silent night
Author: Nathalia
Rating: PG
Challenge:
Eggnog #13 - silent night
Pomgrenate #10 - a vote (Face overrules the masses)
Extras / Toppings: gummy bunnies (15_minute_fic: word #2: voluntary)
Word Count: 606
Story: Misfits
Summary: Face overrules the masses
Notes: very Christmasy, I know. Maybe this makes Face more sympathetic? I doubt it but hey, he is trying to be good. This was the only thing I could have used the eggnog prompt for. I plan on finishing Eggnog (5 prompts left) early next year.
“What are we going to do?”
Only one of them actually said it but it was enough for Face. If he looked at the expressions of everyone sitting on the conference table, he could see that they were all silently asking the same question. The same helpless feeling was running through his head again and he remembered how often he had yelled at Dennis and Stella to act instead of think for hours and hours but now that he was in their spot, he understood exactly. Those were the others, the ones who could ask all they wanted because in the long run, they weren’t the ones who had to make the decision. That was his job.
The others would leave the conference room and go to the Archer. Wes would pick up some girl, telling her about his accidental proposal or something equally horrifying while Hobbie, Lynn and Shania got recklessly drunk. Lara would sit with them but drink in moderation while Hank ordered one glass of water after the next.
They would feel horrible about Tom -- Face’s best friend in the world -- and that was alright. Face wanted to go with them but he had already spent too much time drinking and remembering his friend over the past few months. As much as he wanted to wallow in self-pity, in memories of his best friend, there was no time for that. He had to decide what it was they were going to do about Kenneth.
“You aren’t going to do anything about him,” he said, his voice hoarse and almost cracking. He wanted to cry at the realization that he was alone, that there was nobody to help him with this but what was the point? In the end, he would still be alone. He couldn’t heave all the responsibility on someone who didn’t want it by asking them to help him. He had been the one who had wanted the leadership position and that was what he got from it. It was only fair. “I am.”
There was no sound. A few looks got exchanged and whoever had been looking him in the eye only a few seconds ago, lowered their head now, not wanting to look at him anymore. Dennis had never been like this, he had always been up for ideas, for finding a difficult solution wit the help of others but then, hadn’t Dennis failed at this job in the long run?
Only Hobbie looked straight at him, his blue eyes dangerous with anger but Face decided to simply ignore that. This was his job. He wasn’t co-leader with Hobbie. When Hobbie had been approached to take the job, he had shaken his head in disgust, said that this was the last thing he wanted. He had offered to help, yes, but he didn’t want the responsibility. That was how this man had always been and nothing would change him; Face knew. But he didn’t want to let someone else decide when in the end it would be him who would be judged for how everything had proceeded.
He saw Shania trying to say something and stared at her, willing her not to speak up. He didn’t want a fight and this would turn into one if anyone spoke. Before they could, he got up and made his way out of the conference room. He didn’t stop or look back, not even after he had left the room and was in the hallway. He just kept walking and nobody spoke, nobody tried to stop him.
This clearly meant that they trusted him to do what he must.
Rating: PG
Challenge:
Eggnog #13 - silent night
Pomgrenate #10 - a vote (Face overrules the masses)
Extras / Toppings: gummy bunnies (15_minute_fic: word #2: voluntary)
Word Count: 606
Story: Misfits
Summary: Face overrules the masses
Notes: very Christmasy, I know. Maybe this makes Face more sympathetic? I doubt it but hey, he is trying to be good. This was the only thing I could have used the eggnog prompt for. I plan on finishing Eggnog (5 prompts left) early next year.
“What are we going to do?”
Only one of them actually said it but it was enough for Face. If he looked at the expressions of everyone sitting on the conference table, he could see that they were all silently asking the same question. The same helpless feeling was running through his head again and he remembered how often he had yelled at Dennis and Stella to act instead of think for hours and hours but now that he was in their spot, he understood exactly. Those were the others, the ones who could ask all they wanted because in the long run, they weren’t the ones who had to make the decision. That was his job.
The others would leave the conference room and go to the Archer. Wes would pick up some girl, telling her about his accidental proposal or something equally horrifying while Hobbie, Lynn and Shania got recklessly drunk. Lara would sit with them but drink in moderation while Hank ordered one glass of water after the next.
They would feel horrible about Tom -- Face’s best friend in the world -- and that was alright. Face wanted to go with them but he had already spent too much time drinking and remembering his friend over the past few months. As much as he wanted to wallow in self-pity, in memories of his best friend, there was no time for that. He had to decide what it was they were going to do about Kenneth.
“You aren’t going to do anything about him,” he said, his voice hoarse and almost cracking. He wanted to cry at the realization that he was alone, that there was nobody to help him with this but what was the point? In the end, he would still be alone. He couldn’t heave all the responsibility on someone who didn’t want it by asking them to help him. He had been the one who had wanted the leadership position and that was what he got from it. It was only fair. “I am.”
There was no sound. A few looks got exchanged and whoever had been looking him in the eye only a few seconds ago, lowered their head now, not wanting to look at him anymore. Dennis had never been like this, he had always been up for ideas, for finding a difficult solution wit the help of others but then, hadn’t Dennis failed at this job in the long run?
Only Hobbie looked straight at him, his blue eyes dangerous with anger but Face decided to simply ignore that. This was his job. He wasn’t co-leader with Hobbie. When Hobbie had been approached to take the job, he had shaken his head in disgust, said that this was the last thing he wanted. He had offered to help, yes, but he didn’t want the responsibility. That was how this man had always been and nothing would change him; Face knew. But he didn’t want to let someone else decide when in the end it would be him who would be judged for how everything had proceeded.
He saw Shania trying to say something and stared at her, willing her not to speak up. He didn’t want a fight and this would turn into one if anyone spoke. Before they could, he got up and made his way out of the conference room. He didn’t stop or look back, not even after he had left the room and was in the hallway. He just kept walking and nobody spoke, nobody tried to stop him.
This clearly meant that they trusted him to do what he must.