unpocoloco | Daybreak IC Inbox

I see...that's too bad...

[Her shoulders rise and fall with a dramatic sigh.]

I was going to ask if you wanted to eat a bunch of ice cream with me. We could get one of every flavor and shovel it in until we get ice cream headaches.

[What are these life goals?]

Sorry about that. I hope I wasn't rubbing it in.

Oh... That's so sweet...!

[He makes a breathy sound, so close to a laugh.]

Well I... maybe can't do that but... I could try small bites? Or I could just sit with you, if you don't mind that... It's not rubbing it in, I really don't mind anymore, but if that's too awkward, I understand.

It's not. I'd like that.

[She smiles, the expression weak but nonetheless genuine and warm. This feels a lot better than turning her back on him and leaving him with the fear that they won't see each other again. If things do go badly, then their last memory should be a happy one.]

Maybe you could tell me what it's like to be a walking skeleton, too? I'm really curious.

[To be honest, while he's still bent on keeping this from being the end of Orihime's life, he could very much get behind a sentiment like that. If he could part on a good note wherever he went, wouldn't that be something?

His own smiles mirrors hers, just as weak but just as genuine. This has all been difficult. It would be nice, for once, to go through this with someone else instead of alone. And if it helps her too, then all the better.]

Okay. Lets do that. And I can tell you all about being a dead guy. Just one second...

[He goes back for his cane, tugging it off the table. And then his eyes close and he takes a breath. Just the same way his markings and bones lit before, they do so again, but this time all the dissolved dust comes back in reverse, reforming him, making him human again. Almost. He stops it before it can entirely complete and do something really gruesome to his shattered arm. It leaves him in a half form, ribs and joints hidden only by clothing and his face sunken in that corpse-like matter, but she didn't comment before so he doesn't worry now.

He looks apologetic and explains.]

I still have to keep low out there.

It's okay. You don't look scary to me at all.

[She's always been pretty quick to adapt, no matter the situation or experience. Sometimes too quick. But at least Hector needn't worry about her staring or treating him any differently.]

I just need to get my wallet and wash my face. I'll meet you by the front doors?

You're a rare kind, Orihime.

[Not just for the lack of fear, but for the kindness too.

He nods his head.]

I'll be there. You go do what you need to, however much time you need.

[And as she goes he'll be making his way along, cane tapping.]

[As promised, Orihime meets him. The roots of her hair are a little damp, and her eyes are still on the red side, but she seems to have otherwise regained her composure. A quick trip to the student market is all she needs to fill up her bags with one of every flavor of ice cream pint that they've got in stock, and she makes sure to get whipped cream, fudge, nuts, and cherries too. Any topping they have, it's added. It's definitely a splurge purchase, but she has the money for it since she doesn't have to pay for her meals on campus like she did when living on her own.]

[She sets everything up on the counter, uncapping every single pint, and handing Hector a spoon, before she starts shoveling ice cream with a sort of crazed desperation.]

[Sometimes she has to stop and pinch the bridge of her nose as the cold sends a sharp pang from the roof of her mouth up into her skull, but once she recovers, she just goes right back at it. There's no more mention of Sora or the ghost that attacked him.]

So who else knows about your condition?

[She glances at him as she digs out a spoonful of strawberry waffle cone and sprays it with whipped cream.]

The Seers?

[He's glad there's the student market. He doesn't much want to stray too far from the school with everything that's going on. A splurge indeed, his brow is lifting at her even before they get back. And that's about when things get crazy.

She hands him a spoon but he doesn't dig in, his amused expression slowly shifting to one of awe and a bit of alarm. It's like watching a trainwreck unfold, his eyes glued to the unfolding carnage. He only barely registers her question and still a good minute after she's spoken it.

He shakes himself.]

Oh! Uh. I don't think the seers know. I mean, they might, but I kinda hope I'm just not important enough to really be on their radar. [He's no specially powered superhero after all.] Some of the faculty know though. They're the reason I'm here, really. They made a deal with me to get me out of a tight spot.

Obviously any of my primos in the outlands who remember me would know. A... a lot of hunters know and they usually give me problems for it. One other person who knew me from then. And Peter... and you now... and... Imelda. I told Imelda.

[Orihime nods as she listens, her mouth puckering a little from the sharp contrast of eating lemon sorbet after a spoonful of butter brickle. It occurs her that maybe it would be okay to tell him about her powers, but as it's not really a necessity, it's probably okay to keep that secret a little while longer. Still, if it comes up, she's pretty sure he wouldn't treat her any differently or report her to the school administration.]

Oh...she's one of the teacher assistants in the other dorm, isn't she? I haven't really met her yet.

[It must be someone really important to Hector if he'd tell her something like this.]

Did you mean to, or did it just accidentally come up?

[He smiles a little tightly, then turns his attention to inspecting the flavors, trying to find the one he's going to pick that will be worth any possible suffering. And it lets him look away for a moment.]

An RA too, si. It... I meant to tell her. I wanted her to be aware of what's going on. We're originally from the same hometown, you see. We haven't talked in years but we used to know each other pretty well.

[The look in his eyes is enough to say there might be more to this story, but it's not one he's going into now.]

You really should meet her. She's a lovely person. She seems rather severe at first, but she's not cold. She's really kind and she's got this hidden playful streak. Very passionate. Just make sure you don't mention me if you talk to her, she doesn't actually like me much, for good reason.

That's a little hard to believe.

[She could understand if there was a misunderstanding that soured things, but Hector is very likable. And it sounds like the two were very good friends once upon a time.]

But I'll be sure to say hello if we ever meet. I admire passionate people a lot!

[Her ice cream binging has slowed down to a more moderate speed, and since she's doing more listening than talking, she can still eat a lot before it melts.]

How did she take it?

[He lifts a brow and ruefully smirks a little Orihime's way. Hard to believe. He wants to ask how so, but he decides to let it go.

He seems much happier to hear she's looking forward to meeting Imelda.

That question though has him faltering.]

She... took it about as well as I kind of thought she would. Which is to say... bad. She took it very badly. Not selling me out to hunters bad but definitely a little traumatizing for her and also something she is a little angry about.

[He turns around a bucket which he believes says pralines and cream. This is the one he's going to die with, he decides. He takes one small scoop, pops it into his mouth, and waits for the thing to slowly melt down to something liquid. The spoon's handle hands out like a string of wheat an old rancher would have in a movie.]

But, the important thing is that she's taking precautions. She's not the type to careless so as long as she knows, she'll be alright, I'm sure.

Why is she angry?

[She regards him, baffled, while gripping the jar of maraschino cherries and grunting until the lid finally pops to let her unscrew it.]

Is she angry at you? It seems a little harsh...

[Orihime frowns as she scoops out a spoonful of cherries, busying herself with plucking off the stems one by one before dumping them onto a pillow of whipped cream.]

Did you kill yourself or something?

[He's back to slowly, very slowly, melting that ice cream upon his tongue. The taste is kind of nice. He forgot how sweet the caramel and cream could be after so long, and of course, the pralines are good too. Solid, so he has to chew those, but hopefully small enough not to be an issue later.

It's almost comical, the differences of him and his tiny careful spoonful as opposed to that absolute monster feast she's preparing for herself. He could laugh, even knowing they're both going to suffer for this later, if not for the questions she asks. He's thinking just how, exactly, to answer, when that last question rolls in and socks him in the gut, make him pull an inhale that takes that singular "safe" bite of ice cream and turns it to the cause of his second death.

He chokes and coughs and sputters. He tries to remind his brain that he doesn't technically have to breathe but his brain is taking no messages at this time. His hand braces on the table until, after a moment more, the coughing settles, replaced with soft wheezing. He drops the spoon down, letting it clatter next to the ice cream tubs.]

Okay. That's enough ice cream for me.

[He's just going to wait another five years to make that mistake again. Elbows set up upon that space, he puts his face into his hands.]

No... I definitely didn't kill myself. I got food poisoning. Something I ate made me really sick. It was probably some kind of fever or something. No accidents or... things like that, just some bad luck. Please don't laugh.

Edited 2019-02-18 10:30 (UTC)

No. I won't.

[If anything, she looks even more sympathetic, gently patting his bony back until he gets his choking under control. It's heartening to know that he wasn't fed up with life at the very least, and he sure acts like someone who'd be ready to fight for that life.]

I guess it's not the worst way to go. As long as the food tasted good at least, right?

[Maybe he was horribly allergic to one of the ingredients and didn't know about it. Or maybe it really was some horrible illness contracted from bad meat. It might even be mad cow disease, wasn't that supposed to be pretty bad? She'd better not make that joke anymore.]

Still...I'm sorry you died. It must have been really scary to discover something like that.

[He appreciates her understanding. Other friends were of coure less sensitive about his death. Which really never seemed fair. Who laughs at a dead guy? A lot of people apparently.

He accepts the pats to his back but winces a bit at her words.]

I don't really remember. I don't think it was that great. [Nothing horrible but nothing amazing. Certainly nothing worth dying over. Like the hotels, everything felt the same after a while. Homesickness got to him in a few ways.] I just remember a pain in my stomach. Then my head... then all of me. It was really bad actually, and yes, very scary. If you find you can choose how you die, I would recommend not choosing that, if possible.

[But that's a bit dark even for him.]

I thank you for your condolences all the same. [He says it in the way of a tired old joke. One he's told and has been told-- though lacking the little add on's like "and the drinks will be after the funeral". He lifts his head a little to smile at her.]

In any case, I came back. Ish. It's something. And I'm at peace with being dead like this for the most part.

Edited 2019-02-28 14:24 (UTC)

[She can at least smile at his morbid joke, even if she doesn't contribute any further quips. Death isn't really easy for her to laugh at when other people are concerned. Even for herself, she doesn't talk about it much beyond an acknowledgement that life is short and she means to live each day as fully as she can.]

It's not the worst! You still have a body at least, and you can interact with other people without special help.

[Orihime should probably be full now, but there she sits, still packing away the ice cream.]

Do you know how long it'll last? Until you've finished your business here and can let go?

[Because she definitely doesn't want him to go for good, but she at least understands that he'll probably need to someday.]

[It's okay she doesn't laugh. As long as she's not bothered it's all okay with him.]

Exactly! Yes! Such is my girl, I thought you'd get it. I'm here in all the ways that matter. Very lucky.

[Was that much ice cream normal? It's been so long since he had anyone aside Gamma to go off of. Dios, he hopes she's going to be alright.

Though, back to his being lucky... ]

But, ah, I don't think it's a matter of when I complete any business. It happens when it happens. I've just got to make sure I'm ready before that. There is a few signs I can keep a watch for to know when it's starting to be time, but I don't want to worry you. Even with all that stuff a lot of it can be willpower and a lot is just luck.

How's the ice cream coming along there?

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