[closed]

[sacrificar]

Date & Time: Backdated all the way to Halibel's first day in Exsilium
Location: At the training facility
Characters: Halibel & Orihime
Summary: Catching up and looking at Orihime's weapon
Warnings: None planned

Halibel hadn't expected to have found Orihime here, of all places. It was unexpected, but she felt relieved to know that the human had been doing well. With her previous affiliations no longer a factor, the former Espada wondered how the two of them would co-exist while in the city. She held no ill will to Orihime and had no desire in harming or making use of her. To be frank, Halibel was grateful to the human for healing her comrades even after everything that had happened.

She continued to wait, arms crossed and unmoving from her location.

If Orihime was here, then she would be expected to fight as well. Halibel wanted to see the weapon chosen by her. To inspect it, and perhaps learn more about the so-called evolution it seemed capable of.

Comments

[fivetimesover]

Orihime was a little nervous to say the least. While their conversation over the communicator had eased many of her reservations there was still something about meeting face to face. She gripped her saber firmly, it still felt foreign to her even after having it in Exsilium all this time. She still had quite a ways to go to become skilled at it but Halibel had asked so politely to see it and so there she was approaching the training facility, scanning the area for the blonde.

[sacrificar]

Halibel approached Orihime after seeing her, remaining quiet until she was right in front of the human. Having a face-to-face meeting like this... was good. "Orihime." She said at last, taking in the sight of the woman next to her.

"You seem well."

[fivetimesover]

"Halibel-sama"

She greeted the other woman, the honorific coming out almost like habit before she had the chance to wonder if it was even appropriate. She had addressed all of the other Espada with sama, but that was under different circumstances. She decided not to dwell too much on that now though, it was too late anyway.

"Ah, thank you. I'm glad to see you look well too after…everything."

She had left them there, Halibel and her Fracción before they had woken up. If nothing else the closure of seeing her well was worth this meeting.

[sacrificar]

The honorific didn't go unnoticed by Halibel, but she didn't bring any more attention to it. Lingering traces of a past relationship...

"It's only because of you."

Without her, there was little way of knowing if she would've lived to see this day, and the same could've been said of her comrades.

"I am thankful for what you did, Orihime." It was something she had been wanting to say for quite some time. A lingering thought having finally been made reality.

[fivetimesover]

At those words she couldn't help but smile, a warm and happy smile, but she also couldn't let the arrancar think such a thing was ever necessary. Orihime never used her power expecting gratitude but she also knew that between them Halibel probably needed to say it. Still, it was the principal of it all, right?

"You don't need to thank me, I will always mend the wounds as long as I can, no matter what."

[sacrificar]

Halibel nodded in acknowledgement. To have met a human like Orihime, someone who was so willing and dedicated to helping others... Perhaps an encounter with her had been fate at work.

"Your weapon." She said, reminding herself of the other reason for their meeting today. "Show it to me."

[fivetimesover]

"oh, right!"

Orihime reaches to her side and pulls the rapier out of her belt. She still felt so clumsy with it, she kind of hoped it wasn't obvious, especially in the presence of someone with so much skill.

[sacrificar]

She hadn't ever imagined Orihime as someone who would willingly use any kind of sword. Even if it was brief, Halibel could already see the girl's inexperience with it. For something like that, it could mean the difference between victory and defeat, and more.

"Do you wish to be more skilled with it?"

[fivetimesover]

Her eyes widen a little with Halibel's question. Could she read her mind? It was kind of creepy. Nevertheless she replies with one word, her voice filled with resolve and determination.

"Yes."

Skill to protect was the one thing Orihime wanted more than almost anything. She wanted so badly to return the favor paid to her time and time again by her friends, the strength to stand by them in any situation, to not burden them on the battlefield. If she could learn those things here then maybe being in Exsilium wasn't so bad.

[sacrificar]

Power, which was so universally desired, would unsurprisingly be essential to ensuring one's own survival in this city, and the war which it was tied to. Even if participation was refused, there existed those that would wish to harm them, or worse.

Others of her kind would think it laughable, that she didn't wish to see such a fate befall on Orihime. Though ultimately, their views mattered little.

It Halibel's choice to make, and hers alone.

"I can assist."

[fivetimesover]

"r-Really?"

While she was growing more comfortable in the espada's presence, it was still quite strange to think any of them would ever offer to train her. She could sense though, that there was a bond between them and she trusted Halibel would not offer anything she was not willing to give.

"If it's not any trouble, I would be greatful."

[sacrificar]

Halibel nodded. Normally, she wouldn't have ever entertained the idea of offering to give a "human" any sort of training. Though for Orihime, she was willing to make a rare exception.

"It wouldn't be any trouble."

Training her would only improve her chances of survival, as well as supposedly improving the abilities she already possessed.