"One of these days, we'll be allowed an actual break," I said as I took a sip of the rich coffee whose aromatic steam covered the air around me - pairing nicely with the subtle orange light which bathed our table.
"From work or from each other?" My dear partner replied with a tone that shared traits with my drink - cold and bitter.
"Both," I added, but with my reply came another voice from the middle of the table, a young man whose voice spoke with a hint of static.
"Sorry guys, but it's hard to fit these kinds of things in the schedule, so you're day-off got compromised..."
"...Again," I added with a sigh, looking at our superior, currently enclosed within the four corners of my phone.
"We had to do this without Keith, so doing it during work was a no-go."
"That's true." He started with an apologetic laugh, "So, with that out of the way, what's the rest of the report?" Alexandre asked, leaning forward, his electronic voice slightly increasing in volume.
With the stage set, all that was left was to tell the story taking place. The word reprieve was as alien as a foreign tongue to Myla and me. And today would continue that trend of restlessness as we found ourselves on the balcony of the local mall at the behest of a third party. But before we could meet our actual goal, we had another task that required finishing - a subquest of sorts.
That's the video game reference done. Now we can move on with the rest of today's plot.
"Every time I take my eyes off you two, it's always something new..." Alexandre began, exasperation clear in his voice, "And this time, you even asked me to keep it a secret. You guys are really pushing it this time, you know?"
A week had passed since our third member began accompanying us for our work, which meant that a report was due, but not a conventional one - which fits the unconventional situation, I guess.
"Well, you've got the basic idea," I continued, having already explained how this all began, "Now we can get into specifics."
"Sure, you guys came early for that exact reason, right?"
"Yes, so let's move along while we have the time," Myla replied as she pulled up her clipboard to speak.
I'm pretty sure she has that memorized but wants to maintain the stern office lady aesthetic - which, I mean, I can respect the hustle.
"Keith Kirby has more or less acclimated to the work environment over the week. We can report positive reviews from clients and us as his superiors in both work ethic and quality."
"If I may add, he's also chilled out a bit. Or, in better words, he feels more relaxed when working, which is good since it means the clients don't get nervous either." I continued, which caused our digital manager to cross his arms in thought.
"That's all well and good, but it'd be nice if you gave some examples." He asked after a moment of thought.
Myla and I shared a look, having expected the question. While it was true every client we visited, be it for matching or counseling, would land themselves in the dark corners of a cabinet or file folder painted in Times New Roman, our case was exempt from this to some extent.
We still detailed our exploits with our actual clients - and if I am to brag a little, I'd say we make some of the more thorough reports compared to the rest of our overworked salary men and women. But our work during the past week didn't just consist of the clients in our schedule. It also included our apprentice.
And while he accompanied us for all of them, any details pertaining to him were omitted from the formal reports to maintain his current position to aiAI as a fellow surveyor, not a client. This all meant that any information pertaining to our progress and transpiring events regarding the enigmatic Keith Kirby had to come from our word and our word alone.
"We thought of a few particularly notable cases, so I hope you're ready to hear them out."
"Most of your cases are peculiar in their own right. Lay them on me." It was true we were always given the strange end of the stick when it came to aiAI's patronage, and we've become pretty certain that it's intentional.
But that wasn't always a negative. Being faced with a unique situation, as annoying as it may be at times, means you can't rely on patterns and past knowledge alone. It forces you to use every piece of information you possess and combine well-crafted logic and unorthodox creativity to solve whatever situation gets thrown at you.
"We picked these cases as we figured they'd have the highest chance of being times where Keith may have had something to gain for stepping in, clients who might have been able to teach him something, or perhaps issues which he could find answers to, in turn enlightening him towards whatever goal he may have," Myla explained, handing the clipboard over to me.
"First one then, we'll skip over names to make things brief if that's okay with you." I began, getting a reply in the form of a brief mhm from the phone.
"Case file number 6079, client report, submitted and documented by B. Blaithe and M. Marika." I began, reading off the title, "Formalities out of the way, oh, stop me if you've already read this one." I added, getting no protests back.
"Alright then, this was a counseling call we got a few days ago, a dispute between the couple due to a change in temperament in one half of the party." Alexandre nodded, allowing us to further the relaying.
"We inquired on the situation further, to which the client replied that their partner began acting differently." Myla continued, "Here is how the rest of the conversation went." She finished before looking at me, signaling with a nod.
"How would you describe the change?" My partner asked,
"...Tiring. Inexplicable. Characteristic." I replied, taking the place of our client.
"Oooh, we've even got a bonus of a show," Alexandre whispered through some electric haze as he watched.
My acting skills are still rough, but if all I need to do is pretend I'm dead inside, it should be fine.
"How exactly?-" She tried to add on, but I cut her off, raising the pitch of my voice.
"What do you mean about that?! This is how I always acted! And not just around you! Stupid!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Okay. You didn't have to get into the character that much."
"I'm sorry." I apologized to my dear partner and the luckily absent seats around us.
"I think we can move on from this story..." Alexandre appealed, but there was good reason for the sacrifice of dignity.
"Not happening. I didn't embarrass myself for nothing."
Myla cleared her throat, settling us down before resuming, "I see. Do you have a reason in mind for the change in attitude?"
"She's the type to mimic characters in the shows she watches. Sometimes though, it gets like this..."
"Around this time is when Keith Kirby asked if he could step in, to which we allowed him." Myla finished, pausing before taking in a breath to change characters.
"If I might be able to offer a suggestion," She began, not needing to do much to mimic our reserved apprentice's tone.
"At this point, I'm willing to take anything over this shi-" I abruptly stopped mid-sentence, allowing silence to finish my thought.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Umm, what was that about?" Our digital superior inquired.
Myla sighed before explaining, "At that point in the transcript, our client was struck in the stomach by their partner, causing them to be cut off."
"Her reason for the punch was, and I quote, "Watch your language around me, idiot!" before pouting and turning away," I added, not even trying to replicate the voice of our client.
"...When is this going to get serious?"
"In a moment." My dear partner answered, aware of the situation's absurdity but braving it nonetheless.
Remember, kids, no matter how smart you are, you'll always have to come down to the level of the idiots and not the other way around.
"If you'd like, perhaps watching a show with her to let her pick up a new personality could be a good solution?" Myla continued valiantly.
"It was here then that both clients reacted with surprise, so count that as the first time they both broke character," I interjected, going off-script as well.
"Oh, there's also the chance that all she's trying to do is invite you to watch. She might just be mimicking the character to try and get you interested, so why not give it a shot?" Myla finished, her words being laced with far more kindness than usual.
Two flavors of introverts here! Get 'em while they're hot! And cold!
"Well...That was certainly a peculiar story. Not sure what it offers in terms of information, though." Alexandre spoke with exasperation, only having heard the first of our tales.
"That's the fun part! There is non-"
"It's here to show Keith has gained more confidence when approaching clients. As well as his aptitude for reading their emotions even when distraught or acting. It's important to note the fact that the two held a positive reaction after his suggestion and even personally thanked him after a few days. We're still trying to figure out what exactly he learned from this. Perhaps something about proper communication? Something regarding adjusting one's self for their partner's quirks? Or maybe..." She continued to trail off, her words falling on two pairs of willingly deaf ears, seeing her desperate attempts to try and save face.
Past and present partner's intuition, huh?
I looked to Alexandre, who could only exhale a sigh in disappointment - perhaps the feeling was worsened by the fact it came from the usually unflinching Myla Marika.
Well, it wasn't all useless. In truth, that was actually the first time we saw Keith assert himself so much during a meeting with clients. And it showed both potential and the capacity to work in this field and thus learn from it.
We still weren't sure what Keith was looking for. But experience brings many things. And perhaps through the conglomerate of information, he would find his key.
"Alright, on to the next one then, Myla?"
She sighed before jogging the paper on the table to resume, "Of course. The following case concerns an entry two days after the previous one, number 6108, to be exact." My dear partner began, trying to regain the formal atmosphere established at the beginning.
The only issue with this attempt at reinstating the lost standard was simple. I was the one who got to choose the following case as well.
"This is another counseling call in regard to allegations of cheating from one side of the party." The sudden shift in tone and the gravity of her words hit Alexandre - even through the blurs of the screen, I could tell his expression darkened.
"It's not an uncommon problem, but one we still treat with utmost care. If Keith were to handle this well, it would be the equivalent of a nurse who's proficient in handling childbirth. Please, continue." As he spoke like a proper executive, at last, Alexandre urged us to resume the tale.
Cheating is surprisingly common, at least to me. And while aiAI-made couples boast far lower rates of affairs than most relationships, it's still not entirely avoidable.
"Yep, so you can imagine our surprise when Keith decided to step in and diffuse the situation with flying colors," I added, hyping up our apprentice and the continuation of the story.
Back to acting then, and this time the tone will be courtesy of Myla.
"Could you tell us when, where, and who you saw your partner with?" Myla began, taking our apprentice's place with a dire voice.
"Of course. I remember it clear as day." I responded, modulating my own tone to match the heavy mood, "It was an old friend of ours. All the way back in middle school old - I mean." Alexandre waited in bated breath, like a teenager hearing about the latest and juiciest gossip the campus had to offer.
"I see. As bad as the situation sounds, I'm surprised your partner hasn't bothered to come here with us." My partner-turned-apprentice continued the conversation, even placing a hand on her chin as she got more into character.
"I suspect it's out of guilt. Nevertheless, I have to do this. To make sure our relationship continues."
"Of course. One last thing then..." We all sat in silence, the ambiance of the air as heavy as the words being exchanged in the dialogue.
"Could you show us your proof?"
"Not quite, but I do have a reputable source," I stared both of them down with the same confidence our client had, breathing in to provide the final, most crucial part of the puzzle.
"...It came to me in a dream-"
"Okay, no way. I do not believe that for a second." Alexandre put it bluntly and in a tone far harsher than any I've heard from him.
"You overestimate the entire human race."
"He's right, you know." My dear partner backed me up, although part of her reassurance more than likely came from having done so as well with a particularly hard-headed colleague.
You'd also underestimate how self-aware I am. But hey, that's the fun part! It's voluntary stupidity! Most of the time.
"I apologize. That one was a joke."
"And the other one wasn't?!" Our electronic executive exclaimed exasperatedly, exiting the entrancement effortlessly.
I enjoy my initialisms and alliterations quite a lot.
Indeed Bridger B. Blaithe does fancy them.
"Oh, but if it makes you feel any better, the actual story did happen, though!"
"You guys called me to report, not to mortify me..." He answered in a depressive tone, "I expected better from you, Myla. Just how much have you changed since being paired with him-"
"Don't even insinuate that he's begun to influence me." She shot back with a tone as sharp as her glare, "I lost a bet. That's all there is to it." With time for only three stories and two people to tell them, someone had to be left out.
"That doesn't make it any better..."
As much fun as it was to mess around, seeing as by technicality this was both Alexandre's break period and our day off, we still had to think about our goal for today, which meant a sprinkling of actual work was needed to complete the dish if not at least mask the bottom.
"Alright, fine. Here's the last one." All Alexandre could do was sigh upon hearing me - out of trust in my word.
"I'll let you have this one then," Myla added before I could continue, handing me the clipboard to me.
"Case file number 6132, a counseling call made by a young couple, having been matched the year prior, but also married in that short time." I began - not adding any hint of sarcasm or irony in my voice anymore.
"Let's keep things short and simple. The two weren't in a great spot. Financially speaking, they found themselves between a rock and unemployment."
"Oh? Well, we're not financial advisors, but-"
"That's the thing," I stopped him, "We aren't, but one of their parents was strict about this kind of thing. They already disapproved of the marriage, to begin with. And when the family heard of their partner's situation, things got rough." I continued, trying to mask the actual seriousness of my words behind colored expressions.
"As easy as it would be to tell them to just ignore it, no one likes getting disowned, huh?" Alexandre seemed to piece things together - his tone also made it seem as though he had at least glanced at the case before.
"Bingo. And they hated the fact we were stepping in too. I guess they didn't think aiAI matched people, so...conservatively." I went on, still only implying the words as, at this point, I knew our executive had figured it out.
"...Yikes, that's one hell of a call to have on your plate."
"Undoubtedly so," Myla spoke up, "And we were to provide what help we could before directing them to actual professionals until,"
"Let's skip the theatrics. This was a touchy situation on a good day, which made it all the more surprising when our little apprentice decided to throw his hat into the ring." I picked up where she left off, getting Alexandre even more intrigued.
"Keith offered his aid, reassuring the clients that his previous work had him consulting people with similar issues."
"We weren't exactly keen on the idea, but we knew his file stated he was a diligent worker, so we let him have at it," I stated, leaning back and staring into the ceiling with a delighted expression, "And boy did that go better than planned."
"Quite. As good as a surveyor as Keith would make, seeing him in his element reminded us of his actual calling." Myla added, praise as crystal clear as ice.
"Yeah, not even mentioning that after the meeting, he still keeps in touch with the two to chat. We haven't gotten another request since, so I'd say they're doing better now." And with that, instead of disappointed protests, we got an impressed silence from our electronic executive.
"And here I thought it would all be stupid. That was good. I might read up on their file later." He finally replied, laughing a bit, "And here I was, starting to lose faith in you two."
"Well, warranted worries aside, what'd you think?"
"Well, if I look hard enough, I might be able to see what you were going for with this report."
"And that is?" Myla asked, almost as confused in her tone.
Don't act like that. We planned this. We had a whole flow chart written on a receipt and everything.
"He's not just capable. He's versatile. He's ready to take up a lot of different problems and solve them well, but that also means it's hard to narrow down what exactly he's learning from each one, or something like that?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"You put that far more eloquently than this idiot ever could. Thank you." Myla glared, to which I could only respond with an angelic smile.
"Anyway, what we're trying to say is the kid's got a heart for this. We just don't know where that heart's leading him." And with that, we concluded our report, earning a moment of respite to sip our now lukewarm drinks.
"You two never fail to amaze me with the stuff you get yourselves into..." Alexandre started with a sigh, "But I understand why this case is so important to both of you. So, stay the course and see where it leads, I guess."
"Of course, thanks for the support, as always."
"This is far beyond our jurisdiction, so we appreciate the cover," Myla added to my thanks.
"No problem, but for now, you might want to get ready for your next client." As he spoke his goodbyes, he picked up his phone and placed his face closer to the camera, "That's what you're here for, right?"
"Yeah, but we might have to skip the getting ready part," I said as I abruptly ended the call, staring off into the distance.
Myla already noticed her before I did, walking with her brown locks flowing in her gait. And as the sun's rays hit her fair skin, her expression lit up upon seeing us, as if returning the favor to the celestial body.
Time to get to work.