A Gentle Giant

perfectophobe:

Even with a simple “Yes,” Machi couldn’t help but study the mountain of a man. Her expression didn’t change, something she had always been good at was holding her own ground. The quiet girl couldn’t even tell if they silence between the two could be considered awkward, Machi was merely concerned with the state of her friend. Turning her eyes to the floor, and bringing her fingers into a small fist on the front of her skirt, Machi was trying her best to hid her nervous energy.

“If- If you don’t mind, could you explain what happened to her? The office didn’t seem to know.” Moving to the side by a few inches, Machi took a closer look into their dorm room. Orihime slept soundly on her bed. She looked completely exhausted, and the same thing could have been said for her friend. Machi almost felt a little guilty for keeping him, but if there was anything she needed to know that could help Orihime, Machi would would have been grateful to know.

Her eyes kept searching the room, and she noticed a pair of crutches that were propped next to Orihime’s bed. And that struck her as odd, but she wasn’t sure why. She moved a few inches, and looked up at the man. Then, like being struck by lightening, she remembered. 

“Um… where is her wheelchair?” It wasn’t an unreasonable question. Machi had been told Orihime wouldn’t be able to walk for several days, maybe even weeks. But why were they crutches in the wheelchairs stead? Questioning eyes looked into the other’s tired eyes. “I was told she would have a wheelchair. That she wouldn’t be able to walk…”

Chad’s hopes of leaving before questions involving last night sadly didn’t happen.  On the other hand, it was better he be asked than Orihime.  While the female could keep a secret involving others, she never could lie very well about her own self.  If Machi was to ask her, it would likely lead to the auburn haired girl flailing around while trying to think of a response that was obviously untrue.  So, getting asked in her stead was probably better and safer.

“She fell.”  The answer was simple and yet created far too many questions.  If Machi inquired anymore, questions of how or where might be asked.  Figuring it best to root out most of the problems beforehand, Chad added, “Inoue tripped down some stairs and received a concussion.”  Tacking on the concussion part was just to help give reasoning as to why Orihime never came home the previous night.  At least now, no extra question should be needed.

“Um… where is her wheelchair?”

Oh.  Right.  Of course if she was already asking about what happened, she would have also been told about the broken leg.  Machi looking past his bulk to see no wheelchair just showed her worry more.  At least Chad knew that his friend was in good hands at this dorm and wasn’t with some crazy girl like Chizuru.  The concept of that idea nearly broke through his expressionless façade.  Back in reality, Sado was simply standing there prolonging the random silences between each individual.

“She didn’t break anything.  It was just an ankle sprain along with stress to her thigh.”  Due to the length of the brace, a simple sprain wouldn’t cause such a large support.  So, adding on the muscle stress would hopefully convince her he knew what had actually happened and wasn’t just making stuff up.  The doctor had been right when initially calling the school, but once Orihime healed herself, the wheelchair hadn’t been needed.  Of course, at this very moment, it made things problematic, but nothing a few lies couldn’t handle.  If Chad was lucky, Orihime would text him her new number before Machi got the chance to ask what happened directly.

This day just seemed to get longer and longer.  The weight being placed on his legs from his tired body would have caused wobbling if they hadn’t been made out of almost all muscle.  Veins in his eyes had started to become more apparent, but those were mostly hidden by his shaggy brown hair.  Posture was also something that was lacking at the moment as the mountain of a man kept one hand on the door knob and leaned into it slightly.  It was a miracle the object even stayed attached.  Must have been brand new like everything else at this school.  The only thing that seemed worn down in the entire body was how he felt about his body at this very moment.  Sleep would come quickly once a his comfortable bed was underneath him.

deathberry-ichi:

He stared at her, he could see she was trying to find the right words to explain what has happened to her. He knew by first hand that sometimes people could be mean, so the idea of someone hurting his friends really made him angry. He relaxed his arms when she said nobody was teasing her, but felt sick when hearing that last thing. 

“A Hollow” he repeated, shocked. He looked at Sado and his eyes reflected how thankful he was with him for saving Inoue, and how worried he was for both of them. So coming here was indeed a good idea. He could protect them here. “Everything is fine, Inoue” he answered calmly. “I just messed with the wrong people” he explained, trying not to worry even more his friend.

“Yes, I agree” he sighed. “But where?” they needed a place to talk about that Hollow. He blinked when hearing about Tatsuki, both girls were really close friends… something like that was weird. “Maybe you can write a letter to her” he propose. “I bet she would like that” he said putting a hand on his head.

Chad simply stood quietly by as the two reunited.  The question of Orihime’s leg was brought up and he grimaced inside.  At least until Ichigo looked at him with thankfulness in his eyes.  The sight was both pleasing and also gut-churning.  Sado was happy that it had been him who had saved Orihime, but still annoyed at himself due to the fact he was the one who let her leg get broken.  With their old friend here, that wouldn’t happen, but that was also the exact reason for leaving Karakura in the first place.  The feeling of dependability on Ichigo just made him more bothered about his own weakness.

“I know a place,” Chad said as the discussion turned to finding a place to talk privately.  A dorm room may have been the most private, but there was always the chance of a roommate being there.  Expecting the two to follow, Chad turned and began walking to the nearest stairwell.  The rooftop had always been their domain and it would get them away from others.  It would also give them a heads up if anyone accidentally came up to join them.  At the peak of the building though, no one would hear about the spirit world that few noticed floating around them.

wovenprincess:

deathberry-ichi:

“wovenprincess started following you

demonicfists started following you”

“I didn´t expect to see you guys here! It´s been a while, how are you?”

“…!! E-Eh?”

“Kuro…saki-kun?” she replied, more than a bit thrown by his sudden presence. Orihime just could not believe her eyes when she first saw him.

But it really was him. It was Kurosaki-kun! She would know that bright, orange spiky hair and grouchy, handsome face anywhere. He looked really, really good in that uniform he was wearing, she could not help but think. Promptly, her face bloomed a faint pink; just the very thought was embarrassing! Orihime would have reached up with both of her hands to clap them over either of cheeks, but due to her current state, was merely reduced to gaping at the teenager standing in front of her, blushing like an overgrown cherry.

Caramel eyes strayed to the leg which was still encased inside of a brace. Orihime tried to act completely natural, even if her face was red and she was standing in the middle of the hallway with an underarm crutch to hold her up.

“U-Un! It has been awhile, ne?” she continued, trying to recover from her shock but still address his inquiry. “Well - I’m just great! I’m fit as a fiddle,” she cheerfully enthused, a bright smile lighting up her face. Orihime’s features became more animated despite her heart beat still racing. “How about you, Kurosaki-kun? If I may ask…what brought you to Astraea?”

The familiar gruff voice and carrot colored hair seemingly appeared out of nowhere.  It had been months since Chad had seen him last.  There had been no word from Karakura town that Ichigo was coming to Astraea.  Now, the longtime friend had materialized almost right in front of him without even being noticed.  Considering the uniform, it was likely he would be around for a while.  For once, Chad was actually at a loss for what little words he spoke.

Orihime blushing and fluster wasn’t a surprise.  To everyone else except possibly Ichigo, her crush was widely known.  Seeing her seemed to make her mind race while his dropped to a crawl.  Chad had left because of their gap in strength and because he felt almost useless next to the shinigami.  Now, the fellow “delinquent” was here and if his power had indeed returned, it would be the same situation as in Karakura.  At the same time, considering how Orihime had ended up with a brace for her leg, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Figuring he was just standing there looking like a stunned idiot, Sado raised one hand and gave a short wave.  “Yo.”  The response was anything but an answer and was quickly added with, “Been good.”  The answer for the most part was truthful.  With the exception of the Arrancar that had been fought, the time spent apart had been nice.  The rest of the response was unintentionally done by Orihime’s normally welcoming manner.

perfectophobe:

Being told that her new roommate was not only gone fr the night, but was in fact at the hospital had come as a shock to the small brunette girl. The school office had calling Machi during the middle of class to inform her of what had happened. Small hands bundled into fists, eyes nailed to the floor as Machi took in every detail of information. they simply were informing her of what had happened, but how they explained the situation, they just left her with more questions. How did Orihime even get hurt? They couldn’t say. All they knew was that she would be arriving later that day with a friend via wheelchair.

After being dismissed, Machi found it increasingly difficult to pay any attention to her classes. She was a good student, her grades were among the highest in her class, so not paying attention for one day wasn’t much of a crime to her. She simply sat there, choosing to change her gaze every so often to make it look like she was half awake while her mind became thick with worry. When school was finally over, and after clean up, Machi walked to the third-year hall of the academic buildings. Besides explaining Orihime’s misfortune, the school had asked Machi to collect any missing assignments she might have. Not too odd of a request, it was simply enough. After receiving several papers from Orihime’s teachers, and placing them carefully in her backpack, Machi began to head to the library.

The library was a place Machi could be at with complete peace of mind. It was ever changing, people moved about it without the busy tones of the outside world, and nothing was perfect. Books and papers were stacked high in random places, people let their text books and notes lay across the vast openness of a table as they searched for information. Machi didn’t have to break anything there. But, yet again, it was all for naught as she couldn’t do anything much besides worry. What could Orihime have possible done that would break her entire leg? Machi knew the girl was a little clumsy, but that was by far something a bit dangerous. Before she could even have most of her work out on the table she usually sat it, she let out a frustrated sigh and pushed her belongings back into her pack before she took off.

Something just felt so off- Maybe seeing Orihime would help ease her worry. She had to be back by then, right? She could explain everything that had happened, and then Machi would be able to help her with whatever she needed. Pushing past the library’s large doors, Machi made her way to her dorm room. Walking past students and teachers a like, Machi finally reached the door of her room, her hand extended towards the handle when-

A man, unbelievable tall with dark skin and shaggy, dark hair stood in her doorway. And it left Machi dumbfounded. W-Who was he? How could he possible be there for? Her eyes meet his, eyebrows kneaded together in a confused glance. Peering through the little space the large man left for her too look past, she saw Orihime sleeping soundly on her bed, passed out. And he was leaving. And Orihime was passed out on her bed.

“… a-are you- are you Orihime-san’s friend?”

Of course, Machi used few words with blunt intentions. That was how she talked. But her first impression of this person before her already was an odd one, to say the least.

Opening the door, Chad nearly walked forward without seeing the brown haired girl.  Had he been anymore exhausted than earlier, the female surely would have been accidentally knocked to the ground.  Luckily, Sado looked down in time to see his path blocked.  Sighing internally, the large teen chided himself for thinking Orihime had been asleep.  If he had walked in and just placed the brace and clutch down, this meeting likely wouldn’t have happened.  Now the roommate was standing directly in front of him while Orihime slept peacefully behind him.

“… a-are you- are you Orihime-san’s friend?”

“Yes.”  The answer was quick and soft.  This situation was one which he had hoped to avoid.  Now, what was he supposed to say?  Sorry, we were attacked by a restless spirit turned crazy and Orihime’s leg was broken during the fight?  More than likely, no one at the school even knew of her powers, even the female in front of him.  Thinking about that made Chad feel more concerned about Orihime.  If this person had been alerted to the fact the sleeping girl behind him had broken her leg, things would become more hectic.  Bones don’t normally heal in less than a day.

Remembering that both of their ways were blocked, Chad stared back down at his obstruction.  Machi seemed to be around Orihime’s height, but still looked vastly different.  Instead of the energetic personality which was now being hidden by slumber, this person seemed the complete opposite.  If she was normally as serious and focused as she looked now, this dorm room had to have interesting episodes.  Of course, the female standing in his way could just be appearing stern due to the fact a stranger was leaving her passed out roommate.

“I should head out now,” Chad stated making a motion that emphasized he would be moving forward soon.  Hopefully, the girl might be either too scared to confront him or didn’t care enough to try.  Considering that classes would have only just been let out recently though, Machi would have had to hurry back to be here while he was leaving.  If that was the case, she likely had already heard from the office about the injury and this day would get more tiresome.  Once Chad made it to his own room, Kuwabara would likely have his own questions about what had happened last night and why he was so exhausted.  Maybe he had some luck left and could get out of this awkwardness and back to the comfort of his own bed without any more intrusions.

Returning by taxi once more to the dorm, Chad walked to Orihime’s room and quietly unlocked the entrance.  Nudging it open slightly to see if there was any sound, Sado gracefully opened the door and just as silently, closed it.  For a man of his size, grace seemed something he would never know.  However, due to his constant fights throughout life, balance and style was something self-taught.  With his gargantuan body, forcing another person to imbalance was a specialty of his while needing to know his own against smaller opponents was essential.  Now, it seemed the stealthy movements had come in handy outside of a fight.

Gradually moving forward with the brace and crutch, Chad came next to Orihime’s bed.  For a moment, Sado wondered if the girl truly had fallen asleep.  The evidence of a lie had been found in the female’s voice when she mentioned rest, so for her to be faking it would not be a surprise in the least.  Of course, if Chad was to lower his guard around the mischievous girl, she may attempt to scare him.  Carefully, the two support items were placed next to the bed where they could be easily reached.  Backing up, the large male glanced at Orihime to see if she was truly asleep.

“You’re not asleep,” Chad finally said while being unsure if he just sounded like an idiot now.  Had she been awake, a laugh may have come, but she could hold in her humor for a little more.  Of course, if she truly was resting, he was now talking to no one.  Letting a few minutes pass by to see if there would be any movement, another thought came to mind.  In the rush of the last few hours, neither had even inquired about how they came here or why.  Orihime had left Karakura town for a specific reason obviously, but she never had a chance to say why due to that damn Hollow. 

“So why did you decide-“ The bronze haired teen was cut off upon finally distinguishing that Orihime was in fact asleep.  Only then did he notice the steady breathing and lack of any other movement.  He really did feel like a fool now.  Not only had he been just standing here talking out loud, he could have also woken up Orihime who truly did need rest.  Standing still for a few moments, Chad realized how odd this would look if her roommate had walked in.  Figuring it best to leave, Sado grabbed a blank sheet of paper off the nightstand, wrote down his current number, and dropped the note in the purse which had somehow remained unscathed.  The gesture was made from the uncertainty that Orihime still had his number and in hopes she wouldn’t disappear again without contacting him.

Not wanting to disturb his sleeping friend anymore, Chad placed the borrowed key next to the purse and turned to leave.  Hopefully, now with a majority of his school day missed, Chad could return to his dorm and get some real sleep.  The chair had offered some rest, but after seeing Orihime sleeping and thinking about his own bed, his body suddenly felt very heavy.  While the fabric of the clothes he wore went itchy, his skin burned to be scratched everywhere, especially on his arms.  Brushing away sleepiness, Chad grabbed the door handle and opened to leave the room.  Unfortunately for him, the day still was far from over.

wovenprincess:

Eyes still crinkled, she watched her healing fairies work their magic. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest, it was almost hard to breathe; the goldenrod light that warmed her fingertips glowed brightly, although it did flicker every now and then, almost like a candle threatening to go out with every gust of wind. Typically her healing shield would never do such a thing; it would grow, and it would blossom, enveloping the injured or mangled limb - or even an entire, whole body - with a warming light, remaining steadily in place until the task was completed. But this wasn’t like her typical healing. Whenever it came to fixing up herself, her results were always far more lackluster.

Orihime knew from the way her leg was snapped like a thin twig and from overhearing the doctors that the damage she suffered was called an “avulsion fracture”. The femur, the largest, strongest bone in her limb was broken, and the muscles were torn; that meant if left unattended it would take months to recover. An allotted and extended period of time in which she would be confined to her bed, where she would be forced to remain, completely useless to anyone, even more so than she was now.

Caught up in her whirling melancholic thoughts, in her steely determination at least not to screw thing one task up, Orihime was taken aback by the matter of fact statement uttered by Chad thereafter.

“You did a good job last night.”

“A-Ah, well…that’s very kind of you to say,” Orihime replied graciously, and ducking her head in a shy manner. Chocolate hues shifted to steal a look at Chad again, before hastily veering away to the dome of Santen Kesshun. She did not know what else to say in response. Nibbling her bottom lip, the auburn-haired girl held back the denial she so desperately wanted to let tumble out. It was difficult, trying to find the words, to tame them into something appropriate but still ringing with ingenuity. “B-But, I…”

And then he had to compliment her again.

“That new technique was impressive.”

She bit her lip so hard, she was unsurprised at the slight taste of copper in her mouth. Why did she have to always be like this? Why did she always have to let her emotions get the best of her? Yesterday getting herself injured and forcing Chad to not only finish off the Hollow but carry her on foot clear across town to the hospital clinic was not bad enough, no; Orihime had to add onto his burden by feeling like this. By feeling so pathetic and unworthy of his praise that he was considerate enough to give out, even when she did not deserve it. How did she reward Chad for his efforts? She rewarded him by sniffling pitifully. Tears pooled, which Orihime tried to blink away discreetly, and without Chad’s noticing.

For a moment, she felt disjointed, like her arms and legs were not in their proper places. Her hands clenched to hide the tremble of her long, splayed fingers. Twisted, gnarled ligaments stitched themselves back together, fractured bone pushed and grinded and finally, semi-settled. A puff of hot breath escaped her trembling, pink lips; when her work was finished, she warily tested out her leg’s strength, managing to lift it up slightly. Sweat broke out on her forehead from the effort, but despite that a small grin was still able to lighten up her features. It may not have completely been restored, but now Orihime would at least be able to walk around campus with a crutch. That small happiness and relief, however, was quickly extinguished.

For a moment, she was silent, and felt totally awkward. Then, her fingers fumbled with the edge of her blanket; Orihime dragged it over herself and turned over to face the wall to the best of her ability. Hiding her face in the safety of her large, fluffy pillow, and voice muffled, she feigned a yawn before murmuring out quietly, “Thank you, Sado-kun…but I should probably get some rest, ne? The more I do…the faster I’ll heal. S-So - “

She trailed off for a second, attempting to collect herself, and despite the tears speckling her pillow, the pained emotions warring inside of her heart, Orihime still found it within herself to raise her head and flash a quick smile at the brunet-haired teen; “…Thank you so much.”

The last sentence was additionally whispered in a tender tone, unbidden, but still true, “You really are a good friend.”

The watery droplets forming in Orihime’s eyes were unexpected, but not surprising.  He hadn’t anticipated her to become teary from the compliment, but with how often she tried to keep a cherry demeanor, she rarely seemed to need praises.  The auburn haired girl sitting on the bed was smart, intelligent, friendly, and easily one of the best people he knew.  Yet, even with those qualities, words of self-doubt had been inflicted on her.  Urahara and Hueco Mundo definitely had an impact on confidence and that insecurity was beginning to show.

Chad watched as Orihime kept shyly to herself and attempted to lift the leg.  From her obvious strain, it hadn’t healed completely, but was not broken anymore.  While the bone had mended, it wouldn’t need the cast, but would at least need a brace.  The object would likely require crutches, but at least she would be walking around in a couple weeks.  Plus, if it was taking too long to heal, she could always reattempt healing in order to speed up the process.  For now though, he could go check back in at the hospital for a brace.  With how accommodating the doctor had been previously, it shouldn’t be too hard to get the item.

“Thank you, Sado-kun…but I should probably get some rest, ne? The more I do…the faster I’ll heal. S-So - “

The fake yawn, even while Orihme was turned away, was fairly obvious.  The girl didn’t have very good skills at telling lies.  Only those who had no observational skills could easily be convinced by the failed fibs.  Regardless, what she said had some merit.  That leg, even with it not being broken anymore, would need some rest.  She had been carried with it from one end of town to the other and only had a single night with rest.  Giving it some time with no movement would be helpful.

“…Thank you so much.”
“You really are a good friend.”

The thanks and compliment with a quick smile calmed both his awkwardness and worry for Orihime.  While she could be fairly emotional, she could also be strong.  It would take some time for her leg and confidence to heal, but at least now she had been found and could be protected.  Whether the Hollow attack last night had been random or regular, the appearance of one might mean more.  If that was the case, Orihime would need some help, especially in her current state.  Once her leg was healed, surely the rest would come along not too long afterwards, particularly if she had also been training on her own.

“You are a good friend as well.”  The returned compliment was the highest of truths.  Orihime had been an extremely good friend since meeting her.  She was naturally a good person, and being on friendly terms just showed more of her kindness.  However, just as before, the awkwardness started to rise back up.  Not wanting to show that side of him again and not wanting to see the tears swell up once more, Chad scratched his forehead before announcing, “I should head back to the hospital.  You’ll need a brace and crutches.”  Not giving Orihime time to stop his actions, Chad snatched the key used to open the dorm room and quickly left with a slight wave while walking away.

Feeling a little lazy due to the previous taxi ride, another quick journey was taken to the medical center.  There, he found a bemused nurse who became more puzzled at his request.  The thought of arguing began to enter her mind, but his size made her rethink that decision.  Huffing and puffing while going to get the support objects, she quickly returned with the doctor walking right behind arguing with her.  Giving one glance at who was buying the items, the man quieted down and quickly spun his body to return to his office.  The nurse, unsure if she should be amused or worried upon returning to Chad, gave him the price for the supplies.  Handing over a small card used for his typical payment, Sado gathered up the crutch and brace before walking outside to find another taxi.

wovenprincess:

It happened rather quickly. Before Orihime knew it, the injured girl was being gently pulled out of the wheelchair, and once more the feeling of being cradled against a firm, strong body overwhelmed her; she let out a small “eep!” and unconscionably looped her arms around Chad’s neck tightly, eyes rounding widely in her face as she looked up at him in a stupefied manner. She was in no place to turn down his kind gesture, but still, it both embarrassed and troubled her - he really didn’t need to overwork himself on her behalf. Once Orihime was settled onto the bed, she released her iron-clad grip around Chad’s neck and adjusted herself to be more comfortable.

Back against the pillows, sitting up straight with her legs out, she scratched the back of her head out of nervous reflex. Cheeks flushed a rosy hue, and without looking up, she stuttered, “A-Arigatou, Sado-kun! I…I very much appreciate it!” And she really, truly did. Still, it was just another thing to add onto the unofficially titled and very long list of Things Inoue Orihime Was Indebted To Yasutora Sado For.

Orihime had always been the one who needed to be protected by her friends. She was always the one losing control of her turbulent emotions on the battlefield, always the one putting herself into harm’s way – accidental or not. It made her disappointed in herself yet again, to realize she had failed her original purpose for her coming to Astraea; the reason for her leaving was to protect her friends, was it not? And yet why was it Sado-kun of all people was in her dorm room, more likely hurt but too heroic to admit it, and on top of all that her leg was broken? It was because, when things came down to it, she failed.

At least she was not completely useless. With that thought, Orihime furrowed her brow and went to work.

In the past she’d attempted to heal herself, with little to no success. Healing her own broken body and absolving it of its wounds was far different than when it came to healing other people. For whatever reason, her abilities were not nearly as efficient. Orihime had the power to turn back the hands of time and restore limbs but when it came to fixing up herself? More often than not, she was forced to rely on others to heal her. But right now, that was not an option or a luxury she had. So Orihime summoned forth three of her fairies - they shot out in an arc of gold, only to create a familiar half dome of glowing light above her right leg. She did not expect to be able to walk normally by the time the task was completed, but hopefully she would be not confined to her wheel chair.

Being in such a seriously incapable state would not help matters any. It also would not stem any questions she already knew to expect from her roommate and classmates alike.

She frowned slightly, as she concentrated. Thick, long lashes batted whilst peering down through the see-through golden glow of Soten Kisshun. For a brief moment, she glanced up at Chad out of the corner of her eye, and then, she looked away again. As that one saying went, it was the same old song.

Orihime’s embarrassed thankfulness brought a bit of amusement to the situation.  Since having arrived there, Chad had rarely seen his friend so lit up and energetic.  The only previous times had been around food, but that rarely ever brought out the joyful happiness in the auburn haired female.  Now, she was red faced and smiling from having been picked up and planted upon her dorm room bed.  That was the typical reaction she had during school days, but that had been usually caused by Ichigo, Chizuru, or Matsumoto.  Hopefully, there would be more of that delight as opposed to the sullenness of earlier.

As if on cue, that depressing air began to form around the two once more.  While the glow of the healing fairies lit up the room, Orihime’s energy turned purely towards concentration on her powers.  That glowing dome had brought him back from death multiple times since first coming aware of Hollows, and now it was being used to heal a bone that never should have been broken.  If anything, it should be his skin underneath that light.  Fight after fight had toughened his body to where even broken bones were only nuisances if helped correctly.  Now, from beneath shaggy brown hair, he could only watch as the leg was healed within the cast.

Then, that single, quick glance from the corner of Orihime’s eye looked upon him.  It was obvious what was running through her mind.  That simple thought which Urahara had planted inside her before their travels in Hueco Mundo.  She had been told she wasn’t a fighter and to stay out of it, yet Orihime had proven that wrong just last night.  None of those who dealt with Hollows had figured out the extent of their powers, even Ichigo once his returned.  Always, they managed to evolve with enough training, and Orihime had obviously been doing some on her own recently.  Still, having had to be saved from the world of evil and being told she was only useful as a medic had surely done some damage on her confidence.

“You did a good job last night.”  In truth, Orihime had done very well defending herself, especially against an Arrancar which she’d had no experience with.  Had the damn beast never thought to use the surrounding area to draw away her shield, she could have held on or even use Tsubaki with enough destructive intent.  Of course, had he gone all out immediately, she wouldn’t have even need to protect herself.  “That new technique was impressive,” Chad said with a light smile.  Again, while all their powers had grown steadily and no one knew their complete form, Orihime’s fairies had shown considerable flexibility and improvement and it could be assumed hers were capable of growing far past what anyone expected.

Feeling a bit awkward at giving a compliment, Chad glanced around the room once more while fiddling with the ever present coin around his neck.  The sounds of nature outside the room caught his attention and triggered a glance towards the window.  With the peacefulness outside, it would almost seem like last night had never happened.  Unfortunately, the proof lay on the bed next to him.  Hopefully, whatever injury was left over would not become a bother to her and allow for more mobility than a simple wheelchair.

wovenprincess:

With the help of two nurses, Orihime was able to get out of bed and into the wheel chair that had been brought for her. As soon as she was wheeled out of the hospital they went right into the taxi Chad had called for ahead of time. The drive to Astraea Academy’s dormitories was a short one that could have easily been made on foot, but Orihime was insistent on getting a ride; there was no way she was settling when it came to this matter. The night before Chad already walked clear across town bearing her as a physical burden in his arms. Minutes ticked by and before she knew it the door was being opened and Orihime was cheerfully explaining how to make it to dorm room number 176 where she resided.

“We’re here~!” she chirped brightly in a sing-song voice. It was early afternoon, so thankfully they would not have to worry about running into her roommate, Machi. Not that Orihime wanted to keep her friend a secret from her, of course, but she figured meeting underneath the circumstances they were in currently - Chad worn down and Orihime rendered a temporary invalid - would be highly suspicious and not to mention shocking.

The door was locked, so Orihime had to fumble for her keys, before unlocking it. Once they were inside, and the light switch was flicked on, the vividly colorful chaos that was her side of the room was revealed.

Inside was an undisturbed silence. A quick inspection confirmed what Orihime already knew; that her roommate was not present. Her brother’s picture, alongside her stuffed teddy bear Enraku, were both on the nightstand next to her bed, the rest of her stuffed toys on a shelf. Books, comics, and magazines were still in their box sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed. In between her closet and her bed was a mini fridge with colorful magnets, pictures, and stickers. Everything other than the mess on her actual bed - which was littered with several opened text books, a neatly stacked pile of papers, and a pencil - was clean and orderly.

That’s right, Orihime recalled before leaving for the store she’d been in the midst of writing a paper and getting ready for an upcoming test. Everything on her side of the room looked the exact same as it did yesterday, meaning it was clear she had not arrived in her dorm until now. Biting her lip, realization slowly bloomed within Orihime that eventually Machi would find out something happened to her; it was unavoidable due to their living together. Maybe she would not find out the exact grisly details - and silently, she was so very grateful for that - but she would know an event transpired the night before that ended up with Orihime injured and spending the night at the hospital. At least it was a Friday, so that meant tonight…tonight, what?

She was unsure how her thought was going to complete itself.

With a slight shake of her head, Orihime released a small chuckle. “Sorry, Sado-kun, but could you do me a favor?” She felt bad about asking anymore from him considering all her friend had already done for her, but it was unavoidable. She hesitated, cheeks flushing, before she requested softly, “May you please move aside everything on my bed? U-Um…you can put it onto the floor if you’d like! I don’t mind. I just feel that’s where it’d be easiest to heal myself.”

Shortly after finishing the delicious cheesecake, two nurses came in to help Orihime off the bed and into a wheelchair.  Granted Chad said he was fine walking, his petite friend insisted on a taxi ride.  Even he knew how stubborn she could get once decided upon something.  The drive itself only took a few short minutes and the bronze haired boy was quick to move to the other side and help the auburn haired female back into her mobile seat.  Luckily as Sado found out, Orihime lived on the first floor.

Walking in after the rolling girl, Chad saw the room and remembered their times back at Karakura.  The few times they needed to study at her apartment, he had caught glimpses of her living space.  The dorm room the two now were in looked just like a smaller version of that same area.  The picture of her deceased brother along with her favorite plush animal and even a mess to go with it.  A feeling of remembrance passed through him as fun times floated through his memory.

“May you please move aside everything on my bed? U-Um…you can put it onto the floor if you’d like! I don’t mind. I just feel that’s where it’d be easiest to heal myself.”

The question barely had to be asked.  Not only that, but there was no way he would be putting the books and papers on the ground.  Orihime would be moving through here on a hurt foot and placing random items on the carpet would just make that harder and lead to an even worse injury.  With his body loosened some after moving around more, Sado picked up the items and placed them in a pile on her nightstand near the photo.  By the quick glances at the paper, it could be inferred she had been writing a paper.  Hopefully it wasn’t something that had been due today, else the fact he had messed up her grade would also linger in her mind.

Turning back to Orihime, he wondered how in the world she would make it to the bed.  Sure, the girl had learned some martial arts moves from Tatsuki, but her physical build wasn’t much at all.  If she expected to simply lift herself over, it was possible she would simply fall.  Ensuring no more pain was caused, Sado quickly brought his arms underneath her and scooped the light female out of the chair.  The old pain from his arms made him wince for a second, but it was quickly pushed away.  She was easily more important than a simple cut.

Gentling setting his auburn haired friend on the mattress, Chad moved back to give her room to heal herself.  Thinking back, Sado wondered if she had really ever healed herself.  The group knew her powers relied on emotion and considering how selfless she was, he could only guess at how effective healing her own injury would be.  Regardless, it would easily be faster than sitting in the hospital.  At the same time, the brown eyed teen had to wonder when Orihime’s roommate would be back.  If she came back while the healing process was going, some odd questions and answers would ensue.

wovenprincess:

“Oh, ah, um - o-o-okay!” she stuttered out in a breathless rush when he reached for the spoon. Their hands barely brushed in the exchange, but from what she felt, there was rougher, calloused skin pressing lightly against her own silk-soft ones. Not only that, but his hands outright dwarfed hers because they were so big. Big hands are made for doing big, important things, she thought. “To be honest, I didn’t think you’d actually try it,” Orihime admitted with a sheepish grin. She closed her eyes, briefly, lashes dark against the light skin of her cheeks, and laughed. When she opened her eyes again, a dazzling, excited smile was on her lips and her hands were pulled up to her breasts eagerly and waited.

To Orihime’s absolute amazement, she watched Chad eat with gusto, lifting the spoon into his mouth quickly and swallowing even quicklier. She would have admonished him to chew, so as to relish the taste more on his tongue, but she understood getting caught up in the excitement of trying a new food. That and she was just ecstatic Chad enjoyed it at all! It was not often – no, actually this would be the first time in history besides Rangiku-san – that she had ever met someone who appreciated her unorthodox taste in food before.

“I’m so glad you like it~!” Orihime gushed, eyes sparkling radiantly.

She would never admit it aloud, but whenever her friends would crinkle their noses and blanch outright in disgust at her food, it hurt her feelings. It was not something she would ever fault them for, but it still hurt nonetheless. Really, the dishes she made in her opinion was both cheap and healthy, which made it perfect for a growing high school girl like her! That was why the biggest, ear-splitting grin enveloped her mouth, and a natural, pink blush colored her cheeks; happily, she tried to scoot over to sit closer to Chad, but then let out a surprised, hurt noise and flailed her limbs momentarily. Orihime had been so happy that Chad enjoyed her food that she forgot about her right leg being hoisted in the air!

“I think you will enjoy it more.”

Orihime did not comprehend for a moment, but when she did, she made an aghast expression; he was trying to be nice by pushing her to eat and enjoy it! With a gaping mouth, Orihime sought to assure Chad that was not the case at all, and in fact if he wanted it so much, he could have it all to himself - but then he started to rapidly shovel his food from his own tray down, and she let out a soft sigh. His kindness truly knew no bounds. Orihime had no idea how she’d been so fortunate to have someone like Sado-kun come into her life.

Contented silence fell between the pair of friends as they set to eating their separate meals. Staring at Chad, coppery locks trailing down her shoulders, concentration made a wrinkle form between Orihime’s eyebrows. He was so quiet, so stoic, and yet his presence was not like that of an enigma or ghost, but steady and as strong surely as the beat of her heart within her chest. To Orihime, Chad was as stabilizing and grounding as he’d always been; the same logical, calm and good-natured person who without a word protected her from being seen on the rooftop in her state of distress, without even being asked to. In a way, it was troubling, how much Chad had not changed in the time they’d been separated.

Considering all the trouble she had brought upon him, she thought it was undeserved. That made the lighthearted gleam in her gaze dim; Orihime shook her head, willfully trying to avoid such trains of thought, and parted her rosy lips to speak.

“Okay! Um, say, Sado-kun,” she began conversationally, her tone warm, welcoming, portraying none of the doubt or anger or fear that had filled her when she’d first seen him yesterday and realized that so many things she’d done in her past were all for naught. On the outside, her demeanor was blithe and carefree, but on the inside she was apprehensive as she continued, “Would it… be okay if I asked if you are you ah - staying anywhere nearby? In this city, I mean. I don’t think I told you before but I’m staying in one of the dorms at a new school I’m going to, called Astraea Academy.”

Chad could not help but have noticed Orihime’s excited expression at him eating her odd mixture.  Compared to seeing her frown, it was a far better sight.  Besides, she had a broken leg due to his foolishness.  The least he could have done was try her concoction.  Granted a broken leg may be preferred next time she offered some blend, for now it could be considered his punishment as long as it gave the short girl a smile.  Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little bad about the way he avoided any more of the jell-o potato jumble.

Upon hearing where Orihime was staying, Chad mentally facepalmed.  Of course she would be going to Astraea while in this city.  Considering how intelligent she was, not going to school to move ahead with her education would be surprise.  Plus, with how her aunt was, no school would mean no funds and while his friend had a natural talent for charming customers, the lack of money would likely end up a problem.  Sado only wondered how he had missed seeing or hearing about Orihime at the school considering the popularity she had at Karakura.  Then again, he hadn’t been there for too long, so some comments may have just flown over his head.

“I’m at a dorm in Astraea as well,” the massive teen said with a quick glance to her tray before moving his eyes to Orihime.  Already, Sado had managed to eat the burger and rice leaving only a few fries and the cheesecake left.  He had started eating in a hurry that he now remembered she could have some food left over.  If he ate too quickly and she offered, there would be nothing to wash away the taste with.  Torn between finishing his food and getting stuck with more of hers, Chad finished off his glass of water and stood up.  “”I’m getting more water.”

With that, the brown eyed teenager left the room to find a water fountain.  Taking his time to let Orihime eat, Sado began to hear more comments.  The doctor had apparently let told what happened while casting him in a villainous light.  Granted he had in fact acted with his body size behind him, some remarks of the retelling were far off.  It seemed the doctor had decided to add a few details to make him seem not as easily swayed.  Regardless, the comments were normal to Chad’s ears.  Luckily, the fountain was found quick enough before the statements were made a real annoyance.

Opening the door once more to Orihime’s room, Chad walked in and back to his couch where the cheesecake and rice lay.  Still hungry due to the night before, the tiny grains were quickly scooped up and eaten.  The small slice of dessert on the other hand was consumed more slowly in order to taste the exact flavor and ensure nothing else was offered at the time.  Hopefully, his friend was already done, but Chad dare not chance another look at her tray.  If she got the impression he was looking at her food, Orihime would likely just offer to make the food back at her room and being it over to him.

“It’s not too far from here.  Once they bring in your wheelchair, we can head there whether by taxi or by walking.”  The end of the sentence came out like normal, but Chad was inwardly hitting himself again.  Considering her leg, that really was a dumb mistake.  He had gotten used to being able to walk normally after an injury thanks to Orihime and Unohana, that the thought of being truly injured again was almost foreign to him.  “Or roll in your case.” 

wovenprincess:

The beeping from the machine stopped, thankfully. Her countenance was still beet-red, and probably would take some time to diminish in brightness as well, but that wasn’t what was causing her stare to further at Chad the way she was, seemingly mystified at his words.

“I wanted to be sure there weren’t other Hollows.”

“O-Oh,” she murmured tentatively, lowered her eyes, and then flicked shockingly wide hazel orbs to Chad again. She was leaning her weight to the left, that hand resting on her hip, her other hand clasping the sheets for better purchase, while Chad remained seated. The explanation offered to her for his staying by her side was logical, which was just like him. “Well, there weren’t, ne? So that’s good then. It was just a one-time thing. Hopefully it won’t happen again…” She paused, smiled a small smile, and then said more quietly, “Thank you, Sado-kun. Ah, it means…means a lot to me!”

“You should sit straighter.  Falling off the bed wouldn’t help your leg any.” 

Orihime, in response, froze. Her lips pouted, brow furrowed, as she stared at her friend. The two of them had always been polar opposites. He was quiet, and Orihime was outspoken. He was practical, and she was air-headed. They were the opposite ends of a very long branch, completely different and forever unable to reach each other. He was a dark, tall, silent giant of a superhero whereas she was…not. That much was evident with the childish look upon her features now as she continued to pout at him, small body twisted to the side, fingers twitching on the edge of the bed. He was just being typical Sado-kun, and considering the circumstances, that made her glad.

Orihime promptly stopped and did as she was told. Sitting up straighter again, she smiled sweetly, eyeing him innocently.

In response to his saying he would return shortly, she blinked owlishly, thoughts running wild in her head as she pondered over what he was about to do. He’d mentioned food earlier, had he not? Chad was probably heading off to pick up some from the hospital’s cafeteria, then.

“O - Okay! I’ll wait here,” Orihime called after him, crinkling her fingers in a quick wave as she watched him rise to his feet and leave. Her stomach growled loudly and she continued to talk listlessly. “Say, Sado-kun, do you think they would have red bean paste?” She sighed. “Perhaps not. That’d be an amazing thing if they did though, ne? Really, I feel like I could eat - oh, how does that one phrase go - an entire elephant!”

When the door shut, her wording drifted off. Orihime didn’t know how long she was staring at the closed door, eyes wide, mouth slightly parted. A look of confusion filled her face as she tried to discern the vibe she picked up from her friend. He was only going to bring back some food, so why did it seem like his body was so stiff? It could have easily been attributed to how long he was sitting in the chair, which was clearly undersized for someone of his height and build, but for an unknown reason Orihime felt like there was something else. Carefully, she slid back under the covers and leaned back to her pillow, watching the door meanwhile.

I should have said I wanted a cheeseburger with radish relish, strawberry ice cream, chocolate sauce and… and…

Orihime sighed deeply, almost morosely.

… I think, I should have really, really, really told Sado-kun just to get me some water.

Her chin dropped to her chest.

“I’m thirsty,” she whined.

It seemed like forever until her friend returned, but in reality, only twenty minutes passed. When the door opened, she beamed, scooting up as best as she could. A tray was placed beside her - a carton of apple juice, a piece of chicken, mashed potatoes, and container of strawberry jell-o, her favorite! Perfect, she thought. Clapping her hands together, delightedly Orihime exclaimed, “Itadakimasu!”

“The doctor said you could go home today whenever you liked.”

Just as she picked up an eating utensil to scoop up a spoonful of gelatin, only to bring it to her lips and shove it into her mouth, she paused. “E - Eh? Rweally?” Realizing she was talking with her mouth full, she gulped down the sweet, strawberry jell-o, pulled the spoon out with an audible popping sound, and grinned. “I wonder what made the doctors change their mind,” Orihime’s voice lowered as she thoughtfully pondered that. The nurse had made it clear they thought it best for her to stay for a week or so at most. But perhaps she’d gotten the doctor to change her mind after she had completed her check-up on Orihime earlier.

“That’s great! We should be able to leave soon then - but only after we finish our food!”

With that declaration, Orihime picked up her mold of jell-o, lifted it up over the mounds of creamy mashed potatoes, and flipped it upside down. Retrieving her spoon, she proceeded to mix all of it into a single concoction, rather than settling on eating them separately. With the auburn-haired girl that was just how it was - food simply tasted better when unlikely components were mixed to make a strange dish; it would have been abnormal if she hadn’t made some changes to it. “Want some?” she questioned happily once she was finished, innocuously offering a large spoonful. “The creaminess of the mashed potatoes should be tasty with the sweetness of the gelatin~!”

The happiness Orihime showed as he brought the food in and told her of the doctor’s change in mind made his body feel just a bit more rested.  She always did seem to have that quality around people.  Her kindness and wackiness just seemed to draw others in and brighten up a person’s day.  Of course, for some, they regarded her as a freak and just plain weird, but it was rare to hear due to how subtly popular she was.  Chad didn’t know how his friend was getting along in this city or previous places she had been in, but he hoped it had been similar to how she was in Karakura.

“I wonder what made the doctors change their mind.”

Sado couldn’t help smile inwardly at her nonchalant comment.  The doctor had been stubborn at first upon the half-Mexican walking into his office, but his demeanor quickly changed once swiveling around to face the teen.  Intimidation wasn’t a factor he used normally, but on the rare occasion, it had served him well.  Orihime was capable of healing far faster outside of a hospital than she was inside one.  Now that most the pain had been dulled by drugs, she would be able to use her powers to speed up the process.  However, if the auburn haired girl was stuck inside a medical facility where she was constantly monitored and checked upon, the irregular quickness might arouse suspicion.  Plus, in getting the doctor’s approval, there would be no problems in getting Orihime out of the building as opposed to possibly breaking her out on their own.

The light plop of jell-o dropping onto something else soft brought Chad’s attention back to the female.  It was only then did he notice her mixing the two items of food.  Had he been a random person who had met the girl, his face would have distorted in disgust.  Instead, the action seemed almost normal.  Of course, the mixture was a new one to him.  Sado had seen Orihime mix chocolate and mustard, peppermint and red bean paste, and even shaved ice with wasabi sauce.  It was amazing the female’s stomach hadn’t exploded from the daily mixture of foods.

With the jell-o and mashed potatoes mixed thoroughly, Orihime scooped a large spoonful and then…handed it towards him.  The offer was in no way meant to gross him out, but just a way of her being nice.  Unsure of what to do, Chad looked down at his own plate.  A burger filled with an unnatural amount of tomatoes, fries, and a side of rice sat on his tray.  A small slice of cheesecake accompanied the food for a final treat.  Knowing the girl was still holding the spoon out as he looked at his own food, Chad looked back up and looked at the concoction held towards him.

Unable to reject her offer, Sado reached out and took the utensil from her hand.  The mixture in question wobbled a bit from the jell-o property, but stayed safely clumped together.  The thought of accidentally dropping the food raced through his mind, but knew a frown would form if he did.  Besides, even if that happened, Orihime would just offer again.  Giving up, the bronze haired male stuck the invention inside her mouth and pulled out the metal object.  Hoping to keep from tasting it too much, he worked to swallow quickly.  Unfortunately, the taste lingered.  Even in his earliest days of cooking, never had food tasted so awkward and bad.  The time he had tried to warm up guacamole and ended up with something burnt and crispy instead of the creamy, tasty sauce was somewhat preferable at the time. 

Giving a quick nod as if to approve, Chad handed back the spoon.  Immediately afterward, a bite was taken from his cheeseburger followed by a few fries.  The temptation to eat the dessert could barely be controlled as well.  Thankfully, the tomatoes on his burger defeated the taste in his mouth swiftly.  “I think you will enjoy it more,” The teenager said after swallowing his own food and taking a sip of the water.  Attempting to ensure she wouldn’t offer more, Sado began to eat a little faster in order to look busy.  A possible follow up to the hospital food might be in need at his own dorm room to forget the taste completely.

wovenprincess:

“Eeeep!” was the embarrassing, high-pitched squeak she released as she flailed her arms wildly in front of her like windmills. Coppery hair was disheveled and falling all over her small face and shoulders, large, wide eyes openly gawking over at her newly awoken friend.

…W-What if he heard w-what the nurse said - …?

Beep beep beep!!

The display screen of the machine beside Orihime’s bed, which monitored information such as her heart rate, started going off. The steady beeping began to quicken. Her heart rate was increasing dramatically, no doubt due to her being frightened, pulled from her musings so unexpectedly, even though there wasn’t exactly anything in particular that should startle her in the first place. Grabbing a fistful of her bed sheets, she tried to push the previous conversation and its implications out of her mind. Orihime really wished she hadn’t gotten so worked up over what the nurse had said, especially if it meant a mortifying display like her monitor emitting high-pitched beeping!

“Sad - ” Her voice still sounded weird, unnaturally husky; she tried again. “Sado-kun. G-Good morning!”

She breathed deeply, the red spots on her cheeks not yet fading. Her whole body had seemed to blossom with color and she was working on calming herself down. After some controlled inhales and exhales, Orihime felt more placid, and definitely more awake and alert than before. There was a small wrinkle forming between her brows. Hurrying to apologize, she exclaimed, “Ah, s-sorry! With all of this excitement it’s, um, hard to breathe right now. Ehehe.” Chuckling nervously, she ducked her head briefly.

Orihime licked her lips, and changed the topic to address his initial question. “Y – Yes,” she replied quietly, and now, she could feel the weight of Chad’s gaze upon her, although she could barely glimpse his eyes through the curly fringe of his hair. Sitting up in the bed with no place to hide, she felt exposed, vulnerable - her right leg being suspended in the air didn’t have anything to do with it. She smiled, the upward curve of her rosy lips awkward and taut and far too bright. “I’m awake!” she chirped, still smiling.

“So you…you stayed with me, all night?” Orihime’s eyes softened; how could anyone think someone who was so kind was anything but gentle and caring? Chad was gargantuan-sized, true, but it only meant he had that much more warmth to give. It was with those strong arms of his he had carried her injured body all the way across town - just to bring her here, to the hospital they were in right at this very moment. “You didn’t have to do that. I would have been fine here by myself.” Cocking her head slightly, she took to studying his posture. The sheer difference between his body and the chair became all the more pronounced.

That had to have been uncomfortable…

A jolt of remorse pierced her, then. Orihime’s spine straightened, and she unconscionably moved closer towards Chad. Her range was limited thanks to her right leg, so Orihime was left to twisting her body awkwardly, and attentively assessing his body from afar. Her fingers itched to get to work on healing, helping with something within her power.

“Did sleeping like that hurt very much?” she questioned directly. Perking up a bit, Orihime tacked on in addition, “Oh! The nurse came in here just a bit ago, by the way; she was very nice, and said within a week I should be able to go home. Ehe, to tell Sado-kun the truth, I was hoping I’d be able to leave the hospital sooner…I don’t want to make my roommate or Mr. and Mrs. Tinker worry.” Biting her bottom lip, she became over-wracked with guilt yet again. Orihime clenched her hands around the sheets. The urge to apologize was potent, waiting to be uttered and rolled right off of the tip of her tongue. But Orihime anxiously pondered what purpose that would even serve.

As Orihime sat there, casting brief glances from beneath her eyelashes at her giant of a friend, she wondered what he could possibly be thinking of her and this entire predicament. Not just of her horrible mistake on the battle field yesterday that reduced her to the shape she was in now, but regarding her sudden disappearance from Karakura Town altogether. After all, it’d been some time since the last time the two of them spoke to one another. There was a great possibility that, when things calmed down, the questions would begin - and Orihime honestly knew she would not know where to start.

The startled surprise that came from the girl should not have been a surprise to Chad, but it still was.  Of course Orihime would think him still sleeping and any sound coming from behind would scare a person, specifically with the discussion that had just happened.  Not only was the sound she emitted unexpected, but the beeping from the machine caught him off guard as well.  Considering her reaction to it and the heat showing in her face, it was likely the heart monitor going off.  Sado could only wonder how often a machine like that would beep if it was attached to her daily.

Once Orihime tried to speak, he noticed the harsh sound to her voice.  Considering she had not had anything to drink the whole time during the operation and after, it was no wonder why her mouth was so dry.  Then, if her mouth was already dry it was likely she had yet to have any food in her system as well.  The fact neither of their stomachs had made noises loud enough to be heard next door was amazing in itself.  Putting a mental note to get food soon was registered in his mind.  Directly afterword, Orihime’s face changed into what seemed a dozen emotions.  Surely, this friend of his could make a hundred unique faces in less than a year if enough events happened.

“So you…you stayed with me, all night?  You didn’t have to do that. I would have been fine here by myself.”

Orihime was right.  She would have been fine by herself.  Granted she had gotten beat up yesterday, that was due to circumstances.  It was obvious from her shield’s counterattack the night before that she too had been improving her abilities.  Plus, his exhaustion the previous night likely would have just made things worse and it wasn’t like anything attacked while he was asleep.  Assuming that Hollow had attacked alone, she was relatively safe once more.  However, at the time he had brought Orihime in, he couldn’t have been sure.

“I wanted to be sure there weren’t other Hollows.”  The statement was simple and effective.  In truth, he had fallen asleep and been unable to actually get out of the chair.  However, telling her that would just make the short female worry more.  Besides, a night in the hospital wasn’t too bad, especially when he wasn’t the one with a leg propped up.  Plus, the fact Orihime was stuck with a broken leg was his fault.  How could he just leave his friend here by herself when he didn’t even know how long she had been in this city or if she even knew anyone?  For all he knew, yesterday had been her first day in town.

The next few statements blew that thought out of the water.  Orihime had a roommate and knew two other people in the city?  The thought of a roommate piqued the teenager’s curiosity the most.  Back in Karakura, she had lived alone in her apartment after her brother’s death.  Who would she be living with now when it had just been her for all those years?  Surely the person was already afraid of her cooking and ingredients.  Of course she could cook, but what she put in her food seemed inedible to most.  The bizarre thought kept Sado occupied until noticed the introspection that was being performed and the odd angle she was bent towards him.

“You should sit straighter.  Falling off the bed wouldn’t help your leg any.”  With advice given, Chad stood up, trying to keep his legs from wobbling, and stretched.  Placing his fist to his back, the male pushed forward while leaning more caused a series of pops to hear the room.  A quick flicker of surprise at how tight his body was appeared on his face before bronze hair was shaken to rid the way.  Popping his neck soon after yielded more satisfying notes.

“I’ll be back shortly,” Chad let out as he swiftly moved to the door.  Had he moved any slower, it was likely the tremors in his leg would force him to his knees.  Plus, with his headache getting worse, some medicine of his own might be helpful.  The moment the door closed, Sado leaned lightly against the entrance in order to regain his composure.  This throbbing seemed to do more damage than the Hollow itself.  Finally, after catching a busy nurse, two small pills were handed to him with a bottle of water.  Sighing in expectant relief, Chad walked to where the doctor had his office.

Around twenty minutes after leaving the room, Chad returned.  His head felt clearer and the exercise had been good for his legs.  In his hands were two trays of food and a glass of water he had acquired from the cafeteria.  The meal was simple and would have looked unappetizing had it not been for the fact Sado’s last meal was sometime yesterday afternoon.  Setting one tray down next to Orihime and sitting on the couch for more room, the boy glanced towards his friend.  “The doctor said you could go home today whenever you liked.”  In essence, that was the short version and the long version involved a lot more intimidation than Orihime was likely okay with.

Physical Education class was a time athletic students could shine.  Those with muscles during more contact events would be picked, while the sleek and slim would be picked for more stamina.  When the class wasn’t being forced to show their flexibility or the number of push-ups that could be done, ‘games’ were played.  These activities could vary in range, whether it be racing, baseball, soccer, or swimming.  At times, these exercises could be fun.  Other times, they were a reason to attempt skipping.  Luckily, Astraea’s management knew when to have the students inside and outside. 

For today’s especially hot weather, the class had been moved inside to a gymnasium with a basketball court that could be altered into a volleyball court as well.  The bleachers had been condensed into one large vertical stack directly against the wall making the building look even bigger.  It was rare for the seating area to be expanded out, usually only for large school wide meetings or the occasional game with another academy.  Typically, the area was used more for the P.E. class.  Today, the teacher had decided upon a rather fun, or possibly cruel to some, game.

Dodgeball.  The event had the entire class divided into two teams on the longer sides of the gym where the main bleachers were as opposed to opposite ends of the court.  For this game, five rubber balls were thrown out to each team before the whistle would be blown giving the chance for an entire team to have all ten at some point.  The bouncy objects were just shy of soccer ball size giving anyone the ability to hold it easily in the palm of their hand.  The battlezone was almost the entire building.  The only boundaries were the black lines where the bleachers were able to slide out giving the students around twenty feet of free room from the other team.  On the far right side of the main court sat the sensei and a smaller, pulled out set of stands where those who had been tagged out would wait until the next game began.  As for rules, no headshots were allowed, getting hit or tagged elsewhere was an immediate out, catching a thrown ball resulted in the opposing player going to the sidelines, and if a student deflected a ball with their own but dropped his ball in the process, they too would exit the current game.

All in all, the game of dodgeball had a positive effect on most of the students.  Most were happy to just enjoy themselves and mess around while a few were unhappy knowing they would be the first targets.  The teacher herself seemed relaxed and highly amused at not having to do anything for the class period.  If anything, it seemed like she had decided upon the game to let herself get a few naps in.  Hopefully, for her sake and some of the students, no one noticed her inattentive attitude else some cheap shots might get made.  Sitting back after throwing out the objects of mass mayhem, the female brought a whistle up to her mouth and let out one shrill call for battle.

—————————————-

Chad watched as the rubber weapons were tossed to his classmates.  Dodgeball was one of the few events his teacher had decided upon that he was unsure about.  The game required him to take out other players using mostly unharmful objects, but each time he thought about it, the lessons his grandfather taught him came back to memory.  However, the activity itself didn’t require him to do too much.  If he needed, simply dodging as the name implied would be sufficient if the rest of his team could hold off the opposing students.  At the same time, the game was only a game, right?

The determination of the first thrower going after him opposed that thought.  The boy had been firm in his decision, but due to Chad’s own speed and his lack of teammates, he ended up pummeled with three balls instead of getting rid of the tall half-Mexican.  Incidentally, that left his team with only two weapons behind the safety line while another four rolled into the death zone.  Immediately, it seemed as if both teams charged while only a few staying behind from fear or possibly intelligence.  Sado it seemed was still deciding how to play while leaning against the stacked seats with his arms crossed and watching events unfold.

wovenprincess:

It all happened in a matter of minutes - seconds, maybe, she wasn’t really sure - but all Orihime knew for certain was that she had been close to death and she had no one to blame for it but herself. She hardly remembered blearily seeing the sunset - an oddly bright, orange blur in muddled smears of blue with fading wisps of clouds. She dimly recollected the sterile, white walls closing in around her as she was lifted onto a stretcher and rushed away into the emergency room. Orihime barely remembered feeling Chad’s warm, comforting arms cradling her body tenderly against his chest. She only slightly remembered looking up to see the smallest smile tugging his tanned lips up, which sent both a feeling of utter relief and piping hot shame spiraling through her.

The things Orihime could clearly remember were bits and pieces of her past, her childhood, which all seemed to rush through her disoriented brain in speedy segments; that one time she accidentally mixed mustard and red bean paste and discovered her weird taste in foods, that one time Orihime accidentally got lost in the super market from her brother and was found by an older, bespectacled gentleman by the name of Soken, that one time she ate lunch alone in the girls’ restroom after Sora passed away, that one time in middle school when she realized that Ichigo had not only the funniest, frowny face she’d ever seen, but a handsome, kind smile when he let his guard down, that one time Orihime was healing Rukia and Ichigo’s brown eyes softened with gentleness down at her…

After a while, she stopped remembering, whether Orihime wanted to or not.

Blackness had taken over, enfolding her in its cold embrace. She had no idea that she was lying prone on a hospital bed, the starched blankets pulled up to her armpits, vital fluids entering her body through a needle pierced into her right forearm. Orihime also had no idea that after her total blackout and she’d been brought to the hospital, she had been given a sharp shot of drugs to dull the pain, and after having been treated Chad had sat dutifully by Orihime’s side the entire time.

He still was, but that was a fact she would not take into account until a few moments later.

It could have been two seconds, several hours, or an eternity even - again, she wasn’t really sure - but after a certain amount of time, thick lashes fluttered. Hazel eyes opened, only to promptly shut as a result of being blinded by the light. Then, they lifted slowly and dropped quickly. Her pale face slowly flushed with color, long lashes lifting and dropping in slow, groggy blinks. She frowned slightly, and licked her dry lips.

“I - I’m hungry.”

The girl blinked quickly, her gaze clearing, the tiredness melting away. Sitting up more fully with her back against the pillows, she reached a hand up to her throat and winced, startled at just how worn-out and weak her voice sounded just now. Slowly, she observed her surroundings. There was a window beside Orihime; it was no longer dark outside, but instead late morning. It seemed as though the sun from yesterday had long since set, and the night had quietly passed to be replaced by daylight once more. In other words, she’d been at the hospital from sunset to sunrise. Brows furrowing, Orihime took in the rest of the room - the scenic photographs hanging on the walls, sickening, endless color of white, and…

She let out a high-pitched gasp, and then mumbled out in a hushed yet awed tone of voice, “S-Sado-kun.”

A quick perusal of his physical appearance confirmed what she had fretted; Chad had, indeed, chosen to forgo a good night’s rest in favor of staying all night by her bedside. It was like him to choose to linger protectively nearby and watch over his friends, but it still made Orihime frown with concern. There was a large dark, purple bruise on his bronzed cheek, but surprisingly other than his dirty, ruffled clothing, and some minor scrapes and cuts on his skin, Chad looked okay. He was sleeping, he was breathing, he was living, and that was all Orihime could ask for. It looked like her friend had not shed much blood, nor broken any bones in his body, although the same could not be said for her unfortunately.

Her right leg was encased in a cast, propped up on a large pillow to give it elevation and support; it looked so pathetic and useless, hanging in the air like it was, and the sight of it only made Orihime’s shame in her inability to fight and not be a burden on the battlefield return tenfold.

“Oh, you’re awake,” a foreign, feminine voice said, coming from the door. Broken out of her thoughts, Orihime turned her head to watch a woman garbed in typical nurse attire walk inside the hospital room. The nurse chuckled softly as her gaze strayed to Chad, who was still fast asleep in the chair next to her, the back of his head resting against the wall. “Unsurprisingly he isn’t…well, let me just check some things and then I can give you the good news.”

The woman’s smile was so cheerful and well-meaning Orihime could not help but match it with a bright one of her own. “Good news?” she echoed innocently, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes,” came her distracted response. After looking over the machines until she was satisfied with what she saw, and checking a sheet of information with her pen, the nurse stood to full attention, giving Orihime another dazzling smile. “You’ll only need to stay in the hospital for less than a week, then after that, you’ll be free to go home. Just make sure you take care of yourself and before you know it, you’ll be as good as new!” She paused, glanced at Chad again, and then lowered her voice to a half-whisper to add cheekily, “Your boyfriend is so cute. I still can’t believe he stayed all night the way he did. He’s a real catch - you better keep hold of him tight, you hear?”

” - EH?! M-M-My boyfriend?” Orihime squeaked aloud blushingly. “W-What…what makes you think that -“

The door closed with a clicking sound. Orihime didn’t budge from her position in bed, not that she could. She had her hands laced over her furiously heated cheeks and remained unmoving, eyes doll-like and huge in her red, red face. Dumbly, she could only eventually lower her hands so as to fiddle with the sheets, gazing down at her lap in an embarrassed fashion. The very idea that her and Sado-kun were mistaken for boyfriend and girlfriend by the hospital staff was staggering to say the least. Not that Chad would not make a great boyfriend to whoever he chose to date, oh no, that Orihime knew was impossible! It was just…the two of them, together like that? Really, she doubted she was his type anyway!

Not to mention, she was still very much in love with a certain someone by the name of Kurosaki Ichigo. It was difficult to imagine herself with anyone else, not to say that she thought her and Ichigo ever had a chance; she knew it’d never happen…But pledging to love someone with all of one’s heart for five entire lifetimes was not something so easily thrown away.

Chad’s unordinary sleeping position had caused the male to awaken multiple times in the night.  His head ached each time reality crept through his odd dreams.  The chair he was in would have been perfect for any person of normal height and build, but after his exhaustion had worn off, the full discomfort came.  The simple furniture was just that, simple.  The cushion had been slowly worn down by other visitors, the sides where one could rest their arms did not expand out enough for his build and the top of the item stopped just below his neck.

A mattress was exactly what he needed at the moment.  Unfortunately, the only one in the room was taken by Orihime.  Having arrived to the room during the night, devoid of all light for her comfort, and exhausted, he’d only glimpsed the room for a moment before shutting out the brightness from the hallway.  After waking up multiple times throughout the night, Sado had noticed there was a short, two person couch in the room as well, but that was not worth the effort to move and reposition himself.  Instead, Chad had simply tried to force his body back to sleep.

The new feminine voice which had entered the room found Orihime awake and seemed pleased.  Apparently, neither girl noticed his hair covered eyes had indeed opened.  Then again, that may have been due to the fact he remained as motionless as a statue caused by the aches in his own body.  After walking for miles carrying the petite teen, his legs felt weak while his arms felt limp from the extra weight pressing against injured forearms.   Even his chest, due to just waking up and still being slightly drowsy, rose up and down slowly.  Luckily, the bleeding of his had stopped on the way to the hospital and now only two scabbed over cuts remained.

“Your boyfriend is so cute. I still can’t believe he stayed all night the way he did. He’s a real catch - you better keep hold of him tight, you hear?”

” - EH?! M-M-My boyfriend?  W-What…what makes you think that -“

The nurse’s quick chide along with Orihime’s reaction nearly caused Chad to voice his own opinion.  Instead, the ever present pounding in his head increased as his cheeks darkened faintly.  The thought was almost amusing as their entire group knew the auburn haired girl had a sensational crush on Ichigo, excluding the man himself.  Had some of the others heard such a statement, a few jokes and laughs would have been made.  Of course, after carrying Orihime in and then staying the night, it was no surprise those on duty would assume they were together.  Those contemplations were quickly put down as his head started to throb harder.

A swift twitch on the left of his cheek was for a time the only movement his body made.  The pain grew steadily as he continued to lean backwards.  Finally, Chad inclined forward and brought a hand up to rub the front of his head.  Almost immediately afterwards, the reminder of the blood red lines brought the arm back to his side.  Orihime already had to deal with a broken leg and various scratches of her own because of him.  There was no need to worry the short female over a minor injury which should have never happened.

Getting a brief respite from the pain, Chad looked up at his close friend.  Orihime was still turned away from him with her face towards the door.  Assuming from her reaction to the nurse, it was likely that she was blushing while a light chuckle sounded on the other side of the door.  Giving the friendly teen time to recover as he himself tried to order his own thoughts, Chad let out a light sigh.  Even the little movement like that resulted in the pain stabbing back through his brain.  The bad sleeping angle and the loss of blood in his arms were definitely taking their toll.  At least he was in a hospital if it was decided medicine was needed.

“You’re pretty awake.”

While the lack of words were normal to him, the thunder rummaging between his temples made it where that’s all he could actually say.  Rather than make it known he had been awake, Chad let the incident with the nurse drop away.  Besides, more blushing was likely to harm her more anyway considering the light scratches littering her body.  Considering what Orihime had gone through, this headache was barely anything.

wovenprincess:

Chad’s voice was low and soft-spoken. Orihime tensed up, stiffening at the sound of his reassurance, and her chest felt constricted. Looking up, she was stunned to see that he was smiling. Chad was actually smiling one of those unusually rare and soft smiles that he seemed to save for special occasions. The smile flitting upon his tanned lips was small but still there, just like the momentary peace of mind Orihime was able to experience. It made the gesture all the more startling, thereafter triggering guilt to lance through her as potent as the flare of discomfort in her lower body, particularly on the right side.

“T-That makes me glad,” she replied back, a crescent of a radiant smile curving up the corners of her trembling, pink mouth. “It makes me so happy that you’re okay.”

A gasp for breath later, and Orihime forced herself to remain still. Shifting to press her forehead back against the hard wall of Chad’s chest, she breathed through the pain, small, glimmering tears continuing to trickle down her cheeks with the effort. One minute stretched into the next, the discomfort in her broken leg growing into a bone deep ache, the fire flickering at her nerves and beneath the bruised flesh of Orihime’s limbs, numbing and piercing with each shallow inhale and exhale. Thankfully, due to Chad’s slow pace alongside his firm yet gentle grip on her, she remained stationary in his arms, as he took each silent step forward, one after the other. For awhile she just lay there, selfishly relishing being in the cradle of his arms, which was both strong and steady.

But then the guilt became too much.

“Sorry,” she whispered forlornly, long, thick bangs of hair hiding her face as she kept it pressed to his chest. Orihime’s small, fairy-like frame of a body trembled from the pain and continued exertion to remain still so as to not burden him anymore than she already was, and she made no effort to complain. Silvery streaks traced down porcelain cheeks to cut paths through smudges of blood and specks of dirt. Normally pale, pink lips were instead a raw, red tinge from being bitten so hard in order to keep herself from making anymore pathetic little noises of pain.

She apologized again, “Sorry…I-I was careless…”

With those choice words, she allowed her eyelids to drift shut again at long last; it was not a difficult task, seeing as how her eyes were so very tired, pained even. Weakness permeated her form, likely a contributing factor to her grogginess. Meanwhile, the pure, inky darkness worked to intensify her other senses, and she did not fight its enticing pull. The warmth that emanated from his being coincided in a dizzying combination with his heartbeat, his reassuring heartbeat that proved once and for all that Chad was safe and sound, and he was alive.

Orihime had just fully relaxed into his iron-clad hold, feeling the brush of his chest, listening to the resilient beat that was not her own, and begun slipping back into the relief of oblivion, when Chad’s deep, resonating voice spoke up.

“We should be to the hospital soon.  You should rest more until we arrive.”

A sickly mixture of guilt and alarm erupted in her chest, jolting her awake for another brief instance. Orihime caught onto the meanings of his words, but remained quiet beneath her tired-looking visage, eyelashes fluttering delicately. And past the surface, deep inside her, churning waves of clashing emotion crashed against her heart, a storm raging within the confines of her mind. Orihime allowed those same waves to envelope her. Sado-kun, I really am sorry.

Disappointment in herself was eating away at her, and the only thing she could think over and over on an endless loop was that here she was being carried by a precious nakama yet again - serving as nothing more than a heavy burden and weighing Chad’s arms down.

“T-That makes me glad.  It makes me so happy that you’re okay.”

A feeling of shame washed over Chad as Orihime spoke.  Their situation should have been reversed.  Chad should have been the one with a broken leg and bruised body, not this fragile girl held in his arms.  Even if the Hollow had nearly killed him, it would have been alright.  Her powers allowed for such circumstances, and sure, it would have hurt, but the situation they were in now hurt the large teenager more than any of his previous pains.  Were it Sado to receive the broken leg, Orihime could have simply healed him.  Now, in her weakened and bettered state, she could barely sustain consciousness.

“Sorry.”

That was the word he should have been saying to her.  She was in this predicament because he had acted arrogantly, and yet it was her that was apologizing.  Before he could respond, the dampness in his shirt increased against his skin.  She was crying, but holding in any noise by biting her lip and turning it red.  Once again, she was hurting herself and it was due to his inaction.  The apology directly afterword made the bronze haired boy more sullen inside.  It was not her who had been careless.  He had forgotten the lessons of his grandfather and had come to nearly enjoy the fight even while being beaten himself.  Instead of getting the battle over quickly and saving his friend, he had let it be drawn out and nearly led to her death.

Catching the brief glance upward after he spoke, the emotions burning through her were obvious.  Even for those short few seconds before she dropped back into unconsciousness, he could see the sadness inside of her and the guilt she had felt towards herself.  Knowing so only solidified his resolve to stay near her.  Months ago, he had allowed for her to vanish after telling a lie.  In doing so, she had been attacked by a deadly Hollow, and maybe many others in the past few weeks.  Having found her once more, Chad assured himself that he would protect Orihime once again and without failure from now on.

With her lapse into a deep sleep again, Sado looked up the street.  It would only be another mile or two before reaching the hospital.  Night time was nearly upon the brightly lit city.  In the short time before the night owls came out and the day birds returned home, few were on the street.   Shops were being set up for late night couples or party goers and dew paid the large male attention.  Unlike before, with the elderly couple, younger adults walked by with a slight grin and chatter until passing right by the two.  Luckily, too many were intimidated of Chad to try asking what had happened and instead let him walk by.

In reaching the hospital, the mix-blooded individual walked through the automatic doors and only made it a few steps before an older female came up to him and told him to follow.  Luckily, it seemed to be a slow night for the medical facility and almost right after arriving and setting the girl on a stretcher, a doctor arrived.  Without asking who Chad was of what had happened to Orihime, the grey haired physician ordered a younger girl to stop the youth at a pair of doors.

For a moment, he was about to continue through regardless, until he saw the slight glimpse of fear in her eyes.  Of course she would be scared of him.  A non-Japanese man bringing in a fairly injured girl with a bruise on his own face would seem suspicious to any person who may subconsciously harbor racist beliefs.  Seeing the fright in her eyes, Sado looked at the door which his friend had passed through and then turned around to head back to the waiting area.  It was only when that same girl came up to him an hour later to say he could visit Orihime but to let her rest did the bushy haired teen move once more.

Coming into the darkened room, Chad saw the auburn haired friend lying on the bed with her leg slightly hitched up to support a cast holding the mending bone in one place.  Liquid flowed from a bag held upwards to drain while a machine monitored multiple body signals.  The dirt and blood had been cleaned off her usually joyous face and now she seemed completely at peace.  Letting a quick sigh out as the ordeal had been mostly put to rest, Sado walked over to a cushioned chair and at backwards.  There the energy he had used during the fight and having walked so far while holding an extra weight finally caught up with him in a quick wave of exhaustion.  Tiredness washed over his body as he let the back of his head rest against the wall and his eyes fluttered closed.  It would only be a few minutes of rest…

wovenprincess:

Orihime felt so very warm. Not only that, but she felt a soft vibration against the shell of her ear, the strong and steady staccato of a heart beating. At least, she thought she did. Orihime could not be certain if it was genuine warmth that was surrounding her on all sides or an inducement of a dreamland she was cocooned in.

There were memories of gentile laughter and shared smiles, deep, brown eyes, strong, muscled arms…Asian printed flowers. They contrasted sharply with everything else and Orihime clung to them desperately, knowing in some distant part of her mind and heart that they were the only things she could possibly trust, the only things that were tangible and real.

The warmth the auburn-haired girl conceivably sought was insubstantial and fleeting because the growing chill was on the inside, and she didn’t know how to ward it off. It was the bone-deep, hollowness that kept dragging Orihime back down, pulling her underneath the cresting waves of endless darkness, down, down into the abyss. Orihime struggled to swim against its powerful current, and she fought with a ferocity that would startle all who knew her. It was all she knew and Orihime strained mightily to make it to the surface, to reach beyond consciousnesses and emerge; her bleary, honey-colored eyes flickered open, lashes fluttering weakly against the swells of her cheeks.

Orihime felt groggy, sore, and as soon as she was more fully awake, she was aware of just how much everything hurt.

Every now and then, a feminine whimper or a soft moan of pain would escape Orihime’s lips. But her intense desire to look into those brown eyes again, to check the pulse beating beneath the tanned skin, to hear that deep, soothing voice ring like crystal bells across river water, that all drove her to continuously fight.

Orihime wanted so very much to stay awake and keep her eyes open, but she kept slipping in and out, falling beneath the ceaseless, dark waves helplessly. Despairingly, she wondered if there was even a broken body to mend with her healing powers, and she was not simply hallucinating the entire thing. Yet, as time passed, Orihime slowly regained control over her battered limbs. Slim, small pale fingers formed into fists, scrunching up the soft fabric of a shirt. Eager to press closer against the inviting heat, Orihime curled as closely against it as she could, until her injured leg objected, causing drops of moisture to spring and dot her eyelashes, and a yelp of pain to escape. Trapped, Orihime was utterly trapped, unwillingly held captive, a prisoner stuck between the realms of consciousness and slumber.

She was adept at placing scents, particularly Kurosaki-kun’s. To her relief, beneath the mixture of soaps, she smelled woodsy aromas like cedarwood, sandalwood, and traditional, spicy foods of Mexican origin, bringing to mind brown, bushy hair, sun-kissed flesh, and darker almond eyes…eyes which Orihime could make out from beneath brown, bushy hair now that her own eyes were opened fully. Sado-kun. Security and hope surged inside of her, and Orihime breathed deeply, shakily, pressing her face closer against his chest. The gentle, calloused touch cradling her now, touching her in a way no one else ever had minus her own brother, was placating.

For what felt like an endless stretch of time, Orihime contented herself to lay there, quiet, silent, relishing in Chad’s powerful arms as they encased her and his sure but strong heartbeat. Then images undulated Orihime’s mind: howling winds, roaring cries, yellow lights, fists pummeling and unbridled despair.

“S-Sado-kun…” she murmured, pain etching her voice, but determination pressing her on. Orihime had to know. She had to be sure. She licked her lips, although they were starting to waver slightly. “Are you…o-okay?”

The first time Orihime let out a whimper was when Chad had just started down a regular street.  The stares he had been receiving as he walked were not unexpected.  A man carrying a beaten girl down the street was easily an unusual sight.  The second moan of pain was directly next to an elderly couple who gave glares of disgust.  Each time, these tiny noises were made, Chad delved deeper into himself and what he could have done better.  She had been hurt because of his foolishness.  Instead of reuniting with an over-hyper old friend, he was carrying said comrade do a hospital.

Never had the teenager expected a situation like this.  Always, he expected to happen across the petite female randomly or once she decided to seek out old associates.  He figured a call from Ichigo or Ishida about the return of the auburn haired teen would lead him back to the old town.  Instead, it was him who had found the girl first and it just so happened he was the worst of all three to do so.  Ishida would have dealt with the problem quickly while Ichigo would have destroyed the creature in one slash with his shinigami powers.  It took him five attacks before the Hollow had been put down.  Even with all the training he had done during the summer, his goal to protect others was failing.

The sudden movement in his arms caused the dark-skinned male to look down and see Orihime looking back up with moist eyes.  A movement from her injured leg and the yelp of pain alerted him more to the wet droplets staining his ruffled up shirt.  Each time the girl grabbed at him, it found a new piece of fabric.  Of course, that is also due to the fact that some strips would tear straight off if grabbed hard enough.  The cloth really was truly ruined.  Luckily, his friend wasn’t.

The moment the girl would grapple for more closeness, he would pull his arms tighter together by just a little to help her out.  The warmth of her tiny body combined with his and he could smell the sweetness of desserts and pastries wafting off her once the blood from her scratches had died out.  The scent reminded him of times they spent in her apartment or when the girl would bring food to Ichigo’s apartment once the group gathered there.  It was a rare day to see the female without a sweet near her.  Walking absentmindedly, the boy reminisced on old times until a local punk walked by a snickered.  A glare from beneath his eyes and the aura or impending doom quickly shut the man up.

“S-Sado-kun…Are you…o-okay?”

The words brought him back to the girl and back to his guilt.  Even when beaten to a pulp, his friend would always make sure another was okay.  She always did have the trait of caring more about others than herself, sometimes even when it was an enemy.  Sometimes, that attitude caused her problems, but it was one thing all her friends liked about her.  No matter what problems someone was having, Orihime would be there for them and the niceness she could give off was inspiring.

“Of course.”

The simple statement was almost a trademark of his.  Rarely would he speak more than a few words and at the same time, his face would be almost blank.  This time, a small smile was offered down at his friend.  His arms still ached slightly from where the beast’s blades had struck him, but compared to the crippled girl held against his torso, the injuries were nothing.  He had suffered worse and the scars would be more numerous had there not been a spiritual healer around at times.  The wounds would heal over time unless Inoue managed to notice them at some random time.  Regardless, for now he wouldn’t let the girl worry and the minor pain in his forearms could be ignored.

“We should be to the hospital soon.  You should rest more until we arrive.”

wovenprincess:

Orihime felt so very warm. Not only that, but she felt a soft vibration against the shell of her ear, the strong and steady staccato of a heart beating. At least, she thought she did. Orihime could not be certain if it was genuine warmth that was surrounding her on all sides or an inducement of a dreamland she was cocooned in.

There were memories of gentile laughter and shared smiles, deep, brown eyes, strong, muscled arms…Asian printed flowers. They contrasted sharply with everything else and Orihime clung to them desperately, knowing in some distant part of her mind and heart that they were the only things she could possibly trust, the only things that were tangible and real.

The warmth the auburn-haired girl conceivably sought was insubstantial and fleeting because the growing chill was on the inside, and she didn’t know how to ward it off. It was the bone-deep, hollowness that kept dragging Orihime back down, pulling her underneath the cresting waves of endless darkness, down, down into the abyss. Orihime struggled to swim against its powerful current, and she fought with a ferocity that would startle all who knew her. It was all she knew and Orihime strained mightily to make it to the surface, to reach beyond consciousnesses and emerge; her bleary, honey-colored eyes flickered open, lashes fluttering weakly against the swells of her cheeks.

Orihime felt groggy, sore, and as soon as she was more fully awake, she was aware of just how much everything hurt.

Every now and then, a feminine whimper or a soft moan of pain would escape Orihime’s lips. But her intense desire to look into those brown eyes again, to check the pulse beating beneath the tanned skin, to hear that deep, soothing voice ring like crystal bells across river water, that all drove her to continuously fight.

Orihime wanted so very much to stay awake and keep her eyes open, but she kept slipping in and out, falling beneath the ceaseless, dark waves helplessly. Despairingly, she wondered if there was even a broken body to mend with her healing powers, and she was not simply hallucinating the entire thing. Yet, as time passed, Orihime slowly regained control over her battered limbs. Slim, small pale fingers formed into fists, scrunching up the soft fabric of a shirt. Eager to press closer against the inviting heat, Orihime curled as closely against it as she could, until her injured leg objected, causing drops of moisture to spring and dot her eyelashes, and a yelp of pain to escape. Trapped, Orihime was utterly trapped, unwillingly held captive, a prisoner stuck between the realms of consciousness and slumber.

She was adept at placing scents, particularly Kurosaki-kun’s. To her relief, beneath the mixture of soaps, she smelled woodsy aromas like cedarwood, sandalwood, and traditional, spicy foods of Mexican origin, bringing to mind brown, bushy hair, sun-kissed flesh, and darker almond eyes…eyes which Orihime could make out from beneath brown, bushy hair now that her own eyes were opened fully. Sado-kun. Security and hope surged inside of her, and Orihime breathed deeply, shakily, pressing her face closer against his chest. The gentle, calloused touch cradling her now, touching her in a way no one else ever had minus her own brother, was placating.

For what felt like an endless stretch of time, Orihime contented herself to lay there, quiet, silent, relishing in Chad’s powerful arms as they encased her and his sure but strong heartbeat. Then images undulated Orihime’s mind: howling winds, roaring cries, yellow lights, fists pummeling and unbridled despair.

“S-Sado-kun…” she murmured, pain etching her voice, but determination pressing her on. Orihime had to know. She had to be sure. She licked her lips, although they were starting to waver slightly. “Are you…o-okay?”

The first time Orihime let out a whimper was when Chad had just started down a regular street.  The stares he had been receiving as he walked were not unexpected.  A man carrying a beaten girl down the street was easily an unusual sight.  The second moan of pain was directly next to an elderly couple who gave glares of disgust.  Each time, these tiny noises were made, Chad delved deeper into himself and what he could have done better.  She had been hurt because of his foolishness.  Instead of reuniting with an over-hyper old friend, he was carrying said comrade to a hospital.

Never had the teenager expected a situation like this.  Always, he expected to happen across the petite female randomly or once she decided to seek out old associates.  He figured a call from Ichigo or Ishida about the return of the auburn haired teen would lead him back to the old town.  Instead, it was him who had found the girl first and it just so happened he was the worst of all three to do so.  Ishida would have dealt with the problem quickly while Ichigo would have destroyed the creature in one slash with his shinigami powers.  It took him five attacks before the Hollow had been put down.  Even with all the training he had done during the summer, his goal to protect others was failing.

The sudden movement in his arms caused the dark-skinned male to look down and see Orihime looking back up with moist eyes.  A movement from her injured leg and the yelp of pain alerted him more to the wet droplets staining his ruffled up shirt.  Each time the girl grabbed at him, it found a new piece of fabric.  Of course, that is also due to the fact that some strips would tear straight off if grabbed hard enough.  The cloth really was truly ruined.  Luckily, his friend wasn’t.

The moment the girl would grapple for more closeness, he would pull his arms tighter together by just a little to help her out.  The warmth of her tiny body combined with his and he could smell the sweetness of desserts and pastries wafting off her once the blood from her scratches had died out.  The scent reminded him of times they spent in her apartment or when the girl would bring food to Ichigo’s apartment once the group gathered there.  It was a rare day to see the female without a sweet near her.  Walking absentmindedly, the boy reminisced on old times until a local punk walked by a snickered.  A glare from beneath his eyes and the aura of impending doom quickly shut the man up.

“S-Sado-kun…Are you…o-okay?”

The words brought him back to the girl and back to his guilt.  Even when beaten to a pulp, his friend would always make sure another was okay.  She always did have the trait of caring more about others than herself, sometimes even when it was an enemy.  Sometimes, that attitude caused her problems, but it was one thing all her friends liked about her.  No matter what problems someone was having, Orihime would be there for them and the niceness she could give off was inspiring.

“Of course.”

The simple statement was almost a trademark of his.  Rarely would he speak more than a few words and at the same time, his face would be almost blank.  This time, a small smile was offered down at his friend.  His arms still ached slightly from where the beast’s blades had struck him, but compared to the crippled girl held against his torso, the injuries were nothing.  He had suffered worse and the scars would be more numerous had there not been a spiritual healer around at times.  The wounds would heal over time unless Inoue managed to notice them at some random time.  Regardless, for now he wouldn’t let the girl worry and the minor pain in his forearms could be ignored.

“We should be to the hospital soon.  You should rest more until we arrive.”

wovenprincess:

The feeling of accomplishment promptly faded to a dull throb in her chest as she watched Chad get thrown like a lifeless rag doll into a wooden bench. A helpless, useless cry escaped Orihime as she was forced to watch him crumple to the ground, panic riddling her voice; “SADO-KUN!”

And then, moments later, she had no spare time to show concern for her fallen comrade as the Numero charged at her with his shield. Inwardly, she shook her head, a deep frown forming on her face as she tried to focus all of her fighting intent into the very pores of her body. Her source of resolve was derived by the smiling and laughing and scowling faces and precious, priceless memories that bubbled to the surface of her mind; that of Tatsuki-chan, Kuchiki-san, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, all of her high school friends, Rangiku-san, Abarai-san, Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, and Kurosaki-kun.

A deep frown creased her forehead as her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt. Then, a burst of menacing spiritual pressure erupted in the air. Orihime’s once narrowed eyes that shone as hard as diamonds flew open in shock, her balance thrown askew, as she lifted her head upwards to see that the metal skeleton of the building, the support beams she was standing underneath, topple down like a delicate house of cards. Orihime issued forth the necessary incantation to summon her fairies once more; seconds later, her protective, triangular shield formed. It rose in a half dome above her, sheltering her from the falling debris that would have surely crushed her had she been an instant too slow.

However, with the Hollow charging and her defense already being used as a protection for her entire body, there was no way to escape this situation unscathed. Waiting for what she thought was the last possible moment, the auburn-haired girl jumped to her left to dodge his incoming blow aimed at her. Unfortunately, the creature pushed his normally defensive weapon outwards catching her off guard in mid-air. The result was a loud cracking sound in her right leg while her small body spun wildly with the force of his momentum.

It was a mistake. It was a stupid, careless, thoughtless error. As she’d found herself falling through the air, her strained outcries echoed like a dying bell, every inch and every foot. Orihime saw random flashes of polychrome and metallic hues, though other than that she was just a falling, auburn-haired girl. But if Chad had resembled a lifeless rag doll as he struck the ground then Orihime was akin to a fragile, porcelain doll as she weightily landed before tumbling away a decent distance; her body only stopped when her back hit a leftover beam that was miraculously still standing in place.

Scraped, cut, bruised, broken, shocked, all Orihime could do was remain where she was on the ground, head dropping to the top of her buxom chest, staring down at her lap.

“…S-S-Sado-kun,” she mumbled numbly. For some reason, her fingers were trembling violently. She clenched and unclenched them sporadically; realization hit her like a train wreck, jarring her into a state of acute awareness. Unmindful of her own safety and only caring about her friend’s, Orihime tried to struggle to her feet. A flicker of agony swiftly flashed across her face as a result of such hasty actions. Her body, her legs could not stop trembling, particularly her right. Weakly, Orihime tried again to go upright again but in two to three heartbeats she let out a sharp, high-pitched scream of pain, lost balance - only to fall disgracefully to her already bloodied hands and knees. She shook harder, breathless, gasping for gulps of soiled air.

I - I have to…

I have to see…

I have to see with my own eyes…

That Sado-kun is okay.

The already darkening sky dimmed to a deeper shade of violet as Orihime fought to raise her head. Then, she fell into the black - the black of eternal night, the ebony-black of unconsciousness.

The bronze haired teen felt his body slam into the wooden sitting area before a shower of splinters covered his body.  A bruise had already begun to form on his left cheek while small cuts lightly bled against his now scrapped shirt.  It had been awhile for the gargantuan male to feel any real pain and these past few minutes were reminding him of older fights.  Unlike what he had thought earlier, Chad had not given it his all and was now sprawled against jagged wooden planks.  Not only that, but after the small pile of dust cleared, he saw the events unfold with Orihime.

The girl was knocked with so much force, he could hear the bone cracking and her body being thrown like a leaf in a tornado.  The thumping sound of the petite female nearly bouncing off the support beam only churned his inner guilt and outer anger.  Had he released his full force, this fight would be over.  Now, one of his best friends who he hadn’t seen in months had been furiously pummeled and seriously injured.  What an arrogant fool he had been to not use his left arm.  His powers had arisen from his desire to protect, and now his cockiness nearly cost him a life.  The same mistake would not be made twice.

Rising from the destroyed bench, the fighter locked his gaze on the deadly knight.  Power flared around his left arm before a white liquid quickly spread from his shoulder down to his hands.  A single spike protruded from the shoulder while two pointed lines traveled inwards to where his hear sat.  From the tip of the spike was a solitary red line while traveled down, around the projection and down just past his wrist.  The deadly arm was then finished with little tips at the end of each finger.  Clenching his fist once, Sado charged towards the Hollow with his arm bent back.

The demon in turn swiveled towards what it had thought a dead enemy.  With sword in hand upside down as it was headed to destroy the girl’s legs, the beast barely had time to raise its shield up.  Unfortunately for the creature, the streak of luck it had earlier seemed to disappear.  The defensive slab which had only been broken earlier was shattered by the white fist as well as the forearm, releasing a wave of black energy from inside the armor shell.  A scream of forgotten pain returned to the Numero’s mind as it felt the loss of the arm.

Hoping to strike quickly and rid the world of this nuisance, the Hollow brought the sword upwards in a slash.  Once again, the long blade was blocked by Chad’s right arm, but without the boy nearly losing his arm in the process.  Not allowing it another chance to regain its balance, Sado threw another quick left handed punch against the exposed dark shadow.  This time, true tormented pain reverberated in the air as the beast felt the teen’s power connect with its own essence.  Dropping down to its knees in pain, the Arrancar looked up at its enemy in endless hatred.  The brown-eyed fighter stared back with feelings far too similar.

The final attack resulted with the deadly white arm pulled back once more.  This time, small, light blue disks formed at each individual fingertip.  With the arm charged up, the teen clenched his fist and looked down at the nearly dead demon.  “La Muerte.”  The words of power were released just as Chad slammed his fist downward at the beast’s knight helm.  Like a newly forged sword gliding through warmed butter, the fist broke through the armor and essence until reaching the ground.  There, the form of a four horned demon skull cracked its way along the ground.  Whoever arrived there in the next few minutes may soon become a believer in the devil.

Completely ignoring the irregular shape in the ground, Sado ran over to the injured girl.  Seeing the unconscious female, he dropped down to one knee and pressed a now normal hand against her neck.  The heartbeat had slowed, but luckily, Orihime hadn’t seemed to suffer anything that would do lasting damage besides her leg.  Controlling the guilt inside him after his rage had been released, the boy gently picked up his longtime friend while being extremely cautious of her leg.  Upon hearing her shallow breathing and the sound of sirens heading their way, the male pulled the Inoue close and took off running before jumping lightly over the fence. 

Once far enough away from the now demolished construction site, Yasutora slowed to a walk in order to not jostle the girl too much.  Regret and annoyance at his own ignorance of the city added the emotions he already felt.  The only hospital he knew of in the city was close to Astraea High School near the center of the city while he himself was at the edge.  It would take time to reach the medical facility and it was now the male wished he hadn’t allowed the girl to vanish from Karakura without someone to protect her.

wovenprincess:

What…?

This reiatsu, this scent, she thought, they were both oh-so familiar. It was akin to a zephyr drifting through pine needles, cedarwood, and authentic rich, spicy Mexican foods like rice and burritos - purely and uniquely all his. There was no way it could possibly belong to anyone else, and yet, how could it be?

“Sado-kun,” she whispered the name softly, nearly catching her breath as she laid eyes upon her old friend. Her mouth fell open, slightly parted. She could only stand there, utterly mystified at this unexpected turn of events. It was him, in the flesh. Her mountain of a friend stood proud and tall with the fence behind him, garbed in his typical trademark floral shirt and black slacks, fringe of thick, brown curls falling into his eyes as he remained motionless, as if it were just the two of them back then on that one day, standing face to face on the rooftop. But it wasn’t, they weren’t standing on the rooftop, the sinister chuckles of the hollow did well to remind Orihime that too. A scream then tumbled past her lips, full of horror, not for herself, but for her beloved nakama.

“It looks like someone has come to save you.  Too bad he will be dead soon.”

“Sado-kun!”

Another beaming blast, a deadly Cero came and hit - only to be blocked by a large, armored fist. Small, trembling white fingers covered her mouth as she watched the scene unfold; he’d been pushed back, feet forced to dig into the ground to hold his own, but he was safe. Orihime shut her eyes out of relief, thankful that Chad was okay, even though she’d never envisioned seeing him again and thought something like this happening was not even possible. Questions streamed in a frantic flurry through her head. What was Chad doing here? Why was he present now, when it wasn’t safe for him to be? What good had Orihime leaving Karakura Town been if she couldn’t even keep the ones she loved out of danger?

She watched the Hollow get taken off-guard and thrown into a massive mound of dirt. The force of the exchanged blows nearly sent her tumbling; thin legs wobbled a bit as Orihime struggled to find purchase, long tresses swirling behind her in honeyed streams as the wind howled past and traces of dirt speckled against her skin. She looked to Chad, probing his body for any sign of injury carefully, taking a single step in his direction, as if poised on a precipice of no return.

Orihime was just about to break out into a run towards him, when a deafening roar of dark rage pierced the air then, freezing her in place.

The ground split, earth jutting upwards from the force of the Numero’s anger. Slowly, she looked up, eyes growing in her pale face as she felt its approaching dense, evil aura wrapping around her, the weight of its blood-red irises zeroing in on her thin frame. She shook. Fear crippled her lungs. Those ruby red eyes…it was like staring into the face of everything she feared most. For a brief yet infinite instance, Orihime was transported back to the sickly white world of Hueco Mundo, amidst the dunes of dark sand and sprays of crimson.

A shadow fell over her, and Orihime could feel nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred radiating from the Hollow’s being as it charged at her, sword poised to strike and maim her.

I - I …

What was wrong with her? She’d faced countless monsters and seen demonic apparitions, ghostly limbs and sharp, gnashing teeth, felt tendrils of choking reiatsu and claws swipe at her. Orihime had been physically battered by jealous and psychotic Arrancars, forced to watch her friends bleed and fight for her sake, saw a friend transform into a monster before her very eyes; this Numero, while strong in its own right, was nothing compared to everything else she’d faced in her past and worked to overcome. And, Orihime was not powerless, no, she was not. There remained immeasurable, untapped power waiting to be released just within the pins of her hair, the same blue hairpins her onii-chan gave her as a gift.

It was this precious gift that afforded her the ability to stand up and refuse to be beaten down.

There was a thick swallow, a flurry of quick movement, and then she was calling forth her fairies. From behind the yellow light of her triangular shield, which spun fast and abruptly shot up, Orihime glared, and called out harshly, “No! Anyone who dares to harm my friends cannot be forgiven! Shiten Koshun!”

Her right hand flicked upwards to direct Tsubaki to attack. The small but power-packed sprite flew in an arc of gold from the center of her shield. Then, it was like little firecrackers, a succession of them, all going off. They crackled and popped and pushed the hulking Numero away from Orihime, taking with it a large chunk out of its bone-armor. A wave of accomplishment filled her up to the brim, inspiring a sparkle to shine in her bright eyes, an upward curve to pull up her mouth. She’d done it. She’d proved she could do this. Orihime was not nearly finished with dealing with this Hollow, but refusing to back down and holding her head high in the face of its righteous bitterness made her smile slightly.

Courage fortified Orihime, encouraging her to speak up again in a raised voice, “If you know who I am, then you know I won’t come with you!”

The massive fighter stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Orihime lash out with her own counterattack.  Never before had he seen the petite female use such a technique.  Typically, the auburn haired girl would be held protectively behind one of the original group or by a barrier she made using her fairies.  Her single attack that was used would be Tsubaki, but due to the lack of killing intent, he was rarely used to full potential.  In one case, her lack of anger had the tiny creature destroyed before she had found a way to revive it.  Now, it seemed she was capable of holding her own.

“Damn humans.”

The angry, but apparently now calmed voice came from a small cloud of dust concealing their enemy.  With the smoke clearing, the full extent of the healer’s damage could be seen.  On the right side of the demon’s body, the shoulder piece and armor on its upper arm had been completely destroyed.  Along with those two items, part of the right breast plate had also turned to pieces.  Pure darkness swirled underneath making it seem like the protective covering was all that contained the beast.  There was no demonic blood or shady skin to be cut, but simply a very hard shell.  It would seem that those two ruby eyes were the only color difference underneath the shell.

“Fine, if you want to make this difficult, I’ll let you watch your friend die in agony first.”

With a swift jab of his sword, a Cimmerian spear jolted through the air towards the mix-blooded youth.  In normal fashion, Chad raised his right arm up to block the devilish attack, but was more than surprised when no energy pummeled against his defense.  Instead, the dimly lit attack disappeared almost three feet ahead of him only to reappear vastly different than a straight object.  Unknowingly, the once single point had nearly split in two.  Connected near the middle, the two spears began to curve inwards just as it hit Sado.  Rather than slam against him, the attack curved around his defense and cut against his upper arms.  Luckily, the shield had blocked some and allowed him to evade both arms being cut to the bone.

The blow came as a shock to the male.  Lately, he had been fighting just regular hollows who knew only mindless violence.  They may have had some special trick, but rarely did it turn out useful or used effectively.  Almost all the fights before he came to Astraea had been simple one hit shots leaving the creature vaporized.  Now, here stood an enemy who had been unfazed by his first attack and managed to almost destroy the use of both his arms in a single attack.  Had he gotten too cocky and arrogant after returning from Hueco Mundo and becoming stronger than Ichigo?  He would not take this creature as lightly as with his first attack.

 Giving the Hollow no time to realize its attack had been unsuccessful, Chad bolted forward.  Like before, his arm glowed a brilliant blue with flames rising at the shoulder.  Unlikely earlier though, the attack would be direct instead of from afar.  The moment he reached the Hollow, he punched forward sending a blast of energy at the same time.  Unluckily, the demon had prepared itself and brought that gargantuan shield up for a defense.  The attack landed, but only dented the protective slab, stunning the teenager once more.

With his enemy surprised, the knight brought its right hand around and punched the fighter sending him sprawling away into a wooden bench.  With one victim down, the demon looked hungrily at Orihime.  Knowing that his trick wouldn’t work again and her fairy shield would be an incredible hassle, a new attack was decided upon.  With laughter of incredible evil, the Hollow raised its right hand up and fired off a series of deadly spear attacks.  Many missed their mark, but plenty connected until the site itself began to fall apart.  Finally, the creature charged forward again, this time his shield out front intending to be used offensively.

wovenprincess:

Orihime hummed under her breath, smiling to herself. The weather had become warmer as May became closer. Wind rustled through her long hair, cool and crisp. Everything felt normally in place. No dark clouds in sight. The sky was as clear as a calm sea, and puffy, white clouds, the types that could be seen in olden time fairy tale illustrations and life-like landscape drawings – were high in the sky.

What made Orihime’s mood brighter, however, was the fact that she was on her way to the convenience store that not only carried all the basics for making a cheap, affordable meal, but carried her most favorite brand of red bean paste. It was a bit of a ways to walk considering how distant it was from her dorm, but Orihime didn’t mind; besides, getting out of her dorm and exercising her legs while also inhaling some fresh air was the perfect thing for her. Really, what could possibly go wrong on a magnificent day like this?

And of course, that was the wrong question to ask. Just as she crossed the street into the grocery store’s parking lot, Orihime came to a halt, honeyed orbs rounded in her face. Her stomach gave a sickening twist as realization hit.

She sensed its presence – its potent, oppressive aura - long before she laid eyes upon it. Standing absolutely still, Orihime turned her head, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw it: an enormous Numero. There was a brief moment of pure white horror that overwhelmed her as she saw and felt just how threatening it was. Lashes fluttered and her pulse picked up. As she raised one hand to press it against her chest, she could feel it just about ready to jump out of her chest.

All Orihime could think was, I thought it was over.

Standing over six feet tall, it was a mockery of a gallant white night from the stories her onii-chan used to read Orihime before tucking her into bed every night. Donning a knight’s helm, an intricately detailed, white set of armor, alongside the remains of his hollow mask, the hollow was obviously well protected while also capable of dealing out considerable damage. It wielded not only a gigantic shield that rested on its left limb, but a long, sharp blade that gleamed underneath the sun, and was being held aloft effortlessly in the air in its right. The memories that haunted Orihime so much, the torture she endured through whilst a captive in Las Noches, came flooding back full force as she appraised this creature who’d risen from the depths of Hueco Mundo.

And like a magnet, she could not resist turning on her heel and taking a step forward.

Her school shoes did not make a sound as she turned.

Red eyes, the color of freshly spilled blood, pierced into her.  Seeing the hollow already looking for prey, Orihime brought her left hand up to the flower petal hairpin sitting in her auburn locks; “Tsubaki - get his attention and then return.” Giving the tiny fairy no chance to argue for an all-out attack, the girl yelled, “Koten Zanshun!” Flicking her arm forward, the small creature flew straight at the beast before zigging around its head multiple times. Finally, after letting loose a bang by splitting the air in two for a small explosion, the sprite returned to Orihime.

She’d already started running.

I have to draw it away from people. I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt.

In minutes, Orihime was out of the parking lot, had turned and bolted down a street and in the distance she could make out a looming construction site up ahead. She felt the hollow closing in on her. She was breathless, not because of running. Orihime felt tendrils of menacing spiritual energy reach out to choke her, forcing the very air from her lungs. She shook her head, mind racing, heart pounding like a drum without a rhythm. This entire situation felt so surreal, like a nightmare she wanted to escape from by pinching herself awake, but couldn’t. Never before had the auburn-haired girl envisioned this happening to her.

Perhaps it’d been a silly hope, but once she’d moved out of Karakura Town, she had allowed herself to think that coming here could be not only good for the friends she was leaving behind, but herself; a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning – one where Orihime could live a peaceful life. But she was wrong.

She ran faster, pumping her legs that much harder.

A crease formed between her brows as she panted. Why wasn’t it attacking? There was no way it couldn’t catch up to her with its supernatural speed – sure, Orihime was athletic and could run pretty fast – but she’d never been able to win in a spontaneous foot race against her shinigami friends. She knew the Numero wasn’t any different. It was just following her, toying with her like a cat would a mouse.

The construction site itself was simply the outline of a new multi-story building, possibly for an apartment complex or business. Scattered around the area were benches for the workers as well as mounds of dirt that the machines would dump when digging. A fence as well as some dim lights surrounded the area intending to keep trespassers away. Only a single gate was open, but that had a small security shack directly next to it. Luckily, the guard had either decided to roam away or just not come into work.

The sound of its booming voice broke through her thoughts, yelling, “Stop running, fairy girl!”

With a burst of speed, she pushed herself past the gate.

Orihime stopped a few steps away from the shack, studying it thoughtfully. It was small and would definitely conceal her, but but she knew that would logically be the first place to look. At the feeling of its nearing presence, its oppressive aura, she whipped her head around, frantic chocolate hues searching, before ducking behind a large beam, thick enough to hide her from view. Right in time, too.

What do I do? What can I do? She internally contemplated. At this point, there weren’t many choices. She’d succeeded in fully capturing its attention and baiting it out of town where it could harm innocent people. Now, it was just Orihime and the Numero. Clearly, it was itching for a confrontation. Beyond that, she wasn’t positive what it wanted. Nonetheless, her insides churned.

As if reading her frazzled mind, it spoke up, saying, “Come out and fight.  I know who you are now and you will return with me…healer.”

Orihime’s eyes shot wide open in disbelief. She felt deathly sick. Her heart slammed against her rib cage. Her pulse went wild. Perspiration framed her delicate face like a thin coat of bittersweet frosting. No! She bit her lip, a bead of sweat rolling down at the side of her face.This wasn’t going to happen, not again. Orihime was alone, and she had none of her friends to save her, nor be used against her. The answer to her helpless thoughts earlier came to her suddenly.

What would she do? What could she do? She would stand up and fight.

Just as the Cero finished charging and was about to connect, the auburn-haired girl jumped out from her hiding place, looking openly upon her pursuer with a look of fierce determination. Raising both of her hands to either side of her head, where her hairpins clipped back her long bangs, she called out loudly, “Santen Kesshun! I repel thee!”

Seconds later a golden shield shot up, lighting up the dreary scene.

A gargantuan male arrived to the scene of the fight just as the cero was shot.  Light erupted around the entire places as energies collided.  Wind pressed against his body causing his shirt to flap rapidly and hair to be sent back showing his surprised eyes.  For a Hollow to use a cero, it was either extremely annoyed or liked using large amounts of power.  If what this creature was chasing hadn’t been the resident shinigami, it was likely they would be on their way.

The power used on the new battlefield reminded him of his time in Hueco Mundo.  The beast attacking now was easily above that of a simple Hollow.  It almost reminded him of the Privaron Espada, but had yet to achieve that level of strength.  More than likely, it was just a few steps down meaning it was in the Numeros category.  A monster in that area would be a challenge, but after his advancements in fighting Gantenbainne and training once returning home, it could be dealt with.

The true surprise came when the lights faded.  A single triangular shield had managed to block and defeat the bean of evil energy.  Behind that luminous wall stood a determined auburn haired girl.  It had been months since his last sighting of her.  Previously, they had stood at the rooftop, his massive body blocking her tearful eyes from the rest of their friends during lunch.  Back then, he had no idea the girl was even thinking of leaving Karakura and figured the lies she had been making up on that day was something far smaller than disappearing from the town they had met in.

For a while, the teen had wondered why she had left and where to.  Unlike some of the others, he understood why the petite girl never said anything about leaving.  It was likely his friends would have tried to convince her otherwise and considering her emotional nature, she may not have been capable of dealing with the tears that would be shed.  In class, the teacher had told them Orihime had left for another school, but when pressed by Tatsuki and Ichigo, their sensei simply said it had been news to her.  Sado knew that had been a lie due to their interaction the day before her vanishing, but it was purely Inoue’s decision to tell where she was going or not.

In time, her name slowly disappeared from the group’s conversations and life moved along.  Chizuru had been the most outspoken about losing her buxom victim and after enough punches from Tatsuki finally fled to find someone who wouldn’t bring her tremendous amount of pain.  The martial artist herself would sometime skip on the rooftop lunches to eat with other friends.  With two members gone, a third being irregular, a sullen Ichigo, and an ever school skipping Ishida, the group all but disbanded come summer time.

 For the first couple weeks, Sado continued to linger around the city.  His time was usually spent hunting Hollows with Ishida while searching for a way to restore Ichigo’s power.  While before, the giant teen had been somewhat envious of his friend’s large spiritual power, seeing him in such a depressed state was saddening.  Feeling as if the solution did not exist in Karakura, the mix-blooded male also withdrew from the city.  Unlike the girl now standing near a half destroyed support beam, he had been obtainable by cellphone.

Now, all that previous loneliness of traveling across the country melted away.  Only a short few yards away was one of his most precious friends and she was being stalked by a Hollow.  He could only wonder if it was a regular occurrence or just bad timing on her part.  Shedding some good light on the situation, it had allowed the two to meet once more and he was not going to allow the female to be taken back to Hueco Mundo again.

In a burst of energy, the experienced fighter jumped over the simple fence.  At the same time, light enveloped his arm before his dark skin radically changed.  Now placed over the skin was a hardened liquid fitting perfectly against his muscles.  At his elbow, the liquid expanded out to form a shield which could cover part of his upper arm, his entire forearm, and all the way to his wrist.  Expanding away from his arm, the defensive fluid measured close to three feet.  In the center of the red and black shield were what appeared to be demonic teeth.  While vastly smaller than the protection Orihime could cast or the metal slab sitting on the Hollow’s left arm, the defense was enough for him.

“It looks like someone has come to save you.  Too bad he will be dead soon.”

The cackling of enjoyment that followed the devilish threat showed that the Numerous knew little of who he was now dealing with.  That, of the beast was extremely over confident of his power.  Giving little thought to the odd shield sitting on Chad’s arm, a cero was quickly powered up and shot off in his direction.  Expecting the beam attack to take out the giant male, the knight demon charged forward where his prey stood.

However, events unfolded differently that the creature thought.  The cero that had been shot towards Chad was blocked almost effortlessly.  The only difference from before was that the ground beneath his feet had been pushed back a few inches after he braced himself.  Now, with the smoke gone, a blue light swiftly covered up the fighter’s right arm until it flicked away from his shoulder like a hellish flame.  Without saying a word, Sado thrust his arm forward like a punch only to have his own beam-like attack be fired off. 

Unlike him, the Hollow hadn’t been ready.  However, luck had been on the demon’s side and the attack came from its left at the time of the charge.  Instead of a direct attack, the energy blasted into the creature’s shield sending it tumbling away into a mound of dirt.  A primal roar of rage surrounded the area as the creature came to understand what had happened.  Now, the enjoyment had fled and pure hatred filled the surroundings. 

With a burst of anger, earth was sent in various directions.  Blood red eyes scanned the battlefield as the Numero looked for something to kill.  A short, female soon caught its attention and the charge was repeated.  This time, the sword was held high, black energy surrounding it as the weapon gathered energy to slash at an enemy.  Caught by surprise at the quickness of the Hollow, Chad’s arm was unable to power up fast enough and he immediately sprinted into a run hoping to catch up to the girl first.

second-toughest-punk:

The ginger punk was surprised when he entered his dorm room to find it empty. It was void of possessions, it’s beds bare and closets empty. Kuwabara guessed that if his roommate, if he had one, was late. Not that it mattered much to him.

Carrying in a box and a duffel bag, Kuwabara had brought all he thought he would need at the school. His clothes, books, music, movies, video games- just what a boy his age needed. He could have always gone back home to pick up whatever he had forgotten, though his sister wouldn’t have been happy. Shizuru would have just called him “ill-prepared.” The thought brought a small smile to his face as he set down his belongings on the bed he would claim as his. Even if his sister was a bit naggy, she was always there. Always trying to get the best for him; coming to Astraea was all her idea anyway.

Opening his duffel, Kuwabara began to transfer his clothes into the dresser closest to his bed. Was this really the right choice for him though, to be so far away from friends and family? It was a clean slate, no one knew of his punk past and no one certainly knew of his heightened spiritual awareness or regular fights with demons. Though he liked to boast about this spirit sword, and how he had trained so hard to perfect it, that too would have to be kept secret while at Astraea.

 His cloths tucked away, he only had to make his bed and put whatever spare items he had left away. He then remembered something he had promised his sister he wouldn’t break, they had even gotten into an argument over it. Looking into his the box he had brought, he found to carefully wrapped rectangles, and began to tear the the beige paper covering them. As a gift, his sister had made two frames, one contained a picture of his dear cat, Eikichi. The other was a photo he and his friends had taken after fighting in the Dark Tournament. All his closest friends stood together, his sister, Botan, Keiko, the evil midget, Kurama, Yukina; the love of his life, and of course Urameshi. Just looking at the pictures made his stomach feel hollow with small homesickness. Placing the photo frames on his night stand, he let out a sigh. He would have to man up about this, there was no other way.

Before he could reach into his duffel yet again for his sheets, he caught someone at the doorway out of the corner of his eye. His head turned only ever so slightly to see just who had intruded on him. To his surprise, this man was taller then he was, something rare to the ginger. His skin was darker then what you would find in native Japan, and Kazuma guessed he must have been mixed or something. It didn’t really matter much to him; after seeing demons with three eyes, tails, animal ears and horns, nothing really surprised you much. His hair hung in his eyes, and it was somewhat difficult to see what kind of expression he was wearing.

At first, nothing was said. It was as the two were in a struggle to see who would break the tension first. What peeved Kuwabara was how the other’s eyes lingered on his picture of Eikichi. Was he judging him just because he had a picture of his pet?

Keeping his composure and his voice cool, he finally broke the stillness. If they were going to room together, he could at least try to be nice. Till this guy pissed him off anyway. 

“Yo. Kazuma Kuwabara.” He stuck out his hand, and waited to see just what kind of man his roommate was.

A deep stillness rested upon the room as Chad stared at the kitten photo.  He hadn’t meant to let his eyes linger, but the adorable creature just seemed to sit there smiling at him.  The tiny cat was likely a very friendly and probably vocal pet and the large teen could imagine sitting around doing nothing but rubbing its fur and listening to the purr.  Thinking of having a pet made the male nearly frown and break his stoic facade.  Having a small animal tagging along with him while continually fighting Hollows would likely not end well.  Plus, most dorms and apartments he had been able to get into told him animals were not allowed.

“Yo. Kazuma Kuwabara.”

The short introduction snapped the mix-blooded teenager out of his thoughts and returned him to the dorm room.  Again, the boy hadn’t yet brought his race into question, but that was likely only a matter of time.  The quick saying of his name could either be taken as a way to get past pleasantries and straight to designating rules of the abode or just a way to be nice.  Unsure which way to take it after seeing the framed kitten, the bronze haired boy turned and faced his roommate.

“Yasutora Sado.”

Giving nothing else, the giant of a man turned back towards his boxes and pulled out two long sheets of fabric before letting them fall to the bare mattress.  Moving the rest of his stuff onto the ground, the experienced fighter quickly shook one sheet out and laid it on top of the bed before folding it under to keep it tight.  Rising up to ensure it looked nice and clean, the red and white leaf patterned satin spread fit perfectly onto the single person chaise.  The next blanket was also silk, but looked slightly heavier intended for cold night sleeps.  In complete contrast to the first item, this sheet was completely black with the outline of a tiger’s head at the very center.

As if ignoring Kuwabara, Sado picked his boxes back up and moved on towards the closet.  There, multiple button up shirts and long pants were placed inside as well as his school uniform and an extra.  His old friends had said he had no taste in clothes, but he considered what he had unique.  Plus, his fashion sense had been gathered from his grandfather and was one of the few things that could help him remember the old man by.  After placing a few more items in the storage, the male returned to his bed and nightstand.

Here, the teenager paused and looked at the bottom of one box.  A couple of books hid the primary item, but the faces and image in his head were still viewable.  A framed photo of his closest friends; Ichigo, Orihime, Keigo, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, Chizuru, and a bored looking Ishida.  Memories of the past year caused the male to drop into his own head once more.  However, the thoughts were quickly shaken out to forget those depressing emotions.  This school was a new beginning and it was likely he wouldn’t see any of those people for a while.

The final item in the box was a single gold coin attached to a silver chain. It was the only memento he had actually gotten from his Abuelo.  The small item had certainly gone through some rough times, but it always managed to stay safe against his chest.  At the same time, it would always remind him of the promise he had failed to keep, but push him towards continually grasping at it.  Clicking open the lock on part of the chain, Chad placed the item around his neck with a feeling of regularity.

Remembering he was in the presence of another, the gargantuan male turned around once more to view his fellow student.  If he was going to be staying with the other man, he may as well figure out if they were going to get in constant fights.  Once more, the covered eyes drifted towards the framed pet.  Maybe he had become too cynical about others and this man should be given some benefit of a doubt.

“Cute pet.”

The incredibly short phrase was his signature was of talking.  As was his typical emotionless.  In this case, it could turn out fairly bad.  Kuwabara not knowing much about him could take the sincere remark as sarcasm and an insult.  It would likely be some time before the two could actually talk normally.  Of course, that’s when Sado actually said more than just a few words.

astraeahighrp:

I recently got a question in the inbox that had me thinking, and I’d figured I’d ask all of you and see what you think. (I’ll also be asking my other mods once I can contact them.)

We’ve already branched and have started allowing video game characters in. I was curious about what everyone would think about opening the group to all fandoms (i.e. Disney, comics (I know The Avengers is super popular right now), movies, TV shows etc.). Of course, that wouldn’t make us an anime/manga group anymore, but—

Yeah, anyway, this is a POLL, so don’t be afraid to say if you’re not for it! I want to know your opinions!

Of course, that being said, I’m sure this type of group wouldn’t appeal to a lot of fandoms anyway BUT I’m gonna ask just cuz.

—Yuki

I gotta go with anime/manga/games as well.  There are loads of characters to use from those and I think comics/movies could overdo it a bit and mess up the feeling of the place.  Maybe allow them, but with extra requirements being set in place, aka Asian themes like Avatar or Miyazaki films.  Combining everything could work as there are places that do this already, but I like how things are now.  Just my thoughts though and if movies/comics did get allowed, I’d still continue to RP here.

-Chad-Mun

The first weekend of the school year was a relaxing one.  After the passing summer, he had forgotten about the restrictions high school placed on his time and training.  Now, homework of this prestigious academy accompanied him away from the classrooms.  Luckily, since it was simply the beginning, the reading and writing were fairly light.  He did not expect that to be the case as time went on.  Of course, he was not one to skip out on studying as could be shown from his past performances at Karakura.  Even now at Astraea, he would be sure to put his focus on learning as well as working with his prideful skin.

The sudden ripple pulled the wet-haired boy out of his bed.  Only a short few minutes ago had the teenager been inside his dorm room’s shower.  Upon getting out, a feeling of peace and cleanliness had washed over him and he had lied down of the comfortable mattress.  Now, he was wide awake pulling a pair of boxers and dark grey pants, careful not to fall in his haste.  Finally, right before leaving, the male grabbed a red button-up shirt with a floral pattern on it. 

A blast of white light visible only to spiritually aware eyes was a mere few miles away.  It would only take a few moments to reach the area with his enhanced speed.  Odd though, the blast came from a newly started construction area just outside of town.  For a hollow, attacking such a sparsely populated area was uncharacteristic.  The only reason it would be attacking there would be because it liked to play with its victim or because someone else with a high reiatsu was in the area.  Of course, Chad had never thought to search the spiritual pressure in the town assuming he and a resident shinigami would be the only ones there capable of dealing with Hollows.

——————-

“Stop running, fairy girl!”

The deadly presence of a Numero had apparently decided to travel from Hueco Mundo to the Human World in search for tastier food than that of other Hollows.  In doing so, it had found a treat worth chasing down.  The insane mind residing in the creature had some intelligent thought, but mostly strove for death, chaos, and destruction, with a light side of souls for food.  In the world of humans who had not been purified, Hollows cannibalized over their own and only the venturous ones or highly revenge minded beasts would come searching for a living dinner.  Of course, these insane demons would typically be eradicated by a residing shinigami and not be able to do too much damage.

However, the creature now standing in an empty construction site looked nothing like a beast.  Instead, he looked like a gargantuan knight from medieval times.  His body rose to a little over six feet and it seemed like the extra muscle on him made him weigh far over two-hundred pounds.  Of course, the pure white detailed armor resting against his body probably added another extra hundred or two.  The bone defense surrounding him was not his only protection.  A large five foot shield rested on his left arm and was capable of defending the entire front of his body.  The worst of all would be the four and a half foot blade being held effortlessly in his right hand.  Finally, a mask looking like that of a slitted knight’s helm rest upon his head.  Underneath, blood red eyes peered out in search of the hunt.

“Come out and fight.  I know who you are now and you will return with me…healer.”

wovenprincess:

Orihime looked at him attentively, uncertainly, the longer he stood there motionlessly like a statue. She was fully prepared to move aside and squeeze against the wall so as to let him pass, although, she knew her friend was far too considerate to let her do such a thing. Not that she would have minded, of course! Like Orihime’s beautiful, vast inner universe, pictures began to inundate through her mind. That of her and her large friend exploring a dark and mysterious cave, and the only possible way they could make it out safely to escape the impending alien invaders was to remain side by side, squeezing through the narrow spaces together and -

“I didn’t know you had allergies.”

She blinked. Then, a small smile set Orihime’s features a lit, droplets still stubbornly clinging to her long eyelashes. “O-Oh, well, you know me, Sado-kun! I’m so forgetful, I probably forgot to mention it to you. Stupid me!”

A hand rose to smack at the back of her head. Mind frantically racing for a way to illustrate her newly acquired carefree demeanor, she reverted to a customary funny facial expression of hers she wore whenever re-telling a joke from her favorite comedy Laugh Hour, puffing out her cheeks and curving her lips into a pout. “Eheh~! No need to worry,” she insisted in an upbeat tone of voice. “My body is as fit and strong as a tank!”

Her brow furrowed as she nodded to affirm her reassurance; a wrinkle formed on her forehead simultaneously as her expression awashed with thankfulness towards her friend’s concern. Naturally, he was not upfront about it, but Orihime could read it in his rigid stance. What was wrong with her? What kind of friend was she to lie to him to his face like this? But lying was the only sure fire way to ease him of any worry he may be feeling for her; at any rate, Orihime’d been hoping to have a second to compose herself after nearly erupting into tears, before emerging onto the rooftop to join her friends in their convivial chatter and laughter. Not to mention distract herself by eating the slice of pumpkin pie she’d packed!

“Um…”

Blood rushed to her cheeks in a rush of red. Their bodies were ridiculously close. Orihime stood a step away from the entrance, while Chad was positioned directly in the door frame, looming over her. With her lower vantage point, he looked even more tall, she thought with awe.

And, she realized, unless she maintained eye contact, her face was staring dead into the center of his broad chest, and if she inhaled, she was overwhelmed with his scent - a uniquely woodsy and spicy blend that was all Sado-kun. It reminded her of a clean, fresh zephor drifting through pine needles, cedarwood, and authentic rich, cheesy Mexican foods like rice and burritos. Strange how Orihime never picked up on it before considering how well she could identify Ichigo based upon his scent and reiatsu alone.

“Do you think that you could, ah - s-step aside, please?” she squeaked out, steam practically rising from her cheeks. “N-N-Not to be rude or anything like that, it’s just! I need to get through…I don’t want to keep Tatsuki-chan waiting any longer than I already have…”

The sight of the auburn haired girl drifting off into her imagination amused the taller teen.  He couldn’t fathom what she was creating in that hyperactive mind of hers when they were simply at the entrance to the roof.  Yet, no matter the situation, if the female was given any thought, she could create another world entirely with enough time.  That could easily be seen in her drawings.  Still, he could only wonder at how she had come to achieve that much imaginative creativity.

Her quick, apologetic response was just like the last one.  The lie was less noticeable, but he could feel the guilt flowing from her at having done such a thing.  Sure, the girl was forgetful, but allergies weren’t something that just popped up at randomly convenient times.  He wasn’t sure what Orihime would lie about, but to create one after another meant she didn’t want it out in the open.  For now, he could leave it be and if she decided to let it be known, that would be her choosing, not his forceful probing.

A light blush quickly formed on the short female’s face once she had realized their closeness.  Not even the observant Chad noticed that the two were standing barely a foot away from each other.  As it dawned on him about what she was blushing about, he fought his own blood’s urge to rise.  While the two of them had become close, their proximity was never more than a couple of feet and that was when around friends or walking next to each other.  Now they were standing directly apart nearly alone.  If it wasn’t for the irregular laughs coming from behind him, maybe the massive teenager actually would have blushed.  Yet, the moment wasn’t one he disliked.

“Do you think that you could, ah - s-step aside, please?”

Duh.  In his moment of stopping her at the door to act like a barrier and newfound peace at being next to the goofy friend, he had completely forgotten that she was about to eat.  Already, she had come up to their usual lunch spot late, so the girl was likely starving considering how much food her stomach sucked in.  At the same time, he noted that her originally tearful composure seemed to have fallen by the wayside to a more embarrassed one.  Causing the girl to become flustered hadn’t been his plan, but he didn’t exactly mind it.  Ichigo was typically the only one to cause that.  Now though, she seemed to have forgotten about whatever despairing detail was on her mind and was instead ready to eat and join friends.

Giving a slight nod in approval, Sado turned around removing himself from the door frame and her way to yummy goodness.  The light flooded back through his bronze bangs after having been staring into the dim stairwell and the talkative voices not too far away returned to his ears.  None of them seemed to have even noticed the silent statue having been standing there the entire time.  Then again, that may have been due to him taking up nearly the entire entry way. 

With his sudden movement, three of the four peered towards his direction.  Keigo was face down on the hard roof.  Seeing the petite girl where he once stood caused smiles on each individual that could still see.  Of course, for Chizuru it was more a lecherous grin than a smile, but she was happy to see Orihime…in her own perverted way.  Out of the others Mizuiro gave a quick, polite smile before tapping on Keigo’s shoulder and pointing while Tatsuki brightened up incredibly and waved to her good friend.  The absence of the two hadn’t truly been noted, but they were both happily received.

I usually don’t like to make OOC posts, but how do I make them go away?  ;______;  I’m using Photobucket icons that I upload, but I got no idea how to make the icons appear normally instead of grey boxes.  I’m pretty sure I can simply upload the photos straight to the post, but I was wondering if there was any other way?  Please help.  x_x

The day coming to Astraea had been a troublesome one.  Moving throughout the country after leaving Karakura had brought his race into light once more.  After being around Ichigo and the others, the racism had quieted down due to everyone thinking he was a punk and would beat them senseless if they said anything.  In time, those who weren’t as scared of him knew him to be quiet and fairly smart and were generally accepting of him.  Now however, he was having problems fairly regularly.  The closer to a high school or a more downtrodden area he got, slurs were sent his way and fights were attempted.  Due to his Abuelo’s teachings, those fights rarely happened as the giant teenager simply evaded attacks while he continued to move.

Now, in Astraea, he was receiving some similar treatment.  This time, it had been the school officials.  At first, the large male dealt with his application being brushed off.  Apparently, some people didn’t like non-Japanese attending classes.  A few intimidating silences helped defeat that problem.  The next annoyance was at getting a dorm room.  Thinking they couldn’t be heard, the men assigning rooms were grumbling about which floor and how close he would be to their rooms.  Finally, after a bit of a chuckle, the boys decided on room 402.  Thinking of the person they had put in there earlier, they figured both might be able to get expelled early on.  Of course, to them appearance was everything.

Carrying his boxes of clothes and few personal items up the stairs after a quickly scribbled sign was placed on the elevator saying “Out of commission”, Chad came to the floor where his new home would be for a time.  While the boy could have carried hundred pound weights up the steps without breaking a sweat, the amount in the boxes were few.  Floral pattern shirts, some long pants, a spare uniform, a personal bedspread, and some small relics of time past were all he had brought.  In his time leaving one of the most important places of his life, Sado had learned to travel light.  He was never in one school or one city for more than a few months.  Most school simply allowed him in expecting he would be gone not too long after.  Usually however, it was his choice to go.  No place really ever felt nice enough to call home again.

Arriving at his destination, the third year found the entrance already cracked open.  At least entering the room wouldn’t be too much of a hassle.  Now he would see what the boys downstairs were plotting.  A swift nudge caused the grease hinged door to open silently and touch the stopper without a sound.  He would prefer to see what was waiting to cause his life hell before it got a chance to start.  Barely looking past his boxes, the humor came to him.  His roommate was like the thugs he had encountered in other cities and on his way here.  The eyes barely discernible beneath his shaggy brown hair simply lowered into slits of boredom before returning to their gaze of emotionless.

Moving inwards to the room, Chad set his items down and slowly started unpacking without turning around.  He had seen enough of the boy now living in his current residence.  The teen was tall, though not as much as he and had reddish orange hair styled like that of a typical punk.  Ichigo may have appeared a punk as well with his face, but at least that was unavoidable.  This guy looked like he just went looking for trouble.  If he was anything how he looked, these next couple of months would be a real pain.  Of course, there was one item in the room that caused Sado to doubt his accusation.

A small framed photo of a kitten.  The brown, black, and white cute critter had been photographed as if it was the center of attention and received constant love.  A smiling furry mouth with its whiskers bent up so high in enjoyment was something he hadn’t seen in a while.  Most animals the teen interacted with were strays or injured, with the latter being rushed to the vet.  A punk who went out expecting a fight couldn’t really love an animal that much, could he?

wovenprincess:

She felt like a stranger to the vivid and ordinary universe.

Even when she should have known better.

The turmoil inside her only grew the longer she stood there, cruelly expanding in her heart and threatening to pop it like a balloon when she heard Tatsuki-chan let out a yelp of agitation, followed shortly by a hearty laugh. Tatsuki-chan… Emotions she didn’t welcome but were overwhelmed with spiraled to the surface of her thoughts, and her body shook suddenly as consequence. Orihime was filling up with bitterness, and the urge to sob surged inside of her. But she stopped herself - she certainly could not just remain standing in this stairwell forever, self-pitying and crying useless tears, could she? No, Orihime had places to go, and precious people to see, waiting for her. Giving a small, determined nod to herself, and sucking in a deep, shaky breath, her fingers tightened their grasp -

- Only to fall away as the door was pulled outward, and the midday sun spilled inside in glistening streams, dispelling the darkness.

“…Eh?!”

She squinted, pursing her lips tightly, as tiny, fuzzy dots shimmied before her eyes. Not too long after, the blinding rays of sun were blocked from her view by the outline of another body - a big, tall one as immovable as a boulder and as strong as a bulldozer. Lashes fluttered, still bejeweled with the remains of her tears, as she craned her neck to meet the dark and mostly concealed gaze underneath the fringe of curly hair. Was he always this tall? The answer of course was, yes, he had always been this tall in stature; but standing face to face like this only highlighted that well-known fact.

Always, Chad had been the gentle yet immeasurably powerful giant amongst their circle of friends. His large hands and deep voice belied the softness of the very heart beating inside of his chest.

A hushed silence fell between the two of them. Silence was not a foreign companion to Orihime, whom was accustomed to her friend’s penchant for speaking little, but this was different. The awkwardness was growing, and she was positive the credit was owed to the slight puffiness in her eyes and rosy look in her cheeks. The realization horrified her; she didn’t want to worry him because of her transparency, or cause him any trouble. A brilliant smile promptly curled her lips.

“A-Ah, I’m sorry!” she hastily apologized to him. Raising her hand to rub sheepishly at the back of her head, Orihime questioned her friend in a cheerful way, “Am I in your way, Sado-kun?”

A tiny part of her hoped he would not notice her previous state of melancholy. She knew that he was an observant individual, a person who was content to remain on the outside so as long as he could stand a protective watch nearby and observe his friends from afar. While that had been a quality about the teen she’d secretly always admired, Orihime could not help but vainly wish that his skills of perceptions ended with her at this moment. She was grateful for his friendship. She was grateful for his kindness. That did not mean Orihime desired to be a cause for him to show that kindness and act out of friendship on her behalf because she was oh-so close to resembling a blubbering mess beforehand!

“Um…”

She trailed off in discomfiture, her words lacing with false cheer that shone like the wet crystals in her eyes; “I - I’m sorry about how I look right now. It’s just my body is all -” As if to emphasize her point, Orihime jabbed her fingers at herself; “And allergy season can be pretty troublesome for me. Makes my nose all stuffy and my eyes watery, ehehe!” It was a poor excuse, at best, but maybe in his hurry to go where it was he was headed he would buy it.

Or so Orihime was desperately wanting.

The gargantuan male quickly composed himself into the typical stoic persona that he was seen in.  The surprise faded from his slightly open mouth and wide eyes which had become covered by hair once more.  Though, due to Orihime’s height, the long bronze strands only stretched so far and it was likely she could see underneath of them.  The fact also allowed him to see more clearly without an obstruction blocking his view. 

In essence, his hair had been grown to its present length in order to negate the sight of his eyes unless within extreme closeness.  The idea behind such an act was due to his quiet demeanor and constant watchful eye.  Unlike most, he could avoid unnecessary eye contact, but still see the random gazes from below his barrier.  In his younger years at Okinawa, the stares caused by his mixed blood would result in the meeting of eyes and then the opposing party turning away and muttering something to quiet for him to hear.  For those of his age and younger, when such an act happened, he could simply beat the person up and rarely would they look at him in such a way again.  Of course, his grandfather had taught him the consequences of endless violence and the fighting ceased.  Instead, the child simply built up barriers to keep from being noticed and creating needless contact such as his hair and lack of speech.

Now, that hair gave him a better view at the droplets which had formed at the corner of the girl’s eyes.  The petite female realizing what he could see switched into her usual nonchalant personality and rubbed the back of her head and switched the discussion towards their positioning before giving off a supposed reasoning for her unusual facial expression.  It almost seemed as if Orimine wanted him to forget what he had seen.

As if forgetting the question she had asked while they stood still, the teen looked back through his memory due to her next statement.  Not once could he remember the girl having become allergic to anything.  She ate the weirdest foods, entertained herself in their oddest spots, and was never one to turn down helping at any time.  The fact a simple cold could tire her out so easily was amazing at times.  Now though, with already half of their high school life past them did the auburn haired girl mention having allergies.  The likeliness was that the justification for her tears and lateness had been a lie.  Of course, he had never been one to probe.

“I didn’t know you had allergies.”

Instead, he just gave general statements.  His characteristic deadpan voice drowned out whether he was truly asking a question, such as times like now.  Doing so allowed the person to decide if they should expand further on what they had said or leave the statement to be forgotten.  Just like his hair and self-induced muteness were barriers against others, his voice had become one as well.  The monotonous words left him to be easily forgotten and made it extremely complicated to keep up a conversation.  With friends however, it gave them room to explain what they had been thinking if they wanted to.  For Orihime, it would likely just make her imagination think harder.

At the same time, Sado never moved an inch.  His large frame continued to separate the short healer from the rooftop, but with thought this time as opposed to surprise.  He had taken away one of her barriers by accident when he had opened the door.  The small teenager may have been about to turn the doorknob herself, but she hadn’t done it before him.  Having not done so meant she had yet to completely restore her composure.  While the shaggy brunette may have looked like a fool for standing there, he wasn’t about to let the others see a friend who had been on the verge of crying.

wovenprincess:

“Inoue,” her sensei addressed her once she was standing directly in front her. “I need to talk to you.”

“I know, to make sure everything is settled, ne?” Orihime responded sweetly, tilting her head to the side. She’d known this conversation had been a long time in coming, ever since everything had finally begun to fall into place, like purposefully pushed dominoes - the events that were about to transpire were necessary and yet inevitable. After today, nothing would ever be the same. But she was willing to face it with her head held and a bright, optimistic smile in place, just like she did with all other obstacles that came her way.

“Well, there isn’t much to say,” the teacher said. “You’ve completed all of your requirements, and passed your finals - excellently, might I add.”

“Thank you very much!” Orihime chirped in response.

“All that is left is to give you this…” She fished an envelope out of her handbag, before reaching her hand out to hold it to the auburn-haired girl, who accepted it with a grateful smile. The older woman continued on to say with a dignified air, “Naturally, you will be needing your records with you for when you transfer to your new school. If I may ask, where was it you said you would be attending again?”

“Astraea High,” Orihime replied softly, quietly, while her gaze strayed to the floor for a millisecond; a disquiet look passed over her facial features, before clearing, and she lifted her head back up to don a smile. Ochi-sensei nodded, regarding her closely whilst pushing her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose. “That’s rather far of a move, isn’t it? Not that it’s any of my business, of course. Well…it has a good reputation and is known for its exceptional students. With your intelligence and high marks, you should be in good company. I wish you the best of luck regardless.”

“I - I appreciate it!” Orihime said after a brief pause, a shimmer of pale pink warming her cheeks. She was immensely flattered that her teacher thought that highly of her. There was not any conceivable way to respond to such praise except with a slight inclination of her head, thick bangs falling into her slightly misty hazel orbs. She murmured, “Arigatou, sensei.”

And that was that. The envelope she had obtained containing her files was stashed away inside of her desk back in the classroom. Standing on the steps of the stairway leading up to doorway was where Orihime remained, lingering like a silent ghost standing vigil over her own funeral. The comparison was depressing but felt apt considering she knew that after today, after she wished all of her friends goodbye and headed home to her apartment - she would never see any of them again. Everything she owned was already packed neatly into cardboard boxes, waiting to be picked up by her distant family. Once they arrived in the morning, she would be driving out of Karakura Town, and for good.

For their good.

The lively chaos waiting for her beyond the door, snippets of casual conversation and chortles of laughter - the noises of her friends - helped bring her back to reality. Hesitantly, a small, white hand rose from her side to settle on the knob of the door. Her fingers gripped it, allowing her mind to absorb its metallic, coldness, as thought after thought streamed through her mind.

It was easy as breathing, to laugh and joke and grin around all of them, to be strong. But being alone, in times like these, reminded Orihime just how truly pathetic and lowly she was. Against her will, her pink mouth wavered, and her eyes thereafter crinkled into half-moons.

Traces of tears formed. She sniffled. Being alone, in times like these, breathing was not so easy.

The chattering and laughing group next to him continued as the five ate.  Punches were thrown and threats were issued, but at the end, each person was smiling.  All of the group except for the single half-Mexican.  His emotions were typically indiscernible so the lack of a smile came as no surprise.  Nor did the lack of speech.  To a person who didn’t know the large teenager, they might even think he was mute.  It was rare when he uttered a word and nearly nonexistent to have seen him go more than a few seconds without speaking.  Only the few times when Ochi-sensei gave a speech assignment did the boy talk for multiple minutes.  It was those times when the class looked on in utter silence and their teacher giving Chad an A after becoming too stunned at hearing him speak.

Inwardly, the Fullbringer had lost track of the current discussion.  Instead, his mind wandered to a small auburn haired girl, or lack thereof.  The last sighting remained of their carefree sensei calling her over, but not even then would the girl take too long before enjoying a lunch with friends.  Normally, she’d be one of the first to the roof or already diving into her odd meal.  Even her longtime friend Tatsuki had started to get used Orihime disappearing for long periods of time.  With the events of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the two had gotten hardly a chance to enjoy each other’s company. 

The thought only confirmed that the group would be splitting up.  Ichigo had recently lost his powers, but with the way he’d seen spiritual power at work as well as how much he had helped Soul Society, the fact he was now a regular human likely would not last long.  At that point, their gap would widen further than it had before the fight with Aizen.  Once that happened, he would simply be a liability to the hero of Karakura Town.  The promise that the two boys made upon meeting would become unattainable.  Already, the bronze-haired giant had entertained the possibility of moving and training on his own for a time.

A can of soda brought Chad out of his thoughts as an overactive Keigo cried in despair.  Due to his enhanced speed and reaction, the drink was caught before it managed to spill over his school uniform.  The silence that followed only made the teen feel more uncomfortable than he had been when lunch started.  Vast amount of apologies soon followed from the emotional boy as he quickened over and bowed while crying his daily streams.  Giving the drink a glance, Sado tossed the item back to its owner who fumbled with it until somehow spilling it along the back of his shirt.  The result was a frantic brown haired kid running around grabbing at his back from the coldness. 

In the meantime, silent male had already stood up and began walking towards the rooftop door.  An inquiry sent afterward asked where he was heading to.  A simple response of “Forgot a drink,” was all that responded as he reached the metal entrance.  With a turn of the handle, light flooded into the barely lit stairwell.  On the opposite side caused, and unsuspected surprise stood about to open the door and join the group.  The female that had caused his earlier thoughts was now only a few feet away.  Odd though, were those tears in her eyes?  Probably just the shock of sunlight and his own eyes adjusting to the darkness behind her.

The halt in movement likely would have been noticed had it not been for a yelp of annoyance and anger emitted from Tatsuki after being groped by Chizuru.  It seemed even Chizuru had gotten used the lack of her favorite ample victim.  Of course, her new one actually punched back in order to fend off her body from being violated.  Now of course, Chad stood in the entryway stupidly unsure of what exactly to do.  At the same time, his giant bulk blocked out the petite form right in front of him.  Unthinkingly, the male simply stationed himself where he was, forgetting that there was no way the female could actually get around him.

wovenprincess:

The bell chimed, signalling it was lunchtime. Immediately, Orihime reached her arms up above her head, arching her back as she stretched.

She wore a bright smile that stretched from ear to ear, positively radiating happiness. And why wouldn’t she be? It was her favorite time of the day - lunch; the time when a growing high school girl like her recharged her energies and gained the fuel she needed to keep going like the pink energizer rabbit she sometimes saw in commercials on television -

Standing up, she nodded to this person, and waved energetically to that person. Soon, Orihime would be heading for the rooftop as per her usual routine, and gathering together with her closest friends to sit around and chat and eat. That was another reason it was a valuable period of day to her, the fact that it was spent surrounded by her precious people.

After the events that had transpired in Hueco Mundo, it all still felt like a surreality to her. To be able to just sit peacefully as she bit into a piece of chocolate cake or leek and pickle sandwich - it varied from day to day - and look around and really take everything in was priceless. From seeing Ishida-kun push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, hearing Tatsuki-chan’s amused snorts of laughter, and Kurosaki-kun flash that lopsided smile of his, it all made Orihime remember that she was back home, she was safe, and most importantly, so were all of her dearest nakamas.

Her brows furrowed as slim fingers clenched around the handle of her lunchbox. The dark look in honeyed eyes passed as quickly as it entered.

Then, Orihime was happily bouncing on her feet, swinging her strawberry-covered pail back and forth as she skipped out the door of her classroom and out into the hallway. Until her ears perked up at the sound of her name being called, and she pivoted, hair whirling around her face in auburn streams as she met her teacher’s bespectacled stare across the hallway.

“Coming, sensei~!” she called in a lilting tone. The hallway was still crowded, so she was not too worried about their conversation being seen or overheard. Everyone would be up on the rooftop or on their way there now.

The school day had already passed by quickly.  In comparison to the last few months, school life had become more mundane, yet his classmates still had the usual spark.  Mizuiro and Keigo continued to impress girls with the latter getting no attention at all.  Chizuru continued to have kicks being implanted on her face by Tatsuki, yet never faltered at groping an unsuspecting victim’s chest beforehand.  It almost seemed as if the previous events with the shinigami and arrancar in Karakura town had never happened.  It seemed only those who dealt with the events had changed at all.  However, it was likely better that way.

The bell signaling it was time for lunch brought Chad out of his thoughts.  Had it not been for the brown hair covering his eyes, he likely would have been scolded by their teacher.  Grabbing his bento box from inside the desk, the male stood up and slowly walked out into the now crowding hallway.  With his height and strength, it would not have been hard to plow his way to the cafeteria or wherever he decided, but his Abuelo had seen to that during his early years.  Instead of pushing his way through, the giant simply flowed with the crowd while going to the stairs that would lead to the roof.

It was then that the Fullbringer noticed one of his closest friends fighting her way through the swarm of people to see a teacher.  Had it not been for his abnormal height, the sight never would have caught his eye.  Instead, he stopped from a slight bit of curiosity, much to the dismay of those behind him.  With a few grumbles of annoyance from some hungry individuals Sado began to move once more.  More than likely, the orange haired girl had been called over for a school activity or something due to her grades.  Granted she drifted off daily, it had become more often but with less smiles from an obvious imagination.  Considering what she had been through in Hueco Mundo that would not come as a surprise.  Regardless, the hyperactive teen had her own, unique way of dealing with internal problems, and he could only continue to be there as a good friend.

Figuring the over-imaginative female would be up shortly after him, Chad strolled to the stairs and quickly made his way up to fresh air.  While the open window classrooms allowed plenty of sun and a cool breeze to flow in, the roof was far more relaxing.  Seeing the friendly wave of Mizurio and Keigo from beneath his bronze hair, the teen walked over and quietly sat down.  With that, the two energetically returned to their conversation about Mizurio’s new job at a host club.  Sighing as the two continued to womanize, the half-Maxican noticed the lack of an Ichigo and Ishida.  In all likelihood, Ishida was out killing Hollows while Ichigo loosed his frustration at not being able to.

A snickering altered him to the gathering of two more friends.  This time, a confused Tatsuki was coming out of the roof entrance while a beat up Chizuru followed.  The disappointment of the red-haired girl was obvious after she scanned the area and could not find her buxom victim.  Guessing the auburn haired friend would be late, Tatsuki sat down before glaring at Keigo who had apparently spilt milk on her early in the day.  Al in all, the divide which had brought the group together was already beginning to get wider.  Before long, even these daily lunch sessions would come to an end.