It had been almost a year since you got 7EA. You had
learned a lot about them. What it meant when their light flashed a color,
whether it was a vibrant green when they were happy, a under-saturated blue when
they were sad and that bashful pink. The light was a big tip as to what they
were feeling, but you’d also noticed that they would stay green when they were
doing something that you were doing with them. It would fade between the green
and pink when on movie nights when you leaned against them.
You knew they liked action movies and dogs over cats. You
knew that they liked colder temperatures compared to warm ones. The preferred
people of your gender, people who bared any type of resemblance to you really. Additionally,
when the new skin mods came out, they kept sending you a model that all hovered
on the same general type. Your type. It was creepy. Yet, you caved and got it
for Christmas.
You thought it looked weird and wrong. It was a heap of
synthetic skin and hair with a few spots to take it in a bit and form fit it to
whatever. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if they had made it a little less
realistic. Additionally, there were some body mods to help it fit better. For
example, a jaw and an optic adapter. There were also some spare parts. Let’s
just hope you didn’t lose the bags of fingernails, teeth and hair. You wrapped
it nicely and tried not to think about how creepy it seemed.
When Christmas morning rolled around, 7EA didn’t seem to
understand it, but when you gave them their gift, they were practically
bouncing off the walls. You spent the better part of an hour helping them seal
the skin closed and help fit it to their model, sticking in the little gel
inserts to make them seem less… rigid. When all was said and done, 7EA had
gotten dressed in one of the outfits you had gotten them.
They
tried them all on and modeled for you. Eventually they came back out in a thick
sweater and skinny jeans and asked you to style their hair. You helped them
adjust a bit, making sure they got a hold on when to blink and how to move the
mouth piece, so it didn’t seem ridiculous when they talked. Eventually though,
you sat on the couch with them and watched Elf. They were much comfier to
cuddle with now and you let them know.
“I’m
glad.” They ran a hand through your hair. “It is good to know that you prefer
this upgrade.”
“This
upgrade is just as good as before.”
“But
you like this better. I am better”
“What
makes you think that?”
“I…
If I look like this, am I attractive?” You nodded slowly. “Would you see me as
an equal? Would you… consider me as a partner?”
“What?
I. Equals?” You tried to process what 7EA was saying. Did, did they feel this
way? Had you never noticed? “7EA, you have always
been my equal. I am so sorry that I made you feel this way.”
“You
kept everything. The manual, the spare parts and that remote.”
“Yes,
I kept everything from that first day. I didn’t want something to happen and
then not have the piece I need to help you.” You grabbed their hand and intertwined
your fingers with his, “Is it the remote that bothers you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“You
could take complete control, you could change me, you could shut me off against
my wishes and then…” You got up without a word and pulled a box from your
closet. Rifling through it, you found it. The remote. You went to the kitchen
and threw it away. You turned and found 7EA watching you from the doorway.
“The remotes gone. I hope you know that
I always have seen you as my equal and you were always so beautiful to me.” You
could barely see a flash of pink lights behind 7EA’s eyes and they engulfed you
in a hug. You hugged back and when you parted, they pecked your lips for but a
second and pulled away. You pulled them down and gave 7EA a kiss that conveyed
every bit of emotion.
“Love
you.”
“Love
you more.”
“Love
you most.”
You
stayed like that in the kitchen as the snow fell. It was a beautiful Christmas,
it almost topped last year.
BONUS
“We
should probably dig the remote out of the garbage.”
Toad's Cave 