Kevin sat at his computer, his pointed claws click-clacking on the keys. Another email rescheduling a meeting sent.
His eyelids begin to droop as his mind wanders. The sweet siren song of his soft pillow and memory foam mattress call. Briefly, his head nods forward, causing his scaly snout to hit the keyboard.
"mbnmnbmvk," his screen now reads. Probably not the best email to send his boss.
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Go get a cup of coffee.->Getting Coffee]]
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Chance getting a few minutes of sleep.->Catching Zzzs]]Kevin stands up, stretching his arms and leathery wings out; they dip over the side of his cubicle. This earns him a nasty look from Gladys, his cubicle neighbor. She stares at him over her semi-circle shaped gold spectacles. Her green scales contrast pleasingly with the gold glasses and the droop of gold beaded chain that holds them on.
An awkward smile finds Kevin's mouth.
"Uh... need any coffee, Gladys?" he asks to help smooth things over.
"No," Gladys answers, her eyes linger on him angrily before she goes back to her click-clacking.
With a sigh, Kevin folds his wings and walks over to the coffee pot. The pot is almost empty when he arrives, and the smell of burnt coffee suffuses the area.
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Make a new pot.->Make a New Pot]]
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Just drink the burnt remnants.->Burnt Coffee]]"Why can't anyone else make coffee? I always get stuck doing it," Kevin mutters under his breath.
He pours the coffee in the sink, washes the pot, and fills the coffee maker up with water. He washes the filter compartment and puts in a new filter with fresh coffee, inhaling the roasty scent of the fresh coffee.
"At least coffee is one of the best smells in the world."
Placing the pot back in the machine, Kevin presses the start button. As he watches the slow drip of dark brown liquid, his mind wanders again.
Air rushes past his body and he flaps his powerful wings to propel him even faster through the air. The sun's warm rays glint off of his shining red scales. He spots some prey ahead. A deer, standing stock still.
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Dive for the deer.->Dive for Deer]]
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Keep flying.->Keep Flying]]
He lets his heavy eyes close, just for a moment.
Air rushes past his body and he flaps his powerful wings to propel him even faster through the air. The sun's warm rays glint off of his shining red scales. He spots some prey ahead. A deer, standing stock still.
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Dive for the deer.->Zzz Deer]]
(t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")[[Keep flying.->Keep Flying]]His lips curl back into a predatory smile as he tucks his wings for a dive. As he gets closer to the deer he realizes that it's not, in fact, a deer standing stock-still. It is a decoy placed there by some loathsome adventurers. Instead of winning a tasty morsel, he is hit with a spell. It binds his wings to his body, causing him to rocket ungracefully into the underbrush.
With wide smiles, the party descends upon Kevin.
"Never met such a dumb, clumsy dragon. Easiest bounty ever."
(b4r:"dashed")+(b4r-colour:red)[Kevin Died.]
(t8n-depart:"pulse")+(t8n-arrive:"blur")[[Start Over->Starting Story]]Tucking his wings to his body, Kevin dives towards the deer. As he approaches, a deep rumbling growl forms in his throat as his teeth sink into the tender flesh of the creature. His powerful jaws shut with a satisfying crush.
"Kevin!" The deer says.
"Kevin!!" The deer says?
"Kevin get up you idiot!"
Kevin blinks blearily, waking up to Gladys's half-circle spectacles and green scales.
"You were snoring, you lazy bum. If it happens again I'll have to tell the boss," Gladys snarls at him before sitting down and typing angrily on her keyboard.
He begins the endless cycle of rescheduling useless Zoom meetings to discuss TPRs again.
(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:red)[The End]
(t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")[[Start Over->Starting Story]]At the last moment, Kevin notices that the deer isn't actually alive; it's a decoy. He flaps his wings and continues soaring above the forest.
Joy fills his heart as the sky stretches in front of him.
Dragons weren't meant to sit in front of a desk.
(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:lime)[The End]
(t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")[[Start Over->Starting Story]]Not wanting to spend the energy on making a new pot, Kevin pours the burnt remains into his usual coffee cup. It says "#1 Dragon!" on it. He places the pot back on the machine and turns it off so the glass pot doesn't break.
Walking back to his desk, he takes a sip of the acrid liquid and pulls a face.
"Caffiene is caffiene, I guess," Kevin says to himself as he sits back down.
He begins the endless cycle of rescheduling useless Zoom meetings to discuss TPRs again.
(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:red)[The End]
(t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")[[Start Over->Starting Story]]