A Demon in the Modern World [ Errorink / Errink ]

Chapter 1 - Introductions

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

"And cut! Wow, great work, everyone! You nailed this scene in one take!" The director praised us. "Alright, FIVE MINUTE BREAK EVERYONE!" he announced to the entire crew.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I made my way to the table where the water dispenser stood. Pouring myself a cup of water, I felt an arm rest gently on my shoulder.

"Good work, Ink!" It was Blue.

I smiled and thanked him...

Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?

Greetings, I'm Ian. My code name in this studio is 'Ink'. I'm 22 years old, a successful actor who hates his job and the company he's working at. Having spent over five years at Star Studio, I've come to the conclusion that it's a less-than-ideal place to be. Despite the decent salary, the atmosphere and people here leave much to be desired...

Moving forward, the individual who just engaged me is 'Blue', also known as Blake.

You might be wondering, why the unconventional names? Well, initially, we coined these code names as a playful gesture. However, over time, they stuck to us and became part of our daily routine.

"Hello? Earth to Ian?" Blake's voice snapped me out of my reverie. I glanced at him, letting out a small laugh.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

His initial angry stare softened, replaced by a sigh as he closed his eyes momentarily. "Ian, you should talk to Jasmine about taking some time off,"  he advised, gesturing towards the bags under my eyes.

I frowned in response. "I'm fine," I insisted, finishing the last of my water and tossing the empty cup. "Besides, she wouldn't allow it. Jasmine doesn't believe in anyone taking time off unless it's a holiday or some sort of triviality. Heck, she'd probably still have us working on holidays if it weren't mandated by law!"

Jasmine is my boss, the manager of Star Studio, and she holds authority over everyone here. While she may appear kind to outsiders, Jasmine has a penchant for insulting us, especially me and my friends, on a daily basis. I can't quite pinpoint why, but it seems she takes pleasure in making my life miserable. Every day feels like a constant struggle, where I'm either figuratively on my knees, kissing her metaphorical feet, or tirelessly working to meet her demands.

That's one of the reasons I hate her. The other reasons... well, they're too long to list.

"But..." Blue sighed, a sense of defeat evident in his tone. He understood that once I had made up my mind, there was little chance of persuasion.

Leaning against the table, almost perching on its edge, he glanced briefly at one of our crew members before returning his gaze to me. "...at the very least, promise me that you'll take good care of yourself.... A-As much as you can, haha.." He laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes. I've heard that numerous times...but still, a small smile crept on my face, visible to only him. "I'll try."

He, noticing my smile, returned it before standing up straight and walking away, likely to attend to the damaged light. Yes, Blue was our engineer.. mechanic.. whatever you wanna call it.