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arrow_of_apollo) wrote2008-10-02 03:23 pm
arrow_of_apollo) wrote2008-10-02 03:23 pm
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true_writers] 16.B.6 - Phrase: The price of failure
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)
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)
no subject
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]
How would he know? Oh, Lords, he would know, wouldn't he?Re: [meta]
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]
That might not be a bad idea.
Then no, no Leoben in that office... or anywhere he might pick up on... anything.Re: [meta]
You should give me a raise. You can raise flight instructor salaries, right?
He won't say anything. He'll just know.Re: [meta]
That being my point.Re: [meta]
Thanks. How the frak am I supposed to pay for things, then?
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I was paid the last time I was an instructor. Don't we need an economy? With buying and selling things? Like booze?
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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,
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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*
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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.
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no subject
Try breaking a military-issue rack and then we'll talk, Mr. Vice-President.
[meta]
OH.
Ah, uh...
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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.
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*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.
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It's just as a son, well... there are just some things you don't think about.
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*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.
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Er, no, my, uh... my wife arranged for ours to get fixed once.
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We just barely did his rack in.
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[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.