[sylvanSpider]

Benjamin smiled at April and straightened his collar as though he'd just tried on a new outfit rather than the one he'd been wearing for a majority of the last two centuries. It was an outfit, unfortunately, that he knew all too well: black slacks, a white shirt, a black overcoat, and a bowtie. He almost wished he'd been wearing a hat when he died, as that might have traveled back with him in the after life. In his worst days, it would have hid the wound...kind of...He'd hoped that this would be substantially better than the last time, and hopefully would purvey a bit more of his personality than the cold text had been. Alright, so speaking audibly was not something he could do readily, not yet. He wondered if he ever would be able to.

However, the visibility was a resounding success. He found that he had no trouble at all keeping it up (in part, he guessed, because he'd been saving it), at least, if he were to gauge that based on April's eyes following him. It was the strangest sensation, but now she'd be able to see his emotions as he wrote. Jokes wouldn't be misconstrued, and maybe it wouldn't seem as cold. At least, to him, the text looked cold. He didn't know her thoughts on it.

Well then, speaking was a happy, though unrealized, thought. I just wish we could have an uninhibited conversation. However, I believe my efforts have not gone unrealized. I'm not feeling drained in the slightest. On the contrary, I feel amazing!