(Untitled)

[babyviper]

With the sun setting in the horizon, O-Ren sprinted up over one of the hills that overlooked the long grasses. While she wasn't exactly in love with the fuchsia running shoes, she'd been able to find a simple black tank top and pair of shorts. Her hair pulled back into a sweaty ponytail, she hardly looked the quiet, collected girl she'd been for

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[noonelaughed]

Back when Chris decided that he wanted a pet toad, he hadn't really taken into consideration all the fucking work that goes into it. Fish are easy, give them a bit of food, a few flakes, and they're good for ages. But with a toad, he's got to actually go out looking for food. He's got to actually dig up bugs and worms and shit.

That's what Chris found himself doing that evening, hoping to get enough for Anwar before it's too dark to see anymore. He's nicked a bowl from the compound, and at the moment, it's full of dirt, a few beetles and worms, and he's put a plate on top of it to make sure they all stay in. He's on the trail of what he's pretty sure is gonna be an anthill when he comes across the girl in the grass and sto.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," Chris says, holding one hand up in surrender, "Don't mind me, just keep layin' about with... with your swords."

Now that's something he doesn't see every day.

[babyviper]

O-Ren gazed up at him for a moment, her breath coming slow and easy. "What's in the bowl?" she asks, and then with a backwards press of her hands and a kick of her legs, she kips up to standing.

"You don't need to worry about the swords. You look pretty harmless to me," she added.

[noonelaughed]

Chris looks down at the bowl in his hand, almost as if he's forgotten he was holding it in the first place. "Worms, bugs and shit, mostly. Bit of dirt." He realizes then how mental it sounds, then figures he'd better explain.

"See, I've got this pet toad, yeah? And, he'll eat most anything, but all of this is probably better, you know?"

Though, he was pretty sure that someone had probably fed him one of Effy's brownies during the party, but that probably wasn't a good thing for toads to have on a regular basis.

[babyviper]

"You're out here to hunt for food for your pet toad," O-Ren repeated, head tilting. "I can honestly say that's not what I expected to hear." She looked more carefully at the bowl.

"Some vegetables too, don't you think?"

[lonewolflives]

"One of these days I'll manage it," Arya said, hands not on her own swords but loosely wrapped around herself, as if she was cold. Not that this place ever was, except inside her head.

She regretted the phrasing immediately. One of these days. You couldn't rely on a thing like that.

[babyviper]

"I can't help that your presence so excites me," O-Ren murmured up from the grass, now in a haiku sort of mood. She reached up with one hand, beckoning. "Sit with me?"

Having run out her energy just before, she was actually... mellow.

[lonewolflives]

Well, that didn't help at all. Arya looked torn for a moment, and then sank to the grass, crossing her legs under her, pushing her swords out of the way.

"You seem pretty contented," she said, the words touched with just an edge of envy and bitterness.

[babyviper]

O-Ren sat up slowly. "But you don't," she said carefully. "Is something wrong?"

[badblood_rising]

When Sam caught sight of O-Ren walking along the path, he half-jogged to catch up with her. His longer strides would have taken care of the distance easily at a slower pace, but he didn't want her to disappear from sight like she sometimes did. With things the way they were with Dean, Sam knew he couldn't be the only one who noticed. He just wanted to make sure O-Ren wasn't taking it badly. Or not too badly anyway.

"Hey, O-Ren," he called when he was within a few feet of her. "Where you headed?"

[babyviper]

When O-Ren glanced back at him, there would be no denying that something had happened. Her eyes were pink-rimmed and there was a single salty track down her cheek.

"Home," she said. "I just want to go home."

[badblood_rising]

The look on O-Ren's face shocked him, his feet stuttering to a slower pace when he'd caught up with her. She was so quiet, so discreet usually, he figured something big must have happened to shake her up.

"I can walk with you?" he offered, not wanting to bombard her with questions just yet. "I was headed there, too." Sort of a lie, but not enough of one to be noticed.

[babyviper]

"Arya broke up with me," O-Ren said numbly, not really feeling the separation between what she should and shouldn't say anymore. "For no more reason than that everyone dies or disappears someday."

She kept walking, but slowed down so he could join her. "She's the only one who knows, knows everything." The rest of the ramble was in Japanese, soft and stilted.

[weary_head]

Old coffee warmed over the fire tastes pretty much like shit, but it's been a lifesaver in the last month, particularly when Dean needs to turn his hangover around on short notice, or speed sobriety closer to within reach. It's no worse than the burnt offerings of late night diners, but still Dean's mouth sours over his mug, lips still twisted when he pushes through the front door and all but falls over O-Ren sitting there.

"Jesus," he says, picking his foot up again, mere inches from O-Ren's fingers. "Thought you were training."

[babyviper]

O-Ren kept her face turned down. She hadn't bothered to change from her running clothes, except to kick her shoes off a few yards away. "I was. I did." Her voice was very low.

All of it hurt, everything in her body, but there was a fear there too. If O-Ren looked up at him, she might not see his face. And that-- that was the one thing she could not do again.

[weary_head]

"So why'd you stop?" It's not like her, not O-Ren who pushes herself far past the point Dean thinks is healthy sometimes, and he sits down next to her ont he steps, bumping her shoulder with his own.

"O-Ren?"

[babyviper]

O-Ren swallowed hard. "I just saw Arya," she finally admitted. "She-- she broke up with me. She doesn't think there's any reason to be together," and despite all of her efforts, her voice cracked there, "when everyone dies or disappears."

Fucking Duo.

O-Ren hadn't even known him, but she'd be ready to kill him again.