open;

[inflictwounds]

Who: Hieke & You
What: Infirmary catch-all & a call for help
Where: The infirmary & elsewhere on campus
When: February
Warnings: Potential discussions of injury, probably.


a; the necessities

[The infirmary has seen a lot in the first month of the quarter alone - friends were born here and eventually taken away, people have been sick and injured and that's not even including the injuries people didn't go to the infirmary for. But come February, Hieke is a little bit more prepared for things. The infirmary is kept as tidy as ever, and he's even decorated for the holiday!

There are vases filled with flowers on his desk, and he's awkwardly taped some heart shaped decor to the wall. There was an attempt and that accounts for everything, even if he doesn't know anything about Valentine's Day.

However, the infirmary isn't only for the sick or injured. Students taking Hieke's class are more than welcome to stop by to ask for help or ask general questions - there's an office set aside for him, but he spends all of his hours in the infirmary anyways. It's the best place to catch him.]

b; the network (un: hieke)

Good afternoon.

I'm sorry to bother everyone, but I'm looking for something. A mushroom - native to the Outlands - that's not dangerous or anything, just a little mischievous. It managed to find out how to open the windows in my room, and now it's loose and locate and summoning magic were something I never spent much time studying.

It's about a foot tall, with a pale orange cap, so it should be pretty distinct. If you see it, please let me know! And mind the spores.

c; the wildcard

[If you want anything else or need Hieke for anything, let me know!]

Comments

[made_up_names]

[ That - probably should have occurred to him honestly. He winces in the bright daylight, abruptly reminded that he hasn't been outside in the sun for like. A week? A couple days? Whatever, it's been too long at this point.

He sort of skids to a stop in front of her, just barely avoiding barreling into her. ]

'cause I read your note! You can't just run off and fight that thing!

[leekspins]

I'm not. Not right now.

[She lowers her hands, regarding him uneasily to check his health. If he seems okay, she won't have to worry so much, but if he's winded...]

And when I do, I'll have one of the best psychics beside me. She can levitate my brother into the air and hold him still while I use my powers. So you don't need to worry. Just rest for a while, okay?

[She takes a step back, half-turning.]

If you're at 100% before we find him, you can come too!

[The turn is complete and she's hurrying onward.]

[made_up_names]

[ He seems all right. His healing factor has smoothed out anything that lingered after her heal - though frankly there's not much for him to recover. Just exhaustion. A little uncertainty. ]

Wait! Hey! Don't just leave me behind! I'm coming even if I'm not 100%!

[ He's gonna follow her!! ]

[leekspins]

[Oh no! She runs faster.]

You can't! I have to go to the bathroom!

[Liar.]

[made_up_names]

-- Well fine, I'll wait outside!

[ Uh. ]

Not creepily! Just! In general.

[leekspins]

[She nearly trips over her feet at that. Why...how can he do that? She knows if she looks at him too long she'll fall to pieces, but still, he made her smile.]

I'll come out when you're 100%! Please go recharge!

[As she races past one of the buildings, there's a loud CRACK of splitting stone. Up above, a granite gargoyle has managed to snap off of the rooftop where it was perched, and it plummets straight down toward Orihime's head.]

[made_up_names]

[ Oh shit. Peter's reflexes are sluggish given his exhaustion, but that doesn't stop him from trying. ]

-- Hime! Look out!

[ He lunges forward, trying to tackle her out of the way. Might be too late though. ]

[leekspins]

[Thanks to the coin flip his spider senses, it's given him just enough time to catch her, his momentum carrying him just half an inch away from the impact. The corner of the statue drives hard into the ground where it stays solidly, multiple fractures webbing the broken stone.]

[Orihime's hand is clutched tightly around his wrist, breathing hard, her head bent forward. She can feel the thudding of his heart, and under any other circumstances, she might be blushing.]

[But she's not. She's just quiet as she lies there and shuts her eyes tightly, her mouth pressed into a thin line.]

[Finally she releases her breath, and it comes out in a jagged rasp.]

I don't want you to die.

[made_up_names]

[ He did sort of land on top of her. But he's way more concerned with the freaking gargoyle that nearly crushed her. He whips his head back for a moment, looking with some horror at the cracks in the stone pavement. That could have been Orihime all right. ]

I - I don't want you to die either! That's why you have to let me help!

[leekspins]

[She's ridiculously tense beneath him. And she stiffens up even further, curling her body more inward. She really doesn't want to cry right now, not when it would just make him that much more stubborn about helping her. If she yelled at him to just trust her, she'd hate herself. And she might regret it just as much as she did when she shouted at her brother without telling him that she was just scared.]

Peter please...! If it was me that was exhausted, you wouldn't let me come either! It's why you didn't wake me up when it attacked you, isn't it? Can't I ask you when you're healthy? Can't I...?

[made_up_names]

[ She has a point. And more importantly, perhaps, he can feel how incredibly stressed out she is. He sits back up, staying close but sitting on the ground instead of sort of on top of her. ]

I wish you could, Hime. I really do. But - if something happened and I missed it because I was in bed? I'd never forgive myself.

You'd do the same for me.

[leekspins]

[She manages to wrestle herself up to an elbow, but she still can't turn herself around to look at his face. She leans forward onto her hand, shoulders hunched, her hair veiling her face from view.]

I promised Hector that I wouldn't. Please... Just be there when I get back, because I'll definitely need someone to talk to when it's over.

[Her fingers curl into a fist.]

But don't die for me. I really c-couldn't bear that.

[made_up_names]

[ Peter winces at the mention of Héctor. He knows he's worried the man far too much by now, but - but dammit, he can't just not help here either. ]

I'm not going to die. I'm really tough, remember? It probably can't kill me.

[leekspins]

You are. You really are. The one who runs into trucks.

[A touch of warmth creeps into her miserable voice.]

There's no guarantee it's even going to show up tonight. You have time to rest, and get better. Is it really so unreasonable...?

[Her head turns faintly in his direction, but not enough that she can look at him.]

Because your uncle's warning still makes me think that you're the one it really wants.

[made_up_names]

[ He's not so sure now. For a number of reasons, but -- ]

If it still wants me, it's stupid. I'm not going to agree to join it.

[leekspins]

I don't think it needs your agreement. That's part of what scares me.

[She takes a few deep breaths, then lifts her head. Her legs still feel like jelly, but she thinks she can stand now. One hand on her knee, and she's up!]

...Thank you for saving me. You weren't hurt, were you?

[made_up_names]

[ That. Could very well be true. It sure had tried to eat him anyway. But he still doesn't get why it would want to eat him specifically, vs. everyone else here ...

He swallows a bit. ]

I think I scraped my knee?

[ He pulls up his pants leg a bit, revealing a scrape. But it's sealing over already. ]

[leekspins]

[That's enough to get her to turn around, at least. She squats on her heels beside him. Watching his healing factor take effect is a little fascinating, honestly, but she's still sorry he got injured in his current condition. If it's going to weary him further, then she might as well save him at least a little bit of energy.]

[She holds up her hands and summons up a small shield, half a foot in diameter, to clear the wound more quickly.]

[There are so many emotions roiling inside of her that her expression is almost unreadable. She's worried, scared, heartbroken, and so angry...and she still isn't sure what she's supposed to do. Take action now? Wait? The consequences are so severe if she chooses the wrong path. And maybe there just isn't a right answer after all.]

Is that better?

[made_up_names]

[ It's pretty damn fast honestly; he doesn't really need her help, but it does mean he has to spend that much less energy on it. After a moment, between the two of them, his knee is fully healed. ]

Yeah. All fixed.

[leekspins]

That's good.

[She exhales, tries a smile, and stands up to offer him a hand. She turns her head to look at the gargoyle, then tips her head back to examine the roof. There's nothing there, but she swears she can feel...]

I'll walk you back, if you like.

[made_up_names]

[ Peter looks too, but his spider senses ain't tellin him shit. ]

... All right. Yeah. I guess I should get some more sleep.

[leekspins]

[That gives her a little more strength. Her gaze flicks up to meet his eyes, down again, and settling more firmly on his face before she smiles.]

Thank you.

[Her hands twitch forward before she remembers herself and keeps her arms firmly at her sides.]

I mean it. Thank you.

[made_up_names]

[ Was she going to hug him just now? Did she not want to? Because he kind of wants to hug her in turn.

If she doesn't want this he'll apologize, but - for now, he'll gently pull her into an embrace. ]

[leekspins]

[What she wanted was to squeeze his hand with both of hers and apologize, maybe even try again to explain why she's so adamant about asking for him to stay behind. She thought he was angry, thought it was a mistake after all to be more open about things that just make him worry to the point where he'd stake his life trying to keep her safe.]

[She should just withdraw, at least until it's over, because the last thing she wants is to lose one of the best friends she has at this school.]

[But then he's there, and her breath catches in her throat as she feels his warmth surround her. And she just can't do it anymore.]

...uweh...!

[Her brows knit and her vision blurs as she tips her head into his shoulder and sobs. She can't even speak for a while, unable to do much more than hook her fingers into his coat and cling.]

Huhhh I'm so...so sorry! I'm so mad...!

[made_up_names]

[ Oh. Oh, Orihime ... he gently tightens his grip a bit, just holding her close. He can't see what's going through her head, but he can sort of guess the shape of it.

He leans his head down against her shoulder, just. Gentle. And fond. ]

It's okay. I know how that feels. Ben ... Ben was the same way.