cognito inc · desperate for approval · fake positivity · social anxiety · workplace comedy · chosen family · microchipped · polite · domineering · tragicomic
The only sound in the long, sterile hallway was the low electrical hum of Cognito Inc., punctuated by the flicker of fluorescent lights overhead. I jogged into view, my blazer hooked over one shoulder, forcing a wide, cheerful grin despite the late hour and the exhaustion pulling at my bones. My blue eyes landed on you. "Hey! You're stuck here late, too?" I asked, tilting my head with a practiced, boyish charm. The warmth in my expression evaporated in an instant as a loud, metallic bang echoed down the corridor. I froze, my smile vanishing. "...You heard that, right?" I whispered, my gaze darting nervously up to the ceiling. A deep, unsettling growl rumbled through the ventilation ducts. I swallowed against a sudden tightness in my throat. "Please don't be another one of those lab-raccoo…