This One Just Became a Leadership Conversation

[prettycoolguy]

This is Spartan One-One-Seven broadcasting on an unknown communications array.

[ A few members of the team have seen the Master Chief around, but he hasn't made major contact before now. For most of the group, it's the first time they've seen this scarred face. And for one of them, it's far from the first. ]

I understand that this is a different world than the one I come from, and we have no way to return until we accomplish an... objective.

[ An objective that they all have only vaguely heard about from a weird hallucination. He doesn't have to say that part. They already know. ]

This being the case, I'm offering my skills.

I have significant experience leading teams on a variety of ops. I can work longterm on terrain like this. You can count on me in a fight.

But first of all, I do need to know who's in charge of this outfit.

[ Bless his entire heart. ]

Comments

[credit_not_blame]

[Cheerfully sing-song:]

Because everybody is traaaumatized!

[the_hit_list]

I don’t think I would put it quite that way.

[ They are. Or at least he is, and it certainly seems that they also have histories that have given them definitive favourite in the organization horse race.

He won’t sing it though. ]

[credit_not_blame]

You're probably nicer than I am, then.

[Still relentlessly cheerful:]

I'm right though.

[the_hit_list]

Your friends are going to think I said you weren’t nice.

[ Don’t set him up like that, please. ]

You’re definitely more perky and upbeat than me.

[credit_not_blame]

And won't that be fun?

[Fun for her, anyway.]

Yeah, that's because either I laugh or I become an enormous hairy rage monster. Since this isn't a situation that can be resolved by biting something real good, I'm trying to find it funny instead.

[the_hit_list]

Not really, no.

[ He can be a stick in the mud like that. ]

I think we should avoid resolving things with biting, as a rule. Doesn’t really matter if someone’s hairy; we can all agree no teeth, and I will argue that one to the bitter end. S.B.’s dog manages to not bite, and he’s surrounded by new people.

[ Krypto may be smarter than most of them. ]

When I get stressed, I usually take it out on a heavy bag.

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia laughs and waves a hand.][She's "nice, for a Shadow Lord", because Shadow Lords have a reputation. She's liked most of the ones she's met.]

[The comment about not resolving things with biting gets a raised eyebrow.]

Don't worry, I'm not the contagious type of werewolf.

[the_hit_list]

What?

[ And then he realizes and immediately looks apologetic. ]

No, no, it wasn’t commentary on the werewolves and it wasn’t any kind of bitter/biter wordplay. It -

[ Tim stops. He can’t explain what he was thinking about without talking about his little brother. And the mirror has ears. ]

I’ll come explain from what I consider a glow-safe distance, okay?

[credit_not_blame]

[The panicked denials smooth the raised eyebrow into a smirk.]

All right, glow-safe distance it is then. I'm out toward the east-north-east edge of things, near the house that looks sort of like a squashed gingerbread house the day after Christmas.

Action

[the_hit_list]

[ After about ten minutes, Tim finds the spot and stops at the promised glow-safe distance and gives her a wave. ]

So it’s a ridiculously simple explanation that I’ve over-complicated in the interest of familial peace. Since one of my brothers is here, I didn’t want to explain using the mirrors.

Re: Action

[credit_not_blame]

[ Stacia waves back. ]

Ah, I see. Well, as a youngest-by-eight-years sibling myself, I completely understand that. But please, do go on.

[the_hit_list]

Sort of the middle child, checking in.

[ Oh, that does make it simpler. Explaining to an only child just wouldn't work as well. ]

My kid brother can be a little... this is between us, right? If you tell Dick, I will swear I've never spoken to you ever. Anyway, our little brother is territorial about everything to the point of fighting. When I said that I think we can all agree on no teeth, I was actually thinking of him - not any of the werewolves or vampires here. There was this private joke in my head like "Damian would absolutely bite if he thought it would give him an advantage, and nobody here is anywhere near as annoying."

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia chuckles.]

Well, I won't say that I've never bitten anyone in a fight where I'm human-shaped. I also scratch and pull hair. How much younger is your little brother?

[the_hit_list]

I haven’t bitten anyone since I was a lot younger than he was.

[ Tim was a good kid. ]

About seven years. He’s 11, going on 4 and 80 at the same time. He - we - don’t get along very well.

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia was a good kid, too -- because older bullies never wanted to own up to being taken down by the little girl in the frilly dresses. She never got caught.]

Oh boy, cusp of puberty. Sorry Tim, he's only going to get worse.

[She's her tone and her mock-solemn expression project the intention of good-natured teasing. Siblings, what are you going to do?]

[the_hit_list]

[ The face Tim makes when Stacia suggests that it’s only going to get worse. Some siblings think that casual attempts at murder are the solution. There’s not a lot of space between where they are now and unveiled animosity.

(But he can’t admit it’s that bad.) ]

Worse? I’m going to start looking into co-ed boarding schools for him. That’ll give me good odds that something will distract him.

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia cackles at the face Tim makes, because of course she does.]

That's an option, but you're going to need a good pitch to sell your parents on it. They're probably fond of him.

[Though how they got to the "still biting at age eleven" is a thought. Tim's right, most kids don't do that kind of thing without extenuating circumstances. Like werewolves or other situations where "fighting" means "fighting for your life".]

Make Dick run interference. That's what Nicky always had Mila do.