041308 - The Same Boat
-=[Yellow Hill - Seireitei]=----------------------------------------------------
Golden forever climbing up past the rooftops, the hill is covered knee-high in millions, millions of yellow daisies. They nod and bow to each other and when the wind comes rolling they kowtow to the sun in tumbling waves, praying to the East or to the West or to the nobleman's daughter throwing her blue hat at the sky: to anything at all that lives.
The sun is setting in the west. At least...Orihime's pretty sure it's the west. She never really thought about it before, if the rising and setting of the sun match what they see on earth. She just assumes it is so. With the fading gold of the rose-painted sky, it means it's time for her to rest from her training.
And rest she does, after changing into a clean set of clothes that the shinigami were kind enough to loan her, reclining on her back in the sea of yellow flowers that gives this place its name. Her chestnut hair is spilled all around her like a ginger halo, unloosed as her small spirits take their rest as well in the branches of a nearby tree. They're squabbling about something...or at least Tsubaki is, his voice piping above all the others like an angry cricket.
Orihime turns her head, looking at her empty hand, and the pouch of water next to her fingertips. Her gaze then drifts beyond, seeing the majesty of the Seireitei's buildings, including the white prisoner's tower. How strange to be back like this, now that everything's changed. It's no longer a daring mission of infiltration and rescue, but a chance for Orihime to grow stronger in spirit and heart. ~Thank you, Kuchiki-san...this is what I needed most of all,~ she smiles quietly, taking in a deep breath, then letting it out slowly.
Change did come to Seireitei, and it wasn't happy changes for some. But it did offer the same chance to grow stronger. Shuuhei is trying to seize that opportunity, but it isn't always easy. The end of the day does promise much needed and deserved rest however, along with the promise that he can try again tomorrow.
Maybe. Just maybe he'll be able to actually make a dent in the stack of papers that are piling up on his desk. He tried what Izuru suggested, to hand some of the work over to subordinates who were actually quite willing. But Shuuhei caught up with them and took it back again before they were even out of sight. He knows it's foolish, and they do say pride goeth before a fall. But he just couldn't surrender right now, even if it was something as simple as status reports.
It was during a walk to relax and clear his head that he'd come upon Orihime just finishing up her training. He'd crouched down, not meaning to spy but not wanting to interrupt either. Once she is finished however, the fukataichou plucks one of the numerous yellow daisies and flicks it towards her. Incoming!
He'd last come this way during the night after another long shift of... he can't even remember what exactly it was, only what had happened when he'd found the wounded Shinigami around here. Everytime he recalled the incident, he couldn't help but wonder if it had been a dream, but then he'd reach for the small string of bells that he'd tied to a longer cord, that now hanging about his neck beneath the collar of his uniform. No, not a dream, the bells although soundless, are there.
Hanatarou is glad he's been excused from duties early today, for he can enjoy the natural beauty of the Yellow Hill in daylight and better appreciate the colorful scenery. Oh, but flowers are not all that are out here this late afternoon, it seems. Is that...? Blinking pale eyes, the Shinigami medic looks on ahead and then smiles in recognition. One of Ichigo-san's friends. Oh, and isn't that Hisagi-fukutaichou? The little Shinigami starts over towards them to say hello.
A flower? Drifing towards her face? Orihime blinks, raising her hand to grasp its stem...too late, as it lands across the bridge of her nose. She blinks even more, fingers closed on thin air, and a faint tinge of pink fills her cheeks. "Ah ha ha ha! Missed..." Her hand falls to her face to take up the flung daisy, and she sits up, braced with one arm behind her as she glances around. "Oh!" Her wide-eyed gaze comes to rest on the stylish lieutenant, someone she's seen before, but never met in person. He's a lieutenant, right? She asked to learn their names just in case she ever ran into them. "It's...Hisagi-fukutaichou, right?" she beams hopefully. Because if she got it wrong, she'd be deeply embarrassed!
It isn't hard to spot Hanatarou's forward movements, and Orihime brightens further. Though she's never spoken to this man, she knows him. He helped Ichigo and Rukia! Orihime sits up fully, waving her flowerless hand overhead in the young shinigami's direction. "Good evening, Yamada-san!" she calls out to him. Thank goodness his last name isn't as hard to remember as his first. She can handle /that/!
"...." Well, her reflexes could still use a little work. But maybe those will improve with more training. Or maybe they were slowed from fatigue. Shuuhei will give her the benefit of the doubt. He remains crouched when she looks back and spots him. "Yo." He gives her a wave and a nod of his head to let her know she got it right. "You must be Inoue-san." Even if it is their first meeting, there's not a shinigami around who wouldn't recognize her or the other former ryokas.
Shuuhei stands and glances back at the smaller shinigami. "Good evening Yamada-san." He greets him as well. The 4th division may not have everyone's respect, but Shuuhei knows what an important role they play. His liver depends on them! ...Is he chasing a butterfly though? Oh well, Shuuhei's sure he'll be back. He steps forward and looks thoughtfully across the hill. "You have some pretty strong defensive powers." He comments to her.
"Yes, that's right!" Orihime beams, happy that he knows her name. She didn't really think she was all that memorable. Her role here before was, she thought, very small all things considered. It's nice to know she had some impact, though, no matter how little. "It's very nice to meet you." And it is. He seems very respectable and polite. And he gave her a flower, woo hoo!
She pauses for a moment, watching Hanatarou indulge his inner child...or cat?...as he suddenly gives chase to a butterfly that lingered too long in the meadow. "Ha ha...!" Orihime's fingers find the back of her neck at Shuuhei's compliment, feeling a sudden swell of warm pride inside of her. "You saw that, then? Thank you." It's rare to receive such a nice compliment. She'll treasure it always. "I'm hoping to improve my offense, too. It's a little more difficult, I'm afraid."
He nods and offers a faint smile. "It's nice to meet you too. And defense is important, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Shuuhei knows this first hand, and also as someone who relies a little too heavily on offense himself sometimes. "If I'd had your powers, I might not have these." His fingers trace down the three scars over his eye to illustrate his point. And who knows what that duct ta--err, bandage across his nose is hiding.
"I'm sorry that I was watching without your permission." In spite of his appearance he's not a creepy stalker. Shuuhei glances towards the tree and arches a brow at the high-pitched squabbling. "But it sounds like your division is having disagreements." And speaking of which... "Are the others here as well? The ones you came with last time." Maybe he can get them all together for an exclusive interview! Or maybe not.
Since Shuuhei has her full attention, and she wants to appear respectful, Orihime pulls up her legs and folds them beneath her, hands clasped in her lap. It's a little weird to sit like this on a hillside, but...well, Orihime's sort of used to 'weird.' She settles in quickly. "Oh no no no, it's okay!" she quickly reassures him with a laugh, her hand batting the air before her to dismiss the matter. "I don't mind if people watch, not at all! It just means you can point out any mistakes I might have made, and then I can learn not to make them, and then I won't die a horrible death! Hee hee!"
...Hee hee?
She turns her head fondly in the direction of the tree, bearing a warm smile. "Ah, well, there /are/ six of them. They argue now and then, but they're very close." Just like Ichigo and his friends! She turns back to Shuuhei, following the lines traced by his fingers. Her brow draws inward, and she raises a knuckle to her lip, thoughtfully. Scars... It happened a long time ago, she's sure, but it can't hurt to try, right? And it would be good training for Shun'ou and Ayame, who aren't used at all in her training exercises. "Anou... Hisagi-fukutaichou... If you want, I could try to heal them," she offers.
Then suddenly her mouth falls open in a surprised 'o'. "AH! That is, if you didn't mind!" she quickly recovers, holding out her palms. "I know how precious battle wounds can be, after all!" They're very manly and tough, right?
Orihime's aura is that of a nice girl, Shuuhei noticed that right away. "If you really want to learn, then you're off to a good start." He crouches down again so that maybe his casual posture would let her know that it's okay to relax too. "You're working hard, willing to learn from your mistakes, and you don't have an attitude about it." Shuuhei actually grins at that last part. "You wouldn't believe some of the egos around here." Did she just 'hee hee' her own death? Now that's cheerful. "I foresee a long happy life for you. Those guys too." He nods towards the tree. He can tell that she's fond of the little ones.
That thoughtful look is just a little scary. It's obvious that a smile is her more natural expression. She's hard to read though, and so her offer comes as a complete surprise. "Ehhh?" Shuuhei blinks a couple of times at that. She wants to heal his scars? Once the shock wears off, he actually laughs a little. "Thank you Inoue-san, but it's not necessary." Though he can understand how that power would come in handy for a girl who might be less comfortable with facial scars. "These remind me of some of my friends. I don't regret them." He'd do it all over again, since he's now close to those underclassmen he defended. "Besides..." He leans in a little closer and lowers his voice to an almost conspiratory volume. "Chicks dig scars." Right. "That's very kind of you though, to offer to help a total stranger. I understand now why you risked so much to rescue Kuchiki-san." It's just the kind of girl that she is.
Orihime's expression softens. Such kind words! And they seem like they're spoken honestly, from the heart. It's easy to see that she's touched from the inclined slant of her brow, to the warmth reflected in her dark eyes, to the turned corners of her smile. "Thank you, Hisagi-fukutaichou," she says with a grateful dip of the head. The fact that he's a lieutenant lends his words even greater weight. Her head lifts at his remark about not having an ego, and catching sight of that grin, Orihime can't help giggling. Just a bit! "A long and happy life? That's amazing! I sure hope so! Do you often foresee things?" she asks curiously. Who knows? Maybe he has a fortune-telling hobby!
She laughs brightly at his confided comment. "That's what I've heard!" she nods in vivid agreement. "I haven't really encountered too many men with scars, but I'm sure it's true." Another pause...and another thoughtful look. "I suppose...Zaraki-taichou has very many admirers, in that case." Which conjures to mind a dour-faced Kenpachi, surrounded by squealing shinigami women clasping their hands to their cheeks, flooding the room with their heart bubbles and love letters.
Orihime claps a hand to her mouth, snerking at the image. What a dangerous imagination! At least she has the good grace to lose those traces of levity, and she nods understandingly with a smile. "I bet they're glad you remember them." ...Eh? Why she risked so much? "Oh, well, ha ha...! She's my friend, of course." And Rukia meant so much to Ichigo. There was no way she'd stay at home if her friends were in danger! "Kuchiki-san would do the same for us. She's a wonderful person."
The momentary distraction by the butterfly had led to Hanatarou's abrupt disappearance as he stumbled and tripped over his waraji, the strings of one of them having somehow gotten loose. Lost in the field of yellow, it took a good several tries to restrap his sandal in place without flowers sticking in between them and his tabi, and after what seems like forever, the little black-haired Shinigami emerges from the sea of yellow, with perhaps a flower or two sticking out of his hair. "Ah!"
Now where did Orihime and Shuuhei go to..? Oh, there they are! Getting to his feet again, Hanatarou dusts himself off, although missing the daisies stuck in his hair as he resumes his walk towards them. He smiles sheepishly. "Hisagi-fukutaichou, mmm... Inoue-san," he says, the girl's name popping to mind after a moment. "H-hello..." He bows his greeting to the two, flowers and all.
"Just...hangovers." Shuuhei admits sheepishly. And that's not exactly fortunetelling. More like history repeating. But it counts! Now it's his turn to look thoughtful as he lifts a hand to scratch that spiky black head. Hmm. If she has healing powers, she might be able to do something for what remains of Izuru's injury.
The mention of Kenpachi conjures a similar image to Shuuhei's mind, only all the women look like Yumichika. And though normally brave, that's enough to make a shiver course through Shuuhei's body. Maybe he should've worn a jacket over his sleeveless uniform. He turns his head towards Hanatarou when he gives up chasing butterflies. Shuuhei blinks and just stares at him for a moment. His eyes go from the flowers to the pouch of water Orihime had on the ground and back again. Nah, he just can't bring himself to do it. "Oi, Yamada-san. Staying busy?"
Oh? Is Shuuhei thirsty? Mistaking his glance, Orihime uncorks the pouch and holds it out to the lieutenant. "You can have some! I drank a lot before I came up here," she beams. And while he does that, she can greet the other shinigami.
AND HE ALSO REMEMBERS HER NAME! Wow, Soul Society sure makes for an amazing ego boost! Orihime's never looked so pleased in all her life. "Did you come to train too?"
Hanatarou chuckles weakly at Shuuhei's question, but he bobs his head in reply all the same. "Uhn. It's not hard to keep busy, but thankfully I was able to finish up early." He tilts his head curiously at the vice captain, completely oblivious to what's just gone through the man's head. Looking over to Orihime, he arches a brow upon her inquiry. "Eh? Train?" My, did she look happy though. What did he do? "...what do you mean?"
Shuuhei blinks and leans back a little when Orihime offers the water to him. It's far from what he was thinking but he shrugs his shoulders and accepts it. He just can't take his eyes off the flowers as he drinks. "You know, I'm pretty sure Abarai-san has some fertilizer in his head if you need it for the flowers in yours." He smirks. He knows he'd get slugged for that if the redheaded shinigami was around. But Shuuhei couldn't resist. He lays back against the ground with one arm behind his head. "You're right about that." There's plenty to keep busy with. So much so that it seems overwhelming if one allows it. "Inoue-san is here on a mission to get stronger." Maybe he should put her on the patented 9th division workout routine! "Inoue-san, if you have time, please stop by the 3rd division's fukataichou's office."
Orihime nods, beaming. Shuuhei's got the right of it! And naturally she says nothing about the flowers. They're intentional, aren't they? She heard Hanatarou was a very nice and peaceful sort of person, so seeing him as the sort to adorn his head with flowers isn't too big a stretch.
Seeing how relaxed Shuuhei is, and feeling that she can also be at ease, she shifts to rest on her hip, her legs folded to the side as she absently twirls the daisy stem between her fingers. "Kuchiki-san has been kind enough to practice with me," she adds proudly. And she falls silent, listening to them discuss their own duties. Shuuhei /does/ seem pretty tired. And no wonder...his captain is gone. That means he has twice the duties, poor guy. Perhaps she'll think of something she can do for him. Aw, but all of her things are back home! Maybe she'll find a sewing kit somewhere here...
Wait, what? Third division? The lieutenant? "Yes, sir!" she stiffens her back immediately, snapping a quick salute. "It's Izuru-fukutaichou, right? I'll find him at once!" She doesn't know what FOR, but it's not her job to question! And with that, she starts to her feet.
"Eh?" Hanatarou blinks confusedly at Shuuhei before lifting a hand to his head, brushing the blooms that have tried to take temporary root in his hair. "..ah..." He smiles embarassedly as he plucks them from his hair, but he doesn't simply drop them, as he felt that would be a bit mean, even for flowers. So he holds onto them for now. Glancing between Orihime and Shuuhei now once the latter explains the girl's reasons for being here, the medic nods.
"Oh, I see. You came all the way from the world of the living to do that?" He smiles in admiration. "Inoue-san sugoi. I... I've been wanting to get stronger too..." he admits, glancing down at the ground.
At least the work takes his mind off of other things, namely his former Captain. It's just that he's not good at it. He's good with actions and leading by example, but he never expected that a Captain would be required to spend so much time behind a desk. It's just not his style. But he does it to the best of his abilities, which might not say a whole lot.
"You're in good company then." He murmurs. If they're friends, they'll help each other out. Shuuhei opens an eye to peek at her with when she salutes him that way. She doesn't have to do that, she's not one of his subordinates! But it still earns a faint smile. If nothing else, he's sure she has the power to cheer the blond guy up. "Inoue-san, would you do me one more favor?" There's a mischievous tone to his voice. "Tell him I sent you to sit on his back while he does one-armed push ups." It doesn't dawn on him that they're both naive in their own ways. That couldn't really happen, could it? But it does make Shuuhei suddenly think about something else. The tattoo'd man sits up and looks Hanatarou up and down. "You too, huh?" He rubs his chin. "Let's see your arm." He'll tell you how to put muscle on it!
"Sit...on his back...?" Orihime repeats in dumb astonishment. But...! BUT SHE'S HEAVY!! What if she breaks that person's back?! She struggles to keep the flustered look from her face, though the blood steadily continues to burn a crimson path over her face.
It really could happen.
At least she has Hanatarou to take her mind off of such things, at least for a little while. "Maybe we could train together, then?" Orihime suggests, raising a finger. "I'm sure Kuchiki-san wouldn't mind a break. And it would probably be good for me to fight an opponent with a different style!" She's a little more nervous about using Tsubaki against him, though. Not to say that Hanatarou is weak, but he just has that gentle aura about him, the kind that suggests he wouldn't like to fight anyone if he could help it. She'll just have to use her karate!
Hanatarou isn't quite sure what all this business is that Shuuhei seems to have in store for the Third Division's vice captain, but he doesn't ask, or rather doesn't get the chance to try and ask as the tall Shinigami looks to him again and asks for his arm. "My arm...?" He blinks, looking down at his almost completely hidden limbs, black sleeves obscuring them to the forearms. Slowly he lifts one up, wrist limp, eyes flicking an expectant glance at Shuuhei. Hanatarou's arms are no arms of a fighter, but they aren't completely scrawny for the amount of lifting and other sorts of work that he does as a medic.
While he leaves his arm to Shuuhei's inspection, Hanatarou glances at Orihime again and blinks once more. "Oh... do... do you think so?" Truthfully the suggestion sounds much more agreeable than trying to ask someone from another division. Going to the 11th is almost out of the question, considering how even when he tried to go out of his way to AVOID them he ends up being a victim anyway. That's how he ended up strung up from the eaves of their building once, not too long ago....
Shuuhei reaches out and slides Hanatarou's sleeve all the way up to the shoulder. "Hmm. Not bad." He nods. Better than he expected actually. The sleeve is slid back down in place before he stands up. "That sounds like a good plan." He thinks they'd work well together actually. "Good luck to you both." The lieutenant turns and starts making his way back up the hill. "Break time's over." Shuuhei does his best to try and hold back a sigh at that. "It was nice meeting you Inoue-san. I hope our paths cross again. Take care of yourself too Yamada-san. Tell your Taichou I might drop by for some vitamins or something." He needs to take better care of himself if he wants to continue carrying things on his own shoulders.
Orihime applauds at the baring of Hanatarou's arm! Sure it's not rippling with muscle like Ichigo's might, but it's strong and corded. She can see it clearly; Uryuu's arms are similar. So are hers! But he might not like being compared to girl arms, so of course, she doesn't say anything of that nature. "I'd be really honored, if you wouldn't mind! I know you're all very busy," she smiles, holding her wrist behind her back, the daisy still in her fingers. "Would you mind showing me the way to the 3rd Division? I don't think we ran past it the last time we were here. Ha ha!"
The young medic looks pleased at Shuuhei's remark, and it shows on his face the way his smile is much more confident. He gives a nod, followed by a bow as the vice captain excuses himself then. "Hai! I'll do that, Hisagi-fukutaichou!" He straightens by the time the other Shinigami has gone, leaving Orihime and himself to their own ends.
"Eh? Oh, I can do that..." Hanatarou says as he looks at Orihime, slightly puzzled at the phrasing of her words. Ran past..? What did she mean by that? He shrugs it off, turning and pointing with the two daisies he yet had in hand in the direction of the Municipal District. "The Third Division isn't far from my division," he explains, starting off again, once he makes sure Orihime is following.
Everyone is so /nice/ here! She's sort of glad she didn't have to fight any of them. ...Not because it's practically guaranteed that she'd lose, but rather, she would have HATED it if she'd actually hurt any of them. What a terrible thing, for Aizen to make enemies out of them like that. Thank goodness everything is okay now, at the very least. And to think! She's the only human girl who ever got to visit heaven, AND come back, AND go back again for another visit! If only she could tell Tatsuki, the look on her face would be priceless!
"Oh, thank you very much," she beams, and tucks the daisy in her hand into her hair. That's a good place for it! She takes two steps forward before turning towards the tree. "Okay, guys, time to go!" she calls out. And that's all it takes before six shards of light suddenly zip towards Orihime, settling into her hairpins. Seems they had enough fresh air to last them a while. "Oh? That makes sense," Orihime blinks. Of course! She remembers encountering members from 11th and 12th Division, so they would be arranged numerically, wouldn't they? "Say, Yamada-san...do you think...maybe I could help out there, too? When I'm not training? My Sacred Dual Return Shield isn't getting much use, since it's not a combat ability, and I'd like to strengthen my powers there, too."
Oh, what was that? Hanatarou stops long enough to see the streaks of light go flying back to Orihime at her call. He peers at her curiously, moreso the hairpins that hadn't been there a moment ago. "U-uhn. I'm from the Fourth Division, oh, but you knew that..." he chuckles weakly, what with his division number emblazoned on the back of his medical pack. As they begin to walk, the young Shinigami makes a thoughtful noise at her the girl's question.
"Hm... well... I don't see why not. Um..." He tilts his head to glance sidewise at her. "...what does your Sacred Dual Return Shield do?"
"Ah, well...it heals people!" Orihime smiles sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. At least, that's what she thinks it does. She has yet to discover the full range of her powers, but in time...very soon, in fact...she will. "It tends to be the one I use the most, but I want to get better at it. If I can heal more, and do it faster..." She turns her head forward, determination chasing away the traces of self-doubt that still remain. "I have to be strong enough to fight beside them. All my strength...it's not enough now. So I have to work hard."
Orihime pauses, then relaxes her shoulders with an embarrassed smile at her companion. "That wasn't too dramatic of me to say, was it?" It could have been a lot cornier if she'd actually /tried/ to ham it up.
Oh, so Orihime was a fellow healer then? Then she should fully understand Hanatarou's desire to want to be able to do something more! "Oh, I see! Well, I'm sure Unohana-taichou wouldn't mind you wanting to assist, especially if you're wanting to work on improving your abilities." He smiles, certainly less nervous than earlier.
And to the girl's words of determination, the little Shinigami slows his steps, perhaps allowing Orihime to pass him in that. He stares at her, perhaps a couple of seconds ticking by before he shakes his head at her awkward question that follows. "N-no, no, I don't think so at all!" he stammers, waving his hands in front of him, almost too frantically. He settles down, clasping his hands, and likewise the daisies (he's forgotten about them) in front of him as he looks down.
"I... I want to be able to do that to. To be able to fight to..." He raises his head. "...Ichigo-san and Ganju-san inspired me... when they came so boldly- all of you, when you were seeking to free Rukia-san. I couldn't fight like them... but... I decided want to be able to do more... to not be a burden."
It's a strange moment that passes between them. Orihime gazes at Hanatarou, wide-eyed, amazed that she could find someone who resonated that same feeling of insecurity, and longing to be useful. "But Yamada-san...you never were a burden," Orihime blinks, and takes a step closer to him. "It was thanks to you that Kurosaki-kun could pass through Seireitei through the secret passage where it was safe. And you healed him, again and again. You took really good care of Kurosaki-kun. And you were a friend to Kuchiki-san here, when she had none. You see how valuable you were? And you still are."
Orihime bows, her hair spilling over her shoulders. "Thank you for protecting them, Yamada-san. I will always be grateful to you." And she means it. It's not meant to be a simple pep-talk, or idle words of encouragement. Hanatarou played a very vital role. And he needs to see it!
"...Inoue-san..." Hanatarou blinks, still looking at her with an expression that now very nearly mirrored Orihime's own. His breath catches in his throat as he sees the girl suddenly bow in gratitude towards him. It's certainly an awkward moment, as its usually the other way around! And yet, the girl's words cause a warm feeling to well up within him. The little things, the things that he did only because they were all he /could/ do at the time... He never thought it was that much, and at the time was just happy that he was able to do /something./ He still felt that he could have done more. There were always plenty of 'if only's' floating about, and no amount of reassurance would make them ever completely go away, but this...
"...you're welcome, Inoue-san. And...thank you. That means a lot to me..." The stunned look on his face softens into a truly grateful smile, and he bows in turn, as its out of habit for him to do so, but he really, really does appreciate what Orihime had to say. The two will have to watch it when they stand straight again, given the proximity their bows have taken their heads...
He's...bowing to her? But that's not necessary! In fact, it's the exact opposite of what should be happening! Orihime can't help smiling at the action. It shouldn't, but it does strike her as funny in a sort of ironic way. Two people, both healers, both wishing they could fight like the others and be someone important. And here they are, bowing to each other and pouring gratitude! Orihime chuckles softly, still bowed as she holds her curled fingers against her mouth. Somehow, she thinks they'll be very good friends in the time she has here before she has to go home.
She straightens, but of course, she misjudges the distance between them. And the resounding CRACK! reminiscent of clonked coconuts causes her to stiffen in alarm. Oh NO!!!! SHE'S not hurt, she's got a skull of granite! But Hanatarou?!
Hanatarou pulls up-- but 0.02 seconds too slow! He's not as solid when it comes to taking hits, and even with a minor collision such as this, it catches him off guard enough to send him sprawling right on his back. He fails in trying to offset the sudden overbalance, and as a result he soon finds himself staring up at the sky. "Itetete...." he cringes, hands rubbing his forehead.
At...least...he didn't fall down the hill and into the tree? Orihime would have felt REALLY bad if she'd done that to the poor guy! Nuoooooooo and they were going to be such good friends too! Now she went and /clobbered/ him!
"Ah! I'm sorry, Yamada-san!" Orihime squeaks, following after him with hands stretched out in front of her, distress evident on her flustered features. "Are you okay? You're not bleeding, are you?!" She plants her hands in the grass as she drops to her knees beside him, scanning for injuries. "Sh-should I heal you?"
His eyes still squeezed shut, his whimpers have ceased, or rather given way to uneasy laughter. He doesn't look so much in pain as his lips are quirked in more of a smile, and when he finally opens his eyes again, there's nary a look of upset present. "Eheheh....I-I'm fine, Inoue-san..." he assures, moving to sit up, slowly so that he won't go knocking his skull into Orihime's again. "It's nothing..!" He smiles again as if to prove it.
Orihime smiles. He's used to it? Then he may well be on his way to developing a rock-hard head just like Orihime! She didn't get to be this way all of a sudden, you know, it took a lot of daydreaming and head injuries! "Thank goodness," she laughs, holding a hand below her throat as she exhales in relief. "It looks like we'll be good training partners, then! You look tough!" Her face is suddenly serious as she says it, and she holds up a fist to show just how tough she thinks he is. She places her hands on her knees and hoists herself to her feet, then extends her hand towards Hanatarou to help him up. "Ready to go? I have to help Kira-fukutaichou do push-ups, heh heh!"
...head injuries are nothing to be taken lightly! They could cause serious brain damage... Hanatarou chuckles uneasily as he sits up, although with the fist Orihime suddenly brings up to prove a point, the medic can't help but cringe as if expecting to be hit. But he doesn't, and he really shouldn't have expected such from Orihime. With the hand that's offered him, the little Shinigami takes it and gets to his feet. He's finally let the flowers go at least, leaving them on the grass where he'd landed.
"....uhn!" he nods, grinning awkwardly. "I don't know what Kira-fukutaichou would say about that, but I did say I'd take you there." He moves to take the lead again.
Orihime lets him. It's not like she knows the way, and she's actually quite content to walk to the side and just a few paces behind, her hands clasped behind her back with a bounce in her step. She seems a lot happier here, happier than she's been in a long, long time, as a matter of fact, though no one here would be likely to see that. But she has Tsubaki back, and she's on the road to becoming a better warrior.
~I can't wait to show Kurosaki-kun how much stronger I'll be!~ she smiles, almost laughing at the thought. He'll be so surprised! And then she can protect everyone, all her friends, the people she cherishes so dearly. ~Sorry I'm taking so long, Tatsuki-chan. I'll be home soon. I promise.~ And in the footsteps of the young medic, Orihime follows, her heart singing.