Day 60: Music Room (Fourth Shift)

[norainu]

It wasn't often that Renji felt less like punching people in general as his day wore on. This was a new experience for him. A not unwelcome one, if he was being honest. And the fact that he felt less like punching Fai? Kind of mind-blowing. The sort of thing Zen masters would probably use as a kouan to reach an all-new level of non-punching enlightenment.

So he was back from the dead, almost everyone he'd known was gone, and yet bizarrely his day felt like it was looking up. Kind of. Renji wasn't sure what to make of this. Maybe his grumpy meter was just nearing empty. That was as good an explanation as the next, considering how this place made him feel.

Whatever the reason, he ended up in the music room. And he remembered oh yeah. He'd always kind of hated this damn shift. He grabbed a little book of music and a drum and retreated quickly to the far end of the room. He put the drum down in front of him just so he looked like he was doing something and opened the book. But he had no idea how to read music, and really, he was more interested in the ongoing puzzle of what the hell had happened in the last four weeks.

And brooding. Of course. There was always brooding to be done.

[Okay Tolten, let me lay it out for you. When there's a mommy and a daddy... or sometimes a daddy and a dadddy. Or, hell, sometimes a mommy and a mommy if you buy the right kind of wood cuts (and a third mommy if you go to just the right shop)... but anyway when they love each other very much, or at least a suitably large amount of money changes hands, there are some things that happen...]

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[sixth-attack.livejournal.com]

For lunch, Sechs took his meal outside to the recreational field; he wasn't up to being bothered by more cats in the Sun Room while he ate! His choice of location wasn't the best however, it may have been sunny, but the chilliness wasn't something Sechs was too familiar with or fond of. He was too used to the dry, hot wastelands surrounding the Scrapyard, and he found himself appreciating the warmth of the indoors once the fourth shift came around. Keeping the drug in his back quiet by staying away from the cold was an added bonus too.

But after being herded around by a nurse, Sechs was disgruntled to find that the music room he was left in didn't offer any of the sort of music he liked! His song was of total annihilation! His music was all about explosions, destruction, and oblivion! His instruments were blades, bullets, fists and plasma balls! Not these wimpy drums, annoying whistles and ancient CDs!

This was boring!

With nurses breathing down his neck and orderlies close by in case Sechs tried to make his own "music" through destructive means, the Replica was forced to restlessly pace about the room. Not in the least distracted by what the music room offered, Sechs' mind wandered over his memories of last night. He never got the chance to find the other three patients he explored the basement with. He began scouring the room for any familiar faces, hoping to find one who could keep him from getting unbearably bored...

Sechs search didn't go on for too long when he spotted a head of noticeable pink hair sitting at one of the red couches. It was Utena! With some of his frustration melting away, Sechs made a bee-line for the girl. Finally, someone from the mission to the basement he could talk to!

Yet just as he stepped up to the side of the couch, Sechs suddenly felt real awkward once he recalled his furious outburst at Utena when his power faded the night before. He had been so close to killing her! Even though their conflict was resolved, that memory alone was enough to make the Replica hesitate somewhat. All he could do was go by the usual greeting he had for those he had nearly killed in the past...

"Uh, hey..."

[revolutionise]

Ironically, by the time one of the people Utena had been searching for showed up, she was getting too into the music to notice his presence at first. She moved her foot up and down along with the saxophone melodies in her headphones, and tapped the armrest as well. It wasn't until the presence nearby came right up to her that she finally snapped out of it — though, when she did, a smile crossed her face.

"Hey, Sechs!" she said, pulling the headphones off and letting them rest around her neck. Without all his armour on, the man looked downright normal, save for the wild hair. Never mind that the guilty-looking, even awkward stance he took by the couch stood in stark contrast to the bloodthirsty rage she had seen the night before. That had really gotten scary for a bit, she couldn't deny; Utena could still see that bloody machete aimed for her neck. After all that, though, Sechs had calmed down enough, and by the time night had ended, he had proven himself more than trustworthy. She wouldn't have expected less based on his bulletin board responses. As far as she was concerned, she had nothing to be scared of, and the way Sechs looked now only added to that feeling.

"So I hear the others want to meet again tonight. You up for it? You really helped us out last night!" she answered, inviting him to take a spot next to her on the couch.

[sixth-attack.livejournal.com]

"Um..." Sechs dumbly looked down at the spot Utena gestured for him to sit on. The couch was already kind of small, and with him joining Utena, it was going to get pretty crowded... Sechs could only hope that Utena wasn't going to be the touchy-feely sort of person like some people he knew...

Stuffing away his apprehension and awkwardness, Sechs plopped down on his side of the couch with a soft grunt, crossing his arms and stretching his lanky legs out as he tried to make himself somewhat comfortable.

"They do, huh?" he replied, feeling a tiny sapling of pride blossom inside his chest from Utena's compliment. "I'm sure up to giving that place another try! A warrior like me isn't gonna give up so soon!"

With most of the awkwardness ebbing away, (Sechs was relieved that he didn't have to do any apologizing, that was like pulling teeth for him!) the Replica figured he'd bring up a question that had been nibbling at his brain since he first met Utena. "Uh, speaking of which, I heard ya mention something about nobility the other night..." he said, "You of royalty or something?"

[revolutionise]

That was the kind of talk Utena liked to hear. Giving up wasn't Utena's style either, and hearing the same from someone else bolstered her spirits even more. "Same here! A prince doesn't give up either, so I'm not planning on it," she told Sechs with a determined grin.

Speaking of princes, that led in to the man's next question. She nodded, knowing that her goals didn't always make sense to people, especially when she mentioned them out of context like that. An explanation was probably a good thing to give right about now. "Ah, no! I wish! I mean my aunt's kind of well off, but my family's definitely not royalty," she started with a self-deprecating smile that quickly turned warmer. "By nobility I mean I'm aiming to be a prince someday. I met one once when I was a little girl, and ever since then, I've wanted to be strong and noble just like him."

Her gaze naturally turned down to the Rose Seal on her finger. "He gave me this back then, and said that it would lead me to him one day. So I try to be like him — save people, be strong, fight for what's right. And I'm hoping I can be even a little bit close to his level by the time we meet again," she explained, lifting the ring up for Sechs to see.

[sixth-attack.livejournal.com]

"A prince, huh?" Sechs said, his amber eyes following Utena's blue ones until they both gazed down at ring she wore on her finger. He pondered a little over her words, and came up with the best response a battle android like himself could make. "Why don't ya just get a new model for fighting with then? One that looks like a prince or something..." Sechs slowly suggested.

He then realized that probably made little sense to her, and he quickly added, "Uh, unless the whole cyborg thing isn't common back where you come from..." he said, giving the back of his head an awkward scratch.

[revolutionise]

"A new— Huh?"

It took Utena a few seconds to get the idea of what Sechs was actually saying. Her first thought at the word "model" was fashion modelling, like the kind Juri did sometimes. But what models were also fighters? Was there some kind of Super Fighting Modeling League...? Then Sechs mentioned the word "cyborg" and she got what he meant. Ah! So he's like Aigis, then? she thought. No wonder he'd had such incredible powers the night before. Talk about firepower!

Her eyes went a little wider with understanding and interest at that, and she answered: "Oh! You mean like an artificial body or something, right? Ahahah, sorry, but yeah, those aren't exactly common in my world," she said with a light laugh. Her smile went a bit warmer then. "And besides, even if they were, I don't think I'd want to change anyway. It's cool if others want to, but I like my body the way it is. No one ever said a girl can't wear a boy's uniform or do other things that boys do, so why should I have to change to do those things?"