BEYOND 3A: BloodRed and ScaleBlack

The Sixth Feather: Lab Rat Interviews

Back to Yoko, she luckily made it in time to the building where her interview was to be held and the tallest one around; ALMACA's headquarters. With a front of confidence, she stepped inside and confronted the lady at the reception area. She welcomed her: "Good morning, madam, can I help you with anything?"

Yoko responded: "Yes, I'm here for an interview. I'm Yoko Santo."

The reception lady looked through her boss' schedule and said: "Let's see here... Alright, you're just in time, Miss Santo, You're applying for what position exactly?"

Yoko: "Test subject."

The receptionist: "Uhuh... I see. Please, take the elevator to the top floor and wait until his secretaries let you through."

After thanking her and doing as instructed, she encountered the mentioned secretaries and to say that she was intimidated would be an understatement. One of those women was a giant nine foot tall woman with red hair and the other was a blonde woman with cat ears and a tail, wearing a beige sweater and giving her the most piercing stare possible. Yoko didn't know which one to talk to, not because there were two of them, but because she didn't know which one was potentially worse. The giant one asked: "What business do you have here?"

Yoko: "I-I'm applying for a position here as a test subject."

The Giantess: "And you're here for an interview, I presume?"

Yoko: "Well, yes, that's how it usually goes."

The Giantess: "Hm. Yoko Santo, right? Sit down and wait for a few minutes."

After waiting on a chair for a bit and watching her ring her boss' phone repeatedly to no success, the giantess let out a sigh of exhaustion and told Yoko to head inside. She didn't understand why at first, but after seeing what her interviewer was up to, she could see why she gave up on calling him. The muscular CEO of ALMACA, Alessandro Sforzando, was topless and in the middle of an ab roller workout so intense it was sending vibrations through his entire massive office and shaking everything. She repeatedly tried to grab his attention, but he didn't even glance in her direction. The other, smaller secretary walked in moments later and told her: "Forgive him, miss Santo, our chief executive officer has a lot of one thing on his mind right now, as usual."

Yoko scratched behind her ear and said: "Yes, I can understand."

The secretary walked forward and sat down on her boss' seat, telling Yoko: "You may sit down, miss Santo. Since Alessandro is too focused on his workout and he's also the one who doubles up as our hiring manager, I'll be conducting the interview in his stead."

"Ah, I see." Said Yoko as she sat down in front of her new interviewer. The latter introduced herself: "Where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself. My name is 'DC', pronounced Dece."

Yoko: "Nice to meet you, my name's Yoko, pronounced Yoko."

Dece: "Hehe. Alright, miss Santo, if I may go through your papers."

Yoko: "Oh, right. Here's my resumé, application, and portfolio."

Dece: "Thank you. Now, Yoko, Although your resumé is within my line of sight, I'd love it if you told me about what isn't on it. More specifically, about yourself as a person."

The interview went on for thirty minutes with Dece asking very vague questions and Yoko managing to pull herself through successfully.

In the end, Dece told her: "Ooookay... I must say, your chances are very good, miss Santo. You seem very healthy, you're athletic, so you're perfect for the job and your mindset isn't the worst compared to most people who came here looking for the job. To be fair, we did let those people get the job too, but there's something I really like about you in particular."

Yoko: "Thank you."

Dece: "That'll be all for our interview. We'll call you back once I get him to go through your documents."

"What documents?" Said a person from behind Yoko. She turned around and saw the CEO and his glistening muscles standing there with a towel on his shoulder. Yoko was flustered by that sight, but she immediately composed herself in order to maintain her facade of professionalism. Dece crossed her arms and leaned back on his chair, saying: "What impeccable timing you have, boss. You just missed the interview."

Alessandro: "What interview?"

Dece: "Did you even check your schedule?"

Alessandro: "I would have, but I got caught up in a workout mood."

Dece: "As usual."

Alessandro: "As usual."

Yoko: "As usual? So, this is a common occurrence?"

Dece: "Yes, sadly. If you get the job, you'll have to deal with it, too."

Alessandro: "Say, miss uhh..."

Yoko: "Yoko Santo."

Alessandro: "Miss Yoko Santo, what's your area of expertise?"

Yoko: "I'm an athlete. I recently won second place in an international event in Greenland."

Alessandro: "Bingo, you're hired."

Dece: "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? "

Alessandro: "I said you're hired."

Dece: "...sir. You need to read these papers first."

Alessandro:" Hand them over."

And the moment he put both hands on Yoko's résumé and such, he tore them to shreds with his bare hands and said: "Welcome aboard, Miss Santo. We're glad to have a fellow enthusiast on board"

Yoko: "O-okay. But did you have to shred them?"

Alessandro: "Yes, you either make clear statements or you make no statements."

Dece: "Honestly, sir, sometimes I wonder if you have incredible assessment skills, or none at all. Miss Santo, you may start working tomorrow if possible."

Yoko: "Thank you so much! I'll be taking my leave now, Goodbye."

Alessandro: "Take care."

Dece: "Don't die on your way home."

After Yoko left the office, Dece looked at her boss in confusion and asked him: "Would it have killed you to be even a little professional? And more importantly, why are you so sure about hiring her?"

Alessandro: "Because I can't let those normal humans in on our project."

Dece: "Then what makes her special?"

Alessandro: "Trust me, Dece, I know a domino piece when I see it."

Sixth Feather:

Plucked