Write a short play with characters Sisyphus, Icarus, and Narcissus in the 21st century. While the era is different, they retain their original characteristics and the lore but with a modern flavour to it. They are long-distance friends and once they decided to meet at a place, they used. to meet in their college days. Time has passed, and each is reminiscing about their lives so far. It should be humorous but still thought provoking. The humour should be understated and not forced. Contrary to expectation, almost none of their talk involve boulder rolling, flying close to sun, and falling in love with the reflection metaphors (though they do sneak one each subtle in there). We are also going against the obvious fish-out-of-water trope; in fact, they are surprisingly natural. In all of this , it's important to show, don't tell. 1000 words.
Title: “Out of Office”
Characters
Sisyphus – mid-thirties, product-manager at a logistics start-up, carries two phones and a third in the glove-box “just in case.”
Icarus – freshly thirty, drone-pilot-for-hire, wears mirrored aviators even indoors; the lenses are cracked.
Narcissus – late twenties, UX designer, keeps a discreet ring-light clipped to every screen.
Sisyphus – mid-thirties, product-manager at a logistics start-up, carries two phones and a third in the glove-box “just in case.”
Icarus – freshly thirty, drone-pilot-for-hire, wears mirrored aviators even indoors; the lenses are cracked.
Narcissus – late twenties, UX designer, keeps a discreet ring-light clipped to every screen.
Setting
The courtyard of a half-gentrified former polytechnic in Brooklyn. One wall is still tagged with the same 2012 graffiti they once declared “immortal.” A food-truck labeled “ICARUS KEBABS—WE FLY FRESH” idles nearby; its exhaust smells of cumin and burned plastic.
The courtyard of a half-gentrified former polytechnic in Brooklyn. One wall is still tagged with the same 2012 graffiti they once declared “immortal.” A food-truck labeled “ICARUS KEBABS—WE FLY FRESH” idles nearby; its exhaust smells of cumin and burned plastic.
Lights up.
Noon. The courtyard is empty except for three iced coffees sweating on a picnic table and a lone pigeon that refuses to leave.
Noon. The courtyard is empty except for three iced coffees sweating on a picnic table and a lone pigeon that refuses to leave.
Icarus arrives first, hoodie half-zipped despite the heat. He sets a drone on the table like a centerpiece. Its propellers twitch once, as if clearing its throat.
Icarus
(low, to the drone)
Don’t. We’re on break.
(low, to the drone)
Don’t. We’re on break.
Sisyphus enters from the left, rolling a carry-on suitcase whose wheels catch on every crack. He does not apologize to the suitcase.
Sisyphus
You’re early.
You’re early.
Icarus
Only by thirty-three minutes. I overshot the traffic app, then circled back. Habit.
Only by thirty-three minutes. I overshot the traffic app, then circled back. Habit.
They nod; the pigeon nods.
Narcissus appears last, stepping out of the building’s shadow as though someone just raised a dimmer switch. He inspects the graffiti, tilts his head, takes a photo with the flash on, then deletes it.
Narcissus
They repainted the blue. It used to match my eyes. Now it matches my lock-screen.
They repainted the blue. It used to match my eyes. Now it matches my lock-screen.
Sisyphus
Everything migrates eventually.
Everything migrates eventually.
Icarus
Kebabs?
Kebabs?
They queue silently at the truck. The vendor—who looks nineteen and exhausted—hands each of them a foil pouch. Steam fogs Icarus’s sunglasses.
Back at the table, they unwrap lunch like surgeons.
Sisyphus
So. Status reports?
So. Status reports?
Icarus
(chomping)
I’m banned from three airspaces. The fourth one’s pending appeal. They say “reckless altitude.” I say “atmospheric curiosity.” Tomato, tahini.
(chomping)
I’m banned from three airspaces. The fourth one’s pending appeal. They say “reckless altitude.” I say “atmospheric curiosity.” Tomato, tahini.
He gestures with a skewer. One cube of meat falls; the pigeon claims it with the efficiency of a venture capitalist.
Narcissus
I shipped a dark-mode toggle that got three million hearts. People love pretending they’re not looking at themselves. Makes the numbers go up.
I shipped a dark-mode toggle that got three million hearts. People love pretending they’re not looking at themselves. Makes the numbers go up.
Sisyphus
We signed a Series C that’ll let us automate the last human mile. I spent the weekend writing the layoff memo. The cursor kept blinking, so I rewrote it again. And again. You can guess the rest.
We signed a Series C that’ll let us automate the last human mile. I spent the weekend writing the layoff memo. The cursor kept blinking, so I rewrote it again. And again. You can guess the rest.
A beat. The drone on the table gives a plaintive beep, then powers down—battery saver.
Icarus
Remember when we thought “the last human mile” was walking home from the 7-Eleven with blue raspberry Slurpees?
Remember when we thought “the last human mile” was walking home from the 7-Eleven with blue raspberry Slurpees?
Narcissus
I remember you trying to skateboard on a cafeteria tray.
I remember you trying to skateboard on a cafeteria tray.
Icarus
I remember the tray had better brakes than my current contract.
I remember the tray had better brakes than my current contract.
Sisyphus
I still have the tray. It’s an onboarding gift now. New hires get it laminated with a QR code to the employee handbook. Morale is—well, it’s laminated.
I still have the tray. It’s an onboarding gift now. New hires get it laminated with a QR code to the employee handbook. Morale is—well, it’s laminated.
Narcissus
Mine’s the background on my second monitor. Keeps my reflection honest.
Mine’s the background on my second monitor. Keeps my reflection honest.
He angles the screen toward them; the lamination catches the sky and throws it back. A thin cloud passes across the tiny surface.
Icarus
(suddenly quiet)
I flew too close to Newark last month. Tower told me to descend. I stalled instead. Twenty-three seconds of free-fall before the failsafe kicked in. Longest of my life. Or second longest.
(suddenly quiet)
I flew too close to Newark last month. Tower told me to descend. I stalled instead. Twenty-three seconds of free-fall before the failsafe kicked in. Longest of my life. Or second longest.
He taps the cracked glasses. One lens has a hairline fracture shaped like a feather.
Narcissus
Did you keep the footage?
Did you keep the footage?
Icarus
It corrupted. Glitched into a single frame: just sky, no drone, no me. Like I’d already edited myself out.
It corrupted. Glitched into a single frame: just sky, no drone, no me. Like I’d already edited myself out.
Sisyphus
I dream in progress bars. Ninety-nine percent, forever. The CTO says it’s a metaphor for market capture. I haven’t told her it’s also my sleep tracker.
I dream in progress bars. Ninety-nine percent, forever. The CTO says it’s a metaphor for market capture. I haven’t told her it’s also my sleep tracker.
He pulls out one of his phones. The lock screen is a plain gray rectangle.
Narcissus
You could put anything there. A beach. A dog. A reminder that beaches and dogs exist.
You could put anything there. A beach. A dog. A reminder that beaches and dogs exist.
Sisyphus
I tried. The pixels felt borrowed.
I tried. The pixels felt borrowed.
The pigeon flutters up to the table, struts across the drone, and defecates with precision. They watch it go.
Icarus
Even birds have delivery deadlines.
Even birds have delivery deadlines.
Narcissus
I once dated a barista who drew self-portraits in the foam. Every latte was a mirror I had to drink quickly, before it cooled and the image dissolved. We broke up over oat milk.
I once dated a barista who drew self-portraits in the foam. Every latte was a mirror I had to drink quickly, before it cooled and the image dissolved. We broke up over oat milk.
Icarus
You always did prefer non-dairy denial.
You always did prefer non-dairy denial.
Sisyphus
(to himself)
Non-dairy denial would fit in the subject line.
(to himself)
Non-dairy denial would fit in the subject line.
He opens the layoff memo draft on his phone. The cursor blinks. He types two words: “Regretfully,—” then stops.
Narcissus
You could just call them.
You could just call them.
Sisyphus
I schedule calls. They roll downhill regardless.
I schedule calls. They roll downhill regardless.
Icarus
I could fly over, drop the phones one by one. Watch them glide, land, maybe stay intact.
I could fly over, drop the phones one by one. Watch them glide, land, maybe stay intact.
Narcissus
Or hover outside the windows, livestream the reactions, monetize the guilt.
Or hover outside the windows, livestream the reactions, monetize the guilt.
Icarus
Too close to the sun, algorithmically speaking.
Too close to the sun, algorithmically speaking.
They laugh—quiet, surprised, as if the sound had been set to silent and just now remembered the volume button.
Sisyphus
I miss when failure was private.
I miss when failure was private.
Narcissus
I miss when success wasn’t a notification.
I miss when success wasn’t a notification.
Icarus
I miss the tray.
I miss the tray.
The pigeon returns, bolder, and pecks at the drone’s lens. Icarus shoos it away gently.
Icarus
(to the bird)
Not yours. Not yet.
(to the bird)
Not yours. Not yet.
Sisyphus
We should do this again. Before the next funding round, before the next firmware update, before the next redesign.
We should do this again. Before the next funding round, before the next firmware update, before the next redesign.
Narcissus
Same time next year? They’re tearing the courtyard down—apartments with smart mirrors in every room. I’ve seen the mock-ups. You can wave and your reflection waves back half a second later. Gives you time to improve.
Same time next year? They’re tearing the courtyard down—apartments with smart mirrors in every room. I’ve seen the mock-ups. You can wave and your reflection waves back half a second later. Gives you time to improve.
Icarus
I’ll mark the airspace.
I’ll mark the airspace.
Sisyphus
I’ll mark the calendar. If it syncs.
I’ll mark the calendar. If it syncs.
They stand. No hugs; they are still people who look slightly past one another, as if the real farewell were occurring somewhere behind the eyes.
Icarus pockets the drone. Its props spin once, a lazy goodbye.
Narcissus pockets the ring-light, then unpockets it to check his teeth one last time.
Sisyphus pockets the gray phone, leaving the cursor blinking in midair like a firefly that forgot its own name.
Narcissus pockets the ring-light, then unpockets it to check his teeth one last time.
Sisyphus pockets the gray phone, leaving the cursor blinking in midair like a firefly that forgot its own name.
They walk off in three directions, none of them retracing the cracks their suitcases and drones and reflections once made.
The pigeon remains. It eyes the half-eaten kebabs, the blinking cursor, the faint reflection in a cracked lens.
It does not roll anything uphill.
It does not attempt flight.
It simply tilts its head, once, twice, and—satisfied—claims the courtyard.
It does not attempt flight.
It simply tilts its head, once, twice, and—satisfied—claims the courtyard.
Lights fade.