redjacketthief | 9th Turn [Semi-accidental Video/Action]

[His head hurt.

It was the first problem that Lupin noticed when he awoke in the woods that afternoon, clad only in the pale New Feather garb that all Lucetian’s are granted upon arrival. The sun was too bright and his head hurt, but it was nothing like all of those jobs where he faced everything from bullets to nuclear materials in crystalline form. Simple pain like this was something to be dealt with at a later time, when there was a moment to think and breathe. He had something more important to check on.

Or a group of someones. The thief sat up with the limber energy of a gymnast—and regretted it. The world seemed to shift without his consent and refused to stabilize despite his willing it to do so. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself up; it was just vertigo, probably from being still for too long…

Dealing with a little light headedness was nothing like his stint Cagliostro, both the first and the second time. At least he didn’t need to worry about Fujiko laughing at him. He took one step, two, digging his fingers into the rough bark of the trees for support as he fought against his vision hazing in and out with the vertigo. It was just from being out for too long. A few more steps and he’d--

--collapse into the earth’s embrace.

Lupin stared dumbfounded at the canopy for a breath. He burst into laughter when everything clicked into place.]

That’s right. I died.

[In the facility, with the others. Pops and Fujiko and Adele all told him that this could happen. Hell, he knew it from the outset during that midnight meeting in what should have been the Alps. It was a risk he willingly took, along with the moral implications and responsibilities. No regrets.

It just made life a great deal more complicated.

Death was cheap, however. He didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a satin-lined hardwood casket with white lilies piled on top for posterity. A little dizziness was an excellent trade off. Still choking back childish giggles at the absurdity of the situation, Lupin forces himself to sit up again and fight the rolling haze long enough to locate his journal. He gratefully collapsed back into the dirt once he had it in hand, and was doubly grateful when the realization struck that he was fine if he just stayed still. Any little motion sent his mind spinning, but he could think straight if he just stayed and stared up at the canopy.]

[The feed was thrown on without a glance, suddenly treating the residents of the enclosure to a blindingly bright view of the forest from below. The thief himself was not aware if the feed was audio or video—nor did he care. No filters were added, lest he risk another wave of vertigo with just the act of sitting up. It was too much of a bother, especially when the sky was so blue.

Let other people worry about that for now.]

Hey, Lu-ce-ti~ [His tone was oddly humorous and light, with his suppressed laughter hiding just behind his words.] I’m back. [And alive.]

Can anyone around here spare a smoke? Not menthol and filtered, that’s all I want. Oh, and a light.

…who wants to go fishing?

((ooc: Nothing on this post is filtered and nothing will be filtered unless other characters put them up. Work under the assumption that everything said in this post via the journals is fully readable to everyone unless it is filtered, and threadjack away if you wish.

The actual act of picking Lupin up from the woods is locked to Luke Skywalker, though further action may take place around Community House 5 or the Battle Dome. For those with the lie-detect ability or something similar, you are thus warned that most things Lupin will say on non-filtered conversations is a complete lie.

With that noted, have at.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Daisy notices Lupin's understanding of her -- downplaying her injuries. While no NavSpecWar team could operate without an uninjuried member, Luceti's doctors often demand her to rest when it happens.]

It was a busy week. I just don't feel comfortable when there's still a lot to do...

Don't blame you on that one. Sitting still is the hardest thing. [Especially for a soldier, and especially for an impulsive guy like him.]

...sometimes you just have to be patient and follow orders, especially in times like these. We need to put up a strong front right now--especially after last week. Or is it two weeks ago now?

... One week.

[One week.]

I'll try. Since you were out there... Maybe you should try the same. it's just been a tough month for all of us.

[Telling a Spartan to sit it out is giving her the hardest part of a mission. Misery loves company.]

So hard to figure time right now...

[But being dead did that to a guy. How much did he want to reveal to her over these channels...?]

I'll give it a try then. [Because he had a feeling his friends would make him if he didn't try himself.] Take advantage of this lull for now. Who knows when they're going to smack us again, anyway?

[The first sentence makes her worry a little, but she does not comment.]

Good idea... And we'll still have to wait for a few more.

[Referring not only to Lupin, and Don.

Keimi was taken before the menagerie. She has been gone for too long.]

Of course we do.

[He wasn't surprised. Between the draft, the storm, and the usual trend of missions or abductions, there were bound to be several people still left unaccounted for. Odds were that they would never have a full count, given the nature of the world, but they could hope for a close approximation. ]

We'll just need to all help and support each other a little better for a while. These last weeks really knocked us around.

9th Turn [Semi-accidental Video/Action]

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