Extreme makeover [Open, bendytimed to... whenever makes sense]

[zouichi]

Somehow, he'd gotten himself into a bet. He didn't even really remember how it had happened or how they had gotten on the subject. But then suddenly the bet had been accepted and it was too late to back down, and now he was sitting at the very same Mess Hall table Sakura and the others had been sitting at the other day while they'd been discussing the source of the ship's mystery meat food supply.

To be fair to Sakura, he'd picked a shade of pink to match her own, natural hair color. But the results were... jarring. Also, hopefully no one would recognize either of them.

Comments

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Only what we can dig up in the library and comms, which is practically nothing. You'd think more people would have volunteered this information earlier. No one should have to go digging." Howard wrinkles his nose. "Anyway, if I'm not around the Inn much, it's because I'm doing Leon's homework for him."

[zouichi]

"I'll be sure to tell everyone," Zouichi said, tapping his fingers against the surface of the table. "Although he really should have taken account how much you do already. There are plenty of people around that don't already hold down the equivalent of two jobs."

Disapproval face.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"And people say my generation is lazy." It's clear Howard considers the fact that he holds those jobs as something he's very proud of, especially since he actually does them well. "But no, he didn't ask me, he just told me. Because I would have said no, choose someone who gets more than three hours of sleep a night."

[zouichi]

Zouichi looked at him curiously. "So he ordered you to do it? What difference does that make?"

Clearly he just didn't understand Howardly doings.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Yeah, it was an order. And I don't know, I'm afraid I'm going to pull an Allenby and end up brigged if I disobey." Such faith in the government!

[zouichi]

Zouichi scoffed. "Really? I'd say if he brigged a teenager for not doing his homework for him, he'd have a lot more trouble on his hands than one Gundam pilot."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Well, maybe not brigged, but do I really want to get on the Captain's bad side? And for all I know he would have. It would be hella easy to frame it as me mishandling sensitive information or whatever." He angles his head. "Besides, people shove black kids in jail for less."

[zouichi]

He shook his head. "I still don't think he would've gotten away with it. The last captain that tried to take a child into custody for 'defying' him started a furor he ended up having to apologize for. It was a total embarrassment, as far as I'm concerned."

But then, given the choice between following orders and doing what he felt was right, Zouichi always ultimately chose the latter.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Which kid was that? I think I remember reading something about that. I have notes on it somewhere." Besides, Howard would be willing to bet that that kid was more well-liked than he is. He's sure there are people who'd turn a blind eye to his captivity should it come - such is the problem with being an abrasive personality. "Anyway, if I ever end up brigged, it's totally your job to bust me out."

[zouichi]

"Roxie Schrieber, I believe." Zouichi looked a little grim. "I would hope it wouldn't come to that. I'd honestly rather that people keep their heads and realize that there are things more important in this little expedition than browbeating teenagers to obey them." Which was, as far as he was concerned, what the incidents boiled down to.

"Instead of ordering people around like they're part of some personal army, the focus should be on getting people to work together and communicate so they understand why we're doing what we're doing. The people around here by and large aren't soldiers, and they've received little or no training in being soldiers. Expecting everyone to just fall in line and jump to obey anyone 'in charge' isn't just short-sighted; it's incredibly unrealistic."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"But don't you know? We've been drafted into the military." Howard makes little air quotation marks, dripping bitterness. "We all have to act like good little soldiers because once upon a time some Daligig goon decided we'd be a good match for their squad campaign, whether we're children or civilians or talking fricking ponies. And people who don't jump straight in line get Allenbied."

Totally a verb.

"What did Allenby do, really, that was so out of line? She tried to help us on the planet because we'd gone off the radar."

[zouichi]

"She decided to come after us because she had no idea Command was even sending backup for us. Because they didn't bother telling anyone anything, as usual."

If Zouichi sounded cynical about it, it was only because he was. "I fail to understand the point of running a war so far removed from the rest of the crew that no one except the people in charge even know what's going on. Don't we get enough of that from the Daligig?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"No. We need more uninformed, impulsive decisions made by incredibly powerful people left in the dark by their untrustworthy command systems. That's how war is won."

[zouichi]

"Oh, well, in that case, I guess we're all set." Sarcasm sarcasm. "Mission accomplished."