Sharing Space (IC)

[Derin]

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I should learn to survive as many combat situations and tactics as possible." And it was vitally important for humans to build interpersonal relationships, she knew. Although she wasn't entirely sure why yet. "My healing services are of course always available to you or your sparring partners, John, if you ever find yourself needing not to hold back for any reason. Surely restraining yourself so much makes it difficult to learn anything?"

Already she was wondering how long she'd last against a sword. And a gun... forget a gun. She had no way to deal with ranged combat at all. That had never been a potential problem before, but if she was going to be running into combat, she needed to find some way to deal with it.

[Semi-Autogyro]

"I find instructional sparring versus actual sparring to be two very different things. What I mean by holding back that I try not to inflict or minimize damage if at all possible, but of course, accidents can and do happen. This is as to say opposed from if you asked, Morgan, who more 'hands on' when it comes to sparring." John gave a rueful laugh after the last statement. "I prefer to get to know somebody, their abilities, and limits before 'taking the gloves off' as it were."

"As for it being more difficult for training, I have found so far that using that method does not impede learning. After all, I have to spend just as much time practicing on the firing range which precludes others assisting, or with safetied versions of other weapons. Even a bokken can break an arm, which is why I try to err on the side of safety." He started stacking things on his lunch tray.

"But thank you Miss Chloe, for the offer of your medical expertise. While I am familiar with the basics of first aid, I am by no means an expert."

[Scuffles]

Kristin smiled at John as she picked the last piece of toast off her tray and popped it into her mouth. "Firing range? I'll have to tag along there sometime! Anyway, I think you have to hit someone pretty hard to break their arm with a Bokken!" she said after she finished chewing. "I wasn't talking about going that hard."

"And as for sparring with Morgan," she continued, "I've heard a story or two about your matches. Sounds like you might need a friendly neighbourhood field-Medic around when you two get in the gym! Make sure everyone is still walking at the end, right? Then we just need someone to put the building back together..."

She shrugged, then grinned at Chloe. "I'm sure we can find someone! See, don't worry, I'll have you introduced to half the school by the end of the week!"

[Derin]

"Meeting new people is a major reason why I am here," Chloe said. Her psychiatrist had decided that being around her pre-accident friends, who she could neither remember nor knew how to properly interact with, was bad for her. He hadn't said as much to her, of course, but he hadn't been aware of how friendly she was with the house's surveillance systems.

She missed the house. The surveillance systems at the school were strangers as much as the students were. She didn't even know how much of the school was under surveillance.

"That and developing skills, of course. My previous schooling is not... useful to me at the moment, and my knowledge outside the field of medical science is sorely lacking."

[Semi-Autogyro]

He nodded gravely at Kristin. "Indeed, Mister Archer has been most vocal with Morgan and I to 'keep it down' as it were. We have been fortuitous that we have not needed major medical assistance so far." He then turned his attention to Chloe.

"I understand the true nature of your predicament more than most people, Miss Chloe. My upbringing excluded most things that are common to most students here, coupled with my nationality. It has taken a while to integrate myself in a 'normal' life as it were, and not without problems but I can tell you it will get easier with time." He paused in thought before continuing.

"So far the best way I have found of expanding ones' own repertoire is to ask others about their interests and likes. For example, Victoria has been loaning me her movie and show collection. That has allowed me to look into similar ones that I found that I enjoyed."

[Scuffles]

"That's a good idea." Kristin said as she started to clean up her tray. "Finding out some fun hobbies that suit you always helps, right John? I'm a sports kind of girl most of the time, but a good book or movie or something is always good too."

She sat back in her chair and turned to Chloe. "It will be a whole lot easier to get to know people if you share interests with them I think? So do you know what sort of things you liked to do? What books? Movies? Vicky has pretty good taste, you could start borrowing some of her stash or something. And if that's not your thing then there's all kinds of clubs and stuff on campus you might look at joining."

[Derin]

Chloe bit her lip. Her psychologist had specifically warned her parents not to try to force upon her the things she used to enjoy. Food was one thing, as the parts of her nervous system responsible for processing taste were largely intact, but entertainment was another. Doctor Stevens hadn't spoken to her about it, though, and he hadn't been aware that she'd been eavesdropping on his conversations with her parents. Did that mean it was okay for her to pursue her old interests? Would avoiding them be worse? She couldn't really call him to ask in the cafeteria.

She didn't want to offend Kristin. "I... I used to like soap operas and dramas. And rock music. I've... explored them since, but they haven't done much for me."

[Semi-Autogyro]

He nodded at Kristin. "Indeed. It has taken a while, but I have found a few extracurricular activities that I enjoy. I look forward to finding more that I find appealing, and broadening my horizons as it were."

He cocked his head at Chloes' last response which was followed by a puzzled frown as he fixed her with piercing gaze."Used to?" Johns eyes narrowed as he focused on her, mentally assembled a profile from her previous responses. "Judging by your phrasing, I take it that you suffered some sort of mental trauma that led to your eventual arrival here Miss Chloe?"

John froze when he realized what he had said, and then held up a hand in apology. "Pardon my rudeness in the matter, I sincerely hope that I have not offended you. I retain the mental tendency to assess other people, and I sometimes forget that is frowned upon when such information is brought forward in normal conversation."

Relaxing his rigid posture from the earlier scrutinization of the new student, he continued. "But if indeed that is your situation, then there is a wide selection of things that you can attempt to try again. People change. Their likes and dislikes as well. Not liking something that you previously enjoyed is not a crime, after all I do not miss my time before coming here to Claremont even if it was doing things I was very good at."

[Scuffles]

Ouch! Still, I don't think she'll be offended..

"Geez John, go easy!" Kristin chuckled. "Subtlety of a sledgehammer right there!"

"But still, he's right," she continued as she turned back towards Chloe. "Losing your taste for the soapies is hardly a bad thing anyway. It doesn't matter if you've grown out of some things you used to like. It just means you get to explore and experiment and find new things to try. Some you'll like, some you won't, but finding out is half the fun!"

[Derin]

Chloe had been warned that she'd probably get asked about her origin a lot. She took a deep breath, sorted out the pronouns in her head (people were more comfortable dealing with "Chloe" than "MD273"), closed her eyes, and began to explain.

"Not too long ago, I was in a car accident. I was killed. My parents are both brilliant scientists and engineers, and were able to get me home with most of my body tissues still intact, but the brain damage was severe. They had a medical unit of their own invention, a sentient nanite collective that could get inside bodies and repair them from the inside out. I... it was ordered to save my life at any cost. But the damage..." She shrugged. "Most organs can be repaired just fine, but there are certain parts of the brain that, once you've done enough damage to them, don't really... start up properly any more. Nobody knows quite enough about how the brain works to know exactly what chemical patterns need to be where to restart a consciousness that just isn't there any more. Minds are good at healing, if they can be kept stimulated and if luck is on your side, but in this case... The only choice, aside from permanent braindeath, was for the nanite system to completely integrate itself into my body." She looked at John. "I lost all my memories, permanently. I have all of MD273... I have all of the medical system's memories, as well as some limited use of the nanites on other people. I'm learning to use my brain again, but my old life is gone forever."

[Semi-Autogyro]

Johns' face was set in his normal mask of impassiveness as Chloe talked, and as he responded to her with a simple. "I see."

He seemed to be searching for something since he did not reply for a few heartbeats of silence as his gaze remained on Chloe before he looked over to and gave an apologetic smile to Kristin. "That has been said of me on numerous occasions, Miss Kristin. Though the implements change depending on the persons. I have been also unfavorably compared to chainsaws, explosives, and nuclear weaponry when dealing with my numerous social faux pas to date."

Returning his attention back to Chloe, he dropped his normal formality since he thought it to be best to be straightforward in this conversation. "I will not mince words. Upon further consideration, it is my opinion you are neither Chloe nor are you MD273. You are who you choose to be. As such, I will ask you to answer a single question. You do not have to respond to it now but I would like you to seriously consider the question. It is something that I ask myself on a regular basis: Who are you?

John stood sliding on his coat and backpack before picking up up his tray. "Then you can inform me how you would like to be addressed. If you will now excuse me, I have Ethics class in 15 minutes. I wish for the both of you to have a pleasant rest of the day." As he left the cafeteria after putting away his tray, he gave the pair an easy wave.

[Derin]

"It was nice to meet you, John," Chloe said as he left. She didn't really understand why people made such a big deal about her identity; Chloe's hormonal and nervous systems might not gel perfectly with MD273's memories, but both should adapt in time. It didn't bother her unduly to be addressed as Chloe, who had both a legal identity and less tendency to upset people than MD273. Both names were factually accurate. "Ethics class," she said thoughtfully, but John had left; she turned to Kristin instead. "They teach ethics here? Right and wrong?" Her own moral code was clear and simple, but not appropriate for human behaviour. Ethics...

[Scuffles]

"Catch you later John!" Kristin said with a smile, then turned to Chloe. "We should probably think about getting a move on too. Do you have classes today or are you just getting settled in and then starting tomorrow or something? Oh.. Ethics classes? Yeah I think there's ethics classes. I think John takes some special classes of his own though to catch him up on stuff though. Maybe if you inquire about that they'd be able to help you out too."

She stood and picked up her tray so she could get rid of the leftovers. "I've still got a little while before class, anything else you want to see while we're here?"