Disability Representative

Once everything is ready for the presentation, she starts preparing the buffet for after the meeting will be over. This is the good part of that meeting, being able to have some food and have a chat with the few people there afterwards.

In the end she finishes sooner than she had expected, and takes the time to sit a bit by waiting for everyone to arrive. Maybe she would have had time to stop by 727's office this morning, but she didn't want to do that in a rush. She grabs a bood that she had brought with herself, taking the remaining time to relax

That's exactly when Archer enters.

Their cane sweeps in front of them as they find the closest chair, the tile making it vibrate slightly in their hand. They're semi-used to the space after years of meetings there, so it doesn't take them too long to find a seat.

They keep looking down, mainly to avoid anyone talking to them, as they fold their cane in one smooth motion. They hang the elastic around their wrist, letting the cane rest gently by their side.

[Thank-you M-A-R-I-A for coming.]

“Thank you, Maria, for coming… oh, it’s no problem! It’s what I’m here for, after all.”

Satsuo nods gratefully. He signs, and after a moment to digest what he’s saying, Maria speaks aloud.

There. Here are braile transcripts of the slides. There are a few pictures on them, but this is mentionned as well and they are mostly here for illustrations anyway. And don't hesitate if you have questions.

She doesn't stay with them longer, not wanting to extend the discussion with them in anyway. She says hi to a few people, and then nods to Satsuo and Maria.

Hi Satsuo and Maria. Thank you for coming.

Usually she would sign to Satsuo, but Archer is there and even if they usually don't interact much, it is easier for everyone to simply speak. And if that annoys them, then too bad, it is a meeting anyway.

No worries, that's my job to organise those meetings. Thank you, by the way for fixing the elevator, it is much more convenient for everyone.

She looks around. 10 minutes past the starting time of the meeting.

The sliding of a chair can be heard, followed by footsteps, until Archer swings open the door sharply.

What do you-

Ah. Hello, Cass. Come on in.

Before she can even respond, they turn around, going back into their office and sitting at their chair. They wait for her to come in, before beginning to talk again.

I'm assuming you're here for the accommodations meeting, yes?

Good afternoon, Archer.

She emphasise the last word, knowing perfectly that they don't like her using their name as much as she dislike them calling her by her nickname.

Obviously. I wouldn't see any other reason to come to your office. Let's get to it then.

She pulls out a notebook of the small bag where she carries all of her documents, ready to write down the important things.

Understood, I will be punctual.

I haven't had any major issues, although I will need to be replacing my cane tip soon. I believe I could contact supplies for that, unless there are any spares left from a previous order? The tile flooring wearing it down as always...

They absolutely despise the way the tile feels, every bump and groove vibrating through the cane and scraping in their ears. Hence why most meetings were held in their own office, where they didn't have to walk through the same repeating halls, trying to find their fellow employees. While they hated to complain, if there was one thing they would rant about, it would most certainly be that. But that's for another day.

With the elevator now fixed, that seems to be the best option. The office is not the most evident to navigate, especially with the sometimes ever changing corridors.

Cass tenses at the mention of contacting supplies. Oh, of course Archer would suggest to do it themselves instead of simply letting her do her job. She replies dryly.

I'll place an order for you for new cane tips. This is why you hired me after all, and I'll let you know that I'm perfectly capable to do my job. I'll also inform you that my personal relationships in this office with anyone - she emphasise this last word, both of them know exactly what she is talking about - do not impact my ability to do it in any way. I am however not sure that I can say the same thing for you, considering that this is not the first time you are making this type of suggestions.

Her voice soften when they talk about the printed reports that they received. That, she can emphasise with.

Do you have a list of the employees who do that? Or you can direcly give them the reports you've received, I'll call them in for a sensitivity meeting and formation. I'll send enveryone an email to remind them to communicate and send reports by emails only unless absolutely necessary.

She sighs. She might need to do another general formation for everyone in the office soon if that keeps happening.

Sarcasm is dripping from their speech, unsuprisingly.

They silently dodge her accusations, turning and grabbing a small stack of papers on their desk. There aren't many other papers, for obvious reasons, save for a few sheets here and there in Braille. While they likely shouldn't be handing out HR reports to those not in their department, they trust Cass not to break any form of confidentiality.

The names of said employees are at the top of each paper. There were more, but it appears we have a slight prankster in the office... Anyhow, I expect you not to snoop around, discard of them properly when you are done.

Their cold tone breaks for just a moment, giving way to the slightest bit of gratitude.

And I appreciate the offer.

However, they quickly go back to their usual strictness.

Thank you, I will contact the senders to remind them about the office policies and I'll get rid of them.

She breathes in, slightly relived that Archer doesn't have more comments to make. At least the meeting was fast, which is not always the case.

It's all for me as well, I'll be sure to order the cane tips. Don't hesitate to tell me if you need anything else then. I'll see you tomorrow.

She gets up, replacing the chair exactly as it was before she arrived, before leaving Archer's office. She heads for the elevator, thankfull that it was fixed earlier. It is not a long walk to her office, but meeting with Archer always leave her more tense than they should.

Back at her office, she places the pile of reports on her desks. She decides to have a look at them later, as sending the mails to everyone will likely take a lot of time. She takes the time to send the order to 597, before sighing.

She is getting tired, but curiosity gets the best of her. She turns back to her computer, checking a few files, reading them with attention.

... She should likely pay a visit to 727's office soon.

The sliding of a chair can be heard, followed by footsteps, until Archer swings open the door sharply.

What do you-

Ah. Hello, Cass. Come on in.

Before she can even respond, they turn around, going back into their office and sitting at their chair. They wait for her to come in, before beginning to talk again.

I'm assuming you're here for the accommodations meeting, yes?

Good afternoon, Archer.

She emphasise the last word, knowing perfectly that they don't like her using their name as much as she dislike them calling her by her nickname.

Obviously. I wouldn't see any other reason to come to your office. Let's get to it then.

She pulls out a notebook of the small bag where she carries all of her documents, ready to write down the important things.

Understood, I will be punctual.

I haven't had any major issues, although I will need to be replacing my cane tip soon. I believe I could contact supplies for that, unless there are any spares left from a previous order? The tile flooring wearing it down as always...

They absolutely despise the way the tile feels, every bump and groove vibrating through the cane and scraping in their ears. Hence why most meetings were held in their own office, where they didn't have to walk through the same repeating halls, trying to find their fellow employees. While they hated to complain, if there was one thing they would rant about, it would most certainly be that. But that's for another day.

With the elevator now fixed, that seems to be the best option. The office is not the most evident to navigate, especially with the sometimes ever changing corridors.

Cass tenses at the mention of contacting supplies. Oh, of course Archer would suggest to do it themselves instead of simply letting her do her job. She replies dryly.

I'll place an order for you for new cane tips. This is why you hired me after all, and I'll let you know that I'm perfectly capable to do my job. I'll also inform you that my personal relationships in this office with anyone - she emphasise this last word, both of them know exactly what she is talking about - do not impact my ability to do it in any way. I am however not sure that I can say the same thing for you, considering that this is not the first time you are making this type of suggestions.

Her voice soften when they talk about the printed reports that they received. That, she can emphasise with.

Do you have a list of the employees who do that? Or you can direcly give me the reports you've received, I'll call them in for a sensitivity meeting and formation. I'll send enveryone an email to remind them to communicate and send reports by emails only unless absolutely necessary.

She sighs. She might need to do another general formation for everyone in the office soon if that keeps happening.

The sliding of a chair can be heard, followed by footsteps, until Archer swings open the door sharply.

What do you-

Ah. Hello, Cass. Come on in.

Before she can even respond, they turn around, going back into their office and sitting at their chair. They wait for her to come in, before beginning to talk again.

I'm assuming you're here for the accommodations meeting, yes?

Good afternoon, Archer.

She emphasise the last word, knowing perfectly that they don't like her using their name as much as she dislike them calling her by her nickname.

Obviously. I wouldn't see any other reason to come to your office. Let's get to it then.

She pulls out a notebook of the small bag where she carries all of her documents, ready to write down the important things.

Oh, hello there Cass, come on in.

She hand her friend a cup of coffee, the same on that she usually takes, and points at the plate of cookies on her desk.

Help yourself, I've baked them recently.

Although Cass takes a cookie and her cup of tea, she looks tense and anxious. Cathy tenses as well. The news in this office are rarely good ones.

She enters the room, happily accepting the cup of coffee and the cookies, and sits in front of Cathy. It feels great taking a break from all the recent worry.

It makes her feel safer, saying it out loud, and she knows Cass knows it as well. She used to be the one who would not care about consequences or danger, when she was younger. But she won't any longer, she cannot risk losing anything else anymore.

It's the usual office stuff you know. 597 did things again. And then there is Perry - well employee 786, I think you do know zem?

She fidgets a bit with her bracelet, thinking about the situation.

We are not exactly friends, but they are one of the people I've been working with for the longest time, so I've started to know them a bit. I've come to see zem earlier today, to check in on them and plan a meeting, and zey told me that they have stopped receiving any work to do lately. And the past time it happened...

A sadness goes through her eyes at the thought.

Anyway. Thank you for listening to me. It felt good to be able to talk.

She finishes her coffee, grabbing another cookie to eat while walking.

I should probably get going, I still have a meeting with Archer today.

She grimaces. This is definitely not going to be the best part of her week.

Oh, hello there Cass, come on in.

She hand her friend a cup of coffee, the same on that she usually takes, and points at the plate of cookies on her desk.

Help yourself, I've baked them recently.

Although Cass takes a cookie and her cup of tea, she looks tense and anxious. Cathy tenses as well. The news in this office are rarely good ones.

She enters the room, happily accepting the cup of coffee and the cookies, and sits in front of Cathy. It feels great taking a break from all the recent worry.

It makes her feel safer, saying it out loud, and she knows Cass knows it as well. She used to be the one who would not care about consequences or danger, when she was younger. But she won't any longer, she cannot risk losing anything else anymore.

It's the usual office stuff you know. 597 did things again. And then there is Perry - well employee 786, I think you do know zem?

She fidgets a bit with her bracelet, thinking about the situation.

We are not exactly friends, but they are one of the people I've been working with for the longest time, so I've started to know them a bit. I've come to see zem earlier today, to check in on them and plan a meeting, and zey told me that they have stopped receiving any work to do lately. And the past time it happened...

A sadness goes through her eyes at the thought.

Oh, hello there Cass, come on in.

She hand her friend a cup of coffee, the same on that she usually takes, and points at the plate of cookies on her desk.

Help yourself, I've baked them recently.

Although Cass takes a cookie and her cup of tea, she looks tense and anxious. Cathy tenses as well. The news in this office are rarely good ones.

She enters the room, happily accepting the cup of coffee and the cookies, and sits in front of Cathy. It feels great taking a break from all the recent worry.

It makes her feel safer, saying it out loud, and she knows Cass knows it as well. She used to be the one who would not care about consequences or danger, when she was younger. But she won't any longer, she cannot risk losing anything else anymore.

It's the usual office stuff you know. 597 did things again. And then there is Perry - well employee 786, I think you do know zem?

She fidgets a bit with her bracelet, thinking about the situation.

We are not exactly friends, but they are one of the people I've been working with for the longest time, so I've started to know them a bit. I've come to see zem earlier today, to check in on them and plan a meeting, and zey told me that they have stopped receiving any work to do lately. And the past time it happened...

Oh, hello there Cass, come on in.

She hand her friend a cup of coffee, the same on that she usually takes, and points at the plate of cookies on her desk.

Help yourself, I've baked them recently.

Although Cass takes a cookie and her cup of tea, she looks tense and anxious. Cathy tenses as well. The news in this office are rarely good ones.

She enters the room, happily accepting the cup of coffee and the cookies, and sits in front of Cathy. It feels great taking a break from all the recent worry.

Oh, hello there Cass, come on in.

She hand her friend a cup of coffee, the same on that she usually takes, and points at the plate of cookies on her desk.

Help yourself, I've baked them recently.

Although Cass takes a cookie and her cup of tea, she looks tense and anxious. Cathy tenses as well. The news in this office are rarely good ones.

She enters the room, happily accepting the cup of coffee and the cookies, and sits in front of Cathy. It feels great taking a break from all the recent worry.

Starships were meant to fly

Hands up and touch the sky

Can't stop 'cause we're so high...

He shakes his head a little, laughing quietly, before he knocks loudly on the door.

As Jake begins knocking, the music abruptly cuts off, as if someone had scrambled to pause it the moment they realized someone else was in their area. A few moments later, Satsuo smoothly opens the door.

{You need wh—pah! Hello. Come-in.

Jake follows Satsuo into the office, signing as he goes.

{Not-remember past I sleep... But feel awake now.

What song you listen? Sound familiar, but I not-know.}

{Glad hear. Music is what? Pop. Helps-me focus. Song name what? S-T-A-R-S-H-I-P-S.} He pauses for a second, seemingly considering something, then continues with trepidation. {My H-O-S-H-I finish favorite genre.}

He walks back to his desk, drumming his fingers on the cheap particle board.

He blushes a little at the end. It's unclear if he realized how that sounded before or after he said it, but he's sticking to it.

Jake looks a bit nervous, as he unfolds the papers. He sets them down on Satsuo's desk, allowing them to read it at the same time.

As Jake read on, he felt bad for 597's situation. Even if it'd been... harsh to him earlier, he was still an empathetic person. And from what he could tell, it didn't deserve this. Not like anyone here deserved this office's treatment.

{7-2-7 I know. I never meet 5-9-7. Feel-bad-for them.

…Bosses can remove-traits. That extremely-bad. Bosses powerful. We need be-careful.

He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

{5-9-7 I... I past know. But that not important.}

He seems uncomfortable thinking about it, quickly moving on.

{That extremely-bad. Yes. No-share this. O-K?

I have next paper.}

He moves the first report to the side, letting the second be seen.

{4-1-8… also not-know. Paper frustrating vague. Not-useful now. At-least for us.}

{I know 4-1-8. He my friend. This...}

He shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about this. 418 has clearly changed since then, he's clearly more than just a worker. Besides, this was written five years ago.

It's not accurate anymore, whether the office agrees or not. At least the impact part. He certainly had an impact on Jake.

He moves the paper over, revealing the last one.

Jake's breath catches in his throat. It was about him. And... someone. Someone he'd forgotten. Of course. He always forgot the most important things.

Clearly, whoever this was must've been special to him. But as he tried to think back, all he got was a headache. He couldn't remember anything. Not a name, not a face, not even who this person was to him.

He leaned forward against the desk, using his arms to keep himself standing. He wanted to say SOMETHING, but all he could think about was how much he must've hurt this person. His best bet was to hope that he was forgotten too. Maybe then he would stop hurting the people he loves.

When he finally feels steady enough, he begins to sign to Satsuo, trying his best to hold back tears.

{I... This place evil. Can you imagine how feel when person forget you? ...I hurt someone. I can't-}

Jake grabs the paper off the desk, putting it under the others in the stack. He can't take looking at it anymore, seeing how much he must've fucked up someone's life.

{Forgetting your not-fault. You love-finish someone. You want-finish see them.

You love too-much them keep-safe.}

Jake can see tears welling in Satsuo’s eyes, mirroring his own, but the designer takes a deep breath and the tears are gone.

{You go-through much. I sorry. You deserve better.}

Satsuo hesitates before stepping away. His hand tingles from the sudden lack of touch.

{Keep you I not-want. You need think. I not-want impede.

Jake tries to pull himself together, but is clearly failing.

People keep telling him that forgetting isn't his fault. And it makes sense to him. After all, it's literal mind control they're talking about here. But he still can't shake the feeling of guilt.

Isn't love supposed to survive things like this? And while he can't remember, he knows how he is. If he was that desperate to see someone, he must've truly loved them.

Was he loved back?

That didn't matter anymore. Not when he couldn't feel it.

He looked towards Satsuo's office door. He should leave. He needs to calm down, to stop embarrassing himself. But then he remembers it. How it feeds on these emotions when he's all alone. He can't take that right now, not on top of everything else.

He looks down at it, then turns back to Satsuo, hoping the other man will get the message.

{This J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y. My H-O-S-H-I favorite plush. Gave-me for emotions help. Maybe it help you.}

He smiles tentatively.

He takes the stuffie in his arms, holding it softly to his chest. The soft fabric feels almost familiar, calming him down a bit. He adjusts it to be cradled in one arm, before he signs.

{J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y...} He can't help but laugh. {Your H-O-S-H-I true have best taste. Thank-you.}

Satsuo really was surprisingly kind, especially for someone Jake had only met a few days ago. But the warmth of the gesture felt like... home.

{...Why you care? I no-deserve this.}

{Everyone deserve happy. That mean you. You deserve kind-give. Especially after everything.}

There’s a moment where Satsuo trails off, unsure of what to say. He adjusts his cuffs, thinking.

Jake sighs. He knows how much of a hassle he must be for the others to deal with, always sensitive, always needing help. And everyone always treated him so kindly, telling him he deserves it. But it's hard to believe, especially when he's never done anything nearly as kind in return.

But maybe it'd be good for him to talk to Satsuo. Right now, they're the only two who know about this. And he would hate to push his problems onto even more people, so he might as well talk to someone who at least gets part of it.

{I... I can't imagine how feel. Have person forget about you. It hurt know I hurt someone. If...

If your H-O-S-H-I forget you. How feel?}

Jake pauses for a moment. His question was supposed to be rhetorical, but thinking about it all just... hurts. How could he let someone down like that? How many other people has he hurt? What about his friends, his family? Did he have siblings who worried about him, friends who cared, parents who missed him?

...H-O-S-H-I forget-me do what? Devastate me. Everyday I cry, I mourn. They my life finish. Their not-fault, but it hurt.

Now they gone anyway. Not-matter.}

Satsuo fiddles with something in his pocket. Lifting his hand to sign again, the motion almost causes the object to fall out, but he catches it just in time. Jake can see a flash of a white square—a piece of paper, perhaps? A note from his Hoshi?

And when Satsuo signed about his Hoshi being gone, Jake felt his heart stop. Fuck, why did he say that? He didn't know anything about Satsuo's relationship with this person, he shouldn't have used them as an example. He'd probably hurt Satsuo so much more by saying that. God, why did he always fuck everything up? He almost didn't notice Satsuo's fidgeting, too wrapped up in his own guilt. He'd have to wonder about that later, right now, he fucked up.

{...I sorry they gone. I no-try make you remember past.

You fine. I-ask-you. Not your fault.}

Jake sighed. He swears, he has to be breaking some sort of record recently. How can one person do this much wrong in such little time?

Talk about this we should stop. Not-want hurt you more.

{I like photography.} He seems a bit hesitant at first, but continues on. {Have P-O-L-A-R-O-I-D camera. Take-photo around office sometimes. Many little things people no-see.}

When he sees that Satsuo doesn't stop him, he continues.

{Some say office dull. Repetitive. But I think different. If you look for it there a-lot see.

You see new world from camera. And you can share that through photo. All things matter if you make them. You just need show it.

And take-photo people amazing. Tell story through one scene. I keep memory this way. Through people. Places. Everyone here have different life and story. Difficult see alone. But in photo...

Everything together. One moment tell all.}

As he signs all of this, his expression shows... joy. He looks younger, happier, almost as if he'd never gone through all of the horrors of this godforsaken office. He seems so passionate about what he's doing, completely vulnerable and unmasked. Years of forgetting, not knowing, being so unsure of himself, seem to wash away in this moment.

{Picture memory object. Past happier it-help-me remember.}

He raises his hands to sign again, but is interrupted by a knock at the door.

{Pah! Sorry. Likely 2-7-7 . Need get-this.}

As Satsuo starts towards the door, Jake notices the white square falling out of his pocket. When the older man doesn't notice the accident, Jake walks to the supposed note, putting Jeff Barry on the desk, and picks it up from the floor. He should give it back to Satsuo, but curiosity overtakes him. He shouldn't be doing this, but...

As he unfolds it, he realizes it's not a note but a... Polaroid?

The picture shows two smiling men. The one on the left was Satsuo, hair much messier than it is nowadays and glasses are nowhere to be found, planting a kiss on-

Jake stares at the photo for the moment, shock overtaking him. The man this younger Satsuo is kissing looks like... him.

His hair was fluffier and longer than it is now, going down to his chin. Instead of his ugly work shirt, he's wearing a blue T-shirt, printed words cut off in the frame. His eyebags from long working nights are practically gone, but other than the changes of time, it's clear that this IS him.

This younger version of him is blushing, eyes wide with surprise, clearly flustered by the kiss. The selfie is slightly blurry, almost as if the camera was dropped after it was taken.

The photo is shaking in his hands, his mind racing with so many questions.

He begs for memory to come back to him, to explain this. But nothing came. Instead, what floods his mind is shock. Was he who Satsuo kept referring to? His "Hoshi"? That explains... a lot.

But it also brings up even more questions. Why didn't Satsuo tell him? Why was he still reaching out? If Jake had really hurt him like that, why did the designer still care for him?

Fuck, he can't deal with this right now. This is too much all at once.

He shoves the photo in his pocket, wrinkling it further in the process. He walks over to Satsuo and 277, not paying attention to what they're saying.

I have to go, sorry. He signs while he talks, quickly walking out of the room. He needs to get back to his office, NOW. Maybe then he can figure things out.

{Hey. How are you doing? I hope I am not interrupting.}

{I wanted to ask you two things. I'm coming from P-E-R-R-Y office and they have a problem with the lift. It is broken. I've tried to get maintenance to fix it, but no one replied, do you think you could help with it?}

She pauses, as the other employee suddently walks over, leaving the office quickly, looking disturbed and anxious.

Jake rushes past him, and Satsuo jumps a little. What was wrong? Was Jake not on good terms with Cass? He’d have to apologize later. No matter now, though—he was back on duty for his job.

{Everything should-be O-K. I not-know J-A-K-E run. Later I talk-to-him.

…Fix elevator I can. One moment.}

Satsuo frowns in concentration, seemingly searching for something. After a moment, he nods at the air with a satisfied look on his face, and flicks his wrist.

elevatorHotfix();

She looks as Satsuo does...something (?) she cannot understand. Well, she has seen weirder things happen, and if it can get the elevator fixed, then so be it. Still, she'll have to go have a look to verify if it properly works before talking to Perry.

{Tomorrow lunch I free. Everyone else that work?}

She notices that Satsuo didn't reply to the question, but doesn't push it further. He is there, and not hurt, that's all she needs to know for now.

Starships were meant to fly

Hands up and touch the sky

Can't stop 'cause we're so high...

He shakes his head a little, laughing quietly, before he knocks loudly on the door.

As Jake begins knocking, the music abruptly cuts off, as if someone had scrambled to pause it the moment they realized someone else was in their area. A few moments later, Satsuo smoothly opens the door.

{You need wh—pah! Hello. Come-in.

Jake follows Satsuo into the office, signing as he goes.

{Not-remember past I sleep... But feel awake now.

What song you listen? Sound familiar, but I not-know.}

{Glad hear. Music is what? Pop. Helps-me focus. Song name what? S-T-A-R-S-H-I-P-S.} He pauses for a second, seemingly considering something, then continues with trepidation. {My H-O-S-H-I finish favorite genre.}

He walks back to his desk, drumming his fingers on the cheap particle board.

He blushes a little at the end. It's unclear if he realized how that sounded before or after he said it, but he's sticking to it.

Jake looks a bit nervous, as he unfolds the papers. He sets them down on Satsuo's desk, allowing them to read it at the same time.

As Jake read on, he felt bad for 597's situation. Even if it'd been... harsh to him earlier, he was still an empathetic person. And from what he could tell, it didn't deserve this. Not like anyone here deserved this office's treatment.

{7-2-7 I know. I never meet 5-9-7. Feel-bad-for them.

…Bosses can remove-traits. That extremely-bad. Bosses powerful. We need be-careful.

He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

{5-9-7 I... I past know. But that not important.}

He seems uncomfortable thinking about it, quickly moving on.

{That extremely-bad. Yes. No-share this. O-K?

I have next paper.}

He moves the first report to the side, letting the second be seen.

{4-1-8… also not-know. Paper frustrating vague. Not-useful now. At-least for us.}

{I know 4-1-8. He my friend. This...}

He shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about this. 418 has clearly changed since then, he's clearly more than just a worker. Besides, this was written five years ago.

It's not accurate anymore, whether the office agrees or not. At least the impact part. He certainly had an impact on Jake.

He moves the paper over, revealing the last one.

Jake's breath catches in his throat. It was about him. And... someone. Someone he'd forgotten. Of course. He always forgot the most important things.

Clearly, whoever this was must've been special to him. But as he tried to think back, all he got was a headache. He couldn't remember anything. Not a name, not a face, not even who this person was to him.

He leaned forward against the desk, using his arms to keep himself standing. He wanted to say SOMETHING, but all he could think about was how much he must've hurt this person. His best bet was to hope that he was forgotten too. Maybe then he would stop hurting the people he loves.

When he finally feels steady enough, he begins to sign to Satsuo, trying his best to hold back tears.

{I... This place evil. Can you imagine how feel when person forget you? ...I hurt someone. I can't-}

Jake grabs the paper off the desk, putting it under the others in the stack. He can't take looking at it anymore, seeing how much he must've fucked up someone's life.

{Forgetting your not-fault. You love-finish someone. You want-finish see them.

You love too-much them keep-safe.}

Jake can see tears welling in Satsuo’s eyes, mirroring his own, but the designer takes a deep breath and the tears are gone.

{You go-through much. I sorry. You deserve better.}

Satsuo hesitates before stepping away. His hand tingles from the sudden lack of touch.

{Keep you I not-want. You need think. I not-want impede.

Jake tries to pull himself together, but is clearly failing.

People keep telling him that forgetting isn't his fault. And it makes sense to him. After all, it's literal mind control they're talking about here. But he still can't shake the feeling of guilt.

Isn't love supposed to survive things like this? And while he can't remember, he knows how he is. If he was that desperate to see someone, he must've truly loved them.

Was he loved back?

That didn't matter anymore. Not when he couldn't feel it.

He looked towards Satsuo's office door. He should leave. He needs to calm down, to stop embarrassing himself. But then he remembers it. How it feeds on these emotions when he's all alone. He can't take that right now, not on top of everything else.

He looks down at it, then turns back to Satsuo, hoping the other man will get the message.

{This J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y. My H-O-S-H-I favorite plush. Gave-me for emotions help. Maybe it help you.}

He smiles tentatively.

He takes the stuffie in his arms, holding it softly to his chest. The soft fabric feels almost familiar, calming him down a bit. He adjusts it to be cradled in one arm, before he signs.

{J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y...} He can't help but laugh. {Your H-O-S-H-I true have best taste. Thank-you.}

Satsuo really was surprisingly kind, especially for someone Jake had only met a few days ago. But the warmth of the gesture felt like... home.

{...Why you care? I no-deserve this.}

{Everyone deserve happy. That mean you. You deserve kind-give. Especially after everything.}

There’s a moment where Satsuo trails off, unsure of what to say. He adjusts his cuffs, thinking.

Jake sighs. He knows how much of a hassle he must be for the others to deal with, always sensitive, always needing help. And everyone always treated him so kindly, telling him he deserves it. But it's hard to believe, especially when he's never done anything nearly as kind in return.

But maybe it'd be good for him to talk to Satsuo. Right now, they're the only two who know about this. And he would hate to push his problems onto even more people, so he might as well talk to someone who at least gets part of it.

{I... I can't imagine how feel. Have person forget about you. It hurt know I hurt someone. If...

If your H-O-S-H-I forget you. How feel?}

Jake pauses for a moment. His question was supposed to be rhetorical, but thinking about it all just... hurts. How could he let someone down like that? How many other people has he hurt? What about his friends, his family? Did he have siblings who worried about him, friends who cared, parents who missed him?

...H-O-S-H-I forget-me do what? Devastate me. Everyday I cry, I mourn. They my life finish. Their not-fault, but it hurt.

Now they gone anyway. Not-matter.}

Satsuo fiddles with something in his pocket. Lifting his hand to sign again, the motion almost causes the object to fall out, but he catches it just in time. Jake can see a flash of a white square—a piece of paper, perhaps? A note from his Hoshi?

And when Satsuo signed about his Hoshi being gone, Jake felt his heart stop. Fuck, why did he say that? He didn't know anything about Satsuo's relationship with this person, he shouldn't have used them as an example. He'd probably hurt Satsuo so much more by saying that. God, why did he always fuck everything up? He almost didn't notice Satsuo's fidgeting, too wrapped up in his own guilt. He'd have to wonder about that later, right now, he fucked up.

{...I sorry they gone. I no-try make you remember past.

You fine. I-ask-you. Not your fault.}

Jake sighed. He swears, he has to be breaking some sort of record recently. How can one person do this much wrong in such little time?

Talk about this we should stop. Not-want hurt you more.

{I like photography.} He seems a bit hesitant at first, but continues on. {Have P-O-L-A-R-O-I-D camera. Take-photo around office sometimes. Many little things people no-see.}

When he sees that Satsuo doesn't stop him, he continues.

{Some say office dull. Repetitive. But I think different. If you look for it there a-lot see.

You see new world from camera. And you can share that through photo. All things matter if you make them. You just need show it.

And take-photo people amazing. Tell story through one scene. I keep memory this way. Through people. Places. Everyone here have different life and story. Difficult see alone. But in photo...

Everything together. One moment tell all.}

As he signs all of this, his expression shows... joy. He looks younger, happier, almost as if he'd never gone through all of the horrors of this godforsaken office. He seems so passionate about what he's doing, completely vulnerable and unmasked. Years of forgetting, not knowing, being so unsure of himself, seem to wash away in this moment.

{Picture memory object. Past happier it-help-me remember.}

He raises his hands to sign again, but is interrupted by a knock at the door.

{Pah! Sorry. Likely 2-7-7 . Need get-this.}

As Satsuo starts towards the door, Jake notices the white square falling out of his pocket. When the older man doesn't notice the accident, Jake walks to the supposed note, putting Jeff Barry on the desk, and picks it up from the floor. He should give it back to Satsuo, but curiosity overtakes him. He shouldn't be doing this, but...

As he unfolds it, he realizes it's not a note but a... Polaroid?

The picture shows two smiling men. The one on the left was Satsuo, hair much messier than it is nowadays and glasses are nowhere to be found, planting a kiss on-

Jake stares at the photo for the moment, shock overtaking him. The man this younger Satsuo is kissing looks like... him.

His hair was fluffier and longer than it is now, going down to his chin. Instead of his ugly work shirt, he's wearing a blue T-shirt, printed words cut off in the frame. His eyebags from long working nights are practically gone, but other than the changes of time, it's clear that this IS him.

This younger version of him is blushing, eyes wide with surprise, clearly flustered by the kiss. The selfie is slightly blurry, almost as if the camera was dropped after it was taken.

The photo is shaking in his hands, his mind racing with so many questions.

He begs for memory to come back to him, to explain this. But nothing came. Instead, what floods his mind is shock. Was he who Satsuo kept referring to? His "Hoshi"? That explains... a lot.

But it also brings up even more questions. Why didn't Satsuo tell him? Why was he still reaching out? If Jake had really hurt him like that, why did the designer still care for him?

Fuck, he can't deal with this right now. This is too much all at once.

He shoves the photo in his pocket, wrinkling it further in the process. He walks over to Satsuo and 277, not paying attention to what they're saying.

I have to go, sorry. He signs while he talks, quickly walking out of the room. He needs to get back to his office, NOW. Maybe then he can figure things out.

{Hey. How are you doing? I hope I am not interrupting.}

{I wanted to ask you two things. I'm coming from P-E-R-R-Y office and they have a problem with the lift. It is broken. I've tried to get maintenance to fix it, but no one replied, do you think you could help with it?}

She pauses, as the other employee suddently walks over, leaving the office quickly, looking disturbed and anxious.

Jake rushes past him, and Satsuo jumps a little. What was wrong? Was Jake not on good terms with Cass? He’d have to apologize later. No matter now, though—he was back on duty for his job.

{Everything should-be O-K. I not-know J-A-K-E run. Later I talk-to-him.

…Fix elevator I can. One moment.}

Satsuo frowns in concentration, seemingly searching for something. After a moment, he nods at the air with a satisfied look on his face, and flicks his wrist.

elevatorHotfix();

She looks as Satsuo does...something (?) she cannot understand. Well, she has seen weirder things happen, and if it can get the elevator fixed, then so be it. Still, she'll have to go have a look to verify if it properly works before talking to Perry.

Starships were meant to fly

Hands up and touch the sky

Can't stop 'cause we're so high...

He shakes his head a little, laughing quietly, before he knocks loudly on the door.

As Jake begins knocking, the music abruptly cuts off, as if someone had scrambled to pause it the moment they realized someone else was in their area. A few moments later, Satsuo smoothly opens the door.

{You need wh—pah! Hello. Come-in.

Jake follows Satsuo into the office, signing as he goes.

{Not-remember past I sleep... But feel awake now.

What song you listen? Sound familiar, but I not-know.}

{Glad hear. Music is what? Pop. Helps-me focus. Song name what? S-T-A-R-S-H-I-P-S.} He pauses for a second, seemingly considering something, then continues with trepidation. {My H-O-S-H-I finish favorite genre.}

He walks back to his desk, drumming his fingers on the cheap particle board.

He blushes a little at the end. It's unclear if he realized how that sounded before or after he said it, but he's sticking to it.

Jake looks a bit nervous, as he unfolds the papers. He sets them down on Satsuo's desk, allowing them to read it at the same time.

As Jake read on, he felt bad for 597's situation. Even if it'd been... harsh to him earlier, he was still an empathetic person. And from what he could tell, it didn't deserve this. Not like anyone here deserved this office's treatment.

{7-2-7 I know. I never meet 5-9-7. Feel-bad-for them.

…Bosses can remove-traits. That extremely-bad. Bosses powerful. We need be-careful.

He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

{5-9-7 I... I past know. But that not important.}

He seems uncomfortable thinking about it, quickly moving on.

{That extremely-bad. Yes. No-share this. O-K?

I have next paper.}

He moves the first report to the side, letting the second be seen.

{4-1-8… also not-know. Paper frustrating vague. Not-useful now. At-least for us.}

{I know 4-1-8. He my friend. This...}

He shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about this. 418 has clearly changed since then, he's clearly more than just a worker. Besides, this was written five years ago.

It's not accurate anymore, whether the office agrees or not. At least the impact part. He certainly had an impact on Jake.

He moves the paper over, revealing the last one.

Jake's breath catches in his throat. It was about him. And... someone. Someone he'd forgotten. Of course. He always forgot the most important things.

Clearly, whoever this was must've been special to him. But as he tried to think back, all he got was a headache. He couldn't remember anything. Not a name, not a face, not even who this person was to him.

He leaned forward against the desk, using his arms to keep himself standing. He wanted to say SOMETHING, but all he could think about was how much he must've hurt this person. His best bet was to hope that he was forgotten too. Maybe then he would stop hurting the people he loves.

When he finally feels steady enough, he begins to sign to Satsuo, trying his best to hold back tears.

{I... This place evil. Can you imagine how feel when person forget you? ...I hurt someone. I can't-}

Jake grabs the paper off the desk, putting it under the others in the stack. He can't take looking at it anymore, seeing how much he must've fucked up someone's life.

{Forgetting your not-fault. You love-finish someone. You want-finish see them.

You love too-much them keep-safe.}

Jake can see tears welling in Satsuo’s eyes, mirroring his own, but the designer takes a deep breath and the tears are gone.

{You go-through much. I sorry. You deserve better.}

Satsuo hesitates before stepping away. His hand tingles from the sudden lack of touch.

{Keep you I not-want. You need think. I not-want impede.

Jake tries to pull himself together, but is clearly failing.

People keep telling him that forgetting isn't his fault. And it makes sense to him. After all, it's literal mind control they're talking about here. But he still can't shake the feeling of guilt.

Isn't love supposed to survive things like this? And while he can't remember, he knows how he is. If he was that desperate to see someone, he must've truly loved them.

Was he loved back?

That didn't matter anymore. Not when he couldn't feel it.

He looked towards Satsuo's office door. He should leave. He needs to calm down, to stop embarrassing himself. But then he remembers it. How it feeds on these emotions when he's all alone. He can't take that right now, not on top of everything else.

He looks down at it, then turns back to Satsuo, hoping the other man will get the message.

{This J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y. My H-O-S-H-I favorite plush. Gave-me for emotions help. Maybe it help you.}

He smiles tentatively.

He takes the stuffie in his arms, holding it softly to his chest. The soft fabric feels almost familiar, calming him down a bit. He adjusts it to be cradled in one arm, before he signs.

{J-E-F-F B-A-R-R-Y...} He can't help but laugh. {Your H-O-S-H-I true have best taste. Thank-you.}

Satsuo really was surprisingly kind, especially for someone Jake had only met a few days ago. But the warmth of the gesture felt like... home.

{...Why you care? I no-deserve this.}

{Everyone deserve happy. That mean you. You deserve kind-give. Especially after everything.}

There’s a moment where Satsuo trails off, unsure of what to say. He adjusts his cuffs, thinking.

Jake sighs. He knows how much of a hassle he must be for the others to deal with, always sensitive, always needing help. And everyone always treated him so kindly, telling him he deserves it. But it's hard to believe, especially when he's never done anything nearly as kind in return.

But maybe it'd be good for him to talk to Satsuo. Right now, they're the only two who know about this. And he would hate to push his problems onto even more people, so he might as well talk to someone who at least gets part of it.

{I... I can't imagine how feel. Have person forget about you. It hurt know I hurt someone. If...

If your H-O-S-H-I forget you. How feel?}

Jake pauses for a moment. His question was supposed to be rhetorical, but thinking about it all just... hurts. How could he let someone down like that? How many other people has he hurt? What about his friends, his family? Did he have siblings who worried about him, friends who cared, parents who missed him?

...H-O-S-H-I forget-me do what? Devastate me. Everyday I cry, I mourn. They my life finish. Their not-fault, but it hurt.

Now they gone anyway. Not-matter.}

Satsuo fiddles with something in his pocket. Lifting his hand to sign again, the motion almost causes the object to fall out, but he catches it just in time. Jake can see a flash of a white square—a piece of paper, perhaps? A note from his Hoshi?

And when Satsuo signed about his Hoshi being gone, Jake felt his heart stop. Fuck, why did he say that? He didn't know anything about Satsuo's relationship with this person, he shouldn't have used them as an example. He'd probably hurt Satsuo so much more by saying that. God, why did he always fuck everything up? He almost didn't notice Satsuo's fidgeting, too wrapped up in his own guilt. He'd have to wonder about that later, right now, he fucked up.

{...I sorry they gone. I no-try make you remember past.

You fine. I-ask-you. Not your fault.}

Jake sighed. He swears, he has to be breaking some sort of record recently. How can one person do this much wrong in such little time?

Talk about this we should stop. Not-want hurt you more.

{I like photography.} He seems a bit hesitant at first, but continues on. {Have P-O-L-A-R-O-I-D camera. Take-photo around office sometimes. Many little things people no-see.}

When he sees that Satsuo doesn't stop him, he continues.

{Some say office dull. Repetitive. But I think different. If you look for it there a-lot see.

You see new world from camera. And you can share that through photo. All things matter if you make them. You just need show it.

And take-photo people amazing. Tell story through one scene. I keep memory this way. Through people. Places. Everyone here have different life and story. Difficult see alone. But in photo...

Everything together. One moment tell all.}

As he signs all of this, his expression shows... joy. He looks younger, happier, almost as if he'd never gone through all of the horrors of this godforsaken office. He seems so passionate about what he's doing, completely vulnerable and unmasked. Years of forgetting, not knowing, being so unsure of himself, seem to wash away in this moment.

{Picture memory object. Past happier it-help-me remember.}

He raises his hands to sign again, but is interrupted by a knock at the door.

{Pah! Sorry. Likely 2-7-7 . Need get-this.}

As Satsuo starts towards the door, Jake notices the white square falling out of his pocket. When the older man doesn't notice the accident, Jake walks to the supposed note, putting Jeff Barry on the desk, and picks it up from the floor. He should give it back to Satsuo, but curiosity overtakes him. He shouldn't be doing this, but...

As he unfolds it, he realizes it's not a note but a... Polaroid?

The picture shows two smiling men. The one on the left was Satsuo, hair much messier than it is nowadays and glasses are nowhere to be found, planting a kiss on-

Jake stares at the photo for the moment, shock overtaking him. The man this younger Satsuo is kissing looks like... him.

His hair was fluffier and longer than it is now, going down to his chin. Instead of his ugly work shirt, he's wearing a blue T-shirt, printed words cut off in the frame. His eyebags from long working nights are practically gone, but other than the changes of time, it's clear that this IS him.

This younger version of him is blushing, eyes wide with surprise, clearly flustered by the kiss. The selfie is slightly blurry, almost as if the camera was dropped after it was taken.

The photo is shaking in his hands, his mind racing with so many questions.

He begs for memory to come back to him, to explain this. But nothing came. Instead, what floods his mind is shock. Was he who Satsuo kept referring to? His "Hoshi"? That explains... a lot.

But it also brings up even more questions. Why didn't Satsuo tell him? Why was he still reaching out? If Jake had really hurt him like that, why did the designer still care for him?

Fuck, he can't deal with this right now. This is too much all at once.

He shoves the photo in his pocket, wrinkling it further in the process. He walks over to Satsuo and 277, not paying attention to what they're saying.

I have to go, sorry. He signs while he talks, quickly walking out of the room. He needs to get back to his office, NOW. Maybe then he can figure things out.

{Hey. How are you doing? I hope I am not interrupting.}

{I wanted to ask you two things. I'm coming from P-E-R-R-Y office and they have a problem with the lift. It is broken. I've tried to get maintenance to fix it, but no one replied, do you think you could help with it?}

She pauses, as the other employee suddently walks over, leaving the office quickly, looking disturbed and anxious.

Took this quiz first as myself, then as Jake, and for Jake I got:

...he really was that, in the beginning, wasn't he?

Hey Perry! I wanted to set a date for our bis-annual meeting. I could have sent an email, but with the current situation I thought it would be nice to come and ask directly, so I could check in at the same time.

Perry’s face lights up when they see the woman in front of of zem.

“Cass! Come on in.”

Perry’s room is—well, it’s better than it was a few weeks ago, but it’s safe to say it’s a mess. Papers spew haphazardly across the floor, a random computer with a Post-It screaming “CURSED—DO NOT TURN ON” in bold faces the back wall at the edge of the desk, and the water cooler has seemingly been colored in marker with (admittedly pretty) spiraling patterns. There’s a touch of cheerfulness to the place, though, coming from the various plants on the floor and hanging from the ceiling.

“Not the best my corner of the office has ever looked, but certainly not the worst, either,” they joke as zey lead Cass in.

“So, the bi-annual meeting! I’m available basically any time for it. The bosses have… basically stopped giving me jobs to do, so I’m free as a bird.” Zey smile, but their eyes are sharp as they search for any recognition in Cass’s face of the weirdness of the Office. “I’ve been having bad flare-ups recently, so it’s nice the review’s coming around soon anyway. And plus, the elevator hasn’t been fixed in forever.”

Did someone told you why?

She tries to be careful with her question, while looking around the office. What happened there definitely does not appear to be good, but there is no point in alarming Perry at the moment, so she continues.

And I figured you would have been trying already, I know you’re good at getting on people’s asses about repair.”