Normal Day at work

The alarm went off. Tigress awoke from a dreamless sleep. Her body groaned to stay in bed. She didn't sleep well. A slightly normal occurrence. She drug herself to the kitchen and sipped her coffee. Black. She needed every milligram of caffeine to keep her awake today.

She lazily drank the mug and slowly felt the warmth spread to her body and her brain. That's when she noticed something.

Something was missing. Something in her routine felt out of place.

She twisted her head left and right and found her answer. "Where's my phone?" She grumbled, quickly retracing her steps to find it on the nightstand.

She never got out of bed until she checked her phone. Was she losing her touch?

She rubbed her eyes, feeling their strain and protest.

She grumbled again. She didn't want to admit it, but she needed a break. Tigress looked at the time. 6:47 am.

Relaxing would have to come later. Right now, she had to do her exercises and get on with her day.

Tigress got dressed, took her bag, took the Jade Line train where she did her quick 30-minute workout at a small studio, and went to work nearby.

While she hadn't let herself go, Tigress did miss her training. She frowned a bit realizing she had to reduce her workout time when she started working at Jade Inc. Working out made her feel good.

And in a period of her life where she didn't feel anything most of the time, she needed every moment to be a distraction.

Tigress shook her head after finishing her workout. "Ugh, I don't have time for this." She got showered, got dressed, and walked her black flats up the stairs to her office to get more exercise in. This time, she wore a black sports jacket with a creamy dark crimson blouse; it was still winter and she had some fashion sense. Moving down the lanes of rings, calls, and cubical offices, she made it to her desk placed to the right of Mr. Shifu's office door.

She sat down before bolting right out of her seat. "Mr. Shifu."

"At ease, soldier," The red panda smiled in his black suit with a red tie. "I finished up the reports you gave me last night. After hours."

Tigress sighed with a secretive roll of her eyes. "We were behind. I didn't want to make the board wait."

Shifu's steady stare didn't waver. He simply took a breath and folded his hands behind his back. "We've talked about you working after hours, Ms. Tigress," He said, motioning her to walk with him. "I appreciate your dedication, but this isn't healthy for you or the company."

"How?"

"You'll burn out quite easily."

"I've been working here for two years, Mr. Shifu. If I were to burn out, it would've happened a while ago."

"Hmm," The red panda hummed, stroking his chin. "While I can't argue with that, I can tell you that working both ends of the candle will cause you to make mistakes. Especially ones that could put your life in danger." He glared hard at her.

Tigress exhaled slowly and shut her eyes. "Mr. Shifu, it was just a car accident."

"That happened because you were doing late-night work once again. You're lucky that I can't force you to spend your PTO time... yet," Shifu murmured.

Tigress sighed. The time for her to use her PTO was slowly arriving. Shifu already warned her that company policy required her to take them. "I understand Mr. Shifu."

Shifu gave a small sigh. "Tigress, I don't want you to get hurt. This work, while important, isn't worth your death. Please remember that." He dusted his shoulder before heading to the elevator. "I'm going to a special meeting. I shouldn't be back until the end of the day, so you should have some time for some... company gossip?" Shifu smirked at her just as the doors closed.

Tigress rolled her eyes. It was weird how Shifu tried to get her to be social. She walked over to a few faint greenish-gray cubicles and found her friend on the phone with another customer. "Of course, sir. Yes, I understand. Jade Inc. does have a policy about lending for shareholders, but I'll make sure to direct you to our head of finance about that. Okay, thank you. Goodbye." Her tail put the phone down, and Viper relaxed her serpentine body into the chair. "Whew, that was a tough one."

"Difficult customer?"

"Difficult problem," The snake replied. Tigress leaned on her cubicle wall, glancing at the two computer screens and a picture of Viper and a bird hugging each other.

"How's Crane?" She asked.

Viper sighed with a smile. "Alright, what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"You only ask about Crane when you're trying to make small talk. You're getting better at it, but you have to change it up a bit if you don't want people to notice," Viper smiled.

Tigress grumbled a bit as she leaned her rear on the snake's desk. "I... got the talk with Shifu again."

"You know he's right."

"He's not."

"Tigress, you're not a machine that can cut out every part of your life that isn't work and just work, no matter how much you want to."

"It keeps me focused."

"More like it keeps you distracted," Viper muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tigress glared. Viper raised her eyelid a bit and shook her head.

"I'm not trying to get you angry," replied the snake in a soft voice. "I'm just saying that you're using work as a way to escape whatever it is that you're avoiding."

Tigress looked away for a moment, crossing her arms. "It's not like that."

"So you just love work so much that you want to forget everything else that makes up your life?"

"I like working out," Tigress pointed out.

"And?"

"I'm not as complicated as you might think."

"So you're as shallow as that snow leopard Song is dating?"

"Trying to date," Tigress corrected. "And I would rather not talk about it during work hours."

"And yet you're trying to talk about this. Why?" Tigress didn't say anything. She only gave a loud sigh. Viper glanced over to her small personal printer that slowly burped out the report she needed. "By the way, have you decided what you're going to do about that whole situation?"

"Viper."

"This is technically work," Viper smiled. "It's the well-being of a co-worker."

Tigress allowed herself a small smirk. "That's one way of stretching the truth."

"It's not stretching the truth. It's just... massaging its tendons."

"Uh huh," Tigress shrugged. "I don't know. You're right, though. She has to learn, but I'm not sure how long I can claim innocence if and when it happens. Tai Lung's been very good at keeping everything a secret."

"Hmm, maybe he's doing that so you don't have any evidence to say otherwise," Viper said as she placed the report into a folder.

"If that's the case, then I can't say anything until I have definite proof," Tigress sighed. "Either way, going to the gym with him is going to be fun this weekend."

Viper glanced back, frowning. "Yeah. I'm not eager for it either," Tigress groaned and started going back to her desk when her phone pinged. It was a text from Song.

What do you think about pandas?

Tigress narrowed her eyes.

What do you mean?

I don't know. Just saw a panda in the foyer and thought he looked cute.

Tigress rolled her eyes but stopped when she realized something.

Why are you in the foyer? Aren't you usually holed up in the cybersecurity lab?

Song sent a rolling eyes emoji. Yes, but the team is being treated to lunch. Want anything from Mr. Ping's Noodles' Shop?

Tigress smiled a bit. Stir-fried soy cubes, please.

Alright, you owe me $5.99. I'll bring it up in a minute.

Sighing, Tigress sat down at her desk and wrote some things for Mr. Shifu when he got back.

If he got back.

His meetings were long, and Tigress knew that Shifu would be behind on work. He has always been behind ever since he started dating again.

The tiger smiled a bit. She couldn't blame him. He seemed happier, more at ease. The 'company historian' told Tigress that Shifu used to be much stricter before he met this woman. Tigress was glad she got on the better end of the deal.

Just then, she heard a small cricket-like noise. A small green bug leaped onto her desk with a tiny blue tie around his neck. "Hey, Tigress. Is Shifu in?"

"No, Mantis. He just went to a meeting. He said he wouldn't be back until the end of the day."

"Ugh, not again."

"We're behind this month, so we have a lot of work."

"You mean you want to do a lot of work?" Mantis grimaced. "I've never seen anyone work more than you. Do you even sleep?"

"I sleep."

"Hm."

"Could everyone please stop bringing up the car accident?" Tigress growled quietly. "It wasn't that serious."

"Still, you're probably the best executive assistant that this company has. If you get hurt, I don't think Shifu and the company will recover."

Tigress rolled her eyes but smiled. "You will get along fine without me."

"By the way, why the black jacket? I know it's still winter but the heating isn't on the fritz," Mantis asked.

"It was the only thing that I had on the spot. I woke up... a little out of sorts today."

"Soooooo as usual?" Mantis smirked. Tigress grumbled under her breath. "Well, I'll leave you to your overworking tendencies. Did Shifu tell you-"

"Yes, he told me," Tigress sighed. "I know you're a part of HR, Mantis, but you know I don't use PTO unless it's an emergency."

"Tigress, the last time you used your PTO was during the car accident and you only allowed yourself to be out for a day."

"I only needed a day."

"Tigress, what is it that you're trying to 'work' away from or work to?" Mantis bluntly asked.

Tigress made an audible huff as she picked up her phone. "Nothing. Now I have to get back to work."

Mantis shrugged his shoulders and hopped off of her desk. "Suit yourself. But just remember your PTO." The bug hopped off and down the short hall before turning left and out of Tigress's sight.

The tiger lady shook her head and tilted it to get the crick in her neck out. She picked up the phone and answered the call. "Hey, Song. What is it?"

"You never answered the question."

"What question?"

"About pandas?"

Tigress blinked several times before letting her eyes light up. "Oh, I... still don't know what you mean by them."

"Would you date them?"

Tigress rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. "Song, for the last time, I'm not going into the dating world. I don't have time for another person in my life. You're already enough with you and the muscle-bound snow leopard."

"But he's cuuute."

"To you," Tigress muttered away from the phone, a little out of disgust. "Anyway, I've told you before. I don't have a type."

"But are you against pandas?"

"No."

"Alright, alright. That's all I wanted to know."

"Uggghh," Tigress groaned. "Just get my food up here and let me work in peace."

"Coming right up." The tiger hung up the phone and groaned again, rubbing her muzzle in the process from the stress.

It's annoying when people want to play matchmaker.

Continued...