The REAL Sunny Synergy

The ACTUAL REAL OFFICIAL account of one (1) Mr. Sunny Synergy, local Nightmare Dimension expert and monitor inhabitant.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

It's hard for many things to go entirely unnoticed by Sunny, with their several eyes that were now focused on Ulmar. They knew he wasn't being entirely truthful, but they also knew that this wouldn't be the best time to press on such a topic. They uneasily gazed over the office as they gradually stepped closer to the desk. They sunk down into the boss's chair as they waited for Jon's dialogue to finish, not wanting to anger him.

The entire time Jon spoke, they couldn't move their eyes off of Ulmar. ...Where did he come from, actually? Who was it that worked over him and The Narrator, if the Narrator's the one who created this world? And what would happen to them once Sunny reached an ending?

[neverendingparable]

Ulmar returned Sunny's gaze right back, his cheery smile and bright eyes never once wavering as he stared at them. Focused.

The underlining tension when Jon and Sunny had been chit-chatting about the Stanleys had left now that they were back on track. He seemed relieved that they were continuing.

"And so the boss had assigned it an extra secret PIN number. 2845. But of course, Stanley couldn't possibly have known this."

"Come on, we are very close to the finish line~" Ulmar sang, walking forward and offering Sunny his hand again. "Let's type in the code together, hm?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Though the worry in their eyes was still present, Sunny couldn't help but smile as they were offered Ulmar's hand once again. How could they resist?

"Alright, alright." They chuckled, taking his hand as they stood back up. They approached the keypad, lifting the hand that held his up to it to slowly type the code in.

"We should go somewhere, after this." They murmured, leaning in towards Ulmar as the room fell dark and Jon began to speak again. "You and me. Anywhere you'd like."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They were more than happy to listen to him talk about his beloved 'second Stanley,' but even amid all their searching for hidden details that weren't there, they couldn't ignore the restlessness in Ulmar. After a quick peek in the elevator, they returned to his side. "Oh, um, I really would love to, but... on my next run, maybe?" They suggested, smiling up to him.

As they walked towards the boss's office, they lowered their voice and leaned in towards Ulmar. "Hey, are you feeling alright? I know we got wrapped up in some things back there, but you looked a little... off, for a minute. Everything okay?"

[neverendingparable]

"Hm? Yes I am completely fine and dandy, my dear." Ulmar placed a hand over Sunny's and gave them a dazzling, charming smile. "It is so sweet of you to be worried, but I have never been better! I am excited to guide you in this game and to look at every single thing for as long as you could possibly want, because I am happy when you are happy and there is no other place I'd rather be than here."

His left eye twitched slightly. He didn't acknowledge it or falter for a second.

"I do hope I didn't worry you - if so then my deepest apologies for being unprofessional, I swear on my very existence that it will never happen again. Please be sure that I only want what's best for your exper-"

"Stepping into his manager's office, Stanley was once again stunned to discover not an indication of any human life."

Ulmar snapped his mouth shut and let Sunny go. The Story was back in motion now.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

It's hard for many things to go entirely unnoticed by Sunny, with their several eyes that were now focused on Ulmar. They knew he wasn't being entirely truthful, but they also knew that this wouldn't be the best time to press on such a topic. They uneasily gazed over the office as they gradually stepped closer to the desk. They sunk down into the boss's chair as they waited for Jon's dialogue to finish, not wanting to anger him.

The entire time Jon spoke, they couldn't move their eyes off of Ulmar. ...Where did he come from, actually? Who was it that worked over him and The Narrator, if the Narrator's the one who created this world? And what would happen to them once Sunny reached an ending?

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

As Jon explained the Stanleys to them, they slowly progressed towards the boss's office. They turned away for only a moment, however, long enough to attempt to open the wooden doors across from it. They thought over Ulmar's words as they pulled at the handles.

"So you do have people over you." They muttered, reminding themselves to ask more about them later. "But, what do you mean about the 'second Stanley?' Is he, like... is he just an NPC? Or is he also an illusion, like the Office?"

They hesitated to tell Ulmar to be patient, more concerned about sounding unintentionally rude than having him wait another moment to progress towards the ending. They probably should have explained their overly exploratory nature when playing games. Or maybe Ulmar would be better off not knowing about their habit of exploring every inch of every texture in every corner of a game, especially ones that held their interest so well. "Sorry, I just wanna make sure I'm not missing anything."

[neverendingparable]

A look of frustration and nervousness flashed across Ulmar's face for a split second. He took a deep breath, and let it out, blinking and shaking his head as if he was physically trying to shake away any unwelcome emotions. When he righted himself again, he had that picture perfect salesman smile plastered on his lips.

"That's alright, my dear! Take as long as you need, we have all the time in the world! I will be standing over there when you're ready to continue, alright?"

He floated over to the fireplace and then stood there, smiling serenely out at nothing, leaving Jon and Sunny to talk amongst themselves.

"He is an illusion," Jonathan confirmed, completely ignoring Ulmar at this point. "But you can barely tell, I promise. He is basically real! And a wonderful asset to the Story, I wonder why I ever thought to rope humans into this to begin with. Regardless, if you ever wish to meet him, I can spawn him in! He's a very talkative and friendly type, however. He'll talk your ear off about anything."

The fondness and warmth in Jon's voice was unmistakable.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They were more than happy to listen to him talk about his beloved 'second Stanley,' but even amid all their searching for hidden details that weren't there, they couldn't ignore the restlessness in Ulmar. After a quick peek in the elevator, they returned to his side. "Oh, um, I really would love to, but... on my next run, maybe?" They suggested, smiling up to him.

As they walked towards the boss's office, they lowered their voice and leaned in towards Ulmar. "Hey, are you feeling alright? I know we got wrapped up in some things back there, but you looked a little... off, for a minute. Everything okay?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"You're an alien?!" Sunny beamed with excitement. "That's sick as fuck! Are you an alien?" They asked, turning to Ulmar but continuing before he could answer. "That's so cool, what the hell!"

They stepped into the bathroom, holding their hands to their temples. "Okay, okay, hold on, this is-- oh, hey, another one!" They stayed silent just long enough to pick up the next Figley and place it in the same spot as the last for safekeeping.

"Oh, my god. I'm sorry. That's so cool. So, are the Stanleys two different people, like actors, or are they... hmm. Is one of them from the mod, and the other from the remaster? ...Does that mean there's going to be a third, for the new game? I'm rambling so much. I'm sorry, I'm excited, and you guys are amazing." They prattled on, stepping back out of the bathroom after looking over the magazines.

[neverendingparable]

"I am!" Jon said happily.

"Uh, my dear Sunny-" Ulmar started but was cut off. There was another Figley in the bathroom. The wallpaper had some slogan about being rich. No weird triangle spottings up here, it seemed.

"Oh, the first Stanley is a real human being! That's why it's a little hard to get him to do what I want, unfortunately. The second one...he is a little less real. I suppose. But you hardly notice unless you're magic or telepathic or have one of those fancy scanners."

The Narrator paused for a moment, thinking. Sunny just gave him an interesting idea.

"A third Stanley, hmm? Well, I suppose I could think about it."

"A third Stanley would be a huge undertaking." Ulmar interrupted, looking a little flustered. "We should run it by the higher ups first, Jon. And can we perhaps return back to the Story? We still need at least one Ending."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

As Jon explained the Stanleys to them, they slowly progressed towards the boss's office. They turned away for only a moment, however, long enough to attempt to open the wooden doors across from it. They thought over Ulmar's words as they pulled at the handles.

"So you do have people over you." They muttered, reminding themselves to ask more about them later. "But, what do you mean about the 'second Stanley?' Is he, like... is he just an NPC? Or is he also an illusion, like the Office?"

They hesitated to tell Ulmar to be patient, more concerned about sounding unintentionally rude than having him wait another moment to progress towards the ending. They probably should have explained their overly exploratory nature when playing games. Or maybe Ulmar would be better off not knowing about their habit of exploring every inch of every texture in every corner of a game, especially ones that held their interest so well. "Sorry, I just wanna make sure I'm not missing anything."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They stepped towards the bathroom, resting a hand on the doorknob before registering what Jon had said.

"Oh! Huh, I always thought-- Wait, I'm sorry, you... you came down to Earth, like an angel, I assume, and... so, wait, people actually did work here, at one point. Do you mean, like, helping set up the Office for the Story, or... something else?" They asked, staring up to the ceiling. If this Narrator was one with a Demo, then it makes sense that he'd have others helping him behind the scenes. But if they could be 'sent home,' then that would mean the Office does have a proper means of escape, doesn't it?

"...Do you have your own Stanley here, or is it just a model for the opening cutscene and that one ending?" They asked, tilting their head up to him.

[neverendingparable]

"No, no, not an angel." Jonathan laughed. "I have a space ship. I'm not human, my dear. I was born and raised on a far away planet, Vnndlichtelle, in what humans call the Andromeda Galaxy. This Office is an illusion, one I created to reflect the setting of the Parable. My friend helped solidify it so it doesn't come crashing down around us the moment I lose focus."

Ulmar followed silently behind, having heard this Story many times. He was well aware of Jonathan's backstory and all the nasty little details that entailed. He just hoped he could veer Sunny back on track eventually, because this run won't count towards his quota if they didn't complete an ending.

"As for Stanley...well. It is complicated. I do have two Stanleys here. The Original refuses to talk to me and is quite the pain the ass. I hope he is not lurking around here, his presence is always such a mood killer. And the other Stanley, his replacement, he's available to be put into the Story if need be. But we do have you here now, my dear. So unless you want a companion, you don't need to worry about where they are."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"You're an alien?!" Sunny beamed with excitement. "That's sick as fuck! Are you an alien?" They asked, turning to Ulmar but continuing before he could answer. "That's so cool, what the hell!"

They stepped into the bathroom, holding their hands to their temples. "Okay, okay, hold on, this is-- oh, hey, another one!" They stayed silent just long enough to pick up the next Figley and place it in the same spot as the last for safekeeping.

"Oh, my god. I'm sorry. That's so cool. So, are the Stanleys two different people, like actors, or are they... hmm. Is one of them from the mod, and the other from the remaster? ...Does that mean there's going to be a third, for the new game? I'm rambling so much. I'm sorry, I'm excited, and you guys are amazing." They prattled on, stepping back out of the bathroom after looking over the magazines.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"Ooh!" They excitedly hurried to pick up the Stanlurine, turning it over in their hands as Ulmar congratulated them. They took in every little detail they could note of it before stopping to consider where they'd keep such a precious item. They lifted up one of their lapels and tucked it away under their jacket, where it was seamlessly stashed away.

After giving the area one last look-over, they finally proceeded onto the boss's office. As they climbed the stairs, they turned up towards the ceiling again. "Can I ask you something, Mr. Narrator, sir? Was it you or Stanley who came first? If it was you, how... how did you get here? And how did you get Stanley here? Did his coworkers ever truly exist, or did you make them up, and just tell him they existed? And if you just made them up, then what about...."

Their voice trailed off as they shook their head, stepping into the lobby. "Sorry, I'm rambling, I just... I've been doing a lot of thinking."

[neverendingparable]

"Oh, you want to know about me? Players don't usually ask me this..." The Narrator trailed off, surprised. It has been a while since he's spoken to anyone who isn't Stanley or a Player. Mostly he's been here, narrating day in and day out. A sudden pang of loneliness hit him as he realized this.

"W-well," He started, not wanting to falter here. "I came first. I came down here to Earth a few years back with a vision in my heart, a vision I transformed into something physical, something tangible. Something like a Story that could be played out, lived in, experienced for oneself.

I created this Office with the help of....a friend. Once it was done, we started the hiring process. Employees did work here for a while until the Story began. It was something, to see so many humans involved in what I created. Of course, most of them were gone by the end of it, I assume Maelle just sent them home."

Ulmar let out a small chuckle he immediately stifled, glancing away and suddenly incredibly invested in the wallpaper. Jonathan either didn't hear or ignored him.

"And then, the Story! I ran into quite some hurdles in the very beginning, but don't worry, as soon as I realized what I had to change, I managed to get the Story up and running! As you can see now. Does that answer your question, dear?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They stepped towards the bathroom, resting a hand on the doorknob before registering what Jon had said.

"Oh! Huh, I always thought-- Wait, I'm sorry, you... you came down to Earth, like an angel, I assume, and... so, wait, people actually did work here, at one point. Do you mean, like, helping set up the Office for the Story, or... something else?" They asked, staring up to the ceiling. If this Narrator was one with a Demo, then it makes sense that he'd have others helping him behind the scenes. But if they could be 'sent home,' then that would mean the Office does have a proper means of escape, doesn't it?

"...Do you have your own Stanley here, or is it just a model for the opening cutscene and that one ending?" They asked, tilting their head up to him.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They smiled as they carried on, but only placed a single foot on the step leading up to the boss's office. They thought for a second, before changing directions and heading downstairs. "Oh! Just one moment." They remarked, holding a finger in the air as they descended.

Instead of proceeding forward into the small parking garage, they turned back around the bottom of the stairwell. They took a moment to explore under the stairs, specifically looking over the papers on the ground beneath them.

"I honestly can't remember what exact pages were down here aside from the Gone Home letter, but I keep expecting to find something else down here, for whatever reason." They explained, crouching down and reading over the papers.

[neverendingparable]

The Narrator barely kept himself from complaining as Sunny rushed down the stairs but he decided to let them look around. Part of him was curious too if they would find anything under the stairs.

Ulmar followed, smiling.

Below the stairs, next to some old papers sat a shiny, glowing Stanley figurine, lazily spinning until someone picked it up. The first one they found so far and perhaps not the last.

"Oh, congratulations, my dear!" Ulmar clapped his hands together. "You found your first Figley! Make sure to hold onto that, you never know when you might find another!"

Aside from the Figley, there were dusty aforementioned reports scattered on the ground. Some of them had indecipherable scribbles on them, one had another drawing of that triangle with the eye and top hat. Other than that, nothing too useful.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"Ooh!" They excitedly hurried to pick up the Stanlurine, turning it over in their hands as Ulmar congratulated them. They took in every little detail they could note of it before stopping to consider where they'd keep such a precious item. They lifted up one of their lapels and tucked it away under their jacket, where it was seamlessly stashed away.

After giving the area one last look-over, they finally proceeded onto the boss's office. As they climbed the stairs, they turned up towards the ceiling again. "Can I ask you something, Mr. Narrator, sir? Was it you or Stanley who came first? If it was you, how... how did you get here? And how did you get Stanley here? Did his coworkers ever truly exist, or did you make them up, and just tell him they existed? And if you just made them up, then what about...."

Their voice trailed off as they shook their head, stepping into the lobby. "Sorry, I'm rambling, I just... I've been doing a lot of thinking."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Sunny lifted their hand to the doorknob once again, now slightly more hesitant to enter the closet since they knew The Narrator would actually be frustrated with them for doing so.

"Well, to be completely honest, sir," they explained, "for the longest time I was worried you-- as you evidently exist-- simply... weren't real. Or, at the very least, nonsentient, with some vague, potentially malicious entity or collection of entities working over you to give you and players the illusion of you being sentient. That's why I was so disappointed by the notion of you being a recording, even in this universe."

Eventually, they released the door handle, instead opting to continue further on down the hall as they talked.

[neverendingparable]

"I am very much real," The Narrator said. He sounded pleased that Sunny was listening to him and continuing on the Story as they should.

Ulmar, on the other hand, seemed a bit disappointed. He followed behind them dutifully anyway.

"The Boss' Office is upstairs, Stanley." The Narrator reminded them as they approached. "You're so close to the proper ending, you're doing a good job!"

Ulmar peered down the stairs and then shook his head. "Well, let's get going, hm?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They smiled as they carried on, but only placed a single foot on the step leading up to the boss's office. They thought for a second, before changing directions and heading downstairs. "Oh! Just one moment." They remarked, holding a finger in the air as they descended.

Instead of proceeding forward into the small parking garage, they turned back around the bottom of the stairwell. They took a moment to explore under the stairs, specifically looking over the papers on the ground beneath them.

"I honestly can't remember what exact pages were down here aside from the Gone Home letter, but I keep expecting to find something else down here, for whatever reason." They explained, crouching down and reading over the papers.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They were more than happy to take this opportunity to 'explore' the broom closet, but they jumped back and just barely suppressed a shout when The Narrator responded to Ulmar. Initially, they assumed it was another line of dialogue to dissuade players from entering the closet, but then The Narrator continued to not just elabourate, but to do so in response to something that had been said. Which directly contradicted their previous belief that this Parable's Narrator was just a recording. All of their widened eyes pointed up towards the ceiling as they tried to think up some way to greet the person they didn't realize was speaking directly to them.

"H-hello?" They stammered out in wild confusion.

[neverendingparable]

Ulmar glanced at Sunny, bewildered at their reaction before it dawned on him. They probably didn't know about Jonathan.

"Yes, yes, hello." Jonathan replied, in a gruff but not unkind tone. "No, I am not a recording. Why would I go through all this trouble of writing a Story, if I was just going to play some recording of my voice to accompany the player?"

"Jonathan takes his Story very seriously." Ulmar said, winking.

"I do. Which is why I'm suggesting we get on with it and don't stop to explore the broom closet - you players know there's nothing in here by now."

"Oh, but do they~? Maybe they should see for themself." Ulmar let go of Sunny's hand and gestured to the broom closet, encouragingly while Jonathan huffed.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Sunny lifted their hand to the doorknob once again, now slightly more hesitant to enter the closet since they knew The Narrator would actually be frustrated with them for doing so.

"Well, to be completely honest, sir," they explained, "for the longest time I was worried you-- as you evidently exist-- simply... weren't real. Or, at the very least, nonsentient, with some vague, potentially malicious entity or collection of entities working over you to give you and players the illusion of you being sentient. That's why I was so disappointed by the notion of you being a recording, even in this universe."

Eventually, they released the door handle, instead opting to continue further on down the hall as they talked.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They slowly read over every single paper scattered through the room, making careful note of the gift shop coupon. They quietly recited it to themselves a couple times as they picked up the paper, folded it in half, and slipped it under their lapel for temporary safekeeping.

"Oh, um, yes, yes, just one...." Their voice trailed off as they gave the room another once-over, slowing when they saw the odd doodle someone had left behind.

"Hmm. I wonder who put that there." They smiled before returning to their normal pace, once again following behind Ulmar after interlacing their fingers with his own.

[neverendingparable]

"Oh, who knows!" Ulmar said cheerfully, not at all concerned or surprised by the doodle. "People are always trying to leave their marks on public property, despite the fact that graffiti is not encouraged!"

He resumed taking Sunny's hand and led them out of the hallway. They slowed down a little when they walked up to the broom closet, giving them the opportunity to go in if they want.

"Forbidden." The Narrator grumbled.

"Hm?"

"Graffiti is forbidden, not just discouraged. The whiteboard is another story but if anyone tries to draw on my walls, they're heading straight to the serious room."

Ulmar chuckled and shrugged. "Of course, my dear, of course."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They were more than happy to take this opportunity to 'explore' the broom closet, but they jumped back and just barely suppressed a shout when The Narrator responded to Ulmar. Initially, they assumed it was another line of dialogue to dissuade players from entering the closet, but then The Narrator continued to not just elabourate, but to do so in response to something that had been said. Which directly contradicted their previous belief that this Parable's Narrator was just a recording. All of their widened eyes pointed up towards the ceiling as they tried to think up some way to greet the person they didn't realize was speaking directly to them.

"H-hello?" They stammered out in wild confusion.

[not-another-parable]

They still happily followed along, beating down the unnerving thoughts that tried to ruin the moment from the back of their mind. They jumped slightly when they heard The Narrator's voice, somewhat disappointed at the implication of him being merely a recording (in this Office, at least). They turned back to watch the left door close itself behind them, and gently squeezed his hand once they got to the meeting room.

"Oh-- yes, yes, please!" They nodded. If he's stopped them here, then there must be something new to find, yes? Their eyes went to the whiteboards first, looking over each of them before glancing over the table in the center.

[neverendingparable]

Ulmar clasped his hands behind his back, smiling as he let Sunny explore the room. He found their enthusiasm endearing and refreshing. Finally someone who enjoyed wandering around the Story and didn’t complain the entire time.

The meeting room had subtle changes, nothing that would jump out at them (literally or figuratively) right away. Some flyers on the table, advertising things like the Stanley figurines, discounts on bulk orders of cardboard boxes and pencil sharpeners, a moving company’s flyer and a coupon code for The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe Gift Shop.

“Ah!” Ulmar said when they found it. “Yes, hold on to that. You never know when it may come in handy~”

He smirked and winked at them, a poorly kept secret that they might stumble upon the gift shop soon.

The whiteboards were mostly unchanged, save for a small drawing someone made of a triangle with an eye and a top hat. HE IS ALWAYS WATCHING was scribbled hastily underneath it.

If Ulmar noticed it too, he didn’t say anything.

“Would you like to continue?”

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They slowly read over every single paper scattered through the room, making careful note of the gift shop coupon. They quietly recited it to themselves a couple times as they picked up the paper, folded it in half, and slipped it under their lapel for temporary safekeeping.

"Oh, um, yes, yes, just one...." Their voice trailed off as they gave the room another once-over, slowing when they saw the odd doodle someone had left behind.

"Hmm. I wonder who put that there." They smiled before returning to their normal pace, once again following behind Ulmar after interlacing their fingers with his own.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Though they continue to cling to his hand, their eyes can't help but wander as he leads them to whatever ending he may. They fought the urge to search every corner and stop to read through every little scattered paper or abandoned mug they saw as he guided them along.

"Oh, of course!" They giggled, idly rubbing their thumb against the back of his hand. And then, they considered the possibility of him showing off one of those endings where Stanley would die horribly or endure a fate worse than death, and the possibility that they themselves would have to fill in for Stanley in his absence. This didn't cause them to pull away from him or even ask him to stop, however- he certainly seemed nice enough, and they had developed a terrible habit of trusting people.

[neverendingparable]

"We really ought to get a Narrator in here, shouldn't we?" Ulmar hummed, looking up at the ceiling. Odd that Jonathan didn't immediately jump to narration the moment they entered. But that will be remedied soon, he figured.

They enter the room with the two doors and on command, the Voice piped up.

When Stanley came to a room with two open doors, he entered the door on his left.

Ulmar gently led Sunny to the left door, not even glancing at the other option. There was more silence until they entered the meeting room. As Jonathan droned on with the narration, he turned to them.

"Do you want to look around here first?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They still happily followed along, beating down the unnerving thoughts that tried to ruin the moment from the back of their mind. They jumped slightly when they heard The Narrator's voice, somewhat disappointed at the implication of him being merely a recording (in this Office, at least). They turned back to watch the left door close itself behind them, and gently squeezed his hand once they got to the meeting room.

"Oh-- yes, yes, please!" They nodded. If he's stopped them here, then there must be something new to find, yes? Their eyes went to the whiteboards first, looking over each of them before glancing over the table in the center.

[neverendingparable]

More endings, you say? Well, Mr. Deluxe, you have certainly caught my interest :) why don't you show me some of these new endings you're all excited about, perhaps by guiding me by hand while I twirl my hair and giggle, maybe

"Oh, of course, Mx Synergy. I am so glad you asked, I can see you a long term fan of the Parable, aren't you?" Ulmar beams, all charm and sparkle. He offers his hand, something he's used to by now, guiding people around the Office. Except this one is less hesitant about taking it than that boy Adam who always seemed to regard his hand as if it will bite him.

"The choice is all yours, my dear! I can take you straight to an ending you haven't seen before or I can let you find them on your own!"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They happily lock their fingers in with his own, lightly swinging his hand back and forth as they grin.

"My, my, a choice, already!" They cry as they tap a finger against their chin. "Well, I do always enjoy exploring the office, but I won't mind being shown any endings, so long as I get to keep holding on like this."

[neverendingparable]

"Very well then!" Ulmar tugs on their hand, pulling them down the hallway. So far there's no Narrator to accompany them, giving them room to chat as he guides them through doors and down unfamiliar paths.

"It's probably best if you do keep holding on, if at any point you want to stop the ending, just let me know, mkay?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Though they continue to cling to his hand, their eyes can't help but wander as he leads them to whatever ending he may. They fought the urge to search every corner and stop to read through every little scattered paper or abandoned mug they saw as he guided them along.

"Oh, of course!" They giggled, idly rubbing their thumb against the back of his hand. And then, they considered the possibility of him showing off one of those endings where Stanley would die horribly or endure a fate worse than death, and the possibility that they themselves would have to fill in for Stanley in his absence. This didn't cause them to pull away from him or even ask him to stop, however- he certainly seemed nice enough, and they had developed a terrible habit of trusting people.

[neverendingparable]

More endings, you say? Well, Mr. Deluxe, you have certainly caught my interest :) why don't you show me some of these new endings you're all excited about, perhaps by guiding me by hand while I twirl my hair and giggle, maybe

"Oh, of course, Mx Synergy. I am so glad you asked, I can see you a long term fan of the Parable, aren't you?" Ulmar beams, all charm and sparkle. He offers his hand, something he's used to by now, guiding people around the Office. Except this one is less hesitant about taking it than that boy Adam who always seemed to regard his hand as if it will bite him.

"The choice is all yours, my dear! I can take you straight to an ending you haven't seen before or I can let you find them on your own!"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

They happily lock their fingers in with his own, lightly swinging his hand back and forth as they grin.

"My, my, a choice, already!" They cry as they tap a finger against their chin. "Well, I do always enjoy exploring the office, but I won't mind being shown any endings, so long as I get to keep holding on like this."

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

☆- Put this star in the inbox of your favorite blogs it’s time to spread positivity!

[theendistheendistheendis]

[ In reply to @thereal-sunnysynergy 's starter ]

Somewhere in the office, one of the monitors began to rapidly flick itself on and off, before rattling over it’s desk. Inexplicably, a TV test card shined across the screen before bending and distorting outwards. The bright colours extended out around two sickly grey arms that clawed their way onto the desk. A face slowly began to tear itself out of the screen- but, between it and the arms, the body quickly got stuck trying to climb through the small screen. One and a half eyes searched over the room of the office, yellow irises eventually settling on some poor stranger who’d been there to witness it all. The arms stopped their struggling before extending a hand to the person. “Um. Hey. Little help?” A static-filled voice asked.

Victor had been in the office, tidying up the space as his beloathed protagonist had taken the opportunity to throw things around since he took his Tetris game away. As he's tidying up desk 382, he can hear one of the terminals is begin to... rattle? He sticks his head up, looking around at the terminals around the place, but can't find the culprit. That is, until the TV test card flashed up upon the computer terminal at Elliot's desk.

For some reason, Victor can feel his fight or flight response kicking in immediately. Instantly, he's spooked by this, opting to hide behind desk 382 instead of approach it, watching the terminal's screen warp.

His heart was pounding as he watched the hand extend out towards him. If only he had stayed hidden better, he might have been able to escape here without having to encounter... whatever this is. Horrified, his jaw ajar, Victor's gaze remains pinned on the hand.

When they ask for help, his fear peaks. This all feels too dream-like to be real. Yes, this had to be a dream- and if he followed through by following this dreams narrative, he'd be freed of his terror quicker. He let out a sharp sigh, before standing up from behind the desk.

"H-hello?" He nervously spoke as he quietly approached them. "Uh, yes. I can help you... I- I think." With great reluctance, he takes their hand, grasping it tightly as he began to attempt pulling this... weird person thing out from the monitor.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"Great!" They smiled as much as they could manage with half their face still melding into the computer screen. "Get over here." They gestured him over until he grabbed their hand. While one hand held tightly onto his, the other tried it's best to push them out of the monitor, and, eventually, this... thing's... top half had been freed.

Their torso fell out onto the desk in front of them, and their grip on Victor's hand loosened as they attempted to gain their bearings and continue pulling themselves free. "Thanks. Glad I caught you when I did!" They smiled as they finally stood on their feet. The creature turned around and reached back into the screen to pull out a pair of round glasses, which only covered two of the three eyes on their face. When they were done, the screen returned to it's original form and colour as they gazed over the room Victor had pulled them into.

"Woahhh.... What happened here?" They muttered, gazing around to the remainder of the mess Elliot had left behind. The small, golden eyes dangling from their ears and hidden in their long tie seemed to follow Victor no matter where he moved as they studied the room.

[theendistheendistheendis]

Victor stumbled backwards once the grip on his hand loosened, but recovered before he made a fool of himself. What the fuck was happening? Who was this? People didn't normally exist in his monitors? Was he being invade by a species of tv living people?? Is his overseer pulling some kind of prank on him? Thoughts rattled his mind as they pulled themselves out of the monitor, now standing on their own feet.

"I- uh..." He couldn't even speak, he was terrified for his life. His jaw still hanging as he just keeps his gaze pinned on them. He goes to speak- but can't find the words to respond to them. His eyes are dart across them, trying to take in every little feature of theirs- maybe they're not scary, besides the multiple eyes... and those little extra eyes that just seem to follow him around. Victor gulped, trying to recompose himself as his eyes glanced over the mess that still surrounded the pair.

"Um, m- my protagonist had a uh. A hissy fit, because I took his game of Tetris away." Victor spoke, his voice clearly nervous. "I- I have had enough of hearing some random Swedish man yell 'Wow! You've got the Tetris!' over and over again."

Victor now looked back to them, his heart thudding in his chest as he goes to speak again.

"I'm sorry- but who are exactly are you?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

All of their eyes now focused entirely on him, unwittingly contributing to the pressure placed on the poor man. "Your 'protagonist?' Well, I guess that's one way to say it." They smirked.

They are a bit surprised to hear him ask who they are, though. They weren't exactly used to people just kind of... not knowing them. "Oh! Uhhh." They glanced down to stare at their hands, turning them over as they hesitated. They then looked back up to him with a bright, beaming grin.

"I'm Sunny! I could probably tell you all about how I'm 'here to brighten up your life!' But. But. That always sounded stupid, to me. So, I won't, and you can't tell anyone I didn't, or else... I'll... come up with some horrible form of revenge I'm too lazy to think of right now. What's your name!"

[theendistheendistheendis]

Victor let out a long sigh, feeling his nerves begin to settle. While he was intimidated by their entrance and overall flair- their seemingly kind and fun nature seemed to calm him that little bit. Perhaps the more he learned about them, the less intimidating he would find them.

Victor laughed at their sweet joke about brightening up his day. Of course, it made perfect sense in relation to their name, but the coincidence was just too funny.

"I know it's a joke, but I find it rather funny you say the brightening thing." Victor laughed quietly before looking back to them. He extended a hand, his nerves beginning to settle now that he's laughed.

"I'm Victor Brighting. Narrator." He laughed. "Now you see why I'm laughing. Now, do you normally visit other people's offices? Or- well, what exactly is it that you do?"

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Their face fell as he laughed, but, slowly, their smiled returned as he explained. "Oh!" Someone who actually wanted to hear their 'joke'- that was new. "Um, thank you- I mean, it's something I'm sort of supposed to say, if someone asks but... I'm glad you actually liked it." Their voice shrank as they rubbed the back of their neck.

"Um. Me?" Nowadays, they just sort of... did whatever, went wherever the channels took them. But how does one explain that? "I do as I damn well please." They laughed. "And usually, that doesn't involve falling into random offices, but, uh...."

They stepped forward, scanning the otherwise empty office. "Maybe I thought you could just use the company today."

[theendistheendistheendis]

"Well..." He looks around the space too, seeing the mess he was still sorting after Elliot's temper tantrum. While their presence spooked him initially, he seemed to be growing rather comfortable with them now. Perhaps they weren't as terrifying as originally assumed. "The company would be nice- I ended up locking my protagonist in my office." He gestures towards door 330. "He's in his Reset period, who knows how long it'll take for him to wake up again. But by all means, you're more than welcome to go if you wish."

Victor moved past them, picking up the loose stuff on Elliot's desk and beginning to shuffle them away into neat piles on his desk.

"You say that you do as I damn well please- to quote yourself. Where do you end up normally then? If not in these horrendously boring office spaces." He asked inquisitively, trying to find out more about his hopeful new friend interesting intruder.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

Sunny's head swiveled over to an almost perfect right angle, then swayed as they looked from Victor, to Door 330, then back to Victor, and back to the door again. 'Reset period?' They had assumed this 'protagonist' was human, but humans don't... they shouldn't 'reset,' should they? Is that a thing humans do? Well, the door was right there, they could certainly find out. Wait, what's he saying?

"Oh, um, I.... Where I live, it's like... I don't have rooms, I have channels and signals that come in, that I can run around in and travel through. Usually, the screens on the other end are a little bigger than these." They gestured to the computer, before slowly making their way towards Door 330 as he continued to clean. "Maybe we can find a decently sized TV or something, and I can show you around sometime."

[neverendingparable]

Somewhere in the office, one of the monitors began to rapidly flick itself on and off, before rattling over it's desk. Inexplicably, a TV test card shined across the screen before bending and distorting outwards. The bright colours extended out around two sickly grey arms that clawed their way onto the desk. A face slowly began to tear itself out of the screen- but, between it and the arms, the body quickly got stuck trying to climb through the small screen. One and a half eyes searched over the room of the office, yellow irises eventually settling on some poor stranger who'd been there to witness it all. The arms stopped their struggling before extending a hand to the person. "Um. Hey. Little help?" -@thereal-sunnysynergy

The stranger who had been witnessing all of this with a strange mix of horror and fascination realized too late he should’ve really been filming this. He curses and fumbles for his phone but by the time he’s grabbed it, the strange being was already halfway out, talking to him. Reaching out to him.

Now Bradley, being a big horror movie fan, knows he should probably take this moment to take a hint and teleport away as fast as he can before whatever had just climbed out of his monitor dragged him back into cyberhell. But on the other hand, he’s lived in the Office for nearly a decade now. There wasn’t much this monitor weirdo could do that he hasn’t already experienced.

“On two conditions.” The young Narrator said, staying out of Sunny’s reach. “One, you don’t fucking steal my soul or name or whatever computer fae do these days. And two…don’t be a dick. If I drag you outta there only for you to bite me like some kind of glitchy zombie, I’ll be pi-”

He paused and then cocked his head to the side as an idea occurs to him.

“Wait a sec - if you infect me with whatever you got going on, does that mean I’ll be able to crawl through computers too?”

[neverendingparable]

thereal-sunnysynergy​:

Who the hell is- no, just ignore whatever he’s talking about. Although, ‘Stanley Sunshine’ does sound like someone they’d know. “What are you-” Their thought was interrupted with a heaving sigh upon hearing him address them as 'Just Sunny.’ Oh, god. One of these guys. Their eyes collectively rolled as they answered.

“It’s Sunny.” They groaned. “What I do is–” Actually, no. If Bradley wasn’t going to bother to explain anything he meant, why should they? “I saw a new channel come through, so I figured I’d find out where it leads. Didn’t realize how tiny the other screen would be.” They glanced back to the computer they’d popped out of, rubbing their shoulder.

“That explains absolutely nothing!” Bradley told them cheerfully, but he’s already grabbing their arm and tugging them down the hallway. 

“If you’re not a zombie, what are you? And don’t say just Sunny again, that’s not a real answer! Where did you come from originally? Did you always live in the computer? Are you like Cas? Have you seen him at all? Can you send messages to the outside world?”

That last part sounded a lot more strained than the previous questions and a look of desperation had crossed Bradley’s face. Nearly an entire decade of being stuck in the Office and he still hadn’t given up hope of contacting the outside world, letting the one he left behind know that hey he wasn’t dead.

[thereal-sunnysynergy]

"Well, you didn't-" They released a short yelp as Bradley began to pull them along. What are you? Where did you come from originally? They groaned lowly, twisting their wrist in his grip. "Look, I don't know what a 'Cas' is, but I... It's all a really long and really boring story I'm not gonna bother you with. Besides, I'm a little more focused on where I'm going than where I came from right now."

The 'outside world?' The hell is that supposed to mean? The other channels? "Which one?" They finally asked.