daybreakacademy | Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

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Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

WHO: #1: Peter Parker [Closed]; #2 Tokidoki Rikudoh and Noboru Gongenzaka [Closed]; #3: [OPEN!]
WHAT: Weekend antics! Whether it's getting to hear Peter's crimefighting stories, fighting deep-set mental trauma, or running around Soleil shopping for sewing materials and spending time with friends, Orihime is guaranteed to never be bored.
WHEN: January 19th-20th, 2019
WHERE: #1: On Campus, Peter's Dorm Room; #2 & #3: Soleil

[Log #1: Peter Parker and Orihime Inoue]

[When Orihime arrives at Peter's dorm, she has a backpack slung over her shoulder, sagging heavily with the sheer weight of all the soda she brought. She couldn't decide on what to get from the vending machine, so she just pumped in her coins and got one of everything. Why not? She can splurge for this.]

[As she waits, it hits her that maybe...maybe...she really shouldn't be hanging out in a boy's room. It's not very proper, and she wouldn't want people to start getting the wrong idea. But no one seems to be around to take note (yet), so...maybe it's fine. She's heard that boys and girls sometimes room together, so maybe that kind of thing just isn't a big deal in France.]

[It's fine.]

[Besides, she's excited to hear about his stories. A real superhero...! And he's so young, too! This is going to be amazing and spectacular.]

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[Log #2: Noboru Gongenzaka, Tokidoki Rikugou, Orihime Inoue]

[After meeting with White Chain, Orihime's definitely glad for a chance to catch her breath and be around friendly faces. Tokidoki is always positive and cheerful, and she's looking forward to spending more time with him. While she's never met Gongenzaka, he seemed pretty polite when she spoke with him over the network.]

[She waits for them just outside the school gates, gloved hands behind her back, nuzzling her nose into her scarf and exhaling to warm her face with her breath. She's got a list of measurements and notes in her pocket so she can get all the things she needs for her massive sewing project. If she can earn enough, maybe she can invest in that runic armor equipment that Gunvolt told her about.]

[Hearing footsteps crunch in the snow, she perks up and turns to greet the first person to arrive.]

Good morning! Are you ready to go?

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[Log #3: [OPEN!]]

[There are plenty of people who seemed interested in going to the sewing supply store in town to choose the materials for their formal clothes, so Orihime is more than happy to walk them around and point out good bargains, as well as mentioning the pros and cons of good quality cloth versus something cheaper but easier to clean.]

[But she could be spotted anywhere in town, especially near the bakery where she stares in awe at the display case through the window. Someday, she'll have a fancy cake store of her own. Or at least a part-time job at a place like this! ...Maybe... Now that she knows about the impending doom of Nightfall, a cake shop isn't as important to her future as it used to be. She should be sad about that, but...she's not. It feels good to do something important for a change, and to get strong enough to protect the people she cares about.]

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[ Peter had much the same thought after they'd ended their conversation. Not that it matters for him? Like, any gender in his room would potentially be a romantic interest? But it sure seems different inviting a girl to his room. If she hadn't seemed so excited (or if he'd thought of it sooner), then he'd have asked her to come to the common room instead.

But nope, they're meeting at his room, it's probably fine? He's not in there when she arrives, but she doesn't have long to wait. A few seconds later, he comes up behind her with a great big bowl of popcorn. (He's not sure how much she eats, but he already knows his appetite is massive.) ]

Oh hey, you're here already. I was just finishing up.

[ He's running a little late, mostly because he was working on something and lost track of time. The popcorn is 100% American at least - he snuck it back after their mission, since apparently France doesn't have this kind of thing. What kind of crazy country doesn't have microwave popcorn? It's rude.

Anyway. He sort of double-takes at her bulging backpack when he realizes what's clinking around in there. ]

-- Is all of that for us?

We'll never go thirsty again!

[Of course they're not going to drink ALL of it, that would be physically impossible. She's also planning to leave half of the cans for him and his roommate afterward, and the rest will be a fun present for Tatsumaki.]

[The smell of the popcorn is fantastic. Is there anything in the world more addictive that fresh popcorn smells?]

[Orihime shuffles aside so he can open the door. He's taking the lead here, she's not sure where she's allowed to stand or sit.]

Thank you for the popcorn. It's been a couple years since I've had it!

[ Hey, he could probably put a dent in it. But. He'll try not to.

He nudges the door open (it was unlocked in case she stopped by early), and kind of nods for her to follow him in. It sure is a dorm room! Not too messy - he'd picked up before she came - but with obvious piles of junk stacked up on the unused bed. He's using his lack of roommate as a temporary workspace.

For sitting, he's piled up some pillows on the floor in front of an ungodly ancient TV. Currently, it appears to be functional? He's frankensteined a DVD player to the top of it, though both the TV and the player have wires sticking out everywhere. A work in progress. ]

Yeah? Is popcorn not really a thing in Japan?

Oh, it is! But I've been living in France for the past three years, and I haven't gone to the movies in a long time. So it just hasn't really come up on my grocery list!

[She takes a moment to look around, and a slow smile spreads over her face. Proper or not, it's got all the trademarks of his personality, and she likes that. It's the room of a tech genius for sure.]

[She had an old CRT set in her apartment too. Moving into storage was definitely a struggle! It's nice to see one again. She follows him toward the pillow pile, very comfortable with the set-up. She unzips her pack and sets out all of the cans, making a colorful beverage display. She's all about that lemon seltzer to start.]

What about you? What do you eat in America?

You've been here three years? Dude, that's awesome.

[ He's still like. Ridiculously bad at French okay. He's glad that the school provides them with food and stuff because grocery shopping would kind of be suffering otherwise. Speaking of which, he lights right up at the range of sodas she pulls out of her backpack, impressed by the colorful array. Let's start with ... this orangina stuff? ]

All kinds of stuff? I live in New York, so I can get take out from pretty much any country on the planet. But my favorite is pizza. Also this deli right down the street with the best sandwiches in Queens.

...It is?

[She never thought of her stay in France as being 'awesome' before. It was scary and lonely and sad, and she definitely remembers breaking down in tears once because who would put incense on her brother's grave if she wasn't there?]

[On the other hand, this is what led her to meet Tatsumaki. And if she hadn't met her, then Orihime's powers might have been dormant for her entire life.]

[So she sits pensively for a moment, looking at her seltzer in her clasped hands. Then, slowly, she starts to smile.]

I guess it's been a pretty good experience! And hardly anyone knew Japanese so I had to learn French by immersion. So that was good.

[She leans forward curiously as he lists his favorite foods. She knows what pizza is, but...]

I've never tried pizza before. I like the big variety of toppings you can put on it, though. You could eat a million slices and never eat the same thing twice!

[ Oh. He said the wrong thing, didn't he? The instant she looks sad about it, he kind of winces guiltily. Probably if he'd been made to come here at twelve, then he'd have been upset and sad and lonely too. ]

W-well, it is a cool school so far. I'm glad you had a good experience.

[ Even if she was obviously sad too. Jeez, Peter, try not to stomp on her heart quite so much. He's gonna try talking about more cheerful things, like pizza. ]

That's kinda the idea, yeah. And New York style is like the best. Maybe we could make it sometime.

[Her head cants slightly to the side. His whole demeanor just changed. Did she make it awkward by being too vague on accident? While Orihime doesn't make it a point to talk openly about her past, it's not like she's opposed to it. And it would be a lot worse to leave him floundering thinking he somehow ate foot when that's not the case.]

It has! I promise! It's...

[Where to start? She sips at her soda thoughtfully.]

I guess it's one of those things that started out bad, but became something a lot better. I had a big brother who raised me himself. He was amazing! It couldn't have been easy looking after a kid while working at the same time. But he was kind, and he never raised his voice, and never complained about any of it. When he died, I didn't know what to do. He was kind of all I knew.

[Her smile is lop-sided, but there's warmth there, not tragedy.]

I have an aunt who lives here in France. I moved out here to stay with her, and I was pretty depressed for a while. Then I met Tatsumaki-chan. She was fierce, and blunt, and she reached out to me. I had a really good friend, and because of her, I was able to shake off my sadness and move forward.

[She's beaming now, because she's always excited to talk about the person who means so much to her.]

When that daemon attacked the school, she protected me. And it's because of her that my powers awoke. So even if things started out feeling hopeless...I'm here now. And I'm really grateful for that! So please don't worry, Peter. I'm happy to be where I am, I promise. You're just the first to say it's amazing, and I hadn't considered that. It really is amazing, though, ne? --I mean, right?

[She gives the bowl of popcorn a couple of nudges to push it toward him.]

I didn't know we had access to a kitchen. I'd love to cook something fun like that!

[He'll soon discover just how strange her culinary tastes can get, but at least she's not a BAD cook.]

Edited 2019-01-20 20:03 (UTC)

[ Oh. Oh god. He hadn't quite meant to ask her to say all of that at once. But once she starts, it's clear he's going to get all the details, and ... some of that goes straight to his heart. Raised me himself. When he died, I didn't know what to do. Hell, even going to live with her aunt afterwards. It's not quite the same for him - he'd been living with both his aunt and uncle already when Ben had died - but he gets it. That void someone like Sora or Ben leaves when they spend their entire life with you, and then suddenly get taken away.

He swallows, thickly. Rubbing at his face a bit, over the spot where Gwen had clawed up his face a few days ago. What does he say to that? Some form of "me too" hardly seems right, but. ]

I'm sorry. That's - that's a hell of a thing to have to do. Losing your brother and then moving so fast...

[ He's glad she seems to be doing better now, but. God. He's going to eat some popcorn now and try not to be completely awkward. ]

[He still looks like someone ran over his pet. That's no good!]

No apologies!

[She crosses her arms in front of her as an 'x' to ward them off.]

I mean, of course I miss him. But I talk to him all the time! I have his picture in my room, so I make sure to tell him about my day. I don't want him to worry about me.

[Orihime relaxes her arms. She does still harbor some regrets, but she's sincere about what she says.]

And if I can protect people from Nightfall...I think he'd be really proud. If you met him, you'd like him!

[She beams, definitely full of pride about her brother.]

So don't feel bad about it. I like being able to talk about him. He's worth bragging about, ha ha!

[ Peter jolts at that vehement response. He's glad she's so cheerful about it! But - that still seems really sad? He can't picture talking to his Uncle every night without crying for at least part of it. Then again it's only been months for him... ]

Why won't you tell me more about him then? What's his name?

[ If she's genuinely cheered by the subject, he'd like to hear more. ]

[He's nice. He's really nice! And she's surprised that he's offering such a thing, she thought most people would want to change the subject by now.]

Okay. But I still want to hear about how you fight crime, because that sounds awesome!

[And pretty soon, she's happily chattering about her brother, Sora. That their parents left when she was three. That he gave her the hairpins she's always wearing. How she would welcome him home by making tons of snow bunnies, and that he'd always find time to play giant robot warriors with her.]

[And it feels really good. She's animated and warm as she speaks, laughing about some of the dumb things she did as a kid and how Sora indulged her and disciplined her with kindness. She even admits, at one point, that she felt really bad that their last words ended in an argument. But it's pretty obvious that they loved each other, and that she still does.]

[When she finishes, the seltzer is long gone, and so is a diet raspberry cola.]

Thanks for listening. You're really good at that! It brought back all kinds of good memories.

[ He's glad to listen, okay. Especially when she's this happy? He decides he really likes her when she's all lit up and excited about something. And it's nice too to hear about having a brother. Peter was an only child, himself; he barely knew his parents and only really had his aunt and uncle for family. No cousins that he knows of.

It makes him ache knowing that her brother is dead, though. Especially after hearing all of that. He can't help but think of Ben himself. Ache a bit for him just listening. Especially when she mentions their last conversation being an argument ... It had been the same between him and his uncle. Ben yelling at him for sneaking out late, and Peter going anyway.

She might have made a dent in the drinks, but he's sitting here eating all the popcorn. ]

I'm glad. He seems like an awesome guy? Sometimes you don't get enough time with the people you love.

[ To his credit, he only chokes up at the very last sentence. ]

[She doesn't miss that hitch. Is she...missing something? Hopefully she wasn't being insensitive with her prattling, she'd feel pretty bad about that.]

[Either way, there's probably something bothering him. He might not be as willing to talk about it as she might be, but maybe he needs someone to listen too. How does she offer without prying?]

[She thinks for a moment...then she gets up and moves to sit next to him. There! Mission accomplished!]

That's true.

[It's made her realize just how short life is, and how much she wants to experience with the time she has.]

But it makes us grateful for the time we got, too. People like Tatsumaki-chan, like you, helped me not to be bitter about it.

[Her shoulder lightly bumps his.]

Thank you.

Edited 2019-01-20 21:38 (UTC)

[ Hey, that kind of works? It makes him relax a little, smiling back at her. He genuinely did enjoy all of that okay; she didn't seem insensitive at all to him. Also he makes a note to be extra nice to Tatsumaki, because she's clearly awesome. ]

You don't gotta thank me. I thought it was great to hear all of that. I mean, I really just had my aunt and uncle growing up, so siblings sound cool and mysterious.

[Oh! So he didn't have his parents either? She didn't know they had that in common. Her smile brightens, and the thought of Sora being described as 'cool and mysterious' makes her laugh.]

Ha ha! It was a lot of fun! I'm sure other people had a different experience, but... It was really nice having him there.

[She wraps her arms under her legs, relaxing.]

What are they like? Were they strict, or lenient?

[ Hmm, good question. He doesn't have much to compare them to but. ]

Kinda strict, I think? I did a lot of stuff on my own though. Like, getting back and forth to school every day. But that's just normal for a kid in New York, I think. Uncle Ben yelled at me a lot for sneaking out and doing superhero stuff.

Ha ha! That sounds right.

[She hasn't been there for all of Peter's misadventures, but he does strike her as a rulebreaker For Greater Good.]

So you operated with a secret identity? That's awesome! How old were you when you started? What made you decide to be everyone's hero?

[ Pretty much that. Peter is the definition of Chaotic Good. ]

Uh - fifteen? I've only really been doing this for like six months.

[ The reason, though. He goes quiet for a moment, rubbing at the back of his neck. ]

My uncle made me realize how important it was to protect people. I've got all this power, so - if I don't help, then it's kind of my fault when bad stuff happens, right?

Really?! I couldn't tell at all! You make everything seem so easy and natural!

[Even just snagging a wayward dancing ghost with his webs didn't seem like the awkward fumbling of a novice. But what he says after that makes her blink and tilt her head. While she hates to argue anything...and he can guess the reason why after what she confessed about Sora...she's not sure this counts as arguing since he's asking her for confirmation.]

Well...

[She reaches forward to dig out a handful of popcorn.]

That might be taking it a little too far. If someone does something evil, then it's their choice, and the consequences are theirs. They just don't care about them.

But using your power to keep people safe from those consequences is really admirable. You're not getting anything out of it beyond gratitude, while risking and giving so much more. That's why people like heroes so much. They're selfless.

[She grins at him.]

I definitely wouldn't put the blame on you. Especially when all of us have powers we can use, so we can share that responsibility now.

[ Look, he used to be way more awkward about it okay. He's just done a lot in the last six months.

He listens to her response for a moment, rubbing idly at the claw marks on his face. Just. Considering all of that, thinking about Ben. The people he'd fought ... hell, Gwen herself. How much of that had been her choice, really? It had seemed more like she'd been taken over for a moment. He knows Gwen would never hurt him given a choice, so ...

He swallows a bit, looking down. Sorry, Orihime, he can't return that smile. ]

It's a little different for me. I - my uncle Ben died right after I got mine. I couldn't help him.

[She's quiet. She's just studying him, trying to read what isn't said. He got his powers at fifteen, so his uncle died...the wounds are still fresh, aren't they?]

Oh. I see.

[Saying 'I'm sorry' seems...weird. It's not the right thing to say, she's pretty sure. He's been carrying around so much guilt inside of him, hasn't he?]

That's why you said it's your fault if bad stuff happens.

[Did she speak poorly out of ignorance? She's not really sure. All she knows is that she's not in a good place to start dispensing judgment or advice. It's something he'll have to come to terms with on his own. But...maybe she can help him find some solid ground to stand on, so he can deal with it better. When he's ready.]

[She looks at her knees, then back at him.]

I don't know if it's easier for you to talk about what bothers you, or if you'd rather just be distracted so you can work things out on your own time. But I'd like to help. If it doesn't seem intrusive.

[It's a topic that's very personal and very sensitive. She has no intentions of carelessly trampling his feelings under her feet.]

What can I do?

[ There are more details to the story, of course. Details he hasn't told anyone on the planet, not even May - like how badly he and Ben had fought that night, how he'd gone out anyway while still furious at him. And how he'd deliberately stayed out longer out of spite, only to come back and see that werewolf standing over his uncle, claws still freshly bloodied from that fatal strike ...

He shudders a little, blinking back tears. Okay, no, he can't do this. He'd cried in front of Héctor and that had been enough. Whereas Orihime would probably understand more of the story ... but he feels less like he's allowed to unload this kind of thing on her. She's basically the same age that he is. ]

It's - it's just a mess. He shouldn't have died, and - and I miss him.

[ He swipes a hand across his eyes. ]

I don't know if anyone can do anything about it.

Yeah...I don't think that part ever really goes away. And maybe it shouldn't. It's...an expression of love, you know? Missing somebody.

[Poor Peter. He invited her to hang out with him and listen to adventure stories, but somehow it came to this. She lifts her hand, wanting to comfort him, but having no idea what to do or if he even wants to be touched. So her fingers just sort of hover awkwardly in the air before eventually drifting back down to her lap.]

...Just a second.

[She pushes herself up to her feet and races for the bathroom. WOW RUDE SHE COULDN'T HOLD IT FOR LATER? ...And she comes back with the roll of toilet paper. Her nose runs when she cries, so this way he won't have to use his sleeves. She sits right next to him again, and maybe leans in just a touch more to lend him her warmth.]

Anyway, well...it seems like you're doing something about it, honoring his memory by punching bad guys and protecting people. I actually really admire that, especially knowing what you told me just now. That takes real strength.

[ She got him a roll of toilet paper. Oh my god. He - laughs outright at that? Not unkindly at all, he swears. It's really really sweet. And it helps snap him out of him feeling super bad about his uncle too.

He'll gladly take some and sniffle into it. He's not really crying here, but. Well. He could still use a bit of it. ]

I punch a lot of guys. Some really weird guys. Like - there was a guy with a metal bird costume?

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