001 } Can't keep my eyes from circling skies.

[speedboat]

Who: Howard Stark & You
Broadcast: Network
Action: SS Bishop (cockpit)
When: Right meow!

( OPEN BROADCAST )

[ howard has been here a few days, enough to suss out that something has happened. it's caused a bit of disquiet among his crewmembers already since apparently their captain died or something?! whatever. he's finding it disturbingly easy to fall back into this role. peggy told him how long it's been and who else is among them, but in usual peggy fashion: not much else. it's left him bereft and even a bit listless which is very uncharacteristic indeed.

he sets his communicator on the control panel so he can record as he flies. as a result, the feed is much more low-key and features a cool, collected version of howard those who know him might not expect. howard nods his head once to show that he is in fact recording on purpose. ] I hope my Huntress is in good hands. Though I guess... she isn't mine anymore. Forgive me, I'm usually not so bittersweet when saying goodbye to a lady friend. [ something of a wan look shadows his gaze, but it's quick, just a glimmer really. ]

Howard Stark. Ace inventor, innovator, pilot, and now director. [ a bit of a lopsided grin begins to spread across his lips, his mustache twitching with the movement. ] I'm also usually pretty charming if you can believe it. I would say you all missed me, it's been so long, but the turnover in this place is something else.

[ he hesitates over this next part, but he needs the intel. he knows questions will follow, but right now he doesn't care. later he'll be annoyed with himself, naturally. ] And if any of you used to know a Tony Stark or are holding his research... get in touch. [ tightly: ] Please.

( ENCRYPTED TO EDWIN JARVIS )

Hi-de-ho, old pal. [ a warm smile is reserved for his closest friend, even if he doesn't always treat him that way. or most of the time. whoops. ]

( ACTION SHENANIGANS )

Howard has been more-or-less just going through the motions since being assigned to the Bishop. He was actually a bit releaved to be off the Marsiva and have something to occupy his time with, truthfully. But with their captain MIA and everything more than slightly hectic, he's thrown himself into the work full on. He can really only be found in the cockpit or in his quarters for maybe two hours a night/morning. Even trips to the galley are extremely short-lived and involve toting snacks to the pilot's seat. With that said, he will be outspoken when matters of the ship come up that the captain would usually handle. It's easy for him to become attached and though he doesn't know these people yet, he feels responsible for them.

He hates responsibility.

Comments

[the_tailor]

[He's more than happy to talk about Blue, so he grins, voice enthusiastic.]

It's really hard to explain, and I mean...the lions are over ten thousand years old, and even Princess Allura doesn't understand it completely. If she or Coran were here, they'd be able to explain the details to you better. It's definitely some kind of mental connection, though. I'm her paladin--her pilot. When we fly, we're basically...synced? Sort of? It's a really hard feeling to describe, but I can feel her presence in my mind. Even when I'm not piloting her.

[Of course, that connection's been cut, and he hasn't been very happy about that.]

[speedboat]

You're explaining it already, son, just don't stop. [ because this is really fascinating!!!!!! okay? okay. ] What do you and this craft do together? ...Symbiotically.

[the_tailor]

[It definitely is fascinating! So Lance can't blame him, really, even though he's just a teenager way over his head.]

Fight, mostly. We--me and the other members of my team--are the universe's main defense against an empire that's been running unchecked for ten thousand years. And it hasn't been a great ten thousand years, apparently. Blue and I... I'm the one in the pilot's seat, at the controls, and a lot of it's manual, but at the same time me and her are just bonded. Even if she's a crazy old cat, and I don't know all of what she can do, I can pilot her so much more smoothly than I've ever been able to fly anything before.

[No more flight simulation failures, no siree! Though it hasn't always been smooth sailing... It'd taken him a bit to learn how to pilot her, after all.]

Our bonds with our lions are really important. And that's not even getting into Voltron.... You ever seen five robot cats combine into one giganto robot of awesome?

[speedboat]

[ 'lions.' he mouths the word. giant mechanical cats, yep now he's heard everything. until the next thing the way this place goes. ]

Can't say as I have. Next time take a video, sounds like something to commemorate.

[the_tailor]

I really, really wish I had a video to show you! Or that we had our lions here, so we could show you it in person. But...well, our armor's the only thing that came with us. Not even our weapons!

[speedboat]

Like any good captors, they like their victims good and helpless, don't they? [ there's some dark humor to that one. ]

[the_tailor]

Guess so. I'm just trying my best to work with what we've been stuck with. I don't like it, and I've still got a universe back home to save, but...

[He shrugs.]

Hopefully we'll figure something out, the more smart minds we have here. And said smart minds will get cheered on by people like me all the while.

[speedboat]

You aren't the only one, sonny. [ though he supposes he already did his bought of universe-saving for the moment. still, there's always another crisis. ]

Well, get to cheering. I'm about as smart as they come. [ humble too ]

[the_tailor]

There's a lot of us universe-savers here, aren't there? I mean, we're mostly from different universes, though. Which means a lot of heroes are needed!

[SO HUMBLE.] Just let me go find my pompoms. No-go on the cheerleader skirt, though.

[speedboat]

It does seem... unlikely, doesn't it? [ but fascinating all the same. he laughs at the cheerleader reference. ]

Don't worry, bud, you're not my type.

[the_tailor]

Good. I mean, no offense, you're handsome and everything, but you're a liiiiiittle too old for me.

[Laugh.]

[speedboat]

[ he preens a little!!! but then... ugh. ] Old? I'll have you know I'm every bit as spry as you young hipsters.

[the_tailor]

Okay, I might be eighteen so I am young, but I am not a hipster!

[Huff!]

[speedboat]

Eighteen... I remember eighteen. [ okay like this isn't helping with your i'm not old schtick howie. ] I'm not sure why you'd deny it, all the hepcats I know are raking in the dolls.

[the_tailor]

...Hepcats?

[The quiznak is that.]