sixteenth labyrinth | Party because I can

[lord_wizard]

Who: Felix Harrowgate and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Málum
When: Today-ish

[It's largely boredom that leads Felix to this decision. Either in the Mirador or Paradisa, he'd been fond of finding any reason whatsoever to get a few people together for food and drinks. The company generally meant more than the setting, though of course it was far easier to arrange things at a snap of his fingers than it was here. Still, he manages it within a few days of the fleet's time adrift.

That morning, he addresses the network.]

Hello again, dear fleet. Felix Harrowgate of the Goldstone here, if we haven't yet met. I've put together a little soirée this evening, at Málum. Consider it an appreciation of our time of peace and quiet...or the beginnings of spring. Whichever sounds best to you. It isn't much, admittedly, but there is food and drinks and hopefully people. May as well enjoy things before something else explodes, hm?

Oh, and semi-formal attire would be appreciated, not that I intend on turning anyone out at the door. I'm sure many of us have a little something in our closet that doesn't much get to see the light of day. [Well, not so much in his case, of course, but the point stands]

See you all tonight. [He closes the feed with a smile]

[That night Málum is - not transformed, exactly, but - altered. The stark furniture softened with simple white tablecloths, with centerpieces cobbled together from wine glasses, candles, and flowers from the garden. The neon, for the night, has been switched off. Even the galaxy of lights on the dancefloor have been changed to project the shape of flowers.

The food laid out is fairly basic but fitting the bar's wheelhouse - meats cooked inside puff pastry, thin stacks of sauteed vegetables, and mini quiches to name of few. The finale sits in the form of the lemon cake (commissioned, likely, from the Melting Pot). Some of the flavor is even real lemon!

Drinks are free within reason and music plays softly in the background, for anyone that feels like dancing. Felix would have preferred more classical selections, but all of this is a case of working with what you have.]

[EDIT: If you wait too long Sansa will have stolen most of the cake]

((ooc: This is essentially a mingle, so feel free to make your own top levels and have some fun!))

Comments

[universal_charm]

Ah, one of the infamous Atroma naps.

_{[ He made a rough laugh at that. ]}

Oh, about... I think it will be three years now? Two or three. I try not to keep to much track, to be quite honest. Feels a little depressing when you do that.

[hollystrike]

It'd be like tallying days on the walls of a prison cell, wouldn't it? [Mused thought.] All it does is make them longer. Do you look forward to going home eventually?

[universal_charm]

Yes, I do. I have a ship, my crew - my family. It's important for me to go back, though I hope that I can take some people here with me, get them home too, or find them a new one if they wish.

[hollystrike]

Oh! You're a... hmm.

[She screws up her nose.]

Sailor. Pirate. Space pirate? Merchant. Heroic starship commander?

[universal_charm]

_{[ She was rather cute when she did that with her nose and he laughed, tapping his own when she said the last part. ]}

Got it in five. I am a captain with Star Fleet, back home - a humanitarian and scientific research organization that serves Federation space and beyond.

[hollystrike]

[Blink. Well, then.]

Knew I'd guess if I went on long enough. I was about to move on to something like space fisherman. A captain, really? Are you a captain here?

[universal_charm]

Yes, of the tourist. It's not quite the same thing though, but I think the title makes me feel more comfortable at least.

[hollystrike]

I suppose there's a lot less captaining to do when we have as little control as we do. Still, does your crew here look up to you?

[universal_charm]

I like to think that they do, and that they trust me more than look up to me really.

[hollystrike]

That's probably more important. Even here, a captain has to make some tough calls, don't they?

[universal_charm]

Some. Not as many tough ones as I did back home, admittedly, but... yeah. A couple planets ago there were definitely some tough ones being made.

[hollystrike]

And a crew still needs a captain to guide them, even in such limited situations as these. I would think most of our captains don't have prior experience. Yours must be a very lucky ship.

[universal_charm]

Again, I like to think so, in some way. But you'd have to ask them to really know.

[hollystrike]

Perhaps I shall. [Probably not; she's teasing a little.] Who is on the ship? I'm not sure I've met any of them.

[universal_charm]

Anders, Chekov, Jarvis, Kara, and Wolfe.

[hollystrike]

Oh, I've met one, I think. [She'll leave it at that.] How many do you command at home?

[universal_charm]

Chekov or Kara?

_{[ Those seem to be the people most other people know when he says it. ]}

Around 400, give or take.

[hollystrike]

Chekov. You know, the one with the pretty blonde curls.

[She gives a short whistle.] Goodness. That sounds like a challenge.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He squinted at her. ]}

Chekov isn't blonde. Kara's blonde.

_{[ A shrug. ]}

It has its ups and downs, but there's blessings and curses to having a semi-military structure. One of the blessings is chain of command.

[hollystrike]

Oh, maybe it was Kara I met instead, then. I could have sworn she said Chekov. [Innocently.]

How is chain of command a blessing? [That's not disbelief, she's just curious.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ He made a mmm-mmm sound at her. He's not buying that for a second, Katie, but okay. ]}

It means that I don't deal with every little problem on my ship. I don't have to mediate every fight, every argument, every interpersonal problem that is bound to pop up. I'm not afraid to step in when I have to, but if I had to every time I literally wouldn't time to do much of anything. And I trust those in positions of command beneath me to help keep the ship running smoothly. It's a weight off my shoulders.

[hollystrike]

[Never believe Katie's lies.]

That sounds like a nice, natural form of leadership. And of course you have the last say in everything, I suppose.

[universal_charm]

If necessary. I try and let me people work out their own inter personal problems, but when it comes to the running of the ship and diplomacy issues, yes, I am the final say unless someone of higher rank is on board or nearby.

[hollystrike]

I think it unlikely that you're going to find an officer that outranks you here in the Fleet. Unless your crew all decides to become captain just to be annoying.

[universal_charm]

Why does that sound like something you might do, Miss Katie?