18 - But satisfaction brought it back

[ichoosefight]

Fuck it, you win. I'm the cat curiosity killed.

[ Somehow everything she says seems to carry a tone of bored superiority - kind of like a cat, ironically. But there's genuine curiosity in there, and maybe a small hint of defeat. She isn't supposed to actually give a damn. ]

So why don't we take a few minutes, pretend you don't think I'm an evil mustache twirling version of everyone's favorite fucking cheerleader-reject, and tell me about your barge. Your barge normally, not your barge after interdimensional shit has hit the fan.

Comments

[private; photo]

[sickjoke]

[ Enjoy the blackmail of an increasingly adorable (and sugared up and eventually drunk) Stephanie and two corgi puppies. ]

Exhibit A: What the barge is like on good days.

[private]

[ichoosefight]

[ Oh god, she is so embarrassed. Especially in the ones where it becomes increasing clear her pupils are the size of dinner plates. ]

I have matches, an emp gun and mcguyver level skills with paperclips. Delete the photos and no electronics get hurt.

[private]

[sickjoke]

My electronics are hardened -- plus I don't think the communicator can be wiped -- and the emp gun will get a lot of people angry, and ... i can't think of any witty comebacks about paperclips.

You're a lot like your duplicate when you're not afraid for your life or cranking the Hardass to 11.

[private]

[ichoosefight]

Are you trying to tell me my duplicate is a stoner?

I am completely willing to piss of owners of electronic devices and pick your comm apart into rubber bands and packing peanuts. Which I could then use along with the paper clips to break all the rest of your stuff.

[private]

[sickjoke]

No, she's a nice girl who likes puppies. Or would have if I'd had the time to introduce her.

Plz be not making life on the barge harder than it has to be right now. I have ten projects, may be taking over supervision of a kitchen shift, and have a psychic timeship baby crying for it's mama nearly 24/7.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

Miss Brown.

I suppose I'm to call you warden.

[ichoosefight]

[ She laugh-snorts. ]

Heh. Sucks to be you.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

I warn you: attempting to control me would be a grave mistake.

[ichoosefight]

[ She laughs again, all vicious pleasure. ]

Oh, you're going to be fun.

You heard the rules: no special access until you've done your court assigned community service. Your room's gonna be stripped bare. You cause me trouble, I cripple you one limb at a time. You try and take your issues out on me, you get a bullet to the head. Do I need to write it down for you, or have you got all that memorized?

[punched_hitler]

I'm not sure we have a "normally."

[ichoosefight]

So the walls crumbling is a normal thing? That's just sad.

[punched_hitler]

No, I guess that's not necessarily normal.

I mean mostly that something's always going on. Not much breathing room.

But then again, breathing room'd just be boring.

[ichoosefight]

Breathing room keeps your guard down. That's no way to learn.

[walkingmeltdown]

[He probably shouldn't be talking to you. But it's either this or go back to the grunt work around the barge. Or tensing waiting for the next bit of violence to break out.]

Oh, please. Miss Brown is hardly my favorite, and she's too good to have ever made an attempt at something so passe as being a cheerleader.

[He's not hiding his appearance, but he has no doubt his voice and manner of speaking sound rather different from the Blight she's used to.]

[ichoosefight]

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the point has entered the stratosphere.

[ He still makes her nervous. She copes with humor. ]

[walkingmeltdown]

I didn't miss it, my dear, that was me deliberately ignoring it.

[ichoosefight]

A convenient excuse.

[bodilesswarrior]

She was a gymnast in high school, actually.

[She should have spoken to Stephanie sooner, she knows that. But it's hard, seeing her like this, and her emotions are already frayed.

Right now, her expression is carefully neutral, words carefully light.]

[ichoosefight]

[ She assumes this Babs is like the one she knows. She can't assume anything else. Just... family. Wretched, broken, wonderful family. ]

I was close.

[bodilesswarrior]

[Her eyebrows arch, and her lip quirks.]

So was I. [excuse u young lady]

[ichoosefight]

Very modest of you, Babs.

[velocette]

How did they treat you on your Barge?

[ichoosefight]

Like stale jerky. What does that have to do with anything?

[velocette]

I'm curious what's different. [A shrug.] Same as you, I suppose.

When this place isn't falling apart, there's always something going on. Sometimes it's the Admiral's fault; sometimes it's because an inmate made a knife.

[ichoosefight]

Not much of a black market weapons supply, huh.