<> <> <> * Rochelle stirs in her comfy spot on the couch, but doesn't get up. Don't wanna. * Katherine isn't going. She's collapsed on her bed, apparently not having realized that leather dresses don't make for good bedclothes. * Rochelle opens one eye the teeniest crack, then groans and puts her head in a couch cushion. <> * Katherine is glad she isn't Roch. She snores lightly, and shifts around on her bed. * Rochelle slowly - very slowly - starts the process of getting up. Roll over, open eyes a little, sit up, clutch at head, blink. (You're very tough, for getting kneaded.) (I thought Echidna was doing that to Kat.) (Okay, let me redo. :P) (Cham! Strike that last one from the record!) <> * Rochelle lets out a shrill yelp and sits up, then cluthes at her head. "Shit. Ow. Hey, get off me." <> * Rochelle squints at the cat, rubbing at her hair to get it into some semblance of order. "What?" <> * Rochelle , in a display of utmost maturity, sticks her tongue out at the cat. * Katherine gets the claw treatment. And a few seconds after it starts, Kat rolls out of the bed with a, "Fuck," lands on her feet unsteadily, and eyes the cat with bleary eyes. "What the fuck was that for?" "MmmmmROOOWR." <> <> (Echidna is not a boy name. Eek is a boy name, which is not Echidna's name.) * Rochelle looks at Echidna and the bowl, then flops back. * Katherine stands, her eyes still barely open. "Oh, right, I forgot. I'm here just for you." She starts walking way across the room. About halfway there, she sees Roch on the couch. "Oh, hey. Who the hell are you?" She grins for a sec, and then winces. "Ow, fuck. Why does smiling hurt?" * Rochelle very does not smile, but she raises a hand to point at Kat. "'Cause you're hungover. 'n so am I." She blinks at her wrist, where a ruby and gold bracelet sparkles. "Huh." Oh, right, forgot, the whole drinking thing. * Katherine starts walking, almost tripping over the fucking artifact, and finds her way to the DunnoChow, dispensing it for Echidna's eating pleasure. "There's your fuckin' food. You're welcome." "Mrow!" * Rochelle winces. "Yer cat's too loud." * Katherine opens the fridge, and pulls out a bottle of water. "Well, normally, it ain't an issue. Besides, I figure nobody else would take the girl." <> Yeah, okay. * Rochelle pauses, looking at the cat and playing with the bracelet. "She a stray?" * Katherine nods. "Yeah. I've had her for a year and a half now. Picked her up after..." she pauses for a split second, remembers who she's with, and says, "After a few Fummers came to remind me that leavin's a bad idea." She snorts, and takes a big swig of water. * Rochelle hrms noncommitally and sits back up, turning to use the couch the way it was probably meant to be used. "Yeah, guess they'd have a problem with you leavin'." Always did. And then Eck walked up to me and I picked her up. And she's been a pain ever since. * Katherine looks down, rubbing her side. "Shit. Why did I slee--right, fucking drunk." She goes back across the room and starts digging through closets and drawers. * Rochelle rubs at her eyes. "Right." She stands and smooths out the dress she foolishly slept in, then fingers her necklace. * Rochelle peers at her nails for a moment before looking for her sandals. * Katherine comes out from her closet wearing a pair of grey sweatpands and a black sports-bra, and carrying a bunch of other black clothes. Her eyes are almost open! "So, Roch. I don't suppose you learned how to fight while I wasn't lookin'?" She grins a little. Uh, whaddaya mean? I ain't fightin' you. * Katherine chuckles. "Ya take all the fun out of having guests over, Roch." She tosses the bunch of clothes over by a big blocky metal thing in the corner. "You can have the shower, then, while I try to work out some of the being hungover on this punching bag here." Okay. Was just gonna go, but since you're offering hot water, can't turn it down. * Rochelle scratches at the back of her neck. "Don't have a change of clothes, though, unless I go get some." She stifles a yawn. Hey, it's your call. Walk out grimy, or walk out clean with grimy clothes. * Rochelle shrugs. "Can I borrow a towel, at least?" * Katherine rolls her neck a little, and starts facing the punching bag. "Oh, sure. They're in there." She starts in with the beating. * Rochelle goes. To shower! * Katherine punches the defenseless bag while Roch showers, occasionally wincing or stopping with curses along the lines of 'Fucking hangover'. <> (Exactly how showers should be.) <> (When you have as much hair as I do, you must make sure it is clean and beautiful!) <> (Floofy! Woot.) * Katherine stops punching after a while, and says, "Lights off, windows half-clear, TV on," as she stands, panting. "Whoo. That feels a bit better." * Rochelle comes walking out, same dress on and jewelry in one hand. The other's toweling her hair. She looks over at Kat. "Maybe you should take a turn." <> * Katherine looks at Roch, and nods. "Yeah, good plan. Feel free to flip around. Dunno why the hell that church crap is on anyway." She grabs the pile of clothes by the boxy metal thing and goes in for a shower herself! * Rochelle squints a little at the sun, but she's looking better than she did not long ago. "Right." She sits back on the couch and starts flipping through the 'net. * Rochelle reaches over for her purse and dumps the jewelry in, while she's at it. * Katherine showers. Doo-dee-doo. Showers are good for body and soul. And Floofy(tm) hair. <> * Rochelle grumbles about there being nothing good on as she channel-surfs. Who cares about shooting fish. <> * Rochelle doesn't care about Cletus and Rohandy. Flip. <> * Katherine shuts off the water, and comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later with long, unbraided red hair that she is quickly braiding, in a tightish black t-shirt and jeans. Perfect for laying about and living off a hangover. "Anything good for a weekday?" Cartoons and fishing. * Rochelle flips the channel. "Cartoons about fishing." * Katherine continues braiding. "God, can't they make something decent?" She braids and braids, as she walks over to the kitchen and pulls out some good old prepackaged foodstuffs, and throws them in the oven. <> * Katherine pulls them out a very short period of time later, and slices them open with her nails, grabbing a pair of forks to go with the pair of foods. She eyes the TV and shakes her head. "Late breakfast to go with the crappy 'Net?" * Rochelle blinks and turns to Kat. "Oh, sure. Thanks." * Katherine nods, and stuffs her face. "No prob. Least I can do for an old friend who fell asleep drunk on my couch." She grins toothily, showing her slightly longer-than-normal fangs. * Rochelle smiles a little back, not disconcerted in the least by Kat's teeth. She goes back to watching and eating the foodage. * Katherine turns to the TV too. "Aw, come on. I watched this crap as a kid. At least show some good reruns." She mutters and eats. <> * Rochelle keeps flipping. "Bet they don't care." She has another mouthful of breakfast. "I mean, nobody's watching anyway." (CHiPS being California Highway Patrol. Starring Eric Estrada! Latino Loverboy. This doesn't star him, though.>> Yeah. All sane people are still asleep. Or at work. Or getting blasted again. It is Sangria-Beltane. The pain never ends. * Katherine smirks, and says, "Aw, c'mon. RCHiPS? That is classically unwatchable, as opposed to those cartoons. How can you skip that?" * Rochelle snickers and goes back to it. "Sure it ends. Tomorrow." <> Yeah. And then... uh... One more day until the we all meet up for whatever the hell we are supposed to do. And then... * Rochelle sighs and nods. * Katherine shoves the last of her food in her mouth. "Hey, think of it this way. Since it's only a couple days until we're all leaving anyway, and I can't go out and pick up anyone tonight because I'll have no damn clue where I'm going in a few days, and I'm going to spend most of tomorrow trying to get out of work, you can get out of Box City early." * Katherine mutters, "Always a bright side to fate." * Rochelle looks at Kat for a moment. "What, you're lookin' for a long term relationship? Nobody here's gonna be here in a day anyhow." Why not pick someone up? * Katherine leans back, and grins. "Good question." She thinks for a sec, and shakes her head. "Because, like I said, I'm going to spend all of tomorrow trying to get out of work. Dealing with the one night stand just ain't worth it. Despite what ya think of me." She smirks at that. * Rochelle waves her breakfast in a placating gesture. "Just wonderin'." Nah. No biggie. * Katherine stands, and tosses the fork across into the sink, before she starts walking over to the chair on the other side of the TV area. "'Sides, I'm gonna have to make sure I'm ready for anything too. Check out the old suit, make sure I'm up on nanopaks and ammo. And probably see if I can bribe Tammy into watching Eck, if we have to leave." * Rochelle finishes off her breakfast. "Suit?" * Katherine shakes her head. "An Ex. Have had it for years." She looks square at Roch and shrugs. "You never know when you'll need one, and all I had to do was keep it up." * Rochelle nods. "Guess so." She goes about throwing out the package and placing her fork in the sink, too. <> * Katherine looks over at Eck. "Dammit, that can't be safe." She eyes the random cat hair all over it. "But we're not dead yet, so fuck it." She taps her head. "Shit. What was that damn name? Of the drunk dancing penguin." * Katherine shakes her head. "I can't remember at all. Can you, Roch?" * Rochelle thinks. "Ian?" I think his name was Ian. * Katherine nods. "Right, Ian, but his last name. I got the feeling I should know him." She shakes her head. "Guess I'll find out in a few days." <> * Rochelle shrugs. "Yeah. Can ask 'im then." She pulls on her sandals and combs her hands through her hair. * Katherine hrms, and stretches. "Well, one more day off. I should do something with it." She rubs her head. "But I don't feel much like Sangria Beltane no more. Fucking hell." She looks over at Roch. "Gearin' up to leave?" * Rochelle nods and shifts her weight. Dress is nice and all, but really not what I'm used to. * Rochelle looks out the window. 'Sides, it's a long walk back to Box City. * Katherine nods, and grins half-heartedly. "Yeah, it is. Howsabout we make it there and back today, and then ya won't have to make the trip on Friday?" * Rochelle tilts her head. Yer extending your invitation for me to stay here? Yeah. Like I said, I ain't gonna be doing much exciting, and there's plenty of space for a few days. If ya can put up with the cat, anyway. * Katherine grins. * Rochelle eyes Echidna. "I dunno..." <> * Katherine looks over at the cat. "Yeah, she's a bother, but I'm sure ya can handle it. Besides, it only hurts the people it likes." * Rochelle deadpans, "Yay." She slings her purse over her shoulder. Okay, I'll take ya up on it. Lemme show ya to my box. (You wanna keep going or ftb?) * Katherine pops out of her chair, and walks over to the bed again, extracting the .50 from its hiding place, and a shoulder holster to go with it. "Sounds like a party." Well, yeah. That's the idea. * Katherine slams the .50 into a shoulder holster, and nods, walking across the room and petting Eck briefly as she does so. "Alright, to Box City. We'll take the subway, it gets close enough." (I don't care! I'll be up forever! Aaaahahahaha!) (How about you, boxy?) (Don't really caaare. Though I'm supposed to be taking it easy, I guess.) (it's up to you, Cham. If we're goin' to Box City, you'll need to do work.) (COKE HAS RESTORED MY VIGO. Er, VIGOR.) (Uh, yeah.) (no, really, it has.) (Box City's fine with me. I might have to pop open your intro to make sure I keep internal continuity, but that's okay.) * Katherine is also taking her purse. You can never have too many guns. Or monies. (Okay!) * Rochelle starts walking... to Box City! * Katherine is ALSO picking up a very stylish leather jacket from her closet, so that the gun isn't as obvious as the claws on her hands. <> (Which is why I said we were taking the subway! Zoom!) (I paid my CP for lifestyle, I ain't walking!) (Okay, subway!) <> * Rochelle very likely follows Kat into the subway. She was set on walking, but it's easy to see why someone wouldn't want to. * Katherine does indeed go down the subway, and pulls out her thumbpad to make the paying fast. "I'll cover it, I'm the lazy one." She chuckles to herself. * Rochelle smiles a little. "Thanks. So, what do you do? For yer job, I mean." <> <> * Katherine grins. "I design cyberware. Not far from the old job, but a little less on the muscle side of things, so to speak, and more on the brains. Pays better, too." She pales, and suddenly puts her hand in her purse. "Fuck. Remind me never to get that drunk again." * Rochelle blinks. "What?" She looks down at the purse. <> * Katherine pulls out a bottle of pills, marked, "TylExced", and pours a silverish pill out, which she immediately dry-swallows. "Just the night after." Her face regains its color, and she looks around, trying to look a bit more casual than the brief panic attack. Oh. All right. * Rochelle doesn't look panicky at all, so she doesn't have to fake it! (Mmm. 2089 birth control. It's a good thing.) (^_~) (>.>) < * Rochelle stands clear of the crowd, then gets on the train and has a seat. * Katherine gets on the train too, after a slight bit of standing distracted, sitting as near Roch as possible. <> Ya sure you're okay? <> * Katherine nods, and leans back in her seat. "Yeah. Just being drunk and angry made me forget stuff." She smirks. "The wrong stuff." <> I don't usually get that drunk, after all. Ain't worth it. * Rochelle nods. "Yeah, but Sangria-Beltane, crazy stuff, and all." * Katherine grins. "Exactly." She eyes her claws idly. * Katherine rests her hands on her lap, glancing up to make sure the stop isn't missed every so often. <> * Rochelle stifles another yawn. "Yay, boxes. You've been there, right?" <> <> * Katherine nods. "Yeah, I have. Friendly people, if they aren't whacked out on something." She stands and exits. * Rochelle smiles a little and exits, too. <> * Katherine shrugs. "Well, ya can't blame 'em. Half of 'em are good people who got screwed." She walks as if, indeed, she has been here before. Not a liar, nosiree. <> Sure are. Not fair, really. * Rochelle heads thataway. * Katherine heads thataway too, and says idly, "Never is. So, how did you make the jump, anyway? Steal Zak's lunch money?" <> * Rochelle snorts. "Nah. Ain't touchin' his lunch money unless he gives it over." She quiets a little. "I don't want him mad at me, y'know?" * Katherine mms, and says, "Yeah, that's true. Pretty fiery for an ice slinger." It's not like powers have to match personality, or something. * Rochelle looks at Kat and points at her eyes. "I mean, you should have these." * Katherine laughs. "Yeah, well. Some people grow into their powers, and some people grow around their powers, and some just don't give a damn." Like the big guys. Ya never see the big guys workin' at a library, or petting puppies. I dunno, I bet we could find one puppy-petting big guy. Maybe. * Katherine keeps walking, dropping back and making sure that Roch is leading. It's Roch's box, after all. "Probably." * Rochelle leads away. "Anyway, I felt like I had to leave one day. Like I couldn't stand it anymore." So I did. I guess finding the suit helped. * Katherine nods, and then quirksk her head. "Oh? Lucky find, eh?" <> * Rochelle nods, walking and talking as plainly as ever. "Yeah. The crash was a mess, but the suit was fine. Too bad nobody lived, though." Wait, does that mean that they were doing fucking suit combat in the streets? Nah, it was a transport. No idea why they'd want to transport suits in Twilight, but I have no idea why anyone lives or works there in the first place if they don't have to. 'Sides that they're crazy. * Katherine shakes her head. "Ah, right. 'Course." * Rochelle looks at Kat. "No offense?" <> * Rochelle waves back. * Katherine snickers. "Nah, I know the feeling." She waves at the people too, just for the hell of it. "Cheap labor makes cheap suits, Roch, and that place ain't got nothin' but cheap labor, one way or the other." That's true, I guess. * Katherine walks and walks. * Rochelle does, too, as the conversation seems to have fallen into silence. <> <> * Rochelle sighs. "Home." She heads for her box. * Katherine follows. <> "Aye, girl, looks like you had a fine time!" * Rochelle waves at Hettie. "Yeah, some interestin' stuff happened. I met an old friend of mine." She indicates Kat. * Katherine waves. "Hey." <> "Good morning to you, Old Friend Of Hers." * Rochelle shakes her head. "Was just gettin' to that. Yer in a rush. Kat, this is Mad Hettie. Mad, this is Kat. There. <> "It were a fine night fer beggin' last night, but yer young, ye should be enjoyin yerself. Like ye did." * Katherine looks at the woman oddly. "Hey, Mad Hettie." * Rochelle waves vaguely. "'Sides, the begging I already did made up for it. I'm gonna get changed. Don't scare her too much." * Rochelle ducks into her box and pulls the board shut after her before she elaborates on which 'her' that is. <> * Katherine shrugs, and refrains from leaning on the box. "So, Hettie. Anything interesting happen last night 'round here? Or just the normal Box City life?" "What, you mean 'sides the bloody opera house burnin' to a crisp? NAH, not a THING outta the ord'nary!" * Katherine nods. "Sounds pretty normal to me. Don't it to you?" "Course. That's why I said not a thing outta the ordinary." <> (Idle for a brief moment. Good timing!) * Katherine nods again, and looks around idly. <> "So. Yer a dog-spirit, then?" * Katherine looksat Hettie oddly. "Pretty weird name for a dog-spirit, innit? Kat the dog-spirit?" "No. Fido is a weird name for a dog-spirit." <> How about Echidna? "That is a name for a cat if ever I've heard one." * Katherine grins. "You think so too? Good to know." "Always good to find people what agree with you." <> "Ye'll be needin' this, dear. Keep it, for luck." * Katherine looks at the stone carefully. "Ya sure ya wanna give it to a dog-spirit? I could take it and dissapear, or something." "Yer a dog, not a coyote. Dogs are loyal, innt they?" * Katherine frowns. "Guess they are, yeah. S'what makes 'em not cats." "No, what makes 'em not cats is the dog." <> "You've been on the sauce, ye wee girl." * Rochelle opens her box and climbs out, dragging a overstuffed duffel bag behind her. She's wearing old boots now, threadbare jeans, a washed out t-shirt that was likely ones deep green, and a red windbreaker. (ones -> once. Whoo, go me!) * Katherine shakes her head. "Only last night, Hettie. Haven't touched the stuff today." She turns to Roch. "Hey, just been talkin' with Hettie." She flashes the stone at Roch. "Aye, and a bonny insane dog she be. To go with you, Rochelle, ye be a cat if ever I breathed a breath of breath." Oh, she gave ya that? Hang onto it. * Rochelle blinks at Hettie. "I am?" "Aye." Why's that? <> "BEcause ye are, of course." * Rochelle shrugs. "Works for me." She hefts her bag over her shoulder. "I think I'm gonna be leavin', Mad." <> "As it should be. Moving on up, ye should be." I dunno about that, but this wasn't a bad place. I think I might miss it. (I don't live on the east side.) (You are also not a black old man. Shut up._ "Aye. Well, don't ye be forgettin' about old Mad Hettie, now." <> Don't think I could even if I tried. <> * Rochelle holds her hand out for Hettie to shake. "Take care, okay?" * Katherine waves the rock at her. "Me neither, and I've only been here a few minutes." <> "Ye as well, lass." * Rochelle removes her hand and looks down at the stone. "This for me?" "Aye." "Fer luck." <> Okay. Thanks. * Rochelle smiles a little. "G'luck, Mad." <> * Rochelle heads off into another section of Box City. * Katherine follows, and when she gets far enough away, says, "Do you think she has a stone for everyone?" She eyes her rock. Maybe. * Rochelle looks down at her own stone: small, white, and smooth. "But if she says it's good luck, who's it gonna hurt?" <> * Katherine shrugs. "Dunno. I've heard weirder. Heck, your brother makes ice from his hands. Who's to say there can't be lucky stones?" She sniffs. "Huh. Never been here this early in the morning." Yeah? * Katherine shakes her head. "Nope." <> Hard ta tell if someone was a night person or day person back at home. * Rochelle sighs. "Well. Old home." She pockets the stone. * Katherine snickers. "Yeah. The only difference was if you got any sleep when the sun was up or not." She eyes the pile of minatures in disbelief. Guess so. I kinda like the sun. * Katherine grins. "Well, maybe it'll give ya some color. I'm sure you've got a skin tone under there." * Rochelle wrinkles her nose. "Don't hold yer breath. Maybe I'm naturally this white." She heads past a bunch of the miniatures and around a corner of the building. Around the corner is a pile of circuit boards taller than a man!>> * Katherine shrugs, and keeps following. * Rochelle starts pulling off circuit boards, tossing them over her shoulder. <> * Katherine gets out of the way of the circuit board barrage, and looks confused, until she sees the exo. There, that'd be it. No label on it or anything. Figures, right? * Katherine peers at it. "Just makes it easier for you, I guess." Yup. It works, too. Just not sure what everything on it does yet... * Katherine shrugs. "Well, maybe I can help with that. Now the hard part. Where are we taking it, and how is it getting there?" Taking it wherever we're going in three days, and I'm not really sure. Well, I don't know where we're going either. * Katherine hrms thoughtfully. Guess we can leave it here a while longer. * Katherine looks around, then starts picking up circuit boards. "Yeah. Moving it around'll probably be a pain." * Rochelle nods and piles on the boards. <> (Victoly.) (Prly should wrap up cham dying.) (Probably not a bad idea. >.>) * Rochelle picks the duffel bag up from where she left it and starts walking back. "Okay, got all my stuff. Back to your place?" * Katherine nods. "Yeah. Then I can roll that stupid artifact out of the way and piss Eck off." She follows. "Serves 'er right." <>