luke henry ; robin (notjustsidekick) wrote in musingslogs, @ 2011-04-23 13:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | lucius fox, robin |
Who: Luke and Renard
What: Questions and reassurances.
Where: Thomas Inc. boardroom.
When: Sometime after Luke joins the Board.
Warnings: None.
Board meetings were far more intimidating than Luke had been expecting, and he hadn’t had very high expectations to begin with. The other Board members were far more experienced and knew more about the company than he did, despite the fact that Thomas was his father. As per the advice he’d received Luke initially kept quiet, taking note of what was said and doing his best to follow the conversation, though he didn’t speak for fear of sounding like an uninformed idiot. If he was ever going to prove that he was worthy of their respect he needed to speak with substance rather than bursting out random opinions, even though it was tempting at times.
So Luke listened, and he built up his ammunition for the time when he felt prepared enough to speak; he was fortunately good at being stubborn and he intended to keep the company on track just as Thomas wanted. His one reassurance was that at least Renard was on his side; someone was better than no one.
Today’s meeting came to a close after a discussion over reevaluating current endeavors; the Board seemed particularly concerned with the future of Thomas Inc. and their implications were enough to have Luke hiding scowls behind a calm exterior. Against his better instincts he hadn’t been able to help a cool interruption, questioning what exactly was wrong with the direction the company was currently headed in. At least he’d managed to remain civil. Once the boardroom was empty save for himself and Renard, Luke let out a long sigh and slumped forward in his chair. There were still a lot of things he didn’t understand or simply hadn’t been aware of. “I don’t know how Thomas does this on a regular basis.”
This particular meeting was worse than some of the others and Renard knew it was because of Luke's presence. He had more than a few remarks to the Board to get them back on track, but they seemed to have taken Thomas's incident and Luke's presence as signs that they would soon be in charge of Thomas, Inc. Years of practice kept Renard from saying 'As if', but it was obvious what his opinion was.
Once the boardroom was cleared out, Renard allowed himself to relax in his chair. Luke's sigh mimicked exactly how Renard was feeling, and he rubbed his forehead tiredly. "It's more of a necessary evil really. Though it is an exercise in decorum on our part," he replied, holding back any commentary about the rest of the Board's decorum. "You did wonderfully, Mr. Henry." The boy deserved recognition for his ability to keep calm throughout the meeting given the Board. It wasn't the first time he wondered how difficult it would be to replace them all.
“I wanted to say a lot more,” he admitted. “But there’s no chance of them ever listening to me if I act like they expect me to.” This was too important for him to risk screwing up, and his young age was bad enough without providing actions that only served to emphasize it. Thomas probably could’ve silenced all their doubts with one steely look but so far he hadn’t been able to mimic that effectively.
Luke shrugged, though he realized he couldn’t do much more than he currently was. “Yeah, I guess so. How bad is it, really, that Thomas isn’t here?” He had no real idea of what the Board could or couldn’t do on their own, and it was clear they didn’t view him as a serious replacement.
Renard gave Luke a long look as he contemplated how to approach the situation. He had a great deal of respect for Thomas, and for Luke, far more than he’d ever had for the Board. They were selfish creatures, only out to make themselves richer and everyone else poorer. Thankfully, Renard was good at his job and he had smooth talking on his side, on top of a few gentle reminders to each of the members about what might happen if Thomas was ousted from the company. Never mind the fact that a decision like that needed to be unanimous and Renard was decidedly against the idea.
“They’ll take you seriously if you force them to take you seriously. It’s best to take the bull by the horns in this particular situation,” Renard replied, folding his hands in his lap as he leaned back in his chair. “As for how bad it is...it’s not terrible. Manageable would be the word for it.” There was a slight twinkle in Renard’s eye. “Just remember, Mr. Henry, that they want something they’ll never have, particularly since you’ve come to fill your father’s seat on the board. With both of us on his side, and a bit of luck, Thomas, Inc will survive this and anything else that gets thrown our way.”
That went along with Thomas’ advice to stay stubborn, but it sounded a lot easier in theory.. “How?” Luke was genuinely curious and knew he could use all the help he could get. “What else can I do to make them take me seriously?”
Well, that was slightly reassuring. Renard didn’t seem like the sort of person to lie for the sole purpose of reassurance, which was one of the things Luke liked about him; he’d tell him the truth even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Manageable is a good. We can work with that.” He nodded as though to confirm it to himself. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re here. It’d be a lot less bearable if I was on my own.”
“I suggest you comb through my notes. I have kept detailed records of all of the Board meetings since I’ve joined them, and there are recordings, though the rest of the Board doesn’t know about that. Brush up on as many areas of the company you can. I can provide the key points and where to focus your attentions, but the work is all on you. I’m not sure how much time you can afford to devote, given your studies.” Renard paused thoughtfully. It would probably be just about finals time, and that was stressful in and of itself. Adding on top of that the media, the weather, and Thomas’s injury...it could very well be too much for the boy, though Renard was firmly in his corner.
He chuckled at the idea of Luke being on the Board on his own. He would still be successful, but it would’ve taken a lot longer and, perhaps, a great deal of money lost on behalf of Thomas, Inc, but it would’ve happened all the same. “Everything happens for a reason, Mr. Henry. You’re ready to take advantage of the opportunity here, despite the less than stellar circumstances. You’ll do good work here, just as Mr. Brandon has. This company does good. It saves people, makes their lives better. The Board sometimes loses sight of that, and it’s our job to remind them of it in ways they understand,” Renard reasoned. He took this job very seriously, and was more than pleased for the opportunity Thomas had provided him with. He would do whatever he could for the man, his son, his family, and his company. No questions asked.
Luke straightened up at the mention of notes, and he had to bite back a laugh at the thought of recordings the Board didn’t know about. “I have time,” he said with a little more confidence than he actually felt, but it didn’t matter. Classes were coming to an end and he’d make the time if he had to. “That would be really helpful. I’m willing to do whatever I need to.” If there was one thing he had on his side, it was dogged determination. He’d been through worse things than this.
Renard did have a point. The circumstances were less than desirable, but he had been meaning to become more involved with the company and now he definitely was. If Luke could do this right and prove that he was capable, maybe there would be a future for him there even after Thomas returned to his rightful place. “It’s important to Thomas that it keeps doing good, and I intend to make sure that happens.” Despite his initial disdain for the Board, they were fairly close to what he was expecting. “I think we’ll manage just fine,” he said with a grin, managing to cling to some optimism even in face of some intimidating odds.
A warm smile crossed Renard’s lips as Luke replied. The boy was every bit of what he had been expecting, and more. He knew Luke would do well, that he would make things work. “Then let’s head to my office shall we? I’ll show you where they are, so you can read them at your own pace,” Renard replied, a hint of pride in his voice at Luke’s initiative. He stood and walked down the side of the room where Luke was.
“You’ve done Mr. Brandon proud today, and I’ve no doubt you’ll continue to do so,” he added, and they walked back to his office together.