ways_back_room | DE: You talkin' ta me?

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DE: You talkin' ta me?

gavin62truck wants to know:

How does your pup feel about authority figures? Does your pup have any authority over anyone else? Are they the boss from hell or are they easy-going?

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Gene: is an authority figure, and loves it. He's generally considered a great boss, because he's all about going to the pub and team morale, and he always has his lads' backs. He works hard (particularly in the 80s, he's a workaholic; in the 70s, he's more immersed in enjoying the lifestyle, which includes a lot of laziness and drinking), he sets a good example, but he's also firm enough to make himself feared and respected. He's great with people, in a rough-and-ready way. The conflict arises from the people who show up in his domain and want things to change, or want things from him he doesn't want to give - he's a good enough copper to learn though, so while it takes time on occasion, he does get everyone's respect in the end.

As for how he feels about those ranked higher than himself - a pain in the arse, mostly. But he canonically has great respect for certain superiors (who invariably let him down horribly); basically, if a Superintendent, or higher, earned their position by being a good copper, they'll have his respect. Bureaucrats and paper-pushers get nothing but contempt.

Bruce Wayne: is trickier. He has authority because of his family name and reputation, and - at least by the end of the first movie - control of Wayne Enterprises. But even as simply a man, he's more symbolic than anything else. He's the 'Prince of Gotham', but rarely does anything, beyond attend functions and buy hotels so he can swim in the water features with models. There's the charity work, obviously, and he has staff, but it's the kind of employer-employee authority that can be broken if someone decides not to work for him anymore. Still, he's a good boss if you don't know him. Alfred probably thinks he's a pain in the arse on more than one occasion - but he's family, so that's allowed.

As Batman, his authority is self-imposed, and self-restricted. Lucius Fox and Alfred are good indicators of how far his authority is allowed to extend. Both resign when they think he's gone too far, and it could be that, or his self-restriction (or both), that means Batman is kept under control.

Bruce Banner: doesn't even have authority over himself, man.

Karkat used to love being a leader, and he was surprisingly good at it, at least working with trolls. His persistence, stubborn refusal to recognize that other people didn't recognize his authority, and his shocking depths of interpersonal sensitivity did a good job of keeping the troll team alive and on task until it... didn't. The noise and bombast is simply a force multiplier that he NEEDED to get through the thick skin and self-absorption of the other trolls.

He also had a lot of admiration for the leaders of troll society in the abstract, while at the same time taking any actual orders and authority as a kind of personal affront.

Since all his friends died he's pretty disillusioned with himself as a leader and since experiencing a more pluralistic society he's pretty disillusioned with the troll way of doing things, but he still defaults to screaming at people until they do things his way pretty naturally.

Ben Grimm respects authority figures but isn't afraid to challenge them if he thinks they are doing something wrong. He isn't quite in a position of authority unless you count his celebrity status or the fact he sort of is the retired leader of the Yancy Street Gang. He had lead the Fantastic Four for a time when Reed and Sure took a leave of absence to try and give Franklin a normal childhood. I'm sad to say, he abused his position to stick it to Johnny.

At the time, everyone had thought Johnny and Alicia had fallen in love and had married. Ben used his position as team leader to recruit an old love interest of Johnny's. I don't remember if this was to try and break Johnny and Alicia up or just to fuck with Johnny but either way it was messed up.

Andrea Nash respects authority figures if she choses to accept their power. If some random authority figure says they have power over her, she's fight it tooth and claw. If she accepts the authority figure though, she'll jump higher than told. She does not hold any position of authority...yet.

Hank McCoy is fine with authority figures and trusts them blindly. He is not one and at this point I can't see him being one. Post-Cuban though I hope he steps up to lead the field team though I am sure Singer is going to have someone else do that, Alex or maybe he'll bring in Scott.

Thalia respects only Artemis. She is in a position of authority and I think she does pretty well with it though we haven't really seen it in canon.

Jessica Drew is loyal to the powers that be but she will constantly question their actions. She doesn't trust blindly anymore. She is not an authority figure herself, aside from being a superhero.

Joshua: Spoilers, darling.

Most of mine, I think it's fair to say, respect authority figures who have earned it, or they respect the position if not the person. With Uther and Merlin, for example, Merlin respects the office of king but thinks Uther is a horrible person. (That he is Arthur's father just makes it more complicated.)

Steve in particular will do what he thinks is right in defiance of authority. And then he'll turn himself in for it :). But he's also an authority figure himself, and I think he understands the responsibility of that more and more over time.

Aang kind of has the ultimate authority in his world, which is one of the reasons he ran away in the first place. That...that's not easy! And he's just a kid! Being the Avatar requires facing problems head on and Aang is just not good at that.

I'd say he's pretty easy going, until that moment when he's not.
Pacifist doesn't mean "incapable of fighting" it means "choosing not to."

As for people who have personal authority over him? He respects them and treats them with deference.

Bumi is Commander of the Second Fleet of the United Forces. There are many ships under his command, and many men and women on those ships.

In my headcanon Bumi is not someone you want to piss off. Ever. It takes a certain kind of person to do what he does, and you'd have to be crazy to get to where he is without some sort of bending to back it up. I'd imagine that his status as Aang's Son only got him so far, and sheer skill got him the rest of the way.

Bumi doesn't really like military command structure, because he really doesn't like people telling him what to do...unless what he's being told is exactly what he was planning to do in the first place. I like to think that his commanding officers have found that it's easier to think like Bumi and let him do as he wishes, rather than try to fight him, because...he's pretty crafty.

Raph has no real need for any authority that isn't his Father, and the only authority he asserts is that he's right about most things. If you try to say he's wrong about most things, then he's going to prove to you how right he is by punching you. Really hard. Probably in the face.

Mike is kind of an authority in the bar, but you'd never really know it by looking at him. Mike's way of getting things done is to delegate it to someone else, all the while making them think it was their idea in the first place.

There are only a few people who Mike sees as an authority figure: Splinter, Sallie, and these days X.

Ida works for O2STK, everyone else is just a minion.

The Loompas respect Mike's authority because Bar makes them. Short of that...they don't really defer to anyone or anything.

Splinter is used to being an authority figure, and he's used to being obeyed, which is kind of funny when you consider who his children are and how much they disobey.

Kirk is at once an authority figure and in opposition to authority figures. I think by now he's probably more the former than the latter even if he will never admit as much. Or accept it. But it's hard to be a young Turk when you aren't young. He is tough but fair, and doesn't put his ego into the equation. His job is to make sure everyone (himself included) does their jobs as well as possible.

Knox is such a total cynic that he prides himself on his dislike of authority figures. And he's never been a boss in any real sense of the word. Like most good reporters, he's all about poking holes in authority of all sorts.

Howard Stark is rich, well connected, and expects people to do what he asks of them. I think that counts as authority, even though he has yet to really throw his weight around. (I think by the 60s, he was one of those people loudly whispering in Robert McNamara's ear about the Soviets, Vietnam, and all points east.) He is nice to his immediate reports, and has very little contact with anyone else. That scene in Iron Man the first where Tony is at ease with the troops in the Fun-Vee? That is totally not Howard's style with any subordinates.

Gibbs is a pirate. Pirates respect no authority. And really don't have bosses or employees, Jack and Barbossa notwithstanding.

Cy is a college student and a member of a teen superteam, so he's got the usual "never trust anyone over 30" mindset of both, as least as much as there is these days. As a hero, he's sort of an authority figure. And he and the Titans seem to have some sort of working relationship with the law. But I can't say how things really are. Cy does respect most cops, Feds, etc.

Charlie...young Charlie was an arrogant cuss who treated any subordinates badly. The affair he had with his secretary? I suspect he did not acquit himself well back then. Like Knox, he hated authority figures on principle but really made himself into one despite his beliefs. In the years since, of course, he's corrected things in how he treats others. And he even found the occasional cop or elected official worth respecting. But he still doesn't like having a boss.

The Guardian Collective is a Net-wide organization. There is no Net-wide government or command structure for them to be part of, but any system which accepts their protection must also accept the authority of their assigned Guardian. Enzo's official authority is minimal anywhere but in Mainframe until he graduates, but in general civilians will defer to even a cadet if they've got a good reason to be giving orders. (And Enzo is unlikely to give anyone orders unless he does have a good reason.)

Also, he loves the fact that he technically outranks Matrix, but knows better than to try giving him orders unless he has an extra-specially super-good reason.

Gordon is not terribly thrilled with most authority figures but does not much fuss over them either so long as they don't cause unnecessary obstruction to his daily life and work. The Combine did. They are now dead. Dr. Breen did. He got the one dirty word I allow Gordon to use aloud per game plot- Mit Verlaub, Herr Doktor Überwacher, Sie sind ein Arschloch*. Breen is now dead. Other authority figures should probably remember this. As for having authority or being one, well, that's sort of something that he fell into and he's doing his best to deal with it.

Shephard is generally fine with authority figures so long as they have a clue. Most politicians don't and so he despises them. He knew what he was doing when he signed up for the Marine Corps and long ago accepted that he might despise some of his actual superiors but still had to obey them anyway. It took him a while to get used to Alyx and other Resistance figures, but since they were the closest thing left to an American government he swallowed the bitter pill and went with that. He's now one Satere-Mawe initiation ritual from officially becoming a proper Marine Corps authority figure himself and he will deal with that as it happens.

Ellen might not have liked or understood Overseer Almodovar but she grew up in an environment where he was where the buck stopped, and that was that. This has led to her generally being able or willing to accept other authority figures even if she doesn't like or approve of them; she might not have approved of President Eden, for example, or of Colonel Autumn, but never for an instant did she think they shouldn't be taken seriously and dealt with accordingly. It's just that they were sufficiently dangerous that they had to die before they could assume control over anyone else. She herself has had project leader and small group commander status a few times and is still getting used to the idea.

Varric doesn't give a nug shit about authority figures, because he's Varric.

Mordin is salarian and was predisposed from hatching to accept his clan matriarch's authority, but tends to prefer to work out from under authority's eye. He himself doesn't tend to think of himself as being in charge so much as leading by example.

*"With respect, Dr. Administrator, you're an asshole"

Artemis has no authority, except for what she get's hassling Kid Flash into doing things for her. She's mostly cool being under League authority (They like her! Yay!) but she'll go off script if she thinks things are going strange.
Thank goodness.

Tyler has occasional issues with authority. He mostly keeps quiet about them now, because the authorities that matter can generally twist his head of like a beer cap. Such are the perils of living as a human among the monsters.

Ako is pretty cool with being under someone's authority as long as they seem sensible, or at least competent. Her time in Milliways has left her a lot more willing and able to ignore the ones who aren't. As a boss, she favors bribes of candy to get results. This works well with young boys and horses.

Janet has, um, made herself an authority figure by refusing to acknowledge the idea that a few superpowers and a pile of cash are not actually everything you need to enforce the law. Friends help with this, of course, but they mostly got their authority the same way. (Exact ratio of superpowers to cash pile may vary. Please consult your doctor/investment banker before becoming a superhero.)

Robo, by virtue of his unusual existence, training, experience and his large company has authority. He mostly doesn't use it, because it's hard enough to run a company just staying hands on enough to keep outbreaks of stupid evil computers or von neumnann plagues to a minimum.
And then there's the dinosaurs.

In every report filed against Tommy, it always says that he has a problem with authority. He's rebellious and doesn't take orders well -- at least not from people he doesn't respect. They've got to earn it in some way first. He respects his chief Jerry Reilly, who everyone thinks is a great guy, but not the other chief Perolli, who nobody likes anyway. I think it also has to do with who Tommy can be friends with as well, since Lou was his friend first before he got promoted to lieutenant. Tommy may not always listen to him, but he still respects him. That sort of dynamic can be tricky, though, because later on in the series, a new chief comes on board and he happens to be one of Tommy's friends from their Academy days. This chief had been promoted quickly through the ranks not because of accomplishments, but because there was simply a lack of officers in the FDNY after 9/11. And so their friendship sours over time because ultimately Tommy resents him for taking the position when he could've stayed a firefighter like him.

Tommy himself has some authority, being the most senior firefighter on his crew. He abuses it mightily and as often as possible! Making the Probie do all the grunt work nobody else wants to do and treating him like crap. Still, for the most part, the crew respects Tommy for his experience and balls on the job. But for all his seniority, he doesn't want to become an officer and would rather stay on the front lines.

As for Lou, he is definitely still one of the guys. His rank only matters on the job, and everyone, hands-down, loves and respects him as both a leader and friend. He feels the same way about his superiors as Tommy does, but he's not as vehemently outspoken, like, directly to their faces (which Tommy is).

Mark works for the government. More specifically, he works for Cecil Stedman, who pretty much answers only to himself in the drive to keep the planet safe. And he's okay with it. For now.

Henry mostly objects to Evil. This is a problem for Regina; else he's just a ten year old and not a particularly rebellious one. He does seem to need to respect someone in authority, though. But Storybrooke is weird. He has no authority.

Lois Lane is Lois Lane, man. In general, she probably finds most authority suspect (investigative journalist). She knows how to respect authority. She just doesn't usually do so unless she respects the person. And she almost never takes orders. Sam Lane broke her of that.

Lois got infant vaccinations to authority thanks to her Dad.

Or something like that.

Tavi has deep respect for law and order, and on a personal level for Gaius Sextus--who is an effective if not terribly appealing First Lord. While they had any authority over him, Tavi did listen to his spy trainer and his uncle and his ~~mother~~aunt. He still respects them as people. Because he respects law and order, he will also acknowledge the authority of those who outrank him. That said...

He is swiftly (but subconsciously) losing regard for people commanding him bar Sextus himself. Overnight he went from having no concrete authority to personally commanding several thousand. While he isn't easy-going, he also never pushes his men to the point they are deeply unhappy--admittedly, partly because they are fanatically loyal to him. He tries to be fair and values each life highly. He also leads from the front, and is unafraid of innovation. He's a natural talent, really. No clue why some Alerans in his time are starting to compare him to the dead crown prince oh wait.

The one thing about him as a commander is that when he can get away with keeping secrets and leaving people going "WTF were you planning are you crazy" he really enjoys it. Sadly, it works for him.

EDIT: Even with Sextus, Tavi gets along much better when he's allowed to do more or less exactly what he chooses. And he believes firmly in asking forgiveness before permission. Life is easier if you let him do what he wants, and unless you're Sextus, let him take charge.

Edited 2013-06-06 21:22 (UTC)

I think Thurlow's generally more of a well-respected freelancer than a proper authority figure no matter how much they achieve in their canon, with the exception of (at a future canon point) owning and operating a ship that's too big for them to handle by themself. As for being under someone else's authority: they respect sensible and competent authorities, but give them an unreasonable, incompetent, or heavily prejudiced authority figure and they will be resentful and begrudging and attempt to get out of that person's jurisdiction as swiftly as possible. Or depose them, if the option's available.

Aradia doesn't care much about authority; she might go along with them superficially if their goals don't actively conflict with hers but she's basically just gonna do her own thing.

Edited 2013-06-06 22:05 (UTC)

Skysong- Kitten tends to buck authority, but she isn't that annoying about it. She does love her foster mother and generally does what she is told to do. Of course, she also tries to find clever loopholes to those instructions at the same time. She is only a baby!

Momiji- Momiji follows directions, even when he doesn't like it. The curse doesn't help with that, because he's pretty much required to follow directions even if he doesn't like it much.

Petra- Petra has authority issues more than any of my characters. She follows orders because she wants a command of her own, but isn't backwards about letting her opinions known- especially when she thinks Bonzo's being an idiot (which is mostly all the time.)

Clem and Jules ARE authority figures; Jules leans more heavily toward being a goody two-shoes; Clem is ironically very anti-authority. She mostly abuses her power to cover her butt in regard to personal drunk and driving and drug problems.

Dixie likes using the law, cajoling it into seeing her side of things.

Pinkie is way, way too nice to boss people around.

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DE: You talkin' ta me?

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