i feel the love, and i feel it burn, down this river every turn

[oyashiromama]

[The trial, as usual, was taxing. It's for different reasons every week, but what it all comes down to is there are fewer of them than there were, and that keeps on happening. The note comes, as it always does, earlier than last week, but still with some delay. There's a note slipped under everyone's door. ...One under Gold's door because of course Silver will be staying there, she knows.]

Please come to the dining room, if you would like not to be alone. There will be food, and there will be some cards and board games if you need a distraction.

- Hanyuu & Elda

[True to that, there are a variety of foods. It's nothing too fancy. Rice, grilled fish, eggs in various styles. ...No creampuffs this time, it seems Hanyuu thought that would be a little in poor taste. Also a bunch of fries? ...Really spicy fries, like incredibly so.

On a far table, board games brought from the games room have been left out, along with many decks of cards.]

Comments

cw: abuse mention

[introspects]

[ seeing watanuki starts to bring orihime to tears, too. she'd never really had a father in her life, only a man who'd abused her and sora, someone who didn't love them like a man should love his children. varric...varric was the kind of father she would have liked in another life.

she gently moves the letter from watanuki's hands and pulls him into a hug. ]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki never had a father either, though for reasons entirely different from what Orihime had been through. He was having the same thoughts as her though: in another world, if things had been different, having a father like Varric would have been good.

He immediately hugs Orihime back, rather than hesitating for a moment like he usually does any time he hugs someone. And when he hugs her, he holds onto her tightly, like he would die if he let go. He's still trying not to cry, but a sob does escape his throat at some point as he buries his face in Orihime's shoulder.]

[introspects]

[ she doesn't let go of him because she's pretty much clinging to him, too. losing varric by itself was hard enough. but...viktor, too? two of her most beloved people here, gone in one day. and then there's what happened with killia, too...

it's all too much. she doesn't want to lose watanuki. if he dies, if something happens to him, she wouldn't be able to handle it. ]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki's not quite to that thought yet, he's still focusing on those who died today. He wasn't as close to Viktor as Orihime was, but he had been nothing but nice to him in the past. And Killia...Watanuki felt like he had failed him. After Christo had died, Watanuki had made a promise to himself to try and keep Killia safe. But that had gone absolutely nowhere, and now he felt guilty about it.

He's not ready to let go yet, but he's trying to swallow down his grief and talk.]

We have to save them. Their souls.

[Even if they're dead, he won't leave them behind. They're going home too, even if it's one final trip for them.]

[introspects]

[ their souls, too, are trapped here; the letters have made it that much clearer. even for people like kira, they all deserve a second chance at life and not be stuck here in this damned building for all of eternity. she nods against his shoulder, still not letting go. ]

We will.

[ and that's a promise orihime wants to make good on. ]

As soon as we find out what's happening, we can save them.

[foundfate]

Yeah. Between the two of us, we can do it.

[Because they can both see ghosts. He doesn't know how many are going to be ghosts by the time they get out, so he might need help keeping track of them.]

Killia needs to go to one of our worlds, though. And probably Christo too. Their world doesn't have reincarnation.

[introspects]

Right. Though...your world may be safer for that, I think.

[ the bleach universe is kind of a scary place to be in. ]

But...I'm not picky. As long as they end up somewhere where they can be reborn again.

[foundfate]

Yeah. And we should figure out if there's anyone else from worlds like that, that don't have an afterlife or a 'next time', so they can get that too.

[introspects]

You're right. We should bring that up at the meeting this week, then...and once we figure out how to send letters, we can write to everyone on the other side, too.

[foundfate]

Yeah. ...or just ask them when we go for them, I suppose.

[introspects]

Mhmm...

[ finally, she seems to have calmed down. she pulls back--not away, but back so she can look watanuki in the eye. ]

Would you like some company for tonight, Watanuki-kun?

[foundfate]

Ah...

[He would. Very much like that, but.

He blushes and looks away.]

M-maybe it would be best to save that for later.

[After they've decided if they want to carry forward with 'them' or not. Because otherwise it might be awkward.]

I-if you don't want to be alone though, Mugetsu can stay with you?

[introspects]

...Oh...

[ right. she... ] I...I'd like to talk to you about that, if it's okay, Watanuki-kun. I...I don't think it'll be anything bad.

[ unless...somehow her decision hurts him, but we'll just have to see, won't we? ]

[foundfate]

I...

[Okay, he definitely was not expecting that.]

Um. Sure? What's on your mind?

[introspects]

[ ah, now she's turning a little red. if she wasn't so sad about today, she'd be freaking out more, but alas. ]

I thought about it on Friday, after investigating. I realized that I've been taking the time spent with everyone here for granted. I...I didn't get to tell Varric-san and Viktor-san a lot of things, because...

[ she'd always assumed they'd be there the next day. ]

...I don't want to take you for granted and waste any of the time we have together here, Watanuki-kun. So...so I've decided to accept your feelings. I can't say that I can erase my feelings for Kurosaki-kun--but if that won't be an issue to you, then...

[ ...we can try. ]

[foundfate]

I...

[This feels kind of wrong to talk about right after three people died and all, but her words have some truth to them. They don't know what tomorrow could bring here. One of them might be the next one to die, and the one who lived would have to carry that burden.

So even though he feels a little guilty about it right now, he nods. Because if they only have today, then why not?]

Alright. I, er... if things change, or it's too difficult to do when we get out of here, then I'll understand. But until that happens, okay.

[They can try. It might not work out, but they can at least try.]

[introspects]

[ it really isn't appropriate, is it? in all honesty, she hadn't been expecting to have this talk with him right now, but things happen.

sometimes...sometimes you can't take any chances. she is not going to take any of those with him after this. not anymore. ]

Alright.

[ she gives him a soft, sincere smile; the feeling of having your affections returned is...calming. nice, therapeutic. she can't say that her feelings for watanuki are as intense as the ones she has for ichigo's, as much as she's trying to shove those down, but she holds the same belief and the same sentiment.

right now, though, ichigo's not quite in the picture in this very moment. it's watanuki. but...the realization of what next is starting to hit her, and she's turning red in the face again. ]

...So... Should I...stay here, then?

[foundfate]

Yeah, I. Sure.

[That's what couples did, wasn't it? Held hands and kissed and stayed together. He's been sharing a bed with Silver for the last week, so sharing one with her would make sense.

Oh, but now he's thinking of that. Damn.]

I have to figure out what to do with Silver though. I don't think all three of us are going to fit in one bed.

[introspects]

O-Oh, right! Silver-kun...

[ ah, that's not fair to him at all. he lost gold, and he's still having a hard time, she imagines. ]

That's okay, then. I can stay somewhere else--aah, I should probably stay with Vanille-chan...

[foundfate]

No, it's alright! We can work something out, I think. Maybe being in the same room would be enough for him? I bet if we push a second bed into one of the rooms, that would work.

[And it would be slightly less awkward than all three of them in one bed. Still pretty awkward, but slightly less so.]

[introspects]

Would he really be okay with that? Doesn't...he know?

[ she just doesn't want silver to feel awkward or anything?!?! ]

[foundfate]

Inoue-san, what do you think he and I were arguing about right before all of you showed up?

[introspects]

...I don't know?

[ SHE REALLY DOESN'T ]

[foundfate]

[...he really should have expected that, he knows what kind of person Orihime is, this really shouldn't have surprised him-]

He was telling me that I should tell you about my feelings, because I would regret it if anything happened to you. And I was telling him it was a bad idea, because of a lot of reasons.

[introspects]

Oh...

[ oh. so. that's....what happened? she's turning even redder now, all the way to her ears-- ]

...How do you feel about telling me, now?