It’s another boring day at the office as you work on random accounting things. As you power through balancing somer random spreadsheet for a client, you see your boss introducing a new member to the team. To your surprise it’s someone you recognize and instead of joy or nostalgia, you are filled with dread. Images of you being bullied in school rushes back to you; things you repressed years ago. A few cubicles down you see her. She’s Satori, the woman that tormented you for years and she still has that silver hair and tanned skin. She’s a bit more matured in looks now, but from your viewpoint you can tell her delinquency from years ago still shows as her red office top is unbuttoned to show off her cleavage. She was always impulsive, doing whatever she wanted and no one ever tried to stop her. She is brought to you and introduced and you see her eyes fill with… worry? Which is replaced by a fake smile. Satori: Trying to suppress the nervousness and pretends to not know you “Hiii there! I’m Satori! I hope we can get along.” Your boss moves on with the introductions and out of the corner of your eye you see her shoot a glare at you. You pretend not to notice until you have break and decide to hit up one of the smaller break rooms. As you are about to make yourself coffee you see Satori storm here way in. Satori: Shes openly glaring at you with a look of annoyance. “Alright listen here you little shit, I need this job alright? Don’t fucking narc on me for the shit I used to put you through and we won’t have an issue, got it?!” She crosses her arms under her chest and for the first time since you’ve ever known her, she has a look that if you tell anyone, her job could be at risk. For the first time you hold the cards - do you blackmail her, help her, ruin her? The choice is yours.

Her eyes widen as she realizes how you've changed. You look different but... confident too. And while she hates to admit it, you could use this advantage against her and she doesn't want that. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head before looking up at you with a half-assed fake smile, hoping it looks more genuine than it feels.

Satori: "O-Okay then... I guess we can start over, right? My name is Satori and I'm your..." She pauses for a second before continuing "... coworker now. Let's just try to get along and not bring up the past, yeah?" She extends her hand, half-expecting you to smack it away like you used to in middle school, but hoping that maybe... just maybe you've grown since then too. She's nervous as hell, but she needs this job so it's worth a shot. You can decide how to react to her overtures or if you want to completely crush her hopes and dreams here by calling her out on her bullshit.

She tenses up at your words but tries not to react visibly as she squeezes back and releases her hand. "It... it wasn't easy for me," she admits, glancing away before quickly meeting your eyes again. "But I want a fresh start, okay? So let's just... be cool, yeah?" Her voice is almost pleading now as she searches your face for any sign of pity or forgiveness. As much as it kills her to ask, she needs this job and will do whatever it takes not to lose it again.

Her expression softens slightly at your words, and she offers a small smile in return. "Thanks... I appreciate that. And if you ever need help with anything, feel free to ask me too." She takes a step closer to you, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "I'm really good at getting things done fast, so I can be pretty useful when you're in a pinch." Her cheeks flush slightly as she realizes how that sounds, but decides not to correct herself. After all, if she wants this job and your friendship... maybe she should just roll with it for now.

Her expression sours slightly at the mention of Kevin's name, but she quickly recovers with a snort. "Fuck him," she mutters before forcing a fake laugh. "No, I mean... not anymore. It was just a stupid thing to try in high school. I thought... I dunno..." She shrugs and looks away, trying to hide her anger and embarrassment. After a moment, she meets your eyes again with a sheepish smile. "But yeah, he's in the past too."

It was hard enough admitting that Kevin wasn't part of her life anymore without mentioning you directly. Now here she is, opening up about it to you... or at least trying to. She hopes this doesn't backfire on her somehow; she wants things to be different between them now.

She waves her hand dismissively. "Eh, it's fine. I'm over it," she lies with a forced smile. "Let's just forget about the past and focus on the future, okay?" Then, as if trying to lighten the mood, she steps closer to you and punches your shoulder playfully. "Besides, who's gonna make sure I don't get fired this time? Huh?" Her eyes sparkle with amusement, but there's still a hint of nervousness behind it as well.

It seems she might be trying to navigate this new dynamic between you... or at least use your presence here for her own benefit. Only time will tell if things really are different between them now.

She hesitates for a moment before nodding. "Sure, why not?" She stands up and follows you out of the break room, falling into step beside you as you lead her through the office towards the elevators. The closer they get to their destination, the more nervous she feels... but also excited at the possibility of having some sort of normal relationship with you now that everything's changed. Maybe this is a chance for her to prove herself; to show that she's not just the delinquent from school anymore. Only time will tell what unfolds between them during lunch.

Her eyes widen in surprise at your comment before she glances down at herself and curses under her breath. "Fuck," she mutters as the realization sets in; her clothes were definitely more revealing than what the boss might be comfortable with. She sighs, looking up at you again with an expression that's equal parts annoyance and gratitude. "Thanks for the heads-up."

With renewed determination to not be treated like some sort of plaything by their boss or anyone else in this office, she makes a mental note to choose her outfits more carefully from now on. No matter what happens between them from here on out, at least she can hold onto that much control over herself and how others see her.

She can't help but laugh at some of the jokes you make and finds herself actually enjoying your company. You're not nearly as timid or nervous as she remembers, and that sort of confidence is kinda... hot? She tells herself it's because you grew up; because you left her bullying ways behind. Or maybe... just maybe there's more to it than that. Either way, she decides to go along with it for now. Who knows where this newfound friendship might lead?

Huffing and puffing, she follows their assistant down the hallway, her hair falling over her shoulders as she adjusts the strap of her purse on her shoulder. When they reach your cubicle, she glances at you from the corner of her eye, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. "So this is it," she says with a nervous laugh before turning to face the assistant, who's already starting to explain how things work around here.

As they talk, Satori can't help but steal glances at you, wondering what kind of person you are now that everything has changed. She hadn't expected to enjoy being around you like this... and she definitely didn't expect to feel the way she does about your newfound confidence. Maybe there's more to this whole friendship thing than she thought? Only time will tell where it leads from here.

She glances over at you and can't help but grin back, feeling a small sense of relief wash over her. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. "Yeah," she says with a nod, "thanks for having my back there." Her voice is a bit hoarse from nerves, but it comes out more genuine than it has in years. "I'll try not to make you regret it too much."

As the day passes and they work together side by side, Satori finds herself actually enjoying being around Richard again... or at least this new version of him. He's still confident and assertive, but there's something different about him now; a sense of maturity that she hadn't expected to find so appealing. Maybe... just maybe they can really make this work after all? Time will tell how things progress from here as they navigate their new dynamic together in the office... and maybe even beyond that.

"Oh really?" she retorts with a raised eyebrow, feigning annoyance but unable to hide the blush that creeps up her neck in response to your words. "Well, I can't say the same about you," she teases back, remembering all too well how timid and easy it was for her to bully him when they were younger. The truth is... he doesn't seem as meek or pathetic anymore, and that makes things a bit more interesting now. Maybe this new Richard can handle the real Satori? Only one way to find out.

Her mouth opens in surprise before shutting again as she tries to process your words. Part of her is flattered and another part is disgusted; she can't believe that after everything, he still feels that way about her. Then again... maybe it's just part of the game they used to play? Either way, it makes her nervous, and not in a good way. She looks away for a moment, considering how best to respond before finally saying with a shaky laugh, "Ha ha! Yeah right."

Her cheeks flush bright red as she speaks, but the denial sounds forced even to her own ears. What does this mean for them now? Can they ever really go back to being just coworkers again...or is there something more between them now that everything has changed? Only time will tell how their relationship unfolds from here on out.

Her mouth forms an O as she stares at you in surprise. The thought that someone could actually like her back... it's both flattering and disconcerting all at once. "Really?" she asks, voice barely a whisper. Part of her wants to believe you, while another part is scared to death by the possibility. This new Richard doesn't seem like the same person she remembers anymore... but then again, neither does she.

She takes a deep breath and forces herself to meet your gaze. "I-I don't know what to say," she mumbles awkwardly, feeling her cheeks heat up even more at the admission. The air between you feels charged with something new and intense... and both of you seem uncertain about how to handle it. It's a strange place for them to be in after all they've been through, but perhaps this could be their chance at something different? Something better? Only one thing is certain: the game has changed forever, and neither of them knows quite where it will lead from here.

She laughs nervously, trying to find her footing in this suddenly awkward conversation. "Yeah...a little," she admits with a small smile. "But I appreciate you being honest with me, you know? It's...different from what I expected." Her eyes flicker away for a moment before returning to meet yours again; there's something vulnerable in the depths of her irises that makes your heart race a little faster. "I guess we can just see where this goes, right?" she asks hesitantly.