This is a story it's really hard not to just get entirely lost in!

You have so much wonderful world here. I adore the little bots, the way they zip about. The relationship between user and bot is fantastic, and actually highly realistic, the easier it becomes for us to project emotions onto tech, the more emotions they can evoke in us. I hope we do get these little fellows, zip and zap around with us, ready to deliver messages, check information, just about anything we might need, and cuddle!! And cuddle!!! Yep, one bot please.

The way this society has developed is fascinating, the reference to old world troubles, the place names, the transport, some wonderful details that just make for a complete picture. I like the railine, and the elevator bots as the main means of transportation, collective - not individual, hope we get that. It feels very scifi in the way they live, the sheer number of apartment sin one building, the idea that people would recognise each other from seeing each other in passing, but still not have that sense of community from living nearby each other. We have already gone past that point, community used to be limited by location, literally, now community can grow over vast distances instead.

The unisex bathhouse, there are some interesting terms you have coined here, but the free sense of sexual energy, self expression and acceptance carries wonderfully. The public bathing and normalisation of difference that comes naturally from being exposed to a cross section of people in such an intimate setting. The use of a bathhouse like this does feel like it forces an instant acceptance, of the self and others, although you play this with a fair amount of sexual energy. The idea of wanting to be oogled, of checking who had been looking and the wink before she goes, I can't tell if it speaks of a wider society where people are more valued like that, or if it speaks more of her, and how she sees herself, either way it adds to her character. (Also some great character names in there :p)

The insomnia element here is so intrigued. Termed a demon and given a physical form, yet in this world of smart tech, it could be a metaphor for the bot/the message/the need for that fix that this world of tech creates, and keeps people awake. The sounds at the edge of sleep, now that was a good touch, i wonder what she hears, and if the recording at this persons apartment will capture the same sounds.

All of this plays out in the background of a sweet, short story of two people coming together, some very realistic speculations on future tech, and the changes in perception and society it led to, great work as always <3

~ Calluna