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If anyone tells them how many of us there are I'm going to their room and slapping them in the face with their own comm.

[ Not so much a response to Johanna as to what she's reading, but surely the sentiment will make up for it? ]

What? [ Kate finally turns her head at least briefly. ] I was only around for Arima. I've heard some about the Scylla; I want to know how they know about that most.

[No, wait, important things first:]

Who's going to tell them how many of us there are.

[Not a question, a demand. Johanna shoves away from the bed to grab for Kate's comm device and pull it toward her, to see what she's looking at.]

[ Kate is not giving up her comm so easily, so when it's pulled she comes with it, rolling over to maintain a hold. ]

I don't know, nobody so far, but they keep asking. I doubt it really matters what we say though, at some point they're going to try to blow us to pieces regardless.

[Hmph.

With no one to scream at, Johanna lets go of Kate's device, but she doesn't shove her away or anything, so. Fine. Stay rolled close.]

That seems pretty impersonal.

[ Fine. ]

Maybe if someone tells them how few of us there really are they'll only blow up enough to disable the ship and then board us and try to shoot us individually instead. Better?

[ Actually yes that is better, isn't it. ]

[Actually--]

Yeah.

[If she says it kind of slowly, it's because she's thinking about how much she likes that idea. They can try and shoot her. It's not going to work.]

I'll tell them, if it means we get a shot at them.

[And she lifts her arm, jostling Kate a little as she tugs her comm device out from under her arm. The crackle of the jump announcement doesn't deter her in the slightest.]

[ Kate is looking at her comm again now that she has it back, scrolling through new posts and not paying as much attention as she should to what Johanna is saying. She probably should've anticipated this anyway.

But it's too late when the words and the jostling filter through and she turns again and reaches to stick a hand over Johanna's device. ]

Wait, what? You're not seriously-- oh my god.

[Come on, Kate, what did you expect!

Irritated, Johanna shrugs at Kate, trying to get her off of her device and also off of her. It's too late, anyways. She was writing the last words when Kate put two and two together, and she only has to struggle a little to hit SEND.]

It's better than waiting. That's one of the best ideas you've ever had, Katie.

[ Kate sighs dramatically and rolls her eyes but lets go, giving Johanna back her comm if not her personal space. ]

It was not an idea! We don't know anything about their capabilities except that they're probably better supplied, better trained, and outnumber us. Not to mention-- oh my god.

[ Not another complaint, this is an incredulous laugh as she stares at her screen, and then laughs again, and starts tapping at the keyboard. ]

She used a smiley face. These people are either even bigger trolls than I thought or complete idiots.

Yeah, yeah. The odds have never been in my favor. That's never stopped me before.

[And she's got her comms, which is what she really wants. Until she wants Kate's, again, because with a comment like that--]

A smiley face?

[And she's grabbing again, tugging the device closer so she can have a look, interrupting Kate's reply.]

Oh my god, is everybody dumb?

Edited (8S) 2015-01-08 22:17 (UTC)

Hey!

[ Kate's reply is ruined by that reach and pull for her device, half of it copy pasted in the middle of the old version so it's a garbled mess. She bats at Johanna's arms and tugs the comm away again once she's had a moment to read it, turning on her side toward the wall, the better to protect the device from grabby hands. ]

What are the chances it's just a passive-aggressive coincidence and not some sort of reference to Smiley?

Like none?

[Johanna doesn't put up a huge fight. She keeps hold of the device for just a second, but once Kate starts getting slappy, she lets it go, folds her arms again and plops her cheek onto them.]

If they know so much, you'd think they'd know to avoid smiley face.

You'd think.

[ Kate keeps typing, lip caught between her teeth and eyes narrowed at the screen as she apparently debates a reply. She rolls back over once Johanna settles down and stops trying to interfere. ]

I'm just going to tell her to fuck off.

Good.

[That makes Johanna laugh, a little too sharp to be just amusement. One of her bare feet kicks against one of Kate's calves, playfully.]

More people need to do that. I really do hope she comes after us, her and all of her friends. I'd like to tell her personally.

[ Kate kicks back, just a tiny bit harder. ]

Part of me hopes that, too. That'd be a problem I know how to attack.

Then let's bring them here.

[And fuck you, Kate; she kicks back, even harder, twisting her leg so she can use her sharp heel. This is the non-cut foot, so it's a good strike.]

[ Two can play at this game (that Kate semi-intentionally started)!! She kicks back, a sharp snap of her foot. ]

I want to see what we can find out, first. Not to mention there are two hundred other people involved.

So? That's two hundred other people who can help, or take up space. Whatever.

[Meatshields, et cetera. Johanna tries to roll her leg out of the way in time, but she doesn't entirely succeed. Kate's foot still strikes its target. Irritated, she rolls her eyes.]

You know they're not going to tell us anything.

It's two hundred other people who get a say in how this is handled. Not that any of that matters since we have no way to tell them where we are anyway and last I checked neither of us was Tony Stark.

[ But one of them did just win the stupid leg-kicking game, and Johanna's lack of immediate reprisal gets a hint of a satisfied smirk for a second. ]

Who cares. I'm going to make her do it.

[fuck Tony Stark whoever he is. Johanna turns her device around so Kate can see her otherwise private message with Raven. Triumphant, however preemptively.

There's a beat--and then she lashes out, suddenly, twists onto her side so she can kick at Kate with both feet.]

They care. I care.

[ Sorry, Johanna, Kate is giving her one of those looks, the flat dry ones that are super unimpressed with her attitude. She leans over to look at the message and rolls her eyes, and then rolls over to lie on top of Johanna's legs after that kick catches her right in the muscle and threatens bruises. ]

Then you're as stupid as them.

[--She says, with venom. It loses some of its power when Kate rolls on top of her legs, cuts off in a huff of irritated breath. She arches her hips against the bed, trying to heave Kate off. It's enough that she manages to get a little relief from her weight, but the angle is bad.]

Get off of me.

[ Kate sprawls even more deliberately and obnoxiously, flopping legs and an arm out, pure dead weight. ]

Yeah, wow. Caution and foresight, how stupid is that. I'm such an idiot wanting to take more than five minutes to figure out my options instead of just charging off like bull who saw red.

[She makes a noise from between her teeth, a short bark of sound that's halfway to a laugh. Fuck you and your dead weight.]

What options? They weren't telling us shit. They were practically taunting us. You can't tell me you're actually okay with that?

[And she twists one arm around to pinch at Kate's leg, catching as much meat as she can between thumb and forefinger.]

They're not going to rescue us.

Edited (fuck error oops) 2015-01-09 22:55 (UTC)

Unlike some people, I don't feel the need to respond to every single thing that annoys me even a little with violence. [ Which is why she pretends not to have noticed that pinch and doesn't retaliate even though her nose wrinkles in pain. She is making a point here!! ]

We have plenty of options worth at least exploring. If we just keep in contact maybe we can figure out how they're contacting us and use it to track them, or get into their systems, or contact somebody else. Maybe we can convince them to send us stuff, maybe we can find out more about where we are, more about what they know, or about how the ship works. Just because they won't volunteer all their secrets or fall over themselves doing exactly what we'd like doesn't mean the only alternative is attacking them immediately. Honestly, try a little imagination.

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