sins and suits

23; reputation.

now playing... back on 74 - jungle

One year later.

Despite being the heart of Eldia's Bay, there were no clouds in the San Paradis sky as the sun itself wanted to view this day with its rays. It was another Monday morning at Ackerman Inc., with a morning meeting that would start an hour early due to an important announcement by the interim CEO himself, Erwin Smith... who was nowhere to be found.

"Move out the way, move- Someone get me a damn coffee."

"Why isn't there a coffee in my hand?"

"Sorry! Right on it."

"Don't tell me you're all half asleep, not today. Not today of all days."

"Hange! Where do you want this?"

Sasha says as she and Connie carry a table together, Sasha's end slightly wobbles as they wait for an answer from their boss that was currently trying to handle a thousand tasks at once. Hange turns around, adjusting their gasses from the bridge of their hooked nose with their pointer finger as they ponder.

"Ah! Let's set it down- oh, didn't see you there-"

"Why are we behind schedule, Zoe?" the stern voice says, startling the three engineers.

Hange waves their hands, "You see, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, you'll just spout nonsense to me. Now where in the hell is Erwin?"

Despite being one of the shortest people in the building, Rico Brenzska's eyes shot daggers through her clear lens, causing everyone's posture to straighten and their demeanors to harden. She carried her laptop alongside her swaying hips while someone finally brought her a cup of piping hot coffee, not even flinching as she drank it. She was never here for the morning meetings, but today was an exception. Today she made the trip over to the company she represented, and inherently the people in it. It was her job to keep the image in check, which had been a battle like no other this past year.

No, more like a war. Battles can be won easily, a temporary triumph was sufficient to some. Rico Breznska was not happy with the temporary. She didn't want triumph, she wanted victory. That, unfortunately, was still not in her grasp. Not yet.

"Petra, what do you have for me," Rico states rather than asks, startling the ginger a bit as they struggle to keep up the pace of Rico's fast steps. Petra quickly gathers the papers, some falling as she flips through them, "Um, channel 10 news wants an exclusive interview with -"

"Denied. They can stick the thought of anything exclusive up their ass."

"On it, there's also the San Paradis' Times, would like to speak to Erwin-"

"Schedule them for later today, or we don't do it at all," Rico interrupts yet again, turning a corner sharply. Petra nods as she writes it down, "Lastly, the University of Eldia is going through with the 45th annual tech gala... they will be sending a cordial invitation to the company soon."

Rico stays silent, the ding of the elevator doors syncing with her blink of an eye as she enters the elevator, she smirks, "Perfect. Get me a coffee, Ral. Piping hot."

"Will do-" Petra says before the doors close in front of her, turning around to see a trail of scattered papers, in the midst of them a wrongfully owned envelope that was still, after a year, yet to be thrown away.

Rico sped through the last halls of Ackerman Inc. in search of a tall blonde man, who happened to be on the top floor, looking out at the view of San Paradis. He thought of where he was standing; a company that was once a mere hope, a dream, if you will. However, any other chance of reminiscence was quickly ended by the nearby door opening, with slow footsteps entering.