Work Text:
r/relationships - Posted by u/awkwardapprentice
Boss’s nemesis keeps helping me out, and it’s making things awkward
My (23M) boss (28M) has a workplace nemesis (mid to late 20s?M) who is, in a lot of ways, an asshole. Like, my boss is definitely in the right on any conflict between them. Even when the asshole isn’t actively causing problems, he’s a constant nuisance and a thorn in my boss’ side. I’m loyal to my boss (let’s call him Jake), and I also have to help clean up the mess the asshole (we’ll call him Sebastian) leaves in his wake. So, obviously, Sebastian is pretty high on my shit list.
The only issue is that Sebastian keeps… helping me? And I don’t just mean begrudging, oh, since I have no choice I guess I’ll lend a hand. I mean that out of the blue, with absolutely no reason to do so, he’ll stop what he’s doing to help me, specifically. I didn’t think he even knew I existed before he helped me out of a serious jam a few months ago. Ever since he’s been… keeping an eye out for me, I guess? He keeps showing up to help me out in the oddest of circumstances, even when I can’t think of any logical reason for him to have even been there, much less help out his rival’s assistant.
He now tries to avoid involving me when he clashes with Jake, even though I’m basically Jake’s right-hand-man so there’s really no way for me to not be involved. Jake seems to have absolutely no idea this is going on. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret from him. At first I was just plain too bewildered to process it, and then I was too embarrassed to bring it up. I mean, the fact that I needed Sebastian’s help in the first place was a little… yeah, I wasn’t keen on highlighting that. I figured Jake was trying not to bruise my pride by mentioning it, which I appreciated. But it keeps happening, and Jake continues to act completely oblivious. Which itself is so bizarre to me, I mean how do you not notice…?
Anyways, I’m trying to interpret Sebastian’s behavior. What does he want? Is he trying to turn me against Jake? Is he a real-life jerk with a heart of gold? Or am I really that pitiful, that even Sebastian feels bad for me? (Though again, before this I wouldn’t have expected him to help a crying child, that’s how much of a jerk I thought he was.)
How should I approach Sebastian in the future? I’m still loyal to Jake, but I can’t help but feel differently about Sebastian after all he’s done for me. He’s in the wrong, I know he is, and I have a duty to support Jake, but my heart’s not in it. How do I resolve this?
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elderly_halibut: Your story’s a little vague on details — does Sebastian work for your company, and does he have the same authority as Jake (or less/more)? Could you talk to HR about the conflict between him and Jake? Being caught between feuding managers is not a good situation.
>awkwardapprentice (OP): No, Sebastian doesn’t work for my ‘company’ (had to fudge the details a bit to preserve anonymity — it’s very small, just Jake, me, and a few ‘part-timers’ that help out sometimes). No higher authority to appeal to here.
>>elderly_halibut: It still seems like your boss probably shouldn’t be dragging you into conflict with a ‘rival’ business owner (?), even if he is an asshole.
>>>awkwardapprentice (OP): Having Jake’s back when assholes like Sebastian start causing problems is literally my job description.
>>>>anonycat200: Bro where tf do you work???
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Jewelmask: Hard to tell what Sebastian wants without more details. Maybe he feels bad that you’re dragged into his rivalry with Jake, and is trying to make it up to you?
>awkwardapprentice (OP): I just don’t see why he would care? The kind of guy who acts like he does usually doesn’t care about collateral damage.
>>Jewelmask: I read in one of your other comments that he doesn’t even work at the same company as you — in what circumstances is he helping you out?
>>angelrites: Could you try talking to Sebastian? If he feels bad about involving you, maybe he should just stop picking fights with Jake.
>>>awkwardapprentice (OP): Uh, no, I don’t have any way to contact him or have a private conversation. Even if I could, there’s no way he’d stop; he and Jake are that diametrically opposed.
>>>>mammothopossum: op please at least say what industry you’re in i need to know if this is the world’s most dramatic like bakery rivalry or something
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soddingbear: Does Jake help you out as much or more than Sebastian does? If not, there’s your problem.
>awkwardapprentice (OP): Jake trusts me to pull my own weight, and handle whatever problems the job throws at me. I’m honored to have his trust. (He also has serious responsibilities of his own, and can’t just drop them for me.)
>>soddingbear: Okay, but if Jake is oblivious to Sebastian helping you, does that mean Jake’s also oblivious to your needing help? Even if Jake’s too busy to help you himself, a responsible manager would notice that you’re struggling and hire you some assistance.
>>>awkwardapprentice (OP): That’s... a really good point, actually. I’ll talk to him about bringing on another team member.
>>terrifictorch: you know you don’t have to suck his dick this hard, right? he’s your boss, if he’s neglecting his responsibilities towards you and then acting like he doesn’t have those responsibilities because you can “pull your own weight,” then that’s serious BS
>>>awkwardapprentice (OP): As I said in another thread, it’s a very small operation — “boss” is maybe giving you a misleading idea of the power dynamics here. We’re friends.
>>>>terrifictorch: you do realize that’s WORSE, right? if you’re friends he should care about you when you’re struggling?
>>>>angelrites: You should sit him down and talk about where you’ve been struggling/needed help. It may be that he is just extremely oblivious, and will want to help accommodate you once he realizes there’s a problem.
r/relationships - Posted by u/awkwardapprentice
UPDATE: Boss’s nemesis keeps helping me out, and it’s making things awkward
So after my last post, I followed a few suggestions and asked my boss about potentially bringing on another team member. He was really dismissive, saying we could keep handling things like we’ve been doing and training another team member would just get in the way. I tried to bring up times where I’ve needed help, only for him to blow me off and say that since I made it through all right, I didn’t really need help.
Which. No. If it wasn’t for Sebastian I would have been in serious trouble. Of course I couldn’t actually say that, because Jake hates Sebastian and with how annoyed he was, it wouldn’t have gone over well. I did mention a time when I was injured on the job (please do not make a big deal out of this in the comments, it’s a hazardous job and I knew that when I signed up) and pointed out that having another team member would make us all safer. Jake again dismissed me, saying that it couldn’t have been that bad.
So that was all fairly upsetting. Then today, I was helping with the rescue efforts downtown after the Calamity attacks, and Sebastian strolled up to me. I tensed up, because I could not handle him being an asshole right then, but he just rolled up his sleeves and started helping. I have to admit, my heart melted a little. No one would have expected him to help, but he did anyway… Does it matter if he had some secret nefarious intention? He still helped people.
After the people in charge of the rescue operation told us to go home and get some sleep, I asked him what his plans were. He laughed awkwardly and said he didn’t have any plans, he just wanted to make me happy. Then he left really quickly, before I could say anything. I know I should keep my guard up, and yet somehow the awkwardness made him more charming.
He’s not trustworthy, and I can’t take his words at face value (he’s a known liar and schemer.) The problem is, if I ignore his words all I have to go by is his actions, which doesn’t help. Or it does help; that’s the problem. I keep getting fluttery feelings when I think about him, which is just the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. And I’m worried what will happen the next time he and Jake are at odds. What do I do?
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JadeSnipe: Oh, honey.
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neutronShadow: Quit your job. Not because of anything related to Sebastian, except for the fact that him treating you better than your own boss was a wake-up call. Jake is the one dismissing you, including dismissing injuries (I don’t know what industry you work in, but a hazardous work environment means there should be more attention given to safety, not less.) Get out before you get seriously injured or killed.
>soddingbear: What kind of hazardous job would have such a small business, anyways? That just plain doesn’t make sense to me. OP, please look up labor laws in your area. This just screams OSHA violation.
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boomerangrang: It sounds like Sebastian is a decent person outside the workplace. If you try not to interact with him at work (or as other commenters have said, quit your job), maybe there’s some potential there?
>brafurnace: Dude, assholery at work is still an issue. It’s great that he helped with the rescue efforts, but overall still bad news.
>>roselens: Given how much of an asshole boss *Jake* is, I’m not sure Sebastian was ever that bad in the first place. I say go for it, OP.
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ClamorousCrab: I think you need to face the facts. It sounds like you’re developing feelings for Sebastian, and telling yourself you shouldn’t isn’t going to make those feelings go away. However, that doesn’t make acting on those feelings a good idea right now. You’re unsure of his sincerity and he’s still in conflict with your boss. You need to tell him that if he wants to make you happy, he has to cut the asshole behavior. Not because he’ll be “rewarded” with a relationship, but because it’s the decent thing to do. See how he behaves after that.
>angelrites: Agreed. If he doesn’t make a serious effort to change, he’s not worth it. But the same goes for Jake; his response to your asking for help is very disappointing. I think it’s time to look for work elsewhere.
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squawkhospital: my instinct to shake people by the shoulders and wave the red flags in their posts before their eyes is warring with my wish for a happily ever after romance
also your boss sucks
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probablelawn: Not to go all conspiracy theory, but SuperGawker got some pics of someone who looks like Parallax helping with the rescue efforts yesterday? It’s a little blurry, and unsubstantiated, but if OP is a hero or sidekick then some of the things he’s said about his ‘work’ begin to make sense.
>gelatinousprism: If Sebastian is Parallax, wouldn’t the most likely suspect for Jake be his nemesis, Captain Jackal? Which would make OP Dragonfly?
>>unsteadykitten: omg OP even said “nemesis” in the post title… [mind blown.gif]
>>anonycat200: dude come on, don’t slander Captain Jackal like that. he and Dragonfly are tight, there’s no way it’s him
>>>probablelawn: Jackal wasn’t seen in the rescue efforts yesterday, but Dragonfly was (although I couldn’t find any pics where he and ‘Parallax’ were in the same shot.)
>>>>DoctorTarantula: Of course you couldn’t, Parallax can teleport. Either SuperGawker got super lucky, or that’s not Parallax.
>>clementin33: Wait, but if OP is Dragonfly and his ‘work’ is as a sidekick then??? What does he mean by Sebastian/Parallax ‘helping him out’?? I now understand how bewildered OP is…
>>>Jewelmask: OP mentioned being injured on the job (which yes, would make more sense if he’s a sidekick); did Parallax rescue him? Provide medical treatment?
>>>>squawkhospital: ngl if parallax rescued me i would swoon too
>>>>SpiritSentinel: That would mean Captain Jackal dismissed/ignored his injuries, which, yikes. Sidekicks are often overlooked in modern heroics, but this is beyond the pale. Dragonfly doesn’t even have accelerated healing, as far as I’m aware.
>>>>>ClamorousCrab: We’ve gotten way off track, guys. Can we focus on what OP actually said, and not go off on wild goose chases because of a picture from SuperGawker of all places?
r/relationships - Posted by u/awkwardapprentice
FINAL UPDATE: Boss’s nemesis keeps helping me out, and it’s making things awkward
Sorry for posting that last update and then disappearing. I’ve been busy juggling the rescue efforts and finding a new place to live.
Many of you will be happy to hear that I quit my job. After posting my last update, I basically collapsed into bed at me and my boss’ home base, intending to sleep for at least seven hours. Not four hours later, my boss was shaking me awake, saying we had to get to work. I told him I was exhausted, was it an emergency? He said no, but we couldn’t afford to sleep on the job when evil was afoot. I reminded him I had spent hours in the rescue efforts yesterday, and that I intended to go back and help today, but only after I had slept for long enough to not be a liability. He said we could leave that to the firefighters, we had more important work to do.
I told him that the rescue operations were vital, that saving lives was far more important than fighting crime, and even if he had the stamina to do both in one day, I could only pick one. He blustered for a bit and I realized he hadn’t even helped! He fought some of Calamity’s minions and then went home! Folks, I blew up. Among other things, I said that Parallax was more of a hero than he was yesterday, and he went white with rage. For a moment I thought we were about to throw down in our own home base.
Then he went on a rant about Parallax, about how foolish I was not to see his ‘helping’ as a secret plan to undermine him. I’d been wondering just the same thing, but when he said it I just snapped, “If you’d helped, there would be nothing to undermine.” He said he wouldn’t tolerate my disrespect and I quit on the spot. (Which then meant I was moving out then and there. That was fun on four hours of sleep.)
So, yeah. It should be pretty obvious by now who my boss is; I really don’t care about anonymity now, after the way he’s treated me. I want to thank everyone who’s commented on my posts; you helped give me perspective on some things that, in hindsight, were really not okay.
To answer some of the questions raised by my and “Sebastian’s” identities and jobs: Parallax has rescued me several times, including saving my life at least once. I think he treated my injuries, although I was too concussed to really comprehend it at the time. I had a pattern of getting injured in villain fights (against other villains, not Parallax), and he started showing up to help out. I guess Jackal never noticed because he was focused on fighting the main villain — and because Parallax’s rapid teleporting is hard to notice if you’re not looking for it.
I don’t know what to make of Parallax. The world’s not black and white; just because it turned out Jackal was an asshole doesn’t make Parallax a saint. Still, I can’t help thinking about him.
To all the superheroes out there: if you have sidekicks, they’re part of your team. If you think about their health and well-being about as much as your average villain thinks about their minions, you’re doing something wrong.
To all the paramedics, firefighters, and ordinary citizens helping in the rescue efforts: Thank you. You’re the real heroes.
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DoctorTarantula: Good on you for dumping Jackal, man. (Though it’s worth noting that your average villain actually treats their minions pretty well! It’s the strongest, Class-Z villains that tend to treat them like dirt.)
>boomerangrang: Can you take your villain apologism somewhere else?
>>DoctorTarantula: Dude, this story should make it clear to everyone reading it that not all villains are actually that bad.
>>>roselens: I’ll admit, I’m a Parallax stan now! Saving Dragonfly’s life… that’s so romantic… 🥺🥺🥺
>>>>boomerangrang: Jesus Christ, y’all.
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anonycat200: this has gotta be fake right?? this can’t be real
>probablelawn: Captain Jackal put out a press release an hour ago saying that he and Dragonfly are going separate ways. Signs point to this being real.
>SpiritSentinel: It’s always disappointing to learn that your heroes aren’t so heroic. It’s okay to be a hero fan, just remember that they’re human too, which means they’re ultimately as fallible as any of us.
>>DoctorTarantula: Not true! Some of them are aliens.
>>>SpiritSentinel: You be quiet.
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ClamorousCrab: I can’t believe freaking SuperGawker was right about something.
>soddingbear: I’m equally surprised that Reddit was right about something.
>>probablelawn: Vindication!
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brafurnace: Welp, I’m burning my Captain Jackal poster!
>clementin33: Is there any good Dragonfly merch out there? We should replace our old merch and show our support for OP!
>>roselens: omg someone should make Parallax/Dragonfly art if they haven’t already
>>>unsteadykitten: follow me on insta, i might be working on something :3
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roselens: OP wait this can’t be your final update? What about Parallax?
>squawkhospital: on the one hand, OP clearly has more important things to think about, *and* it’s important not to encourage him into a dubious relationship. but also… 👀
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ParallelFeelings: If you want to talk, I’ll be waiting for you where I first rescued you, on the evening of the next full moon. Or you can private message me. (So you know it’s me: axolotl armadas.)
>awkwardapprentice (OP): The next full moon? How melodramatic can you get? (Also oh my god, shut up about the axolotls, I was super concussed.)
...I’ll think about it.