Part 1 - Pre 2/28, Chapter 2a
It took me quite some time to get to writing today. I had a hard time getting into Corey's head but I think I'm finally there. I'm trying to portray him as someone likeable, though he's somewhat spineless. But the lack of insight into Corey's character wasn't the only reason I couldn't spew out words earlier. Our new kitten, Gizi kinda was eye-catching and it didn't help that Bratworse was done with her words for the day and was playing and bonding like crazy with the kitten. But no worries, even though I did finally to hit my mark today of getting 1600+ words, the kitten has decided my lap, under the lapdesk where my laptop is, is the perfect place to conk out for the night. I guess somehow she and I bonded as well. Yay!
Corey watched his father and his sister move swiftly through the crowd and disappear into the hallway. Realizing he was holding his breath, Corey let it go with a shake of his shoulders and a roll of his head to relax the muscles. He wasn't sure if Mr. Hongjin's heart attack caused more tension in him, or watching his father with his sister.
"Keep Away, Keep Away!" The Raydars fans were chanting now.
Glancing out onto the field, he could see the Raydars playing keep away with the Shooting Stars again. A large whoop filled the stadium as a fancy ricochet almost took the Stars' Center Defender's head.
A vibration in his pocket pulled his attention from the game. Far from winding down in the 5c, the last 10 minutes of the game, the fans and players seem to be whipping each other into a frenzy. Stepping into the depths of the gargantuan hallway that ran all the way around the stadium, connecting all the rows to the outside world, he answered the phone without even glancing to see who it was. "Hello Tsunglei. Don't worry, it's all under control. It was a heart attack that just so happened to occur near me. I started CPR and then Raqi and Franklin showed up within minutes. He's on his way to the hospital with his wife holding his hand. All is well."
"Mmm." followed by silence.
Corey hated that. He could never tell if he was doing okay or well or badly with Tsunglei Tong, his boss. Tsunglei was the Vice President of Media, which oversaw more departments than ever before when Tsunglei took over. Before his tenure, the V.P. of Media only oversaw broadcast media - print, tv, radio but now Tsunglei was in charge of such operations as marketing, fan outreach, merchandising as well as re-election.
Nonetheless, he knew that Tsunglei saw something in him that no one else did, especially his father. Tsunglei was the one who had offered the job of Acting Liaison to Fans to Corey when there had been other contenders, more qualified who were in the running. Just when Corey had been questioning his purpose in the Raydars organization, just when Corey had been wondering if he should seek employment in a field far away from the Raydars, Tsunglei had seemed to magically appeared, and thrown Corey a lifeline.
When Corey had told Drew about the offer, he could see the doubt in his father's eyes lurking behind the spoken congratulations. How could he explain to his father that in this, he wasn't going to screw up, that he could feel it in his bones that he knew what fans wanted and how to give it to them. The instant Tsunglei Tong made the offer, Corey's head was filled with wonderful ideas, each building on the previous, each guaranteed to make a die-hard fan whoop with delight.
Words coming through the telephone startled Corey. Tsunglei had finally decided to speak. "Nik Bloom wants a few fans to get an in-depth interview for a new series he's working on. And Tessa Bloom has questions for you about this new contest you've concocted. I told her you'd be free to meet her 45 minutes after the game ends."
Corey understood immediately the game, and it was because of this, he felt, that Tsunglei offered him the job. He immediately responded the way Tsunglei wanted, "45 minutes?"
The smile of approval was apparent in Tsunglei's tone. "Yes, come on up here for the next 1/2 hour. Yes, I know you're going to miss the end of the game and the beginning of the festivities but this is important. We're meeting with Haverhill and Braun. Then you have 15 minutes to locate one fan at least for Nik Bloom's interviews. And then you can meet with his wife." And then not expecting any feedback nor dissent, Tsunglei hung up.
Oh shit, Haverhill? AND BRAUN? The V.P. of Operations and the owner? What the hell did they want? Haverhill's reputation was that he was one tough son of a bitch and that he'd shoot you in the face with a shotgun if you disagreed with him. And Braun? Well, Corey just thought the world of Braun. This man was the real deal, if anyone asked Corey. Braun personified who and what the Raydars were about. All the more reason to be nervous, thought Corey.
He stepped up the speed and got to the elevators just as the doors opened and out stumbled Jimmie, Stace's nephew. Jimmie threw one arm over Corey and leaned heavily against him, breathing a sour smell into Corey's astonished expression as Jimmie said, "Now, you ain't gonna leave this here game so soon, are ya, Core?"
"Umm, no Jimmie, I'm just on my way to a meeting. I'll see you out there." Corey moved his face out the way of Jimmie's breath.
"Now, ya better be there. Ah'm firin' up some mighty fine fireworks. Hey, seen mah aunt? We supposed to hook up in the 5c. Ya don't suppose she's still back at them seats do ya? Dang, that old lady just won't move from that seat. Did I tell ya that I had me a line on some seats near..."
The elevator doors closed on Jimmie's words. Saying a little prayer to the god of elevators, Corey hoped Jimmie would sober up enough to handle the fireworks. The last time Jimmie was this sloshed, Corey had to wrestle Jimmie for the controller to the firing caps. Jimmie, being only 5'6" and 160 pounds, was no match for Corey. One bloody nose later, he handed the controls willingly to Corey, thus preventing what Corey thought would've been a five alarm fire for sure.
Three floors up, he was joined by Tsunglei Tong, who nodded in greeting but said nothing else as they rode up to the 13th floor that served as Braun's headquarters. When they got to the 13th, a computerized voiced asked for the password. Tsunglei frowned as he punched it in, "I hate redundancy when it's unnecessary. True, the masses need to account for the lowest common denominator, but why should it apply here? Redundant, I tell you."
"I agree, sir," was the only reply Corey gave. He was trying to quell the queasiness in his stomach that swelled with each step he took. Though he had met Braun twice before, the honor and pride that Corey felt had not diminished in the least; in fact, it had grown with each move Braun made. Corey knew what some commentators who weren't under Raydars pay said about Braun, that he was just a figurehead and that Haverhill actually ran things for the Raydars but c'mon! Just look at ...
The set of double-doors opened automatically as Corey and Tsunglei approached. Tsunglei gave a nod of gratitude? No, acknowledgement was more accurate, Corey thought. Corey can't imagine Tsunglei feeling beholden to anyone. Is that music in the background? It was unmistakeable now, the music was growing louder in time to their steps. Tsunglei glanced at Corey. "Like that? I came up with it about three weeks ago. Kind of heightens the experiencing of vising Braun, doesn't it?"
All Corey could do was nod in growing amazement and understanding. Tsunglei was some sort of marketing genius - here was one small proof. When people were allowed to visit Braun, they had to enter through this hall. With previous owners, they went through the expense of hiring out guards to make the experience a bit more enhanced. Tsunglei hated the expense when he knew a simulation would do; hence the genius bit. Recorded music that heightened the experience was a much cheaper expense than hiring goons to look menacing in uniform.
At the end of the hall sat Braun at the head of a long table, and Haverhill on his right. An empty chair sat to the left of Braun and another one at the far other end of the long table. When they reached the nearer end of the table, Tsunglei indicated that Corey should stop as Tsunglei continued towards the far end and sat down on the left of Braun.
Corey gulped.
Whispers bounced amidst the three on the far end and finally, Haverhill said to Corey, "Sit," and Corey did.
Before anyone addressed Corey, Haverhill took something into his left hand, and with a swipe of his arm, slid an object towards Corey. Corey caught it and looked at it; it was a beer can, with the Raydars logo plastered all around the can. Corey turned it around 360 degrees and then popped open the lid and took a huge swig. With a swipe of his arm across his mouth, he grunted his approval, then said, "Give me two containers of these, and I'll make sure every fan have at least tasted it, and at least half will love it."
Tsunglei beamed at him. "See?" Tsunglei bragged to the other two who were also smiling, "I told you two that he's an up-and-comer. We didn't have to tell him a thing and he knew what we wanted." He looked back at Corey. "Do we need details?"
Corey understood that question to mean that the three of them didn't want details, they just wanted results so he shook his head no.
Braun stood up, immediately followed by Haverhill and Tong. A slight widening of Tsunglei's eyes told Corey that he needed to rise as well, and walk to the far end to pay respects. Corey almost pushed the chair back too far, but he caught it in time when he turned to walk up front. Reaching the front, Braun shook his hand and said, "Good job, Westie," and Corey beamed with pride at the bestowment of the new nickname. Haverhill just nodded at him, while Tsunglei walked out with Corey.
Corey said to Tsunglei, "I take it this should be what I'm focused on with Tessa?"
"Good boy," said Tsunglei before waving goodbye and disappearing behind a door that Corey had missed entirely on the way in.
Corey watched his father and his sister move swiftly through the crowd and disappear into the hallway. Realizing he was holding his breath, Corey let it go with a shake of his shoulders and a roll of his head to relax the muscles. He wasn't sure if Mr. Hongjin's heart attack caused more tension in him, or watching his father with his sister.
"Keep Away, Keep Away!" The Raydars fans were chanting now.
Glancing out onto the field, he could see the Raydars playing keep away with the Shooting Stars again. A large whoop filled the stadium as a fancy ricochet almost took the Stars' Center Defender's head.
A vibration in his pocket pulled his attention from the game. Far from winding down in the 5c, the last 10 minutes of the game, the fans and players seem to be whipping each other into a frenzy. Stepping into the depths of the gargantuan hallway that ran all the way around the stadium, connecting all the rows to the outside world, he answered the phone without even glancing to see who it was. "Hello Tsunglei. Don't worry, it's all under control. It was a heart attack that just so happened to occur near me. I started CPR and then Raqi and Franklin showed up within minutes. He's on his way to the hospital with his wife holding his hand. All is well."
"Mmm." followed by silence.
Corey hated that. He could never tell if he was doing okay or well or badly with Tsunglei Tong, his boss. Tsunglei was the Vice President of Media, which oversaw more departments than ever before when Tsunglei took over. Before his tenure, the V.P. of Media only oversaw broadcast media - print, tv, radio but now Tsunglei was in charge of such operations as marketing, fan outreach, merchandising as well as re-election.
Nonetheless, he knew that Tsunglei saw something in him that no one else did, especially his father. Tsunglei was the one who had offered the job of Acting Liaison to Fans to Corey when there had been other contenders, more qualified who were in the running. Just when Corey had been questioning his purpose in the Raydars organization, just when Corey had been wondering if he should seek employment in a field far away from the Raydars, Tsunglei had seemed to magically appeared, and thrown Corey a lifeline.
When Corey had told Drew about the offer, he could see the doubt in his father's eyes lurking behind the spoken congratulations. How could he explain to his father that in this, he wasn't going to screw up, that he could feel it in his bones that he knew what fans wanted and how to give it to them. The instant Tsunglei Tong made the offer, Corey's head was filled with wonderful ideas, each building on the previous, each guaranteed to make a die-hard fan whoop with delight.
Words coming through the telephone startled Corey. Tsunglei had finally decided to speak. "Nik Bloom wants a few fans to get an in-depth interview for a new series he's working on. And Tessa Bloom has questions for you about this new contest you've concocted. I told her you'd be free to meet her 45 minutes after the game ends."
Corey understood immediately the game, and it was because of this, he felt, that Tsunglei offered him the job. He immediately responded the way Tsunglei wanted, "45 minutes?"
The smile of approval was apparent in Tsunglei's tone. "Yes, come on up here for the next 1/2 hour. Yes, I know you're going to miss the end of the game and the beginning of the festivities but this is important. We're meeting with Haverhill and Braun. Then you have 15 minutes to locate one fan at least for Nik Bloom's interviews. And then you can meet with his wife." And then not expecting any feedback nor dissent, Tsunglei hung up.
Oh shit, Haverhill? AND BRAUN? The V.P. of Operations and the owner? What the hell did they want? Haverhill's reputation was that he was one tough son of a bitch and that he'd shoot you in the face with a shotgun if you disagreed with him. And Braun? Well, Corey just thought the world of Braun. This man was the real deal, if anyone asked Corey. Braun personified who and what the Raydars were about. All the more reason to be nervous, thought Corey.
He stepped up the speed and got to the elevators just as the doors opened and out stumbled Jimmie, Stace's nephew. Jimmie threw one arm over Corey and leaned heavily against him, breathing a sour smell into Corey's astonished expression as Jimmie said, "Now, you ain't gonna leave this here game so soon, are ya, Core?"
"Umm, no Jimmie, I'm just on my way to a meeting. I'll see you out there." Corey moved his face out the way of Jimmie's breath.
"Now, ya better be there. Ah'm firin' up some mighty fine fireworks. Hey, seen mah aunt? We supposed to hook up in the 5c. Ya don't suppose she's still back at them seats do ya? Dang, that old lady just won't move from that seat. Did I tell ya that I had me a line on some seats near..."
The elevator doors closed on Jimmie's words. Saying a little prayer to the god of elevators, Corey hoped Jimmie would sober up enough to handle the fireworks. The last time Jimmie was this sloshed, Corey had to wrestle Jimmie for the controller to the firing caps. Jimmie, being only 5'6" and 160 pounds, was no match for Corey. One bloody nose later, he handed the controls willingly to Corey, thus preventing what Corey thought would've been a five alarm fire for sure.
Three floors up, he was joined by Tsunglei Tong, who nodded in greeting but said nothing else as they rode up to the 13th floor that served as Braun's headquarters. When they got to the 13th, a computerized voiced asked for the password. Tsunglei frowned as he punched it in, "I hate redundancy when it's unnecessary. True, the masses need to account for the lowest common denominator, but why should it apply here? Redundant, I tell you."
"I agree, sir," was the only reply Corey gave. He was trying to quell the queasiness in his stomach that swelled with each step he took. Though he had met Braun twice before, the honor and pride that Corey felt had not diminished in the least; in fact, it had grown with each move Braun made. Corey knew what some commentators who weren't under Raydars pay said about Braun, that he was just a figurehead and that Haverhill actually ran things for the Raydars but c'mon! Just look at ...
The set of double-doors opened automatically as Corey and Tsunglei approached. Tsunglei gave a nod of gratitude? No, acknowledgement was more accurate, Corey thought. Corey can't imagine Tsunglei feeling beholden to anyone. Is that music in the background? It was unmistakeable now, the music was growing louder in time to their steps. Tsunglei glanced at Corey. "Like that? I came up with it about three weeks ago. Kind of heightens the experiencing of vising Braun, doesn't it?"
All Corey could do was nod in growing amazement and understanding. Tsunglei was some sort of marketing genius - here was one small proof. When people were allowed to visit Braun, they had to enter through this hall. With previous owners, they went through the expense of hiring out guards to make the experience a bit more enhanced. Tsunglei hated the expense when he knew a simulation would do; hence the genius bit. Recorded music that heightened the experience was a much cheaper expense than hiring goons to look menacing in uniform.
At the end of the hall sat Braun at the head of a long table, and Haverhill on his right. An empty chair sat to the left of Braun and another one at the far other end of the long table. When they reached the nearer end of the table, Tsunglei indicated that Corey should stop as Tsunglei continued towards the far end and sat down on the left of Braun.
Corey gulped.
Whispers bounced amidst the three on the far end and finally, Haverhill said to Corey, "Sit," and Corey did.
Before anyone addressed Corey, Haverhill took something into his left hand, and with a swipe of his arm, slid an object towards Corey. Corey caught it and looked at it; it was a beer can, with the Raydars logo plastered all around the can. Corey turned it around 360 degrees and then popped open the lid and took a huge swig. With a swipe of his arm across his mouth, he grunted his approval, then said, "Give me two containers of these, and I'll make sure every fan have at least tasted it, and at least half will love it."
Tsunglei beamed at him. "See?" Tsunglei bragged to the other two who were also smiling, "I told you two that he's an up-and-comer. We didn't have to tell him a thing and he knew what we wanted." He looked back at Corey. "Do we need details?"
Corey understood that question to mean that the three of them didn't want details, they just wanted results so he shook his head no.
Braun stood up, immediately followed by Haverhill and Tong. A slight widening of Tsunglei's eyes told Corey that he needed to rise as well, and walk to the far end to pay respects. Corey almost pushed the chair back too far, but he caught it in time when he turned to walk up front. Reaching the front, Braun shook his hand and said, "Good job, Westie," and Corey beamed with pride at the bestowment of the new nickname. Haverhill just nodded at him, while Tsunglei walked out with Corey.
Corey said to Tsunglei, "I take it this should be what I'm focused on with Tessa?"
"Good boy," said Tsunglei before waving goodbye and disappearing behind a door that Corey had missed entirely on the way in.
posted by resigned idealist at 12:15 AM
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