Kate Bishop (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alsohawkeye) wrote2024-01-11 07:28 pm
alsohawkeye) wrote2024-01-11 07:28 pm
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KATE BISHOP
KATE BISHOP
Don't let people make you a joke.
[Again, like: duh. So much of this is probably lost in translation, a disconnect between Kate's childhood and her own. Kissing games are pretty universal, even if they seem about a hundred years ago, a dim memory that she's put away with so many others.
It's easier, then, to just listen to Kate. Tall and blonde and blue-eyed, and a bad kisser. She smirks a little.]
And then what happened?
[Again, like: duh. So much of this is probably lost in translation, a disconnect between Kate's childhood and her own. Kissing games are pretty universal, even if they seem about a hundred years ago, a dim memory that she's put away with so many others.
It's easier, then, to just listen to Kate. Tall and blonde and blue-eyed, and a bad kisser. She smirks a little.]
And then what happened?
Kid. [ Kate repeats it like a mantra, presses it into the top of Johanna's shoulder. ] Middle school girls are vicious, and I didn't own an axe. [ The joke comes with a teasing press of her teeth through t-shirt sleeve. ]
Then I realized that Brad was also about as dumb as a box of rocks and half as interesting. So I told him I was too busy for a boyfriend. I mean I was, it was sort of true, but mostly it was that I was bored to tears and afraid he was going to somehow dislocate my tongue.
Then I realized that Brad was also about as dumb as a box of rocks and half as interesting. So I told him I was too busy for a boyfriend. I mean I was, it was sort of true, but mostly it was that I was bored to tears and afraid he was going to somehow dislocate my tongue.
[No axe and young age are both theoretically explanations that should suffice--but that doesn't stop Johanna from rolling her eyes, hugely, even unseen.
The treatment of poor Brad gets her to laugh, pleased, so young Kate is forgiven for her lack of axes.]
God, you poor thing. At least you let him down easy. How did he take it?
The treatment of poor Brad gets her to laugh, pleased, so young Kate is forgiven for her lack of axes.]
God, you poor thing. At least you let him down easy. How did he take it?
He was very confused. I don't think a girl had ever not been interested in him before. He didn't really understand what was happening.
[ Brad must have been a pretty nice guy despite his incredible dumbness because Kate sounds a little bit pitying on top of amused. ]
He spent a couple days acting like we were still dating and then a week printing out bad song lyrics and putting them in my locker like that would win me back somehow, and then he started dating Mandy Moncrieff. I think they're still together. They might be engaged actually.
[ Brad must have been a pretty nice guy despite his incredible dumbness because Kate sounds a little bit pitying on top of amused. ]
He spent a couple days acting like we were still dating and then a week printing out bad song lyrics and putting them in my locker like that would win me back somehow, and then he started dating Mandy Moncrieff. I think they're still together. They might be engaged actually.
[Boys. Johanna rolls her eyes again, hugely. Her lack of connection with Brad Harper makes it easy for her to be disgusted with his stupidity.]
You're a real heartbreaker.
[But if anything, she sounds quite pleased about that. Kate isn't deserving of her scorn in this situation.]
No one's putting bad lyrics in your locker here, are they? I mean, you've been here for awhile. You've had plenty of chances to break some more.
You're a real heartbreaker.
[But if anything, she sounds quite pleased about that. Kate isn't deserving of her scorn in this situation.]
No one's putting bad lyrics in your locker here, are they? I mean, you've been here for awhile. You've had plenty of chances to break some more.
[ Kate laughs. It's not the first time someone's said something like that about her, but it is the first time it's been said approvingly. And anything that comes so near to a genuine compliment from Johanna is to be filed away and treasured, obviously. ]
No, none here. The guy I hooked up with on and off for a couple months vanished at a jump before we got to the inevitable break up, which was good since listening to him fumble through it was going to be painful.
[ Not an entirely fair assessment of Aidan but that's another of the perks of him going home: nobody around to call her on being unfair. She props her head up just a little on a folded elbow, mouth tugged into a smile Johanna can hear in her voice. ]
He got so flustered sometimes. You should've seen his face this one time when I suggested he go down on me. Like he'd never heard anybody actually say it before.
No, none here. The guy I hooked up with on and off for a couple months vanished at a jump before we got to the inevitable break up, which was good since listening to him fumble through it was going to be painful.
[ Not an entirely fair assessment of Aidan but that's another of the perks of him going home: nobody around to call her on being unfair. She props her head up just a little on a folded elbow, mouth tugged into a smile Johanna can hear in her voice. ]
He got so flustered sometimes. You should've seen his face this one time when I suggested he go down on me. Like he'd never heard anybody actually say it before.
[Johanna laughs, and it's mean--but of course it is. She's not even pretending to watch the shitty movie now. Instead, she's laying with her head on Kate's pillow, with her eyes shut and her grin sprawled across her face, very amused at the misfortune of others. Although in this case, the others is only partially Kate, and really only a very little bit Kate at that.]
God, you know how to pick them. But he had done it before, right? Don't tell me he hadn't--and don't tell me he was just too polite--
[The twist of her voice suggests just where politeness can get shoved.]
God, you know how to pick them. But he had done it before, right? Don't tell me he hadn't--and don't tell me he was just too polite--
[The twist of her voice suggests just where politeness can get shoved.]
Hey, anything you say about my taste just comes back on you, remember. [ Not that Kate's offended in the slightest by that little dig, any hurt in her tone very clearly a joke. She's not watching the movie either, leaving the hapless teens to their on-screen fate. She's leaned almost against Johanna's side, one arm still draped around her, hand settled on her ribs for the moment. ]
But no, god, no, he definitely had before. With me, even. He was perfectly good at it, he was just totally taken aback when I suggested it in actual words, out loud. It was almost kind of cute, but, you know. A pretty good sign it wasn't going to work out.
But no, god, no, he definitely had before. With me, even. He was perfectly good at it, he was just totally taken aback when I suggested it in actual words, out loud. It was almost kind of cute, but, you know. A pretty good sign it wasn't going to work out.
[Johanna just snorts, dismissively, at that chiding. That is to say: obviously she was the exception to her cutting assessment, just like she's always the exception.]
Please. I'm breaking your run of bad luck.
[And you better be grateful for it. The longer they lay in this position, all pushed and draped together, the more used to it Johanna gets. Soon she'll catch herself, and get away. For now, it's all right (more or less); she can put up with it.]
And that's not cute. Did he want it to always be his idea or something? Like a surprise, every time? [Her voice gets all coo-y and purry and pouty, a tone which dissolves instantly with her next pearl of wisdom:] Men are so dumb.
Please. I'm breaking your run of bad luck.
[And you better be grateful for it. The longer they lay in this position, all pushed and draped together, the more used to it Johanna gets. Soon she'll catch herself, and get away. For now, it's all right (more or less); she can put up with it.]
And that's not cute. Did he want it to always be his idea or something? Like a surprise, every time? [Her voice gets all coo-y and purry and pouty, a tone which dissolves instantly with her next pearl of wisdom:] Men are so dumb.
[ Kate's chuckle is definitely not at the idea of Johanna breaking her run of bad luck. Not at all. (She's definitely breaking her run of something.) It's vaguely tempting to roll in closer, maybe hook a leg over Johanna's nearest, but she's comfortable as she is and inertia saves her from pushing her luck for the moment. ]
No, I don't think that was it. I think I just caught him off-guard. It was sort of-- we were having kind of a serious conversation and he'd just woken up from being coma'd and I'd just gotten back from the hallway nightmare and it was kind of conversational whiplash. [ But that's more information than she suspects Johanna wanted, so she adds, not insincerely, ] And men are so dumb.
No, I don't think that was it. I think I just caught him off-guard. It was sort of-- we were having kind of a serious conversation and he'd just woken up from being coma'd and I'd just gotten back from the hallway nightmare and it was kind of conversational whiplash. [ But that's more information than she suspects Johanna wanted, so she adds, not insincerely, ] And men are so dumb.
[It is more information than she wanted, actually, but. Whatever. Maybe one day she'll figure out how to have a normal conversation about abnormal things, instead of just skipping around and disdaining half of what she's told.
Actually, it's more disdaining three-fourths of what she's told, and that's on a good day.]
Really? You'd think he'd just have offered, after all of that. As a welcome back present or something.
Actually, it's more disdaining three-fourths of what she's told, and that's on a good day.]
Really? You'd think he'd just have offered, after all of that. As a welcome back present or something.
Seriously. I thought it was a pretty obvious idea.
[ Boys. Still smiling, Kate shrugs, and shifts a little to brush hair off the back of her neck, letting it spread across the pillow before she tucks her arm beneath it again. ]
You must've broken your share of hearts here or at home, right?
[ Boys. Still smiling, Kate shrugs, and shifts a little to brush hair off the back of her neck, letting it spread across the pillow before she tucks her arm beneath it again. ]
You must've broken your share of hearts here or at home, right?
Edited (right right right right) 2015-01-27 20:09 (UTC)
Yeah. With my axe.
[Her eyes open, narrowed to slits, as she grins--all teeth, all exaggerated. She hasn't actually chopped anyone's heart into pieces, but she's thought about it. More than once.]
But you're right. I guess I've had the chance to do my part so by now, people know not to mess with me.
[Her eyes open, narrowed to slits, as she grins--all teeth, all exaggerated. She hasn't actually chopped anyone's heart into pieces, but she's thought about it. More than once.]
But you're right. I guess I've had the chance to do my part so by now, people know not to mess with me.
your tags keep getting older but mine stay the saaaame aaaage
alsohawkeye
2015-01-28 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Kate huffs a little laugh at that and rolls her eyes, but it's a sort of fond expression, not that Johanna can see it anyway. ]
You must have have a story. Of some poor person long ago who didn't know not to mess with you or some poor dumb boy who didn't understand break ups? Or girl, I guess, but boys just seem dumber.
You must have have a story. Of some poor person long ago who didn't know not to mess with you or some poor dumb boy who didn't understand break ups? Or girl, I guess, but boys just seem dumber.
[Not like Kate's. Nothing like Kate's. Johanna shows her teeth in another grin, and her face is turned up toward the ceiling, and Kate's face is turned away, so she'll never see it; it doesn't matter that it's all teeth and no amusement. She makes herself think of before: District 7]
Mica Comfrey. When I was fourteen, they took half the boys out of our troop and made them work in the sawmill in Creek Village. They were doing some huge project at the Capitol and needed the logs cut faster. Double work for everyone. Mica went with them, and when he came back, two years later, he was twice as tall and twice as good looking and twice as stupid. He told me he was in love with me the day he got back. We hooked up for a week, and then I pushed him in the river when he got too annoying.
[She sighs.]
He pretty much got it then. But I'd still catch him giving me these pathetic little looks.
Mica Comfrey. When I was fourteen, they took half the boys out of our troop and made them work in the sawmill in Creek Village. They were doing some huge project at the Capitol and needed the logs cut faster. Double work for everyone. Mica went with them, and when he came back, two years later, he was twice as tall and twice as good looking and twice as stupid. He told me he was in love with me the day he got back. We hooked up for a week, and then I pushed him in the river when he got too annoying.
[She sighs.]
He pretty much got it then. But I'd still catch him giving me these pathetic little looks.
[In her sleep, Johanna turns, sharply, against Kate.
This isn't cuddling. They don't often sleep together--not real sleep. Eyes shut, breath slow and even--that kind of sleep, it's rare that Johanna ever gets it, and never in the company of anyone else.
She turns again, away. Her legs kick at nothing, loosing the blanket. Sweat clings it to her skin, and in her head, played across the screen of her closed eyes, Johanna sees green. Green, the evening's light filtered through the leaves, and when the wind blows, they clatter together like applause, distant, quiet, before it slows, and fades. Listen.
In the tree, her father smiles down at her, and holds out his hand. Here. She hears his voice, even though his lips don't move. She's already halfway up the tree, and on the ground below her are the six corpses, laid out with their limbs splayed, and the spatter of gore soaking the dirt.
Johanna puts her hand in her father's, and he pulls her up, one tug, grabs her up and grips at her arm to hold her steady.
And all around them, the trees are on fire, and Johanna's mouth is full of blood--blood, on her fingers, on her hands, soaked all the way to her elbows, sticking her shirtfront to her chest. Only it isn't blood. It's water. Water, and her father's grip isn't her father's, it's the gloved hand of the Peacekeeper, holding her down, and the tight grip of the restraints. The chair, the same chair, metal, and she throws herself to the side, and to the other, and she can hear the hum of electricity already, and her breath sobs out of her, from between the piece of plastic they shoved between her teeth. Water is dripping off of her hair, rolling down her arms, and they're watching, all of them, eyes fixed on her, waiting. The lights go down; the electricity swells, hums, tears from the inside out, and Johanna screams, and screams, and the electricity throws her to one side, and back, and she screams--]
This isn't cuddling. They don't often sleep together--not real sleep. Eyes shut, breath slow and even--that kind of sleep, it's rare that Johanna ever gets it, and never in the company of anyone else.
She turns again, away. Her legs kick at nothing, loosing the blanket. Sweat clings it to her skin, and in her head, played across the screen of her closed eyes, Johanna sees green. Green, the evening's light filtered through the leaves, and when the wind blows, they clatter together like applause, distant, quiet, before it slows, and fades. Listen.
In the tree, her father smiles down at her, and holds out his hand. Here. She hears his voice, even though his lips don't move. She's already halfway up the tree, and on the ground below her are the six corpses, laid out with their limbs splayed, and the spatter of gore soaking the dirt.
Johanna puts her hand in her father's, and he pulls her up, one tug, grabs her up and grips at her arm to hold her steady.
And all around them, the trees are on fire, and Johanna's mouth is full of blood--blood, on her fingers, on her hands, soaked all the way to her elbows, sticking her shirtfront to her chest. Only it isn't blood. It's water. Water, and her father's grip isn't her father's, it's the gloved hand of the Peacekeeper, holding her down, and the tight grip of the restraints. The chair, the same chair, metal, and she throws herself to the side, and to the other, and she can hear the hum of electricity already, and her breath sobs out of her, from between the piece of plastic they shoved between her teeth. Water is dripping off of her hair, rolling down her arms, and they're watching, all of them, eyes fixed on her, waiting. The lights go down; the electricity swells, hums, tears from the inside out, and Johanna screams, and screams, and the electricity throws her to one side, and back, and she screams--]
It's a shame the pretty ones are so often the stupid ones.
[ Not really fair to any of Kate's actual boyfriends but whatever. They had their moments of stupid even if they weren't Mica Comfrey level, whatever that is. Johanna's threshold for stupid is a moving target anyway. ]
How about that first boy, the one who was terrible, did you push him in the river?
[ Not really fair to any of Kate's actual boyfriends but whatever. They had their moments of stupid even if they weren't Mica Comfrey level, whatever that is. Johanna's threshold for stupid is a moving target anyway. ]
How about that first boy, the one who was terrible, did you push him in the river?
Vitus.
[Her eyeroll makes it into her tone of voice.]
No, I pushed him out of a tree. God. He didn't leave for the sawmills. His dad was team captain when they picked the boys, so of course he didn't get picked--and we were the oldest ones in the camp for a few years, so we kept having to work together...
[She sighs.]
It sucks, being surrounded by the same hundred people all the time.
[Her eyeroll makes it into her tone of voice.]
No, I pushed him out of a tree. God. He didn't leave for the sawmills. His dad was team captain when they picked the boys, so of course he didn't get picked--and we were the oldest ones in the camp for a few years, so we kept having to work together...
[She sighs.]
It sucks, being surrounded by the same hundred people all the time.
Out of a tree? [ Kate's laugh is a little horrified but mostly just a laugh. He's probably fine. ] Ouch.
What'd he do?
[ Surrounded by the same hundred people gets a softer huff of a chuckle and she nods. ] That's a good thing about New York. With millions of people there's always variety if you want it.
What'd he do?
[ Surrounded by the same hundred people gets a softer huff of a chuckle and she nods. ] That's a good thing about New York. With millions of people there's always variety if you want it.
I don't always want variety. It's just nice to have people that don't know you, and don't want to know you.
[She's not completely convinced of that statement, in retrospect. But it's too late now. And it really had been suffocating, at the time, comfortable but frustrating, and that part's no lie. So: whatever.]
He didn't do anything. Except annoy me. We weren't even that high in the tree, he didn't break a bone. And he didn't cry, either. Thank god. But he still didn't shut up half the time, so maybe I should have broken his arm.
[Another sigh. Good times.]
Now I told you two. It's your turn again.
[She's not completely convinced of that statement, in retrospect. But it's too late now. And it really had been suffocating, at the time, comfortable but frustrating, and that part's no lie. So: whatever.]
He didn't do anything. Except annoy me. We weren't even that high in the tree, he didn't break a bone. And he didn't cry, either. Thank god. But he still didn't shut up half the time, so maybe I should have broken his arm.
[Another sigh. Good times.]
Now I told you two. It's your turn again.
[ It's not the screaming that wakes her. Kate's always been a light sleeper, one of many reasons they've done this only a handful of times over the last several months. But it's not the noise on its own; that slots into her own dream, out the mouth of a blonde teen Kate can never quite reach no matter how hard she runs. A blast of yellow-white fire throws her aside again and again and Kate reaches and Cassie screams-- but Cassie never screamed. No one screamed, there was just the crackle of power and she hit the ground, so softly they never dreamed she was dead. It hits her suddenly, the wrongness of it, and then she's awake.
She's awake and someone is screaming and it isn't her but it's real, she touches the wall of the cabin and presses a hand over her ear and there's cool metal and the sound gets quieter. It's real, and it's Johanna. That takes another few seconds to process, that it's Johanna, who is here, in her bed. Obviously. ]
Johanna. Johanna. Wake up. [ Kate's first attempt at her name comes out as a sleepy croak and she coughs and tries again, pushing up to sit. She tries not to touch her but the beds are narrow and Johanna's no more considerate asleep than awake, so some bumping is inevitable. ] It's Kate, Johanna--
She's awake and someone is screaming and it isn't her but it's real, she touches the wall of the cabin and presses a hand over her ear and there's cool metal and the sound gets quieter. It's real, and it's Johanna. That takes another few seconds to process, that it's Johanna, who is here, in her bed. Obviously. ]
Johanna. Johanna. Wake up. [ Kate's first attempt at her name comes out as a sleepy croak and she coughs and tries again, pushing up to sit. She tries not to touch her but the beds are narrow and Johanna's no more considerate asleep than awake, so some bumping is inevitable. ] It's Kate, Johanna--
[Johanna, and she will do anything to get free, she will chew her own fucking arm off if it means getting free, they won't fix her this time but it won't matter, there's no one that's going to save her. Johanna Mason of District 7, and Victor of the 71st Hunger Games!, and the sizzle and hum fades into the applause, thunderous--the lights are white bright and hot and she's crying, her teeth grinding together, savage, Johanna--
When she feels the brush at her arm she thinks wire, she thinks more, another wire and another lance of electricity. No, it's wordless, but it's in her shriek, and she surges against the bonds that hold her back.
She should know that it's a dream when her arm breaks free. Tearing backwards out of sleep, jerked half away, still caught in the terror of the nightmare--and when she raises her arm to get away from the wire it comes up, and she doesn't register that the brushed touch was Kate's hand, arm, bumped against her, she registers only escape, she will kill them with her bare hands, one handed, she has to. Blind with terror, still half in her dream, she strikes out, hard--]
When she feels the brush at her arm she thinks wire, she thinks more, another wire and another lance of electricity. No, it's wordless, but it's in her shriek, and she surges against the bonds that hold her back.
She should know that it's a dream when her arm breaks free. Tearing backwards out of sleep, jerked half away, still caught in the terror of the nightmare--and when she raises her arm to get away from the wire it comes up, and she doesn't register that the brushed touch was Kate's hand, arm, bumped against her, she registers only escape, she will kill them with her bare hands, one handed, she has to. Blind with terror, still half in her dream, she strikes out, hard--]
[ Kate's duck is a little off, a little slow, and Johanna catches her right in the face, hard enough to prompt a grunt of pain and a whined curse. Kate jerks away and ducks more fully, both hands over her eyes, fingers cool against the skin but not enough to fend off the swelling she can already guess is coming. She mumbles another fuck under her breath and holds a hand out in guard, sitting up only warily, head drawn back out of immediate range. She's on the wall-side, and climbing out around her doesn't seem like any safer an option. ]
Johanna, wake up. You're on the ship. You're having a nightmare. I know they suck but if you try to punch me again I'm still shoving you out of bed. [ because ow that really hurt ]
Johanna, wake up. You're on the ship. You're having a nightmare. I know they suck but if you try to punch me again I'm still shoving you out of bed. [ because ow that really hurt ]
[Her hand hurts too ok
And the nightmare is fast fading now anyways, dissolving--Kate's voice, Kate's bed, the cold chill of space and the bed and blankets still warm from two bodies. Wild-eyed, she stares--at Kate, at the walls, at the ceiling--her eyes flicking over every object in quick succession, and then back to Kate again, starting over. The force of her breath heaves at her chest, shudders through her nose, in, and then out through her clenched teeth.
The ship, she tells herself. The ship. Fucking stop. Her face is wet, but the wet--when she raises her shaking fingers to her cheeks--the wet is from her tears. Fuck, she thinks, and--]
Fuck-- [She says it aloud, her voice too small and breathless; it catches on the first letter, shaky--] F-Fuck, God--
[But hey even if she's still staring around the room like a crazy person, with her fingers pressed against her cheeks, dragging her eyes down a little--she hasn't hit Kate again. (Yet.)]
And the nightmare is fast fading now anyways, dissolving--Kate's voice, Kate's bed, the cold chill of space and the bed and blankets still warm from two bodies. Wild-eyed, she stares--at Kate, at the walls, at the ceiling--her eyes flicking over every object in quick succession, and then back to Kate again, starting over. The force of her breath heaves at her chest, shudders through her nose, in, and then out through her clenched teeth.
The ship, she tells herself. The ship. Fucking stop. Her face is wet, but the wet--when she raises her shaking fingers to her cheeks--the wet is from her tears. Fuck, she thinks, and--]
Fuck-- [She says it aloud, her voice too small and breathless; it catches on the first letter, shaky--] F-Fuck, God--
[But hey even if she's still staring around the room like a crazy person, with her fingers pressed against her cheeks, dragging her eyes down a little--she hasn't hit Kate again. (Yet.)]
[ She's not going to get a black hand that's not even a thing
Kate tries lowering her hand from her face, but it hurts to blink, an ache already settling in along the bone, and she covers it back up, fingers pressed into her forehead. She wishes she had something to prop her elbow on so she could just lean. ]
Breathe. In two three four, out two three four five six, if you count it'll slow it down to normal just try it. [ The last bit might get droned a little, tired again as the immediate rush of adrenaline fades and fully anticipating her attempt to help getting her smacked in one way or another. ]
Kate tries lowering her hand from her face, but it hurts to blink, an ache already settling in along the bone, and she covers it back up, fingers pressed into her forehead. She wishes she had something to prop her elbow on so she could just lean. ]
Breathe. In two three four, out two three four five six, if you count it'll slow it down to normal just try it. [ The last bit might get droned a little, tired again as the immediate rush of adrenaline fades and fully anticipating her attempt to help getting her smacked in one way or another. ]
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