“If I don’t run tests something worse could happen.” I hate to admit it but obviously she was right, but why does she have to be the one to do it.

“Quite,” a voice chirped “Freyaa it’s almost time we should- “

“You.” I said gravely, I could almost hear a high-pitched ringing in my ears. I knew this person, is there something bad associated with this person? I don’t know what it is, but something doesn’t seem right. When the ringing subsided, I realized I had never even met this person before. I was probably just feeling paranoid after what just happened with the shadows. “Wait. Who are you?”

They responded with a head tilt and a confused look.

“Orion this is-” Freyaa was interrupted.

“Shiro, my name is Shiro.” They seemed very adamant about it.

“Right, well… This is Delta” She said taken aback, clearly Shiro’s name being Shiro was news to her. “It’s rather defective.”

“I’m not defective.” Shiro snapped back at her. I could already tell where this was going.

“It’s also very clingy.”

“I am not clingy.”

“And it talks back a lot.”

“I do NOT talk back” Shiro seemed really pissed about the last statement, despite doing exactly that.

“Is there a reason you keep saying it?” I questioned. While the usage of it/its pronouns was fairly customary among some people as well as groups of non-human entities, something about it seemed off.

“That’s not important.” Freyaa said trying to get on with the conversation already.

“It’s important to me.” It seems Shiro had been oblivious to it until I pointed it out and as far as I could tell, Shiro was not having any of it.

“As I was saying-” She tried to continue.

“You’re not being very nice Freyaa. I am a person not an animal.” Despite Shiro’s flat expression and matter-of-fact way of speaking, it was apparent that this wasn’t going to end without a fight.

“I’m not trying to be nice, Shiro. Don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking” She said the right name at least, but she should’ve just apologized.

Just as I was about to say something, I got caught off guard by Shiro’s retort. “I am 5 years old, I demand some respect”

“You what now?” I lifted an eyebrow.

“Respect? Are you kidding me?” Freyaa started to get mad. “I’m fixin’ to kick yer ass”

“Bring it on old lady.” Normally I would frown upon this, but after being dehumanized like that, it seemed pretty justified to me. Not that I’d even involve myself at this point, really.

“EXCUSE ME!?” Freyaa screamed.

In the midst of the two fighting, I figured it was time to make my escape. Shiro was still standing in the doorway and Freyaa blocked the way to the bathroom… The window it is. I was but moments from freedom when Shiro grabbed me by the collar and pulled me in. “Eh?”

“We should get going.” Shiro said, having to drag me by the collar across the floor because I simply refused to walk. Freyaa followed swiftly in tow as we made our way to her car outside. I thought about fighting Shiro and running away, but first day new body, ehhh… I didn’t really want to risk it.

Freyaa made some remark to Shiro that I didn’t quite catch, but if I had to make a guess: Shiro’s the one who drove the car here and she’s still mad about it. Well, I don’t think Freyaa’s ever parked in my driveway before so that had to be it. After she pulled out of the driveway, she shouted obscenities and drove off, leaving us to take the van over to the lab.