Mayor Henry Norton gazed out the window of the car, mentally preparing himself for the inevitably unpleasant task that lay ahead of him. To his left, driving, was his assistant Karl, who also functioned as a bodyguard. Henry doubted his body would need guarding for this particular public announcement. The only part of him that would need protecting was his mindset - he hated seeing his community displeased, though it was quite possible that was because he was probably the source. He had long accepted the fact that figures of authority would always be hated by one social group or other, but that didn't mean he didn't lose any sleep over it. He had heard once that one of the biggest mistakes you could make as a leader was to try to please everyone, but that didn't stop him from trying anyway. Couldn't they see that he was doing it for their own good? Couldn't they see that he had to? Henry wished the public would be a little more empathetic.
Oliver was pissed. Taking a seat in a row of chairs towards the back of the hall, the sound of two hundred voices simultaneously complaining echoed around him. This didn't do anything for Oliver's already poor mood; he didn't like the idea of transforming a section of the town's park into a multi-storey carpark either, but he also didn't find it necessary to go on and on about it to his husband or wife or girlfriend or otherwise significant other.
Mayor Henry Norton stepped out of the car. He was in a state of mind where he didn't care what happened in the hall, just as long as he could get it over and done with. He was normally like this before making announcements. As a result, many people thought he was cold, but Henry thought that it was a better alternative than getting worked up every time he made an announcement to the community.
As he stepped into the hall, he was slightly overwhelmed by the blended voices of the entire town voicing their opinions about the carpark project simultaneously. He doubted any of them were really listening to each other. Henry liked to think of himself as just another town member, albeit one with much more responsibility, but at the same time, he found it annoying and unnecessary to go on and on about the project to his wife, or Karl, or his secretary Jane, or otherwise significant other.
Oliver cringed as the air around him seemed to erupt with noise. Oliver thought this was unnecessary and annoying. Everyone knew the project was going ahead anyway, but hearing the mayor announce it officially seemed to be a bit much for everyone. At the same time, Oliver agreed. He couldn't see much sense in building a carpark, especially since the park was such an integral part of the town's social scene. Oliver himself liked to take a stroll around the park on Friday nights. So did most of the town, from what he could tell. Couldn't Mayor Norton see that? He wished the mayor would be a little more empathetic.
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