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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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?

[She's glad he can laugh. And maybe there's a little part of her that swells up warmly with pride knowing that she helped with that. Maybe he'll heal, maybe he'll carry that with him forever. But she hopes he doesn't lose himself. He's too good, and too kind.]

Really? You mean like supervillains?

[The guy in a bird costume earns a jaw drop. Whooooaaaaa!]

Wow, that's REALLY weird, ha ha! Was it a cool bird at least? Could he fly?

Totally like supervillains. And yeah, it was pretty sweet? I had to stop him from stealing all kinds of daemon artifacts from a plane. Completely crazy.

...Who takes a cool ability like flight and uses it for evil???

[What is this terrible injustice?! She's all the way on Peter's side for this.]

How did you fight him? The plane was on the ground, ne? ...Wait, can you fly too?!

No, no! Of course I can't.

[ A beat. ]

I just hung on with a web until we got up high enough, and then I sort of brought the plane down? It was a huge mess.

Oh.

...

But that's amazing! You beat up a supervillain AND an airplane! You should put that in your profile accolades, it's worth bragging about.

Uh ... I'm pretty sure most people frown on crashing a plane.

[ But he's pleased anyway that she seems to like it. ]

He's not the only dude I fought though. Like - he's probably the biggest I had to handle on my own? I stopped a lot of muggers. And then I had the missions with the Avengers.

[She shrugs a little, smiling cheerfully. He has a point, but she can't really feel guilty about that. He wouldn't be telling this story with enthusiasm if it was a BAD plane crash, after all.]

Wow...I really want to visit New York City, it sounds exciting!

[MUGGERS SOUND EXCITING??? Well...not so much. But she wants to fight crime too, and she would feel pretty safe now that she's friends with a superhero.]

I bet the old ladies miss having you there. Who were the Avengers? More heroes like you?

[ Pls Orihime. On the other hand he's pretty sure she could hug the muggers back or something and make them back down. A hugger. ]

Yeah, they're a superhero group? Technically a Hunter group but like. They're all kind of unusual, like me? The guy who recruited me brought me in cause they were having a huge fight and he needed someone else with actual superpowers.

Which, like, turned out to be super necessary? I got laid out by a dude who was sixty feet tall.

Sixty?! It's not an exaggeration?

[She's so amazed.]

I can't believe no one in the news ever noticed something like that... That was pretty brave!

[The popcorn is going to be nothing but unpopped kernels sitting sad and alone in the bowl at this rate.]

So were they the ones who convinced you to enroll here?

At least, man. I had to swing around on my webs and trip him up. I guess he can turn small too? It looked like a suit with runes on it.

[ He sounds pretty proud about getting knocked out though.

Anyway, that's. Honestly a good question? He pauses at that, brows furrowed. ]

Uh - I guess so? It'd have to be. I just kind of got back from my last mission and then my aunt says I have to go to France.

Just like that? It's very sudden!

[Of course she knows that it sucks to get uprooted from home, but...well, there are differences. He had goals and people he cared about, things he could miss. Nothing else mattered to her without Sora, it didn't matter where she went. He still wouldn't be there.]

But you adapted very quickly. It seems like you fit in here. And I'm glad you came.

Well, I just had like - a really tough mission? I guess they wanted to make sure I was better prepared after that.

[ Otherwise it is really weird, right? To just get shipped off to France. He's frowning now, a hand straying to the claw marks on his face again. ]

I didn't even say goodbye to anyone. Gwen showed up, like a few days ago? And she was really upset.

That's strange...

[Suspicious, even. But she doesn't know anything about these Avengers, she has no way of guessing their motives. More training would make sense, she supposed, but why not enroll him sooner? It's like they want him out of the way to do something he might try to stop.]

[Her gaze moves again to his injuries. She's been wondering about them this whole time, and he keeps touching the marks. Maybe now is a good time to ask.]

How did your face get hurt? Do you want me to heal it for you?

[ It's definitely weird, and he's thinking about it now. But. Well. He's not going to come up with any answers on his own.

He pauses at that, wincing guiltily. ]

I - uh, I got attacked by a bear?

[ Does that work? He doesn't think it will work. ]

...I see.

[Orihime smiles. He's lying, but he has to have a reason for it. She told him the secret of her powers, he told her about his uncle. It doesn't seem like there's much left to hide from each other! So maybe there's someone else on campus like her, who has secret powers, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.]

That must have been scary! I thought maybe you just got scratched by the tree branches from practicing your web swinging in the woods.

[Which is a slightly more believable lie. She's giving it to him. Happy birthday.]

Just let me know if you want it healed. Then I can show you my powers firsthand!

[ Oh. That smile kind of hurts. Now he feels doubly bad for having lied to her, especially since he's reasonably certain he can actually trust her? Heck, she even gave him a better explanation than a freaking bear.

His shoulders slump a little. Sorry, Gwen. If you're mad at him for telling someone, then he'll take the heat on this one. Orihime is too much of a friend. ]

I really don't need it. These marks'll be gone by the end of the week. Usually I heal really fast.

[ He keeps worrying at them, though. Quiet. ]

It's - I said my friend Gwen was really upset, right? She turned into a monster and almost killed me.

That's useful! I won't worry about it, then.

[She definitely wasn't going to push for information, he looks like he's feeling guilty about keeping a secret. Besides, if it were her secret, she'd be glad he didn't spill the--]

[Whoa look at all those beans!]

[Orihime listens, admittedly curious. So Gwen...is a were-person? Maybe this has been bothering him. She doesn't think he'd just tell her for no reason, and they do have plenty of privacy.]

That's even scarier than a bear.

[To have your best friend suddenly lash out like that...]

Are you guys okay?

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