<> <> <> * Katherine rubs her temple and takes a deep breath before managing to say, lamely, "So." "So." * Katherine throws up her hands. "Christ, Chako, what the hell are we supposed to talk about? 'So, how's the crisis?' I'm sure you're having a hell of a lot of fun." "Yeah, great fun. Loads of fun to try and take out a planet-wide riot without firing my gun." <> "The HEXes in orbit at the moment are outfitted with netguns. NETguns, dammit." * Katherine smirks. "Yeah. Well. Too damn bad. Not killing everyone in the way, and all." Beat. "Can't believe you're complaining about NOT killing people. That's so you." <> "I'm trying to do my job. Who's gonna save the world? You and that group of dipshits? Please, the Hippies had a better shot." (... substitute a better word for 'ruffians'. ) * Katherine snorts. "We were doing fine. Fire support's welcome, but we stopped enough shit by ourselves." "Ooh, nice and tough. All ready to take on an Old One." <> "You could have at least mailed more often. It's not like you're not jacked in all the time anyhow." * Katherine frowns. "Yeah, well, fuck you, alright?" She puts her hand to her temple. "It's not like Ronnie wasn't fucking watching the whole time. Look out for Chako Styrina's goddamn daughter." "Hey, I didn't program her to be such a nosy bitch. It's not like she's not over my shoulder all the damn time, either." * Katherine smirks thinly. "Yeah. Too bad about Vernon not being able to get her plastered, huh?" "Fuck, don't mention Vernon. I about had his kidneys when he told me where he'd sent you." <> "As it is, he'll be limping for a month out of suit." (Am I anywhere close? Tonight's been a weird night.) (You're doing fine, yeah.) * Katherine smirks more. "If he hadn't collapsed the second we made it out, Thren might have done it HIMSELF. And that's fucking saying something." (This is the first time she's seen the ears, isn't it?) (She saw them, like, once, back before Kat left.) (Kat did it, yelled at her some more, and then ditched.) <> "I still can't believe you fucking got those things." * Katherine flicks her ear. "Yeah, well, makes it easier to not see you in the goddamn mirror." * Katherine then taps her head firmly, with the ball of one of her fingers, as opposed to poking her skull out. "It hasn't gotten any goddamn better. Hell, being around Thren made it fucking worse." (I'm more waiting for her to jump on Kat having the nanosuit.) "Shit. What, you think I haven't been on someone's ass about it? Christ, Vernon's kid holed up in the belltower of a nearby church and sang Irish sea shanties for a week till he passed out from lack of food." <> (Kay, will work around to it.) * Katherine sighs slightly. "Yeah." Beat. "Ronnie found something that fixes it, but it's not mass production, and we didn't exactly get to take it the fuck along." Thren's better off than Vernon's kid, but he's... <> "I don't wanna hear about it. Isis keeps totally silent, and I figure I don't fuckin' wanna know. Bad enough I gotta see Tim's spawn every once in a while." <> "Where the fuck did you get THAT?" * Katherine groans slightly, then says, "Fin-- what?" "The exo. The NANO-exo." * Katherine pauses and says quieter, "Oh." Beat. "Egg decided anyone who wanted in had to do some Sleythin Bloodsuit, and I didn't have one." Beat. "So I fucking got one." "Je-sus FUCK, when where you on Sleythin? Dammit, I don't wanna know. How much did that cost you?" * Katherine replies, "A gash in the arm and a crushed hand." Beat, then muttered, "They don't just fucking hand 'em out. I had to get the location out of Gyor'carl." * Katherine raises a hand. "Got a lot in common. She fucking hates you, I fucking hate you. And she drinks like a horse. Worked out well." <> "Mo-ther-fucker. Musta been a blast for you." Well, no deaths on either side. Can't complain about that. * Katherine rolls her eyes. "Although they're selling copies of the fight on disc. I'm sure Mom'll love it." "Shit. She's flipping out as it is that you're not down in a bomb shelter with her." * Katherine smiles a little weakly. "Yeah. Well. Not our lot." (aaaand I'm out of places to go with this.) (Well, give Kat a sec.) * Katherine snorts after a second, "Okay, you'd do it for fucking kicks, so it's not MY lot." "Hey, dammit, it's not all fucking roses on my end. You wanna see what savin' the fucking world got me?" * Katherine rolls her eyes. "What, more scars and weekends out of the house? Shit, I get the nightmares you never fucking got, Chako! You're like a goddamn killing machine!" <> "I've got plenty of time for nightmares now, kid." * Katherine stares at it too, then explode-yells, "What the fuck? You're not a 24! Did you down All-Drug?" Shiver. "Christ. All-Drug." <> "Don't know. Don't think so. Haven't told any of the others yet, but we're all kinda freaked lately. More than we'd usually be. Guessin' it's not fucking isolated." <> "We got All-Drug in us, you're gonna have to take us down, you know that?" * Katherine looks into the seriousness in her mother's eyes, then turns away slightly and says quietly, "Just remember to ditch the suit. This is only a prototype." "I'll try. Can't tell when my mind's gonna go." <> "Remember not to tell your mom." * Katherine says quickly, "Oh, god no. Krissy'd never..." She trails off, then looks back at Chako. "Look, Chako, I..." she looks away. "Fuck. I still hate how you just... you're a fucking psychopath, mom. If it weren't for Krissy..." <> "Psychopath, fuckin' maybe." * Katherine turns back to her. "And you don't even care, and I have to fight it just to not...!" she trails off, then mutters, "Space jesus. You don't deserve her." (lol oedipus) (Yeah, well.) <> "Probably not. Doesn't change things, though. And I'll be repentant when I'm dead. If I'm dead." <> (I guess Chako missed the 'multifunction nano-things make people explode' thing.) (Or she figures you're her daughter and thus are awerseomes._ (That too!) * Katherine glares at her, then shakes her head. "Fuck dammit, Chako..." (WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME MAKE A COMPLETE REACTION PLZ) (Snicker. She could just shrug or not respond.) <> * Katherine looks at her, then shakes her head. "Try not to stumbmle into any nanodestrutors. And don't underestimate these kids. They've been fighting for a damn long time." <> "If you say they are, then they're probably pretty good." <> "You ought to watch your left side. You're weak on blocking." <> "Already saw the bootleg disc." <> * Katherine glares at her an then says, "Dammit, Chako, you bitch!" She waits a second, then shakes her head with a slight laugh. "God." <>