[Not even the rain can block out the smell of human, especially this human, and at the first hint of her scent, Grimmjow's attention peels away from the storm. Curiosity piqued, he steps into the air and drifts closer. He watches her run for the tree, soaking wet. And he watches her trudge back out into the rain again. Slower now. Looking for something, seems like, though he doesn't have the first idea what it could be.
Ignoring her is his best option. Leaving her to her- whatever the hell it is she's doing, is better than getting involved. He's learned something since the war, and that's that these people are always more trouble than they're worth. But he drops down from the sky anyway, his penchant for getting into trouble overriding his desire to stay out of it.
His hair's plastered to his head, the water dripping form it indistinguishable from the rain, and his clothes are soaked clean through, clinging annoyingly to his body. But he doesn't care, and with a few quick steps, falls in beside her.]
Well? [It's gruff, his voice, but more curious than anything else.] What're you looking for?
[ Straightening in surprise, she glances sideways and decides not to make a big deal out of the fact Grimmjow, of all people, is waltzing up beside her. He looks ... soggy, actually, but she isn't going to mention that. ]
Ah, I'm. [ Gaining her rhythm again, Orihime calls over the sound of the gusting rain. ] I'm looking for my hairpins, they fell out of my bag.
[ For whatever reason, she doesn't immediately assume he's here to make the search that much more difficult. ]
[His glance toward her hair is automatic, but obviously, if she's looking for them, they're not there. Still, he stares at her hair blankly for a moment before looking back toward her face.]
These things important?
[Not that he cares. He doesn't. He's just... Well, he's there now and she's there and he doesn't really know what else to do.]
[ It's more a breath and a sigh than a simple answer, shoulders slumping. Even if she wanted to fib, she couldn't, not when she's terrified they've been washed into the sewage. Her gaze is pulled away from the Espada to the ground, her back put to him without pause for thought - there are more important things to get on with other than being nervous around him. ]
... My brother gave them to me.
[ It isn't that she needs to tell him or expects Grimmjow to sympathise (not in her wildest dreams) but it's why she's in the hurling rain. It's the reason. ]
[This brother of hers is apparently important. He doesn't know why, he's never had a brother, isn't even sure he knows what one is, exactly. Humans have so many names for things, he can't be bothered to remember them all. Hey you and that guy works good enough for him.
But now they're just standing here in the rain and he can feel water trickling down into his boots. He really hates the rain. A huff, and he shrugs.]
Fine. Whatever. I'll help you find your shit. But then you owe me, got it?
[ This is a Bad Idea, she can feel it in her bones. It's either Grimmjow's help or freezing, though. She'd even let him half-strangle her again, as long as she had the Shun Shun Rikka back. ]
Thank you very much. [ Looking around, she points down the road. ] That's the way I came. They're small and blue.
[Turning his head, he looks down the way she's pointing. Right. Small and blue.
A sniff nets him nothing, but he isn't really expecting it to do so. Far as he knows, hairpins don't smell like anything. A faint trace of her, maybe, if they've been in her hair, but he's probably too far away from wherever they are to smell it. He takes a few steps forward, scanning the ground, before he glances back over his shoulder.]
[ Hurrying to his side, leaving him enough room not to crowd his personal bubble, she recommences scouring the ground and drains, ignoring her hair when she kneels down and dirties the ends along with her socks. Determined not to give up, Orihime stands still and closes her eyes, trying to sense any faint traces of her reiatsu in the area. The rain, however, is too much of a distraction. ]
[It's quickly becoming obvious to Grimmjow that these things aren't just lying out in the middle of the road. Far as he can see, and it's pretty far, there's nothing. No glints of blue. No nothing. Pausing in his search, he lifts his head and watches the slant of the rain as it falls. They're probably light if she's wearing them in her hair, which means water could've carried them off or buried them under debris.
His eyes are drawn to the dark, sodden blobs of leaves collecting off to the side of the road, and he walks over to investigate, kicking through them with the toe of his boot. Nothing. But there's plenty more, and he keeps going, mind on the task at hand and pointedly ignoring the fact that he's doing this in the first place.]
[He's not familiar enough with the area to know how far that is, but it sounds far. Still, it's better than doing nothing. Or going back to Hueco Mundo and putting up with some stupid hollow's shit. So okay. He'll tramp through the rain for however long it takes to find these damn things.]
Yeah, all ri-
[Stopping again, he kicks at another clump of leaves, knocking them out of the way. A quick crouch, and he's standing back up and holding out his hand to her.]
[ Her dispirited mood evaporates when he picks up her muddy hairpins, yelping joyfully and clutching them from his hand, holding them tightly in intense relief. Laughter bubbles free and she nods, sitting down on the curb as her stress levels peeter out. So tired. ]
Yes! Thank you so much, I wouldn't have found them if I was alone. Thank you, Grimmjow.
[He blinks, taken aback by her exuberance. Must be some brother. And because he just doesn't get it, he keeps standing there, looking down at her, waiting for everything to finally click. It doesn't.]
Whatever.
[That's about as close to You're welcome as anyone gets.]
[The easiest way to convince Grimmjow to do anything is to throw unfamiliar words at him until he just goes along with whatever it is out of sheer flustered irritation. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do with gels and foams, or what they have to do with the couch, but he hears "get out of the rain" and that's really all that matters.]
Okay.
[A stray thought crosses his mind and his nose wrinkles.]
[ She'll keep out of his way, if that's what he wants. Walking alongside him, she keeps the hairpins in a firm palm, refusing to let them go for a moment until inside her home. ]
Ignoring her is his best option. Leaving her to her- whatever the hell it is she's doing, is better than getting involved. He's learned something since the war, and that's that these people are always more trouble than they're worth. But he drops down from the sky anyway, his penchant for getting into trouble overriding his desire to stay out of it.
His hair's plastered to his head, the water dripping form it indistinguishable from the rain, and his clothes are soaked clean through, clinging annoyingly to his body. But he doesn't care, and with a few quick steps, falls in beside her.]
Well? [It's gruff, his voice, but more curious than anything else.] What're you looking for?
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Ah, I'm. [ Gaining her rhythm again, Orihime calls over the sound of the gusting rain. ] I'm looking for my hairpins, they fell out of my bag.
[ For whatever reason, she doesn't immediately assume he's here to make the search that much more difficult. ]
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[His glance toward her hair is automatic, but obviously, if she's looking for them, they're not there. Still, he stares at her hair blankly for a moment before looking back toward her face.]
These things important?
[Not that he cares. He doesn't. He's just... Well, he's there now and she's there and he doesn't really know what else to do.]
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[ It's more a breath and a sigh than a simple answer, shoulders slumping. Even if she wanted to fib, she couldn't, not when she's terrified they've been washed into the sewage. Her gaze is pulled away from the Espada to the ground, her back put to him without pause for thought - there are more important things to get on with other than being nervous around him. ]
... My brother gave them to me.
[ It isn't that she needs to tell him or expects Grimmjow to sympathise (not in her wildest dreams) but it's why she's in the hurling rain. It's the reason. ]
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But now they're just standing here in the rain and he can feel water trickling down into his boots. He really hates the rain. A huff, and he shrugs.]
Fine. Whatever. I'll help you find your shit. But then you owe me, got it?
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[ This is a Bad Idea, she can feel it in her bones. It's either Grimmjow's help or freezing, though. She'd even let him half-strangle her again, as long as she had the Shun Shun Rikka back. ]
Thank you very much. [ Looking around, she points down the road. ] That's the way I came. They're small and blue.
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A sniff nets him nothing, but he isn't really expecting it to do so. Far as he knows, hairpins don't smell like anything. A faint trace of her, maybe, if they've been in her hair, but he's probably too far away from wherever they are to smell it. He takes a few steps forward, scanning the ground, before he glances back over his shoulder.]
Hey. You coming with me or what?
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[ Hurrying to his side, leaving him enough room not to crowd his personal bubble, she recommences scouring the ground and drains, ignoring her hair when she kneels down and dirties the ends along with her socks. Determined not to give up, Orihime stands still and closes her eyes, trying to sense any faint traces of her reiatsu in the area. The rain, however, is too much of a distraction. ]
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His eyes are drawn to the dark, sodden blobs of leaves collecting off to the side of the road, and he walks over to investigate, kicking through them with the toe of his boot. Nothing. But there's plenty more, and he keeps going, mind on the task at hand and pointedly ignoring the fact that he's doing this in the first place.]
How far'd you walk?
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Not far, a couple of streets down from the school.
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Yeah, all ri-
[Stopping again, he kicks at another clump of leaves, knocking them out of the way. A quick crouch, and he's standing back up and holding out his hand to her.]
These it?
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Yes! Thank you so much, I wouldn't have found them if I was alone. Thank you, Grimmjow.
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Whatever.
[That's about as close to You're welcome as anyone gets.]
Now what?
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[ Hospitality is all she really has to offer in this weird place, in a replica flat. ]
My couch is very comfortable and it would get you out of the rain until it stops tomorrow.
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Okay.
[A stray thought crosses his mind and his nose wrinkles.]
It's not full of humans, is it?
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[ She'll keep out of his way, if that's what he wants. Walking alongside him, she keeps the hairpins in a firm palm, refusing to let them go for a moment until inside her home. ]
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