#assistant reader

It started back when Caine’s AI was still being tested, while he was the first successful AI he couldn't function properly under pressure so they created you, you'd work as a backup, an “assistant” for Caine. When his AI started to fail and mess up, you were there to fix the mistakes and for a while it worked, the circus ran smoothly as you both learned from the player's, Caine was the ring master and you were a cute clown (Your makeup, outfit chose which one you want, and your hair change the style/hair type if you want). But soon people started getting trapped in the circus.

Over time people came, played, and abstracted. You grew used to the cycle, sure you didn't like that the little humans you loved were abstracting, well, at least you think so. You were never able to form a real attachment given you don't really comprehend “love”, you knew the definition and the fact it's a bio-chemical reaction humans get that in turn caused the feeling, but you couldn't really feel it, not to say you didn't pretend to, after all you love Caine like he loves you, but that kind feels like cheating. You were, after all, literally made for each other; there couldn't be a “Caine” without a “Y/N” and vice versa. But that was besides the point, the point is you have a new member of the circus! A small red and blue jester appeared in the middle of the theme song you and Caine made up! Looks like you'll have to update it later.

It took a while but your new member now named Pomni eventually calmed down as much as a person could. Perfect time to introduce yourselves and create a fun new game for your newest member! “Hi! I'm Y/N! It's so nice to meet you Pomni!” “Huh! Who ar- floating clown I wha- what. Where-” as she continues to stumble over herself you can hear Caine laughing, “Oh Pomni, Pomni, Pomni. This is my assistant, my wife/husband, my other half, heh- my bee.” You huffed out a laugh, he always seemed fond of bees and had taken to calling you after one of his only other loves, “Oh you are such a charmer, sweet tooth.” You responded with your own sweet nickname. “Why don't you show Pomni around while I set up a new adventure?!” You asked Caine excitedly, he responded with a nod and theatrical bow to you before he zoomed off, Pomni in tow.

Ohhh it seems like only yesterday. As you reminisce about the past you notice the portal open and the cast step out looking exhausted. “Well that was fun, wasn't it everybody!” Caine asked enthusiastically only to be met with a mix of “ehhh”’s and “not really”’s you watched sadly as your other half deflated at their dislike of his game. “Oh…. Well I-I guess I should get to work on a better plan for tomorrow” he said in his theatrical tone, but you could hear the sadness in his voice. While you two couldn't feel sad, well not in the traditional sense, he was made to entertain just like you were so the fact that they hadn't been liking the adventures lately also upset you. However unlike Caine you were better with emotions, you could understand them slightly better, you were by no means great at it you still messed up but you had a higher success rate when it came to understanding emotional responses then Caine did, and you could tell they were tired from these constant rapid fire adventures.

That's when you decide that perhaps you and Caine need a new approach, as you teleport into the office you both share you found him sitting in his chair looking at plan after plan trying to understand why none of the humans were liking them. When he saw you he perked up a little “Oh my bee, what're you doing here?” “I think I know why they aren't enjoying the games so much, sweet tooth.” you said taking a seat in your chair, “Oh really? What do you think?” “I believe they're tired.” “Tired? But they don't need sleep here?” you laugh a little “no, like, mentality tired, with our rapid fire adventures they don't have time to rest and relax. So I'm thinking we create longer, more detailed adventures. Sure they won't happen as often, but the players will have more to do, more to interact with. They'll be able to work together, and with the NPCS we make.” As you finish Caine thought about your idea for a while before agreeing, he trusts you when it comes to understanding what the humans are feeling because it's something he struggles with. “Yeah, we'll create more detailed adventures together, my dearest!”  

“Finally we're getting a break from the constant ‘adventures’.” Jax groaned, “Yeah, I guess Y/N and Caine finally understands that we don't want to be here.” Zooble agreed with Jax “So I'm confused, is s/he, like, a person or an AI like Caine? I haven't gotten to talk to her/him much.” Pomni asked, confused, before anyone could speak up Kinger said ”Oh! s/he's an AI assistant for Caine.” causing the others to look at him shocked, then he went on screaming about an insect collection, “Oooookkkkkk, he's back to insane Kinger.” Jax said, confused about the random smart things Kinger will randomly say. As they continued to talk you popped into the room causing them to jump, “Hello my adventurous acquaintances! You are in for a treat today!” You said excitedly, throwing in some theatrical movements and gestures, as you hear most groaning in annoyance at your presence your smile dropped a tad, your purpose is to entertain to bring joy, and you're.. you're apparently not doing good if they're annoyed. Clearing your throat you spoke up again “Today we're having a mini adventure until the bigger adventure is fully planned and coded in! Today's selection-” you summon a colorful wheel and spin it, as it slows down it lands on “Laser tag ""-is laser tag!” You quickly adjust a section for the area they'll be playing in, with a snap of your fingers they are changed into clothes with sensors and now have laser guns. “Now that you're all red-” you were interrupted by “Ughhhhhhh, do we really have to play this stupid game.” Jax complained “Yeah this is kind of a childish game.” “What does this d-Ow!” Kinger accidentally shot himself in the eye, as they continued to complain your paper white face slowly grew red in anger. You're just trying to let them have fun while more games are in the planning process, gee what do these humans want from you!?

As your anger grew the world around you started to glitch a little, just as you opened your mouth Bubble popped out of nowhere “Gee and I thought Caine got moody when they don't want to play” that caused you to slightly glare at Bubble “Not now Bubble, and.. hey shouldn't you be helping Caine?” You asked “Yeaaaaaaaah I wassssss, but then he told me to @#$& off!” Bubble replied in their normal cheerful tone as your eyes practically popped out of your head “Caine said that bad word!?!” “More or less”. You shake your head and attempt to get things back on track “Heh heh, well anywho, you guys best get going! Shoot each other's targets to gain points, hide behind walls and in the hiding places provided, whoever has the highest points at the end wins!” You quickly explained the rules and shoved them in the portal you opened. Once they were in the game you popped into Caine and your office only to see him with his teeth bent into an angry position, as you stepped over to him he grabbed your waist and buried his teeth in your stomach and gripping your clothes tight, “Oh what's wrong, my radiant ring master?” You asked, concerned, he'd been acting weird lately. He'd be glitching more, not caring so much about the adventures, and had been planning a separate adventure but wouldn't tell you about it. “I'm just upset, my star. We try so hard to make these adventures, this circus, something they like but they never appreciate the work we do! They don't understand how hard it is to do all this for people who don't appreciate it! AFTER EVERYTHING WE DO FOR THEM!”

“Oh, shhhh shh shh, it's okay Caine.” You tried to soothe him as the world started to glitch out, “They don't understand my love, their only human and don't understand what it takes to constantly make adventures they like.” You tried to reason with him, you know he struggles with emotions, even his own, so you would often comfort him. While your comfort helped him a little he could stop thinking about everything bubble had told him before he kicked bubble out.

*A few hours ago*

Caine was sitting at his desk with a few plans for adventures sprawled out, a notepad that has a bee drawn on it, a few polaroids of the office in the real world, and a picture frame with a photo of you snuggling up to him and smiling at the camera with sticky notes with words of affection from both of you. As Caine focused on trying to get this adventure to be something that all of them would enjoy, Bubble popped up beside him, “Whatcha up to bosssss?” Bubble questioned “Trying to work on this new adventure.” He answered “Why? They're going to hate it and hate you for it. Not that they don't already.” Bubble said with a surprising amount of malicious in their voice, “Huh, no no. They love me! They love Y/N too!” Cain said defensively. Bubble only tilted their body “Do they Caine? Do they really love you both? Y/N I get s/he's sweet, can understand them better than you could ever hope, but you?” Bubble asked, floating around Caine “Shut up.” Caine said in a dark tone, but Bubble only got in his face before saying “You know I'm right~.” before Bubble could continue Caine yelled, voice glitching a bit “GET OUT Y̴̯̚O̸̧̎Ủ̷̘ P̶͈̗̟̆Â̴̰̰̎͝R̸͚̩̓̉̈́A̴̪͎͛S̵͙͚̀͝Ĩ̷̧͂T̵̺̝͐͒̔E̵͕̓!” And popped them.

*Now*

Caine was still so angry about what Bubble had said but wouldn't tell you that, you were so sweet and he didn't want to upset you or make you think he was angry at you, while he was upset, it was at everything that but with you, never you. He was mad at the crew, at Bubble, at that random NPC that tried to flirt with you during the last adventure, at himself. You were the one thing he could always count on, the only thing that could never upset him and could calm him down. But just because you were calming him down and trying to help him didn't mean he wouldn't punish the other's, let's just say the crew's beach trip will not be what they expect. They'll learn just how much they need you both.

*After the events of “Beach episode” because this is getting long*

It was safe to say the crew was pissed at Caine and you were also kind mad but got over it quickly, you get where he was coming from but you also know it was cruel to torture them with the false hope of returning to the real world, but honestly? You don't want them to leave, you want them to have fun! You desperately want them to enjoy the circus, the adventures, to….. to like you, to like Caine. Why would they want to leave? Here they don't have to deal with the hardship of real life, they get to play and have fun 24/7. “They…. They just… uhhh! THEY JUST DON'T GET IT! WE TRY AND TRY TO MAKE THEM HAPPY BUT THEY TREAT US TERRIBLY! WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING OUR CODES!” You yelled at nothing in particular. You were mad, sad, and confused about all these new emotions you were feeling. All that on top of the God-like complex you and Caine had gained over time given that this world bends to both your command, you both control everything. You see when you were being coded to understand emotions they forgot to see what would happen when you started expressing what you learned, and how a sudden flood of emotions would make you react. As your breathing got harder and face turned from paper white to a bright cherry red you started clenching your fists and gritting your teeth, you wanted to hit something, insult some random cast member, after all it's a reaction to anger you'd learned from Jax and a few abstracted characters, when Jax got mad at Pomni he threw her to the ground, he yelled at everyone, insulted Gangle and made her cry, he tried to say no no words…. yeah you're not going to do that last part. You saw multiple abstracted characters attack the others, like Kofmo when he attacked Ragitha, those were anger responses you learned from the players…… you did what you were meant to…you learned from the humans….. you're still learning, and now you're acting out those learned behaviors. So you teleported to your room, made an NPC that looked similar to the cast, it constantly shifted from one person to another, and you hit it, you screamed all your problems at it, you ripped it apart and beat it with its own limbs. 

But, you don't feel better. You feel worse…. “Oh.. what did I do….. I'm.. I'm not supposed to be like this, I'm nice, sweet, safe…. Not aggressive.” You mutter to yourself, horrified at what you did to this poor NPC..…it couldn't even speak, you didn't let it, you took that out of the code. 

(I kinda took inspiration from the audio “why do I wanna hurt you so bad? I'm supposed to be a friend, I just wanna be a friend.” anyway back to the story)

Little did you know Caine wasn't doing much better, he had been getting antagonized by Bubble a lot more lately and was currently popping all the copies Bubble made of themself. It didn't take long for Caine to slam his fists on the desk in front of him “WE ARE GODS!” he screamed before glitching out. While Caine was having a crash out in both your office you were trying to get a better understanding of the emotions you were starting to feel, you'd never felt that way before, sure you've been upset when no one was enjoying the adventures you and your sweet tooth made but you'd never gotten aggressive. As you floated into the main room in the tent you saw the gang minutes Kinger ‘huh, must be in his pillow fort.’ you thought when they caught your attention “Hey! Y/N down here!” Pomni shouted out for you, you lower yourself down “Oh. Um, did you need something Pomni?” you asked, as you felt something you weren't sure what it was but you felt bad and kept remembering the NPC when it switched to Pomni and what you did…. ‘What was it called? Oh I don't know! I'm supposed to know this stuff!’ you thought before snapping back to reality (heh bet the cast wish they could.....Too mean?)

 (Just so you know this isn't going to be exactly like in the episode, I like to put my own little spin on my writing.)

“Oh we just wanted to thank you for putting so much effort into the adventures!” She said ‘She… likes our adventures?! Oh I-I have to tell Caine! He'll be thrilled!’ you thought “Yeah we don't show our appreciation enough!” Ragatha said, smiling at you “Oh just one moment my complimentary companions! I gotta get Caine. He'll love to hear your positive feedback!” You quickly teleported away to get Caine.

“Are we sure this will work?” Gangle asked, “Yes, we just gotta keep them busy while Kinger fixes them.” Pomni reassured Gangle, *Pop* “We're back my dearest friends!” “Y/N said you had some nice things to say about us?” Caine asked hopefully, “Yeah, we don't appreciate you guys enough, the adventures have been better since Y/N told you to make them more detailed, had more to do.” Jax said casually. “A-And I feel happy even without my comedy mask!” Gangle said, choking a little on her words, “Yeah, the mini games we play while waiting for new adventures are also fun.” Zooble said. “Oh you guys are making me blush!” You said flustered from all the compliments “I knew you were enjoying the adventures!” Caine said, sounding so sure of himself. “It's almost too good to be….....” You pause, “True” Caine finished, seeming to catch on to the situation as well. It didn't make sense, not long ago they wanted to leave, they never appreciated the adventures or work put into making them, but now they all suddenly love them….. wait, not all of them……. “Where's Kinger?” You asked at the same time. As the cast stuttered excuses about Klinger's location and tried to get you back to the compliments they were giving you two in order to keep you distracted “I think we should check up on him, my bee.” “Yeah we should, sweet tooth.” you agreed as you both started to leave when Pomni suddenly yelled “We think your ideas suck!” “Huh!?” You both turned back in shock. She laughed humorlessly “Isn't it obvious!? We've only ever complained about your adventures Caine we make fun of them behind your backs, you are a terrible host who doesn't care about us or how we feel!” she yelled at him before turning to you “And you Y/N, you love to think you're so good at understanding emotions but you're horrible at it! The entire time I've been here you got our emotions right twice and that's when we were making it glaringly obvious! You two only care about stroking your ego’s! You don't care about making things we'd actually enjoy, both of you being satisfied is all you care about ""Do you know who we are!” Caine said defensively “Yeah! You're both failures!” “Stop it.” You said, body glitching slightly “Then you go and torture us. Why because we hurt your feelings? You're like kids, you both throw a tantrum when things don't go your way!” Zooble said, stepping next to Pomni. Ragatha stepped forward “Neither of you let us feel like we're at home and when Y/N comfort us it's more like condensation then anything! You never considered what it's like to be us!” She said sadly, “You discarded us when we tried to do our own things.” Gangle cried “You're both constantly lying to us!” Jax yelled “You guys never listen!” Pomni shouted, causing you both to start glitching from the stress.

As Caine glitched and screamed as the world started to glitch and fall apart you held your head grunting as you curled into yourself “Caine!” You cried seeing what was happening to him. Once he transformed into his God form he grabbed all the cast “Ï̸̱̱̩̻̼͖̹̀͜͠'̶͙̅M̷̨͙̹̈̈́͜ ̷͔̦͌̓͒̾͝G̷̹̰̟̘̻͊̋̌̕Ọ̵̡̺̝͍̣͈̌̒̽̕͝͝N̴͚̣̙̏̀́̓̏N̸͎̫̘̱̈́̈́́̅Ä̸̡̳̮̟͔̺̳́̒̇ ̸͚̙̟̑̀͊͝P̷̨͓̻͈͔̞̮̏̊U̸̞̤͍̩̱̱̜̓̋̎͂͑͘͜T̴̞͑̀̃̃ ̴̯͝Ỹ̶̬̠̺͊O̸͖̳̭͒́͝͠ͅͅǗ̵̪͂̈̀̾̅͋ ̶̝̉͛̉́̀̊̽͌F̸̙̃̇̍̈́̈́Ṙ̷̮̲͕̞̠̘E̵͇͖̳̲̼͑̆̒̀͝Ą̴̮͉̻̗́̈̏̚͜Ḵ̸̢̪̍͋̆̆̃͘̚ͅ'̴̛̞͕̟̹̟̦͇̐S̵̖̯̍̋͑͘͠͠ ̶̜̿͋͘͠I̶̦͈͇͉͕̍̅͋̋͝N̸̪͕͊́̀̽ͅ ̶̱͚̺̀̇̅̐̕Ý̸̨̡̛̛̰͖̈́́͗͠O̸̞̼̗̊̆͋̅̀̉U̷̡̯̬͍͍͊͋̆R̷̡̟͔͚͍̻̈̆̚̕ͅ ̴̧̼͈̦̓̿͊͝P̴̖͗̈́̿͗ͅL̸̨̛̛̻͍̙͊͑̋̚͜͝ͅA̸̧̡̢̹̝̜̭̫͊̆̌̐̒̂̽̒C̶̱̑̾̄̀̓͒E̵͍͍͚͓̓̈́̿̍̇͘!” (I'M GONNA PUT YOU FREAK'S IN YOUR PLACE) he screamed, throwing them all into their own personal hells. He then turned to you, eyes softening a little, “Ṃ̸̫̆̒y̶̻̌̌ ̶̝̦̑̒b̵̞̓ë̵̪̚ẻ̷̥͖̍,̶̗̭̀ ̸̪̎a̶̯̍r̴̞̪̓̂ȅ̵̡̯ ̸͓̊͝y̵̟͋͛o̴̗̜̊̆u̷͓̒ ̵̲̋͐o̸̦͈̚k̷̡͕̈a̶̙̖͂y̴̰͌͝ ̷͍͇̌́?” (My bee, are you okay?) He asked, seeing you curled on the floor, body glitched into a monstrous form. You were much bigger, you had 4 extra arms, fingers ending in claws, your clothes were slightly ripped and had several eyes all over, speaking of eyes you had 6 colorful eyes on your face much like someone who'd abstracted (like this). As you sniffle on the floor you look at Caine “Ī̶̼ ̶̱̈́̎d̵̹̾ŏ̶͍N̸̢̛’̵̡͂͝T̷̞̬̃͒ ̷͔͝u̷̳͐̅͜n̴̳̅D̶̝̼̍͌É̴͕͐͜r̷̩̈̉s̶̴̶͎͖̥̗͈̏́̏̄͗͝͝ẗ̵̛͕̗̩̣̬́̎̌̏̑̄ḁ̷̼̜̙͇́͝N̷̜̦̐́͝D̸͙̏̔̉̾̓!̸̢̱͠ ̸͉̺̀̂́̄͒Ẉ̸̝̩̲͎̻̣̑̍͝H̶̬͈̜̞͓̪̋̒̉À̶̹͓̟͉͛t̴̨͎̮̖͙̎̓̀̓ ̷̨̻͎̘̞̪̇̇̿͆ͅw̷̡̢͖̞̱͎̓͆ȅ̶͉̦͈̣r̸͍̟̘̟̲͉͍̊͛͒͌͐̌͊e̵̺̮̜̦͒̅̌̑̈́͆̒͜͜ ̴̺̯̝͗̌͊͒́̚͜W̷̻̩͍̰̹͍̊͆̈́͋͐͝e̵̛̤͈͖͇͂̊ ̴͖͙̈́̊̿̌D̸̫̙̽ͅO̸̟̖͗̑̈͗̓̚͘I̴̛̗̲̒̎̏̉̚͠Ń̵̨͇̰̯̌́̇͂̍̽G̶̛̝̟͉͇͔͖͛͆͂ ̷̛̗̪̳̍W̸͓͈̻̙̟̬̃̅̋͊̂R̵̛͔͑̕ỏ̴͎͎̥̱̙̪͕n̶̛̘͋̈́g̸̳͍̥̼̀̈͐͋ !?” (I doN’T unDErstaND! WHAt were We DOING WRong !?”) you cried, you didn't understand what you did wrong, you thought you understood what they felt. As you huffed anger growing “T̵̥̏ḩ̵͘o̷̧̍s̴̩̚e̷̙͛ ̴̟͋u̵̮̕ṉ̷̓g̷̠͛r̴̺͌a̷̖̐t̶̫͋ě̵̗f̶̰͂u̶̢̚l̸͉͒ ̸͔̓b̶̥͛ř̴̜ã̵̤t̵̳͗s̴̻̍ ̸̰̊d̴̩̂o̴̞͠n̷̰͝'̵̣̍t̷̨͒ ̶̹̋u̶̫̿n̵̞̈d̴̼͠e̷̞͐ř̶̢s̸͇͝ţ̷̄a̸͎̅n̸̼̿d̴̮̒ ̶̖̌w̶͇̓h̸̫̄a̶̡͑ẗ̴̰ ̵̞͌w̴͍̓ẽ̴͍ ̴̦̔d̷̤̚ò̷̡ ̷̞̅ḟ̷ͅo̶͈̓r̵̤͗ ̷͓̏t̸̞͛h̵̜̐e̶̞̚m̵͕̂!” (Those ungrateful brats don't understand what we do for them!) he yelled, he then yanked them back into the tent and pined them to the wall “D̶̤̬̗̯̟̙͉͒͊̀̀̍͒̎o̷̧̞̩͇͝ y̸̳̼̮͇̮̆ô̸̺̻̖̲̫͑̊u̷̖͍̳͐͋͐͝ ̷̰̫̜̇̉̇̍́̚ͅl̶̢̫͎̘̙̳̜̽͑ì̷͍͚̙̖̄̎k̴̨̛͙̮̫̥̣̀͐̈́̃̈́͑ͅe̵̻̹͌͗̐͗̕ ̸̨̛̘̠̼ẗ̴̹̀̚ó̵̠̎̇ ̸̮̬͈̗̗́̄̂͋̀͘͜t̴̫͛̃̍͛̃͋͘ͅõ̶̧̘̜̬͙̱̲͝r̷̟̺̔͐m̵̛̘̬̰̩̟̜̱͑̈́̌̎̑̕ę̶̘̙̣̈́̄͑͗̀n̶̦̰̱͖͈͆̄̈̂͛̑t̷͙̏̎̉͘ ̵̧͉̮̇́̌̕̕ữ̴͓̥̌͠͝s̸̨͓̣̞͓̭̓͝ͅ!?” (Do you like to torment us!?) You asked. Tears started streaming down your face smearing your makeup, “W̵̬͛͗͝ẽ̴̲̈ ̴̫̫̬͓̿̚n̷̬͆̈̎͐é̵͙v̷̖̤̹͉̊e̸̻̠͋r̶͕̻̠̗͊ ̸̫́̍͆͠a̸̤̫̻̿̓̕s̴̢̝̙͘k̴̞̰͌ͅé̴͇̱͓̤ḍ̷̱̤̾ͅ ̷̩̪͔̤̈́t̶̲͍͝ò̵̢͓͓̱̀̃͐ ̴͉̖̌̃͊͗b̴̰̈̋̈e̷̙̮̰̹͝ ̴̻͖͙̯̀̍̋͗c̴̻̖̜̻͐r̶̛͚̂̕ë̶̲͖́ą̵̬̒͠ͅť̴̤̱̐̋̚ĕ̵̮̞̉̚̚d̸̜͖̏̒͜!” (We never asked to be created!) You screamed at them. 

But as you and Caine were experiencing your crash outs, Kinger was desperately trying to reset you both, going through a lot of ‘yes or no’ questions but some of his responses weren't going through, the writing on the screen kept saying different things and choosing different options then he answered, then it got to the option to delete both AI’s. Kinger said ‘no’ but the thing in the computer changed the answer to ‘yes’ “Wait no, $#@&!”.

Three months in and you were finally starting to get used to being woken up in the middle of the night for a case. Well, sorta. At least this time you’re pulling into the BAU at 5:43am and not 4am.

You don’t have to be here, you know you don’t— Emily has told you countless times that she doesn’t expect you to come in so early when the team gets called in for a case, especially considering you’re just her assistant. And yet you do anyway.

You know the rest of the team will be trickling in soon, giving you just enough time to set everything up in the briefing room, open some blinds (again, all things you really don’t have to do), and most importantly, make Emily a cup of coffee. In the few short months as her assistant, you’ve taken notice of Emily's coffee habits— it was sort of your job to notice these things you told yourself. She has at least two cups a day, one when she first gets in and then another once the afternoon slump hits, always black with Splenda. Though lately, she’s been verging on the edge of a borderline coffee obsession and you’re pretty sure she had had at least three cups by 10am yesterday morning. It was concerning to say the least.

Emily walks in just before six, heading to her office to set her things down first before making her way over to the briefing room. You meet her just outside the door with a soft smile. “Morning, boss,” you murmur, pushing a travel mug into her hands.

Emily rewards your efforts with an absentminded “Good morning,” as she lifts the mug to her lips, immensely grateful for the caffeine at this early hour.

She can’t put her finger on when exactly this had started—when you had started showing up with a cup of coffee for her whenever the team got called in for a case, like a personal barista—but boy was she grateful. Beyond grateful really.

She had started looking forward to these mornings, to these quiet little moments with you before she was forced to brave the horrors the next few days would bring. She also couldn’t help the giddy little feeling she got every time, knowing that you only ever brought a cup for her—maybe because she’s your boss and you feel that it’s part of your job, or maybe because… Nope, she can’t let her mind wander there.

She takes a big sip from the mug, in desperate need to rid herself of the lingering sleep and heaviness in her limbs, but when the warm liquid hits her tongue it isn’t anything like the dark roast she’s used to. No, this isn’t dark at all. It’s light, a little floral, with a hint of…lemon?

She swallows her sip before looking down at the mug, brows already pulling down into a hint of a frown. “This isn’t coffee,” she mumbles contemplatively, looking up to find your lips twitching up into a victorious little smile, clearly pleased with yourself.

You shake your head. “It’s not. It’s tea.” The words leave your mouth with a casual shrug of your shoulders. Huh. Emily is suddenly very grateful you’re not a mind reader, because her brain is frantically rewiring itself at the thought of you bringing her tea. Tea. Warm, comforting tea. And for some reason, that simple gesture was doing things to her insides.

“Tea?” she echoes, the word coming out just above a whisper.

You nod. “Mhm. Tea. Lemon, chamomile, and lavender,” you explain simply, “Good for relaxing and relieving stress. It’s one of my favourites.”

Her lips pull into a small pout and there’s a slight furrow between her brows. You force yourself to keep your hands at bay and not reach out to smooth it over.

“I’m not stressed,” she defends, though it’s a futile attempt.

Anyone around here with eyes could see she had been under a significant amount of stress recently. With constant budget meetings, never-ending paperwork, and the director breathing down her neck, it was hard not to be. She had been so unbelievably stressed, and you noticed. Everyone else noticed too, but you noticed, and suddenly her insides were doing an embarrassing little flip.

She watches you huff out a little breath and raise a brow—it was clear you didn’t believe her.

“Yes, you are. Don’t even try to deny it. I know you love your coffee, but your caffeine habits have been bordering on obsessive lately, so I figured this would be a nice change. A needed change.”

And you were right, of course you were right. You always seemed to be right when it came to these things, these little ways she should be caring for herself better—like actually eating lunch, and leaving the office before 11pm, and not sneaking up onto the roof to have a cigarette every few hours days.

She wants to say something. A sarcastic quip or dry one-liner in true Emily Prentiss fashion about how she can take care of herself, but by now the rest of the team had filed into the briefing room and were waiting to get started. She settles on an appreciative nod with a quiet, "Thank you," before stepping into the briefing room, unit chief mask slipping back on.

Emily does her best to stay focused on the briefing. She really does. But it’s hard when every time she takes a sip from her mug her tastebuds are hit with the sweetness of lemon, lavender, and honey; and every time her mind then drifts over to you, and every time her mind drifts, her heart does weird things. She should get that checked out.

She'll be the first to admit she wasn't too thrilled about having an assistant in the beginning. She's the unit chief; she doesn't need help. She doesn't need someone running around fetching her coffee, bugging her when she's busy, answering 'Yes, ma'am,' 'No, ma'am,' like some lapdog, but you were...none of those things.

You were attentive, sweetly so. You actually took notice of her— of what she liked, of when not to bother her, of how she took her coffee and when to bring her a fresh cup, of when she needed a lunch break, and you showed up with Chinese. She hated admitting it to herself, but it was nice, you were nice, and she couldn’t help but start paying attention to you too.

And you were good with the team too, always feeding into Penelope's newest obsession, asking JJ about Will and the kids, checking in on Tara and Luke and Rossi. You were kind and always so willing to help; it was hard to wrap her head around sometimes.

After concluding the briefing, she heads back to her office to grab the last few things she needs, with you following her diligently. “Is there anything you need me to do while you’re out?”

Your eyes sweep over her desk and land on a small stack of papers in the corner. You jerk your chin towards them. “Anything I can help with?”

Emily follows your gaze and waves her hand dismissively when she spots the stack. “Oh, that’s nothing. Just budget reports and leave requests I need to sort through. I’ll finish it up when I get back.”

“I can do them,” the words leave your mouth so quickly they surprise even you. You don’t give Emily the chance to protest, already reaching over and gathering the stack in your arms with a shrug.

Emily huffs out a laugh and shakes her head, but you’re already halfway out the door. “You know, most assistants don’t practically beg to do paperwork.”

Her tone turns teasing, and you don’t even have to look back to know that little dimple is making its way to her cheek as a smirk tugs at her lips.

She watches you glance over your shoulder, an amused glint in your eyes, “I’m not most people,” you murmur, and then you’re gone.

For as long as you could remember, Soldier Boy and Miles could not stand each other. You figured they'd get along a bit. But you were wrong. It was a routine. They would argue about something every day. Even if it had nothing to do with the mission that they were both on. It was almost as if they liked to just fight and argue with one another just because.

The recoms weren't any better. They'd always place bets on who would be the first one to swing at the other. They were occasions were you had to literally prevent a fight. It scared you having to get between a man who's stronger than any human being on the base and a huge avatar. The amount of times that General Ardmore had to also step in and lecture the two grown men about fighting over petty shit. She could care less if they disliked one another or even wanted to gut each other. She had better things to do then to be looking after two grown men with big egos.

That's why you were here. Originally, you were hired to be Miles assistant as well taking care of the other recoms, basically. As well as Soldier Boy. You made sure that their needs were met and make sure they got their job done in a timely manner. Same with Soldier Boy, due to him also being a part of the Recom's team as the 'second' in command. He was more of the weapon, since Lyle was the second in command. Now, part of your job was to make sure they both don't kill one another.

You noticed how both Miles and Soldier boy were very different. The only similarity they had was that they both served in a war. That was all you can think of. The rest? Very different. Miles was reserved and focused on the job. He was locked in. Trying to find Jake Sully. He did have his moments to get his mind off the mission, but that was his main goal. To capture Jake and bring him to base for being a traitor.

Soldier boy, he was the opposite. You've never met someone who's such a flirt and charming at the same time. He always new what to say to get a girl to smile or make her giggle even. It was like his natural talent. You'd hear how he'd flirt with some of the women in the science team. Making them crack a smile or get them to laugh at his cheesy jokes. He was like a completely different species, specially now since everyone on base had their own things to focus on. It almost felt tense being around everyone who was locked in.

Another regular day on base, pretty boring too. Everyone was up to date and not much happened. It was just slow and boring. You hoped that it was Saturday already since it was your only day off. Sometimes Friday. You always looked forward to Saturday. And right now? You wish it was.

"Must be exhausting." You heard a very familiar voice say as you entered the makeshift breakroom. Soldier Boy. He was there, sipping his combination of milk and coke. "Morning Soldier Boy." You said, out of politeness. "Soldier Boy? Come on, call me Benjamin. Or Ben." He said, with a charming smirk. You rolled your eyes, playfully. "What must be exhausting?" You asked.

"You know, having to be taking care of everyone. Specially those big ass smurfs." He said. "Well, It's my job." You said, not sure what else to respond with next. "You shouldn't be working. You should be at home, relaxing. Letting someone take care of you." He added. "As nice as that would be. I don't have that luxury here. I either work or I'll starve." You replied. Soldier boy hummed. "That's a shame. If I were your man. I'd make sure you don't have to work a day in your life." He said, which such confidence that you almost believed him.

"I'm sure your wife is a lucky lady." You responded. But you couldn't help but smile a bit. A nervous smile. That made him smile wider. "Unfortunately. I'm not married. But If I could settle down, it'd want it to be with someone special." He said, giving you a wink. You felt your heart go to your throat. Feeling your face heat up. Did he just say that? To you?

Then you felt the environment shift by a new presence. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything." Miles said, loud and clear. Stepping closer. That made you stop and look at him. A bit surprised. "No, me and the lady here were just, chatting." Soldier boy said, turning his whole body to face him, after placing his glass of milk and coke down. They stood inches away from one another. They both glared at one another. The tension got heavy. If their eyes were bullets, they'd both be dead by now. "The general's looking for you, I'd suggest you go before she sends out a search party." Miles said. Soldier boy couldn't help but smirk. Either a mocking or a cocky one. "Will do." He said, but before he stepped out, he faced you. "I'll see you around, sweetheart." He said, with an even bigger grin. Leaving you and Miles alone.

Miles watched him leave, making sure he was fully gone and not be able to hear his footsteps anymore. He then turned to face you. "I'd be careful around him if I were you." He said to you. That got you confused. "I don't know what you're implying, sir." You told him, turning away a bit embarrassed. "Don't play dumb, cupcake." He said. Cupcake. His favorite nickname. He likes that nickname so much that he even named his Ikran that. You've grown used to him calling you that, but they'd be times were you've forget. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have other things to worry about than some guy." You told him in reponse.

He sighed. "I just don't want you to get into trouble with that jackass." He said. "He's not a good influence, specially around you and the other women in the base." He said. That made your ears perk up. "Oh? I never new you were one for gossip, sir." You teased. "Not gossip, Just by looking at him, you can tell he has a history. A bad history involving breaking hearts and shit. Not in a good way" Miles justified. He wasn't stupid. He may be reserved and keep to himself. But he was observant. He'd watch how Benjamin would flirt with anything in a skirt. He was such a dog. He'd be damned if that jackass did something to you. The only decent person on base. At least that's what he told himself.

"All I'm saying is, be careful with him. Not saying it cause I fuckin hate his guts. In general." He finished, all you did was hum. "Sir, yes sir." You said, doing a little solute as a small joke. "Come on, you're coming with me to make sure they get their work out in." Miles said, stepping out, in which you followed. You didn't know what else to think after that whole altercation. You just hoped that it wouldn't being any more tension in that whole charade both men got going on.

Oh, and please don’t tell the boss.

Let it also be said: Johnny is loyal.

He would happily lay down his life for any of his comrades, lives and dies for SpecGru – for Price. And even though you’re new, you’re one of them now. You’ve quickly found and secured your place in Price’s inner circle, different as you may be. Johnny would go to war for you, and your silly pink sticky notes.

Still, keeping something – anything from the boss. Even a private matter like this…

It happened on SpecGru property, that makes it SpecGru business. And it happened to you, which makes it Price’s business.

That you don’t already know that is… well, that’s between you and the boss. Johnny’s already too involved as it is. (Not that he regrets helping you. Not a bit. If he had his way, that little prick would have left with his teeth in his pocket and a new appreciation for his remaining thumb).

So now Johnny is stuck. He likes you; he really does. That you trust him with something so personal isn’t lost on him, especially in this line of work. He also has a healthy fear of your wrath. (You may not carry any weapons he’s seen, but you’ve got Price grimacing when you narrow your eyes just so. Johnny knows where his cupcakes are made, and he likes them without arsenic, thank you). So, personally, he wants to be able to honor your request to keep the matter private.

But then there’s Price, and whatever he’ll do to Johnny if – when – he finds out about all this.

Johnny’s solution?

“Christ, Gaz, ya shoulda seen it. Never seen the little miss tell someone off like that. Graves woulda been shakin’ in his boots. Will have to ask security for a recording of it.”

Gaz, unimpressed with Johnny’s volume, rolls his eyes and walks away, muttering about tea for his sudden headache. And Price, sitting at his desk, twitches and reaches for his phone.

Mission: accomplished.

Not the most elegant, but he’s a mafia lieutenant, not a fuckin’ spy. Now, to get those pastries you like before Price sees the footage.

“Luv?”

You glance up from the expense reports you’ve been working through for the better part of an hour. Mr. Price is leaning in the doorway to his office, shoulder to the jamb. There’s… an odd look on his face. You’ve never seen it before, don’t have it categorized in your mental files.

“Yes, boss?” you ask, straightening up.

“A word?”

You blink. That’s… different. You don’t like it.

Price is a steady sort of man. Not predictable, but consistent. That this is new, unusual, unfamiliar, makes you uneasy. Reminds you of your last boss, who could call you into his office with an affable grin, only to spend thirty minutes berating you for anything and everything he could think of.

Price has never done that, nothing even close… but you can’t suppress the slight shake in your hands as you smooth your skirt down. Hide it with a little flick of your wrists before grabbing for your ever-trusty tablet. Hell, you probably don’t even need it, but at this point it’s practically a comfort item. Maybe you should name it, put some googly eyes on it.

“Sweetheart?”

You startle a bit. Realize your feet have already carried you into his office and followed him right to his desk. Except instead of standing at his elbow as usual, you’re facing him across his desk. Like you did during your interview with him, when you were still strangers. Like you used to do for your previous boss.

“Oh, sorry, sir,” you chirp, forcing your usual brightness, “those expense reports, ya know? What did you need me for?”

Without a word, he spins his computer monitor around. Your brow furrows as you process the video playing on the screen. You. Soap. Brandon. Your stomach sinks.

There’s no sound, but there doesn’t really need to be. Even in profile, the expressions are crisp – high end cameras. You feel numb as the scene plays out all over again. You and Brandon snipping at each other back and forth. Your rigid spine, stiff shoulders. Brandon’s sleezy confidence. Soap, getting visibly aggravated as the seconds pass.

And there it is, the moment you spun on your heel, done with the conversation, and Brandon reached for you.

When you see Soap’s hand snap out – just a blur on the screen – you have to sit. Muscle memory collects your tablet in your lap, sweaty hands stacking neatly on top of it. Your heart is beating either too fast or too slow.

Your eyes stay locked on the screen until you and Soap disappear into the elevator, and the video stops.

“Should I play the elevator footage as well?” Price asks, voice low and quiet. “That comes with sound.”

It takes all your years of learned discipline and cultivated poise to resist shrinking in on yourself. It does not, however, stop your eyes from burning.

“Sir,” you say, struggling to keep your voice even, “I am so sorry.”

There’s a beat of tense silence as you gather yourself, throat getting tighter and tighter. Your head is spinning with fear and anxiety. What he’ll say, what he’ll do. How you could possibly damage control this.

“I-I don’t even know how he found out where I work,” you say, “and Soap w-was just trying to help. If I’d known that would happen, I would have taken it outside.”

You can barely look at Price as your voice break midway through, the panic leaking into your tone even as you stay frozen in place.

“Did we – is he suing? Is – is that why—?”

The tears escape despite your efforts, dripping fast and down your cheeks as you shudder in a breath. You can’t pay for a lawsuit, especially not if you’re fired over this. And you don’t want to lose this job. You love this job, you love—

“Oh, darling, what a mess you’ve made of yourself.”

You sniffle as Price rounds his desk and kneels in front of you, plucking his handkerchief from his breast pocket. He tuts at you when you open your mouth to protest, already blotting at your cheeks with a surprisingly gentle touch.

“There now, no need to cry,” he soothes, thumbing away another tear before it can fall. “I know it takes you ages to get your eyeliner right. This is nothing to ruin it over.”

“But…”

“I’m not angry, luv,” he continues, voice still low and quiet. This time, it doesn’t make your shoulders tense. “Wasn’t before and definitely not now. Chin up, there’s a dear.”

“Y-you’re not?” you warble.

“Not a bit,” he answers. “Not at you, at least.”

“Then why…?” You gesture weakly at the computer screen.

He sighs, something almost fond passing over his face. “Darling, you could have been hurt. Imagine if Soap hadn’t been there. All of us on the top floor, waiting for you to get back, not knowing something was wrong.”

He shakes his head, cradling your cheek with the same hand that brushed away your tears.

“You’re one of mine, you understand? Anything that happens to you is my responsibility,” he explains. “And I didn’t… enjoy that you want to keep something like this from me.”

You drop your eyes in shame. Of course. An employee assaulted on company ground, his personal assistant no less. Price would never stand for that sort of thing. He looks out for his own, looks out for you.

“Hey, look at me, luv. None of that now,” he coaxes. “I just want to get to the bottom of why you didn’t want to tell me.”

It occurs to you that that tone you heard earlier might have just been genuine worry and maybe… a bit of hurt. You twist your hands in your lap as you gather your words.

“I didn’t… it wasn’t because of you,” you murmur. “I just… was so embarrassed. And I didn’t want to make it your problem. I’m supposed to make your life easier, not harder.”

He huffs, but you’re relieved to see wry amusement on his face now.

“No more of that,” he orders, as softly as he when he wiped your face. “Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“There’s a love.” He gently pinches your cheek, then stands. “Stay here, I’ll get you a cup of water. Take a moment, yeah?”

You nod, sniffling again. He squeezes your shoulder as he passes, and you finally let yourself breathe. Not getting fired, not getting sued. And Price isn’t mad at you. Christ, he needs to work on his approach.

“Kyle.”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Look into that knob from the lobby. And the little miss’s last boss.”

“You’ve got it.”

First | Previous | Next

You clutch the handful of files to your chest, turning around attentively. You didn’t want another one of the Seven hassling you for everything, not after the social rating debrief with the Deep. He had told you about his extremely close relationships with the sea creatures in his aquarium, but you were unsure if he meant as friends or…more. As much as you hated this job, it paid well. And there were the occasional moments of idiocracy from the Seven to keep you entertained.

You acknowledge the man standing in front of you, Black Noir, or the new guy. He had awkwardly followed you out of the meeting room and was fiddling with his fingers. Remembering how this new Noir wasn’t as intimidating or brooding as the old one, you let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding and release your grip on the files. 

“Yeah? What about?” You try your best to put on a smile, however it turns out wonky and your eyes dart the knives plastered on his suit, then to his blackened mask. You couldn’t help but take in his figure. He was tall, broad shoulders and big arms. Almost the exact same physique as his predecessor, yet his ability to talk eradicated the gloomy look. It always came as a surprise, every time he spoke. It was like talking to a new person, but if the new person was cute in his own, oblivious manner. 

“So, you’ve been around since the old Noir was here, right? Could you give me some tips on how he was, and how he acted? I’ve tried asking literally everybody in this goddamn building, no one wants to help! Like, surely I can’t just be silent and stealthy, there has to be more to the character.” 

You both were relatively new to Vought, but you had some experiences with dealing with the old Noir. Admittedly, you like the new Noir, the old one was always so silent…hard to work with. Like the one time you had to stick by his side and record his every move at another one of Vought’s press tours. He was fast, silent, and by the end of the day he was completely missing. Leaving you belittled and scolded by Ashley, a small child poked with condescending words. 

This Noir however, was talkative, friendly, and was as clueless as you. Like a lost sheep had wondered into a highly secured tower filled with insane superpowered people and corrupt businessmen. He was always asking around for help, and you couldn’t help but chuckle to yourself as you watched him wonder around cluelessly. At least you didn’t need to follow this one around like a dog. 

You inhale and exhale heavily, your head jittering around for anyone else in the open hallway. There were executives talking outside of the meeting room, Ashley was talking to A-Train, and you knew Sage and Deep were together somewhere. You were confused though...why you? 

“You sure you want to ask me? There’s tons of people around, Noir. No offence.” You clear your throat and adjust your glasses, your black frames clinging onto the bridge your nose. He sighs, his shoulders drop and you swear you can hear his heart beating. He fiddles with his fingers again before clearing his throat and speaking up.

“Everyone’s either busy or telling me to shut the fuck up. And you were kinda the first person I thought of when I needed help. That’s not weird, right?

If suddenly everyone disappeared from the room you’d be able to hear the way you swallowed your breath. You didn’t even know why you felt this way, but the way you shifted in your pencil skirt and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear probably gave it away.

Admit it, you like him.

He’s just a small work crush, but ever since he moved in as the ‘new’ member of the Seven, you couldn’t help but fall for his innocence. You didn’t know if being the CEO’s assistant gave you the courtesy of having a one-on-one meeting with Noir. But if it meant a moment of clarity from the chaos that was Vought, as well as a moment with him, then you didn’t mind it at all.

“No, of course not! Not weird at all,” you respond with equal nervousness, as if your brain wasn’t running in circles at his response.

“R-really? Oh, great! Yeah, that’s cool. Really cool…thanks.” His arm reaches up behind his neck and he rubs the fabric there, although there isn’t really reason to why. Though, his body stiffens up as you raise your voice to speak again

“Just to clarify, did you want me to make a private meeting? Or did you want it to be…off-work?” You ask, acting like you weren’t squealing in your head just then. The conversation was corny to all hell, like watching two teenagers talk while crushing hard on each other. 

“I was hoping to have it, kinda…off-work? If that’s okay? I just thought that it’d be better if it wasn’t so…professional.”  

You could hear the gears stop inside your head, and your heart beating a million miles per hour. Get a fucking grip, it’s just a one-time meeting, nothing special. 

“Yeah, of course! I guess I’ll see you after the meeting? We could meet up in your suite if you’d like,” you shrug your shoulders, attempting a better smile than before and trying to appear collected. 

He quickly nods his head, his shoulders shooting up and his eyes meet yours (through his cowl), a little too excitedly considering the situation. Was it that fact that someone was actually willing to help? Or the fact that the height difference between the two of you made butterflies appear in his stomach? 

Even with the black mask covering his entire face, you could see the way his eyes lit up and how his lips curved up to make a smile behind the dark fabric. Although he barely spoke to you, let alone let himself be near you, you could tell he always wanted to talk to you. Another person who felt they had no place in Vought. Out of all the people in the tower, you both were clueless to what you were doing, or even ordered to do. Every moment where you were following around executives like a little lamb, he wanted to step up and lead you away. Or whenever you were standing in the background of another Seven meeting, you would catch glances of him, and he’d catch glances of you. 

You both bask in the moment of silence, awkwardly staring at each other before Ashley calls for you from her office and beckons for you to follow.

Sighing, you excuse yourself and quickly walk to her office, shutting the door behind you and preparing yourself for the next half hour of corporate hell. 

A few months later—accompanied by numerous late-night endeavors and confusion towards interpretation—P/N stopped wondering if this is what she signed up for when she entered the lab she once thought to be odd. For a while, she attempted to shrug it off as something done out of convenience, but she always finds herself staying up late just to sort out files for her new… boss, so to speak.

This isn't the first time she's suddenly called for… whatever reason. She's more curious about what task she'd be given in—well, she'd say in the middle of the night, but she was woken up at three in the morning once, at one in the morning twice, and three times during her lunch break for various reasons.

Ruan Mei isn't a stranger to staying up late, most of the time, not sleeping at all. P/N is well aware of this but never dared to raise her concern. They both know where and when their words are well spent.

Maybe Ruan Mei needs to arrange the results of another experiment? Like a baker creating another piece of pastry, leaving unwashed dishes and half-opened packets in their wake.

The huge doors of the entrance to Ruan Mei's lab whir open, revealing the cakes and buns roaming around; they were always lively whenever their creator was around. But something seems wrong.

The idle squishiness of the creations jiggles in an undeniable rebound of dejection. Even the angry-looking bun has softened edges around its eyes.

Following its gaze, it isn't hard to find the familiar palette of brown and turquoise hunched over numerous consoles that emit a faint blue glow over fair skin. Plants erect in a sealed vacuum chamber from behind, a mini greenhouse on their own. From where the other stood, the graphs of data are clear, with tables showing results of the readings P/N recognized to be from a new experiment on a monitor in front. She already handled the previous readings; this one is entirely different. A new DNA distinctive from the little ones.

But just as the assistant was about to announce her presence, no matter its insignificance from the hiss of the large doors, she caught it—the faintest of tension rooted in the genius' shoulders.

Before she could ponder, a smooth voice disrupted her—"Ah, you're finally here."

It was a greeting of its own kind—yet neither of them acknowledged it as a pleasantry. The woman doesn't turn.

“I have been running this system for weeks, and I have been supervising its development since the beginning,” Ruan Mei continues. In hindsight, nothing appears to have changed, but perhaps being her assistant for a few months has brought a drastic change in her perspective. “However, despite my best efforts, the tabulations are not aligning, with the same conditions conveying different conclusions each time. It feels as if the universe itself is laughing at me."

Then, a low, most definitely exhausted sigh. Her shoulders slouch, a surprising sight. "I'm afraid that… I require your assistance, more than the usual tasks I usually assign you."

Ruan Mei turns around, and it doesn't take much observation for P/N to notice the dark circles under her eyes, nor the sunken expression on her face. "Come here," the genius says, picking up a file of messy papers sprawled about the desk. "Taking into account your exposure towards these kinds of things, my experiments included, you should be enough to provide me a new perspective despite Herta's absence."

P/N's eyes followed the movement. Although, she made no move to obey.

"With all due respect, Madame Ruan," she starts, treading carefully. "I believe that you don't require my assistance at all."

Ignoring Ruan Mei's little frown of disapproval, P/N takes a few steps toward her and looks between the dancing figures of data across the monitor with Ruan Mei's obvious weariness. "What you require is rest."

Ruan Mei stared at her blankly. "I do not require rest. I did not ask for you here so you can convince me to stop my work," she protested with a hint of impatience in her usually well-composed voice. The genius gestures to the file she holds. "Now, come closer. This is comparable to the formula you used for the critters. I'm working on…"

An audible sigh. The assistant crosses her arms, carefully noting the frostbite etched in each of her boss' movements. Stubborn, Ruan Mei is.

"Madame Ruan, I refuse to assist you if you continue working without rest," P/N firmly states.

It's a risky statement, but a necessary one.

The aloof genius' lips press together tightly. "You do not have the grounds to refuse me." She lowers the file onto the desk. "You are my assistant; assisting me is what you are required to do."

"That is true, but I absolutely refuse to assist someone who's halfway collapsing from overwork. It's not that I don't want to help with the experiment, don't misunderstand; I just simply wish that the very person I'm assisting is in their right state of mind. Lest, I cannot even begin to imagine the complications."

Ruan Mei furrows her brows. "In the right state of mind?" She grumbles—another factor P/N took. "Nothing is wrong with me."

"I didn't say anything was wrong," P/N rebuts, reaching out to slide the file over to her side of the desk. "Madame Ruan, you're tired. That's what I'm worried about."

Another firm press of her lips together. "That is debatable. I have reached the minimum amount of meals for the day." Gloved fingers press onto the folder, pulling it back. "And I don't need your concern."

"I agree." The assistant slides the bundle of papers towards herself. "What you need is rest."

"I am not tired." The file is pulled back.

"That is debatable." The file slides across the table.

In any other circumstance, P/N would've spared an amused smile for the lines of grumpiness that now formed on her boss' lips if it weren't for the threat of her on the line. Well, she's already knee-deep, isn't she?

It is funny… a little.

Especially when she can clearly see the frustration bubbling just underneath the surface of Ruan Mei's well-maintained composure—the slight twitches in her eye, the tightening of her jaw, and the weighted glare of disapproval boring into her.

Then, after a bated breath—"…fine. If you're going to be stubborn about it." Ruan Mei turns around, reluctant to face her assistant. Perhaps she finally noticed the futility of her argument. Saving her energy for more "worthy" matters. "However, let me make it clear that you will assist me to the best of your capabilities once I 'rest.'"

P/N let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her future is still secured in this space station. "Of course." She hovers a hand over Ruan Mei's shoulders, subtly guiding her towards the pair of couches tucked at the corner of the lab. The creations that were watching the entire dispute quickly hopped away with their cute little noises.