Title: Measures of Sucess
Pairing/characters: Martin, Douglas. No Pairings
Rating: G
Warnings/Triggers: None
Summary: Filled for Cabin Pressure prompt meme: What is Douglas's brother like? Is he somehow even more charming, lucky and fantastic than Douglas, or is he Douglas's exact opposite? Are they still close, or did they have a falling out? Is the brother even still alive?
"Enough about my family, how about yours, Douglas?"
"Hrmm? Oh, my family? Modest background, mother and father divorced and me having to put up with a drippy younger brother. You know the sort, a stickler for details. A lot like you Martin, except...with a bigger house and all the absolute dullness of predictable middle class reliability. Just like the millions of hapless minions who take up jobs that are the epitome of mediocre stability...Accountants. *shudder* Me and you Martin, we fly the skies and see the world, fulfilling our ever insatiable wanderlust for the marvellous, living by our wits on an Airdot that is always in threat of bankruptcy. Isn't that a whole lot more fulfilling than a 9 to 5 job cooking the books for corporate billionaires? I may not have bragging rights at the Christmas family table, but I have my pride and convictions, which is more than I can say for Stanley."
"You're jealous of your brother!"
"Don't be ridiculous Martin, I have no envy for my unimaginative excuse for a brother."
"YOU DO! Oh this is precious, not quite God's gift to the world for once!"
"You're one to talk, Martin. For all your dullness, you haven't achieved half of what society considers as success as Stanley does."
"Yes, but at least I'm doing what I love...er what we love. Flying a plane, barely being paid...not at all actually...and the pleasure of Arthur's latest concoction of surprising pudding...anyways, it doesn't matter. I bet he hates his job more than we suffer in poverty...I mean, love ours!"
"That's where you're wrong, Martin. He loves accounting, the legers and the new ways you can add sums on Microsoft excel. Loves it more than the numerous obscure tax loopholes he's able to sniff out like a dog in heat. I assure you the bastard is quite happy with his numbers."
"Oh, well...then, that's alright then. I mean there are other measures of successes...not that we need another one because it's inadequate to measure ourselves with...not that we need..."
"Martin, spare me your endearing but ineffective attempts to make me feel better. I've made peace with my brother long ago. Like I said, he has no imagination for anything except for numbers and loopholes. I get my jollies every family reunion in my own Douglas Richardson style"
"Oh dear God. I don't envy the man at all."
"That is exactly the point."