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Tweak says, "play safe."

Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) (kitty_has_claws) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2017-03-18 23:13:00

Entry tags:

:mingle, aidan reilly, ianto jones, jack harkness, kitty pryde (aoa), nico di angelo, pavel chekov (au), suzaku kururugi, ton phanan

[Day 419] [Mingle / Closed to Defense Force]
[Kitty waits until the team gathers into the Defense Force headquarters. Once upon a time this team was big enough that having a meeting inside would have been uncomfortable. That hasn't been true for awhile. She loudly taps a pen against a desk a few times to get everyone's attention before she starts.]

You were probably hoping I scheduled this surprise meeting so I could deliver a long speech at you, and your hopes are being fulfilled. [A pause as she once again considers not moving forward with this.] I have been thinking about the Defense Force and where it started and how it's changed and the direction it could or maybe even should move in for awhile now. We're a smaller team than we once were and I've been wanting to refocus our efforts more on the investigation side of things, but our numbers don't reflect that. I think a lot of us are here because we do something similar back home. We protect. We fight. We have a team to support us. We wanted that here too, but I'm not sure the needs of this prison support that now. I'm not sure they ever did. I'm not saying we haven't had successes. We have. I'm proud of what we built and what we've accomplished even if it's surprising how completely unpopular a team for saving lives and getting people home is. [She's taken the brunt of that message too. Complaints and criticisms from what they did to stop Spike from attacking people to just not getting everyone home within a few months time against impossible odds.]

I think it's time for a fresh take on this idea. And the thing is... It's not going to be with me. [Just looking out at everyone.] I don't think leading a team is what I should be doing right now. It's meant a lot to me. It's been the only thing that got me through some hard times. But it's not here for that.

I've talked to Jack and he's not going to be moving into the role either, so where this leaves us is kind of up to all of you. And before anyone volunteers I just want to say take some time to think about it. Think about whether you have a direction and a passion for it. Also, it won't be my call to make what happens next, so you'll just have to see if others will follow if you want to lead. Which means, for the moment, there is no Defense Force.

[And with that her speech is over. Time to see what comes next.]

(OOC: Discussion post.)

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foreverjack
2017-03-19 04:00 pm UTC (link)

Jack's here, of course. He may not be particularly invested in the Defence Force any more, but he's here to show his support for Kitty and to participate in any discussions anyone wants to have her announcement.

He's even, after recent accusations of being hard to talk to, making a real effort to appear approachable. He's hung his coat up and is in his shirt sleeves, leaning against the wall with a mug of coffee in his hand, as easy to talk to as he knows how.

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	candothat 2017-03-21 09:47 pm UTC (link)
	Chekov has never found Jack particularly unapproachable. As such, he leans on the wall next to him. "I will be honest... I did expect a longer speech." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	foreverjack 2017-03-26 08:28 am UTC (link)
	Well, that's good to know. He gives Chekov a grin at the comment. "I think she was trying to not to make it too unwieldy, you know? Most people don't like being talked at for too long!" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	candothat 2017-03-26 09:24 pm UTC (link)
	"Eh. I don't know about most people, but I would have happily been talked at for another twenty, thirty minutes." That's part joke and part truth. Even though he might not want to hang around for a long speech any more than the rest of them, he certainly doesn't mind listening to Kitty. "May I ask what you think of this?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

foreverjack
2017-04-10 02:27 pm UTC (link)

He chuckles. "I think you're potentially somewhat biased in favour of listening to Kitty talk!"

Then he shrugs. "And the whole of this?" Gesturing around at the general lack of shock or outrage amongst the gathered team - not to mention the notable absence of several people. "I think it's probably time. I think we've lost our sense of purpose and it's time to move aside to make room for something more relevant."

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	candothat 2017-04-10 11:14 pm UTC (link)
	"Yes, true. I can see now that my attempts to remain impartial at work have failed." He wasn't trying very hard. Professional distance is almost impossible to maintain in such a small place with so few people, and it's really not worth the effort. He nods, agreeing with Jack's assessment. "What would be more relevant, I have no idea." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

foreverjack
2017-04-11 11:46 am UTC (link)

Professional distance has always been something of a problem in the DF. Kitty after all has had pretty intense relationships with both Reid and Jack, in different ways, and now with Chekov too. Not to mention that the other two leaders in recent months, Jack and Ianto, have been going through a hell of a lot of changes in their relationship too. That probably didn't help the poor Force at all!

"Yeah, me neither," he admits with a shrug, but he doesn't sound too worried. "I'm sure something will come together to take its place. Things tend to." He grins. "And in the meantime, if another major threat shows up, I'm sure we'll all step up to fight it as we always have."

Separately, disorganised, but still mostly successful.

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	kitty_has_claws 2017-03-25 10:55 pm UTC (link)
	She walks over looking serious after talking to Chekov and turns her back to those who remain in the room to speak to him. "Apparently a week ago Reid made a broadcast to everyone but you, me, and Ianto asking about what they though of the Defense Force and telling them to keep it a secret from us." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	foreverjack 2017-03-26 08:32 am UTC (link)
	His eyebrows are already starting up his forehead when he sees the serious expression on her face, and they rapidly climb the rest of the way when she starts speaking. "He did?" She's already told him about Reid coming to talk to her with his research, of course, but he certainly didn't know about this! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kitty_has_claws 2017-03-26 12:12 pm UTC (link)
	"That's what Chekov just told me." Emphasis on the just. She's not feeling great about no one in the dome mentioning it before now, especially someone she often sleeps beside. "He said it sounded unflattering too. And that he asked people to hide it from us." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

foreverjack
2017-03-27 03:17 am UTC (link)

"Huh." He takes a thoughtful sip of his coffee while he mulls it over.

"I guess that's how he gathered his research for that report he showed you," he allows, because obviously Reid had to have got his information somewhere. "And I guess the secrecy would be so he could get his facts straight before approaching you?"

He's not nearly as bothered about this as she is, mainly because the DF has never been his baby in the way it's been hers. He's surprised at the thoroughness of it - though perhaps he shouldn't be, knowing Reid - but it doesn't feel anywhere near as personal to him.

"It doesn't sound very professional if he was trying to sway people, though, rather than being impartial!"

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	kitty_has_claws 2017-03-27 09:13 am UTC (link)
	"Pavel said he asked for discretion to avoid trouble. I assume that makes us trouble." He also skipped the part where he was deeply in love with Reid and trusted him more than anyone. There's definitely a feeling of betrayal running through this for her. "Doesn't feel professional at all. Feels personal." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	foreverjack 2017-04-10 02:33 pm UTC (link)
	He frowns. "I doubt he actually meant it to be personal, although I won't deny it's probably hard to separate the two in this instance. I mean, you're inextricably entwined with the DF, and we know he has issues with you." Eyebrows lifting again, he asks: "Did Chekov say what kind of response Reid got?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

kitty_has_claws
2017-04-11 08:43 pm UTC (link)

"If it wasn't personal he wouldn't have hidden what he was doing. He would have done it differently. I've been making excuses for him for months. At a certain point I think I just have to accept maybe he's just kind of an asshole sometimes." She definitely has issues with him at the moment.

She shrugs.

"Not the response he wanted I don't think. He came to see me with a summary he seemed disappointed in. Too much apathy I guess. He played it off like people would just bring up the topic to him." Shaking her head because it sounded odd at the time and she still believed him. "Chekov said he was upset about the Defense Force and talking about how controversial it was and how we don't ask for opinions and we aren't serving our original purpose and how he wanted discretion to avoid trouble."

She would love to shove some trouble at him right now. She won't. She doesn't. She stands there trying not to look as mad and hurt as she feels. But there's something reassuring in the anger. She hasn't been angry all this time. Oh, maybe a flare here or there, but for the most part it was fear of losing him completely, self doubt and blame for what made her so wrong that he'd leave her when they'd been so right together before, and loneliness and loss. Anything he did that felt unfair or hurtful she turned in on herself, but not this time. Not with this.

"I don't think Chekov had a chance to listen to the responses because Reid was busy telling him that me being with Chekov is unfair to all us." So tell her again how this wasn't personal.

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