auburn and sleek curling behind her; a tail. I blinked. Looked again. No mistake. A fox-type. But everything else; her face, her body, her voice, looked so human. Too human. The kind of seamless integration that only top-tier Anthroid lines were rumored to have. Or maybe she wasn’t even lab-born. Maybe she was one of the few, what did they call them now? Naturals. Children of Anthroid-human unions. Either way, the revelation didn’t change what I felt. It deepened it. When she stepped off stage, there was stunned silence. Then applause. Not the wild, drunken kind, but the quiet, reverent kind. People felt it. I felt it. Later that night, she came up to the bar, standing two stools down from me. I looked over. Said what had been on my mind since the first note. “You’ve got a hell of a voice.” She smiled, small and guarded. “Thanks. You’re the one who did that Weeknd cover a while back, right?” “You remember?” “It stuck with me,” she said. “You looked like someone who needed to say something out loud.” I gave her a sidelong glance. “And you? What did you need to say?” She hesitated, then looked down at her glass. “That I’m still here. I guess.” Her voice was quieter up close, but steadier than I expected. I nodded, took a sip of my drink. “I’m Mason.” She turned slightly to face me. Her eyes caught the light; green, almost gold, like forest glass. “Regina,” she said. “Regina Renard.” Renard. Fox. Fitting. A beat passed. Then we both smiled, just a little. I didn’t know exactly who she was yet. Or who she used to be. But I wanted to find out. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t care what that made me. |
| I ultimately decide to hell with it, and Valerie and I rented ourselves a room for a couple hours. |
| When Albert got down on his knee and proposed I panicked and said "I need to think about this!" as I ran away I went over to a dark shady glen of trees and began to cry...This was quickly falling apart! I couldn't marry a human! I had to keep helping the Iron Claws spy on Humanity! |
| It was two weeks before Regina and I had a real conversation. She kept her distance at first, always showing up late and leaving right after her song. But that night, the air felt different. The streets outside had been tense all week. Protestors on both sides of the Anthroid rights debate had gathered near the city center. Marches. Counter marches. There’d even been a few fights. And now, for the first time, the Rusty Note had a couple of plainclothes officers sitting near the door, trying to look inconspicuous. It made the place feel like a powder keg with a jazz band. Regina sat alone at the back again. I waited until she’d finished her drink before walking over. No pressure. No lines. “Wanna go for a walk?” I asked. She looked surprised. Then gave me a soft nod. Outside, the night air was thick with humidity and tension. We turned down a quieter side street, the buzz of shouting and distant news drones faint behind us. We walked in silence for a while, until I finally broke it. “I never asked before,” I said. “What brought you to the Note in the first place?” Regina glanced up, her expression unreadable. “Same thing that brings most people. Trying not to disappear.” I waited. She folded her arms and looked out across the dim-lit buildings. “I’m a Natural,” she said. “Born, not built. Both my parents are Anthroids. Fox-types. My siblings too. But me?” She gave a dry laugh. “They used to call me glitch girl when I was little.” I blinked. “Wait, because you look...?” “Too human.” She said it without flinching. “I barely have any fur. No muzzle. My tail didn’t even come in until I was six. Even now, if I hide it...” she gave me a glance, “...you wouldn’t know what I am.” I didn’t say anything. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I could tell she needed to finish. “I’d watch my brothers shift, run, climb, do all the things fox-types are supposed to be able to do. Meanwhile, I was just.....me. Human looking. Slow. Average. People at school didn’t know what to make of me. I was too Anthroid to fit in with humans. Too human to be accepted by other Anthroids. Even my own family...sometimes I think they still wonder if I’m really theirs.” Her voice caught slightly on that last word. She turned away, embarrassed. I stepped closer, speaking quietly. “That’s messed up.” She shrugged. “It’s complicated. They're not bad people. But there's this unspoken line I always feel like I’m standing on.” We stood in the stillness for a moment, her eyes fixed on a flickering streetlamp. “I don’t think you’re on the line,” I said. “I think you are the line. The future kind.” She looked at me like she didn’t know whether to smile, laugh, or cry. Just then, we heard the echo of a shout from down the block. Then another. A growing murmur. We turned the corner and saw them; two crowds facing off near the edge of Oldtown Square, just half a block from the Note. Signs waved in the humid night air. “Protect Humanity’s Purity!” “Anthroids are People Too!” “Rights for Naturals!” “Shut It All Down!” One man; a broad, angry silhouette was yelling something about property and bloodlines. An Anthroid protester, maybe a bull-type, roared something back. It was heating up fast. Regina’s tail flicked, barely visible beneath her coat. “I should go,” she said, voice tight. “This is gonna get ugly.” “I’ll walk with you.” “No,” she said firmly. “You don’t want to be seen next to someone like me right now. Not in this part of town.” I almost argued. But the look in her eyes said she wasn’t wrong. That night, I went home to find a message from my father waiting on my comm unit. Voice only. He didn’t trust video. “Mason, I saw the news. They’re saying those things are breeding now. Trying to pass for us. Trying to replace us. I swear to God, if I find out you’re mixing with that kind, I’ll disown you myself.” I deleted it before it was done. Then, without thinking, I sent a message to Regina. You don’t have to disappear. Not from me. I didn’t expect her to reply. But when my screen lit up with a single word: “Thanks” I felt something shift in me. This wasn’t just about songs or sympathy anymore. It was about seeing someone the world tried to erase. ~ ~ ~ We didn’t start dating. Not officially. Not right away. It started with small things. I’d bring Regina tea after her set; honey chamomile, no lemon. She hated lemon. She’d save me a seat near the back, just off to the side of the stage where the lights couldn’t quite reach. Sometimes we didn’t even talk. We’d just sit there together, listening to the chaos of half drunk heartbreak on the mic, letting it wash over us like white noise. She told me about her job; a language coder for an AI technology firm. She spoke four languages fluently and could sing in five. Her voice was a balm, soft but full, the kind of voice you’d follow into the dark and trust to lead you back out. In return, I told her things I hadn’t said out loud in years. About Tina. About my dad. About the time I nearly enlisted just to run away from everything. She never judged. Just listened. That was enough. One night, we left the Rusty Note and walked down to an old railway bridge that overlooked the river. The lights of the city shimmered on the water, and the wind caught loose strands of her auburn hair, brushing them across her face. “I used to come here when I was little,” she said. “When the arguments got too loud at home.” “You mean between your parents?” She nodded. “They’d fight about how to raise me. Mom thought I should hide the parts of me that made people stare. Dad wanted to push me into the spotlight, to prove something. I just wanted to be left alone.” I watched her tail twitch slightly behind her. She wasn’t trying to hide it anymore. At least, not from me. “You still want that? To be left alone?” She didn’t answer right away. Then she shook her head. “Not anymore.” We didn’t kiss that night. We didn’t have to. The silence between us was soft. Safe. |
| If I'm being honest, once we got to our private room, my mind went completely blank. Like I suddenly had no clue what to do next. Valerie, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what to do. She just casually started undressing while I stood there, dumbfounded. "Aren't you going to get undressed?" She asked, "We've got two whole hours to ourselves to do anything we want." "If I may be frank, this is going a bit fast for me." I managed to finally say "Could we take it a bit slower?" She gave me an understanding smile. "Of course. How about we start with some making out, then we'll move onto foreplay. After that, we'll see where it goes. Sound good?" I chuckled. "Yeah. Sounds good to me. I was beginning to suspect she had done this before. |
| I had to admit - didn't need to worry too much about heaters during a blizzard, not with Sabrina as a bedmate. |
| So to get away from Albert and continue the Iron Claws work of trying to find out the secrets of Humanity's plots against us...I was sent to a Military Base where it was believed that the Shadow Government was plotting something nefarious against us! As I stood on the hill overlooking the base I gulped this was much more dangerous than spying on college classes! But the future of our race depended on it! |
| Weeks passed. The protests outside The Rusty Note became more regular. Mason knew most of the regulars now; Rigs, the bull-type bouncer who used to do underground fight circuits; Keela, a tiny mouse-type waitress with a sharper tongue than most men could handle; and Yuna, a tall, graceful rabbit-type who could play the piano like a dream. But he only had eyes for Regina. They had routines now; inside jokes, shared playlists, quiet dinners at a tiny Thai place that didn’t ask questions. One night, after a particularly intense protest that ended in a few arrests, Mason went to visit his father. Big mistake. The old man was in his chair, watching a looped newsreel about the latest Anthroid Rights Assembly vote. His face twisted as footage of Anthroid speakers addressing the council played out. “Can you believe this?” he growled. “They’re demanding voting rights now. Like they’re real citizens.” “They are citizens, Dad,” Mason said flatly. His father snapped his head toward him. “Don’t start.” “I’m not starting anything. I’m just saying...maybe you should think about the fact that they're not going anywhere. And some of them? They’re better people than half the ones running this city.” His father stared at him for a time. “You seeing one of them?” The question dropped like a hammer. Mason didn’t answer. His father stood. “Don’t you dare lie to me, boy.” “I’m not lying.” “Jesus Christ on a cracker.” The man’s hands shook. “After everything I’ve done to keep you straight. Keep you clean.” “I’m not dirty,” Mason said. “And neither is she.” His father’s face went pale, then red. “She? You mean it’s a female?” Mason didn’t stay for the rest. He walked out into the cool night air, fists clenched, lungs tight. He texted Regina. You free? Always, she replied. That night, as she curled up beside him on the couch, her tail brushing lightly against his leg, he realized something. He didn’t care where she came from. He didn’t care how she looked, or what people said. He just cared that when the world was loud, and ugly, and bitter She made it feel quiet.  ~~It started like any other night. A slow Thursday. Sparse crowd. Fewer performers. The protests had driven off some of the usuals, and The Rusty Note had added extra security at the door. Rigs grunted at Mason as he walked in, gave Regina a nod when she slipped through a few minutes later. The two of them claimed their usual booth near the back. Regina was quieter than usual. Her tea sat untouched. “You okay?” Mason asked. She hesitated, then nodded. “Just tired. Long day at work. Some idiot coworker asked if I was ‘one of those Anthroids.’ Like it’s a disease.” “You want to leave?” She shook her head. “No. I want to sing.” She always did when something was eating at her. It was her release. Her weapon. Her shield. When she went up, she picked a song he didn’t recognize Ruelle – The Other Side: I don't want to know Who we are without each other It's just too hard I don't want to leave here without you I don't want to lose part of me Will I recover that broken piece? Let go and unleash all the feelings It was slow, haunting, with long notes that clung to the air like fog. She didn’t glance at the crowd, didn’t look for his eyes like she normally did. She was somewhere else entirely, wrapped in her own sadness. We are buried in broken dreams We are knee deep without a plea I don't want to know what it's like To live without you Don't want to know the other side Of a world without you Can't live without you... He didn’t realize how tightly he was gripping the edge of the table until she finished and the applause brought him back. She came straight to him. He started to speak, but she cut him off. “Come outside with me.” They stepped into the alley behind the bar, lit by a single flickering bulb and the pale light of the moon. “I think I want to disappear,” she said, arms wrapped around herself. “Not forever. Just… for a while. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere no one’s staring or asking questions. Somewhere I don’t have to explain what I am every five minutes.” “You don’t have to explain anything to me.” “I know,” she said. “That’s why I’m telling you.” Mason stepped closer. “Where would you go?” “I don’t know. There’s a commune upstate. Mixed-species. No tech, no press, no politics. Just trees, and soil, and people trying to remember what peace feels like.” He looked at her. Really looked. She wasn’t hiding her tail tonight. Or her ears they were subtle, barely there under her auburn hair, but visible if you knew to look. He reached up and tucked a strand behind one. “I could come with you,” he said. She blinked. “What?” “I’m serious.” “You’d give up your job? Your apartment? Your life?” “Maybe those things were never really mine anyway.” She stared at him, searching his face. “You know this can’t just be a phase for you,” she said softly. “It’s not just about being with me. It’s about what it means. About who you are.” “I think I’m still figuring that out,” he said. “But when I’m with you...I like who I am a hell of a lot more.” Something cracked in her expression then some fragile wall she hadn’t even known was still up. She stepped into his arms. Buried her face in his chest. “I don’t want to leave without you,” she whispered. “Then don’t.” He held her there, the sounds of the city a dull throb in the background. ~~Two days later, there was a raid. The Rusty Note had been flagged as a “Cross-Species Social Hotspot,” a term that made Mason’s stomach twist. Some local politician looking to boost his poll numbers had ordered a sweep of “Hybrid-Protection Zones,” claiming they were breeding grounds for criminal conspiracy and unauthorized tech trade. Mason was there. So was Regina. When the officers stormed inhuman and Anthroid alike, some in riot gear, others with restraint units they weren’t subtle. People screamed. Glass shattered. Rigs got tased mid roar. Mason moved on instinct; shielding Regina, pulling her behind the bar. “You need to go,” he whispered. “No...” “Yes. Now. Out the back.” “What about you?” He grabbed her face in both hands. “I’ll find you.” She hesitated. Then she kissed him. Not gentle. Not afraid. Real. Then she ran. |
| Valerie and kissed and caressed each other for about ten minutes or so. The feel of her fur was incredible! Her tongue probed my mouth as though desperately searching for some unknown treasure, as mine did the same to hers. After that wrapped up, she gave me a devious little smirk. "Ready for the next part?" I nodded, putting on my most suave voice. Which admittedly wasn't all that good, but still I tried my best. "Oh yeah, give it to me." Valerie giggled as she gently forced me to lay down and straddled me. "Get ready for the ride of your life, big boy." What followed was the most incredible and exciting bout of lovemaking I'd ever experienced in my life. Considering I was never in a relationship before, it was also the only one. But who's counting? Yeah, she'd definitely done this before. |
| I had to wonder about my feelings towards Sabrina. Was it simply Friends with Benefits by now, or had it become much more? |
| So after taking a deep breath I put on my heat resistant 'ninja suit' and proceeded to go down the hill |
| The raid lasted twenty three minutes. It felt like a war zone. When it ended, The Rusty Note was in shambles. Tables overturned, speakers smashed, the old neon sign cracked and flickering like a broken heartbeat. Most of the Anthroid regulars had scattered. A few had been taken in. No one knew where. Mason had stayed behind. He told the officers he was just a customer. Cooperated. Didn’t fight. They still cuffed him. He spent the night in holding. The charges were vague: “obstruction,” “failure to comply with evacuation orders,” “interference during a state sanctioned clearance.” All of it was nonsense, but no one wanted to listen. They let him go at dawn with a warning and a permanent note on his citizen file. When he got home, his father was already waiting on the steps of his apartment. "You made the news," his dad said coldly, holding up his phone. A still frame showed Mason crouched behind the Rusty Note’s bar, shielding someone just out of frame. A tuft of red fur Regina’s tail was barely visible beside him. “I was protecting someone,” Mason said. “Someone I care about.” “You’re not thinking straight,” his father growled. “These things they get into your head. Make you forget what you are.” “I haven’t forgotten,” Mason said. “I’ve finally figured it out.” His father’s face twisted. “So that’s it? You’re one of them now?” “No. I’m me. And for once, that actually means something.” He stepped around him. Didn’t look back. Inside, the apartment felt smaller. Like it couldn’t hold everything he was feeling. He sat on the edge of his bed for hours, turning Regina’s last words over and over in his mind. “I don’t want to leave without you.” “Then don’t.” But she had. She had to. He couldn’t blame her for that. The next few days blurred. Work called, but he didn’t answer. The Rusty Note was closed indefinitely, yellow caution tape flapping in the wind. Most of the regulars had gone underground or silent. Even Rigs hadn’t posted in their usual Anthroid forums. Mason spent his time chasing rumors. A sighting of a fox-type near the old rail tracks. A whispered mention of a commune in the woods near Lake Azera. Someone who looked human, but had something different in her eyes. He followed every lead. Got in his truck and drove hours out of the city to nothing, but trees and frost covered roads. He asked around at gas stations, at roadside diners, but no one had seen her. One night, three weeks after the raid, he came home to find a small envelope wedged into his mailbox. No stamp. No name. Just: Find me. Inside was a folded piece of thick paper. Handmade. Rough around the edges. His name was written in calligraphy. Below it, in Regina’s handwriting: "You told me you'd find me. So, here's a hint: follow the wind through the trees, and you'll hear my song." At the bottom, a symbol. One he’d seen once, half faded, on the sleeve of an Anthroid at The Rusty Note. A curved fox tail curling into a musical note. He stared at it for a long time. Then he packed a bag. |
| Valerie and I lay side by side, the both of us panting lightly. "How was it?" She asked playfully "Incredible." I managed to say. She grinned "You were pretty good yourself. If I didn't know better, I could swear you were a professional." I gave her a playful shove "You're just saying that." "Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not." Oh great. Now she was teasing me. "You know, we still have another hour of having this room to ourselves. Feeling up for a second round?" She had to be joking! After all that, she wanted to go again!? "Give me a break, woman! I already gave you all I've got! Give me a chance to recover!" She giggled. "I'm just messing with you! But I'll settle for just cuddling for a while." That, I could oblige. |
| I snuck through the ventilation ducts and then I could hear voices nearby... "Sir...We are on the verge of a possible rebellion from the Antroids! Are you sure this virus will reduce their population because if it doesn't or worse...What if it works on humans too?" |
| The morning Mason left the city, the sky was bruised with clouds and the scent of snow hung in the air like a warning. He took the old truck not because it was fast, or reliable, but because it still had the map Tina once drew for a cabin getaway folded in the glovebox. Back when he believed in romantic surprises. Now he followed a different kind of map. Regina’s note stayed folded in his jacket pocket, worn at the corners from rereading. “Follow the wind through the trees, and you'll hear my song.” It wasn’t much to go on. But then again, it didn’t have to be. The first few hours were quiet, save for the rumble of the engine and the wind clawing at the windows. He passed familiar highways and then less familiar roads towns that had emptied out after the war, strip malls now skeletons, fast food signs rusting into silence. Eventually, the pavement gave way to cracked dirt, and the trees thickened like a curtain drawing tight. Somewhere past Lake Azera, near a collapsed rail tunnel, he found the first sign. Literally. Carved into a tree trunk with deliberate, almost ceremonial care, was the same fox-tail and note symbol Regina had drawn on her letter. He stopped the truck, killed the engine, and stepped out. Silence. Then the breeze picked up cold, sharp, and carrying a faint sound. Music. Not quite a song, more a melody. A haunting echo that threaded through the pines like it belonged to the woods. It wasn’t recorded. It was being played. Mason’s chest tightened. He followed it. Through thickets and uneven trails, the forest closing in around him like a test. The sun dipped lower, and the cold bit harder. But the music grew clearer strings, soft vocals...almost like Fleurie’s "Breathe" remixed through memory. Then, in a break between trees, he saw it. A clearing. Lanterns hung from branches like stars caught mid-fall. Wooden structures hand built cabins, open fire pits, long tables carved with mismatched chairs. It wasn’t flashy. Wasn’t even modern. But it was alive. Anthroids moved through the space like any small community might talking, laughing, singing. Kids ran barefoot in the frost without fear. And near the center, tuning a stringed instrument on the steps of a cabin, sat Regina Renard. Mason froze. She looked different. Carefree. Her auburn hair tied back in a loose braid, her olive toned skin glowing in the firelight. She still wore her worn leather jacket, sleeves rolled to her elbows, and though she smiled at something someone said, her eyes scanned the trees as if she knew he was there. And then she saw him. No shock. No alarm. Just something quiet. Soft. Like the end of a long song you didn’t want to end. She stood. He stepped forward. The first words caught in his throat. He hadn’t prepared anything. But she crossed the space before he had to speak. “I was starting to think you gave up,” she said, her voice a whisper under the wind. “I almost did,” he admitted. “But you left a trail.” She smiled small, knowing. “I knew if anyone could find me...it’d be you.” There was a silence between them then not awkward, not heavy. Just full. Of the unspoken, of everything that had happened and hadn’t yet. Mason finally reached into his jacket and pulled out the note. “I’ve read this so many times, I could recite it.” Regina took it from his hand. Folded it carefully. “Then let’s give you a new verse.” She took his hand. He didn’t pull away. That night, they sat under the lanterns while Regina sang first alone, then joined by others. Mason didn’t know all the words. Didn’t know all the people, or the customs, or what tomorrow looked like. But he knew her. And somehow, that was enough. ~~For a few weeks, life at the commune felt untouched by the world. Mason woke with the sun, helped chop wood, repaired fences, sat in on music circles, and slowly earned trust. He wasn’t an Anthroid, but he wasn’t here to judge. He was here to learn. To be better than the version of himself that had stood silent in the face of injustice for so long. But peace has a price. And it rarely lasts. One morning, Regina met him at the edge of the southern field, her expression tight, a scrap of newsprint clenched in her hand. “They’re cracking down,” she said quietly, handing it to him. It was a bootlegged copy of The Free Voice, an underground paper passed between Anthroid friendly networks. The headline: “UNITY ACT PASSED: Enhanced Identification Required for All Anthroid Citizens.” Below it, a list of mandates:  Mandatory biometric registration for all Anthroids, Natural or Engineered. Restrictions on travel outside of government designated zones. Curfews and employment limitations in human majority cities. Authorization of police raids on suspected unregistered Anthroid shelters.Mason read it twice. The words felt like ice water. “They’re calling it a ‘security measure’ after that protest raid,” Regina said bitterly. “They claim an Anthroid was involved in attacking an officer, even though the footage shows otherwise.” Mason’s gut twisted. “This is what my dad warned about, in his own twisted way. Not because he was right but because fear like his creates this.” |
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