Summary: After Erik lets slip he started the war with the Trolls on purpose, Gerda forces him to make things up by doing all the dirty jobs around Safety Patrol. But Erik won't take it lying down.
***
The alarm blared.
Face down on his pillow, Erik groaned. āWhhhhyy...ā His arm flopped out like a limp noodle, fumbling on his bedside table until he knocked the offending object to the bedroom floor.
The clock continued to chirp at him.
āWhy, I don't even have a job. Why did I-ā
Though hazy, last nightās events came flooding back. Erik's chest tightened. He rolled up on one shoulder, straining to see the faintly glowing numerals. Nine am.
āCrap.ā Erik scrambled up, throwing himself out of bed. His bedsheets were still tangled about him, and he tumbled out and rolled straight into the wall. He could not be late - not for this. Being late would only make things worse. Not that he could make it any worse than he had last night. What the hell had possessed him to spill his guts like that?
Erik flung open his cupboard. The rails were almost bare, mostly empty hangers, a couple of Hawaiian shirts, and a pair of shorts. At least they were one of his newer, nice pairs. The rest of his clothes were strewn across his room and in the laundry. He should have done the washing before now - but what was the point until he ran out of clothes? Clearly, in retrospect, because then heād have some choice.
Erik tugged them on and strode through his house, searching for his keys. He found them on the coffee table, amidst a clutter of half full glasses and plates. The mess barely registered. At first, the slowly deteriorating state of his home had stressed him out, though it had never been quite enough to override the dwindling motivation to keep it tidy, as he liked.
In the hall, Erik shrugged on a jacket. The medals and achievements filling most of one wall caught his eye. His medal, dead centre, and scattered between everything, embedded in the wall, were a half dozen darts. Okay. He did not remember doing that. One was embedded in a photo of himself, right in the eye.
He should take that out.
He didn't.
Twenty minutes later, Erik stood outside Safety Patrol HQ. He had not been here since he retired. His apprehension warred with the aching familiarity. How often had he walked through those doors? Back then, he had not paused, but come striding in, flinging the doors back so hard heād made the glass rattle. Today, he creaked them open tentatively, and slunk into the reception area.
āErik! The Captain said you were coming to see her today. It's so nice to see your face again - it feels like forever.ā Behind the desk, Delores smiled up at him over her wire-rimmed glasses.
Erik returned the faint smile, hoping she didnāt spot the tremble in his jaw. āAh... yeah... I... so can I... shall I just go to her office?ā
āYou know the way, hun. Don't forget to sign yourself into the visitorsā book.ā
āOh, right.ā Because he no longer worked here. The thought brought a wash of regret and a lump to his throat. Erik made himself busy snatching up the pen and scrawling in his details.
He ran into no one on the way to Gerda's office - thank gods. But if she'd told Delores, they'd all know he'd been about by lunchtime. Maybe Gerda had told them all already. Maybe sheād already told them everything.
He arrived at his office abruptly. No. Gerdaās office. She'd left the door open. Could he not have one moment to steel himself? She was focused on paperwork when he stepped into the doorway and he stood there awkwardly, throat tightening even more than it was already. Finally, he raised his hand to give the open door a gentle rap.
Before he did, Gerda spoke. āYouāre late.ā
āI... sorry.ā The apology came out with a squeak. Erik cleared this throat. āGerda, listen, about what I said last night...ā
Gerda met his gaze. āMaybe you should shut the door.ā
Erik closed it behind him and sat on the chair opposite her, though she didn't bother offering it to him. Gerda tidied the stack of paperwork she'd been working on, tapping the edges until the pages were even, and put them in her out tray.
She had less in here than he had when he'd been in the office, though he had never kept it untidy. It was just that little more organised. Some of his photos were still up on the wall, though there was one recently bare space. Erik drew in a quick breath, the sound loud in the enclosed space. The photo missing was the one with the two of them when they'd got their promotions, both grinning like delirious idiots.
āWhat about last night?ā Gerda said tersely, bringing his attention snapping back round.
āI... well... I um... you... you told me to come here and I... you told me to come in so I figured you should...ā
āI'm interested in what you were about to say. About last night. What you might have to say about it when you are less... inebriated.ā
āI... I just wanted to...ā What? The night was blurry, but perhaps he knew. Heād had to tell someone, to have someone understand. Surely Gerda would? But she hadnāt, and now he had to face the consequences. But perhaps that had been the point. Not to tell someone he now understood his hubris, his errors, but to have someone hold him accountable. Heād gotten off light. Far too light. There should have been more consequences. He deserved far worse than heād got. Now though? Perhaps Gerda was right about sobriety changing things. āI... um... I said... I barely remember what I said...ā
Gerda leaned forward a little. āLet me jog your memory. You told me that night at the wall was not a mistake. It was not a case that you let things get out of hand, that you got caught up in your own stories to the point of believing them. ā Her voice took on an edge, her words enunciated a little more carefully. Like she was barely containing herself. āYou told me you riled the Trolls on purpose. You told me that your plan was to start a fight with them, all so you could step in and play the hero.ā
āIā¦ well, I remember a lot more rambling. So thatās not exactlyā¦ā
āItās the bottom line, Erik. So tell me, now youāre clear headed enough to think about what you're saying, is that assessment accurate? Or would you like to talk your way out of this? That is what youāre good at.ā
Erikās chest heaved, heart thudding. Consequences. That was what heād feared. Gerda was glaring at him, and she might have been contained, but she was livid. As she should be. She would not let this go. And yet she was giving him the chance to back out. Erikās jaw worked, yet no words came. Even as he desperately wanted to gasp at that flimsy lifeline sheād offered him, he could not. He didnāt deserve it.
Erik wrapped his arms about himself, stilling the shake that had come into his hands. His gaze dropped to his lap, his voice barely a whisper. āItās accurate.ā
The silence stretched. Gerdaās chair screeched back, the sound making Erik jump.
āDo you have any idea how many people could have died, Erik? I thought I could forgive you if it was all an accident, butā¦ā Gerda paced behind the desk, her boots squeaking on the tiles as she spun at each end of the small space. āNot only your officers, but civilians, the people you swore an oath to protect. You got up on stage, and dripped charisma, but it wasnāt even exaggeration, it was straight up lies. You used them. You used us; you used me. Do you realise what you put at risk for nothing but your own glory? It wasnāt even to stop a war, it was - gods, I donāt even understand why! These officers would have done anything for you, but you treated us all like crap. You know how nice it is to walk around here and not have everyone scared youāre going to yell at them for not tying a bell properly, while all along you were carrying on with this, thisā¦ā
Gerdaās fist thumped down on the desk. āLook at me, Erik! You misused public resources, at best. You deserve to be in jail. Not given a bloody medal!ā
Erik obeyed. Her gaze trapped his and wouldnāt let go. More than what sheād said, he read it in her steely look. She was serious. He had always been able to talk or bully her around, but he no longer held the power here. She had the position, and heād handed her the truth. And gods, sheād be right to tear apart every falsehood heād built for himself. But that was all he had. She would destroy all he had left.
Erikās lip trembled, and it was only as his vision blurred that he could look away. āPleaseā¦ Gerda, donāt make me give it back. Not publicly. I canātā¦ā His voice broke, and he felt a tear slip free.
Gerda sat back down. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, a sharp contrast to the moment before. āThatās not what Iām going to do. I would like to give you community service - but I think even that would raise too many questions.ā
āQuā¦questions?ā
āFor Safety Patrol,ā she said. āSafety Patrol is a mess right now. We need to move on. From you. I am flat out trying to convince the mayorās office we need to focus on liaising with the creatures about us - hell, at least the elves will help with the paperwork. And Iām still dealing with budget overruns from everything you did last year.
āSafety Patrol does not need attention diverted to you, again, which is all that would accomplish. Outing you would only result in a public spectacle, and Safety Patrol would suffer for it.ā
Her words sunk in, and Erik found he could move. He sniffed and hastily wiped at his eyes. āYouāre notā¦ going to do anything?ā
āI didnāt say that. On top of everything, the cleaner quit last week. I had also considered getting an intern to cover odd jobs, but it never seemed fair to me to make someone run around after everyone and not even pay them. Until now.ā
Erik blinked at her and slowly raised a hand to tap to his chest. āWait, me? Youāre punishing me by giving me a job?ā
āIām giving you two ājobsā. Though I use the term loosely, because I wonāt be paying you. I canāt make you serve the community without people asking questions. But I can certainly make you serve Safety Patrol. That might at least free us up a little, so, in a way-ā
It was still rattling around in his head. Not what she wanted from him, sheād spelled it out pretty clearly, but how this connected to what heād done. āYou want me to clean up after everyone?ā
āPart of being a leader, Erik, is serving the people under you. Not using them. You failed at that, so now you can serve them from the bottom of the heap. Maybe that will help make up for some of this - at least to Safety Patrol. It will accomplish one thing, at the very least. Every time I see you, Iāll know youāre getting some small shred of what you deserve.
āThe janitorās closet is down the hall. So, go, right now, and pick up a mop and whatever else you need. You can start in the office bathrooms.ā She tugged the next bit of paper from her stack aggressively, then slapped it down onto the desk.
āWait now? But what do Iā¦ā
Gerda didnāt look up. āFigure it out. Now, get out of my office.ā
I finally got around to watching the Dreamzzz Guardian shorts. Man, the designs looks so good and I am cranky we may not get a full season of this because these critters are way more interesting than the hourglasses.
My notes:
Every one can beast craft now (except Zoey but she already has piewacket)
Critters are snuggly and cute. Are these baby realm guardians, or like the next tier up in the pecking order?
Where are my scorpion /mobile plant bulldozer lego sets????
Susan and Snivel are working for NK. Didn't see Sneak.
Urg, who invited Meego š
Cooper may lack imagination but he bloody well knows how to name Dino's
Dragging swords is usually a pet peeve of mine - but it actually seems to be good for this one/ activates it
Something's up with NK and I'm suspicious it has to do with the Undreamt
Took a pottery class and I made a little Susan. ā¤ļø
I may have overdone the pink should've leaned more towards purple especially on the wings, but apparently getting colours right with pottery paint is kinda hard but I really like how her flame came out.
Just realised that Claude running an exercise class at the new Brooklyn Bureau is hilarious, because all the issues he was having/causing in the dream world was him wanting to have everyone looking at him and being able to boss them around. First in Wildoria and then as Dreamsmasher. Now he gets to tell everyone what to do as a gym instructor. But, you know, this is socially acceptable.
I was looking for screencaps of grouchy Beau. But I got distracted. So instead hereās Beau transforming into Night Hunter when Zoey finds out heās her dad.
Look at how hard he has to knuckle down to do this. Idiot knew he was breaking his daughterās heart.
Beau has this very specific grumpy face. He makes it a whole heap around mid-season 2. You know, right between thinking he can have a relationship with Zoey without having to deal with all his behaviour as Night Hunter, and when all the proverbials start hitting the fan. It's like he's just very pissed off nothing is going his way.
I'm loving the lego City undercover zombie AU designs! Have you done any for Ellie? She'd be who I'd want on my zombie apocalypse team.
I think Ellie will have no choice but to kill Frank after he turns into a zombie during the apocalypse. For context, Frank was a survivor for a period of time before he got infected. He followed Chase and the others to rescue Ellie in the zombie-infested basement of the police station, but got bitten on the leg in the process. Later, the two had a series of bitter arguments. Driven mad by the virusās early effects, Frank grew agitated, convinced that everyone would abandon him. He eventually fully turned, and Ellie was forced to put him down. Thatās why she carries Frankās bag with her afterward ā she keeps it as a memento of him.
Leaning some more into the design for a semiconcept art Night Hunter. This is fuuuun.
In my head this version of Night Hunter:
More tracker/hunter cowboy, rather than punk cowboy.
He's more melancholy than grumpy/ranty. Much less prone to lose his shit, until he does.
Shackles because.
Nightmare King definitely cut off his hand.
Zian is dead. Beau would never shoot his daughter with that big ass crossbow, and he would've tolerated Zian for a while. But, see previous point about losing his shit.
