Within the dimly lit confines of a certain office in the Foundation, the sound of papers quietly being flipped echoed through the still air.
A woman sat behind a gray desk, her features calm yet sharp — an aura of authority unmistakably clinging to her presence. Her posture was poised, one leg crossed over the other as she lazily tapped her finger on the armrest.
Before her stood a younger subordinate — back straight, tone respectful — holding a thin folder in hand.
"The current situation across the departments remains stable." The subordinate reported, eyes glancing occasionally at the notes. "However, one... peculiar report surfaced this morning."
"Oh?" The woman behind the desk arched an eyebrow, voice cool. "Go on."
Flipping to the next page, the subordinate continued.
"It concerns Madam Z's newly appointed assistant. It seems he's been... gaining attention this past month."
The woman gave a small scoff, folding her arms. "That one. I've heard of him."
She leaned forward slightly. "Continue."
The subordinate cleared her throat and pressed on. "He's been making rounds across various departments lately. On paper, everything looks proper — all clearances are accounted for. But according to multiple observations..."
She paused before continuing. "He's exceedingly difficult to pin down. Subtle and disarming with his words while appearing utterly clean on the surface, but behind that facade, he's been weaving small connections. Favors here, subtle promises there — the sort that don't seem important alone, but when stacked..."
She adjusted her grip on the folder. "The ripples are beginning to show. If left unchecked, those ripples could very well turn to waves."
A silence followed.
Then — a soft chuckle.
"So the fox is starting to set his hunting grounds..." The woman behind the desk waved her hand, signaling the report was enough. "That will do. You're dismissed."
"Yes, Madam Constantine."
With a bow, the subordinate retreated from the room, leaving the woman alone in her office once more.
She leaned back in her chair, one hand toying idly with a fountain pen. A faint, knowing smirk curled her lips.
"So... you've found yourself quite the reliable chess piece, Z."
---
"...are you really still the Isaac I know?"
"...where'd that come from?"
At a cafeteria during lunch, both Regulus and Isaac sat together on the same table as they both ate their meals for the day.
Although it was supposed to be a moment of respite for the both of them considering their schedules, the former somehow still managed to find a way to point out something worth conversing over.
"I mean, you've been quite distant this past month, and on the slim chance we meet, you're somehow doing something important." She then pointed at his suit. "Like becoming an assistant to one of the Foundation's committee members?!"
Isaac, who was in the middle of eating his meal that he cooked himself, took his time to chew before replying with a candid smirk. "What can I say? I just have that in me."
She rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, sure. So what are you doing now, Mr. Important? Off to talk to the president and make peace deals?"
He feigned a sigh. "Ah... That's way off my pay grade. I think I'll just talk to… oh, I don't know… maybe the janitor first."
Regulus blinked. "...The janitor?"
He nodded solemnly, setting his fork down dramatically. "Yes. You see, the janitor sees everything. The true heartbeat of this place. From there, I'll convince him to pass my message to the head of maintenance."
She stared. He continued without missing a beat.
"Then maintenance to the head cook. The head cook to the logistics officer. Logistics to security. Security to admin. Admin to… the president's cat, probably. And finally — then — to the president himself."
A moment of silence.
Regulus let out a groan, rubbing her forehead. "Just… just forget it, okay? I shouldn't have asked."
Isaac gave a playful shrug. "Hey, you asked. I'm simply presenting a very efficient communication pipeline."
She sighed again but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You haven't changed. That's reassuring at least."
"And here I thought you were worried I'd gone full corporate." He chuckled softly, returning to his meal.
The conversation lightened after that, with the two settling comfortably into their usual rhythm. They caught up on what they'd been up to the past week — Isaac sharing a few vague but colorful accounts of "minor" errands, while Regulus grumbled about paperwork and an overzealous researcher in her department.
Between bites and banter, the pair relaxed for once — no swirling schemes, no tense missions — just a rare, simple afternoon between two old acquaintances sharing a meal.
However, soon enough, that short — quarter of an hour — break soon ended.
Looking at the ticking clock at the distance, Regulus sighed, her head hanging low. "Ugh, that's me. Gonna have to go back now..."
"A shame. We could have had a longer talk." Isaac hummed. "Take care, Regulus. And tell the others in the suitcase that I say hi."
Upon hearing his words, Regulus paused for a moment before glancing back at him, a worried look present on her face. "Hey... You know that you could say that to them in person, you know? You've barely returned to the suitcase, but when you do, it's always when no one is inside or asleep."
"Your cabin and farm in the woods is still there, but their owner isn't. That place seemed important to you so... Why?"
Isaac sat there silent for a few moments, gaze lowered toward his half-finished meal. Then, with a light breath, he set his utensils down and leaned back just a little, meeting her eyes with a faint, lopsided smile.
"...I've just been… busy. You know how things are these days. A lot of running around, some new responsibilities I can't exactly shrug off." His tone was casual and light — too light.
"But it won't be like this forever. Once things settle down a little, I'll come around properly. Promise." He gave a small shrug, his voice steady and gentle — convincing, even. "Besides… seeing the place as it is… It's better for me to focus on keeping things in order first. For everyone's sake."
A half-truth. One that tasted bitter on his tongue, but if it kept them at ease... then so be it.
Regulus eyed him for a long moment, a frown creasing her brow. "You always say that, you know."
"I mean it this time." He smiled calmly and earnestly. "Give me a little more time."
She didn't look entirely convinced. Not at first. But after a slow breath, she exhaled through her nose, reluctantly pushing back from the table. "Fine. But you'd better not keep us waiting too long."
"I wouldn't dream of it." He replied softly.
Regulus gave one last look, hesitant, as though wanting to say more… but in the end, she just nodded and turned away.
"See you around, Isaac."
"Take care, Regulus."
He watched her go, waiting until her figure disappeared beyond the cafeteria door.
Left alone at the table, Isaac sat there in silence, eyes drifting down to the half-eaten meal before him. His smile lingered faintly — brittle around the edges, fragile as glass.
"...This is fine." He murmured to no one. A quiet breath followed, thin and tired.
"For now... this is fine."
He couldn't afford to drag them with the mud he was setting, after all.