Back into the World [OPEN]

[now_i_know]

WHO: Catherine Fujishima and [Open]
WHAT: A robot girl muses over what to do
WHERE: Throught Xavier Institute
WHEN: Backdated to Friday the 13th
WARNING(S): Brooding

It had been three days since Catherine had been off the island. The first two had been mostly medical check-ups and a psychological examination. The results were pretty consistent with anybody caught in the situation she had been through: malnutrition, state-induced depression, symptoms of post traumatic stress, and physical indications of acute stress. The medical examiner were particularly alarmed and intrigued by her prosthetic arms and legs, especially when she said told them it would hurt to remove them.

All throughout this, Catherine had been lost in her own world. She had forgotten how big the world was. True, the facility had removed all of her freedom, but there was also a consistency. Now, she had nothing. The light of the day, once a sign of liberation, was now a glaring eye reminding her that she had no idea what she was doing anymore, much less what to do next. The doctors, of course, told her that she was to stay put so that they could monitor her, but she refused. No, after her entire world being a very big room for three years the first thing she wanted was to explore.

Then she found out that the New England winter had been getting hit particularly hard. Not that this prevented her from wandering far more then what was probably healthy, of course.

She returned back toward the end of the day not out of some sense of desire to go back, but because the school had become some sense of comfort and familiarity. The school had ended and students was starting to filter out. Labrys stared as they did. Life really had continued without her, didn't it? A student even smiled and asked if she was a new student. Catherine was so unused to this that she could only flimsily shake her head 'no.' Thankfully another person pulled this student's attention away from her, and she was free to be lost within the sea of people once more.

With the students gone, the rooms had become free to wander into now as well. Timidly Catherine poked her head into a random one, not even noticing what type it was. Her attention was on the rows of (mostly) organized seats. Signs of use on all of them. Wear. Notes. Maybe a scorch mark or two... It was all familiar, and yet it was all a life she had left long ago.

She smiled at the notion and decided to try sitting in one of the desks. Her attention returned to the front and she imagined the teacher giving a lecture. She remembered getting so bored at these lessons that she would hold her hand up like... ah... yeah. Now her hands had been replaced by metal ones. Even the desk didn't seat her like her memories.

Could she go back? Was this where she was supposed to be? As she placed her head against the table she began to wonder. Just what was she supposed to do, now?

Comments

[knowitallgoddess]

Palutena couldn't help but follow her once she had been spotted. It was after classes but the Grecian was looking for a teacher to speak with. Right now, that had been put on hold. A rather cute girl was walking around all by herself and Palutena couldn't resist the urge to say something once she found her. So she peeked into the classroom and then stepped in, not caring about being discovered.

"Are you a little lost? I don't mind giving you a tour if you need it."

[now_i_know]

Not expecting any company, Catherine sat bolt upright and swiveled too quickly in the chair. Though she tried to throw her balance back into it, the chair--as well as it's occupant--took a hard left and made a loud smack into the ground.

The sound Catherine made during all of this was something like a cross between a scared rabbit and a choked duck.

[knowitallgoddess]

Palutena ended up laughing at her fall. It was mean spirited, yes, but she honestly didn't mean any harm. Though, for most people, that probably didn't matter in the slightest. With her smile still plastered on her face, she walked over to offer her a hand in assistance.

"Are you okay?"

[now_i_know]

Catherine pouted, but mostly she was feeling embarrassed. Her brain had competing information, here. She had already gotten used to her new body, but bringing it back to the real world made her feel like she was standing on stilts. Argh, even her memories of how to move were betraying her!

The hand was a welcome expression of help. The pouting mostly ebbed as a metallic hand extended out to grab it. Should Palutena really try to pull the girl up, she'd find that she was much heavier than she should have been; yes, those really were full-metal prosthesis.

"I'll live, but I'm gonna be pretty sore tomorrow." Saying that was also helping, too.

[knowitallgoddess]

Not to mention that Palutena wasn't the strongest person around. In fact, with her life of luxury, she wasn't really all that physically competent in the first place. Helping her up was a small struggle, especially because she wasn't expecting it at all. But once she was up, Palutena practically lit up with pleasure.

"I don't mean to sound rude but I'm quite in love with your density."

Saying that to any girl, even a normal one, was a good way to make someone mad. But in the shortness of the moment, she couldn't find a better way to word herself and inject a little something that might embarrass the girl.

[now_i_know]

Yeah, she... wasn't sure how to take that.

That feeling was plainly visible on her face. That and a desire to defend herself. "Well, yeah. My arms and legs are robotic." She huffed and her face flushed. "They weren't my idea."

[knowitallgoddess]

"I'm being honest when I say it's pretty cool!"

She doesn't know the circumstances behind them but Palutena was really into this kind of thing. She had honestly thought of going into the biomedical field just to help the merging of mechanical parts and the human body.

[now_i_know]

She wasn't sure what to say about that, so decided to change the subject. "You... uh... wanted to show me the school?"

Were she honest, she'd wouldn't want to be shown by this person, but considering the alternative was talking about her body (and that was pretty weird), she would gladly spend a few minutes on that explanation.

[knowitallgoddess]

"Oh, right! Is there anything specific you'd like to see? I'm not all that busy right now so..."

She could do pretty much anything. What she planned on doing could easily wait.

[now_i_know]

That was a good question, and one that she hadn't fully considered until she was asked.

"Um..." Yeah, this may take a while... no wait, hold up. "I tried goin' outside, but it was pretty cold. Is there a place where I can relax?"

[knowitallgoddess]

"Thank goodness you didn't actually want to go outside. I'd hate to have to say no."

It's way too cold for this girl from Greece. Indeed, at night or when she's at rest, she's always completely bundled up.

"We could go to the commons room, if that's okay?"

[now_i_know]

"Already been." She said matter-of-factually. "And yeah, it got a little too cold."

She was pretty open for anything. If she wanted to go to the commons room, that was fine. Still...

"Is there an uncommons room?"

[knowitallgoddess]

"Uncommons?"

What an odd question. Maybe she didn't like crowds. If so, that was pretty easily rectified.

"There is my room. I've got a few chairs, a TV, and a couple video game consoles."

[now_i_know]

"N-No... the commons room was alright... I just..." She tilted her head again.

"I never heard of a commons room. What are yah supposed to do there?"

[knowitallgoddess]

"Talk with people, watch TV, eat snacks. Think of it like a living room but for almost everyone."

Having snacks around all the time was the most useful part. Though some of the teachers had beer for themselves.

[now_i_know]

"Oh. So its common because everybody has a common ground to do all of that in?"

She thinks she figured it out, anyway.

[knowitallgoddess]

"It seems like a pretty common sense way to think about it."

She's trying to hold a straight face at her own dumb joke. It's difficult.

[now_i_know]

Painful. P A I N F U L

"Punny." Well, it was the best she could do in short notice.

"Still, how does everybody share it without getting... you know... territorial?"

[knowitallgoddess]

"...not even a smile?"

Tough audience here.

"There's plenty of room. Besides, some of us don't mind having someone to cuddle up with."

[now_i_know]

"Guess I'm not in the mood." She shrugs.

Okay, now she had to ask.

"Just outta curiosity, but do you intentionally try to bug people? Because if you ain't, then you might wanna be told now rather than later."

[knowitallgoddess]

"Oh, is that it? Yes, I enjoy teasing people a lot. There's nothing like seeing someone stammer or blush a little, I'll admit."

...at least she was upfront about it.

[now_i_know]

She's pretty much upfront about everything, is... sort of the good and the bad of it.

"Oh, well... now I can say that it is really buggin' me, and you do a good job of it."

But... in a way, it actually makes things a little bit better? You can hate a fly for buzzing, but that won't take away it's nature.

Or something profound like that.

She felt so much better, in fact, that she started to perk up again. "Alright, sure. If you wanna be a guide to the commons room or anything else you want, I'm for it."

"But try to keep the corny to a minimum? I don't want to hafta hurtcha."

[knowitallgoddess]

"That's good! But I was perfectly serious about playing video games if you're ever interested."

But she'd really have to work on the corny. Not only was it difficult to stop but Palutena didn't really have a way to defend herself! That was the problem with having support powers.

Still, she walked forward and waved for her new friend to follow. Yes, Palutena was quick on considering people pals.

[now_i_know]

Labrys, too, was quick to make familiarity with people, though the jump to friend took a while. More so if the person was corny.

(Also the threat of physical violence was definitely more bark than bite.)

"I would but I'm really outdated. Did they ever release the Sims 4? I was really looking forward to that."

...oh... Catherine, honey...

[knowitallgoddess]

Palutena grimaces rather noticeably.

"I have bad news for you. Anything involving the Sims has well....been terrible. You're probably better off sticking with the older games."