9 - Office Party
Linda stepped off the elevator to have a party hat popped on her head.
"Linda's here!" came a voice that inspired a chorus of cheers.
That answered that. Work was not a very high priority that day. I gave a quirk of a smile and was ushered into a room with a bottle of cheap wine in a box, chips, dip, and happy faces all around. Kevin was there, smiling with the rest.
So was the boss, chatting it up. On seeing me he waved me over. "Linda, good to see you! That was a close one. I didn't want to worry the rest, but if you hadn't finished the last permit when you did, the client was getting fidgety. We were afraid for a moment there they'd back out on the last second." He swigged his cheap booze as his voice lowered. "We might be having a very different meeting otherwise. I'm glad you're on the team."
I felt a chill crawl along my spine, remembering the email that never was. A glimpse into a world that could have been? "You can count on me."
"I know I can." He smiled. "Now listen up, people, enjoy the party, but I want to see people back at their desks in the hour. Let's put the bow on this gift for the end of the year before we head home!"
There was a mix of cheer and grumble, but it was work, and we had to work. I shared pleasantries with the others, but moseyed over to Kevin specifically. "Hey."
Kevin smiled. "Hey! Hero of the year. How'd you like the book?"
"This weekend was a bit... crazy." It was the truth! "I'll give it the proper looking at this evening, promise. It looked adorable though, so thank you." What was with my life and throwing cute things at me?
Kevin clapped me on the shoulder. "No rush. It's not a gift if you're forced into it. Did you get a bonus like the rest of us?" He raised a brow. "A stupid question, I know. I bet yours is the biggest here."
I waved that off. "Let's not compare sizes."
He snorted at that. "I didn't know you'd make that kind of joke. You feeling alright?"
I blinked, thinking back on it. I was usually very proper on the job, so that joke was a bit out of my usual comfort zone, but what was 'comfortable' had changed a lot since the last week. "Sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"It's alright, promise." He put his hand over his heart. "It's actually kind of nice to see you open up a little."
Had I been a shut-in before? With the perspective of True Shot, that almost felt silly. But I wasn't True Shot, right?
"You alright? You look spaced out."
"Just thinking." I smiled at Kevin. "Say, there's this movie--"
"Are you asking me out?" He looked stunned at the idea.
"If you do--"
"Yes."
I let out a little breath. "Good, after work? Let's head over and see what's playing."
"I'd love that."
Did I really just ask Kevin out? I suppose I had. I did like him, and I think he liked me back. I was just... so focused on work, and avoiding being 'improper' there before. It wasn't like either of us reported to the other. He did marketing, for Christ's sake. The only regulations he had to worry about were obscenities in media.
Shit. When I was seated at my desk, I looked up a different policy. I pulled up the company's site and quickly browsed over to the HR section past our gateway and checked for workplace romance. There were rules about that.
No hooking up with supervisors, alright. That was basically universal. No hooking up with people of significantly higher or lower title, supervising or not. Alright, we were in the clear there. The usual cautions and recommendations, but nothing seemed to stand in the way. I relaxed a little, knowing I hadn't just broken a company rule in my daring action.
I got back to work, finalizing. It was the process of crossing the ts and dotting every i and checking them all over again. It wasn't hard, just tedious, but also the worst place to make a mistake, so I took my time to get it done right. I set the folder gently in my outbox and smiled. My work, at least, was complete. The company would reap the benefits of that lucrative deal, and I could enjoy my bonus, and a date.
Life was looking up.
At least until Twilight appeared on my monitor, smiling brightly. "Hello!"
I almost fell out of my chair in shock before glancing to the door of my office to make sure no one was there. "What the hell are you doing here?" The two dreams were supposed to be separated! Was I losing it again?
"You promised we could discuss humanity in further detail. It took quite a bit of doing, but your statue serves as a fine focus for finding you. Is now a bad time?" She looked so innocent, entirely unaware that her presence could even cause an issue. "I must confess, I didn't think you'd be so close to a scrying pool."
Scrying pool? "That's my monitor you're in." I reached out and tapped the glass lightly, which she didn't seem to feel, but she could see it. Poking her nose made her eyes cross a moment following it.
"Monitor? Please tell me more." A quill levitated into view with a heavy-looking scroll at the ready. "I have so many questions!"
"Look, this is my work, and there's an official policy against having guests in here."
She started. "Oh! I didn't mean to break any regulations! Here." She pulled out a button and... bonked it against the inside of the monitor to little effect. "I didn't think that through entirely. I hardly expected the pool to be solid on your end. We'll talk when you next wake up, alright?" I nodded quickly, then she faded away, leaving my computer alone.
I sank in my chair, took a slow breath, and got through the day without anymore invading ponies. Twilight was as cute as most, cuter in some ways, but I didn't need her in my office.
"Hey, all finished?" It was Kevin. "I checked what movies were rolling, wanna see that Hawaiian one? Looks cute."
I remembered seeing an advertisement or two about that one. "Sure, that does sound nice." I was on my feet, and we strolled out the door.
"Look who has a date," came a female voice. It was the office secretary. I knew her, but not terribly well. Cindy? Her voice was teasing, but her smile seemed sincere. "Have fun, you two."
We wished her a happy holidays, and were out. We both had a car, so we got into our separate vehicles and met back up at the theater. It had actually been quite some time since I last saw a movie outside my television, so I let him take the lead to get us inside. I didn't let him pay for my ticket though. We were peers, and I was a moderate feminist. That is, I thought everyone should be equal. He didn't have to buy me, and I wasn't buying him.
Enough social politics.
He got a big tub of popcorn and an equally large soda and soon we were seated in the dark. We shared the food and watched the movie. It was a cute movie, thumbs up there. The only problem was me. I felt like I should do... something, but every idea I had I waffled on instead. I knew Kevin fairly well, but I didn't want to come off as someone desperate, or easy.
In the lobby, he held out his hand towards me. Was he going to shake goodbye? That felt... formal... I reached for his hand though.
Then he grabbed mine and pulled it right up to kiss it with a little smooch.
My cheeks lit right up like a virgin and I laughed at his boldness. It wasn't fair, a guy who did that was brave and commanding. A woman who made that a habit was a cheap floozy. Society, right? Still, it was hardly the place to examine social justice. "If I didn't already know you."
Kevin chuckled softly. "Good thing you do. Not a bad movie, right?"
"No, very nice." My mind was ticking away rapidly, then it hit me. "Hey, Saturday, you have any plans?"
"Hmm?"
"New Years." I smiled. "Any plans?"
"Nothing specific," he admitted. "You?"
"I was thinking, if you wanted, maybe come over, watch the ball drop?"
He said yes, cementing my second date. Why had I been so shy before?
Social contact wasn't a terrible thing to be avoided at all costs.
I retreated to home, happy with the day, and life in general. I stopped to look in a mirror. "You were alive before, but you weren't living," I scolded my reflection. "Let's give living a chance, alright?" That reflection was not the woman I knew a week before. She looked more than content, but... "Nothing like a near-death experience to make you enjoy life."
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TWILIGHTS BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL. CALL PINKIE PIE AND DEADPOOL TO FIX IT.
Seriously though, love the story keep up the good work.
7829993 I dunno about breaking the fourth wall, but I'm glad she didn't break the monitor by shoving too hard.
7830018
Then she would've made a portal to another human world.
7830038 Or just broke the monitor.
7830052
But Twilight says
meaning that stuff could be passed through regular scrying pools.
7830063 Sure, but a monitor is not a pool. You break a monitor, it stops being a monitor. You break the surface of a pool, it's still a pool. See the issue there?
7830068
Yeah I see. Good debate. Keep up the great work on the story.
Now as long as the next time Twilight tries to use her 'scrying pool' it's not while Linda's bathing... that would be awkward.
Yes, depend on Twilight to find a loophole with the tie that binds her to both worlds.
Is it True leaking through? Hmmm...
Keep going! ;)
The first paragraphs is in third person. Is this a typo, or another schism in the story?
mosied - moseyed
got in separate vehicles - got into our separate vehicles
reached for the hand - reached for his hand
already know you. - already know you...
scolded that reflection - scolded my reflection
I'm so happy to see the story continue! Now we can learn all a out Linda/True Shot.
Twilight contacting her on earth raises all sorts of opportunities. Does Twilight see a human? Will Princess Twilight's face begin to appear in any reflective surface? That could cause all sorts of interesting challenges for Linda.
Then there is the matter of Princess Celestia and tangential to that is the matter of Princess Luna. This story is heavy with possibilities and I'll be waiting to read and pounce on any typos.
Awkward. The good news is that Twilight will definitely respect a proper schedule. The bad news is that Linda never actually made one. Let's just hope they hash this out before anyone else sees the bookhorse chat window pop up.
7831987 Typos gently massaged free of distressed minds. Linda has slid back into her own life with a new sense of command and authority. Things are looking up, I think.
Linda saw a horse. Why would the other way be different?
7832577
Only that it puts the whole issue of, "We don't necessarily believe that you're not a delusional pony that thinks they are a female human in another world," to bed. No pun intended. Really.
7832633 Bringing up human keywords and speaking with any authority on them already makes them interesting, since Twilight would know if somepony was literally making up random things. She has seen them, just not in the detail she'd like.
7832675
Wishing you and all your readers a happy new year! May you and your loved ones find happiness and good health in the days and weeks to come and may you find no challenge too difficult to bear.
This one be cute, hope it resumes updatifying
Unless it is unwelcome, then you have made yourself emotionally (and potentially legally) vulnerable for no reward. It is a risk that is taken, after all.
Not that her point that if the opportunity presents its self and it is accepted it's not nice is a plus, but it's very easy to look at someone else's role and see only the good parts. Easy to do from the other side, as well, with guys envying women's more passive role, despite it having its own difficulties, which also range from annoyances to catastrophes.
... This isn't a criticism on her thoughts, even. Just an observation I am making about them.
It looks like you started with "a bottle of cheap wine" and changed to "cheap wine in a box" midway through typing. If a box containing a bottle was what you intended, never mind, but otherwise... typo spotted, I guess!
8210958
If you take flavor into account, not all boxed wine would be considered the cheap stuff.
Well there goes the "Equestria is a Dream" theory lol.