[true_writers] 16.B.6 - Phrase: The price of failure

[arrow_of_apollo]

16.B.6 - Phrase: The price of failure

OOC: This response is set within the Earth!AU timeline.


The man who'd come to look at Lee's desk wore an expression of disbelief, but at least it was respectful disbelief. "And... how did that corner of the table get broken, Mr. Vice-President?"

Lee thought a moment. It really wouldn't do to confess that Sharon Agathon decided to grab onto it while we were frakking on top of the desk, would it? he mused. It wouldn't matter to the man that Sharon tore the gouge out of the wood during an orgasm that had her screaming obscenities he'd never heard, and it wouldn't matter that Lee had triggered that climax by slinging Sharon's leg over his shoulder. All that would matter would be the man would know the VP was carrying on an affair with the equally married Cylon liaison.

"One really dumb idea of mine to try and mount some shelves on the wall myself," Lee lied. "I pushed the desk over to the wall, got up on it, lost my balance, and the steel shelves dug out that chunk of wood on their way down."

The man looked at him, still curious. "So where are the shelves now? I could--"

"They got bent. Between the desk and the floor, they were ruined. Sent them on to be recycled." He laughed, sounding sincere. "I guess I should be lucky it wasn't my head."

The man laughed in response, and Lee could tell that the man was sincere, had believed the story and wouldn't be gossiping about it later. "I suppose I can patch it or something," the man said, looking over the wounded desk, "but we haven't been seeing much soft wood..."

"Where have they got you living?"

The man blinked. "Tent city three."

Lee leaned against his desk. "Got a heater?"

The man shook his head.

"Let me talk to the supply quartermaster, see what he can dig up."

By the time the man left, Lee knew the desk would be fixed in days. He stared at the desk, thinking of all the things he'd failed to do. He couldn't stop seeing Sharon, couldn't stop making up excuses to be alone with her. He couldn't stop kissing her, pulling at her clothes, taking her to him. He couldn't stop lying-- to Dee, to Sharon, to himself, to anyone. He couldn't, and he paid the price every day.

Today, that price was one space heater and another little part of his pride.


(405)

Comments

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

You may ignore this comment from AU!Kara if you like, or make it meta, or whatever you choose. ::grins::

I could get Leoben to fix it. He's pretty handy.

And he won't mention a thing about how your desk got broken, since we're all the talk of gossip in my house anyway.

[meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

You know, that's okay. Maybe, um, next time?

How would he know? Oh, Lords, he would know, wouldn't he?

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

[meta right back atcha]

Next time?

Maybe you should spring for a metal desk.

He would know. Trust me. It's frakking infuriating that he always knows.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

As in, if there is one.

That might not be a bad idea.

Then no, no Leoben in that office... or anywhere he might pick up on... anything.

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

I'm full of good ideas, Mr. VP.

You should give me a raise. You can raise flight instructor salaries, right?

He won't say anything. He'll just know.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure I can. It's easy to raise from nothing.

That being my point.

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

...you're not paying me?

Thanks. How the frak am I supposed to pay for things, then?

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

When was the last time any of us got paid for anything?

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

Before I ended up living in space and fighting a war?

I was paid the last time I was an instructor. Don't we need an economy? With buying and selling things? Like booze?

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

We're distributing things as evenly as we can, based on need. And there's always barter?

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

Right. I'll barter my services as a flight instructor for some cubits.

Works for me.

We keep getting shafted on rations, by the way. Apparently a household of three should only be two adults and a child, so they keep giving us boxes with kid's stuff in it.

Leoben refuses to drink out of the sippy cup, so we could use some more glasses.





Kara!Mun apologizes for being crazy--let's blame moving for this,

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

Cubit? What's a cubit? I don't think I've seen one of those in years.

I'll send a note to the quartermaster. See if we can get you listed as two adults and one adult.

OOC: Never apologize for crazy, it's the funnest part. *L*

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

Now you're just frakking with me to be a bitch, Lee. Don't lie.

There's a restaurant down the beach from me! An honest-to-Gods restaurant. How am I supposed to eat there if I don't get any money?

Thanks.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

I would never give you a hard time.

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

You may also ignore this comment from an AU!Laura or do as you wish.

Try breaking a military-issue rack and then we'll talk, Mr. Vice-President.

[meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, Madame President, I don't--

OH.

Ah, uh...

Re: [meta]

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

Speechless? That's a change.

I wonder what would have happened had you caught us in the act of breaking the rack.

Other than your father having a stroke right there, I'd imagine.

I still don't know how we managed that one.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

I'd, um, probably be joining him in that stroke.

Re: [meta]

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

This isn't the President in bed with the military, Lee.

*sigh*

Just let him have this. Whatever concerns you about this, please just let him have this time. I can handle whatever you and the Quorum want to throw at me. Don't go to him.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

Madame President. Laura. Anything that makes my father as happy and puts the life into him that I've seen is exactly what I wish for him.

It's just as a son, well... there are just some things you don't think about.

Re: [meta]

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

Oh. Sorry.

*smiles* It seems like it's been a while since I've had your approval, I'd forgotten what it looks like.

I'll keep him happy as long as there's breath in me.

Point taken.

You wouldn't happen to know how we could go about fixing the rack, do you? Everytime I bring it up, he changes the subject.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

That's all right. I just want what's best for my father.

Er, no, my, uh... my wife arranged for ours to get fixed once.

Re: [meta]

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

How in the names of the gods did you manage that? I'm not heavy by any stretch of the imagination, but I've probably got at least fifteen pounds on your wife. And your father... there's more of him than there is of you.

We just barely did his rack in.

Re: [meta]

[arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com]

I, um, was just back from CAP, so I still had my flight suit and gear on, and things got... er... vigorous.

Re: [meta]

[burnandrave.livejournal.com]

I know where you can get those fixed, ma'am. Broken enough of 'em in my time. ::grins::

Re: [meta]

[laura-muse.livejournal.com]

Do you know somewhere we could get it fixed discreetly, Starbuck? I don't think Bill wants the details of our sex life broadcast all over the Fleet. And I doubt he's reconciled enough to allow Leoben into his quarters yet.

[locked to Starbuck]

And how the hell did Lee and Dee manage to break a military-issue rack? Must have been on the Pegasus, one of those newer-made, built-to-not-quite-last racks. Bill and I have at least twenty pounds on the two of them and we never would have fallen so hard if we hadn't been so... eager.