010 VIDEO LIST FIVE

[deadliestviper]

[Here you have an image of a grim-looking woman dressed in yellow, her dour demeanor in stark contrast to the cartoonish world behind her. Her face is stony, body language carefully controlled, but her eyes are strangely bright and furious, hinting at a storm surging away in her brain.]

What the fuck is wrong with everyone?! Are your brains really that fucking fragile, or were you all always this crazy and just showing it off now? [Her eyes narrow into slits, her hand worked into a fist so tight her knuckles have gone white.] God damn it. This is pathetic. All of you. I hope you've got the decency to be humiliated, you goddamn weak fucks.

Blonsky and Dracula snapped like rubber bands. I'm making my way back to the Barge, so you fuckers are on your own.

[She reaches forward to turn off the feed, but stops her hand at the last second.] If you've gone the slightest bit native, here's a little advice. You try fucking with me, and I will make the most nightmarish tortures your sad little queen's ever doled out look as innocuous as a child's skinned knee.

You've been warned. Come and find me, motherfuckers.

[Click.]

OOC: Beatrix can be found trying to find her way back to the Barge, a little more lost than she'd like to admit. None of this has helped her sanity at all, so if you choose to contact or run across her, you're likely in for some abuse.

Comments

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

[The time goes by slowly – B thinks. She cooperated with Ben insofar as she stayed where she was, wandering no more than a few yards either way. She told herself it was to stretch her legs, but truthfully it was patrolling. The place is mostly quiet, but now and then she catches what sounds like voices on the wind.

They're far in the distance and she can't discern at first what they say, but she doesn't like the sound of it. Not once since acquiring it has she dropped her halberd, and it's in her hands and at the ready when she hears Ben approach.]

Who's there?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

[Ben can't quite account for how strong the relief is when he's close enough to identify that it's Kiddo; she's alone, and appears impatient. If she's moved it hasn't been far, then, and he doesn't think about that right now so much as he focuses on the way she's holding the weapon like she means to use it at the slightest provocation, the half-hunted cast to her eyes. It's familiar though not in her, and he's careful to approach with his own grip loose and ineffective on his weapon, openly and with his free hand also in plain sight. His eyes stay on her face.]

X5-493, ma'am. Just Ben. [He hesitates, coming to a stop a few feet from her, out of range of her polearm but within easy conversing distance so long as she doesn't look like attacking or bolting. His voice is steadier when he speaks - not the blank, featureless neutrality that normally characterizes him, but actual steadiness.] Are you injured?

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

[He approaches like an ally, not an enemy. That's enough to make Beatrix relax her stance, at least somewhat. The weapon's still at the ready but she straightens up, rolls her shoulders back and takes a breath to steady her nerves.]

Ben. All right. It hasn't got to you, has it? [She shakes her head to clear it, blinks.] No, nothing bad.

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

Has what gotten to me?

[Ben, too, straightens up a bit and lets his hands fall back towards his sides when he sees that she's relaxing; he chances to move closer, tilting his head as he tries to confirm her assessment of her physical condition. Priority number one is making certain she can move if they have to; damage control is next before they decided where to move to, but he's content to stay here for now.

There are worse places to regroup, after all.]

Have you... injured anyone else?

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

It. Here. This place. Has it gotten to you?

[She hisses the question. Whatever "it" does exactly, clearly it's begun to affect her. Her concentration is already weakening, paranoia clouding more of her bewildered mind, and the panicky helplessness makes her feel all the more trapped. But Ben's here. Ben is trained, Ben is capable, her ally, and she sure as hell needed an all right now.]

Are you going to ditch me if I say yes?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

No, ma'am - I retain all of my faculties as previously represented. I... believe you are not as fortunate.

[He knows it's getting to her - he would still be safely back aboard the Barge if he hadn't seen her transmission, noticed her uncharacteristic distress. He knows better than to try to take the weapon from her - she hasn't progressed to the point he feels particularly threatened as long as she recognizes him - and doesn't hesitate to answer he second question.]

No. But if you've been involved in an altercation with someone from the ship, we need to plan for the consequences.

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

[She turns slowly to him and pointedly slams the staff into the ground, glaring like a wolf growling over a scrap of meat.] I'm doing just fine, thank you.

What consequences? What are they going to do, lock me up for a couple days?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

Okay.

[Ben, for his part, doesn't move. He neither retreats nor advances, glancing down at where the staff has settled and back up at her hostile expression.]

Maybe. Maybe not. I'd rather not find out, if there's something we can do about it before they do.

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

Do something like what? Go find them and dump them in a ditch? They're dead, there's not much more I can do.

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

You're avoiding the question, which I can only assume means that yes, there's been an altercation.

[Wait.]

Dead? You already killed someone?

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

What? I'm not avoiding anything, I said yes. Of course I killed someone.

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

...of course.

Who was it?

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

Someone acting like an imbecile. Why does it matter?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

Because it matters to them.

If it was another inmate, they probably won't care. If it was a warden, we'll need to... We can use this place. Were they affected?

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

Yeah, they were acting like an imbecile! I just said that.

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

[Look, Beatrix, it's just that you kind of seem to think everyone is acting like an imbecile; Ben is careful not to let his doubt show, and instead glances back over his shoulder, around the area, and pauses to listen.

There's something or someone making a noise like glass bells far off to the east, but otherwise, Ben seems satisfied that they're alone.]

Then we need to get back to the Barge. If you tell me what happened, I can try to help you.

[ Spam ]

[deadliestviper]

[That's because everyone is acting imbecilic. She's lucky Ben stumbled on her, the kid was strange enough to keep level-headed in weird circumstances.

Even if he is telling her things she already knows.]

She came at me, I stabbed. There's nothing to tell.

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

[Ben is, in point of fact, remaining very steady and calm. He's a bit at a loss for how to get her to accompany him, peaceably, back to the Barge however.

Turning slightly back the way he came, Ben tilts his head in silent invitation, unwilling to be more pushy. Nevertheless, he's relieved to hear her account.]

That's good. It means it was defense. By their standards, excusable.