The fresh air and physical activity had been good for Utena. She still wasn't happy about her situation, oh no. But she was considerably less worked up than she had been at the start of it, at least. With the military apparently in disguise and the patient population actually looking like patients, the day was starting to seem downright normal by Landel's standards. The only thing that still really, really bothered her was the lack of Himemiya. She hadn't seen a trace of the other girl all day. By this point, the only thing she could hope was that Himemiya was asleep somewhere, perhaps wherever Utena herself had been all this time
( ... )
Aigis was a bit distracted as she walked into the dimmed Sun Room. She barely registered that they had been promised a movie for today. Beyond the letter in her hand and the disturbing conversation from the shift before, Aigis had very little care for the institute's need for pretense. She had given the note a quick look-through before leaving the visitor's area, deciding to give it more consideration during dinner. For now, she had someone to meet, and that was able to compute despite her troubled mind.
She saw the bubblegum pink of her friend's hair shaded slightly in the darkness of the makeshift theater. Aigis made her way over on wooden legs, overwhelmed by too many emotions in too small a time frame.
"Tenjou-san," she muttered, nodding in greeting. She was at least dressed in old Landel's wear. Aigis trusted Utena would be herself, but she couldn't quite muster her own normal cheer for this reunion. She tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. "Welcome back."
Utena turned at the sound of the familiar voice, head perking up. Aigis looked tired; considering where she'd just been, Utena couldn't say she blamed her. "I'd say 'Glad to be back' but that wouldn't be a very good joke, would it?" Utena sighed slightly pushing herself off the wall and facing her friend more directly, arms lowering back to her sides.
"Man, it feels like I only saw you yesterday..." From Utena's point of view, that was true. One of the last people Utena remembered seeing before blacking out was Aigis. She was still having a hard time accepting that so much time had passed. Six days out of commission seemed almost unfathomable. "But I'm still glad to see you, Aigis," she said, giving the android girl a small, but genuine smile.
After a moment, she took a breath and asked the big question to get it out of the way: "How was it in there...?"
Aigis nodded wearily, unable to form much of a coherent response to that. She didn't understand how it would ever be much of a joke given the context. But she shrugged it off as just another part of humanity that she failed to understand.
"It has been many more days for me," Aigis responded honestly. She had truly missed her friend's company in the past several days. Utena had always been a constant source of comfort after their first meeting. Having her back meant more to Aigis than she could say. "I am glad as well, even if it is not in the best place to be."
She returned the smile, feeling it grow naturally this time. She could get through this, now that she had a friend's support. "I am doing... alright. But it was hard, seeing Heat again. Heath-san is the one in charge now." She took a steadying breath. "I will be fine, I think. How has your day been...?"
Utena didn't know Heat, but from the way Aigis talked about him, she could tell that he was someone close. And regardless of who he was or how close, seeing anyone in the position of "visitor" was a tough pill to swallow. "I know how it feels. I've had two of my friends with 'someone else in charge' now," she answered with a sigh.
Then Aigis assured her that she would be fine, and though Utena was still worried, she hoped that this meant they could talk a little more normally now. She didn't want them to spend their entire reunion moping on each other's shoulders, if she could help it. It was so hard to find levity in this place sometimes; it had to be treasured on the occasions it did turn up. "Not exactly a picnic, I can tell you that much," Utena answered with an exasperation in her tone, but slightly more energy, too. "I'm mainly just glad to be awake at all, even if it's still here."
The conversation with Heat had ended on a bittersweet note. He didn't believe her anymore, but he still cared for her. That was all she could ask of him, and she would take what she could get. "It is fine. He is... happy, and because of that, I can be happy as well." She nodded. "I am just thankful he is not in pain over this."
The reassurance of having a friend back really was doing wonders for Aigis' mood. It certainly didn't balance out the long list of bad that had happened since Utena disappearance, but it at least wiped those events out of her mind. For the time being, at least.
"I am glad you've returned to yourself." Aigis nodded, eyes serious. "It is harder here, but it is better to be yourself than to be reprogrammed at the institute's whim."
Aigis indicated the soldiers in nurse's clothing, hovering nearby and not doing much to blend in while the movie played. "As you can see, some things have changed since you left. I still do not trust the chances, however."
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She saw the bubblegum pink of her friend's hair shaded slightly in the darkness of the makeshift theater. Aigis made her way over on wooden legs, overwhelmed by too many emotions in too small a time frame.
"Tenjou-san," she muttered, nodding in greeting. She was at least dressed in old Landel's wear. Aigis trusted Utena would be herself, but she couldn't quite muster her own normal cheer for this reunion. She tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. "Welcome back."
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"Man, it feels like I only saw you yesterday..." From Utena's point of view, that was true. One of the last people Utena remembered seeing before blacking out was Aigis. She was still having a hard time accepting that so much time had passed. Six days out of commission seemed almost unfathomable. "But I'm still glad to see you, Aigis," she said, giving the android girl a small, but genuine smile.
After a moment, she took a breath and asked the big question to get it out of the way: "How was it in there...?"
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"It has been many more days for me," Aigis responded honestly. She had truly missed her friend's company in the past several days. Utena had always been a constant source of comfort after their first meeting. Having her back meant more to Aigis than she could say. "I am glad as well, even if it is not in the best place to be."
She returned the smile, feeling it grow naturally this time. She could get through this, now that she had a friend's support. "I am doing... alright. But it was hard, seeing Heat again. Heath-san is the one in charge now." She took a steadying breath. "I will be fine, I think. How has your day been...?"
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Then Aigis assured her that she would be fine, and though Utena was still worried, she hoped that this meant they could talk a little more normally now. She didn't want them to spend their entire reunion moping on each other's shoulders, if she could help it. It was so hard to find levity in this place sometimes; it had to be treasured on the occasions it did turn up. "Not exactly a picnic, I can tell you that much," Utena answered with an exasperation in her tone, but slightly more energy, too. "I'm mainly just glad to be awake at all, even if it's still here."
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The reassurance of having a friend back really was doing wonders for Aigis' mood. It certainly didn't balance out the long list of bad that had happened since Utena disappearance, but it at least wiped those events out of her mind. For the time being, at least.
"I am glad you've returned to yourself." Aigis nodded, eyes serious. "It is harder here, but it is better to be yourself than to be reprogrammed at the institute's whim."
Aigis indicated the soldiers in nurse's clothing, hovering nearby and not doing much to blend in while the movie played. "As you can see, some things have changed since you left. I still do not trust the chances, however."
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