Karakura High School
<KHS>
As far as high
schools go, this one is pretty average. It's a large blocky building
with three stories in the central section. There's a taller section of
the building where the teachers have their offices located, but
students aren't really inclined to go there of their own jurisdiction.
The grounds are green and well-kept with lots of big shade
trees...perfect for enjoying lunch outdoors on a sunny day. In the back
is a baseball diamond and basketball court, surrounded by a dirt track
for jogging. All of the interesting cast members, however, take their
lessons in room I-3 with Sensei Ochi.
*Ding Dong Ding Dong*
School is out for the day. The old
schoolday routine is a plesent retreat from everything else going on in
Chad's life. Not that he regrets anything, but the days training at
Urahara's, trips through the Gates, and ever other thing that has come
up, it makes him apprecaite little things like Keigo's buffoonery at
Karakura High School.
Chad's leaving the grounds alone
tonight. It's the same plan, go home to change, take care of his
homework, then go to Urahara's for another night of training hard. He
still has a long way to go before he'd be satisifed with his
development. At least Chad has the stamina to endure a schedule like
that, a lesser man would probably be wiped from it all.
"Sado-kun!" The pat-pat-pat of flats sounds on the
school stairway behind Chad, bringing none other than Orihime Inoue who
clutches her schoolbag with both hands. Her sprint slows to a light
jog, then to a trot as she closes the distance between them, offering
an embarrassed sort of smile. "It's late. Can I walk partway home with
you?" She hasn't seen him in a long while, and Chad's so quiet about
his emotions that she tends to worry sometimes. And honestly, since
Tatsuki had karate club, and Orihime had assistant nursing duties for
her part-time job, she could stand a little company.
It HAS been awhile, hasn't it? The
two certainly have gotten caught up in their own duties, personal or
otherwise. "Inoue." Chad greets with his normal inflection. "Sure, it's
ok. I haven't seen you around school as much, I was beginning to wonder
if you were still keeping up with your studies." There's no accusation
in Chad's voice, he's simply making conversation. He knows Inoue's
smart enough to handle her workload, despite all apperances, but out of
sight out of mind, as they say.
He pauses uncomfortably for a
moment, not really sure how to bring this up. "...has there been any
word about Ling?" Sometimes the direct approach works best.
Orihime Inoue's smile dims just a little, and she looks
down at her bag. "Anou...not yet," she replies. "There was a meeting
last night discussing how to go to Hueco Mundo. I'm not sure if we made
much progress, but there are a few things we can try. And everyone
seems very determined, so...I'm hopeful!" She lifts her head and beams
at Chad, then begins moving forward at a casual stroll. The slower they
walk, the more time they can spend chatting with one another.
Chad just has this aura of gentle calm about him that
makes her feel safe. "I still feel responsible for what happened," she
sighs, tilting her chin to look at the stars. "It wasn't safe. I should
have delayed the construction until the shinigami could secure things."
Poor Inoue, always trying to take
everything on herself, including blame. He can understand that, but he
can also understand how it can also lead to a heavier burden than you
expected to carry. Chad just shakes his head slightly. "Don't feel
responsible, there's no way you could have predicted this. And who's to
say that they Ling still wouldn't have been taken, no matter how long
you delayed things? The only ones responsible are Aizen and his men."
He pauses again, slowing down to
match Inoue's speed. No need to rush, it's not like he's pressed for
time either. Plenty of hours in the day. "Besides, I don't think Ling
would blame you either. And he wouldn't want you beating yourself up
over it, so don't let it weigh you down. Just focus on what you can do
to help him."
"Mm...you're right..." Orihime laughs, smiling up at
Chad with an inclined brow. It'll take a little while to accept, but
deep down inside, she knows he's right. "Thanks, Sado-kun. I don't know
why they took him, either. I wish I did. Maybe they needed a
translator, I mean, with all the Xingese spirits, you know?" That's the
only reason she can think of that doesn't make her want to curl into a
ball and shiver.
"Anyway...I'm taking steps to make sure it won't happen
again," Orihime breathes. "I put up flyers asking for volunteers who
don't mind being bodyguards. I can't really pay very much, since the
donations are made by people who want to help others. But I can cook,
and so can Dizzy-san, so hopefully that'll help." She sneaks a peek at
Chad out of the corner of her eye, and she chews her lip momentarily.
"Anou..." He can probably guess what she's about to ask.
Xingese translator? Chad doubts it.
He seriously doubts it. But he doesn't say it, no point in upsetting
her further. From what Chad was able to gather from Aizen, he's crafty
enough that there has to be some greater purpose in kidnapping Ling.
Whatever it is, it can't be good.
"It's a good idea, to make sure you
have back-up. Even without having to deal with Aizen and his Arrancar
there are enough threats from the other worlds out there that being
prepared is a must." He falls silent again, as she explains what she is
looking for. He doesn't reply directly to her last intonation, aside
from "Hmm?" Either he was truck with a temporary bout of obliviousness,
or he's waiting for her to actually make the proposal directly.
Orihime Inoue fidgets a little. She hates asking people
for things like this, since she doesn't want to be a burden, or put
someone out. And after the incident in Shang Zi, she knows it's going
to be dangerous. But on the other hand, she trusts Chad, and she's
always been able to turn to him whenever she just needed someone to
talk to. He's so kind, and so dependable. "I was wondering if
maybe...if maybe you wouldn't mind joining the Relief Society, to help
protect us?" She blushes as she asks it, but really, he can turn her
down if he needs to. So it can't hurt! "I know you're busy with so many
things, but we could really use someone like you. For security, to help
with construction, your music...you're so good at so many things! But
don't let me pressure you, okay?" she smiles up at him. "I'd just...I
would really like it if you could."
Chad knows how Inoue has trouble
asking for things directly, that's why he paused and let her do it.
It's a good thing to be considerate of everyone around you, and to not
want to put them out. But it's also true that people need to trust
their friends to help them when they need it, and to communicate to
them what it is on their mind. Inoue really shouldn't have any trouble
asking Chad for anything.
"Hmm, sounds like you got a lot on
your plate. You always were much more adventurous when it came to those
other worlds than I was." Chad tried to focus on the problems of THIS
world, that's all he really wanted to do. But he can't do that anymore.
Problems of other worlds are coming here, and the problems of THEIR
world are causing trouble elsewhere. The situation with Ling makes that
all too clear. "If you need help, then I'll help you. Sign me up." He
pauses. "And Inoue? Don't feel like you're pressuring me if you need to
ask me something."
Orihime Inoue's face lights up. She smiles widely, and
her wide, dark eyes sparkle once again. "You're the best, Sado-kun!"
And gratefully, she snugs his arm. It's a little unusual for her. She
never had any problems voicing her affection for others, and gave
compliments freely. But it wasn't until the gates opened up that she
began to show it with a touch, or a hug. And she doubts Chad will mind
such a thing. "Hee hee! Sorry, I won't, promise! Thank you so much. I
appreciate it!" More than she can express, she's so grateful to the
young man at her side. "And if there's ever anything I can do for you,
you let me know too, okay? I'm pretty good at mending! Not as good as
Uryuu-kun, of course, but still! And I can try cooking empanadas
sometime, too!" Packed with diced banana and sour cream and ground pork
and peppers...mmmmmmm...
Does he mind? Nah. Though his
posture does stiffen a bit. Close contact like that is still not
something he is used to, even with Inoue around. "Don't worry about it.
Like I said, when it comes to you, or Ichigo, or Ishida, or anyone,
I'll always do what I can."
Mending huh? Well he can probably count on Inoue not
to put another Quincy Cross on one of his shirts, though who knows what
other sorts of liberties she would take. If she's as creative with her
sowing as she is with her food.... Speaking of, she doesn't mention
what she's thinking, but Chad has a pretty good idea. "R-right... well,
someday, sure, we'll see." Chad's bravery has seen him stand up to many
many things, but he doesn't know if he's quite ready to eat Inoue's
culinary creativies just yet...
At least Orihime's cooking isn't toxic, like Akane's.
It's just...highly unusual. It's like eating exotic food, every time
she produces something from the kitchen, as she meshes tastes and
flavors together that were never destined to meet. Like her special
wasabi cookies to help someone clear their sinuses AND satisfy their
sweet tooth when suffering from the common cold. That was a sheer work
of genius, if she does say so herself.
"Again, thanks. I'm really looking forward to working with you!" she
beams at Chad. "So what have you been up to lately? You seemed a little
tired during social studies." She wanted to say something to him, but
it seemed impolite to call attention to it.
Toxic or no, Chad will have to ease
himself into eating Inoue's cooking. But plenty of time to concern
himself with that. "Well, I've been busy in the evenings." Chad admits.
"Ms. Yoruichi found me training myself a few weeks ago, and proposed a
better way. I've been honing my abilities at Mr. Urahara's training
ground, fighting against real opponents instead of blasting away
inanimate objects." He sure IS going to miss the Industrial Park,
though. "The other night I fought Captain Hitsugaya, and had a spar
with Captain Ukitake." He doesn't mention how badly he was beaten,
though. He was just out of breath, that's all! "Some nights I stay a
bit longe than I plan, but I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
Orihime Inoue inclines her head, smiling in relief. At
least he doesn't have anything bad troubling him. She'd like to think
he'd tell her, if he did. "Wow, that's awesome! Urahara-san taught
Kurosaki-kun, didn't he? His skills jumped really fast! I bet you'll be
strong enough to blow up ten buildings with just a flick of your finger
before long! Not that you'd want to, of course," she muses, holding the
handle of her bookbag on the crown of her head with the bag itself
resting on the back of her skull. She can't imagine Chad intentionally
causing harm to anything he didn't have to. "And with that big training
ground, you don't have to worry about the police either... That /was/ a
good idea! Just make sure you get enough to eat." She'll have to drop
by sometime with takeout ramen just to surprise him.
Ten buildings with the flick of a finger? Chad
doesn't need power like that. If anything he's learning to contain his
power and use it more effectively, not waste it all on giant blasts.
He's a bit too much like Ichigo in that regard.
Of course, that's not saying he COULDN'T level ten
buildings by the time this was all over.
Inoue's right, though, Chad's power will never be
used unless it has to be. "I haven't seen Mr. Urahara himself in
awhile, actually. I've mostly been dealing with Ms. Yoruichi and
Captain Ukitake." At least he is finally out of that part-time job
Urahara had him doing for months. Though the extra money was certainly
handy. "Anyway, what about you? It seems like you've been keeping
yourself /too/ busy. Not working yourself tired I hope."
"Not TOO busy, no," Orihime chuckles, feeling cheered
through and through despite the chill of the October evening. "There's
a lot of stuff to organize, but that's not really taxing or tiring. I
just have to think about things more carefully, that's all. I'll write
a rundown of what the group's been up to tomorrow, and give it to you
in class. Our meetings are on the first weekend of each month. I hope
you can make it to the next one! I'll introduce you to the others if
you can!"
Chad nods. "I'll try and be there." He says. Inoue
will probably have to remind him again closer to the date, things like
that tend to slip his mind. Speaking of nearly slipping his mind,
they're about at the street where Chad's apartment is. "Well, I suppose
I should get ready to take care of everything this evening. See you
later, Inoue. Be sure and keep me updated about the Relief Society."
Orihime Inoue grins, and inclines her head. "I will.
Good luck with the training!" she waves. And she definitely feels
better. With Chad looking out for them, what do they have to worry
about? Some might say she overestimates his abilities...he IS only
human. But Orihime would disagree. They couldn't hope for a more
devoted and loyal protector. "And try to get some sleep, okay?"
Otherwise he'll just hide a nap from the teacher by letting his hair
cover his eyes, and everyone with short hair will be super jealous.
If those short haired people are jealous then they
should just grow theirs out too! It's simple. "Yeah. Good night,
Inoue." Chad sleeps, he doesn't get as much as he used to, but he gets
it when he can. "See you later." A devoted protector? Well, maybe she
is overstating it a bit, that's what he would say to her if he knew,
anyway. But she's not exactly wrong, either...
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