Chapter Text
A dog rolled over in bed to the sound of an obnoxious alarm.
They got to their feet, staring into a wall mirror in their modest bedroom.
Obvious eye bags, unwashed pajamas, all in all they looked...rather disheveled. But they could care less.
They put on a uniform and started biking off to work.
While biking they had a (very dangerous) tendency to zone out, and today was no different. Chikn stared off into the buildings adjacent the other side of the road--shops, restaurants, a school, a police station, and the like--and tried to silence their own thoughts.
After a few turns and at least one close call with an incompetent driver (or was it Chikn who was incompetent? The thought nagged at them.), they arrived at their workplace.
Nothing special, nothing glamorous, just a fast food restaurant. They clocked in and stood behind the counter.
"Oh, hey! You're on time!"
A female voice piped up behind him.
"...I am?"
He didn't care much to check--Chikn was a creature of habit, and worked off of routine. In fact, since he had been doing so for so long, the entire day was simply a blur--wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat.
"...Huh. I am..."
The cat, ostensibly their friend, glanced from side to side awkwardly.
"...You need a minute, Chikn?"
"Always."
For a moment, they looked concerned, but it left just as soon as it arrived. The cat, Chee, returned to work.
Everything seemed to go smoothly until the next lull in new customers.
"Oi, fuckface."
"Man, do you have to be such a..."
"It got your attention, didn't it?"
The cook peeked out from the kitchen, apron covered in oil and grease stains. Where there wasn't a uniform or apron, red and white fur--almost garish in concord--stood glaringly in his field of view.
"What...do you want, Hot Saus."
"The manager's out."
"...And?"
"We could just...you know...ditch this hellhole if we wanted to."
"If *you* wanted to. I'm not gonna leave Chee here alone, this whole place isn't a job for one person to do..."
"Who said we couldn't have her come with? Unless she's too much of a damn boyscout to want to."
"Man, don't talk about my friends like that. You don't know half of her."
"Fine, fine. But just know: We aren't so different, Chikn. I hate this place as much as you do. I want to break free just as much as you do."
"No...No I don't. At least...not really..."
"Oh, trust me. You'll be kicking yourself later..."
The dog sighed, and continued working for the time being.
END CHAPTER 1