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

Oct. 2nd, 2008 03:23 pm
arrow_of_apollo: (Aphena | Soldier | Want)
[personal profile] 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)

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-04 09:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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]

Date: 2008-10-04 01:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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.
Edited Date: 2008-10-04 01:12 pm (UTC)

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-05 07:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com
Oh, sure I can. It's easy to raise from nothing.

That being my point.

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-05 10:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] burnandrave.livejournal.com
...you're not paying me?

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

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-06 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com
When was the last time any of us got paid for anything?

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-06 06:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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]

Date: 2008-10-06 10:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com
We're distributing things as evenly as we can, based on need. And there's always barter?

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-06 10:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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,
Edited Date: 2008-10-06 10:50 pm (UTC)

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-07 07:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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]

Date: 2008-10-07 07:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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.
Edited Date: 2008-10-07 07:43 pm (UTC)

Re: [meta]

Date: 2008-10-07 10:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arrow-of-apollo.livejournal.com
I would never give you a hard time.

Profile

arrow_of_apollo: (Default)
arrow_of_apollo

October 2009

S M T W T F S
    123
45678910
1112131415 1617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 13th, 2025 05:25 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios