When you fall, you get right back up!

The air was still in Sector 6. The brunette recalled that this sector was the most peaceful of the six, and for her, she needed the tranquility to escape everything going on. She didn’t want to find her apartment. She didn’t want to ask questions. And in some cases, she didn’t even want an answer. She just wanted to go back home…go to school, be with her friends. The archer had just had it with being in this big fat mess.

“If I cry, it’ll just be a waste of time, won’t it? Hah…”

[ Aigis truly felt that she was helping people in this place. But she did not feel like she was connecting with many people on a deep personal level. Of course, things like that took time. Still, Aigis felt uneasy being here without the promise of friendship to anchor her in happiness. She was beginning to worry she would never find it. ]

[ So, when she saw the familiar silhouette huddled in an alley, she almost believed she was seeing things. ]

"...Yukari-san...?"

[ Aigis hurried into the alley and stooped to peer into the girl's face. Worst case scenario, it wasn't Yukari, and Aigis would simply have to comfort a stranger. Something she didn't mind. ]

[ But it was Yukari, and the realization that she had found her dear friend was trumped only by the sting of nervousness that accompanied Yukari's wracking sobs. Aigis placed a hand on Yukari's back, rubbed her shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting manner. ]

"Yukari-san, I'm here! It's me, Aigis! It has been many years since you and I -- Well, actually..."

[ She trailed off, feeling embarrassed. She realized this Yukari was much younger than the Yukari from her own timeline, the one who had politely declined Mitsuru-san's invitation to join them in their further exploits. Aigis herself did not look a day older, of course, but she feared she would just confuse Yukari if she added any extra details. ]

However, untrue. 

When Rei died, a new Rei would take her place. The decisions that this Rei made would make no difference once she was dead. The other Rei… she had made friends, right? That was why Ikari-kun missed her so much. But it was all the same. When she died, there was a new Rei, waiting. Once the other Rei had served her purpose, it was time-to-go. And so it would be for this Rei, too. And for every Rei, presumably, that was used thereafter. 

"I am here to follow orders," she said, quite deadpan. Then, more sure of herself, now, having thought it over, she continued, "I will die eventually, whether I make decisions or not."

[ And yet, it was difficult for Aigis to focus on the beauty of human emotion when the girl before her seemed so strangely devoid of it. ]

"Forgive me for asking this, Rei-san," said Aigis, tentatively, "but...you speak in a manner in which I myself once spoke. I know you are not a weapon; you have already intimated as such. Still, though, I can't help feeling you are not so different from one who was manufactured, guaranteed to be followed by a newer model should your body give out. I have much experience in this field myself," she added, sadly, "as I believed this to be true for many years."

"Yes, it is true that you will die. We all must die." Hesitation; Aigis was still unsure whether or not this was true of herself. "Still, that is not the thing to think  about! It is the life we live that is important. It is your life that will differentiate you from others like you."

"So, even if it is true that you were created to follow orders, you need not follow them anymore! As horrible as this city may be, it is also a fresh start for people like you and me. It is a chance to become the person you were born to be, free of obligation to any higher power. I think that's...beautiful," she said, with a self-conscious giggle. "And I think you can attain true happiness here, if only with a bit of effort."

[ Aigis smiled and extended a hand in the girl's direction, hoping she would take it. ]

Of course, he was looking forward to that as he was aware that Aigis made a vow to herself that in their next meeting, she will be a better version of herself but what she couldn’t understand is that, Minato appreciates her very being and although change is not a setting that can be turned off, he still sees her at her best. Even without gazing at her expression, it’s so obvious in her voice how she desperately wanted to ease his pain and his wounds. Nevertheless, the Fool allowed silence to sink in as if it was his own description of the feeling inside him.

A thin sheet of paper which is blank — empty, and he couldn’t even think of a better explanation to defeat it nor elaborate.

Indeed, she is his friend. That’s something he will never forget. Their emotions are mysteriously meandering as if it’s battling against each other and trying to prove which is more intense but Minato gives up for he can no longer stand the sight of Aigis mirroring his ache.

If anything, he loves her as well.

[ Minato deserved happiness. Just like the rest of them. Vainly, hopelessly, Aigis had wished to become that happiness herself, to stitch his wounds together with some encouraging words and a helpful smile, to be the one he loved more than anyone else. She realized now that she was not enough. She would never be enough. She had been greedy to assume her presence would fix things for the boy she loved. ]

[ Greedy...Aigis nearly laughed. What a terribly human quality to possess. ]

But you're not human, a voice in the back of her head reminded her. You are not human, no matter how much you'd like to be. No matter how neatly you dress yourself in sheep's clothing. You are a wolf. You always will be. 

[ She could not help him. Of course she couldn't. How could she have assumed as much, when she had failed to help him before? She retracted her cold, metallic fingers; Minato needed flesh, warm, yielding flesh. Someone whose heartbeat could sync with his. She needed to find another of their friends to make him feel better. ] 

She perked up a bit to hear that it sounded as if she had been used as a weapon. Was that what she was? She knew that she was a cog in a machine, a mere piece that could be replaced within NERV… a weapon? Perhaps that was correct. Still, if the weapon was very good, then it became permanent and indispensable, correct? Ikari Shinji was invaluable. Ayanami Rei was…

[ The girl's words pricked something in the back of Aigis's mind, a lost, painful memory that gave her a dull ache in the center of her stomach. Hadn't Aigis thought that herself, when she was first activated? Hadn't her outlook been so similar in so many ways? ]

[ In truth, Rei did remind Aigis more and more of her past self with every word that passed between them. More than that, though, Aigis was beginning to feel strangely protective of the girl. It wasn't just because of her demeanor, or her quiet, cold curiosity. It was, truthfully, because Rei's blue hair and bright red eyes were so reminiscent of Labrys. ]

"But...Rei-san!" Aigis exclaimed, her crystalline eyes widening in surprise. "That's not true! It is not true at all! No one is replaceable. Not you, or me, or anyone else in this world. Even if we are made of spare parts, we are all assembled in a unique fashion. Even if there are many different versions of ourselves in many different universes, our choices will always make us unique!" 

[ She paused, feeling disturbed. ] 

Accepting (Just cross out what you don’t want):

Truth:

SFW

NSFW

Dare:

SFW

Name:  Cat Personal account: usamitsukino Age: 22  Birthday:  March 12th Nickname(s):  Well, Cat is a nickname for Catherine, but I’ve also got Caddy, CC, Bugs, and Roxy, among others. Reason for nickname(s): Caddy is a name my friend Chanel gave me, I think in homage to Mean Girls, though I was never sure…CC is because of my first name starting with C (and also because Code Geass), Bugs is an old nickname my parents gave me that just stuck, and Roxy is because lmao I’m actually Roxy Lalonde so a lot of my friends call me that. Roleplay character(s): Well, in Citta, I’ve got Edea, Aigis, Souda, Eridan, and Dave, but I’ve also RP’d Fuuka, Mitsuru, Minako, Chiaki, Togami, Euphie, Gino, Cornelia, Meulin, Roxy, and a whole bunch of others I can’t think of right now… Roleplaying History:  About five years now? I started doing it when I was a senior in high school. Advice to RP with me: First of all, don’t try to out-sass Dave. It will never work in your favor.

Second of all, I am extremely defensive of my muses, and if there’s a thread in which any of them feels threatened, undermined, or bullied, it’s likely I will find a place to end the conversation and just end it. If this happens, please don’t take it personally; it means you’re just doing your job as a mun with an unkind muse.

Thirdly, I’d love to thread with everyone, but the fact of the matter is that I often run out of steam for certain interactions. It’s really difficult for me to even find a suitable end for those threads, so it takes a very long time for me to respond. If you think I’m taking too long, message me and we can either work out a new thread, or drop the old one and try again another day.

Send me a 

♣ if you would like our characters to rp but aren’t sure what to suggest for a plot!

♠ if you would like a starter from me (specify what length if you can and we can work something out!