“Pleaseeee Kokei, there isn’t even much left!” pleads the familiar feminine voice of the short woman with trimmed hair almost boyish toned like pink lemonade, her youthful appearance ironic for the maturely professional attire she’s assumed to wear, the only leeway being the somewhat artistic flap design of her white collared shirt that makes it almost resemble an air filter.

She leans against the circular white table top, reaching her hand out desperately, her eyes wide in an attempt to mimic that of a puppy although to questionable results given the true age of her being beyond that of a dog’s lifespan.

Beyond her are peach walls lit up by the windows that parse in cyan sunlight, different from the windows normal to her which instead lead deeper into the building’s interior as there are substantially larger spaces populated by a grid of cubicles, those being populated by the similarly dressed men and women who pace back and forth, some to leave their cubicle and others to return, few of them occupied with their own holograms and others avoiding them and instead yawning fatigued understandably.

In front of that window view complementary to the first woman sits another one although with a far more mature figure akin to her age, taller and in a dignified straight posture, her silken somewhat indigo hair let down but properly behind her with only one lock sat over her shoulder. Her own uniform also lacks the liberal artistry of her colleagues and instead seeks for a cleaner approach, her shirt simple and her blazer pitch black.

Her irises similarly colored to her hair focus on a wide semicircular holographic stretch that she’s clearly studying, from behind being overlaid with multiple different windows although the contents of which are hidden for her eyes alone. While no other can peek at her work, she does clearly acknowledge the actions past her circle by the apathetic order: “Casey leave her alone, you didn’t even start did you?”

Instantly Casey glances at the judge before arguing in a shriek, “I did! I…I looked at it!” which only furthers her opponent’s point.

“It’s fine Ember, I can look at her..progress,” compromises the voice of Kokei across from the beggar, dressed also in a blazer with hers navy blue, although it does appear to be a bit oversized for her given its sag, and beneath the blazer her shirt lacks any buttons nor seems to be made of the same design of threads as most dress shirts.

Sparkly eyed Casey ignites with a smile simultaneously as behind the translucent screen Ember casts a death glare, both of them concurrently exclaiming “Really?!” although in opposite tones the assignment of which can be anticipated simply.

Following up Ember criticizes in a tone akin to a lecturing mother, “Kokei seriously you can’t keep doing her job,” while Casey complements in a tone akin to a younger sister, “Kokei seriously you really are the best!”

“I mean I did most of my part anyways,” assures Kokei with a half confident smile, only to be exchanged with a deadpan glare from Ember who monotonously translates, “You’re behind too aren’t you?”

Now the one at the end of the barrel, Kokei frowns and begins whining profusely, “I’ve been busy okay I have an excuse!!”

“Okay then, what’s the excuse,” demands Ember in that same tone before elaborating, “Why have you been busy?”

Put into a corner so quickly as told by the immediate reclination of angst, Kokei just slouches back against the chair behind her and frowns more, her loud complaint becoming a quiet murmur: “I…it’s complicated…but I will start working soon!”

“Start?” queries a different voice, that of the other woman stepping now into the room from the dispersing door that then reemerges to close after her entry. Dressed more similarly to Ember in the cleaner suit but a bit more playful with a brighter brown blazer and white skirt, lighter tones to fit her long brown hair, she commands a sudden straightening of posture from both Kokei and Casey, both of them same as Ember focusing on her.

“Oh ahaha don’t worry about it Alina!” assures Kokei with the wave off her hand and stretching smile.

“Ahaha I am,” also assures the newcomer Alina, putting Kokei back in her frown as she walks to her complement across from Ember whilst summoning screens to her side.

Stopping in front of Ember, Alina remains standing with a large hologram beside her in the dimensions resembling a whiteboard, suitable for the various flow charts and database graphs sitting on it along with what appears to be a mockup interface of some site given the different smooth rectangular buttons in a row beneath a large image and above a block of text.

She opens her mouth to begin speaking before shutting it upon another glance at Kokei, her eyebrow raising before she observes dubiously, “Where did you get that coat?”

Instinctively Kokei clutches the lapels to enclose herself, using the blazer like a turtle shell and feebly defending, “Somewhere.”

After a sigh and shake of the head, Alina can only mutter: “Least you’re sort of trying,” before she then returns her gaze to the three equally, beginning again but in a more commanding tone that with better reach resonates in the room: “Well as you know, deadlines for Argent is coming up, how is my lovely front stack team wrapping things up?”

After such an energized opener she expects a timely response, but instead she’s met by an awkward pause slowly stretching her, her gaze jumping between the three in hasty anticipation.

Yet the two beside the leader just glance at each other with shameful frowns, putting the weight on the one in front who relinquishes her monitor to get a clear line of sight with Alina before answering, “Well you know I’m done with my pages, it’s synchronized and the test reports came back clean. I’ve mostly just been ordering units around since I don’t have much to do, actually the latest build is a bit of a mess but if need be I can revert.”

Delighted at last Alina casts an earnest smile and congratulates, “Nice work Ember, I can always count on you!”

Subtly a sincere smirk seeps on Ember’s cool face as Alina’s voice continues praising, “And you still have time to play with the interface all you want, just yeah we’d prefer a coherent product by the deadline.”

“But I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you have cooked up!” concludes Alina before clapping her hands together, satisfied, riding the high of pride at the peak of the rollercoaster.

It is at that peak where her smile is so wide her eyes are nearly shut, living in the blissful fantasy she was gifted a crumb of wanting nothing but more where she’s stared at by the two remaining employees in utter dread, both of whom shutter upon her brightly toned request: “So who’s next?”

In whispers only heard to themselves yet shared as if psychically they both realize, “We shouldn’t have let her go first.”

Taking in a deep breath to steady herself and gaining the selfless courage to step first into the fire, Kokei is next to report in a tone gilded in sophistication: “Very well then, I’ve currently-.”

“I still don’t get Respond really I made some units but I have no clue how to actually make any of it call anything!” cries out Casey ashamedly, interjecting Kokei’s heroic shielding and sprinting into the fire headfirst regardless.

To that choice Kokei just glares back in utter bafflement to the guilt-driven trigger, her expression not of clear horror of anything particularly exaggerated on that note, but rather a wooden disenchantment that dulls her pink eyes.

Moments of utter silence follow as the other three just exchange quick glances around the room, carrying similar faces to Kokei along with the hesitancy of how to move forwards.

Slowly but silently ideas churn in each of their individual heads, ideas kept concealed with the only sliver of a window being the contortion of the stares shared back and forth, although one of those contortions Ember picks up from Alina warrants a panic that has her summon back her monitor screens in the illusion of return to work.

“Hey Ember!” merrily exclaims Alina to the one whose holograms are vanquished, exposing the graceful employee as the one whose head is now planted on the table in the dread of these next words:

“Can you help her ‘figure it out?’ requests of Alina, although in truth that was not a genuine seek of solicitation as derivable from the raising of her voice at the end, for it was a willess demand that has been brought on the woman with the force of an anvil at terminal velocity, a truth very clearly demonstrated by the fatigued response: “Sure thing boss….”

Last one to be farmed, the towering brown haired demon glares straight at Kokei at neck snapping speeds, her flaring eyes cast onto the shivering employee before she next claims: “So what were you going to say?”

A fate inevitable but not any less dreadful when it occurs, facing death Kokei just sighs with the lowering of her head before she musters the courage to face straight on and sacrifice, “I’m almost done with the Events page, I promise I am.”

Despite the optimistic answer, all that is reciprocated is a suspicious raising of the eyebrow, the crossing of the arms, and the apprehensive interrogation: “Didn’t you…say that like weeks ago?”

Not even given a cushion to land on Kokei’s head drops down again, muttering more to herself, “I know…I’m sorry I just-....”

Raising her head back up as the life force has been distributed through the ground, Ember glances at Kokei before questioning also debatably, “Wait have you actually started the merchandise page yet? I thought you said you’d do that after.”

Shot again just when she thought she was behind cover, Kokei’s slumps back in greater guilt as she recounts, “I know…I’m sorry I promise I’ll get it in time I have free time now I can get it done I’ll have it done in like a couple days I can do it-.”

From judgemental to genuinely concerned, Alina drops her arms by her side and more sentimentally asks, “Kokei, are you really doing okay?”

Throwing her head up instantly to meet the gaze, Kokei abruptly returns: “What?”

Surrounded by the three coworkers who all slowly turn their attention to her, Kokei is stared down in discomfort as Alina steps towards her and again inquires, “Have you been okay? We haven’t seen you in like months, I don’t know where you’ve been but your reports have been getting slower lately, I can tell you’re stretching your bursts to make it look like you’re more consistent.”

On the other side stares Ember with a straight face and straightened posture, and in the center even the goofball Casey has an oddly gloomy face; the three of them have the stares of an intervention with the one on the other side as the intervened.

Sitting down in the oversized navy blue blazer over the casual white shirt, staring up solemnly being stared at by the three one of whom stands such that they’re practically looming over her, Kokei recoils back clearly anxious, only able to maintain eye contact so well and push out confidently, “I’m fine it’s-,”

“Kokei, you know you can talk to us,” interjects Casey in a tone lacking any of the former bliss and banter, instead delicate and pensive.

“We’re still your friends, you know,” gently reminds Ember spoken softly, her gaze tilted a bit further down by the ground in aversion although her meaning still fully delivered.

Pushed further back against the corner, Kokei just anxiously glances between the three of her coworker friends, the lighthearted mood of jabs having ceased and now in its place a sober atmosphere weighing down her lungs.

She shakes her head clearly being overwhelmed, and the fizz reaching the threshold she bursts up to her feet and exclaims with the throw of her arms, “Guys trust me I’m fine!”

“I’ll get the work done before the deadline, I promise!” she assures, although in a voice desperate therefore unconvincing, a realization she has by the skeptical faces to which she tries harder: “Here you know what how’s this, what about after the submission meeting we go somewhere and celebrate,” instantly bringing a curious expression in all three of them.

Upon noticing the effectiveness of her proposition Kokei continues with a noticeable self doubt due to the improv she’s put on the spot for: “You know it’s been so long since we went to Skyball why don’t we go there it’ll be fun!”

Bewildered so much that it wraps around to suspicion, Alina folds her arms over her chest and queries, “Wait are you being serious? Could you actually?”

“Yeah I’m not dead,” assures Kokei more light hearted albeit panting from the drainage of just that moment alone, but she suspends her recovery to append, “It’ll be our girls night out, just like old times!”

Unwavering in suspicion Alina remains, yet it’s Ember first to gently smile as a sincere reaction to the idea, turning to face both Alina and Casey before suggesting, “I mean she hasn’t even made an idea like this in so long, I wouldn’t be the one to pass it up.”

Still flabbergasted by the specific invitation given by the specific person, Casey leans towards Kokei and asks but more intrigued than dubious, “You really mean it?”

Confident now with her footing found, Kokei nods her head with a smirk and boldly declares, “I mean it, I’m telling you all I’m free and I’m fine, and I mean I also missed you guys so it’s a bit of a plus for me. We can go out and have fun now that I’m not being hunted to death!”

“Huh?” sharply asks Alina.

“Huh?” swiftly repeats Kokei.

Finally coming around even if the last to, Alina can’t help but get infested with the smile emerging on her face, her arms slipping out of their cross as she nods her head and accepts, “I’ll make sure to clear my schedule then! I’ve been bossing you around for so long, it’ll be nice to talk to you all without you dreading me.”

Giggling instantly, Casey places her hand on Alina’s shoulder and assures with laughs, “Don’t worry, you’ve always terrified me!”

She then places her hand off Alina who glances at her with scrunched eyebrows, but instead Casey’s focus is back on Kokei with a pleasant smile and nod, her answer having been known from the start: “Of course I’ll come, I’m going to suffocate you with this hug you’ll be trying to scream but you won’t be able to!”

Aside from the somewhat strange friendly threat, Ember steps forward with the most subtle smile, and yet it’s all the more sincere due to such a fact. “Do you need a ride?” she offers, baking her acceptance into an invitation of her own, thoughtful without needing to be prompted by a request first.

Visibly alleviated and even more so enthusiastic about the successful formation of plans, Kokei takes an additional moment to recalibrate her senses to attune with the question, and upon doing so she hastily shakes her head and rejects, “Thanks but I probably- well- I’ll be fine yeah I can take myself.”

Somewhat stunned by the abrupt rejection, Ember tilts her head to the side and inquires, “Huh, you sure? I know your address, I could come an-,”

“Don’t worry about it, Ember!” aggressively reassures Kokei with the waving of her hand, which leaves Ember in a somewhat puzzled but ultimately calm state as beside her Casey soothes sarcastically, “Don’t worry Ember, I’m sure she’ll need a ride home anyways, I don’t think she’ll even be able to walk back to her pod after!”

“Ah dammit I was really trying to go sober…,” realizes Alina with a sentimental frown, lowering her head in contemplation before Casey elbows her in the side and persuades, “Oh come on you’re not going to sit on the side for this occasion! Can’t you be not-boss-mode for one night?”

Nervously giggling, especially given the awkwardness of her current housing arrangements, Kokei just waves off again and seeks, “So we’re all fine with that? We can make more plans as the day gets closer, but is there anything else we need because I uh probably should get to working on that thing I have-....”

Past Kokei’s head of pink hair Alina nods and affirms, “Looks like we’re all more than fine with that, and right we will figure the crevice creases in time. But if you need to get working on your own then sure go ahead, I think we’re about done here anyways.”

Throwing her arms up in the air in celebration, Casey delightfully celebrates: “Yay, we’re done!”

“You’re definitely pulling all nighters for this one Casey,” Alina streaks relentlessly, shooting down her arms as they drop down the same as her head in a disappointed, “Oh….”

“And I’m guessing I’ll need to be there with her in them won’t I,” acknowledges Ember with a frown, being met with a sober nod from Alina to which she sighs back and mutters, “I better get a raise for this I swear,” before she turns to face Casey, grabbing her wrist in a devilish grip and tugging her on her way towards the exit that Alina had originally entered from, commanding in a tone even more authoritarian: “Come on now, and you’re buying me every meal I have helping you.”

“Kokei come help me!” exclaims Casey as she’s gradually dragged out of the meeting room, facing her way unlike Ember who sarcastically apathetically retorts, “I swear after this is all said and done I’ll probably be the one who can’t drive back.” She then glances back Kokei’s way and swiftly departs, “I’ll see you later, and maybe we can go to a store and get you some fitting suits!”

Off the two go through the opening door, out into the substantially larger space to which Alina lets out a brief giggle before she shakes her head and glances over to Kokei, nodding and affirming: “Guess we’ll see you soon. Stay safe.”

“I was planning to,” slyly responds Kokei with a smirk to which Alina just crosses her arms and shakes her head with the smile infecting her again, her motions continuing despite her body beginning to blur same as the circular table, sleek chairs, and overall meeting room encompassing Kokei, leaving her the only one intact as Alina’s body blends into the whitening space that then fractures into shards of light that disperse like a broken mirror, one that leaves the true reflection of Kokei inside the substantially smaller bedroom, her not standing in front of an Executive chair but instead the edge of the hovering white bed that she throws herself onto away from the fur carpet floor.

Her own smirk persists but quickly degrades as she just silently glances around the room furnished with the full body mirror beside the bed and the cabinets along the wall with the corner desk at the end.

But while that furniture is what’s standard for the room, there are variously shaped and colored gemstones hovering on disks functioning as stands down the cabinets among the purple gemmed golden necklace.

On the walls are the many posters of photographs in various landscapes from every corner from different Earths, all of them taken with the same set of companions, the ones of the photographer who slept in this very room connected to the lobby where said companions also rested.

As Kokei just sighs to herself before slowly slipping out of the oversized navy blue blazer and tossing it to her side, she dangles her feet over the bed while panning around the room over the desk whose shelves have been cleared. Left in pink shorts and her white shirt which are in fact pajamas that she had shown up to the meeting in, she just sits beside the uniform she had made use of, now balled up messily on the bed next to her.

In continuation of solitude inside the dark room lacking sufficient brightness for there lacks the window screen and instead the room persists off of a dim ambient light from the walls, Kokei just glances at the floor below her white socked feet that sway back and forth, facing back up as a curved monitor of holographic displays surround her, for despite not being in the office her work had yet to conclude.

Thus she returns to her cubicle, isolated by far walls, undisturbed or rather unable to be while her friends continue their collaboration too distant to hear let alone witness. From the other side of the room Kokei’s upper body becomes concealed by the translucent holograms, partially enclosing her but no longer immersing her, instead allowing the dreary bedroom to take over as the environment.