video

[springlocking]

[Charlie looks like a mess - her slightly frizzy hair now strongly resembles a Pomeranian, there are the beginnings of circles under her eyes, and her right eye is now yellow glass. Being in actual combat and dying and death seriously not being permanent have not done good things to her brain.

But she's not going to talk about that. Instead, she's gonna ask, in a slightly out-of-it tone:]

...did I miss anything? 'Side from classes - sorry to the teachers, by the way, but I was kinda dead. Can't... [She covers a yawn.] ...can't attend class when you're dead. Or reviving. I think.

How does it all work, anyway? How long's it take until you get used to it?

[She's maybe a bit too sleepy, it seems...]

Comments

text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[Oh. J recognises that weary, shaken look that Charlie is wearing. It has barely been over two months since she had woken up from CRYO after her being brought back from death, feeling confused and disoriented -- sleepy and exhausted like never before.

She hadn't been the first one to die and be revived and hardly the last, these things happened around here. But this is the first time she's seen someone wanting to talk about it -- on a public forum on top of that.]

woke up from cryo and already apologising to teachers? arent you just dedicated for school work.

video

[springlocking]

[Charlie was honestly not aware that it wasn't something to discuss, especially not in her sleep-fogged state. At any rate, she just tilts her head at the camera ever-so-slightly, curious.]

Was I not supposed to do that? I'm still new-ish to the ship, and I didn't know if classes were cancelled or not, so...

Permstext

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

no no, you can do whatever you want.

im just amazed that theres so many diligent students. especially when you can hardly get anything from our school system.

txt

[springlocking]

[Charlie isn't feeling up to speaking right this second, so over to text she goes! It's easier this way, anyway.]

It isn't so bad. Being on a ship probably makes it difficult though.

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

definitely and its not like you can get a degree of any kind here.

or that itll be any use for that matter

Audio:

[that_cost]

Hey, Charlie. Up for a visitor of the "I'm alive again, too" variety?

video

[springlocking]

[Oh heyyyy, it's Leigh. There's an actual, brief smile for a second.]

Sure, why not?

Re: video

[that_cost]

Where are you?

Re: video

[springlocking]

[She gives her location - turns out she's near the rec area. Probably considering some physical training because, you know, what if that happens again?]

If you want to meet somewhere else, though, that's fine.

text;

[a_shadow]

Don't worry, school has been pretty much abandoned for now what with the battle and everything going on

I was going to tease you about needing a note but I decided not to

text; private

[springlocking]

[Ah, right. Yeah, she respects this lady well enough to flip over to private - she's learned enough to do that, thankfully.]

Thank you for that, I appreciate it.

[What else do you say to that, anyway?]

It was definitely an experience.

[Nice, neutral statement.]

text; private

[a_shadow]

The classrooms are still intact so if things calm down soon I may start school back up just to be a distraction. We'll see how it goes.

text; private

[springlocking]

1. Is there anything I can help out with?
2. I think I'd better step up on the training. Do you have any advice?

text.

[drawed]

I don't really know how it works [ Not when she had no idea people could die and come back. ]
does it feel weird?

text

[springlocking]

Dying itself hurt, but that's because I got shot.

Reviving wasn't so bad, though it was very cold.

[drawed]

do you know how it works now?

[springlocking]

Dying or being revived?

Because the answer to either is no, I don't.

text;

[dislocked]

[ get used to it? ]

You don't. And you make your peace with that.

text

[springlocking]

That works, I guess. Thanks. First time dying and all.

[She's gotten used to these things before, she'll get used to it again. She just needs to get some sleep first.]

audio;

[ergon]

Was anything taken away from you when you came back again?

audio;

[springlocking]

Not...not that I can tell.

[She sounds unsure.]

I don't think anything's missing. Should I be worried about that?

[video]

[soldiergenes]

[ Fancy that, they may as well be a matching set. Snake's right eye is made of clear glass now, along with his entire left arm, although the latter is at least covered up by his uniform.

Either way, Snake isn't expecting for Charlie to casually announce that she died over the MID. It's hard not to feel at least somewhat responsible. He hadn't reached out to her during the chaos, hadn't even thought of it... ]

It's not something you should get used to.

[ The feed opens on him, his face lined with exhaustion and frustration alike. ]

What happened? One of the attackers get you?

[video]

[springlocking]

[Look, she didn't know it was a faux pas to announce these things on the network, okay.

(That isn't even remotely the problem here, is it?)]

I saw a friend about to get shot, and tackling her out of the way seemed like a good idea at the time.

[She's absolutely changed her mind on that, if her expression and tone of voice indicate anything.]

[video]

[soldiergenes]

[ It's one thing to act in the moment, driven by instinct and a sense of morals. It's another thing to have to live with those consequences.

Then again, at least she isn't dead for good, which would have been the case in most other situations. ]

If you're going to be throwing yourself into combat, wearing something bulletproof is going to become a necessity.

[ The sneaking suit isn't exactly bulletproof, but it does help lessen the amount of blood loss. Charlie is going to need something sturdier, given her lack of experience. ]

[video]

[springlocking]

[Yeah, the whole 'death not always being permanent' thing is...well, she's still getting used to it.]

I - oh. Yeah, that probably would've been a good idea. Where do we get those again...?

[Sheepish smile. This is something she should know by now, right?]