GRAVEYARD

[foundationmods]

[On the instant of your death, you're suddenly outside of your body - probably staring down at the remains it's become.

Yet, you're not alone. For all of you (except Szayel), a young man appears from behind you, his face set into a firm, yet sad, scowl. His shaggy strawberry blonde hair is pretty eye-catching, along with the black and white Shihakusho he wears and the large sword on his back, even as he gently tries to lead you back into the lobby and away from what was once your body. You can still clearly hear and see the living, if you want to try - but they can't see or hear you.

'Welcome to the world of the dead in this Resort,' he says, quietly. 'Looks like you're stuck here with the rest of us.'

He hands you a tablet, just like the one you had before. "You'll need this if you want to keep talking to them,' he explains, looking sad.

It looks like you've passed on, and yet...You still feel like you have a role to play in all of this.]

Comments

[dereban]

[ . . . while she's tempted to punch him for what happened yesterday instead she just gives him a rather concerned look with a single question. This is more important. ]

Are you okay?

[bladeisme]

[He just - looks over at her, and she can tell he looks more upset than he has the entire time she's known him, briefly - before he hides it, slipping his determined mask back into place.]

I'm fine, Inaba. I just need some rest and sleep, that's all.

[dereban]

Don't lie to me. Not right now. Not like that.

[ Her voice is immediate and clipped, although she keeps her voice low to hide arms folded over her chest as she stares him down.

That brief moment is enough for her to catch it - and more importantly. She could tell even without seeing that expression or the way he hides it. His words are enough. Because she's said those same words before, to someone else, so to have them thrown back at her is rather telling. ]

[bladeisme]

[He opens his mouth to protest - but her tone of voice brooks no argument, so he just closes his mouth with a click and looks down, rubbing at his neck silently.

He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't -

Maybe he can just sit in silence for a while.]

[dereban]

[ A part of her wants so badly to just. . . get angry at him. It probably would be so easy to just do that, but instead she just finds herself sighing in exasperation. She's so goddamn tired. ] If you want to talk about it, later, [ because they're around other people, after all, and it's probably A Lot ] . . . you know where to find me.

[bladeisme]

...Yeah. I - I will, Inaba. I promise.

[There's a pause, as he just - can't look at her. She has to be angry with him, right? After what he's done.]

...I'm sorry.

[dereban]

Good. [ Unsurprisingly, Inaba doesn't sound entirely convinced of that, but that might be how conflicted she is about all of this. She knows they have their hearts in the right place, but it still... ] And what are you apologizing for? [ Maybe this should have been a question for 'later', too, but she can't help but ask now as she folds her arms over her chest, digging her fingers into the fabric of her outfit a little uncomfortably. ]

[bladeisme]

....For not telling you what I planned on doing. And - for bringing Akira to this side.

[Because he's sure she knows what he did by now - and that has to be part of why she's acting like this.]

[dereban]

It's fine. [ She slips back on her proverbial mask, clamming her dark emotions shut. It's not right of her to act this way. To feel these emotions, because they're selfish. They're self-centered. They have to focus on what's truly important here. ] What's done is done, and neither of us can change that. [ And she repeats herself, a little more insistently - but is it for him? or to convince herself? ] It's fine.

[bladeisme]

It's not fine.

[He knows what she's doing - he's done it too, more times than he can count. And He doesn't want her to shut herself off from this...from him...when she's upset.]

I knew how you feel about those sorts of things, but - I did it anyway. I'm - I'm sorry, Inaba. I know that's not enough, but - if you want to hit me or anything, I don't mind.

[dereban]

I'm not going to hit you. Not when you're injured like that. And stop apologizing already, I'm not mad or upset, really. I'm really fine, so. . . it really is fine. See?

[ She smiles, but none of that emotion seems to meet her eyes. ]

Besides, there really is no point in getting that way over all this when there's much more important things to deal with, Ichigo.