A small café in downtown Portland. Three men in their early thirties sit around a familiar corner table. The décor hasn't changed much since their college days—still the same mismatched chairs and faded band posters. SISYPHUS scrolls through his phone while sipping an oat milk latte. ICARUS fidgets with a drone remote, occasionally glancing at the window. NARCISSUS adjusts his ring light for the third time, checking his reflection in his phone's black screen.
SISYPHUS: (not looking up) You know what's funny? I've been doing the same commute for seven years. Same train, same seat, same guy with the weird sandwich smell.
ICARUS: At least you're consistent. I've had twelve jobs since graduation. Thirteen if you count the food truck thing, but that literally went up in smoke.
NARCISSUS: (still adjusting the light) I've been thinking about getting into podcasting. Everyone keeps saying I have a great voice.
SISYPHUS: Who's everyone?
NARCISSUS: Well, my mom. And the barista. She said "thank you" in this really meaningful way yesterday.
ICARUS: (grinning) Remember when you tried to become a voice actor? You spent three months perfecting your "sexy audiobook narrator" voice.
NARCISSUS: That was good practice. Character development. (finally satisfied with his setup) Anyway, I've been documenting my skincare routine. The engagement is incredible.
SISYPHUS: How many followers now?
NARCISSUS: Quality over quantity, Sis. It's about creating authentic connections.
ICARUS: (deadpan) So, twelve?
NARCISSUS: Fourteen. But they're really engaged.
SISYPHUS smiles slightly, the first genuine expression he's shown. ICARUS launches a small drone from his backpack, which immediately crashes into a hanging plant.
ICARUS: Sorry, sorry. New modification. I've been working on autonomous navigation, but it keeps wanting to go higher than it should.
SISYPHUS: Maybe program it to be more... grounded?
ICARUS: (retrieving the drone) You sound like my therapist. "Have you considered setting more realistic goals, Icarus?" (mimicking a clinical tone) "Perhaps starting with smaller drones?"
NARCISSUS: You're still seeing Dr. Martinez?
ICARUS: Dr. Peterson now. Martinez moved to Seattle. Said she needed "new challenges." I take it personally.
SISYPHUS: I don't do therapy anymore. Same conversations, different week. "How does that make you feel?" "What would you change?" As if feeling different about Monday morning would somehow make Tuesday better.
NARCISSUS: Have you tried mindfulness apps? I've been beta-testing this new one. It's all about self-affirmation through guided reflection.
ICARUS: Let me guess—you stare at yourself in the phone camera while it plays soothing music?
NARCISSUS: (defensive) It's about connecting with your inner self. Though the front-facing camera quality is surprisingly good.
A moment of comfortable silence as they sip their drinks.
SISYPHUS: I got promoted last month.
ICARUS: That's great, man! Senior...?
SISYPHUS: Data analyst. Same stuff, bigger spreadsheets. More meetings about meetings. But hey, health insurance covers dental now.
NARCISSUS: Growth mindset. I respect that.
ICARUS: I've been thinking about going back to school. Maybe engineering, finally. Get a degree in something useful.
SISYPHUS: What happened to the delivery startup?
ICARUS: Turns out "faster than anyone else" isn't a sustainable business model when you keep crashing into buildings. The liability insurance alone...
NARCISSUS: I've been thinking about sustainability too. Maybe pivoting to eco-conscious content. There's a real market for authentic environmental messaging.
SISYPHUS: Authentic?
NARCISSUS: Well, I'd learn about it first. Research. Maybe get some houseplants for the background shots.
ICARUS: (examining his drone) You know what's weird? I used to think if I just pushed hard enough, wanted it badly enough, I could make anything work. Now I'm wondering if maybe the thing I'm pushing against is... me.
SISYPHUS: (looking up from his phone) I was thinking the same thing on the train today. There's this guy who gets on at Fifth Street, always trying to squeeze into the first car even though there's plenty of space in the back. Every day, same struggle. And I realized—that's me with everything.
NARCISSUS: But what if the struggle is the point? Like, what if we're exactly where we're supposed to be?
ICARUS: That's very zen of you.
NARCISSUS: I've been watching a lot of philosophy videos. This one guy has amazing production values. Really knows how to frame a shot.
SISYPHUS: (chuckling) Some things never change.
ICARUS: Remember senior year when you spent three hours taking photos of your final project presentation?
NARCISSUS: Documentation is important! Future me needed to see how good past me looked in that blue shirt.
SISYPHUS: Did future you ever look at those photos?
NARCISSUS: (pause) That's... actually a good question.
ICARUS's drone whirs to life again, hovering steadily this time.
ICARUS: Look at that. Sometimes it just takes a few crashes to figure out the right altitude.
SISYPHUS: Maybe that's the real trick. Not avoiding the crash, just... rolling with it.
NARCISSUS: (genuine for the first time) You guys want to do this again next month? Same time?
ICARUS: Assuming my drone doesn't achieve sentience and abandon me.
SISYPHUS: Yeah. I'd like that.
They sit in comfortable silence as the drone circles overhead, NARCISSUS unconsciously stops checking his reflection, and SISYPHUS sets his phone face-down on the table.
ICARUS: So who's getting the next round?
SISYPHUS: I'll go. Same drinks?
NARCISSUS: Actually, I think I'll try something different.
SISYPHUS nods and heads to the counter. The drone settles gently on the table as the afternoon light streams through the window, casting long shadows that somehow seem less heavy than before.
END