Theo walked back into his office, curious about whatever the CEO was so nervous about. He shrugged it off. He had so many questions, so he sat down at his desk and started to write the email he had told him to write. He was about to start writing down his fifteenth question, when somebody walked into his cubicle uninvited.
"A new face, I see. Welcome," the person said, smirking. He looked about twenty-two. He was in a sensible maroon vest, presumably a bellhop's uniform, although it wasn't being worn so sensibly: it was completely unbuttoned and messy, with his untied red tie flopping all over. The sleeves of his white shirt were messily rolled up to his elbows, and on his right shoulder, he had a pink patch shaped like a heart. The most noticeable detail about him was, of course, his glowing pink eyes, shining behind his glasses.
"It's very nice to meet you," he said, giggling flirtatiously. Theo was very uncomfortable and wanted to get back to work. "After all, you do look positively stunning with that gorgeous hairstyle. Ah, and that coconut deodorant you're using is simply divine." The strange man sat up on his desk, right next to where Theo was working. That was the final straw. Theo was at his wit's end.
"Enough! Get out of my workspace right now!", he yelled. "I'd rather get to work then be... flirted at... by a very strange version of myself! Out! Now!!!" However, the man ignored him and hopped down from Theo's desk, walking up to him and stopping once he was about three feet from his face.
"I think your tie needs to be straightened, if I do say so myself," the man said, leaning closer to Theo, who couldn't get away. He leaned further in, and Theo leaned further back, causing him to lose his balance. The man caught him before he fell, staring deep into his eyes--
"Ah!", the man exclaimed, dropping Theo on the floor. with a thud "No... nonononono... God, this is-- this is the worst possible first impression ever." His demeanor changed from coy to embarrassed in a matter of milliseconds, and his eyes changed from pink to the familiar yellow color. He buttoned his shirt and vest, and he tied his tie. he reached down and helped Theo get up. "I'm sorry about that. Well, uh... nice to meet you. I'm Lovebug, as you... well, yeah."
"What... what happened?", Theo asked, rubbing his very painful back. "In case you didn't know, you were... flirting with me. For some reason."
"Agh, I know," Lovebug said sheepishly. "Romance isn't really my area of expertise. In fact, I don't even know what love feels like. But he most certainly does."
"He?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right, I should probably explain that. I'm nicknamed after my curse. I call it a curse because, well... yeah, it's a curse."
"I'm sorry, I still don't really understand."
"Sometimes i'll just be walking out in public, and then randomly, the curse activates. I fall hopelessly in love with the first person I see. It's the reason I was fired from my last job, and all of my other jobs before that."
"I'm sorry to turn you down, but I just don't think I feel the same way--"
"Nononono! I'm not still in love, it only happens for the duration of the curse. Of course, I also gain a plus-10 to my charisma score, if you know what I mean." he paused. "Dungeons and Dragons. I'm in the middle of a campaign with Picasso and Duke. Do you want to join it?"
"No, I don't really play, sorry. Plus, I have work to do," Theo replied. Lovebug shrugged it off. He looked at his watch.
"Oh, it's my break," Lovebug said, surprised. "I have to run to the employee lounge, I'm sure that those two are waiting for me right now. It was nice meeting you, and please forget the first three minutes of this meetup! Hey, want to get coffee later? at 4:00?"
"Sure. Does 4:30 work for you instead?"
"Yep! See you there! Bye!", he said, and waved awkwardly.
Theo sat back down in his chair. he still hadn't gotten the email he was supposed to receive, and so he waited. After 45 minutes, he started to wonder what the holdup was. What was going on in the CEO's office that was more important than this email? He could think of at least ten things, so he decided that it wasn't that much of an issue and stared out the window at the strange and wonderful complex he had fallen into just an hour before.
YOU ARE READING
Theocorp - A Stanley Parable AU
Science FictionWhen 45-year-old Theodore Narrator gets fired from his job as Employee 528 at a large company, he is at a loss for words. His life is already going down the gutter, and this feels like it will be the straw to break the camel's back. But one fateful...
