2026-01-18: To See Something Grow
- Log: To See Something Grow
- Cast: Aigis, Minako Arisato
- Where: Iwatodai Dormitory
- OOC Date: January 18, 2026
- IC Date: September 10, 2012
- Summary: Minako decides tp indulge her curiosity about Aigis and strikes up some conversation with her. They discuss clubs which Aigis could potentially join, then at Minako's suggestion, they head to the rooftop to tend to the plants where Aigis demonstrates one particular quirk the Chairman had left in her system.
(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.
A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.
There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.
The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.
BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
After school, Aigis has chosen to sit at the SEES dormitory dining table to do some studying. While she may have kept to herself during most of the summer, especially before Ken's Awakening, she has made more of an effort to be accessible and approachable.
Right now, she's trying to understand the assigned reading for literature class and answer some questions that were given alongside it. Given the expression on her face, it's clear that the questions are giving her some difficulty.
The assignment consists of texts -- excerpts from novels, but no full-length novels themselves. The questions she's supposed to answer seem far more complex to her compared to the tiny breadth of data in the excerpts; there are too many unknowns, too many things that she would have to assume or extrapolate.
... trying to force herself to understand right at this moment strikes her as an inefficient use of her time, and she closes her textbook before she glances around the area to see who else is present. Maybe they have some insight for her, or maybe she could spend the remaining time in the day with conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako has been curious about Aigis ever since she arrived.
She seems familiar -- somehow, though she is sure she hasn't met her before (she would remember a robot, surely!) -- though she can't quite place how. Any connection to ten years ago has not occurred to her; she saw little of what her brother saw, as she dragged herself out of the wrecked ruin of their parents' car. But there is an ache, sometimes, when she sees Aigis.
She can't know why.
And she isn't quite honest with herself that she put off talking to her in depth, beyond the usual 'hellos' and group events. Minako walks into the common room, from the stairwell, and she glances at the study materials -- then at Aigis -- and she smiles. She lifts her hand and waves.
"Hey, Aigis-san," she says. "What're you studying?"
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
Aigis pleasantly smiles at Minako's approach. "Good afternoon, Arisato-san. I hope the day finds you well."
The ache, as it turns out, is mutual. While Aigis claims to have little memory of the events which led to her being greatly damaged, she does feel that she needs to ensure that neither sibling comes to harm.
Her presence around Minako so far has mostly consisted of passive monitoring, especially when compared to the lengths she has had to go to in order to keep tabs on her brother. For one, Aigis and Minato are more often separated by gender-restricted spaces, where Aigis and Minako are not.
To illustrate it more bluntly: Aigis has had to sneak into the boys' dorms in the middle of the night and pick the lock to Minato's door in order to evade detection. She is often more easily able to ascertain Minako's well-being with relatively little effort.
Make no mistake, however: her directive is to protect them both. Her attention instantly swivels to Minako, and those crystal-blue eyes of hers stare just as intently at her as they've done to her brother.
> No signs of injury detected. Appears to be in good health. Assessment: Continue as normal.
She glances at the closed textbook and frowns. "I am no longer studying at the moment. Rather, I have just finished for the day. I was attempting to study literature."
Aigis shakes her head and inquisitively looks back up at Minako. "Did you intend to study today as well, or did you have other plans tonight?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"All finished then?" Minako asks, with a smile.
She doesn't know, yet, the extents that Aigis will go to protect her -- or her brother. The latter would bother her far less than the former, but she has always tended to put her brother's well-being ahead of her own.
"I wasn't quite planning to study... even if I probably should study more," she says, with a little laugh. Minako crosses her arms -- and there's a little shake of her head. But she notably evades the question. Her plan was to come talk to Aigis, being the co-leader. But saying it aloud feels like the wrong move, somehow.
"How've you liked being in the dorms? And school?" Minako asks. "It seems like it must be new for you."
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
"For now." (> Scheduling next attempt for the same time tomorrow, or next available after-school time segment.) In a serious tone, she adds, "It is important to study, so yes, I agree: you should study more."
Machines aren't subject to the same limitations as a human. Damage can be repaired as long as one has the parts and expertise, and the process takes far less time than it does for wounds to heal or bones to mend. There are far fewer vital components at play, too.
Aigis will go to great lengths -- in her mind, the cost/benefit analysis is clear. If anyone is to sustain damage, as far as she's concerned, it /should/ be her.
At least thrice now, Aigis has been present for combat situations involving Minato, and none for Minako. Given that the latter is co-leader, however, Aigis assumes that it's only a matter of time.
Minako's evasive answer doesn't go unnoticed by Aigis. Her thinking is still a bit ... rigid. Aigis asked a question, and Minako has not provided a direct and clear answer. She concludes that clearly, she must ask again, this time more pointedly. "If you are not planning to study, then what are you planning to do instead?"
This approach has never gone wrong in the history of communication in humanity. Nope, never, not at all. (Or at least, Aigis is unaware of how blunt or tactless she may come across as.)
Minako has asked a question of her own, and accordingly, as per polite custom, Aigis answers clearly. Her expression brightens slightly, and her smile widens. "I have enjoyed being in the dorms. I have taken on a number of hobbies which can serve as conversation topics with my peers. Gardening with Aomori-san, playing games with your brother, watching films with Mandai-san, eating Aragaki-san's cooking, reading novels on my own ..."
Her smile shrinks as she recalls her time at school so far. "School, on the other hand, has been mildly fraught. I understand the material in the mathematics and science courses well enough, but not in other subjects. I am able to manage social situations where the number of people involved are fewer and I can establish some familiarity with them over time, but in such a large venue, that is difficult to do. I have had a few interactions which seem to have gone poorly, but I do not understand why."
After a beat, she adds, "... You are not the only one who has expressed concern. Takeba-san seems perturbed that I have the desk next to your brother, but she also refused it when I had offered it to her. I am unsure of what to make of it."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"I know, I know," Minako says with a sigh. "I have to be thinking of my future and all that."
She cracks a smile, then. She always smiled very easily -- and it only wavers a little when Aigis asks that point blank question. So much for an artful dodge! She tilts her head, and there is just a second of consideration on her part. "Well... I thought I'd come hang out with you," she says. It ends up sounding a little lame in tone. "Since we haven't had much of a chance yet."
Which isn't precisely a plan, yet.
Then, she tilts her head -- and her eyes widen for a second. Those are more hobbies than she expected, but that's good. It means that everyone here has been treating Aigis well, and making her feel at home. The school, though, sounds like a mixed bag; both for her grades and her social interactions.
"I'm glad everyone's been so helpful," she says. "And that you're having fun, Aigis-san. I was a little worried about it."
There's a beat -- a moment of thoughtful consideration, then, as she considers the matter of school. She might not be much help on the coursework, but she can talk to the others.
"To be fair," she says, her smile becoming a grin. "Takeba-chan doesn't seem to know why she might want the desk next to him, herself, yet," she says. "So don't take it personally, okay? But... uh. If you want help with talking to more people, I could do that."
Her nose wrinkles, as she considers. "Maybe... you could join a club?"
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
The future. Aigis starts to reply to that, but trails off mid-realization. "I ..." She turns her gaze to her textbook as she wonders: why is Aigis trying so hard at this? Her own future is unconventional, to say the least.
The others are studying for the sake of their futures, as college entrance exams loom on the horizon. Aigis' own purpose in attending school, however, is simply to keep watch over the Arisato siblings. As long as the ... situation remains as it currently does, there is an argument to be made for striving to perform well academically to minimize any friction in following them to university.
What should her course of action be if they go to different colleges? Can the Kirijo Group manage to rediscover the technology they seem to have lost and manufacture a second Aigis before then?
Ideally, however, they collectively eliminate the Dark Hour before that occurs. That way, she would have fulfilled her mission. Her own fate past that is irrelevant; even if Aigis were shelved or disassembled, she would be content with having successfully completed her duties.
Even in the short term, there are numerous benefits. The possession of a well-developed ego is necessary in order to be able to summon and effectively wield a Persona. By struggling with schoolwork in this manner, she undergoes the same trials and tribulations as the people who she is charged with protecting. She expands her horizons, builds bonds with other people, and in doing so, this increases Palladion's prowess.
It all comes back to being the weapon she was designed to be. Every action she takes is in accordance with her ultimate goal of eliminating Shadows. She has orders, and she is compelled to fulfill them.
(Is it really all for the sake of improving her own combat performance, though? If she completes her task, is there any chance she would continue to learn and socialize and form relationships with people for its own sake? Doesn't she feel sad about the thought of no longer being able to see them all one day?)
An unfamiliar sensation, small as it is, begins to well up within Aigis. She is unable to identify it.
Aigis turns her head upward to Minako and smiles again, albeit more plaintively this time. Finally, she resumes her previously-paused sentence: "... as well, must think about my future."
In comparison, her response to Minako's stated purpose is more chipper. "I would be glad to 'hang out' together." She tilts her head at Minako. "What would you like to do, more specifically?"
Minako mentions she was worried about it. Aigis runs through a number of possibilities in her mind about alternative actions she could have taken over the last several weeks. Her own conclusion matches Minako's. "I can understand why, and I appreciate the concern. Thank you for checking in on me."
"Okay. I did not take it personally, in any case," Aigis states matter-of-factly. "I find her behavior inconsistent and it confuses me slightly, but I do not feel slighted by her, if that helps to reassure any concerns you may have there."
On one hand: Aigis is incredibly observant, and she notices a lot of fine details. Given how direct she is, if she states those observations, it may be enough for others to get the picture or for Yukari to become incredibly flustered, but ...
On the other hand: Never in a million years is she going to be able to grasp the true nature of Yukari's words and actions unless Yukari were to grab her by the shirt collar and blurt it out loud.
Aigis is good at facts, but poor at synthesis.
The prospect of joining a club intrigues Aigis. "This is something I have considered, but I have not been able to decide on which one to join. I feel that I may have an unfair advantage in athletic clubs, for instance."
Everything comes back to her mission.
Aigis blinks twice and stares at Minako. "Which club are you in?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako pauses at Aigis's hesitation at the mention of her future. She blinks -- and tilts her head to the side. She cannot know what she considers; she can't know her thoughts about being a weapon. But she sees the hesitation -- and her smile turns more reassuring.
"Well... if you need to talk about it," Minako says, matter of factly. Then, she points to herself. "I'm your girl!"
There is a blink, though, at how readily Aigis accepts hanging out. She is used to dancing around it -- or trying to look cool. This, though, is straightforward. She pauses, and then she laughs a little. "Well... wanna check the rooftop gardens? I haven't done that in a bit, and I want to be more involved."
She smiles -- and takes the thanks for her concern. But she blinks, about Yukari, and nods. "Good," she says. "I--uh."
Which club is she in?
"I'm in the volleyball, art, and the fashion clubs!" she says. She hesitates for a second. "Any of those sound good?"
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
Aigis gives Minako a sidelong glance as her expression turns neutral. "I do not currently need to talk about it. Thank you, all the same. I will let you know if that changes."
She would very much not like to talk about it.
She stands as Minako suggests the rooftop gardens. "That sounds like a suitable activity to me. It provides me with a way to observe the cycle of life on a small scale. While I do not function the same way, it is useful to ..." Aigis pauses briefly before she corrects herself. "Rather, I would like to know more about the process of growth."
As for club choices: "I do not believe I should participate in the sport of volleyball, but if the team requires an assistant, I can serve in that capacity." The corners of her mouth twitch upward as she deviates from order: "The fashion club sounds appealing, as well. I would like to cultivate my sense of self-expression through my form of dress. I have a small start with my collection of clothing so far, but ... it is only a start."
Art's a trickier question that she has to spend some time on as she considers. If Minako were to look closely enough, she may literally see the gears turning in Aigis' head. "I am uncertain of how I will do in it, but I would at least like to try art club, as well."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Sure," Minako says, and it seems easily said enough. She keeps smiling -- even if there's a flicker of worry that she caused offense.
But Aigis stands up, and explains why she likes gardening. It does cause Minako to blink with surprise; clearly, it didn't bother her too much. She stands up, too, and dusts herself off. "The process of growth, huh...? That makes sense, Aigis-san. Even if you don't work the same way, you want to understand it?"
She tilts her head to the side. And then she blinks. Aigis wants to be in all three clubs. Well. Sort of in volleyball club -- to be fair, a combat robot might have an edge there. "We could use an assistant... tell you what, how about you come to the next meetings that you're free for?" she asks. "And--uh--Yamagishi-san is in Art Club, too. So more friends, right?"
Minako starts towards the stairs -- but at a slower pace, inviting Aigis to join her.
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
Minako's later assessment is correct: it didn't bother Aigis too much. She's just ... direct, and maybe a bit oblivious about which signals she unintentionally sends by being so direct. From her perspective, she is only concerned with the meaning her words convey. They have assigned meanings and common definitions which she can reference.
The fact that others might be able to pick up on her discomfort on a topic or derive meaning from something other than the words she said is ... maybe a little beyond her right now. She did not say that Minako had offended her, therefore Minako should have no reason to think she offended her -- or so it goes in her own thought process.
Aigis nods in response to Minako's question. "Yes. I have discovered that I find myself somewhat fascinated by the topic." Like so: Aigis' voice betrays no hint of envy towards the plants, but it's there, all the same.
She collects her things from the table and follows behind Minako. (On the way up, she'll take a slight detour to drop them off in her room.) "I would be glad to attend the volleyball team meeting."
Fuuka's in the Art Club too. Aigis smiles at this. "That is even more reason to try it, then. I have enjoyed speaking with Yamagishi-san so far."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Mm-hm. I like the way that you can feel a sense of accomplishment. See something grow, and know... how it happened, that's because of what you did," Minako says. Instead of many things, where she can't know for certain if she did good or ill. Even if she wishes the world were simpler, sometimes.
But the universe doesn't consider Minako's wishes.
"I'd be glad to have you!" Minako says. "I can introduce you to the captain and the teammates. We lost a big game, recently, but... it'll be okay."
She waits for Aigis -- and as they start towards the door to the roof, Minako looks over her shoulder and smiles. "Great!" she says. "I can't wait to see what you make. Aaaaand..."
She opens the door up, and steps out onto the roof. "Hey, plants!" she says. "Me and Aigis-san are here to help you out!"
The plants offer no response.
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
Aigis quietly stares at Minako after she finishes musing on how growing plants gives her a sense of accomplishment. 'Knowing how it happened, knowing that it's because of what you did.' "You find satisfaction in being a caretaker, then?"
"I can relate to that. My most fervent wish is for them to find happiness."
In that statement, she doesn't strictly mean just plants.
She nods at Minako both times when she talks about the clubs. "I am looking forward to attending both of those. I am sorry that your team lost the game."
The plants offer no immediate verbal response, but from what Aigis had researched before, there is the possibility that speaking to plants facilitates their growth. Granted, the evidence and methodology are spotty, so there's no saying just how true that actually is.
This is why Aigis does not take it as strange that Minako speaks to the plants, and in fact, even joins in. "Lettuce take proper care of you," she says to them with a slight bow. (Ikutsuki's baleful influence shows up once again.)
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Yeah... I'd say so," Minako says. She smiles -- there's a blink, but the idea of plants finding happiness is a nice one. Then she looks up at the sky for a moment, as she thinks about it for a moment. "I guess I never quite thought of it that way."
Then she glances sideways at Aigis, and shakes her head. "It's okay. We just gotta keep working at it."
Then, her eyes are back on the plants. She claps her hands together, starts to dust them off--
'Lettuce take proper care of you.'
Minako hangs her head for a moment. "Ikutsuki-san..." she groans. Then, more cheerfully: "Get ready for some TLC, plant friends!"