Work Text:
You worked for the Turks, a dedicated and official member, known for your efficiency, no-nonsense approach to the task, even though you could be easily bored. Your name is always on Tseng's mouth since you would always slip away 5 minutes before the actual end of your shift, eager to retreat to your apartment and savour those precious few hours of relax.
What could you say? You always fulfilled your responsibilities, and that was it, so you saw no reason to attend a group reunion with the boss himself. After all, to you, once the job was done, so was your obligation to linger there.
Spending precious hours of your time listening to your boss nagging about his personal problems? That was definitely a pass. The boss wasn't new to the company; in fact, he was Shinra's son. Rufus Shinra is a copy of his father: snobbish, always dressed in brand new white clothes and eager to take the company in a new direction under his new policies. Despite that, Shinra wasn't someone you would pay much mind to, a “nepo baby with a big ego!”. His speeches never revolved around topics other than himself and his personal goal, so
Why would anyone ever choose to sit through the same self-centred monologues?
Despite the rumours circulating in and around the building about him being a nepo baby, his looks made it easy for various coworkers and non to fall head over heels for him.
However,
he really needed to work on his speeches.
As for today, the sun rose yet again, marking the start of another long week. Reluctantly, you rose from the warmth of your bed, ready to start your familiar routine. With your phone in hand, you began messaging Elena, meanwhile you dressed in your usual uniform for your shift at the base.
By now, as you exited your apartment and closed the door, you would expect to have received a text back from Elena, that was odd, perhaps she was busy? You brushed the thought aside, convincing yourself she might already be in the meeting room waiting for the others.
Sliding the meeting room door open with your access card, you were met with…uh? ...silence? Normally, you’d expect to be greeted at least by Reno’s cheerful greeting as he would lean against the door frame, but today felt... Were you early? Hard to believe, especially since Rude would likely have been at the table, already working. Something was off.
You paused for a moment. Was it possible that you had arrived too late? Glancing at your wristwatch, then up at the wall clock, you confirmed that you were neither early nor late. Just as you began to ponder the silence further, a cough caught your attention.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Tseng emerged as he handed you a sizable pamphlet without a word. Your heart raced as panic surged through you.
"-am I getting fired??" you blurted out these words before you could even process them. The thought of getting fired without warning sent your mind spiralling into worst-case scenarios. Nevertheless, Tseng was eerily smug about it.
"Not at all,” he replied “I just arranged a slightly new schedule for you."
"Eh? For what?"
It was unusual for him to alter your schedule to such an extent, that was too sudden even for one like him. As you glanced at the first page of your newly revised schedule, your heart sank. Every hour had been completely rearranged, leaving no overlap with your coworkers, save for a couple of shifts with Tseng himself.
Before you could process the implications of this dramatic shift, Tseng began to make his way towards the door. Raising an eyebrow, frustrated with him you huffed "What in the world is this? Did the programme switch the hours on me?? I'm not with any of our department group!"
Tseng paused just long enough to deliver his response "Since you’ll have to personally assist the President himself, I will expect nothing less than extreme professionalism from you.”
You stood there, holding the papers as he exited, feeling the reality of your new role beginning to settle in.
That left you no choice but to walk your way through Rufus's office.
The elevator was out of service, as it was undergoing maintenance, forcing you to take the stairs. With each step, a mix of frustration and resignation bubbled within you as you began to understand Tseng’s decision. That man…he had reworked your schedule to teach you a lesson for your behaviour. If you had once cursed him for the tiresome missions he assigned, now it was worse.
Yet, as exhausting as it was, you had to remind yourself that this was your job, one that, in comparison of many others, paid you handsomely. Admittedly, many shift were dangerous both mentally and physically, but you had endured months of rigorous training to prepare for it. You knew the stakes, and looking after the Boss was an obligation. Surely, at the end of this day, Tseng would be kind enough to restore your former schedule.
The stairs came to an end, but the hallway was seemingly endless. Luckily, you had quickly spotted Rufus’s office, who else had gigantic doors with a sprawling rug that extended beneath it?
And so would really begin your workday.
--
Again, you were aware that your boss’s superior, although you had only fleeting encounters with him, would frequently appear in various media outlets, celebrations, and speeches to the public. Being this famous led to numerous rumours about him. It was then that curiosity struck you, how much of it was real? You had to see it with your own eyes, at least something exciting to your otherwise boring schedule.
One particular rumour stood out to you as especially believable: his obsessive attention to his wardrobe. It was exactly the embodiment of those said rumours, matter of fact, it was an integral part of his public persona, immaculate and pristine. No wrinkles or a single dust on his coat. Both rumours and reports from Tseng confirmed that all of his garments were specifically tailor-made, each time he entered a room, his clothing would speak for him even before he could open his mouth.
Now you stood in front of one of the many limousines lined up outside the Shinra base, (oh,how you wished you could own one), you checked your watch: you had been waiting for more than fifteen minutes in front of them. Rufus had been very specific with his request, expecting you to wait by the car door and hold it open for him until he arrived.
Time ticked by slowly, but finally, right on cue, he emerged precisely fifteen minutes after he’d asked you to wait. Not a second late. With a brief nod, he stepped into the limo.
“I trust you did not forget our destination?” Rufus inquired as you, perhaps a bit anxiously, accidentally slammed the door behind him as he was settling on the plush interior.
“I did not sir! We’ll be there early!”
Yes, you had done a splendid job not only by driving the limo ahead of schedule, but also by parking it perfectly in his favoured spot. Even though you didn’t own a limo, you had driven these cars many times for work. Moments later, Rufus stepped out, a grimace crossed his face as he surveyed the end of his coat, which had got entangled with the door during the ride.
You felt your blood go cold under his glare.
By some stroke of luck, Rufus had decided to spare you, perhaps because you had arrived early enough for him to have time to change his attire. Nevertheless, you were sure you wouldn’t get the end of it from Tseng later that day. You mentally noted to be especially careful with Rufus’s coat, but in all honesty, was it truly your fault that he insisted on wearing those large white coats?
‘Never mind…’ you thought. He did sound rather petty, just like those rumours said.
Next thing he had requested you was in fact to take that once pristine coat to the laundry and return as swiftly as possible to him. Fortunately, the laundromat wasn’t far from the designated meeting place. However, as you arrived, you were greeted by an interminable line that snaked across the storefront.
In your sharply tailored dark business suit, you tried to blend with the crowd. Outside the Shinra buildings, concealing your identity was crucial, as no one from the public should focus on who you were. Certainly, you possessed the authority to surpass the crowd, and Rufus would have probably done the same…mph. Glancing at your watch, you pondered how long it would take.
“Excuse me, yes-“ you maneuvered through the line “yes, thank. you-“ The training you received from Tseng had sharpened your reflexes, allowing you to dodge the elbow of a bald man. Using his shiny bald head as leverage, you made a swift leap ahead in line. That man almost looked like Rude,… or maybe you were just tired and imagining things.
“Here I am. I need this cleaned” Behind you, people in the crowd were complaining about your cutting in line as you handled the bag containing Rufus’s coat. The laundryman, upon seeing a black silhouette, squinted his eyes “ Young lady! There’s a line and-“he started, but as he focused on you, that’s when he immediately recognised your attire. Most importantly, his eyes fell on the bag you were holding, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Without even asking for payment, he took the coat.
By the time you returned,
“I’ve got your requested coat- sir...?” you called out,
But Rufus was nowhere to be found in the designated spot he had instructed you to wait before. This was a secluded section known only to him and the rest of the Turks. Navigating the winding staircase, you reached the top, finding him seated in a lavish chair.
“You took your time, yes?” he remarked, his demeanour relaxed yet oddly aloof. Slowly removing his handkerchief, he glanced annoyingly at the wall clock. It was quite late ‘for his standards’, considering he was eating the food that was now lukewarm. Once you would accompany back, you were certain to order a whole plate for yourself.
Those hours on your new schedule weren’t wrong, they did not coincide at all with any of your other colleagues, except for Tseng’s, whom you had seen just minutes before, while you ate your cold burger in an alley. You were already starting to miss your coworkers,..Elena...Reno…did you see Rude today? You barely caught a glimpse of them while you were following and driving Rufus around. Right now, you are stuck in your work nightmare: the after-meeting. It hadn’t lasted just five minutes; it was dragging on for more than two hours. The others were away on missions under Tseng's orders while you were left at the table with Tseng, Rufus and other subordinates. Oh, how you craved to bash your head against the wall, at this hour, you could have finished your mission as well and returned home...
Meanwhile, Rufus was passionately outlining his vision “Thus, by establishing a new era, I have discarded many obstacles my father couldn’t surpass-“ he declared with an air of superiority that made you cringe inwardly.
As the after-meeting dragged on, you couldn’t help but note his demeanour. At the end of the day, sure, Rufus was privileged in many aspects, you’d never had a direct conversation with the boss himself before, but now that you did, it was easy to confirm certain rumours. He was pretentious, and you couldn't wait for Tseng to fix your schedule. Taking down notes, you lifted an eyebrow at Rufus’s discourse. He did not grieve his father at all, the gravity of the situation never seemed to touch him.
“-unlike him, I’ll have any unlimited Mako energy I want. Isn’t that so simple?” he concluded, his self-satisfied smile practically glowing in the sterile light of that meeting room.
Once he wrapped up his statements, you felt a shift in the atmosphere as the other subordinates filtered out of the meeting room, leaving you and Rufus alone. The air is thick with anticipation.
"And you."
The younger Shinra scoffed, a frustrated hand pressing against his temple as he leaned back in his chair, clicking his pen. A subtle smile of triumph crept across your face. ‘I have done it!’
Rufus pulled his hand away from his face and, bracing against the impeccably polished steel surface of the desk, lifted himself from the chair with a sigh. The air was thick with anticipation, so much so it made your heart begin to race, ‘This is it!’ you thought, trepidation washing over you. Finally, he seemed tired of your help and would be leaving you free, restoring your schedule, your usual routine. No more ungodly hours, no more entitled tasks, no more of his incessant nagging!!
'FREEDOM!'
You were already picturing your usual routine. Giddy with excitement, you were in the middle of texting it back to Elena, asking her to grab a bottle of champagne to celebrate, ready to taste your freedom once again.
But then, he spoke again.
"-I'll order Tseng to move your apartment closer and keep your schedule. They did congratulate me more with my new coat."
…Maybe you weren’t as free as you’d hoped.