19 - Video

[burnmythoughts]

[Private to David, Arkin and Marsh, separately]

I know that wasn't us, but...I wanted to know how you were doing.

[Private to Ben]

How are you?

[Private to Alex]

How d'you feel about another sparring match?

[Spam - OTA]

[Not thinking about it has become a survival tactic on the barge.

It's easier, this time, as the memories fade like forgotten photographs. But she still remembers being lost and lonely, being horrified and trapped.

She's thrown herself back into life on the Barge as much as she can, chasing away the past with the present, even as her bones ache with it. At least she can walk around.

That's what she's doing now, gingerly stretching her legs on the deck as she finishes sending her messages.]

[Spam - For Charles]

[She can only Not Think About Things for so long, though. Her first and best coping method was always doing something. Sparring with Alex helped, but she didn't want to push herself too far physically, not yet. So she went to the kitchens, and she did something challenging.

There's a bit of smoke, and a bit of cursing, and they don't come out nearly as good as Anya's, but they taste pretty good. Eventually, she has a decent-sized tray of thumbprint cookies, and she lets them cool before sliding them into a container.

Then she heads up to Charles' room, letting the cookies float in front of her. She even uses them to knock on the door.]

Comments

private/video

[tolaywaste]

[He grins, a little wearily.]

Good timing.

private/video

[burnmythoughts]

[Her grin matches his.]

It's my other mutant power.

private/video

[tolaywaste]

Yeah, I bet.

Gym?

private/video

[burnmythoughts]

Beat you there. [She's already rising.]

private/video ~> spam

[tolaywaste]

[He snorts.] 'Course you will.

[But he jogs on the way there, anyway, just in case.]

private/voice

[themissingpiece]

Death tolling. New inmate mauled me. [doesn't sound quite as pissed as he could be.]

private/voice

[burnmythoughts]

[Jean doesn't look that pissed, but there's an awful lot of rattling going on.]

Seriously? [Out of the frying pan...]

Where are they now? Do you need anything?

private/voice

[themissingpiece]

He's down in Zero.

[Bit of a pause before he gets to the other question.] Don't think so. I'm gonna stay in my cabin for a couple days. Sight isn't doing so good and I got some phantom pains where he got me.

private/video

[burnmythoughts]

[Well, at least he's contained, and Arkin is - Arkin died but he's better now, and the noise slowly dies away.]

Do you have food in there? I can get you meals, until you're feeling better.

[ Private : Voice on Ben's End ]

[warisart]

[Ben has been scarce around the Barge, opting out of his kitchen shifts and forgoing his morning run through the halls, deck, and the CES now that he can come and go as he pleases. He's still around, creeping silently and unseen like a cat.

Like Jean, in that other world.

He rarely uses video, but his response is timely, anyway. His voice is quiet but even.]

Better, now. Are you feeling better?

Private Forever

[burnmythoughts]

[Jean's smile is soft, relieved.]

Yeah, I am. Still kind of - achey, but I'll just have to exercise that out. [Jean, no.]

Private

[warisart]

[Something in Ben's voice changes, tensing. He hadn't exactly forgotten that she'd been in the infirmary, what that probably means, but he never knew why.]

What happened?

Private

[burnmythoughts]

[Her face falls, and she's silent for a moment. She doesn't want Ben to carry her trauma, too. But he asked, and he deserved an answer.]

I...she was captured, again.

[private, voice]

[myironeyes]

[It's a little while before he responds - not long, but a few minutes, as he mulls over his answer.]

I am. Disconcerted.

And you?

[private, voice]

[burnmythoughts]

That's a good word. [There's something wry and sad, in her smile.] I'd tell you it gets - easier, simpler, but I'd be lying. It's strange and hard every time.

[private, voice]

[myironeyes]

I don't mind what I was. But I don't like...not knowing myself.

[He notices that she doesn't really answer, but he'll respect.]

[private, video]

[burnmythoughts]

I... [She doesn't hate that girl. She understands how that could have been her.] She did okay, considering. She got out.

[A sad, strained smile.] But then someone took her again.

[Private]

[secretasshole]

I'm well. [More or less.] Are you?

[Private]

[burnmythoughts]

I'm...I'm better. [It's strange, maybe, that it's easier to be honest with David than the people she's closest to.] Tired of being tired, though. [She's healed, for the most part, but she feels so worn. Worn and aching and cold.]

[Private]

[secretasshole]

I've reached a better understanding of how frustrating physical exhaustion actually is.

[He hesitates briefly.]

Do you need anything?

[Private]

[burnmythoughts]

[A faint, wry smile.] I hope that doesn't happen too often.

[And the smile deepens.] I'm good, but thanks. Are you - was everything okay, after we saw each other?

[Spam]

[wedonot]

[Charles has been feeling a little more centered since he talked to Erik, but a little more isn't perfect, and so he's still basically keeping to himself. As far as he knows, Zane's still in a coma, and so he doesn't have much by way of responsibilities to carry out, which gives him plenty of time to isolate himself and try to regroup.

Well, isolate himself except for the connection he had with Erik, because he'd already been told off for pulling back on that.

Still, he doesn't ignore the knock at the door, because he sensed Jean coming as she was walking down the hall, and he definitely doesn't want to push her away. He pushes himself up off the bed and goes to answer it when she knocks,a and stares at the container in surprise, a genuine smile forming.]

What's this?

[Spam]

[burnmythoughts]

Well, they're supposed to be cookies. [Her grin is rueful.] They taste good, I promise.

[Spam]

[wedonot]

[He plucks the container out of the air, chuckling softly.]

Thank you, Jean. Do you want to come in?

[Spam]

[burnmythoughts]

[Her smile deepens as she steps forward.]

Definitely. [She wasn't sure if he'd want her to or not.]