Day 57: Courtyard (Third Shift)

[roseoverture]

The air inside the Institute was getting stifling. It wasn't much different than usual, really, but knowing about all the changes done under the Institute's hood in her absence, Utena could barely stand it. The staff were so stiff, even as they pretended to be the same caring nurses as always. Landel's regurgitated voice recordings crept under her

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SURE AM SLOW

[arakhnes]

Today was Free Choice Day, apparently. She wasn't quite sure what that entitled, but for her, it meant learning. Exploring. Getting to know her environment outside of the Institute. She had scoured the floors as best as she was allowed (and that didn't involve her being turned into a spider), but she was often shuffled away from certain hallways or they attempted to make her participate in group projects or the like. So, Jessica decided to get to know the outside

No slower than I can be half the time, I assure you! (tears)

[roseoverture]

It took Utena a little while to notice that she was being watched. Even then, she was less put out by the watching than by the cold seeping into her gloved hands. She supposed she would have to come down soon... Eh, but not just yet. She didn't feel like being right-side up again yet. Things felt less heavy this way. And really, that was the goal right now, wasn't it

oh thank god

[arakhnes]

That must be a typical question here, asking if someone's new. An ice-breaker, almost. She didn't say anything at first, just stood there with her feet deep in the snow, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. A moment where she looked the girl over again before slowly speaking up, turning her gaze away. "Yeah, I'm new. Uh, I just got here. Yesterday."

She tipped her head back, moving her stare back over to the other girl. That hair colour couldn't be natural. Maybe some sort of mutation? Was she a mutant? And what was with the upside-down thing? She didn't ask any of these though, preferring to just shift in her spot for continuing.

"What are you doing? Isn't it cold?"

It wasn't too cold for Jessica. She was from New York. She was used to this weather. Still, having your hands deep in the snow must not be all that comfortable.

We're all one big backtagging family here at Damned ;A;

[roseoverture]

Yesterday? Ouch. That kind of confusion was probably even worse than her own. Not only did this girl have to deal with the usual Landel's house of horrors, but if she had seen or heard about any of this military stuff, she was willing to bet the information overload wasn't exactly a picnic.

Finally, the cold seeped through her gloves enough that Utena was forced to lower her head closer to the ground and bend her knees, rolling out of her position and back to her feet. Owow, head rush! she thought, squeezing her eyes shut for just a moment while she brushed snow off her hands and knees. When she was back on her feet, she turned back to face the other girl. "Yeah, but I'd rather be out here than in there, that's for sure! Besides, the cold's a little refreshing," she answered with a shrug.

"And I wouldn't blame you for wanting to get away from all that too, if you just got here yesterday," she continued, walking over to the brunette. "Man, I'm so sorry you had to come in now. There isn't really a good time to get brought to Landel's

SURE DIDN'T GET THE NOTIF FOR THIS

[arakhnes]

Again, Jessica kept quiet at first and just watched before shrugging her shoulders. "It's a lot less cooped up out here." She mused quietly, already missing the skyscrapers of New York and the general not being locked up in a crazyhouse. She knew she'd go crazy one day, but not like this.

"Hey, don't worry. It wasn't that bad."

It was. She got turned into a spider.

"Uh... I'm Julia." She didn't like going by that name, but if they gave her a fake identity, she might as well use it. It was better than Mattie or Charlotte anyways. She paused and then shook her head, rocking back on her heels before settling straight. "No, it's okay. People've been really open with information here."

I don't have that excuse. I just sucked, pretty much. (sob) Promise the next will be more prompt!

[roseoverture]

Luckily, Utena didn't question her on the "not that bad" front. Instead, she sighed with relief, glad that whatever the girl had gone through hadn't just broken her brain in half.

"Good to meet you," said Utena, shifting her feet and crunching snow beneath them. She nodded after Julia's next words. "That's good. First days are always pretty hectic. Mine was..." How long had it been now? Including the time she'd been out of commission? "...I guess almost three weeks ago now. I'm no stranger to strangeness, but even for me - wow. Not fun."

LMFAO IT'S OKAY i'm the slowest

[arakhnes]

"Three weeks?"

Her eyes flicked open wider and she found herself chewing on her lower lip out of habit. Just the thought of being here longer than a few days was freaking her out, not that she was showing it on the surface. The instincts to get out, get out, get out was returning again and she shoved a smile onto her lips, nodding after a moment.

"Almost a month... wow. That's a long time. Uh, how has it been for you then?"

Smooth, steady. Or at least, she tried.

Sorry, I've failed at backthreads while I've been out of town! /steals the Slowest Tagger Prize

[roseoverture]

Ironically, for all the time Utena had spent with Himemiya in weeks at the Institute and months at Ohtori, she still had barely a smidgen of talent for recognizing false smiles when she saw them. She didn't bat an eye at Jessica's, and answered: "Kinda what you'd expect - crappy." She gave a wry smile of her own at that.

"Like, has anyone told you about what exactly the 'visitors' are yet?" Utena asked as an example. "I've had two of them so far, and it really just makes you want to slap them in the face until they remember who you are!" And then run around at night aimlessly trying to find out where the Institute was keeping them in the meantime, but Utena decided not to add that part for now.

it's coo' bro :3c

[arakhnes]

"Wait, visitors?"

That was something Peter hadn't told her about. She mulled over it for a second. From the way Utena put it, it sounded like they were people she knew that didn't know her? That was... that would be frustrating. But honestly, it didn't sound that bad to Jessica and perhaps that was because she hadn't experienced it before, but it was something she was already used to. People not remembering who she was. Or at least, recognizing her. People she knew.

"What exactly, uh, happens?"

[roseoverture]

Utena thought over the best way to put this. The way Harley had first described the visitors to her had been pretty helpful, even if nothing could really prepare a person to see one. How exactly had she worded it again

[arakhnes]

"Wait, they'll insist that you're crazy?"

The whole concept was hard to wrap her mind around, but she had to wonder. If she ever got a visitor, who would come and see her? Her brothers were all dead, Peter couldn't since he was already here. That left, what, Carol Danvers or Doc Ock? Neither of those options were something she'd ever want to happen to her, for a multitude of reasons. One being she didn't want Octopus-But to tell her that she was crazy.

(Or Johnny. But she wouldn't know how to deal with it.)

She was silent again, shifting uncomfortably and tugging at her sleeves. "That sounds -- yeah, it sounds pretty screwed up." She paused. "Who are these people then? Because they can't really be... you know."

[roseoverture]

Utena nodded a confirmation. It sucked a hell of a lot, but everyone here had to find out sometime. Better to be prepared for it sooner than later, she figured.

"They might be, actually," said Utena, keeping the bad medicine coming. "Once you see them... I don't know how to describe it, but it just feels too real, you know? Like no one could've copied someone that perfectly." She wondered if that explanation even made sense, but continued anyway: "Most people figure they are the people we know, but they've been brainwashed or something like that. That makes the most sense to me, considering..."

Utena bit her lip for a moment, forcing down the memories of "Yoko" before shaking her head and pushing more words out of her mouth: "Anyway, yeah, it's so awful! I don't know how anyone justifies that kind of thing!"