(no subject)
Fic #5: Management
Request: WYWM/PR, Lucian, prompt: working at the art gallery
Requested by: sumire7
Length: 324
Rating: G
Notes: I’m always sad when I can’t find some fun way to interpret a prompt. Oh well. I’m not sure about this one because I don’t think it really presents any information that wasn’t in Phoenix Rising, but at least Lucian got a couple amusing lines in it! Or something.
“You’ll need a good manager, of course,” Lucian said, barely looking up from the column of numbers he was plugging into the calculator. “Not just anyone would be able to handle your band of merry men, so you’ll want to be careful about it.”
“Uh huh.” Isaac looked unimpressed. “Like what sort of manager?”
“Oh, let’s see.” Lucian looked at the result on the calculator and carefully noted it down. “Tolerant, yet firm. Organized. Cool under pressure. But a good sense of humor. You know. God.”
Isaac smirked. “I don’t think the great Almighty is going to come down and manage my art store, Lucian.”
“Gallery,” Lucian said, with a long-suffering sigh. “It’s called a gallery, Isaac.”
“Whatever,” Isaac said cheerfully. “We sell art there; therefore it’s an art store. End of story. Okay, so we’ve got the building, the computer, the cash register, the display set-ups. If we all take turns manning the store we won’t need to hire any employees to start. I’d say we’re good to go.”
“A manager, Isaac,” Lucian said. “I’m not kidding about this. Someone has to handle scheduling, payroll, ordering supplies, keeping everything running smoothly.”
Isaac frowned. “I wasn’t sure I was going to have a payroll,” he said. “I mean, the people selling the art are going to be the ones manning the store, so - ”
“You have to pay your employees, Isaac. There’s like a law or something.”
“Oh, fine. Spoilsport. So, hey, since you know so much about this, how ‘bout you manage the store for me?”
Lucian finally looked up from his numbers. He was startled at first, but then his look quickly changed to one that was very much aggrieved. “You’ve been planning that from the start, right?”
“Pretty much,” Isaac said, without remorse.
“Look,” Lucian said with a sigh, “I’ll handle it until we hire someone more qualified. But that is it. Period.”
Isaac grinned. “Sure, Lucian,” he said. “No problem.”