Paul’s suit of armor clanged as he shifted his weight in the lobby chair. He believed wearing it made a strong statement. Here is a dashing and daring man who deserves a promotion, he thought. Hopefully his initiative as a walk-in appointment would further show his ambition.
“The game designer will see you now,” the secretary said.
Paul walked stiffly into the office, while the armor announced his entrance.
“Hello, Paul. I’m Brianna. I understand you wish to talk?”
“Hello, yes, I - I do,” Paul stammered. “I applied to be a character in your upcoming video game and received a letter saying I had been accepted and ─ ”
“Congrats,” Brianna said.
“Thanks, but it said I was going to be an ‘NPC.’ I was hoping for something more like the protagonist.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Paul. No offense, but we had a spectacular character apply from the previous game in the franchise.”
“I understand, but I think you’ve underestimated me.”
“Paul, we really just need someone to walk up and down the street in case the main character runs by. But I’ll tell you what: How about I bump you up from NPC to quest giver?”
“Oh, what would that entail?”
“You mentioned in your bio that you have several cats. What if you task the main character with finding them after they run away? I can place them all over the map.”
Paul puffed out his chest.
“An interesting offer. I think a more prominent role would be better suited for my talents.”
“I should mention, however, that if the main character chooses to skip the quest, they may not be found again,” Brianna said.
Paul gasped and his eyes grew wide.
“As an NPC, just how much walking are we talking about?”
🔬📖 Microfiction entry for 11.28