daybreakacademy | (no subject)

WHO: Orihime & Tatsumaki
WHAT: First meeting
WHEN: About 3 and a half years ago. Summer.
WHERE: Streets of France
NOTES: Flashback log!

Summer vacation was a time most students looked forward to. For a twelve year old girl, Tatsumaki was strangely indifferent to it. All it meant for her was that she didn’t have to bother with written assignments. She couldn’t afford to let up on her training. Not even for a day. The only other perk for her was not living in the dorms. Her foster parents within the Watchers had a large house and no other children they had taken in, so she could have peace and quiet.

Now and then, they tried to indulge her and encourage her to enjoy the things that “normal” children did. Today was one of those days, so they’d taken Tatsumaki into town and encouraged her to pick out some things she wanted. Aside from some new clothes, she’d picked up a large Lego set, and new books. When they ran into some friendly acquaintances, Tatsumaki was handed a few Euros to get herself some ice cream while her foster parents talked. She didn’t need to be a Seer to know this was going to take a while, nor did she need a telepath to know that they were speaking in code about the supernatural while seemingly making small talk.

With a cone of mint chocolate ice cream in hand, she walked along the street looking bored. Suddenly, she abruptly stopped, reflexively sticking her arm out to block anyone behind her from passing. A half-second later, a car came screeching around the corner, going so fast that it went up on the curb and part of the sidewalk. Police sirens wailed. Inexplicably to everyone but Tatsumaki, the car that had been speeding so recklessly to escape the police came to a rough halt, deploying the airbags in the process.

Finally, she lowered her arm to address the girl she’d nearly clotheslined. “You weren’t hurt, right?”

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Orihime didn't seem like she was trying to be comforted. She stayed out of arm's reach, even as her shoulders hitched with little sobs that grew steadily stronger.

"...o...onii-chan..." She rubbed her arm childishly across her eyes, but the tears still rolled down her cheeks. "A-and I miss him...I miss him so much, it's all I do...how am I supposed to live without him? I don't want to...he's not here and I really can't stand it...! I'm r-really...really very pathetic..."

"What's so pathetic about missing your family?!"

Tatsumaki asked, voice a little sharper and more defensive than she'd intended it to come out. Especially toward a crying person who'd been nothing but nice to her. She tsked, more to herself than anything.

"If anyone's a jerk to you about that, beat them up! Throw rocks at them!"

"R-rocks?!" she gasped, stunned. It was a reaction she'd never had before. Most people just regarded her with awkward silence, or asked if she wanted to go outside for some fresh air. Some patted her head and hugged her and said it would get better in time.

But it never got better. He still wasn't there, and she was so lonely without him.

"...D...did you...ever throw rocks at anybody? Or beat someone up...?

"I've done both."

While someone coped with grief with sadness, Tatsumaki expressed grief through anger. In that way, her training at the Academy was a boon. She'd had a few years of combat training, and she was good at using her telekinesis so far, although she hadn't mastered it just yet.

"It's a good way to shut people up. You should try it sometime."

"HEH?!" Orihime's eyes doubled in size as she balked at the shorter green-haired girl. "Oh no, I couldn't! I'd get sued for sure! And I don't want to cause any trouble for my aunt. A-anyway I don't think people tease me much here," she admitted, fidgeting as she stared down at her feet. Maybe they did and she'd been too gloomy to notice, she had no idea. People generally just left her alone.

"But...I'm sorry they did that to you. That was mean." She stopped fidgeting, looking at Tatsumaki with open concern. "You really didn't have anyone else looking out for you?"

"I don't need to be protected! Anyone who messes with me learns to regret it."

She fidgeted a bit when she saw the concerned look. She could tell it was genuine, despite them only just meeting. After a moment, she added, "I guess there's some people I know who are all right. And my foster parents are fine."

She wasn't necessarily labelling them as friends, but there were plenty of people she was on at least civil terms with. One of the good things about the Academy was that weird was the norm. Everyone had some sort of supernatural ability and odd experiences to go along with it.

Orihime's steps paused as she stared at Tatsumaki's vehement declaration. It looked like she was torn between being very impressed and very uncertain if she was one of those people who was inadvertently messing with her and would soon know the promised regret.

She took a tentative move forward, eyebrows arched questioningly to see if that was acceptable. Orihime cast one more glance back over her shoulder, then resumed trailing along behind the other girl.

"I wish I could be as mature as you," she admitted sheepishly. "It feels like...I need too much. But no one really needs me. I don't even know how to cook."

"Well, that's something you can learn, isn't it? If you don't want to beat people up, why don't you try learning a new recipe to distract you every time you feel sad?"

Tatsumaki hated crying. Whenever she did it herself, she decided her eyes were defective and had sprouted a leak. But telepathy made her understand that everyone handled things differently, and maybe a person could cry and still be strong. It just wasn't for her.

"Then if you're feeling sad all the time, you'll become an amazing cook in no time and then other people will need you more."