14thcommander | ic contact

[Hange leads them over to one of the rocks, taking a seat, setting down the case, opening it to obtain cups and tea and necessities.]

He's definitely not the kind of personality that wins people over easily. [And this tub is full of difficult people.] People have definitely been out of line with him, but some of the responsibility falls on him as he instigates. I haven't personally heard of him turning a verbal altercation physical, though. [She very well knows that doesn't mean it won't happen.]

That depends on what you mean by "physical."

[His tone is suggestive enough that it sets Hange on alert.] Did something happen?

Nothing serious. He's just desperate for attention and doesn't care what kind it is. I've dealt with his type before. He's calmed down a bit now that there's ground rules and something to lose if he breaks them.

If you're going to imply things happened, tell me what they are. I'm responsible for him to at least some degree here.

[To Ford, he was just venting, rolling his eyes about Betelgeuse being difficult. This guy, right? He has had unfortunate things socialized into him thanks to being raised by Filbrick Pines in the 50s and 60s, so when she, rightly, is concerned, he bristles and reads it as an insult, like he can't handle himself. Defensive now:]

Nothing happened that I couldn't handle. I told you, I've dealt with someone similar.

[Hange studies him momentarily, then pats the rock beside her. Come and sit. She's pouring him tea, if he won't come get some himself.]

Tell me so I know what he's doing. If something happened, I probably have to address it with him.

Nothing happened. Nothing is ever going to happen.

[...he goes to sit down. Harder to bristle while sitting down and being offered tea.

Uuuuugh he doesn't want to talk about this.]

He's just--

[Ford waves a hand vaguely, grimacing.]

--handsy.

[just as keikaku

Hange pushes the cream and honey towards him when he sits.]

Ohhh. [Dawning realization.] He grabbed a handful or something, huh?

Edited 2019-11-04 22:07 (UTC)

[Way to make it extra embarrassing, Hange.]

That's not what I'm here to talk about.

[Here's a way in which Hange is shitty: a forced kiss or a stray grab or even a tongue in an ear, which she experienced from Betelgeuse in interaction number one, does not make that much of a ripple for her. Things have changed a lot but for most of her life her world was a hard, mean, bleak one, where people with means could often take what they wanted from people without. Getting away with just that is getting away easily. Ford doesn't seem injured; he was momentarily made uncomfortable.

Boundaries are something she's aware Betelgeuse will need to work on, but if no one was seriously hurt Hange is prepared to let the matter drop.]

Well, as long as you weren't injured. Feel free to push back on him when he pulls that shit. Betelgeuse needs to experience some consequences for those things.

[Ford, being who he is, is just glad she isn't making a big deal of it. It was a misunderstanding. She thought it was more serious than it was, and that's Ford's garbage social skills at work again. Yay!]

If I didn't have it under control, I wouldn't be letting him sleep in my living room.

Hmm.

[Hange sips her tea.]

What did you want to talk about, regarding Betelgeuse?

[Okay. Deep breath, shake off the embarrassment, go back to being Serious Ford, not Humiliated and Flustered Ford.]

Oh, just -- well. He's...

[Huff. Sip the tea, slow the heart rate, u are the master of your own social anxiety even if the scenario went more nightmarish than anticipated.

Be straightforward.]

Do you think you can handle him?

[He's not doubting. He's asking.]

I do think so.

[She's calm about it.]

He's disgusting and he reeks, which I'm sure he knows and uses, but I have over twenty years of experience on the battlefield and I can't express to you how much worse that is when it comes to stink and shock value. I'm not intimidated by his vulgarities or by what of his abilities I've seen. So far, I've found myself able to work out situations with him without, generally, turning to physical violence. He doesn't offend me and hasn't been able to rile me up. [Which seems really important with Betelgeuse.] We'll see how the month goes, but I think I could work with him.

[He listens.]

And the rest of the ship? I understand that his personality is difficult, and he brings a lot of trouble on himself. But plenty of people on this boat -- and the wardens are no exception -- seem to think that just because they don't like somebody, they can treat them however they want.

And besides that, he's --

-- I lost my temper with him. Said something that was out of line, on the night of the 13th. I tried to apologize, but he thought it was a trick -- that I was going to hurt him the minute he let his guard down, so that I could laugh at his suffering.

What I mean is, it's going to be difficult keeping others from making matters worse.

[There's a lot to address there, so Hange picks what seems like the most salient point first.]

Are you asking if the rest of the ship can handle him, or if I can handle him for them? Or them for him?

I'm saying that the rest of the ship will complicate this. It's hard being an intermediary between someone who hates most of the ship and a ship full of people who hate them back.

[at least Bill was smart enough to pick his battles, mostly. Bill is surprisingly well behaved compared to Betelgeuse. Civilized. Calculating. BJ is a loose cannon. Bill is--was?--a time bomb.]

...I'm concerned for him.

[Hange takes a gulp of her tea, then turns and looks at the sea. Sunset is just beginning to burn in the sky and the water reflects an incredible shade of pink.]

They will, you're right. He already had an altercation with someone where they beat him up so badly that he got a punctured lung, and then undressed him and scrubbed him down and, apparently, left him to wake up. I don't understand why anyone would pair those things. At least if you beat someone up like that, call for their friends to tend to them afterward.

I'm prepared to stand by him. I'm sure it'll be a balancing act between supporting him and pointing out where consequences are warranted after all.

There's a limit to what I can do. I can't bring him to heel too hard - this isn't about crushing the personality out of him. When you were an inmate, would you have listened to any warden demanding you do such a thing?

[There's a hissed, under his breath shit when he hears what someone did. He's appalled but not disbelieving.

And he's angry. That wasn't for Betelgeuse, that was for whoever did it. Just like this ship isn't for inmates, it's for the Authority.]

No, I think you're right.

Just, if you really intend to take responsibility for him -- be prepared for situations where there's no right choice. And to take the blame for it when it goes wrong.

They won't get mad at him, not really, because they weren't expecting anything else. But they'll be furious with you.

[Like they were with Luke, but that was partly Ford's fault, too. And like they were with Ford. He lost several friends and made a lot of enemies.

Then, Ford straightens up, leans back a few degrees, lets his manner and his shoulders get less heavy.]

...ah, who knows. It might not come to that. I have no idea what's going to happen!

Anyway, I'm willing to give him a safe place to sleep until the next flood hits, or he finds somewhere else to stay, whichever comes first.

Mmmm.

[It doesn't surprise her. Well, Hange has spent years upon years being very unpopular, regarded as insane and wasting her time in her work. It's a bit shocking how friendly people on the Barge are to her, and how charming they seem to find her. Hange appreciates it, but charm isn't really what it's all about.

This talk is going well. Stanford seems to have relaxed some.]

Who were you referring to, when you said you'd worked closely with someone who shared a lot of his qualities?

[She has a guess. She'd be surprised if she were wrong. But Hange likes to ask.]

Who else?

Bill Cipher.

[Ding ding ding! That was a softball, but it always feels good to be right.]

You launched an escape attempt with him.

That wasn't the primary purpose. Though it sure did look that way.

Edited 2019-11-05 01:12 (UTC)

[WHY WOULD YOU SAY IT THAT WAY IN YOUR POST THEN, FORD.

OK. Bill also claimed to not be trying to escape, they were trying to get to the Authority, instead. This is a good thing, because Bill has killed so many planets he's developed ways he likes doing it, and he has to graduate, or he has to die, no third option.

These two aren't reliable regarding their own activities though. Trusting their word on this blindly would be like asking Hange if she were trying to overthrow the king, when she was trying to overthrow the king. "Oh, no, of course not! I'm not up to anything rebellious or seditious! I'm a loyal subject of his royal highness, protector of humanity!"

Still, she wants to hear Ford's accounting of it.]

What was?

no subject

possibly cw here for talk of sexual harassment

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

very flippant sexual harassment ref

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject