001 ✖ video

[expediency]

[ When the video clicks on, the Network is greeted with the face of a man in his late twenties — five o'clock shadow, hair mussed in a way to look absolutely careless, a bemused smirk on his face. When he tilts his head and realizes the device is recording, that smirk spreads to a smile that shows teeth, charming and beatific. For a guy who's just been through the ringer of a nasty space-time anomaly, he seems fairly good shape. Or maybe he's just good at taking things in stride. (Or maybe he just likes pain.)

Whatever the case maybe, when he tilts his head he lifts a hand and waves. A lazy, unaffected wriggle of his fingers before he puffs up his cheeks and gives a kind of blow-hard sigh. ]

So. Anybody out there feel like helping a guy out and cluing me in as to who exactly is in charge here? [ A simple enough question, punctuated by the exaggerated lift of his eyebrows. He moves to switch of the device and then thinks better of it, leaning back again to add: ] And if you're gonna say Ward, I'll stop you right there, cause I've already done some of my homework. [ A beat, a tiny shrug. As if to say well, kinda. ] I'm not looking for the guy whose on the nameplate of the bridge. I'm looking for whoever's actually in charge.

Capiche?



[ ooc; Ladies and gents of the Tranquility, meet Vepar, one of the OCs for the demon plot! Unlike the possessed passengers, he was already well-settled into his host 'Evander' before coming on board. For more information on him, see his profile while he tries to get a lay of the land and maybe stir up a little strife in the process. ]

Comments

text:

[zooms]

Just because the captain isn't heading up the welcome committee after every jump doesn't mean he isn't around.

[ Hotspur hardly notices the drop in the façade; this new arrival just seems like yet another skeptic trying to sound out the chain of command. ]

He does his job. It keeps him busy.

video;

[expediency]

There's a difference between being kept busy and being found intentionally or negligently absent without leave.

[ His voice drops its candor as he says it, a little more matter of fact. Evander is capable of taking things seriously when he needs to and so he stows it, though there's still a touch of irreverence to his voice. ] I would know, I've lost two superiors like that. Though I imagine, court marshalls don't really happen in space when the chain of command begins and ends with somebody who can't be located.

[ A beat and then Evander relents, both of his hands lifting harmlessly. ] Listen. I'm new here. And I'm used to knowing who's in charge and them taking charge, you know?

(switch to:) video;

[zooms]

[ Hotspur doesn't do irritated. He really doesn't. He does mild frustration which is what he's feeling as he finally breaks for long enough from his tinkering with shuttle avionics to make a concerted effort to switch on the video feed. His expression is blank for the most part and only lightly marred by a faint crease in his brow as he replies: ]

Hey, look, I'm sorry to hear you've had bad luck with superiors before but they're not AWOL. There's only two of them and this is a hell of a ship to run on limited manpower, y'know? So, no, I guess chatting with the passengers isn't high on their priorities.

[ A pause, and then more placidly: ]

But if it's really bugging you then there's a whole bunch of stuff that needs people with a good brain on 'em to help out with.

video;

[expediency]

There's a difference between dropping in for some chitchat and a cup of coffee and leaving the passengers to deal with an attempted mutiny on their own.

Leadership is a part of leadership. Which means putting into place things like governance for when they're not available and off doing those much-more important things. You provide structure, not Lord of the Flies in space.

video;

[zooms]

It wasn't much of a mutiny though, was it?

[ The literature reference is completely lost on Hotspur who adamantly shakes his head instead. ]

Look, not all of the crew are looking to get all that much structure from the captain and the commander as it is. If Ward and Resnik tried to lay down too many rules then there'd be even more of an up-kicking then there is when they don't. [ A pause ] I'd bet a whole bunch of passengers would prefer lax benevolence to military-style rules and regulations.

[ Not that Hotspur counts himself in that but still. ]