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.

Comments

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[looksfine]

[Aya's voice is, if possible, softer than usual.]

I have been told such events will be a semi-regular occurrence, yes. Though the effects will vary each time.

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[hellofist]

[As much as she doesn't want to read anyone right now, she doesn't have to do more than glance at Aya to see she's been affected too.]

Didn't have fun either?

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[looksfine]

[She's surprisingly expressive for a robot]

I...am not sure.

There were many things my alternate self experienced. Things I never had before.

[ Spam ] IDWIW - but can change if it's not okay

[surfaceshine]

[Dean is checking his communicator and the network when he sees the message, and then recognizes himself walking through the background of the video and hears the voice in stereo. He pauses, glances around until he locates the sweater-ball girl, and clicks his communicator closed. He's only drinking coffee right now, so he's free to just flop down into the seat next to her.

She's new. He vaguely remembers something on the network but hasn't seen enough of her to recognize her yet, so he's fairly flippant when he smiles and cranes his neck to see.]

You were ahead of about 85% of the class, then, sweetheart. Don't worry about it - it all sorts out sooner or later.

[intofireforever]

["Bodies talking" sounds concerning.]

Are you okay?

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[hellofist]

Me too.

[There were hands, Aya. In places. That doesn't happen often.]

What things, for you?

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[looksfine]

Touch. Smell. Taste.

[Senses she had previously been incapable of.]

[ Spam ] I accept that <3

[hellofist]

[Sweater-ball girl wasn't expecting company, but she isn't entirely adverse to it. Really, it's kind of okay if it means a distraction. Her feet shuffle until she's turned more toward him so she can get a better look at him.]

Sooner would... be good. I'm Cassandra.

[She sticks her hand out, and it is balled up in a fist, but her sweater cover her whole hand. You can work around that right Dean?]

[hellofist]

[One day, someone will explain to Cass that wording is a very important thing. Many months later, she'll start putting that into action. For now, she's oblivious.]

Will be. Don't like breaches. Dumb name, anyway.

[intofireforever]

Yeah, they really do suck most of the time.

[So much worry.]

...you mentioned talking bodies. Are you sure you're okay?

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[hellofist]

[And just like that, Cass feels like she's found probably the only other person on the whole Barge who understands the feeling of loss she's got going on inside her.]

And now, just gone. Not fair...

[ Spam ] I guess I should say DDWDW

[surfaceshine]

[Well, Dean is confused at first for a number of reasons - one, he recognizes her face but only vaguely and not enough to place even with the name, and for two, what is this. What. Okay. He's not exactly confident but he's less awkward about it than most people would be when he clasps the vaguely hand-shaped form under the sweater, shakes once, and lets go. His eyebrows had pulled slightly together with his bafflement, but he's smiling broadly again now.]

I'm Dean, and normal is overrated. Anyone explained breaches and shit to you yet?

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[looksfine]

...no, it is not.

[Aya had always been secure with who and what she was. It was why she could brush off the Star Sapphire's harsh words. But things were different now; she knew what she was missing.]

[The question was: did she really want them back?]

Perhaps it is for the best.

[She is referring strictly to her own situation, of course.]

[hellofist]

Oh, not. Zombies. Can read bodies. Body language.

[Weird as she is, she doesn't see dead people, so at least she has that going for her!]

[ Spam ] Cannot be tamed

[hellofist]

[And once he does that, just goes with it and smiles, Cass feels a little better. She's even able to smile back a little.]

Wouldn't think that... if you were weird.

And no. Just know name. New. Bad welcome.

[ Spam ]

[surfaceshine]

[And that particular comment gets her both eyebrows raised and then he laughs. It's mostly surprise, that laugh, but he's okay with it.]

You don't think I'm weird? That's sweet of you.

Yeah, it's a bit of a shitty thing to run facefirst into. [Dean shrugs, reaching to pick his coffee back up.] But then there's no good way to ease people into it, I don't think. Would you've believed anyone if they tried to tell you that happens sometimes before you went through it?

[intofireforever]

[Laura sees many things. Some of them are dead people!]

Oh! I was worried for a second. I see stuff sometimes, and I thought maybe you needed help.

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[buildindreemz]

They are really confusing, and really not fun. And they happen far too often, as far as I'm concerned.

Are you okay? Do you need something for the headache?

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[hellofist]

[On the other side of that, Cassandra has never been particularly secure with what she can't do. To have it given to her and then taken away and to know she'll never have it again is too much.

Aya most likely understands that.]

You think so? Why?

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[looksfine]

Because...that person during the breech was not me. Just someone with a shared face.

[Not even her face, though that was a whole different matter altogether.]

[ Spam ]

[hellofist]

Mm, no. Should I?

And, yes. Can tell if lying. Plus used to weird. Superhero.

[hellofist]

[Yes good, they can focus on Laura. That's a perfect distraction from her I was a real girl feels.]

See things? Like what?

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[hellofist]

Can't skip them? Hide under bed?

Will be okay. Thank you. Was it bad... for you?

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[buildindreemz]

I don't think hiding under your bed will protect you or allow you to skip them. Sometimes people are unaffected, though. It seems to be completely random.

This one wasn't too bad. I've had worse. Sometimes it takes a while to shake the false memories, though.

[ Spam ]

[surfaceshine]

Yeah? That's a damn handy skill to have. [There's a line of tension that picks up in Dean's body language at this new information, though it's not necessarily aggressive; merely wary, interested. He's someone who lives comfortably in his skin anyway, though, and he's not really concerned so much as focusing on a puzzle in the shape of a girl wrapped up in a sweater.]

Just most people do, sooner or later. [Absolutely no outward sign of the mild, old twinge of disappointment at this in his expression or voice, but he sips his coffee before continuing.] That's a handy superpower to have. How's that work then?