Working relationships

[originalfine]

Well, since I'm here, I might as well poll the masses. None of you know anyone involved, so maybe that's for the best.

Working with friends and lovers. How do you deal with it? How do you handle suddenly being "the boss" and trying to maintain an equal relationship? How do you do your job without treading on feelings?

Comments

[redheadedspy]

I'll admit it isn't quite the same case, since the man I'm in a relationship with is just a coworker rather than one of us being the direct superior, but... it helps to try to focus on work when you're on duty and keep your mind off of it otherwise, especially if you're in a dangerous line of work.

... That isn't really the best way to phrase what I had in mind, but it's one of those things that make much more sense in your head.

[Leila's quite good at this, but she's had to put a lot of thought into it, to the point that she can't really articulate it well anymore.]

[originalfine]

You're making perfect sense. It's what I'm trying to do--I guess I just need the practice. We all do.

[redheadedspy]

I know. I'm not sure it's really possible to be good at it in a way that's much more healthy than having to deal with mixing them up to begin with. I'm fairly certain that even if one were to work out a way to... shut one's emotions off, even temporarily, it wouldn't be a good idea.

[originalfine]

No. Probably not, and I'm not going to try it.

[redheadedspy]

We haven't met, by the way, have we? My name is Leila.

[originalfine]

No, we haven't. I'm Jim. Jim Kirk. My pleasure.

[redheadedspy]

You wouldn't be the same James Kirk that has a "Captain" in front of his name, would you?

[originalfine]

I hear there have been a few of us around here, but... yes.

[redheadedspy]

One of the odd things about the community... alternate universes, I think. It doesn't seem like too much of a stretch, honestly.

[originalfine]

That's what I hear. Still takes some getting used to, though.

Did you know him?

[redheadedspy]

Not very well, to be honest. We only spoke once or twice.

[originalfine]

What was he like?

[redheadedspy]

Younger than you, and rather... overconfident. Apart from that I couldn't really say; as I said, all I really saw were the public posts except for talking to him once or twice.

[originalfine]

Well, overconfident sounds like me--sometimes, anyway.

[redheadedspy]

I suspect you're probably not quite as bad about it as he seemed. I got the impression he was still a student, or had only recently ceased being one.

[originalfine]

From what I know, he was made captain under somewhat dire circumstances.