Second Unused Utility Belt | Video

[hellofist]

[Today, Cass is dressed like a normal person. She's sitting in the cafeteria with a mug of tea, perched in a chair with her knees drawn up to her chest and her oversized sweater pulled over them so she's just a blob of blue fabric with arms. Even the hood is up. With her chin on her knees and her eyes on the tea, she speaks to the comm quietly.]

Had all the words. Could make them, if I wanted. Could write. Talked normal. Was normal.

Couldn't see bodies talking. Didn't need. [Her fist comes up to rub at her temple.] Makes headaches, now.

Does that... happen a lot? Was confusing. Was not fun.

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[hellofist]

It was me. What I could be...

[Maybe, she can be that again. With years and years of practice, patient tutors, and a large portion of Bruce's money, maybe she can be that again. It probably will never sound as natural or fluid the way other people sound, but she wouldn't sound like a stupid baby.]

[onceandfutureprat]

[He feels bad for you, new and weird friend :c]

It gets somewhat easier to deal with.

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[looksfine]

Is there something wrong with what you are now?

[There is no malice behind the question. In fact, if anything, Aya is implying she neither sees nor hears nothing "wrong" herself]

[ Spam ]

[hellofist]

Sometimes. Has drawbacks.

[For a minute, she thinks she's lost him. There's that brief moment where he starts to close up and that usually happens before she doesn't get to talk to new people anymore. She's creepy. Even Steph said so.

But he doesn't. She's no stranger to people who don't particularly want to be read, and not all of them just grudgingly accept it. She thinks he must be used to being the weird one, pushed away when you're too much trouble.]

Have to try... really hard. To be weird to me. Not green, not flying. Not even in costume. Just cute boy.

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[hellofist]

Worth trying. Maybe. Might just look funny.

[She's still not used to secrets and what you're not really supposed to ask, so the next bit comes out like it's entirely okay to ask.]

What was worst?

[hellofist]

[See? Batpout. It's more effective than you think.]

But not much? Not hopeful, then.

[onceandfutureprat]

[Maybe Arthur just has a soft spot for weirdos :c]

Would you rather I lied to you?

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[hellofist]

[Aya is weird for her to read. There's fuzzy thoughts about her, but her body still talks. She can see that to Aya, she's not weird, not strange. Just those thoughts are weird and strange to Cassandra.]

Humans don't... talk like this. Shouldn't. Once they're older.

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[looksfine]

[Traveling through space can do that to a robot. For all the species and individuals she had met, Cassandra was far from the strangest.]

Then why do you?

[hellofist]

[.... Aw how sweet?]

Could try. Wouldn't work. Can tell.

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[hellofist]

Wasn't... taught to talk.

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[looksfine]

Why not?

[onceandfutureprat]

[That's right, Arthur is nothing but sweet :c]

I thought as much.

It's manageable. With the help of friends.

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[buildindreemz]

You could try. It wouldn't hurt anything.

[Ariadne smiles faintly, because what is tact? She's not always good at it, either. Anyway, she doesn't mind talking about it.]

Most of the personality changes I've undergone made me kind of a mean person, but the worst were probably a couple of ports. One, I got tossed overboard and it turned me into a bad person who was planning to kill a lot of people. I was stopped before I could manage it, but it was really disturbing to me.

Another port, a bunch of us got captured by aliens who made us slaves. I got killed trying to escape.

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[hellofist]

[These questions, delivered so point blank, hurt. They sting like nothing else can.]

It's... Not a good story.

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[looksfine]

[Aya was overstepping her boundaries again, was she not?]

You...do not have to share if it causes you pain.

[ Spam ] lawl redundancy department of redundancy ftmfw SORRY

[surfaceshine]

[She's not creepy. A little strange, yes, and Dean isn't without his amusement at this entire situation, but the hunter has an entirely different set of standards for creepy that she doesn't even come close to; his brother has psychic visions and his father tried to kill him because he was possessed by a demon at the time.

Dean's not creeped out by a girl in an oversized hoodie sweatshirt. And he does look distinctly both pleased and, deep underneath it, faintly embarrassed at the cute boy remark. He covers by grinning brightly at her.]

If those're your standards, we're in the clear. I don't wear costumes, I'm only green after a really bad night, and I can't fly. I do make a habit of being cute, though.

[love_slave]

I'm learning to read and write. We could learn together if you want.

[Stupid... brainwashing upbringings.]

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[wemaketheworld]

Happens enough.

Isn't supposed to be fun.

[A few seconds pass before he adds:]

Usually educational. Rarely fun.

[peektuttut]

Not a lot, but it does happen. Do you...I could try and help you, if you want.

[takeyouapart]

I'm sorry. I should have warned you, or - made sure you knew, anyway.

[batmanschmatman]

The memories start fading a little, with time. You'll get used to it.

[ichoosefight]

It does happen kind of a lot, actually. Not always like that, though. Bad timing, I guess.

[hellofist]

[She can see how that would be true. With a huff, she nods.]

Probably right. How was it... for you?

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[hellofist]

[The mention of being forced into killing people shakes Cass quite a lot. That's about the worst thing she can imagine happening.]

Glad you didn't. Kill.

[Because no one should have to experience how unfun that guilt is.]

Stings, getting killed. Okay now?