genessia | Whatever You Do, I'll Do It Too

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Whatever You Do, I'll Do It Too

WHO: Adam Taurus and Orihime Inoue
WHAT: Orihime wants to see Vale so she can understand better the tensions between humans and Faunus. Adam accompanies her. She does not break into people's houses so she can stare at them and make observations.
WHEN: May 3, 2014
WHERE: Vale Archway - Fayren

Orihime waited outside the Archway, wearing a bright yellow raincoat and galoshes with good thick soles. Her floral skirt covered her knees, slightly spattered with rain water. The newspaper had said the weather would be good on Saturday, and it was, but she couldn't resist dashing through a good puddle now and again. Besides, weathermen weren't always right, so she wanted to make sure she was well dressed in case the weather took a turn for the worst.

She could see the city of Vale through the large stone Archway, and she had to admit, it was kind of fascinating to see a completely different world, then look behind the archway and see nothing at all. How did it work? Were they teleported to a different location when they walked into the archway? Was it just a magic illusion?

As time passed, she found herself growing more eager to test out her theories. But Adam would be here soon, and she didn't want him to find her running back and forth through the archway lest he think she wasn't taking her declaration seriously. The idea to visit Vale and see for herself why Adam hated humans so much was an impulse that popped into her head on the day of the cherry blossom viewing. She knew he was struggling with his old prejudice and hatred, and he'd done an admirable job adapting in her opinion. But it didn't seem fair to expect him to overcome everything on his own like that. She needed to see things from his point of view. Maybe the humans from his world really deserved to be hated. That was why she had to see, and he'd offered to go with her.

She was a little grateful for that; it would have been embarrassing if she wound up getting lost.

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"Yes I am!" She beamed at him as he approached, her restless energy no longer being dammed up by patience. She was more than eager to explore a new world. She used to do this kind of thing all the time when she was an Angelii, so she was a little excited to take up the expedition.

But for serious reasons. Mostly.

She noticed that he went armed, and her smile faded a little. People didn't get violent in there, did they...? She hoped not. Orihime wanted to learn more about this place, but she still hoped for peace and civility. After all, the Archway was just a reflection of his true world, right? Maybe things had improved while he was here.

"Is it okay if I go first, or is it dangerous?" she asked, all but a heartbeat away from charging right into Vale.

...She seemed unusually fired up about this. Adam raised an eyebrow, his confusion was obviously hidden behind his mask however. He gestured towards the portal with his free hand.

"No, it's fine. Wilt and Blush just always stays with me, that's all," since he could tell she was worried due to his weapon behind at his side.

"Ladies first."

Orihime smiled. If he was letting her go first, then he probably didn't anticipate any danger.

UNLESS HE'D BEEN PLANNING TO FEED HER TO THE GRIMM ALL THIS TIME! D8

She approached the Archway, held her breath as if she were about to submerge, and leaped into the new world.

Orihime landed easily enough, brought to the outskirts of the main city. She looked this way and that. There were no riots, and nothing was on fire. That was a good sign, right?

A red petal drifted down to land on top of her head, cast by the flaming red trees that ran over the hills.

"Where should we go first, do you think?"

Aaaand Adam jumped in as well! Landing perfectly, he just looked around. Oh. This is-

"The forest of Forever Fall. This is just outside the main city," and also a place he knew too well. It was where him and Blake had infiltrated that train, and it was also the last time he had gone on a mission with her.

Adam was already moving, walking away from her in the opposite direction. He knew exactly where to go.

"This way. The city shouldn't be too far away."

"Huh? Oh! Coming!" She had to tear her eyes away from the beautiful forest, stunned at the flowing shards of crimson that fluttered in the air. She had to run to catch up to Adam's long-legged stride, and the leaf that landed on her head tumbled down her hair to be swept up in an errant breeze.

"It's really pretty so far," she commented, glancing up at Adam. "Are all of your forests like this one?"

"Some.... there's another one in the vicinity, named Emerald Forest. It's not the same color as this, it's the typical green that you might be used to seeing. Forests like these though, are filled with Grimm."

...Did he ever tell her about those?

"Grimm are.... monsters. They serve no other purpose other than the fact they're here to kill. There are many different types of Grimm, mostly they resemble animals. For example, there are Ursa in these woods, and they look like a giant black bear with a white and red mask. Some of the larger ones even have spikes."

This might be the most Orihime has ever heard him talk, but it was just about the random facts of his world. He told her all these details as they walked towards Vale, he knew the path to get there fairly well so it shouldn't take them too long.

"That sounds pretty scary!" she said cheerfully.

Obviously someone had been fighting monsters for far too long, if she had that kind of reaction to his news. But she'd fought Hollows, and zombies, and Shadows. She wasn't all that phased by the thought of fighting a deadly creature in mortal combat.

"Do you live in the city?" she asked, curious. "Or do you have a hidden village in the trees?"

Guess which answer she was hoping for.

Ah, well. He looked down at her as he spoke, "I'm with the White Fang, we have our own headquarters. Nothing like hidden... villages."

What even, Orihime.

But as they walked he knew that they were getting closer to a clearing. Sure enough, as they approached another cluster of trees, he pushed back a branch and there was a cliff that overlooked the city. Adam walked over to the ledge, looking down at it.

"And here's Vale," ...actually, he could jump down just fine, but he wondered about her.

She could jump! She'd just...have broken legs as a result. It was the landing she'd completely botch. "Oh. That's too bad." She'd had a treehouse village she'd built herself with Bending, and it was something she'd been very proud of. Headquarters sounded official and cold. That wasn't a place to call home at all.

Orihime peered down over the ledge, admiring the city. "It looks so peaceful from here."

But they both knew that wasn't the case.

She took a few steps back, and began skirting the ledge to see if she could find a pathway down.

It looked peaceful, but he didn't think of Vale as being very peaceful. Down there, it was filled with humans, and he knew what they thought of him. He didn't feel nervous or anything, but he was simply curious as to what Orihime would think of them all.

He watched her as she tried to look for a pathway, but Adam just sighed a bit. He walked over to her, a light hand on her shoulder.

"I have a way down," er... how does he go about this, "I can carry you."

She was just about to turn around and start dropping her legs over the side, but the light touch on her shoulder gives her pause. Carry her...? Red started to fill Orihime's face at the very thought; some habits died hard, and though four years had passed since Ichigo had hoisted her sixteen-year-old self over his shoulder, she was still self-conscious about her weight.

"Th...that's not necessary! I'm heavy..." It was embarrassing to admit.

In all honesty she was under 110 pounds, but compared to her other school friends, that was pretty heavy.

Heavy?! Actually, if only Orihime could see what Adam's eyes did at that. They were wide, his eyebrows raised, but she might be able to see him glance her up and down. No, he knew that she couldn't be heavy, not at all.

"Usually this is said to me, but-" he smirked, already moving to pick her up, "don't be so dramatic."

Adam brought a hand to wrap around her back, his other hoisting up her legs so he was carrying her bridal-style now. Just as expected, she wasn't heavy at all, he could handle carrying her.

"Just one request. Hold on tight," because Adam can be a bit of a show-off when it comes to maneuvers like heading down a cliff.

"Heh?! Wait--ACK!" Orihime gasped as he effortlessly swept her off of her feet in a very literal way. She was a long ways off of the ground, and she was more aware of just how tall he was as she looked down. Instinctively she'd clutched at his shirt, and now that she realized it, she forced her fingers to relax. The redness in her face had only intensified, despite his admonition not to be dramatic. She couldn't help it! It was embarrassing!

At least he didn't seem to mind, and he hadn't made any grunts of effort or strain...

"T...tight?" she blinked, and glanced back at the cliff they were standing on top of.

Oh. YES. HOLDING ON TIGHT WAS A GREAT IDEA! Orihime quickly put her arms around his neck, her body tensing as though to make herself as small and light as possible in his grasp.

Good, at least she was holding on properly now. Adam was a bit of a show-off, and it was showing right now especially. He chuckled lightly, then he looked over at the cliff. In an instant, the Faunus dashed towards it and jumped right off of it.

But, this wouldn't be Adam unless he did some sort of flashy move. In the air he quickly did a front-flip, landing gracefully and in a crouched position. It was easy for him to do something like this, jump and free-fall and land without any problems.

"There," yeah he felt good about that, being all dramatic and all. Adam stood, letting go of her and putting her back on the ground. Unless he traumatized her or whatever.

"And you weren't heavy at all."

Edited 2014-05-12 22:58 (UTC)

Orihime's hair was a comical tangled mess when she finally pulled her face out of his shoulder, blinking. To her credit, she hadn't cried out or shrieked. The only reaction she had was to knot his clothing into compact wads. She trusted him not to drop her, and that he knew what he was doing when he executed a flawless flip.

But it still wasn't until they landed that she actually bothered to breathe again.

She wobbled a little as she stood, smiling wryly. "That was actually kind of fun!" Orihime's smile widened, and her blush deepened in turn at his parting comment. "I'm glad your arms didn't fall off, then." Honestly, she was a little charmed.

A++++ would jump off a cliff with him again.

"To the city?"

FaunusBay type review.

But, he nods at that, standing up properly now. They were just outside the main city, the streets weren't too far away from them now. He walked with her, heading towards Vale once more.

Even as they made their way towards the city, there people out and about on the path they were walking on. Morning strolls, jogs, training drills, all that were going on around them. The people that passed them already stared openly at both Adam and Orihime, some even made a point to jog clearly around them. Adam didn't seem to be bothered by this, he was used to it by now. A couple people going by paid them no attention, they thought it was fine, but what he picked up on was what an old lady said to her husband as they walked by.

"That's a White Fang Faunus... isn't it? Do you think he has her hostage?"

That wasn't what she expected to hear. And while she didn't like hearing people make those kind of blind assumptions about Adam, she could also understand the lady's concern. She wanted to put the rumors to rest, without shaming an elderly woman. She knew the best way to handle the situation!

With a cheery grin, Orihime hooked her arm with Adam's. "Ne, we should get something for lunch while we're here!" It was important to see how he was treated in public settings, though she did wonder if he'd be treated as an ordinary Faunus, or a member of his White Fang organization.

"What does the White Fang do, anyway?" Orihime confided in a whisper, as long as they were close.

....? What is she- Adam looks down at Orihime, about to yank his arm away, but then he notices the whispers around him. They seem to gasp when she suddenly does that, and the rest of them move away. Oh well, at least this way they won't be bothered much. He goes back to looking ahead of him as he walks, getting closer to the city.

"Alright... we can do that," she seemed to be having fun. But at that kind of question he's quiet for a bit, trying to debate how to answer her. The truth, he figured, would be the best.

"The White Fang is a group of Faunus that are fighting for more rights. We used to be a small group that simply took part in protests and boycotts, but about five years ago we switched leaders. Peaceful protests turned into more... organized crime. Kidnapping, assault, setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking trains that used forced Faunus labor... even murder of certain individuals. I wasn't entirely opposed to it either, mind you. I would rather they fear us. I've taken part in plenty of hijackings and such."

Well, he wasn't even trying to hide what he had done, "and not everyone agreed with that, which is why... some left."

Like how Blake did.

"Oh... I see. That's too bad." She was glad he'd been honest with her, at least, but her heart still sank. Those kinds of things weren't right, but neither was it right for people to treat the Faunus as they had. It was just an ugly situation all around, it seemed. And there was war.

She fell quiet, but didn't let go of his arm. Instead she just squeezed him a little tighter.

Adam didn't seem like an evil person at heart, so she had to wonder just what he'd been through that he would be pushed into what sounded like outright terrorism.

Well, she'd come to learn for herself, and she was resolved to do just that, no matter how ugly it got.

He had planned on her reacting like that, but there was still a part of him that felt a little.... bad, for whatever reason. That was odd, that never happened, he never felt a damn thing for any human before. So why did he feel... guilty, all of a sudden?

No, he wouldn't allow himself to feel that way. It was just how she squeezed his arm, that was all.

"...We're nearly at the city," they were at the gates now, about to enter into it. It was very vast, many tall buildings around and banners all over the city.

Orihime tipped her head back. She had to admit, the city itself was beautiful. She openly admired the architecture, and how bright and clean it seemed to be. The air smelled surprisingly good, but then again, that was to be expected when machines ran on Dust and not petroleum or coal.

"It's nice so far!" she remarked, relaxing a little. Then she glanced up at Adam. It was hard to say how he was feeling when all she had to go on was the shape of his mouth. Which was unchanged.

"Are you nervous?"

A slight chuckle leaves him, but it's more of a bitter laugh if anything.

"As if I would be," they should be nervous of him, honestly. He might need to be careful though, the White Fang isn't exactly a legal group. He doesn't want to get arrested here or anything, that could be problematic.

But, as they walk into the city it seems as normal as ever. This is Vale, after all, there are plenty of people walking about and doing their own things. Shopping, talking, setting up fliers and banners- there are far too many humans but they all seem to be doing their own things. Adam felt uncomfortable being around them, but it wasn't anything he wasn't to at this point. Still, there were tons of stares between Orihime and him, and especially at his weapon as well.

"What do you think, so far?"

While Adam felt uncomfortable, Orihime was starting to relax and smile. Maybe people were staring, but it wasn't as if she minded. She got stared at pretty frequently back home, too. From what she could see, things actually looked very peaceful. Set aside the fashions, unusual machines, and the occasional person sporting armor and a weapon, this could have been any town at all in the world. People were just that: people.

"I know it's just a copy, but I really like it so far!" she responded. "It's definitely bigger than the town I'm from." Unless she included ALL of Tokyo and ALL of its suburbs. But she didn't.

She must be from a small town, then. Adam nodded, letting her know that he was at least listening to her. As they kept on walking he glanced around, now trying to maybe find a place to get some lunch. Just as they rounded a corner he spotted a cafe a ways away.

"There," he pointed over to it as they walked, "we can-" ....oh.

As they got closer he watched as a young Faunus boy got kicked out of the cafe by the owner. It was hard to tell, but with those tiny ears and tail, he could see that he was a weasel Faunus. Adam tensed suddenly when he watched what was going on in front of them, he even pulled his arm away from Orihime, his pace becoming a little quicker.

But the boy had been shoved out, no food allowed, and no service either. He had tried to protest but it was no use, and he simply sighed and turned around to leave.

Well!! This wouldn't stand, not if Adam (and possibly Orihime) had anything to say about this.

Oh! CUTE! Maybe it was just the culture she was from, but she couldn't help thinking the ears and tail were absolutely adorable. Rude that he was shoved out so firmly, though.

She could feel Adam tensing, and she relaxed her arm when he abruptly pulled forward and away from her. Quickly she moved after him, unsure how he was going to respond. Hopefully things wouldn't get violent. She was more worried about the kid than teaching the restaurant owner a lesson. THAT guy, she wanted to talk to in person, just to ask why. It seemed like such a cruel thing to do, but she didn't have all of the facts just yet.

Adam had already reached the child, looking down at him with a frown. His gaze moved from the boy to the store then back down to him. Adam huffed a little, then chose to simply crouch down in front of him.

"Humans aren't very nice, are they?" Adam wouldn't have cared if this had happened to a human boy, but it happening to a Faunus just didn't sit well with him. He knew that Orihime was behind him now, with how closely she had followed. Adam could see the boy's gaze move over to Orihime, silently questioning why a human might show concern for him.

Adam glanced over his shoulder at Orihime then back to the weasel, "...don't worry about her, she's hardly a human. Actually, might be safe to say she's an alien," Adam smiled lightly, tossing in a rather sarcastic joke to make the boy feel better.

"Mou, that's not a good thing to say! Some of us are super nice!" Orihime protested, shooting him a wounded look...before she smiled awkwardly. "Even if I do look like an alien, ha ha...!"

No, Orihime, that wasn't what he was actually saying. But perhaps she already knew that.

She looked between the two of them, then at the cafe. "I'll get us something to go for all of us. I'd like to talk to the owner for a little bit too, if you don't mind." Communication would probably flow more freely if she was alone, she reasoned.

"Orihime-"

Adam glances over at her, the boy looking to her as well. His much kinder voice from before changes into something much more serious, maybe even a little dramatic knowing Adam.

"...You wanted to see what my world was like, go and see what it's also like for those that sympathize with Faunus."

Most likely, she'll be denied access as well.

Most likely. But she wasn't scared of that kind of rejection. She'd already fought through her own self-doubts, about whether or not she was human, about whether or not she was sane. Her friends had stuck with her regardless of the answer, and loved her unconditionally. There was nothing this shop owner could say that would hurt her.

And who knew? Maybe she'd be able to affect a little change. It was nothing to bank on, but she wasn't going to give up easily!

"Just leave it to me, Adam-san! Thank you for your concern!"

Not that he'd expressed any, but that was beside the point.

He hadn't, he just knew that Orihime would be denied getting food too since she was on their side. But oh well, it was time for her to see what it was like here for them. At least, see what it was like when certain humans hated the Faunus.

Even though Adam simply grouped them all together, but whatever. He watched her go, and didn't say anything more, and he simply turned back to the boy. Time to just talk with him and see how he's doing, yupyup.

Orihime nodded, and went inside.

Time passed. The inside of the building was quiet, so it seemed likely that she was getting the conversation she'd been hoping for.

It wasn't until nearly fifteen minutes later that Orihime emerged, her upper right half of her body dripping with hot soup, and noodles on her hair. So why was she smiling?

"Well, I got some free food to go, ah ha ha!" Clearly she wasn't the negotiator she'd kind of wished she could be. "Mou, you were right. People are pretty stubborn!"

....Orihime?!

Adam had stood up and walked away from the other Faunus for the time being, staring in disbelief at just what he was seeing. He... couldn't understand her, ever. She didn't need to stand up for them, she didn't need to go so far that she would get hot soup thrown at her. Well, at least now she knows what it's like to be a Faunus in certain places

"I can't believe you..." the man shook his head. He had already given the weasel some of his remaining lien, so he figured the boy had been compensated for at least a little bit. Adam looked down at him then over to Orihime.

"We can't very well get lunch now, we'll have to get you cleaned up first."

"Oh, no, that's not necessary!" she waved her hands. They couldn't very well head back home, not when it was such a long way up the cliff, just to jump back down it again. She hadn't thought to exchange her Genessia money for Vale's currency either. She probably should have thought of that before offering to buy lunch.

"I'm actually not that hungry, but if you are, we can still look for a place to eat."

The reaction of the man inside the cafe had kind of killed her appetite. How could someone choose to hate people so blindly? It didn't make sense to her. She'd tried to ask, but that had only made him angrier.

The boy laughed, actually. He just burst out laughing and couldn't seen to stop, all because of how Orihime was acting.....Admittedly, Adam found himself smiling lightly too after he let out a long sigh.

"Guess it's time to find you something else to wear, then."

He never thought he'd smile around a human, but he was amused by Orihime's determination.

"Hee!" Orihime still felt badly about the situation, but to be honest, their reactions made her feel better. Maybe she couldn't change someone's mindset easily, but if she could make someone else laugh, then that was something to be proud of.

Especially if she got Adam of all people to smile!

"Well, as long as it isn't expensive. Maybe a rain poncho, just in case there's more soup in the future?"

"Just... don't try and convince anyone anymore and it won't happen."

Seriously Orihime.

Either way, Adam turned to look down at the boy, talking with him again briefly He nodded at the other Faunus, then the boy ran off down the street. Adam had glanced over at Orihime, adjusting his mask as he spoke, "he'll be fine. I gave him some of my lien so he definitely has enough money to last for a while."

And Adam walked closer to her now, a hand reaching out to her and-- ....he pulled a noddle out of her hair, "perhaps a new change of clothes isn't all you need," perhaps a shower?!

"I can't promise I won't try!" Orihime grinned awkwardly. She ducked her head a little, as if sensing he was trying to help out, and looked up with a grateful grin when he removed the noodle. She was definitely going to enjoy a shower.

But later.

"Ne, that was very kind of you. I didn't know you were so good with kids, Adam-san," she noted, her eyes twinkling. She'd never had a problem with Adam, but it was nice to see that he had a kind side that ran deep. Maybe deeper than he realized.

...Oh. Um.

He cleared his throat at that, dropping the noodle to the ground. The Faunus put a hand in his pocket, turning away from her. He didn't want to hear something like that, especially from her. He was a cold member of the White Fang, he couldn't afford to seem weak.

"I just didn't like seeing one of us being treated that way, that's all," and if she hadn't been here then he might have just gutted that man, honestly.

"Oh, I see. So that's how it is," she smiled, her expression casual and cheerful. She had no idea why he'd be embarrassed about such an admirable quality. He was a little like Ichigo in that regard. Ichigo just didn't care much how other people perceived him. If he did, he would have dyed his hair black a long time ago.

"I don't like seeing people treated like that either. I wish there were more I could do." She heaved a sigh. "Maybe I'll just have to keep coming back!"

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Whatever You Do, I'll Do It Too

/pets Adam

SLAPS HAND AWAY

Q_Q

n___n

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