||September 3rd, Tuesday afternoon||
Tuesday afternoon started as any other Tuesday for the special technologies department, but it was slightly different for this day. On this day specifically was the unusual day of spring blossoming for Zen's job and his time with his crush. While the department was busy with their usual extremely busy day Zen had to go to the CEO for specific instructions of the special technologies department, ofc this being extremely rare and very off-putting to him, he went to the CEO's massive office on the highest floor of TSC from the elevator. Another surprise, his coworker coming into the elevator as well, his crush Quetzal. From both surprises today his composure was already falling apart and from Quetzal's point of view acting extremely weird but understandably so.
"You okay Zen?" Her eyes filled with concern.
"I'm fine...it's just the CEO emailed me to discuss a specific project he wanted my department to do." He then realized that the elevator wasn't stopping on any floors, and Quetzal's eyes were sparkling.
"I see- you also were emailed huh?"
She then responded excitedly "it's something very important but she also emailed me with something similar to your email."
"I'm honestly impressed how you're not in a lead position yet and just a substitute, you've been working as hard as one ever could since you started."
He then sighed, nervously laughing responding back to her compliments. "Well, I don't work that hard, I just do whatever works the best. I want the people I work with to have an easier time so why not you know."
The smile he showed her was genuine, it was just a guy wanting to help his coworkers out a little, making their jobs a bit easier. She really appreciated this from him, and hoped to show it to him one day and as the elevator opened Zen then remembered what she said specifically the word she used. "She..." As they both walked into the massive office on the highest floor of TSC the light shining through the massive windows naturally lit up the entire office made for one person. A woman named Claire Helena, a beautiful 40 year old lady who seemed to not look like she aged past 30. A brunette with a mole on her left side of her lips and an amazing figure. Though for Zen there was only one thing flowing through his mind.
"OUR BOSS IS A WOMEN!?!?"
As these words slipped from his brain to his mouth both Quetzal and Claire looked at him startled from the sudden outburst and Zen simply covering his mouth, freaking from accidentally saying what he was thinking in such a professional place like his job... specifically in front of the CEO and the girl he had a crush on. Claire then began to laugh as she stood up officially introducing herself.
"Hello, I'm your boss and yes I'm a woman, it's nice to meet you both, Zen Lane and Quetzal Gheniel."
They both introduced themselves to Claire Helena as well, Quetzal,smooth and friendly, but for Zen, he simply apologized for his outburst and didn't mean anything by it. It was a simple exchange of greeting though anxiety inducing for Zen. Claire then began to explain the main idea for this new priority she has been planning for both the Special technologies department and the Special Coding and educational department.
"This will be a big new step for this world and the entirety of this corporation! Both of you will be working on the same project, though in different departments I'm sure you two have had experience with each other due to having similar projects and technology. This time it'll be much bigger than what you both have worked on before, specifically Augmented reality, on a more world wide scale."
As she rambled on passionately for the future of this world, both Quetzal and Zen patiently waited to get the finer details, Zen not questioning why he was obtaining this information as if he was the lead of his department officially. Claire finally after 50 minutes of rambling went into the details. Then finally excused them with both paperwork and head positions needed for this to go successfully. Tuesday was the day it all started, where work for both Quetzal and Zen filled there schedules and also the day where they would be seeing each other a lot more.
||Friday evening 19:45 (7: 45 pm)||
On Friday evening the department was filled with gossip due to something unseen happening, but not too unseen because most of the gossip wasn't much of a surprise.
"Is it just me or does everyone seem a bit off..." His coworker Criss then came to him with sudden news. That news being that..."The Lead Quit!?!?"
Criss startled, responding quickly "yeah man...also keep it down you always have this little issue where u get really loud with important stuff."
Zen's anxiety then spiked, responding nervously with concern. "Really..? I didn't mean to yell, it's just what I'm thinking. I just burst out with this stuff."
Criss then leaned on the desk, responding silently. "Yeah but u don't want to get in trouble, and now that the lead position is open you finally have a chance man."
Zen then tilted his head with confusion. "Chance?"
"You can take the lead position now duh-."
He looked at Criss with one brow raised. "I think I'm fine, that's far too much work for me."
Criss then thought to himself how Zen has a weird relationship with work since he already does as much or even more than a lead. But he didn't push anymore from knowing how Zen is with this type of stuff. For Zen, a peaceful everyday life was his entire Raison D'etre and to get a position that took up more time in his mind would threaten that way of life and reason for being. But...simply put,
Zen
Is
An
Idiot
||Narrator rant begin||
Since he is sincere and a hard worker he never questions how much he actually contributed, he just does it without thinking, which makes it so his pay isn't equal to how much he actually does, especially in TSC. Zen isn't anything special when it comes to smarts but when it comes to solid will and determination he triumphs all. This also means, to others, he can be the most loved or the most annoying, because if they don't do it the second they get it then he will do it, and it's always been like that, since the day he reached elementary school.
If you still don't understand how this can be annoying, recall the times where your in a group project and you don't want to do the work but you also don't wanna be worthless, so when u take up 30% of the assignment but don't touch it for half the class period and then when your done doing whatever or just goofing off u see all of the work u said you were going to do be taken from that one hard working kid. Now you have the contradictory feeling of being happy because you don't have to do anything but also...you didn't do anything.
||Narrator rant over||
Friday for Zen was simply far more slow than it usually was for every Friday and he appreciated that with his whole heart. At the end of his Friday he then met Quetzal one last time till the next day, and since it was a very slow day for both departments they decided to go on a little outing, a dinner date between coworkers with similar stressful work schedules and the same big project.
They both had a big decision. Burgers, or steak, and since they both wanted something different they played rock paper scissors, but there was a slight problem.
"Scissors!...we tied again!?" Quetzal confusingly yelled.
Zen laughed, amused by how they could tie 5 times in a row. "I'm surprised it keeps happening, I'm pretty sure the odds get lower each game. Well that's what I heard from my highschool teacher anyways."
Quetzal then replied "it's a 1/3 chance...every game is like that excluding the mental games you play when playing rock paper scissors."
Zen looked at her with a confused look. "You can use strategy?"
Quetzal looked at him, the way she looked at him was of someone who knew exactly who they were talking to and looking at. "When u play this game with someone you know well, using strategy like what sort of personality they have, what they would be thinking at that moment, etc can play a big factor."
"Of course this only really fully works when luck is on your side..." She sighed
After realizing that if they played more they would end up wasting time they both just decided to go to a comfortable local diner that had both steak and burgers but instead of getting steak, Zen chose a juicy burger like Quetzal. From then on they conversated about their struggles but also how they were glad that they were working together. Both unknowingly on an after work date. They both slept very comfortably that night with full stomachs and hopes for another good day. Not just hopes but wonder as well.