Zero Tolerance: Paper Pushing and People Pleasing
Title: Paper Pushing and People Pleasing
Characters: DG, Raw
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not owning Tin Man.
Summary: see title.
Table of Contents
DG was staring at the piles of paper when her assistant walked in. She peered over them at him. "What am I going to do with all these letters, Bernard?" she asked.
He looked at them himself for a moment before responding. "You do realise you don't actually have to do anything, Highness."
DG frowned. "Don't I?"
"Not if you don't want to," he confirmed. "We can draft an official reply."
"What's an official reply?"
"It just says 'The Princess Royal Dorothy Grace Gale has asked me to thank you for your letter' and we say something like 'The matter is under consideration', or even if we feel so inclined 'under active consideration'."
"What's the difference?"
"Well, 'under consideration' means 'we've lost the file', 'under active consideration' means 'we're trying to find it'."
"Oh, God! That's awful!" DG replied in disgust.
"Yes, Your Highness," he agreed.
She pulled out one of the letters and started to read it. Moments later, another helpful assistant brought in a pile of new papers and DG had to stand up to peer over them. She caught Bernard's eye. He mimed putting the pile in front of her in to the 'out' box. She breathed a heavy sigh and complied. She fell back into her chair. "What else, Bernard?"
"Well, there's the annual general meeting of the 'Rights for Viewers and Zippers', you indicated you might want to attend."
"It'd be nice to meet some Viewers and Glitches," she remarked, refusing to use the word 'Zipper'.
Bernard cocked his eyebrow. "I doubt you find any there, Highness."
"Why not?"
"Because they don't represent the Viewers or 'Glitches'. They represent those who'd like to use them."
"That's terrible!"
"Perhaps I should cancel?"
"No, I need to tell them they're terrible. What else?"
"Your Suitor, Sir Faon, requests some of your time."
"Wait a minute, isn't he the guy who sent out that statement about how the Longcoats should fight against the 'oppression of the Royal Family'?"
"I believe so, Highness."
"Shouldn't we do something about that?"
"Well, Highness, in practical terms we have the usual six options: One, do nothing. Two, issue a statement deploring the speech. Three, lodge an official protest. Four, cut off aid. Five, break off diplomatic relations. And six, declare war."
"Ok, which of them will work?"
"Well, if we do nothing we implicitly agree with the speech. Two, if we issue a statement we'll just look foolish. Three, if we lodge a protest it'll be ignored. Four, we can't cut off aid because we don't give them any. Five, if we break off diplomatic relations we can't negotiate the moritanium contracts. And six, if we declare war it might just look as though we were over-reacting."
"Plus we're a little busy fighting already. Those aren't great options."
"We could ignore the suitor for a few days."
"Let's do that!" DG was very grateful to avoid suitors for, well, ever, if she could manage it. Of course she couldn't but was relieved when the Queen said that she wasn't going to force DG into a match. 'It would smack of hypocrisy, wouldn't it, dear?' she had remarked before entering into another adoring stare competition with her husband. She was about to leave when the Queen added: 'But we have to be very careful about who you do chose, My Angel.' DG realised that, but couldn't see why they had to take her precious free time away from her to 'walk' or whatever. Couldn't the puppies just follow around during work? It certainly would help to see what they're up against.
Before DG asked what else, a knock came at the door. "Come in."
"Presenting Sir Raw of Viewers," the doorman said, a little bewildered.
DG was tickled by the announcement and delighted by the guest. "Raw! Oh, it's good to see you!" she wrapped him in a hug. "How are your family?"
"Family... ok. Tired. Scared."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Natural feelings. Time, healer."
DG had no response to that. "Sometimes," she managed. "Bernard and I were just talking about you. Indirectly."
"Rights for Viewers and Zippers," Bernard explained, helpfully. He always did things 'helpfully', even when he was just confusing the hell out of DG.
Raw pulled a face at the mention at their name. "Politicians," as far as Raw was concerned, he may as well have said 'fools'. One thing that DG wished was different in the OZ.
"Wanna come kick their asses? In a completely non-violent way, of course," she added to Bernard.
Raw smiled. "Maybe. Later. Glitch not forgive if leave without seeing."
"Have you seen Cain?"
"First. Greatly troubled."
"Yeah, I was talking to Jeb. He doesn't know what to do with himself. He's attached himself to Adora's robot, giving her the cold shoulder." DG let out a breath. "Come on! Let's see Glitch before we head to that meeting."
"I'll cancel all your other duties, Highness," Bernard volunteered.
"Thanks, Bernard!"
"He should be in here..." DG peered into the laboratory. "Glitch? Ambrose? Are you here? Can you sense him, Raw?"
"Great distress."
Alarmed, DG ran inside, though wasn't entirely sure where she was going. "Glitch?" she called out, more urgently now. "Where are you?" She jumped when he suddenly appeared. He looked white. Then again, he always looked white but this was added to the expression of horror on his face. "Glitch?"
He held up the 'ghost traps'. "The Witch. She's gone."
Mojo Rising
Characters: DG, Raw
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not owning Tin Man.
Summary: see title.
Table of Contents
DG was staring at the piles of paper when her assistant walked in. She peered over them at him. "What am I going to do with all these letters, Bernard?" she asked.
He looked at them himself for a moment before responding. "You do realise you don't actually have to do anything, Highness."
DG frowned. "Don't I?"
"Not if you don't want to," he confirmed. "We can draft an official reply."
"What's an official reply?"
"It just says 'The Princess Royal Dorothy Grace Gale has asked me to thank you for your letter' and we say something like 'The matter is under consideration', or even if we feel so inclined 'under active consideration'."
"What's the difference?"
"Well, 'under consideration' means 'we've lost the file', 'under active consideration' means 'we're trying to find it'."
"Oh, God! That's awful!" DG replied in disgust.
"Yes, Your Highness," he agreed.
She pulled out one of the letters and started to read it. Moments later, another helpful assistant brought in a pile of new papers and DG had to stand up to peer over them. She caught Bernard's eye. He mimed putting the pile in front of her in to the 'out' box. She breathed a heavy sigh and complied. She fell back into her chair. "What else, Bernard?"
"Well, there's the annual general meeting of the 'Rights for Viewers and Zippers', you indicated you might want to attend."
"It'd be nice to meet some Viewers and Glitches," she remarked, refusing to use the word 'Zipper'.
Bernard cocked his eyebrow. "I doubt you find any there, Highness."
"Why not?"
"Because they don't represent the Viewers or 'Glitches'. They represent those who'd like to use them."
"That's terrible!"
"Perhaps I should cancel?"
"No, I need to tell them they're terrible. What else?"
"Your Suitor, Sir Faon, requests some of your time."
"Wait a minute, isn't he the guy who sent out that statement about how the Longcoats should fight against the 'oppression of the Royal Family'?"
"I believe so, Highness."
"Shouldn't we do something about that?"
"Well, Highness, in practical terms we have the usual six options: One, do nothing. Two, issue a statement deploring the speech. Three, lodge an official protest. Four, cut off aid. Five, break off diplomatic relations. And six, declare war."
"Ok, which of them will work?"
"Well, if we do nothing we implicitly agree with the speech. Two, if we issue a statement we'll just look foolish. Three, if we lodge a protest it'll be ignored. Four, we can't cut off aid because we don't give them any. Five, if we break off diplomatic relations we can't negotiate the moritanium contracts. And six, if we declare war it might just look as though we were over-reacting."
"Plus we're a little busy fighting already. Those aren't great options."
"We could ignore the suitor for a few days."
"Let's do that!" DG was very grateful to avoid suitors for, well, ever, if she could manage it. Of course she couldn't but was relieved when the Queen said that she wasn't going to force DG into a match. 'It would smack of hypocrisy, wouldn't it, dear?' she had remarked before entering into another adoring stare competition with her husband. She was about to leave when the Queen added: 'But we have to be very careful about who you do chose, My Angel.' DG realised that, but couldn't see why they had to take her precious free time away from her to 'walk' or whatever. Couldn't the puppies just follow around during work? It certainly would help to see what they're up against.
Before DG asked what else, a knock came at the door. "Come in."
"Presenting Sir Raw of Viewers," the doorman said, a little bewildered.
DG was tickled by the announcement and delighted by the guest. "Raw! Oh, it's good to see you!" she wrapped him in a hug. "How are your family?"
"Family... ok. Tired. Scared."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Natural feelings. Time, healer."
DG had no response to that. "Sometimes," she managed. "Bernard and I were just talking about you. Indirectly."
"Rights for Viewers and Zippers," Bernard explained, helpfully. He always did things 'helpfully', even when he was just confusing the hell out of DG.
Raw pulled a face at the mention at their name. "Politicians," as far as Raw was concerned, he may as well have said 'fools'. One thing that DG wished was different in the OZ.
"Wanna come kick their asses? In a completely non-violent way, of course," she added to Bernard.
Raw smiled. "Maybe. Later. Glitch not forgive if leave without seeing."
"Have you seen Cain?"
"First. Greatly troubled."
"Yeah, I was talking to Jeb. He doesn't know what to do with himself. He's attached himself to Adora's robot, giving her the cold shoulder." DG let out a breath. "Come on! Let's see Glitch before we head to that meeting."
"I'll cancel all your other duties, Highness," Bernard volunteered.
"Thanks, Bernard!"
"He should be in here..." DG peered into the laboratory. "Glitch? Ambrose? Are you here? Can you sense him, Raw?"
"Great distress."
Alarmed, DG ran inside, though wasn't entirely sure where she was going. "Glitch?" she called out, more urgently now. "Where are you?" She jumped when he suddenly appeared. He looked white. Then again, he always looked white but this was added to the expression of horror on his face. "Glitch?"
He held up the 'ghost traps'. "The Witch. She's gone."
Mojo Rising