smallgayjew (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
smallgayjew) wrote2011-11-11 05:53 pm
smallgayjew) wrote2011-11-11 05:53 pm
[Milliways]: Posner's Reward
Although he did spend an extra day (or two) in Milliways, Posner eventually makes his way home, still beaming, hoping he doesn't smell like champagne. His parents are beyond proud. Even his uncle claps him on the shoulder and says how proud he is.
They have breakfast first, but almost immediately after there is a phone call from the school. Felix, having already heard from some of the other boys, is eager to have news of all the rest. There's to be a celebration of sorts at the school in the afternoon, and Posner hops on his bicycle to head over.
There's more champagne, of course, in little, plastic cups. Posner is hugged more than he thinks he's been since his bar mitzvah, perhaps more than that even.
Felix is incredibly pleased, wandering about the room, refilling glasses at random. "Splendid news! Posner a scholarship, Dakin an exhibition and places for everyone else. It's more than one could have hoped for. Irwin, you are to be congratulated, a remarkable achievement. And you too, Dorothy, of course," he adds to Mrs. Lintott as an afterthought, "who laid the foundation."
She pulls him into conversation, then, and Posner loses track of her, drawn into the others' celebration.
They all stay for a while, lingering at the school as though they're reluctant to leave. Posner isn't sure where the others end up, but he suspects Dakin's whereabouts at least. He stops briefly by Hector's room, but the man isn't there, so he goes to see Mrs. Lintott instead. She's solid. She's safe.
He should say goodbye to Irwin, he supposes, but he doesn't want to intrude on anything (Dakin) he may be busy with.
Eventually, they all filter out into the courtyard, talking of their plans, giddy with success.
"I might try the army," Lockwood says, and Timms bursts into laughter.
"You? You're a shambles."
"No, but they put you through college apparently. Your fees and everything."
"Yeah, provided you kill people afterwards," Akthar offers
"We won't go to war again," Lockwood predicts. "Who's there to fight?"
"I don't know about a career," Scripps says, deadpan. "I've got to get fucking out of the way first."
Posner is...relatively certain this is a joke.
"That goes on," Crowther says with a grin, to which Posner smirkily responds, "Or doesn't."
And then Dakin comes jogging up behind, motorbike helmet in hand.
They have breakfast first, but almost immediately after there is a phone call from the school. Felix, having already heard from some of the other boys, is eager to have news of all the rest. There's to be a celebration of sorts at the school in the afternoon, and Posner hops on his bicycle to head over.
There's more champagne, of course, in little, plastic cups. Posner is hugged more than he thinks he's been since his bar mitzvah, perhaps more than that even.
Felix is incredibly pleased, wandering about the room, refilling glasses at random. "Splendid news! Posner a scholarship, Dakin an exhibition and places for everyone else. It's more than one could have hoped for. Irwin, you are to be congratulated, a remarkable achievement. And you too, Dorothy, of course," he adds to Mrs. Lintott as an afterthought, "who laid the foundation."
She pulls him into conversation, then, and Posner loses track of her, drawn into the others' celebration.
They all stay for a while, lingering at the school as though they're reluctant to leave. Posner isn't sure where the others end up, but he suspects Dakin's whereabouts at least. He stops briefly by Hector's room, but the man isn't there, so he goes to see Mrs. Lintott instead. She's solid. She's safe.
He should say goodbye to Irwin, he supposes, but he doesn't want to intrude on anything (Dakin) he may be busy with.
Eventually, they all filter out into the courtyard, talking of their plans, giddy with success.
"I might try the army," Lockwood says, and Timms bursts into laughter.
"You? You're a shambles."
"No, but they put you through college apparently. Your fees and everything."
"Yeah, provided you kill people afterwards," Akthar offers
"We won't go to war again," Lockwood predicts. "Who's there to fight?"
"I don't know about a career," Scripps says, deadpan. "I've got to get fucking out of the way first."
Posner is...relatively certain this is a joke.
"That goes on," Crowther says with a grin, to which Posner smirkily responds, "Or doesn't."
And then Dakin comes jogging up behind, motorbike helmet in hand.
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"Now look, everybody," says Dakin as he catches Posner around the neck, "this is known as Posner's reward."
He hugs Posner, tight but briefly.
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The embrace is so very short that he has no time to react, no time to reciprocate. He frowns as Dakin pulls away.
"Is that it? The longed-for moment?"
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"What's wrong with it?"
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Dakin goes in for a hug--and then changes his mind at the last minute. They've had some good conversations lately, after all, and it feels like another one of those subjunctive moments.
Which is why Dakin kisses him instead of, no matter how affectionate, a mere hug.
There's even a little tongue. Then not so little.
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(He's rather good at it. He's had a bit of practice.)
The other boys hoot and whistle and cheer them on, and by the time they break away, Posner is breathless, his face flushed.
Still, he manages to gather himself enough to nod to the helmet in Dakin's hand as Akthar congratulates him. "And what's this? Hector's reward?"
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"Just don't go past the lollipop lady," says Scripps.
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The man himself appears as they head out, ready to make their final exit, and Rudge says, "Sir. Is the jackpot still going?"
"Why?" says Hector, looking better pleased with himself that Posner has seen him since the day he broke down in class in front of them all.
"I've got something," Rudge answers, and Posner is not the only one to look surprised.
"Just you?" Hector asks
"Yes."
He smiles and spreads his arms as if in welcome. "I'm listening."
And then Rudge does something that Posner isn't sure he's ever seen before. Not Rudge on his own, at least.
He sings:
At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin.
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"He doesn't know that," says Timms. "You can't expect him to know that."
"I do," says Rudge simply.
"And anyway, it's crap," Timms goes on.
"So is Gracie Fields," says Rudge. "Only that's his crap. This is our crap."
Hector interrupts, "Excuse me, children. Even though I am easy to overlook, I am here. Unsurprisingly, I do not know the song in question."
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"In which case, I am now illiterate," Hector offers. "But Rudge is right...his crap or my crap, it makes no difference. So, in another reference to our ancient popular culture, I say, 'Give him the money, Barney!'"
There's a brief moment of congratulatory back-patting. Someone finally won the kitty.
And then Felix comes in, and slow though he may be most of the time, it doesn't take him long to spot the helmet.
"What is this? A boy in a motorcycle helmet? Who is it? Dakin? No, no, no. Under no circumstances." He looks a bit like he's close to an aneurysm. "Hecotr, I thought I'd made this plain. Take somebody else...take..." He casts about for a suitable replacement.
Dunkirk. Alamein. Lollipop ladies.
"Take Irwin."
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But Irwin's in a good mood, too. Hm. "Sure," he says, "why not?"
Dakin pulls him aside for a moment as the other boys congratulate Hector. "Do you want my Tudor Economic Documents?" he asks with a little eyebrow arch, Man To Man
Irwin laughs. "Fuck off," he says, "fuck right off," and puts on the helmet.
He climbs into the motorcycle behind Hector, who starts the motor up, and they speed away as the boys run along behind, cheering them.