on the possibility of being sent to a game.

[biotch]

Dude, what part of 'no' is not coming through for you — did I stutter? If you want to book yourself a one-way ticket on the Love Boat version two-point-psycho then whatever, man, be my guest. But no way am I gonna be your +1.

Just— [ Jesse shrugs in his jacket, as if somehow that'll help him sidestep out of the current situation. (It doesn't.) ] —choose another one of your head cases, alright? Geez.

Comments

[debts]

[ Chin in her palm, Natasha raises a brow that's somehow both amused and wry in the same breath. ]

Think less of the Love Boat and more of the Titanic.

[biotch]

[ The eyes Jesse makes are large and manage to be both panicked and completely unimpressed at the same time. ]

Well lah-dee-fuckin'-dah. It's not like they don't all die in the end of that one or anything.

[debts]

[ In an idle kind of way: ]

Are you asking me to share my floating piece of debris with you?

[biotch]

[ Unfazed, huh? Is this lady OG or what? ]

What, so you can promise me to never let go and then leave to freeze like a bitch? Nuh uh, lady. Like I said, I'm not going. Period.

[debts]

[ Would it be cliche to hum My Heart Will Always Go On right now? ]

I think top-level management has different ideas.

[biotch]

Yeah, like crazy psycho insane ideas. It's not like she doesn't know the kind of shit that gets stirred when I don't show up for work.

[sleuthtastic]

[ In sing-song: ]

Don't forget to bring me back a souvenir!

[biotch]

[ Oh, har har. ]

What — you're not coming?

[sleuthtastic]

Vato, unlike you, I am perfectly capable of micro-managing the — [ Wiggly fingers. ] — wizard behind the curtain.

Besides, I have to do things. Like graduate highschool.

[biotch]

[ Offended! ]

And I don't got things to do, too?

[sleuthtastic]

[ Rolling her eyes. It could be worse: it could be the patented Mars unimpressed stare she so easily doles out. ]

Like sit around in your boxers and eating Cheetos all day while ignoring all the calls from people you owe money to? Like that kind of 'thing'?

[biotch]

[ Even more offended! ]

Dude, why does everyone think I sit around eating Cheetos all day?

[ Missing the point here, maybe, but It's Funyuns, man. Get it right. ]

[sleuthtastic]

[ Damn. Her Nancy Drew senses normally don't fail her like this. ]

Doritos? Generic-brand cheese balls? [ A beat. ] Something that comes in toxic orange and a flavor not at all resembling cheese, surely.

[biotch]

[ His fist impulse is to pick at his shirt and lift a bit of the fabric up to his nose, giving it a sniff.

Was he ripe? (Oh wait, that's just meth stank.) ]

It's not cheese, yo.

[jagerin]

Based on what I've seen so far, it sounds like protesting's only going to encourage her.

[biotch]

[ Oh. It's....you again. ]

Encourage her, don't encourage her — it's not gonna matter, cause I'm not going anywhere, alright? [ Defensive Jesse is defensive. He also doesn't want to have to deal with hell on a cargoship earth anymore than he already does. A beat, then: ] —what about you, huh?

She's not shipping you off to some sex island or Candyland or wherever?

[jagerin]

[ what's this 'you again' shit she was just trying to un-handcuff the two of them damn ]

No plans as of yet. At least not when it comes to sending me somewhere else.

[biotch]

[ With weapons. Let's not forget the part about the weapons. ]

So just nomading it up? [ He might even be a little jealous. ] That's cool. I mean, I can dig it.

[jagerin]

[ well, picking the lock wasn't working! and it's not as if she was going to try something that would blow their limbs off.

she shrugs. ] So far. I think she'd like to see how I function somewhere new, but it's a matter of finding the right place and making sure she's got a handle on me.

[biotch]

And, uh. Your brother, right? [ Not that she's ever mentioned him before, but Jesse keeps his head down and listens to what's what. ] Bet you two are like, close.

[jagerin]

Yeah. [ 'close' is a necessity when you've only had each other for as long as the two of them have. ] Not sure how likely him joining me wherever I go would be, though. [ which is one reason why she's content to kick around for the time being, even if it leaves her feeling restless and frustrated more often than not. ]

[biotch]

[ Jesse waves a hand through the air. Makes a little pffft sound. ] Yeah, like anybody's gonna be stupid enough to tell you no.

[jagerin]

[ that makes her chuckle a bit, mouth curving into a grin. ]

You catch on pretty fast.

[biotch]

[ He tries. Lifting his hands in an innocent sort of gesture, he half smiles. ]

Hey, I got my moments. When, you know, I'm not being threatened with bodily harm.

[jagerin]

[ her eyes roll, but she's still smiling. ]

Oh please, nothing I had in mind had anything to do with the gun or crossbow.

[biotch]

[ And now he's gone back to looking super dubious. ]

Dude. That's so not normal.

[jagerin]

[ and she's adopted a look of disdain. ]

It might have been effective - painlessly effective - if you'd let me try. You think anyone carries around weapons like that if they don't know how to handle them?

[biotch]

[ Gurrrrrl. ]

Lady, I don't think anyone carries around weapons like that. [ A beat, coupled with a little gesticulation of his arms. ] Period.

[jagerin]

[ boyyyyyyyy. ]

My brother and I do. [ duh, jesse. ] They're what works against what we fight.

[brittaed]

It sounds to me like someone has some repressed issues relating to mid-1970 American sitcoms. [ Britta's face is the face of someone who wishes she had a pad of paper and/or a therapist's couch right now. ] You can tell me. I'm a psych major.

[biotch]

[ You can tell me. I'm a psych major.

The expression on Jesse's face is one of don't make any sudden movements and the college graduate will go away. Awkwardly: ] Uh. The chic with the red hair said it was more like Titanic.

[brittaed]

[ College graduate? Might be being a little generous. Not that Greendale isn't a real college. Which it completely is. Completely. ]

I'm sensing some traumatic formative nautical experiences.

[biotch]

[ He recognizes some of those words. From the Discovery Channel. ]

I'm from the ABQ, yo. We don't nautical anything, let alone traumatic — formative — experiences.

[brittaed]

[ Britta has no idea what an ABQ is, but that plus the "yo" makes it sound like something tough. ]

Hey, I get it, dude. I'm down. I saw Boyz n the Hood. In theaters.

[biotch]

Oh, so you saw Boyz n the Hood. [ Nodding. Nodding.

...yeah. He ain't buying it. ] In theaters.

[brittaed]

What I'm saying, [ Britta says, while make big hand gestures that indicate she thinks that this guy isn't hearing her, ] is that I get where you're coming from. And I'm here for you.

[ See that? Psych major like a pro. ]

[biotch]

I don't care if you toke a smoke with, like, OG's daily — if this is your attempt to get me to cry mantears and hold hands while singing Kumbaya or whatever, you're gonna have to get in line.

[ His eyes roll upwards with something of a begrudging sneer. Yes, he's talking about the Lady Upstairs, who may or may not still want to give him a hug. ]

[brittaed]

[ Britta's commitment to psychoanalysis is like every other thing Britta does: unstoppable most of the time but fragile in the face of even a hint of adversity. She purses her lips. ]

Listen, Chief Brody. It's no skin off my teeth if you don't want to be therapized. But don't come crawling to me when the inevitable outcome of Western capitalism's corporate greed happens, and the polar ice caps melt, and humanity's only escape is to build a new civilization on giant ships in the middle of ocean, okay?

[biotch]

[ There are so many things wrong with everything she's just said that Jesse isn't exactly sure where to begin. Blinking rapidly, both hands held up as if preparing to flip a mental table, Jesse eventually settles on beginning at the beginning with the fairly straight forward: ]

Who the fuck's Chief Brody?

[brittaed]

I don't know. He was in Jaws! He was afraid of the water! [ Britta makes her own gesture with both hands up in the area. ] Pop culture references aren't really my area of expertise, okay?