Hmkay. So, she's coming back to school after being in the hospital or something? (I'm sorta still lost.) By the way, if your character ever calls her Daphi, she will scream. She hates that nickname.

Depends... A months after for her to get over the trauma of being a victim of an almost death incident. I mean personally if I knew I was about to be killed and then survived I wouldn't be fine or dandy right away the next day. It would be somewhat traumatizing. I'd need some time to cool down.
Though I feel if she did survived and all, her mom despite being a little shaken would say it was god's will for her to still live on? O_o;
So giving Daphi some "time" to cool down and pick herself back would be good... By then she wouldn't be too irrational and feeling unstable but herself mostly.

Hmmm. I'll keep note of that then :P

So, picking up a few months later at school. Does Minoru come in knowing that he failed, or is he surprised to see Daphi among the living?

He has no idea at all!

So the shock! D:

I get it. I get it. Okay, I think I'm about ready to start this. You?

Yup yup! :3

((Cool, I'm starting in!))

Daphne tucked a strand of frizzy hair behind one ear, and adjusted the strap of her backpack, thinking to herself about how nice it was to finally go back to school. If nothing else, the school library ought have gotten a few new books since she'd...left.

She still was sort of in denial, choosing to view it as a vacation, not leaving because she had almost died. After all, she was all better now. If anyone asked where she had gone (not that anyone seriously would have cared), she would probably shrug and smile, as always.

She approached the school building with caution, and entered, heading to the office to pick up her schedule for this semester.

The assignment last night was a joke. Valdez and he were assigned to go after a man of great prestige and wealth only to find that he was only alive because of a machine. The Spaniard blinked when he strode in the tycoon's bedroom and checked. Much to their shock, it turned out the old man wasn't really there to so speak. He knew of the threat to his life and thus employed a bait for those who would dare to take his life. Moreover, he wasn't really that old. The tycoon in question Spencer Ross was a crafty bastard who was a fan of Shingen Takeda...so much that he employed the man of war's tactics: the use of the kagemusha.

To make the long story short, he and Valdez switched sides and now are working for Ross. Tonight would be the first of a long line of assassinations. Starting off with Ross' own brother who hired them in the first place.

Minoru massaged the sides of his forehead at the tell tale head ache. Frowning, he put aside the book he was decoding - one of Ross' men had given him a message message using the book as a cipher - and set out to go to the school infirmary. The student had a bad feeling something had gone awry in his wake.
___

Excuse the use of Sengoku references. I'm a history geek. >.>;

The secretary, a stern woman with red plastic-framed glasses, spared Daphne a smile as she handed the freshly-printed schedule to her. "Do you need help finding your classes?"

"No," Daphne said with half a smile herself. "I remember the building well enough." She was nervous, though, about the other student. Not that they'd ever accepted her before, but next to them, understanding the building was as simple as pi.

She looked down at her schedule, happy to find that she had Folklore, Mythology and Legend first period. She left the office, with a grin on her face.

On his way to the infirmary, the student assassin had removed his faux glasses and slipped it on his breast pocket. He paused to lean against the wall to steady himself somehow.

Minoru often had these strange head aches as some kind of psychosomatic response to some bad event that was lurking about the corner. It was his instincts speaking to him. Once, it had be so terrible Valdez had to pick him up from school. The brunet shuddered at the possibility of what could be wrong.

He didn't want to think about it much.

Daphne saw the boy leaning against the wall. He didn't look very well. She quickly decided to help him. After all, if she was late today, she could always claim she got lost.

"Are you okay?" She gently touched his arm, concerned. Her mother, if she'd been there, would have made a comment about how it's a blessing to help the sick. Daphne, she did it out of honest caring.

Minoru slowly opened his eyes and looked at the girl who called out for him. How strange she sounded somewhat familiar. Even felt familiar...

When he finally had a good look at her, his eyes widened in horror. "N-No... I am not. I don't..."

The boy panicked at the sight of his should have been disposed of walking, breathing and in front of him. What the hell?! Swallowing hard, the brunet rubbed his eyes then took a good look at Daphne once again.

The girl was there. No matter how hard he rubbed his eyes, she was still there.

Valdez would so flip when they met tonight.

Seeing him rubbing his eyes, Daphne assumed something was wrong with his vision. "Are you sure? I can walk you to the infirmary." She smiled gently, trying to assure the boy that she meant well. For some reason, the look in his eyes came across to her as almost afraid. But why would he be afraid of her?

She looked him right in the eyes, trying to show how she meant well. "Please, let me take you to the infirmary."

"That would be most kind of you, Miss..."

Minoru had never expected to run into her. Seeing Daphne alive was like seeing the dead walk and it frightened him. For the first time in history, he had royally screwed up an assignment. They had already spent the returns from that one for new equipment. How would they be able to return the money now? Valdez was even using the new sniper rifles for his solo assignment and declaring they were such darlings. The protege could feel his chest tighten at the idea of telling him that they had to return the money now.

He smiled to cover up the fear and shock in his eyes as he followed her closely. Maybe...they didn't have to go back and return the money.

Maybe...he could just try to make up for the past by killing her now.

Maybe...The brunet still had some more thoughts in mine but right now his head was threatening to split open.

((Oh, my freaking lord of lights, you're a girl! Nice avi.))

Daphne led him to the infirmary, and once there waited to tell the nurse how she'd found him leaning against the wall in pain, and how he had rubbed his eyes like he was seeing things. Then, she made a point of gently touching the boy's arm. "If I get a chance, maybe during lunch, I'll check up on you, okay?" Then, she blushed.

Back...before...she would never have volunteered like this. It would have drawn attention to her, the mousy little geek. And that was the last thing the old Daphne would have wanted.

She caught that thought, "the old Daphne," and chuckled to herself. Really, had she changed so much?

The boy smiled for her, "You really don't have to but thank you nonetheless." Minoru's mind was ill at ease with the thought of having to see Daphne again at lunch. He prayed to his kami that the girl wouldn't make it and something phenomenal like...the earth swallowed her up would happen. Fat chance, shrugged the assassin to himself as the nurse helped him out of his jackets and shoes before he could lie down. There is no way in hell I'll be able to---If only I could redeem myself.

In his mind, Minoru was a wreck. He failed. His target was alive and how long had it been? MONTHS?!
The brunet groaned, his ego crushed and his head spinning. If only he could just crawl into a hole and just forget everything ever happened.

"Should I call your guardian...Let's see. Mr. Remy Valdez?"

Despite his head ache and misery, the boy sat up and violently shook his head, "NO. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." Then hid under the blanket, groaning in pain.

This was not happening to him.
___

Thank you!

The wings...It's the wings' fault ; - ;

I couldn't find something to match it among the men's section. *discovers feminine side*

((Which are you irl? To be honest, I was guessing female. Anyway, I'll be back online tomorrow for more.))

Daphne then troddled off to the Folk-Myth-Legend class, as it was called, feeling good about helping the boy. "Oh, I never caught his name," she realized aloud, twisting a strand of hair absently. He had looked asian, perhaps.

This certainly wasn't time to be thinking about boys! After all, she was catching up on her work. That was her first priority. Good grades meant a good college, hopefully far from her mother's clutches.

After forcing pain killers down his throat and a nice cold compress on his head, the migraine was beginning to disappear. If only there was a cure to crushed egos. This would not be good on his record at all.

What if for the past months, other potential clients already knew about this slip up and... Maybe that's why nobody had ever wanted to hire him solo unless he was with Valdez! They knew but he didn't?!

Minoru frowned at the prospect.

Damn. If he continued to be the worry wort that he was turning into, it was quite possible he would work himself up to a fever.

How irresponsible of him...
___

YUSH!

At lunchtime, Daphne went first to the cafeteria to pick up something to eat. As the day's selection for lunch included chicken noodle soup, she decided to pick up a bowl for the boy in the infirmary. So, carrying her bowl and his, she walked to the infirmary.

((Though he may have already left the infirmary. You decide that. And you mean you are female?))

Minoru was still there though. He was now red in the face and sweating profusely. The nurse was shocked to find the boy now nursing a slight fever. How he managed to get sick to quickly was beyond him. It was as if by mere will and thought, the student was suddenly ill.

What was on the boy's mind that got him to such a state? It must have been that terrible! Frowning slightly, she gave him medications to ease his suffering somehow.

Daphne was not surprised to see him still there. He had looked miserable before, and if anything, he looked worse now. Daphne set his bowl on the floor, holding hers carefully as she sat on the edge of his bed. "Brought you lunch," she muttered gently.

She also took the opportunity to look at him. He was certainly a rather pretty boy. Prettier than herself. Such a boy would never give her a second glance in a normal situation.

Lisa greeted the girl with a smile, "That's nice of you to bring him lunch, Daphne. I was just on my way to fetch him some food but thank you! You saved me of the trouble!" The pretty nurse then tapped her shoulder and said she would be off to lunch herself, leaving the two alone.

Minoru groaned hearing the door close. When he saw the freckled girl sitting at the edge of the bed, his expression worsened and hid under the blankets. Why did fate love to tempt him so much?

When his family got split up after his parents died, he didn't feel so bad. Actually he was still so young that it was hard to recall. But this...

Failing a mission and then his ex-target now sympathizing him with offerings of lunch.

"Th-thank you...", he said weakly under the covers. "I'll be fine."

"Come on. Chicken soup is curative, right?" Daphne didn't notice that his expression was directed at her. "Now, are you going to eat this, or do I need to feed you myself?"

Something in this boy brought out her motherly side. Or at least her nurturing side. Her father had been the primary caretaker in her family, while her mother was out preaching.

Daphne took a bite of her own soup, chewing a chunk of chicken thoughtfully.

Minoru found himself in a rather compromising situation. If he went on being the stubborn little chico that he was, it would only work against him. So with frazzled hair and a puffy nose, the boy reached for his glasses and then sat up. Once out of his protective cloth cocoon, he ran a hand through his hair to some semblance of order no matter how petty. "Chicken soup?"

He wore his glasses and feigned better sight with them then found the said bowl. Minoru thanked her once again and then reached for the bowl that had been given to him, "How kind of you... You're not even a student assistant here."

If he wasn't wrong, the school hired students as part time help for several offices that were short of employees and gave them some pay when the day was over.

"Geez, ever notice how snobby some of those assistants get? No, I'd never become one of those. It's like wearing a sign declaring yourself a teacher's pet." Daphne chuckled at him as he tried to straighten out his hair. Maybe later, she'd volunteer the fact that she kept a hairbrush in her backpack for dealing with the frizzies after gym. But for now, she'd just do food and company.

"Are you feeling any better?" She gently touched his forehead, her ever-cold hands feeling warmth.