Women's Bathrooms (F01-F40)

[no_dont_go]

[from here]

Aigis arrived at the rendezvous point in good time, her mind still whirling with thoughts on the I.R.I.S. She was thankful for the distraction from the rash that blushed her arm and caused her heart irregular palpitations, though the transformation was always tickling at the corner of her mind. If she did change she only hoped it would be after she managed to help her fellow patient. And also, she hoped it would be slow enough to give her time to track down Aidou for his assistance in the matter.

Taking a deep breath and attempt to still her mind, Aigis moved to the sinks and turned on the faucet. To her dismay, the water that poured out was dingy at best. No good if they actually did have to flush a wound. Unfortunate.

Comments

[she_is_ruin]

_{[from here]}

Yomi didn’t know what to expect when she reached the meeting spot, and neither was she entirely confident she’d made the wisest decision in broaching the subject of healing with the rest of the prisoner population. But what was there to fear if something did go wrong? Wasn’t the sesshouseki’s presence enough to dispel most concerns?

If she couldn’t die after having her chest blown up, an attempt at healing wouldn’t kill her. And if her little helper happened to be less than sincere about their motives, well, it was rather hard to keep a Category A down for long. Clearly.

The door to the bathroom was standing open by the time she crossed the cell block; she stepped inside with her head cocked, flashlight held at the ready. "Anybody home?"

[no_dont_go]

"I am here." Aigis turned the water facet to stop the flow, then turned to face the one peeking into the bathroom. With her own light very dim, it was hardly easy to see much more than the barest details of the stranger there, but Aigis held no fear.

Taking a step away from the sink, Aigis placed her hands in front of her and executed a proper greeting bow. "I am Aigis. I take it you are the one in need of healing?"

Aigis reached towards her pocket, but stopped short of quite reaching for her Evoker. She gave the other girl a sideways glance. "I should warn you, my methods are unorthodox, but they should help to a small extent." Others had shown negative or shocked reactions to her abilities before. Athena could be quite intimidating.

[she_is_ruin]

Aigis. Less melodramatic than Skulduggery’s name was, but still quaint.

"I am," she confirmed, lifting her light so that it didn’t blind the other female. "And you must be the one who responded to my message."

Although her tone was friendly, she was glad when the girl proceeded straight to action. Putting business first meant less mess. Less thinking. Less involvement. Action was the one thing that sesshouseki craved above all else; everything that came before it and after it was ultimately pointless.

Yomi considered the forewarning for a second. "Okay. If you say so. I can work with unorthodox." After all, Yomi was the one carrying around a shard of the sesshouseki--if someone were to sense its presence, it would doubtlessly win at being the most unnerving. "What should I do?"

[no_dont_go]

"Excellent." Aigis was glad to know she hadn't interrupted another's rendezvous. It kept things simple.

Aigis nodded, continuing her grab for the Evoker. She pulled out the gun-like implement, then moved so that the barrel of the Evoker was again her temple. "This will only take a minute."

And with that, Aigis pulled the trigger. Instead of a gunshot, however, the sound of breaking glass filled the air and a swirling blue light enveloped the once-android's body. The ghostly figure of Athena blinked and fizzled overhead as the robotic goddess raised her halberd. A blast of white light wended around the target, then settled briefly over Yomi's wounds, offering a fraction of their typical healing properties. In only a few moments, it was all over, and Athena disappeared leaving Aigis with a dull headache. It was hardly much of a price to pay.

[she_is_ruin]

Yomi’s eyes followed the female as she reached again for her pocket, this time pulling out an object that resembled a firearm in the low light. A gun? That was an unusual choice for someone who was supposed to be tending to Yomi’s wounds. Even more unusual when the girl lifted it to her own head.

But although her lips parted slightly, Yomi didn’t say anything. What was there to say? She’d been warned to expect ‘unorthodox’… if this could be called that.

When Aigis pressed the trigger and unleashed an unexpected wave of supernatural phenomenon, she still didn’t say anything, even if words--a multitude of words--were beginning to claw up her throat. But surprise lodged them in place. The phantom warrior figure was a sight, beyond a doubt! An exorcist who’d spent her life around weird things could still be amazed at a novel display of power, it seemed. Like a child attending a circus performance for the first time, Yomi forgot that all spiritual abilities, no matter how extravagant, could be explained. For a second, there was only the mystery of how a stoic-looking girl could be walking around with access to such a creature.

But then the second passed and Yomi had to wonder what the other intended to do to her. There was no malice in the summoning that she could detect, but the clear, white light made her stiffen, nonetheless. A natural instinct when something strange was happening. As it surrounded her, she expected… something less than the refreshing touch of regenerative power. Something more in line with the sesshouseki’s sharp-edged hostility. But nothing like that came. Not even when she waited a beat in the suddenly stifling darkness.

Finally, she pulled up her shirt, probing the skin underneath her bandages. Her fingertips met raised lines of flesh, which was evidence enough that not everything had been completely healed, but in terms of recovery it was like the sesshouseki had met with some of its old power again. The difference between what her injuries had been like walking into the bathroom and what they were now was immediately noticeable.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis shivered. The darkness seemed suddenly so cold, but Aigis knew she was not alone. Athena was with her. She gripped the Evoker in her hand once again, feeling the warm metal cool. Minato was there with her, too.

"It isn't much," Aigis croaked, short on breath, "but I hope you will find that satisfactory for now."

Her head throbbed uncomfortably again but she managed to keep steady. She hid the Evoker away in her pocket again, sending a silent wish that it wouldn't be needed again tonight. With the other physical ailments once was already enough.

[she_is_ruin]

Not much? A laugh escaped her, hardly more than a breath.

"It's more than I expected. Much more. Thanks."

'Unsatisfactory' would have been wasting Yomi's time, but the female had quickly and simply dealt with her wounds--and as far as Yomi could tell, without any adverse side effects. There had been no hint that she had encountered trouble in healing a spectre, either. The evidence of the Coliseum fight might not have been completely wiped away, but it had been reduced, and that was enough to make the meeting worthwhile.

Whatever power Aigis had, whatever she had done, the fact that it had worked was all that mattered.

Letting her shirt fall back into place, she glanced over the weary girl. "And you're still happy doing it for free? Really?"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis blinked. This was perhaps the first time anyone other than a close friend had given their thanks for her help. It was. Refreshing.

An unmistakably happy smile spread across the android's face. Her fatigue from before was already losing its potency. "You are very welcome."

The question struck Aigis as odd. She tilted her head and thought what the other girl could be asking. "Why would I not be?" She nodded, as though deciding on something silently. "Helping others is what I was created for. And it is a goal I myself have chosen to follow as well."

[she_is_ruin]

The sesshouseki didn’t understand happiness. It didn’t comprehend gratitude. There was only clawing, black malice and the desire to ravage the world with hundreds of years’ worth of venom. Before, the old Yomi might not have found the female’s pleasure to be so odd, back when she knew happy emotions. But the sesshouseki was a part of her now, and seeing someone smile like that was little more than a distant curiosity, like watching clouds settle into funny shapes.

A small smile appeared at the corner of Yomi’s mouth, a little amused and a little nonplussed all at once. Getting an odd duck had been her win, she supposed. Someone who didn’t want anything, didn’t expect anything, and only wanted to help… well, that kind of person was easy to deal with. It meant Yomi could walk away without an agitated prisoner hounding her for compensation.

That wouldn’t have ended well for the other party, so in this case everyone won, right?

“'Helping others', huh? How admirable. Careful with that, or you might have people taking advantage of a nice girl like you.”

In the low light, Yomi’s smile grew, becoming slightly cat-like. Oops, too late.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis considered her words, missing the intent in Yomi's smile.

"I suppose. But that is not much of a concern for me." She lifted a hand, studying her own palm. "If I am able to fulfill what I set out to do, unless someone had determined to betray me then I would not care if they took advantage of my skills."

It was as simple as that. "As long as my powers are put to use, then that is all that matters."

[she_is_ruin]

The smile withered ever so slightly, taking some of the humor with it. Aigis’ speech sounded not unlike exorcists’ idea of duty--or the duty Yomi had thought exorcists believed in.

So long as they were needed, so long as they were able, then exorcists would fight and defend those who couldn’t defend themselves. A flash of steel in the darkness, toiling away in anonymity while the rest of humanity rested easy. That had been her life for the longest time--fighting and fighting and fighting, expending all of her skills on a world that barely knew she existed.

She’d been content with that, hadn’t she? Being useful.

Yomi remembered that feeling.

“Hm,” she said after a moment. “Maybe I understand. Such a simple way to live, following a single path without fail. It’s when you hit a fork in the road that things get tough.” But she hadn’t come to feel empathy, or to deliberate on life. She’d come for a practical, physical reason, and that reason had been fulfilled. “Well, never mind all that. I should get going, then. Long night ahead of us, ne?”

[no_dont_go]

Whether Yomi understood or not, Aigis would probably never fully know. The human mind still confounded her at times. What seemed so simple and honest to her was often seen as foolish to others, or even reckless. But she pressed on, only knowing what she believed to be true, and doing her damnedest to live a "life" that would be worth living. And that involved sometimes letting others take what they needed from her, even if that meant nothing in return.

"Yes, indeed." Aigis spoke softly, giving her client a final bow. "I am thankful I managed to help you, then. If you have any further healing requirements beyond tonight, do not hesitate to contact me."

And with that, Aigis took her leave, wandering back into the hallway without as much as a backwards glance.

[to here]