[open] Bad News Express

[notsolomon]

Who: William Twining and You
When: 8/23 - 9/15
Where: Grantebrycge, Gammon
What: The rejection letter delivery job
Rating: PG-13 for the destruction of dreams


Shooting the messenger part one
Marion Farnswatter was not happy to receive her rejection letter. Or really any of her rejection letters for that matter. This one, the fourth, seemed to be the last straw and she just steps up to either William or his unfortunate companion and delivers a hard slap to their face, face red and on the verge of tears.

She then dramatically turns and sweeps up the staircase of her very elaborately decorated home, leaving an embarrassed servantry behind. Well then...

Shooting the messenger part two
The two of you are hiding behind one of the many hedges dotting the garden of the Hodge family, hoping to avoid your would be destroyer.

Occasionally you hear the footsteps of the man after you, Theodoris Sr, the grandfather of your current rejection letter recipient. Turns out the recipient, little Theodoris Jr, is Theodoris Sr's favorite grandchild, the apple of his eye and heir to the family fortune. The Hodge family have all gone to Pigeonsblood, every last one of them. And all of them have been exceptionally talented mages who have done credit to the school. But Pigeonsblood would spit on everything the Hodge family has done for them over the years and would reject Junior because he supposedly has a weak mana pool? A likely story!

And a bunch of other nonsense was blathered at you before the family head decided to seek vengeance against you. And he is rather powerful for an eighty year old man it seems, his magic rather potent. You've had no choice but to run and seek shelter. So what will you do? Fight or escape?

Wildcard
Have your own idea for deliveries gone wrong? Or right? Maybe it's not an angry recipient, but a disobedient micropig at work. Or an unfortunate letter mix up. Or maybe you want to unwind with William after a hard day's work. Either way, I am open to everything. I am also okay with both prose and action tags, so feel free to use whichever suits you best.

Comments

[notsolomon]

Alright then.

[It was better than nothing. And he did want to see how Subaki handled the situation. If it was really better. Much as William hated to admit it, he was willing to learn a better way. Or at least witness a different way. Cultural exchange was valuable, right?

The angry old man almost immediately approached on Subaki, clearly angry that Heroes were here at all. What did Gammon need of their lot?

Good, good. Just keep ranting, like all old people do. That's what William is hoping as slinks out behind him, opening the book and flipping through the pages. He focused, thinking of the target in front of him and then stopped at a page and turned it towards his target. And then it activated and the booked shouted right at the old man, with a booming, force.]

You! Pathetic old man! Stop setting your own shrubbery on fire! It's embarrassing your grandson! No wonder he doesn't want to go out in public with you!

[Some of the shrubbery was singed at least, so the book had picked a half way accurate attack, though William couldn't entirely vouch for the rest. One could see the old man suddenly freeze, shaking, unable to turn in his direction. It seemed to have worked.]

...well you had better calm him down. Before he attacks again, falls over dead or cries.

[Perhaps it had been a little too harsh, but it wouldn't hurt Theodoris Sr to reflect a little.]

[overextend]

You better not have killed him!!

[ For one thing, that's murder. For another, it's not as though the old man deserves it for this sort of thing. But Subaki will try and salvage the situation as best as he can, grabbing the old man's attention, talking to him. Yes, listen to his voice -that smooth, low timber. That gentle, soft tone. The relaxing vowels oozing from his tongue. He knows he can calm him down, get him to see things differently, convince him that trying to kill them as much as he wishes to is a poor idea and a useless waste of his time.

It works! Of course, it works. The old man starts to calm down with his explanation as Subaki cranks up the charm to a level 11 and waxes poetics about the situation, how it could have worse, how he actually came out on top. Leave it to him to turn everything around, and suddenly, the old man is backing away while Subaki turns to William with a smile and a gentle thumbs up.

See, this is why they should have had him do everything in the first place. Entrusting these tasks to others only opens the gateway to failure, and Subaki can't handle having that kind of smudge on his otherwise pristine record. ]

I told you to leave it to me. I know well how to deal with these situations. I have often had to calm down disputes back in my own home world.

[notsolomon]

He isn't dead!

[The old man was standing there mostly fine it seemed. And besides, it wasn't like they had been in a good situation, though William definitely hadn't intended on killing him. He wasn't that crass. Still William decides to watch his companion in action.

It actually works and William has to admit that he is a bit impressed. Just a bit. Apparently this man isn't all talk and much as he hates, William makes some mental notes for next time.]

So, you do.

[He rubs the back of his neck, now annoyed. Well whatever, it's done with.]

That was very smoothly handled.

[Yes that's as much complimenting as he can handle for one day. And well at least the old man is no longer after them and one of his maids has even come to escort them out, apologizing as she does so.]

[overextend]

Of course, it was, but it was inefficient. We took so long to do this simple task that could have been easily finish had you simply listened to me.

[ Such a stubborn young man. If only he hadn't been so rude and blunt about delivering the news. It's not as though he has all this time to carelessly waste like William does. He has his young princess to return to, training his magic, working out, primping himself, ironing out all his clothes- the list goes on!! ]

At any rate, what's done is done. At least, the old man was spared and we can collect the funds.

[ But it was done so imperfectly. This job is going to nag at him for a while. ]

I usually don't like submitting such inferior work, though. Doesn't it bother you at all?

[ He must have some concept of standards. ]

[notsolomon]

[Yeah they were never going to work together again if William could help it. Even though Subaki had been useful, there was obviously a problem of their temperaments being ill suited to each other. He could only see this causing issues in the future.]

...of course it bothers me that such an error was made.

[He sighed as he rubbed his shoulder, because yes, William did prefer doing things competently when possible. It looked better on one's resume.]

But it happened and there is no choice but to cope with the results and move forward.

[overextend]

Did you learn anything at all from this experience?

[ Aside from just leaving everything to Subaki from now on and doing nothing? Though he really shouldn't be so hard on him. He's just not used to having to fix such messes, but it's the same as his arrival. It's not always about the fall but the recovery. And even he can be graceful about a recovery and make it seem intentional. ]

I could always coach you on proper techniques for introducing yourself and conducting interactions with certain types of etiquette.

[ Before he offends more people here. It'd make William's life easier as well as the lives of everyone else who has to deal with him. ]

[notsolomon]

Plenty.

[Yes he learned not to lose his temper like that again. And to also never take a job like this again. He obviously wasn't made for being the bearer of bad news.]

...I appreciate the gesture, but would decline. That was a slip back there. I actually do understand the etiquette in most situations.

[And he's about at his limit for condescension. Which might not be this man's intent, but it's hard to gauge right now. It could just be the way this man talks, which is worse.]

[overextend]

I'll take your word on it, but I recommend smiling politely next time but also being respectful of the severity of the news -balancing between formality and sincerity. It's a delicate art.

[ Which he hadn't even tried to attempt, but Subaki thinks this will be their last time working together. It's too much of a hassle and a headache, especially when things tend to go awry whenever he entrusts others to do them here. Little does he know!!

Well, since he won't take his advice or accept his coaching, there's little left he can do here. He's already in enough of a poor mood due to their failure to do this job properly. ]

I'll turn in the job for us and make certain we get paid. You did complete the basic parameters of it, so I don't see why they wouldn't give you your share.

[ And he'd left the old man in a good enough mood that he shouldn't complain, but Subaki's nevertheless still troubled. ]

[notsolomon]

Very well then.

[It was probably best not to say anymore at this point. His already fragile temper was on edge. William didn't take being condescended to very well, especially when it was excessive.]

But, I wish you well in the rest of the your endeavors.

[And there is a quick bow and well that's that.]