Ke Yu realizes that something is off about the new live-in housekeeper he's hired.
For example, he's never once seen the housekeeper eat or drink.
When he points this out, the housekeeper hurriedly picks up a battery and takes a couple of bites. "I do eat normally."
He points at the horns growing from the housekeeper's head. "What's that?"
The housekeeper: "They're normal human horns. ( ° v.)"
-
S1 is a newly bred impostor.
When S1 leaves the lab, a senior tells it, "We're impostors. Our job is to infiltrate human society, seize the chance to eat people, and eventually wipe out humanity. Remember, you're going to pretend to be a human housekeeper."
S1 thumps its chest. "Got it. I'm human."
So it greets its employer, Ke Yu. "Hello, I'm human. My serial number is S1... No, my name is Ai Si Yi."
Ke Yu: "?"
Ai Si Yi: "I really am human. qwq"
Ke Yu (smiling): "Then what's that barcode on your forehead?"
Ai Si Yi: "It's an impostor lab code. ( ° v.)"
Ke Yu turns on the TV. The news is reporting: A supernatural species called impostors has infiltrated human society. They are intelligent and can imitate human appearance and behavior, using this to eat people. They are extremely dangerous. Citizens are urged to stay alert.
Ke Yu looks at the genius beside him, chasing and biting its own tail. "How dangerous."
-
Later, all the neighbors around Ke Yu's home are eaten by impostors, while the survivors are turned into impostors. Human society is on the brink of collapse.
One morning, Ke Yu opens the curtains and finds his yard crowded with impostors watching him hungrily. They're almost blocking the door.
Ke Yu asks Ai Si Yi, "You're an impostor too. Do you have any ideas for dealing with this?"
Ai Si Yi is horrified. "Master, how did you find out I'm an impostor? QAQ"
"What a headache." Ke Yu can only rummage beneath the cabinet for a special weapon that's been gathering dust for years. He fires at the crowd outside, blasting open a path through the bloodshed.
"Please move aside. My old job just rehired me, and I'm in a hurry to get to work."
-
One day, Ai Si Yi finally remembers something important it had forgotten: impostors are supposed to eat people.
So it climbs into Ke Yu's bed in the middle of the night and takes a bite of his elbow. "It's so hard. I can't bite through it. ( ° v.)"
Ke Yu points to his lips. "This part is soft. Try biting here."
-
Ai Si Yi × Ke Yu
Retired powerhouse shou × Intelligent impostor gong
Ai Si Yi is the gong, and Ke Yu is the shou.
(!) Note: The gong is a defective impostor. He has no impostor powers, has never eaten anyone, and cannot shapeshift.
Inspired by The Mandela Catalogue and European folklore. It contains a lot of original worldbuilding; I made it all up. The impostor trope has been around for a long time, so there's not much else to say.
Note added 25.07.2024
Theme: Delaying retirement and putting one's remaining talents to use
