Day 51: Women's Showers [Fourth Shift]

[windstwilight]

It was a start, for better or worse. It was an attempt to do better, even if she was doubtful of success. Well. With that one, she'd just have to stick close, is all! The last thing Nigredo needed was to be left alone

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[hasnomeaning]

There was little she had learned within the day; less that she could use. The one called Riku had given her some information on the experiments--the one on the board had offered her assistance with identifying where Ayanami's wound had originated--but still it seemed there was no enough being done. Tonight she would have to make progress, of some sort, or she was not fulfilling any aspect of her purpose. And the other pilots. She had not seen them today. The one called Fifth had responded, but nothing else.

It was not a bland Ayanami that had stepped foot into the showers. Her face was creased in the smallest of thoughtful frowns, discontentment clear from tensed muscles. That she was naked, in a public shower, didn't seem to faze the girl. More to the point were the questions that were growing without answers.

[for Aigis]

[no_dont_go]

Showers. Much like Rei, Aigis was unaffected by the thought of bathing in front of others. It was the bathing itself that gave her pause.

Her first full day of the institute had held a shower shift, but she hadn't been able to concentrate on the task at the time. Her mind had been completely centered on the absence of her papillion heart, and the strange butterfly-like mark that took its place. But now she was curious to experience the showers. Humans needed to maintain daily hygiene. She was probably now human enough to need it herself.

Her hand covering that little mark at the base of her throat--it was so difficult to just let it be, even if the sensitive personality chip was missing--Aigis walked intently into the steamy shower and chose a free shower head, ignorant of any neighbors she had. She started at the pump of shampoo, conditioner and body wash, trying to decide which to use first.

[hasnomeaning]

That someone was nearing to where she had secluded herself was noticed, and Ayanami glanced to the side where Aigis now stood, staring at the soaps provided. Rei slowly reached to the shampoo in front of her, still watching the other girl, and then started lathering her own short hair.

Aigis. She was one who was kind to strangers--though motivation was unknown. An action of need or something else. She was one who declared she was not human. Even though she acted more human than-- Hm. And then she had been upset last night, hadn't she? That itself was a curiosity, and Rei wondered if she would touch on it.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis' hands wavered near the shampoo and conditioner, unsure of which to begin with. She supposed cleaning one's self from the top down would be be the best course of action, so she would take the body wash at the end, but for now, she just wasn't sure.

The person next to her had already began lathering her hair, so Aigis supposed it might be best to ask. "Excuse me, would you mind, oh! Ayanami-san!" Aigis turned fully to her neighbor and bowed, a bit awkwardly at that. She stayed bowed for a moment longer than generally expected, trying to regain her thoughts.

When she finally looked up, her eyes went immediately to the other girl's neck. But she was unsure if she should voice her concern just yet. Instead, she focused on an easier, less sensitive topic, and one more pressing. "Could you tell me which product is best suited for washing one's hair? I'm afraid I'm quite inexperienced in this area of 'living.'"

[hasnomeaning]

Rei stared as the girl made her greetings, moving quickly onto a question on products. Only from necessity, did Rei have the answers Aigis wanted. The way her question was posed, however. Wasn't it that Rei could say the same? She wasn't very good, at how other people defined living.

"...Aigis," she finally said by way of greeting. Instead of answering her vocally, Ayanami reached to the other girl's area, grasping the shampoo bottle and then holding it out. "This. Then that," she added, looking at the conditioner.

[no_dont_go]

"Ah, thank you." Aigis took the bottle from Rei's hands. She smiled sincerely and began the task of trying to wash her hair. It was difficult at first, when the shampoo didn't lather quite right in her dry hair. Taking her cue from the showering girls around her, Aigis switched her shower on and began wetting her hair. The reaction was almost instantaneous as the shampoo bubbled while Aigis scrubbed.

She wasn't sure if she enjoyed the sensation of the water beating on her skin. It was also a little too cold at first, but she remedied that easily with a twist of a handle. "..." She sighed. She really had no self-control when it came to her curiosity.

"Not to pry," Aigis began, her worrying nature gaining the best of her, "but how is your wound today?" At least Rei didn't seem quite as pale as she had been the night before, but maybe that was the lighting.

[hasnomeaning]

The question was justified. But compared to other injuries that Rei had received along the way, the neck wound was minor. The loss of energy had sustained itself over to the day, though that would come back with time. Logical. She paused in rinsing her hair, looking over to Aigis and nodding. "It's fine," she responded, tone slightly warmer than it had been last night. It was. Interesting, perhaps. To have someone so concerned when it was unnecessary.

Her hand returned to her head, massaging suds from her scalp. "I should be able to return to efficiency soon." Enough to prove her own usefulness again, by any rate. She needed to continue searching tonight. She would not tolerate another repeat of nothing being found. Though thought of last night made her pause. "Last night. You seemed distressed."

[no_dont_go]

The relief Aigis felt after hearing Rei's wound was healing showed very obviously on her face. It was more than relieving to know the damage wasn't as severe as Aigis had feared. Though she was still wary of what creature could create such wounds on a person's neck, that Rei was regaining her strength rather quickly almost rendered the subject moot

[hasnomeaning]

Athena. The goddess of wisdom. She believed. If she remembered her studies. And summoning. To summon a goddess. It touched too close to facts about Lilith, and Rei backtracked in thoughts. Her form being altered meant from a weapon. Something not human, if she believed. And why wouldn't she, as she remained? No, it was not in her to doubt fully. So as something created, she could summon something with the name of a goddess. And it might be possible still.

Rei paused, glancing back over to Aigis as the other girl mused. "...What is Athena?" And why would Aigis summon it? "What purpose does it serve?"

[no_dont_go]

"Athena, she is my Persona," Aigis replied, by now properly rehearsed in just what to say about her power. "She is what gives me the ability to properly fight Shadows, monsters that feed on the souls of humankind. It has always been my duty to defeat them. That is why I was created."

Aigis was surprised how soft her hair felt after rinsing out the conditioner. Soft, but also smooth and heavy. She reached for the body wash now, but when she applied it to her skin it didn't seem to do much. It felt sticky in her hands and barely bubbled, though she was sure it was supposed to lather like the shampoo had...

Aigis glanced to the side at Rei, considering if she should be told. She was also a defender of humanity. She had said as much the night before. But if she did not possess the potential, then perhaps it would be better to keep quiet about Nyx. She remained unsure, but decided it wouldn't hurt to test the waters with with. "... Ayanami-san, have you ever heard of the Goddess Nyx?"

[hasnomeaning]

Information filtered inward to fit awkwardly into places ill-suiting. Persona. Aigis spoke of it as one would speak of an Eva. But to summon it. That was not something possible, was it? Something held in anti-matter space to be called forth when needed? It seemed something for fantasy. To be held with robotics and the need to defend humanity.

Point. She would accept it.

But Aigis had already continued, and Rei watched her, interested to a degree. Another greek goddess mentioned. "The goddess of the night," she answered in the most basic of ways. "Does she control the Shadows?" Rei's eyes moved to the side in thought, then returned to Aigis, adding a question. "How do they feed on souls?"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis had no idea where Rei's thoughts had traveled, but it was probably for the best. Aigis recognized her persona's name of origin. She understood her own as well. But Nyx was no ordinary Shadow and neither was she a Persona, so Aigis lacked the same understanding Rei may have had of the goddess