Renovating the Heart (FFXV)

X) Mediocre at Best

"Anything else?" Rue asked, setting yet another thick pile of papers on Ignis's desk.

The advisor hardly acknowledged the loud thump as the stack hit the surface. His eyes never once budged from the screen set before him, though a hand reached over to gather the papers. Rue stifled a yawn and rubbed the back of her neck. It was beginning to burn from all the craning she'd been doing over the past few hours. Finally, Ignis tore his gaze away from the monitor and went to work checking over every detail of her work. Sighing impatiently, Rue crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. This day was never-ending, it seemed.

"Looks good," Ignis muttered, filing them away.

"So?" Rue pressed. He glanced up at her.

"Be patient; I was getting to it," he replied a bit sharply, fishing through yet another drawer. Rue's heart fought between feeling ashamed of her pushiness and angered at his attitude. Before it could decide, Ignis pulled out a notebook. "Usually I would never miss one of these meetings, but unfortunately I have an appointment that can't wait." Rue took the slender black notebook into her hands, running her fingers over its smooth surface as she listened to him speak. "You'll have to go in my place. Read over my older notes to understand the structure and order in which I record them and then do the same." Ignis sighed, pushing up his glasses and glancing at his screen. "At three, His Majesty will enter into a meeting with the Glaive, primarily prominent members and Rayne. I expect detailed notes on the subject matter."

"And it's in the same room they use for negotiations?"

"If by 'they' you mean the King, then yes," Ignis answered coldly. "Be there ten minutes early so that you don't miss anything. Listen to the conversation around you for things that may not be spoken before the entire group." He wants me to keep him up to date on Citadel gossip? Okay, buddy.

"That's in, what, two hours? What do you need me to do in the meantime?"

"I can handle anything else."

"With all due respect," Rue started, shrugging her shoulders uncomfortably. "I don't have to just stick to paperwork. I'm willing to buy your #$%^ groceries for you if it'll clear up some time in the day." The look she gave him was almost pleading for anything but another set of papers. How many official documents did one man need to keep on the same twenty-five people? "Is there anything that might be keeping you late today that I can finish in the meantime?"

"With all due respect, I don't think you're ready for any more responsibilities," Ignis replied smoothly. That stung. Rue backed off in every sense of the words; her body tensed, her gaze wandered, and her indestructible walls shot up another line of defense. There was a long pause before Ignis finally let go of a breath he seemed to be holding—maybe it was only a sigh. "There is one thing I suppose you can handle. I need you to set up a meeting with Schrader sometime this week. The man's schedule is insufferably disastrous; you should have been hired to work for him again." Rue blood ran cold and her mouth suddenly felt cottony as nausea almost knocked her clean off her feet. She hadn't moved, but she stumbled regardless, catching herself before Ignis could pick out anything in particular.

"Okay. I can do that." She nodded with far more confidence than she possessed.

Rue set the notebook down on the seat before his desk and strode out of the room, forcing her feet to step in line and straight down the hall to the guard's office. As hard as she tried to control them, her breaths were ragged and her heartbeats were rapidly quickening. Her stomach clenched, but there was nothing inside it could have spilled if she tried to vomit right then and there. Her fingers curled around the ice-cold doorknob and she shuddered, feeling goosebumps raise across her skin. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before turning the knob and pushing the door open.