This is the scent of dead skin on the linoleum floors.

[leekspin]

Who: Orihime Inoue, Alice Hartsen, Augie Farks, Dr. Holiday, Lelouch vi Britannia, Rex, OPEN
What: After getting beat up by trees, Orihime recuperates in the medbay. Also, she turns into a monster and tries to kill stuff.
Where: Medbay - Northern District
When: May 30th, 2011 - Morning (a little backdated)
Warnings: Violence, probably!
Notes: I'll

Comments

[leekspin]

Orihime's steadily drooping eyelids received a metaphorical second wind at the sound of the knocking, swimming open again and blinking blearily for a few moments. She lifted her head, hair clinging messily to the pillow, and smiled when she caught sight of a familiar face.

"Alice-san."

She wrestled herself up to a sitting position, keeping the sheets pulled up to her waist so her legs were still covered. She hadn't been expecting visitors, which made her that much happier for the surprise. More than that, her friend was unhurt, so that was one less person for Orihime to fret over. And she brought flowers!

"...Flowers? Wow...! They're super pretty!" she beamed, albeit with a little more weariness than she usually displayed. It made her wish for the flower book that V had given her, so they could discover the secret messages they held. Of course, the book's definitions were much different than a hedge witch's. It claimed that the pink roses stood for friendship and happiness. Orihime hadn't studied the other ones to know what they meant, however.

[aliceofcups]

Skittish and frightened and uncomfortable, yes, but thankfully not hurt. Alice had remained in the museum, well, hiding in the museum, since she moved there and certainly while the monsters are about. It had taken an Evo damaging the building to convince Alice to let the scary masked man called V, in whose home she has been more of a haunt than a houseguest, to help her get to somewhere more protected. Who knows, she might not leave the Medbay when this is over.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think to ask before, but, um, you aren’t allergic, are you?” The hedge-witch doesn’t think the other girl is, but the polite thing to do is to ask before putting the flowers where their scent can reach Orihime. Alice offers, as she enters the room and finds a nice level place to set the vase, pausing to adjust the blooms, “I hoped you might like them.”

[leekspin]

"I don't think so," Orihime confirmed, shaking her head. "I've never had a problem before, anyway. You're so nice, Alice-san, thank you very much! I love them!" Just looking at them cheered her up immensely, enough that she could shove aside thoughts of discomfort for the moment. She was deeply touched by the thoughtful gesture. When this was over, she'd have to bake something really special for Alice.

The light scent carried over to her soon enough, and she breathed it in deeply. Flowers always smelled so much better than hospitals. Not that she didn't like Ratchet's medbay, but that sterile scent (or lack of scents thereof) never carried any positive feelings.

She looked around the room for a chair, and seeing none, drew her legs closer to her chest to make room on the bed. "You can sit down if you like. Are you doing okay?"

[aliceofcups]

“The least I can do, really.” Alice blushes happily, “Everyone ought to have flowers, especially if hurt.”

The witch settles on the edge of the bed, turning to keep herself looking at her friend. Alice smoothes her skirt and then fiddles with a bit of string on the edge of her shawl, mostly just one of her nervous habits. “I’m fine, really, nothing particularly exciting.”

“I’m more worried about you, honestly. How are you feeling?”

[leekspin]

"I think so too!" Orihime laughed. "I just don't usually get them from someone else." Which was why she kept looking at them happily, unable to keep her attention diverted from the vase for too long. She hugged her knees, leaning back against the metal bedframe to keep relaxed and comfortable.

There was a time when she would have just waved off Alice's concern and given a false report that she was fine. She didn't like worrying people unnecessarily. But little by little, she was finding it easier to open up to those who were kind to her. Maybe it was because they did the same for her.

"Well...it's weird, I guess," she exhaled, trying to think of how to describe it. "I'm always hot and thirsty, and I'm kind of achey whenever I touch my arm. I've never been sick before! But I guess anything's possible in Nautilus, ne? Ha ha!"

At least it didn't hurt to laugh anymore, she was VERY thankful that her bruised ribs had been fixed.

[aliceofcups]

“Is there anything I can get you, to drink, I mean?” It would be rather easy to make tea or a minor potion, though Alice wouldn’t want to interfere with any medications that Orihime might be on. The hedge-witch looks over the other girl carefully, worry clear in her eyes, but not an urgent concern.

[leekspin]

"If it's not too much trouble, then water please!" Orihime grinned sheepishly. Even Bending was difficult for her at the moment, and physically exhausting. While she could still make food for herself when she needed it, sometimes she felt like she was expending more energy than she gained, and it just didn't taste right. Orihime wasn't sure if that's because she was messing it up, or because her perceived illness was making things taste odd.

She rubbed the back of her head, then loosely wrapped her arms around her knees once more. It was probably best to talk of other things, she decided, that didn't revolve around monsters and fevers. Alice looked pretty worried as it stood.

"So how are you adjusting to Nautilus?" she asked. "Have you made any new friends since coming here? Did you find a place to stay?"