Chapter Text
It was early autumn and things had finally started settling down at work.
Retsuko has gone through a long path of fluctuating ups and downs that had culminated in the breakup with her short term boyfriend, Resasuke.
But it was for the better.
The relationship had been nothing more than a charade, one Retsuko had ended up pouring her whole self into only to find it gave her nothing back.
She always gave, but she never got.
But now, she was finally appreciated what she had some more.
Haida, for one.
Her friend was due out of the hospital in a few days after his bout with pneumonia, and she couldn't wait to see him.
He'd always been a good friend to her, but things had changed when he gathered his courage to confess his long enduring feelings to Retsuko.
Her answer had been blunt.
"I just don't feel the same way about you."
It had been a few weeks since, and with Haida returning to work soon, Retsuko was anxious awaiting his discharge and return to work. She wanted to stay friends, and she hoped her decision had done nothing to damage that friendship.
Already, she'd damaged so many bonds in the last year.
Puko. Director Ton. Resasuke.
She couldn't bear to cross another.
"Hey, Retsuko."
Fenneko's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Retsuko looked up from the spreadsheet in her hands.
Up front, Director Ton was speaking, his usual morning lecture about "teamwork" and "how everyone's job was important". Empty words, and ones Retsuko chose to tune out.
"Calendar!" Ton suddenly shouted, almost like he had read her thoughts and turning to look at her. "Where's my tea?!"
"C-coming up, sir!" Retsuko said, quickly getting out of her chair.
So she was on tea duty today. Again.
She was pretty sure it was Kabae's turn, but what was the use in bringing it up?
Defeated look on her face, Retsuko headed in to the back room to start heating the tea up. She'd done it so many times, it was like muscle memory and needed no thought.
Back outside, Ton was continuing the morning announcements, and some minutes later, she had his tea on the tray, scalding hot, and walked it over to his desk.
"One last note!" the Director continued, not even giving Retsuko acknowledgement. "Our associate Haida will not be joining us today. It seems he's been having some complications and won't be back for another week or so."
Retsuko stopped in her tracks, the tray shaking in her hands. Haida? Was he ok?
Retsuko's hands trembled, and as Ton reached for the scalding hot cup of tea, it did the unexpected. With a -clink-, it spilled over the Director's hand, and he let out a terrible scream. The cup then continued to tumble right onto his stomach, spilling the scalding tea all over his body.
The whole room gasped, watching Mr. Ton writhe in pain and scream, the boiling water soaking his shirt, his pink flesh turning bright red. "Oh my God!"
Retsuko jumped back, panicking. "I-I'm so sorry!"
Nobody seemed to notice her.
Everyone in the room rushed forward to help the Director, gathering around him.
Kabae was immediately on the phone calling emergency services, Komiya was putting his hand in ice water, Ookami was cleaning up the mess.
Retsuko looked on, teary eyed at this sudden, horrible chain of events.
It'd just been a loss of balance....a loss of rational thought...an accident....
"It wasn't your fault," Fenneko said beside her, but Retsuko hardly heard these words.
It seemed like the world was spinning.
And Haida...where was Haida?
---
Her throat hurt, her body shook from exhaustion.
Retsuko climbed down from the plastic seat, microphone in her hand and wiped the streak of sweat from her forehead.
She'd needed this.
Metal.
Her metal karaoke was perhaps the one thing keeping her sane in this twisted, fucked world.
She'd needed a moment to herself, and now she walked out of the stall to take a deep breath in front of the mirror.
The EMT had come to collect Ton, and as far as she knew, everything was going to be fine.
Nobody blamed her. In fact, nobody even saw her do it. By all accounts, Ton had spilled the tea on himself.
Some major burns, but he'd live.
Retsuko finally returned to the office, where it seemed like things had returned to normal, for the most part.
Apart from being it much more quiet. Everyone worked at their desks, diligently.
It seemed like nobody wanted to be the first to speak.
But then there was a cough, and Komiya came to the front of the room.
"Attention, please." A small smile could be seen on his face, and he adjusted his tie, making eye contact with Tsunoda who beamed back at him. Was he...preening?
Komiya stood behind Ton's desk and placed his hands on either side of it.
"Now I know we're all deeply saddened by the loss of our great Director Ton-"
"He's very much still alive," Ookami corrected, but Komiya made no attempt to change his wording.
"-someone has to take the reigns. As Chief Clerk of Accounting, quite obviously, that duty falls to me."
He tried to look pained, but it was obvious he was loving the attention, and the promise of this temporary promotion.
"So I ask that all of you work just as hard, and treat me just as you would our beloved Director."
There were murmurings of consent, but the truth was nobody had the status to question the move, despite the doubts.
"You've got to be kidding," Retsuko said under her breath, heading back to her desk. Things kept getting worse.
At least Director Ton had once imparted some wisdom on her, but Komiya seemed to have it out for entirely.
"Hey, maybe this means we'll punch out early so he can make his golf club," Fenneko joked. Retsuko didn't laugh.
"Worried about Haida?"
"Yeah."
"Why don't we go see him?" Fenneko suggested. "He'll be happy to have visitor again."
"I...I can't."
She didn't want to give Haida false hope.
As badly as she wanted to see him.
Fenneko was silent, and didn't push the matter.
"Oh, Retsuko!" the voice of the reptilian woman Tsubone suddenly hissed, calling her over.
"Would you be a dear and help me out?"
Eager to clear the awkward tension, Retsuko joined Tsubone at the other desk.
Slam. Slam.
Mountain on mountain of pamphlets were piled in front of her.
"Just all of this. Since we're understaffed, I'll say we need this....by the end of the day."
It was an impossible task. Retsuko could feel her rage bubbling up inside her.
She suppressed it.
She sighed.
Better get started.
Chapter Text
Finally the seemingly endless day came to an end.
Retsuko breathed shakily, typing on her computer and looking around at the office. Everyone seemed to be returning to normal, going about their business as usual- collecting their things, saying their goodbyes and clocking out like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Fenneko came up, buttoning up her jacket. "Gonna be a rainy one tonight. You sure you don't want to swing by and give Haida a visit? Bet he'll think the whole shitshow today is a real laugh." She grinned, trying to lift Retsuko's spirits.
Retsuko pressed her mouth into a fine line, battling the strong desire inside to see her beloved friend. "I really don't think it's a good idea. Besides..." She laughed, holding up the stacks of files she'd been stuck with. "I really ought to start on this, don't you think?"
"Got saddled with more homework, huh?" Fenneko observed in a dry tone, her eyes moving to Tsubone. The Komodo Dragon woman often used her age and seniority as an excuse to get the younger employees to do her dirty work, and ever since she had sprained her wrist in a small accident some weeks ago, she'd been laying it on thicker than ever.
"I-it's not so bad," Retsuko assured her friend.
"Alright. Later, then." Fenneko said, giving a wave and departing with the crowd.
Retsuko started spreading out the documents, putting a pencil to her chin. This kind of work was beyond her lowly position, what was Tsubone doing sticking this kind of work to her?
"Ahem," came a soft voice, causing Retsuko to look up.
"I don't believe Mr. Komiya authorized overtime for tonight."
Tsunoda stood over Retsuko's desk, her wide eyes looking down on her.
"You wouldn't want to complicate things on his first day on the job, would you?" she asked, wiggling in.
"I, uh...but I..." Retsuko sat perplexed.
"What she means is, I don't want to overwork my employees," Komiya chimed in, sliding in right beside Tsunoda and giving Retsuko a smug look. "Please, go home. Take your shoes off. Enjoy the rest of your night."
"But the work-"
"Mr. Ton might have told you to stay all night and finish it, but I'm not Mr. Ton, am I?" Komiya said with a smirk.
"He's not," echoed Tsunoda, batting her eyes.
Retsuko wasn't going to argue the point any farther- they were starting to frighten her a little and she saw no reason to argue against going home.
Quickly Retsuko grabbed her belongings and left, heading straight for the elevator.
This day needed to end, and she knew the best way to end it. Karaoke, beer, and knocking herself out in a long sleep.
By this point, the building was nearly empty, and she was quick to make her way down the lobby and out the doors.
The skies were grey and a storm was brewing, the clouds dark and sounds of thunder above.
"It's just my luck to not have brought an umbrella." Retsuko groaned.
The train station wasn't far, and she moved fast, but the rain was faster.
About a block away from the station, it really started to pour.
"Just my luck!" Retsuko quickly dove in a small alleyway with an awning for shelter. "As if things couldn't get worse than this."
She spoke too soon.
She heard the sound of raspy gasping and wheezing before she saw her, and that should have been enough to clue her in, to alert her to flee.
But she didn't.
Tsubone, wearing her jogging uniform, a rain coat, and her visor, came into her field of vision, running right past her.
Maybe she wouldn't see her.
She did. And she turned and jogged straight for Retsuko.
"Ah, Retsuko! Just the one I was looking for!" Tsubone said, continuing to jog in place and completely unaffected by the downpour going on around her.
"I've been trying to work out as much as possible as physical therapy since I was in the hospital for that devastating accident, you see...I see I'm in more tip top shape that you! But I digress..." She reached around into a fannypack she was wearing on her waist.
"I had forgotten to give you this leaflet along with what I had given you this morning!"
She held out another packet of papers.
"This one is in need of very prompt submission. Tomorrow morning, no delays."
"Y-yes, ma'am," Retsuko said, almost robotically.
Tsubone continued. "Now that I see you're out here, am I correct in assuming you completed all the other tasks? So quickly?" She looked a bit annoyed now, lowering her glasses. "You know this is not a game, Ms. Retsuko? This is real work. I expect you to put your all into everything for this company. There's no room for mistakes! Especially not now. I suppose I'll have to review it all over in the morning to fix all the errors made by your carelessness." She huffed.
Retsuko was too stunned to have anything to say, just looking down at the papers and her mouth opening slightly.
Her carelessness?
"Now be a dear, and finish it off with those last ones. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish my jog on a high note," Tsubone said, preparing to go.
Retsuko knew she shouldn't.
Her anger always got her into worse situations.
But the words just shot out.
"Maybe if you actually tried to teach me something instead of just leaving it all to me-!"
Tsubone turned back, the rain pouring over her. "Excuse me?" Clearly, she was not used to being talked back to.
"Have you heard of something called insubordination? Defying your superiors?"
"It's not just about work." Retsuko said, her anger mounting. "I'm like nothing to you."
She stepped into the rain, feeling the cold wetness on her fur.
Tsubone then just chuckled.
"Simply, my dear. Because your time isn't as valuable as mine." She then smiled. "But you're good for opening jars."
That was the breaking point.
OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE WHY'D YOU HAVE TO PICK ON ME?!
BITTER OLD HAG I'M TAKING DOWN YOUR DELUSION, SEE
Retsuko took an intimidating step towards her older coworker.
Tsubone stumbled back in surprise, noticing something immediately was different with the red panda, and she reached out and grabbed the iron streetlight on the corner of the sidewalk for balance.
Just as a bolt of lightning hit the scene to light up Retsuko's final note.
-NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO WAIL LIKE THE BANSHEE!
The sound of Tsubone's shrieks of pain drowned out Retsuko's rage fueled song and the woman spasmed on the pole, the current of electricity flowing through her for seconds.
There was the smell of burning, and a wave rushed through Retsuko, drumming her ears and making her step back. Her mouth dropped open, looking on at Tsubone crumbling to the ground, twitching, the stench of what could only be burning flesh in the air.
Tsubone lay still at the foot of the pole. She was scarcely breathing, her clothes fried and blackened off her body, her skin charred and raw in spots and darkened o a crip in others, body crisscrossed with red and black burns.
Retsuko gasped, stepping back. Instantly, her raging persona had vanished, struck in terror at this sudden predicament.
The rain continued to pour.
Weakly, Tsubone raised her head, body parts twitching. She clutched at her chest, heaving deep harsh breaths. A heart attack.
Retsuko's eyes were filled with tears now. She looked around, but nobody was there.
Thunder rolled again.
"Ret..su..ko.." Her feeble voice was hardly heard.
Tsubone's glasses were broken on her face, but she gave what seemed to be direct eye contact to Retsuko before her head drooped once more on her chest.
And then Retsuko ran.
She ran until she got home.
Chapter 3
Summary:
Retsuko deals with the first time she sees death up close.
Notes:
Felt this chapter was necessary to show how fragile Retsuko is, and show the gradual change in her from the beginning and how she will be at the end of the story.
Don't worry, there will be blood, and much more illicit stuff in the next chapter ;o
Chapter Text
When Retsuko reached her house, she was trembling all over. Her first thought was to call emergency services.
But she'd fled from the scene...
"Calm down..." she panted between hyperventilating huffs. "Maybe she's ok..."
But the image of the smoking, blackened body worked its way into her mind again.
Retsuko quickly slapped a hand across her mouth and ran to the bathroom, nauseated.
After a few moments of dry heaving the red panda wearily clawed her way back to her bed, head spinning.
That two such grotesque tragedies had happened in the span of one day was unbelievable....well, the odds were like being struck by lightning.
And all this after the incident with Haida?
A seed of intense worry flooded Retsuko, and she curled up cocooned in her blankets, dreading the worst.
She wasn't sure she believed in karma, or divine retribution, but...it felt like everything was going wrong.
Hesitating, Retsuko picked up her cellphone. She felt she needed to talk right now, and there was one person who was always a wall of support in times of crisis.
There was a moment of ringing.
"Hello?"
"Washimi? I'm so glad you picked up!" Retsuko's voice was filled with relief.
"Retsuko, dear, you sound a fright." The secretary bird's cool, calm voice spoke from the other end. "I'm just finishing up at the office with the CEO. Awful storm out there, isn't it? Did you make it home safe?"
"I..." Retsuko paused, her throat gone dry. She hadn't planned on what to say to her, but now the idea of spilling the details flew out the window. She couldn't do it. "Yeah, I did. Hey, Washimi." She was quiet for a second, then spoke again. "Um, do you think a person can have a streak of really bad luck? Or...like, bad things just keep happening to them? Like a...cursed thing?"
"No." Washimi's answer was flat and prompt, and Retsuko halted expecting more.
"...Well, it's just..."
"I think a person makes their own fortune," Washimi then continued, "just as they are in control of every choice they make. There's no universe or mystical forces at work. It could be your attitude, or just how things stack up. You might have even subconsciously wanted it to happen."
Retsuko wasn't sure if this was as reassuring an answer as she wanted to hear, but she mm-hmmed her way through it.
"Have you been talking to the Yoga Instructor? He might have filled your head with such nonsense." Washimi said, her voice far away.
Retsuko had never heard him say more than "Protein", but she couldn't talk much more.
"Thank you, Washimi. I'll see you at work tomorrow!"
As soon as she hung up, her smile faded again.
"I didn't want any of this to happen..." she murmured, shaking her head and holding it between her hands.
She struggled in her sleep all night, the scenes of the day flashing again and again in her dreams.
---
When Retsuko walked in to work the next morning, she was greeted with a surprise that greatly lifted her spirits.
"Haida!"
She rushed across the lobby into the hyena's arms, standing on tiptoe to accommodate his height. The hyena's face was glowing, his tail thumping loudly back and forth with such force it smacked Fenneko in the face as she walked up beside him with a smile on her face.
"What are you doing here?! I thought you were in the hospital for another week!" Retsuko asked excitedly, stepping back and looking back and forth between them.
"It was all Haida," Fenneko said, rolling her eyes and giving him a rough slap on the back. "Said he was ready to be discharged, was sick of eating hospital pudding and wanted to get back to work. There wasn't really any complications, but you know how doctors are, they milk it when they can. He just needs to stay out of puddles and quit the binge drinking." She gave him a playful sideways glance.
"How've you been Retsuko?" Haida asked excitedly, glad to finally have a second to speak to her. They hadn't had a proper conversation since she had rejected him, but he showed no signs of animosity about it now.
"I've been good, Haida...busy..." Retsuko said, and then the memories of yesterday came crashing down. Haida must have seen the dramatic change of expression on her face, because he instantly took notice.
"Retsuko? What's wrong?"
"Some things have changed in the last couple days." Retsuko said, her voice becoming tense. She could see Fenneko become rigid too, and Haida gave her a look of confusion.
"Why don't we go up to the office?" Retsuko suggested. "I think you'll see everything you need to see there."
Of course, she had no intention of telling Haida she was the one responsible for Mr. Ton's leave.
And she didn't even want to think about Tsubone...
if she was alive, she was in for the lashing of her life...
but the alternative was infinitely worse.
---
"Gone?" Haida echoed.
"Well, yes, as I said, Mr. Ton had a minor accident and is on a leave of absence until further notice," Komiya nodded, sitting back in his chair, looking as at ease as if he'd always been there. Beside him, legs crossed daintily across the desk, Tsunoda clicked away at her phone.
Retsuko held her breath, hoping nobody in the office would let slip that she had been the one to bring that "minor accident" upon Ton, but there was nothing.
She scanned the room, looking around. Everything looked normal, pretty much the same, if not maybe a little more relaxed...
Except Tsubone. She still wasn't here.
And that was setting off alarm bells.
Please, please, let nobody ask where Tsubone was.
"But it's good to see you back, Haida," Komiya was saying in his slinky voice, leaning forward in his chair, chin in his hands. "I know we've ever seen quite eye to eye, but I want you to know that as well as your boss, I'm your friend. If you need some extra time to ease in, you've got it. As you can see, everything's running impeccably."
"Uh, well thank you. Komiya. Mr. Komiya." Haida stammered.
"Director Komiya," Tsunoda corrected, and the two of them started to laugh like they'd shared a hilarious flirty joke.
Retsuko sighed with relief. It looked like things were going to be ok.
Instantly, she knew she spoke too soon.
All so quickly, the drama unfolded.
"Ms. Tsubone was just pronounced dead! Turn on the news!"
Ookami rushed in from the tea room, cellphone held tightly in his hand. His eyes were wide, and his normally stoic face was shaken.
Someone found the local channel on the overhead television and there was the alley again, the same scene again, unfolding before Retsuko's eyes.
This time there was no Tsubone, but a black stain at the base of the lamppost that served as a testament to the horror she'd seen.
Retsuko felt like she was falling.
The chorus of raised voices around her muted, as it all became too real.
She'd been fine pretending, perhaps it had only just happened in her head.
But now it was official.
Dead.
On all sides, Retsuko was flanked by the crowd of her coworkers bustling to see the screen. There was nowhere to run this time.
The image of an empty gurney flashed across the screen, and her mind blanked-
A strong hand pulled Retsuko back, pulled her back into his warm embrace.
"Haida."
The hyena held her close, keeping her a safe distance from the ogling crowd.
"Hey," he said gently. "It'll be ok."
But for Retsuko, she felt it was only the beginning.
J_Shute on Chapter 1 Thu 28 Nov 2019 09:33PM UTC
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Theghostinyourmachine on Chapter 1 Mon 02 Dec 2019 02:30PM UTC
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Jester_wolf on Chapter 1 Mon 02 Dec 2019 09:27PM UTC
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NaruSakuFan1985 on Chapter 1 Thu 05 Dec 2019 11:40PM UTC
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dorkster on Chapter 1 Mon 09 Dec 2019 09:49PM UTC
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J_Shute on Chapter 2 Mon 02 Dec 2019 05:10PM UTC
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Sayeh_Dissonantia on Chapter 2 Tue 03 Dec 2019 10:43AM UTC
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Legosi (Guest) on Chapter 3 Tue 17 Mar 2020 02:25PM UTC
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Jester_wolf on Chapter 3 Tue 17 Mar 2020 05:00PM UTC
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