Hello lovelies :3 To anyone here who's read any of my stuff before, this is the story I will be working on alongside Clarity, I've just finished taking exams for my classes so that means I have two free days a week now, that means more time to work on stories and post chapters in the coming weeks :3
Now, to everyone here, this is a sort of side story to an amazing story called Source Material written by InsaniumArtisan ( www. fanfiction s/10335925/1/Source-Material, remove the spaces) Please go check it out and leave a review, I'm sure you'll love it!
Now now without further adieu, please enjoy chapter one! ;3
...###...
Theres a moment's hesitation before I let the back of my knuckles fall against the thick metal door in front of me, the sound reverberating jarringly through the mostly empty storage space around me.
A muffled female voice calls out from the other side of the door. "Come in,"
I take a deep calming breath before pushing open the heavy door and slipping inside, letting it fall closed behind me with a thunderous slam, we never did get a proper doorstop for the thing.
"You're back early," The woman at the desk before me did not even glance over to me at first, instead keeping her eyes on her computer screen as she scrolled and clicked away, looking almost angry at the piece of technology.
She was a short woman, around five three maybe, and a bit rounded in body shape. She had short cropped red hair and pasty pale skin that tried it's best to shine through her quite apparent spray tan.
"Did you need something?" She asked, turning to look at me with poorly hidden annoyance, causing me to shrink back a bit.
I reminded myself that she no longer had any control over me, not after I leave this room, and took another deep breath, before addressing her.
"Miss Carin, I quit," I said simply, the words hanging in the air for a moment before she turned fully around to face me in her desk chair.
"What? Oh you don't wanna do that Rune," Her voice taking on that falsely sweet tone she used when dealing with shoppers or scolding us in front of them.
"I'm sorry, I really am, but I've had enough,"
"Enough? Enough of what? What are you talking about?" She asks. "If you just tell me what it is we can fix this, you don't have to leave. We need you here,"
"Again, I'm sorry, but I really do, and I don't think its such a simple fix,"
"Just tell me what it is at least," She says, her fragile mask slowly cracking, smile beginning to fall.
Well, I wasn't gonna get into this but she asked for it, and maybe finally hearing it will benefit the people still working here in the long run. "It's you," I say simply, my gaze slightly lowered so that I'm stating at her nose and not her eyes, waiting for her reaction.
"Excuse me?" She asks, hand over her heart and sounding very offended.
There goes the mask...
"I'm sorry, I don't know any nicer way to put it," I start.
"Ever since you took over for Eric the past few months have been like tiptoeing through a den of lions," I continue. "Theres no telling what'll set you off next and even when we do things right you're still not satisfied. You're completely disrespectful to everyone working with you and you belittle them constantly. Even if someone is right about something you still have to try to twist it around so it seems like you were on the same side as them all along."
"There are little moments where you seem like a pretty nice person but they come rarely and go quickly afterwards. Every interaction I've had with you since you've taken over has come off as fake and being around you puts me on edge." I hadn't intended to say so much all at once, but, it felt really good to finally say it.
She took the opportunity of my pausing to cut in, "Well it didn't take long for you to come up with all that," She says bitterly, her frown now fully intact on her face.
Oh, It's been stewing for a while...
"Why did you decide now of all times to let me know this, I've never heard you complain before."
"That's because you're never listening. I've just had enough, I'm tired of being treated like this every time I come in to work, its just not worth it anymore, even if it does pay well. My apologies, but a person can only take so much, and the rest of them out there are just as tired of it as I am,"
"Well that isn't my problem, It's not something that can be changed, not every job is gonna be a walk in the park, they just need to toughen up, the only person that can make you feel bad is yourself," She defends, voice still sharp and defensive.
Thats the same quote she used on the last one that quit. "There is an extent to where that may be true, but it is not the unbending truth, far from it, if you believe that wholeheartedly than you are very much mistaken. It has to speak for something that in the short time you've been here five, soon to be six, people have quit, and three of them have either cried or gotten into a screaming match with you. That's... that's not a normal workplace occurrence."
"I used to think you were such a respectful, sweet girl, I'm very disappointed." She says shaking her head.
"I'd like to think that I am ma'am, but even so, my patience only goes so far," I say with a sigh. "Either way, good luck with this place,"
With that I turned and walked out the door, fumbling for my phone as I made my way back to the front of the store.
I exchanged goodbyes with my now former co-workers, stopping for hugs with the ones I was closest to, and then I was out the doors into the fresh spring air.
I tap through a few screens on my phone before holding it to my ear, listening to the rings while my body practically buzzed with energy.
"Sup princess?" A voice asks through the earpiece.
"I quit! I finally quit!" I blurt out, the relief in my voice evident to even me.
"About damn time!" My friend comments with a laugh. "Wanna go out and celebrate?" She asks.
"That sounds amazing! I don't even know what we're gonna do but sure,"
"How about tomorrow? I can text everyone if you want?" She says.
"Sounds great, thanks,"
"So, how'd she take it? Was she a bitch about it?"
"Well," I say, dragging out the word. "She didn't take it well, she asked why and I had to explain it to her..."
"You mean how she's a bitch?"
"Marina," I say with something between a laugh and a sigh.
"What? She's a bitch," She replies bluntly.
"Well... Yeah, she kinda was," I admit.
"You sound so reluctant to say it, I've seen her in action, she's a demon,"
I end up choking on a laugh at her demon comment before I find my voice again. "Alright, she was pretty terrible, but at least I was able to deal with her for that long and still be respectful toward her," Even if she never showed me the same respect.
"If I were you I woulda cursed her out by now," She says bluntly.
"I won't argue with you on that," By now I've just reached my 20 year old Cadillac parked at the back of the parking lot.
I move the phone to cradle it against my shoulder so I can open the door and toss my uniform and purse into the passenger side seat.
"I'm about to drive home, I'll text you later kay?" I say, sitting down behind the wheel and closing the door behind me.
"Alright, don't die,"
"Thanks, I'll try not to," I say with a laugh. "Bye,"
"Later,"
I end the call, tossing the phone on the seat with my purse and uniform before buckling my seatbelt and turning the radio up.
As I drove away it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
...#####...
"Not that I'm not happy for you, but do you have a plan for what happens next? Any interviews set up?" A woman, my mother, asks from her place leaned against the kitchen counter across from me.
She is an inch or two shorter than me, her skin slightly paler and her eyes a bright sky blue, contrasting with her dark chocolate brown hair that stopped just above her shoulders.
"I have two thousand in my savings and a couple hundred in my primary account, and I've put in resumes to seven different places so far," I reply.
"You put in for NSA like you were talking about?" A deep baritone voice asks.
The source of the voice being my dad, standing in front of me next to the woman, arms crossed and expression unreadable.
He had close shaven black hair and dark brown eyes, he was very tall and a bit muscular, his skin a warm chocolate color.
"Yup, I did that one first,"
He seems satisfied by my answer before he walks toward me, a smile suddenly taking over his face as he envelops me in a hug, the serious mood now broken as he lifts me up and spins me around a few times like he'd done when I was little.
When I'm set back down I'm in a fit of giggles, my mom comes over next, hugging me as she smoothes down my now mussed hair.
"Whatever you choose to do we'll support you, you know that right," She says as she releases me.
"Yes, I know," I step forward catching them both in a hug. "Love you," I say, the words coming out a bit muffled.
I receive 'love you too's in reply, and a light knuckle rub to the head from my dad, mussing up my hair again.
As I try to re-situate my golden blonde locks to lay flat again my mother catches my attention.
"This came for you in the mail today," She says, holding out a pretty cream colored envelope.
As I take it from her I'm a bit surprised by the weight it has to it, the paper of the envelope alone looked and felt like something that should've been used for a wedding invitation.
Surely no one I knew was getting married?
Either way I thanked her before retreating to my room where I planned to take a short nap, or perhaps work on some new sketches I'd had in mind.
I tossed the envelope onto the top of my dresser, amidst the many random figures I displayed there.
There was really no order to it for there were now far too many figures from so many different genres. There was Legend of Zelda, Ninja Turtles, Portal, Halo, My Little Pony, DC, Marvel, and many, many disney figures.
My favorite of them all was a figure I'd gotten when I was little from the Lion King of Scar mid prowl that sat at the front of the figure display. The tossed envelope somehow slipping perfectly beneath his paws.
I waste no time changing out of the restrictive white button up top and black slacks that comprised my old uniform.
Foregoing my usual shower as I'd had one this morning instead, I quickly put on a comfy pair of pjs, a super soft dress-like batman 'costume' tank top with a layer or two of ruffles at the hem and a pair of black pj shorts.
Walking to my vanity I briefly take in my appearance. It seemed I'd done a barely passable job of fixing my hair after having it messed up moments ago, some of it raised up and sticking out strangely.
Theres also a bit of eyeliner thats smudged under my eye so I grab a makeup wipe and begin to remove the small amount of makeup I'd had on. The most visible of it all being the royal blue eyeliner I normally wore on my waterline that contrasted nicely with my bright green eyes.
Getting back to what I'd gone to the vanity for I pick up a hairbrush off the table, at the same time quickly taking out the band holding my hair in a ponytail, letting the long strands fall over my shoulders and down to the middle of my back.
I take a few minutes to brush out the tangles and get it to lay flat again, all except the bottom lengths which refuse to do much else than curl in loose spiraling ringlets.
Finally finished with everything I grab my sketchbook off the edge of my bed where I'd left it this morning and plop down amongst the pillows and few stuffed animals taking up the front half of my bed.
Opening up to the page I'd started this morning and grabbing one of the pencils at my bedside I begin work on the sketch again.
It was one in a series, of me and my friends disneyfied, right now I was working on Marina's.
I'd decided to draw her as Aurora, it was a little joke of ours since she was always sleeping and always tired.
I'd completed one so far, that one was of our friend Josh as the prince version of Elsa.
I still hadn't a clue what style to draw myself in though, I'd considered picking from some of my favorite Disney films like Lion King, Aladdin, or Hercules, but I was still indecisive. I just loved all of the styles so much.
I'd just begun working on the detailing of Marina's dress when I found myself looking over at the envelope on the dresser again.
I probably should give it a look.
Curiosity piqued I set my sketch aside and walk over to retrieve the piece of parchment, gently lifting the Scar figure from atop to do so before setting it down again.
Taking a better look at it I notice the elegant golden script of my name and address as well as the sender's on the front of the envelope.
I am a bit perplexed to find the letter coming from the Walt Disney Animation Studios, and suddenly it feels much more urgent to open the letter.
Turning the envelope over I find the seal of if adorned with a small red mouse head sticker.
Being careful to open it I withdraw it's contents. I re-read the letter probably three or four times before I finally give up on answering the how and why of its arrival to me.
According to the letter I've been accepted into a new branch of Disney's animation studios. The 'New Age' Stylists they called it.
Problem was I'd never even heard of them let alone applied.
I mean sure, it was my dream to someday work in animation or be a concept artist for a company like Disney or Dreamworks, but I didn't feel I had quite the level of skill for such a task yet.
I still had so much to learn so I hadn't sent out applications to any animation companies, not even any small time ones.
It unnerved me just a bit that this was sent to me.
So I took to the internet, my sketching long since forgotten as I scoured the web for anything pertaining to Disney's animation branch or these 'New Age' Stylists.
After at least an hour or two of searching I come up with nothing, finally giving up I shut down my laptop and set it aside.
A wave of drowsiness overcomes me followed by a long yawn so I decide to call it a day and get some rest.
Though as I sleep visions of drawings from my sketchbook coming alive and little white envelopes dance in my dreams.
I really do hope you've enjoyed chapter one, though it is just a bit of background I promise the next chapters will start to get very interesting ;3
And once again, please do go check out Source Material ^^ Eventually this story will catch up to Source Material as well, the main characters in our stories have already met in SM. Not only that but reading SM as well will give a lot more insight into what's to come and some of the rules that may come into play once this story really kicks off :3
If you do decide to check out SM and like it, please do leave a review, she really deserves it :3 ( I also appreciate reviews from anyone on this as well if you'd like to leave one :3 even constructive criticism is welcome with me ;3)
Until next time lovelies ;3