Day 56: Morris Park

[poorexample]

It was disappointing that the sheriff's office had been closed for some reason, but many humans rested on Sunday for what they considered good reason. Castiel himself didn't understand the thought behind it. God may have rested on the seventh day, but that didn't meant that the rest of them were allowed that luxury. He'd certainly never followed

Comments

[no_dont_go]

After leaving the hardware store, a little more somber than she had been upon entering but also more determined, Aigis headed east along Main Street. As she passed by the movie cinema she was reminded of the time she had gone with Minato to see the ninja movie marathon at Iwatodai Port Station. She wasn't sure what movies would be playing at a cinema in a town constructed for the sole purpose of continuing the illusion that Landel's was a proper mental health facility, but she wasn't in the mood for remaining idle anyway. Yes, that's what she considered Doyleton to be, though she had no solid proof it was just a prop. The town just seemed much too artificial to be real. It lacked the life she had come to know from her time spent with the others in Iwatodai.

Traveling past the bar and reaching the crossing of Kelley Street, Aigis looked across the way to the park. Signs of obvious vandalism and neglect covered the area, though the still falling snow had buried a great deal from sight. This place did remind her of Iwatodai. It was the same as that beloved city had become after the Doomsday Cult had stormed in and spread the salvation of Nyx. The measures were different, but the intent was the same. Instill fear and draw attention.

Aigis crossed over into the park. Only a few other patients had bothered to visit this end of town. One in particular caught her eye. She recognized him, or thought she did. The memory was hazy. Where had she seen his face before?

"Pardon me," she began as she approached the man rubbing at his neck, her eyes intent on his face, "I do not believe we have met. However I..." She trailed off, her subconscious practically screaming at her. She knew his face. It was not so long ago, and yet she could not remember talking with him.

[poorexample]

Upon hearing a female voice at his side, Castiel's immediate reaction was to tense. He still didn't understand why it was that he reacted in such a way to human females, but it wasn't something he could control. Even though he had enjoyed both of the conversations that he'd had with Renamon, she wasn't human, so it didn't count.

However, as he turned to see who had called to him, he realized that this person wasn't entirely human either. Castiel hadn't come across any humans who could shoot bullets from their fingers, at least. He stared at her for a moment, taking in her features now that they were in broad daylight. She appeared human now, but he knew the truth.

He also knew why she remembered his face, if not who he was. The bullet wound he'd taken from her had healed over by now, but it wasn't something forgotten so easily. Still, the angel wasn't one to hold a grudge, especially since he understood that her thoughts had not been her own in that moment.

"You and I met in front of the chapel. I was with another man who was a few inches taller than me." That reminded him that he hadn't seen the Doctor in some time, though perhaps that was for the best, considering what the two of them had heard about each other from those shadow beings. He realized most of it probably hadn't made sense to the other man, but nonetheless, it was best to avoid revealing his identity considering some Joshua imposer was looking for him.

[no_dont_go]

His words didn't make sense to her at first. In front of the chapel? When had she been anywhere near such a thing? And he mentioned another man. Just describing his height did little to help Aigis visualize the other, but it did jog something in her mind.

A moment of contemplation and it fell into place. The orders to protect an area at all costs. No one was to be allowed through under any circumstances. And two had escaped before she had shut down, but not unscathed. Her eyes widened and her breath returned to her lungs in an involuntary gasp. She had hurt him! This man before her! She had attacked him, and for the institute no less!

Bowing quickly, folded over in proper Japanese style, Aigis squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. "I am sorry! I apologize for all I have done to harm you! Please, I-I..."

She couldn't bear to ask forgiveness. She didn't think she deserved it. Not after she had so willingly allowed the institute to drag her away that night.

[poorexample]

While the details he'd given hadn't been much, it seemed that something in what he'd said had been enough to remind her. Castiel watched as the realization fell upon her, that expression so clearly stated that even he could read it. He was taken aback by her reaction, however; particularly the bow. He understood her guilt and her need to apologize, but that didn't make it easier for him to fashion some sort of response.

How did humans handle situations like these? It was true that she had injured him, but it had not been her own choice. Did he attempt to comfort her? He frowned and took a small step back, though it was more to give the girl her space rather than because he feared her. All of the intimidation she'd possessed that night was gone now.

"It's all right," he said, rather awkwardly, as he held his arms stiffly at his sides. "I have heard of how our minds can be altered here. It was not your decision to guard that area."

One hand moved up to rest over his shoulder where he'd taken the bullet wound. "More than that, I've already healed from your act of assault. There is no reason for me to hold ill will toward you." That didn't necessarily mean that they had to be friends, but he wanted to make it clear that he had no intention of holding a grudge.

[no_dont_go]

She didn't raise her head when he shuffled back away from her. If he wanted to leave she would not stop him. She could understand his need to move away from someone that had once attacked him.

His words while not warm still managed to bring comfort to Aigis. How relieving to know he did not hold her actions against her. She lifted her head, trying to express her gratitude with her gaze. "Thank you!"

She watched his hand move to his shoulder and her grateful smile lost some of its glow. "I am thankful your wounds were not major. A few others suffered more than just a bullet from me." She appreciated his words more than she could say, but she had a feeling he was holding something back. She did not read others easily but she could sense some tension about him. Apologizing more did not seem like it would ease him any further either.

She wasn't sure what more to say about that night. Asking after his goal would not be the most polite of topics. Instead, she thought perhaps an introduction was in order. "I am Aigis. Please, do not let our previous encounter make you feel uncomfortable."

And just to make sure he understood, she added after a slight pause, "I do not plan to allow them the chance to reprogram me again."

[poorexample]

While Castiel was bothered to hear that she had injured others even more than she had himself and the Doctor, it did make sense. The two of them had cut their losses and made a run for it in the end, which was hardly his most shining moment, but he was no fool. One bullet wound had been bad enough. He could have asked her for details, but even he realized that it wouldn't be helpful information and it would only cause her more pain to explain it.

There were other things he could ask about that still related to what had been done to her but wouldn't be in reference to the specifics of how she had injured others. It seemed that she wanted his name before anything, though, and so after a pause he bowed his head slightly. "I am Castiel. I will do what I can to judge you based on this meeting rather than the previous one."

She was far different from how she had been that night, both physically and in terms of her behavior. She was apologetic and sincere, whereas before her tone had bordered on robotic. She seemed human now, when before she had been -- what was it? A cyborg?

"Do you have any recollection of how they did that to you?" he asked with a frown, wondering if she would be willing to explain the process to him, if nothing else. "And I am right to assume that the form you were in that night is the one you are more accustomed to?"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis nodded back. She would expect no warm feelings, and appreciated there being no hard feelings either. "Castiel-san, then. I gladly accept."

A gust of wind made her shiver. She placed her hands into her pockets, glad for the warmth they offered. Last week's downpour didn't hold a metaphorical candle to the chill of today's snow. The sensation that touched her body here in the institute was perhaps a little more sensitive than the average human's, and while she appreciated the concept of sensation it only made days like today exceedingly uncomfortable.

Aigis considered his words, glad for a distraction from the cold. She nodded again, eyes moving down to look at her boots dusted in fresh snow. "That is correct. Originally, I am an attack android, created for the function of protecting mankind from a force we call 'Shadows.' But as for how they did such a thing, changing my body from this form back into my original and then the reprogramming..."

She fell silent, her gaze moving over the nearly deserted park. Everything was covered in snow. Cold and dead. "I regret to say that I have no recollection of the process. Though I do know I did not put up a fight when they came to retrieve me. I allowed them, and for that I am sorry."

Aigis hadn't planned to apologize again, but she felt it necessary after that kind of confession.

[poorexample]

It was odd to hear that "-san" tacked on to the end of his name, but Castiel decided it was best to leave it. He didn't understand why a girl like Aigis would be using Japanese polite speech patterns, but there was no reason to question it if that was what made her comfortable.

He noticed that she was cold, and that very human response -- shivering and huddling into her clothes -- seemed to completely contradict the hard, unforgiving attitude that she had showed that night. It would have been difficult for him to recognize her as the same being if it hadn't been for her hair and her features.

An attack android, she said. Castiel's brow furrowed, as he'd never heard of such a thing. It was odd that he was faced with another creature that had been made for the sole purpose of protecting humanity, much like him, and yet the two of them seemed so different. He did pause at the mention of "Shadows," wondering if it was any kind that he knew. Or perhaps the imitation of Jimmy Novak that he had seen some nights back?

"I doubt there was any way for you to resist," he pointed out after a pause, seeing the regret clear in her features. He could have asked himself how an android could feel, but he'd dealt with questions like that regarding himself for far too long. He understood.

Some perhaps they weren't so different after all.

"What sort of Shadows?" he asked, his tone gaining more interest. It seemed that at this point, his curiosity had chased away any lingering wariness he might have felt for this girl... robot... whatever she might be called.

[no_dont_go]

"Very understanding of you," Aigis muttered, nodding again with a sniffle. It truly was kind of him to say, even if it wasn't true. She should have resisted a little. When they came to get her she had just lain there, allowing them to take her away and do whatever it was they had done to put her in such a state as she was that night.

Him questioning her about Shadows wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The patients in the institute always seemed intrigued when she mentioned them, so she had no qualms about telling this stranger.

Her eyes hardened, and she clenched her jaw a bit harder. "Shadows are dark creatures from a realm only few can see. They feed on humans, sucking their willpower from them and bringing despair. They are also, I've learned, signs of the approach of the end of the world."

She had been here over a week now, she realized. That meant that in less than one more week, back home in her time at least, the appointed day was approaching fast. How many days should have been left? Five? Six? She couldn't even count them anymore.

[poorexample]

Dark creatures that fed on the willpower of humans -- the first thing that Castiel thought of were the Shtriga, though he couldn't be certain that what Aigis spoke of was the same thing. After all, there were many, many dark creatures, some things even he might not have been aware of. Castiel knew how far the world spanned back, how long these creatures had had the chance to be born and to develop and to fester.

Shtriga weren't supposed to be portents for the end of the world, for instance, and that very comment grabbed his attention even more than the mere mention of shadows. This was the first time he'd come across someone else in this place who also believed that the end of the world was nigh, and he wasn't going to give up that chance. It was truly a blessing that she had stumbled across him.

"So you also believe that the Apocalypse is coming?" he asked bluntly, staring her in the face. He wasn't desperate, but coming across someone else who understood the danger that the world was in might help Castiel to both get back to where he'd come from and to stop it from happening.

"How did you discover that they were marking the end of the world? What have you been doing to try and prevent it?" Did she know about Lucifer and his plan, or was she only aware of the Shadows? Castiel had to hold himself back from asking too many questions or giving himself away.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis looked up, eyes widening at the strength behind his question. So he believed as well. For the first time since Heat had disappeared, Aigis felt a strange kinship between herself and a fellow patient blossoming. And this time he knew not only of the world's end but understood it to be approaching.

"Yes!" she replied with more vehemence in her voice, her eyes hardening. "In fact, it is almost upon us."

His other questioned required a bit more consideration. Aigis slowed her breathing, which had begun to pick up just moments before, and closed her eyes, thinking back on her time before the institute.

"There have only been two recorded times of great Shadow activity; they have been increasing exponentially in the last year, and they had done the same only ten years before that. When amassed, they are used to call down the Goddess Nyx in order to enact the end of all mankind. How they are brought together," and here she paused, wincing, "is through humanity's own wish for death, or so it is believed."

She shook her head. Why a flourishing race like humankind would wish for their own destruction was beyond her. She could not believe it. "It was the work of one man during the previous close call. The one happening now back home is due to the spread of 'Salvation through Death,' the preachings of the Doomsday cult." Aigis shivered again, this time not from only the chill of the air.

"To prevent it, I have tried using the same means as when I attacked you." She removed one hand from her pocket, holding it out; a clenched fist. "My original model can handle many forms of ballistic weaponry. When that was not effective, I would use the power of Athena, my Persona. She would always come to my aid."

[poorexample]

It was close to surreal at this point to be faced with someone who understood what threat they were faced with, and Castiel almost wondered if there was some sort of catch. Aigis seemed equally surprised and exhilarated to have discovered someone else who knew the truth of that was going on, and yet Castiel still had his reservations. This seemed too sudden and too simple.

Nyx, the goddess of the night. Castiel had only heard of her as myth, but he realized full well that most myths were real in one way or another. Was she a demon, then, or simply working with them? Or was this another angle to the Apocalypse that had nothing to do with his own part in it? Their stories seemed to differ, but that did not necessarily mean that they were speaking of separate things.

However, the more she spoke the less he understood. The work of one man -- which man? And what was this Doomsday cult that she spoke of? Castiel realized that he and the Winchesters may have missed certain aspects of the end of days while rushing to stop what they were aware of, and yet having a new element of the Apocalypse added in only increased his troubles.

Either way, it seemed that Aigis was aware of some aspect of the end of the world and was doing what she could to fight against it. As far as Castiel was concerned, that made them allies. "I am not as familiar with those details that you just gave, but it seems that we are fighting for the same cause nonetheless." He had no idea what a Persona was either, but it seemed like they had far too many questions to work through.

"I am trying to stop the rise of Lucifer and the Four Horsemen," he explained. "There is a war between angels and demons that is quickly approaching unless I can do something to prevent it." Which meant getting rid of Lucifer, essentially, but that was nearly an impossible task.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis saw their meeting as a fair share of luck, despite the strain their first encounter had left them under. Everyone else had their own worlds to return to; Carter had his war, Scar had the savannah. She and Castiel shared a world of little time. Together, they understood a swelling end that would soon overtake them if they did not return soon. In this sense, Aigis felt comforted in having found another comrade in arms.

She nodded emphatically. It was possible he understood the implications the end of the world held, but if he didn't understand all she said then it was fine. Normal even.

His words about Lucifer and Horsemen gave her pause, however. Minato had the ability to summon Lucifer as a Persona, as well as the Pale Rider. Angels and demons were also various forms of Persona, and neither was inherently bad or good. Why they would be on opposing sides was beyond her understanding. But then again, Heat, a demon, had treated Nyx as though she were a low level demon herself. Somewhere, a few wires had gotten crossed.

"It seems like a dire predicament on both our ends. I am unsure how closely our goals intersect, but it is obvious we are both on the same side of things. If we can pr-pr--ahhh!" Aigis sneezed, and a shocked look crossed her face. Having never sneezed before the involuntary action caught her a little more than off guard. She started Castiel for a moment, unsure of what his reaction would hold and hoping to see what a proper reaction to that would be.

She reached up and touched her nose gently. "That was..." Strange.

[poorexample]

Seeing how she gave no direct response to what he said about Lucifer and the Horsemen, it was difficult to know if she recognized that as part of her Apocalypse or not. Castiel's guess was that she would have somehow reacted to it if she had, which meant that the details didn't match up on both ends. Nonetheless, she understood the urgency, the need to get back that was more than simply escape.

It was odd, to think that an "attack android" could be experiencing the same thing that he was, and Castiel wondered how it was that she had gotten involved in it. She had said she was made for that purpose, but who had made her? He doubted it would answer his own questions about the Apocalypse, but he was curious despite that.

He was distracted when the girl sneezed, startling slightly and then speaking the words "bless you" before he had even thought about it. Uttering that phrase in response to a sneeze was a completely human construct, having no true connection to Heaven or his Father. The fact that he had adopted it unsettled him in a way he couldn't entirely explain.

Still, it was the polite thing to do, so perhaps it was best that he had said it. "It might be best for you to head inside," he advised. From what he'd gathered, humans could catch a cold simply from staying outside in cold weather for too long. Seeing how Aigis appeared as human as he did (which was an odd thought on its own), she was likely susceptible to that now.

[no_dont_go]

"Ah, th-thank you?" Aigis muttered confused, fingers still touching her nose lightly. The words 'bless you' meant nothing to her except they were words said at a temple or shrine. But what did it mean to be blessed, really? She couldn't rightly imagine.

She nodded at his suggestion, struggling to breath through her nose. Something seemed to be causing an obstruction to her airflow, though she could still breathe well enough. She sniffled.

"I will be on my way then." She bowed her head to her new comrade and offered him a parting smile. "I would like to speak again, Castiel-san. Please, feel free to approach me at any time." And with that she took her leave of him, thinking perhaps to find something to warm her from the inside out.