Children laughed excitedly as they fell into the hopper balls. The toddlers would hug theirs and walk like little dung beetles. Claude sat on a bench, watching the young pups play under the supervision of some Omegas. He saw those balls on sale online days ago. Now that Len could legally transact using his card, Claude ordered a batch.
His central vision was stuck on the laughing pups and their carers, but his attention stayed on everything else. He etched everything in his peripheral vision in his mind. None of them should change. Even the sounds around him were closely monitored.
"Claude?"
Claude flinched at Len's voice. However, it sounded electronic. He didn't smell Len nearby. His fingers flinched and felt the phone in his hand. Claude's lips pursed, while his eyes begrudgingly looked down.
He brought his phone to his ear. "Sorry, I got distracted. Yeah, the pups like it. The Omegas also inflated the balls without a problem."
