Post by Aegle Vitus on Apr 2, 2019 0:35:37 GMT
"I-I guess..." Lily said, wincing visibly, her voice gone uncomfortably tight. She peered up at Aegle with those grey blue eyes of hers, twin windows onto a glacial expanse of serene snow, set into fissures of doubt and surprise.
"I never... I never really put much thought into what things mean. I never tried to look for meaning in the world."
Aegle didn't believe that for even a moment, though she also didn't doubt that Lily believed it. People were always looking for meaning, even if it was just enough to get out of bed in the morning. This was especially true of the sort of person that would attend a huntsman academy. Reasons were meaning, whatever Lily might have thought.
"B-But..." As though she were taking a few moments to think about it, Lily stared uncertainly into Aegle's eyes. Not for the first time, Aegle wished she could know what was taking place in the minds of others, that she might watch step by step as the faunus girl made her decision.
She hadn't needed to watch very long before, in spite of Aegle's expectations, Lily sat up and hugged her. For the briefest moment, Aegle let herself tip into the embrace. For that brief instant, she let Lily assume the burden of holding her up, let the faunus' arms support her. Even her grip on Lily's hand loosened, while her head settled down on Lily's shoulder.
"If we choose our own meaning," The faunus said, "Then I think this'll mean a lot."
There was a moment of silence that neither one of them seemed wholly willing to break. Then Aegle, who'd been holding her breath the whole time, tugged softly away from Lily, demonstrating her desire that the hug should end. As the arm around her loosened, and she was allowed to struggle off of her own pinned arm, Aegle drew a shaky breath, filling lungs that had been pressed empty even by the gentlness of Lily's embrace.
"That's the spirit." She said, somewhat belatedly, her voice gone hoarse, though her smile was no less wide.
"Oh dear, oh dear. No, no, no..." A dark haired woman with worried green eyes bustled suddenly through the curtains which surrounded Aegle and Lily's beds, her face the very picture of urgency. Whatever she'd been expecting to find, given the alarmed trilling of the heart monitor, it had not been Aegle halfways propped up on the side of Lily's bed, balanced on its edge like a drunken parrot. To her credit, she only took a moment to gawp, a look of surprise replacing the anxious urgency of a moment prior, before striding up to the pair and planting her hand securely on Aegle's back, as though to keep her from falling.
"And what are you doing?" She asked. A question to which Aegle knew she could provide no satisfactory answer, and so she merely grinned up at the anxious nurse with all her strength.
"Hmmph, well... Off you come then. Miss Yarrow needs her rest, and so do you!"
With strength shocking in so slight a woman, Nurse Busy-Body hefted Aegle up to her feet and, half supporting, half dragging, directed her back into her bed. Aegle, who was well used to the firmness by which some nurses might ply their trade, did not resist, but instead let the nurse spill her back onto her cot, and then hook the monitor back up.
"We have these on you for a reason." She said admonishinly, slapping the last cup into place, then jabbing a finger at the monitor to make it stop screaming.
Aegle, who was starting to feel the maleffects of using her semblance, didn't respond, only smiled dazedly as she played over the last few moments in Lily's bed. She rolled her head to the side as the nurse busied with her sheets, shining a helpless grin at the faunus girl, as if to say 'What can you do?', then giggled softly.
The nurse frowned at that, "Laugh all you want," She muttered solemnly, "but you'll be glad of it if you have another attack."
Aegle's eyes crawled over to the nurse, "Attack?" She repeated.
The nurse nodded, "I would have expected you to know better than to push yourself, all things considered."
She straightened up, surveying her work, then nodded, "There we are. Let's keep the wanderings to a minimum for now on, at least until you're a little stronger."
Aegle grinned even wider at that, "Oh yeah," She agreed, mirroring the nurse's solemnity, "I'll be strong enough in no time."
The nurse gave her a funny look, wondering if Aegle was mocking her or just being obtuse, then looked over to Lily with a sympathetic sigh.
"I haven't forgotten about you," She promised, "Lunch will be up shortly, and I have some juice for you in the meantime."
She bustled back out, sending Aegle one last glance before she vanished back through the curtains.
"Boy," Aegle said when she was gone, "Am I gonna make her life difficult."
"I never... I never really put much thought into what things mean. I never tried to look for meaning in the world."
Aegle didn't believe that for even a moment, though she also didn't doubt that Lily believed it. People were always looking for meaning, even if it was just enough to get out of bed in the morning. This was especially true of the sort of person that would attend a huntsman academy. Reasons were meaning, whatever Lily might have thought.
"B-But..." As though she were taking a few moments to think about it, Lily stared uncertainly into Aegle's eyes. Not for the first time, Aegle wished she could know what was taking place in the minds of others, that she might watch step by step as the faunus girl made her decision.
She hadn't needed to watch very long before, in spite of Aegle's expectations, Lily sat up and hugged her. For the briefest moment, Aegle let herself tip into the embrace. For that brief instant, she let Lily assume the burden of holding her up, let the faunus' arms support her. Even her grip on Lily's hand loosened, while her head settled down on Lily's shoulder.
"If we choose our own meaning," The faunus said, "Then I think this'll mean a lot."
There was a moment of silence that neither one of them seemed wholly willing to break. Then Aegle, who'd been holding her breath the whole time, tugged softly away from Lily, demonstrating her desire that the hug should end. As the arm around her loosened, and she was allowed to struggle off of her own pinned arm, Aegle drew a shaky breath, filling lungs that had been pressed empty even by the gentlness of Lily's embrace.
"That's the spirit." She said, somewhat belatedly, her voice gone hoarse, though her smile was no less wide.
"Oh dear, oh dear. No, no, no..." A dark haired woman with worried green eyes bustled suddenly through the curtains which surrounded Aegle and Lily's beds, her face the very picture of urgency. Whatever she'd been expecting to find, given the alarmed trilling of the heart monitor, it had not been Aegle halfways propped up on the side of Lily's bed, balanced on its edge like a drunken parrot. To her credit, she only took a moment to gawp, a look of surprise replacing the anxious urgency of a moment prior, before striding up to the pair and planting her hand securely on Aegle's back, as though to keep her from falling.
"And what are you doing?" She asked. A question to which Aegle knew she could provide no satisfactory answer, and so she merely grinned up at the anxious nurse with all her strength.
"Hmmph, well... Off you come then. Miss Yarrow needs her rest, and so do you!"
With strength shocking in so slight a woman, Nurse Busy-Body hefted Aegle up to her feet and, half supporting, half dragging, directed her back into her bed. Aegle, who was well used to the firmness by which some nurses might ply their trade, did not resist, but instead let the nurse spill her back onto her cot, and then hook the monitor back up.
"We have these on you for a reason." She said admonishinly, slapping the last cup into place, then jabbing a finger at the monitor to make it stop screaming.
Aegle, who was starting to feel the maleffects of using her semblance, didn't respond, only smiled dazedly as she played over the last few moments in Lily's bed. She rolled her head to the side as the nurse busied with her sheets, shining a helpless grin at the faunus girl, as if to say 'What can you do?', then giggled softly.
The nurse frowned at that, "Laugh all you want," She muttered solemnly, "but you'll be glad of it if you have another attack."
Aegle's eyes crawled over to the nurse, "Attack?" She repeated.
The nurse nodded, "I would have expected you to know better than to push yourself, all things considered."
She straightened up, surveying her work, then nodded, "There we are. Let's keep the wanderings to a minimum for now on, at least until you're a little stronger."
Aegle grinned even wider at that, "Oh yeah," She agreed, mirroring the nurse's solemnity, "I'll be strong enough in no time."
The nurse gave her a funny look, wondering if Aegle was mocking her or just being obtuse, then looked over to Lily with a sympathetic sigh.
"I haven't forgotten about you," She promised, "Lunch will be up shortly, and I have some juice for you in the meantime."
She bustled back out, sending Aegle one last glance before she vanished back through the curtains.
"Boy," Aegle said when she was gone, "Am I gonna make her life difficult."