Fic: Playing games

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

So I have had a go at the challenge and I have gone off on rather a wild tangent. Have a look at the prompt in the trailer and you’ll see what I mean. Anyway this is just a short fic and I think it is fair to warn you it is about Cowley and is Gen (checked the rules to see if gen was alright and I think that is okay *g*). Also I seem to have made it just in time as it is still the 31st somewhere in the world. *wipes brow*



Having just finished a celebratory drink with his top team Cowley sat at his desk and examined the events of the day. After a lot of hard work another operation had been successfully concluded. The arms dealers had been located, the buyers caught, and the backers identified. All told this one could go down as a win.

Cowley liked to think of his work, and therefore the life that he lived, as consisting of a series of games. This perspective was not meant to trivialise what he and his agents accomplished. He may view this as a game but it was not frivolous.

In a game there were clear objectives and outcomes, opposing players, team members, and rules to follow (and be ignored if needed). But the most important point was that there was always a winning side and a losing side. The simple fact was that Cowley knew he had to win, for the opposition to prevail was unacceptable.

He suspected that if you asked his agents why he was so good at winning they would say it was because he cheated. And he did, and was happy to do so as the outcome was the most important factor. But the real reason behind his success was that he understood the games being played and the participants in them. He knew how to position the pieces and time his moves.

This understanding and skill often gave others the impression that he always knew what was going to happen and that he controlled everything around him. This was not true. He was not prescient, but he could anticipate and plan, he could work out the variables and make moves to alter them for his benefit, he was not infallible, but he was adaptable and influential.

Of course Cowley knew he thrived on this. He could admit to himself that the competition kept him alive, kept him active, made him think, and gave him a purpose. Playing these games was just as essential for him as they were for the society he lived in. And with that thought Cowley decided that was enough musing for the night. He pulled the new file in front of him and began analysing its contents and working out a strategy to win this new game.


Title: Playing games
Author: Vic
Slash/Gen: Gen
Archive at Proslib/Circuit: Okay
Summary: A look at how Cowley thinks
Disclaimer: I do not own The Professionals.
Notes: Well the challenge for this was actually In "Hijack", Doyle cheats shamelessly when playing "Mastermind" with Bodie. and so as you can see my thinking went a bit off course. I remember thinking about Doyle cheating, the two of them playing games, how they games could be used to describe what they did, and then Cowley appeared and would not go away. *sigh*

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - gen is fine, and personally I'm really glad that this is gen since it's a Cowley story! Bless 'im... *g* I do like the image of Cowley sitting in office late into the night too, knowing that his job is not just important for what it does, but for himself. Thank you!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the lovely comment, the truth is I can't see Cowley having any illusions about himself so that he would know he needed the work.

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

This is good. Cowley certainly does like to win as much for Queen and Country as for himself.

Cowley appeared and would not go away.
He is a persistant old so-and-so, getting into your head like that. *bg*

Thank you, I really enjoyed it.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

He was very persistant, I tried adapting the idea for Doyle but it just wouldn't work, it had to be Cowley. Hopefully he has gone now. *looks relieved*

I really did think that he would get great personal satisfaction from his work as well as seeing it as essential.

Glad you enjoyed and thank you for the comment.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Nice, calm, meditative piece on how Cowley's mind works. Thank you!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

*grin* And thank you for commenting. *grins a bit more*

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Very nice little insight into the mind of the Great Man!

rules to follow (and be ignored if needed)

Most effective, and something to think about. Thanks for this, Petal :)

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Thank you luv.

The idea did appear and would not go away so I am glad you thought it worked. Cowley is very insistent. *sigh* Maybe I'll be able to get back to the boys now and he will leave me alone.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

It's so nice to have a story about what goes through Cowley's mind. I often wonder just how devious he really is - and I love the idea of him cheating *g*

Thanks from me too.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

I have always rather enjoyed the stories I've read that gives an insight into Cowley's mind so I was pleased to give it a go. Am glad you liked and thought it worked.

[erushi.livejournal.com]

rules to follow (and be ignored if needed)

Cowley in a phrase! This was an interesting insight into a character we often find so inscrutable, so thank you!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Cowley in a phrase!

Thank you. I always see him as a man who understands how the world operates and will do anything he has to to get it to work the way he wants.

And thank you for the comment.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Ooh look at you being all Gen. *g*

The descriptions of Cowley's game are very reminiscent of Chess, a game I'm sure no one in their right mind would play with Cowley.

In very few words you capture the logic of his thinking and his willingness to sacrifice pieces and/or cheat to win the game.

Thank you! ♥

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

*grin*

Thank you, I am still not really sure how I got here from the prompt but thought it might work. And I would never play Chess with Cowley, well I can't play Chess at all so it might be tricky, but if I knew I wouldn't.............*hits self over head and stops rambling*

Thank you again. ♥

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

My older brother is an excellent chess player, tournament level. I was his unwilling victim... I learned a lot about the game in the process but I harbour an unreasoning dislike for it to this day. *g*

Ramble away, Petal! ♥