<div align="center"><strong>-=Simeon Gaorong - being the eye of the storm - preparing to disembark on Persephone=-</strong></div><br/>Life aboard a starship of almost any size was very much a hurry-up-and-wait affair: days, weeks, sometimes months on long patrols or 'verse-spanning voyages in which almost nothing at all took place but the day-to-day menial tasks of continuing to exist followed by bursts of activity and chaos as the ship's various crew segments came together to complete their unified goals. Aboard The Gamble this activity inevitably included some amount of ribbing, flirting and abrasion woven into the work, this instance proving no exception.<br/><br/>In his youth Simeon had, at times, been caught up in the moment in much the same way, jostling for position in the social circles of his peers with all the rest, but as he matured and climbed into a position of leadership, of command, this behavior became less appealing and, more important, less appropriate. It was one thing for a commander to know his subordinates, to be on good terms with them, to be seen by them as much a father figure as a man to be feared and obeyed - this was a grand thing to achieve. It was another thing entirely to be seen as a drinking buddy or competition for romantic interests or similarly degrading points of similarity. One does not follow a suicidal command so readily when it is given by the man you remember best over vodka and cards; a commander must retain a level of respect, a level of trust, if he is to be an effective leader.<br/><br/>The fact that Si was not in a position of command aboard this ship had no impact on decorum built up over decades of experience. While all around him hackles were raised, jokes were made, flirtation bandied, greetings shouted, all manner of hustle and bustle, Si was a quiet point of calm at the center of it all. He took it all in: the<del>subtle</del>interplay between various members of the crew, the exchange of passengers and orders, the crew prospect and his unfamiliar tongue as well as Dani's response to that last. It had been his intent to part from the doctor when Sasha sounded prepared to depart, given his assignment to accompany her, but the sudden shift from quiet good humor to anxiety he felt through Miss Marsdan's hand and the more obvious body language of her closing in on him he delayed that separation. It would not do to desert the young lady when she most wanted security - gods knew she had enough difficulty feeling safe without her protectors proving themselves undependable. By the same token, however, he could not provide too overt a gesture to reassure her without possibly giving their newest recruit the wrong impression about his welcome. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and turned ever so slightly, just enough to put the doctor a touch farther into his shadow, not enough to shield her from the new face but providing a reminder that he - and by extension the rest of the crew she knew she could trust, to a greater or lesser degree - was still there.<br/><br/>As for that new man, Si spent much of his focus sizing up Steve while the others had their fun at the expense of those on the receiving end of their soon to be ex-passenger's amorous attentions. Oh, he was aware of that nonsense, yes, but there was no need for his input in it and he had more important things to do, such as gauging this man who would likely soon be at his back in conditions that would have no room for uncertainty about who he had for support. Certainly he seemed capable enough, despite a small discrepancy in his stride - leg injury of some sort, or else feigned. Older than most of the crew - whether that would prove a good thing or a source of discord he had no way of guessing. Facial scarring. Certainly a veteran, though of what and on what side he would not venture so soon. He could have - the man hardly seemed to be hiding his station, and that meant few possibilities - but it would have been a disservice to them both to do so, besides which it was irrelevant on this crew with its messily blended history.<br/><br/>If Griff had already decided to take the man aboard he could likely be trusted to some extent, but all the same he asked, "Miss Dearing, who is to show our new set of hands around the ship while we are out?" Given the relatively small size of The Gamble, and the fair work understanding between Sasha and himself, the implication that Si was wary of leaving the man on his own on board no doubt came across clear enough.