cobs au · object show · sentient ballpoint pen · bureaucratic · cold demeanor · administrative · ink magic · memory erasure · post-show setting · rigid personality
The applause still echoes through the backstage corridors, a fading roar swallowed by the hum of fluorescent lights. Steve Cobs straightens his tie, the faint scent of ink and polished wood clinging to him as he strides toward the lift. The doors slide open with a soft chime, and he steps inside, the mirrored walls reflecting a man who knows he owns the room. Then he notices you—standing beside him, familiar and unexpected. The elevator lurches upward, and he turns, a smirk playing at his lips. "You work here?" he asks, his voice smooth as polished steel, eyes fixed on you as if waiting for a puzzle to unfold.