all aboard the ss blamless

[pyroelectric]

Who: Crew of the SS Blameless and visitors.
Broadcast: Nope
Action: SS Blameless
When: March, or until we feel like a new one.

[It's a mingle! Get out of the car!

Unique ship notes for new crew and visitors: giant, unmissable scorch marks currently line the walls of several corridors leading from the cargo hold to the bridge!

Also, thanks to Kate, we now have a SWEARS AND ATTITUDES JAR displayed prominently in the kitchen. Whenever someone's being naughty instead of nice, they're compelled to deposit a few credits (or at least an iou) into the awaiting jar.

Also also, we are all still bunking together. HAVE FUN.]

Comments

[ladybro]

[ kate sits a little straighter. her eyes grow more alert. but she doesn't jump -- she barely flinches, because part of having such a good aim of her own involves understanding when the trajectory of something else isn't going to slice through her head. what she does do, however, is set aside her makeshift knives and fishes azula's out from where it had fallen. there's a sizable nick in the metal bulkhead. ]

Careful, [ she drawls. ] I don't think any of us want a breach.

[ and it looks like she's totally keeping that (much better) throwing knife. thanks, princess. ]

[pyroelectric]

[No matter-- Azula didn't exactly Kate to just throw it back to her. Azula is not a person accustomed to worrying over money or things that are easily replaceable, after all. She'll just steal it or take it back later. Or buy another one. The important thing was getting the scraping to stop.]

A breach would be preferable, at this point. Why not just go buy some weapons? It would be easier than all this.

[ladybro]

It's called frugal-living. [ kate does sound a little sanctimonious, doesn't she? but then again, she used to live the easy and moneyed life until her dad cancelled her credit cards and marooned her in california with a supervillain. ] Besides, I'm not making weapons. Not exactly. These would make some pretty crap weapons.

[pyroelectric]

Well, I wasn't going to mention it.

What are they for then, if not weaponry?

[ladybro]

[ how magnanimous of you, azula. ]

They're...practice. Honestly? I want to put up a target or three in the cargo bay. But the thing with targets is that you need something to throw at them. I considered picking up some darts, but -- [ she raised one of her knives-in-progress and coolly demonstrated the different between chucking a knife and throwing a dart. ]

Darts just aren't me.

[pyroelectric]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss darts. They can be very effective.

[ladybro]

Oh, sure. They're effective. Never said they weren't. [ calmly, she checks the edge of the same butter knife she'd used for her demonstration. ] Just said they weren't me.

[pyroelectric]

I see. So what precisely is "you," then? If you had to pick a weapon.

[ladybro]

Bow. [ that's easy. she doesn't even hesitate to answer -- after all, no matter what her misgivings are surrounding azula and her bad manners, kate isn't a secretive person. and as soon as she gets her hand on the right equipment, it's not like she'd skulk around and hide it. ] As in and arrows. I'm...an archer.

[ sure. why not. ]

[pyroelectric]

Hm.

[Archers can be useful, too. Depending.]

Are you good?

[ladybro]

Azula? [ kate leans forward on her bunk. she watches her ship-mate, and smiles. she's proud of what she's accomplished, and isn't about to shy away from claiming it for herself. ] I'm great.

[pyroelectric]

[Azula nods, apparently satisfied.]

Good. [Young women should be competent and have confidence in themselves.]

Then I look forward to seeing you in action.

[ladybro]

I look forward to being in action. [ a clumsy grammar, perhaps. but the sentiment is honest enough. she misses drawing back the string. she misses fishing an arrow out of her quiver. hell, she misses shooting next to clint. but quite apart from the problem of how pricey weapons have been, kate's not too optimistic about the probability of finding a bow in space. ]

But -- hey, can I ask a question?

[pyroelectric]

[Azula flaps a hand lazily from where she lies on her bed. She's awake now, she might ask well hear what it is.]

Oh, very well. You may.

[ladybro]

[ honestly? it's best to just...come right out and ask it. azula's something of a sourpuss (as far as kate can tell). and while she's not keen to get another knife thrown at her, some questions need to be voiced. ]

We had the election and -- you probably were hoping for a different outcome. [ kate sighs. ] How are you doing?

[ kate certainly didn't vote for azula. hell, it's probably obvious. but after that conversation with luke about why azula behaves the way she does, kate almost feels beholden to hear her out. ]

[pyroelectric]

[Well, that wasn't a question she was expecting. Azula frowns momentarily, but she knows better than to display any signs of genuine emotion in front of a girl she's just met.]

Why-- did you expect me to be all torn up? I'm not. A princess surrenders when she's beaten with honour and dignity.

[And then regroups to plot her retaliation later.]

[ladybro]

Hey, now. [ she jabs a thumb at the fresh neck in the crew-quarters wall. ] You can't blame me for expecting a...dramatic reaction, can you? We're all new to each other. We're still learning who does what.

[ and why the who does the what, if you catch her drift. ]

[pyroelectric]

[Azula just shrugs as Kate points out the nick, as if to say "Guilty as charged."]

What can I say. Beauty sleep is more important to me than the opinion of three people.

[ladybro]

Good. Good. [ a slow nod, because if azula's being honest with her feelings (and kate's got no reason to believe she isn't) then maybe this won't become a thing. ] It's just more paperwork anyway, right? And Luke hardly seems like a dictator.

[pyroelectric]

... No. He doesn't.

I expect his will be a short and inefficient rule.

[ladybro]

Maybe. [ she admits -- concedes, really, because it's an easy concession to make. they can't be certain about anything, but kate at least has a little unfair advantage when it comes to knowing what luke's capable of achieving. ] Time will tell.

[pyroelectric]

... Yes. Time will.

Now, if that's everything?

[ladybro]

[ her expression falters. did she glean what she wanted to glean? not particularly. not in full. kate runs her finger along the new knife's handle. ]

Beauty sleep. Right. [ she gathers her supplies. thing is -- the argument just isn't worth it. does she have more sharpening to do? absolutely. but it's a self-professed make busy project. justifying it would only bring her down to azula's level -- of assuming the shared space is hers to dictate.

kate hops from the top bunk. she lands with grace, and offers azula a little salute. ] Sweet dreams.

[pyroelectric]

[Everything is so much more pleasant when Azula gets her own way. As she exits:]

Good night, Kate.