It's been 11 days since I simply disappeared. No posts. No warning. No updates. And I'm truly sorry about that.
I'll explain the situation with a little story—I ended up writing it to de-stress because writing is my anti-stress mechanism.
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The office was a sea of gray cubicles, filled by two-legged animals wearing social suits that were too tight and ties that looked like tiny nooses.
In the middle of that corporate ocean sat Satus.
A cat with yellow and white fur, with brown stripes on his back and arms, sitting relaxed in his swivel chair during break time. His tail swayed slowly as he chatted with the colleague in the next cubicle.
Cesar, the black cat with perpetually half-closed eyes and an eternally skeptical expression.
"So," Cesar said, resting his chin on his paw, "how's that story thing of yours going?"
Satus opened a proud smile, adjusting his tie.
"It's going well. Really well, actually. I can start updating regularly again now."
Cesar arched a non-existent eyebrow.
"You had stopped?"
"I did. Had some stuff to sort out first. But now I'm kind of without internet..."
Cesar let out a long sigh.
"That's so like you."
He made a vague gesture with his paw.
"But to this day I don't get how this story th—"
"Fanfic," Satus corrected immediately.
Cesar cleared his throat.
"Right. Fanfic. I don't get how so many people read that stuff. And worse, how you're still making decent money from it. It's all cartoon fantasy. It's not even reality. It doesn't talk about real stories and events, about anything serious."
Satus crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"And you think people want to read what? A story about how screwed the world is right now... something about people piloting giant robots to throw down with kaiju coming out of a rift at the bottom of the ocean?"
Cesar fell silent.
"When you put it that way..."
Satus leaned forward, a smirk on his face.
"Sometimes, what people want is to escape the monotonous reality. When the whole day is gray, the unreal becomes way more interesting than the real."
Cesar was thoughtful for a few seconds.
"If that's the case... I'd like to see something like that panda. From that panda movie, Kung Fu. In the world of those sorcerers I see on TikTok. That one with the... Gozo?"
"Gojo," Satus corrected, trying not to laugh.
"That's it!" Cesar snapped his fingers. "I really like Kung Fu Panda. And I really liked that Gojo anime too."
Satus opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment a deep voice echoed through the office speakers:
"Satus. Come to my office. Now."
The yellow and white cat froze for half a second.
Cesar let out a silent "uh-oh."
"Good luck," he murmured.
Satus sighed, stood up, and adjusted his suit.
"We'll continue this conversation later."
As he walked down the aisle between the cubicles, something was spinning in his mind.
"Po... in the world of sorcerers..."
He almost stopped in the middle of the aisle.
"Holy shit..."
A few employees looked at him, but Satus didn't even care.
"This could be really good."
"There's already a panda there anyway... I can fit it in without changing almost anything..."
He started muttering to himself:
"Jujutsu Kaisen: The Dragon Warrior..."
His tail started to wag excitedly.
"Cesar, you're a fucking genius... the bastard just handed me high-quality ingredients out of nowhere."
He smiled an almost sinister smile.
"I'm definitely using this."
He would save it in his big list of future fics.
Right below the one for Ishuzoku Reviewers...
With that, Satus turned and made his way to the main office.
As he entered, he was greeted by the familiar motivational board on the wall with the phrase: "We Grow Together."
Behind the wide polished wood desk sat his boss.
A large pig, wearing an expensive suit, a wine-colored tie, and an expression that tried a little too hard to appear calm.
"Satus!" he said with a rehearsed smile. "Have a seat, have a seat."
Satus sat down.
"I imagine you're aware of the company's current situation," the pig began, interlacing his hooves on the desk. "The cancellation of the big project hit us pretty hard. We're going through a delicate moment. Cuts need to be made. Costs reduced."
Satus nodded slowly.
"I heard some chatter out there…" he replied, trying to stay calm. "But things should stabilize soon, right?"
The pig tilted his head.
"We hope so. We're doing our best to keep the structure running."
The conversation seemed… too calm.
"I understand. If you need me to take on more hours or reorganize a team, I can help."
The pig hesitated.
"It's not that," the boss said, clearing his throat. "The restructuring involves staff reduction."
A second of silence.
"Okay…" Satus replied slowly. "And?"
The pig looked away for a moment.
"Your name is on the list, Satus."
Satus blinked.
"You're joking, right?"
The pig didn't answer.
He just sat there with that uncomfortable look, and that's when reality hit.
Satus slowly rose from the chair, his eyes wide.
His claws almost extending.
"You can't do this to me."
His voice came out low and trembling.
"I've been here for a long time..."
He took a step forward.
"Do you know how much I've sacrificed for this company?!"
The pig maintained his posture, but his ears twitched slightly.
"Satus, it's not personal—"
"Not personal?!" His tail lashed through the air. "Three years! Three years of working overtime whenever you asked! Three years of listening to promises of a raise!"
He pointed at his own chest.
"I stayed late countless times to save deadlines. I covered for rookie mistakes. I even trained people who just started yesterday!"
His breathing grew heavy.
"And you're discarding me like this?"
The pig sighed.
"It's a strategic decision. We need to retain promising talent and reduce operational costs."
Promising talent.
Images of some of the newcomers crossed his mind.
Especially that girl.
Satus let out a dry laugh.
"Strategic… right."
The pig also stood up, maintaining his gentle tone.
"I don't want you to see this as an end. In three months, when things stabilize, maybe we can reassess your position here."
Three months.
That felt like a slap in the face.
Satus was silent for a few seconds.
His eyes burning.
"There are rookies out there who barely know how to use the system…" he murmured. "But I'm the problem."
The pig walked over to him and gave the cat a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"You're a good employee, Satus. Don't worry too much. In fact…" he smiled again, "you're still coming to the barbecue at my place this weekend, right? Diana was asking about you."
Satus winced and turned to the pig.
"What?! Screw the barbecue, man!"
He turned and walked to the door, opening it harder than necessary.
He took two steps out but stopped halfway.
He took a deep breath.
His shoulders dropped slightly.
"…Sorry for the swear word."
And then he left.
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Yep...
I got fired from my job.
My boss had the nerve to tell me not to worry, that in three months maybe I could come back.
But you know what I think? I think he can go fuck himself!
I worked at that fucking place for three years. I did a shitload of overtime at his request. And then, when things get tough, he just kicks me out like I'm nothing.
Fuck you!
And what pisses me off the most? A bunch of newbies stayed. Especially that new girl he's suspiciously attached to. But me? Three years pouring my heart and soul out in there?
Discarded like a fucking plastic cup.
What a load of unfair bullshit.
Sorry for the outburst, but I'm still stressed as fuck about all this. It's still hard to swallow.
After that, I went back home not knowing how I'm going to get through next month. Luckily, my parents offered help and I can go there at least to get a meal. My dad thinks I should wait these three months to see if I can get back.
But honestly? I doubt that'll happen anytime soon.
More than three months unemployed... how the fuck am I going to survive that?
If I don't find something else, I'll have to get a temporary part-time job. Probably something like a fast food attendant...
My brother mentioned that my P@treon has potential to be a good temporary source of income if I really dedicate myself and improve some things around there now that I have more time.
I don't know if that'll amount to anything. But between working at a fast food joint and putting all my energy into this...
That's why I'm going to invest in my brother's idea for now.
So that's it.
I'm back.
I'm pissed.
I'm frustrated.
But I'm not just going to give up.
Thanks for reading my rant.