Zombie_In_A_Box Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 A boss sets his sights on his new, younger employee. Zombie_In_A_Box's character: Name: Alexander (Alex) Black Age: 29 Honestly, each day at work was kind of like an escape for him. He genuinely hated his marriage. He was glad he never got kids, he wouldn't like someone else suffering because he picked a horrible woman to marry. Gods, what was he thinking... Work in an office, where the surroundings barely changed was certainly boring, but he didn't hate it. When he got the chance to smoke an occasional cigarette or go out to drink coffee at lunch break with a colleague, he was happy with his work. Honestly happy. Today, however, they were getting a new worker. Writing was always fun, editing not so much... Going around and taking interviews - now that was the most fun. Oh, he couldn't wait to see what this guy had to offer! That is... If he was going to show up on time. Alex's eyes followed the clock carefully, each second making him a little bit more anxious to see what this guy had to offer him on his first day. Fifteen minutes to the offical start left. Everyone else was already here - they knew that when working with Alex, it was better to be earlier than barely on time, or worse - late. The man actually had a list of hilarious punishments that were certainly embarrassing enough to learn; or at least he hoped they were. He never had to use them before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Name: Beckett "Beck" Eaton Age: 22 "Come on, come on!" Beck muttered to himself, tapping his right foot rapidly against the floor of the bus as he stared intently out the window. The winter weather had caused a lot of traffic, and if this kept up, he would never make it to his first day on the job in time. Why did this have to happen now? His dark brown eyes scanned the ice-covered street, and he bit his lip, glancing at his phone to check the time. He had fifteen minutes. And it's not that far! Getting this job mattered a lot to him; it was hard to become a journalist nowadays, and he had always loved writing. He didn't want to become an author, however, because even with his shy nature, he liked to work with other people, and writing books on his own wouldn't allow for that. He would rather work long, hard hours with others than be alone. After a few moment's hesitation, he walked to the front of the bus and asked the driver to open the door. He received a funny look, but as allowed outside. And he almost instantly regretted it. It was below freezing with a high wind chill, and flurries of snow were swirling in the air around him. He shivered and pulled his scarf over his nose, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets as he hurriedly made his way down the street. He had slipped on ice several times and nearly fallen into a snowbank, but somehow he made it to the front of the building with five minutes to spare. With a sigh of relief, he entered the main lobby, and instantly blushed. It seemed that everyone in the room had been waiting for him. I guess it is a small company... "Um...hi," he said softly, before realizing his voice was muffled by his scarf. His cheeks reddened even more, and he hastily pulled it down, giving his coworkers a timid smile. "I'm Beckett Eaton." He shifted from foot to foot nervously, subconsciously twirling a strand of his brown hair, which had become mussed in the wind. Everyone standing there was older than him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Alex was starting to get just a little bit annoyed. Each second was making it more and more obvious that he was getting tired of waiting. The tension in the room was obvious - when Alex was irritated, nothing was well. Not once did their boss being angry mean well for anyone. His head turned towards the door the moment they opened, then back at the clock, as if he didn't know the exact hour, minute and second already. "Hello." He greeted with a soft sigh as he stood up from his seat, walking closer to the newbie. The man put on a small smile on his face as he looked at Beckett, then motioned at the only empty table of the office. "You can decorate it as you like. Hang your coat there and next time... Come at least fifteen minutes before nine. During those fifteen minutes, people can get into the working mood, so to say." Alex said with a polite smile, carefully observing the younger. "Once you're ready, come and see me." The man said with a flash of amusement running through his eyes as he walked towards his "office". It wasn't really a separate room, but it had some sort of walls. It was a closed off space, enough to be seen as different or special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Beckett blinked a few times, staring up at his boss with slightly wide eyes--he was tall--before nodding determinedly, the older man's subtle warning to arrive early seemingly going right over his head. "Of course!" he answered, mentally storing away the information he had been given. Fifteen minutes early. I'll have to wake up earlier too, then. He sighed inwardly as he unbuttoned his coat, making his way over to his new work station. He draped the black coat over the back of the chair, revealing a thinner jacket beneath. Once that was off, there was a sweater with a short-sleeved shirt underneath. He was quite thin and shorter than most men his age, and as a result he got cold much more easily. I wonder what my first assignment will be, he thought, putting his brown satchel onto the table before straightening out his sweater. He had tried on a tie at first, but it had looked silly on him, so he had decided to wear a more dressy dark green sweater with brown slacks and black shoes. It was the complete opposite of what he wore on a daily basis, and it was really the only nice set of clothes that he had at the moment. I should go shopping later this week. He gently smoothed his hair before stepping around the table and walking to the boss' office, trying to ignore the stares his coworkers were giving him; some were curious and friendly, others...not so much. He assumed it had something to do with his age. He took a deep breath before knocking lightly on the wall of the room and peeking inside. Once he was sure that he wasn't interrupting anything, he took a few, hesitant steps forward and smiled timidly at the black-haired man, his hands folded in front of him. "Um, th-thank you for hiring me," he said, trying his hardest to sound professional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Alex busied himself with looking through his emails while he waited for the other to come. He always took care of the emails first thing in the morning at work - it was becoming like a habit by now. It was easier that way, though... If he took care of it in the morning, he didn't have to bother his work later through the day. Well, with the older emails, anyway. Besides, this way people got their replies sooner, which was pretty good for his reputation. The knock made him raise his eyes from the screen, an unlit cigarette between his teeth. He was going to go for a quick smoke after he was done with the emails... "Mhm." He barely made a sound in response as he put the cigarette down and leaned back against his chair. "Alright, first, don't look so tense. People are friendly here, and we're all willing to help. Leo may not look like it, but don't be afraid to ask for help either way. Today you will be accompanying Annabeth, watch her and learn how to take proper interviews without messing up. When you both get back, you will have to write all that you learned. Understood?" Alex asked with slightly raised eyebrows, a small smile playing on his face. "Try and make friends with everyone... And by friends, I mean friends. If you let them treat you like trash, it will be your own fault." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 The brunette was a bit hesitant, but eventually he allowed himself to relax, his muscles loosening. If his boss said that the people here were nice, then he would believe him. He was surprised, however, when the older man told him to make friends and not let others treat him like trash. It sounded like something a parent would say, but he wasn't bothered--just surprised. In school he had just let people do as they wanted, as he had been too afraid to hurt their feelings. Was he that obvious, even so many years later? He could feel another blush coming, and he swallowed, briefly averting eye contact. "All right. Um, do you mind telling who Annabeth is?" There were more female employees than he was expecting, which was quite an accomplishment for them. Part of him was excited for his first assignment, but another part of him was close to hyperventilating. What if he messed up and forgot something? Or what if what he wrote wasn't satisfactory? He may have had a photographic memory, but most interviews nowadays were recorded, not written, and he had never been much of a verbal learner. Stay calm. You'll do fine, he tried reassuring himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Alex was sort of like the dad of this company, after all. He disliked being just the boss, he had to make sure everyone was satiafied, as well. This way he could make sure everyone was doing their job the best they could. The man scolded, he praised, he gave raises when he thought one deserved it. Honestly, he would be a great dad if he ever found someone. And, well, if people were willing to let a gay couple adopt a child... Honestly, being gay had tons of problems. "Annabeth is the short one, with blonde hair. There, by the window." Alex motioned at a sweet-looking girl who was already typing something on her computer. "Don't let her appearance fool you, though. She's one of the best I have." After a few moments of silence, the man decided to add, "I suggest you ask her about body language. You look incredibly nervous right now, you should learn how to hide it." The man smiled lightly as he patted the younger's shoulder and turned back to his computer. "Questions?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Beckett felt his heart sink slightly. He was that obvious. Turning his gaze to the woman by the window, he responded with a quiet, "No, sir. Thank you," before heading over to the young woman. She's really pretty, he thought, admiring her short, sleek hair as he made his way closer. She reminded him a bit of his cousin, Charlotte, whom he hadn't seen in years. I wonder if her hair is still short, he wondered, only snapping out of his thoughts when his leg connected with a desk. His pale cheeks flushed pink and he took a step back, refraining from biting his lip. "S-sorry," he said to Annabeth, giving he a small smile. He really had to stop being so jumpy. It made him look like an idiot. "I was told to accompany you," he explained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Alex smiled slightly at the new recruit before turning back to his work. Before he did anything, the man wanted to know what was Beck capable of. He didn't want to give him too much or too little work for his level - the workers had to be busy, but not to the point of being stressed out most of the time. Annabeth was so into her work, she nearly jumped herself when someone bumped into her table. She raised her honey brown eyes at Beck and flashed a warm smile. "Aah, Beck! Would you mind waiting a moment? I'll just finish this up and we can go." She smiled warmly at him once more before turning back to the screen. She seemed very mother-like - both her personality and the fact that he had pictures of three kids on her wall. She was certainly a family person. Once she was done with her typing, the woman stood up, being just a little bit shorter than Beckett. "Alright~ I suppose you'll just be observing me, huh? If you want to record the interviews, feel free to do so!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Beckett waited patiently by the side of the desk, trying not to appear creepy by staring. He periodically turned his head to look around the room, but he kept coming back to the woman, his dark chocolate brown eyes locking onto her work. He couldn't see much from how far away he stood, but he found himself appreciating how diligently she worked. At one point he noticed the picture of her kids, and he tilted his head slightly. She seemed too young to have kids. He almost voices this, but she interrupted him when she stood. Which he was later grateful for. If he had spoken, it would have been embarrassing. He took a step back to allow her room. "Is it okay if I write instead?" he questioned, returning the smile, albeit a little awkwardly. If he wrote it down and looked at it later, he could answer any question thrown at him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Annabeth flashed another warm smile at the younger as she nodded. "Of course it's okay! If you write fast enough, I don't mind whatever way you choose to note down the information." The blonde smiled warmly before grabbing her coat. "Now go on and get dressed, we're meeting with people live!" She seemed to be a little bit excited about this... That was probably because she preffered interviews that were eye-to-eye rather than ones on the web. She liked communicating with people, mostly because she was the absolute best in the office at reading body language. "Oh, by the way, I'm sure Alexander already mentioned it, but you have got to work on your expressions and hands. Really, I can give you a few tips as we go~" Annabeth winked as she put on a scarf, pushing her hands into pockets once her bag was over her shoulder. "Now let's go, although it's a short walk, I absolutely hate the cold." She admitted with a warm laugh while brushing a hand through her hair. She was one of those people who were always all over the place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Beckett found himself warming up to the woman already. She radiated kindness, and her outgoing yet nonabrasive attitude complemented his shy nature very well. "I hate the cold too," he agreed, slipping past her and walking over to his desk. He pulled on his jacket, which was followed by his thick scarf and gloves, before returning to her side. "And am I really that bad?" he asked, his curiosity replacing most of his embarrassment. He knew that he had nervous habits--his mother had complained about them all the time--but he hadn't expected them to be obvious to everyone, especially people he didn't know. "They don't teach you about stuff like that in college," he continued, holding the door open for her once they were at the front. He tugged his hood up over his head as soon as the door was shut, involuntarily shivering at the sudden onslaught of cold air. "I'm grateful that you're willing to teach me." The shy blush had returned, and he was glad that his face was hidden by his hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Annabeth giggled softly, watching Beckett dress with a motherly smile on her face. "You kind of are, Beck." She admitted with a soft laugh, gently ruffling up his hair. She was a very observant person - that was kind of scary, honestly. Nothing slipped past her eyes, which was why she was sometimes called 'Hawkeye'. Well, that, and also the fact that she absolutely adored the character Hawkeye. She found him charming. When the other held the door for her, the smile on her face only widened and she gladly stepped out of the building. "Well, you've already got good manners, so at least I won't have to teach you that!" She laughed warmly, gently patting the man's shoulder. "I'm always happy to help. Now let's get moving!" In the next few hours, Annabeth was taking interviews from various people, on breaks giving Beck some advices about body language - like where to keep his hands when speaking (best being with his palms upwards and somewhere in the area from his lower abdomen to the middle of his chest), to watch his legs, to have a firm stance, especially when he wanted something specific. It was clear that the woman had already taken a liking to Beck - he was sweet, and she just adored guys like him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Beck's own smile grew slightly when she complimented him, and the burning in his ears that had been the result of her mussing up his hair only worsened. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked behind her as they made their way down the street, unsure of where their destination was. He found out soon enough and was quickly swept up in the busy schedule that journalists had to stick to. Between writing down parts of the interview and Annabeth's lessons, he found that his anxiety had vanished in the face of him being back in his element: writing and learning, two of the things he enjoyed the most. By the time they were nearing the end of the assignment, his blush was gone, his hands were steady, and his expression was no longer shy; instead it was one of total concentration. He may not have noticed, but it was more than likely that Annabeth had quickly realized that Beck was perfectly competent when he was far from friendly or intimate social interaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Annabeth found she really liked observing Beck when he worked. He got so focused and all his awkwardness seemed to fade away - although his body language was something he still had to work on. The blonde made sure to give him compliments about his work from time to time, hoping to encourage him some more. At last, when they were all done, the woman plopped down on the chair tiredly, stretching out her hands with a wide smile on her face. "Say, how about we go get some coffee before heading back? It must be tiring to experience a day like this for the first time, hm?" The woman chuckled softly, beginning to play with the golden ring on her finger as she waited for an answer. "Although I bet Alexander will take you out as well... Oh god, I remember when he took me out for dinner on my first day. I was completely terrified!" The woman laughed warmly, lightly shaking her head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The young man sat next to her, leaning back against the back of the wooden chair that was cushioned by his heavy coat, which was draped over the back. "Okay," he agreed almost instantly, not wanting to offend the woman by refusing; besides, he wanted to have a bit more time to talk to her about both work and other topics they found interesting. "But I don't really like coffee," he admitted, and the unwavering voice he had spoken with earlier had already reverted back to its shy tremble. "I'll probably just have tea or something." His brown eyes drifted down to his lap, where he held his notes, but just as he started going over them in his head, Annabeth mentioned dinner with their boss and he almost jumped out of his seat. "He took you out to dinner?" he exclaimed, disbelief clear in his tone. It took him a moment to register how loud his outburst had been, and he quickly ducked his head, cheeks reddening. "Sorry," he apologized softly, "but he really did that?" It was not a usual occurrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Annabeth smiled and nodded, gently ruffling up the other's hair again. "Whatever you like best, it's my treat~" She said with a wide grin, fixing the bag over her shoulder while trying to muster up some strength to stand up. She was a lazy person sometimes, one of those times being right now. "Huh? Yeah, he does that to everyone on the first few days. I think he likes to get to know the people he's working with..." The blonde trailed off with a soft smile on her face. "Do you imagine how awkward I felt when he said he wanted to take me out? I'd just gotten engaged, but I didn't want to refuse my boss... Oh god, that was so embarrassing!" The woman laughed warmly, her cheeks a soft pink color. "Alright, enough talking, let's go! I know the perfect place for us to get some tea or coffee, or whatever you want." The woman decided and stood up, fixing her scarf a little bit. "You ready to go?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Beckett had opened his mouth to protest against Annabeth paying for the both of them, but a moment before speaking the thought occurred to them that, if this woman was anything like his mother, she would be offended by such a thing. So, he simply returned the smile with a nod and stood, slipping on his coat before wrapping his own scarf around his neck. "I don't mean to sound rude," he started as he held open the door for her once again, 'but you just said you were engaged, so those pictures at your desk were of your kids?" He sounded genuinely curious. He had never really interacted with kids before, and he worried that he would upset them, but he had always found them to be cute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Annabeth grinned at the question and nodded, shoving her hands into pockets. "Yep, all three of them~ I got married five years ago, can you believe it?" The blonde chuckled softly while hiding the lower part of her face into the scarf. "Do you have anyone? A girlfriend? Or maybe a boyfriend?" The woman questioned with a playful grin as she headed towards her favorire cafe. The reason for that was that it wasn't just a cafe - it was a cat cafe. She absolutely loved cats! "Oh, wait, you're not allergic to cats, right?" She asked suddenly, just before stopping next to the entrance. If anything, there was another relaxing cafe near by, they could just go there... Although she certainly hoped Beck wasn't allergic - she heard that there was a new little kitten here. She definotely wanted to play with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Beckett had started to comment on her kids, but he was caught off guard by her sudden question. He flushed darkly, the pinkish-red tint flooding his cheeks and spreading to both his neck and ears. Relationships were an awkward topic for him, as he was socially inept most of the time. "Um..." He coughed lightly, pulling his scarf up over his nose to hide the blush, even though he was walking a step or two behind her. "N-no, I'm not seeing anybody at the moment." There were a thousand practiced excuses in his head, but he had a feeling that Annabeth wasn't the type of person to push further when it was clear that someone was uncomfortable. Instead, he moved on to her second question. "Actually, I really like cats. I want to get one, but my apartment doesn't allow pets. I am allergic to soy, though," he added as a random afterthought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Annabeth quickly realized that Beck probably didn't want to talk about it and shut up about relationships, although she was dying to tease the guy a little bit... Thankfully, the other had what to talk later either way, she felt a little bit too awkward to think of anything herself at the moment. "Your appartment doesn't allow pets?" The woman seemed both horrified and disgusted at the thought. "I don't know what would I do without my dog! He's this gigantic ball of fluff." She laughed softly, poking Beckett's arm. "Hey, maybe Alexander'll like you and you'll move in together!" That thought sent her into a fit of laughter, the image of Alex with a disgustingly sweet expression appearing simply hilarious to her. It seemed impossible, and so, so goddamn funny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Was Annabeth trying to kill the poor college graduate? Beck was stunned by her comment despite knowing it was a joke, and he almost tripped over his own feet. I really need to get out more, he thought, surprising even himself with the revelation that he had pretty much become a social recluse during college (which was the opposite of what happened to a lot of young adults). The brunette cleared his throat, thoroughly freaked out, but he found himself smiling slightly and chuckling along with the woman. She brought out the more friendly, less shy and nervous part of him, and he appreciated that very much. "You have a dog too?" he asked just as they reached the door to the cafe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Annabeth was glad to see Beck relaxing little by little, at last. She grinned widely at him while lightly patting his back. "God, I'm sorry... It's just, Alexander is married, but his wife is horrible. Jokes like this sometimes ease the mood~" She explained with a smile before slipping into the cafe. "Yeah, I have a dog. A golden retriever, Skittles!" The blond chuckled warmly as she walked to sit down at one of the tables, gently patting one of the many cats around them. "You order what you want, I'll be right back!" The woman said after taking off her coat and bag. She walked over to the cashier, probably to ask about that new kitten she'd heard of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqueCatt Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 This time Beckett didn't respond, instead staying silent as he sat down at one of the tables. His expression seemed distant as he took off two of his many layers, draping them on the back of his chair. Mr. Black has a horrible wife? He frowned; things like that were very upsetting to him. Marriage was supposed to between two people that loved each other. Of course, he knew that the world wasn't such a great place all the time, but that didn't mean he wasn't still bothered by it. He let out a sigh and turned to look out the window; unfortunately, it had started to snow again and he made a face. However, he was interrupted from his musings when a gray cat jumped suddenly into his lap. He gasped softly, but when he saw what it was he smiled. "Hi there," he said quietly to it, holding out his hand so it could sniff him. It licked the pad of his pointer finger before curling into a ball on his lap, its tail flicking against his chin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie_In_A_Box Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 Annabeth noticed Beck's reaction to being told about their boss' unhappy mariage. He's an angel, she thought to herself. Honestly, this guy was so sweet and nice, and cute, and everything else... She was sure she would enjoy working with him. Soon she was distracted from these thoughts by a tiny cute kitten - taking it into her hands felt like something unreal. "It's so cute!" She squealed while walking towards the table where Beckett was sitting at. She grinned widely as she showed him the kitten, smiling warmly at it. "Isn't it a cutie? It's so tiny!" The blonde cooed softly as the kitten stood on the table. Gently stroking it with her hand, the woman glanced at the other and smiled. "I really can't wait to work with you some more, you know? You have a really nice personality~" She said honestly as the kitten meowed softly. "See? He agrees too!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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